Our text tonight is John’s account of the loaves and fishes. This story is recounted in the other gospels and each tells the story with the detail about the disciples gathering the fragments so that none be lost. This miracle is a picture of Jesus’ gracious sprit and willingness to help. This story is a philosophy of life. The miracle had been performed. Most would be satisfied with the multitude being fed. The command of the Lord to pick up the pieces is a crucial detail. Life is lived in the details and God never forgets the details. He said, “Gather all of the pieces that nothing be lost.” This is an underlying principle of Jesus’ ministry that none be lost. Many times life comes to us broken and in fragments and pieces. This story illustrates that God is interested in the pieces. These pieces are important to the Lord. When life seems to be broken and fragmented, we are close to the heart of God as He is interested in those broken pieces. The way that we act during these broken fragmented times says much about us. The God who made a whole sea of fish and fields of grain sent His disciples to pick up the pieces. There are times in life when we feast and all is going our way, but then comes the other side of life. This story is an illustration that we should handle all of life with care not just the whole. We may be dealing with fragments, but how we handle these fragments is important to God. Don’t let anything be lost, because it all belongs to God. There is a blessing and a ministry of picking up the pieces.

Most of us we understand that life is a difficult game. Life is always in change. No matter how good we are doing today, tomorrow could be different. The winds of life change in an instant. It takes determination and stamina to live life. Our text is a story of a journey that began in calm winds but that quickly turned into a hurricane strength storm on their journey to Rome. Paul was on this journey. This tells us that even good men will encounter storms in life. Our text also offers an illustration of how people react to storms that they encounter. They began to go to pieces and loose their nerve. They became desperate as they tried to stabilize the ship and weather the storm. As the storm increased, these men began to throw everything overboard in order to lighten the ship. They came to the point where they had given up. Even in the midst of all that, faith still had a word. Paul believed God and declared that none would be lost. Bro. Hughes tells us that no matter what has happened or what is going on in life, there is always room for faith to speak. No matter how black the night or how dire the situation; if we will seek God, He will make a way.

Most of us we understand that life is a difficult game. Life is always in change. No matter how good we are doing today, tomorrow could be different. The winds of life change in an instant. It takes determination and stamina to live life. Our text is a story of a journey that began in calm winds but that quickly turned into a hurricane strength storm on their journey to Rome. Paul was on this journey. This tells us that even good men will encounter storms in life. Our text also offers an illustration of how people react to storms that they encounter. They began to go to pieces and loose their nerve. They became desperate as they tried to stabilize the ship and weather the storm. As the storm increased, these men began to throw everything overboard in order to lighten the ship. They came to the point where they had given up. Even in the midst of all that, faith still had a word. Paul believed God and declared that none would be lost. Bro. Hughes tells us that no matter what has happened or what is going on in life, there is always room for faith to speak. No matter how black the night or how dire the situation; if we will seek God, He will make a way.

The story of the sower and the seeds that fell by the wayside is a parable. A parable is a unique way of ministering the word. It is three things: First it is a picture that paints a story that the Lord wants us to understand. Secondly a parable is a promise. Finally a parable is a revelation of a principle. Our text is a picture of a sower that goes out to sew a seed. The story goes on to describe the various ground that he encounter and the results of his efforts. Bro. Hughes focuses on the sower and the seed for tonight’s message. We do not know much about the sower. We know however what he did. He went out to change the world. He went into a blank field, but when he was finished, there was new life. We should thank God for the sower because it is through his efforts that we enjoy a better life. The purpose of the sower is to improve, to increase and to raise the level of life. The sower has made life better for all of us. God was not content to have our lives be barren and empty, so He sent the sower to fill that need. The second thing to consider from this story is the seed. The seed is powerful. The seed can reproduce itself 30-60 times. The seed is promise. What you see with a seed is not what you will get. If we sow a seed today, we will reap the harvest tomorrow. This parable is that story of God’s effort to help us, to bless us, to increase our life and to improve our lot in life. It is also a sobering truth that sometimes God’s best efforts will not be effective due to the condition of the soil. If we continue to read the story we realize that 75% of the sower’s effort resulted in failure. No matter how powerful the seed, or how diligent the sower; the results are dependent upon the soil on which the seed falls. The seed represents God’s investment in our life. Bro. Hughes asks: What has become of His investment?

The story of the sower and the seeds that fell by the wayside is a parable. A parable is a unique way of ministering the word. It is three things: First it is a picture that paints a story that the Lord wants us to understand. Secondly a parable is a promise. Finally a parable is a revelation of a principle. Our text is a picture of a sower that goes out to sew a seed. The story goes on to describe the various ground that he encounter and the results of his efforts. Bro. Hughes focuses on the sower and the seed for tonight’s message. We do not know much about the sower. We know however what he did. He went out to change the world. He went into a blank field, but when he was finished, there was new life. We should thank God for the sower because it is through his efforts that we enjoy a better life. The purpose of the sower is to improve, to increase and to raise the level of life. The sower has made life better for all of us. God was not content to have our lives be barren and empty, so He sent the sower to fill that need. The second thing to consider from this story is the seed. The seed is powerful. The seed can reproduce itself 30-60 times. The seed is promise. What you see with a seed is not what you will get. If we sow a seed today, we will reap the harvest tomorrow. This parable is that story of God’s effort to help us, to bless us, to increase our life and to improve our lot in life. It is also a sobering truth that sometimes God’s best efforts will not be effective due to the condition of the soil. If we continue to read the story we realize that 75% of the sower’s effort resulted in failure. No matter how powerful the seed, or how diligent the sower; the results are dependent upon the soil on which the seed falls. The seed represents God’s investment in our life. Bro. Hughes asks: What has become of His investment?

