Don’t forget we have VBS next week, Tuesday – Friday, 6-8pm. This is a truly an intergenerational event as adults will be traveling around Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth in tribes with the kids! We hope you can come and learn what it was like to live in Jesus’ town.
We will be decorating for VBS Sunday afternoon after church at 2pm. If you have time to help us decorate, we can use all the hands we can get!
If you have any of the following items that you would be willing to let us use that could help us set up a realistic marketplace, we would appreciate them very much!
- Throw rugs
- Drop cloths
- Old table cloths
- Old sheets
- Large plants – real or artificial (to set around the marketplace)
- Items that might be used as props for a Carpenter’s shop (old tools that aren’t too sharp, scraps of wood, etc)
- a sandal/leather shop
- a jewelry/bead shop
- a food market
Scripture:
ESV Luke 5:1-11
1 On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." 5 And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
Questions to Reflect Upon
1. When have you participated in a project at which everyone worked very hard, only to experience failure?
2. Why were the people crowding around Jesus? (5:1)
3. What did Jesus use to create a little space between Himself and the crowd? (5:2-3)
4. How did Simon react when he realized Jesus had just done a miracle for them? (5:8-9)
5. Who were Simon’s partners? (5:10)
6. How did Jesus speak to the men’s fears? (5:10)
7. How did Simon and the others respond to Jesus’ invitation? (5:11)
8. What does God expect us to do when obeying Him does not yield any immediate benefit?
9. In what way is Simon’s reaction to Jesus’ miracle an example for us to follow?
