West Salem Baptist Church

(Mark 6:51-52) “And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure and wondered. For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened .” Faith is taught over time by a series of lessons of fear and doubt. In the above verse, Jesus had just walked on water to rescue the disciples from a terrible storm, and upon entering the ship the storm ceased and all became calm. In the above verses the Holy Spirit wants us to see that the apostles’ hearts were “hardened” because they feared and forgot about the miracle “of the loaves.” How often in the storms of life do we as Christians fear and toil in our own strength, forgetting to seek Christ’s help, demonstrating unbelief  or a “hard heart.” The apostles just witnessed the power of Jesus when he fed 5,000 men with just 5 loaves and two fish, and yet they still had trouble trusting in him....

(Mark 6:7) “And he called unto him the twelve and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;” The calling of God is more than just a call to be saved, it’s also a calling to mature spiritually. When we first get saved, we are considered “babes in Christ” (1 Peter 2:2). Meaning that newly saved people know very little about God, spiritual life, or the Bible. Therefore, spiritual growth (like the growth of a child) takes place over time. Jesus sent his disciples “forth to preach,” to experience the ministry first hand and to learn to live by his power. Three lessons are seen here . 1) Come to Christ . The apostles saw that they needed to come and follow Jesus to grow in faith, but unfortunately today not all believers see the need to spend time listening to him and his Word. There are two ways that we spend time with Jesus; first is in personal devotions, and the second is when we come to church and are ...