The Death of John the Baptist
14:1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, 2 and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 3 For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 4 because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. 6 But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, 7 so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” 9 And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given. 10 He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, 11 and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Jesus Walks on the Water
22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret
34 And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick 36 and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well. (ESV)
17″We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18″Bring them here to me,” he said.
19And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
20They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
This is such a classic miracle that has been talked about for many many years…. taking a small meal to feed all of the people there, plus extras is something that can only be accomplished though our God!!! He is amazing and all-powerful!
5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered him a prophet.
The reason Herod killed John is because he was afraid of men. Because he was more afraid of his friends, he killed John. This is why it is necessary to fear God over man. There is no one better than God and He is to be feared above man because He can kill both body and soul. Lord, help me fear you over man.
Wild – allowing His cousin and herald to be imprisoned and beheaded while feeding the fickle followers who will drop him as soon as the times get tough… So the few who do repent and trust will have eternity and those that don’t may have a short period on earth and then a whole lot of suffering forever… Lord, thank You for Your perfect plan that includes salvation for us, your enemies, and PLEASE COME SOON to right this world! In the meantime, let me be a witness to others of Your glory!
Somany piercing concepts and realities in this chapter God blessed us with…
1. The Bible is filled with some gnarly R-rated stuff!!! And so is our world. We must strive for holiness, despite the goings-on in our world and the hearts of those next to us.
2. Jesus’s life is hemmed in prayer. And time with just Him and God. Let us copy-cat Him in this necessary strengthening process.
3. We must keep our heart and eyes fixed on Jesus. Peter was so close to Jesus when he allowed himself to become distracted and took his eyes off Jesus–Jesus was able to reach out and sustain him. We aren’t, “in the clear,” when we’re walking closely with Him. We must ALWAYS–CONSTANTLY–keep our eye on the Prize: Jesus Christ.
4. Jesus loses His COUSIN–His cousin is beheaded, for crying outloud, and yet HE ministers to OTHERS. HE has compassion on THEM. May we be others-minded in OUR times of trial, loss, and difficulty. May we look to bless others, as Jesus did.
5. Jesus is MORE THAN ENOUGH for us. The disciples picked up TWELVE BASKETFULS OF LEFTOVERS!!! What! EVER!!! That is so RADICAL! Let us knoe with full conviction that not only does He meet our needs when we have faith in Him, but He lavishes us so much with blessing, that there are LEFTOVERS!!!
God is good…alll the time. All the time…God is good.
Special thanks for the Double It Up worship last night, by the way. That was a blessing and one of my most favorite Saturday nights EVER. Praying for Pastor Bobby as he endeavors to teach God’s Word to our church this morning. Praying, too, for teachable and soft hearts that will hear God’s Word and resolve to be DOERS of His Word. Time is short. We must live each minute WISELY and with PURPOSE.
29″Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.30B ut when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
The passage about Peter joining Jesus to walk on the water really stood out to me. In human terms it would be impossible for Peter to walk on water. However, he trusted Jesus so implicitly that he stepped out of the boat and onto the water. Everything was going fine until he took his eyes off of Jesus and focused on the raging wind around him, then he began to fall. Jesus had to reach out and save Peter and he gets chastised for having little faith. At first glance it seems ridiculous that Peter would take his eyes off of Christ and doubt His might. But when I really search my own heart I see how easily I lose my focus and take my eyes off of God and grow discouraged when I look at the seemingly impossible circumstances in my life. I am convicted today that times of great doubt or trouble in my life have come because I sin and choose to trust in myself or man, and not in God. Lord, help me to continually keep my eyes on you. You promise to be with me in all the circumstance of life and that you are working all things for my good, even if they feel bad at the time. Help me to trade my doubt for trust in You and to rely on You to get me through the tough times.
9The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted
Yeah Zach that stood out to me too. We get the impression that Herod knew the right thing to do. He was distressed. He thought John was a prophet and deduced that killing one of God’s spokesmen was not good. However, he still did it because of his oaths and his dinner guests. He was more interested in how he looked to the people at the party than to God. This mindset will inevitably lead to compromise and bad decisions. I am susceptible to thinking the same way and need to always, in every situation, consider whether my actions are pleasing to men or to God.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
a simple command by Jesus but hard to obey when we focus on the circumstances and not the author and finisher of our faith.
28″Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29″Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
Jesus walking on water is one of my favorite miracles in the Bible. And the example with Peter is too true: many times we trust God but when we glimpse something we think too hard or fear something in this world, it takes our focus off of God and our faith withers. I should remember to not fear the things or people in this world because God is greater and has power over everything on this earth. I should practice walking by faith even when the world tries to whisper doubts into my ear. Jesus is the one I should listen to above all else.
ELLO… I read
I like verse 31,”Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”"
I like this verse because it says something that I never want to be said to me. “You of so little faith,” I would much rather have GOD say well done good and faithful servant then to say I had little faith. I have no reason to doubt GOD when HE has done all these things for everyone.
CYA
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
this verse is really convicting. one application that we can draw from this verse is that we need to never doubt our Lord. Jesus tells Peter that he has little faith, and asks Peter why he doubts. Jesus knows that Peter should not doubt Him. today there are things that i dont trust in Christ for. it is very ironic that i trust Christ for salvation, but not for the little things. i pray that i would trust in Christ for ALL things in my life, no matter how big or small. because God is omniscient and omnipresent, i know that He sees me at all times. i pray that when He is watching me, He never thinks of me of being of little faith, but always trusting in Him for everything. please Lord give me faith, and help me never to doubt You!
