November 8, 2025
A video introduction using illustrations, personal stories, metaphors, or active learning examples to begin the discussion.
After the video, prompts are supplied for thinking and sharing with others personal perception and experience. This opening activity prompts participants to think about and relate to the topic, and to share with others.
Do you know the scientific or technical name for some common fears? Here’s a list of the most frequently shared fears from surveys and see if you can match them with their official names.
(Glossophobia) Public Speaking: Fear of being judged, embarrassed, or forgetting words in front of others.
(Arachnophobia) Spiders: A primal fear triggered by their movement and unpredictability.
(Ophidiophobia) Snakes: A deep, ancient survival fear found in almost every culture.
(Acrophobia) Heights: Fear of falling or losing balance, often causing vertigo or panic.
(Claustrophobia) Enclosed Spaces: Fear of being trapped or unable to escape.
(Nyctophobia) The Dark: Common since childhood; rooted in fear of the unseen or unknown.
(Coulrophobia) Clowns: Often caused by distorted facial expressions or hidden identities behind makeup.
(Cynophobia) Dogs: Sometimes from past traumatic encounters or fear of being attacked.
(Aquaphobia) Swimming: Fear of drowning or losing control in open water.
While people often name fears like spiders or heights, beneath those are the deeper ones we all face, for example the fear of death, rejection, failure, pain, or change. These are some of the fears that reach the heart and shape how we live every day. Explore an everyday moment when the disciples meet Jesus in a hectic and an uncommon scenario.
The Bible discussion begins with a careful reading of the whole passage, either from your own Bibles, or from the provided images below.
Then participants are to ask:
The longing for a Messiah was rooted in the hope that one day fear, poverty, death, and oppression would end. It sounds simple and good yet understanding why things are good or bad matters even more. Fear still rises, just as it did that night on the lake when the disciples’ fear was real danger and uncertainty. But when Jesus appeared, walking on the water, their fear turned from the storm to awe. Sometimes God’s presence unsettles us before it steadies us.
Then came His voice: “It is I; don’t be afraid.” Those same words echoed to Abraham (Genesis 15:1) and Isaiah (43:2)—God’s assurance that His presence is stronger than fear. Calm doesn’t come from the absence of storms but from the nearness of Christ. Faith is the courage to invite Him in before the waves settle. Jesus’ “It is I” (John 4:26; 18:5–6; Acts 9:5; Revelation 1:17–18; Isaiah 41:4; 43:10–11; 46:4) still speaks today—the One who walks on chaos remains the Lord of peace.
A parting video clip with a personal invitation to apply the message to “knowing Christ” and “living in Christ” in the coming week.
