Follow Sunday

Jesus calls you individually, but he forms you in family. The only way to get stronger is to do it together.

Speaker: Caleb Culver
Date: August 9, 2026

Following Jesus was never meant to be done alone. Jesus calls us individually, but we follow Him together. Maybe the question isn’t just, “God, what have You put in me?” but, “God, who have You put around me?”

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.