- Luke 14:31-33

"If a king is going to fight against another king, first he will sit down and plan. If the king has only 10,000 men, he will plan to see if he is able to defeat the other king that has 20,000 men. If he cannot defeat the other king, then he will send some men to speak to the other king and ask for peace. It is the same for each of you. You must decide if you can leave everything you have to follow me. If not, you cannot be my follower!" (ERV)   Full Text

Jesus stood beside Lake Gennesaret (Galilee). Many people pushed to get all around him. They wanted to hear the teachings of God. Jesus saw two boats at the shore of the lake. The fishermen were washing their nets. Jesus got into the boat that belonged to Simon. Jesus asked Simon to push off a little from the shore. Then Jesus sat down in the boat and taught the people on the shore. Jesus finished speaking. He said to Simon, "Take the boat into the deep water. If all of you will put your nets into the water, you will catch some fish." Simon answered, "Master, we worked hard all night trying to catch fish, but we caught nothing. But you say I should put the nets into the water; so I will." The fishermen put their nets into the water. Their nets became so full of fish that the nets began to break. They called to their friends in the other boat to come and help them. The friends came, and both boats were filled so full of fish that they were almost sinking. The fishermen were all amazed at the many fish they caught. When Simon Peter saw this, he bowed down before Jesus and said, "Go away from me, Lord. I am a sinful man!" James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were amazed too. (James and John worked together with Simon. ) Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid. From now on you will work to gather people, {not fish}!" The men brought their boats to the shore. They left everything and followed Jesus. Luke 5:1-11 (ERV) Peter said, "Look, we left everything we had and followed you!" Jesus said, "I tell you the truth. Every person that has left his home, wife, brothers, parents, or children for God's kingdom will get much more than he left. That person will get many times more in this life. And after that person dies, he will live with God forever." Luke 18:28-30 (ERV) They were all traveling along the road. Someone said to Jesus, "I will follow you any place you go." Jesus answered, "The foxes have holes to live in. The birds have nests to live in. But the Son of Man has no place where he can rest his head." Jesus said to another man, "Follow me!" But the man said, "Lord, let me go and bury my father first." But Jesus said to him, "Let the people that are dead bury their own dead! You must go and tell about the kingdom of God." Another man said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to my family." Jesus said, "If any person begins to plow a field, but looks back, he is not prepared for the kingdom of God." Luke 9:57-62 (ERV)