Street Fishing

On this episode of Street Fishing Podcast... 33 years ago Tony might have taken Jerry behind his county jail barracks and put him in a rear armlock, torquing his arm not so far as to dislocate his shoulder, but to place him in considerable pain. Then, Tony would have mocked his manhood when he started crying. But not this day. Tony met Jerry at the corner of Marquette and Locust, in Davenport, Iowa. Tony was crosswalking at the time. Jerry came to a stop at the corner, leaned across the front seat of his car, and said, "I have a question for you." Tony invited Jerry to pull into the parking lot to talk. For the next 30 minutes, Tony answered Jerry's question by communicating the gospel to him. What was Jerry's question? Listen and find out. By the end of the conversation, Tony was hopeful that the Lord had saved Jerry, there, in the parking lot of Whitey's Ice Cream. During Tony's "chalk talk" of his conversation with Jerry, he explains why critical race theory, intersectionality, and "wokeness" are wicked. He uses a couple of helpful audios to explain the issues and finishes the "chalk talk" how "wokeness" might have prevented Tony from ever sharing the gospel with Jerry. SHOUT-OUTS! "Is Critical Theory Biblical," with Joseph Backholm - https://youtu.be/DAABuCC96tI "What Does the Bible Say About Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality?" with Gabe Hughes - https://youtu.be/6LlIcLhMKFs Just Thinking Podcast, with Darrel Harrison and Virgil Walker - https://justthinking.me/podcast-home/

On this edition of Street Fishing Podcast... Allen emailed me asking for a short list of books that have influenced me. After the Bible, these are the books that have most impacted my life: Holiness, by J.C. Ryle The Gospel According to Jesus, by John MacArthur The Kneeling Christian, by Anonymous A Pastor's Sketches, by Ichabod Spencer The Christian Hero--A Memoir of Robert Annan, by James Macpherson George Whitefield (Vols 1 and 2), by Arnold Dallimore The audio you will hear in this episode was from my first day at Augustana College, a private liberal arts school in Rock Island, IL. Augustana has a student population of about 2,500. On this day, I took up a position on 7th Street, in an area where students cross to get from one area of the school to another. I decided to distribute a gospel tract I wrote titled: "What Comes After Pride." You can see and read the tract, HERE. Things were quiet until I met a student named Sabrina. She professed to be a Christian, but was incensed about the gospel tract. She was offended about the inference to the LGBT community. While the gospel tract makes no mention about the sin of LGBT-ism, because of the design of the front of the tract, the inference can be made. As you will see in the video, I could have and should have done a better job owning that fact. Not long after my conversation with Sabrina, I was confronted by a group of students from the schools LGBT organization. Other students soon joined them. Although the crowd was raucous and at times some people therein were blasphemous, profane, and/or lewd, I was still able to preach the gospel to the crowd. I also was able to have meaningful conversations with several students. You can watch the full, 90-minute video of my ministry in the midst of chaos, at Augustana College, HERE.

In this episode, Tony chalk-talks a conversation he had in the summer of 2018. Tony was crosswalking at the corner of Locust/Marquette, in Davenport, IA, when he was approached by a man named Hassan (28). Hassan grew up in the Shiite Muslim religion. He had recently walked away from the religion and was presently experiencing what he described as a "crisis of faith." Toward the end of the hour-long conversation, Hassan said that he had cried out to Jesus, asking him to show him a sign. Tony explained that today Jesus did show Hassan a sign. Today he heard the gospel. During the chalk-talk Tony plays the audio of a video by apologist David Wood: "The Quran, the Bible and the Islamic Dilemma." You will find the video, here: https://youtu.be/nNAS0aaViM4.

