John 6:24-35 and Psalm 51:1-12 bulletin art and coloring pages.
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Gospel
Psalm 51
Author: Stushie
I'm originally from Scotland and have been a Presbyterian pastor for over thirty years. I live in Knoxville, TN. I enjoy art as a means of therapy, but also as a creative way to strengthen my spiritual connection to God.
Sunday Shorts – Enough to Eat
John 6:12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” (NIV)
I like what Jesus does here – He provides food for hungry people and doesn’t let anything left over get wasted. He is declaring with this miracle that food is a human right, so hunger is something that should not happen to anyone in our world.
In recent years, the need for Food Banks has increased all over the world. In Appalachia, parents and grandparents are struggling to provide enough food for the children in their families. Across the world in war zones like the Ukraine and Gaza, food deprivation is being used as a weapon by inhumane leaders. And wherever natural disasters occur, as well as famine, millions of people try to survive on meager food resources. If Jesus were around today, how may loaves and fish would He have to break and share to provide more than enough for everybody on this planet?
Sadly, there are also ‘Christian’ political leaders who want to halt hungry schoolchildren getting free meals or punish those kids whose parents haven’t paid their expected food bills. I wonder what those leaders would do if their own free political breakfasts, lunches, and dinners were taken away from them? I wonder how they would react if they realized that Jesus gave the example of providing enough food, and more besides, for those who were hungry? To deprive children of their basic nutritional needs is to harm them, something which Jesus said would be severely punished by God to those who caused harm to any little ones.
So, what can we do to help? Support our local food banks and pantries, community ministries and charities that focus on providing food and water to those in need. We can also support the great work of the World Central Kitchen with a monthly gift which ensures food being provided, cooked, and distributed to people all over the globe. It’s a remarkable organization and one which Christ Himself would have supported to ensure others have enough to eat and that nothing is wasted.
Point to ponder: As a follower of Christ, which food ministries do I support?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You showed the example of how to help others in need of food. You did this several times for thousands of people, initiating food ministry events that included sharing Your Gospel. You provided for those who were hungry; help us to do the same whenever and wherever we can. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.
John Stuart is a retired Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Sabbath Psalms – On the Edge – Psalm 14
Psalm 14:1 The fool says within himself, “God does not exist.” They are immoral, their deeds are disgraceful; there is nobody who does good things.
Like everyone else, I struggle with my faith at times. I’ve always believed in God as far back as I can remember, but it’s what I believe in God that keeps changing. When I first became a Christian, I wanted to convert the entire world. I actually preached on street corners in Scotland and sang hymns outside Glasgow pubs. I was fearless for Christ and wanted to show the world what unbelievers were missing. I guess I must have appeared like a religious freak to most of my drunken audience, but I was on fire for the Lord, and it didn’t bother me.
These days, I would find it tough and perhaps be too embarrassed to preach outside a city bar. I got in enough trouble preaching from the relative safety of a church pulpit. Sometimes my zeal to get the Gospel message across caused some people to get upset and leave the church. A sermon that stings is sometimes too close to the truth, even for me.
Faith is a precious gift from God, but sometimes we foolishly take it for granted or allow ourselves to cast it aside in order to indulge in sinful things. We stumble on the edge of foolishness which, for some people, can lead to affluence and unbelief, indifference and apostasy. I’m not one of those who subscribes to the belief that ‘once saved means always saved.’ I think that we can lose our salvation if we lose ourselves to the wiles of the world, which is why Jesus says in Mark’s Gospel: “Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”(Mark 4 v 25). If we were saved for all time, we could give our hearts to Christ at the age of three and spend the next 97 years doing whatever we liked.
When I preached the message on Sunday mornings, I was very much aware that we’re all just living on the edge of eternity. Who knows what tomorrow may bring, so that is why we all need to get our hearts and minds, our lives and ways right with God through Christ today. To do anything else or to leave it for another time is plainly foolish and just as spiritually harmful as the person with no belief at all.
Point to ponder: What things disrupt my belief in God? How does Christ restore me?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, let this be the day when we all completely surrender our lives to You. Let this be the time when we allow You totally into our hearts, to change us forever. Enable us not to keep back anything or any part of us from You. Take away our foolishness and fill us with true faith. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.
