Jesus lays out two different paths: the self-serving path and the self-giving path. Those who choose to serve self experience increasing disappointment, relational failure, and an unhealthy emotional life and slavery; while those who choose to give of self experience increasing contentment, relational success, a healthy emotional life, and freedom. True happiness is not something attainable as an end in itself, but a by-product of following Jesus by receiving God's love and giving it out to others.

Jesus taught several lessons when he calmed the storm: 1) following Jesus does not mean immunity from "storms"; 2) "storms" expose our little faith in Jesus; 3) Jesus responds to our little faith in him; and 4) Jesus challenges us to grow stronger in our faith in him. The best ways to grow our faith are to consider God's promises, ponder previous instances of God's faithfulness, and to act in faith during the storms.

In Jesus' sending of the 72, he teaches important lessons on the mission, message, and motivation of following him. The mission is to go out to the people who don't know him. The message is to tell people that Jesus is the Messiah and to receive him. The motivation is based on the identity that he has given us, and not the identity we try to earn from service.

At the transfiguration Jesus is physically changed, Moses and Elijah appear, and God's glory fills the mountain. This happened to show that he is the Messiah though he must be killed, that he is fulfilling God's redemptive plan, and that Jesus is God's son with a mission from Him. Several lessons may be learned from this event: 1) Jesus is God's unique savior; 2) listen to all that Jesus says, not just the parts we like; and 3) don't try to preserve special spiritual experiences instead of serving.