Adventurous Living - The Meadow Springs Community Church Podcast

αποκάλυψη (apokálypsi) - apocalypse; the revealing of something previously hidden. We are diving into the book of Revelation - what it is and what it definitely is not - and what a wild ride it's going to be! Imagine John, having seen the entirety of what was to come, being tasked with communicating it all. Sometimes, that old phrase aptly suits... "You just had to be there."

We are shifting gears... a new year, a new focus for our hearts and a deeper appreciation and understanding of God and for His word! Apocalypse... tragic ending or exciting beginning? We are looking forward to an in depth and eye opening series in Revelation. Buckle up!

From "In the beginning..." all the way through "Yes, I am coming soon" , the scriptures narrate such profound truths and sacred promises. It is the story of God's LOVE - His profound, sacrificial love for humanity, exemplified through the birth, life and death of Jesus. But LOVE, even that which is divinely inspired, has its joys and challenges. May we live now, in the light of this LOVE until He...

There is nothing more joyous than the birth of a child. You plan... you wait. In the case of Abraham and Sarah, they waited and waited... and then waited some more. Twenty five years of waiting. They were already a bit long in the tooth before God promised them a child, but age, time and circumstance did nothing to extinguish their JOY. Laughter became the only suitable response in light of God's...

A child born to save our fallen, sinful humanity "will rule forever with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David." (vs.7) We may not see much of it these days, but PEACE is what we long for... peace in our homes and families, peace among our friends and in our own hearts. Because we known the LORD will return one day and reign in the chaos, we can have peace in our hearts and pr...

"May the word of the LORD ring out from you to people everywhere, for wherever we go, we find people telling us about your faith in God. ...they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God's son from heaven - Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us..." 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10 There is no greater HOPE to be found than that of a promised King and Redeemer....

Perhaps one of the most recognized of Jesus' parables is the wise man vs. the foolish man and where each of them chose to build their house. The practice, even back then, was certainly to find the most secure footing on which to build your home, lest it fall into a heap of rubble at the first deluge of wind and waves. Does this parable, though, speak more about our own personal and spiritual found...

Some people learn by reading about things; some by hearing about them. It seems a good way, though, to really learn and take in information is by doing and engaging in the process. How often has a parent taught something new to a small child... "practice makes perfect", they say. It's not really about perfection, but the doing itself... especially when it serves another. How great it would be to r...

Persistence is an admirable quality... ask any toddler. The widow's persistence against an unjust judge in Luke 18 is exactly the persistence needed by Christians today... prayer, prayer and more prayer for justice and for Jesus' second coming. This is not a "change God's mind" or a "God, I'd really like..." kind of prayer, but constant prayer that sets our eyes on that glorious day when Christ re...

"And I assure you of this: If anyone acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I, the Son of Man, will openly acknowledge that person in the presence of God's angels." v. 8 NLT The right sort of fear can save your life. As believers, we know the fear of the LORD refers to the awe and amazement we experience when we draw close to and worship God. But things go sideways when the wrong kind of fear cre...

It is an amazing thing when the words of Jesus meet the action of humans. We live in a very broken world which is home to 8 billion broken people. We know God's word is the balm every human soul desires, but might our own person interactions - showing the love of the Creator to others - be the actual glue that begins to repair and make strong again what is shattered?

"'How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, follow him.' But the people were completely silent." The world makes us choose to follow something... Jesus desires for us to choose Him!

So many folks were anxiously awaiting the 'Kingdom of God' and paying close attention and listening to Jesus' thoughts on the subject. What they actually heard, though, was entirely unexpected. What did they do with what they heard? What do we do as we continue to wait?

Who would've thought so much discussion could surround taking time, after the work is complete, to purposefully rest during the week? But what constitutes work? Conversely, what constitutes rest? Consider the work of creation and redemption... the two most important works in human history. Where did rest fit in?

A sheep, a coin... a son. Jesus wants us to feel heaven's joy - His joy - when one lost soul repents and believes in Him. Consider the return of a son after his period of rebellion and 'freedom' from his family... if sibling rivalry was ever a thing, this might be it. The older son was responsible and obedient, so what gives?

Jesus lays out how he pursues lost people and also his heart for those who wait for them. We see a couple of examples here in Luke - a lost sheep, highly valued by it's shepherd and a lost coin, a woman's significant asset. But the joy is really not about the item's recovery... would life go on if the sheep or the coin weren't recovered? Yes, and that's the very reason why the third example of the...

Grandparents can serve a very special purpose in the lives of their grandchildren. Cheerleader, confidant, instigator and participant in all things FUN... but most importantly, prayer warriors. Praying for your grandchildren - that they would make good choices, follow the Lord in their hearts and lives and grow in the truth and knowledge of God - is so important. Building a godly legacy should be...

What a wonderful location and opportunity to dive into what the Bible says about the spiritual practice of solitude - what is it, where can we find it and why is it important to our spiritual life and growth?

We are wrapping up a month of special updates by our local Mission & Prayer Partners. We have been so blessed by all of them! This week, Mark Nicholson will share his amazing experience in Africa this summer where he brought needed supplies and ministered to and served young people who wish to gain employment and business experience. Additionally, our Thailand Mission '25 Team will be introduced a...

Please welcome Rachel Wilson from First Image/Ava Health Centers and Jeremy Waldridge from Pure Life Alliance this week as we continue to feature local mission & prayer partners. Prayer Partners are local Christian ministries whose work came to the attention of the Missions Team through a member of MSCC who has an active affiliation with the organization. The Missions Team seeks to support these m...

Josh and Katie serve with Josiah Venture whose purpose is to "equip young leaders to fulfill Christ's commission through the local church", investing in the next generation of leaders here in the US. Josh & Katie served as youth pastors at MSCC from 2005-2010. Sharing their heart for disciple-making, they encourage us to stay focused on Jesus, even when ministry is hard and to not grow weary in do...

Prayer is such an integral part of our knowledge of God. We can go to Him in confidence, asking, seeing and knocking. Because, by His very nature and name, he is honor bound to give us more of Himself... Father Son, and Holy Spirit. Whatever we are praying for or about, it is more about God's provision than our own persistence.

Craig & Megan Hammond are serving at a public high school in the Salem-Keizer School District where Craig officially serves as the Chaplain for North Salem High School. He also acts as an assistant coach and Megan is present in many ways for the students and staff. The opportunities that God has given them are resulting in hearts and souls being won for the Kingdom—not every day, but bit by bit an...

We are revisiting the central theme of our current message series, "The One Thing: Mary or Martha?" What if it is actually better, in all the ways that really matter, to set Martha's 'to do' list aside and instead, discover Mary's simple yet profound joy of being in Jesus' presence... sitting at His feet and listening.

What makes someone a good neighbor? Is it friendly conversation over a shared fence? Lawn care for an elderly couple down the block? It has been described as 'being made aware of a need and, if you are able, meeting that need.' Today's information highway ensures we are aware of so many - BIG needs all over the world. How do we, as followers of Jesus, step in and even step up?