Past Stories
Aug '09 __Sep '09__ Oct '09 __Nov '09 __Dec '09 __
Jan '10__ Feb '10 __ Mar '10 __Apr '10__May '10_
Story of the Month
August 2009
It is said that a preacher was recounting the story of a man who went fishing with his young son and his son’s best friend. On the way to the fishing hole, the father asked his son’s friend if he went to church. The young boy replied that he had never even stepped foot in a church. The father told the young boy that he would like him to accompany him and his son to church one day. When they finally reached the dock, the kids hurriedly got out and ready to board the boat. It was a beautiful day and their honey hole was just minutes away. Everything was smooth sailing when suddenly the boat hit a big piece of debris that was drifting in the water. Everybody flew off the boat and into the water. As the father became aware of what had just happened, he frantically looked around for his son and the other lad. He saw them both gasping for air trying to stay above water. The father swam toward the kids when it dawned on him that they did not know how to swim and were not wearing life jackets. The father did his best to keep both boys afloat, but to no avail. It was then that he realized he could only save one. Knowing that his son had Jesus in his heart, he made the heart-wrenching decision to let him go. He hugged his son, kissed him and said good-bye. His son slowly sank, but in a strange way looked at peace. The father struggled for almost an hour to stay afloat and finally get to shore. The young boy could not believe the sacrifice that that father had done. As the preacher closed his sermon, there was not a dry eye in the room. He looked straight at his congregation and said, “I know for a fact that the young lad’s life would forever be changed, because I was that boy!” Have you ever considered that this is exactly what God the Father did for you? He was willing to give up His only begotten Son, so that you could be saved. I hope that you will consider this story every time you go fishing and share it with your friends.
September 2009
A father went fishing with his son and figured it was time for them to have a heart to heart talk. He decided he would take him down to their favorite fishing hole where they could have some peace and quiet. The young boy grew excited as the sun began to rise knowing that soon they would be reeling in the catch of the day. They drove down that old dusty road until they arrived at that old familiar place. The day was perfect. The sun was just peeking out of the horizon, the bait was lively, and the drags were set. The very first cast yielded a monster trout. “Wow! That’s my boy,” said the father. One after another they caught. Soon, they had their limit, and so they thanked the good Lord for this great catch. Once the fish were in the cooler, the father asked the son to take a stroll with him down the beaten path. The young boy thought it was a little strange because his father had never asked him to walk and talk with him like that. “Son, you are getting to the age where you need to be aware of the dangers that are out in the world,” said the father. “Like what?” asked the son. The father replied and said, “Just all kinds of stuff. Things that are hard to explain. God has a wonderful plan for our life, and the devil would want nothing more than to destroy that plan and our lives along with it. This world will do almost anything to get you hooked.” “I don’t really understand,” said the son. All of a sudden, the father had an idea. So they quickly walked back to the truck. The father proceeded to take out all the baits he had in his tackle box, including the live bait, and stink bait – ugh! The father told the son, “You see, son, the world has a lot to offer. If you are not careful, the world will lure you in and snatch you up. By the time you know it, you’ll just be another trophy in the devil’s cabin. Sin is the bait of Satan. He uses all kinds of baits. There are different baits for different fish. While one fish might prefer live bait, another will go after the stinky stuff. The bait tastes great to a fish, but what the fish doesn’t realize is that there is a hook in that bait. Sin smells good, sounds good, and even looks good in a red dress – if you know what I mean. We must always remember that no matter the sin(bait), whether it’s sex, getting drunk, stealing, or even lying, it is all designed to hurt us at the end. Sometimes we think that we are getting away with it like a dumb bass with a lure in its mouth. But sooner or later, after you have indulged in it, Satan sets the hook. After that, you’re fighting for your life.” The father looked at his son straight in the eyes and said, “Son, I have never met an alcoholic who was happy. I have never met a drug addict who did not want to be free. They didn’t start off that way, but after a while they just couldn’t get away.” “I think I understand, but why don’t they just change if they are so unhappy?” asked the son. “They want to,” said the father, “but they just can’t do it on their own.” “What can they do?” asked the boy. “Nothing!” said the father in a sad voice. “They can’t do anything,” he repeated, “but Jesus can.” “Jesus came to set us free. Jesus came to keep us free. Jesus came to get the hook out, and put us back in the water where we belong.” The son nodded his head and said, “Now I get it.” That young boy would never forget the conversation he had with his father that day, for it would serve him the rest of his life. I realize that some of you reading this story may be happily hooked. You’re not worried about the hook in your mouth or concerned about the pain in your heart. But if you are, I encourage you to say the prayer on the back of this pamphlet, and let the Lord set you free. Be the “big one” that got away!
