---

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK
Jesus, help me pay attention when I get that "It's time" feeling about making a change! Amen.

When Jesus heard that John the Baptizer had been arrested for teaching about Him, He moved to Capernaum and started teaching there instead. One day, as Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon Peter and Andrew, who were fishermen. "Come with me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." So they dropped their nets and followed Him.

When you've been thinking about a change for a while, it can be hard to actually go ahead with it.

Maybe you've really wanted to try out for the school musical every year, but you never have, because you know what a commitment it would be to go to all the rehearsals. Maybe you want to ask your parents about changing schools, but you've been nervous about discussing it.

This week's Gospel (Mt. 4:12-23) is about the moment when you say to yourself, "It's time."

In the Gospel story, John the Baptist (or Baptizer) has been telling people about Jesus -- so much that the government takes notice and arrests John. They feel like he's stirring people up to cause trouble. Meanwhile, Jesus has been teaching people about God, moving from town to town to avoid all the uproar.

When Jesus meets Simon Peter and Andrew, there seems to be a moment when He says, "It's time." Jesus is ready to "take it up a notch" -- to take His teaching to the next level by getting other people involved. Peter and Andrew become His first Apostles.

If you're thinking about a change, it's likely that you, too, will come to a moment of realizing, "It's time." When that happens, it's important to pay attention to the feeling. It's telling you something.

Jesus used His moment to make a big change in His work of bringing people closer to God. What will your moment mean for making a change in your own life?[[In-content Ad]]

---