Spark Riverside

"Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost." So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!" - John 6:12-14

I like this verse, especially that part in particular. Because it shows how Jesus gives to us abundantly, even when we don’t always see it. He gives us more than what we need. Instead of thinking only about us, not getting what we want out of life, maybe we can be grateful for what he has already given and think and pray for others, especially those less fortunate.

He was able to multiply blessings because there’s not always enough to go around in this world. It’s amazing how the bread and fish was split into those twelve baskets to distribute to so many that were starving.

I’ve felt the challenge before too of course, forgetting this in the secular world. Thinking of ourselves all the time might leave us dissatisfied, but thinking of others and being willing to share or reach out might do the opposite. Stay grateful my friends. God bless!!!

“‘Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.’ …when he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.” Mark 6:31,33

Rest- a necessary time to slow down and recharge. Early in adulthood, I learned that rest paired so perfectly with prayer. Sitting down, opening my Bible and journaling allowed for God to reveal many lessons in my heart. So naturally, I love that Jesus tells the apostles to rest.
As a Type A personality though, I have a habit of packing my planner full with things to do - family, work, job search, ministry, health, etc. - and forgetting to have designated rest time.
At one point in life, my prayer and devotional reading in the mornings were my rest - that necessary time to slow down and recharge in the company of Christ. But with a constantly packed schedule, it felt like my prayer life was hanging by a thread at times.

Another aspect that I loved of today’s gospel was that upon seeing the needs of the people, seeing the crowd gather in yearning, Jesus went back to serve! He continued to give of himself! And in the serving, in the packed schedule, I learned that people were still able to pray in that time as well. At first, the idea was shocking because I felt that if I were to try it, I wouldn’t be able to fully focus. But in the midst of a busy work week, I was reminded, “Pray. Offer it up.” My natural, skeptic response was, “ok, if you say so.” And I found the peace in the midst of the chaos.

So even though I prefer designated rest + prayer time, I know Jesus approaches me in my crazy schedule so that even in the busy movement, I have time with Him.

Good morning Spark community! ✨There are two main points I wanted make regarding today’s gospel. First, Christ sends out his disciples instructing them to take nothing but a walking stick. Jesus knows He is sending his disciples on an incredibly hard mission but only permits them with the bare minimum? Despite this looking “frugal”, Jesus gives his command and blessing for this mission, which is much more rewarding than any material thing. The disciples can leave confident knowing they are doing the will of God and that is all they need to protect and fuel them. Second, the gospel says they went off and preached repentance. Why do you think Mark wrote the word repentance and not “the word of God” or the commandments? Perhaps because God’s mercy through repentance is perhaps the greatest gift. To know that we have a second chance after we have sinned, is one of the most comforting things we could ever hear. That is what is going to convict our brothers and sisters to come to Christ. Happy Sunday!