Have you ever felt like you're too much? In Mark 6:30-56, we see that nothing and no one is too much for Jesus. This sermon was originally preached on Sunday, September 7, 2025 at the Husband Material Retreat in Colorado.
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Episode Transcript
Hey, my name is Drew Boa.
I'm the founder of HusbandMaterial, where I help men
outgrow porn.
Today's episode is the sermon Irecently preached at the
Husband Material retreat inColorado.
The theme of that retreat wasyou are not too much, you are
enough.
And those words resonated andechoed throughout the weekend.
(00:25):
It was absolutely beautiful andmy sermon is a reflection on
that theme.
From the book of Mark, verses30 through 56.
So I am going to read thatpassage from the New Living
Translation and then enjoy thesermon.
The apostles returned to Jesusfrom their ministry tour and
(00:47):
told him all they had done andtaught from the New Living
Translation, and then enjoy thesermon.
And his apostles didn't evenhave time to eat, so they left
by boat for a quiet place wherethey could be alone.
But many people recognized themand saw them leaving and people
(01:10):
from many towns ran ahead alongthe shore and got there ahead
of them.
Jesus saw the huge crowd as hestepped from the boat and he had
compassion on them because theywere like sheep without a
shepherd.
So he began teaching them manythings.
Late in the afternoon hisdisciples came to him and said
(01:31):
this is a remote place and it'salready getting late.
Send the crowds away so theycan go to the nearby farms and
villages and buy something toeat.
But Jesus said you feed themWith what they asked.
We'd have to work for months toearn enough money to buy food
for all these people.
How much bread do you have, heasked.
Go and find out.
(01:52):
They came back and reported wehave five loaves of bread and
two fish.
Then Jesus told the disciplesto have the people sit down in
groups on the green grass.
So they sat down in groups of50 or 100.
Jesus took the five loaves andtwo fish, looked up toward
(02:13):
heaven and blessed them.
Then, breaking the loaves intopieces, he kept giving the bread
to the disciples so they coulddistribute it to the people.
He also divided the fish foreveryone to share.
They all ate as much as theywanted and afterward the
disciples picked up 12 basketsof leftover bread and fish.
(02:34):
A total of 5,000 men and theirfamilies were fed.
Immediately after this, jesusinsisted that his disciples get
back into the boat and headacross the lake to Bethsaida,
that his disciples get back intothe boat and head across the
lake to Bethsaida.
While he sent the people home,after telling everyone goodbye,
he went up into the hills byhimself to pray.
Late that night the discipleswere in their boat in the middle
(02:55):
of the lake and Jesus was aloneon the land.
He saw that they were inserious trouble, rowing hard and
struggling against the wind andwaves.
About three o'clock in themorning Jesus came toward them,
walking on the water.
He intended to go past them,but when they saw him walking on
the water they cried out interror, thinking he was a ghost.
They were all terrified whenthey saw him, but Jesus spoke to
(03:19):
them at once.
Don't be afraid.
He said.
Take courage, I am here.
Don't be afraid, he said.
Take courage, I am here.
Then he climbed into the boatand the wind stopped.
They were totally amazed, forthey still didn't understand the
significance of the miracle ofthe loaves.
Their hearts were too hard totake it in.
After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret.
(03:40):
They brought the boat to shoreand climbed out.
The people recognized Jesus atonce and they ran throughout the
whole area carrying sick peopleon mats to wherever they heard
he was.
Wherever he went in villages,cities or the countryside they
brought the sick out to themarketplaces.
They begged him to let the sicktouch at least the fringe of
(04:02):
his robe and all who touched himwere healed.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Do you know what it's like tobe tired, drained, burned out,
completely exhausted?
Some of you have felt that waycoming into this retreat.
Have you ever poured yourselfout until it seemed like you had
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nothing left to give?
That's how the disciples feltwhen Jesus invited them to go on
a retreat.
The 12 disciples had justreturned from a ministry tour.
They've been healing the sick,driving out demons, preaching
the gospel basically all thethings we do here and they're
tired, exhausted, completelyspent and extremely stressed.
(04:52):
There were so many peoplecoming and going that they
didn't even have time to eat.
I can relate to that.
And at that exact moment, jesussaid let us go off to a quiet
place and rest a while.
In other words, come away withme, let's get out of here.
(05:15):
I want you to feel refreshed,rested and rejuvenated.
I actually care about how muchenergy you have and I want you
to have more.
So let's go somewhere special,a quiet place where words are
few and it's just us.
What do you say?
(05:40):
Isn't that a beautifulinvitation?
Don't you want to accept thatinvitation right now, and in
many ways you did by coming onthis retreat accept that
invitation right now, and inmany ways you did by coming on
this retreat.
Apparently, jesus is not here tojust use us.
Apparently, he actually wantsus, he wants to hang out with us
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, he wants to be with us.
He wants to be with us.
He wants to be with us.
He wants to be with us.
So he took his disciples on aretreat.
They left by boat for a quietplace when they could be alone.
