| week 1Ephesians 4:29 "Do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Chapter 4 from Ephesians gives us a clear guide on how to speak, act, and grow spiritually as the Body of Christ. Verse 29 has always been especially challenging for me. Many times I, and men in general, find it easier to talk about sports, our kids, or the weather, than to focus our communication on our faith. Chapter 4 shows us the goal in Christian communication is not only that we speak truthfully (v.25), but also bring encouragement based on what the needs of the other person are. This means that every time we speak, we have the opportunity to encourage. With just a few moments of our time and very little effort, we have the opportunity to brighten someone's day, to ease their burden, and to draw them closer to God. This opportunity must not be taken lightly; "But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken" (Matthew 12:36). Before we talk, we must listen carefully. What is the real question? What are the real needs? "He who answers before listening - that is his folly and his shame" (Proverbs 18:13). We may only be given the opportunity to speak a few words, but we can make every effort to use our words wisely; "The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil" (Proverbs 15:28). In the Dominican Republic, where my wife and I serve as missionaries, a Dominican man said the following farewell to an American missionary, "I will see you in heaven, my brother". The farewell was not spoken nonchalantly or in vain, but as a deep and meaningful expression of love for his new friend and of faith in the Lord. I pray that we have to discipline and faith to show our love for Christ by the way we speak and act to those around us. God Bless , The Blands |
| Week 2Psalm 23 I like that fact that the Bible teaches us that God is our shepherd. He leads us as we walk through this life. The Lord will guide as we take the various steps that make up our days. I am so grateful for the love and care that God takes in my life. I know that left to my own devices I will in fact lead myself down a road that leads to self-destruction. God knows what is best for each of us and he knows what we need daily. God the Father will make sure that we are in the best possible place for His ongoing purposes to be lived out in me. In the New Testament talks about he lost sheep and how the shepherd will go on a journey to make a careful search for he sheep. I am also grateful to the fact that when I get off the beaten path my Lord will make a careful search for me in order that I may find my way back to the place He longs fro me to be. I can remember hunting with my dad on late season dear hunt. As a young child, I remember getting scared as the evening grew darker and darker. I would always wait for the glimmer of his flashlight through the woods as sign that he was on his way to pick me up. God will be a guide for you and for me whatever life may bring. Trust the Lord that He will guide you safely as your heavenly shepherd. Stewart Moody College Minister FBC Statesboro stewart@fbc-statesboro.org Office: 912.489.7924 |
| Week 3This is for all you deer hunter, campers or who ever has been out for a walk at night. Have you ever been out walking in the dark got scared? I do when I am going to my deer stand in the morning. You feel like something out there is watching you. How many times do you find yourself during times like this talking to yourself? I believe that this is one way that God shows his presents to us. Well if you're lucky and have a good relationship with God, you might actual start talking to him. I find that while in the stand quit and thinking God often comes to me and starts talking to me. If your mind will stand still he will talk to you. Next time you get spooked in the woods think about God and how you are not alone and he is there waiting on you to talk to him. He just wants a relationship. He will also comfort you and make you feel well about all the spokes going on around you. Next time out, try it. Tip of the day. When walking to your stand walk slow enough to be quit. Just because it is dark and you are spooked does not mean that you will not scare everything around you if you make a lot of noise. Psalm 34:4 (New International Version) I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Matthew 10:28 (New International Version) Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. May God bless you all. Bill Howard |
| Week 4A Reason to be Thankful For. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, do you ever think about what you're truly thankful for? Our society today is so fast paced we can forget all the things in our lives that we should be thankful for. Things like spending precious time with family and friends, or having the opportunity to catch that 10 pound bass or finally get that 12 point buck. For me, it was the opportunity I had to play college football at Georgia Southern University. Sometimes we take for granted the things that matter the most. Someone may ask, what does it mean to be thankful? Being thankful, for me, is an automatic response to knowing I'm forgiven when I know I don't deserve it. I believe we should mostly be thankful that God sent his own Son to die on a cross for our sins. Knowing that if we believe in Jesus Christ and let Him be the Lord of our lives we are eternally secure in God's hands and pass from death to life. Recognizing God's grace causes me to have a thankful attitude. In 1 Corinthians 15:57, the Apostle Paul says, " But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. We should thank God no matter what our circumstances are in life. As we draw near to him with our thanks, He will draw near to us and will bring victory in our lives! To know that we have victory in this life through what Jesus demonstrated on the Cross is something to be truly thankful for. So what do you have to be thankful for today? Take time this Thanksgiving to share with others exactly what you're thankful for and praise God, for He is good! I pray that God will bless you and your family and have a Happy Thanksgiving! Serving Him, Matt Wise |
#4It is that time of year again when we all hit the woods planting our food plots and preparing
ourselves as well as the land for a successful deer season. I enjoy my time that I spend at my
Father in Law's farm and even more hunting with my buddies. I am also a Biology Teacher so the
biologist in me comes out many times when I am sorting through soil types, fertilizer and seed. I
have over the years learned a few things from plants that have been a much welcomed blessings
in my life.
Plants are producers they convert the energy in light into food and pass it on to countless other
consumers, deer, rabbits, game birds and eventually us. The Sun is the key for this reaction to
take place.
The Sun is also as predictable as they come you know where it is at any hour of the day and
though you can not see it at night the moon is there to remind us that it has not left us and will
return by morning.
The SON is the same way. Jesus is with you everyday every hour and in every situation. So what
are you a Producer, will you take what the Son has given you and pass it on sharing the gift and
helping others to grow. Or are you a consumer, soaking up what ever the Son presents you with
and never doing anything with it.
Share your Faith... it is easy and the gift is FREE!
