Bransen Simper

 This week I learned some very valuable lessons. One of them being humility. This one stood out to me because of its simplicity. Sometimes it is the easiest principles that we forget the most.  In Luke 14:11 it is taught that “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” I think that this is so important because it seems to be very cut and dry here. If you humble yourselves, you will be exalted. Another lesson that I learned about was the parable of the good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37. Basically, in this story this man had been abused, beaten, and left behind. A priest and Levite passed him by without helping, but a good Samaritan camp by to help. The lesson here is that you should not see yourself above others. You should stop to help others that are in need. True love and mercy means helping all. 

 This week we read about the story of Peter walking on water. This instance can be found in the following verses:  Matthew 14:22–33, Mark 6:45–56, John 6:16–21 . I really enjoyed reading this story because it reminds me of the importance of faith. In this story it teaches that faith in Jesus Christ allows us to face life's challenges with courage. I find a lot of comfort in this because it helps us to overcome these challenges especially when they are overwhelming and difficult. In this story Peter was given the power to walk on water, but he eventually started to sink because of his unbelief, fear, and doubt. When he started to sink Jesus reached out and saved him. To me this means that trusting Jesus helps us to understand and recognize His power and grow confidence in difficult and scary circumstances.