In this episode of Street Fishing Podcast, Tony travels back in time five years to a memorable conversation with Stuart, in Barking, England. Tony was in England, in the summer of 2015, with a small team of evangelists, preaching the gospel on the streets in the greater London area. Stuart heard the preaching and approached Tony who was standing nearby. Stuart was 67-years-old at the time and dying of cancer. A Vietnam War vet, Stuart was haunted by the horrific fighting he experienced 50 years earlier. He wanted to "clear the decks" and he knew he needed God. It wasn't the cancer that was getting in the way, however; it was his pride. Tony's "Chalk Talk" on this special, expanded edition of the podcast includes: 1. the importance of listening 2. the Christian's ministry of reconciliation 3. using people's own analogies and metaphors against them, so to speak 4. addressing people's military service and the taking of human life 5. a word to fathers 6. when not to address theological errors 7. pride dressed up as nobility 8. God owes no one an explanation 9. when people change the subject

On this episode of Street Fishing Podcast, Brackston is, once again, on the campus of Illinois State University. Brackston came across Tele, a freshman psychology major and professing Christian. Tony spends 40 minutes on the phone with Tele discussing the gospel, evangelism, and why Christians shouldn't make people more comfortable on their way to hell. During the "chalk talk" following his conversation with Tele and follow-up with Brackston, Tony talks about the subjects of "free will," counting the cost of following Christ, and university campus ministries. Additional Resources: Ligonier Ministries Reformed Bible Studies and Devotional: “What is Free Will?” (https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/what-free-will/) “A Beginner's Guide to ‘Free Will,'” by John Piper (https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/a-beginners-guide-to-free-will) Monergism – Free Will (https://www.monergism.com/topics/free-will)

Matthew Lincoln and Tony were engaged in crosswalking and sign evangelism in downtown Davenport, IA, when Montana, seeing the cross, stopped to talk. Although "churched" most of her life and presently alternating attendance between three churches, Montana did not know the way to eternal life. After hearing the gospel, Montana confessed her struggle with sexual immorality. By the end of the conversation, Montana understood her need for Christ.

The Lord may have saved Thomas! Brackston Combs went street fishing at a small lake in his community. There he met Thomas (45) who was fishing at the lake. Thomas believed himself to be a Christian, but during his conversation with Tony it became clear Thomas was believing a gospel of works--a gospel that couldn't save him. By the end of the conversation, Thomas understood the real gospel, was under conviction, and told Tony there was no reason why he wouldn't repent and believe the gospel. Brackston spent 20 minutes in following-up with Thomas, during which time Thomas expressed his new understanding of the gospel and a sense of conviction. Pray for Thomas.

In this edition of the Street Fishing Podcast, Brackston is street fishing on the campus of Illinois State University. There, he found Ava, a 3rd-year Mass Media major who was shooting some B-roll for the campus TV station. As a younger girl, Ava went to Christian schools. Yet now her beliefs include the idea that God allows everyone into heaven. By the end of her conversation with Tony, Ava realized not everyone goes to heaven. She realized some other things, too. Might God have saved Ava during the conversation?

While cross walking at an area in Davenport, IA called "Five Points, two young women, Destiny and Samantha, approached Tony. Destiny's first words: "I have problems. I've been killing people in my head." That was the start of a 45-minute conversation during which Destiny and Samantha heard the gospel.

The fish weren't biting very well, but it only takes one to make your day at the lake a story worth telling. Brackston landed Ethan, a 14-year-old professing Christian. Ethan wanted to wait until his friends arrived before getting on the phone. When they arrived, Brackston turned on his phone's speaker so all three kids could hear the conversation. Ethan was a pretty sharp young man who seemed to know the gospel, but some of his theology was off. It mattered. It was a 40-minute conversation for which I thank God. The three young men heard the gospel. Brackston told me it was the kind of conversation that caused him to worship.

On this edition of the Street Fishing Podcast, Kris finds Aaron on a pier, in Pensacola, FL. Aaron, a professing Christian, is a fundraiser by trade. Aaron affirmed the gospel Tony shared with him. But the two had some different views regarding how the gospel should be communicated. Although it was a good conversation, there is something Tony would have done differently had he had it to do over again.

In this episode of the Street Fishing Podcast, Tony chalk talks two conversation with two very different people, on two university campuses. The first conversation is with Sam. Sam, along with thousands of other people, attended a Climate Strike Rally on the campus of the University of Iowa. The featured speaker was Greta Thunberg. Sam professed to be a Christian, but it didn't take long to discern that the gospel Sam believed was "green," not biblical. The second conversation dates back to 2012. Tony talked to Brianna on the campus of Cal State University Northridge. Brianna, a Roman Catholic freshman psychology major believed that confession and God giving people second chances is where her hope lied. That's not what she would believe by the end of the conversation.

