Adventurous Living - The Meadow Springs Community Church Podcast

Jesus had promised his disciples that they would receive the Holy Spirit to empower them to be witnesses to all the earth. Get ready, because it's happening! The event known as Pentecost marks the arrival of the Holy Spirit, where God's presence is intimately experienced by believers and empowers them to fulfill the Great Commission. And wow, what a sight it would've been!

Jesus' apostles could have only had questions… nothing was clear and they were patiently waiting. But waiting for what? They were waiting for Jesus, risen and alive, to make things right and restore His kingdom. How long would they have to wait? What would waiting look like? Very likely, none of them could have even imagined.

It's hard to let go of our kids. As they get older, they step forward… and away. They assume more responsibility and more autonomy. As parents, we know this has been our most important job - to take these precious gifts from the LORD, and point them in every way we can to Jesus and to a deep and abiding trust in Him. Moms… we experience all the feels. Love, appreciation, pride… and the accompanying sadness that comes with letting go.

  Imagine being so invested in one thing that it's all you can do... all you can think about. You ate it, drank it... lived it. Luke is describing this very thing - a "fellowship of believers" - whose only pleasure was to "praise God and enjoy the favor of all the people" (vs. 47a).

Peter nails it, doesn't he? After reminding people of Jesus' ministry - his life, death and resurrection - he tells them how they should move forward. “Repent and be baptized, every one of you… and you will receive the Holy Spirit.” He assured them, for their children and generations beyond, that they would have the same access to Jesus' saving grace that Peter himself saw first hand. They began living a new kind of life together - one filled with a different kind of joy. How could they not?

It's as if it were too good to be true...  "On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus."  (vs.1-3)  Then those women were asked, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!"  (vs.5b-6a)

This week is a big one... we refer to it as Holy Week but that is definitely a term applied in hindsight. Luke, in his gospel, outlines these days from Jesus' triumphal entry through the gates into Jerusalem to his betrayal, arrest and brutal death. But Sunday is coming! What appeared to bury their hope that Jesus was who He said He was became the greatest victory in the history of the world. We know the end of the story… but the tension is still present. How will you focus your thoughts during this Holy Week?

Having experienced a pivotal point in his ministry and with his disciples, Jesus continues to color outside the lines of tradition. But while He incurs the disdain from the political and spiritual leaders, Jesus is reaching people with God's truth and the reality of eternal separation from Him if they do not repent and believe… hanging out together is not enough. Jesus is keenly aware of those who would revel in His death, but the path set out for him will not be altered.

Something is happening in the hills surrounding the villages where Jesus performed so many miracles. His followers had recently witnessed an unmistakeable turning point in Jesus' ministry and now this... can they understand or explain something so incredible? What does it mean for the future as they continue to follow Jesus? 

Jesus continues throughout the countryside and into villages performing miracles, healing and speaking in wonderful parables to large crowds who gathered to listen. His 12 apostles have been called to his side now, and by Jesus' power and authority, they will also proclaim God's kingdom and heal those afflicted by evil. Jesus is “doing” the ministry we are used to hearing about… but what about the faith of the people? Do we today, believe or do we doubt? Can doubt be a positive part of affirming our personal faith in Jesus? Luke certainly thinks so…

The word was getting out. So much so that crowds of people were gathering to hear Jesus speak and to be healed. What important thing was he saying, though? "Come to me and be healed", or was it "come to me and be forgiven of your sins." Were the people satisfied with the former, or did they desire the latter? Ask Levi, the tax collector, which one he chose...

Jesus emerged from his time in the wilderness, having cast aside a crafty enemy, to began his Galilean ministry. He went out into the whole countryside, preaching to everyone, everywhere. Many praised his gracious manner and listened with rapt attention as he spoke in the synagogue. Let's stop there. Even though they recognized him as a home-town boy, the listeners took issue with his words. "No thanks", they said, and tried to facilitate his demise (for lack of a better phrase). Jesus went on his way, preaching and healing, and so began a history-altering, kingdom-building ministry. 

We are diving into the first of nine Spiritual Practices we'll study this year. These habits of the faith help us grow in our knowledge of scripture and strengthen our relationship with Jesus. Fasting is our body's natural response to difficult spiritual situations like illness, death, sin, etc. Involving our bodies in this form of “lament” is the same as involving them in praise like raising hands or kneeling. Let's dig in and discover something new!

As we get a bit further into the book of Luke and specifically the example of Mary & Martha, how do the Psalms allow you to focus and reflect on your relationship with God? The writers that so beautifully crafted this book were desiring to be closer to God. The worship and praise, despair and lament contained in its verses speak to a deep longing that God, in his mercy, would hear and respond to. 

Never has there been a more important time to be the best at something. Jesus was facing a powerful adversary at a time when his body was weak, but his mind and his heart were filled with the promises of his Father. Jesus knew the truth - the power was his and where all others had failed, he would succeed. Evil had no power over him.

