Bible Study Verse
Matthew 7:15-16
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?" (NIV)
Thoughts
My son and I live in what we refer to as "the man cave." There is nothing feminine about our home. When you enter it, you know immediately that hunters live here. You don't have to guess, you see it. When you come in the front door, the first thing you see is Adam's 2002 elk shoulder mount, then, the racks from the two elk we killed in 2009. There's gun cleaning stuff in the living room, a reloading bench where the dining room table used to be, more gun and archery stuff in the den, multiple dead animals on the walls, a .22 bullet trap and an archery target, leftover pizza in the fridge, and, when using the bathroom, remember MAN CAVE RULES are in effect!
For Christmas, we didn't get around to putting up a tree. So Adam printed a picture of a Christmas tree off the internet and taped it onto the lampshade. Hey, there's no watering a dry tree, no pine needles to clean up, and we can leave it up all year! Add a little pine smelling cover scent and you've got it. The perfect Christmas tree! Maybe there's a reason why we're both still single. You think? But, hey, you don't have to ask what we do in our spare time. We hunt!
(Cliff S)
Action Point
When your friends, business associates, the waitress at the diner, the salesman at the gun counter in the sporting goods store, or new acquaintances cross your path, do they see that you are a Christian? Does it show? What fruit do you produce?
Jesus said that we're to be a light to the world (Matthew 5:13-16) and that the world should see Him through us. That the world would know Him by the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). They should see in us, fruits that we can't produce. They have to come from God. The world should see Jesus in our attitudes, our words, how we handle difficulties and successes, and in how we treat others. We should also be telling people around us about Jesus and His love and grace. Yes, the false prophets are out there. But, God desires to produce fruit in our lives that will provide evidence to others that He loves them, too, and that they can be in relationship with Him just as we are.
Sportsman's Tip of the Day
It's OK to leave your trophies and gun paraphernalia visible to folks who enter your house. But, keep the guns locked up in a safe place. The guns should be in one location, the ammunition in another, preferably under lock and key. This will protect against tragic accidents, and potential loss to thieves.
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