My take on Trump and Christianity Today Magazine

 

 Last night I was browsing Twitter when I happened to glance at the trending section and noticed something that caught my eye. Christianity Today was trending. This struck me as unusual because the vast majority of the main stream media and world never gives a tinkers darn about Christianity in general much less its media and publications. Not today! Suddenly the media world is buzzing about the publication that the late great Billy Graham started oh so many years ago.Why is that you may ask? Because Christianity Today published an article calling or down right suggesting that along with the Democratically controlled House of Representatives that the 45th President of these United States of America should be removed from office! Wow! That's big. So tonight I want to throw my 2 cents in and give you my take on Donald Trump and the article. (Mostly Donald)

Now let me say right from the get go that I am or I was a middle child. I want everyone to like me. So the sad realization of my life is that not many actually do. I know this. I don't like it, but its true. I have learned however that I can disagree with someone and not hate them. I can even like them. In saying that I know I have friends and brothers and sisters in Christ who will not like this,  but here I go.

First of all I did actually read the article. I thought it was well written, paid homage to both sides, and had a few things I actually agreed with. However I disagreed totally with the downright for certain assertion that the House of Representatives established anything close to proving their case. I along with hundreds of thousands of others heard that phone conversation and came away saying "What  is that all?" I listened to a great deal of the boring testimony day after day and heard NOTHING that supported a definitive "Yes he abused his power, and obstructed Congress" I honestly didn't. For CT to start from that point in establishing a reason for his removal lost me from the start. Secondly we find out today that the writer Mark Galli is about to step down. This smells like a last splash publicity stunt on the timing to me. To say it just so happened that he was going to step down at the same time CT came to the revelation that the underwhelming evidence of that so called Impeachment hearing concluded Trumps guilt. CT I just don't believe you.

I now want to deal with the reason I supported Trump with my vote. I don't know who is a true Christian and who is not. That is not for me to judge. I am instructed by the Word of God to look for the fruit of the Spirit in the life of people I encounter. Love, joy. peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.  To be honest with you, I do not see very much evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in Donald Trump's life. I just don't. His attacks on his enemies, his boasting, his speech, and a plethora of other behaviors lead me to that conclusion. I can't say I see evidence of being born again. So why do I support him?  It's because of the party position of the only other choice I have. So here are 4 of many reasons.

Abortion on demand. It is the single greatest act of absolute evil against the innocent of our time. I voted Trump because I cannot stand idly by and keep silent while literally thousands are murdered in the womb. Abortion is an act of absolute selfishness on the part of people who want to do whatever they want with no consequences. They scream and protest for every minority group in the world except the most innocently worthy of all. I cannot vote for a party that not only tolerates this, they celebrate it.

Gun control. I grew up in a family that had one of the largest gun collections I've ever seen. They were out in the open for everyone to see. No one ever got shot. I want the right to protect my family. The founders of this land created a document on which the foundation of the entire Republic sits. The Constitution establishes my right to keep and bear arms. It is crystal clear to anyone who thinks, that the other party wants to remove that right. The assertion that if we take the guns from people, and create a law that prohibits criminals from using guns it will solve the evil of men's hearts is absurd and fool hardy at best. In our country the places that have the most stringent gun laws have the most gun violence. It takes the other side a full second to turn a tragic shooting into a "blame the gun" feeding frenzy. They have an agenda that George Orwell warned us about..

Socialism. I don't want or need the government to take care of me. I want less government not more. Socialism has destroyed every country that has ever tried it. There is not a single time its worked. The idea  to eliminate economic classes equals people punished for being successful. The bottom line is they want to take away my freedoms and liberties. I cannot and will not be a part of that. My family has served and died for the very freedoms the other party wants to hand over.

Religious freedom.The other party has it out for Christianity. The persecution of Christians was prophesied and is happening. They are tolerant for every religion save Christianity. Christians are attacked, belittled, smeared, ridiculed, and mocked on a daily basis. At campuses throughout the country, outspoken Christians are regularly demeaned, debased and targeted for their beliefs. Academics, social groups, and college organizations regularly ridicule Christians by calling them hateful, bigoted, and privileged, and other labels. Political Correctness is the law of the other party, and it's going to get worse.

I want to end by saying this. These are my personal beliefs. I love my family and my brothers and sisters in Christ. I know some of you disagree with me, and that is ok. I will pray for this country and its President no matter what party they belong to. I will pray that we can find unity in Christ if nothing else.

I wonder how many prayers God answered that day?

