When I started Tertiary Prepper, I toiled over the name. Because for all intents and purposes, I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a “full-blown prepper” by the common definition. I would say I fall smack dab somewhere in the middle of Survivalist, Prepper, Bushcrafter and Homesteader, which is why I have never been crazy about labels. I don’t fit into any “box” nicely. A “SUPREPSTEADCRAFTER.” There. Just coined a novel word.
But my center of gravity has always been my faith in Yeshua Hamashiach, and never which bucket I most aligned with. Because at the end of the day, every prepper, survivalist, homesteader, and Bushcrafter practices outside their respective “camp,” if you will, as these types of preparedness do not have hard boundaries; they are permeable. One is not better than another.
So, the goal was to create a free preparedness magazine that didn’t put a thousand affiliate links (just article links) in each article. I also never wanted the magazine to become about “followers, subscribers, likes, hit the notification bell,” and so on. All I care about is conveying that although it is extremely important to prepare responsibly and develop capability, you should also protect and provide for the people entrusted to you. Always help others. But be mindful to never turn self-preservation of the flesh into the highest objective. And this is why SPIRITUAL PREPAREDNESS is the most important aspect of prepping. By keeping YHWH at the center of preparedness, you then can become centered.
WEAKNESSES IN PREPAREDNESS:
When we prepare ourselves mentally, emotionally, and physically, we need to not only practice spiritual preparedness but keep it at the center of all we do. Our strengths and capabilities can easily cause us to become complacent and unthankful, and even fearful at times. We can lose our focus if we are constantly consuming “doom and gloom” information daily. (I have been guilty of this on so many occasions I can’t even count them all.) Not only is it unhealthy, but it can affect all areas of your life as your peace (Psalm 34:14) is slowly eroded, which can lead to not thinking rationally or clearly.
I would like to take this thought a step further.
As you can see in the above first graphic, there are four different philosophies to preparedness (give or take). I like to write articles that touch on each respective principle, and although each one is unique and is important to preparedness, each one also has different failure modes.
- Prepper’s weakness is depletion.
- Stored resources can and will run out.
- Survivalist’s weakness is sustainment.
- At some point, you cannot remain perpetually mobile carrying everything you own indefinitely.
- Homesteader’s weakness is location dependency.
- Land, livestock, crops and infrastructure can’t be easily moved when circumstances change.
- Bushcrafter’s weakness is environmental dependency.
- Nature can never guarantee that the resource you need exists when and where you need it.
This is why faith is crucial:
It’s about having a relationship with our Lord and Savior.
Because eventually there will most likely be a circumstance for which no amount of preparedness can provide an answer.
You can lose the bunker.
You can lose the land.
You can lose the backpack.
You can lose your physical capability.
Eventually every one of us loses the body we’re trying so hard to preserve. But when we have a relationship with the Father and the Son, Matthew says it best:
“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” – Matthew 19:26 (NIV)
FEEDING THE 5,000:
So where am I going with all of this? When it comes to prepping, many in the preparedness community focus a tremendous amount of time and energy on food. I myself have even written a small series on “THE QUIET FOOD EQUATION,” which covers alternative protein sources, along with other articles that discuss the many aspects of gardening and protecting said garden. What I HAVEN’T covered in all these articles is this: whether we acquire our food easily from a grocery store or through hunting, fishing, or foraging, we should remember that our ability to obtain it is itself a provision from YHWH, the Father. There are numerous accounts in the Bible where YHWH provides food for His people:
- The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years and he provided manna and quail.
- Joseph being given authority over Egypt by Pharaoh and overseeing the food supply.
- Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath.
- Elisha purifying a poisoned stew.
- Elisha feeding a hundred men with twenty loaves of bread.
- And the most famous one of all, when Jesus fed the 5,000 with only five loaves and two fish.
If you are unfamiliar with the story:
Matthew 14:13-21 (NIV)
13When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
15As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
16Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
WHAT DOES FEEDING THE 5,000 TEACH US ABOUT PREPAREDNESS?
When it comes to preparedness, at what point does prudent preparation become an attempt to purchase our way out of having to trust God?
And I will also say this: This is not an argument against storing food. I’m a prepper / survivalist. Of course, I believe in preparing. Proverbs 6:6-8. The question is what – or Who – do we ultimately believe sustains us? We should always try to put preparedness in its proper place. Sure, we can:
- Store beans, bullets, and Band-Aids.
- Learn to shoot.
- Grow the garden.
- Learn to make fire ten unusual ways.
- Know how to move quietly in the woods.
- Learn wild medicine.
- Learn ham radio communications.
Just don’t ever mistake any of it for your Savior, because preparedness should not be rooted only in “How long can I sustain my life?” but in the deeper question: “What is my life ultimately sustained by?”
Thousands of people needed food. Yeshua Hamashiach’s disciples performed what amounts to a coordination assessment: We don’t have enough.
And that’s the prepper brain kicking in. (And again, I am not perfect and I still catch myself thinking like this which is why I am authoring the article, I too trip into these pitfalls. I am not immune.)
Their assessment: Inventory. Population. Requirement. Deficit.
And mathematically, their assessment was logical.
And then Jesus performed the miracle: everyone ate and was satisfied, with twelve baskets of broken pieces left over.
EVERYONE.
Conclusion:
There may be a day when your food runs out. The well runs dry. Your health gives out. No matter what your circumstances might be, it may APPEAR hopeless. But I tell you, this is where your faith needs to be firmly rooted in YHWH. Trust in His provision and sovereignty. Put Him first on your priority list – not your preps, food buckets, ninety thousand skills, or stores of ammo. Those capabilities and provisions are gifts. Always glorify Him, not the provisions. Colossians 3:17
I pray that you find this article thought-provoking and that it helps you reassess how you view preparedness.
God Bless and Godspeed!
Sgt. Silverman
DISCLAIMER:
This article reflects my personal Christian faith, interpretation of Scripture, and preparedness philosophy. It is intended for educational and editorial purposes and is not presented as theological, pastoral, financial, medical, or other professional advice. Readers are encouraged to study Scripture for themselves and seek answers through prayer to YHWH, Yeshua Hamashiach and appropriate professional guidance when needed.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2026 Sgt. Silverman / Tertiary Prepper. All Rights Reserved.
This article and all original works published under the pseudonym Sgt. Silverman are the exclusive intellectual property of the author. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, republished, copied, or adapted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author or publisher.
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AI-Assisted Visuals & Examples
If you’ve been reading Tertiary Prepper for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed charts, graphs, calculations, and visuals that explain preparedness concepts in ways you don’t normally see discussed. Many of those examples were created with the assistance of artificial intelligence—but only after I gave it extremely specific instructions on what I wanted to teach.
I don’t use AI to create my preparedness philosophy. I use it to help visualize it.
Many of the tertiary concepts discussed throughout this magazine—such as Sustainment Foraging, Pressure Testing, The Autonomous Recovery Kit (ARK), The Quiet Food Equation, and other original frameworks—are my own ideas and observations. AI simply helps me communicate those concepts through charts, graphics, and examples that make them easier to understand.
Preparedness is rarely black and white. There are very few absolute right or wrong answers—only different experiences, different priorities, and diverse ways of solving the same problem. My hope is that these articles simply give us another reason to sit around the campfire, challenge conventional thinking, and ponder practical solutions together.
