Bottom Line: Sometimes, a fisherman has to listen to the carpenter’s advice to push out into deep to catch the fish. And, sometimes, this carpenter’s advice is what we, as God’s assembly, need to hear as well. 

Takeaways

• When we first encounter Simon, he’s cleaning his nets even though he hadn’t caught any fish. We imagine he’s frustrated, as we sometimes are when we work hard but don’t get the results we want.
• But then, he encounters Jesus who borrows his boat and tells him to “push out into the deep.” 
• On the “literal level,” this story is about how Jesus gains his first disciples.
• But, on the “spiritual level,” it’s a story about moving past our own comfort zones and traditions to preach the gospel all over the world. 
• Our response should be like Simon’s: a confession of our sins and a willingness to drop everything to follow Jesus.