23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
Jesus has just performed a miracle of feeding 5000 men, along with all of their wives and children. His disciples got into the boat and left shore but this verse tells us that Jesus stayed on land. He went to a mountainside so He could spend some quiet time praying. When Jesus fed all of the people, the author (Matthew) writes that it was in the evening. By the time He is done praying and walks out to the disciples on the water, he writes that it was in the fourth watch of the night. Jesus definitely spent some quality time in prayer. Many people will say they pray a lot, but many times it’s just thanking God for the food before eating, or bringing a never ending list of requests to Him. That’s not what prayer is all about!
Throughout all of the times when Jesus speaks, we find so many instructions for prayer. One thing is to not pray in front of everyone so that you may be heard. He says to go into your room and shut the door, and Jesus does the same as He goes alone to the mountainside. Jesus shows exactly how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13. Prayer isn’t just a time to ask God for things. Prayer, by simplest definition, is directing your thoughts to God. Prayer requests should only be a part of prayer time. Prayer, as set an example by Jesus in the LORD’s Prayer, should consist of worshiping and praising God for all that He is and all that He has done, praying “MARANATHA!(12x)” that Christ will return soon, praying that in everything God’s will will be done. So far, all of these things have nothing to do with me, but all to do with God! Then, bringing requests to God, asking for forgiveness and a forgiving heart, and praying for a holy life set free by God’s protection.
I need to not let my prayer time be all about me. I need to not be selfish, only thinking about what I want to ask of God, but instead have the main focus be on Him being praised and glorified. I need to not let s desire for sleep keep me from praying. Even when I am so tired in the morning, and I feel like compromising prayer time by hitting the snooze, I need to wake up and dive into a time of prayer! When I look at my life and see how much time I spend doing other things that don’t really matter, it makes me realize how I can always pray more, for I’ll never look back on prayer time and regret it!
20They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
This verse clearly shows the unlimited power of God in a practical miracle. Out of two fish and fish loaves of bread, Jesus is able to feed 5 thousand, with plenty left over.
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
The context of this verse is Jesus asking Peter why he doubted. But it can also be applied directly to me. Why do I doubt? Sometimes it is easy to fall into the habit of not completely trusting God. But He is in control of everything, and there is absolutely NO reason to doubt.
Goodmorning from the DBR side. Todays DBR fits nicely with PB’s True North’s Takeover message. So I offer you fine SOTD people something to chew on in return.
2 Peter 1”Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: “
In the opening of this letter, Simon Peter clearly declares who his is and what he is about.
As a Christian, am I as bold in both my identity and my purpose? The answer is no.
If not, then who am I? What is my identity to myself and to others? And How do I communicate this to others?
Pastor Bobby passionately reminded us last night that we are in one of only two groups. The group that has a personal relationship with Jesus our Savior or the group that does not.
He made us ask ourselves this: If we are saved, then why are we not excited about the grace of Jesus that makes that possible. So excited, that like Simon Peter, Jesus is the first thing that we want to talk about to others, not the last. So excited that that there is never a moment when my desire to talk about Jesus is overwhelmed by my concern for my “image” or their rejection. So excited, that my main concern is for those that are not saved….yet!
Pastor Bobby challenged us to define our “image” of ourselves. Do I first and foremost have an image of Jesus, or an image of self that camouflages Jesus within? Do I keep my image of Jesus as a hidden facet of my identity that is on display only when it is safe and cool to do so, or do I boldly display it like beautiful new clothes with every step that I take?
If I deny Jesus here and now, am I truly saved, and will He deny me when I come before Him? That is scary.
Using DNR scripture as an example, let me now take a look at how Peter identifies himself at the beginning of his second letter. He identifies himself in the first two words of verse 1 in both the NIV and ESV as “Simon Peter”. One commentary suggests that he did this to appeal to a mixed audience. However, I see this as being beautifully symbolic of his life and identity.
“Simon” is the name associated with his pre-Christ identity. Simon was but a simple man of little education that earned his living fishing much like his fathers had done before him and most likely how his sons would follow after him.
“Peter” is the name given to Simon by Jesus and is associated with his Christian identity. For example, this letter is called Second Peter, not second Simon.
This two name sequence symbolizes to me the state of salvation that we all share as Christians. Because of the undeserving Grace of God, our spirits have been forever washed clean of sin by the blood of Christ. But our bodies remain of this world, and are still slaves to the temptations of this world. So to me, the use of “Simon Peter” is a verification that he like us are subject to two masters, our flesh which remains a slave to the world and our spirit which is a joyful slave to glorify Christ.
The Word of God is a powerful sword that separates flesh, but the flesh clings to our transformed spirits tenaciously. And we cannot achieve the perfection of the inheritance promised by Christ to us until we shed that flesh at death. Then, free of the world, free of the last taint of sin from that world’s master, we are now free to have a truly intimate relationship with Christ forever.
But until then we live by God’s pleasure in the world to glorify God by our ever growing sanctification which empowers us in our struggle against the master of the flesh. To this end, Simon Peter declares that he is (V1) “a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,…”. That is a yell of victory, a declaration of fidelity in the face of the doomed strategies of the prince of deception and death. For Simon Peter’s identity is also his power, which is not his, but is from the source of all power, Jesus the Christ.
