Hello, I'm Ed.
SPEAKER_03This is the Faith in Families podcast. He is Jam. That is totally true. I'm Jam, and it's great to be in your ears and cars and kitchens again. Hello to Ethan and Anna who listen in the car in Cyprus. Jam, where is Cyprus? I think it's an island in the Mediterranean. Easy for you to say. I bet Ethan and Anna love swimming in the sea. Hello to Barnaby, Florence, and Louis Wilkinson.
SPEAKER_04There's always someone listening on the way to swimming. This time it's Joshua, Isaiah and Matilda, who live in Bath near Ujam, so they're probably not swimming in the sea.
SPEAKER_03It's called Bath, but unlike a bath, there is no water apart from the famous historic Roman baths. Anyway, wherever you are, you are so very welcome to this special end of summer, beginning of a new period, back to that place where many people go to be educated episode, because most of you will be getting ready for the big new year.
SPEAKER_04For some it's a relief, for others, it makes you a bit sick. Either way, this episode is for you because however you are feeling, Jesus wants to have a quiet word in your ear.
SPEAKER_03So let's get into it with a whip around question. Ed, what have you got for us?
SPEAKER_04Jam, I don't mean to sound negative, but is there something you just simply cannot do no matter how hard you try?
SPEAKER_03There's something that I simply cannot understand and operate, and that is the washing machine. How do you wash clothes? It is so weird. Dishwasher, no problem. Laundry, two dials. I find it weirdly baffling, even though I'm actually quite good with technology. I'm just so bad at it. What about you, Ed? Jam, I can't work out how clothes work.
SPEAKER_04It doesn't seem to matter how hard I try or how much I think about it. I put on clothes and people say, Did you get dressed in the dark because you look terrible? And I have to go back or apologise or try something else on. And they it's all about flowers and patterns and things you can't wear with that thing and colours that you shouldn't ever wear together. It is baffling, Jam.
SPEAKER_03It's a common theme: two middle-aged men struggling with clothes, both washing and wearing. Just saves a lot of time. I asked my 18-year-old daughter, can I wear this? And she'll say, no. And it's back to the wardrobe. Anyway, what is it that you can't do no matter how hard you try? Have a chat about that and go.
SPEAKER_04In today's story, the disciples had been trying for hours to do something and they just couldn't do it, and then up popped Jesus. But Jam, I'm not gonna rush to the story because I just want your fun facts and I want them now.
SPEAKER_03Well, as you will see, the story involves boats. And Ed, what is the difference between a boat and a ship? Oh no, Jam. Oh, uh, is one bigger and one smaller? That's right. Which one's bigger? Oh, uh ship.
SPEAKER_04A ship is big, a boat is small.
SPEAKER_03A ship is bigger and weighs 500 tons or more, according to international shipping laws. Anything smaller is classed as a boat. So you might get on a boat in order to go and get on a ship. And how do you measure the speed of a boat or a ship?
SPEAKER_04Ah, it's it's measured in knots, which has a K at the beginning, like the knights of the round table. That that's a uh the knight is with a K as well. That was that helpful, Jam?
SPEAKER_03No, not at all. Um, but the knot is one nautical mile uh per hour, which and it's called a knot. Do you want to know why? Mostly it's called that because when the speed of the ship used to be measured by throwing the log into the water with a rope attached, with evenly spaced knots in the rope, and so as the ship moved relative to the log, the number of knots during a certain period of time was counted, and that meant that the speed of a boat was measured in knots. Has that helped?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, Jan, it's actually helped me a lot. It does mean that every time I want to go on a boat, I should bring with me a small log under one arm and a long piece of rope. Probably everyone's gonna stop me doing it, but it does sound extremely exciting.
SPEAKER_03It definitely is. Talking of exciting, who was the first person to sail all the way around the world?
SPEAKER_04Is it disappointing that I think I know the answer to this, Jam?
SPEAKER_03It is, but it might not be quite what you think. What is your answer?
SPEAKER_04Francis Chichister.
