NOV 24 2019 | Grace on the Galilee S1E3 | The Gift of MORE

Sea Change Church · Grace on the Galilee · "The Gift of MORE" Pastor Rondi Pogue · November 24, 2019
Automated transcript. Not reviewed for accuracy.

Good morning. My name is Chris Bateman, or Bucky, and I get to help out here from time to time doing workshops and then helping out with the counseling ministry. And today I get to help read scripture. Today's passage comes from John chapter 6, verses 1 through 15. Jesus crossed Lake Galilee, which was also known as Lake Tiberias. A large crowd had seen him work miracles to heal the sick, and those people went with him.

It was almost time for the Jewish festival of Passover, and Jesus went up on a mountain with his disciples and sat down. When Jesus saw the large crowd coming toward him, he asked Philip, where will we get enough food to feed these people, feed all these people? He said this to test Philip, since he already knew what he was going to do. Philip answered, don't you know that it would take almost a year's wages to buy only a little bread for each of these people?

Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the disciples. He spoke up and said, there's a boy here who has five small loaves of barley bread and two fish, but what good is that with all these people? The ground was covered with grass, and Jesus told his disciples to have everyone sit down. About 5,000 men were in the crowd. Jesus took the bread in his hands and gave thanks to God. Then he passed the bread to the people, and he did the same with the fish, until everyone had plenty to eat.

The people ate all they wanted, and Jesus told his disciples to gather up the leftovers so that nothing would be wasted. The disciples gathered them up and filled 12 large baskets with what was left over from the five barley loaves. After the people had seen Jesus work this miracle, they began saying, this must be the prophet who is to come into the world. Jesus realized that they would try to force him to be their king, so he went up on a mountain where he could be alone.

The word of the Lord. Good morning. Good morning. Well, I'm excited to continue on in this series that Adam started. My name is Rondi Pogue, and like they said, I run a ministry called Unveiling. And we work with young women, 8th through 12th grade girls here in San Diego County. We work with orphan girls in Mexico, young women in India, and incarcerated women here in San Diego County. We unveil the lies of culture and the lies they've grown up that told them that they're not enough.

They're not thin enough, pretty enough, athletic enough, smart enough, whatever it may be, because these lies keep them from being who God calls them to be. And we set them free in the truth of who they are. So I'm honored and privileged to be here today, and I'm going to continue this series. This is week three. But before we jump in, I want to review what Adam has talked about. In case you haven't been here or in case you forgot what he talked about, I think it's important to continue on and remember what he shared.

So the very first week, he talked about what is a miracle. What kind of miracles did Jesus do? Why did he do miracles? And he gave a definition. And here's a definition of a miracle. It's a miracle. Surprising and welcoming event, not in the natural order of things. It breaks laws, and it's full of hope. So I think of when God in the Old Testament parted the Red Sea, right? No one has an explanation to that. No one can come in and say, well, because of this and that, this happened.

It breaks all laws. It was surprising to the Israelites, but welcomed. So it's like a doctor coming in saying, you're cured of cancer, and we have no explanation. Like, we can't tell you how this happened. That's a miracle. He also talked about how Jesus is not a magician, right? I just went to San Francisco a couple of months ago, and you see those street performers. Some of them are like all silver, and they have a little can out.

And come on, come on, two minutes. We're starting in two minutes. Gather around, gather around. Watch this show. That is not who Jesus is at all. You never see him doing that. You never read about him gathering people to come and see the show, the magic show, whatever he's about to do. What did he do? A lot of times he would take people off in private. He would heal someone, and he would say, now don't go tell anyone.

Right? He would go into a home where only people in the home would be there. He wasn't about a show. He wasn't a magician. And Jesus did miracles to create relationships. Adam said that the first week. He said it the second week. And I'm going to continue to say it today. It is all about relationships. So last week, he talked about Jesus healing the blind man. And he talked about how Jesus did miracles, but he didn't do them to become popular.

Right? Again, he didn't do it to have this crowd around him. That was the last thing he wanted. Jesus was trying to lead people to the Father. Every miracle is about create a relationship, to lead people to the Father. And then I love what Adam said here. The last thing he said was there's so much in the margins. And as we study this story today, this miracle, there is so much in the margins I never saw my whole life.

Reading the story, seeing it on the flannel graphs and Sunday school. But there's so much more in these stories. And that's why the Bible is so exciting. It's because it's the only book that's alive. It's the only book, when you read it, that the author is present with you. That's why you can read it your whole life and continually get stuff out of the same stories. Where once I've read a book once, I'm probably not going to read it again.

