For reflection/ discussion: (1) Why do you think Jesus tells his disciples to give the crowd something to eat, rather than send them away? (2) What miracles would you like to see Jesus perform in the world today? (3) How can Jesus use his church, and those of us who are members of it, to make those miracles begin to take place?

For reflection/discussion: (1) What is your initial response when you find yourself facing one of the storms of life? (2) How is Jesus present with us in life's storms? (3) How is the church like a boat? (4) Why do we, like Peter, tend to focus on the wind and the waves, rather than on Jesus?

For reflection/discussion: (1) What are the "traditions of the elders" and where did they come from? (2) How do we decide the difference between a human tradition and the will of God? (3) What do the terms legalism and works righteousness mean? Why are they attractive to people? (4) Why were the Pharisees and Jesus at odds with one another? Would it have been possible for them to arrive at a compromise? (5) How does the unearned, undeserved gift of God's grace challenge our efforts at self-justification?

For reflection/discussion: (1) Who or what is "the rock" upon which Jesus will build his church? Is it Peter? Is it the faith Peter proclaims? Is it something else? (2) What are the keys to the kingdom of heaven and what do they lock and/or unlock? (3) What is the meaning of binding and loosing in Matthew 16.19? (4) Why does Jesus call Simon Peter "Satan" in Matthew 16.21-25? Did you catch the wordplay when Jesus calls Peter a "stumbling block"? (5) Why is Jesus' death on the cross and bodily resurrection an indispensable part of the proclamation of the church and a non-negotiable component of the Christian faith?