Pastor's Weekly Musing

Hey everyone!

This week, I've asked our very own Stephanie Fournier to write the devotional.

If you know Steph, you love her. She's on our church staff, she helps lead our Life Groups, Ladies Ministry, and much more, and she recently earned her Master's Degree in Theological Studies from Life Pacific University. Steph is the real deal.

Enjoy!
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One of my favorite verses, one of my life verses in fact, is Philippians 1:6, "I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you, will continue to perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus." This verse brings me so much peace and encouragement for three reasons.

Purpose: God created each one of us for unique purposes in the Kingdom, and He doesn't intend to finish things halfway. Despite my distraction, my disobedience, and my own self-directed plans, when God says He is going to complete something, He will. My job is to abide in God's presence, embrace lifelong learning and growth, and practice following the Way of Jesus. He is not done with us yet!

Perseverance: Paul is sharing this message with ALL of us - we are never too old, never too young, never too broken, and never too lost for God to transform our lives and use each one of our journeys to benefit others and point to Jesus.

Partnership: Paul emphasizes here and throughout the book of Philippians how much he values partnership - partnership with God, partnership with the Philippian church, and his own close partnership with Timothy. The letter opens with the greeting, "This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus." Paul was intentional about including his partner in the Gospel, Timothy, in his letter to the Church. Paul then goes on to say, "Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now." Paul affirms that each of us has a seat at the table in the Kingdom of God.

As a church planter and a slave for Christ, whether traveling or imprisoned, Paul's letters to the early church emphasized the need for love and unity. If I had to guess, Paul was a big proponent of following Jesus in community. Paul is encouraging us to find our people and surround ourselves with those who remind us of who God says we are, so we can be on mission together until His work is complete.

Speaking of community, here are some exciting updates regarding our first season of Meadows Life Groups:

11 life groups launched from our Rooted Discipleship Experience
21 life group facilitators leading and loving their people
124 people meeting weekly in gatherings off-campus BBQs, game nights, 4th of July celebrations, Golden Knights viewing parties, service projects, and dinners out together
Conversations shared, Scripture read, stories told, prayers prayed, and deep relationships developed

If you are interested in joining a Meadows Life Group, be sure to sign up for our next session of ROOTED launching on August 22! ROOTED is our 10-week small group discipleship experience that serves as the starting point for becoming engaged in Life Groups at Meadows. Registration for ROOTED opens on August 6 - details coming soon!!
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Sunday, July 30: BAPTISMS!
Want to get baptized? Just do it! It's an outward expression of an inner reality, the first sign of obedience to the Way of Jesus. We'll cheer you on and sing God's praises along the way.

Click HERE to sign up, and a staff member will contact you soon!

Sunday, August 7: Back to School Sunday
A Meadows annual favorite, where we take a significant portion of our Sunday services at both 9 AM and 11 AM and pray an individual blessing over every student, teacher, and administrator. A great day to invite a friend! Mark your calendars!

Monday, August 14: CRAVE Women's Gathering
The Meadows Ladies Ministry will be welcoming Ignite Life Ministries as we host monthly CRAVE Gatherings. Similar to the Ladies Connect model, Crave Gatherings bring women around a table to hear a teaching, unpack Scripture, and discuss life together. It's only $5 a meeting, with coffee and snacks included!

Click HERE to get signed up for the first gathering.
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This Sunday, we'll continue our series on Philippians: Confidence in Christ.

We all know the Apostle Paul went through a radical transformation in his life, going from a persecutor of the church to its biggest evangelist and advocate. In chapter 3, we get an inside look at the anatomy of his conversion, what actually took place inside of him mentally and emotionally that caused him to make such a change.

Join us this Sunday for Part 3 - Conversion.

Looking forward to seeing you all on the walkway!

Pastor Ron

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