Because I don't get much out of it. Where the Bible, every time, I'm blown away. So there's so much in the margins. So we're going to jump in. But before I do, let's pray. Holy Spirit, we know that you're here. Because you reside in us. But we want you to know that we want you here. We want a fresh outpouring. We want the fullness of the Spirit here. Because you're the one that speaks to us. You're the one that gives us insight and wisdom and discernment and counsels us.

You're the wise counselor. So would you come and would you speak? Each one of us have walked in here with different stories, dealing with different things. So would you speak to each one of us individually with what we need to hear? But we ask it would be only the words from the Father. Because those are words that have power. Those are words that change lives. We thank you for this morning. We thank you for the freedom that we have here.

And we can't wait to hear from you. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. So to give a little background, before I actually jump into the scripture, is aside from the resurrection, the story of the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish is the only miracle repeated in all four gospels. Now when I realized that, that told me, okay, Rondi, pay attention. Right? Everything is very intentional of why it's in scripture.

Why would this miracle, aside from the resurrection of Jesus, be the only miracle listed in all four gospels? That means there's a lot more to the story. There's a lot more in the margin. And that's what's so exciting as we study this story today, is you're going to see so much more than I think you've ever seen before. This is also, in John, the only gospel that lists the little boy. That's a pivotal point to the story.

Where did they get the five loaves and two fish? The little boy. And that's one of those things where, I don't know that we're really going to care to ask God questions when we get to heaven, but that's one of them where I'm like, gosh, why didn't Matthew, Mark, and Luke mention the little boy? But that's an interesting fact. Also, it's important to know what Jesus and the disciples are walking into. So John the Baptist, the chapter before, he had just been beheaded.

And it's a pretty graphic story, and I'm not going to go into the details of it, because there's a lot to it. But basically, John the Baptist went to King Herod and said, I disagree with something. And King Herod didn't like it, and a bunch of other people didn't like it. And this one girl that King Herod was trying to impress didn't like it. And she said, I don't like that. I want him beheaded, and I want his head brought to me on a platter.

Okay, if you think the Bible's boring, far from. Read the Old Testament especially. So he does that. King Herod says, okay, to impress this young woman. So this woman gets John the Baptist's head on a platter presented to her. You guys, that's really important to know as we walk into this story. Jesus is carrying the weight of his beloved friend being killed, unjustly being killed, and being beheaded. The disciples are walking into this situation with the heaviness and the grief of that.

And I think that changes the way I look at this story. It changes the way I look at Jesus and his character. So let's jump in. We're going to start with verse 1 through 5a. Jesus crossed Lake Gali, which was also known as Lake Tiberias. A large crowd had seen him work miracles to heal the sick, and those people went with him. It was almost time for the Jewish festival, Passover, and Jesus went up on a mountain with his disciples and sat down when Jesus saw the large crowd coming toward him.

So Jesus had been followed because people had been seeing his miracles, right? And they wanted to personally see the miracles. They wanted a miracle themselves, right? He was becoming popular, but not by his own doing. And so these crowds were following him. And so he goes away to be alone. Why? Well, one, Jesus went alone a lot. He probably wanted to spend time with his father. And again, he's grieving what just happened to John the Baptist.

So him and his disciples are trying to get away. But the crowd kept coming after him. But here's the deal with the crowd. They were coming after him because they wanted something from him. They weren't coming after him to get to know him, to sit and listen to him and say, what do you have to share with us? What do you want to teach us? It was, we want this from you, and we want this miracle, and we want that miracle.

That's why they were after Jesus. That's why the crowds were coming. And here's what amazes me. And I think this is the Jesus that our world needs to see. Jesus made time for people who had the wrong motive. And he just was grieving John the Baptist. Jesus has time for me when I have the wrong motives. He does not send me away. He does not turn his back on me. Now, am I going to get what I want? Probably not. But the fact is, is he will sit and listen to me.

He will sit and make time with me. And this was something that I never saw before. Because to be honest, I didn't know what had just happened to John the Baptist. So I want us to see the love of Jesus that he has for us. We'll go on in verse 5b through 6. He asked Philip, where will we get enough food to feed all these people? He said this to test Philip, since he already knew what he was going to do. So why did Jesus ask Philip this question?

