“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19 (NIV)

Jesus statement reflects one analogy of sharing our faith. We can view the work of spreading the gospel like a fisherman catching fish.

Obviously, the analogy is not perfect, and we can push the meaning too far. This does not mean we are going to fillet people and have them for a Sunday lunch. The emphasis is not on the fate of the fish as it is the work of the fisherman. Trying to lead someone to Jesus is much like trying to catch a fish. For anyone who has ever tried to be evangelistic in their life, the analogy makes sense. I found this especially true a couple of weeks ago while I was on vacation. I spent almost five full days fishing at a nearby lake on a public fishing dock.

During the days I spent fishing I was able to catch my limit almost every day. This enabled me to have three family fish dinners, plus give my mom and my sister some fish for the freezer. It also gave me a chance to observe people and their methods of fishing.

1. Know the Basics. I was amazed at the number of individuals who came to the docks with big lures or big round red and white bobbers. If you are a fisherman, you know exactly the type of people of which I speak. Some people have little knowledge and have never taken the time to learn. The result is that they cast and wait for an hour with little success. They frequently blame the fish that day and go home empty-handed. The hard truth was they did not know enough to be successful.

Honestly, you do not have to know a lot of profound truth to share your faith. You do need to know the basics. Who was Jesus? What did he do for you? How has it changed your life? Sharing Jesus requires a basic knowledge of the Bible and its meaning.

2. Pay attention to details. Once you know the basic, you need to be willing to step up your game. One day I was fishing and catching two or three times as many fish as everyone else on the dock. Everyone claimed I was in the “lucky spot.” The truth was that I was fishing at a very precise depth with only very lively minnows hooked near the tail for more wiggle. They were using big minnows near the bottom hooked in the head. Doesn’t sound like much of a difference but it affected the results in a big way.

This truth also applies to being evangelistic. The difference between having a positive experience and a negative one can be very subtle. Your basic approach to the situation, your attitude toward the people, the questions you ask and the way you listen can determine your success as much as what you say. Pay attention to details.

3. Persistence Pays Off. One day my mom, my son and I stayed on the dock fishing longer than most people. Everyone started leaving around noon and heading home. We only had seven fish but decided to stay. Then it came alive, and we ended up catching our limit of 45 in the next couple hours. Fishing is unpredictable, but patience is required.

I have spent years sharing my faith with not one single result. Then one day it happens. Someone trusts Jesus. Then another. No one may respond to my words today, but that does not mean no one will respond.

I enjoy fishing, and I enjoy sharing what I believe. I hope you at least are trying to do the latter of those two. I know there are lots of comparisons I see between the two practices and I hope maybe these three observations will help you.

I want to see those I know and care about respond to Jesus and his invitation, but frequently it takes the work of a skilled gospel fisherman to bring it to completion.

I hear preachers complain about it all the time, and I admit I have done it too. They complain during the Christmas season or during the Easter season about how busy they are at the time. Honestly, the minister who usually feels the burden of the winter and spring are the ones who enjoy summer too much. For some of us who lead Churches, summer is a down time, and we travel to conferences, take vacations and generally slack off.

Several years ago, I made a grand discovery that if I work hard in the summer, I will be far better prepared for the future. I can put plans and ideas together now for the work I will be doing several months out. So here are some of the projects I am working on this summer.

1. Membership. A little over a month ago I taught our membership class again. Now I am doing the follow-up with everyone. There are several reasons this is important. First is because our membership books are a mess. Through the years numerous people have been added with very few removed. We also had a Church split in our history and then a Church reunification that made a mess of our records. I am building a new list of members who are actively part of the Church. This list is then going to be divided up to help with the care ministry of the Church. We are forming what was once known as shepherding groups with the people who have taken the class. Finally, we are enlisting and directing new people where they can serve the Lord at our Church. We want to see everyone who calls this Church home serving in some capacity. The care of our members and volunteers we need are being secured now for the future.

2. Ministry Systems. Just like the human body is made up of different systems (think cardiovascular and muscular for example), so the Church is made up of different systems. There is a worship system, guest follow-up, ministry, leadership and so on. I am trying to organize these for the best possible outcome. I just bought a book that will help me work through this for our Church.

