free bible study

In Our Hands

“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.” - Matthew 15:34

It is very tempting to view opportunities to serve from the perspective of what we do not have. After all, if I do not have much I cannot do much. The problem is that disciples count things one way and Jesus counts them another. When faced with feeding thousands the disciples do a census of available food and come up with seven loaves and a few small fish. Looking at thousands of hungry faces, that’s not much.

Disciples throughout the centuries, including contemporary times,  have looked at the little amount in their hands and felt helpless to do much to help anyone else. Even though we are the richest nation in the world with the greatest amount of wealth the church has ever known, many times we shrug our shoulders and say to ourselves we don’t have much to give… whether it is time or money or support.

Kittie L. Suffield was born in New York in 1884. A talented pianist and soprano, she became a Christian at age 19. During a trip Kittie was on a train that became stuck in a heavy snowstorm. One of the passengers headed out into the snow to find help. Fred Suffield was awakened by the man pounding on his farmhouse door. Fred guided the passengers to his house for safety. Later, Kittie wrote Fred a thank you letter for his kindness and this began a correspondence between them that resulted in marriage.

Fred was converted under the ministry of the father of George Beverly Shea, a Wesleyan pastor. After their marriage they traveled as evangelists. Kittie wrote many songs, but the song that was the theme of her life was a song, the chorus of which rings a familiar tone: “Little is much when God is in it! Labor not for wealth or fame. There’s a crown - and you can win it, If you go in Jesus’ name.” Kittie died in 1972.

What a legacy to leave behind! A reminder that when we think we have too little to offer and we back away from the Lord’s service, we are forgetting something. That little in our hand is not little at all, for God is in it. David Sellers wrote, “We are not meant to be passive recipients of God’s grace, but to be active channels of his love. We do not come to Christ merely to be fed, but to feed others. That is a condition of our discipleship.” Let us pray to see what God sees in our hands.

John Dobbs

Forsythe Church of Christ, Monroe, LA

[The above bulletin article was emailed via Dan Williams, Vice-President Church Relations, Harding University, and Teresa Castleman. It’s a very helpful ministry, soliciting and sending such articles, and also sermons, every day.]

 

A Good Bible Study for the Glory of God

1.    It was commanded    Isaiah 42:12

                               Psalm 29:1-2

 

2.    Jesus did it             John 11:1-4,38-44

                                          Matthew 9:1-9

                                          Matthew 15:21-38, especially noting verses 29-31

 

3.    Others would         2 Corinthians 9:12-14

 

4.    Some did not         John 12:9-43

                                          John 5:41-44

 

5.    Are you?                Matthew 5:13-16

      John 15:4-8

 

"Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might, be to our God forever and ever Amen." Revelation 7:12

 

Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

 

“Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water … And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. 12 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not

bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.” Numbers 20:8,11-12