God's Great Outdoors

Friends, on this Trail To Adventure! of the radio program of God’s Great Outdoors, we’re in the state of Michigan. This interview is with Mike Ritchie on the CenterShot Archery Program, and how churches are bringing bows into their houses of worship. Mike, with his churches help, was one of the first people to use this recreationally designed and evangelistically targeted outreach effort! This ministry teaches the sport of shooting the bow and arrow, plus ties it in with teaching God’s Word to those attending, with each lesson. Mike Ritchie is from Roscommon Baptist Church and tells how he and his ministry team are using this outdoor activity based program, and a number of other outdoor outreach programs, to touch the lives of men, women and children with the Gospel Message and seeing lives changed for eternity.

On this week’s Trail To Adventure! we’ll be hearing of an Indiana Jones style hunting trip that started in the year of 2002! The guest, Tim Mahoney, who owns and runs Mahoney Media Studios, a film production studio in the “Twin Cities” of Minnesota, relates his story. It began when; Tim decided he had to visit Egypt. He traveled to the location where it is believed the Israelites lived while slaves in this foreign land. Tim had wanted to document the archaeological digs on film. In a discussion with a famous archaeologist, he was told that no evidence had been found to prove the Bible’s Book of Genesis story and on the Exodus or that Israelites had ever even lived in Egypt at all. This idea rocked Tim’s world and made him question his faith. So, he began doing an investigative study that unearthed all kinds of proof and also, produced the production of the “Thinking Man” documentary films. These include Patterns Of Evidence EXODUS, Patterns Of Evidence MOSES, and Patterns Of Evidence THE RED SEA MIRACLE, Part One & Part Two!

Now on this Trail To Adventure! of the radio program God’s Great Outdoors, this interview is a look back over the ministry’s time. Gerry visits with a retired Ken Beck, the past owner of the Black Widow Bow Company, in the rolling hills of Ken’s home located in Nixa, Missouri. The two look back on their first meeting in person at The Trophies of Grace White Tail Deer Hunt in southeast Ohio. This annual event has been going on for over 25 years now, put on by a chapter of Christian Bowhunters of America, The Lord of the Harvest Archery Club. Ken discusses his life’s journey and how he was blessed to be used by God to help the ministry of God’s Great Outdoors get started in July of 1996. Ken speaks on outdoor ministry and how important it is that the listeners consider being involved, as Christianity is under fire.

On this week’s Trail To Adventure! Gerry is visiting with Dr. Richard Swenson in Wisconsin and the two are talking about Intelligent Design. The truth is there is more of a chance mathematically that your car happened by accident over hundreds of millions of years, then just your eyeballs having evolved and how they work with your entire body? This is just one of the things that Dr. Richard Swenson shares in the interview with Gerry as they discuss this topic and Dr. Swenson’s book, “More Than Meets the Eye”. Having taught surgery at the University of Madison, Wisconsin, and having minored in physics, this interview is jam-packed with information that declares that we have a Creator God. Perhaps the most listened to interview aired by GGO in the 20+ years we’ve been broadcasting.

On the Trail To Adventure! program, Gerry’s with the founder and head of the television show, The Buck Commander, Willie Robertson. Willie starts by sharing about the family’s history and how his dad, Phil, was converted from one very bad dude to a man who loves the Creator God, Jesus Christ. Part of this story talks about the early days of The Duck Commander, but even beyond that, how his father was visited in a bar that he owned, several times by a pastor who eventually led him to the Savior. Willie shares about his family and the businesses start up. He also tells how beyond the business and making a living, they really work hard at helping those they come in contact with to know about the Lord Jesus Christ and how He can change their lives, as He did with his father Phil.

This week’s Trail To Adventure! was during a time Gerry was on a speaking tour of several churches up in Alaska. This program has him visiting with Dave Battle in Anchorage, as Dave shares about the way that he was raised to believe in Jesus, the Bible, and the idea of Creation. The program’s guest discusses his early years in life and growing up in the mountains of North Carolina and following his dad through the woods is how Dave Battle begins this interview. Remembering the other men who also were instrumental in his life and how that one individual, on a gravel mountain road impressed him greatly to be more active in his relationship with Jesus Christ. This was because the man had his Bible with him on the seat of his work truck. These days, Dave is a wildlife biologist working in Alaska and he states that he is still learning about God’s Creation, every day of his life!

On the Trail To Adventure! photographing mountains, fields, streams, seashores, and much more is the topic with this week's guest Dr. Charles Stanley. Dr. Stanley shares how he got involved in photography to include even developing all of his own photographs which are featured on just about all of the In Touch Ministry's items available to the public. He tells how awestruck he is by God's creation and by the memories surrounding the photos. Dr. Stanley also tells of his early years of fishing, hunting, and shooting, but how the absence of a father in his life to do these things with were clearly remembered in later years when he was a man. He offers to the audience that they may not think that taking a youngster fishing that has no father figure is a big deal, but he assures them that it is and how it can leave a lasting impact for eternity.

On the Trail To Adventure! this week, International Falls, Minnesota is the location for this interview as Gerry connects with station manager of Psalm FM KBHW, Bruce Christopherson, to talk about his love of ducking hunting and experiences there on the border with Canada. Bruce also reflects on losing his dad and how much fun and how many outdoor memories he has of him as a deer hunter. The two men talk about a terrible event that happened to the radio station from a summer thunder storm. However, as bad as it looked at that point for the ministry God came through, which caused the station’s situation to be better than ever before the tragedy took place. This reminds Gerry of something Ron Lindner share with him once, “God’s seldom early, but never late!”

Have you ever wondered how someone with absolutely no training in radio and no knowledge of how to use a computer needed to produce a radio program came to produce a radio program? On this week’s program Gerry talks to Paul Gathany, the retired station manager of WCDR where God’s Great Outdoors got its start. The two talk about the radio station’s beginnings over 40 years ago on the campus at Cedarville College as Paul and Dr. David Jeremiah started it in their dorm with one FM of power. Paul shares how he was introduced to Gerry who had the crazy idea of sharing what people are doing in the outdoors through the creation and the relationships that can be built through outdoor ministry. The listener will realize from this program how God’s timing, the location, and the relationships with people who have experienced changed lives through the power of God, all came together to make this radio program possible.

On this Trail To Adventure! this week, Gerry interviews one of the outdoor sports world’s legends at the ATA show in Columbus, Ohio. Pro fisherman and television host, Jimmy Houston, shares about his old friends from the early days of tournament fishing when the sport was just getting started, and how they have remained close friends. Jimmy also talks about relationships, and the ability for him to be able to share truths from the Bible with people he encounters because of his position in the outdoor industry. He gives away a Bible each year that he has personally used during his own twelve months of Bible study and reading entirely through the Bible, which he has done for over 40 years. His challenge to the listeners is to be in God’s Word each and every day, plus share it with others!