Who Are You Following Jesus With?
Pastor Caleb Culver
August 9, 2026 Message Recap
When you think about growing stronger in your walk with Jesus, what comes to mind first?
Maybe it’s the basics: reading Scripture, practicing prayer, deepening your worship, spending time doing a devotional, etc
What if one of the elements that was most important to our spiritual growth was other people?
Almost none of us first think about people—and that might be exactly the problem.
It’s easy to treat following Jesus like a solo pursuit: read the Bible alone, pray alone, and listen to a sermon alone. There’s nothing wrong with any of those things—they’re essential parts of following Jesus. But when they become the whole picture, we can end up isolated instead of built up.
Luke 5 gives us a different picture of what following Jesus with others looks like:
Jesus was teaching beside the Sea of Galilee, and the crowd was pressing in around Him to hear the Word of God. Nearby, fishermen are washing their nets after a long, unsuccessful night on the water—one of them being Simon Peter. There was nothing particularly spiritual about Peter's boat, yet it was the place Jesus chose to enter.
After teaching the crowd, Jesus turns to Peter and tells him to put out into deeper water and let down his nets.
Suddenly, the ordinary became extraordinary.
Peter had spent the entire night catching nothing. Now, in a matter of moments, he had more than he could handle. The first thing he did was call for help.
Jesus could have given Peter exactly enough fish for one boat, but he didn't. The blessing was bigger than Peter's individual capacity to carry it, and it revealed the necessity of partnership.
Sometimes what God places in your life will require the people He has placed around your life.
Following Jesus was never designed to be an isolated pursuit. There are things God wants to form in us that cannot be formed alone. There are burdens too heavy for one person to carry, callings too large for one person to accomplish, and moments when the only way forward is to call on others.
Because eventually, every follower of Jesus needs another boat.
Someone to help carry what is too heavy.
Someone to remind you what Jesus said when the nets are empty.
Someone to celebrate when they are full.
Someone to keep following Jesus beside you.
Scripture References
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About Radiant Church
Founded in 1996, Radiant Church has grown into a multi-location church committed to biblical teaching, discipleship, and mission.
At Radiant Church, there is an invitation to grow in your spiritual journey, build meaningful community, and truly get connected. We are passionate about helping people grow in faith, encounter the Presence of God, and become part of a church grounded in Spirit and truth.
Here's a 5-day devotional guide based on this sermon:
Day 1: Long Before Direction, God Shapes Affection
Luke 5:1–3 | Psalm 37:4
Before Jesus ever asked Peter to leave his boat, He first asked to borrow it. He stepped into Peter’s ordinary, exhausting work rather than waiting for a more “spiritual” moment. Long before God changes your direction, He is shaping your affection, drawing your heart toward Him in the middle of everyday life. The Psalmist says to delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Calling often grows quietly in the soil of ordinary faithfulness before it ever becomes visible.
Day 2: Nevertheless, At Your Word
Luke 5:4–5 | Hebrews 11:8
Peter had every reason to say no. He was exhausted, he knew the fishing conditions, and Jesus’ instruction did not make practical sense. Yet Peter responded, “At Your word, I will let down the nets.” Obedience did not require Peter to fully understand; it required him to trust the One speaking. In the same way, Abraham obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. Faith often looks like taking the next step simply because God has asked, trusting Him before every question has been answered.
Day 3: More Than You Can Carry Alone
Luke 5:6–7 | Ecclesiastes 4:9–10
The nets were so full they began to break, and Peter had to call his partners to help. Jesus could have given him a manageable catch. Instead, He gave Peter more than he could carry alone, allowing him to discover who he was meant to carry it with. Ecclesiastes reminds us that two are better than one because if either falls, the other can help them up. Sometimes, what God gives us was never meant to be carried alone. Abundance that requires partnership is still abundance—and within it is another gift: people.
Day 4: Called Into Family, Not Isolation
Luke 5:10–11 | Hebrews 10:24–25
Jesus called Peter, James, and John individually, but He called them together. They would go on to walk through failure, disagreement, growth, and mission side by side for years. Their calling was personal, but it was never meant to be lived out alone. Hebrews urges us not to give up meeting together, but to encourage one another. The call of Jesus has always come with people attached. He calls us to Himself, but He also calls us into community. You are found by a Father, but you are formed in family.
Day 5: Let Yourself Be Seen
Luke 5:8–11 | 1 John 1:7
When Peter recognized who Jesus truly was, he fell at His knees in complete honesty: “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.” Peter did not hide. He allowed himself to be fully seen, and it was in that very place that Jesus met him with a calling. John reminds us that walking in the light with one another is what produces real fellowship. It is difficult to be truly known while choosing to remain hidden. There is something powerful about allowing others to see where you really are—not where you think you should be. This week, take one step out of watching from a distance and into being seen.