How Can I Overcome Failure? Real Solutions to Real Problems – Part 2 (Video)

This is the second video in a series entitled, “Real Solutions to Real Problems.” In this presentation you will learn from the Bible three transforming principles for overcoming failure.

All Scriptures are from the New King James Version Bible unless otherwise noted. Digital images are used with permission from Goodsalt.com, Good News Productions International and College Press Publishing / FreeBibleimages.org, John Paul Stanley / YoPlace.com, or they are creative common licenses.

How to be more Effective in Evangelism

“But Simon answered and said to Him, ‘Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.’” Luke 5:5

After fishing all night without catching any fish, Peter was hesitant to obey Jesus’ command to launch out into the deep water to let down their nets (5:4-5a). Who could blame him? Peter was an expert fisherman, and he knew that if you do not catch any fish on the Sea of Galilee during the night time when fish come to the surface to feed, you are not about to catch any fish during the daytime when the fish go down into the deeper waters. Even though Jesus’ command did not make any sense to him and contradicted his experience, Peter still was willing to obey the Lord – “nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net” (5:5a). 

When Peter let down his nets where Jesus told him, he caught a net-breaking, boat-sinking catch of fish (5:6-7). What made the difference between this outing and the previous one? After all, this was the same fishermen (with the addition of Jesus), the same boat, the same nets, and the same body of water they fished upon during the night. The main difference was that Jesus was now in Peter’s boat (5:3) to direct his fishing. 

If we want to be effective at catching men (and women and children) for Christ (5:10), we must have Christ in the boat of our lives, and we must obey Him even if it does not make sense to us or line up with our experiences. We can get Christ into the boat of our lives by believing in Him for His gift of everlasting life (John 1:12; 3:15-16). And then He will make us fishers of people as we learn to trust and obey Him as our Master Fisherman (Luke 5:1-11). With Christ at the helm of our lives, we will see more people come to Him in faith than we ever thought possible!