Well, Adam said it before. He said it last week. That Jesus asks us questions a lot. And expect them. Jesus has asked me a lot of questions when I go to do something. Why? It's a teachable moment. If you're a parent, if you're a teacher, if you're a boss, if you're a coach, you don't always just give the answer. Why? You don't teach someone that way. You ask them questions. You involve them in the learning. That's how they learn.

So Jesus asked Philip because it was a teachable moment. He also asked Philip because Philip lived about nine miles from where they were. So if you wanted to find somewhere to eat, right? I'm from Encinitas. So if I'm going to say, hey, where should I eat here after church? I'm going to ask someone who probably lives here locally. And so that's why they asked Philip. Here's the crazy thing. So Jesus says, okay, Philip, where are we going to get the food?

Jesus is standing right in front of them. And he gets the answer wrong. He's like, Lord, I don't know. Come on, it's going to take over a year's worth of wages. Isn't the answer always Jesus? You learn that when you're a little kid. You always just say Jesus and it's the right answer. But Philip himself, and I remember studying this going, get it together, Philip. And God was like, but how often do you forget me? When is prayer your last resort?

And I'm right there. You know better. Philip knew better. But I bet because God, Jesus invited him into this, that he never got this question wrong again. That's why Jesus is going to ask us questions. Now I want to talk about real quick the difference between testing and tempting. So we know the difference. So we're tested to grow us, right? And that's why we're tested in school, is to grow us. Tempting is from Satan to lead us to sin.

So when Jesus was testing him, that was to grow him. We'll continue on in verse 7 through 9. Philip answered, So here's this little boy of no significance. And here's the interesting thing about the five loaves and the two fish, is it was barley. And barley bread was cheap bread. So that meant this was a poor boy. And he comes and he has these five loaves and these two fish. And what I love about Jesus using this little boy is he involved him in the miracle.

How amazing for this little boy to witness the miracle, right? Going back, running, telling the town, but to say, but it was my loaves. It was my fish. A little boy of no significance with cheap bread. God, that's who Jesus uses. And again, I think this shows the character of Jesus. When he wants to use us, he doesn't look at our abilities. He doesn't look at our skills. He doesn't look at our talents, our status, our finances.

What does he do? He says, are you willing? I'm going to supply your abilities. I'm going to supply your skills. I'm going to supply the finances. Are you willing? And this little boy who, I don't know what he was going to do with that bread. Was it his bread for the week he was going to take back and give to his family? Was it his bread for the next couple of days? I don't know. But he surrenders it up. And he doesn't know the end of the story.

And that's what hit me this week is, wow, this is a bigger deal than I realized. I know the end of the story. I know he's going to get more back and more and more and more food. He doesn't know that. So he gives it up thinking it's gone. And that's where the question I think God is asking us is, are you willing to give it up not knowing the end of the story? That's what faith is, right? It's that trusting. It's that belief of not knowing.

But I'm going to trust and believe and see what you do with it. God wants to do big things with little things. We don't need a big house for God to use our home. Right? I traveled to India twice a year. And I'll never forget one family. It was five people in, gosh, I don't know, it's maybe 500 square feet home. And it's just full of, you know, their stuff. And they welcomed us in. You have to duck when you go in. It's a dirt ground.

And they said, come in, come in. See what God has blessed us with. See what God gave us. And I thought, what a beautiful perspective. Because here at my house, I'm like, oh, no, don't come in. I haven't picked up, you know, like. And they don't care. It's what God gave them. And they want to show it off. Are we willing to use that little for God and allow his abilities and skills and all of that to be provided through him?

As we continue on in verse 10, it says, The ground was covered with grass, and Jesus told his disciples to have everyone sit down. About 5,000 men were in the crowd. So I first want to hit on this about the 5,000 men. Some people can get stuck on this. Why doesn't it say the children and the women? It's not that God doesn't love women or children. He created them. It's not that Jesus doesn't love them. He died for them.

Let's not get hung up on that. But a couple things I read that made sense was a Roman legion was about 5,000 men. So it could have simply been to say 5,000 men that they would instantly think a Roman legion. When you think of a Roman army and feeding 5,000 Roman army men, wow, that's a lot. Or it could have been they were counting the household. So they were counting it by the men, the head of the household. I don't know.

I don't think we're going to get an answer. But it was actually about 15,000 to 20,000 people that they fed that were there that day. So it was a big crowd. So why did Jesus have them come and sit on the grass? First of all, it's odd that there's grass. There's not a lot of places that were grass. But he had them sit down, I think, for a couple of reasons. One, we have a God of order. Think of feeding 20,000 people. You've been to a wedding recently?

