I am still personally mulling/ processing the teaching that we heard at Conference. I have notes from a couple more sessions that, as promised, I will be posting. What follows are the notes from the morning devotional given by Ron Hockley. Ron pastors the Trinity Project (a Missionary church in Portland).
Matthew 14:13
- Jesus retreated when he heard the bad news about John the Baptist (his cousin)
- the people followed him
* the danger of giving all of ourselves to the "needy" around us
* example of a giant Slurpee and everyone gets a sip until it's gone
- Jesus had compassion and ministered even during his personal time of sorrow
- you cannot do ministry without encountering need -- there are broken people everywhere
John 6:5
- "where will we get food for all of these?"
- there is never enough to meet all of the needs around us
The Disciples' Solutions
1. Its not my problem
- send them away to buy their own food
2. We can't afford it
- "it would take 8 months wages..."
3. What I have Isn't enough
- we only have 5 loaves and 2 fish to go around
Jesus' Solution -- You feed them
- Jesus calls us to accomplish things beyond our own capabilities
- giving what we have to Jesus = multiplied blessings
- do we measure our resources by what we have or in terms of what God can give?
- what is the provision that you need?
*** the key lies in giving what you have to Jesus and having Him multiply it
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