3. Sermon Planning. Every summer I try to plan for the next 12-14 months. I try to think through big days like Christmas and Easter. I like to come up with sermon series with titles for each sermon and hopefully a topic and text. I never want to be a slave to the immediate by waiting to put my sermons together. This keeps me preaching a variety of topics and using the whole Bible each year.

4. Complete Calendar. As the sermons are being put together I need to think through every aspect of every month. That might include a Sunday for the children’s Christmas program along with small groups and other activities. I try to think through the annual calendar while looking at the school schedule. Right now, this discussion involves the moving to two worship programs by this fall. We were running over 80% full in our auditorium this spring and now we need a plan for more seats in the fall. This takes a lot of thought, discussion and prayer.

These are some of the big things I am working on right now. I have several other small projects ranging from books I want to read to my Easter sermon for next year. Each of these jobs will help to make the Church better in the future and relieve me of stress in the future. Please say a prayer for our Church and its future plans and may God be glorified by everything we do.

Recently I was listening to a speaker talk about the benefits of hard work and persistence. He was trying to communicate to a group of teenagers some truth about life in a clear and straightforward way. As he talked, I quickly noticed that he has nothing new to say. It was all information I had heard before. Work hard, blah, blah, blah. Don’t quit, blah, blah, blah.

Then his talk changed. He started sharing his personal story of how he had to change his work ethic. He shared how he was once ready to quit and how he felt at the time. He shared some profound moments on his own personal journey and what happened in those times.

Suddenly his talk went from the same old high school speech to an engaging lesson about life.

While listening to him, I thought about the Christians I know. So often we can get caught up in sharing the faith we believe as a series of concepts or dry precepts. Frequently the response is boredom and disinterest. What really connects with people is when we share our story. There is power in sharing how we came to believe, the difference it has made in our lives and what we wish we had known some time ago.

Your story is unique and powerful.

Don’t get me wrong; there is a place for teaching the basics tenets of the faith. There is definitely a time when we need to explain the Bible and the set of beliefs we arrive at from reading it. Those are good and noble things.

Be sure not to neglect how those truths have affected you. The answer to the question, “How has knowing Jesus changed you?” might be one of the most important stories you tell.

People want to know what you believe, but it is equally important to know how those beliefs have changed you. You have a story to tell.

Let me be honest with you today.

No one cares about it. They simply do not care about that thing you have spent so much time on. They just don’t care.

That don’t care about your house. They don’t care about your yard or your landscaping. They don’t care about your car. They don’t care about your job. They don’t care about your awards. They don’t care about our sports achievements. They don’t care about your clothes. Many, if not all, people do not care about the things you spend so much time focused on each day.

Most people I know want one primary thing from you; they want to know you care about them.

Think about it. You are close to the people who genuinely care about you. It doesn’t matter where they live or what they wear or what they have done. The connection we have with other people is built on mutual concern and compassion.

If that is true, and I believe it is, here are some things you should do today above all else.

1. Visit someone. Take a few minutes of your time and make a stop to visit. Stop at their work. Stop by on your way home. You might want to call ahead. Nothing is as valuable as our time. Nothing shows you care more than spending that time with me.

2. Listen to people. I mean really listen. Turn off the TV. Put down your phone. Stop thinking about your to-do list. Listen to the joys and hurts of another person. Listen to the stories and experiences of the people around you. Listening is a powerful tool that is free to use.

3. Respond with questions. Mentally process what you are hearing. Probe for meaning with insightful responses that show you are truly listening. Ask questions to dig deeper and hear more. Ask questions about what other people know and want to teach. Ask them to share their stories while you laugh and cry with them.

4. Reach out in some meaningful way. If you do not have the opportunity to connect in person, then do the next best thing. Buy a card and write a little note. Write out a letter and send it. Type up an email asking them about themselves and their lives. Drop a text of appreciation. Reach out to other people in whatever way you can.

5. Find a way to express your feelings. Tell people you appreciate them, you care about them, you enjoy being with them and even that you love them. Verbalize in some way the emotions you feel inside. Nothing feels better than hearing that other people care.

You see, today you can spend all your time focused on achievements and appearances, or you can do something truly wonderful. You can let another human being know you care. You can go beyond mere words and touch their heart for good.

Being connected to other people will bring you joy beyond measure, and it could happen to you today.

