Bible Study Verse
Colossians 4:5-6
Walk in wisdom with those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. (NKJV)

Thoughts
This past month, I’ve had the opportunity to spend time with my sons, ages 16 and 18, hunting in the Coconino National Forest south of Flagstaff, Arizona. This month-long “guys night out” was great for trying to impart some wisdom from life’s lessons to my sons, who are growing older much too fast. Our time together wasn’t so much about building hunting blinds or listening to the elk bugle at twilight; but rather, conversations about growing up, learning to whittle, and what it means to be a Christian. I pulled my hat from my head and explained how a well-worn hat says something about the man wearing it; and even more importantly, a man’s Bible speaks volumes about the condition of his heart.

The time we have to influence our children is limited. After the age of 18, our opportunities for impact are few. Some of life’s most teachable moments with our children can take place in the great outdoors. However, there’s no reason to wait until we have them hemmed up in the forest to invest in our children. (RK)

Action Point
Colossians 4:5 & 6 tells us to make the most of every opportunity. We have to instill godly principles into our children’s lives while we can. After all, they are tomorrow’s leaders.

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Bible Study Verse
Ephesians 5:28
In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church. (NIV)

Thoughts
A few weeks ago, my wife stopped by my office where I am fortunate to have the liberty of hanging a few of my game trophies on the wall. One of these is a 5X5 bull elk which I took last year with a muzzleloader in northern Arizona. As my wife was perusing my office, she pointed at the antlers and asked, “Is that my elk?”
“Uh, no,” I said, “that’s my elk; you haven’t killed an elk with antlers yet.”
To which she replied, “As I said, is that my elk?”
I stopped what I was doing and carefully digested this last question for a long moment before looking up. “You want to kill a bull elk?” I asked.
Her reply started with something like, “Yeah, If you loved me, . . . .”
If you’re married you know that, regardless of how the statement ended, the message was very clear. Though my wife had been on a number of elk hunts and had even harvested a cow elk herself, she had never hunted bull elk. Ever try to explain the Draw process to a woman who wants to hunt something? Trust me, it’s all beside the point. However, here is the point: Her statement about the 5X5 on my wall could have represented anything that involved quality time with her–a family vacation, a weekend alone without the kids, or a bull elk hunt. Our hunting can mean the world to us, but it is never more important than loving our wives. Obedience to God’s Word is not optional; nor is loving our wife as our self a mere suggestion. The union of a husband and wife was God’s first created organization in the Bible, even before the church; (Genesis 1:27-28) and certainly before hunting clubs and the like. If you are seeking God’s blessing on your next hunt, be sure you and your spouse are “one” (Ephesiana 5:31) on the matter. (RC)

Action Point
If you have a wife or daughter who likes to hunt, Amen! God has obviously already blessed you in this area. Make every opportunity to hunt together. I see no downside to this. Make sure you accommodate them in order that you do not turn them off from the hunting or fishing experience. The trip need not resemble the last episode of “Survivorman”.
Remember 1 Peter 3:7: Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. (NIV)
Make sure you are well prepared to help them face the challenges of the tougher hunts without risk to their health and safety should problems arise.

Bible Study Verse
Psalm 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise . . .. (NIV)

Thoughts
The true outdoorsman is often the most balanced man in the crowd. He handles life’s challenges with grace and patience. He walks life’s hallways with thoughtful understanding. Now understand, I don’t mean everyone who goes into the outdoors, but I refer to the real outdoorsman. I think that I know why this is true. How can anyone experience the outdoors without developing a thankful heart? And how can anyone with a thankful heart not live a thankful life? Thankful lives produce balance, trust, grace and joy. The outdoorsman senses a surge of thankfulness each time he watches the sunrise explode the eastern sky or slip below the horizon in a bath of golden rays. The honking of a flock of geese nearing from the distance, encouraging each other on, reminds him that he is not alone in this life; but that there are others calling him to move ahead. Watching an animal take its last breath because of the choice that the hunter made, fills the outdoorsman’s heart with the sense of responsibility that the Creator gave him–to watch over this planet and those who share it with him. A walk into the early morning woods with anticipation racing through the blood, and a walk out of the calm evening woods with the satisfaction of a day well spent, cannot be purchased. The outdoorsman is in touch with himself and, more importantly, with God. There is no wonder that he is a thankful person, often thankful beyond words. (Joey H)

Action Point
Thanksgiving is an attitude. It is a choice that you and I make. Years ago, when I was going through a difficult time, I found myself beside a trout stream thinking about my situation. I took a small piece of paper and wrote ten things that I was thankful for on one side and ten things about me that might cause others to be thankful on the other. I carried that piece of paper in my wallet for a few months and read it every day. It really helped to change my perspective on things in my life. Choose today to be thankful. It will change your attitude and life.

Bible Study Verse
Job 15:31
Let him not deceive himself by trusting what is worthless, for he will get nothing in return. (NIV)

Thoughts
I was surf fishing a couple of weeks ago when a fleet of shrimp boats came in to fish just on the other side of the beach sandbar. I had never seen the boats come in that close–less than a hundred yards from the beach, almost within casting distance–and they must have really been hauling in the shrimp. Wave after wave of boats came through, dragging their nets on the bottom, and hauling those tasty prawns onto their decks.

