Winning Ways -- Hillcrest Baptist Church

Trolling for God?
by Tom Goodman
February 2, 2011

If you consider yourself a seeker after God, you should seriously consider if you're ready to meet the God you say you want to know.

I remember an experience on a fishing trip from many years ago. I must have been only 9 or 10 when it happened, but I still remember how weak my knees got and how hard my heart pounded.

My uncle had baited my line and dropped it over the railing of a walkway that ran along a Gulf coast causeway in Pensacola, Florida. The bridge had been decommissioned for anything but foot traffic, and it was a rickety old thing. The wooden planks were weather-beaten and rough under my bare feet, and the whole contraption shuddered with every footfall. My uncle had walked ahead of me, trolling his line over the handrail as he went. Soon he was a hundred yards away, and it was quiet enough to hear the rhythmic slapping of the seawater upon the pylons twenty feet below.

Little boys love to "go fishing," but they can quickly get bored without any action on the line. I had fallen into that bored state, dully letting my bait sway upon the surface of the rolling swells.

Suddenly, a huge fish emerged from the murky waters and shot toward my line. Fearing that such a magnificent fish would pull me off that old wooden walkway and into the wild, deep sea far below, I panicked and yanked my line out of the water. The fish disappeared into the deep as quickly as it had appeared, and I was left alone again with unsteady legs and a thumping heart.

While many of the people I've talked to are on a sincere spiritual search, others merely "troll" for God. They have no anticipation of finding what they say they're searching for. If God's presence actually welled up from out of the mysterious deep, they would abandon their search for fear of being pulled away and overwhelmed.

What will you do when what you've been searching for actually responds?

This Sunday we'll look at a seven-stage process that many go through as they move from unbelief to belief. You can see this process at work among the philosophers who listened to Paul at Mars Hill (Acts 17:16-34). If you're a believer, the study will help you relate to your non-believing friends. And if you're exploring Christianity, the study will help you make up your mind. Join us @ 10!

--Tom

Beacon Articles Available Online: The staff newsletters that appear each week in the Beacon are also available on our website. You can find them at www.HillcrestAustin.org/beacon.

Weblog: Check out my blog, "Get Anchored," with its Links to Your World -- interesting and informative links, posted every Tuesday.

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Winning Ways - from Hillcrest Baptist Church, Austin, Texas	Contact Tom Goodman, Pastor
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Trolling for God? by Tom Goodman February 2, 2011 If you consider yourself a seeker after God, you should seriously consider if you're ready to meet the God you say you want to know. I remember an experience on a fishing trip from many years ago. I must have been only 9 or 10 when it happened, but I still remember how weak my knees got and how hard my heart pounded. My uncle had baited my line and dropped it over the railing of a walkway that ran along a Gulf coast causeway in Pensacola, Florida. The bridge had been decommissioned for anything but foot traffic, and it was a rickety old thing. The wooden planks were weather-beaten and rough under my bare feet, and the whole contraption shuddered with every footfall. My uncle had walked ahead of me, trolling his line over the handrail as he went. Soon he was a hundred yards away, and it was quiet enough to hear the rhythmic slapping of the seawater upon the pylons twenty feet below. Little boys love to "go fishing," but they can quickly get bored without any action on the line. I had fallen into that bored state, dully letting my bait sway upon the surface of the rolling swells. Suddenly, a huge fish emerged from the murky waters and shot toward my line. Fearing that such a magnificent fish would pull me off that old wooden walkway and into the wild, deep sea far below, I panicked and yanked my line out of the water. The fish disappeared into the deep as quickly as it had appeared, and I was left alone again with unsteady legs and a thumping heart. While many of the people I've talked to are on a sincere spiritual search, others merely "troll" for God. They have no anticipation of finding what they say they're searching for. If God's presence actually welled up from out of the mysterious deep, they would abandon their search for fear of being pulled away and overwhelmed. What will you do when what you've been searching for actually responds? This Sunday we'll look at a seven-stage process that many go through as they move from unbelief to belief. You can see this process at work among the philosophers who listened to Paul at Mars Hill (Acts 17:16-34). If you're a believer, the study will help you relate to your non-believing friends. And if you're exploring Christianity, the study will help you make up your mind. Join us @ 10! --Tom Beacon Articles Available Online: The staff newsletters that appear each week in the Beacon are also available on our website. You can find them at www.HillcrestAustin.org/beacon. Weblog: Check out my blog, "Get Anchored," with its Links to Your World -- interesting and informative links, posted every Tuesday. Do you know friends who would appreciate Winning Ways? Just forward this e-mail to them! Have you subscribed to Winning Ways? You can subscribe by clicking here and following the instructions. Your e-mail address will not be sold or given away to anyone, and you can automatically change your subscription or drop it by following the easy steps provided with each e-mail. FRESH NEWS AT HILLCREST UPDATED WEEKLY: www.hillcrestaustin.org LISTEN TO RECENT SERMONS: Click here. MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS TO OUR EMAIL NEWSLETTERS: Click here. If you do not have access to the web, please send a note to newsmaster@hbcaustin.org to tell us of any changes you would like to make.