Key Takeaways
Jesus feeds hungry people.
When you bring your hunger (physical, spiritual, emotional) to Jesus, he meets you in it with abundance and nothing to spare.Jesus wants to feed hungry people through you.
He will place you in situations where the need in front of you is greater than the resource inside of you, and that is by design.Jesus feeds hungry people through you on his terms.
Jesus refuses to be co-opted for our agendas. He is only accessible on his own terms through repentance, faith, and the surrender of our empty hands to him.
Study Questions
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Philip responded to Jesus by calculating the cost of the problem. Andrew responded by finding a boy with a small lunch and bringing him to Jesus. What is the difference between those two responses? Which response feels more natural to you, and why?
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John described two phrases we use when confronted with need: "I got this" and "I just can't." In what area of your life are you currently swinging between "I got this" and "I just can't"? What would it look like to bring that specific situation to Jesus today?
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John draws a distinction between Jesus as a political or military deliverer and Jesus as the crucified king who comes on his own terms. How does misunderstanding the nature of Jesus's kingdom lead people astray today, both inside and outside the church?
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The one requirement Jesus gave the crowd before feeding them was to sit down (to rest, to recline, to stop striving). What does it practically look like for you to "sit down" before Jesus in a season of need?
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Who in your life has had the greatest spiritual impact on you through their willingness to be weak and honest rather than polished and strong? What did that do for your faith?
Seeking God’s Face Devotional
This year, we’ll be using the devotional “Seeking God’s Face” for our personal daily discipleship.
This Week’s Liturgy
Call to worship
Psalm 30:2-4
Leader: Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!
All: For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.
Confession of FAITH
New City Catechism Q & A #43
Q: What are the sacraments or ordinances?
A: The sacraments or ordinances given by God and instituted by Christ, namely baptism and the Lord’s Supper, are visible signs and seals that we are bound together as a community of faith by his death and resurrection. By our use of them the Holy Spirit more fully declares and seals the promises of the gospel to us.
Confession of sin
Gracious Father, you have given us all we need in Christ, yet we trust in our strength and despair in our weakness. We turn away from the needs of others, afraid that we have too little to offer. Forgive us for seeking to make Jesus serve our purposes rather than submitting to his. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
This Week’s Playlist
Looking Ahead
Next Sunday, we continue in the Gospel of John. Join us at 8, 9:30 & 11:15 a.m.