All class recordings can be viewed via Steve’s Meeks’ FreshWater Int’l YouTube page.
REGISTER HERE FOR THIS CLASS. YOU WILL RECEIVE WEEKLY CLASS NOTES AND UPDATES, VIA EMAIL WHEN YOU REGISTER.
THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF CONTEMPLATIVE THEOLOGY
August 14 – October 16, 2024
YouTube link for this class.
The focus of Contemplative Theology is intimacy with God and transformation into God’s original intention – that we should be His image bearers. We are designed to be integrated beings – inspirited flesh. God’s promises are that we can be “filled to the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19) and that His church is to “come to the full measure of the stature of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). Contemplative Theology explores the mysteries, possibilities, and potentials that God promises us in His Word.
In this Prophetic Life Workshop, Pastor Steve seeks to lift our vision, fascinate our minds, and enthrall our hearts with the beauty and goodness of the “One who is from the beginning: (1 John 2:13). We will be called to follow Jesus who “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16).
Matthew 6:6 – But whenever you pray, go into your innermost chamber and be alone with Father God, praying to Him in secret. And your Father, who sees all you do, will reward you openly.
This Prophetic Life Workshop calls us to encounter the transforming power of Contemplative Theology that draws us into deeper union with God. Join us in the journey.
CLASS NOTES
Contemplative Theology (August 14)
God the Image Maker (August 21)
God the Image Maker – Pt II (August 28th)
Christ the Archetype (September 4)
Humanity: The Icon (September 11)
Humanity: The Icon, Part Two (September 18)
Humanity: The Icon, Part Two (September 28)
Humanity: The Icon, Part Three (October 2)
The Unitive Life (October 9)
Five Truths for Everyday Living (October 16)
Prophetic Life Workshop Archives
COMMUNION AND COMPANIONSHIP WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
April 3 – June 5, 2024
YouTube link for this class.
This semester is designed to aid us in knowing the present companionship, intimacy, and empowering of the Holy Spirit in our lives today. We will be learning the ways the Holy Spirit speaks to us, prays through us, loves through us, anoints us with power, and transforms us into people filled with God. Our lives cannot be full and fruitful without living deeply immersed in companionship and communication with the third member of the Trinity – the Holy Spirit. Join Pastor Steve as he leads us in exploring and engaging this majestic and mysterious member of the Trinity.
CLASS NOTES
Spirit Filled Living (April 3)
Fostering Fellowship with the Holy Spirit (April 10)
Contemplative Practice (April 17)
Contemplative Practice 2 (April 24)
Baptism and Filling of the Holy Spirit (May 1)
Contemplative Meditation (May 8)
Principle to Effective Spiritual Practice, Holy Spirit Ministries, Lectio Divina (May 15)
Tabernacle of Moses and Contemplative Practices, Come Holy Spirit, Lectio Divina (May 22)
Contemplative Prayer, The Waterfall (May 29)
Contemplative Practices (June 5)
Knowing God
January 10 – March 27, 2024
YouTube link for this class.
One of the supreme purposes in the life of Jesus was to reveal the Father to us.
John 17:26 (TPT) I have revealed to them who you are and I will continue to make you even more real to them, so that they may experience the same endless love that you have for me, for your love will now live in them, even as I live in them!
The heart of Jesus longs for us to know the Father He knows and to experience the love He experiences. This Prophetic Life Workshop is about knowing and loving the one true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.
John 17:3 (ESV) And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Our journey into knowing the one true God will lead us to explore the Trinity, his creation, and the incarnation of his Son, Jesus Christ. If you long for a deeper experience of love for God, this workshop is just for you. In John 17:26 (above), Jesus teaches us that the fruit of knowing God is being filled with his transforming love. It is this love that prepares us for an incarnational life where the presence of Jesus lives powerfully and deeply in us.
CLASS NOTES
Knowing God – A Biblical Foundation (January 10)
Everything Belongs (January 17)
The Trinity (January 24)
What is God After (January 31)
Our Three Dimensional God and God’s Self Revelation (February 7)
Three Great Speeches of God Creation (February 14)
Three Great Speeches of God – Incarnation (February 21)
Three Great Speeches of God – Scripture (February 28)
Loving God Through His Word (March 20)
God in Search of Mankind (March 27)
THY KINGDOM COME
August 9 – September 27, 2023
YouTube link for this class.
This Prophetic Life Workshop will examine and explore the coming of God’s Kingdom to earth. Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We will examine what the Bible reveals about God’s Kingdom. We will explore our role in preparing for its arrival.
Now is the time for the Body of Christ to understand, prepare, and proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of heaven.
CLASS NOTES
The Kingdom of God (August 9)
What is Jesus Christ so Passionate About? (August 16)
Revelation Themes (August 23 and 30)
The Kingdom of God (September 6)
Preventatives and Preludes to Kingdom Power (September 13)
The Bride Made Ready (September 20)
Seasons of Essential Transition (September 27)
PROPHETIC MINISTRY AND THE RETURN OF CHRIST
April 5 – June 2, 2023
YouTube link for this class.
