Scriptures: Luke 5:1-11, 4:43, John 1:1

The ministry of Jesus on earth shook the planet. The mission He left His disciples would turn it upside down. What this would look like in the lives of Jesus' disciples He beautifully displayed in the example of some fishermen. In their story we see the process of the Gospel itself, as people hear and respond to the Word of God and experience the grace of God in Jesus Christ. More importantly, we begin to see our role as Christ-followers, knowing Christ, growing in Christ and sharing Christ with others. In this message, Dr. Merritt details the foundational process of the Gospel and our responsibility to become a part of this costly but rewarding journey.

"Is it scary? Yes, it is. Is it costly? Yes, it is. It is a risk to start a church or pastor a church. It is a risk to live the Christian life in our age and culture today. Make no mistake that Christians are becoming one of the most persecuted religious groups in our nation. It is a risk to share your faith with people you know. It is a risk to stand firm for your beliefs when the world around you says they are antiquated and you are a hater or a bigot or a hypocrite. When you decide to step out and follow Jesus, He takes responsibility for the journey. I hear people say, 'You had better give your life to Jesus. You might die.' I say, 'You had better give your life to Jesus, you might live.' We need to follow Jesus, not because He needs us, but because we need Him to take life from the monotonous to the momentous." --Dr. Merritt

Keywords: missing, person, evangelism, witness, share, Gospel, Jesus, Christ, disciple, soul winning, disciple making, purpose, surrender, call, will, God, fishermen, Peter, grace, trust, Amber Alert, H.G. Wells