Thoughts thanks to Fishing & Catching
May 10, 2007
OK…if you read my last post, you know where I was going in stating the differences between fishing and catching. Jesus called us to both fish for men, and to catch men.
Honestly, that was the basis of last weeks Bible Study on the Life of Christ. This whole week something has been rolling around in my head (and unfortunately, there is far too much room for that). In keeping with the fishing theme, I wondered to myself, and involved some people in a discussion of whether or not we are actually involved in a catch & release program. I don’t know if it is the same in other countries, but here in the US, there is a sad trend going on in the church to get people to “cross a line” and then we seem to forget about them.
Let me explain what I mean by “cross a line.” For some, it is that trip down the aisle, or the sinner’s prayer. Maybe it is baptism. For some, it might even be membership into a certain church. What happens then? Where is the discipleship?
When was the last time someone asked you what you were reading in the Bible for your own benefit? When was the last time you asked that of someone else? What is God showing you about his character? How is your prayer life? These are questions that should be asked as the beginnings of discipleship, and they aren’t even asked down the road.
Let’s step out of our comfort zones, quit this catch & release junk, and start making disciples!
Excellent post. We struggle with this at our church. How do you move people from the raising of hands to discipleship?
Most of the time, we are afraid to ask the questions you bring up because we don’t want to “scare” someone off or offend anyone. I don’t think Jesus worried about that.
I try to ask people where they are reading in their quiet time and I get the blank stare. So I have adopted “devotional” as the buzz word.
But I still get little traction…even in my cell groups. At least my accountability partner and I have common denominators.