Have you ever felt God ask you to do something that seemed a little bit… crazy? I have. Most recently, He nudged me to close my interior design business—a business that was growing and thriving. Everything in me wanted to say, “Lord, this makes no sense.” But deep down, I knew God was clearing space in my life for something new.
That’s the heart of my journey lately, and it’s also the heart of what I believe God is calling us to as a church. Being rooted in His purpose often means stepping out of what feels comfortable, even when it looks successful, to trust Him for something greater.
Let’s turn to Scripture together and see what this looks like.
Scripture Reading – Luke 5:1–11
When [Jesus] had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the 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.”
…They caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.
…Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”
Observation
Peter, James, and John were professional fishermen. This was their livelihood. They had already worked all night with nothing to show for it. So when Jesus told them to cast out again, it must have sounded absurd.
And yet—Peter obeyed.
That single act of obedience led to:
- An overflowing catch (so abundant the boats nearly sank).
- A moment of holy recognition (“Go away from me, Lord, I am a sinful man”).
- A new calling (“From now on you will catch people”).
Jesus met them in their ordinary work and invited them into an extraordinary purpose.
Reflection
When I read this story, I think about all the times God has asked me to cast my nets in places that didn’t make sense. Closing my business. Saying “yes” to a preaching role when I never imagined myself as a pastor. Moving from Virginia to South Florida. Each step felt uncertain, but looking back, I see the abundance of God’s faithfulness.
The truth is—God often asks us to take the “next small step” without revealing the whole plan. We want a map, but He gives us a lantern for our feet (Psalm 119:105). That requires trust.
Application Questions
- Where in your life do you sense God asking you to “cast your nets again,” even when it doesn’t seem logical?
- Have you experienced a time when God blessed your small step of obedience more abundantly than you imagined?
- What would it look like to trust Him not with the whole map, but just with the next step?
The Bigger Picture – Matthew 28:18–20
Later in His ministry, Jesus gave His disciples what we now call the Great Commission:
“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
This wasn’t just a call for the early church. It’s for us, too.
The early disciples didn’t stay in one building or cling to one program. They went out. They met in homes. They shared resources. They represented Jesus to their neighbors. They carried the good news beyond their own comfort zones.
Rooted in Purpose
At The Gathering Place, we often say our mission is to extend God’s redeeming love. That’s not just a slogan—it’s a call to live out the Great Commission in Palm Beach Gardens and beyond.
But here’s the challenge: are we truly living it to the full extent? Or have we settled into routines that feel safe and familiar?
Howard Thurman, a mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., once said, “Community cannot feed for long on itself; it can only flourish where always the boundaries are giving way to the coming of others from beyond them—unknown and undiscovered brothers.”
That stirs something in me. We’ve done a lot for the community, but how often do we do things with the community?
A Picture of Trust
I love the image of a little girl holding a single flower while Jesus hides a bouquet behind His back. She doesn’t know what He’s about to give her. She only knows she has to trust Him enough to let go of what she already holds.
That’s where I believe we are as a church right now. We’re holding a single flower—a good thing, a beautiful thing. But God is inviting us to trust Him for the bouquet He has prepared.
For us, that means considering new opportunities, like a potential merger with Oceanview. It’s not about programs or numbers—it’s about whether we are willing to trust God for something bigger than what we’ve known.
Personal Testimony
I don’t know what the next year will look like for me personally, let alone for our church. But I do know this:
- The God who carried me through grief when I lost my father is still faithful.
- The God who provided when finances were tight is still faithful.
- The God who brought me here to this pulpit—something I never imagined—is still faithful.
He has never failed me, and He won’t fail us now.
Closing Challenge
Friends, we have a choice. We can cling to the familiar or we can step into the deep waters where Jesus is calling us. We can keep the single flower, or we can trust Him for the bouquet.
So let me ask you:
- What nets is God asking you to lay down?
- What “crazy” step of faith is He calling you to take?
- How might He be calling us, as a church, to be rooted in a bigger, bolder purpose that transforms our community?
I don’t know all the details—but I know we serve a God of details. And I believe He’s asking us to take the next step with Him.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for meeting us where we are and calling us into something new. Increase our faith to trust You with the next step, even when we can’t see the whole plan. Root us deeply in Your purpose so that we may extend Your redeeming love, not only for ourselves but for our community and our world. Amen.
👉 Take time this week to reread Luke 5 and Matthew 28. Journal your responses to the reflection questions above, and ask God to show you what “casting your nets again” looks like in your life right now.
Marcie,
I am a member at Oceanview UMC and on our JDC team.
This message is beautifully said and spoke to me. Thank you
Ready to cast our nets.
Judi Barnes
Thank you so much, Judi! We are truly blessed by your heart and by the wonderful people at Oceanview UMC. We’re excited to see how God moves through both of our church families as we cast our nets side by side.