Let’s talk about fishing. As much as I love eating fresh fish, I’ve never been much of a fisherman or spent time fishing. I don’t enjoy it and I’m certainly not any good at it. Besides, who wants to clean fish? Obviously some of us do.

I know that sometimes people catch and clean fish for dinner. At other times they fish for enjoyment as a sport, or just a way to spend time relaxing. Sometimes, these people take the fish they catch and release them. For them, it’s all about the experience and the enjoyment they get from it. Let’s take this idea of catching fish and relate it to the Christian life. Jesus told Peter and Andrew, who were professional fishermen that they would become “fishers of men.†He also told them to “make disciples.†Matthew 4:18-20 (NKJV) says, “And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. {19} Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.†{20} They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Then, in Matthew 28:19 (NKJV), Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,â€

Jesus’ words bring to mind the picture of catching people in the net of salvation and then helping them get clean of their worldly ways through what we teach them. In many ways, like fishermen, or we could say, as fishers of men and women, we “catch and release†them into the fullness of their salvation by” training them in the ways of God and then releasing them into His will. I’m Dr. Bob. Your catch becomes your legacy and will be recorded in heavenly books. So here’s the question. Who will you catch today that will be released into tomorrow’s blessings and be fruitful for Jesus?

Catch and Release