12/7/25, Melrose Community Church, Sunday Service

This powerful exploration of John chapter 6 invites us to examine what we're truly seeking when we pursue Jesus. The miraculous feeding of over 15,000 people with five loaves and two fish sets the stage for a profound spiritual conversation about satisfaction and sustenance. We discover that the crowds followed Jesus not because they understood His divine nature, but because their physical bellies were filled. The teaching challenges us with four critical mistakes we make in our spiritual journey: demanding God meet our physical needs on our terms, trying to impress God with our resumes of good works, requiring God to continually prove Himself according to our schedule, and wanting the benefits of faith without the commitment. Jesus cuts through all our striving with a simple, revolutionary answer: believe in Him. Not accomplish a checklist, not perform religious rituals, but simply believe. The bread of life isn't about what we do—it's about who He is and what He's already done. This message calls us to move beyond seeking temporary satisfaction and embrace the living bread that offers eternal life, reminding us that when we think the cost of following Jesus is too high, we should remember what it cost Him.

Discussion Questions

- How was the question Jesus asked of Philip in John 6:5 a test?

- Can you speculate what Andrew (or the boy with the bread) thought Jesus would do

with 5 loaves, if anything?

- How can “believing” in Christ become a “good work”?

- Consider a time you tried to manipulate God into doing something you thought He

should do for you.

- Contemplate the similarities between Jesus and bread.