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Fisher of Men · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: And so also James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
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  Speaker 1: which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon,
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  Speaker 1: Fear not, from hence thou shalt catch men. Luke 5.10
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  Speaker 1: Dear Jesus, In the same way that you provided for
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  Speaker 1: Peter in his boat, and provided a large catch of fish,
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  Speaker 1: I also thank you that instead of fish, You're allowing
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  Speaker 1: me to draw all men and women to you and
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  Speaker 1: to your purpose for their lives. Increase my influence, enlarge
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  Speaker 1: my reach, and give me the ability to be a
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  Speaker 1: magnet for all who I come in contact with. As
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  Speaker 1: you increase the influence I have with others, I also
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  Speaker 1: thank you that you will give me the ability to
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  Speaker 1: supernaturally heal the areas in their lives that is robbing
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  Speaker 1: them from experiencing community, purpose, and fulfillment. Like the leper
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  Speaker 1: in today's reading, I pray that they will spread the
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  Speaker 1: word of how good you are and that you are
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  Speaker 1: always willing to heal and uplift those you need. Today,
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  Speaker 1: I acknowledge that I am a fisher of men. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 1: Listening to these daily prayers strengthens your relationship with God.
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  Speaker 1: Continue hearing from the Lord by listening to today's Bible
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  Speaker 1: in a Year. Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: Fisher of Men In our last story, the ministry of
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  Speaker 2: Jesus began to take on form. Jesus would preach with authority,
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  Speaker 2: heal with compassion, and cast out demons with power. His
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  Speaker 2: fame began to grow rapidly. Now we learn about Jesus'
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  Speaker 2: individual ministry. He did not just preach to crowds. He
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  Speaker 2: would connect with individuals and change their lives forever.
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  Speaker 3: Inspired by the Gospels, Hello, I'm Jack Graham with today's
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  Speaker 3: episode of the Bible in a Year podcast. But before
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  Speaker 3: we begin, I want to let you know about a
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  Speaker 3: unique e-book that's yours to download absolutely free today. It's
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  Speaker 3: called Breaking Free from Stress. And my prayer is that
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  Speaker 3: it will help you conquer the daily tasks and pressures
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  Speaker 3: and burdens that bring stress in your life. Download your
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  Speaker 3: free copy of Breaking Free from Stress today by visiting
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  Speaker 3: jackgraham.org slash stress. That's jackram.org slash stress. In our last episode,
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  Speaker 3: we heard how despite the miracles that Jesus performed and
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  Speaker 3: the wisdom and insight with which he spoke, Jesus was
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  Speaker 3: not accepted by all and was even run out of
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  Speaker 3: his own hometown of Nazareth under threat of death. Still,
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  Speaker 3: crowds continued to flock to Jesus to hear him speak
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  Speaker 3: and to catch a glimpse of the marvelous miracles, wonders
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  Speaker 3: that he performed. Today, we'll hear how Jesus encountered men
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  Speaker 3: and women at a very personal level, healing not only
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  Speaker 3: their physical illnesses, but opening their eyes to a life
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  Speaker 3: of abundance and joy and changing their hearts forever. So,
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  Speaker 3: let's listen now to the Word of God in the
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  Speaker 3: Gospels of Jesus Christ.
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  Speaker 2: Peter leaned his head against the mast of his boat.
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  Speaker 2: An entire night wasted on the water had yielded no fish.
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  Speaker 2: He had toiled relentlessly only to come up empty. Andrew
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  Speaker 2: was washing the nets beside him. He too was disappointed
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  Speaker 2: at the lack of fish. Peter looked up at the
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  Speaker 2: clouds and listened to the seagulls fly out to sea.
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  Speaker 2: Perhaps the birds would have better luck than him. He
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  Speaker 2: sighed and began to close his eyes and rest. The
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  Speaker 2: gentle breeze rolled in from the water and gently rocked
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  Speaker 2: his boat. Peter's moment of peace was quickly interrupted by
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  Speaker 2: the sound of people. Peter opened his eyes and saw
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  Speaker 2: hundreds of people following Jesus. They were so desperate to
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  Speaker 2: hear him that they were nearly trampling him to get closer.
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  Speaker 2: Jesus could see Peter and Andrew from a distance. He
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  Speaker 2: waved and jogged over to them. Would you mind letting
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  Speaker 2: me use your boat to teach from? The crowds will
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  Speaker 2: trample me if I don't get above them. Peter agreed.
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  Speaker 2: His boat might as well get some use for that day.
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  Speaker 2: Jesus spoke for a while. Peter listened from behind. half listening,
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  Speaker 2: half daydreaming. After Jesus was finished, he turned back to
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  Speaker 2: Peter and Andrew. Why don't we go out into the
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  Speaker 2: deep and put your nets out for a catch? Jesus asked.
