Well, not that kind of fishing. This week we talked about fishing for PEOPLE!
We always sing a fun song before we go into the sanctuary. It reminds us that we are visiting God's house.
In God's house I always know,
To let my feet fall lightly.
Quietly my steps will go,
I'll treat God's house politely.
There are three things you need to be successful at catching fish. First, you need the right equipment. We decided a fishing pole and some worms would do the trick.
Second, you need to go where the fish are. No one has ever caught a fish in their living room watching a fishing show. You have to go to the lake if you want to have a chance at catching a fish.
Finally, and most importantly, you have to be patient. Sometimes you have to wait a long time until you get a fish.
One day Peter and Andrew, James and John, four fishermen, were coming back to shore when they saw Jesus teaching a large crowd of people. The men had fished all night long, but hadn't caught a thing. Jesus asked to use one of their boats so that he could go out into the water and give everyone in the crowd a better chance to see him.
Then Jesus told the fishermen to let down their nets to catch some fish. But they had just fished all night and hadn't caught a thing! The men did what Jesus asked and, suddenly, their nets were so full that it took all four of the fishermen to pull them in. It was a miracle!
Then Jesus told them to put down their nets. He said "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." Fishing for people? They had never heard of such a thing! But they did what Jesus asked and learned how to fish for people with him.
God wants us to fish for people too. He wants us to catch them and bring them to Him. But how can we do it?
Fishing for people is a lot like fishing for fish. First, we have to use the right equipment. We need to know the stories about God in the Bible so we can tell them to others. What kind of bait works best for catching people? Not worms! No, if you want to share God's love, hugs work the best!
Second, we have to go where people are. We can't catch people and tell them about God if we are by ourselves.
And, finally, we have to be patient, just like catching fish. But the best part about fishing for people is that anyone can do it. Old or young, boy or girl, we all can fish for people. Hooray!
At the end of each chapel we take a minute to talk to God.
Thank you for inviting us to go fishing with you.
Help us to tell others about you.
Help us to show others how much you love us.
Help us to be patient and keep fishing.
Amen.
Until next week...