October 2009
This is a story of two college friends who were fishing at the pier. Unfortunately, the only thing that was biting was the mosquitoes. One of the guys was a born again Christian named Johnny, and the other guy didn’t go to church because, according to him, he was afraid the church would burn to the ground. The Sunday before this trip, Johnny had heard a powerful sermon about evangelism. He had heard about how important it was to share your faith and not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He decided that this would be the night to tell his friend about God. As they were waiting, they talked and laughed as they remembered the fun times they had recently enjoyed at college. This was the last semester break before resuming school and then graduation. Johnny decided that it was now or never, so he asked his friend a simple question, “What are you planning to do after you graduate?” “Well”, said the other friend, “The first thing I am going to do is take a much need vacation.” “Then what?” asked Johnny. “Well, I am going to find me the highest paying job possible and make a ton of money.” “Then what?” said Johnny. “I suppose I will look for the prettiest girl in the world and make her my wife. I think we will have, at least, 3 or 4 kids.” “And then?” persisted Johnny. “I will love my wife, raise my kids, and make sure they get a good education.” “And after that?” Johnny asked. “After that, I will retire a very rich, happy man, and fish all I can. I plan to grow old with the woman I marry.” “What then?” Johnny probed. “What do you mean what then? I guess there is nothing left to do, but to die?” “Then what?” Johnny asked in a very serious tone. “You know, I really never planned for anything after my funeral” said the friend. “Well you should”, exclaimed Johnny. “This life is only a drop in the bucket when you compare it to eternity. We plan for almost everything else in life, but we never really plan to die. The Bible says, ‘what does a man profit if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul’”. “I guess your right” said the friend. “I guess I just never thought about it, but it does make sense.” That night Johnny’s friend gave his heart to God and became his brother in Christ. He experienced a joy and a peace that he had never known before. Now he knew what he was going to do with the rest of his life all the way into eternity. It was the best fishing trip he had ever had. Is there somebody that you know who needs God in their life? Chances are you may even need God. Before you plan your next fishing trip, or hunting trip; before you book your next family vacation, ask yourself the all important question . . . THEN WHAT?
November 2009
Howard County Sheriff Jerry Marr got a disturbing call one Saturday afternoon a few months ago. His 6-year-old grandson Mikey had been hit by a car while fishing in Greentown with his dad. The father and son were near a bridge by the Kokomo Reservoir when a woman lost control of her car, slid off the bridge and hit Mikey at a rate of about 50 mph. Sheriff Marr had seen the results of accidents like this and feared the worst. When he got to Saint Joseph Hospital, he rushed through the emergency room to find Mikey conscious and in fairly good spirits. “Mikey. What happened?" Sheriff Marr asked. Mikey replied, "Well, Papaw, I was fishin' with Dad, and some lady runned me over. I flew into a mud puddle, and broke my fishin' pole and I didn't get to catch no fish!" As it turned out, the impact propelled Mikey about 500 feet, over a few trees and an embankment and into the middle of a mud puddle. His only injuries were to his right femur bone which had broken in two places. Mikey had surgery to place pins in his leg. Otherwise, the boy was fine. Since all the boy could talk about was that his fishing pole was broken, the Sheriff went out to the store and bought him a new one while he was in surgery so he could have it when he came out. The next day, the Sheriff sat with Mikey to keep him company in the hospital. Mikey was enjoying his new fishing pole and talked about when he could go fishing again as he cast into the trash can. When they were alone, Mikey, just as matter-of-fact, said, "Papaw, did you know Jesus is real?" "Well," the Sheriff replied, a little startled. "Yes. Jesus is real to all who believe in him and love him in their hearts." "No," said Mikey. "I mean Jesus is REALLY real." "What do you mean?" asked the Sheriff. "I know he's real 'cause I saw him." said Mikey, still casting into the trash can. "You did?" said the Sheriff. "Yep," said Mikey. "When that lady runned me over and broke my fishing pole, Jesus caught me in His arms and laid me down in the mud puddle.” The Sheriff just stood in amazement of the reality of God. Jesus is REAL, and you can know that for yourself. Simply refer to the back panel of this brochure and say the prayer and invite Jesus into your heart and ask Him to make Himself real to you.
