Bio My name is Kim Scheidegger. I work at Watermark with the Single Adult & Pastoral Care Ministries. I've been married for a little over a year to my wonderful and always entertaining husband, Adam. He keeps me from being too serious. I love creating all kinds of things. I paint cards, pictures, and furniture. One year, I made a Christmas tree out of chocolate truffles. It was amazing and delicious. I thought about going into the truffle tree business, but I was reminded of the disaster in the "I Love Lucy" episode in the chocolate factory and thought, "Never mind"! |
JESUS, THE PROVIDER
August 10, 2010
KEY VERSE
And they all ate and were satisfied; and the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve baskets full. (Luke 9:17)
CENTRAL TRUTH
Jesus is THE provision, and He can meet any and all needs that we have.
REFLECTIONS
When I was a little girl, we went to church on occasion, but my collection of Bible stories by adulthood was very small. These last few years, I’ve spent time learning the stories of the Bible to understand the power and heart of God. One story that I was blessed to learn as a little one was the feeding of the 5,000. Perhaps I learn best by repetition, because this story is actually in all four Gospels. In fact, it is the only miracle (except the resurrection) that is in every Gospel.
I can’t quite imagine what it would have been like to hear Christ say, “You give them something to eat!” (Luke 9:13) I would probably think through my skill set and my resumé of what I’m able to do. That was pretty much what the disciples initially did. They told Jesus that they could go to town and buy some food. Instead, Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups of 50, and then He carried out the miracle of feeding the 5,000.
Oftentimes, when we feel inadequate or don’t know what to do or how to meet a need, it is easy to go into problem-solving mode and just begin acting. But Christ wants us to rely on Him for our answers and to meet our needs. Christ fully met the need of 5,000 hungry people without the disciples having to rely on their own strength or means.
Last summer, I was in Ethiopia with a group from Watermark. We were sharing the gospel on the first day when a beggar approached me. Knowing it wasn’t best to give her money, I felt inadequate and initially did not know how to respond, especially with the language and custom barriers. I heard my translator speak up and say, "Acts 3!" I opened my Bible and shared Acts 3:6, "I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you," and I shared the gospel. It was through God’s Word and God’s people that I was able to respond to the woman.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What tools can you use to help you turn to God before turning to your own strength?
2. What problem or problems are you currently trying to solve on your own strength without first turning to God?
3. What Scripture can you memorize to help you deal with that problem?
4. When you feel inadequate in a situation what is your typical response? Think through how you would like to respond differently in a way that would honor Christ.
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