Discipleship Essentials*
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
My Prayer Today
Dear Jesus, Just as you commanded Simon Peter to 'launch out into the deep,' I ask that you would help me to launch out into deeper things spiritually. I confess that I have not grown as I should and that I have been in shallow water. I ask that You would fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I want to overflow with Your power and presence in my life. Help me to be consistently in Scripture every day. I ask that You would give me the grace to seek You today. I ask this in Your name. . . Amen.
God’s Word Today
Luke 5:1-11
1 "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, and you will catch many fish.' 5 'Master,' Simon replied, 'we worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. But if you say so, we'll try again.' 6 And this time their nets were so full 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 too much of a sinner to be around you.' 9 For he was awestruck by the size of their catch, 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."
Background on the Text – Who Wrote It? Why Was It Written? Who Was the Audience?
Because Luke was a Gentile convert to Christianity, it is evident that he shared the apostle Paul's heart in presenting the Gospel message of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. The spread of Christianity from the Jewish center of Jerusalem to the ends of the earth took strategic planning and deep commitment. One of Luke's most significant contributions in reaching the audience of the Gentiles was two write a two volume work on Christianity and its early expansion. The "two volumes" are Luke and Acts, which help to tell the story of Jesus Christ and how His message and power was spread throughout the known world. To a person who had little knowledge of Jewish history, culture, and background, a written document was needed which portrayed the story of Jesus from the beginning. Luke was thinking of his gentile audience as he wrote, and his message in Luke-Acts is still being preached throughout the world today!
Observation – What Does the Text Say?
Interpretation – What Does the Text Mean?
Application – How Can I Respond to the Text’s Insights and Teachings?
Each Week’s Check List
After reading and studying this text, reflect on the following discipleship growth points:
Growth Point |
How |
Encouraged and strengthened me by |
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Fallen short areas |
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What will I do with these insights? |
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What did God say to me today? |
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Share insights and growth points |
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Changed/transformed how? |
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Thoughts...
The Word of God can awaken our hearts even in the midst of the worst of circumstances. There is something powerful about reading a promise found within Scripture, and claiming it as a verse of God's hope over our situation. God's Words indeed have the ability to change both our circumstances, and more importantly, us. In Luke 5:1 it says that Jesus was preaching the Word of God as He spoke to the crowds from Simon's boat. Simon, who was deeply discouraged at the time, heard Jesus' words and something within him began to explode. The very words of Jesus were beginning to take root within him. After Jesus had finished speaking to the crowds, Jesus said to Simon in Luke 5:4, "Now go out where it is deeper and let down your nets, and you will catch many fish."
In our lives today, the words of Jesus for us are "launch out into the deep!" Perhaps the reason why we may be discouraged is because we are in shallow water, hanging around shallow people, and thinking shallow thoughts! Jesus commands us today to launch out into the deeper things of God. We cannot depend upon yesterday's success for today, but we must seek Jesus and grow in our walk with Him. This journey of discipleship takes time, but it must be continual. Our walk with God must grow deeper and deeper every day. We cannot grow in our walk with God if we are not consistently reading God's Word. Let the words of Jesus arise within you today as you seek Him through the study of the Bible!