Unlocking Your Potential

John 6:1-13 (NLT)

GOD IS NOT GOING TO ASK YOU TO DO WHAT HE HAS NOT EQUIPPED YOU FOR

GOD IS NOT GOING TO ASK YOU TO DO SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF YOUR ABILITY TO PERFORM

GOD WILL NEVER ASK YOU TO DO SOMETHING THAT HE HAS EMPOWERED YOU TO DO

GOD WILL NOT ASK YOU TO DO WHAT HE DOESN'T ALREADY KNOW THE END OF IT

• What God Has Called He Has Equipped FOR
• Where God Gives Vision He Will Provide Provision
• Remind Yourself That You're Just A Vessel Being Used by God

Let's Review who you are in Christ:

Genesis 1:26 (AMP) Then God said, "Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority

Psalms 139:14 (AMP) I will give thanks and praise to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.

Psalm 82:6 (AMP) I said, "You are gods; Indeed, all of you are sons of the Most High

John 10:34 (AMP) Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I said, you are gods [human judges representing God, not divine beings]'?

Abundance Mindset vs. Scarcity Mindset

Stephen Covey coined the term abundance mentality or abundance mindset in his 1989 best-seller, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. He defined the term simply as a concept in which a person believes there are enough resources and successes to share with others." He contrasts it with the scarcity mindset (i.e., destructive and unnecessary competition), which is founded on the idea that, if someone else wins or is successful in a situation, that means you lose; not considering the possibility of all parties winning (in some way or another) in a given situation.

You have enough, in this story you are going to see disciples who didn't think they didn't have enough, but with God they had more than enough. We have to see through the eyes of faith.

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

John 6:1-4 (NLT) After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick. Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him. (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.)

Jesus Tests Philip

John 6:5 (NLT) Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, "Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?"

• If anyone knew where to get food, it would have been Philip because he was from Bethsaida, a town about nine miles away (1:44).
• By asking for a human solution (knowing that there was none),
• Even if it was today, and I asked you the question, where can I feed 10 thousand people in Riverview
• Philip made the same mistake we often do, Philip looked to what he had versus who had him

John 6:6 (NLT) He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.

• In MSG - He said this to stretch Philip's faith.
• Faith must be tried

Philip's Response: Not Enough Money

John 6:7 (NLT) Philip replied, "Even if we worked for months, we wouldn't have enough money to feed them!"

• Philip had told the other disciples of the Lord's question, and they had discussed the possible perils of the case and the intentions of the Lord. It is interesting to see, in Mark, that the same sum was mentioned as being insufficient for the needs of the great multitudes. John has not only abridged the narrative of the synoptists, but added a feature which is of interest, and shows how for some hours the disciples had meditated on what they fancied would be necessary, and had come to the somewhat unwelcome conclusion that they must sacrifice their entire stock of funds. The Lord had first of all made the suggestion. They now go to him, to beseech his influence to send the multitudes away, so that they may go into the villages and buy themselves something to eat. When the enigmatic words burst from his lips, "Give ye them to eat," the two hundred pennyworth of bread is once more referred to by the disciples as insufficient

Luke 9:12-13 (NLT) Late in the afternoon the twelve disciples came to him and said, "Send the crowds away to the nearby villages and farms, so they can find food and lodging for the night. There is nothing to eat here in this remote place." But Jesus said, "You feed them." "But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered. "Or are you expecting us to go and buy enough food for this whole crowd?"

This verse gives us a spiritual jewel, work was not going to solve a problem that faith need

Andrew Finds a Boy with Lunch

John 6:8-9 (NLT) Then Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up. "There's a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?"

Ruth 2:17 (AMP) So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.

1 Kings 4:28 (NLT) They also brought the necessary barley and straw for the royal horses in the stables.

• Barley gradually became known as the grain of the poor.
• Fish- mostly consisted of small fishes caught in the lake, which were dried, salted as "sardines" or "anchovies" are with ourselves for a similar purpose.

Matthew 19:26 (NLT) Jesus looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible."

Numbers 11:21-23 (AMP) But Moses said, "The people, among whom I am, are 600,000 [fighting men] on foot [besides all the women and children]; yet You have said, 'I will give them meat, so that they may eat it for a whole month!' Should flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to be sufficient for them? Or should all the fish of the sea be collected for them to be sufficient for them?" The Lord said to Moses, "Is the Lord's hand (ability, power) limited (short, inadequate)? You shall see now whether My word will come to pass for you or not."