SPEAKER_03Okay. Uh no, he wasn't the first to sail around the world. Maybe on his own he was. Ah. I'm out by 400 years. Do you know who it was? Oh, is this the is this Francis Drake? So Francis Drake did it in 1577. He wasn't the first. Ferdinand Magellen was credited with it in 1519 when he set out from Portugal. But the thing is, he died in the Philippines in 1521, and the remaining crew sailed on. They were captained by the navigator Juan Sebastian Elcano, who is actually not Portuguese but Basque, don't ask. And he completed the journey in 1522. So people say it's Magellan, but actually, fun fact to annoy people, it wasn't, it was the rest of the crew, and in particular the navigator, Juan Sebastian Elcano. Can you say that, Ed? Juan Sebastian Elcano. That's right, excellent.
SPEAKER_04I like the idea, Jan, that if people listen to the Faith in Family's fun facts, they'll know things that correct other people's facts.
SPEAKER_03That's right, and people like to be corrected, don't they? Everybody knows that. The youngest person to single-handedly sail around the world is Laura Decker, who was 14 when she set off around the world in 2012, and was 16 when she finished her trip 518 days later. And also, Laura was under pressure to carry on with her schoolwork whilst single-handedly sailing around the world. Like this was some elaborate scheme to get out of doing her homework for a year and five months, which is how long it took her to sail solo around the world.
SPEAKER_04If I was left on my own, Jam for one year and five months, I'd actually be a danger to anyone who said hello afterwards.
SPEAKER_03She did stop in ports and stuff, so she didn't just do it in one hit. But to do, but she did all of the sailing alone, which is incredible.
SPEAKER_04Thank you for clarifying that fun fact, Jam. I'm now so much clearer than I was. Thank you. Jam, thank you for telling me all about boats and not ships. Because today's Bible story is about Jesus, boats, and his disciples.
SPEAKER_02One day Jesus was standing beside Lake Galilee. Many people were pressing all around him. They wanted to hear the word of God. Jesus saw two boats at the shore of the lake. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Jesus got into one of the boats, the one which belonged to Simon.
SPEAKER_01Jesus asked Simon to push off a little from the land. Then Jesus sat down in the boat and continued to teach the people on the shore. When Jesus had finished speaking, he said to Simon, Take the boat into deep water. If you will put your nets in the water, you will catch some fish.
SPEAKER_02Simon answered, Master, we worked hard all night trying to catch fish, but we caught nothing. But you say to put the nets in the water? So I will. The fishermen did as Jesus told them, and they caught so many fish that the nets began to break.
SPEAKER_01They called to their friends in the other boat to come and help them. The friends came and both boats were filled so full that they were almost sinking. The fishermen were all amazed at the many fish they caught. When Simon Peter saw what had happened, he bowed down before Jesus and said, Go away from me, Lord, I am a sinful man.
SPEAKER_02James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were amazed too. James and John were Simon's partners.
SPEAKER_01Jesus said to Simon, Don't be afraid. From now on, you will be fishermen for men. When the men brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed Jesus.
SPEAKER_04How do you feel as you walk through your schoolgate? Mark runs through his school gate, desperate to see his friends in the playground. Tanya walks confidently through. She enjoys learning, reading, and arithmetic, and she wants to get down to more challenges in the classroom. Lucas walks through the schoolgate holding tight to an adult's hand. These are hard steps for him to take. School feels worrying and it's new for him, and he doesn't know what to expect. Chelsea has to be carried through the schoolgate on the first day. It is a sad place for her because few friends are there and she wants to keep her mum right with her. Every new beginning is a chance to talk about how we're feeling. In today's story, the disciples had a new beginning, and they discovered they could trust Jesus with it. So let's look at it. The disciples had been fishing all night. Jam, how does it feel to spend a whole night working?
SPEAKER_03Oh my goodness. I have done it once or twice for some deadlines I had to meet. And what happens is basically by the morning you feel sick. That's it's not just feeling tired, you feel sick, and it is not fun.
SPEAKER_04So when Jesus told them to push their boat out and try again, they were having none of it. They were fishermen, they knew where to fish and when to fish. You don't tell a driver how to steer their car, you don't tell a chef how to fry an egg, and you don't tell a slightly sick feeling fisherman to just throw his net over there. But Jesus did.
