Do you like to fish?

About 60 million Americans do—women and men. And we shell out a collective total of 115 billion dollars annually on fishing lures, fishing boats, and fishing trips.

I've been on four unforgettable half-day fishing charters. But could I be frank with you? I know very little about fishing—almost nothing!

However, I've observed that invariably, the captain knows the right place, the right time, the right bait, and the right technique! The captain scans for fish, baits the hooks, sets the downriggers—he does it all.

With a typical half-day morning charter, you get up at 4:00 am to drive to the marina, so you're already tired. Then you take some Dramamine to prevent motion sickness, and now you're trashed!

I’ve been so sleepy that I’ve dozed off standing on my feet, and the captain has had to yell out, “You’ve got a fish! Crank it in!” So, I wake up, haul in the fish, and feel like a hero for reeling in the “big one.”

But it really isn't me doing the work! I merely wind in the fish for which someone else did the prep work. The captain just lets me be part of the adventure.

That’s a pretty good picture of what God has in mind for you and me regarding making disciples. We can't save a single soul. But He knows the right place, the right time, the right bait, and the right technique. Better yet, He longs to have us join Him in His mission of fishing for souls.

On a fishing charter, the captain never uses just one pole. There are ten or more! Why? Obviously, you significantly increase your odds of catching a fish when you're casting for more than one.

Translation: If all you have is one unsaved friend, neighbor, or coworker, your world is too small! Let's build lots of friendships with lots of unsaved people. By all means, hang on to your Christian buddies—you need them to help anchor you to Christ. But your ocean must include unsaved folks, too.

Jesus called us to be fishers of souls. Who are you fishing for?

You don’t need to be great at it. But you do have to get at it!

Your Captain—and your adventure—are waiting!