Adventurous Living - The Meadow Springs Community Church Podcast

This is our God. This is who He is - He loves us. This is our God. This is what He does - He saves us. As worshippers of Yahweh, there are no truer words!  We come to the LORD in worship and in celebration of what He's done in our lives... HALLELUJAH!

The book of Ruth is a beautiful example of how God works behind the scenes and how His will is so connected to our daily lives. But why? Might He have had a grander purpose for Ruth? How about now? Is God working in the "day to day" of our own lives?

The book of Judges is the tragic story of Israel's moral corruption and bad leadership - basically, they were a total failure. They had become no different than the Canaanites that had just been destroyed. Here's an interesting question: What kind of impression would the book of Judges make on someone who was reading it for the first time? Yikes…

The book of Joshua is the story of Yahweh fulfilling His promise to give Isreal the land. We know their journey to get there was, well, an extended one because of their disobedience. But God… He is always faithful to keep His promises.

"Oh, what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven and whose sin is put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin, and whose lives are lived in complete honesty!" Psalm 32:1-2

In the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy, the Israelites continue to rebel and only their children will enter the promised land… when will they learn? Will Moses' final message to his people take root?

Moses is given some pretty specific instructions at the outset of the book of Leviticus. What are they for? Let's dive in and get some insight to the book, it's important theme of holiness and how God's people respond to some uncomfortable truths.

The book of Exodus opens on a depressing note. Jacob and his sons have died. However, the writer tells us there were many decendants. So many, in fact, that they quickly filled the land and caught the eye of the new king… and not in a good way. So begins the long and terrible Egyptian enslavement of the Israelites. But also on display were God's great signs and wonders and His unmistakable provisi...

On January 8th, we begin a year-long deep dive into the narrative of the Bible and discover how as a whole, it tells the story of God's commitment to bring good out of evil. Our big goal for 2023 is to fall more in love with Jesus as we journey through each book of the Bible, discovering how they all contribute to one story of God's commitment to bless humanity and redeem a fallen world.  

Imagine this scene for a moment... standing in your office during a regular, run-of-the-mill work day. Then, in a sudden flourish, the CEO of your company rushes in and says, '"you've gotta see what's going on outside. You don't want to miss this..." I imagine that's a bit like what happened to those shepherds that night long ago. They were being invited to witness something amazing, some good new...

Waiting is hard... especially when we're used to insta-everything. Imagine waiting for generations, centuries even, for the fulfillment of a promise - the perfect gift - that would be unto all people for all time. Now that would be something worth waiting for.

Darkness. Gloom. Despair. Those words don't exactly sound like Christmas, do they? 'Merry & Bright' and 'Joy to the World' is where we generally land. Without the gift of that baby so long ago, though, mourning and desperation would be all this world would know. Think of it like this... it would always be winter, but never Christmas.

"Walking in darkness. Groping for light... stumbling along like corpses." A pretty grim picture, right? This is how the book of Isaiah describes us, living apart from God, with no hope and no future. The Christmas story and the birth of Jesus began the most comprehensive rescue mission in all of history - one to save us from eternal darkness. That mission continues today... in this very minute. Jo...

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on good things and being thankful, both in our homes in our church family. So many hands, uniquely gifted for service, make our church family what it is. Our expression of thanks is never quite adequate but certainly always sincere.

A fundamental process in the life of a believer is accepting the challenge to be the husband or the wife and the follower of Jesus that God has called you to be. Our actions indicate a choice to either move forward in pursuit of a desired outcome or taking a hard pass and saying 'no' to God's best. Will you accept the challenge?

We've made so many changes to our closets recently... discerning each day what it is we want to wear and what we do not. The most important thing, though, when we dress for the day is that our most prominent accessory is JOY.  

Be careful..." , "Do good..." and "understand what the Lord wants you to do."   Sounds like a perfectly coordinated outfit for the next time you get dressed.

"For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it." Ephesians 5:8 By now, you've emptied your wardrobe of the old and ill-fitting garments. What's left should highlight all your best features and make you feel as if you've 'dressed up' a bit.

So the closet door is open... what will you choose to put on? Will it be the super comfortable green sweater that complements your eyes or will you choose the harsh, black turtleneck that makes you appear rough and unapproachable? What you choose NOT to wear is likely more important.

Do you ever look in your closet and think "Ughh. I don't like anything in there!" The clothes seem old and tired and are perhaps ill-fitting. Something new - anything new - would be a welcomed addition. Much like a clothes closet, our spiritual life, our thoughts and attitudes, could sometimes use a perfectly taylored renewal.

Every person, each uniquely gifted by God, is so important to the proper functioning and health of the church. Don't cheat your church family out of all that you have to offer.

If the church is unified around the person and work of Jesus Christ, then as far as the enemy is concerned, it's game on and a battle will be waged for the hearts and minds of those people. But just like a rope is stronger than a single thread, so is a unified body of believers.

People can be unified around any number of events, ideas or causes but our most basic tenet of unity in the church is Jesus Christ. As believers, we must be united around Him - His person, who He was and His work, what He did. 

Unity should be at the heart of any Christian community. Brothers and sisters in Christ living in unity with one another is the glue that holds it all together... it is not enough to just be "present". Unity denotes the blessing of God...and the enemy knows it.

It was a beautiful day at Paradise Trail Lodge, a PLACE where countless people have come to be together with friends and family to enjoy and marvel at our incredible Creator and His workmanship. There is nothing quite like the view after a hike at Paradise Park, or the little waterfall at the end of Road 39. What PLACE holds special meeting and tethers you to your Creator?