I remember right where I was that day in February 2014. It was the day that BASS Pro Randy Howell won the Bassmaster's Classic. It was an amazing story. On the Final day Randy was upwards of 10 places behind the leader, and no one outside a few Howell's in the family and a ton of homers at the King's Home Children's facility thought Randy had a prayer. Ironically a prayer is exactly what Randy had, and after saying it found himself fishing under a bridge he never planned on fishing. 5-7 casts later he was in position to do what no one had ever done in staging the greatest comeback in BASS Classic History!

However that is not the only awesome prayer answered that day. I had 2 speaking events that weekend, and boy I needed them. Money was tight over at Wellspoken Ministries, and I wasn't sure how many more paychecks we had left. The $19,100 salary I was drawing at the time meant I had to have $1500 a month to get paid, and it was looking slim. Due to the wear and tear on my vehicle the rule we adopted as a Ministry was if I have to drive over 6 hours we rent a car. My speaking engagements that weekend merited a rental so I dropped $300 on the rental car and set out to preach. 

The first event was in a small coastal town that I knew quite well. The Church was a good sized congregation and the event had around 400 in attendance. The night went well and many people trusted Christ, but when I went to leave no check was given. I have to admit I perseverated on it for about 200 miles as I drove to my next speaking engagement. I stopped at a friend's house and stayed the night before driving the remainder of the way to the small Pentecostal Church in Georgia that I was to preach at that Sunday. As I walked into the Sanctuary it was apparent that affluence and this Church were far from each other. The white washed walls and old plate glass windows did not speak of a great deal of wealth. I got in and glanced up above the old organ, as I noticed the small sign that tells last weeks attendance totals. It read: Last week's offering $35.  "Great". I bowed my head and half prayed. "God I came here, rented a car, got no money yesterday, and now I'm preaching here? I don't know how I'm going to make it". 

That Sunday became a life changer for me. I preached and gave the invitation at 12:30 pm. The altar was full, and as the Pastor got up he stood and preached again. We didn't get finished until 1:30 pm! I walked to my rental car and began to put away my things. As I looked up I noticed everyone in the church was gone. Not a car in the  parking lot. Not a soul in sight. I shook my head and wondered if God was telling me I needed to do something else. Then it happened.  No it wasn't a voice that told me to fish under a bridge. It was an old man. He walked up from the side of the Church, looked around, scratched his head, and then walked straight up to me. He extended his hand with and envelope in it. This is his exact words were: "God told me to give this to you". He walked away. I stood there for a moment then I opened the envelope. It had 18 $100 bills in it. The cost for my salary for the month and my rental car. I sat in my car and cried. I told God that I would never doubt his providing again. 

God answers prayers. All kinds of prayers. He answered Randy's prayer of faith and my prayer of not so much faith. Those are just two that I know of that day. There is no telling now many He answered that I will never know about.

He will answer yours too. Call out to Him today.

Living the Dream! Some common Myths about Becoming a Bass Pro

2018 will mark my 10th year traveling with the BASS Elite Series as the Chaplain for their Fellowship of Christian Anglers Society. During that time I have seen the highs and lows of a small group of guys who make a living as Rick Clunn put it "Chasing little green fish". For each of those who make that dream a reality, there are literally thousands that fail. People say it all the time. "Those guys are Living the dream"!  Here are some common "Myths" from an outsider looking in about Living the dream of Professional angling.

Myth 1- All it takes is Time on the water.

Of all the myths I will discuss this one has to be the number one false fantasy of those who pursue the dream of Professional Fishing. I hear it all the time. "If I can just spend enough time on the water, I can be as good as those guys. If that were the case, then the oldest anglers  would win every single event.  The fact of the matter is this, fishing is a God given gift, and skill just like any other. I can practice my basketball shooting every day, but I will never shoot as well as Steph Curry. Its the same with fishing. I can certainly improve, but either you have it or you don't.

Myth 2-  If I had all the equipment Sponsors give them, I could compete with the Elite Series and FLW guys.

Most local tackle stores are brimming with guys who brag about how they can beat the Pros,  and blame it on equipment. The truth is that most of the guys on the BASS and FLW tour started with the same equipment you have. The bass boat and type of rod you use does not equate to better tournament performances necessarily. Most Pros were winning long before they received anything from Sponsors.

Myth 3 - Since I beat the guys in my Bass club, I can compete with the Pros.

Winning at the club level may or may not be an indication of your ability to become a bass pro. What many guys fail to see is that traveling around the country and fishing different lakes at different times is a lot different than being the big stick on your home lake for 30 years. Marty Stone says that you need to be cashing a check in at least 80% of the tournaments you fish in, before moving up to the next level. Just because you can win the fruit jar tournament doesn't mean you can beat KVD.

