I want you to picture something with me. There’s a young woman named Bethany Hamilton. At just thirteen years old, she was living her dream as a rising surf star when a shark attacked and took her left arm. Most folks would’ve called it “game over.” But Bethany made a decision: her worst day was not going to cancel her best days. In a matter of weeks, she was back on that board, refusing to let tragedy write her future.
Child of God, that’s what faith looks like. Faith doesn’t deny the wound — faith refuses to let the wound become a sentence. And that’s exactly what we see in Luke 5.
The Bible says Jesus “saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing
their nets.” Luke 5:2 (KJV)
Don’t rush past that. They weren’t washing their nets because they were preparing for another round. They were
washing their nets because the night was over. They had already decided it wasn’t worth trying again.
These weren’t amateurs. Peter, James, and John were professional fishermen. They knew the water. They knew the
currents. They knew the techniques. But they had worked all night and came up empty.
And that’s where some of us are right now. You put your energy into something, and it didn’t work. You prayed, and it
didn’t change. You tried to hold it together, and it still fell apart. You gave your best and still came up short. And now you’re “washing your nets” — cleaning up after disappointment, telling yourself, “I’m done.”
But listen: Jesus shows up when we’re at the point of giving up. He shows up at the shoreline of our frustration, not to shame us, but to shift us.
The first thing you’ve got to do is forget the failures. I’m not telling you to pretend nothing happened. I’m telling you to stop letting yesterday drive today.
Paul said it like this: “forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark…”
Philippians 3:13–14 (KJV).
Some of you have replayed last night so many times you can quote it like Scripture. You’ve rehearsed the breakup,
the betrayal, the layoff, the diagnosis, the mistake, the embarrassment — and you keep coming back to the same
conclusion: “I guess this is just how my story ends.”
The fishermen could’ve spent the morning arguing about where they went wrong. But Jesus didn’t ask them to
analyze the night — He invited them into a new word. And I’m telling you today: your failure is not your identity. Your disappointment is not your destiny. Your empty net is not your final chapter.
Next, you’ve got to forsake the fear. Because fear will keep you stuck in last night even when God has already scheduled your breakthrough.
Think about it — after a night like that, what would be the scariest thing? Trying again. The fear of another empty net. The fear of looking foolish. The fear of hoping again and getting hurt again.
But Peter said something powerful when Jesus told him to launch out: “Master, we have toiled all the night, and have
taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.”
Luke 5:5 (KJV)
Fear says, “You tried and it didn’t work.” Faith says, “Nevertheless.”
Fear says, “You’re too broken.” Faith says, “Nevertheless.”
Fear says, “You’ll fail again.” Faith says, “Nevertheless.”
The Bible reminds us that God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)
If fear has been driving your decisions, it’s time to hand the keys back to the Lord.
Finally, you’ve got to follow the Father — and follow Him now.
Jesus didn’t offer Peter a motivational speech. He gave him a command: “Launch out into the deep, and let down your
nets for a draught.”
Luke 5:4 (KJV)
Here’s what I love: Jesus tells experienced fishermen to do something that doesn’t match their experience. Deep
water. Daytime. After failure. In other words, Jesus is saying, “I’m not asking you to trust your skill — I’m asking
you to trust my word.”
And the moment they obeyed, the Bible says, “they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.”
Luke 5:6 (KJV)
Let me put it plain: delayed obedience is dressed-up disobedience.
Some of us keep promising God, “I’ll do it later.” Later when I feel ready. Later when it’s convenient. Later when I’m less busy. Later when I’m less afraid.
But the Word says, “Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
Hebrews 3:15 (KJV)
Getting better requires a response. The fisherman didn’t catch a miracle by thinking about the command — they caught
it by moving on the command.
Beloved, here’s the heart of this message: Jesus specializes in “after last night.” He meets you in the place you’re ready to quit. He speaks to you in the moment you feel empty. And He calls you to deeper water when your instincts want to stay shallow.
If you truly want to get better, start here:
As we keep building through Fixing What’s Broken to Build Back Better, I’m inviting you to take a step with us. If you’re ready to get over last night and step into what God is doing now, join us this Sunday — in person or watch online.
Come expecting. Come hungry. Come ready to obey.
Because Friend, we really do want to get better — and by God’s grace, we are getting better.
Don’t quit at the shoreline. Launch out into the deep — the miracle is waiting.
Watch a video of Pastor Lauderdale’s message titled Get Over Last Night.
Scripture References:
Luke 5:2,
Luke 5:4,
Luke 5:5,
Luke 5:6,
Philippians 3:13–14,
2 Timothy 1:7,
Hebrews 3:15