Simon Peter does exactly what Pastor Bobby directed us to do. He states his identity with Jesus Christ in the opening sentence of his letter. Simon Peter then affirms the similarity between him and those the letter is written to: (V1) “…To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: “
“…as precious as ours:…” How beautiful is this statement of undeserving Grace. Even though he was an eye witness to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ, and is the rock of the church, the faith that we have received from Jesus is as precious as his. Thank you Jesus!
17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18 “Bring them here to me,” he said.
19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
It’s amazing to see all the miracles that Jesus performed, especialy this one. My old basketball coach told us that last year when she went down to Mexico they were giving out shoes, but they only had like 100 pairs and that 150 people recieved shoes. Amazing! Only possible with the help of God!
Okay who would ever want a head on a platter for a gift, really? That would be a little creepish.
The amazingness of Jesus is shown in this chapter too, well thru out the whole bible, but wow feeding so many people with not a lot. CRazYnESs. How awesome is He.
And lastly the story of Peter walking to Jesus on water and Jesus walking on water. They thought He was a ghost, aren’t those not real? Well it was just amazing at the end when they said this.
33Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
They really believed.
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
Why is it that we doubt God? Is it becuase we dont really have complete trust in Him? That is a major part in a Christians life, to trust not only that God will bring us to heaven when we die through Jesus Christ, but that we have trust in Him in our lives today. Meaning everything we do we have given it to the Lord to make our choices. I know in my life it is somtimes hard to give things up to the Lord, but when I do, its like this weight has been lifted. I still have to go through the trial but I know that God will help me through it, without giving into the world. And giving into the world is somthing no real Christian wants to happen.
17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18 “Bring them here to me,” he said.
19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
When I think about the miracles, like this, that Jesus performed throughout His earthly ministry I am reminded of how foolish it is for me to worry or to think that I won’t be provided for. Earlier in Matthew we read about the stupidity in worrying because it really does do nothing for us, and that is so true! I need to remember things like this miracle so that when I am tempted to worry or fear I will be compelled to trust a sovereign and good Father who always provides abundantly for His kids!
29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
I loved these verses because i feel that God is saying to always have faith. I struggle with this alot. I think that many people are always questioning what could happen to them or others, but we just need to put our trust in God and know that he has a plan for us. And always strive to be like him, even though we are not perfect-doesnt mean we cant try. :)
These verses are so great because they show us Jesus’ power. It also makes me feel so privelaged, that someone with such great power died for us for our sins!
29″Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
I have two things to say about this passage. The first thing I want to say is that I think that not enough people give credit to Peter for boldly stepping out onto a storm-tossed sea. This shows that Peter wants to be with his Lord even if it means walking somewhere it is dangerous. But! Peter, being in a place where it was dangerous, realized that it was dangerous and started to sink. Jesus later rebukes him saying that he [Peter] has little faith. I can empathize with Peter on this. Sometimes I’m extremely excited to go with God to some place where danger lurks, but I end up being frightened by trivial things. I need to learn to put my faith in God and not fear any other thing. God cares for those who believe in Him.
29″Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
I enjoyed today’s service…this is awesome, not only did Jesus walk on water but Peter did also! This whole story revolves around faith! Like all of the miracles that happened dealt with faith. I just need to realize and remind myself that things in life might appear to be hard, but with Jesus they can happen.
30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt
Why do we doubt the Lord? Sometimes if we are in trouble or get scared we forget that the Lord is there for us. And when we do not trust in the Lord we have little faith in him and we “sink” more.
Good job Pastor Bobby!!!
29″Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
I love this because it reminds us that we need to have faith. We should not doubt the Lord because he is perfect and has our lives in his hands. This whole chapter was great to read about how powerful and perfect the Lord is and to learn about his many miracles.
30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
(Enjoyed Pastor Bobby’s awesome sermon today!!!:)…These verses apparently caught a lot of people’s attention. I’m very familiar with the story of Peter walking on water because it is one of God’s miracles even non-Christians have heard about. However, I should be more familiar with “why” Peter walked on water, not the fact that he did. It was because he had faith in God, and as soon as he lost focus on God, as soon as he let fear of the wind/the world in, he lost faith. Jesus saved him, which shows how much He loved Peter. God will always be there for us, so I need to trust Him wholeheartedly and never doubt Him because the second I lose my focus on God, everything will fall apart, just as Peter began to sink in the water. I need to stay above water with my eyes focused on God and following what He wants me to do. I should not let distractions sink me below water.
14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Upon the death of His cousin, Jesus wanted to be alone. And yet, when the crowds followed Him, He had compassion on them and met their needs. This is one of the things Jesus did as an example for us to follow. It is easy to love and serve people when it’s easy or convenient for us; but a true servant will put others above himself even when it requires sacrifice. This kind of service can’t easily be faked. Instead, it comes from a heart that truly cares about others more than itself. I need to pray that God will give me such opportunities to serve others, and when the need arises, I want to be selfless in my service to others even when it may be hard for me or go against my plans.
I love reading about all the miracles Jesus performed!! God is so good to send us His amazing son, Jesus Christ!! With God, all things are possible!! :)
23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
AMEN to that Steffen!! Prayer is NEEDED in the christian life!! I would know…because I have had those days without it!! I am absolutely MISERABLE without prayer!! Communication is key to any relationship!! We praise Him, we thank Him, we plead for forgiveness, and we request for things in prayer. Praise God for even letting us sinners have the chance to speak to Him each day!! :D
13When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.
