Late Nights Discussion Guide
SERIES TITLE
Jodi Hickerson
Mother's Day Weekend
SERIES OVERVIEW
On Mother’s Day, Jodi Hickerson walked us through one of the most dramatic late-night scenes in the Gospels: Jesus’ disciples straining against wind and waves on the Sea of Galilee at 3 a.m. After an exhausting day—grief over John the Baptist’s death, healing the sick, feeding 5,000—Jesus sent His disciples ahead while He withdrew to pray. In the darkness, He came to them walking on water. What followed—Peter stepping out, sinking, and being caught—offered five practices for our own “late nights”: get alone with God, do the last thing He told you to do, look for Jesus in unexpected ways, step out in faith, and ask for His hand. The disciples’ response—worship—invites us toward the same.
WARM UP
Think of a time you were awake late at night—worried, waiting, or unable to sleep. What was going through your mind, and what (or who) helped you get through it?
Discussion Questions
- Jodi opened by noting that before Jesus walked on water, He had experienced an extraordinarily hard day—grief, crowds, miraculous compassion—and then went up into the hills alone to pray until nightfall (Matthew 14:23). She said, “We are not meant to do this life apart from Him and His power working in us.” Where in your current season of life do you most feel the pull to skip solitude with God? What gets in the way, and what helps you return to it?
- The disciples were rowing in the dark because Jesus had told them to go (Matthew 14:22). When the wind rose, some probably wanted to turn back. Jodi’s word to them—and to us—was: “Just do the last thing He told you to do.” Is there an area of your life where resistance has made you question whether God really called you to something? How do you distinguish between needing to persevere and genuinely needing to change course?
- Jodi pointed out that at 3 a.m., the disciples didn’t recognize Jesus at first—they thought He was a ghost. She invited us to look for Jesus to show up in unexpected ways: an unexpected text, a lyric in worship, an open door you didn’t anticipate. Can you share a recent or memorable time when you almost missed God showing up because it didn’t look the way you expected? What helped you recognize Him?
- Jodi said that while many preachers focus on Peter’s sinking, we shouldn’t overlook that Peter got out of the boat (Matthew 14:29). Stepping out in faith, she noted, means first asking, “Lord, if it’s really you—tell me to come.” What criteria do you use to discern whether a risky step is genuinely God’s invitation versus your own impulse? What step of faith is Jesus asking you to consider right now?
- When Peter cried, “Save me, Lord!” Jesus immediately reached out His hand (Matthew 14:31). Jodi observed: “For some of us it takes more courage to admit and reach out when we need help than it does to step over the side of the boat.” Why do you think asking for help—from God or from others—can feel harder than taking action? What would it look like this week to genuinely ask for His hand or maybe someone else’s?
Application
- How much credit can we take for our restored relationship with God? See Ephesians 2:6-8.
- What can we do to express our gratitude for God’s mercy, kindness, and grace? See Ephesians 2:10.
- Who prepared this life of purpose for us, and when did He have our life’s purpose planned out for us? See Ephesians 2:10 in the Amplified Version.
- When your physical realm realities are full of aching and hardship, what are 3 spiritual realm realities that you can identify from our study in Ephesians 1 & 2 to help you have a more heavenly perspective of your situation and aching circumstances?
wrap up | prayer
Close your time together by praying through these themes from the sermon:
- For those in a “late night” season—carrying grief, exhaustion, or uncertainty—that they would find the courage and the quiet to get alone with God.
- For anyone mid-obedience who is tempted to quit: strength to keep rowing, trust that God who gave the instruction is still present in the storm.
- Eyes to recognize Jesus when He shows up in unexpected forms—and hearts ready to worship when the wind dies down.
- For the mothers in our group, that they would know the Lord’s nearness today, and the grace to both step out boldly and ask for His hand when they are sinking.