Read Matthew 17:1-9 or 2 Peter 1:16-21

1. The events on the mountain seemed to be part of God's preparation for Jesus to face the events to come. How does God prepare us for service?

2. Jesus turned to prayer in his hour of need. Do we find it hard to pray when we are under pressure or discouraged? How can we encourage one another when we are all feeling a bit down?

3. Neither Moses or Elijah had a known burial site. Both suffered times of great discouragement. Both had a mountain top experience. Try to speculate as to what they had to say in their conversation with Jesus. (If you feel this is a little presumptuous just remember we are trying to imagine not pretending to know.)

4. Do we sometimes try to hang on to our mountain top experiences, remembering times when God blessed us in a special way? Should we move on to try to deal with today's problems or is it important that we do have times when we feel the power of the Holy Spirit? Is there a connection between the two things ie staying faithful to our call and knowing God's presence in a real way?