GOD IS SPEAKING CAN YOU HEAR HIM

  What would happen if you woke up and reminded yourself of the Gospel every day?  If you are like me, you are tempted to take the Gospel for granted and stop rehearsing it because it’s become so familiar. We store it in our story somewhere in the past and subconsciously try to move on from it. But we need to hear the Gospel every bit as much today as we did the day we heard it for the first time.  If we remind ourselves of the Gospel each morning, we will wake up and live in grateful joy that the toughest battle we are going to face today has already been won.  How different would your life be if you preached the Gospel to your own heart more regularly?  There are dozens of ways the Gospel positively impacts and shapes our everyday lives. We all need regular reminders of these benefits, and we need God’s power to grasp them more.  Too many believers think the good news is old news. We haven’t heard the Gospel too much; we haven’t heard it enough. Like many facets to a beautiful diamon

 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.  Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”  Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened. Mark 6:45‭-‬52 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/mrk.6.45-52.NIV

  Jesus just fed the 5000. The disciples jumped back in their boat and headed back to the other side. Jesus stayed behind for a few last parting words to the crowd. Then Jesus decided to go and pray for a while, as the disciples fought the winds to get to the other side. When Jesus finished praying, He began to walk on water. When the disciples saw Jesus, they thought He was a ghost, screamed, and they all were terrified.  Jesus responded with, “Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid.” Jesus hopped into the boat, the winds ceased, and all the disciples were astounded. Astounded. Amazed. Shocked. Surprised.  In the middle of your storm, do not be afraid. In the middle of your marriage, do not be afraid. In the middle of your big decision, do not be afraid. In the middle of your aloneness, do not be afraid.  Once you believe the words of Jesus, you will be astounded at what He does in your life. You will be amazed. You will be shocked. You will be surprised. Jesus will show up for you.  B

 An "You...", "How..." are Written in Red.  The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”  So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.  By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”  But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take

  Maybe it was days later. Maybe it was weeks. It couldn’t have been longer than a couple of months. Jesus showed up to Decapolis (the place He sent the demon possessed man). A large crowd began to gather, and Jesus had compassion on them and began to teach them. Jesus was teaching into the evening, when his disciples asked him to stop and let the people go back to their houses to eat dinner. Jesus responded, “You give them something to eat.” The disciples didn’t have anything, but they gathered up a few loaves of bread and some fish. Then Jesus said, “Go feed the people.”  His disciples had to be freaking out. “This isn’t going to work, Jesus. We don’t have enough food, Jesus. We are going to look like fools, Jesus. I know you have asked us to do it, but we are afraid you are not going to show up and provide.” Has Jesus ever asked you to do something, and then you became fearful that he wouldn’t show up? Maybe Jesus brought you and your spouse together, but fear leads you to believe J

 An "-"!, "-"?, an the last "-", is Written in Red.  They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.  When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.  When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”  Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of t