Teaching Summary: The Courage to Say, Yes

We don’t usually think of courage as something central to our spiritual lives. Courage is for daredevils, soldiers, whistleblowers, and Red Sox fans. It’s dramatic. It belongs on stages or in stadiums, not in quiet moments of prayer or everyday obedience.

But in the Gospel of Mark, courage shows up right in the middle of something ordinary.

Jesus is walking beside the Sea of Galilee when he calls out to Simon and Andrew: “Come, follow me.” A few steps later, he says the same to James and John. These are young men, possibly even teenagers, with deeply familiar lives—early mornings, casting nets, mending them, fishing the same waters their fathers and grandfathers fished. This is the life they know.

And then, in just a few words, Jesus invites them to leave it all.

No detailed explanation. No itinerary. No promise of success or comfort. Just: “Come, follow me.” And they do. At once. Without delay. They leave the nets, the boats, the hired men, their father — and they go.

It’s so abrupt it almost feels unsettling. Who does that? Who says yes to something that unclear?

Courageous people do.

They didn’t follow because they were confident. They didn’t follow because they had clarity. They followed because something in them trusted the one who was calling.

Following Jesus still requires courage. Not just in dramatic, life-altering moments — but in daily ones. The kind of courage that says, “Okay, Jesus. I don’t know where this is going, but I’m saying yes.”

That’s not the courage of certainty. That’s the courage of surrender. And surrender always feels risky. It always feels like loss before it feels like life.

Maybe that’s why so many of us get stuck. We’re not rebellious. We’re just trying to feel ready. We want clarity. We want control. We want comfort. But those things don’t require courage—and they don’t grow our faith.

Courage is doing it scared.

It feels like vulnerability. Like uncertainty. Like standing at the edge of something unknown and moving forward anyway. If we wait to follow Jesus until we feel confident, we never will.

Think of Abraham, who “obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8). That’s courage. Saying yes before you know the details. Stepping forward without knowing what’s next. Trusting God, not because the way is clear, but because He is good.

Jesus is still calling. Not to believe casually or attend comfortably — but to follow Him. To leave the safe and familiar behind. To walk with Him into a life that’s transformative.

And every transformation begins with a step.

That step might look like asking for help. Or having a hard conversation. Or forgiving someone who hurt you. Or leaving something behind that no longer fits who God is shaping you to be. Or saying yes to something new, even though it scares you.

The question isn’t, “Do you feel ready?” The question is, “Do you trust the One calling you forward?”

So where might Jesus be asking you to say yes?

Not a one-time yes. A daily one. He said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). This is the way of life with Jesus. Not safe. Not predictable. But rich with purpose, presence, and transformation.

What’s your next step?

You may not know what lies ahead. But you don’t have to. Jesus does. And He’s already waiting for you there.

May we be people who find the courage to say yes.