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Fish Sandwiches: The Delight of Receiving God’s Promises
We all have this in We get hungry. Inevitably, we eventually notice something we lack, and we wonder how we’re going to get our needs met. And then sometimes we notice that someone else has already taken care of our needs. And then sometimes we notice that the One who is taking care of our needs is God.
This warm and down-to-earth book invites you to sit in on one of the most miraculous moments of human history, when one Man took a few fish and a couple of loaves of bread and fed an entire village. Meet the Jesus who dares you to ask Him to give you each day your daily bread, who makes promises and keeps them, and who does immeasurably more than you can ask or imagine on a regular basis.
This warm and down-to-earth book invites you to sit in on one of the most miraculous moments of human history, when one Man took a few fish and a couple of loaves of bread and fed an entire village. Meet the Jesus who dares you to ask Him to give you each day your daily bread, who makes promises and keeps them, and who does immeasurably more than you can ask or imagine on a regular basis.
- GenresNonfiction
224 pages, Paperback
Published April 2, 2019
740 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 25, 2019
Confession: I don’t like fish. 🤢 But I LOVED reading this book by Troy Schmidt. In fact, this book came at the perfect time in my life. “Worry is my spiritual junk food. It sort of tastes good, kind of feels good for a little while- but it’s not good for me at all.” (p. 70) It’s so easy to look around us at the mounting bills and responsibilities and become overwhelmed... to even feel hopeless.
Using the miracle of the feeding of the thousands, Schmidt invites the reader into a deeper look at this specific miracle. He also shares powerful personal testimonies of God’s faithfulness/provision in His life during times of “famine” and encourages us to “look up” and trust that God WILL provide even when things seem hopeless.
He also reminds the reader that “we can be the means of providing resources for others... the boy gave up his supper, but he witnessed thousands more getting something to eat too. The return on his giving was spiritual blessing, not monetary dividends.”
I highly recommend this book. It filled me up spiritually, re-centered my heart/focus, and reminded me that God is my Jehovah-Jireh (my Provider) who I can trust to provide for my needs and in return bless others with the overflow of what He has given me. Do yourself a favor and read this book as soon as you can! You won’t regret it!
*I received this book from the publisher in hopes of feedback. I was not required to write a review and all opinions expressed above are solely mine.
Using the miracle of the feeding of the thousands, Schmidt invites the reader into a deeper look at this specific miracle. He also shares powerful personal testimonies of God’s faithfulness/provision in His life during times of “famine” and encourages us to “look up” and trust that God WILL provide even when things seem hopeless.
He also reminds the reader that “we can be the means of providing resources for others... the boy gave up his supper, but he witnessed thousands more getting something to eat too. The return on his giving was spiritual blessing, not monetary dividends.”
I highly recommend this book. It filled me up spiritually, re-centered my heart/focus, and reminded me that God is my Jehovah-Jireh (my Provider) who I can trust to provide for my needs and in return bless others with the overflow of what He has given me. Do yourself a favor and read this book as soon as you can! You won’t regret it!
*I received this book from the publisher in hopes of feedback. I was not required to write a review and all opinions expressed above are solely mine.
March 13, 2019
"Fish Sandwiches" looks closely at what the Gospels say when describing how Jesus miraculously fed 5000 people with bread and fish. The author looked at different aspects brought out by the gospel authors, like the fact that Jesus had compassion, gave provision, did a miracle, involved his disciples, that the people ate until satisfied, how God multiplies what we offer to him, and how Jesus is the true bread of life. The author pointed out things like other instances where God or Jesus shows compassion to the hungry, sick, poor, orphans, widows, outsiders, and sinners. He applied the lessons learned from the feeding of the 5000 to our lives today. The author had a casual, conversational tone and was easy to understand and follow. He made good points, and I'd recommend this comforting and interesting study.
I received an e-book review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
I received an e-book review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
April 15, 2019
Fish Sandwiches: The Delight of Receiving God’s Promises by [Schmidt, Troy]I was given this book by the publisher. The following review is my honest opinion.
One of the first stories I learned in Sunday School was the Feeding of the Five Thousand. I loved how it showed how God cares about all of his people. This miracle can be found in all for Gospels.
I don't know how many times I have turned to this miracle when I was feeling unsure if God was loving me at that moment. It has always had a place in my heart.
This book, Fish Sandwiches: The Delight of Receiving god's Promises by Troy Schmidt, examines this miracle about feeding his followers from a boy's five loaves and two fish from different angles. It draws the reader's attention to how this miracle shows God's heart and how he will provide, not just physical needs but spiritual needs also. I was able to read this book quickly while taking in the different aspects. I also liked how at the end he includes a version of the Feeding of the Five Thousand, The Feeding of the Four Thousand and a list of God's promises for us.
