October 12, 2025
Follow Me: Week 1 | Matt Penny
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Big Idea:
Jesus still calls the missing, the ordinary, and the indifferent to follow him. Sometimes he meets us not in the synagogue or the crowd, but in the quiet grind of our daily lives, right where we are. He invites us to belong before we even fully believe.
Key Points:
- Belonging Before Believing Jesus doesn’t wait for us to have it all figured out. He steps into our boats—our daily routines and ordinary lives—and makes space for us to follow him, even if our theology is shaky or our attention is divided.
- The Mission of Jesus Is to the Margins Rather than sticking to religious spaces, Jesus teaches from the boat of a tired, indifferent fisherman. He chooses the unlikely, the empty, and the available to build his kingdom.
- Simon’s Story Is Our Story Simon had already witnessed a miracle in his own home (his mother-in-law was healed), but still went back to business as usual. Jesus’s invitation to him—like to us—is a chance to respond again with, “If you say so…”
- The Church Has Changed—but the Mission Hasn’t While attendance and cultural influence may shift, the call to reach people hasn’t changed. Jesus still invites us to see the missing, enter their world, and offer a way back home.
Application Questions:
- What if the people you thought were too far from God… are actually really close?
- Have you grown indifferent to Jesus’s presence in your life, even after witnessing his work?
- Who in your life might feel spiritually “missing”—a family member, neighbor, or friend?
- What does it look like for you to “get in their boat”? How might you move toward someone in love instead of waiting for them to come to church?