Myth 4- If Sponsors threw money at me like they do those guys, I could fish professionally.

This legendary lie is propagated from boat ramps far and wide throughout our great nation. The reality is that with great Sponsorship comes tremendous responsibility! Sponsors don't just pay to get their patch on a shirt. They pay for the design, testing, promotion, and selling of a product. This responsibility comes with great pressure. I heard on Pro say when" I fished for fun I felt excited when I got a bite. Now I just feel relieved. "

There are some Pros that have there faces on the lures of the Bass Pro shop and Walmart. There are some eating peanut butter trying to win enough money to get home. Mark Davis said "I always laugh when golfers talk about pressure. Pressure is when there is 10 minutes left in the tournament, and you need a 5 pounder just to get home."  Just like anything you do, you better be called to do. If you are not called, then Living this dream can make you hate something you used to love.

Last words

Have you ever thought about doing things for the last time? I do. I think about the day I will catch my last bass, sing my last hymn, hug my children for the last time,  tell my wife I love her for the final time, and preach my last message. I get a strange nostalgic haunting feeling when those thoughts infiltrate my thinking, and often times it spurs me to think deeper. What about my last words? What will they be? Will I have time to say something profound or will it be some random frivolous phrase that emanates out my mouth?

Many times people's last words are recorded, asked about, even sought after. If you do an internet search of Famous last words",  you will get a plethora of the things people have uttered just before their dying moments. Some are absolutely amazing, some not so much, some are crafted, some are funny, some are inspiring, thoughtful, and others scary, and sad. Here are a few examples of what I found:

"Hey fellas. How about this for a headline for tomorrows paper? French Fries!"- Convicted Murderer James French (in the electric chair)

"I only regret that I only have one life to lose for my country."- Nathan Hale- Revolutionary War Spy

"Love one another"- George Harrison - Beatles guitarist

"Nancy, I want you to know my last thoughts are of you" - PT Barnum said to his wife.

" I do not believe in my death"- Salvador Dali

"It is well, I die hard, but I am not afraid to go."- George Washington

"Let us pass over the river, and rest under the shade of the trees." - Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson

"Damn it! Don't you dare ask God to help me!"- Joan Crawford (screamed at her praying housekeeper)

 One day whether we believe it or not, all of us will do everything we do for the last time.  We will all utter the last words we ever will. The Bible tells us that our words are a good indication of what is truly in our hearts. I hope we will all be careful of what we say, for those words could be our last!

Why Matt Lauer's sins are worse than you think.

I awoke this morning to the shocking news that NBC's Today Show had fired its point man. Matt Lauer joined the Today show around 1994, and has become one of the most recognized and popular tv personalities in our country and around the world. Matt was fired due to allegations of Sexual misconduct in the work place. The backlash of this announcement has set off a Firestorm of media frenzy from both the political left and right, due to Lauer's pointed and candid cross examination of several celebrities accused of similar actions.

In a word. It's bad.

However Matt's sins are much worse than you think they are, and heres some more breaking news. So are yours and mine!

The great preacher and theologian Charles Spurgeon said it this way: "If any man thinks ill of you, do not be angry with him, for you are worse than he thinks you to be".

 In our society we tend to to categorize sin. We grade it even. There are big sins like Matt Lauers, but then there are little sins that really don't matter as much. Or so we think. God doesn't see it that way at all. God knows we have a fundamental misunderstanding about the very nature of ourselves, and until we come to grips about who we really are, sin will continue to do its thing. So lets take a quick look.

Sin is anything that displeases God. That's right......anything. It can be things we do, things we say, things we think , things we don't do, things we don't say, AND things we don't think.  The Bible says we are all sinners by our nature, and by our choice, and what we get as payment for sinning is death. There is more bad news here as well. The "death" it speaks of is not just RIP. It's eternal separation from God, and the worse news is it says "there is no one righteous, No NOT ONE.

The answer came in the form of what we will celebrate in less than a month. God saw our condition. Sent His son in the flesh to be born of a virgin, lived a perfect life for us, died a death that we deserved to die, and then comes back to life. So when we turn in repentance towards Him, and  by faith trust what He did for us on the cross, we call out to Him, and everything changes. Our nature is regenerated. Wholly made new. We cross from death to life.

Our sins in life may have different consequences, but they all take us to the same end.  

