Family Discussions:

Transcription:

00:14          This is a good one today. We're in Mark chapters six and we're going to be reading verses 41 through 44 this is one of the greatest moments of Jesus's life. I love this devotional. In verse 41 a chapter six it says this, "and Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish and looking up toward heaven. He blessed the food and broke the loaves and he kept giving them to the disciples to set before them and he divided up the two fish among them and they all ate and were satisfied and they picked up 12 full baskets of the broken pieces and also the fish." There were 5,000 men who ate the loaves all from one little sack of groceries.

 

01:01          You know what? I get to see Jesus do that a lot. In fact, one of the greatest joys of my life, gosh, 30 something years ago, we started building camps for inner city kids and man, it has been a great adventure. We get kids from inner cities all over America. Just the most precious children really, who've been overlooked a lot by our society. But every summer there's now four camps for these urban kids. And you know what, man? There's 7,000 who come every summer and literally get a bubble bath of Jesus and they go back to their neighborhoods to live for Christ. The crazy thing about it is there's this waiting list every year. I mean, there are hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of kids who can get in. It's just the word has got around in inner cities all over America. The Kids Across America is the place to go. And you just see this abundance of Jesus at this camp and the abundance is spreading all over the country. And you know what? That's what I love about God.

 

02:05          I see the same thing in my love for Debbie Jo. You know, after all these decades of being married to this amazing girl, my love just grows and grows and grows. Like every year of our life is like I rediscover love. There's an abundance of love. You just can't get enough. When God is in the middle of something, it just overflows. There's baskets full leftover. And so it is with God. And you know, when I consider God, man, I am overcome with gratitude. I mean his love just overalls me. Why? Why would he not only put up with, you know, someone like me, but also actually be my dad. Why would he just be my best friend? My God. It's, it's beyond my wildest dreams. You know, his love can't be contained in my mind. Why? It's the same reason.

 

2:55          You know, days when I, when I go to the world for fulfillment in my mind and try to, you know, to fill myself with whatever's of the world. You know what? I ended up with a glass that's half full. I went up with a plate that's half empty. You know, I'll get selfish or I'll get impatient with God. I'll get impatient with my family, with myself. But hey, I don't know where you are. But Jesus fed the 5,000 and don't ever forget he had 12 baskets leftover. In the same way he feeds his kids. That's you. With love, with peace, with fulfillment, and there's always an abundance left over. And so he gives us love for each other and we find an abundance of that for each other as well.

 

03:41          Here's the questions today. How do you personally find God's abundance in him, in his word, every day? And then this second question, take it right to your heart. Have you been going to him daily for your bread? Or have you been going to the world's ideas of abundance? And explain that if you can. Whoever's watching this with you. And then the last one is the big one. What is the secret of living the abundance life? Here's the lifeline for today. If Christ can feed 5,000 men plus the wives and children in their lives on just a few loaves of bread and a few piece of fish, think what he can do with the family that's totally yielded to him.