Here is a thought for this Sunday afternoon. May God bless you all.

Over the last three weeks, I have read dozens of good articles. Here are some of the very best. Enjoy

Marriage Isn’t About Finding a ‘Best Friend’

Every Good Church Is Messy

The Most Marginalized Minority

The Letter Your Teenager Can’t Write You

10 Reasons We Need to Stop Romanticizing the Amish

BEWARE THE GRADUATION SPEECH

HOW WELL DOES YOUR CHURCH UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF PASTOR?

Just words

One thing I like to do when I have time off is to count my blessings mentally.

We live in a world where it is easy to see your shortcomings and failures. Through the power of social media, I get to see people who take expensive vacations to exotic places I will never be able to afford. I see individuals who have big boy toys I can never afford. They have free time that I simply do not get to enjoy. Spend a day talking to friends and looking online, and you forget all the blessings you have received in your life and only see how well other people have it.

For me, I like to take a few minutes (usually while fishing) to think through all the ways God has blessed my life.

I have a beautiful wife who loves me. We have been together for 22 and a half years. I have four active, healthy boys. I am blessed to still have my mother with me and able to enjoy time with her. I have been able to travel across much of the US and even live in Alaska. I have fished in great places and caught big fish. I could literally go on and on and on.

I am not writing these things to make you feel bad or some sort of jealousy. I am hoping to inspire you. This summer as you can think of all the fun times other people are having, or you can see the blessings in your own life. Take an inventory of your life, your family, your past, your present, your accomplishments, your possessions, the people in your life, the joys God has given you and the thousand little blessings that are so easy to overlook.

There are two ways to be happy. One is getting more and doing more. The other is to appreciate what you have and what you have done. One of the those will give you heartache, and one of those will actually give you joy.

For me, it was the most dreaded words a teacher could say. The assignment would be given, and then they would say, “We are going to do this work in groups.” If you are not familiar with that type of instruction, then please let me explain. That meant that the class was going to be broken down into groups of 3-5 students to do an assigned project together. For me that meant one thing, to get a good grade I would be doing almost all the work. Usually, one student in each group would take the lead and work hard while the others sat back and enjoyed their labor. According to my children, this type of thing still goes on today, and it still drives many students crazy.

When I became an adult, I learned that there was a name for this type of behavior. It is formally called the Pareto principle. You might know it as the 80/20 rule. Basically, the idea is that in any group 80 percent of the work will be done by 20 percent of the people. Through the years I have seen this principle applied to almost everything. It can happen on sports teams, in the business community, on group homework assignments and even in Churches.

In most Churches, 20 percent of the people do 80 percent of the ministry.

I read that and have two separate emotions. First, there is this general acceptance that this principle applies everywhere and I would expect it in the Church. Second is the sadness that this applies everywhere even in the Church. I mean, what would happen if the church stopped acting like the world and everyone started doing their part?

For each one of us, there are two important questions we must ask ourselves.

1. How much do I expect from the Church? Do you want the Church to have vibrant children’s ministries, impactful youth ministries, deep small groups ministry, enjoyable senior adult’s ministries, and on and on. Most people I know think the Church should be doing more. There should be more mission work, more humanitarian work, and more gospel work. How many ministries do I expect from my Church?

2. How much time and energy am I willing to commit to making those things happen? This question is about whether we are part of the 20 percent who do the work or the 80 percent letting everyone else carry the burden.

Yes, the Church could and should be doing more to transform the world into the kingdom of God. Who will do the work?

You see when the teacher gave one of those group projects I knew I would do most of the work and yet we would all get the same grade. It happened almost every time because I was the only one who cared about our score. I really wanted to do well. Slowly the other students came to know they could count on me to show up with a completed assignment and they would just put their name on it.

I really want to be a part of a group of people who are not the same was as those kids in my class.

Most ministers I know, if they are brutally honest, will tell you that they are frequently haunted by the question, “Why don’t you just quit?”

