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When survival expert Creek Stewart steps into the wilderness, he doesn’t just see trees, rivers, and firewood—he sees God’s provision woven into Creation. He also knows firsthand how time alone with God in nature can bring healing and transformation to the body and soul. And of course, it always brings adventure.
Known for his television appearances and bestselling survival guides, Stewart wants to help Believers reconnect with God through both practical preparedness and spiritual renewal. CBN News joined Creek in the backwoods of Kentucky recently, where he’s filming his new show, “God in the Wild.”
“The Lord loves the wilderness. He created it as a place for us to draw closer to Him, from Adam and Eve in the Garden to Moses and the Israelites, 40 years (in the desert), even Jesus in the very first part of His ministry was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,” Stewart said.
We joined Stewart in the Red River Gorge of Kentucky, where they just wrapped up filming their first episode of “God in the Wild.” In their first episode, they take 45-year-old Mark from Indiana into the wild for 3 days and 3 nights.
“You should have seen it on day one as he was struggling to start a fire with the bow drill, he wanted to quit, and he said a little prayer and the embers popped out and he blew the tinder bundle into flame. It was just like the perfect metaphor for our week,” Stewart recalled.
Stewart sees the mission of “God in the Wild” as being two-fold.
“I believe that people of faith who already know Jesus, when they see someone in the trenches digging into their faith and just not giving up on the Lord that their faith will be increased. But I also believe because it’s a wilderness survival show, that people will watch this show who may never shadow the door of a church. At the end of the day, God is the hero of every story that we will feature on the show, but He’s the one character that we can’t script. But He always shows up,” Stewart told us.
“Our cast member this week has gone through some tragedy, right? He’s lost a daughter, he’s had cancer, his Mom’s had cancer, and he came into this week carrying some very heavy burdens, and he had an opportunity this week to yoke up to Jesus and ask the Lord, ‘Lord, instead of me carrying these burdens, how can You use them for Your glory?’ And it was an awesome breakthrough,” Stewart said.
He says the wilderness is where God got a hold of him when he had hit rock bottom.
“I’ll never forget at the pinnacle of my career, I was on the Today Show being interviewed by Kathy Lee Gifford and Hoda. And if you would’ve watched that show, you would’ve watched me on TV and you would’ve said, ‘man, there is a guy that’s got everything. He’s got a hit television show, numerous bestselling books, a thriving business…'”
“All I was thinking about during that interview were the divorce papers on the kitchen table at home and the fact that I wasn’t living with my wife and my newborn son. And I’ll never forget going home and realizing that I have to take my own advice as a wilderness survival instructor, that if you’re lost in the wilderness, you have to admit you’re lost,” Stewart said.
Soon afterwards, Stewart rededicated his life to Christ.
“He rescued me from where I was, I repented of my sins and he restored my marriage. And He was very clear: ‘I want you to still teach wilderness survival skills, but I want you to do it in a way that honors Me and that brings glory to Me,'” he recalled.
Today, Stewart’s passion is providing men and women with a similar transformational experience.
When not filming, he leads the “Wild God Survival Course,” a three-day, faith-filled wilderness experience. Participants learn hands-on survival skills including building shelters, starting fires, purifying water, and finding food.
“Fire is the king of all survival skills. It relates to everything. What can you think of that fire can do in an extreme survival situation?” Stewart asked me.
Wendy: “Well, it’ll keep you warm, even if you don’t have a great shelter.”
Creek: “That’s right… It can cook your food, boil your water, send up that smoke signal for rescue.”
Wendy: “And keep the critters away.”
Stewart’s new book, Emergency Communication 101, teaches readers how to stay connected when disaster strikes, such as cell towers failing and no internet. He recommends an off-grid hand-held radio.
“The top two are going to be A-G-M-R-S radio or a ham radio, both, which require a license and a little bit of training,” he said.
For my short time in the wilderness, I sampled an acorn, which to me tasted a lot like wood.
“The nutritional value of an acorn is surprising. It’s got a lot of protein,” said Stewart.
I also sipped on some pine-needle tea, which is surprisingly delicious and loaded with vitamin C.
Stewart reminds us that God hard-wired provision into nature because He loves us.
“There’s something very special about sleeping in a shelter that you’ve built, next to a fire that you’ve made, and eating a meal, no matter how bitter it might be, you’re doing it. And it is a connection to the wilderness and creation and the Creator. It’s exciting,” Stewart said.
Creek Stewart’s new book, Emergency Communication 101 is available wherever books are sold, and stay tuned to find out where you can see “God in the Wild,” as he and his team are still in talks with several distributors.
You Can Find the Book Here and Elsewhere:
Emergency Communication 101: The Essential Guide to Maintaining Contact During and after Any Disaster Scenario (Ready. Set. Survive.)
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