One tool Tony uses to get students on university campuses to stop long enough to talk is a dry erase board. On the board Tony will write “Today's Question,” which usually addresses a somewhat provocative subject. Tony poses the question in a “multiple choice” format, which promotes discussion. On this particular day, Tony's question to the students was this: “The world's main problem is.....” He gave students the option to choose between the following answers: poverty, lack of education, sin, or other. Jason, a University of Iowa freshman finance and economics student of Chinese descent, believed a lack of education is the world's main problem. His was not a surprising response considering he was a student at one of the most prestigious and liberal schools in the Midwest. Jason's answer began a wonderful conversation about his worldview and the gospel of Jesus Christ. There was a time during the conversation that Tony believed he saw tears in Jason's eyes.

On this episode of Street Fishing Podcast you will meet Michael. Kris Lapata was out street fishing in downtown Pensacola, FL, when he came across Michael. He is a former (15 yrs) firefighter who is now restoring and modifying vintage Ford Broncos. Michael believes in a "higher power." At least he did before our conversation. Michael heard and understood the gospel and he may visit Kris' church.

On this episode of the Street Fishing podcast, Tony once again partners with Kris in Pensacola. Kris finds Abraham and a friend on vacation from Ohio. Abraham professes to be a Christian. This is one of those all-too-rare encounters in which Tony meets someone who is likely a Christian AND can articulate the gospel. Tony transitions the conversation to a discussion about "Friendship Evangelism." Tony leaves Abraham with this question: "When they start rounding up Christians in America, will there be enough evidence to convict you of the crime of Christianity?"

On this episode of the "Street Fishing" podcast, you will travel back in time with Tony to August of 2017. Tony and a small group of evangelists traveled to Charlottesville, Virginia, in the wake of a tragedy that took place there. A group of white supremacists and neo nazis converged on Charlottesville to protest the proposed removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee from a local park. A group of counter-protesters arrived and violence ensued. During the second day of the protests a man intentionally drove his car through a crowd of counter protesters. Several people were injured and a young woman named Heather Heyer was killed. During Tony's time of ministry in Charlottesville, he was approached by a young woman named Jenkins. Jenkins identified with the LGBTQ community.

On this episode of the Street Fishing podcast, Tony introduces a new street fisherman. Kris Lapata goes fishing in Pensacola, FL. Kris found Joseph near the beach. Joseph made a profession of faith in Christ while spending two years in jail for a drug-related offense. Joseph affirmed the gospel he heard from Tony, but he also had some beliefs that seemed to be a mix of "Your Best Life Now" and karma. Tony shares a conversation he had with Gino while out crosswalking. Gino believes God judges on a scale and that the scales of justice will be in his favor. He's wrong.

In this episode of the Street Fishing podcast, Tony is the street fisherman. Tony met Joshua while crosswalking on the corner of Harrison and Locust, in Davenport, IA. Joshua approached Tony with a smile on his face and a bottle of cold water in his hand. He wanted to thank Tony for being on the streets sharing his faith. Joshua professed to be a Christian, but he quickly began to confess habitual sin in his life. Is Joshua a Christian or is he simply fooling himself?

Tony and Bart team up once again in this edition of the Street Fishing podcast. Bart returns to Sundial Bridge in Redding, CA, where he finds Marla. Marla sat in 100-degree heat, at a small table covered in literature. Marla is a Seventh Day Adventist. Learn some of what the Seventh Day Adventist religion teaches. Do Tony and Marla believe the same gospel? Listen and find out.

This is the premier edition of the Street Fishing podcast. The program begins with Tony sharing the history of how he got into broadcasting. Then, it is off to Redding, CA, where street fisherman Bart McCurdy finds Mike at the Sundial Bridge. Mike has faced a number of challenges and came to faith in Christ later in life. Is he saved? Is he born-again? Bart talked to Mike after he got off the phone with Tony. Wait until you hear what Mike is thinking of doing as a result of the conversation. I hope his wife is ready.