14When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
So, these verses stood out to me because here is just one example of how perfect a life Jesus lived!! He was completely human on this sinful earth and yet He was constantly feeling compassionate for others and reaching out to them instead of fulfilling His own needs… In these verses, He just found out that His very close friend and cousin (I think?) was beheaded at some party and He just wanted to be alone and mourn for him… I know I wouldn’t have been in a very good mood. But, instead, a huge group of people surrounded Him and He had a choice of whether to minister to them or send them away and be alone… Of course, because He is perfect and holy, He chose to love them!!! He was tempted countless times to be self centered, and why shouldn’t He have been? He IS the God and Creator of the universe!! But, He was always self-sacrificing and loving…. And, I’m so thankful for this! Because, without Jesus’ perfect life, sacrifice, and resurrection, I would not have the promise of eternal life today!! Ahh, Jesus is so amazing and worthy of ALL my praise!
31.) Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
I was thinking the same thing as Cameron, we cannot ever doubt our Lord. But then I like what he said after…why I can trust the Lord for something as big as salvation, but not some of the smaller things? I pray that the Lord will give me strength to trust in Him through everything.
20They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
Jesus is so great and powerful, he can do whatever he wants and he wanted to make those five loaves into enough for five thousand people nd they had 12 extra baskets left, wow God is powerful
true north takeover and double it up was awesome c u all at smal groups
30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Wow! This is so intense! Peter got to WALK on WATER. That is aweosme! But he still fell into the water. When he was looking at Jesus, he was able to do the impossible and walk on water. But the moment he took his eyes of Jesus, he started to sink. Now that happens exactly the same today. If we don’t keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, we’ll start to sink really fast. I don’t want to sink! I need to have my eyes fixed on Jesus all the time. That reminds me of in the song we sung at worship night last night.. “we lift up our eyes, we lift up our eyes, You’re the Giver of life..” Awesome song!
Let’s praise God for His miracles! He is in control of everything and we never have to worry. He is the Creator and Maintainer of all things for ever and ever.
27But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
This part of the chapter is so very encouraging I often feel as thou God tells me this whenever I am afraid, anxious or unsure. He takes my hand and encourages me to continue to fight for him.
30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
32And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.
33Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
I love how this shows we should never doubt God because nothing is impossible for Him!
29″Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
I agree with Jonny here. Too many people trash talk the disciples… I mean, hey have there faults, but they turned out to be a lot more bold than any of us will ever be! But even so, we must learn from this example and understand that nothin is impossible for Jesus, so if He asks us to do something, we have to trust Him with complete confidence.
14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
I like this verse because even though Jesus just heard about his friend being beheaded, when the crowds come for his help, Jesus is still there to heal them. Jesus is faithful to his people in healing them and saving them when he could have left those people to mourn over John’s death but He still helped them. Jesus is also faithful because when we deserved to be punished for our sins and feel God’s wrath, Jesus was the perfect lamb for our sins and died for us. I pray that I would be constantly praising God for his son on the cross and to go out and declare his praises.
15As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
16Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17″We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18″Bring them here to me,” he said.
19And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
20They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
21The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
I am constantly amazed that God has the power to feed probably about 15,000 people, at once! with 5 loaves of bread and two fish! this is incredible! and then he also created and sustains the universe!?! and he’s still bigger than it all!!! it just blows my mind.
True North is TAKING OVER the daily bible reading! [DBR]~!
GET ON THERE, PEOPLE!!!
http://www.compasschurch.org/blogs/dailybiblereading/
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[DBR]~! Take the challenge! d:- D
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It’s so amazing to read of all the miracles that Jesus performed in his lifetime, to the point where I, like the people in the boat, recognize that ‘truly He is the Son of God.’
And I find it saddening that people would think otherwise–that mohammad or joseph smith were the correct ones when both of their religions acknowledge the bible as the previous word of God. Since that is true, and by the bible we establish that God’s word is never changing,
“heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away”
(Luke 21:33),
and that no more would be added,
“warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.” (revelation 22:18-19)
I find it amazingly clear that Islam and Mormanism are simply not correct.
This is why we need to be out there spreading the gospel!–chances are that they won’t ever get the opportunity to hear it otherwise!
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Daily Bible Reading!
–Click on my name!
Some really nice comments here today! This chapter has so much to offer us–it’s hard to pick one thing on which to focus. Still, verse 20 really stood out for the metaphor: “They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.” God offers us far more than we need to be filled up–there’s surplus! I want to make sure I always come to the Lord to be fed; by reading my bible, by talking to God in prayer, and most of all, by putting my faith in Jesus’ act on the cross, I’ll gain all I need. I want to trust that God will always satisfy! John 6:35!!!!!!!
28″Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29″Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
It is so interesting to look at these few verses and think, “wow Peter, why would you doubt Jesus?Hes standing right there!Dude, your walkin on water!”
but then i think to myself, “How many times a day to i doubt the power of God?!”
I feel that there are times that I belittle Gods power and that is why i dont fear Him as much as i should. I need to be afraid of what He can do to me if i sin. This is such a common issue in Christians lives, and I know it can be one issue in mine. I know that if i was in Peters place, i would do the same thing.And i really dont like to say that, but its true. I need to focus on fearing God more. I need to really take the scriptures more seriously- like the stories in the old testament..they are intense! He is so powerful, and i need to stop making myself bigger than He is, because He is the Lord of Lords, and the most powerful One!
Maranatha!!
