Desert Streams: Recent Episodes
Sarah Jane
Join me for a trip out beyond yourself and into the desert with God. This is the journey of a lifetime. The journey of Christian faith with no holds barred. There is a special depth and meaning to faith which is acquired in the deserts of this life. The lessons learned by walking alone with God in the wilderness can apply to every disciple of Jesus, regardless of their background. It's about obedience - dogged, long term, enduring obedience. It's about the desert. It's about fearing all is lost and holding onto your faith anyway. It's about facing death for the name of Jesus. It's about the apparent absences of God in the void of the world and about what grows in us by following the highway of faith through the vast wastelands that we all encounter in our lives. It's about finding value in those dry, arid conditions. It's about noticing the breath of God in everything. Walk with me on a journey. Travel with me as I take you through the desert - let me show you my world. This is the world of a Christian woman who has grown up wild, with nothing but the Word of God itself and a burning passion to survive. This is a journey of hope in the darkest of circumstances. These are lessons about how to stand your ground in faith and carry on believing when everything in the world stands against you and you are totally alone. This is how to root down directly into God so that his Word fills everything you do. This is how to experience the presence of God in every environment, all the time. Join me for a trip out beyond yourself and into the desert with God.
Why obedience to God has been such a big part of my own life story. The impact that a habit of deliberate, practised obedience to God can have in the life of a believer who chooses to walk that road. How to begin such a practise in your own Christian life.
The continued practice of obedience to God's voice is central to the Christian life. This episode explains why.
If you are someone who desires a deeper connection with God and who wants to follow God out into the wilderness - where do you start? You start at the very moment you're in now. You start by giving him your all, everything, holding nothing back. You count the cost of a life lived by grace and then you invite God in. This is how to open yourself up to the daily calling of your Maker, God.
At the start of each episode so far I've said that I'm an alongsider in an Anglican convent in the UK. But many of you may not know what that means. Today I'm explaining what that means and telling you more about the life I live, as well as giving a bit of background information on how long I've been a Christian and the study I've done to get where I am today. I hope you enjoy getting to know me a little better. In the next episode, we'll return to our journey through the desert with God.
What can you pack when you're going on an adventure into God? Not a lot! Largely because you have no idea where he'll take you or what you'll face. But there are a few things which you can bring with you. In this episode we have a look at a few things which can go into your suitcase; things you can carry with you and hold onto. We look at the foundational beliefs of the Christian faith in the form of the Apostle's Creed as well as two key aspects of the character of this God who you are trying to become more intimate with.
Why go out into the wilderness as a Christian? What is this call that men and women have been following for centuries? It's about getting closer to God amid the challenges of a harsh environment. It's about getting away from everything and everyone that might distract you from the presence of the Almighty. This epsiode looks at how and why the Christian journey, when undertaken with commitment and desire for God, inevitably involves a spell in some form of wilderness. It also prepares you for what to expect when you step out in this adventure with God.
Many people in the Bible went out into the wilderness with God to deepen their faith and venture out beyond the bounds of their family ties, daily life and cultural norms. But what does it mean for Christians today to go out into the wilderness? Does "wilderness" mean an actual desert? Why would any Christian in the western world want to go into a dry, arid, desolate place to be alone with God? Isn't going to church once a week enough? This is the introduction to a podcast which aims to deepen your relationship with God and take you into places where He is in control. Where your life starts to be transformed in ways you couldn't have imagined. It starts here. Will you take up the challenge?