Will from Soul Youth talks about The Miraculous Catch
A TALK BY WILLIAM (FROM SOUL YOUTH)
From Empty Nets to Overflowing Blessings: Trusting Jesus in the Empty Spaces
At a recent Worship for Everyone service, William shared an inspiring message about trusting Jesus, even when life feels difficult, disappointing or exhausting.
Drawing on the story of Jesus and the miraculous catch of fish, William encouraged the congregation to see the empty spaces in their lives not simply as signs of something missing, but as opportunities for God to work.
The talk began with a question many of us can relate to: have you ever felt completely exhausted, only for someone to ask you to do just one more thing? Whether it is a long day at school followed by household chores, a tiring week at work or an unexpected extra responsibility, we all know what it feels like to have nothing left to give.
These feelings provided the perfect introduction to the Bible story. The fishermen had worked throughout the night but caught nothing. Tired and disappointed, they must have wondered why they should bother trying again when Jesus told them to put their nets back into the water.
Yet they chose to trust him. The result was extraordinary: their nets filled with so many fish that they began to break. What had started as a night of failure became a moment that changed their lives.
William explained that this was about much more than a successful fishing trip. When Simon Peter witnessed the miracle, he began to recognise who Jesus really was. Jesus then gave Peter a new purpose, telling him that from then on he would fish for people. Peter could never have imagined that such a disappointing night would become the beginning of his journey towards becoming a leader in the early Church.
The message for us today is simple: when we trust Jesus, he gives us what we need.
We may face difficult situations, worries or disappointments that leave us feeling empty. We might not understand what God is doing, or be able to see how things could possibly improve. But, as William reminded the congregation, an empty space does not mean Jesus has stopped working. It simply means we do not yet know what he is doing.
The congregation was encouraged to think about situations that had initially seemed difficult but eventually led to something good. They were also invited to consider the areas of their own lives that drain their energy or leave them feeling in need of God's help.
As a practical response, everyone was given a fish scale on which to write one area of life they wanted to trust Jesus with. These scales were then brought together to create a large fish, providing a visual reminder that we can bring our worries and struggles to God and trust him with the things we cannot yet understand.
The service left us with an encouraging challenge: rather than seeing every empty space as a problem, could we begin to see it as an opportunity for God to do something new?
God can work in the empty spaces in our lives!
After all the scales were added it made up the beautiful fish
William demonstrating the size of the fish caught in the nets.
Playing a game of ‘Flapping the fish!’