Object lesson

Twelve baskets of leftover mercy

Matthew 14:13–21; John 6:1–13

Five loaves, two fish, a crowd that should have been sent away, and twelve baskets gathered after everyone had eaten. The miracle is not only that there was enough. It is that there was more than enough, collected so it would not be wasted. The disciples who wanted to dismiss the problem are handed the leftovers. God feeds, and then makes them carry the evidence.

How you’d preach it

Use when scarcity is the air in the room. The baskets are the sermon. We are not asked to invent bread. We are asked not to send the crowd away.

  • Generosity
  • Faith
  • Prayer

Matthew 14 · John 6

Matthew 14:13–21; John 6:12–13

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