But many people recognized himand saw them leaving and people
from many towns ran ahead alongthe shore and got there ahead of
them and, just like that,jesus' own retreat went to hell
At the last minute.
I know what that's like too.
(06:26):
This was supposed to be a quietplace, this was supposed to be
restful.
Instead, a huge crowd shows upuninvited.
They didn't even register, theydidn't even check in, they just
crashed the party.
How impolite, how inconsiderate, how unchristian of them.
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We're like that crowd.
We could have been polite, butwe're past that.
The needs are too great,there's too much at stake, we're
desperate, and that's the bestway to come.
That is the retreat that Jesusended up leading, and when he
looks at this crowd of needypeople, how does he feel as he
(07:14):
looks at this crowd that isaggressively throwing aside
social conventions because theyare absolutely unable to go on
without him, so undignified, howdoes he feel?
The Bible says he had compassionon them and he has compassion
(07:38):
on us.
He has compassion on you.
He says they were like sheepwithout a shepherd.
You know, sheep are kind ofgross.
They're dirty.
I don't have a sense of smell,but I hear they smell bad.
They're kind of dumb.
They don't have claws or sharpteeth.
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They're not fast.
They can't protect themselves.
They are one big bundle ofneeds, just like us.
They can't survive on their own.
They're hopeless and helplesswithout a shepherd.
That's how Jesus sees us at onelevel.
(08:22):
At one level it's not veryComplimentary, you know we're
like sheep, but he's the goodshepherd that lays down his life
for the sheep, because hissheep are sons, and especially
for those of you who are dads,when your son has a need, how do
you feel toward him?
(08:42):
Your heart goes out to him, youfeel compassion, and that's
Jesus with us.
He's not annoyed, he's notfrustrated or fed up, he's not
disappointed by how many timeshe has to meet our needs again,
because nothing is too much forJesus, no one is too much for
(09:04):
Jesus.
No one is too much for Jesus,and when a huge crowd completely
interrupts his retreat, he goeswith it.
He might be the mostinterruptible person of all time
.
So he began teaching them manythings.
You are not an unwelcomeinterruption.
When you interrupt whatever youthink Jesus is doing, he's like
(09:26):
going with it.
He's here for it.
He's going to teach yousomething in the middle of it.
So it says he began teachingthem many things.
Late in the afternoon hisdisciples came to him and said
this is a remote place, it'salready getting late.
Send the crowds away so theycan go to nearby villages and
farms and buy something to eat.
The disciples see too manypeople, too many needs, not
(09:51):
enough daylight, not enough food, not enough money.
Jesus is not worried, though.
It says.
Jesus told the disciples tohave the people sit down in
groups on the green grass.
This is the part of the textthat just blew my mind.
I was like whoa, whoa, and someof you were like why is that
(10:11):
mind-blowing?
Well, I used to read the biblein the original language and
when I was reading it in greek,that word green, stuck out like
a sore thumb.
It's the word chloros, likechlorophyll, makes plants green.
I mean, guys, if it's grass,it's probably green.
We don't need to know that it'sgreen grass, right?
(10:32):
Why is Mark talking about thecolor of something?
That's very strange in theBible and in the Gospels.
Well, let's think about this.
The people are lying down ingreen grass, they're beside
quiet waters.
They're like sheep without ashepherd.
This is Psalm 23.
Jesus is saying I am yourshepherd, he's the Lord, and
(10:57):
with him there is always morethan enough.
There is always more thanenough.
There's enough for you.
The green grass is abundance.
You're safe.
The quiet waters are not goingto sweep you away.
It's going to be okay.
Jesus is revealing his trueidentity as the true shepherd of
(11:19):
Psalm 23.
The disciples have five piecesof bread and two fish and
somehow they have everythingthey need.
Somehow.
With Jesus, it's enough.
And however much you have, hecan work with that.
However much self-awareness youhave, it's okay, he can work
(11:39):
with you.
However much sexual sobrietyyou have, he can work with you.
However much sexual sobrietyyou have, he can work with that.
However much maritalsatisfaction you have, he can
work with it.
However much money you have tospend on recovery things, he can
work with it.
However much love you have forhim, even if it's this much, he
(12:02):
can work with it.
However much you believe in himor don't believe in him, he can
work with it.
However much you're committedto this Christian life, or maybe
sometimes you want to throw itall away, he can work with it.
However good or bad you feelabout yourself, he can work with
it.
You might have this much ofwhat you think you need, and
(12:24):
it's enough with Jesus.
So the disciples discover thatthe needs of all these people
are not too much for Jesus.
But that same night they don'tget to lie down in green
pastures, they don't get to restby quiet waters.
They go away in the boat in themiddle of the lake and they
find themselves in raging waterswith no land in sight.
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Now they are like sheep withouta shepherd.
Oh, it's nice to believe thathe can do things for other
people, but when I'm in themiddle of my storm, what then,
jesus?
Where the hell are you?
Because I'm in raging watersand there's no land in sight.
This is chaos.
I have no certainty.
(13:08):
I have no sense of safety.
His disciples are even moredesperate than the crowds.
