Go Fish: Fish Guts Bulletin Insert

Acts 4:23-31

On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "You made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, our father David:

"Why do the nations rage

and the peoples plot in vain?

The Kings of the earth rise up

and the rulers band together

against the Lord

and against His annointed one."

Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You annointed. They did what Your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable Your servants to speak Your word with great boldness. Stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus." After they prayer, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

What will happen if I pray this prayer? ("Enable Your servant to speak Your word with great boldness.")

•     I will becomemore aware of opportunities.

•     I will be forced to face and conquer a fear.

Why should I be bold?

•     God is still sovereign

•     God is as active now as He was the day He released Peter and John from jail.

•     God has called us to be players in His unfolding plan in this generation.

Questions for Reflection

1. How would my life be different if I truly believed that God is in control?

2. What are the threats that deter me from speaking God's Word boldly?

3. How might God use those threats for His own glory?

4. How do my prayers differ from the one prayed in Acts 4?

5. What would "bold" look like in my life?

This podcast is the second of the series "Go Fish" and it is called "Why Fish?"

Jesus tells us that we are to be fishers of men. He's going to teach us to fish. That is, He's going to teach us how to be the person that brings others to Him.

We always claim that we want to follow Christ. Well, to follow is to fish. This series is to help us to renew our commitments to being fishers of men.

This message was intended to challenge those of us who claim to be Christians. For those of you who aren't or do not know, we challenge you to step up and beginning this journey as fishers of men. To begin understanding what we have to do as Christians.

Are you ready to make that commitment?

In this message, Pastor Rick brings up 3 big ideas that we need to grasp onto:

1. To be a follower, is to be a "fisher of men." To follow is to fish and as Followers we must  go fishing.

2. Jesus says: Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. We aren't talking a method, We are talking a process and You are perfectly positioned to influence the life of someone else for Christ.

3. You were once fish. We have a story of how someone went fishing for us and so we too need to be fishermen.

The 2013 year has begun and many people have began making their "New Year's Resolutions." Pastor Rick started off Sundays message with the history of a little book called, "Pilgrim's Progress." A widely known book that is used in numerous other writings, by many famous authors. The story is about a journey, a pilgrimage, made from the "City of destruction" to the "Celestial City. A journey filled with obstacles and challenges, but nothing holds this man, Christian, back from reaching the goal he has set. And that was to reach the Celestial City.

For the 2013 year, Pastor Rick challenges us to set some goals. This message is about how to set goals and why to set goals. We need to be making progress in our spiritual lives. Setting goals just like Christian did because in the end, through the Savior, Christian was able to reach the Celestial City.

And so, are you making progress? Or are you planning on reliving last year, this year? Make 2013 a new year. full of new things, and goals for your life. Make it a year where you make real progress in your own journey.