Messages

The Word : Joshua 1:9

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Joshua was known as a brave man, yet three times the Lord commanded him to not be afraid as he lead the nation of Israel. I appreciate this reminder that everyone--even the strongest people -- struggle with fear. Fear is a healthy emotion, reminding us of real dangers and our own limitations. Yet when we are walking with God, and He is leading us, we can be strong and courageous. Fear should no longer hold us back.

The theme of the Surfers and Cowboys movie is "Where fear and faith collide." It highlights the very real, and very relatable struggle to overcome fear with faith.

In the movie Aaron Gold says, “I don’t want to miss out on the blessing God has for me because I allowed fear to control me, I want to have faith in God and see what good things he has in store for my life.”

That is a great motto we might all apply to our own lives. Go with God's strength and courage today, and let faith always win out over fear.

Written by Monica Swanson, monicaswanson.com

The Word: Psalm 27:14

“Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.” - Psalm 27:14

One of the greatest challenges for us as Christians is to wait on the Lord. Many of us are willing to obey -- even challenging Words from the Lord -- yet when He tell us to wait…we can be a mess.

We are a stubborn people, and it doesn’t help that we live in such a quick-fix culture. With instant meals and instant messages, and instant everything it seems, (who else gets annoyed when Siri doesn’t find exactly what you need on the first try?) we are becoming more and more impatient.

So when we pray, we tend to want God to answer us instantly too.

And sometimes He does. Sometimes He says yes, and sometimes He says no. Yet sometimes God also says “wait.” So what can we do while we are waiting? How can we not get discouraged or find ourselves running ahead of God? First we can continue to pray steadfastly as we seek His will. We can read Scripture to see if He is revealing His heart through His Word. And then we can keep doing the last thing He has told us to do; faithfully serve Him while we wait for Him to answer our prayers.

Studying great Bible heroes can help us to learn patience: Noah obeyed the Lord by building a boat, and then waiting...until the rain came. Abraham followed God’s direction to move to a foreign land, and then waited to find out why. Jesus walked on earth as a man while even He waited on God’s perfect timing to fulfill His purpose on earth.

So we too must be strong and let our heart take courage. God has always been faithful and He always will be. And His timing is always perfect.

Written by Monica Swanson, monicaswanson.com

The Word: Ephesians 5:11, 15-16

“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather expose them… See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” -Ephesians 5:11, 15-16

Sean Marin returns to these verses often to guide him in making films. His passion for using story to share his faith with others began in a very special way. Sean shares his story:
I can still remember the moment and feeling when I realized the power of stories. It was a star-covered night on the coast of Australia. I was in full-time missions at the time, and had just finished editing some short videos of skateboarders sharing their faith. That night in the backyard I knelt down to my knees on the hard cobblestone patio, the grass next to me wet from the ocean air. I prayed -- begged God to show me the value of “making movies”, and decided I would commit the next decade of my life to this craft. Then: BAM! It hit me right there: All the parables... these were all stories that Jesus shared to communicate heavenly things and the gospel. Today our “parables” are movies, music videos, music, images of all sorts. The question to me was “how are we using these parables, and what message and story are we telling?”

Sean’s testimony offers us all inspiration as it reminds us that each of our lives is a story that sends a message to the world. And the question we should ask is: What is the message our lives tell? Are we walking in wisdom, redeeming the time? Let’s live stories that reflect the power of the gospel in our own lives.

Written by Monica Swanson  •  monicaswanson.com

The Word: Ephesians 5:16

“Making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” -Ephesians 5:16

God created us for eternity, though our life on earth is short.

There is a theme throughout the Surfer Cowboys movie of living each day with meaning and purpose. How we spend our days on the earth matters. Are we making the most of each day?

As humans, we have a natural fear of death, yet we can have confidence that we will be with God for eternity. Ultimately, there is nothing to fear in death because it is a transition into something much better. This ought to shape how we think, and how we live.

C.S. Lewis said “It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in; aim at earth and you will get neither.”
While God gives us breath and life, we have the great opportunity to live big for Him. To hold loosely to things of this world, and invest our days and our lives for things of eternal value. Though we are not all bull riders or surfers, God has given us all gifts and stories. And we have the great privilege to use them for His Kingdom and His glory. How can we do that today? 

Written by Monica Swanson  •  monicaswanson.com

The Word : John 10:10

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;  I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” - John 10:10

Everyone is looking for an abundant life. Some search for it through work or pursuing a passion, others look for it in relationships or travel. Many people spend their whole life striving to find fulfillment and satisfaction. Unfortunately, most people miss the one place where a truly abundant life can be found: In a relationship with God.

In John 10:10 Jesus declares that He came to this earth to offer us the abundant life we all long for. Jesus compared himself to a loving shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. To emphasize this sacrificial love, Jesus contrasts it to the enemy’s motives, which are always selfish. The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy.

Though we as Christians may never set out on a mission to find an abundant life in work or things or people, if we are honest we too often seek fulfillment outside of God’s love. The enemy is crafty and cunning, and will do most anything to convince us that a truly full life can be found anywhere but where God wants us. Without even knowing it we can fall into his trap and find ourselves outside of God’s will, and wondering why our life is less than abundant.