"If you would like to have more information on starting a relationship with Jesus, please feel free to contact me"-Chris Wells

"Why I refuse to have Black friends"(Please watch before Judging)

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The Hardest substance in the World

When I was a Student pastor one of the highlights of my year was to attend the Youth Specialties Conferences. It was a time where I could fellowship with other Ministers, and gain some fresh perspectives on how to approach my Ministry. Each day there were breakout seminars on various topics of interest from some of the top names in Student Ministry. One seminar I always attended was from former Student Pastor and author Barry St Clair. Barry was one of the few I met that had a great perspective on the balance of Evangelism and Discipleship. In one of those years Barry shared and illustration, and I started a tradition in my life that I hope to continue to the end.

He came in that day and asked "What is the hardest substance in the world"? Well immediately about 8 people called out "A Diamond"!  Barry looked at us and said "No its not a diamond. The hardest substance in the world is Fruity Pebbles". We all looked at him amusement, as he went on to explain his theory. He said that every morning he ate Fruity Pebbles, he loved them. He went on to say that he noticed there are always a few of them floating in the bowl after he finished and that led him to a choice. If he immediately went to the sink and rinsed the bowl it made washing the bowl a snap. However if he just let the fruity pebbles sit then during the day the sun would come up and shine through the window and bake those same fruity pebbles into an impenetrable substance! He's right. You can pull your fingernail off trying to get that thing off the bowl. It takes a jackhammer to do the clean up!

Barry continued. "It's like that with sin in our lives. Its amazing how much easier it is to deal with it immediately. The longer we let it sit the harder it becomes." The easier it is to let it stay there and turn into a set in hard mess.  I have found that to be so true in my life. The Bible tells us to confess our sins because He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us all from our unrighteousness.  There is nothing like the feeling of being clean. Im at least a 2 shower a day guy. I love to sit under the water and let the grime of life wash away. So I decided to do that in my life.

I started a Christmas tradition that I have never told anyone about. I find an empty church one afternoon during the holidays  (doesn't have to be a church) and I sit and I confess any sin I can remember. I simple sit under shower of the grace and mercy of God and come clean! Being cleansed from your sins is a feeling that people who don't know Christ cannot understand. When I come clean with God, I usually sit and listen to playlist of Christian songs until time to go.

Christmas is about Forgiveness. The first Christmas is where God initiated and began His plan for you and I to come clean. I want to encourage  you to do that this Christmas season. Find His forgiveness. Come clean! Don't let those Fruity Pebbles sit.

Merry Christmas!

How to spend an hour in Prayer for this country (short version)

On another tragic day in the life of this nation, I am reminded and even warned again that I need to be in prayer. I sincerely believe that the only hope for a country that judgement has been declared on is found in Jonah chapter 3. Repent and call urgently on God.

Prayer is mentioned so many times in the Bible, and yet so very many professing Christians do not pray. We know we should, we are supposed to, its the right thing to do, we just don't do it.

For many (I would say most) Christians, asking them to pray for an hour seems daunting. So I put together this quick guide to help you.

How to pray for this country for an Hour:

10 minutes: Still yourself and read Jonah chapter 3. Ask God to still you, and show you what He wants in this passage.

10 minutes: Spend some time confessing your sin. (Sin is anything God is displeased with). Repent from it and turn towards God. If you can't remember them ask God to show them to  you.

10 Minutes: Spend this time praying for Our President and our leaders. Whether you agree with them or not. Call out to God to grant them Wisdom in leading. Ask God to give them a heart for him. Earnestly plead for their repentance (turning away from sin and towards God)

10 Minutes: Spend this time praying for the families of those who were shot. In this shooting and all the others. Call them by name. Plead for their comfort, salvation, and restoration.

10 Minutes: Spend this time asking God for a Great Awakening of true spiritual Revival. Confess the sins of our country, our ancestors (yes that Biblical), and anything God brings to you Mind.

10 Minutes: As God to grow you spiritually. To bring genuine Revival in  your own life. To find, know, and develop the gifts He has given you when He put His Spirit in you. Ask God to burden  you to continually pray. To seek His face not just what he can do for you.

You have spent an hour in prayer.

Do this!! Share this!! Pray to God while He may be found!

Why I refuse to have Black friends!

I am white.
I am southern.
I am conservative.
I am Christian.
I live in South Carolina.
My great great grandad served in the Civil war for the Confederacy.

I stand before you today saying that I am proud that I do not have any black friends. I'm also so proud that I don't have any white friends. Oh sure I have friends. I have a friend named Robert who is black, but he's not my black friend. I have a friend named Trent who is Irish American, but he's not my Irish buddy. My friend Michelle is a full blooded Cherokee, but he's not my Native American friend. My friend Desi is Caucasian as they come, but he is not my white friend. My neighbors are from Colombia, but they are not my South American friends.