John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.
My Latest Book: Sunday by Sunday – Year C Gospels
My latest book is the beginning of a three-year project that I’ve been wanting to complete for years. I try to write devotionals on Sunday mornings to help church folks, teachers, and pastors focus on God’s Word for each particular Sunday. Over the years, I’ve compiled enough to cover most Sundays in each lectionary year.
My aim is to write a series of books with meditations for the lectionary Gospels, Psalms, Old Testament narratives, and the New Testament epistles.
This first book of devotionals focuses on the Gospels for Year C which begins at Advent on December 1 of this year. It contains seventy meditations including daily devotions for Holy Week, Christmas, and other Feasts. Each devotion includes a highlighted verse, short meditation, a point to ponder, as well as a short prayer. The devotions can be completed individually, with family, or a small church group.
I am already working on Year A Gospels, as well as some of the lectionary psalms. My hope is to produce twelve books which can be read year after year. The books will be available as eBooks for Kindle users (the Kindle app can be downloaded for free on any device or computer) and as paperbacks. The links to this first book are given below. I hope you may at least enjoy looking at them online.
As always, I am grateful for your encouragement and support. God bless.
John Stuart
Ebook and paperback* links
US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DB3TLLYN
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DB3TLLYN
Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DB3TLLYN
Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0DB3TLLYN
*paperback copies are only available via Amazon in the US, Canada, and the UK.
Ordinary 17B – Gospel and Psalm art
Bulletin covers and coloring page for Ordinary 17B – John 6 and Psalm 14.
Paid Subscribers and donors may copy & download.
Psalm 14
Sunday Shorts – Busy Doing Nothing
Mark 6:31 Jesus said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. (NRSV)
Over many years of pastoral ministry, I saw some dedicated people who were always present for Sunday worship and church programs. They were totally immersed in the life, work, and ministries of the congregation and it seemed as though every time we opened the church doors, they were among the first to arrive. Their faith community was their family and they simply devoted themselves to serving God in their local church.
Sometimes, however, these lovely servants were too busy and stretched themselves beyond what they could do effectively for God. They did too much, said “yes” too many times, and often wouldn’t let others help them. They thought that if they temporarily gave up their work for the Lord or handed it over to someone else, the ministry or mission would suffer. Frequently, the ministry was suffering because they didn’t like to share or delegate the responsibility to some other person. However, when Covid came and forced us all to stay away from church, those people reflected on their chosen roles, soon realizing that God was working through the whole church membership, and not just them. After Covid, they fully reassessed their own service and, for the first time in years, they allowed others to work with them.
I like what Jesus suggests to His disciples in this Bible verse. They have all been very busy helping Him with His ministry. They are devoted to the Kingdom of God, but they are also sapped of their spiritual strength, so Jesus urges them all to take a break from the mission to go to a quiet place and replenish their spirits. This reveals to us how much Jesus cared for His closest followers and did not expect them to always be on duty wherever He went. By giving them time to be alone with Him, Jesus was encouraging them to do nothing for a while. The mission would always be there, and the Kingdom of God would continue, but they were only human with weaknesses and limitations. Like the writer of Psalm 23, Jesus was inviting them to find a quiet place to restore their souls.
Perhaps you need permission to let go of some of the ministries and missions in your own congregation. Maybe you’ve overextended yourself and instead of feeling the joy of serving God, it is a heavy burden to you. Let Christ encourage you to find a quiet place, to release you from your responsibilities, to enable you to reflect on how best to serve God, to replenish your weary spirit, and to refresh your tired soul. Go ahead and be busy – doing nothing.
Point to ponder: How do I serve God in my local church? Am I too busy?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know us more fully than we know ourselves. We love You completely and want to serve You faithfully, but sometimes we are tired and need to rest. Help us to find a peaceful quiet place where we can be refreshed by Your Spirit and restored to God’s Kingdom. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.
John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Sabbath Psalms -Psalm 89 -Lunar Love
Psalm 89:37 It shall be established eternally, just as the moon is the sky’s constant witness in the sky. Selah.
