The Biggest Miracle of Jesus' Life

Scott Risley

Mark 6:30-44

The disciples return from their first ministry trip expecting to get some time away with Jesus. Instead, he performs the biggest miracle of his life - the only one recorded in all four gospels. By feeding the 5000, Jesus teaches his disciples three important lessons about ministry - ones they will never forget as they spend the rest of their lives feeding a hungry world.

Your Advocate

Lee Campbell

John 13-17

A literary device known as a chiasm is used to explain Jesus' conversation with his disciples the night before his crucifixion. Special attention is given to the role of the Advocate. Jesus promised his disciples that he would send another Advocate?the Holy Spirit, to be with them and all believers forever. He binds believers to God, teaches us and guides each of us personally.

The Prayer of a Servant

Mike Sullivan

John 13-17

In Jesus, we see a perfect model of a life of ministry dependent of the Holy Spirit, rooted in prayer. Christians today are also called to love and serve others through the power of the Holy Spirit, who supplies all we need when resources and power are otherwise scarce. Three key attitudes when asking God to help us serve others are to have a willingness to serve, to recognize our helplessness, and to be shamelessly audacious in prayer.

The Holy Spirit

Gary DeLashmutt

Luke 11:1-13

A passage concerning what Jesus taught about the Holy Spirit's future role in His followers' lives. It's a promise of the Holy Spirit's provision for Christians who serve others. If we want to be effective servants, three attitudes are necessary: 1) willingness to serve; 2) seeing our helplessness in meeting people's deepest needs; and 3) shameless audacity in asking God for help. When we ask Him in faith, He will give us whatever provision of the Holy Spirit we need in order to serve others as His representatives.\r\n

Consulting the Master Planner

Chris Hearty

James 4:13-17

James criticizes some of his readers for making plans for their life without consulting God or considering His will. While the Bible is clear that it is wise and good to prepare for the future and make plans, we must take into account our limited knowledge of the future and be sure that we are aligning our plans with God's, always considering what is eternally important.

No Pain, No Gain

Scott Risley

James 1:1-12

James encourages the church to consider it joy when we face suffering. Not that we should be happy about our suffering, but rather times of suffering serve to test and refine our faith and can grow our character in ways not possible otherwise. However, in order to experience God's comfort and growth during suffering, we must have a mind to stand firm in faith during suffering and trust that God is at work.

The Great Shepherd

Chris Hearty

Psalms 23:1-6

The Bible repeatedly describes God as the "good shepherd," offering loving leadership and care. Just as sheep under a good shepherd's care trust him, we should seek to establish a trusting relationship with God through Jesus, looking to Him for our needs. With Jesus as our shepherd we have rest from our anxious fears, spiritual nourishment, stability, fulfillment, and eternal life.\r\n

Being God's Child

James Rochford

Psalms 131:1-3

The psalmist demonstrates how we can come to God and rest, the way a child rests in its mother's arms. Elsewhere in the Bible, we read that God wants to be our perfect heavenly father. These images show the deep care God has for His children and the tender, intimate relationship we can have when we spend time with Him.

The Good Shepherd

Dennis McCallum

Psalms 23:1-6

God describes Himself as a Good Shepherd and we are his sheep. A good shepherd provides for the sheep, protects the sheep and much more. The job of the sheep is to follow. This popular psalm goes into detail explaining the relationship between the two.\r\n