In this episode, we explore God's heart through the exodus story that He desires to live in relationship with people, helping them to live set-apart lives, serving with priestly hearts to other kingdoms around us. As we explore each of these concepts, let's ask God what the barriers to belief might be in our own hearts. For more information about our community visit us online.
In this episode, we learn from the story of Abraham that God works through very ordinary people in miraculous ways, works His will through our lives even when we are unfaithful, and aids us in seasons of waiting and uncertainty. At the end of the podcast, we invite you to map out your life and look for seasons of God's movement as you prayerfully look to where God might be inviting you. For more information about our community visit us online....
In this episode we kick off a new series tracking some of the covenants through the Bible. In this episode we wrestle through the difficult story of Noah and the ark as we seek out what is most clear about God in the story. There are moments of hope that we can apply to our life and relationship with God. For more information about our community visit us online.
In this episode, we explore the rhythms of our community and the invitations we feel God is leading us to experiment with in the next season of our church planting story. We look at the communal life of the early church and process what that looks like for our community in Bend. We are striving to pursue the right vision and not settle for one we might have been handed in our culture. For more information about our community visit us online....
In this episode, Megan walks us through the remaining "I Am" statements in the Gospel of John and asks us to reflect on how we respond to and live in light of these statements. For more information about our community visit us online: I Am Part 1 Questions for Processing: Which "I AM" statement is tough for you to accept? Which statement is good for your life? How can you dwell with the Good Shepherd this week?...
In this episode, we learn about what happens in the days after Jesus death and resurrection as He gives His followers a gift that will help them carry on the mission that He is charging them with to co-create with God to make more echoes of the garden in the city that He has put us. For more information about our community visit us online.
In this episode, we see how Jesus guides us back to the garden through His life, death, and resurrection. Understanding each of those pieces helps us to see the fullness of the event and the implications for our lives. For more information about our community visit us online.
In this episode, we continue our series in Garden Echoes. We continue to trace the story of life in the Garden, through the wilderness period, and into the life of Jesus. Each of these moves consistently shows God's heart to live among His people and to find ways to forgive and redeem people who would choose to live life connected to Him. For more information about our community visit us online.
We kicked off our Easter Series by looking at how God's heart has always been to live connected with the humans that He has created. At the beginning of the story of God, we see a scene of humans in a garden where they opt out of living life defined by God and attempt to be like god and define life for themselves. This has fractured our world and that choice plays out over and over throughout humanity. But God continues to pursue fallen humanity longing to provide a path back to the garden where...
In this episode, Megan starts a two-part series about the 7 "I Am" statements that Jesus makes about Himself in the gospel of John. These are important because this is how Jesus is describing Himself. He reveals Himself as the bread of life, the light of the world, and the resurrection and the life. We invite you to ask the Spirit what might be good news for your life this week. For more information about our community visit us online....
In this episode, we explore what it practically looks like to live aware of and connected to the presence of God. For more information about our community visit us online. The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
In this episode, we look at different layers of community that we need in our lives to continue to grow into all that Jesus has for us. The challenge for each of us is to evaluate what relationships we have and to be intentional and consistent in developing spiritual friendships with 2-3 people over time. In this episode, you will also get some tips for developing those relationships and some cautions. For more information about our community visit us online. Discussion: 1. What is a relationshi...
In this episode, we explore how to be intentional about spiritual formation by developing a Rhythm of Life (Rule of Life). This helps us articulate our commitments in making space to meet with God, trusting that over time, He will give us the desire and power to do the things He has for our lives. To continue to narrow the gap between where we are today and where Jesus is calling us to be, we need to have the right focus, work hard for growth, and have consistency over time. We pray that discuss...
In this episode, we learn about the different layers of sin that Jesus invites us to name so that He can bring healing into our lives as we practice confession. There is a lot of baggage around both of these topics, but we pray that Jesus will guide you on your journey to continue to find healing, hope, and peace. For more information about our community, visit us online. Discussion Questions: 1. Growing up, what was your understanding of sin and God’s response to it? 2. How does your current un...
In this episode, we reflect on the fact that everyone will experience varying levels of pain and suffering in our lives. Our culture doesn't have helpful solutions to find healing moving forward but in the life of Jesus, we see a path through our pain and suffering to find the healing that God has on offer. You can find discussion questions below and at the end of the episode, we offer a helpful practice to make space to meet God in what you might be feeling. For more information about our commu...