No, they are ALL just my friends.

Not my black, white, red, yellow or any other colored friends.......just MY friends.  Despite the slant this whacked out PC world tries to SPIN it. I am from South Carolina and I ONLY HAVE FRIENDS.


I wouldn't want it any other way.



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Truths for your Church I learned from over 850 Wild game Banquets.

I started speaking at Men's events and Wild game Banquets back in the 1990's and since that time I have had the privilege of speaking at over 850 events all over the country. Here are a few truths I learned during that time.

1) The Best Game Banquets are done on Weeknights not weekends. -  The reason for this is simple. Guys who hunt and fish do so on the weekends. Show me a Wild game Banquet that is on the weekend, and I will show  you one that is primarily filled with Church goers. An event planned on a week day breaks up the work week for a guy, while still allowing him to talk about hunting and fishing. Choose your times wisely.

2) The Venue makes a difference.- Churches that do their Banquets away from the Church building find they have much better success, because guys who don't know Christ have a thing about walking in a church. Ive heard Church members say: "Well they should want to come to the House of God" Well two things: the building is NOT the house of God. God dwells in people not buildings. (Acts 17:34) Secondly if they wanted to come to your church they would be there. Choose a venue that is non threatening to the non church goer. Give them the chance to hear the good news.

3) "Ambush Evangelism" will hurt your Banquet in the future-  Ive heard Jason Cruise who is in my opinion the leading authority on reaching men through hunting and fishing. Talk about this in his blog: http://jasoncruise.com, and I have seen it as well. A speaker will get everyone to bow their head and close their eyes with the promise of not embarrassing  anyone. However the moment a hand is raised he will tell them to look up and move to a counseling room or to talk with a counselor. This destroys credibility for future Banquets as an outreach event. I had a seminary professor that said a speaker should spend as much time preparing their invitation as their message. Don't bait and switch. Make sure your speaker knows how to extend an invitation and let God work.

4) Churches that use a response card do a much better job of "Follow up" than those that don't.
Following up on decisions made at a Wild game Banquet or any Evangelistic event is critical. Too many churches put more energy and planning in the physical food than the spiritual food. A response card used at the end of a decision time can give the church the valuable and confidential information they need to help a new convert grow and stick. Sometimes a follow up can help deepen up some commitments that a person may not have fully understood. I suggest using your response card at the end for your door prize card. Just make sure that everyone fills one out, and that decision is kept private.

Wild Game Banquets can be an amazing outreach tool, that will draw people that would not otherwise darken the doors of  your Church if they are done with prayer, care and a little thought.

Things Ive learned from BASS Pros about preparing for Bow Season!

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Over the window in my office hangs the Wells coat of arms. Underneath it reads one of the few Latin phrases that I know by heart. Semper Paratus which translates loosely "Always Prepared".  Now I am sitting here in the middle of July with the temperature hovering around 94 with 80% humidity, and suddenly it dawns on me that bow season in my state only about 3 weeks away! I can't tell you how many times I have let the season slip up on me, and I find myself totally unprepared. So what do I do? I look to some over looked experts for help.  You see one of the coolest secrets that I have learned while traveling with the BASS Elite Series Anglers is that some of the best Bass Fishermen in the world are also some of the best Bow Hunters as well. I have had the privilege of getting to hunt with as well as pick the brains of some of the best Bow hunters on the tour. Here are a few things I picked up from some really neat BASS Pros that just may help you get ready for bow season just in time!

1) Get your legs in shape. That's right your legs! Bow hunting can be one physically demanding sport. From the walk to your spot, to the climbing of the tree, without proper physical conditioning you can set yourself up for failure.  Clifford Pirch is a BASS Pro that hails from Payson Arizona, but when hunting season rolls around he is an Elk guide. In case  you don't know it, Elk hunting is a synonym for  "Hiking". Payson has some of the largest Public hunting areas in the country and they are loaded with Elk, and if you want to get them you have to walk them down! Cliff Pirch is a walking machine. Ive learned from Cliff that not only do the "legs feed the wolf", they also make bow hunters better.

2) Practice holding at full draw.  Over the last ten years or so I have had the privilege to get to hunt with Shaw Grigsby on several occasions. Shaw has one of the most successful fishing shows of all time in "One More Cast", but what everyone doesn't know is that he is literally a bow hunting guru who has executed shots in excess of 60 yards! One of the best things I learned from Shaw is to watch tv while holding your bow at full draw. Being able to develop the muscles that allow you to hold your draw longer will put you in a position to make stealthier and more ethical kill shots. I spend a lot of nights holding that string back while watching my favorite shows aka The Bassmasters, and Major League fishing.