As a kid, I always enjoyed looking up at the moon. I could see it clearly from my bedroom window and sometimes I would stay up late into the wee small hours of the morning, enjoying its shape, movement, and brilliance. Occasionally, I would recite a child’s prayer about the moon: “I see the moon and the moon sees me. God bless the moon and God bless me.”
Decades later, I’m still fascinated by the radiance of the moon. I now realize that the moon has no light of its own, but it reflects the light of the Sun to Earth. I think that’s why in this psalm it’s called the sky’s constant witness.” So long as the Sun exists and the moon is still orbiting around the Earth, it will faithfully reflect sunlight to us.
As Christians, we are meant to be faithful witnesses of Christ’s Light on Earth. Some people believe that this means we’re meant to show Christ’s love to everyone. But it’s more than just that – we’re also meant to reflect the Truth of Christ, which sometimes conflicts with what the World will tolerate. Loving the World does not mean embracing its sins or condoning society’s errors. Being the light of Christ and His faithful witness calls us to wholly reflect His Teachings and Truth, as well as His Compassion. Love without Christ is just a temporary feeling; however, love with Christ’s Truth is an everlasting faith.
Point to ponder: How do I reflect Christ in my daily life?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we try to be Your faithful witnesses in the world, but sometimes we allow ourselves to be people pleasers and acceptable appeasers, rather than messengers of Your Gospel and servants of Your Kingdom. Grant us the gift of discernment and help us to truly know what You would have us speak, do, and share with the people of this world. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Some of My Books
Over the years, I’ve written many devotional and study books to help pastors, church leaders, and teachers share their faith with others in their congregations and communities. The books can be read individually or with a small group and are full of reflections to be used as discussion starters for church meetings, classes, and fellowship groups.
I’ve listed some of those books below and if you click on the images, it will take you to the book’s page on Amazon where you can read its description. All the books can be read on any device using the free Kindle app; some of them are also published as paperbacks.
I hope you enjoy browsing the books. If you have any questions or suggestions for studies, then please leave your message in the comments section or contact me by email at stushie57@outlook.com.
God bless.
John Stuart.
Ordinary 16B art – Gospel and psalms
Ordinary 16B art for bulletins, newsletters, coloring pages, and worship screens.
Subscribers and donors may copy and download for use.
Gospel: Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
Psalm 89
Psalm 23 drawings
Sunday Shorts: Listening, But Not Hearing
Mark 6:20 Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him. (NIV)
Being a Scottish preacher in American churches can be quite novel at times. For some reason, folks like to listen to my Scots accent because they find it to be quite lyrical. I used to think this was a great thing and relished each time I was asked to preach in a different pulpit. Over the years, however, I realized that my accent could sometimes get in the way of the Gospel message. People in the pews liked to listen to how I preached but didn’t absorb the sermon. Sometimes at the church door after the worship service, someone would say: “I loved your Scottish accent, but I didn’t understand what you said.”
King Herod must have felt the same with John the Baptist. The cruel king had imprisoned John for preaching against his marriage. Herod’s wife was greatly offended, so Herod had the fiery preacher arrested and thrown into a jail below his palace.
Herod, however, did not neglect John. He liked to listen to the preacher, although he didn’t fully understand what John talked about. Perhaps the prophet preached on the Kingdom of God which Herod would think rivalled his own sovereignty. Or maybe John talked about repentance for being sinful which Herod totally ignored. Whatever the case, Herod missed his opportunity to be reconciled to God. He liked listening to John, but he never truly heard a word which could have changed his life forever.
Some folks are like that, too. They know about Jesus and have perhaps listened to some of His teaching. Unfortunately, instead of fully embracing Him as their Savior and Lord, they just label Him as another historical holy man whose sermons were quaint and applicable to the past, but not relevant in today’s world. In other words, they listen but do not hear, which is why Jesus constantly told His listeners, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Point to ponder: Do I like to just listen to what Jesus had to say, or do I hear how His words challenge me to change my ways?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to be truly open to Your Gospel message and holy teachings. Challenge our lives so that we may change our ways by applying Your words in our daily lives. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.
Stushie Art 