And at that moment Jesus ishaving his own little retreat up
on the hillside.
He's like oh, finally, now Iget to go be with the Father,
you know.
Yet he continues to beinfinitely interruptible.
(13:31):
He sees them somehow from milesaway.
He sees that they are inserious trouble, rowing hard and
struggling against the wind andthe waves.
My friend Jesus sees youstraining and struggling against
(13:58):
the wind and the waves of yoursexuality, against the wind and
the waves of the chaos in yourlife.
He knows how big this is foryou and he is coming toward you,
just like he came toward thedisciples walking on water.
(14:18):
He's not distant, he's present.
Apparently he intended to walkpast the disciples, which is
interesting.
Why would he do that?
I actually don't know, but Iassume he must have had a level
(14:39):
of confidence that they weregoing to make it, even if they
couldn't sense his presence.
He was still there in themiddle of the storm and he is
with you now.
His words to the disciples arehis words to you Don't be afraid
, take courage, I am here.
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After Jesus climbed in the boatand the wind stopped, the
disciples were totally amazed,for they still didn't understand
the significance of the miracleof the loaves.
I scratched my head about thatfor a while.
What's the significance of themiracle of the loaves?
I scratched my head about thatfor a while.
What's the significance of themiracle of the loaves?
And why does that havesomething to do with the storm?
Well, jesus is the true shepherdof Psalm 23.
(15:23):
And whatever you're goingthrough, if it's a desert of
scarcity and you feel like youdon't have what you need, or
there's chaos and stormsunfolding around you, the Lord
is your shepherd.
I want to share a paraphrase ofPsalm 23 with you that was
written by Dallas Willard theLord is my shepherd.
I have life without lack In hisgreen pastures.
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I've eaten my fill, so I liedown At his still waters.
My thirst is satisfied.
He heals and reintegrates mybroken depths in his eternal
life, so I can walk in paths ofrighteousness on his behalf.
Even though I go through loss,hunger, disease, aging and death
(16:09):
, I will fear no evil becauseyou, jesus, are with me.
Your strong rod and protectivestaff put me at liberty.
Your abundant provision is afeast for me, so I'm happy to
share with my enemies.
This is my favorite part andthe part that I really want you
to hear.
You give me hot showers andwarm, fluffy towels, joyful
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experiences and deeprelationships to make me feel
clean, special and powerful.
Clean, special and powerful.
My cup runs over so I can begenerous without ever running
out.
Surely, this world is aperfectly safe place for me to
(16:53):
be, because I dwell and abidewith God in the fullness of his
life and kingdom forever.
That's life without lack.
That's the significance thereis enough and you are enough,
(17:14):
even in the most direcircumstances.
This story ends the way it began, with a crowd of desperate
people who ran throughout thewhole area carrying sick people
on mats to wherever they heardhe was, wherever he went in
villages, cities or thecountryside.
They brought the sick out tothe marketplaces.
(17:34):
They begged him to let the sicktouch at least the fringe of
his robe, and all who touchedhim were healed.
Here's what I want you to takeaway from that.
Begging does not bother Jesus.
If you want healing and freedom, now is not the time to be
polite or to present a polishedChristian front.
(17:58):
Now is the time to be desperate.
If you're in a storm, if youwant healing, he can handle you,
he can work with you.
You might say to yourself.
I'm too weak, I'm not strongenough.
I'm too sinful.
I'm not good enough.
I'm too feminine.
(18:19):
I'm not masculine enough.
I'm too emotional.
I'm not stable enough.
I'm too far behind.
I'm not successful enough.
I'm too fat.
I'm not fit enough.
I'm too thin.
I'm not successful enough.
I'm too fat.
I'm not fit enough.
I'm too thin.
I'm not muscular enough.
I'm too ugly.
I'm not attractive enough.
I'm too awkward.
I'm not cool enough.
I'm too old.
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I'm not young enough.
I'm too young.
I'm not old enough.
I'm too much and not enough.
Whatever qualities you feel youlack, however much you have is
enough when you're with Jesusand a crowd of people gathering
around him.
He's got the time for you, he'sgot the space for you.
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He's got the grace for you.
Whatever storm you're facingright now, whatever you're going
through, is not too much forhim.
He is the good shepherd and hewants you exactly as you are
right now the imperfect you, theauthentic you, the needy you.
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You are not too much becauseyou are God's beloved son.
Because you are God's belovedson and in you he is well
pleased, amen.
Thank you so much for listeningto this recording.
If you would like to join uslive at a Husband Material
Retreat.
We have two opportunities foryou in 2026.
(19:45):
In the spring, the HusbandMaterial Retreat in the Blue
Ridge Mountains will take placein late April.
And in the fall, the HusbandMaterial Retreat in the Blue
Ridge Mountains will take placein late April.
And in the fall, the HusbandMaterial Retreat in the Rocky
Mountains of Colorado will takeplace in late September.
You can learn more and registernow to get a discount at
husbandmaterialcom slash retreat.
(20:06):
Always remember you are God'sbeloved son.
In you he is well-pleased.
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