It's like 125 people. It takes a long time to get your food. 20,000 people. Imagine saying, okay, single file line, everyone. Like, it's going to get chaotic any way you try to feed that many people. So we have a God of order who has them sit down. And Mark, when Mark shares this story in his gospel, it says they had him sit down in groups of 50 to 100. So I think there's a couple of reasons. Not only orderly, but I think Jesus was looking out for them more than they realized.

They had to wait. Imagine feeding. So Petco Park is about 40,000 seats. So if you had to feed half the stadium, how many hours that would take, right? Yeah, Jesus had help. But it's going to take a long time. What did Jesus do? He had him sit down on grass to comfort them. And I believe he had him sit down. Because what do you do when you sit down with people? You start to commune. You start to build relationships. I think Jesus had compassion on these selfish people that were after him.

And why is he feeding them? I asked myself that question this week of, wait, they don't deserve to be fed. Why is he feeding them? They hadn't ate, but either had Jesus or the disciples. They were hungry because he had compassion on them. And he saw they wanted miracles, but he knew they needed more than that. So he provided for them relationally. He provided friendships. I bet that day when they sat in those groups of 50 to 100, I bet they were relationships that were built that lasted a lifetime.

Because Jesus saw more that they needed. He saw, yeah, you might need a miracle, but you also need this. You also need food. And I'm going to provide all of this for you. In verse 11, it says, Jesus took the bread in his hands and gave thanks to God. Then he passed the bread to the people, and he did the same with the fish until everyone had plenty to eat. Jesus prayed. That always amazes me. Jesus, who's 100% man and 100% God, prayed.

And I think I don't need to pray much. This is where I'm always convicted. Why did Jesus pray? One, he was depending on the Father. He was depending on the Father to do this miracle through him. And he was giving the credit to the Father. Jesus prayed. He gave thanks. He acknowledged. He stopped. He depended on the Father. How much more do we need to pray if Jesus prayed? How much more do we need to spend time alone with God if he takes time alone with the Father?

I think it's a beautiful example that Jesus leaves for us. In verse 12, it says, The people ate all they wanted, and Jesus told his disciples to gather up the leftovers so that nothing would be wasted. Not only is Jesus feeding these people who do not deserve to be fed, but now he's feeding them, and they get all they want and more. To be honest, I got a little angry. And I was like, they only deserve like a little piece of bread and, you know, two bites of the fish.

Come on, Jesus. And I just felt like he was like, okay, how much more do I do for you in abundance? And I was like, oh, yeah. That's right. But he continually does more and more and more for these people, right? These selfish people that only want these miracles. They don't care about who Jesus is. They just want. And he gives them all they want and more. You know, God provided not only spiritually by doing this miracle, but he provided physically.

And I think that's us, too. Sometimes we think that God is all about our spirituality, that all he cares about is our prayer life. All he cares about is how much we're reading the Bible. And he cares about that. But he cares about us holistically. W-H. Holistically. He cares about what you care about. He cares about your food. He cares about your struggles. He cares about the good times. He cares about it all. And he cared about these people holistically and was providing for them holistically.

In verse 13, it says, The disciples gathered them up and filled 12 large baskets with what was left over from the five barley loaves. So you have 12 baskets left over. How many disciples do you have? 12. So here are the disciples who were, they got to be a part of this miracle, which is mind-blowing. Right? That story that they get to tell that is now still changing our lives. They got to be a part of it. But not only that, they got to walk away with a basket full of food.

So they even got more than they were hoping and wanting for because they hadn't eaten yet. So they got an abundance of food. But you know what they also got? Was the basket. And I thought that was huge because it was a memento that Jesus left with them. You see, we go to museums. We go places to see mementos. That's the rock where that happened. That's a piece of the ark. We know the story. The story is powerful. But then you see the memento and it changes things.

So I want to tell you a little side story. Anyway, Unveiling was started in 2009. And it was very small. It was part-time, like very, very part-time. And a couple of people had told me, you should take it full-time. And I had no desire at all to take it full-time. And then two years ago, I was working a job. And I had been in the job for nine months. And I loved the job. But it was something where I'm like, I can't see myself doing this the rest of my life.