Jacob was a man who had a shady reputation. His trickery and deceitfulness was only outdone by his audacity. When one lives such a lifestyle, often it is necessary to run away from those that have been tricked and deceived. For twenty something years, Jacob ran and stayed one-step ahead of the consequences of his actions. Life will eventually catch up with such a person. Life finally caught up with Jacob at a place called Jabbok. There in that lonely place Jacob wrestled with the result of a lifetime of bad decisions and deceit. Ultimately he wrestled with himself. He finally decided to quit running and deal with the issues in his life that had gotten him to that point. He wrestled himself down and put his life in the hands of God.

Jacob was a man who had a shady reputation. His trickery and deceitfulness was only outdone by his audacity. When one lives such a lifestyle, often it is necessary to run away from those that have been tricked and deceived. For twenty something years, Jacob ran and stayed one-step ahead of the consequences of his actions. Life will eventually catch up with such a person. Life finally caught up with Jacob at a place called Jabbok. There in that lonely place Jacob wrestled with the result of a lifetime of bad decisions and deceit. Ultimately he wrestled with himself. He finally decided to quit running and deal with the issues in his life that had gotten him to that point. He wrestled himself down and put his life in the hands of God.

Abraham is a man of great inspiration in scripture. He is the father of the faithful. He is a man would go through many changes and ups and down in his life, but he remained faithful. Even so, at one point, Abraham faltered in that faith. During a famine he traveled to Egypt and while there, lied about his situation and got himself and his wife into a delicate situation. When failure comes into life it has a way of exposing the true nature of a man. None of us are exempt from weak moments and failures, but it is what we do in the face of these challenges that define our character. Abraham was a traveler. He never built a home, but as he traveled, he built an alter and called upon the name of the Lord. The alter was not a symbol of his faith, but it was something that kept Abraham’s faith strong. Every man needs an alter. It is a place to reconsecrate our life when we fail. We need a specific place in our life where we can come and humble ourselves before God. Life is full of change, and we must learn to connect our change to the alter. No matter how we fail our how misdirected life becomes, if we go back to the alter, God has a way of working it all out.

Abraham is a man of great inspiration in scripture. He is the father of the faithful. He is a man would go through many changes and ups and down in his life, but he remained faithful. Even so, at one point, Abraham faltered in that faith. During a famine he traveled to Egypt and while there, lied about his situation and got himself and his wife into a delicate situation. When failure comes into life it has a way of exposing the true nature of a man. None of us are exempt from weak moments and failures, but it is what we do in the face of these challenges that define our character. Abraham was a traveler. He never built a home, but as he traveled, he built an alter and called upon the name of the Lord. The alter was not a symbol of his faith, but it was something that kept Abraham’s faith strong. Every man needs an alter. It is a place to reconsecrate our life when we fail. We need a specific place in our life where we can come and humble ourselves before God. Life is full of change, and we must learn to connect our change to the alter. No matter how we fail our how misdirected life becomes, if we go back to the alter, God has a way of working it all out.

Our text is the familiar story of Jesus sending the disciples into a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee. This takes place immediately following the feeding of the multitude. As can happen often in our lives, the great blessing of this miracle is followed by a time of crisis and trouble. The bible tells us that disciples were toiling in rowing. This indicates that they were working very hard and were struggling to even hold their position. The literal translation of the original word is tormented. These men were skilled fishermen and were very well acquainted with sailing a boat. Bible historians feel like the storm had been going on for about 9 hours when Jesus comes upon them. They had only made it about half way across the sea in 9 hours of torment. So it is in life. We feel that we are toiling in vain. We struggle but seem to make no headway, or even worse have lost ground. They were simply following what Jesus had told them to do and now they find themselves struggling to survive. They certainly felt exhausted with their efforts and were Jesus was nowhere to be found. They were scared. They were tired, and when they saw Jesus coming to them, they feared that it was a ghost; something evil. The last verse of our text offers a reason for their confusion, frustration and fear: They considered not the miracle of the loaves. They had just left the presence of the miracle worker. They forgot what He had told them: I will meet you on the other side. They forgot. When we forget we panic. When we forget we fear. When we forget we fail to see Jesus’ promise. When we forget we make the mistake of supposing the worst. The truth is that if He called us, He’ll keep us. The truth is that if He promised, He will deliver. The simple answer is: Don’t Forget. Don’t forget the promise He has given. Don’t forget what He has delivered us from. Don’t forget that God has never failed us. Don’t forget that God has never been late. Don’t forget that God has never come up short. If He blessed us back there He will bless us now!