Christian love is pure and innocent. We learn through God’s grace what it is to share in God’s blessings and mission in the world in a way that accepts others and longs to see them shine in their faith and life. Our trust in God leads us to treasure the service of others.

Jesus set a child before them. The disciples were to learn a unique leadership style - not one working to conform others to your will, but one where the leader is conformed to the will of Christ in order to serve those they lead.

Every day in so many ways we make choices about what brings value to our lives. To what shall we turn? To whom shall we go? Just as there is only one true God among many false options, so there is only one source for meaning and life. The Bread of Life sets before us the way of life with God and urges us to believe and live.

What do we gain by relying on Jesus? Better blessings! Very different from the allures of life, Jesus’ spiritual menu offers bread for the soul which cleanses us from sin and gives us life with God that never ends.

In a world of drought, famine and disease because of sin, God nevertheless proves himself capable of giving us our daily bread. Jesus prepares us to serve as his witnesses in the world by reminding us that he is the supplier of all our needs. God’s abundant and undeserved generosity towards us not only inspires our confidence, but also opens our hands to be generous with others.

Jesus promised, “I will be with you always,” but we wonder sometimes where he is when we need him most. Jesus helps us understand how he shepherds us and leads us to green pastures and quiet waters as we walk through life.

When Jesus calls us to “go and make disciples of all nations,” he gives us the greatest and most earnest calling in the world. But he does not leave us to ourselves without plan or promise. He asks us to be his witnesses and supplies what we need to carry out our task.

Faithfully speaking and sharing God’s Word is no simple task. Some don’t care if we speak about Jesus. Some are angered when we speak about Jesus. Some make our lives difficult when we speak about Jesus. So what’s the point of it? Jesus knew all about the challenges to witnessing, and he prepares us for it.

This week’s theme reminds us that there’s more than one kind of death in the Bible; it speaks of physical death, spiritual death and eternal death. Jesus demonstrates that no matter how many kinds of death there are, he is always strong to make the dead alive!

We like to stand on our own two feet. In this series, however, God will teach us the better way of falling before his own feet as we grow to appreciate not just his power, but his purpose and use of it. May we humbly forget ourselves and live in the majesty of his might that will not be put in a box.