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StoneBridge Community Church

Close Encounters of the Jesus Kind: Feeding the 5000

Interim Pastor Neal Nybo

Locations & Times

4832 Cochran St, Simi Valley, CA 93063, USA

Saturday 5:30 PM

Sunday 9:00 AM

Sunday 10:30 AM

Online Connection Card

Thanks for joining us today! Follow this link to our online Connection Card where you can let us know you were here and share any prayer concerns.

http://bit.ly/2z61Wwi

Personal Reflection/Growth Group Questions:
1. Have you ever wondered if God has more in store for you? Or that you feel you have a greater purpose that you haven't yet identified?
2. Try to think of three Biblical characters that God prepared for great things. How did God prepare them?

How God prepares us

Today's sermon is about how God uses overwhelming challenges and inadequate resources to prepare us for greater things.Here is an article from Christianity today with similar but slightly different suggestions about how God prepares us.

https://bit.ly/31siaiK

I-5 Freedom Network

Pastor Neal told the story of how God prepared Brenda Wells, President of I-5 Freedom Network for this great ministry and responsibility.Click below to learn more about the I-5 Network.

https://www.i5freedomnetwork.org/

John 6:5-13 NIV

1. God’s first tool: Overwhelming challenge

Sometimes overwhelming challenges are tools God uses to prepare us for more. Jesus never intended for Philip to get bread for all those people. Jesus used the question to prepare Philip for something far bigger.

Simple steps for solving overwhelming challenges

Thinking about how God may be working in our lives is nice. But, sometimes we need help dealing with difficulties. This article provides practical guidance.

https://bit.ly/2XGERgR

Personal Reflection/Growth Group Questions:
1. What is a challenge you face right now?
2. Does it seem overwhelming?
3. Can you see God in the challenge somewhere? If so, where?

2. Don’t limit Jesus to what you can imagine or figure out on your own.

We are used to figuring things out the best way we know how with the human intuition and grit that has gotten us this far in the world. Sometimes that means we do what Philip did. We limit ourselves to what we can figure out and limit what we are willing to believe Jesus can do.

When we face overwhelming challenges, if possible, be open to where this challenge may lead us. Pray, “Lord, please use this challenge to develop faith in me and to prepare me for my future in your plan.”

Personal Reflection/Growth Group Questions:
1. Can you describe a time when you faced a challenge and you just did what you knew you could do?
2. How did that work out?
3. As you look back, can you imagine things working out differently if you had additional, perhaps divine resources?

3. God’s second tool: Inadequate resources

We first see Philip faced with the overwhelming challenge of trying to figure out how to feed 5000 people. Next, we see Andrew faced with totally inadequate resources - five small buns and two fish.

Personal Reflection/Growth Group Questions:
1. Do you face inadequate resources right now?
2. How are you handling it?
3. Do you think God may be using this to prepare you for something?

4. Confidence because of what we have seen Jesus do before.

Preparation Equation
Overwhelming challenges + Inadequate resources x Confidence = Preparation for something more in our lives.

Personal Reflection/Growth Group Questions:
1. What challenges have you experienced in the past?
2. Have you ever had inadequate resources for a challenge?
3. Have you seen God at work in those challenges and lack of resources?
4. What do you know or trust about God because of how you have seen God at work in your challenges?

Facing Life's Challenges with God

Read Plan

5. Recognize God may be preparing you for more

If you have the three elements of the preparation equation, God may be preparing you for something more.

Church Day Camp is quickly approaching and we can use your help. Prep days are scheduled for 22nd, and/or 23rd. Whether you can give a day, or the whole week of camp, we'd love to have you on a team. During the week of Church Day Camp: opportunities to help include leading or assisting with kids crews, helping out with crafts & science, preparing snacks, leading games or Bible stories, and much more. Make a note on your connection card or Email Ms. Stephanie at stephanie@stonebridgesimi.com to put your name on the list.

StoneBridge Christian Recovery is designed to help you on the road to recovery of any hurts, habits, or hang-ups that are keeping you from a joyful and productive life. If you feel like you resonate with this, then please join us on Wednesday nights.

Weekend Worship Playlist

Enjoy this Spotify playlist with the songs played in worship this weekend!

https://spoti.fi/2RhYLg4

Social Media @ StoneBridge

We encourage you to use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media to share images, quotes, links, or what you've learned from this week's message and YouVersion message notes. Social media can also be a great way of inviting your friends to worship and special events.

https://www.facebook.com/stonebridgesimi/

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/stonebridgesimi/

Secure online giving

Thanks for partnering with us in our mission to reach people with the good news of God's love, to make disciples, and to send them out. Secure online giving via PayPal.

http://bit.ly/2glYW8E

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http://apple.co/1RbdqkK

Watch us on YouTube

While there is no substitute for worshipping God with others, if you happen to miss a message you can always catch us on YouTube. We invite you to subscribe to our channel.

http://bit.ly/22uE939