It's great, but this has got to be, you know, a temp kind of job. So I went on a prayer walk in my neighborhood. And I said, God, I feel like there's something next. But I have no idea what it is. Because God had pulled me out of my career five years ago, which was a youth pastor. And so I was like, that's what I went to school for. That's all I had known. And he said, you're done. And I'm like, I don't know what else I'm supposed to do.

Well, all of a sudden, I started getting really emotional about unveiling on this walk. And I was crying. And I went, whoa, this doesn't seem like me. Why would I all of a sudden want to take this full time? This is an unknown, unpaved, and unpaid road. Like, this does not seem of Rondi. I think this is God. So I started praying. And I said, God, if this is you, would you put a penny in my path? I just needed one confirmation because it was so crazy to know it was God and not me.

I didn't need 15 confirmations, but just one. And the reason I said a penny is because God and I have this really unique love language where I find coins and money on the ground a lot. And a lot of times what will happen is I'll be walking into a grocery store. I'll be praying in my head or thinking of someone. And all of a sudden, there's a coin at my foot. And I always pick it up. And in that moment, I feel like God says, now trust in me.

Because our money says in God we trust. And I take it home and I tape it in a journal and I write the story. So it's just kind of his and my thing. So I said, God, would you put a penny in my path? And I knew I was going to find money. Like, I knew it was from God, but I just needed that one confirmation. And then I said, no, you're a big God. Would you put a quarter in my path? At this point, I had never found a quarter.

Quarters are kind of like finding bills. Quarters. So it was a big request. I'm like, okay, put a quarter. And then I said, no. You raised people from the dead today. That wasn't just something you did in biblical times. You're a big God. Would you put a bill in my path? I was walking and I'm praying, okay, put a bill, put a bill. At my foot was a $20 bill. No joke. I picked it up. The next day, I quit my job. And I stepped into unveiling full time two years ago.

And the reason I tell that story is because I'm talking about a memento. And here's the $20 bill with the story. And all my other coins with all the other stories I have. You see that $20 bill, I show it to people when they come over and I tell them the story. And the story amazes them. But then they see it and they're like, whoa. That's the one. Yeah. It wasn't a one. It wasn't a five. It wasn't a ten. It was that $20 bill.

And God has sustained me for two years. How? I don't know. Financially, I've been able to make it. The ministry is thriving. And I have this memento. And these disciples got that memento. And part of me pictures, like, the disciples having this basket, like, hang off. I'm kind of bouncing when they're walking everywhere they go. Because you wouldn't want to let that basket go. That's the basket that Jesus used. That they used that.

The food just kept multiplying in it. They would take it out and there was more. But how amazing, with these 12 baskets left over, that they got to personally take it back and have it. And show others. And, I don't know, one day maybe look up and see it and be reminded. Again, that's why we go to museums. That's why we go places. And in the Old Testament, God says over and over, build monuments. Stack rocks. Do whatever you have to do so you do not forget what I have done for you.

Because if you're like me, I think I'll remember. And just the other day, someone reminded me of something. And I'm like, I can't believe I forgot God did that. That's why writing things down, having mementos, building things is so important. So the disciples had those baskets left over that they got to take back with an abundance of food. And in verse 14 and 15, after the people had seen Jesus work this miracle, They began saying, This must be the prophet who is to come into the world.

Jesus realized that they would try to force him to be their king. So he went up on a mountain where he could be alone. It's not quite a good ending to a story, to be honest. Sorry I don't have a fairy tale ending here. At least we know the fairy tale ending is Jesus dying for us. But what happens here is that in Deuteronomy 18, 15, Moses said there would be a prophet like him that would arise. So these people, after this miracle, thought, this is that prophet.

This is who Moses was talking about. And they now want Jesus to be their earthly king. And they again revert back to their selfish desire and say, We want you to be our earthly king because they were under Roman bondage. And they thought Jesus could save them from the Roman bondage. It makes me so sad. These people were just a part of the most amazing miracle. And yet they continue at him for their selfish desire. Of here's our earthly king to save us from the Roman bondage.

And they missed the whole point. And Jesus goes off alone. And I wonder what that time was like for him. Because 20,000 people missed it. But he doesn't give up on them. He doesn't give up on us. You see, their goal was temporal. But God's goal is eternal. So I want to finish our time going to the three main points that I pulled out of this. And you might have heard me say this word over and over. But as I was praying and working on this, the word that God kept giving me is more.