May we be quick to catch ourselves seeking fulfillment outside of God’s will. Let us be aware any time we are tempted by the enemy’s lies. And let us daily stay near to the Lord, and enjoy the abundant life only He can give.

Written by Monica Swanson  •  monicaswanson.com

The Word : John 10:10

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” -JOHN 10:10

The theme for the Lowers camp was: “IDENTITY--Chasing after the wind.” Kyle shared a message with the groms that is truly valuable for all of us.

The message was based on the idea that we are all searching for our identity, whether we realize it or not. Kyle explained how in trying to find our identity, we often pursue the easiest, cheapest available forms of “identity” - what others think of us, or the pleasures of the world. In doing this we are trying to grab on to something that will never satisfy - something that was never meant to last.

The result of trying to find our identity in things or in others’ opinions of us is that we will live in a state of fear: fear of failure and fear of rejection. It is a miserable way to live, but this is exactly how most people spend their lives.

God’s desire, on the other hand, is that we would find our identity in Him. Created in His image, we find our self worth in His deep and unchanging love for us. 

The result of basing our identity in Christ is that we experience freedom from fear: Fear of failure and fear of rejection. We are no longer dependent on others’ opinions of us because we depend on a much bigger opinion: God’s. 

Let’s not waste a single minute chasing after the wind, searching for an identity which will not last. Instead let’s find our identity in Christ and receive the freedom and full life that only He can offer.

The Word : Matthew 5:16

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” - Matthew 5:16

Eyes are always on us, whether we are aware of it or not. People who know us, and those who don’t...people who we work with and play with and yes, those we live with. And what’s really cool is: we have the great privilege of shining God’s light in such a way that others might see our good deeds, and glorify our Father in Heaven.

Except when we don’t. 

You see, though God has given us everything we need to live a godly life, (2 Peter 1:3) we often choose not to. We might choose to be sinful and selfish, or we might be just plain lazy. And though we’re all human and none of us will shine His light all of the time, I think we’re a lot happier when that is our aim. Because God created us to shine! That’s what we were made for! And when we do -- really great things happen.

In our personal story this month, Katharine Leede talks about how the leaders at the Walking on Water camps were a light to her at such an important time in her life. Seeing their love for God and commitment to serve Him inspired her to want to do the same. Now, while she is still in high school, Katharine is finding many ways to shine God’s light, and bring Him glory.

How might you shine God’s light today?Don’t miss the opportunity to be just the inspiration someone else needs!

The Word : Matthew 14:29

“He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.” - Matthew 14:29

“Amongst The Waves - Where is your faith in the storm?” 
This theme for Walking on Water’s summer surf camps is also a great question for all of us. We’ve heard the story of Peter walking on water to Jesus until...Until he looked down, became afraid, and began to sink. Let’s be honest with ourselves about how we typically behave in a storm (big or small.) Let’s repent for how quickly we look down, lose faith, and sink. Then let’s be diligent to train our own eyes to be lifted up daily--to seek the Lord in and out of the storms...To practice faith in the daily matters of life, so that when storms come our way we will not waver, but instead keep walking. To the Lord. With great faith.

The Word : John 6:37

“All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” John 6:37

We pray for our kids to walk with the Lord and never turn away, and we trust Proverbs 22:6 when it says “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Yet stories like Tyler James’ reminds us that sometimes kids (or let’s be honest, adults and everything in between) get tangled in sin and the world, and we can begin to lose hope.

Tyler James’ father, Craig, knew his son’s heart, and though he saw him in a downward spiral, chose to hold on to hope. He prayed for a creative way to rekindle his son’s love for the Lord, and indeed God provided a great opportunity. Tyler did turn back to the Lord, and in a short time felt called to commit to serve Him long-term.

The good news is that God will always welcome us back. His Word says that He will never drive anyone away. No matter our sins or regrets, God both forgives us, and offers to redeems our lives.

We pray for our own kids, as well as the youth that are involved in our surf camps, and the families that are connected to WOW. We pray that they will stay near the Lord all of their days. But we also put our hope in a faithful God who can work all things together, even when when things are not going how we would have planned. Never give up on someone who has fallen away from the Lord! Pray for them and keep reaching out to them. God’s heart will always be to draw them lovingly back to himself. And He is more than able. 

The Word : Isaiah 43:2

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” - Isaiah 43:2

Elizabeth Ridenour’s story reminds us of two important things: 1. We do not know what tomorrow holds. 2. Even if we face our greatest fears, God will still be with us.

The uncertainty of tomorrow ought to spur us on to embrace today. How are we using our time? Perhaps we need to make some adjustments. We might want to mend some broken relationships, show more love, offer more grace to people in our lives. Every day counts and if you talk to anyone who has lost a loved one they will tell you not to waste a single day! Knowing God is always with us brings amazing assurance. Elizabeth, who described her own marriage as “blissfully happy”, tragically lost her husband two years ago. As devastating as this was, Elizabeth found assurance as she clung to the Lord through it all. She chose Isaiah 43:2 to represent her journey. God has been with her. She is walking through her loss with a bold confidence that God will use all things for her good and His glory. Every day counts, and God is always with us. There may be no more important message than this! Embrace the life God has given you and trust Him deeply to take care of you no matter what. Be bold in faith and love, and your testimony will be great!