The Great Adventure: Take the Land, Take the Hill

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

🧭 Key Takeaways:

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.

📖 Key Scriptures:

• 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…”