After the miracle: Sneak peak, Jesus is the bread of life

Tomorrow I will share a passage in the bible that carries with me much personal significance. I remember sharing this passage with my grandpa in Hong Kong before he gave his life to Christ and passed away.
http://kikoprincess.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/why-do-we-follow.html

After experiencing miracles, or getting things that you pray for, you may be tempted to follow Jesus. After the miracle of feeding the 5000+ people with 5 bread and 2 fish, the people followed Jesus. Jesus offers more than the things of this life. He offers an eternity of satisfaction in him.


Bible passage: John 6: 1-15. 22-48.

Sunday school lesson plan:
Introduction:
Why did Jesus use bread?
- bread is a staple
- so the people can understand
- because he just fed them using a miracle

Activity:
Mini damper (5-10 min preparation, 30 minutes baking)

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups self-raising flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt, optional
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup water

Bible study:
Some people follow Jesus because of the things they can gain in this life... but there is more! [Peter and John story]
What did Jesus provide for the people?
What does Jesus offer the people?
What must we do to receive eternal life?

[Share the bread- share the good news]

Take home:
Memory verse cards- make and share with others.
John6:35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

John 6: 25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
26 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. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that enduresto eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’[c]”
32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, 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. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 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 them up at the last day.”
41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”
43 “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’[d] Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
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Review: Boy meets girl - Part I

Review: Boy meets girl - Part I. Rethinking romance

Summary: Boy Meets Girl was written by Pastor Joshua Harris who wrote I kissed dating goodbye (I'll review this later). In the first chapter Josh tells us how his attitude changed from not being ready to be married to being attracted to one girl... but eventually marrying another. He explains that courtship fills the gap between friendship and being lovers. Courtship is a relationship between a man and a women who are actively and intentionally together to consider marriage (p27). There is a purpose- to see if God wanted the two people to marry.

Whats the point? Fall in love and get married, why bother with courtship? Falling in love was God's idea. but Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires. Songs of Solomon 8:4. With wisdom we will realize that patience is required. Josh describes a "mismash romance" as going to a nice restaurant and asking everything, the drinks, soup, salad, entree, dessert all to be blended together and served at once. Instead, when you take time to build relationships, you can see it grow from acquaintance, friendship, courtship, engagement and marriage. It becomes a beautiful process, which we can enjoy.
Wisdom teaches us to consider what's the best for the other person. A selfless desire to do what's best for the other.
Wisdom calls us to base our emotions and perceptions in reality.

Then Josh goes into asking who? how? when?
1. God is interested in the journey not just the destination
2. Don't overspiritualize decision making. God doesn't only speak through the bible he speaks through the Church, christian friends, books, etc.
3. Our romanticized ideal of what we want in a spouse is often different from what God says matters. There are some specific characteristics, such as a wife of noble character, etc.

My thoughts: Josh communicates his messages really well through the use of real stories and honesty. Although the concepts in the book aren't new, he certainly makes them really real and achievable despite the pressures of the modern world where sex is rampant, love is given freely and divorce is prevalent. Thanks. I really appreciated the real stories he put in the book. He illustrates well how God can give us more than we imagined in his own way.

Although I have been doing a bit of reading and research in this area, the book gave me fresh insights. After reading the first section, I've realized the many misconceptions I have had on relationships. Now I understand more the need for a period of time to know someone, for courtship.

I don't think I have fully considered what is best for the other person. Whether my actions are really beneficial to the other person. I had been selfish in the past, really selfish, unwise, in fact, down right stupid.

He helped answer some of my other questions about clear and specific guidance as well...

Wisdom, definitely something worth praying for each day.

Part II
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Movie Review: Killers (2010)

Movie review: Killers (2010)

Movie summary: Girl breaks up with her boy and goes on a holiday with her parents. There she meets cutie Ashton Kutcher, an assassin-  unbeknownst to her. They quickly fall in love. He gets out of the job and tries to start a normal life with his girl. And soon get married.
After a while, his old boss contacts him. Next thing they know, their neighbours starts trying to kill him. And it dawns on her, she didn't know who she married.



My thoughts: It's not the most creative or exciting movie. But certainly not a bad clash of romance and action for a rainy afternoon dvd. My family and friends have joked about me possibly meeting someone overseas and get married on a whim. I hardly think that's appropriate. Broken trust, unlike in movies is hard to rebuild. Driven by emotions, you can get married and not truly know who you married but then the bonds are so strong by then that you really want to forgive that person...

