A Fishing Story

By Adam Faughn   There is an old sermon illustration that I have heard used a handful of times, but I have never been able to run down where it originated. So, please know that the following is a summary of ow I remember it being told. If you know where it is originally from, I would love to find out because it drives home a powerful concept.   -----       One day, a man decided to fish. He got a simple pole, line, and hook and went to a local creek. He was not successful at first, but he enjoyed the time in nature, so he went again. After a few trips, he caught his first fish. A few trips later, he had caught more.     After a time, the man had gained quite a reputation for knowing how to catch fish, so people came to see him do it. While he did not catch fish every time he went, he was usually successful, plus he loved to talk about fishing. It had become a passion for him. People started wanting to hear him speak about the techniques he used and where the best fishing spots were.     Time passed and the man became truly renowned in the fishing world. He was asked to speak at fishing seminars. He wrote books and articles on fishing. He even offered an online class on the modern techniques of fishing. His knowledge was impeccable, as he stayed up-to-date with the latest innovations in fishing gear, fishing technology, and fishing techniques. He was basically unparalleled in the fishing world for giving people information on fish.     Amazingly, the man created such a furor that an entire fishing university was created, and people filled their minds in courses such as "Angler 101" and "Line-Baiting Symposium." They graduated with degrees in fishology and were now filled with all sorts of information.     But, through it all, there was one thing that was no longer happening. The man who was such an expert on fishing simply did not have the time anymore...to fish. He had not been in years. He had the information and stayed up to date, but he had not put a hook in the water for a long, long time. Thus, he had not even attempted to actually catch a fish in many years.     So, while the world was now full of people who knew the information about fishing, what was missing? People who fished.   -----       ThatBut if all we ever do is talk about it, we are not doing what we are talking about.     Go fishing! Even if you do not "catch" a soul, your loving effort is what God blesses. Who do you need to talk to, even today?     "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." (Mark 16:15)

- Adam Faughn preaches for the Central Church of Christ in Paducah KY. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.centralchurchofchrist.org Visit the Faughn Family blog, A Legacy of Faith.