As a complement to the theme “The One Thing” for this year, the first Sunday of each month will highlight important habits of the faith that increase awareness of God's presence, promote individual spiritual growth and a deeper relationship with Jesus. Do you consistently read your bible? Do you take opportunities to pray and confess your sin? We look forward with great anticipation to what God will teach us this year!

Remember John, son of Elizabeth and Zechariah? Just like Jesus, he'd grown up and was now preaching in the surrounding country about repentance and the forgiveness of sins. He told the people what they should and should not be be doing and to say he was getting folks fired up is an understatement, but to what end? What was all the fuss about?

”And as Jesus grew up, he increased in stature, wisdom and favor with God and man.” It seems like a natural progression that, in our own ‘growing up', we should both grow physically but as believers in Christ, also increase in biblical knowledge, wisdom and foster a closer relationship with the him. But is that actually what happens? How do we meet that goal?

Mary or Martha? It's tough, sometimes, to choose stillness rather than dashing around to prepare for the next thing. “But, it's got to get done…” we tell ourselves. “I've got a list!” What if it was actually better… in all the ways that really matter… to set the ‘to do' list aside and instead, discover THE ONE THING worth being concerned about? We are taking a deep dive into the book of Luke in 2025. Our prayer is that each of us would learn to sit more often at the feet of Jesus, spending less time fretting over whatever thing is coming up, and more time listening to what He has to teach us.  

The magi... they were travelers from the east who'd arrived in Jerusalem asking some unpopular questions. Clearly, word had gotten out that a baby - THE baby that was the Messiah - had been born. What should have been a serene, blessed event turned into unrestrained jealousy and evil... a path not so different from our much more recent past and even our present.

5th Day of Christmas Imagine the shepherds, awestruck over what they'd just witnessed. They were 'in the fields, abiding' as the song goes and has just witnessed a great spectacle of heavenly glory. They did not waste any time to go check out what they'd been told about the baby. What did they see and experience once they got to him?

4th Sunday of Advent The appearance of the angel in Luke's account of the birth of Jesus is where all these songs originate. The angel proclaims the good news of Jesus' birth to a small group of shepherds who likely envisioned their night going a bit differently. And then,“suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others - the armies of heaven - praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors.” Luke 2:13 Then it's all over and the angels return to heaven. Imagine those shepherds, awestruck over what they'd just witnessed. Glory to God indeed!

3rd Sunday of Advent  Gather ‘round ye children, come Listen to the old, old story Of the power of death undone By an infant born of glory Son of God, Son of Man So in heaven and earth and below Every knee would bow and worship And every tongue would proclaim Jesus, He reigns with the angels  (c) Andrew Peterson What a beautiful picture of Christ - for those we love and who we want to love & follow Jesus.

What a scene… rays of light visible from heaven to a world, weary under the weight of sin and desperately anticipating the birth of the Messiah. Light takes on a new meaning during that night long ago, breaking through a desperate world with a new and glorious promise of what we are worth.

1st week of Advent | O Come, O Come Emmanuel Waiting for God is a constant and ever-present biblical theme. The Israelites waited for 500 years for the promised Messiah - when will the waiting end?

A lot of life happened in the time of Abraham and Sarah. Battles and blessings, tragedy and triumph. All things must come to an end, so what does Abraham ‘end' up with? A place … a sacred space realized at the end of a journey that never had a destination.

We know that both good and evil exist... they exist at the same time, in the same place, among the same people and places. It seems with one hand, God is pouring out blessing on those who are faithful and with His other hand, exacting judgement on those who engage in sin and perversion. Consider Lot and his family.... what a mess. Abraham goes to bat for folks that, in all reality, God wanted to destroy. How did Abraham's pleas to the LORD change the outcome? Did it really? Maybe God knew something that Abraham did not...

Abraham has been patient... he also has become a bit impatient.  "What good is all this if I do not have a son?" he asks. And there it is... Abraham is laser focused on what is missing instead of God's promise of what will be or what already is. Several times God assures Abraham of his promised blessing, even laying out a timeline of future events up until his death. The one thing that was still missing from the timeline? God's promise to them of a son.

As our Psalms in 2024 exploration comes to a close, these two represent the extremes - despair and abject praise. Whether we cry out to the LORD day and night about our suffering and affliction (Ps. 88) or whether we praise Him for his greatness with trumpets, tambourines and dancing (Ps. 150), He hears us… and knows us and loves us. Praise the LORD!

Abraham and Sarah's son, Isaac, is the fulfillment of God's promise to them that He would bring forth from them many nations. They were faithful and patient and followed the call of God to leave all they knew and go. A lot happened before Isaac appeared on the scene, but what about after? What might Isaac have to say about this adventure to nowhere in particular?

Fear causes people to do things that seem to defy their very character and invites into our lives a whole host of problems. Make a big mistake? Tell a big lie to alleviate the consequences. When fear is a stronghold, it causes us to act and react in ways that are detrimental to our relationship with God and with others. Fear has no rightful place in the hearts and minds of believers in Jesus.

"Why do nations rage? Why do the people waste their time with futile plans?" Good questions as we observe the world today. "But the One who rules in heaven laughs. The LORD scoffs at them." Good answers because we are confident of who is in charge.   

The LORD told Abram to leave everything and everyone he knew and go. Go where? Nowhere in particular, but he was told his obedience would be blessed. Not only would he be blessed by following the LORD's command, but all the people who came after him… and all those who came after them… would also be blessed. “All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.” vs. 3b His life was sure going to be an adventure!

In this fragile and broken world, suffering is inevitable. We all will go through suffering. We all will have opportunities to walk alongside those who are suffering. So how are we to handle this reality? How can we give comfort? The answer is found in Paul's letter to the Corinthian church. He asserts that because we have a loving heavenly father who gives us comfort, we are empowered to share this comfort to others in their time of need.  

We have come to the end of our series in the book of Daniel - boy, there was a lot. What did we learn? What did we not learn? During this series,“Christians, Culture and the Beast”, the parallels between that time and our modern culture and socio-political environment are clear; it's about power - who wants it and who ultimately grants it. In the end, like Daniel and his friends, we can gratefully say that “we do not need to defend ourselves before [you]” to those who deny the sovereignty, power and greatness of God.

Nothing makes any sense…but yet it does. God continues to give Daniel all sort of visions - strange and glorious all at once. The visions portray the great peril that will be visited upon those who are wicked, but those who possess wisdom and continue in faithfulness… well, that's a different ending altogether.

"But watch out! Be very careful never to forget what you have seen the LORD do for you. Do not let these things escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them onto your children and grandchildren.” Deuteronomy 4:9 We want to celebrate and encourage the grandparents in our church family who serve as important and often stabilizing forces inside the family unit, providing a consistent example of a godly life.

"I will lie down in peace and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe." Psalm 4:8 Because this world is a scary place, we can rest assured knowing we are in the hands of our Heavenly Father who is says, "go to sleep."

Daniel is given even more interesting insight through an unexpected messenger. The information is very specific - eerily specific - but what does it all mean? What does God have in store for the people still in exile in Babylon?

“For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.” Psalm 1:6 Do you know which path you're on?

Daniel has seen some incredible things - some at the hands of men and some by the hand of God. He knows the people are wretched and lost in their sin and wickedness. Even so, what does Daniel do? He pleads to the LORD on their behalf even though he knows they don't deserve help because Daniel knows the LORD is merciful. What happens next is God's emphatic, “I got this.”

The book of Daniel has traveled an interesting and mysterious path, and we have been along for the ride. Beasts and blessings, idols and images and things that prove even stranger than the ones before. What's it all mean?

The Bible is full of weird and wonderful things… strange visions, miraculous occurrences and all manner of creatures that defy human imagination. Really, the book of Daniel could be AKA ”Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them.” It all makes for a good story, but what do these things have to do with our present, day-to-day faith journey?

“O God, I praise your word. I put my trust in you. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? “ v. 3-4 “For you have rescued me from death; you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light.” v. 13 What can man do to me? Turns out, man can do quite a lot. Even so, what a comforting set of book ends for us as we live during this time and place in history. 

It seems the key characters in the book of Daniel are having groundhog's day experiences. Over and over, bad stuff leads to faith and surrender that leads to blessing, leading then to a king's inflated ego and then different bad stuff happens because of pride and sin. This time, it gets a little more personal. “What have I done,” wonders the king. Well, he's about to find out.

What transpired during the years King Nebuchadnezzar was ‘absent' had transformed him, but what about the new king? Would this guy be a student of history or would he take the familiar road to idolatry, power seeking and personal glory? Any guesses?

Is the king on the right track now? He certainly heaps praise and honor upon God. But again, the king falls back into the ‘look at the cool stuff I've done in my kingdom' mentality and through another dream, Daniel explains to him what will happen if he does not turn away from his sin. Maybe the king only learns the hard way.  

Daniel has risen in the ranks, but things go sideways in a hurry.  King Nebuchadnezaar had become a little too enamored with himself and jumps the shark… “bow down to the statue, and serve my gods - everyone - or die in a blazing furnace.” That was definitely a ‘dark valley of death', but unwaveringly, they declined to worship the idol. Their God, whom they knew intimately and trusted fully, would save them, whether in life or death.  

Remember who you are… an important admonition for Daniel as he follows God in the midst of serious opposition. Daniel continues to pursue a life of faithfulness and trusts in God's promises even though it got hard… really hard. How can we follow Daniel's example and look forward - truly ‘wait for it' - as we live life in a culture that is hostile to believers in Jesus?

The book of Daniel contains religious, cultural and political implications that are equally relevant now. How do God's people remain faithful to Him while living in a culture that is hostile to their faith? Explore with us, from now through the end of July, what it means to be a Christian in the culture today as we determine “how then shall we live?” in the midst of our own cultural chaos.

Moms, how often have you said, “Oh, I'm fine. Things are fiiiiine” when asked how you are? Sometimes? Always? Where do you go when things are. not. fine? When the weight of the world is heavy, and when sin and struggle seem overwhelming, there is comfort in our closeness to Jesus.