Week 1 Discussion Guide: All Things Becoming New Requires Trust
Message by: Pastor Todd Carter | October 24-25, 2026
Main Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33
Watch the message: pathwaychurch.com/messages
Message Summary
As we begin All Things Becoming New, Pastor Todd Carter reminded us that everything God wants to make new in us starts with trust. In Matthew 14, the disciples found themselves in a storm because they obeyed Jesus, and they lost heart because they forgot the loaves He had just multiplied. Pastor Todd showed us that trust grows as we remember what God has already done, and it becomes real when, like Peter, we answer Jesus’ invitation to “Come” and step out of the boat. He and Cris learned this firsthand when God asked them to give away their house down payment, and they discovered that God wasn’t after their money but their hearts. Wherever we are, Jesus is inviting each of us to trust Him enough to take that step.
Leader Notes
• This series is the culmination of this season of our All Things New journey, and generosity is part of the conversation. People in your group will be in very different places: some may be considering their first gift, some may be unsure how to finish their commitment, and others may sense God inviting them to a new step. Keep the focus on trust and the heart, not on amounts. Pastor Todd was clear that God is not “some weird cosmic ATM.”
• Question 3 invites people to share their “loaves.” Consider sharing one of your own first to set the tone.
• Pastor Todd named several real storms: marriage problems, health struggles and difficult diagnoses, kids making hard choices, and shaky jobs. Leave room in your time together to listen and pray for one another.
Icebreaker
Pastor Todd described the first apartment he and Cris lived in as a “love shack.” What is the most memorable (or least glamorous) place you have ever lived?
Last Week’s I Will Statement
“I will take action to remember the forgotten.”
How did you take action this past week to remember the forgotten? What did you notice about God’s heart, or your own, as you did?
Discussion Questions
1. Read Matthew 14:22-33 together. Pastor Todd pointed out that Jesus “made” the disciples get into the boat (the word can also mean “compelled”), and they ended up in the wind and waves precisely because they obeyed. What stood out to you from this passage and from the message? How does it change the way you see your own struggles to know that storms can come not because we disobeyed God, but because we obeyed Him?
“Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd... and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.” Matthew 14:22, 24 (NIV)
Application: Name one area of your life where you have been obedient but still feel like you are rowing against the wind.
2. When Jesus says, “Take courage! It is I,” He is literally saying “I am,” the name God gave Moses at the burning bush. Pastor Todd said the very water the disciples feared was right under Jesus’ feet. What is the “water” you are most afraid of right now? What would it look like to believe that Jesus sees you and is standing on top of it?
“He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake.” Mark 6:48 (NIV); see also Exodus 3:14
Application: Write down the thing that feels most out of control in your life and pray over it this week, beginning with, “Jesus, You are on top of this.”
3. Mark tells us the disciples were terrified because “they had not understood about the loaves.” They had just watched Jesus feed 5,000 people and forgot it as soon as the wind picked up. Pastor Todd shared some of his own “loaves”: an unexpected windfall when an apartment building he co-owned sold, and a full-ride scholarship for one of his kids during a season of their biggest giving commitment. What are some of the loaves in your life, times when God showed up just when you needed Him?
“They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.” Mark 6:51-52 (NIV); see also Psalm 77:11
Application: Start a “loaves list” this week and, like Pastor Todd encouraged, tell one of those stories to your kids, grandkids, or a friend.
4. Peter was the only one of the twelve disciples who trusted Jesus enough to get out of the boat. Pastor Todd said, “You really never know if you trust Jesus until He asks you to do something or give up something that you love or something that gives you security.” Besides Jesus, what tends to give you a sense of security or happiness? What makes stepping out of the boat feel risky for you?
“‘Come,’ he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.” Matthew 14:29-31 (NIV); see also Matthew 6:21
Application: Ask God in prayer, “What is the step You are inviting me to take?” Listen, and share what you hear with someone in your group.
5. Pastor Todd and Cris gave away their house down payment early in their marriage, and two years later God provided over $35,000 for a down payment on the home they still live in. Now they are giving away part of their retirement to help accomplish the mission, saying, “We’re a little bit old, but we ain’t done.” Whether your next step would be giving for the very first time, persevering to complete your All Things New commitment, or trusting God with something new, where are you in your generosity journey? What would a step out of the boat look like for you?
“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6:18-19 (NIV); see also Mark 14:6
Application: Identify one specific step of trust in your generosity this week and ask someone in your group to check in with you about it.
This Week’s I Will Statement
“I will trust Jesus to take a step out of the boat.”
Prayer Prompts
• Thank God for the loaves your group shared, naming specific ways He has provided and come through.
• Pray for those in your group facing storms: marriages, health, children who are far from God, and uncertain jobs.
• Ask God for courage for each person to hear Jesus say “Come” and to take their step out of the boat.
• Pray for our 10-year vision to plant 100 churches, see 10,000 people come to know Jesus, and see 100,000 lives impacted for Jesus.
• Pray for anyone you know who feels like they are sinking and needs to come to Jesus as the leader and Savior of their life.
Ways to Take Your Next Step
• Give: Take a step of trust in generosity, whether it is your first gift, continuing your All Things New commitment, or a new step, through the Pathway app or pathwaychurch.com.
• Get baptized: If you have trusted Jesus but have not been baptized, take that step like Jace and Marcus did. Learn more and sign up at pathwaychurch.com/baptism.
• Get connected: Find a group through the Pathway app and keep growing with others.
• Share your loaves: Tell someone this week about a time God came through for you.
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