A Minute In It - What Do You Fish For?

A minute in God’s Word will change your life. Take a moment to read the text below and then answer the questions at the bottom of the post.

One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. 2 He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”

5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” 6 And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! 7 A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.

8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” 9 For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. 10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed.

Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” 11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus. Luke 5:1-11 (NLT)

Why was Simon reluctant to let down his nets when Jesus asked?
Why did he give in and do it anyway?
When they pulled in the catch, what was Simon Peter’s reaction?
Peter had seen Jesus perform miracles before, why did this one bring him to his knees?
After such a huge catch, Peter and the fisherman were going to be set for a long time, do you think it was harder for them to follow Jesus and walk away from that success?
Would it be harder for you to walk away from your success to follow Jesus?

True Living

And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!” John 11:44 (NLT)

Jesus had just called to Lazarus. “Come out!” And the man who had been dead for four days responded to the voice that can penetrate even the darkness of death. Lazarus was awakened from his deep sleep, from his final darkness, to live again.

I wonder what it must have been like to die and to be called back to life. I wonder what Lazarus experienced as his eyes opened and he got up. What he must have thought to see himself wrapped in grave clothes? How do you get your mind around that? How did life change for him after he came back to life?

I can ask us the same question. Each and every one of us was/is dead. Dead to God. Dead in our hearts until Jesus called us. The difference is instead of being physically dead, we were/are spiritually dead and we are content to live like that. Grave clothes made not of material but of our choices. A coldness in our bones not from physical death but from the sins of this world seeping in and slowly eating away at our souls.

And Jesus called us. He said “Come out!” He breathed life back into the hearts that were stone. He touched us and filled us with warmth and love and joy. Jesus is still raising people from death back to life. He is still in the business of restoration. Jesus still, each and every day, is calling your name, my name, and saying “Come out!” Come out of where you are, come away from where you have been and start a new life. Start a new life with me.

He is calling us to experience what it is like to be fully alive. How will your life change after you respond to Jesus call to truly live?