Hunting Tip: Take a buddy hunting share your land and your savior.
God Bless,
Bradley Ward
ourselves as well as the land for a successful deer season. I enjoy my time that I spend at my
Father in Law's farm and even more hunting with my buddies. I am also a Biology Teacher so the
biologist in me comes out many times when I am sorting through soil types, fertilizer and seed. I
have over the years learned a few things from plants that have been a much welcomed blessings
in my life.
Plants are producers they convert the energy in light into food and pass it on to countless other
consumers, deer, rabbits, game birds and eventually us. The Sun is the key for this reaction to
take place.
The Sun is also as predictable as they come you know where it is at any hour of the day and
though you can not see it at night the moon is there to remind us that it has not left us and will
return by morning.
The SON is the same way. Jesus is with you everyday every hour and in every situation. So what
are you a Producer, will you take what the Son has given you and pass it on sharing the gift and
helping others to grow. Or are you a consumer, soaking up what ever the Son presents you with
and never doing anything with it.
Share your Faith... it is easy and the gift is FREE!
Hunting Tip: Take a buddy hunting share your land and your savior.
God Bless,
Bradley Ward
#5Manassas, GA 'Tis The Season Hunting Season that is-deer season in particular. It comes in slowly with bow,
then black powder and then no holds barred whatever you can hit one with. It is the time of the Hunting Widow
when husbands disappear until January. In my case, both child and spouse vacate the premises every Saturday
in search of big game and bigger stories. Men who one might fondly call Pete, Mack and Shane nine months out
of the year, become Mud Dog, Bob Cat and Jack Leg. Men who take meticulous care of their vehicles at any
other time, begin to drive like maniacs to cut off dogs or deer, go through mud holes they know are 6 foot deep
and drive down one lane cow trails at a rate of speed to rival Nascar. Of course, the more fortunate ones just
have one truck for hunting and one for all else. To understand deer hunting, well, I guess you just have to live it.
One of my earliest memories with my father is going huntin'. Some single dads would have just waited until it
wasn't their weekend with the children, but my father did not miss one opportunity to hunt on Saturday. In fact, in
the later years, he just took from Thanksgiving until after Christmas off as much as possible so he would be ready
6 days a week-just in case an opportunity arose. He did not bother with a babysitter but just loaded me in the
truck and there we went. I had a book and plenty to munch on. He kept a bag of oranges, saltine crackers,
sardines and Vienna sausages by the case. I left the sardines alone but happily munched on the rest and
enjoyed the day. There was always someone to talk to and you kept up with the rest of the club by the CB radio
and the sound of the dogs in full pursuit. Believe it or not, there are those who do not hunt anymore but will sit for
hours just to hear a "good run" and the bay of the hounds. At the end of the day when dogs and humans are all
accounted for, the next job begins. I believe this may be my daughter's favorite part of a long day-the skinning
rack. The younger generation cleaning the deer and the older generation telling them how they ought to do
it-generation after generation a tradition that stands. The deer they actually killed, the big ones that got away,
camaraderie, fun, truth and white lies all come together in the end. Fortunately for her, my daughter has a father
that has never left her behind. She has been goin' huntin' since she could climb in the truck and appears that she
will be going when she can drive it. He did not wait for the son he wasn't getting but continued to pass down a
generation of memories to the child he already had. Kind of like The Father-He doesn't wait until you're perfect or
until you fit the traditional mold. He will take us as we come and use us as we are, we just have to let Him.
God Bless,
Rose Morris
Manasssas,Ga
then black powder and then no holds barred whatever you can hit one with. It is the time of the Hunting Widow
when husbands disappear until January. In my case, both child and spouse vacate the premises every Saturday
in search of big game and bigger stories. Men who one might fondly call Pete, Mack and Shane nine months out
of the year, become Mud Dog, Bob Cat and Jack Leg. Men who take meticulous care of their vehicles at any
other time, begin to drive like maniacs to cut off dogs or deer, go through mud holes they know are 6 foot deep
and drive down one lane cow trails at a rate of speed to rival Nascar. Of course, the more fortunate ones just
have one truck for hunting and one for all else. To understand deer hunting, well, I guess you just have to live it.
One of my earliest memories with my father is going huntin'. Some single dads would have just waited until it
wasn't their weekend with the children, but my father did not miss one opportunity to hunt on Saturday. In fact, in
the later years, he just took from Thanksgiving until after Christmas off as much as possible so he would be ready
6 days a week-just in case an opportunity arose. He did not bother with a babysitter but just loaded me in the
truck and there we went. I had a book and plenty to munch on. He kept a bag of oranges, saltine crackers,
sardines and Vienna sausages by the case. I left the sardines alone but happily munched on the rest and
enjoyed the day. There was always someone to talk to and you kept up with the rest of the club by the CB radio
and the sound of the dogs in full pursuit. Believe it or not, there are those who do not hunt anymore but will sit for
hours just to hear a "good run" and the bay of the hounds. At the end of the day when dogs and humans are all
accounted for, the next job begins. I believe this may be my daughter's favorite part of a long day-the skinning
rack. The younger generation cleaning the deer and the older generation telling them how they ought to do
it-generation after generation a tradition that stands. The deer they actually killed, the big ones that got away,
camaraderie, fun, truth and white lies all come together in the end. Fortunately for her, my daughter has a father
that has never left her behind. She has been goin' huntin' since she could climb in the truck and appears that she
will be going when she can drive it. He did not wait for the son he wasn't getting but continued to pass down a
generation of memories to the child he already had. Kind of like The Father-He doesn't wait until you're perfect or
until you fit the traditional mold. He will take us as we come and use us as we are, we just have to let Him.
God Bless,
Rose Morris
Manasssas,Ga