Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ!

In my sermon on February 2^nd, I shared a story about a fisherman with an unusual approach. Each time he went out, he returned with a boatful of fish. Curious, a gentleman on the dock asked to join him the next day to learn his secret.

The next morning while out fishing, the fisherman reached into his tackle box and took out a stick of dynamite. Taking a match, he lit the fuse, held it for a moment, and then heaved it out into the water. The explosion sent dead fish floating to the surface.

Unbeknownst to the fisherman, his guest was a game warden. When the warden confronted him, the fisherman reached down into his tackle box, pulled up another stick of dynamite, lit it, held it a moment, handed it to the warden and said, “Now, are you going to just sit there or are you going to fish?”

The point? God has given us a great gift of faith, but what are we doing with it? As I said in the sermon, “Real faith doesn’t wait on the sidelines. Real faith picks up the net, trusting in Jesus, and gets to work. It’s time to stop sitting and start fishing.”

This call to action is especially important when it comes to the next generations. Recent research by Barna found that 77% of U.S. teens says they’re motivated to learn more about Jesus throughout their lives. While this is really encouraging, many teens lack spiritual mentors to guide them. In fact, teens who aren’t firmly rooted in their faith often turn first to family or themselves for guidance rather than another Christian, a pastor, a church leader, or even the Bible.

What does this mean for us? It means that God has placed us in a unique position to help mentor and guide our young people. And not just the teens among us, but others, teens, and adults, within our communities. We have a unique position and time to help mentor and guide others toward a faith that is resilient and life-giving. As Paul reminds us in Romans 10:“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (10:13-14).

Typically, this passage is applied to pastors, but really, it is directed to all of us. How are people going to know Jesus, grow in their faith, or understand God’s great mercy if no one is sharing it with them?

So, what does this all mean, especially for us? I believe it means that it is time to stop sitting and start fishing! But how?

This is where I want to invite you to join me in the Red Letter Challenges this Lent. It’s a 40-day journey into the words of Jesus, into His teachings in Scripture, and how they shape our lives as His disciples.

Each participant will receive a Red Letter Challenge book, filled with daily readings, reflections, and practical challenges. Together, we’ll focus on five key themes of Christian living:

1. Being: Deepening our relationship with Jesus through rest, worship, and prayer.
2. Forgiving: Embracing Christ’s forgiveness and extending it to others.
3. Serving: Humbly following Jesus’ example by serving those around us.
4. Giving: Reflecting God’s generosity in our own lives.
5. Going: Sharing the love of Christ and living out the Great Commission.

Each week during Lent, we’ll explore one of these themes during our Sunday services. These themes will guide us in lining up our lives with Jesus’ teachings and becoming His hands and feet in the world.

The statistics I mentioned earlier remind us of the urgency to grow as followers of Jesus. Our youth and our communities need mentors, examples, and a clear path to Jesus. Together, we can answer that call.

I pray that you’ll take on this challenge with me. As Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest field” (Matthew 9:37-38).

Let’s stop sitting and start fishing!

In Christ,
Pastor Mike