 I don't know why I keep doing it to myself. Putting myself in so much emotional pain because of the exact same mistake. But it's really to make. For example, it's like seeing an item on sale. You go to the shop to have a quick look. You like the looks of it, it functions well, and you can imagine how it's going to fit in your life. So you want to put down a small deposit and have a look around to see if you can find something better. But no, the sales person tells you that it's a limited time offer and if you don't pay for the entire thing now, it will be sold to someone else. You panic, you don't want to lose something that is so great.  So you fork out more money that you wanted to and you walk home happily, thinking that they will deliver the perfect product tomorrow, you remind yourself that it will be worth it. But you wait, and you wait.... and wait some more... and either it arrives and it's broken after a while or it never arrives at all. You don't always get what you pay for. You need to carefully examine all aspects of the product before committing yourself to the transaction.... well in love, the refund policy isn't the same as an item you can buy in a shop. 

 I've been reading boy meets girl, which I will review later, but ... message short. Although it makes for a good movie, getting married/ making a long term commitment with someone you don't really know is a dangerous thing. You can get hurt in more ways than one. 
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courage to go on

I met him several years ago when I first started postgraduate studies. I remember trying to find his office because I needed help. At that time, he had hurt his leg yet without hesitation he limped to my office to help me set up.

And recently I received this email. He has a disease which has made him incapable of work. He still tries his best to publish his books to support the family he will leave behind.

It's these stories of inspiration that shows how some people don't give up despite odds. Hope you are inspired on this wonderful Monday morning.


Never give up
Never give up 'cause you're always there
Never give up, anytime, anywhere
Never give up,
Remember God is always by your side.



Please support this brave fight!
__________________________


Hi Everyone,
I have delayed saying goodbye to my friends for too long.
As some know, I was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease in XX 20XX. We have failed to push the symptoms into remission, so I was retired last week from work on the grounds of ill-health. The University has treated me well and fairly.
Okay, now with that nasty business explained, let me tell you about the good things. I have a new son. His name is XXX, and he is three months old. I now have XXX (9), XXX (6) and NXXX.
I have returned to writing, although I cannot sit up for more than an hour a day. Most of you will remember XXX. XXX encouraged me to market my novels on Amazon as eBooks, and I am pleased to report that people are reading and leaving positive comments about them.
I'm putting the links for the books at the end of this email. Please check them out.  There is no need to purchase them, as you can simply click on the books' cover images and they will open on your computer screen to read (the first three chapters). Or download a free sample for later. If anyone likes what they read, it would be a great help to me if they would leave a comment on the page.  Simply click on the 'Write a Customer Review' button, which is at the bottom of the review section on the same page. XXX advises me that the more reviews the books receive, the more prominently Amazon advertises the books. You don't need to purchase the book/s to leave a comment/review. It's also a great way to say hello to me, as my work email will be shut down any day.
As far as my plans for the future go, my only real goal is to get as well as I can while making the most of what I've got. I'm keeping it pretty simple.
Anyway, thank you to all the people who made me look forward to coming in to work. I'm sorry I'm not coming back.
And here are my books:
'PLAZA' - An Archaeological Thriller -   http://tiny.cc/ibuucw 
'FAST' - A Military Thriller - http://tiny.cc/ahuucw 
Have a great day,
XXX
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Finisher

Last year I sustained a pretty big injury requiring some pain medication, physiotherapy and other rehab. It was painful to stand, sit, sleep and walk. I had to give up running and tennis for several months. I was patient in my recovery. I diversified into swimming and have found great joy in cross-training. Thank you for the many prayers during this time of recovery. 

That's why today was monumental. Today I participated in the 10km run as part of the Gold Coast marathon. God has blessed my speedy recovery, and I can use my strength to glorify his name. 

Firstly, thank you to all those who supported this cause financially. Your donations will be used to help children and their communities through the name of Jesus. Together we raised over $300 this year! Thanks thanks!

http://www.everydayhero.com.au/hoi_yan_li


So a large crowd of people descended on the broadwater at southport before the sun rose. And we were all preparing for the race as the sun rose. The rays of first light hit the water and reflected off the boats, it was a magical sight. As we lined up to do the race I felt a sense of unity. So many people had turned up to run. This was after a huge week of rain on the Gold Coast. I was able to share with those around me, the prayers that have been offered up. And all along the way, I found different causes to pray for. Some people were running for Cancer, and other diseases, others running for particular organisations and community groups. As always I was worried that I wouldn't have enough to pray for, but by the time I had finished, I don't think I have had time to thank God for all the glorious things he has done in my life and the lives around me. 

Started out well across the bridge, but after about 1km running, i thought I would die, kept going, about 3 km, I thought I was half way, about 5 km I thought I had to throw in the towel, but kept going. I skipped all drink stops, only stopped  to help someone who collapsed and managed to sprint across the finish line in 1 hour 7 minutes. So not a bad effort for someone who had sustained a significant injury. And the main point, I finished. God is victorious. He will continue to be victorious! Hopefully I can inspire my kids and those around me to challenge themselves to be tools for God!