3) Have the correct tools to set your stands correctly. Several years ago I got to go on a Mission trip to Joplin Missouri with BASS Pro Brent Chapman. We went in just days after the devastating tornados literally destroyed the city. Brent brought a team of workers and was a powerhouse with a chain saw. He had various types of extensions to reach most every situation we met. I asked him why he had so those and his answer was "tree stand placement". You don't have to have top of the line equipment, but having the correct tools to be able to clear, conceal, and hang your stands can be the difference in filling a tag or not.

Getting Prepared is critical. Whether in fishing, hunting, or your spiritual life, being prepared is the key!

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My insights on blogging and 40,000 views!

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I have been blogging on and off since 2011, and the Bass chaplain blog just hit 40,000 views!  On that note I would like to share a few insights on my blogging adventure, and also give a shootout to some upcoming things we will be doing!

1) Blogging is a powerful medium- I have written some so so blog posts and a couple that were read by over 18,000 people, and I have discovered that this form of communicating and sharing can be an extremely effective tool to reach and engage an audience.

2) With good blogging comes great responsibility-  Blogging can evoke tremendously passionate responses. I have had people unfriend me, curse me out, and I have been threatened. I have also been told that some of my blog posts have changed people's lives for the better. I have found that carefully posted excerpts from my blog can be powerful starting points for meaningful dialog. That is a responsibility I don't take for granted.

3) Blogging is about timing and consistency- Blogging forces me to be more aware of what is going on in our world. Carefully timed blogs can skyrocket your influence. At the same time haphazard and periodic blogging can really hurt. Too often I get on blog streaks, and then go months without posting. Blogging must be consistent to be effective.


**The next several weeks are going to see a huge shift in our Social Media presence. @Basschaplain has added over 1500 new twitter followers in the last 3 weeks and my goal is to have over 20,000 by the end of the year.

 In addition we will be adding a new Bass fishing/Hunting website to provide challenging and effective informational content to our audience. We are also excited to announce that we are wrapping a new truck for Wellspoken Ministries. The goal is to take that vehicle to every event I speak at (68-79 events yearly) with a wrap designed to start faith conversations. A new website is in the mix as well that will include video and information on how to book the Bass Chaplain.

Fishing til He comes,

Chris Wells -The Bass Chaplain

Starting Faith Conversations!

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According to recent statistics, 90% of Christians in the denomination that I am a member of will never share their faith one time. It always stuns me to think how as  Christians we have the greatest news of any generation to share, and most of us will never share it. I speak to Men's groups all over the country and I have observed that men can share with each other about Football, basketball, fishing Hunting Finances, business and a plethora of other things with absolute ease. Yet when it comes to sharing our faith, men become deaf mutes. Now I don't propose to have the answer to every Christian man who doesn't share his faith, but I do think that more often that not it comes down to "how to start".  I have found that if men can  just get the ball rolling, sharing about our faith becomes much easier. I want to offer some ways to help you kick those faith conversations off.

1) Remember you aren't called to save anyone. As a matter of fact, you can't even save  yourself. God does the saving. We are called however to share. You are successful every time you share your faith, not just when someone is converted.

2) Look for ways for them a start the conversation for you. Right now I am on my way back from a trip to California, where I have gotten to share my faith nearly 40 times. We drove two wrapped boats across country, and let me tell you a wrapped boat is a faith sharing magnet. I had people from all over the country walk right up to me and ask me about the truck and boats, giving me a perfect in to share Jesus. Now I know everyone doesn't have a wrapped vehicle, but there are other ways to get people to ask. Wearing a Christian T-shirt, carrying a Bible, reading a Christian book, or listening to Christian music can all be great ways to start faith conversations. When I am around fishermen I carry a little key chain of a lure made by Rainbow baits. The colors of the bait tell the plan of salvation. Get creative to help those conversations going.

3) Develop telling your personal conversion story. Sharing with people how you met Christ can be one of the most powerful ways that you can share. People will often argue about the Bible, theology, and religion, but no one can argue about what happened to  you. Its a great way to share, however when you do get your story down to around a minute. Yeah that's right I said a minute. When I share my story I use the "Before, How, Now" Method. What was my life like before I met Christ? How did I meet Him? What is He doing in my life right now? This is great way for you to begin to share Christ.

The more  you share your faith the easier it gets to learn how to share, and when you start, God will use   you. There is nothing more exciting than being used of God to change lives.