December 2009
Rumor has it that there was a very wealthy contractor who just so happened to be a hardcore fisherman. I’m sure you know the type. He was a good guy, with a wonderful family who had just recently retired. He sat down in his office and wrote down all the things that he wanted to do with the rest of his life. He jokingly called it the “chum bucket list”. He told his wife that he was going to keep that list in a safe place until he had scratched out every item from the list. The first thing he did was buy his dream bay boat. It was his pride and joy. The next thing he did was build a game room where he could mount all of his trophies from his fishing and hunting expeditions. After years of buying & building and spending & splurging, he told his wife there were just a couple of things left on the list. That night as he went to bed, he mentioned to his wife that he did not feel very well. Later on that night, the man died of a massive heart attack during his sleep. His wife awoke to the horror and called 911 right away. She cried and sobbed until the ambulance got there. Weeks after his funeral, the widow finally got the courage to go into his office and clean it out. While cleaning his office, she opened the main drawer to his desk and found that chum bucket list that her husband had written some years ago. As she went down the list, every line was crossed out with a date next to it. She turned the page and saw that there was only one thing he had not done. The line simply read “Get right with God.” Her heart broke all over again as her tears fell on the page she was reading. She thought to herself, “Why didn’t he put that on the top of the list instead of the bottom.” As reality set in, she eventually bowed down on her knees, and asked God to save her soul. As we prepare for the holiday rush and write our Christmas list, let us never forget the most important things in life. On behalf of all of us here at Fisher of Men’s Ministry, we want to wish you and your family Happy Holidays. Please Remember - Jesus is the Reason for the Season!
January 2010
A father and son went fishing one evening and unfortunately got lost in the woods. This just so happened to be a new fishing hole a friend told them about. The father knew that the truck was somewhere north from where they were. The young boy began to panic as they heard some coyotes in the distance. The son said in a scared tone, “What are we going to do?” The father calmly told the son, “What we are not going to do is panic.” That old fisherman looked up at the starry night and began to mumble something. “Are you praying?” asked his son. The old man said, “That, plus I’m looking for the North Star.” “What good is a star going to do out here?” asked the inexperienced son. “Well, you see, son, the North Star is the only star in the sky that is constant. It never moves, and it will help us find our way back home.” The young boy decided it was probably better if he just stayed quiet and let his dad lead the way. After about thirty minutes of walking in the woods, they finally came upon the clearing where they had parked. The son let out a sigh of relief. He said, “That was pretty cool how that star led us out of danger.” “Where did you learn that?” he asked. “Well to tell you the truth, I first saw this idea in the Bible” responded the father. “The Bible?” asked the son. “Yes, the Bible”. “It all goes back to when baby Jesus was born. The Bible says that wise men came from the east and they were following Jesus’ star. It says that the star lit the way for them to find the Savior.” “Wow! That’s cool!” said the son. “It sure is,” answered his dad. “Many people say that the North Star is Bethlehem’s Star which is the very same star that led those men to Jesus,” said the old man. The father continued saying, “You see, just like the North Star helped us find our way when we were lost and led us out of danger, so it is with Jesus. Jesus is constant, always shining, and willing to lead us back to safety which literally means salvation.” The young boy said, “You know I never thought about it that way.” The father said, “Yup! Even nature shows us the existence of the Creator, and His infinite wisdom and love for humanity.” He then looked at his boy and said in a more serious tone. “Son, if you are ever lost or in danger, look to Jesus who will help you through it.” They got in the truck, said a prayer of thanks, and went on their way.
