Why Getting Outside Is Good for Your Faith
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About
What happens when we get outside, slow down, and pay attention to the world God made?
Brendan McClenehan believes reconnecting with creation can deepen our connection with God, our communities, and the purpose we were made for. Brendan has been a divinity student, church planter, marketing agency leader, and poultry farmer. Today, he serves as church engagement manager for Plant With Purpose.
In this episode of The Redeemed Man, Brendan joins Nate Dewberry to talk about his faith journey, finding purpose, and why caring for creation doesn’t have to be a political issue. They explore our dependence on the natural world, what creation can teach us about God, and how spending time outside can help us live with greater gratitude, responsibility, and purpose.
Show Notes
Segment chapters
0:00 Intro/The common thread through Brendan’s many successful ventures
2:49 The experiences that shaped Brendan’s faith journey
9:56 You can protect the environment while preaching the gospel
15:09 Uniting people of differing beliefs behind a common, Christ-centered goal
22:07 Interlude 1/Small group promo
22:31 The Tend Initiative: Connecting to God by connecting to the land
33:16 Simple ways men can get more engaged as environmental stewards
40:46 The people who’ve influenced Brendan’s relationship with the earth
45:31 Interlude 2/Online group promo
45:55 The mission of a “house church”
Think about it
Sit with these before you say anything out loud.
When what you believe gets challenged.
(6:28) Have you ever encountered beliefs or faith traditions that challenged what you believed about God? What questions did they raise for you? Where did you turn for answers, and how did Scripture, prayer, wise counsel, or further study help you discern what was true?
The questions I wrestled with:
Where I looked for answers:
What God taught me through the process:
Read: Acts 17:11; James 1:5
What other people don’t know I care about.
(13:47) What interests or convictions have you been reluctant to share because you’re concerned about how others might label you? Are your convictions being shaped more by Scripture, political identity, or the approval of others? Where might God be asking you to think or speak with greater courage, humility, and grace? Galatians 1:10
The things that are secretly important to me:
What I think others would say if they knew:
Read: Galatians 1:10; Romans 12:2
Talk It Out
These are worth saying out loud in a group, with a brother, or with God himself.
A common bond across the political aisle.
(20:24) Have you ever been surprised to find that you shared an interest or belief with someone whom you thought had political views very different from your own? How did that revelation change the way you thought about that person? How did it change the relationship you had with them? James 1:19
The natural wonders that point me to God.
Think about places in creation that have stopped you in your tracks: mountains, oceans, forests, wildlife, a sunrise, or even the complexity of your own body. What fills you with awe? What does creation reveal to you about the power, creativity, wisdom, or character of its Creator?
Read: Psalm 19:1–4; Romans 1:20
Take Action
Don’t let this stay in your head. Do something with it.
Giving back to His kingdom.
(2:26) God has given each of us abilities, interests, opportunities, and influence. How are you currently using what He’s he’s entrusted to you for His his glory and the good of others? Is there something you love doing that you’ve never thought of as an opportunity to serve God? What would it look like to offer that part of your life back to him Him?
How the things I love doing bring glory to God:
Ways I could use my passions to serve His his
kingdom:
Read: Colossians 3:17; 1 Corinthians 10:31
When creation turns my attention toward God.
What are your favorite things to do outdoors? What do those experiences give you: rest, perspective, challenge, solitude, connection? When has being outside caused you to slow down and become more aware of God? How might recognizing that “the earth is the LORD’s” change the way you enjoy and care for it?
What I love doing outdoors:
How creation turns my attention toward God:
One way I can become a better steward of what God has made:
Read: Psalm 24:1; Genesis 2:15
Closing
Creation is not God, but it points us toward him Him. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1, NIV).
The world around us belongs to God, and he He has entrusted us with the responsibility to enjoy it, care for it, and steward it well. That doesn’t have to begin with a political position. It can begin with gratitude.
This week, get outside. Slow down enough to notice what you normally walk past. Pay attention to the beauty, complexity, and provision found in God’s creation. Let it turn your attention toward the One who made it.
Then ask yourself: If the earth belongs to God, what would it look like for me to take better care of what He has entrusted to me?
Thank God for what you see. Enjoy it. Care for it. And let creation point you back to its Creator.
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