An Invitation: When Jesus Gets in Your Boat | Luke 5:1-11
An Invitation
Scripture Reference: Luke 5:1-11
What’s Your Boat?
Here’s the question I want you to sit with: What are you white-knuckling?
What are you holding onto so tightly — a career, a relationship, a plan, a version of yourself — that you haven’t been able to truly open your hands to God?
The boats and the nets weren’t bad things. Fishing was Simon’s livelihood, his identity, his security. God wasn’t asking him to abandon something evil. He was asking him to exchange something good for something greater.
God doesn’t ask us to leave our nets so He can take things away. He asks us to leave our nets so He can give us something better.
That’s the big idea. That’s the invitation.
Building Your Own Testimony
One of the reasons I shared my story in this message is that testimony is one of the most powerful tools we have. It’s not about having a dramatic story — it’s about being honest about what you’ve been through and where God met you in it.
If you want to share your own story, here’s a simple framework to build from:
1. The “Before” — What were you fishing for? What were you striving toward in your own strength? What did you think would finally make life feel complete?
2. The Empty Nets — When did that break down? What was the moment (or season) where what you’d worked for wasn’t working anymore? You don’t have to have lost a job or had a dramatic crisis. Sometimes it’s just a quiet, persistent emptiness.
3. The Invitation — When did Jesus get in the boat? When did you sense God nudging you toward something you couldn’t fully see yet? What did that moment actually feel like?
4. The “But if you say so” — What was your act of surrender? What did you have to actually do — practically, tangibly — to let down the nets? Fear is normal here. Simon wasn’t fearless. He was obedient anyway.
5. The Catch — What happened after you let go? You may not have the whole picture yet. That’s okay. But what has God shown you so far?
Your testimony doesn’t need to be finished. It just needs to be honest.
This Week’s Challenge
Three steps. Don’t skip any of them.
Identify one area where you’re not fully submitted to God. You probably already know what it is. Name it.
Pray out loud: “Lord, because YOU say so — I’m letting down the nets. This is yours.”
Find one brother or sister in Christ and tell them what you’re surrendering. Don’t do this alone.
The Question That Stays With Me
What might He be calling you to catch for His kingdom?
You don’t have to know the full answer. Peter didn’t. But he went anyway, and his yes changed the world.
The nets are washed. The boats are at the shore. And Jesus is asking for a little of your time and your trust.
What are you going to do with the invitation?
If this message stirred something in you, share it with someone who might need to hear it. And if you’re in a season of empty nets right now — keep going. The deep water is exactly where He works.