SPEAKER_02The fishermen did as Jesus told them.
SPEAKER_04That sounds right. We can learn from them. Do as Jesus says. Oh my goodness, they couldn't pull the net in. They weren't strong enough.
SPEAKER_03We need a bigger boat! Come and help! And now the net's breaking. Okay, no sudden moves. Go gently, or we'll lose the lot.
SPEAKER_04Where did all these fish come from? This is mad. Simon Peter was shocked, and he wasn't thinking about the fish. He knew he was stood looking at the Son of God. And he realized he wasn't worthy. He threw himself to the floor. He knew Jesus was perfect and powerful, and now he knew he was a sinful man. Listen carefully to what happened next.
SPEAKER_01Jesus said to Simon, Don't be afraid. From now on, you will be fishermen for men.
SPEAKER_02When the men brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed Jesus.
SPEAKER_04No need to be afraid. Follow Jesus. Be a fisherman of men. So Simon did, because he had just learned he could trust Jesus. Simon left his fishing boat and all that fish. Because nothing mattered to him now as much as Jesus. He didn't need to be afraid of anything anymore, because he was with Jesus. Jesus asks us to follow him. Now we can't walk away to follow him, because Jesus is now on his throne in heaven. We can't see him. But he still wants us to follow him in a slightly different way. By listening to him in the Bible, by doing what he wants, and by trusting him. We can be like Simon. Nothing matters as much as Jesus. We don't need to be afraid of anything, because Jesus is with us by his spirit.
SPEAKER_03Let's test that out. How does this change our story if we're looking forward to this year? It's new opportunities, it's adventures with friends, it's growing up, it's the next big thing. It's exciting.
SPEAKER_04Well, walk into this year following Jesus. Listen to him, trust him, be excited with him, live like nothing matters as much as him. Make Jesus more important than your friends, more important than your homework, more important than what others think of you. Be a fisherman of men. Who can you ask to start following Jesus?
SPEAKER_03But what about if we're feeling worried about this year? It's different, it's difficult. We feel alone and we don't know how it's gonna go. Well, you're following Jesus.
SPEAKER_04Every room you walk into, he's already there. Every door you open, he is already on the other side. You are never alone, you follow Jesus. Don't be afraid. Keep following Jesus. You are safe. He is with you. Let's follow Jesus into this year. I'm gonna pray. Thank you that Jesus is still asking us to follow him. Help us to follow him into this new year. We won that. Amen. Amen. Questions. Under fives. What did Simon catch when he threw his nets into the water? Fives to sevens. What made Simon sure he could trust Jesus? Over eights, do you feel excited about this year or slightly worried? How can Jesus help you? Over elevens and adults, what makes you sure you can trust Jesus?
SPEAKER_03You can have a chat about that now, in which case press pause, but we're going to carry on. Recognise this music? And what about this voice? I'll let her introduce herself.
SPEAKER_02I'm Jessica Seeker, and this is the second season of the Seeking Jesus Podcast with me, Jessica Seeker, celebrity podcaster and creator of a new perfume, simply called Jessica. Since our first season, I've been working on this new fragrance that captures something of the essence of who I am: beauty, elegance, and curiosity for the modern and ancient world. And today I'm going to launch my new fragrance at this beautiful lake. These huge crowds have clearly heard that I'm here for my event. I don't know how so many have found out. And with me, as always, is my podcast assistant, Abby. What do you make of my new perfume? It stinks. What? It smells of fish. It does not? Oh, actually, you're right. It does. Wait, no, that's not my fragrance. That's the smell of those fish over there.
SPEAKER_01Oh, look at that massive pile. Ah, yes. The fishermen had a massive catch. They couldn't believe it. They'd been fishing all night. And not a sausage. You mean not a fish?
SPEAKER_02Or can you catch sausages in a lake? Do sausages swim in lakes? That's an exclusive for the Jessica Seeker podcast?
SPEAKER_01No, but they'd fished all night. And Jesus used one of their boats to teach so the crowd wouldn't get too close to him.
SPEAKER_02Um, I can relate to that. It's so hard being a celebrity. I can't go out at the moment because everyone just wants to hear about my new perfume.
