WHAT ARE YOU FEEDING THE NEXT GENERATION? PART 3: WHAT IS FLOWING OUT OF YOU?

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WHAT ARE YOU FEEDING THE NEXT GENERATION? PART 3: WHAT IS FLOWING OUT OF YOU? Matthew 12:34 (NLT) “For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.” In Part 1, we asked: WHAT ARE YOU FEEDING YOURSELF? We discovered that what we consume matters because what we feed can grow. In Part 2, we moved deeper and asked: WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE YOU? We learned that receiving something is not the same as being transformed by it. What enters us must be processed. The Word of God must move from our ears into our hearts, our thoughts, our decisions and eventually our lifestyle. Now we move to the next question: WHAT IS FLOWING OUT OF YOU? Because whatever is happening inside you will eventually find a way out. WHAT IS INSIDE YOU WILL EVENTUALLY SPEAK Jesus said: “For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.” Notice that Jesus did not begin with the mouth. He began with the heart. The mouth is often a messenger. It reveals what has been stored within. When pressure come...
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DIVERSE HANDS, ONE MISSION PART 3 – LEAVING THE NETS: THE COST OF CALLING

DIVERSE HANDS, ONE MISSION
PART 3 – LEAVING THE NETS: THE COST OF CALLING


Matthew 4:20 (NIV)

“At once they left their nets and followed him.”


🔁 Recap From Part 2 – The Invitation Before The Assignment

In Part 2, we established that Jesus began with an invitation: “Come, follow Me.” We saw that: Relationship comes before responsibility. Formation comes before function. Identity comes before activity. But an invitation always demands a response. And this is where many hesitate. Because following Jesus is free — but it is not without cost.


Matthew says something powerful:

“At once they left their nets…” No debate. No delay. No negotiation. Immediate obedience. The shoreline became a crossroads. Stay with security. Or step into surrender.


What Were The Nets?

The nets were more than fishing tools. They represented: 

Income, 

Stability

Family business

Familiar identity

Daily routine

Predictable future

Leaving the nets meant: Leaving control. And that is where the real cost lies.


Kingdom Principle #1: Calling Requires Surrender

You cannot follow Jesus while gripping your nets tightly. The Kingdom demands open hands.

Some nets are:

Comfort

Pride

Reputation

Fear

Old systems

Toxic partnerships

Before God gives you new responsibility, He often asks for release.


Kingdom Principle #2: Obedience Must Be Immediate

“At once…” Delayed obedience is disguised resistance. The power of their response was not just that they left — but that they left immediately. Momentum in the Spirit is often lost in hesitation.


Kingdom Principle #3: Unity Requires shared sacrifice

Remember our theme: Diverse Hands, One Mission. Unity is stronger when sacrifice is shared. Peter left. Andrew left. James left. John left. No one was holding onto their old identity while pretending to follow. That is why the team could grow in alignment. If some release and others cling, friction begins.


Leadership Insight

A team cannot move forward if some members are still anchored to the shore. Leaders must model surrender. Because: What you refuse to leave may limit where God wants to lead you.


Practical Application

Ask yourself honestly:

What nets am I still holding?

What feels “too secure” to release?

What identity am I afraid to lose?

Sometimes the biggest net is: The need to remain in control.


A Deeper Dimension

Notice something profound:

They left nets, but they did not lose purpose. Jesus didn’t discard their fishing background. He redirected it. From fish and to people. From lake and to nations. From business and to Kingdom. God does not waste your past. He repurposes it. But only after surrender.


Reflection Questions

Is there something God has been prompting you to release?

Have you delayed obedience in any area?

Are you ready to trust Jesus beyond your safety net?


Call To Action

Identify your net. Name it. Release it.

Obedience delayed can become opportunity denied.


Prayer

Lord Jesus, Give me courage to release what You are asking for. Help me trust You beyond comfort and familiarity. Break every attachment that competes with Your call. I surrender my nets to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.


Next Part Preview

In Part 4, we begin exploring the diversity within the team:

“Net Casters: The Grace to Reach Out.”

Because some are called to cast wide — and others are called to strengthen deep.

And both are necessary.

God is speaking, are you listening?



Prince Julius Nenebi-Darkson 

(EL-PJ God's penman)

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