I highly recommend this book.
One of the first stories I learned in Sunday School was the Feeding of the Five Thousand. I loved how it showed how God cares about all of his people. This miracle can be found in all for Gospels.
I don't know how many times I have turned to this miracle when I was feeling unsure if God was loving me at that moment. It has always had a place in my heart.
This book, Fish Sandwiches: The Delight of Receiving god's Promises by Troy Schmidt, examines this miracle about feeding his followers from a boy's five loaves and two fish from different angles. It draws the reader's attention to how this miracle shows God's heart and how he will provide, not just physical needs but spiritual needs also. I was able to read this book quickly while taking in the different aspects. I also liked how at the end he includes a version of the Feeding of the Five Thousand, The Feeding of the Four Thousand and a list of God's promises for us.
I highly recommend this book.
May 25, 2019
I never knew you could get so much information from the stories of Jesus multiplying the fish and bread at the two feedings of thousands events recorded in the New Testament. The author breaks intellectual bread with readers in a light hearted, easy to read format.
You will chuckle a bit here and there as he brings out the makings of Fish Sandwiches when Jesus fed the folks on each side of the watery expanse. Different people and different times but the same idea of provision for those who need. As we are in need today for nourishment - physically, emotionally, spiritually, Jesus provides that nourishment for us as he did for them.
A terrific little book jammed full of treasures.
I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine and are freely given.
You will chuckle a bit here and there as he brings out the makings of Fish Sandwiches when Jesus fed the folks on each side of the watery expanse. Different people and different times but the same idea of provision for those who need. As we are in need today for nourishment - physically, emotionally, spiritually, Jesus provides that nourishment for us as he did for them.
A terrific little book jammed full of treasures.
I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine and are freely given.
March 19, 2019
Using the stories of Jesus feeding the 5,000 and 4,000, Troy Schmidt shows us how God makes and keeps His promises and does even more than we can imagine. "Fish Sandwiches" takes us back to two miracles that showed how Jesus provided an abundance out of a few fish and some loaves of bread to feed His flock.
When we lack something we need, Jesus doesn't just take notice; He wants to do something about it. Sometimes He provides it without us being aware of it while other times He waits to be asked. He not only provides for us, but He also gives in abundance.
Not once does Jesus look at our need and His provision and tell us He doesn't have enough. Not once does He overlook us or fail to provide for us. His provision may look different from what we want, but Jesus will never fail us.
Schmidt teaches us about nine promises of God that are presented from the miracles of feeding the multitude. If you are hungry for God and searching for answers, "Fish Sandwiches" will fill you with God's Word. Schmidt pulls you into Scripture. He doesn't just write about it. He shows you God's promises in the Bible. If you are looking for a guide that will walk you through the truth of Scripture to show you eternal truth about how much God loves you, "Fish Sandwiches" will do that and more.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale, as part of their Book Review Blogger Program. I was not required to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
When we lack something we need, Jesus doesn't just take notice; He wants to do something about it. Sometimes He provides it without us being aware of it while other times He waits to be asked. He not only provides for us, but He also gives in abundance.
Not once does Jesus look at our need and His provision and tell us He doesn't have enough. Not once does He overlook us or fail to provide for us. His provision may look different from what we want, but Jesus will never fail us.
Schmidt teaches us about nine promises of God that are presented from the miracles of feeding the multitude. If you are hungry for God and searching for answers, "Fish Sandwiches" will fill you with God's Word. Schmidt pulls you into Scripture. He doesn't just write about it. He shows you God's promises in the Bible. If you are looking for a guide that will walk you through the truth of Scripture to show you eternal truth about how much God loves you, "Fish Sandwiches" will do that and more.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale, as part of their Book Review Blogger Program. I was not required to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
April 1, 2019
If any one of us were asked on the spur of the moment to tell about a miracle we recall in the New Testament, many of us would think of the Feeding of the Five Thousand as one of our top choices. Perhaps that is because it is recorded in all four of the Gospels. The only other miracle mentioned in all four is the resurrection of Jesus.
One of the risks of knowing a passage well is how often we reread it without a lot of thought. Miracles can almost become mundane. We don’t let our imagination put us in the story and allow it to come alive.
If that is true of you, you won’t want to miss reading a new release from Tyndale House by Troy Schmidt. Fish Sandwiches: The Delight of Receiving God’s Promises will give you a fresh view of this powerful miracle and well-known story about the boy whose sack lunch of five loaves and two fish fed perhaps as many as 15,000 people one day.
