My father-in-law was a rancher/horse-trader/jack-of-all-trades, and was always looking for a deal on something.  Around 25 years ago, he gave me my first boat, motor and trailer.  I don’t know where he got them, but I’m sure he traded some rancher some feed or something for them.  The boat was a 14 foot deep & wide jon boat with a twisted front that he had welded back somewhat straight.  The trailer was home-made.  And to top this off, he’d traded for some sky-blue and canary yellow paint at some time — so you guessed it:  the trailer and inside the boat were sky-blue and the outside of the boat he painted yellow.

I pulled this redneck rig with a 1980 Chevy Luv Diesel Pickup  (that he also gave me).  It would go 0-60 in about 60 minutes (downhill with a breeze behind us)!  I want you to picture this rig: 1980 Chevy LUV blowing black smoke pulling a canary yellow boat on a sky-blue trailer.  It was a true KODAK MOMENT.

On one fishing trip at Lake Bisteneau in NW Louisiana – I backed in to unload my boat next to all these guys in their $30,000 Ranger Bass Boats.  I have to admit I was lusting after their boats – while trying to thank God for allowing me to be so humbled!  But I had a new Garcia Ambassadeur reel – a new Bassmasters Pro Series Rod – and a few good lures.  I hand cranked my high performance 3 HP outboard and was ready to fish!

I was fishing a black, gold and orange Rattling Rogue (still one of my favorite lures).  I made a cast up in a little cove and it was terrible – right over the limb of a small tree.   I was moving the rod back and forth (raising and lowering the lure in and out of the water) trying to figure how to flip the lure over the limb when a 6 lb bass exploded out of the water and inhaled the lure!  It was breathtaking – awesome – one of those things you only see on tv (without the bad cast of course).  And I landed that bass that day.

What’s the point?  The same one I shared Sunday.  You don’t have to have the best equipment or all the lastest stuff…..in fact….sometimes the simplest equipment works best.    My boat, motor, trailer and truck were a sight to see and my fishing equipment was simple, but that didn’t really matter because I was there with one purpose – to use what I had to catch fish.   And the person who catches fish is the person who gets out there on the lake and actually does some fishing.

When Jesus called His 1st followers He made them an incredible promise:  “Follow Me and I’ll make you fishers of men”  (Mark 1:17).   I believe He makes the same promise to you and me.  We don’t have to know all the answers.  We don’t have to be a pro.  And even if you’re a beginner, you can still catch fish (men).  But again – it’s the person who gets out and does some fishing – that catches fish (men).  I think Andy Stanley once said it like this:  To Follow Is To Fish.

As an illustration of this principle, I took a couple of kids from our church fishing to shoot a video for the message last Sunday.  I think it turned out to be one of the best we’ve done and you’ll love it.  Check out the video at  http://vimeo.com/6166126  or go to the GF website www.gfcfamily.com and go to videos.  It’s called: “Audrey and Kreese Go Fishing”.