30 Days In The Gospel Of MarkSample

Thought:

Jesus thought rest was very important. Even though He and the disciples were incredibly busy and had many people to serve, He made space in their lives to go and rest. Resting—even from ministry—is an important part of walking with Jesus. However, when we are interrupted in our rest, we should have compassion like Jesus. Jesus did not turn away the crowd who followed Him and disrupted His rest. Instead, He taught them for a long time and fed them. Only God can do something as miraculous as multiplying five loaves and two fish into enough food to feed over five thousand people. Just as Jesus provided for these people’s needs when it seemed impossible, Jesus can provide for your needs today and use you to provide for the needs of the people around you.

1. Why did Jesus and His disciples go in a boat to a solitary place?

2. Why did Jesus have compassion on the people? How did He respond to them following Him?

3. What did Jesus do before He gave the bread and fish to the people?

4. How many baskets of leftovers were there?

Engage:

It’s pretty cool that God can do big miracles like multiply food! Sometimes it can be hard for us to believe or trust God to do works like this because they are so hard to imagine. Write down one concrete step you can take to increase your confidence in God’s power this week. Keep your eyes open for ways God is providing in your own life or in the lives of those around you.

Deeper Waters:

Many people in the world are without enough food today. Spend five minutes praying for them now. Investigate if there is a food shelter or other organization that helps feed the poor that you can try volunteering at this summer. You could go with your family, gather a group of friends and an adult, or ask your youth leaders if they’d be willing to bring you and some students.