The passage: Luke 5: 1 – 11
The scene: Lake of Gennesaret (another name for the Sea of Galilee)
The peeps: Jesus = carpenter, teacher, healer, future savior.
Simon and some future disciples = Professional fishermen.
The Shane version:
One day Jesus was talking about the bible to a bunch of people. Jesus saw some fishermen packing up after a long day at work. He went over and got in one of the boats and asked to be taken for a ride. The fishermen, who had had a bad day, were tired and ready to call it quits but were nice guys so they agreed.
Once out on the lake, Jesus tells them to put out their nets. Grumbling ensues. I can hear them whispering, “Who is this bible teacher? Is he really gonna tell us how to fish? OMG didn’t we just clean and pack all this stuff up?!?” They thought about tossing Jesus out, but after thinking it thru, they ended up tossing out the fishing nets.
When they did, the fish filled the net so fast that it nearly broke!! They realized they were gonna sink because the net was too full, so they called out to a second boat. Even with both boats, they had trouble getting all the fish to shore.
After they got back on land, and looking the biggest catch in their careers, they fell at Jesus’ feet and were sorry about their attitude. They knew that this man was different. They would trust him now.
Jesus, seeing the change in the men said, “From now on you will fish for people.” They left everything and followed Him.
The questions: What has Jesus asked you to do?
Are you willing to do it His way?
What do you need to leave to follow Jesus?
The call to action:
Are you ready, right now, to drop your agenda and your way of thinking to follow Jesus?
The last thought:
In the last verse it says they left EVERYTHING and followed Him. Think about that. They left the biggest catch of their lifetime, and just walked away. Could you do that? Will you do that?
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Shane Hill is currently pursuing his Bachelors of Education at Eastern New Mexico University. His hobbies include building bicycles, shooting guns, playing bass guitar, and annoying his wife. Shane and his wife live in Texico, New Mexico.
Facebook: Shane Hill