This prayer seeks God's guidance and empowerment to faithfully live out and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. It asks God to give believers ears to hear God's word, lives to respond to it, and voices to share the message of salvation found in Christ, who reigns with God and the Holy Spirit for ever.

1. A Prayer For The People of God
Loving God, you have called forth
disciples and prophets to live and speak your word.
Give us ears to hear, lives to respond,
and voices to proclaim the good news of salvation,
which we know in our Savior Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and forever.
Amen.

3. luke 5:1-11
if YOU say so…

4. MiraculousDraught
ofFishes
JohnReilly

5. GreatCatchofFish
JohnAugust

6. luke 5:1-11
if YOU say so…

7. One day as Jesus was standing by the
Lake of Gennesaret, the people were
crowding around him and listening to
the word of God. He saw at the water’s
edge two boats, left there by the fishermen,
who were washing their nets. He got into
one of the boats, the one belonging to
Simon, and asked him to put out a little
from shore. Then he sat down and
taught the people from the boat.
LUKE
5:1-3
(NIV)

8. When he had finished speaking, he said
to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and
let down the nets for a catch.” Simon
answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard
all night and haven’t caught anything.
But because you say so, I will let down
the nets.” When they had done so,
they caught such a large number of fish
that their nets began to break. So they
signaled their partners in the other boat
to come and help them, and they came and
filled both boats so full they began to sink.
LUKE
5:4-7
(NIV)

9. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’
knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord;
I am a sinful man!” For he and all his
companions were astonished at the catch
of fish they had taken, and so were James
and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s
partners. Then Jesus said to Simon,
“Don’t be afraid; from now on you will
fish for people.” So they pulled their
boats up on shore, left everything
and followed him.
LUKE
5:8-11
(NIV)

10. luke 5:1-11
if YOU say so…

11. thoughts on LUKE 5:1-11
1. Jesus is smarter than you; recognizing that
reality is just good common sense

12. thoughts on LUKE 5:1-11
1. Jesus is smarter than you; recognizing that
reality is just good common sense
2. Following Jesus sometimes means taking his advice
and doing what he says, even if it doesn’t make sense

13. thoughts on LUKE 5:1-11
1. Jesus is smarter than you; recognizing that
reality is just good common sense
2. Following Jesus sometimes means taking his advice
and doing what he says, even if it doesn’t make sense
3. Following Jesus requires surrender; you may not
be asked to give up your job, but…you might

14. “When Jesus calls, he certainly does
demand everything, but only because
he has already given everything
himself, and has plans in store,
for us and for the world, that we
would never have dreamed of.”
(Luke For Everyone)
N.T.
WRIGHT

15. thoughts on LUKE 5:1-11
4. “Fishing for people” isn’t about “catching” them
so they don’t “go to hell,” it’s about learning how
to love them in a way that reflects the love of God
and points them to the God revealed in Jesus

16. thoughts on LUKE 5:1-11
4. “Fishing for people” isn’t about “catching” them
so they don’t “go to hell,” it’s about learning how
to love them in a way that reflects the love of God
and points them to the God revealed in Jesus
5. Salvation isn’t just about what happens after we die,
but about the reality of daily life as well; following
Jesus is meant to transform both, which ought to
impact the way we approach “fishing for people”

17. “Our sinfulness as Christians may be
seen in the substandard quality of our
ministry in the world today…

18. “Our sinfulness as Christians may be
seen in the substandard quality of our
ministry in the world today, where
poverty, gender inequality, a lack of
housing, a lack of medical care, and
many social ills prevail. We are not
called to employment and service in
the world for material profit, but
primarily in order to please God and
be engaged in the ministry of word
and deed that ‘catches people alive’
and makes life livable/humane/godly.”

19. “Salvation (in Luke’s Gospel)
is integral…it includes both the
soul and the body, both matter
and the spirit, both the individual
and the community.”
(The Story Luke Tells)
JUSTO L.
GONZALEZ

20. “Biblical salvation is an integral salvation.
It is a matter that has to do not only with
liberation from the power of death,
but also with liberation from every
oppressive power…The truth is that
purely material help is incomplete,
and that a purely spiritual gospel is
also incomplete…we cannot simply
tolerate any evil as long as it does not
impede our preaching – and much less
are we to support those evils that might
make our preaching easier.”
JUSTO L.
GONZALEZ

21. “Between the Christianity of this land,
and the Christianity of Christ,
I recognize the widest possible
difference – so wide that to
receive the one as good, pure,
and holy, is of necessity to
reject the other as bad, corrupt,
and wicked…I therefore hate the
corrupt, slave-holding, woman-
whipping, cradle-plundering,
partial and hypocritical Christianity
of this land.” (1818-1895)
FREDERICK
DOUGLASS

22. luke 5:1-11
if YOU say so…

23. Benediction
O God,
you spoke your word
and revealed your good news in Jesus, the Christ.
Fill all creation with that word again,
so that by proclaiming your joyful promises to all nations
and singing of your glorious hope to all peoples,
we may become one living body,
your incarnate presence on the earth.
Amen.