Fishers of Men by the Sea
Month 3: Come, Follow Me · Bible Story
Today's Scripture
Read together: Matthew 4:18-22
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 And at once they left their nets and followed Him. 21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.
Memory Verse
““Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.””— Mark 1:17 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Judges 8-11
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 68 of 365 — Gideon, then the long drift of the judges.)The Heart of It
Picture an ordinary morning by the Sea of Galilee. The sun is up. The nets are out. Four working men are doing what they do every single day. They're casting and hauling and mending, smelling of fish and sweat. Peter and Andrew are throwing a net into the water. James and John are sitting in a boat with their father, untangling the knots. There's no temple, no classroom, no spotlight. It's just the wet, tiring work that paid the family's bills. And right into that very normal day, Jesus walks up and says seven words that change everything. "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."
Notice what Jesus did not do. He did not wait for them to clean up, or get religious, or become impressive first. He came to them in their work clothes and called them just as they were. And He did not say, "Make yourselves into something great." He said, "I will make you." The growing is His job. The following is theirs. That is the shape of the whole Christian life. Jesus takes ordinary people, right where they are. And over time He shapes them into something they could never become on their own. He still walks up to ordinary families today and says the very same thing.
Around the Table
Jesus walked by the water and called some fishermen. He said, "Come, follow Me!" And they went right away.
Let's do it: Pretend to throw out a fishing net. Then "drop" it and march after Jesus, singing, "I will follow!"
Jesus didn't call kings or famous teachers. He called regular fishermen at their regular job. What does that tell us about who Jesus wants?
Let's talk: Where do you spend your "ordinary" days? Could Jesus call you to follow Him right there?
Jesus said "I will make you" fishers of men. The change is His work to do, not ours to make happen. How is that good news if you feel ordinary or not good enough?
Let's go deeper: What is one thing you've felt too "regular" to be used for? How does today's story answer that?
💬 Conversation Starter
If Jesus walked up to you while you were doing your most boring chore and said "Follow Me," what do you think you'd do first?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
The Gospels name these men. They tell us their hometown, their job, and their father. These are real details you could check, not the vague "once upon a time" of a legend. As Peter himself wrote, "we did not follow cunningly devised fables" (). Always be "ready to give a defense" () for a faith rooted in real history.
For Dad · Go Deeper
There is enormous freedom in Jesus' words, "I will make you." Discipleship is not a self-improvement project you grind out alone. It is a relationship. Christ does the deep forming while you keep showing up to follow. Many fathers quietly believe they must have it all together before they can lead their family spiritually. But Jesus called these men before they understood much of anything, and He trained them on the road. You don't need to be finished to start. You just need to be following. Let your kids watch a dad who is still being made.
Draws on: Dallas Willard, The Great Omission.
Let's Pray Together
"Jesus, thank You for calling ordinary people like us. We hear You say 'Follow Me,' and we want to come. Make us into the people You want us to be. Make us a little more like You every single day. In Jesus' name, amen."
Jesus calls me right where I am. And He promises to do the making.