One of the risks of knowing a passage well is how often we reread it without a lot of thought. Miracles can almost become mundane. We don’t let our imagination put us in the story and allow it to come alive.
If that is true of you, you won’t want to miss reading a new release from Tyndale House by Troy Schmidt. Fish Sandwiches: The Delight of Receiving God’s Promises will give you a fresh view of this powerful miracle and well-known story about the boy whose sack lunch of five loaves and two fish fed perhaps as many as 15,000 people one day.
April 7, 2024
"Fish Sandwiches" explores the second greatest miracle(s) in the New Testament, the feeding of the five thousand, and its sequel, the feeding of the four thousand. (The Resurrection of Jesus is the #1 New Testament miracle.)
Troy Schmidt takes an energetic view of the miracle and breaks it down into nine components which he aligns with promises of God: attention, compassion, provision, spiritual health, miraculous power, community, fulfillment, blessing, and eternity. While being grounded in Scripture, Schmidt uses 21st century examples to bring life to these promises.
I was impacted by the chapter "Attention - The Promise That God Knows Your Need." The implication being that the God who knows our name pays attention to us.
I found "Fish Sandwiches" to be a delightful read!
Troy Schmidt takes an energetic view of the miracle and breaks it down into nine components which he aligns with promises of God: attention, compassion, provision, spiritual health, miraculous power, community, fulfillment, blessing, and eternity. While being grounded in Scripture, Schmidt uses 21st century examples to bring life to these promises.
I was impacted by the chapter "Attention - The Promise That God Knows Your Need." The implication being that the God who knows our name pays attention to us.
I found "Fish Sandwiches" to be a delightful read!
April 5, 2019
The Loaves and the fishes is a story I have heard hundreds of times. All through Sunday school to references during many sermons. Troy Schmidt shares the story in Fish Sandwiches with new light. He uses this simple but powerful story to show how God provides and cares for us 100% percent! Troy uses his personal experiences in life to demonstrate this and helps you take Loaves and Fishes to a whole new level. I love a good bible story! But love even more a book that can take a good bible story to a whole new level. Great read! I would highly recommend it for a Sunday School class or Book Club.
December 4, 2020
I received a copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
I learned a few interesting historical facts from this examination of the feeding of the 4000 and 5000. The spiritual lessons, however, seemed a bit trite. This is one of those Christian books that reads a bit too much like a patronizing Christian book. It was nice enough, but it failed to capture my attention and move me in any meaningful way.
I learned a few interesting historical facts from this examination of the feeding of the 4000 and 5000. The spiritual lessons, however, seemed a bit trite. This is one of those Christian books that reads a bit too much like a patronizing Christian book. It was nice enough, but it failed to capture my attention and move me in any meaningful way.
March 23, 2021
I hate fish. I rarely eat sandwiches. But the message of this book holds true.
Fish Sandwiches by Troy Schmidt goes through how the feeding of the 5000 (and the 4000 that other time) demonstrates so many of God’s promises. It’s easy to read, and full of truths so easy to forget, so needed by our hearts and souls.
Fish Sandwiches by Troy Schmidt goes through how the feeding of the 5000 (and the 4000 that other time) demonstrates so many of God’s promises. It’s easy to read, and full of truths so easy to forget, so needed by our hearts and souls.
January 23, 2020
An in-depth look at the feeding of the 5,000. It’s not to textbooky, it’s an easy read. I didn’t know there was so much to learn and connect with.
April 10, 2019
[Note: This book was provided free of charge by Tyndale Blog Network. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]
Despite the fact that there is much to appreciate about this book, reading it gave me a strong sense of unease and inauthenticity. The author speaks a great deal about God's provision of healthy and necessary food in the feeding of the five thousand (and the subsequent feeding of the four thousand) through fish and bread, but shows a picture on the cover (and throughout the book) of an unhealthy fish sandwich that was not what Christ provided to the hungry crowds who came to hear Him speak. Furthermore, the inauthenticity of the book is heightened by the fact that the author is himself a vegetarian and thus uninterested in eating what Jesus provided the crowd and also in the awkward position of serving for others that which he does not wish to consume. Perhaps the author is not aware of the tensions and contradictions that result even from the basic title and symbolism of the book--it is interesting that he jumps from fish and bread to fish sandwiches (a rather anachronistic jump, it should be noted) as well, showing a distinct lack of knowledge in the titular subject matter of his book.
