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PRAYER FOR THE WEEK
Jesus, help me understand that I am a sinner, but you are good to me anyway! Amen.

At the Sea of Galilee, Jesus sat in a fishing boat to teach. Then He told Simon Peter, its owner, "Throw your nets out again." "We've caught nothing all day!" Simon said -- then got nets full of fish! Simon said, "I don't deserve this. I'm a sinner." But Jesus replied, "Don't be afraid. Follow me, and I'll make you fishers of people." All the fishermen left everything and followed Jesus.

How often has this happened: You're arguing with your brother and you call him a name, so he smacks you -- and then he gets in trouble, even though you started the argument! You don't deserve to be seen as "the one who's being good," but do you admit you started things?

This week's Gospel (Luke 5:1-11) is about getting something good that's undeserved. Jesus meets some fishermen and wants them to be His Apostles. First, He lets them know who He is by helping them catch a boatload of fish. Simon Peter realizes Jesus has done a miracle and protests, "I don't deserve this! I'm a sinner."

Everyone sins. Sometimes, when good things happen to you -- like starting an argument but not getting in trouble - it isn't because you deserve them. They just happened.

Amazingly, God also gives us good things even when we don't deserve them. Jesus knows we've made misakes, but He takes care of us anyway.

Jesus knew the fishermen were tough guys, especially Simon Peter. They would never expect to be chosen as Jesus' closest friends and followers. But Jesus picked them anyway. He saw that they were sinners, but He also saw the good in them.

When something good happens that you don't deserve, how do you react? It's important to be honest, like Simon Peter was, and admit when you made a mistake.

If you haven't done anything wrong in that moment -- if, for example, you didn't start the argument with your brother -- there's no need to feel guilty. God gives us more good things than we deserve.

Of course, you still have to be nice to your brother![[In-content Ad]]

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