There will be a fellowship dinner following the second worship service in the commons.
Gone Fishin'
Part 3
Speaker
Dwight K. NelsonDwight Nelson served as lead pastor of the Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University from 1983 to 2023. During his time at Pioneer he spoke on the “New Perceptions” telecast, taught at the theological seminary and has written books, including The Chosen. He and his wife, Karen, are blessed with two married children and 2 granddaughters.
Offering
Saturday, April 22, 2017
Program:
As We Begin
Praise to the Lord • Johann Walther | Worship Suite (Isaiah 12): Praise the Lord • Kenneth Logan
Praise
I Will Lift up Your Name • Sweet Sweet Spirit • Still
Prayer
Robert Machado
GO Projects Report
Rodlie Ortiz
Baby Dedication
Eleana Chen Meng presented by Adam & Beverly Brown with José Bourget
Tithes & Offerings
Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy • Traditional American Melody
Children's Story
Gabriel Palacios
Bible Reading
Matthew 13:47-50 NIV
Worship in Music
With a Voice of Singing • Martin Shaw
Sermon
"Gone Fishin'"—3 • Dwight K. Nelson
Connect Card
I Will Make You Fishers of Men
Benediction
I Will Trust
As We Depart
Fantasie • Johann Sebastian Bach
"Gone Fishin'"—3
www.newperceptions.tv
- A fishing story
- Matthew 13:47-51
- The Big Fisherman to the little fishermen: “You must learn this lesson: you do the —I do the .”
- Three points
- Point #1—When the Gospel Net is let down it catches all of fish.
- Point #2—The fish (people) get separated at the the world.
- Point #3—The ones who do the sorting at the end of the world (in the Great Judgement) are the , not the .
- “Don’t be afraid—from now on you will fish for .” (Luke 5:10)
- Three anxiety relievers
- Anxiety Reliever #1—I don’t have to decide who gets “netted” for .
- Anxiety Reliever #2—I don’t have to decide who gets “netted” for .
- Anxiety Reliever #3—Because I don’t have to do the —all I need to do is the .
Jim Cymbala: “Christians often hesitate to reach out to those who are . They want God to clean the fish before they catch them. If someone’s gold ring is attached to an unusual body part, if the person doesn’t smell the best, or if the skin color is not the same, Christians tend to hesitate. But think for a moment about God reaching out to us. If ever there was a “reach,” that was it: the holy, pure Deity extending himself to us who were soiled, evil-hearted, unholy. God could have said, ‘You’re so different from me, so distasteful, I would really rather not get too close to you.’ But he didn’t say that. It was our very that drew his hand of love.” (Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire: What Happens When God’s Spirit Invades the Hearts of His People 141)
- Ellen White: “[Christ] has not committed to us the work of judging character and motive. He knows our nature too well to entrust this work to us. Should we try to uproot from the church those whom we suppose to be spurious Christians, we should be sure to make mistakes. Often we regard as hopeless subjects the very ones whom Christ is drawing to Himself.” (Christ’s Object Lessons 71)
- How to fish for people
- Ask God at the beginning of every day to lead you to someone who needs what can offer.
- Ask God to help you make an to someone.
- “The Big Day” (September)
- “Unlocking Revelation (October)
- “God’s Boot Camp” (October)
- Ask God every morning to be at work in the lives of people you know who need Jesus.
- A story: “This is the smell of the world I died for.”
We do the fishing—He does the sorting
Fellowship Dinner
Pioneer Commons
Offering for January 10, 2026
Pioneer Operating Budget
You may have heard it said, and it is true that patience is a virtue. What is also true and closely linked to patience is found in the opening verse of the parable of Luke 18:1-8 (NIV). Jesus told his disciples that they should “always pray and not give up” (verse 1). In today’s fast paced, instant, and have-to-get-it-now world, learning to be patient and not lose heart or become discouraged is surely a quality that is desirable. The widow in this parable showed the importance of being patient in one’s petitions and pursuits.
In her attempt to get the judge to defend her against her enemy, who seemed to have been making her life difficult, she kept on asking for his defense. Finally, the judge yielded to her persistence and vindicated her.
The same is true of God. When we are diligent in our prayer life, longsuffering when we are seeking to invoke Christ’s intervention, and faithful in honoring Him in our stewardship, He will move to positive action. Let us remember that unlike the judge we cannot wear out God.
Today, as we worship Him through the return of our tithes and giving of our offerings, let us practice being persistent in honoring Him with our substance and the first fruit of our increase.
—North American Division Stewardship Ministries