1. God bestows faith that it should deal not with ordinary things, but with things no human being can master such as death, sin, the world, and Satan.
  2. If the Risen Christ is ushering in a new kingdom and a new creation, then maybe we shouldn’t be surprised to see some earth-shaking and mind-blowing things taking place.
  3. Jesus rejects what we believe is most necessary and instead points us to his pain, suffering, death, and self-sacrifice.
  4. Jesus’s touch of this leper is the touchstone of the gospel itself. It’s a living parable of his entire ministry.
  5. Miracles, for all their wonder and encouragement, rely on the dazzling of our senses to work. Because miracle-faith produces sensory-faith, it is of a poor quality.
  6. Jesus’ miracle in this sermon, then, is a type of the compassion He has for your hearers. While they certainly have many physical needs, your hearers also (more fundamentally) need Jesus’ mercy and forgiveness.
  7. The stilling of the seas is not so much a parable of words but a parable of actions. Jesus shows his apostles that they were seeing but not perceiving, hearing but not understanding who he was.
  8. In short, the life of Christ is perfect justice and perfect grace on display.
  9. Her name meant “Rebel” or “Rebellion”. In a culture where your name was thought to reveal your whole character, either in a prophetic sense or as it was known and manifested, it was an interesting choice.
  10. Not afraid, Jesus decided to take a different mode of transportation across the rough waters—his feet.
  11. We're of little faith. Or rather, we have big faith, but it’s in something else. Our faith is in our ability to control situations, manipulate them to our advantage.