The Great I Am

"The Great I Am" - Dr. Daniel's sermon on Jesus feeding the 5,000 in the Gospel of John. Do you ever feel stressed? What do you do when you are absolutely overwhelmed? How do you deal with stress-filled moments of your life when it feels as if you have no control of anything in your life? Worried about your employment, worried about your finances, worried about you family, worried about the fu

ture? Four lessons taken from this well-known story: 1. Sit down and relax. Jesus had everyone sit down. When you we sit down, there are good things that happen. 2. Acknowledge that God has a plan for you. John says that Jesus knew what he would do. We serve a God of the present. God told Moses, "I AM THAT I AM". 3. Make a beginning with what you have. 5 loaves and 2 fish aren't enough on their own to feed 5,000, but when God blessed and multiplied them, it was more than enough. Start with what you have, even if it's not much. Let God bless and use what you do have. 4. Gather up "leftovers" for the next time. Pick up the pieces -- learn the lesson(s) from the experience, and take it with you in the next phase of your faith journey. Remember, the great I AM. If you live in the past it will be very hard...for His name is not I WAS. If you live in the future it will be very hard...for His name is not I WILL BE. But if you live in the present it's not hard...for His name is I AM. The great I AM. The same God who multiplied the fish and loaves is with you today! Relax. Trust. God has a plan for you! Think, reflect and pray about some areas in your life that you can put these principles to work this week.

Gene Kelsey, Director of Christian Education