The CPA Lessons:

Feeding the 5,000

Common Christian
shared by a
Perception Professional
Assessment Lessons) Accountant

Matthew 14: 13-21; Mark 6: 31-52; Luke 9: 10-17, John 6: 1-21

Mark 6: 50 Jesus said,
“Take courage! It is I.
Don’t be afraid.”

Mark 6:52
“ They (disciples)
had not understood
the lessons about the
loaves . . “
The CPA Lessons: Feeding the 5,000
Matthew 14: 13-21; Mark 6: 31-52; Luke 9: 10-17, John 6: 1-21

Lesson # 1: Income Statement Basis

Lesson # 2: Balance Sheet Test

Lesson # 3: Bottom Line Issue

Concluding Lesson
 Lesson # 1:
Income Statement Basis

Do not measure a problem

according to your own abilities.
Jesus asked Philip,
“Where shall we buy bread for these
people to eat?” John 6:5

Philip answered Jesus,

“Eight months wages would not buy
enough bread for each one
to have a bite!”
Before the incident they witnessed these miracles:
Jesus allows us to be in a Why does God
impossible circumstance, allow this to
a negative situation we do happen?
not have any control over.

It provides a perfect test.

Why does He test us?
It impacts our hearts. It changes us.
When God tests us it is not to grade us
but to make us grow.
We become a better person after the test..
The chief goal of the test is
to bless, enrich and develop us.

God puts us in impossible situations to stretch our undeveloped faith.

God puts us in impossible situations to strengthen our eternal hope.

God puts us in impossible situations to show His incredible love.

Man’s Impossibilities – God’s Opportunities

 Lesson #2: Balance Sheet Test
Little in the hands of Jesus becomes much.
A Balance Sheet summarizes your financial condition at a
given period.
At that point Andrew struggles with this thing of faith and
so does Philip.
They both struggled. Two perspectives to the problem,
both wrong approach.
Andrew says,
Philip says, “It’s impossible. We
“It’s impossible. have too little. We can’t
It’ll take too much.” meet the need..
He was looking at the problem He was looking at
. themselves.
They look at their Balance Sheet!
They were relying on themselves.
God’s Way in Teaching us not to Rely on Ourselves.

Step One: God Reduces Our Resources

Second Step: He Maximizes the Need.

Third Step: He Requires our Trust.

Fourth Step: He Uses Our Participation.

Andrew said,
Here is a boy with five
small barley loaves
and two small fish

Jesus said,
“Bring it to me.”
 Jesus used a boy’s lunch
to feed thousands of
people.
Sound Impossible?
It is impossible
without God’s
power.
What do you have now that
God can use?
We need to learn to transfer it
from our hands into His hand

Jesus Christ invites us

“Bring it to Me.”
 He transforms it
and
makes it a
miracle!
Touch of the Master’s Hand

This is the reason He takes our gifts of love, our tithes,

our offerings, our ministries, our worship, ourselves.

He can touch it, transform it and make it enough.

 Lesson # 3: Bottom Line Issue
Every encounter with a problem can bring
an increase!
In business, after all what was said
and done, the main issue is the
bottom line = the Net Income,
the result.
What was the Everybody was
bottom line in served with a
this miracle? dinner.

Today, as it was in the feeding of

the 5,000 the real bottom line is:
“Every encounter with
a problem can bring an increase.”
Bonus attached to the Bottom Line:

Jesus said,
“Gather the leftovers.”

There were only five barley loaves to start with, but twelve
baskets more filled with bread were leftovers.
That’s the increase.
Our God "is able to do exceeding abundantly above all
that we ask or think, according to the power that works in
us." Ephesians 3:20.

Christ did not give everyone a little;

He ensued there was bounty.
 Sometimes God gives the increase
through deeper relationships.

Sometimes God gives the increase

through an increased faith.
Sometimes God gives the increase
by a new perspective on
life.
Sometimes God gives the increase
by a new peace of
heart.
The increase comes when
How does the increase come? Jesus gets involved.
That’s when it comes.
 In every miracle of Jesus there
Concluding Lesson: are two things we must learn:.

• How Jesus works 2. Who Jesus is.

Jesus said, .
“I am the bread of life.”
And every And then He fed 5000 people.
miracle that He
ever worked is Jesus said,
an example of “I’m the light of the world.”
who He is! And He made a blind man see.

Jesus said, .
”I’m the resurrection and the life.”
And He raised Lazarus from the dead
It begins and ends with
who He is
Lesson # 1: Income Statement Basis
Do not measure a problem according to your own abilities.

Lesson # 2: Balance Sheet Test

Little in the hands of Jesus becomes much.

Lesson # 3: The Bottom Line Issue

Every encounter with a problem can bring an increase!

Concluding Lesson: It begins and ends with who Jesus is.

My Tutor/Enabler: The Holy Spirit

Written References:
 The Holy Bible
 “The Lessons of the Loaves” by Pastor Tom
Holladay – Saddleback Community Church
 “The Lessons of the Loaves” Rev. Arville F.
Hurst, Falling Water Church of God
 “Get Out of the Box” by Pastor John Slythe,
www.sermoncentral.com
 “Three Lessons from the Loaves” –
Harvester Church of Nazarene
 “Don’t Miss the Point” by Pastor J. David
Hoke