Men of the Outdoors

This Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with permission Bible Study Verse: I Peter 5:8  Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (NIV) Thoughts: While I was hunting deer recently, a large black bear approached me. When he was still about 40 yds away, I leaned my muzzleloader against a tree and dug my camera out of my pack.  When about 12 ft. from me, he began to circle, getting inside of 8 ft. At that point, I realized that I had moved several steps away from my gun. If he had wanted to attack, I would have been in trouble. I tried to scare him off, but he wasn't about to leave. Throwing sticks at him, shouting, suddenly raising my arms and trying to look as large and as intimidating as possible seemed to make him more interested.  He studied me for almost five minutes. He had no fear; and I'm sure I could have moved closer--even close enough to touch him. Bear experts say that w...

 There will be a BWCA planning meeting held on Wednesday, May 20th at 7pm at Emanuel Lutheran Church.  This year there will be two trip to the BWCA; July 26 - Aug 1 and Aug 24 - 29.   If you are interesting in learning more about these trips or would like to go on one please join us for the meeting.  If you are not able to join us in person you can join through a Google Meet or contact Chris Doran 920-538-2739 for more information.   

This Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with permission Bible Study Verse: Psalms 51:10-13  Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. (NIV) Thoughts: I'm not a great fly tier, but I do enjoy making flies and then catching fish with something I created. The bigger the fly pattern the better for me, I can use a bigger hook and have more material to work with. I like making dragonfly nymphs. They are fairly large and very productive when it comes to fishing. What fish won't eat a dragonfly nymph? I have been successful using them on trout, bass, pan fish, and even bullheads. The life cycle of a dragonfly is very interesting. They go from aquatic to terrestrial, not unlike a lot of other insects. Once ...

This Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with permission. Bible Study Verse: Colossians 4:2   Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving. (NASB) Thoughts: How many things do we actually devote ourselves to? We have many interests, but we are not devoted to most of them. However, I do not know an outdoorsman who is not devoted to his/her outdoor interest - be it hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, four-wheeling, etc. Devotion to an outdoor activity is, after all, what makes one an outdoorsman in the first place. And, there is nothing wrong with being devoted, even passionately, to it, as long as it does not take precedence over more important areas of devotion . . . like prayer.  Action Point: Prayer is key in our relationship with the Lord. It accentuates our devotion to Him and His purposes. It keeps our minds alert to His leading and direction. It gives us greater awareness of His presence and His care for us. F...

This Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with permission Bible Study Verse: Psalm 119:105  “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (NASB) Thoughts: There’s something satisfying about unfolding a good topographical map. All the squiggly lines, contour marks, water crossings, and elevation changes tell a story — but only if you know how to read it. If you understand maps, you can find saddles, ridges, pinch points, and bottlenecks where deer travel. And if you combine that map with a compass, suddenly you’re not guessing — you’re navigating with confidence.  But maps only help if you take the time to study it. If you ignore the contour lines or forget to check your bearings, you’ll wander right past your waypoint. Action Point: Just like in life, God doesn’t leave us without direction — He’s given us His Word as the ultimate topographical map, full of details that reveal the safest path, the hidden dangers, and the best way forward. Still, w...

This Devotion was written by Sportsmen Devotional and posted with permission Bible Study Verse: 1 Timothy 4:12b NIV “but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”  Titus 2:7a NIV “in everything set them an example by doing good.” Thoughts: This fall I had the wonderful opportunity to take a dear friend quail hunting in Georgia. He is 73 years young, has cancer, and has never hunted anything in his entire life. He started shooting sporting clays with a shotgun, for the first time in his life, about a year ago. He has gotten very good at the game. On the hunt he was like a kid in a candy store. He was amazed at how the dogs worked at pointing and at how quickly the quail could fly. He started out slow but, after the first flush of birds, he got the hang of it and started hitting quail. He did really well and had a lot of fun. The day made for some really great memories for both of us. Action Point: While hunting, we had a great opportu...