On every great adventure there comes at least one moment of decision… Do we go left or right? Is the trail ahead safe or do we go back? Maybe the treasure will never be found... do we keep looking or give up and save our resources for another day? Discerning next steps can be as treacherous as the adventure itself. Scripture admonishes us to both carefully consider and count the cost before striking out on some new venture (Luke 14:28-30), and to not look back once we have set out (Luke 9:62). When we don’t have certainty about where we are going, we can at least find clarity about where we are. And where we are is with God. When we don’t know what’s next, God does. And we can be abundantly certain that God goes before us, God goes with us, and God will bring us safely into God’s future. Worship link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBEvUBUeMMY

On any given adventure, we might have some fun; it’s certainly going to be exciting; and it will likely be scary at moments. But always, we will have the opportunity to explore new things, try something unfamiliar, and discover various ways of doing things. Whether we are exploring a part of town new to us or blazing a new trail through an unexplored part of a jungle, opportunities abound for experimenting and learning when we are on an adventure. True adventurers love this part of the adventure - striking out into the unknown to see what new things await. Some are less enthusiastic about new things and new ways of doing things. But the good news is that when you adventure, explore, and experiment with God as your guide, there’s really no risk - only learning, growing, and blessing! Worship link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggkzgUW_MEo

You are not truly on an adventure if you don’t encounter unexpected obstacles and challenges that you didn’t anticipate. Some of us try to compensate for the uncertainty by packing carefully - and generously. Some of us try to train our way to being ready. God has a much easier - lighter - plan. Just stay close to God. God has everything we need to overcome whatever gets in our way as we journey and adventure with God! Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4GXcBfNjW4

Popular advice to someone hesitating about making a big life change is, “If you wait until you’re ready, you’ll never… have children, change careers, move across the country, tackle that larger-than-life dream.” Opportunity doesn’t always allow us time to prepare, but even with time, some of us are slow to move. The future is always unknown, uncertain, and a little scary. But staying right where we are today isn’t an option either. Time moves on and life moves forward, whether we like it or not. And life with God is especially mobile and unpredictable. But that’s how God has it planned. More than feeling prepared and confident about the places God is leading us, God wants us to trust and follow. Rather than taking the time to get set in the blocks and anticipate the starter's call, God invites us to just ‘Go!” and then worry about getting ready and set. And with God, that’s all we need to do. Go! Worship link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXhR3PHI2Ic