That's a Wrap!

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Today I am writing this entry for two reasons. First to share the faith stories of my "Wrapped Truck". Second because its time to "Re-Wrap" and we are looking for partners. Now for those of you who are unfamiliar with Wrapped vehicles, I will give you a crash course on their purpose and effectiveness. Basically a wrapped vehicle is when a company puts a vinyl covering over a vehicle in order to draw attention and to advertise. For years people have purchased advertising on Bill boards and in Yellow pages, but imagine if that Billboard could actually go where your customers are? Enter the wrapped vehicle. Marketing experts tell us that a wrapped vehicle generates over 40,000 impressions for every 6 hours it is on the road. In addition to that, a wrapped vehicle lasts much longer than a Billboard. In the BASS fishing world where I minister, wrapped vehicles and boats are the standard by which most companies advertise. So what does this have to do with Ministry? Ill tell you.

I have found that one of the reasons that most people don't share their faith, is because they don't know how to start. My wrapped truck gives me a perfect opportunity to start. In the years that I have had my truck wrapped, I have shared my faith hundreds of times and have seen many people trust Christ. In addition it allows me to share with people what I do, and gives me scores of opportunities to minister to people who are hurting. I will share with  you a couple of stories.

 Several years ago former BASS classic winner Randy Howell, shared with a company that wraps trucks about my ministry. They called and offered to wrap my truck as a gift to Wellspoken Ministries. I picked up the new wrap in Birmingham Alabama, and set out to drive to the Classic which was in Shreveport Louisiana that year. 15 minutes after I got on the highway I got a phone call. The caller said "I just passed you on the interstate, and I saw that you are a Christian speaker. How do I become a christian?" I had the opportunity to lead him to Christ over the phone. One summer, our family was staying down at the beach. As we were cleaning up to leave, we realized we were out of glass cleaner. I was given the task to go fetch some. I pulled into the parking lot at CVS and saw a man staring at my truck. He walked directly to me and said " Do you pray for people"? He was going through a divorce and took a walk to try and figure out his life. I had the opportunity to lead him to Christ in the parking lot.

I have so many testimonies just like those, of scores of people that walk right up to that vehicle. Now do you have to have a wrapped truck to share Christ? Absolutely not, God can use whatever we give Him as long as we are willing to be used.  So with that said, we are looking for Sponsors for the new Basschaplain Wrap. If your business of company is interested they can contact us through email or by phone. We have a number of sponsorship levels. Take Care and Keep telling people about Jesus!


To contact us about wrap Sponsorships:

(864) 414-9453
Chris@chriswells.org

Twas The Night Before the Classic(Hartwell version)

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Twas the night before the Classic and all around the show, everyone is fretting will their be any more snow!  The Jigging spoons were hung on the rods with care, and everyone's decked out in Cabela's Guidewear.

The Anglers were snug looking down at their boats, where Skeeters and Tritons will soon be afloat.  Mark Zona and Sanders  have their headsets on, and Camera's will be ready to film before dawn.

When down at the boat ramp their arose such a clatter, People from Anderson ran to see what was the matter. I ran down Green pond in hope that I could see, a glimpse of Randy Howell and Andy Montgomery!

The  moon was gleaming on the ice down below, I wished I was a Marshall, riding with Defoe! When what to my longing eyes should appear,  but Jerry McKinnis and Trip Weldon calling is everyone here!


There was a little boat driver as bright as can be, and I knew he was running Blue Water LED! 
More rapid than eagles the Fishermen came, as the cold water churned as they called out their names.

Go Browning, Go Ashley, Go Evers, and Go Pace! Now Davis, and Faircloth their off to the race!
From the top of the ramp, to the mouth of the Bay, the Classic competitors are all on their way!

The Bass Chaplain is headed down to the ramp. Come Sunday we will know who is the Bassmasters Champ!!

By Chris Wells and Bob Eads

50 Shades of Grey and other irrelevant rabbits Christianity Chases

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I can scarcely watch the tv, turn on the radio, or open my social media without hearing the latest controversy that I should be protesting as a Christian. The lists of wrongs that mainstream Christianity are calling for me to be against are staggering, and with each comes a passionate litigator emblazoned with fire for his cause. 50 Shades of Grey, The Davinci  code,  Stigmata, The last temptation of Christ, the search for heretics, the cleansing of liberalism, translation arguments, theological disputes, and the lists go on and on.

