Sermon preview, week of November 11, 2025
Multiply Resources
While the disciples wanted to send the crowd away for a "fend for yourself" dinner, a young boy shared all that he had. And, with God at work, that was all which was actually needed.
This Sunday’s order
- Sunday
- Reading
- Matthew 14:13-21
- Series
- Multiplied
- Preaching
- Jonathan Balmer
This is a sermon preview for November 16, 2025, the third of four sermons in FBCM's "Multiplied" sermon series. Live streams and previous recordings of our services can be viewed here.
The readingMatthew 14:13-21
"... he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over." - from Matthew 14:13-21
Read Matthew 14:13-21
13When Jesus heard about John, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. But the crowds found out about it and followed Him on foot from the towns. 14When He stepped ashore and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15When evening came, the disciples came to Him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is already late. Dismiss the crowds so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” 16“They do not need to go away,” Jesus replied. “You give them something to eat.” 17“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. 18“Bring them here to Me,” Jesus said. 19And He directed the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He spoke a blessing. Then He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21About five thousand men were fed, besides women and children.
Berean Standard Bible, public domain
This will be a special "Stewardship Sunday." A time of offering will be part of our worship: monetary donations for our church, and non-perishable food for the hungry in our community.
While the disciples wanted to send the crowd away for a "fend for yourself" dinner, a young boy shared all that he had. And, with God at work, that was all which was actually needed.
While this story of the fishes and loaves is perhaps the most iconic, Jesus had multiple other other feeding miracles throughout the gospels as well.
What makes these miracles incredible is not just that there's extra resources. It's the realization that God has provided all that is needed.
What will be multiplied if, instead of seeing what we are provided as only what we have won from meager scarcity, we instead started realizing what we have is given out of God's great abundance?