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  Speaker 2: Peter gave a condescending laugh. Master, we have toiled all
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  Speaker 2: night and have nothing to show for it. He looked
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  Speaker 2: at Jesus. He was earnest and clearly wanted Peter to
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  Speaker 2: take the boat out. Peter shrugged. Fine, at your word,
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  Speaker 2: we will go out. So Peter and Andrew reluctantly took
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  Speaker 2: the boat out. Peter gathered up the nets and tossed
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  Speaker 2: them to the side of the boat. Then Peter sat,
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  Speaker 2: knowing that nothing would catch. Just as Peter was getting comfortable,
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  Speaker 2: he could hear the sound of stretching rope. The net
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  Speaker 2: was tightening on the side of the boat. Peter leaped
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  Speaker 2: to his feet and looked overboard. His net was completely
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  Speaker 2: filled with fish, so much that the net seemed like
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  Speaker 2: it was about to break. Peter, Andrew, and Jesus tugged
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  Speaker 2: on the nets and hurled in the largest catch Peter
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  Speaker 2: had ever witnessed. The nets on the other side of
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  Speaker 2: the boat were overflowing as well. So Peter gestured for
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  Speaker 2: James and John to bring out their boats as well.
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  Speaker 2: The men rejoiced with their catch. This bigger catch would
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  Speaker 2: provide for their families for months. All the men danced
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  Speaker 2: in place and shouted for joy. But not Peter. He
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  Speaker 2: looked at Jesus and fell to his face. He was broken.
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  Speaker 2: He felt unworthy of Jesus' gift. Depart from me, Lord,
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  Speaker 2: he said. I am a sinful man. Peter bowed his
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  Speaker 2: head before him. Jesus knelt down and placed his head
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  Speaker 2: on Peter's shoulder. From now on, I will teach you
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  Speaker 2: how to be a fisher of men. So the two
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  Speaker 2: of them departed with Andrew, James, and John. Later that evening,
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  Speaker 2: Jesus was able to heal Peter's mother-in-law. Peter's entire world
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  Speaker 2: was being transformed by Jesus. Jesus was walking among one
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  Speaker 2: of the cities, observing the needs of the people around him.
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  Speaker 2: As he was pacing the city, Jesus stumbled upon a
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  Speaker 2: man stricken with leprosy. The entire left side of his
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  Speaker 2: face was mangled, and he could barely lift his arms
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  Speaker 2: from the pain of rotting flesh. The man approached Jesus gently.
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  Speaker 2: The men who were following Jesus stepped back, but Jesus
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  Speaker 2: stepped forward. The leper fell at Jesus' feet. Please, Lord,
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  Speaker 2: have mercy on me. The man began to weep. If
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  Speaker 2: you are willing, I know you can make me clean. Jesus'
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  Speaker 2: eyes began to water as he listened to the man's cries.
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  Speaker 2: He knew how much pain he was in. He knew
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  Speaker 2: how lonely leprosy had made him. Jesus knelt down and
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  Speaker 2: hugged him. He held him in his arms as he wept.
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  Speaker 2: I am willing, Jesus whispered. Be clean. And as Jesus spoke,
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  Speaker 2: the leper's limbs and face began to show color once again.
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  Speaker 2: The leprosy had left him. The man leapt for joy.
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  Speaker 2: He wiggled his arms and kicked his feet. He was
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  Speaker 2: a new man. Jesus instructed him to tell nobody of
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  Speaker 2: what happened. He was to go into the temple and
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  Speaker 2: give thanks to God. However, the man did not listen.
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  Speaker 2: He shouted Jesus' name in the city streets. As a result,
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  Speaker 2: droves of people came to him with their infirmities. Jesus
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  Speaker 2: would spend all day helping them. Then when the sun set,
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  Speaker 2: he withdrew to a secret place to meet with God
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  Speaker 2: in quiet.
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  Speaker 3: In today's scripture, we find Peter and Andrew tired and
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  Speaker 3: disappointed after a fruitless night of fishing the Sea of Galilee.
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  Speaker 3: For them, fishing was not a pastime that took them
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  Speaker 3: away from the stress of work. It was work and
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  Speaker 3: life itself. And the previous night had been frustrating as
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  Speaker 3: they returned to shore empty-handed. While they were washing their nets,
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  Speaker 3: Jesus approached them, followed by a large crowd of people
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  Speaker 3: wanting to hear him speak. This was becoming very common
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  Speaker 3: at this point. As droves of men and women followed
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  Speaker 3: Jesus everywhere, hanging on his every word, Jesus asked the
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  Speaker 3: fishermen if he could set off in their boat and
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  Speaker 3: speak to the crowds from the water. So, with the
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  Speaker 3: prowl of a boat for a pulpit, Jesus spoke. The
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  Speaker 3: Son of God would have known the practical benefit of
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  Speaker 3: speaking from that place, as his voice would carry well
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  Speaker 3: over the water and into the crowds. And as I
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  Speaker 3: think of this scene, I can't help but be reminded
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  Speaker 3: of Psalm 29, which says the voice of the Lord
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  Speaker 3: is over the waters. And here we find that the
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  Speaker 3: Lord's voice literally went out over the waters to those
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  Speaker 3: who came to hear him. It was loud and clear.