As I sit here at my desk and think of all the causes that Christians get fired up about it reminds me of my 8th grade Algebra class. Back in the 1980's I felt about Algebra much like I do today. I hate it. In 8th grade I hated doing it so badly that a few of my classmates and I devised a strategy to keep from doing as much of it as we could. You see I had an Algebra teacher that was literally a Korean war hero. He had served with distinction in the army and with a little bit of encouragement we could get him to tell war stories during Algebra. What 8th grade boy wouldn't want to hear about grenades exploding nearby as opposed to solving for x?  My point is we caused a distraction. By getting him to chase rabbits we got out of a lot of Algebra. Christianity today spends a lot of time trying to root out what they consider evil. Now I want to say that I am not endorsing 50 Shades of Grey or any movie, book, or philosophy that contradicts the Word of God, but I am saying that too many times the tangents are the focus.

In Matthew's gospel there is a parable Jesus tells that has come to be known as the wheat and the tares. In the story a man sows a field of wheat,  but when the wheat comes in, he and his servant notice that there are tares that have been mixed in with them. The servant expresses his concern over the problem. The conversation goes like this:

 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

—Matthew 13:24-30, Holy Bible: King James Version

The servant wants to run in and pluck the tares out, but the Sower says. No don't do that. We will go about our mission, and when the time comes it will be sorted out. Often times running in a situation in protest and the desire to stop or destroy the evil does more harm than it does good. I imagine a lot more people will go to see 50 Shades as a result of Christians screaming in protest than if we really just lived and spoke in manner of going about our mission. Here are a few things I wish we Christians would burn into our brains.

1) What We do speaks Louder than what we say EVERY SINGLE TIME.  The book of James cuts to the chase when it asserts that if we truly know Christ, it will show by our lives. It will be so evident that  often times there will be no need for words, but when there are, we will be much more credible.

2) Lost people will ALWAYS act lost. It shocks me that Christians are shocked when a lost world acts lost. It is the nature of man to do the wrong thing every time. Don't expect the world to produce content for your entertainment that reflects the standards of Christ. They are incapable of doing so.

3) The Church needs to focus on being a beacon of light, not an amber alert of the dark. Light doesn't have to seek out darkness. LIGHT OBLITERATES IT!  Darkness cannot stand in the light. We are called to Salt and Light to a dying world. They should see our lives and be blinded by the light, and thirst for what we have.


When the tendency to chase those rabbits happens, let's focus on "letting your light shine before men so they will see our good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven".




@Basschaplain invites you to follow him on twitter.

BASS Chaplain Videos

Im often asked about putting up videos of my speaking. Here are a few. If you would like to have Chris Wells aka (The Bass Chaplain) at your next Ministry event. Go to: www.chriswells.org

How is the State of your Union? (And will you address it?)

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"praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every

spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. … "

The State of the Union is the address presented by the President of the United States to a Joint session of Congress and, typically delivered annually. As I listened to our President give this address   last night it occurred to me that all Christians could learn a lesson from this tradition by taking the time to truly evaluate the State of our Union with Christ. Unfortunately just as many Presidents do, we often tend to overestimate how well we are doing, and we don't paint an accurate portrait of what is really going on. Here are a few questions  to help us accurately  gauge how we are doing.

1) Is there evidence of Conversion in my life?- The Bible says that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. There are many who name Christ as savior, but never have evidence that He has actually saved them. If you are truly in Christ it will be evident in the fruit that your life produces. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self control. When  you examine your life, are these apparent?

2) Do you have an actively consistent time with God? - In the book of Mark it says that very early in the morning, Jesus went to a solitary place where he prayed. There should be nothing that is more important or precious to the believer than spending time with God. As a matter of fact if we are too busy to spend time with God, then we are busier than God created us to be! Do you spend time with God?

3) Do  you have a Biblical spiritually defined purpose?- When God saves us, He also gives us spiritual gifts. The gifts are given to enable us to accomplish God's desired purpose for our lives. However most people have no clue what the spiritual gifts are, much less what their specific gift is. Do you know what your spiritual gifts are? Are you using them for His glory?

4) Do you actively look for opportunities to share your faith?- I honestly believe this is vital in our evaluation of our Union with Christ. The apostles devoted their lives to sharing about Christ. The very last words of Jesus in Acts were "You will be my witnesses".  Statistics tell us that most "Christians" will never share their faith with even one person. We will scream for our Football  team, declare our political allegiance, and rail against injustices, yet we can't share about the one who saved us from death and Hell? Do you share your faith?

This is not an exhaustive list, but its is a great start. So while you are mulling over the Presidents State of the Union Address, why not Address what state your "Union" is in.

Forever Fishing,
Chris Wells