Dec 30
Earl McClellan speaks to the students of Passion 2023, encouraging them to walk wherever following Jesus may lead them.
Scripture References
31.At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”32.He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ 33.In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!
1.One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father.2.Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred men, 3.among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest in Shiloh. No one was aware that Jonathan had left.4.On each side of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez and the other Seneh. 5.One cliff stood to the north toward Mikmash, the other to the south toward Geba.6.Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”7.“Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”8.Jonathan said, “Come on, then; we will cross over toward them and let them see us. 9.If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. 10.But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands.”11.So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. “Look!” said the Philistines. “The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.” 12.The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.”
So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.”13.Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. 14.In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre.
22.So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
John the Baptist Beheaded
1.At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, 2.and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
3.Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 4.for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5.Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.
6.On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much 7.that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8.Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9.The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10.and had John beheaded in the prison. 11.His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 12.John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
13.When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14.When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
15.As evening approached, the 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 villages and buy themselves some food.”
16.Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. 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,” he said. 19.And 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. 20.They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21.The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Jesus Walks on the Water
22.Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23.After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24.and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25.Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26.When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27.But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28.“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29.
“Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30.But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31.Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
32.And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33.Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
34.When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. 35.And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36.and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
Earl McClellan
Earl McClellan is the founder and lead pastor of Shoreline City Church, based in the Dallas area with campuses in Texas and in Guatemala. Get your Spirit Back: Break Free of Negative Self-Talk and Step Fully Into Your Calling is his first book. He is regular speaker at influential events both in the States and overseas. Earl and Oneka have three children and live in Dallas. For more information, visit him @earlmcclellan.