And the story in the margin, I feel like that's what is provided for these people. More. More and more and more. They came for miracles. And God gave them more. So the first point is this. Jesus asks us to bring him our little. And he gives us more. God takes our small, limited resources. Resources. And multiplies them beyond our wildest expectations. Jesus wants to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. You see, we have to put ourselves in those positions where we can't do something to see him show up.

When we do everything we're good at, we don't get to see Jesus show up. Because we're taking that spot. So we have to get uncomfortable. We have to say, are we willing to give up our home? Are we willing to give up our car? Are we willing to give up our talents? And the hardest one for me, I'll be honest, is I do not like to give up my time. I will give you money. I will let you use my home. I will. But when it comes to my time, I'm busy.

I got a lot going on. It's hard for me to give up. But how much more can God do when I say it's yours? I'm willing. That's when I'll see God show up. That's when crazy encounters will happen for me. I'm famous for when I go into Costco. I love Costco, but it also drives me nuts. That place is crazy. It's kind of like Trader Joe's. It's just always crazy. I feel like at Costco, you need to get a driver's license to go there.

Because keep your cart to the right, please. Right? Keep your cart to the right. You walk on the right. You drive on the right. Keep your cart on the right. Anyways, so I am famous for just like kind of going through and not noticing people. And I feel like God keeps telling me when I go, calm down, first of all. Slow down and notice people. Like give me your time in here. Smile at people. Don't get frustrated with people and huff and puff around.

But am I willing to give God my time to see people, to notice people? Am I willing to give my neighbors time? Or do I, you know, sometimes you get home and you just don't want to talk. But maybe that's where God wants to do something. So are we willing? There's going to be a picture that goes up. And I love this picture. And it's a little girl who has the teddy bear, right? And she doesn't want to let go. She doesn't know what's behind Jesus' back.

That little boy didn't know what was behind Jesus' back and how he's going to multiply the food. But when we're willing to hand it over, how much more does God have for us? And I think this is a beautiful picture of that. Don't hold too tight. God has more. That's what he's in the business of. Look what he did for us, dying on the cross, raising again so we could live with him. That is way more than we deserve. He's in the business of more.

All right, second point. Jesus cares about us more than we care about ourselves. Like these selfish people, they came and all they wanted was stuff from Jesus. And what did he do? He provided for them spiritually by showing them God through the miracle. He provided for them physically by providing food for them and an abundance of food. And he provided for them relationally by providing community, for providing friendship.

You see, they got more than they were looking for. And yes, we are encouraging you to pray for miracles, to look for miracles. But sometimes God wants to do more than a miracle. Sometimes there's other things that we need. Or there's more in the margins. And the third point. Jesus is more than enough. Two months ago, I was making my bed and I was praying about this huge event that we had. So two weeks ago, we had our biggest event of the year.

And it's a large undertaking. So I was praying and I was just asking, can you do this miracle? Can you do this? Can you do this? Can you do this? And I very clearly heard God say, I'm not a genie. I'm not a genie. It was like a sucker punch. And I knew in that moment what God was saying was, sit with me. This is a relationship. All you've been doing is coming to me, asking and asking for a miracle and miracle. And that's good.

But I want to encourage you. I want to give you insight. I want to tell you some things. But a genie, there's no relationship. God, the God of the universe wants to have a relationship with me. The president of the United States doesn't even know I exist. He doesn't know my name. Yet the God of the universe knows me and wants to have a relationship with me. And all I do is go to him and say, more, more, more, more, more.

I want this. I want this. I want this. Fool on me. What a shame on me that I wouldn't sit and spend time with my God. Who I'm not selfish person in the beginning. Right? That goes with the wrong motives. And he says, I'll make time for you. When I won't make time for people. He's not a genie. He has so much more. And he's more than enough. If I never get another miracle in my life, Jesus is enough. He is more than enough.

If my life is hell here on earth, Jesus is enough. There's a quote I used to have hanging in my house that said, I deserve hell. Everything else is a gift. And it's so true. It was the best conversation starter when workmen would come over. Honestly, great conversations. But it is. I have to look at life through that. I don't want to worship the miracles. I want to worship the miracle maker. I deserve hell. So if life is hell here on earth, praise God.

He's good. He died. He sent his son to die for me. Jesus is more than enough. You know, it's impossible to have an authentic, intimate relationship with someone when you're trying to get something from them. So we've got to press into the relationship. Jesus is more interested in the eternal than the temporary. So I encourage you. Are you willing to give more? Are you expecting more? Are you praying for more? God is in the business of more.

He wants to do more. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.