Once the waters were stirred up and the shrimp were on the move, the fishing seemed to pick up a bit. It appeared that the fish couldn’t tell the difference between the shrimp that were swimming for their lives and the one that was dangling from my hook.

Action Point
If you think about it, fishing is all about deception. When we fish, we try to trick the fish into biting our bait or lure in the hope that we can catch a trophy. It is great for us when we land that trophy; but from the fish’s perspective, it’s definitely not so great. He thought he was getting a meal. Instead, he became a meal.

How often are we deceived in our lives by trusting the worthless bait of the world? How often do we try to reach and take hold of what is worthless–material things–when all the while the truly valuable things of God are already available for us? Do not be deceived. Don’t fall for worthless bait. Before you even realize it’s happening, you may find yourself hooked and trapped in sin. (GGB)

Bible Study Verse
Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.” (NASV)

Thoughts
Do you ever sense the pressure to perform? At work we are not supposed to have “bad hair days”, but we do from time-to-time. Even on fishing or hunting expeditions, there is that slight pressure to perform–to successfully land a large fish, or bag some impressive game. We also want to be “up” for our friends, to encourage them, not to bring them down. The harsh reality is, we aren’t always “up” or at our prime 24/7. This is also true in our relationship with the Lord. We want to be at our best for Him, but we aren’t 100 percent of the time. Do our real friends forsake us when we let them down? Does God condemn us when we let Him down? The answer is, No! (TH)

Action Point
Keep relating to God, your family and your friends no matter what the circumstances. We all are in the same boat when it comes to good days and bad days. Let’s extend grace towards family members and friends who may not be doing too well. We might be the one who needs grace the next time.

Bible Study Verse
Ephesians 5:1-2
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (NIV)

Thoughts
Just about every time I go into the woods, I try to be something I’m not; I imitate something else–perhaps a dying rabbit, to attract a coyote or mountain lion; or maybe a worm, to attract a smallmouth bass. I almost always try to imitate something that will help me successfully outwit my prey.

In my life as a Christian, I have but One to imitate–God–by being like His Son, Jesus. One of the ways Jesus taught us to imitate God is by loving those He came to seek and to save. He loved us, even to the point of death. That is being like God; and that is what is going to attract others to take God’s “bait” and accept His gift of salvation. (CS)

Action Point
Being a Christian isn’t all that complicated. We are to simply be like Jesus, and, therefore, be like God. To do that, we must love as Jesus loved–the Father above all else, and others as He loved them.

Bible Study Verse
Proverbs 11:1-2
The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight. When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. (NIV)

Thoughts
Christian Counselors, Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker wrote a book about sexual temptation entitled, “Every Man’s Battle”. However, I think that if we were honest, we would have to say that another battle that most men have is that of exaggeration; and one that sportsmen, especially, seem to share! We love to tell about how big was “the one that got away”.

In these verses, Solomon tells us that the Lord hates dishonest scales, but has delight in accurate weights; and immediately thereafter he says that disgrace comes with pride, but humility with wisdom. I don’t think it was an accident that the Lord inspired Solomon to put these two verses side by side. Why do we like to exaggerate? Because of our pride! I believe that is really every man’s battle, the battle of pride. (DWH)

Action Point
We all love telling stories about the hunting or fishing trip. Let us be sure that the stories we tell reflect “accurate weights”; and remember that “with humility comes wisdom”. We are to set the example for others to follow. It might be expected that those who do not know the Lord would exaggerate. However, those of us who know the Lord have no excuse; unless we just want to keep offering up the same old, worn-out one: “I couldn’t help it, my flesh took over.”

Bible Study Verse
2 Corinthians 8:1-4
And now brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. (NIV)

Thoughts
My wife and I were driving in the country, approximately ten miles from home. A car was stopped along the side of the road with its lights on; and the passengers were standing outside the vehicle. We stopped to offer assistance. The car had hit a deer, but was still drivable. The deer was apparently struck in the head. The driver did not want the deer; so I field dressed it, called the conservation officer to report the incident, and get the necessary paperwork. We brought the deer home and skinned it. The conservation officer came to the house, thanked us for taking care of the deer, and decided to take it to another person. Needlesstosay, I was disappointed. A couple of weeks later, the officer stopped at our house to tell us that he had taken the deer to an older gentleman who couldn’t hunt and hadn’t eaten venison for a number of years. When the gentleman saw the deer, he was so happy that he shed some tears. When I heard the story, I was truly blessed. This man had many meals to be truely thankful for. Let the spirit of Thanksgiving live on everyday in your life. This episode in my life prompted me to offer wild game to needy older people in our church. (TL)

Action Point
Our wild game belongs to God. It is a privilege to hunt and eat His creation. Share God’s gifts with the needy and those who cannot hunt. Let God’s grace overflow in your heart.