SPEAKER_01Just to be clear, the crowds are here because of Jesus, not your fragrance. Can't it be both? Anyway, afterwards, Jesus told the owners of the boats to have one more go at fishing. Which did not seem like a good idea, but they did, and they caught so many fish their boats began to sink.
SPEAKER_02Ugh, I can tell. The smell is horrible.
SPEAKER_01But don't fishing boats always stink? Not stink. Sink! They had never caught so many in one go.
SPEAKER_02Oh, I wish they had sunk because all this fish is now stinking the place out and ruining the launch of my fragrance.
SPEAKER_01I think it's amazing. My fragrance! No, what we've learned. It's a great way to start a new season of the podcast. We need to trust Jesus to do what he says, like the fisherman did, and then follow Jesus to go where he takes us. Fine, yes, good. Where is he now? He's gone. But he can't have got far. He was here this morning and And so the quest continues.
SPEAKER_02We go on seeking Jesus, which is why the Seeking Jesus podcast with me, Jessica Seeker, is still called the Seeking Jesus Podcast. Until next time, I have to figure out what to do with all this perfume.
SPEAKER_01Maybe we could spray it over all those people to get rid of the smell of fish? Oh, that's such a good idea!
SPEAKER_02It's like the ultimate viral launch event! Do you think they would like it?
SPEAKER_01No.
SPEAKER_03A couple of years ago, Awesome Cutlery wrote this brilliant song about going back to school.
SPEAKER_00Father, Son and Holy Spirit, thank you for this day. Help us as we worship you in love and work and play. You know all our feelings, our hopes and joys and fears, and you stick beside us right through the years. From drop off to big up and over the table, your love is big and fence, and it's to you. And so we live in your face.
SPEAKER_04A quick bonus family challenge for you. Let me try it out on you, Jam. As you think about walking into this new school year following Jesus, what three words would you use to describe how you want this year to go for your whole family? I'll give you mine, Jam. Stepping into this year, I want my family to be patient, brave, kind.
SPEAKER_03What about you, Jam? I've got three, they're a little bit different from that. My oldest is off to do a year somewhere else. So my three words are different. It's gonna be different. Connected, we're still a family, we're still together. Held. Jesus still has all of us in his hands.
SPEAKER_04So whether you do it right now or after this podcast has finished, have you got three words for your family this year?
SPEAKER_03We've just got time to say hello to a few more listeners who emailed us at podcast at faithinkids.org.
SPEAKER_04Like Ruth, Martha, and Joel, who have recently come across the podcast and have made long car journeys while listening to us. They enjoyed the series in James, which Ruth has been learning about in her group at church. It's almost like it's been planned that way.
SPEAKER_03And another family have had the same experience of listening on the way home from swimming. Everyone's swimming. I appear to be the only person in the world not swimming. The Fernie family in Cornwall, Barney will be Fossey and Bertie, which is great fun to say, in Cornwall. And Ed, do you know that you once met Barney by a steam train? Does that ring any bells? Chuff, chuff! I love a steam train. I remember Barney very well. Lovely day on the trains. And Barney wants to reassure you that you are not alone in your wedding lack of trousers incident. They recently arrived at a wedding after hours of driving to find a shirt had been left behind. And as a substitute, after an emotional few minutes, mummy's blouse was provided and worn, tucked into shorts, covered with a jumper so nobody noticed.
SPEAKER_04That makes me feel so much better. No matter what you've forgotten, there is a way of attending a wedding. Thank you. We love hearing from you. Email us at podcast at faithinkids.org or through the website where you'll find a whole bunch of resources, including our new brand new sparkly series, the second part of Mark's Gospel, Jesus Saves.
SPEAKER_03Go and have a look at that. That series will be coming along very soon indeed. Why don't you tell someone else about it? Get them up to speed with the first series, and then they too can enjoy the Faith in Families podcast. Thanks for listening. Cheers, Ed. Bye bye. Speak to you next time. Cheerio. I'm pressing stop. I think that's fine to do.
SPEAKER_04As you think about walking into this new school year following Jesus, what three words would you use to describe how you want this year to go for your whole family?