2 Kings 4:43 (AMP) His servant said, "How am I to set [only] this before a hundred [hungry] men?" He said, "Give it to the people so that they may eat, for thus says the Lord, 'They shall eat and have some left.'"

The Miracle

John 6:10-13 (NLT) "Tell everyone to sit down," Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, "Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted." So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.

• The miracle begin with them being told to sit down
• Miracles happen when we rest- Eve was made while Adam rested
• There is a lesson in the leftovers.
• God gives in abundance.
• If you take the first step in making yourself available to God, he will show you how greatly you can be used to advance the work of his kingdom.

WISDOM KEYS

WISDOM KEY #1 - God Is Able

Ephesians 3:20 (AMP) Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us,

WISDOM KEY #2 - God Has Given Us The Power

2 Peter 1:3 (AMP) For His divine power has bestowed on us [absolutely] everything necessary for [a dynamic spiritual] life and godliness, through true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

WAYS YOU CAN CREATE AN ABUNDANCE MINDSET IN YOUR LIFE TODAY:

1. Recognize the Power of Your Thoughts

• "Are my thoughts about this based in fear and scarcity?" If so, then ask, "What do I need to do to shift my mindset to abundance?"

2. Practice Gratitude

• "When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears."
• Action: Keep a gratitude journal and write down what you are genuinely grateful for every day. Aim to record at least 10 items.

3. Believe the Sky's the Limit

4. Develop Mastery Experiences

• For example, if you get one percent better at something each day, then a year later you will be 365 percent better and will have created a mastery experience.
• Action: Think of a big goal that you want to achieve. Now write a list of all the small actions you need to take to get there. Focus on the small, achievable steps in the process and soon you will have successfully reached your goal.

5. Pick Your Words Wisely

6. Build Beyond a Growth Mindset

• "In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment." A growth mindset is directly related to an abundance mindset.

7. Think Like a Beginner

• An abundance mentality craves learning and growth, requiring an underlying knowledge that you don't know everything, even about topics you may have mastered. The beginner's mindset is about having the ability to maintain an attitude of openness and enthusiasm, along with the willingness to override existing preconceptions (just as a true beginner would) no matter how learned or experienced you may be.
• Action: Decide to learn something new that places you into an uncomfortable state of "not knowing." It may be learning a new hobby, language, or even starting a passion project - anything that sounds interesting and forces you to learn.

8. Notice the Good!

• Humans have a tendency to notice what's bad more easily than what's good. It's not your fault. Your brain is actually wired that way thanks to evolution. Ancestors who were quick to see threats were more likely to survive and pass along their DNA than those who weren't. But optimists rely on an abundance mindset and lead better, longer lives.

9. Speak Daily Abundance Affirmations

• The use of positive affirmations can improve your problem-solving skills and decrease signs of stress. Using affirmations can help to shift your mentality from scarcity to abundance.

Discussion Questions

1. Philip looked at what he had instead of who had him. In what areas of your life are you focusing on your limitations rather than on God's unlimited power?
2. Jesus asked Philip where to buy bread even though He already knew what He would do. How has God "tested" your faith to stretch and grow you?
3. The passage states, "work was not going to solve a problem that faith need." Can you think of a situation where you tried to work your way out of something that actually required faith?
4. The young boy gave his small lunch of barley loaves and fish—food of the poor. What "small" thing in your possession might God want to multiply for His kingdom purposes?
5. Andrew asked, "But what good is that with this huge crowd?" When have you dismissed what you had to offer because it seemed too insignificant?
6. The miracle began when Jesus told everyone to sit down and rest. Why do you think rest and trust are prerequisites for experiencing God's miracles?
7. There were twelve baskets of leftovers—one for each disciple. What does this teach us about God's abundance and His desire to involve us in His provision?
8. How does operating from a "scarcity mindset" versus an "abundance mindset" affect your relationships, finances, and faith?
9. Which of the nine ways to create an abundance mindset resonates most with you, and what specific action will you take this week to develop it?
10. Reflecting on Ephesians 3:20, when has God done "superabundantly more" than you could ask or think? How can remembering that experience strengthen your faith today?

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