February 2010
Two friends, Bob and John, went out fishing one day. Bob was your hardcore type of fisherman. He had all the gear, gizmos, and latest gadgets. He was suited up like a professional angler. John was the simple type. He didn’t have the best tackle and sure didn’t dress the part. The only thing they really had in common was you guessed it – fishing! Once they reached their destination, Bob put his usual four rods in the water – one line in every direction. John didn’t seem to mind; after all, it was Bob’s boat. John threw his single line wherever there was enough space. As they waited patiently for the first bite, John said, “It sure is nice out.” “Sure is”, responded his buddy. John said, “A beautiful day like this reminds me that I serve a wonderful God.” “Not that again”, sighed Bob. He continued, “Every time we come out, you talk about God. Can’t we just fish? Why can’t we have some fun without bringing up the big man?” “Well, I’m just saying”, muttered John. “If you went to church with me maybe you would understand how I feel”, commented John. “I already told you. I don’t do church”, snapped Bob. “Church is for pansies, and I’m no pansy,” chuckled Bob. “C’mon Bob. What’s the real reason you don’t want to go to church?” asked John. Bob answered, “I already told you. I ain’t no pansy.” “Are you saying I’m a pansy?” asked John. “Well, no,” Bob replied. “Well then? I know there has to be another reason,” insisted John. “You want to know the truth?” Bob said in a serious tone. “That’s all I’m asking,” John replied. “Me and you have been friends for a long time John,” said Bob. “But there’s a lot you don’t know about me. I’m not a very nice person; in fact, I’m down right dirty. There! Are you happy? I’m a dirty, rotten scoundrel, and I’m not worthy to be in church. Maybe one day, when I get my act straight, you might see a guy like me in a place like that.” “But you got it all wrong,” interrupted John. “You don’t get right, and then go to God. If you could do that then you wouldn’t need God.” “What you talking about,” inquired Bob. “You see it’s kinda like fishing,” said John. “You have to catch a fish before you can clean it. Fish don’t already come nicely filleted, though I wish they did.” “Ain’t that the truth,” laughed Bob. “I always hated cleaning fish.” “Exactly!” exclaimed John. “That’s God’s part. He will clean you up, but first He’s gotta catch you. I always say, ‘You catch’em, God will clean’em,’” answered John. “Well maybe you got a point,” whispered Bob. “I guess if I could’ve changed on my own, I would’ve done it by now. You’ll see me on Sunday,” said Bob. John simply grinned and said, “Looking forward to it.”
March 2010
There’s a story of a man who went out to sea in spite of the storm that had been predicted. The storm held within it heavy rain and hurricane force winds. The man decided that he would find out once and for all whether there truly was a God. Once he ran out of gas, he was in the middle of nowhere. Suddenly the wind began to pick up. He shouted to the top of his lungs and said, “God, if you’re real and if you’re out there, I want you to come down and save me.” In the distance, you could see the dark clouds beginning to draw near. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, a boat was passing by, and the stranger said, “Do you need some help? There is a storm coming in.” The stranded boater shouted, “No! I’m waiting for God to save me.” The nice stranger decided it was better for him to get moving if he was going to beat the storm. The man looked up to heaven and said, “I’m still waiting!” About ten minutes later a yacht was passing by and a young man came up beside him and said, “Get on board, there is a storm coming.” The poor confused guy said, “Nope! I’m waiting for somebody else to come help me.” The young man, didn’t quite understand, and decided to keep on moving closer to shore. On his way, the young man decided to call the Coast Guard and let them know that there was a guy in danger and gave them the coordinates from his GPS. Now, the storm was almost right on top of this guy. The wind was strong and the rain was falling hard. His boat was about to capsize. When out of the dark clouds came the Coast Guard helicopter. They yelled at the man who seemed to be ignoring them. Knowing that they did not have much time, the officer put on his safety harness and began to lower himself down and attempt to rescue the stubborn man. As he drew near, a monster wave capsized the boat and the man just disappeared. The Coast Guard searched for as long as they could until conditions became way too dangerous. Seconds later, the man opened his eyes to find that he was at heaven’s gate. Astonished and bewildered, he got up to his feet and screamed, “No! It can’t be! I can’t be dead. This is not real!” While he argued with himself, he heard a voice come from within saying, “It is very real. Your life on Earth has ended.” “But God”, said the man. “I asked you to save me if you were real.” To that, God responded, “I tried three different times but you refused my help.” “But I didn’t know that was you”, said the man. He continued, “How could I have been so blind.” Then God said, “That’s the problem with most people. They don’t realize that I have different ways of reaching out to them. Why, I can even use a story in a brochure to try and help them.”