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  Speaker 3: When he was done teaching, Jesus asked Andrew and Peter
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  Speaker 3: to put out into the water again and throw their
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  Speaker 3: nets out again to catch some fish. The experienced and
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  Speaker 3: exhausted fishermen scoffed. They just tried all night and returned
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  Speaker 3: with empty nets. So naturally, Peter doubted the likelihood of
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  Speaker 3: having any different results at this hour. But still he
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  Speaker 3: replied as we read in Luke 5, but because you
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  Speaker 3: say so, I will let down the nets. Now, that
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  Speaker 3: is a very important lesson for all of us because
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  Speaker 3: you say so. Peter was doubtful, and yet he obeyed.
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  Speaker 3: You see, doubt is not the opposite of faith. Unbelief is.
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  Speaker 3: Peter had some doubts and reservations. Even his past experience
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  Speaker 3: gave him some pause. But he did trust in Jesus.
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  Speaker 3: And so they lowered their nets in faith and obedience.
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  Speaker 3: And when they tried to pull the nets back in,
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  Speaker 3: they were astounded, amazed. The nets that had returned empty
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  Speaker 3: time and time again just hours ago were filled with fish.
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  Speaker 3: The catch was so big that their nets nearly broke
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  Speaker 3: and their boats nearly sank. Peter's response to this was
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  Speaker 3: to fall at the feet of Jesus and acknowledge his position,
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  Speaker 3: a sinner unworthy of such grace and blessings. Whereas the
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  Speaker 3: religious leaders of the day walked with their heads high,
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  Speaker 3: feeling entitled to God's blessing because of their rule following
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  Speaker 3: and strict living, Peter knew he was undeserving and fell
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  Speaker 3: in humble worship, depending upon the grace of the Lord.
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  Speaker 3: Rather than go away as Peter asked him to do,
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  Speaker 3: Jesus gently, graciously took Peter and told him that there
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  Speaker 3: was still much fishing to be done. Only now he
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  Speaker 3: would become a fisher of men. Surely the words must
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  Speaker 3: have been puzzling to Peter. How does one fish for people?
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  Speaker 3: And still, again, Peter followed by faith, along with Andrew, James,
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  Speaker 3: and John. Three of these men would become closer to
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  Speaker 3: Jesus than any other, the inner circle of disciples, and
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  Speaker 3: they were all fishermen. Later that evening, Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law,
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  Speaker 3: bringing healing and transformation into the apostles' household. But Jesus'
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  Speaker 3: healing ministry was not reserved for those closest to him
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  Speaker 3: or a chosen few. As we hear next, Jesus went
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  Speaker 3: into the city, seeing the deep physical and spiritual needs
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  Speaker 3: of those around him. He encountered a leper, a man
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  Speaker 3: whose physical illness and social ostracism painted a picture of
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  Speaker 3: the condition, the spiritual condition and disease of all mankind
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  Speaker 3: without God. His flesh was consumed with the disease, leaving
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  Speaker 3: him unfeeling and exposed to all kinds of injury. And
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  Speaker 3: because of his sickness, he was separated, separated from all others.
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  Speaker 3: As Jesus approached him, the man also fell at the
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  Speaker 3: feet of Jesus, asking to be made whole, to be
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  Speaker 3: made clean. And with just a word, Jesus spoke and
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  Speaker 3: healed the man who went full of joy into the
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  Speaker 3: city to tell all the things that Christ had done
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  Speaker 3: for him, leading more and more crowds to seek the
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  Speaker 3: Lord out. This was Jesus' ministry, speaking healing into people's
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  Speaker 3: hearts and bodies. And to strengthen and sustain him in
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  Speaker 3: that ministry, we see that Jesus never neglected to seek
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  Speaker 3: the presence of his heavenly Father, retreating often into solitude
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  Speaker 3: to speak to God. If that's what Jesus himself needed, oh,
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  Speaker 3: how much more you and I need to seek God's
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  Speaker 3: strength through prayer and fellowship. Dear God, we thank you
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  Speaker 3: for the presence of Jesus, the power of Jesus. Thank
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  Speaker 3: you for the healing ministry, especially the ministry of healing
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  Speaker 3: the deepest longings and needs of the human soul. May
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  Speaker 3: we live in the joy of this salvation, the joy
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  Speaker 3: that Jesus gives us. We thank you for today's reading
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  Speaker 3: and the examples of faith. And the opportunity to this
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  Speaker 3: very day that we can also seek God by faith.
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  Speaker 3: That we can follow Jesus and become fishers of men.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 3: Before we go, I want to let you know about
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  Speaker 3: a unique e-book that's yours to download absolutely free today.
• 13:44
  Speaker 3: It's called Breaking Free from Stress. And my prayer is
• 13:48
  Speaker 3: that it will help you conquer the daily tasks and
• 13:50
  Speaker 3: pressures and burdens that bring stress into your life. Download
• 13:54
  Speaker 3: your free copy of Breaking Free from Stress today by
• 13:57
  Speaker 3: visiting jackgram.org slash stress. That's jackgram.org slash stress.