Continuing in our look at our 5 values, we will look at what it means that we are everyday disciples and we are intentional. Always learning as we follow Jesus, there is no division between the sacred and the mundane. We also recognize our need to say no to some things so we can say yes to the right things.

As questions continue to swirl as to just who Jesus is, Peter in a moment of great clarity, sees that Jesus truly is the Messiah. But on the heels of this revelation Jesus did proclaim triumph, but rather He proclaims His own death.

A crowd of hungry people had ventured out to see Jesus. When the time to eat came the disciples encouraged Jesus to send the people home, instead Jesus tells the disciples to ring the dinner bell and feed the people. With nothing but five loaves and two fish Jesus blessed the meal and every is fed in abundance. Reminding the disciples and us, that Jesus provides.

As the disciples followed Jesus, they were being trained for more than just observing Jesus, they were being trained to do the things He does. Having witnessed Jesus proclaim the Kingdom with words and action, now Jesus sends the 12 disciples out to do the same.

A desperate woman who had struggled for years grabs hold of Jesus as a final attempt to get well… and it works. We watch as Jesus heals and restores life bringing peace where once there was none, bringing wholeness where once brokenness reigned.

There are people in our lives that we are tempted to give up, but with Jesus, the impossible is always possible. Encountering a man who had roamed literal graveyards possessed by a demon, Jesus set Him free. But not only did He set the man free, Jesus sent the man on a mission; to declare how much God had done for him.

Fear can be crippling, causing us to be unable to see a way forward. As Jesus and the disciples encounter a storm, they quickly forget just who Jesus is, allowing their fears to overtake them. But we also see that when our fear is greatest it is best to run to Jesus.

When you turn on a light switch it lights a darkened room. But you wouldn’t turn on a light only to cover it. Jesus reminds us that He has come to bring light and that all who walk in Him are to shine brightly as well. But what does it mean to shine for Him today?

Everyone loves a good story. Jesus often taught in parables to help make His point. The passage we look at today tells the story of different soils and why the soil of our soul matters.