April 2010
This is a story of a guy named Bill. Bill was a corrections officer at a local detention center. Every day he saw all sorts of kids getting into trouble. The conversation at the employee lounge was always the same. Adults griping and complaining about how bad these youth were now-a-days. Bill was heart-broken over the fact that nothing seemed to be changing with teens in his neighborhood. Finally, Bill stood up in the middle of the room, interrupted the usual jibber jabber, and asked, “Well, why doesn’t somebody do something?” One guy in a corner said, “Why don’t you do something?” and laughed. Bill sat down and said, “Maybe, I will. Maybe, I just will.” At that moment, Bill found purpose in his pain. You see, his own son was in prison because he had got caught up in all the drugs and stuff. Bill was always too busy working to notice that his son was being swept away by a flood of drugs and alcohol. Bill decided that he was going to be that someone who did something. With the help of the local fishing store, he organized a fishing tournament for troubled youth. The response was better than he thought. After weeks of preparation, the day finally came. Kids had come out with their parents. Many teens had come out to fish on their own, too. It was truly awesome! Right before the final weigh in, Bill had an idea. As he took the stage to share his motivational speech, he began with a great illustration. “How many of you kids caught a fish today?” he asked. The majority of those kids raised their hands with big smiles on their faces. Bill said, “You see. You don’t have to get in trouble to have fun.” He added, “How many noticed that soon after your fish was taken out of the water it began to gasp and slowly die?” Once again, almost everyone raised their hand. “Let me tell you why,” said Bill. “Everything that is living has its original life source. For example, when I was in church I learned that trees and plants were formed out of the dirt in the ground. Consequently, when you take a tree or plant out of the ground, it will slowly wither and die. The same is true for fish. When God created fish, He spoke to the water and fish came from the water. So whenever a fish is taken out of the water, it will slowly begin to die, because its life source came from the water. But the most interesting thing of all is that when God got ready to create man, He did not speak to the dirt or to the water, He spoke to Himself and said, ‘Let us make man after our image and in our likeness.’ Man came from God. And because of that, whenever man gets away from God, we begin to die, or worst, kill each other. The point I’m trying to make is that we need to stay connected to our life source. As long as we stay connected with God, we will live a life full of purpose. I know I’m fulfilling my purpose right now.” Everyone stood and applauded and congratulated Bill on a very successful event. Many of the troubled teens Bill saw in and out of the center came by and said, “Thanks for doing something.”
May 2010
I had a friend ask me one time, “How do you know God really exists?” He went on to say, “You can’t see Him; you can’t touch Him?” To answer him, I used the wind as an example. I told him that even though I can’t see the wind, I know that it exists, because I can see the effect of the wind and feel the breeze. The Bible teaches that the Spirit of God is like the wind. You don’t know where it comes from or where it is going, and even though you can’t see Him, He is very real.My friend said, “Well, I don’t believe in all that religious rhetoric. I’m fine just the way I am. I don’t need that spiritual stuff.” I tried to explain that Jesus Christ is not about a religion; it’s about a relationship, and that we all need God in our life. I began to speak to him about salvation, and he scoffed and said, “What do I need that for?” Since my friend is a big boater, I had the perfect analogy to further illustrate my point. I asked him, “Hey, what does the coast guard require for you to have on that shiny new boat of yours?” “The regular stuff”, he answered. “You know the ores, fire extinguisher, spotlight, life jackets, and so on and so forth.” “Have you ever had to use one of those life jackets?” I asked. He laughed and said, “Of course not! Not a responsible boater like myself.” “So why do you take them with you?” I said. “Well, it’s like this”, he replied “It’s better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.” “EXACTLY!” I shouted. I went on to say, “I know that God is real, and that a relationship with Jesus Christ is necessary in order to get to heaven according to John 14:6, but you’re not so sure. Salvation is like that life jacket. It’s better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.” “That makes a lot of sense,” responded my friend in a different tone of voice. From that day on, my friend began to regularly attend church with his family and develop a relationship with Jesus Christ. You don’t have to believe in something for it to be real. Fire burns whether you believe it or not. The earth is round whether you believe it or not, and God is real whether you believe it or not. Remember, it’s always better to have something and not need it, than to need it and not have it.
