Guiding Question: How do you live a full and faithful life—both early and late—that reflects God's great adventure for men?

1. Life is a two-half game. Robert Lewis frames life like a sports game:

• Warmups (0–20): Getting started.

• First Half (20–40): Warrior phase—building, striving, competing.

• Halftime (40–50): Reevaluating and healing.

• Second Half (50+): King and friend phase—ruling wisely and giving back.

Each phase has its own battles, blessings, and purpose. Playing both halves well is rare but possible.

2. Courage is essential in both halves. Like Caleb, real adventurers exhibit courage:

• In the first half: Raw faith to enter God’s “promised land” for your life, even when giants (challenges) loom large.

• In the second half: Fresh faith to take the high ground—to use your wisdom, influence, and resources for God’s purposes, not just comfort.

3. Most men do well in only one half. Many men peak early and coast later. Others struggle early but finish strong. Few, like Caleb, remain faithful and courageous from start to finish.

4. Caleb is a model for a life well-lived.

• Caleb was the only one (along with Joshua) to believe God could deliver the promised land—at 40.

• At 85, he still believed—and asked for the hardest challenge, the hill country.

• His life proves that background doesn’t determine destiny—faith does.

• His courage empowered the next generation, especially his son-in-law Othniel, who later delivered Israel.

5. Practical advice for the two halves of life:

For the First Half (Younger Men):

• Invest in your marriage—make your wife your best friend.

• Know who you are (and aren’t).

• Live within your means and practice generosity.

• Seek experiences, not just stuff.

• Know God personally.

• Fight for purity and integrity.

• Learn to ask forgiveness.

• Build strong male friendships.

• Start forming a life vision.

For the Second Half (Older Men):

• Don’t retire—refocus.

• Build on your strengths.

• Clean up unfinished business and reconcile broken relationships.

• Discover your noble cause and invest in it.

• Mentor younger men.

• Get to know God if you’ve neglected Him.

• Plan meaningful experiences with your wife.

• Keep refining your long-range vision.

• Take the high ground—the best of life is still ahead.

• Numbers 13–14 – Caleb’s courage and faith in spying out the promised land.

• Joshua 14–15 – Caleb, at 85, asking to take the hill country.

• Judges 3:9–11 – Othniel, Caleb’s son-in-law, leads Israel to peace for 40 years.

• Numbers 14:24 – “But My servant Caleb… has followed Me fully…”

• Psalm 92:12–14 – “They will still bear fruit in old age…”

Guiding Question: What hidden enemies can sabotage a man's pursuit of God's adventure—and how do we fight back?

1. “Adventure Busters” are common to all men. Just like bombs that penetrate deep into enemy territory, these five "adventure busters" can sabotage the journey God intends for every man:

• The Double Life – When what a man says no longer matches what he does.

• Sexual Shortcuts – Choosing short-term pleasure over long-term purpose.

• Life-Draining Marriage Problems – Conflicts with a spouse that go unresolved and lead to bitterness.

• Life-Defining Wounds – Past traumas (especially from parents) that still shape the present.

• Life-Paralyzing Addictions – Behaviors once thought manageable that now dominate.

• Marriage was meant to be a source of joy and partnership, but can become a battleground.

• Wrong Responses:

  • Withdrawal: Trying to fix the problem alone.

  • Intimidation: Using power or anger to control.

• Right Responses:

  1. Keep learning about marriage and your spouse.

  2. Strive to understand even if you disagree.

  3. Be willing to say “I’m sorry” sincerely.

  4. Seek outside help early.

  5. Keep short accounts—don’t let bitterness grow.

• Definition: An unresolved issue from the past that harms the present.

• Types of Wounds:

  • Father Wound: Absence, abuse, or disapproval from dad.

  • Overcontrolling Mother Wound: A mother’s overreach stunts a boy’s manhood.

  • Trauma Wounds: Abuse, divorce, death, or spiritual trauma.

• Healing Steps:

  1. Name the wound.

  2. Seek help and make a plan.

  3. Face the wound with courage.

• Healing leads to freedom, forward movement, and deeper connection with others.

• Addictions begin with pleasure or escape and evolve into slavery.

• Common Addictions in Men:

  1. Sexual (especially internet pornography)

  2. Drug

  3. Alcohol

  4. Anger

  5. Gambling

• Break Free By:

  • Getting honest—listen to what others are saying.

  • Getting real—freedom requires a team: God, counseling, support groups.

• Beating a buster makes you a hero—not just in this life, but in God's kingdom.

• God turns negatives into positives. He redeems wounds and uses them to bless others.

• The great adventure isn’t lived without a fight, but it is worth it.

• Proverbs 16:25 – “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

• 1 Peter 3:7 – “Husbands… be considerate… treat them with respect as the weaker partner.”

• Colossians 3:19 – “Husbands, love your wives and do not become embittered against them.”

• 1 Peter 3:7 – “Live with your wives in an understanding way.”

• Luke 21:34 – “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life.”

What are the hidden dangers that sabotage a man's adventure—and are you letting any of them define you?

• Beware the “Adventure Busters”: Robert Lewis introduces the concept of “Adventure Busters”—internal and external forces that derail a man’s pursuit of a meaningful life. These include secret sins, unresolved wounds, or culturally normalized behaviors that quietly erode a man’s soul and impact.

• The Double Life: One of the most common and destructive adventure busters. Many men compartmentalize their lives, presenting a polished exterior while hiding secret struggles. This leads to fragmentation, isolation, and eventual collapse.

  • Living two lives is exhausting.

  • It robs men of authenticity, joy, and real intimacy.

  • The only solution is courageous honesty—first with God, then with safe others.

• Sexual Shortcuts: Robert Lewis directly confronts the destructive influence of pornography and casual sexual behavior.

  • These “shortcuts” promise intimacy and excitement, but deliver shame and disconnection.

  • Pornography is not just a private issue—it affects how men see women, relationships, and themselves.

  • Sexual purity is not about repression but restoration—recovering God’s good design for sex.

• God’s Design for Sex:

  • It is good, powerful, and purposeful.

  • Meant to be expressed in covenantal love—marriage.

  • Misuse leads to wounds, while rightly ordered sex brings deep joy and unity.

• Shame Is a Lie: Lewis makes clear: the goal is not to heap guilt, but to extend grace and freedom. Every man has struggles. What matters is whether you stay stuck in silence or step forward into healing.

• Five Practical Tools for Restoration:

  1. Personal honesty – Acknowledge the problem without rationalizing it.

  2. Accountability – Regular check-ins with trustworthy men.

  3. Boundaries – Proactively avoid triggers and access points.

  4. Spiritual renewal – Prayer, Scripture, and surrender.

  5. Vision – See purity not as avoidance but as a greater “yes” to joy and impact.

• Setting Up for Part 2: This is part one of a two-part teaching. Lewis hints that next week will cover more adventure busters—wounds, lies, and unresolved issues from a man’s past that continue to shape his present.

• Ephesians 5:11–14 – Exposing deeds of darkness and walking in light.

• Matthew 5:8 – “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

• Proverbs 4:23 – Guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

• 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5 – God’s will: sanctification and sexual purity.

• James 5:16 – Confess your sins to one another and be healed.

• Romans 12:1–2 – Present your bodies as a living sacrifice; be transformed by renewing your mind.