I find this chapter to be jam packed with awesomeness! :D
14When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Now, immediately I thought, “If I was Jesus I would be so annoyed and just tell them to go away”…which is exactly what sin does to yuh. XD God still had compassion on His people and still loved them, even though He was trying to escape. He healed them and truly gave them the message they needed to heal. Then He fed them all with just bread and fish. It’s amazing how God is so perfect..how is it possible? It is so unfathomable. I need to have the same compassion that God had…especially with people who annoy me. haha. THAT needs to stop. God help me become more like You. I surrender. :)
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
This verse caught my attention because there are times where I try to fix situations on my own, or if I worry…. and it all leads to me not trusting in God. Of course I do not want that or mean it in that sense, but thats basically what I am doing by worrying or overanalyzing things. The Lord is so holy and perfect, and he is always there! He is the only one who I know will never let me down, yet I do things that show I don’t trust Him? It makes no sense and it is sad! Now I have learned that no matter what the situation is, I need to trust in God with everything! He is in control of my life and He works everything out according to His will! No matter what the outcome is, it will be good because it will be what God wants, and that is all that matters!
17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18 “Bring them here to me,” he said.
19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
I think I first learned about this miracle when i was about 5 years old. I never really fully comprehended it until now. Only through God can 5,000 people get fed with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish and be SATISFIED. WOW. Talk about ridiculous. Take that Food Network! Such an amazing miracle. Just more proof that “Our God is an Awesome God”.
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Trabuco Hills High School Campus Lunch is goin’ down!!
30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
There will be times when i have been and will be tempted to doubt Christ, but i need to stand strong and have faith in him.
God is all-powerful.
To illustrate just a tiny fraction of his power, Jesus feeds 5000 men, along with their wives and children, starting with just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishies.
This reminds me of myself. How Jesus changed a little into a lot. He turned food for one person, into food for thousands. Jesus transformed me into a hopeless sinner without a future, into a person who will live with God forever in heaven. This is amazing, I need to be constantly praising God for all the things he has done for me. I can never out give God, I can never praise God to much, I can never pay God back for all the things he did, including laying his life done for me. I need to constantly be living my life in thanks and praising, keeping in mind the the things he has done for me.
God Bless!!
As soon as Peter took his eyes off as Jesus and saw the wind, he started to sink. This reminds me with my own life- I have to always keep my eyes fixed on Jesus or else I’ll start to get sidetracked by the storms and start sinking. That’s why my foundation has to be built on Christ!
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
Here, Jesus asks Peter why he doubted him. Jesus does not like it at all when we doubt what he does for us. Just like James 1:6-8 says, if we doubt the Lord, he will not give us what we ask him for. I pray that the Lord would give us an abundance of faith in him so that we will never doubt him and will always pray as if the Lord has already answered our prayers.
30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
As soon as we take our eyes off Christ things start to go south. This is evident in every part of our life. The Lord has made it so clear to me through both scripture and experience that I need to keep my focus on Him. I need to rely on him, and I need to give everything up and put him in control. That is the only way things will ever go right and that I can truly be happy.
29″Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
This is kind of like our lives today. GOD may call us to do amazing things, things that are outside of our comfort zone. These things might seem impossible or astounding, but we need to have faith. As soon as we loose faith, that is when the trouble comes.
35And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him
36and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.
These passages stood out to me because they talk about how Jesus can heal and do anything because he is so holy and is so powerful. We should praise and worship God and Jesus beacause of all their power and because they love us so much that they would heal us when we are sick.
29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
It’s amazing what we can do with just an ounce of faith. Peter believed that Jesus would give him the ability to walk on the water, and he did. He only fell when he started to doubt the almighty power of Jesus. If I doubt that God will do amazing things in my life, then they won’t happen. But i truly trust in the wonders of God, then I can experience incredible things.
35And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him
36and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.
Great Scripture!!
It makes me fall awestruck every time I read one of Jesus miracles. He was perfect, no comparison, no one came close to what He accomplished. The touch of a cloak..a cloak. Just a touch! He was such an amazing man, and I would have loved to see Him. However because I cannot. I try my best to follow in His footsteps, read His word, and share His word in this temporary state that is ticking away… get moving. No, I should be sprinting for the Word!
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
32And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.
33Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
How many miracles does it take to Believe? How many to be obedient? How many to commit full-time, all-the-time.
13When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.
14When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
It is so awesome that My Lord and savior is so loving that even though He made everything and is all powerful he still cares about people individually God truly loves us!
Also even when He was in a time of mourning He still had compassion On the crowd and out of His unending love He fed them when so often people cannot get their thoughts off of themselves, I need to be more like Christ in how I love my brothers and sisters in Christ and this passage was very encouraging to me!
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
I think I’m a lot like Peter more often than I like to admit… I end up thinking I can do it by myself, specifically in little things, and I sink… but Jesus catches me, just like he caught Peter. And I have NO idea why but he ALWAYS does. I am sooo unworthy. This is a great reminder not to doubt God but to have faith in every and all situations!
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
This verse got me to think of how much faith do I have. This verse makes me want to have more faith and not doubt God. I need to trust God with every thing and not think my way is better.
8Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”
9The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted
I liked this chapter and to read about some of the many miracles Jesus has preformed is awesome! These two verses stood out to me because the king was out to please people- here he wants to please his guests. First, the king shouldn’t have created a promise that is so difficult to keep especially because he was impressed by a dance. Later he granted a large request to kill somebody to please a group of people!! No one should do anything to be thought of more highly- who are humans to judge anyway? I can even understand why someone would want to be responsible for a person’s death. This taught me to never make a promise i can’t keep or shouldn’t keep.:)
I LOVED THE SERMON TODAY PASTER BOBBY!!
16Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17″We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
Jesus can do ANYTHING!!! If you don’t think so then your crazy!
Jesus conquered death and gave me the gift of salvation! He fed not even 5000! people with 5 loaves and 2 fish. I can do nothing by myself but wiht Jesus I can do all things. Jesus prayed to His Father and did everything with and through Him! :]
Praise the LORD!
27But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
Don’t be afraid, EVER! God is there in all times, even I think it is the worst times of all(even though it isn’t) He is there. Glory be to God for being there and listening and guiding me in His footsteps while walking with me. He is great and His names should be spread to the ends of the earth! Glory be to God in the highest! :]
***HE IS GLORIOUS!!!***
23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
Sandwiched between the amazing feeding of the five thousand and the miracle of Jesus walking on water, Jesus goes by himself to pray. While the miracles in this chapter are impressive, it is important to note that Matthew did not just include miracle after miracle in his account of the gospel. He inserts verses like this one which show us the importance of prayer, and not just prayer in corporate sense, but making private prayer a priority and a time of humility. Being with the disciples when feeding the crowds, Jesus could have dismissed the people but stayed with His disciples. However, this is not what happened. I need to set aside MORE time where I can be alone with my Savior and pray. Like Jesus did, this needs to be a priority in my life.
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
We need to remember that Jesus will always protect us and whatever He does it has a purpuse. We need to keep are faith strong in the Lord allways, especially threw the hard times.
Again, this chapter has so much to glean and apply to our own lives.
12John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
13When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.
We see how the Jesus and the disciples display compassion and respect towards another.
14When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
We see how Jesus has love for us and is willing to give us more than what we need.
23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.
We see that we, just like Jesus, be in prayer with God–to have a personal relationship with God.
27But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
We see that we should always trust in our God no matter what the situation. He’ll be with us to see it through.
What an amazing God! I pray that I absorb all of these teachings and have it evident in my life.
Emily Mayers and Josh Hackett, I was thinking the same thing!
30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
Wow this was a great chapter! Because of these verses I have realized how much time I have wasted worrying about small things instead of trusting Jesus. All I need to do is trust Him and not get distracted by things that, in light of who Jesus is, are totally insignificant. God is soverignly in control over every aspect of my life just like He is in complete control of nature! I can have faith that He will always forgive me and that He save me from my doubts and worries if I have faith in Him
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
This reminds me of when I would be too self-conscious to bring my Bible to school. I was so afraid of what people would say out loud during class, and I figured the people I try to bring to Church would make a big deal out of me reading my Bible after a test. I picture Jesus saying the above verse to me. But when I did bring my Bible to school, everything was fine and some people actually thought it was cool =] I now am trusting God to work in me when I evangalize to others because ‘I love God more than the fear I have of what people have to say’ -Pastor Bobby
28″Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29″Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
What an amazing miracle picturing Jesus watching on the water!! Peter showed little faith in the Lord here but it was a real eye opener to him when he started to sink and cried upon the Lord for help and Jesus saved him. How amazing. I pray that I will never doubt the Lord or loose any faith in Him but trust Him 100%.
9The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted
10and had John beheaded in the prison.
It’s obvious here that Herod knew the right thing to do. His conscience was violated by what he was about to do (this is what distressed him), but instead of following his conscience he went ahead and had John killed. As some of you said, he feared man and “social graces” more than God. This reminds us of Pastor Bobby’s message this weekend…about being willing to do the right thing and stand up for Jesus/share the gospel even when it’s socially awkward. We need to be people who fear God and will obey Him regardless of the cost.
11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother.
WICKED PEOPLE! John the Baptist was murdered/ excecuted because of King Herod, Herodias, and her daughter. This goes to show how insanely barbaric these people were during this time….its aweful!
35And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him
36and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.
Everytime I read about Jesus’ miracles in these chapters I am so amazed! To think that e was fully human just like us, and yet FULLY God blows my mind. People knew that if they only touched part of his clothes that they would be healed because Jesus is so powerful. Jesus is so awesome and so worthy of all my praise!
Awesome chapter :) two parts I wanna comment on…
Matthew 14:10 “and had John beheaded in the prison.” wow!! John the baptist, this awesome guy who lived to serve God, had his head cut off and brought to the king on a platter. Thats intense! Just because Herodias didnt like him, she didnt like what he was preaching about, and she didnt like that he was a man of God! When first reading this, its hard not to think, “Why did God allow this?! John was a man of His own and he didnt deserve this!” But then I have to remind myself of 2 Timothy 3:12 “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” Persecution is something that is PROMISED to Christians! When I am being made fun of, or someone is being rude to me because of Jesus Christ, I need to remember people like John the Baptist, and Stephen, and Paul who were all tortured for Christ’s sake!
Matthew 14:31 “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’” Okay… if Jesus is saying PETER was of little faith, when he jumped out into the middle of a storm to walking on the water to get to Jesus, then what is he gonna think of me?!! I need to know that ALL things are possible through Christ! This story in Matthew is a great reminder of His power and might. I need to have as much faith as Peter did. Im not saying Peter didnt mess up, because he did. a. lot. But his faith in Jesus was incredible!
23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
i need to follow Jesus example and have a spesific time EVER day where i spend time with God. when i was at revival 09 i made a commitment to pray three times for at least 10 min a day and i am ashamed to say that after school started i have not been doing this. at first i made excuses that i couldnt get that third time of prayer in because of school so i only prayed twice then that led to more excuses and now i only pray like this about 5 times a week. I NEED TO STOP THE EXCUSES! i need to make time for God no matter what and pray 3 times a day. no excuses, NO COMPROMISE!
MARANATHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
anyone who reads this please keep me accountable on facebook or texting or whatever.
23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
One thing that always strikes me about Jesus’ ministry is how much he prayed. He was always going to a lonely place by himself to pray. He would go off to pray even though He had an exhausting day of healing people and preaching. He would pray late into the night or rise up early to go pray. If the Son of God relied so much on prayer how much MORE do I need to pray! I need to be willing to sacrifice sleep for prayer. Talking to God is way more important.
i think we need another worship night! that was truly amazing :)
19And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.—These verses made me think about all of the miracles that Jesus did and that He is still doing them today! I know sometimes I don’t take the time to realize all that He can do. He does so much that I need to be thanking Him for! This week my mom was in the hospital and there was a chance of her dying and I am really thanking God right now that she is still alive. This has showed me how powerful God is and I just need to trust in Him that He will do what is for the best. I need to be living according to His plan! This also shows me that I should have more faith in the LORD. And by reading this, it shows that all of my trust should be in Him because He controls everything and I should just give everything to Him.
MARANATHA!!!
CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY!!!!!! soo stokkeddd
30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
Sometimes its hard to trust in god that he will keep you safe. I hope that i can keep total faith in god and trust him no matter what happens. It would be so awesome to not fear anything but have complete faith in god.
30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?
Jesus is teaching Peter a great lesson here.. NOTHING is too big for the LORD. When I worry about something going wrong, I am basically telling God that I don’t trust him. That is such a horrible thing to do. I just need to trust him no matter the circumstances, because I know he will pull me through everything, no matter the difficulty. I shouldn’t be worrying or stressing out about anything, because he is in complete control of everything that happens in my life. I need to stop trying to make MY plan work for my life, and let God do what is best for me- HIS plan.
PRAISE THE LORD!!! MARANATHA!!!!!!!
23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, understood the importance of coming to his father in prayer. During his adult ministry, the Gosepels are full of accounts when Jesus removed himself from his followers and prayed to the Father. Even after he preached all day and performed miracles, Christ still set aside time to pray. I need to make sure that prayer is a priority in my life and that I am setting aside time everyday to spend time with the Lord in prayer.
“30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me! 31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
Peter was on water, walking to Jesus and had confidence until, seeing the wind “he was afraid” and began to sink. Sometimes I feel I get like this in my pursuit of holiness; I look at the world, and at worldly temptations and get afraid and begin to sink, losing trust in God and turning to temporary, worldly, pleasures. I instead need to be placing all trust in God and finding my pleasure in him and remember that “offering ourselves to righteousness is just as addictive as offering ourselves to sin (-Pastor Mike)”. God help me to trust in you completely in all things and to find all pleasure in you and not the things of this world!
Maranatha!!!!!!!!!!!!
20They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
This is one of my favorite miracles. It’s so cool how Jesus could feed five thousand people with only five loaves of bread and two fish and still have plenty left over. It shows how amazing God is and that nothing is impossible for him.
7″We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18″Bring them here to me,” he said.
19And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
20They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
21The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Wow this shows you how amazing God is and what He can do. Never doubt God in any circumstance. Sometimes I feel like I’m loosing trust in Him when I see worldly behavior and lean towards my worldly treasures. Also when you worry about something.. that is showing Him that you have little faith, because He knows what’s best. I need to put ALL my trust in Him!
9The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted.
The King was falling under pier pressure plain and simple. He wanted to please his friends so he succombed into what the girl wanted. This verse shows that this problem of pier pressure and being lured into sin has lasted for a very long time. The only way to solve this problem is by trusting in Christ and not caring what other people think about you!!!!!
MARANATHA!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I read this, one thing really stood out to me. Though Jesus had just lost his dear friend, who was like a brother to him, he still was thinking about the needs of others. That is how we all should be living. We should care enough for others that even though we have lost a loved one, the needs of others should always be greater than our own.
27But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
A simple command. Take courage and do not be afraid. We have nothing to fear, Jesus is on our side.
This weekend was so awsome at True North Takeover!!!
One thing that i can see that i can personally take out of these verses is from where Jesus says ye of little faith why did you dought me!!! I in my christian life need to see that there is in no area of my walk that i need to dought God in in any way. Even when we are trying to tackle the hardest sins in our life we need to see that only through saying God it is in your hands and not doughting his wonderful and awsome power to rid u of that sin we can get away form it!!!!
27But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
Jesus will always light the way for us and be there right beside us to help us along. If God is with us, who can be against us?
27But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. don’t be afraid
29 Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?
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I think …..
27. That we have nothing to fear except God because he punish the just because he loves us.
29- 31 That when the Lord tells us to do something that we should never dough or seconded guess him because when we do we will always fall and get hurt till the Lord picks us up and saves us.
The story of John the Baptist is super encouraging to me about how true, on fire Christians will be persecuted!! The message this weekend convicted me soo much, and this chapter also does! John was super excitd about what he believed and the salvation he had. He preached it to everyone! This week I need prayer that I will be so excited and grateful for what Jesus has done for me that I wont be able to stop talking about it!
20They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
For me, this verse is an awesome example of the LORD’s power. 5 loaves feed 5000 people! It is a really great reminder that He takes care of those who trust Him to. If I trust Him to, He will take care of me too.
