Worth All The Effort – MediaShout Monthly Devotional (October 2021)

October 2021

Worth All The Effort  

by Fred Baker

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For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: and so was also James and John the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. – Luke 5: 9-10 KJV

In the movie from 1961, called, “The Hustler” starring Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason. Fast Eddie Felsen is an up and coming pool player, as he tries to break into the Professional Pool ranks. His adventures leads him to play against Minnesota Fats.

When you think of the game of pool, the key is dependent upon the type of pool you’re playing. But there is one quintessential aspect that we as part of a media team can take away from the game. In order to learn to play pool and get very good at it, if not the best. It takes countless hours of playing, setting up, reading, and learning how to manipulate the cue ball to go, do, and react, exactly how we need it in order to sink either the striped or the solid balls. The same can be said about our ministries. We have to make the time to learn all of the ins and outs to put together a product worthy of God’s Glory.

All of us had to learn all of the different aspects of our set up. From the sound board, to the cameras, to being able to get the MediaShout slides created properly on our computers, and ready to go for each broadcast. We all took our various gifts that God granted us, and learned how to transfer those skills to our positions and work as a dynamic team to proclaim Jesus on all of the different platforms that we use to reach the masses.

In verse 10, Jesus makes a bold declaration to Simon, that he will be a “fisher of men”, after witnessing the catch, and being on the Sea all day long with no results. Although Peter was a skilled fisherman, we can be certain, he had no clue as to what Jesus actually meant, and furthermore what was going to be required of him, to be able to truly be, a “fisher of men.”

Let’s face it last year Covid-19 vaulted the world into unfamiliar territory, the likes of which hadn’t been seen in our country in just over a century. Media ministries across the country shifted into high gear, and made the necessary adjustments to prepare their broadcasts to reach a greater audience. We took the skills that we developed, and nurtured, and we relied on our entire team, to help make the name of Jesus known throughout our local communities, and beyond.

The disciples didn’t know what to expect, and were even less prepared for what they were exposed to. They didn’t know how many people they would be responsible to feed, or that they would be called to preach to the multitudes. Our media teams have a great responsibility in the messenger being able to share the gospel. Which embodies the scripture: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” (John 14:12 KJV)

Call To Action:

As a member of your Media Ministry, learn all the functions of the position you serve. Study, research, and enlist the help, and support of the experts to train your team. Become a master of your portion and play your part, and watch God move your Media Ministry to the next level.

About the author:

Fredrick Baker is a disabled veteran, of the United States Air Force. He serves as the Production Manager of the Beyond The Walls Media Ministry at his church. He is the proud fatter of two adult children and he resides in Fayetteville, NC.