Today’s devotional comes from Jeff Herrold and his daughter Bella.
Jeff works with our children in Sunday School, Children’s Church, and King’s Kids.
Following the children’s devotional is one written for the adults.
Key Verse: Mark 8:8
Read Key Passage: Mark 8:1-10
Reflection:
This is the story about Jesus feeding four thousand people. Wow, that’s a lot of people. So Jesus started getting a plan together. He had a group of people go get some flour to make some bread, then he had a group of fisherman go out and catch a bunch of fish, then had a bunch of cooks to cook all that food!! Right?? NO!! He took 7 loaves of bread, a few small fish and that was it. Can you believe it? Then after everybody was full, they couldn’t eat anymore, and they had 7 baskets leftover. This is crazy!! They had more leftover than when they started. How can that happen? What is that called? You better know, ‘cause Bella got this question right. A MIRACLE!!!
First we see that Jesus had compassion on the crowd because they were hungry. He loved the people and He loves you! If we want to be like Jesus we need to love people, too. How can you love someone like Jesus would?
Then, when Jesus is in control, He gives the people more than they could ever imagine!! The people hardly gave Jesus anything. They didn’t give him any money, and barely any food. When we put Jesus in control of our lives, He will give us more than we could ever ask for.
The other day, Bella said that she was sad, so I asked what was the matter. She said she was sad because Jesus hadn’t come back to get her yet. So we started talking about heaven, and I was telling her about it when the next question was asked. She said, “Does God make toys?” I started laughing and she started laughing and before you know it, we were almost crying we were laughing so hard. Do you know what? God can do anything!!
Bella: I asked Bella what she learned from this story. This is what she said and she had a lot to say, if you can believe that: God will love us forever, He will never leave us, God will love us no matter what, God can do anything, Jesus will never sin, and Jesus is all powerful!!
Review Questions:
1.) Does Jesus just love us only when we give him something?
2.) Should we love everybody?
3.) How can you love someone this week like Jesus?
4.) Are sure that God can do anything??
Name: Jeff Herrold
Favorite Bible character: Jesus
Family: Holly, Bella (4), Riley (2), baby?
Occupation: Farmer
Favorite book in the Bible: Gospels
When you got saved: when I was 5
What part of Children’s Ministry do you work in? King’s Kids, Sunday School, Kids Church
CHILDHOOD FAVORITES
BELLA JEFF
Toy: Flute Tractors
Color: Pink Blue
Cartoon: Max & Ruby Scooby Doo
Food: Ice Cream
Game: Candyland Hop- Scotch
Teacher: Ms. D. Small Paul (child evangelist)
ADULT DEVOTIONAL
KEY VERSE: Mark 8:32 And he spake that saying openly, And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.
REFLECTIONS:
As I read through these three chapters I couldn’t help but look at all the times the disciples were corrected. Now let’s not forget who these guys are. Jesus hand-selected his disciples. He picked every single one. These were not the leftovers that Jesus was just stuck with. They were chosen.
Now that you have that in mind, it seems like every time they talked they were getting in trouble. It started to get comical.
Chapter 7: The Pharisees said they didn’t know how to properly wash their hands. Jesus said that it’s not what you eat that defiles you, but what’s in your heart. Then the disciples got alone with Jesus and said, “What did you say?” Ever feel like that. What are you trying to tell me, Jesus?
Chapter 8: Jesus says to the disciples, Beware of the leaven of Pharisees. They look at each other like the three stooges and say, uh, I think he said that cause we forgot the bread, uh, yeah. Then Jesus sits them down, counts to ten, and says Will you ever understand? You have eyes, don’t you? Can’t you see? Ears – can’t you hear? Do you not remember? How did Jesus not sin through all of this? If that was me, I would have set them down and let them have a piece of my mind. I HAVE TOLD YOU 100 TIMES AND YOU STILL DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT!! Have you ever been short with someone because they should already know this, a child asking 100 why’s, a co-worker doesn’t know anything, a spouse who never has your clothes cleaned when you absolutely need them. (It’s starting to get very personal in the Herrold household.) But it gets better.
Jesus begins to tell them he would be killed, and in three days would rise again. I can picture Peter putting his arm around Jesus and taking him off to the side of the crowd and having a little talk with him. You know, I don’t really think Jesus knows what he is talking about. Do you ever think like that? Jesus, let’s go for a walk, we need to talk about this whole job issue, I don’t think you know what you’re doing – or sickness, or death, or spouse, or kid, or nation, or a thorn in the flesh. I’ve had a few of these talks. Why don’t you take this sin out of my life? If you knew what you were doing you would. Not until very recently have I learned that “God doeth all things well.” I have come to the place now that I thank God for the thorns. He causes things to happen not so I get the increase but God gets the increase. “He must increase and I must decrease.”
Chapter 9: The disciples can’t get the demon to come out, and Jesus says, You faithless people, how long should I put up with you? Then they were arguing about who will be the greatest in heaven, and they tell someone to stop casting out demons because they were not in “our group.”
APPLICATION: Jesus was tempted in all areas we are. That’s who we serve. You can do it. You may not be pefect, you may be hard headed, you may not understand everything yet, you may be lacking faith. But once you start to spend some time with Jesus you start to change, slowly, not overnight, to be more like Him. Later on we find that the disciples turned the world upside down.
Thank you for being a part of the 100-Day Challenge. Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!
In Christ,
Jeff Herrold