28″Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29″Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
Peter had such faith in the Lord that he was temporarily able to actually walk on top of water for a short time! I pray that i can have the total faith peter had in the Lord so that He could guide my life and use me to do great things.
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
What a cool chapter! It is amazing how the Lord performed all these miracles! I love how the Lord fed the 5000 with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish! That is amazing and reminds me how the Lord is worthy and deserving of all my praise! Verse 31 made me question why sometimes i doubt the Lord. I have learned to trust in the Lord with all my heart but sometimes i will forget and doubt Him. I need to have more faith in the Lord and trust Him with my entire life because i know that he has it under control!! I also think that John the Baptist is a great example of someone who is on fire for the Lord and i want to follow in the footsteps of him. John NEVER stopped preaching about what he believed and his salvation! I want to be like John and continuously talk about my salvation and relationship with the Lord my God! I dont want my fire to die down because i am used to it, i want to be ecstatic about my walk with the Lord and the fact that i will be with Him for eternity in Heaven! I mean what can get better than that?
30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
When I read about Peter sinking in the water I think abotu how I am sinking in sin. there is such a huge gap between God and me that it is insain. Jesus died for me on the cross and He has not only pulled me from the sinking of sin that i was in, but replaced that with grace. I am so thankkful to God that I am now sinking in His sea of grace instead of sinking in a sea that leads to eternal destruction
The first part of this chapter that talked about John the baptist was so convicting. He was a man that loved the Lord and spoke truth all the time. He wasn’t concerned with what people thought of him, he was concerned about what GOD thought of him. I want to live that way too, with no compromise, fully devoted to serving God and proclaiming the truth to everyone!
This chapter is faith-inspiring. When the crowd seems too big to feed. Jesus can provide. When the waves look too scary, Jesus can protect. No matter what situation I find myself in, I know that I can trust Jesus!
33Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
I really liked this section of the chapter because this whole need to trust Jesus is because he is God. My life must be an offering of worship to him, because he alone is God and he alone is worthy of my trust and praise!
All Matthew shows how Christ did so many amazing things, especially in this chapter. I liked in verses 17-19 the disciples weren’t sure how the people would eat then Jesus said to bring Him the fish and bread and then completely multiplied it and had extra bread leftover. Christ can further any hope we ever have by His power. There is no one even close to Christ and all He can do.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
This verse just reminded me that no matter what happens in our lives, whether we face trials and persecution, we have Jesus on our side. We have no reason to be afraid! For me its so comforting to know that in this life, Jesus has my back and He is going to get us through the hard times in our lives for the praise and glory of His name!
19And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
20They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
I think this shows us again not only that the Lord can do anything, but also that the Lord will provide. As Christians, everything we do must glorify God and to obey God. We should not worry about the daily concerns of our lives, either, for the Lord will provide.
What’s up True North! School is back tomorrow and that means we need to be back to 100 peeps on SOTD…let’s go for it! Encourage a friend to get on here!
33Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Jesus has power over the creation! Definitely this is a reason to worship him! Also, a reason to trust him because everything in the physical realm is under his control!
32And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.
33Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
The bible has been tested many times and it always wins. no one can say that God didn’t walk on water and calm the wind and waves and prove it. since it is logical to beleive in the bible, and all of this supernatural stuff happened in it, there is no excuse for denying Christ. God has given all of the evidence anyone could need. everyone has the opportunity to accept him, all they need to do is look.
Great Chapter!!
Jesus is truly an example to follow—of course He is God. I want to be an imitator of God in the way I live because I have His Holy Spirit (God also) dwelling within me and therefore am capable through Him who gives me strength! Jesus was compassionate towards the hungry (whether spiritual or physical), led a blameless lifestyle, prayed without ceasing, and rescued with His glorious powers the disciples, who he loved. Jesus is awesome! He was not just a good guy, but the fullness of God was him. So crazy to think about—but way worth it. I think I will (1) do what Jesus does and (2) go declare to several other people the excellencies of His majesty. God is good all the time!
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
This is an awesome chapter, and so inspiring! I want to have such a strong faith and close relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ that i am unstoppable! The Lord is so amazing and gives us absolutely everything we need, and i am so thankful for that. he is truly an awesome God, and did some amazing miricles!!! i think it would be awesome to have lived with Jesus, and been able to see Him at work…..MARANATHA! i can not wait for the day where i get to fall face down and see Jesus on his thrown!!!
(:
Matthew 14
23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
I love the example her of Christ going to a place of solitude to pray in secret. Christ as God in human form humbled himself as a man to become a servant of God. He demonstrates to a Christians the importance of opening up our whole hearts to God in one on one focused prayer. How can we have a real relationship with God when we don’t have communication with our Lord? I need to evaluate my prayer life to make sure that I am not neglecting the One who is Lord of my life.
Matt 6:6 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then you’re Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
I pray that we are more excited than ever to share what great things God has done for us with others.
But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.
Lots of great comments on SOTD today. I love this verse because Jesus immediately responded to the disciples and comforted them in their time of need. He still works in the same way today. We have the Bible to read anytime we want, and all the more when we are going through trials and tribulations. The Scripture teach us to anticipate trials and to not be afraid of them. We need to take courage and realize that Jesus Christ will never leave us or forsake us. Therefore take courage and serve God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength.
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
This makes me think of how much faith I have in Christ. I know I had those moments that i feel that God doesnt listen to me or cares about me. But, the truth is I know someone else needs thier prayer ansered more then i do. Sometomes it might take years. Or it might just take a few moments. I hope all of you guys at true north are ok and things in your life are going smoothly.