1:07
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Movie Review: Source code (2011)

Movie Review: Source Code (2011)

Movie Summary: A solider wakes up on a train and finds that he is someone else. 8 minutes later, an explosion occurs and he ceases to exist on the train. An army officer tells asks him questions about a bomb and a bomber. The solider is disoriented and doesn't know what is going on. Throughout the movie we learn that the solider had almost died in combat and his body is hooked onto life support. His brain is still active and he is part of an experiment, source code, that can tap into the last 8 minutes of a deceased memory. The particular memory/time lapse he has access to is of Shaun, a teacher on a train of over 200 people who died in a train bombing earlier that morning. The solider's mission is to venture into this parallel time and find out who the bomber is to prevent a series of imminent threats on Chicago. In every rerun the solider dies. But he knows he only has 8 minutes to exist and makes the most out of it.



My thoughts: If you like movies like Inception, you are in for a treat. This was a really well made movie. The actors are all very convincing and you become emotionally attached to them as the movie progresses and you find out about them.The idea of being able to have a do-over, over and over again but being unable to change the outcome is really frustrating. In this hedge-hog day like movie, I found myself trying to problem solve the situation, and like the main character, try to prevent the event from occurring. If you could go back in time to re-live 8 minutes in your life, which 8 minutes would it be? Why those 8 minutes? What changes in your life would you observe if you could redo those 8 minutes knowing what you know today?

Unfortunately, there is no take 2 in life. You only have one shot of every single second of your life. Would you hold back? Wouldn't you take each opportunity?

I don't know why I sometimes hold back. I see opportunities to spread the gospel but yet I hold back. I sit next to someone on a train, I have an hour to spread the gospel to them, yet I choose to play computer games, sleep or read a book. I see my work mates and talk to them about what they did on the weekend rather than something more important. If you knew you only had a few minutes left, I bet you would act differently.

We don't know when Jesus is coming back. Could be in a few minutes. Wouldn't you live differently if you truly believed that he would return?
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It's official, we are still together

Several years ago I chose a different type of relationship. I decided that I would commit the best years of my life to researching about the role of families in adolescent alcohol use. I decided that I would sacrifice the years of my young, any potential relationships, time with friends. At that time I wasn't 100% sure what I was signing up for. I didn't realise that it was more than a 9-5 job. A PhD is like having a shadow following you around constantly reminding you that you aren't doing enough, you aren't good enough, and you are never going to finish. 

My first, first authored publication wasn't in a scientific journal. It was in a fashion magazine. It talked about the imposter syndrome. It happens to all of us girls who feel like at any moment someone's going to find out that we are imposters. That we don't belong, we aren't actually good enough. People tell me I'm doing a good job, but I can't believe it. Are they just saying nice things? But I've just past another PhD milestone. I got the email the other day. It's been a bit more than 2 years since I started my PhD and a bit more than 3 years since I started my postgraduate studies. I've only got one more milestone left until it's all over. 
This time next year, God-willing, I will be free from this abusive relationship. And my friends know that I've been married to my studies. It's a choice I have made. But now I am starting to see the end of the road and it's kind of scary. By the time I have finished, I would have studied for 22 years of my life. I have worked in many jobs from being a child care worker, to an accountant, to a lecturer and a psychologist. But I haven't really had a long term full time job. And it's a bit scary. The future is a bit scary. I really don't know what is ahead. 

I have given myself significant excuse not to let Love in my life for so long, will it actually happen? Or will I continue to live recklessly and freely? I have self-sabotaged every potential relationship. And it didn't seem like a big deal in my life. But my friends are getting married, having kids, yet I still dream of travelling the world, having new experiences and finding myself. Maybe I just haven't met the right type of person yet. I haven't met someone I feel safe with. 

I feel like I am an Israelite. The Israelites were promised a land of their own flowing with milk and honey. Yet, many, for their whole lifetimes, only knew servitude in Egypt. They endured many hardships yet it was during this time that God built up a great nation. From one family, he made a nation. And eventually, he did give those with faith a land filled with milk and honey. 

I feel like God was building something in me. For the last few years, I have personally seen the changes in my life. All the hardships I have endured have all taught me something, have all changed me. I am a stronger person. I know to trust God more. And have greater faith in what I cannot see. 

Although I don't know what lies ahead of me in the future, who will be there, what will be there, what will I do... I know that there is a heavenly father that is looking out for me, who has already written a fantastic adventure/fairytale- that is my life. 
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