In this episode, we learn that while there might be a lot of areas in our lives where we don't currently embody the way of Jesus, overtime, and through the practices we slowly become the type of people who do—a people who are full of love and peace. For more information about our community visit us online. Discussion Questions: What’s your experience with the practices of Jesus? What practices have been helpful for your journey? Who has reflected God’s love to you? Where did you see the life of ...
In this episode, we start to learn how to make a shift away from unintentional spiritual formation to intentional spiritual formation. We not only need to know what to start cutting out and deconstructing but also need to incorporate four specific things to help us continue to become the people that Jesus wants us to be. You will be surprised how small changes in a positive direction have such profound impacts on your life and well-being. For more information about our community visit us online....
In this episode, we learn more about the web of forces that have unintentionally formed us spiritually. By becoming more aware of these influences in our lives, we can follow Jesus's path to inner transformation, healing, and peace. For additional resources, pick up Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer. If you are finding value in the series, consider making a donation to Practicing the Way. Spiritual Formation Audit Discussion Questions: What habits do I keep in my daily/weekly life? How are t...
We kicked off a new series based on the Practicing the Way Course. In this conversation, we discuss the need to understand that we are all being formed by something, how to intentionally be formed into the way of Jesus, and why it's important for followers of Jesus to show up in their city as apprentices of Jesus. Towards the end of our discussion questions to dive deeper and practices to give a try this week. If you want to go even deeper please pick on John Mark Comer's book Practicing the Way...
In this episode, we discuss God's intention for our growth through our commitment to living in community and by our commitment to engaging with others around us. There are some specific questions at the end for you to process with the Holy Spirit to discern what God might ask you to step in as we start a new year. For more information about our community or to support in any way please visit us online.
In this episode we learn from event the birth story of Jesus that He came to welcome the outsider into the center of God's renewal story. All that Jesus has done for us is motivated by His unwavering love and commitment to us. This message will not only connect you to the treads of the Christmas story but will help you to respond to what God wants to do in your story. For more information about our community visit us online....
In this episode, Jordan Smart continues our advent series on finding joy because our roots are in a larger story. We spend so much time living our other's stories that leads to more stress and anxiety. When we orient ourselves in God's larger story we can find joy because we can lean on the promises of many generations who have gone before us and have experienced God's promised joy amid difficult life circumstances. For more information about our community visit us online....
In this episode, we continue our Advent Series as Megan Pooler teaches from her life experience how Jesus can bring hope to our moments of despair. We don't have to downplay our emotions or fake our way into positivity we can allow Jesus to meet us where we are and bring us along the journey. The psalms are a great tool to give words for what we might be feeling but they also teach us how we can pray to God. For more information about our community visit us online....
We kicked off a new Advent Series, where we will look at the four themes of peace, hope, joy, and love as we build to celebrate Christmas. In this episode, we look at how Jesus offers a path to peace in an anxious world. The teaching includes a practice that you can implement into your day-to-day life, journal, prayer reflection, or with a counselor. For more information about our community, please visit us online....
In this episode, we wrap up our Mark series, which we started after Easter and are finishing at Advent. In this conversation, we reflect on the implications of the resurrection of Jesus. Mark has been building his case to show that Jesus is the savior of the world and he ends his story by inviting you to reflect on what you believe about Jesus and what are you going to do with that? If we have been transformed by Jesus that should lead to us naturally sharing our experience of Jesus with others....
In this episode, we look at Jesus' final moments in the garden, His trial, and His crucifixion. In these events, we can see how Jesus' habit of getting alone with God in the garden helped Him in His hardest moment. We can find our own garden-like place that forms the well we can draw from when we go through our own sufferings. For more information about our community visit us online.
In this episode we walk through Mark 14 as we reflect on the meaning of the passover in the historical background of God's people and see how Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of passover as He is the one to lead us out of spiritual slavery into a new life. For more information about our community visit us online.
In this episode, we examine a conversation between Jesus and His closest followers as He advises them on what is coming and what will come. He invites them to be active partners with God and not passive bystanders. Many helpful things from that conversation can be applied to our lives today. For more information about our community, visit us online.
In this episode our friend Megan Pooler invites us to consider how we are loving God with all of our being as we seek to place God first in our lives and how that love spills over to others as we share that love with them. For more information about our community visit us online.
In this episode we look at how Jesus responds to different challenges from the highest levels of religious leaders as they continue to look for ways to get rid of Him. From these challenges we learn more things about Him and also get to process some warnings from His interactions with these leaders. If you would like more information about our community visit us online.
