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Gone Fishin'

Part 3

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Speaker

Dwight K. Nelson

Dwight 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

More In This Series

04/29/2017
Part 4
04/15/2017
Part 2
04/01/2017
Part 1
All Sermons
Print Download

"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

 

 

 

Offering for January 3, 2026

Pioneer Operating Budget

There is something special about the beginning of a new year. It’s the energy and the excitement. It’s the opportunities that it offers. It provides the chance to forget the past and its challenges, while we embrace the possibility to start over.

The New Year offers the opportunity for us to look at the future with optimism and gratefulness. For this reason, I like new, don’t you? Paul liked the idea of new also. That’s why he encourages us to look towards the future instead of looking back. He says, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” (Philippians 3: 13, 14, NIV), we should press toward the goal to win.

The encouraging thing is, when Christ is in the lead, we must succeed. For this reason, we can embrace the possibilities of the new year– striving to be better stewards for God. So may our goals this year include spending consistent time in worship and developing a relationship of steel with God. May we take care of our wellbeing (physically and psychologically) and witness about His love by using our talents and gifts.

May we faithfully return to God the designated portion of our wealth and take care of our world and the environment. Let’s determine to make 2026 an exceptional year of sacrificial generosity, in our local church and worldwide. 

—North American Division Stewardship Ministries

Church Office Holiday Closure: 12/22-12/26 & 12/29-01/02

Please note that the church office will be closed from December 22 to 26 and again from December 29 to January 2 for the holiday season. We will reopen on January 5. Our church services will proceed as always. If you have any announcements, please submit those no later than December 19. Thank you for your understanding. We wish you a blessed Christmas and a happy New Year!