What We Have With Him Is Better Without Him

In one paragraph

The preacher preached from Luke 5:1-11, the story of Jesus calling Peter on the Sea of Galilee. The whole message turned on one word: trust. The preacher wanted the congregation to ask not just how others responded to Jesus, but how we respond when God reaches out to us through his Son. the preacher opened by noting that as he had been preaching through Luke on Monday nights, one thing kept...

Read together

1. Luke 5:1-11 the main text read aloud and expounded on throughout the sermon
2. Luke 18 the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, quoted to illustrate trusting in God's righteousness rather than one's own
3. Revelation 3:20 quoted to show that Jesus knocks and invites rather than forcing his way into our lives
4. Colossians 2:6-7 read as the benediction at the close of the service

Talk about it

1. The preacher described trust as something Jesus built with Peter over time, through relationship, rather than something He demanded. Where have you seen that pattern in your own relationship with God?
2. Peter let Jesus use his boat even before the miracle happened. The preacher called that a small act of trust that still mattered. What is a small act of trust God might be asking of you right now that you have been hesitant to take?
3. When the nets came up full, Peter's response was not celebration but 'Lord, leave me, I am a sinful man.' The preacher said Peter was trusting in Jesus' righteousness rather than his own. How does that contrast with the Pharisee in Luke 18, and which response do you find yourself closer to?
4. The preacher said it is hard to introduce others to someone you do not truly know and truly trust yourself. How has your own trust in Jesus shaped the way you talk about Him with people outside the church?
5. Carl used the image of his kids jumping into the pool without knowing how to swim, trusting he would catch them. If that is a picture of faith, what would it look like for you to trust God with that kind of abandon in a specific area of your life right now?