Key Thought

Today's Prayer

O LORD God, my righteous Father, please help me overcome my pockets of weak faith and my areas of lacking belief. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

Then Jesus told the followers to get into the boat. Jesus told them to go to the other side of the lake to Bethsaida. Jesus said that he would come later. Jesus stayed there to tell the people they could go home. After Jesus said good-bye to the people, he went into the hills to pray. That night, the boat was still in the middle of the lake. Jesus was alone on the land. Jesus saw the boat far away on the lake. He saw the followers working hard to row the boat. The wind was blowing against them. Sometime between three and six o'clock in the morning, Jesus went to the boat. Jesus was walking on the water. Jesus continued walking until he was almost past the boat. But the followers saw Jesus walking on the water. They thought he was a ghost. The followers shouted with fear. All the followers saw Jesus and were very afraid. But Jesus spoke to the followers and said, "Don't worry! It's me! Don't be afraid." Then Jesus got into the boat with the followers. And the wind became calm. The followers were completely amazed. They still didn't understand {his power}. It was like the miracle he did with the bread. They still didn't understand what that meant. Jesus and his followers went across the lake. They came to shore at Gennesaret. They tied the boat there. When they were out of the boat, the people saw Jesus. They knew who he was. The people ran {to tell other people} everywhere in that area {that Jesus was there}. The people brought sick people on beds to every place Jesus went. Jesus went into towns and cities and farms around that area. And every place Jesus went, the people brought sick people to the market places. They begged Jesus to let them touch any part of his coat. And all the people that touched him were healed.

Related Scripture Readings

Jesus left there and went back to his home town. His followers went with him. On the Sabbath day Jesus taught in the synagogue. Many people heard him teach and were amazed. These people said, "Where did this man get this teaching? How did he get this wisdom? Who gave it to him? And where did he get the power to do miracles ? {Surely, not from God!} He is only the carpenter. And his mother is Mary. He is the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters are here with us." The people did not accept Jesus. Jesus said to the people, "Other people give honor to a prophet. But in his own town with his own people and in his own home, a prophet does not get honor." Jesus was not able to do many miracles in that town. The only miracles he did were to heal some sick people by putting his hands on them. Jesus was very surprised because those people did not have faith. Then Jesus went to other villages in that area and taught.

You heard me say to you, 'I am leaving, but I will come back to you.' If you loved me, then you would be happy that I am going back to the Father. Why? Because the Father is greater than I am.

With God's power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of. To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen.