Gone Fishin’ (part 1)
GONE FISHIN’ (PART 1)
Read Matthew 4:17-22.
Todd quickly scribbled a note for his mother—“Gone fishin’. Todd.” Then he grabbed his pole and bait and hurried out the door. As Todd reached the river, he saw a boy sitting in his favorite fishing spot. “Catchin’ anything?” he asked.
The boy looked up and mumbled, “Naw, this isn’t a very good spot.”
Todd couldn’t believe his ears. This was the best spot on the whole river! “Well, you gotta be patient when you’re fishin’,” he reminded the boy.
“I’ve been sitting here all morning without any bites,” the boy complained, giving his pole such a jerk that his line popped out of the water.
“How much do you pop your line out of the water like that?” Todd asked.
“Oh, every few minutes—just to see if a fish has eaten the worm yet,” the boy replied.
“You fish much?” asked Todd.
“My first time,” the boy answered.
“What’s your name?” Todd asked.
“Pete Fisher,” the boy said.
Todd sat down. “Pete,” he said, “we’ve gotta talk.”
At dinner that night, Todd told his family about Pete. “We sure had fun! He’s learnin’ to fish so he can live up to his name.”
“That’s funny,” Dad said, smiling. “It reminds me of the Peter in the Bible. He was a fisherman too. And one day Jesus said to Peter, ‘Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!’ Todd, you have a perfect opportunity to ‘fish’ for Pete. Your friendship could help lead Pete to Christ.”
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you go fishing? You should if you’re following Jesus. This kind of fishing doesn’t even require handling wiggly worms! It requires a smile or maybe an invitation to go to church with you. Ask God to show you how you can become a fisher of people.
TO MEMORIZE:
Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”
Matthew 4:19
BE A FISHER OF MEN.
From the book
