Join us in person or online at 6:30pm for Saturday night Worship. Click here to view Livestream @ 6:30pm. View on Facebook or YouTube.

Saints & Sinners

Peter, James & John

Primary Text: Luke 5:4-11            April 18 & 19, 2026

This Week’s Teaching:  

1)  Seaside Lecture

Luke 5:1-3:  One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.  He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore.  Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.  

DQ 1) Whenever Jesus taught the “Word of God,” what was He 

            teaching about?

2)  Miraculous Catch

Luke 5:4-7:  When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”  Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.  But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”  When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.  So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.  

DQ 2) Why do you suppose Jesus chose to inspire the disciples via a 

            large catch of fish?

3)  A Sinful Man

Luke 5:8-11:  When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”  For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.  Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.”  So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. 

DQ 3) Why do you think Simon Peter called himself a “sinful man”?  

DQ 4) How significant would Peter, James, and John become among 

           the disciples?

4)  “Besties”

Mark 9:2-8:  After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone.  There he was transfigured before them.  His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.  And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus….  Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love.  Listen to him!”  Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. 

DQ 5) Why might Jesus have chosen Peter, James, and John as His 

            inner circle?

5)  Martyrs

Acts 12:1-4:  It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them.  He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.  When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also….  Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. 

Acts 12:5-7:  So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.  The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance.  Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell.  He struck Peter on the side and woke him up.  “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.

Acts 12:11-16:  Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”  When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.  Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door.  When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”  “You’re out of your mind,” they told her.  When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”  But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 

DQ 6) Why didn’t God miraculously rescue James like He did Peter?  

DQ 7) Why is it essential that our faith be in Christ Himself, not in a  

            specific outcome?