This particular book is about 200 pages long and is divided into twelve chapters. The author begins with a chapter on hunger (1) before moving to the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, which the author considers the second-biggest miracle in the Bible (2). The author then speaks of God's knowledge of our needs (3) and the compassion of his heart (4). After that there is a discussion of the promises of provision (5) and spiritual health (6). Warming up to his theme of talking about God's promises, he continues with a discussion of the promise of God's power (7) and of community (8), all of which are filled with commentaries on Bible verses. There is then a discussion of the promise of fulfillment (9) as well as of blessing (10), in which he discusses the history of the Tupperware company with the reference of leftovers. Finally, the author closes with chapters on the promise of eternity with the bread of life (11) and then a chapter on communion which urges the reader to take and eat (12), after which the book includes as appendices the miracles of the feeding of the five thousand and four thousand along with some promises from the scripture and various notes.
There is certainly a great deal to enjoy about this book. For one, the author does a good job at discussing the Bible along with relevant external content, including some thoughtful pop culture analysis of the importance of third spaces where everyone knows your name as well as Rolling Stones tracks. Like many writers, though, he fails to provide a sense of balance. There are a great many books like this one that focus on God's promises to believers, and certainly people need to be reminded of them. However, people also need to be reminded about the promises they have made to God through conversion and baptism and the obligations of loving obedience that they owe to Him, and that is not something that this book really touches on at all. All too often writers make it seem as if God is a divine genie in a bottle providing for one's needs and plugging one into communion with Himself and others through the sacrifice of His son Jesus Christ and do not think about what they are being asked to do as a result of having received so great and so undeserved a blessing.
Despite the fact that there is much to appreciate about this book, reading it gave me a strong sense of unease and inauthenticity. The author speaks a great deal about God's provision of healthy and necessary food in the feeding of the five thousand (and the subsequent feeding of the four thousand) through fish and bread, but shows a picture on the cover (and throughout the book) of an unhealthy fish sandwich that was not what Christ provided to the hungry crowds who came to hear Him speak. Furthermore, the inauthenticity of the book is heightened by the fact that the author is himself a vegetarian and thus uninterested in eating what Jesus provided the crowd and also in the awkward position of serving for others that which he does not wish to consume. Perhaps the author is not aware of the tensions and contradictions that result even from the basic title and symbolism of the book--it is interesting that he jumps from fish and bread to fish sandwiches (a rather anachronistic jump, it should be noted) as well, showing a distinct lack of knowledge in the titular subject matter of his book.
This particular book is about 200 pages long and is divided into twelve chapters. The author begins with a chapter on hunger (1) before moving to the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, which the author considers the second-biggest miracle in the Bible (2). The author then speaks of God's knowledge of our needs (3) and the compassion of his heart (4). After that there is a discussion of the promises of provision (5) and spiritual health (6). Warming up to his theme of talking about God's promises, he continues with a discussion of the promise of God's power (7) and of community (8), all of which are filled with commentaries on Bible verses. There is then a discussion of the promise of fulfillment (9) as well as of blessing (10), in which he discusses the history of the Tupperware company with the reference of leftovers. Finally, the author closes with chapters on the promise of eternity with the bread of life (11) and then a chapter on communion which urges the reader to take and eat (12), after which the book includes as appendices the miracles of the feeding of the five thousand and four thousand along with some promises from the scripture and various notes.
There is certainly a great deal to enjoy about this book. For one, the author does a good job at discussing the Bible along with relevant external content, including some thoughtful pop culture analysis of the importance of third spaces where everyone knows your name as well as Rolling Stones tracks. Like many writers, though, he fails to provide a sense of balance. There are a great many books like this one that focus on God's promises to believers, and certainly people need to be reminded of them. However, people also need to be reminded about the promises they have made to God through conversion and baptism and the obligations of loving obedience that they owe to Him, and that is not something that this book really touches on at all. All too often writers make it seem as if God is a divine genie in a bottle providing for one's needs and plugging one into communion with Himself and others through the sacrifice of His son Jesus Christ and do not think about what they are being asked to do as a result of having received so great and so undeserved a blessing.
June 29, 2019
Very good book. The author uses the feeding of the five thousand and the four thousand in the Bible to show how the Lord provided for us. It shows how God provides for us behind the scenes.
November 26, 2025
author examines the miracles of feeding 5000 (15000) and 4000 (12000) and applying those principles to the reader's life.
April 15, 2019
I thought I knew quite a bit about the fish-serving miracles by Jesus, but it turns out, I was wrong. "Fish Sandwiches" is a great book filled with details about Jesus can and will supply us not only what we need to fill our stomachs, but also, what we truly need to live full, satisfying lives.
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