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On hearing this [please reread John 6:53-59!], many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it? Simon Peter answered, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:60, 68). God is not who we think God is. God is who God says and shows us he is.Jesus is who God is, God incarnate in our human flesh.Sometimesperhaps oftenwe ...
Keep ReadingSimon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God" (John 6 68-69). If social media had been around in the time of Jesus, do you think Jesus would want you to friend Him on Facebook? Would he ask you to subscribe to His YouTube channel, or like His post on Instagram?...
Keep ReadingThen Jesus shocked them with these words: "I have hand-picked you to be my twelve,knowing that one of you is the devil." John 6:70TPT I think it's safe to say everyone has experienced the sting of being picked last for something, or not being picked at all.In grade school, my friends and I were not known for our athletic abilities, so when the teams were chosen for playgr...
Keep Reading"This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" (John 6:60b) When do you nod or say "amen" in a sermon? When the teaching is relatively easy? When you agree with the pastor or think the person next to you ought to hear this? But what about when the sermon gets personal? Or the teaching is hard? Who's nodding now?But that's precisely when we need to nod, need to jot down tha...
Keep ReadingJesus said to them, I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever (John 6:53, 56, 58). Good Mo...
Keep ReadingI have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:38-40). ...
Keep Reading"The bread of God...gives life to the world." (John 6:33) I love going to Jeni's ice cream in Charlotte and sampling creative flavors like goat cheese with red cherries, gooey butter cake, or sweet cream biscuits peach jam. Each tiny spoonful bursts with satisfying flavor.Am I like that with Jesus, satisfied with just a "taste"? A lightning-fast devotional in the morning...
Keep Reading"Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirstyAll those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away." John 6: 35,37 While out on my runs, I've been listening to a 90's music mix a lot. One song reminds me about this crowd in chapter 6 of John. The crowd likes big "buts." Jesus continues ...
Keep ReadingThey waffled: "Why don't you give us a clue about who you are, just a hint of what's going on? When we see what's up, we'll commit ourselves."John 6:30 MSG I grew up in an old country farmhouse surrounded by the aroma of various things baking. Homemade bread is one of our family specialties, and I've witnessed my mom going through the process to make it countless times. T...
Keep ReadingJesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world" (John 6:32-33). Hope you had a good weekend! Welcome back to this week's Connect Devotionals! We're deep into John 6 this week, ...
Keep ReadingJesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you" (John 6:26-27). Who doesn't want miracles? Jesus heals sick and broken bodies with a word, with a touch who d...
Keep Reading"Jesus answered, 'Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.'" John 6: 26 I'll confess, I may have missed out on an amazing dealto extend the warranty on my car. The twenty-seven voicemails I received over the course of a few months made it clear that this was my last chance an...
Keep ReadingThey asked Jesus, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered,"The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent" (John 6:28-29). Let's face it: all of us find it hard to believe some of the time, and some of us find it hard to believe most of the time.We tend to misunderstand what it means "to believe." We picture "believing" as an always secu...
Keep Reading"Well, what do we do then to get in on God's works?" John 6:28 MSG Confession: I don't like surprises. I do like movie spoilers, and I've been known to read the last chapter of a book first. (Stay with me--I promise I'm still a good person!)Not knowing anything about the movie I'm about to see, book I'm about to read, or social situation I'm about to step into is distract...
Keep ReadingJohn 6:25-29 John 6 opens with a crowd following Jesus into a remote area because they want to hear more of his teaching, and because they are attracted to his power over sicknesses. Jesus compassionately provides food for this multi-thousands congregation. The crowd reaches the conclusion that Jesus must be the second Moses, the promised Messiah, so they try to force him...
Keep ReadingThey saw Jesus approaching, walking on the water He said to them, "It is I; don't be afraid."Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boatreached the shore where they were heading (John 6:19-21) Jesus walked on water exactly once. Since he clearly could walk on water, why not do so often, even all the time?Just this once, when Jesus climbed i...
Keep Reading"But He said to them, 'It is I; don't be afraid.' Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading." John 6: 20-21 There is a lot of disruption in the world today. We are all being impacted by the global supply chain crisis. Whether it's the company you work for, or one you depend on for your favorite thi...
Keep Reading"They were willing to take him into the boat." (John 6:21) Most of us have gleaned great takeaways from sermons about Jesus walking on water toward storm-battered disciples. I've even jotted them down: When storms buffet my boat, keep rowing. Obeying Jesus doesn't mean "smooth sailing"; Jesus sent the disciples into the storm. Jesus will come; it may be in ...
Keep ReadingA strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened.John 6:18, 19 A few years ago my husband and our boys were out in the canoe on Jordan Lake, and the wind picked up significantly. They had been on the water most of the day fishing, it was g...
Keep ReadingBrian and Kathy Emmet By now it was dark a strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough (John 6:17-18). My beloved New England Patriots Well, no Monday morning quarterbacking here. Instead, Mondays are the start of a new Connect Devotional week. We've just begun a new series called For Now/Forever, and our passage for the month of October is John 6. The chapter be...
Keep ReadingAfter the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say,"Surely this is the Prophet who is to some into the world." Jesus, knowing that they intendedto come and make him king by force, withdrew to a mountain by himself (John 6:14-15). Notice the details.The Feeding of the 5000 is the only one of Jesus' miracles reported in all four Gospels. The outline ...
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