June 2010
This month, I would like to share a fishing story with you straight out of the Bible. Personally, I consider fishing part of my religious duty. After all,it is mentioned more than any other hobby in Scripture.In Luke 5, we find the story of when Peter and his friends went fishing all night and caught nothing. What a bummer. Have you ever had a night like that? I know you have, and so have I. Anyway, it was early in the morning and they were just coming back in from the bay when Jesus asked them if He could get on their boat and teach the people because a great crowd had gathered and were pressing upon him. Though Peter was dead tired, not to mention disappointed, he obeyed. When Jesus had finished his sermon, He told Peter to go back out into the bay and this time he was going to catch over his limit. Peter responded and told Jesus, “With all due respect, we have been fishing all night, and they just ain’t biting.” Well, actually, the King James Version of the Bibles says, “We have toiled all the night and taken nothing.” “Anyhow you’re a carpenter and I’m a fisherman, what do you know about limiting out?” Jesus insisted, so Peter grudgingly agreed. They went out pretty far and Jesus said, “Drop the anchor here. This is where they are. Miraculously, Peter and his bros began to catch so many fish that the entire boat was now full. Peter quickly called his buddies and said, “Guys get over here now! We just landed the biggest school of fish we have ever seen.” His friends quickly came in their boats, and their entire boats were soon full as well. Peter looked at the Lord like, “How did you do that?” Jesus said, “If you follow me, from now on, you’ll be fishing for people!” The Bible says that Peter gave up his fishing guide business and from then on began to serve God. One of the things that I learned from this story is that though Peter worked all night, he had no results until Jesus showed up. You see it doesn’t matter how hard you work on your marriage, business, or even yourself. Jesus is the only one who can give you the results you’re looking for.
July 2010
A certain young man decided to go fishing at the local fishing pier. While he was setting up his gear, he noticed the local preacher setting up his stuff next to his. They both began to fish about the same time.
After a while, the young man noticed that the preacher man was taking out a lot more fish than he was. “Hey Padre”, he said. “You getting help from the big man upstairs?” “Well, I do always pray before I fish”, he said. Then the young man said, “Cuz I haven’t caught anything worth taking home to Mama.” “Maybe you can say a prayer for me while you’re at it”, he chuckled.
“What are you using for bait?” asked the preacher man. “Some imitation shrimp my friend told me about”, replied the young fisherman. “That’s your problem”, said the preacher. Then he added, “I’m using live shrimp. Why would fish go for your imitation when they can have the real thing?” The young man said, “Well, I don’t see the difference.” “Look at your ice chest”, laughed the preacher. “Well, I still don’t see what the big deal is,” said the young man. “Let me put it this way”, said the preacher. The preacher went on to tell the young man about his story of how he used to be an addict until Jesus came and set him free. He told him that his testimony, in a way, shows the difference between an imitation and the real thing. He said that drugs and alcohol were just an imitation and that Jesus was the real deal. He told the young man about all the things he had tried in life, but just couldn’t find something that would really satisfy him, until he found God.
After about an hour of talking, the preacher threw his line back in the water and immediately caught another keeper trout. He looked at the young man and said, “Now that’s the difference between fishing with imitation and the real thing.”