July 13, 2025
Trusting the Hands That Provide
Pastor Eric Hood

Sermon Notes

Mark 6:30-44
The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

1. Jesus Sees Our Needs

2. Jesus Uses What We Offer

3. Jesus Fulfills Completely

Jesus meets our deepest needs when we trust Him with what little we have.

Next Steps

• I confess my sin and turn to Jesus as King for the first time.
• I choose to honor God not based on how much I have, but by trusting Him fully with whatever I’ve been given.
• I admit I’ve held back, and I’m committing to offer more of myself—my time, my gifts, and my resources—to God’s Kingdom.

Deep Dive

1. How does Jesus’ compassion here shape your view of God—especially when you have unmet needs?
2. Why does Jesus use what we already have, even when it seems small? What does that show about partnering with Him?
3. What does involving the disciples in the miracle teach us about our role in ministry today?
4. The crowd was hungry physically and spiritually—where do you see both kinds of hunger in your life or others’?
5. What do the leftover baskets tell us about God’s generosity versus a scarcity mindset?
6. When have small acts of obedience (yours or others’) led to big Kingdom impact?
7. How does letting Jesus fulfill you change your choices, goals, or relationships?

Springboards

1. Read Mark 6:45-56. How does Jesus demonstrate that He is fully God?
2. Reflect on a time when Jesus met you in a storm. What did you learn about Him?
3. What does the story say about the way Jesus sees and responds to human need?