Ken

When Jesus expressed concern over the crowd’s lack of food, his disciples responded with an answer based on human reasoning: it would be impossible to feed that many people! They had correctly identified the problem but had failed to see a potential solution. Jesus prefaced his comments with “I have compassion for these people” – which reflected his motivation for wanting to help. For Jesus, this was more than a logistical problem – it was a human problem.Watch more videos at the Mountainview YouTube channel. Need a Speaker or Presenter? Interested in having me speak for your church, conference, or organization? Follow this link to learn more. Looking for a Speaking Coach? The most successful people are not always the smartest people. But they have one thing in common: they communicate well. I'd love to help you become a better communicator. Click here.

If you had miraculous powers and could do anything, what would you do? How would you use them? Why would you use them? Would you try to impress somebody? To benefit yourself? Many of us would use our supernatural powers to help other people ... but only if it didn’t cost us anything. As we continue our journey through the life of Jesus, we come to a story which shows the miracle-working power of Jesus. Here's one thing we learn: Compassion is more than a feeling. It is a feeling that leads to redemptive action.If you’re just joining us, we’ve been looking at the life of Jesus as recorded by Mark, one of his earliest followers. In chapter 6, we came across a similar story – a similar miracle. Now in chapter 8 we find Jesus performing the same miracle again ... 1 During those days another large crowd gathered.…

Like many of you, I grew up playing Little League baseball and pick-up games in the school yard. If you didn't swing at a bad pitch, someone would you tell you a “good eye.” At some point, every kid was told “Keep your eye on the ball.” When our girls were little and just starting to play softball, I developed a jingle that I thought would help them become better hitters. "Too high, let it fly. Too low, let it go." Unfortunately, it never caught on. What is true in baseball, is also true in life – we have a natural tendency to take our eye off the ball. One easy mistake to make when it comes to living the spiritual life is this: we focus on our external behavior while neglecting our inner person. We take our eyes off the ball. Which is unfortunate because a healthy spiritual life grows…

Many of the religious leaders who opposed Jesus had a very external – or performance-based – view of religion. To them, maintaining the appearance of being spiritual was as important as actually being spiritual; in some cases, it was even more important. Jesus understood that much of this behavior was based on human traditions, not the commands of God. Jesus redefined a healthy spiritual life as preceding from the inside out, rather than from the outside in.Watch more videos at the Mountainview YouTube channel. Need a Speaker or Presenter? Interested in having me speak for your church, conference, or organization? Follow this link to learn more. Looking for a Speaking Coach? The most successful people are not always the smartest people. But they have one thing in common: they communicate well. I'd love to help you become a better communicator. Click here.

This story highlights the tension between a human response and the response of faith. Jesus had already instructed his disciples that they were going to the other side of the lake. In the meantime, a “furious squall” hits the boat, causing the disciples to panic (which is the normal human response). We face the same situation when we live in the space between receiving God’s promises and experiencing the fulfillment of those promises. In that in-between space there is often challenges and discouragement. Jesus is able to remain calm – asleep – because he knows that he is in control.Watch more videos at the Mountainview YouTube channel. Need a Speaker or Presenter? Interested in having me speak for your church, conference, or organization? Follow this link to learn more. Looking for a Speaking Coach? The most successful people are not always the smartest people. But they have one thing in…