RAP Sheet Luke 5:1–11

REVIEW

This week, we began Luke 5 with one of the most familiar scenes in the Gospels: Jesus calling His first disciples. But we slowed down to see what we usually miss.

We saw Jesus teaching while a crowd pressed in to hear God’s Word. To create space, Jesus stepped into Simon’s boat—an interruption in an exhausted fisherman’s day. Simon had been fishing all night, caught nothing, and was in the middle of the long process of washing, mending, drying, and folding the nets—because his livelihood depended on them.

Then Jesus asked for something small first: “Put out a little from the land.” Before the “big ask” of following Him, Jesus often starts by asking us to make a little room.

After teaching, Jesus gave a request that made no sense: “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” From a fisherman’s perspective, it was a strategically terrible idea—and even embarrassing. Simon answered with honest reality, but surrendered anyway: “Master… we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing, but if you say so, I’ll let down the nets.”

That line became the turning point: truthfully naming the facts while still choosing trust.

The result was overwhelming: a catch so massive the nets began tearing, two boats filled, and both nearly sank. In that moment, Simon didn’t celebrate—he collapsed. The miracle didn’t inflate his ego; it exposed his smallness in light of Jesus’ holiness. Simon fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!”

But Jesus responded with grace and calling: “Don’t be afraid. From now on, you will be catching people.” We saw a Kingdom pattern: Jesus doesn’t just forgive—He assigns. He doesn’t simply rescue us from sin; He brings us into purpose.

Finally, we noticed something important: they didn’t “burn the boats.” They brought them to land and left everything to follow Jesus. The point wasn’t that Peter lost his boat—it’s that his life was being redeemed and repurposed. Some things Jesus asks us to drop (nets). Other things He asks us to redeem (boats).

APPLY

What is ONE WAY you will make “a little room” for Jesus this week—before the big step of obedience?

Examples: obeying a prompt you’ve been resisting, restarting a hard conversation, going back to counseling, confessing a hidden habit, setting one boundary, serving somewhere simple.

Then answer these two questions honestly:

1. What is a “net” you need to drop? Something that isn’t useful, isn’t redemptive, and doesn’t belong to your identity as a Christ follower anymore.

2. What is a “boat” you need God to redeem? Something God has placed in your hands that you’ve been using mostly for yourself, but He wants to repurpose for His Kingdom.

PRAY

Take time as a group to pray through these prompts:

• Jesus, where have I been resisting Your interruption? Help me trust Your intentions.

• Holy Spirit, show me my nets—what needs to be dropped fully and finally.

• Holy Spirit, show me my boats—what needs to be redeemed and used for Your purpose.

• Jesus, give me the courage to say, “If You say so… I will.”