Bucket List: Share Jesus to Pro Fishermen in a Casino

 I don't have a bucket list in my life, but if I did have one, I could cross off some unique entries.  (For instance:)
*Pulling another man's 21ft Bass boat across the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the snow at night.
*Taking that same 21ft Bass boat Across the Hoover Dam.
*Pulling that 21ft Bass boat down the strip in Las Vegas, and then across the United States.
*Preaching the gospel in the Robinson Ranchero Resort and Casino to a group of fishermen.

If any of those were on my list. I could cross them all off!!

Last year the BASS Elite Series made a stop on Clear Lake California. My plan was to fly out and speak at the FOCAS meetings, but after overhearing several Bass pros talk about the long journey across country I had another idea. So I volunteered to drive one of the Bass Pros rigs to California and back. Now I know what you are thinking, but honestly how many times in your life have you gotten the chance to drive across the United States? Well for the kid from Summerton South Carolina this was probably my only shot. So I took it!

The BASS Pro I drove for is a friend of mine named Randy Howell. The professional fishing tour is blessed with many of the finest Christian men that I have ever met, and Randy is among the best. So I loaded up Randy's truck in Alabama and started the roughly 2500 mile trek to California. Now I have to say it was pretty "cool" to be driving a wrapped Bass rig. People kept blowing the horn and waving, because I imagine they thought that I was Randy Howell. What's not cool is when I had to get out to refuel every 200 miles, and those same people would come up and say: "Wow you look a lot thinner on tv!"

The Fellowship of Christian Anglers Society meetings occur about 30 minutes before the official B.A.S.S. tournament meeting and usually is at the same location. Clear Lake's  tournament meeting was at the Robinson Ranchero Resort and Casino. Now I don't know if you can appreciate the irony of a Southern Baptist preacher going in to preach at the Robinson Ranchero Resort and Casino, so let me share with you.
As I was growing up, there were 2 things in my grandmother's eyes that would send you to hell quicker than anything else. Revving the engine of a car, and playing any kind  of card game! I didn't even learn to shuffle a deck of cards until I graduated from college. So here I am, walking into the Casino with my Bible in hand, thinking of my grandmother, when my cell phone rings. It was a pastor of a Church that I was scheduled to do a Revival for the week following my trip to Ca. Without thinking I said: Pastor I'm going to have to call you back. because I'm about to go and preach in the Casino. His response:(long pause) WHAT!


I ended up having to take a minute to explain what was going on. In retrospect I have come to the conclusion that I really shouldn't have given preaching in a Casino a second thought. The Bible tells me to be ready"in season and out" to share about my hope in Christ. Jesus said: "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners".   We should have no hesitation to share the good news wherever God puts us. Two men prayed to receive Christ that day.  On the way home,  Jason Corbett, a lifelong friend and a WSM Board member flew to California to ride back with me. As I thought about the trip it occurred to me. I'll "bet" I'm the first person to ever preach in that casino!