Serving the Lord as a preacher comes with a unique set of struggles. There are the personal struggles. Trying to live a life worthy of our calling is difficult. I know people look up to me and there is continual pressure not to fall. There are the spiritual struggles with sin that try to trip me up on my walk with the Lord. Temptation is around every corner and waiting to pounce. That temptation might be in the form of sexual sin or anger or pride or even the idolatry of ministry success. There are the professional struggles that come with the ministry. I know that every word I say and write will come under analysis. People will check my Biblical accuracy, my historical knowledge, my personal devotion, and my attitude while hoping to be challenged and entertained. On top of everything else are added the family struggles and financial struggles that all of us face.

Each week comes with its own set of questions and criticisms that can drain the joy out of life and leave me feeling alone. Many of us who are called to preach dream about the possibility of leaving the ministry for something less stressful.

So why do I continue to do it?

1. I am deeply committed to Jesus. I am not saying this to sound arrogant. I chose ministry because I am 100% convinced that Jesus came, lived, died and was resurrected. He is God in the flesh and will be the final judge of all people. I will answer for my life to him and him alone. To choose to do any less than serve him is the biggest mistake anyone can make.

2. I believe God has gifted me. I don’t know why he did it, but I believe God gave me a gift. I see things differently than other people. I think differently. That gift allows me to put together ideas in a way that makes sense to people. If God entrusted me with a gift, how can I not use it for his glory?

3. I understand that ministry is about service. Jesus told his closest followers that he did not come to be served but to serve. Jesus could have taken his place on a throne and sit back while humanity struggled. Instead, he gave of himself, even to the point of death on a cross. To follow him is to choose a life of sacrificial service.

4. I never know what God will do through me. I have spent year after year hitting my head against the wall of ministry thinking I am wasting my time. Then it happens. One person gets it. They make Jesus their Savior. They change their life. They are transformed in a way that is both dramatic and surprising. I stand in awe of the fact that God allowed me to speak into the life of that person in some way.

Honestly, even if you did not choose to be a preacher, I know all of us face the temptation to quit. The temptation to give up on this Christianity thing and go an easier path. Let’s face it; it sure looks like those outside of Christ are having more fun with less stress.

But each one of us must come back to the elemental truths we believe about Jesus. Do you really believe in the story of the Bible? Do you really believe one day we will stand before an eternal judge? Do you think that it is possible that God might have gifted you? Do you actually believe that God might use you to further his kingdom on earth? If you believe those things, the question is not “Why don’t I quit” but rather “How could I do anything else?”

“Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young,” commonly known by the title “Wear Sunscreen,” is an essay written as a hypothetical commencement speech by columnist Mary Schmich, originally published in June 1997 in the Chicago Tribune. The material is often erroneously described as a commencement speech given by author Kurt Vonnegut at MIT. Later on, this written piece became the basis for a successful spoken word song released in 1999 by Baz Luhrmann, “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen),” also known as “The Sunscreen Song.” That is where I first heard it and became interested in its content. I hope you have heard it, but if not you can look it up on YouTube.

The article gives various pieces of advice on how to live a happier life and avoid the common frustrations of adulthood. There is one part of it that has stuck with me since the moment I first heard it; I mean besides the advice to wear sunscreen. Ms. Schmich writes these words that Baz sings –

Don’t worry about the future
or worry
But know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum
The real troubles in your life are apt to be things
That never crossed your worried mind
The kind that blindsides you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday

These words have come to my mind again as I thought about my speech to a group of high school seniors. Then they were underlined and highlighted by a few recent events like the death of a man in a crash and a young man being diagnosed with cancer. I even watched my son break his thumb while making a routine out in baseball. His summer plans completely changed in a moment, and we never saw it coming. None of us are entirely sure what is going to happen next and how to be prepared for it.

There are two simple thoughts I cling to each day.

1. My faith has prepared me for life’s darkest moments. Faith is about trusting God at all times, but it is especially comforting when things go wrong. I am confident that God is in charge. I know that he will bring good out of any situation. If nothing else, I have the hope of heaven that shines a light at the end of the tunnel.

2. Most of life is about how we react to situations. While I cannot control all the situations that come at me, I can control my reactions to them. I can have faith. I can see the good in things. I can offer hope and love. I can make God’s kingdom present in my life and through my life by choosing to react in Godly ways.

Today is just another Tuesday. I have no idea what will happen to the people I love this day or to me. Maybe nothing or maybe anything. Mentally I am trusting God today no matter what happens. He is present in my life, and I am willing to let him use me. I am not worried about what happens today.