The Refuge Podcast

You've probably heard before, "well if the enemy is attacking then that means you're doing something right." There is a lot of truth to that! Our challenge is to rest in verses like Isaiah 41:13 and chase after what God has, not take the easy way out. Refuge Retreat

Jesus is nearing his arrest and spends the entire chapter of John 17 just praying to the Father. Also, if you want to hear Josiah sing, then definitely check out this episode! Refuge Retreat

John 13 is a crazy passage! We all think it's just the beautiful scene of Jesus washing His disciples' feet, but there's a lot more going on. A lot more! Refuge Retreat

N.A.R.D.D -  Nectar Anointing Rabbi's Dirty Dogs That's right, we created a new acronym for this episode that we are sure you will never forget! The story in John 12 paints a rather awkward dinner scene, but also give us our first hint that a betrayer is brewing. Refuge Retreat

We're in John 11 this week talking through one of the most vivd, detailed stories in all the Gospels. There's a lot going on and Jesus isn't holding back!  Refuge Retreat

Jesus has gone from playing in the sand to now playing in the mud. This time His holy & anointed spit is healing a blind man and further infuriating the Pharisees and Jewish Leaders. How does the man respond to knowing Jesus spit on him? Refuge Retreat

Yes, we had to look up how to correctly spell the word "coup" and the correct meaning. It is a very fitting word for this story in John 8!  Challenge for us all: Is there someone in your life that you can stand up for? Refuge Retreat

Okay, so Jesus doesn't perform a miracle in John 7, but there's some juicy stuff going down! The tension between Jesus and the Religious leaders is getting intense. Challenging question: what distraction in your life causes you to doubt who Jesus is? Refuge Retreat

Look, things are going to be hard. This journey of following Jesus is not easy, and Scripture tells us its not supposed to be easy. But take heart, God's love for you is greater than you can ever imagine. 1 Timothy 4:10 - For this reason we labor and strive because we have put our hope in the Living God who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. Refuge Retreat

If you want to walk on water, you gotta get out of the boat! No, but for real, you can't really say you're taking steps of faith if your resting in fear, doubt, anxiety, and the list goes on and on. The invitation for us as followers of Jesus is to step out of the boat and walk with Him in a place we have no right walking.  Refuge Retreat

Poor little Tiny Tim was walking along, about to eat his dinner, but Jesus had other plans! Why do you think Jesus saw a crowd of 10,000+ people and decided it would be a good idea to feed them? Crazy story found in John 6. Shoutout to WorshipFails Refuge Retreat

The Story in John 5 is interesting. We got this magical pool thing, Jesus sneaking around, and a lame guy getting healed without even know the One that healed him. The takeaway for us is pretty simple though. Join the conversation to determine your takeaway. Refuge Retreat

This week we take a break from Jesus' ministry with a little Voice Memo Devo! These VMDs are short thoughts that are intended to help you on your disciple-making journey.  If God is always speaking, then we must train our ear to hear His voice? Refuge Retreat

We hope your answer is yes! You'll need to hear the story to understand the question. It's a question that tests your faith. How confident are you in the power of Jesus? Check out the final few verses of John 4 and then ask yourself the question again. Refuge Retreat

We're back to finish up the story of The Woman at the Well found in John 4. There is so much to take from this story, but learning from this lady's response could be the most important lesson to takeaway.  How you do you respond when Jesus does something amazing in your life? Refuge Retreat

A story so good, we had to make a 2 part podcast. Jesus is breaking all sorts of cultural rules to teach us so much. We encourage you to read John 4 and jot down all the things you notice. What happens when a dirty past life encounters someone who offers a fresh start? Refuge Retreat

This week we spend some time talking with Tessa and Mayci about what they are learning about disciple-making and the valuable lessons they learned in college. Tessa & Mayci currently lead our RR Girls Study every week on Zoom! Refuge Retreat

Okay, it's Jesus' first one on one conversation with someone that doesn't really want to follow Him. How does Jesus handle the pushback and how does Nicodemus respond? Also, whatever happened to Nicodemus anyway? Refuge Retreat

Think of a time when you were super mad. How did you handle that anger? Do you have any regrets? Well, here's the good news. It's normal to be angry from time to time. The challenge is learning how to control that anger or even use it for good. John 2:13-22; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-47 Camp Ton-A-Wandah Sitting on 365 acres in Flat Rock, NC, Camp Ton-A-Wandah is a residential summer cam...

Ok, let the miracles begin! First up, Jesus turns water into wine at a wedding. Why is this the first miracle? Did Jesus even really want to do it? What does this mean for the debate about Christians drinking alcohol? We got lots to talk about! Garden City Chapel & Retreat The Chapel has become a retreat center to thousands of campers every year from across 22 states. Disclaimer: This post con...

Remember the scene from Anchorman when Ron Burgandy needed to get his News Team back together, so he just yells "News Team Assemble" as loud as he can. Okay, so that's not exactly how Jesus did it, but something close. We're in John 1:35-51 this week learning how Jesus recruits His disciples. Caraway Conference Center & Camps Camp Caraway is a year round Christian retreat a...

We are honored to have Cailey Bellows on the podcast today to discuss some important lessons she learned from her time at the University of Tennessee. There are always plenty of laughs when Cailey is around, but if you're listening, also a lot of wisdom! Garden City Chapel & Retreat The Chapel has become a retreat center to thousands of campers every year from across 22 states. Disclaimer...

Jesus hasn't even performed any miracles yet and He's already stirring the pot inside the church. Truth is, when you live a life surrendered to Jesus, you're going to be rejected in some way. How did Jesus handle it and how does this help us make disciples? "Prayer tends to be the thing we believe in the most yet practice the least." Caraway Conference Center & Camps C...

Why in the world did Jesus entertain this embarrassing attempt from Satan? What are some key takeaways from this story? Join the conversation as we talk about Jesus' temptation found in Matthew 4:1-11 (Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13). "If we put an Apple Watch on Jesus back in His time, how many steps a day would He get?" Garden City Chapel & Retreat The Chapel has become a retreat c...

Did Jesus really need to get baptized? What does His baptism mean for us now? We kick off the Jesus-Stories with John 1:29-34 – Jesus' Baptism. (Also seen in Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22). "There's a lot of power in simple conversations about something super powerful." Caraway Conference Center & Camps Camp Caraway is a year round Christian retreat and confere...