Beyond the neighborhood

Acts 1:8 …all Judea and Samaria

Do you have plans beyond your neighborhood?

Many individual Christians are content with fishing at home. This is good in a sense. This is our most important place to start. We train our families in the way they should go and we model the lifestyle of Christianity to our children.

Are you modeling a Christian lifestyle? If not, what are you modeling? (Another blog)
Acts 1:8 says we will be witnesses in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria … This is a strategy for ministry we can follow as individuals and corporately as the body of Christ. It is a pattern of concentric circles. Picture dropping a pebble in a pool of still water and notice how it makes circles outward from the point of impact.


Take this visual of concentric circles and realize that God has impacted your life. Can you see the potential impact of your life on your sphere of influence? You have affinity with a good number of people. Stop and think about those circles. Draw it out on a sheet of paper.

Center – Home
1st ring – parents
2nd ring- friends
3rd ring – neighbors
4th – co-workers
5th- city
6th –counties
7th – State..

Do you get the picture? Jesus modeled this for us in Matthew 4:

23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

Jesus' expectation for his disciples is to the spread of the Gospel and follow his plans to accomplish the Great Commission. The Church ‘must’ focus on building the Kingdom. Many individuals and Churches never get beyond Jerusalem. Christ expects us to be fruitful and multiply at home, in our city, counties, state and abroad.

Are any of you numbers people?

Numbers help us understand how big a mission this is.

Barna Group- Approximately 75 million disconnected Americans (not connected to any Church)
28% in the South and Midwest
43% in the West
40% Northeast

Here some stats close to home. These are population stats in St. Johns County:
1990-2007 they had 52.5% growth
2003 – Population 142, 949 and expect 210,052 by 2012
There would need to be 420 Churches (500 members each) to cover the growth.

That being said, do you or your Church have a plan to reach those who don’t have a relationship with Christ? Do you have tears and a heart for the lost? Their lives now and eternally depend on God’s people working to expand the Kingdom of God. Start reaching those in ‘your’ sphere of influence today.

Learn to fish and GO FISH!

Where is my Jerusalem?

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

We are called to be witnesses in Jerusalem?

In the early days as a fisherman I recall asking, where do I fish? Where is my fishing-hole? Every fisherman has a favorite spot to fish. The problem was I didn’t know many fishermen who regularly went fishing. Most of them were tournament fishers. They would wait until big events to fish. (aka. Outreach)

One day my Dad was telling me a story about a young man in college that felt he was being led to fish in Africa. That’s a big sea! The professor was very encouraging and comforted (prodded) him with these words: (my paraphrase)

That’s great! Before you go all the way to Africa, head across campus to this housing project. Canvas the area and share the Gospel with each family. Get to know them and minister to them. The student replied, but there are Black people living in that community! That’s right said the professor. What do you expect to find in Africa? Sadly, this student no longer felt called to fish in Africa.

Fish are fish, man! (That’s another story and soap box moment)

While it’s exciting to think of going to foreign lands to fish and plant Churches, we cannot forget our Jerusalem. Charity starts at HOME says Paul to young Timothy. But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. The provision, first, is to their souls. Our primary fishing hole is our home. Next, our neighbors, neighborhood, and our city all fall into our Jerusalem. Where is your primary fishing hole? Are you fishing there? How many fish are there? One, great! Two, wonderful?

Can you say, “I see fish”, I knew you could.

If not, ask God to show you where the puddle, pond, lake, sea and oceans are. Pause for a moment and do that now. While you wait, one, two, three, ah-ha He has given you some fishing spots, right?

Be prepared. This is the motto for the Boy Scouts, but it’s what we need to be as fisher’s of men. Learn to share your faith (fish) and share it! (Go fish) Time is not on the world’s side. The Rolling Stones were wrong on that. Many fish in your Jerusalem are dying each day (150,000 worldwide) and the owner of all the ponds, lakes, and seas is returning soon and will close this season of fishing. It will be too late.

All uncaught fish, those that have not ‘repented and trusted Christ’; will be cast into a new lake, the lake of fire. They will remain there forever and ever and ever and ever…

FISH while you still can! They are biting and need the hook of the law that pierces their dead hearts. The hook of the law is perfect in converting the soul. You will save some and yourself in the process.

Be trained to fish. Be equipped to fish. GO FISH!

Moments at the fishing hole

We are called to be 'fishers of men', but do we fish?

We are called to 'go and make disciples', but have we gone, going, quit or never got started?

My hope, as I reflect on moments at the fishing hole, is that these stories will encourage and challenge you to share your faith. They will not always be successful outings. Some will be good catches. A few will be like trying to catch a barracuda. Fish have teeth and sometimes you get bit. Other times you'll find the fish aren't biting or at least it appears that way.

Background of a fisherman

Back in 1999, while attending Southside Methodist I watched an evangelistic video, Hell's Best Kept Secret. This video impacted me greatly. It hit straight to my core. The presentation was clear and effective. I repented and trusted Christ for salvation. This commitment to Christ changed me forever. I've been on a fantastic journey ever since. I will have to tell that another time.

Soon after that great day, I began to thirst and hunger for God. I was taken under the wing of my Pastor and friend Dale Tedder and was discipled in the faith. It was clear to me early that God wanted me to share my faith too. I was being called to fish. Pastor Dale had a set of VHS Pre-way of the master videos that he let me borrow. Hey! those might be worth some big bucks now! :)

After viewing the videos, I was 'prepared to share'. I ordered some of the pennies with the 10 commandments on them. Special note: These are the best and easiest icebreakers. Right around that same time, Here's Life Inner-City, was holding an evangelism training class. Ben Goldsmith was leading the class. This was great! I was primed and ready from Ray Comfort's tapes and now was getting a crash course from Campus Crusade. Ben surprised the class. We thought this was just an in-class course, but Ben told everyone that we were going out into the streets later that day to practice what we just learned. Many of the people were freaked out. One reason, we were in the inner-city and many were from suburban areas. Second, they were afraid to share their faith. I was a bit nervous, but ready.

Ben and I teamed up and found a guy named Cyrus. We started with an icebreaker and then moved to the Gospel presentation. Ben prayed while I shared. Cyrus told us he had a church background, but didn't understand the message. We explained it to him and by the time we were finished, the dude repented and trusted Christ as his Savior and Lord.

It really blew me away. That was like adding gasoline to a fire. That was six years ago and I'm still on fire today!

I encourage you to learn to fish. You will get hooked. Go fish! There are people who need to be caught before they go to hell.