What a delightful week Vacation Bible School is! I am so grateful to each of the adults and youth who helped and all the children that came. Since I moved at the time of VBS week last year I did not get involved in it like I was able to do this year. Perhaps more of you will see this as a great opportunity to get involved and serve the Lord next year. The children of our church and community are certainly worth the investment of our time and resources.

We had fun with five great Bible stories that I want to briefly review today. I was privileged to be the story teller for a couple of these.

On Monday we covered the

I. Plunge into Obedience

Luke 5:1-11 Miraculous Catch of Fish

Perhaps you remember the great story of the miraculous catch of fish. Some of the disciples had been out fishing all night and had not caught one fish. They were probably tired and frustrated. Jesus got into Simon Peter's boat and told him to go out into the deep water and put down his nets for a catch. Do you recall Peter's reply? "Master we toiled all night and took nothing! But at Your word I will let down my nets." Reluctantly, Peter took the plunge into obedience. He obeyed, even though he did not think it would do any good. Of course, the result was that their nets were so filled with fish they could hardly bring them in.

Maybe there are times when we sense God nudging us to do something, but we might think that it won't do any good. Do we obey anyway?

Tuesday we took the

II. Plunge into Worship

John 4:5-30 Jesus and the Woman at the Well

We briefly referred to this marvelous story a few weeks ago when we talked about the new congregation in our Iowa Conference, The Women at the Well ministry at the Woman's correctional facility.

Jesus was weary and had stopped by Jacob's well to rest. A woman from Samaria came by to draw water and Jesus asked her for a drink. The got into a conversation about water, thirst, and eventually about worship. Do we enthusiastically worship God?

In our story on Wednesday the disciples thought they were going to plunge into the water, but they ended up plunging into courage.

III. Plunge into Courage

Matthew 8:23-27 Jesus Calms the Storm

Jesus had gotten into a boat to sleep after an exhausting time of teaching. A little later, however, a storm arose on the sea and the disciples became very frightened, thinking they might die at sea. They seemed a bit disgusted with Jesus sleeping when they were afraid that their boat would capsize. They wakened Jesus and he spoke the winds and waves. They obeyed Him.

When we seek to follow Jesus he wants to give us courage to meet the storms of our lives. Do you have courage to live for God?

The next great Bible story could literally be a plunge into courage or into the water, but it is also an example of the plunge into faith.

IV. Plunge into Faith

Matthew 14:22-33 Jesus Walks on Water

The setting of this story is following the miracle of Jesus feeding five thousand with five loaves and two fish. It had been a long day. After the meal Jesus sent his disciples ahead to the other side of the sea in the boat while he dismissed the crowd. Then he went up the mountain to be by Himself to pray late into the night.

By the time Jesus went out to join his disciples the wind and waves had come up and Jesus was walking on the water toward them. At first the disciples were scared and thought He was a ghost. Jesus spoke to them and Peter said, "Master, if it's really you, call me to come to you on the water." Jesus called him to come and Peter took a plunge of faith jumping out of the boat and walked on the water to Jesus. Jesus may not literally call us to walk on water, but do we have the faith to take the plunge when Jesus calls us?

Last, but certainly not least we have the plunge into service with Jesus setting the example as our servant leader.

V. Plunge into Service

John 13:1-17 Jesus Washes the Disciples' Feet

You may recall the gathering of Jesus with His disciples to share the Passover meal before He was betrayed. Jesus got up from the supper table, poured water in a basin and began to wash and dry the feet of His disciples.

Jesus was teacher and Master for his first century disciples, and invites us to follow Him as our teacher, Master and Savior today. Even though He is the One who alone is worthy of our worship and praise He laid down a pattern of serving for us. He calls us to serve Him by serving one another.

Conclusion

Have you taken the plunge
Into obedience?
Into worship?
Into courage?
Into faith?
Into service?

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