*This weekly newsletter will share about the Bible Breakdown podcast, things about RLC, and my favorite things from around the web. My prayer is it will help you know God better.
Hello friends. Happy Saturday!
As August comes to a close and fall quietly knocks at the door, it’s a time for wrapping things up and looking ahead. In Amos 9, the prophet ends his fiery message not with more judgment, but with unexpected hope. After all the warnings and woes, we get a glimpse of God’s heart to restore, rebuild, and redeem.
🎧 My Favorite BibleBreakdown Episode This Week>>>
📚 Scripture. 💪
(Mark 6:30–44 ) “The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. Then Jesus said, ‘Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.’ He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone. But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat.’ But Jesus said, ‘You feed them.’ ‘With what?’ they asked. ‘We’d have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!’ ‘How much bread do you have?’ he asked. ‘Go and find out.’ They came back and reported, ‘We have five loaves of bread and two fish.’ Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish. A total of 5,000 men and their families were fed.”
Observation: The disciples had just returned from ministering in nearby villages when the crowds began to gather again—thousands upon thousands of people hungry for Jesus’ teaching. As the sun dipped low, the disciples grew anxious: “Send them away so they can find food.” But Jesus looked at them and said something unexpected: “You give them something to eat.” Bewildered, they protested—how could five loaves and two fish feed so many? Yet Jesus took what little they had, lifted it toward heaven, and blessed it. Piece by piece, the food multiplied until everyone ate their fill—and still, twelve baskets overflowed with leftovers. In that moment, the disciples learned a lasting lesson: God’s power is not limited by our resources, and He delights in providing more than we can imagine when we place everything in His hands.
Application: Take time this week to write down your biggest needs or challenges, then offer them to God in prayer. Ask Him to show you how He can multiply what little you have and provide more abundantly than you imagined.
Prayer: Father, thank You for being my provider and for caring about every detail of my life. Teach me to trust You completely, even when my resources feel small, knowing You are able to meet every need.
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🤔 Question of the Week.
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🖤 My Favorite Links This Week.
📣 Sermon/Testimony. Dealing with Difficult and Dangerous (Chuck Swindoll)
In this sermon, Chuck Swindoll addresses the spiritual and emotional challenges we face when life gets risky or overwhelming. He walks us through biblical wisdom on how to stand firm in faith amid adversity, without resorting to fear or passing judgment on others. The sermon is both practical and encouraging—a steady guide for navigating dangerous seasons with grace and trust in God.
🤔 Apologetics. If God Is Real, Why Doesn’t He Make Himself More Obvious?
(Link)
Anyone who has believed in God for any extended period of time shares something in common. Disappointment. It seems having a relationship with an all-powerful and all-good God isn’t always what we imagined it would be. Why can’t we feel God when we seem to need Him most? Why does He hide from us?
🤓 CS Lewis. Exploring Heaven (link)
It opens with, "A Ghost hobbled across the clearing — as quickly as it could on that uneasy soil — looking over its shoulder as if it were pursued. I saw that it had been a woman: a well-dressed woman, I thought, but its shadows of finery looked ghastly in the morning light." Of course... you gotta keep reading!
✍️ Going Deeper. “How to Enjoy Bible Study” (by John MacArthur) (link)
John MacArthur shares three simple, foundational guidelines to get the most out of study: read Scripture directly (not just books about it), observe carefully, and interpret thoughtfully. His practice of reading whole books repetitively—like one New Testament book a month—instills deep familiarity and helps Scripture stay in your mind. He also highlights the importance of wrestling with the text first before consulting study tools, ensuring personal insight. Warm, encouraging, and refreshingly practical, this helps bridge the distance between casual devotion and deeper engagement.
✍️ Biblical Archeology. Biblical Archaeology Review, Spring 2025 (link)
By broadening our view from kings and monuments to unearthed kitchens and pottery, it invites readers to dig deeper into Scripture’s cultural and social backdrop. The approachable tone and rich visuals make academic findings accessible to non-specialists. For personal Bible study, it lays fertile ground for seeing how the Scriptures were lived in everyday reality.
🎧 Song of the Week. Heaven On My Mind (tobyMac & Forrest Frank)
A powerful blend of tobyMac’s signature joyful style and Forrest Frank’s dynamic vocals, this song reached #12 on Billboard’s Christian chart. It’s an upbeat anthem inviting listeners to live with an eternal perspective.
✍️ Quote of the Week That Makes You Think
“God has provided enough evidence in this life to convince anyone willing to believe, yet he has also left some ambiguity so as not to compel the unwilling.” —Norman L. Geisler
🤪 Dad Joke of the week
Why couldn’t Jonah trust the ocean?
Because he knew there was something fishy about it! 🐟
This week reminds us that what feels small in our hands can become abundant in the hands of Jesus. The disciples brought Him just five loaves and two fish, yet He multiplied them beyond imagination. In the same way, your time, talents, and resources become powerful when surrendered to Him. Trust His provision this week and watch for the ways He can turn your “not enough” into more than enough.
🤪 Meme of the week
