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My Dad worked to make the money for our family, so my Dad decided where we went on vacation—fishing. Now some people would consider that a dream vacation, but the high-energy, ten-year-old me? No, I didn’t think so. After just a little while, I was complaining. I was bored, but of course we kept fishing. Did I mention that my Dad made the money? Well, actually, we did have a good catch there and they were good eating. Catching them was fun. Eating them was fun. In between, there was this one step that was less fun - cleaning them. But for that fish to realize its culinary destiny, it had to be cleaned.

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Fishing for Fish, Fishing for People.”

If you’re a fisherman, you’re probably Jesus’ kind of person. Four of the 12 disciples He called were fishermen by trade. When He summoned them to His service, He said, “Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Mark 1:17). He told Simon Peter, “From now on you will catch men” (Luke 5:10).

So the business of bringing people into a relationship with Jesus Christ apparently has some things in common with fishing. For example, you don’t try to attract the fish with what you’re interested in, but what they’re interested in. Right? Look, I like pizza. I don’t like worms. But if I put pizza on my hook, I’m going home with an empty bucket buddy. I’ve got to offer what will be interesting to the fish I’m trying to attract. And so, that’s how it is with reaching people for Jesus Christ.

If all we offer is religious bait, come to our religious meeting to hear a religious speaker talk on a religious subject in a religious place, we probably won’t attract many of the lost people who need Christ so desperately. But if we’re talking about needs they care about in a place where they feel comfortable, in words they can understand, we have a far better chance of getting them within hearing distance of the gospel.

But there’s another very important fishing principle we need to keep in mind as we present Jesus to the people around us. It’s a principle it seems many believers have never thought about. You ready? You don’t clean fish until you catch them! See, too many times, lost people are judged by us rather than loved by us, because we’re attacking the things they do. And they do those because they’re lost, and instead we should be leading them to the One who will take them from lost to found!

You catch them, then you clean them! Actually, God catches them and cleans them, through you. You can see Jesus working that way in Luke 19, beginning with verse 5, our word for today from the Word of God. The whole town is shocked, scandalized, when Jesus says to Zacchaeus, of all people—the town crook, “I must stay at your house today.” As stunned as anyone, the Bible says Zacchaeus “welcomed him gladly. The people started muttering, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’”

But after meeting Jesus and experiencing His unconditional love, Zacchaeus can’t stand his sin anymore. He announces he’s going to make right the dishonest wrongs he has done, “If I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus announced, “Today salvation has come to this house.”

Zacchaeus got clean, but he got caught first! The problem with the lost people you know is not their profanity, not their dishonesty, or not their immorality. They’re lost and they’re living like it! Their real problem is they need a Savior! Yes, they must repent, but that’s part of being rescued by Jesus from their sin! Don’t make their lifestyle the issue. Make Jesus the issue, and say with the great spiritual fisherman, Paul, “When I came to you…I resolved to know nothing…except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:1-2).

If you want to help people be in heaven with you, s

This hour, Steve Goreham will discuss whether or not there is a coming ice-age based on human-caused global warming and he will also tell us why there is a global push to cease from eating meat and move to insects instead. Then, Casey Luskin, of the Discovery Institute, will give us his take on UFO’s and “The Disclosure”. Don’t miss this fascinating conversation.

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Many people spend their lives trying to predict what’s coming next. Dr. Tony Evans explains why believers already have a trustworthy guide for the future and how God’s promises can shape the way we live right now.

The Faith is not up for debate. In this urgent message from Jude, Dr. Michael Youssef reminds believers that God has entrusted His Truth to the Church once and for all. The inerrant Word of God is not open for revision, and Jesus Christ is the only Savior and sovereign Lord.

Dr. Youssef warns that false teachers often don’t arrive loudly—they creep in, using Christian language while twisting the Gospel. Jude exposes their pattern: they turn grace into a license for sin and deny Christ’s authority. That is not “another perspective.” It is spiritual sabotage.

This episode calls believers to respond with clarity and courage:

The goal is not winning arguments—it’s guarding Biblical Truth and passing it on to the next generation.

Scripture Focus: Jude 3–4

 If today’s teaching stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don’t have to walk through it alone. 

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Work is not merely a way to make a living. It is also one of the primary ways we love our neighbors.

Whether you lead a company, teach a class, manage a home, serve in your church, care for children, volunteer in your community, or invest resources for the future, God has entrusted you with influence. That influence is not accidental. It is part of your stewardship.

We often think of stewardship in financial terms—and rightly so. But God has given us more than money to steward. He has also entrusted us with skills, relationships, opportunities, knowledge, experience, and influence.

Dr. Amy Sherman has spent years helping Christians see their daily work as a means of seeking the common good and participating in God’s redemptive mission in the world. She calls this vocational stewardship—the faithful use of our work and influence to reflect God’s character, serve others, and contribute to the flourishing of the world around us.

Vocational stewardship begins with the recognition that our work is a gift from God. He has given each of us certain abilities, opportunities, networks, and positions of influence. Some of those gifts are expressed through paid employment. Others are expressed through volunteering, homemaking, caregiving, mentoring, leadership, or service.

In every case, the question is the same: How can I use what God has entrusted to me for His purposes?

Our work is not simply a platform for earning income. It is a platform for reflecting the kingdom of God. It is one of the places where discipleship becomes visible.

That means vocational stewardship is not limited to pastors, missionaries, or people in explicitly ministry-related roles. It applies to business owners, teachers, nurses, engineers, artists, parents, retirees, tradespeople, administrators, and everyone else seeking to serve God faithfully where He has placed them.

Wherever we are, God invites us to ask: How can my work help others experience something of His goodness, justice, beauty, compassion, and care?

Faithful work certainly includes character. Christians should be honest, dependable, compassionate, and hardworking. We should do our work with integrity, humility, and excellence.

But vocational stewardship presses us to go a step further. It asks us not only to consider how we do our work, but also what our work contributes.

These questions help us see work as part of God’s larger redemptive purposes.

Scripture gives us a beautiful picture of the future God is bringing about—a renewed creation where there is no more suffering, corruption, injustice, or death. God’s kingdom will be marked by peace, wholeness, abundance, community, intimacy with Him, and restored relationships.

Vocational stewardship asks: How can my work today offer others a small foretaste of that coming reality?

That may sound lofty, but it can become very practical.

A business owner might create flexible schedules for employees who are single parents, allowing them to care well for their children. An architect might help clients choose safer building materials and energy-efficient designs that promote health and care for creation. A teacher might create a classroom where students feel seen, challenged, and encouraged. A manager might cultivate a workplace marked by fairness, dignity, and trust.

These are not small things. They are glimpses of God’s kingdom brea

Think safe gaming means blocking bad websites? You might be missing the bigger picture. In the deep corners of the metaverse, people are drowning in isolation. Guests Jonathan Ober and Frank Kuligowski are using platforms like Roblox to save lives. It’s time to trade your parenting fear for curiosity and learn how to navigate these digital borderlands.

Show Notes and Resources

• Learn how to connect with people and build relationships in the metaverse, a growing digital space. Go to jesusfilm.org/metaverse
• Get Connected: Want to learn more about digital missions? Reach out to [email protected] or jump directly into the Cru Gaming Outreaches
• Don't miss the boat on romance! Secure your spot on the Love Like You Mean It Marriage Cruise. Head over to lovelikeyoumeanit.com before June 30, 2026, and use promo code COUNTDOWN27 to score exclusive stateroom discounts!

• Thanks to the Christian Standard Bible for sponsoring this episode. Learn more at CSBible.com.
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