In our generation, God is preparing the earth for the return of His Son and the full manifestation of the Kingdom of God. There are glorious promises and prophecies for God’s people. There are also dire warnings declaring to us the necessity of being prepared. For the people of God, the return of Christ will be the most glorious, powerful, and fruitful time in human history. But for some, some of God’s own people, it will be a time of shame, pain, and disappointment.
1 Corinthians 3:11-15 “For no one can lay any foundation other than what is being laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on the foundation and gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, each builder’s work will be plainly seen for the Day will make it clear, because it will be revealed by fire. And the fire will test what kind of work each has done. If what someone has built survives, he will receive a reward. If someone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as through fire.”
This is an hour of preparation for the Body of Christ. We must not delay. For those who will prepare the days ahead are full of glory and destiny. The rise of prophetic ministry is clearly prophesied and must be studied, stewarded, and embraced. (See Acts 2:17-21.) This Prophetic Life Workshop is an opportunity to align ourselves and our churches with the promised glory for God’s people in the Last Days.
CLASS NOTES
Prophetic Life (April 5)
Christ’s Bride Made Ready (April 12)
Christ’s Bride Made Ready and Image Bearers for God (April 19)
Christ’s Bride Made Ready conclusion (April 26)
Hoping in the Return of Jesus Christ (May 3)
Where, How, and When (May 10)
Four Signs of the Second Coming (May 17)
Why is Jesus Christ Coming Back to earth? (May 23)
Jesus Comes to Command the World (May 31)
Why is Jesus Coming Back to Earth? (June 7)
TENSIONS IN KNOWING GOD
January 11 – March 22, 2023
YouTube link for this class.
This Prophetic Life Workshop takes us immediately in the deep end of the pool. God has built creative tensions into the fabric of creation. God uses these tensions to mature us, guide us, unveil His own nature, and to make us suitable to be His dwelling place. Here is an abbreviated list of many such tensions:
a. Immanence and transcendence
b. Incarnational and eschatological
c. Contemplative practice and kingdom agenda
d. God is both “now” and “not yet”
God’s presence and activity are found at both ends of these tensions and everywhere inbetween. Creative tensions are about who God is and how He lives. If you really want to know God, the real God, then you must explore, expect, and experience God’s life inside these tensions. The more mature our relationship with God, the more spacious our attitudes will be toward recognizing God’s presence and activity in our lives and in our world. Each of these tensions has their own delights and dangers.
As we mature, we are enabled to hold these tensions together. In our current world, we grow deeper and stronger as we learn to live in the tensions of the “now” and the “not yet.”
If you desire to know the real God, if you long for God’s wisdom to overflow your living, making you fruitful, then make this Prophetic Life Workshop a priority beginning in January.
CLASS NOTES
Tensions in Knowing God – Cover page (January 11)
Immanent and Transcendent Tensions – Journal exercise (January 18 and 25)
Five Truths for Maturing in the Tensions of Life (February 1)
Spiritual Geography (February 8)
Mountain Terrain (February 15)
Imperfections (February 22)
Encountering God’s Intimate Presence and Types of Christian Spirituality ( March 1 and 8)
Thoughts on Spiritual Maturity (March 22)
LEARNING TO HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD: Knowing the God who speaks, why He speaks, and how we hear Him…
October 19 – December 14, 2022
YouTube link for this class.
What would you pay to hear the voice of God? How valuable would that be to you? Every meaningful friendship happens through interaction, fellowship, and conversation. It is God’s nature to speak. After all, he describes himself as the “Word” (John 1:1). God is a communicating being. He delights in our response to his voice. This workshop will explore God’s communicating nature, how he speaks, and how we can hear his voice.
CLASS NOTES
Who is the God Who Speaks (October 19)
The Simple Secret of Knowing God (October 26)
Three Capacities for Hearing God Speak (November 2)
Preparing to Hear God’s Voice (November 9)
Does God Speak Today (November 16, December 1, and 7)
How to Hear God Speak through the Bible and 14 Ways God Speaks to Us (December 14)
FINISHING STRONG: DEVELOPING THE CONTOURS OF A FINISHING SPIRIT
August 10 – October 5, 2022
YouTube link for this workshop
This Prophetic Life Workshop focuses on living a significant life all the way to the finish line. In our time together, we will explore the contours of a finishing spirit, leaving a legacy, dealing with imperfections, cultivating heavenly mindedness, and how to carry passion as we age. FINISHING STRONG will equip us in living a sacramental theology, creating a living awareness that we live in a God-bathed world. It is the presence of God that will enable us to say with the Apostle Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). I pray that this workshop will help us all to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and to Finish Strong.
CLASS NOTES
- Finishing Strong (August 10)
- Aging with Joy – Finishing with Grace (August 17)
- The Strength of a Finishing Spirit (August 24)
- Trust and Obey (August 31)
- The Habit of Heavenly Mindedness (September 7, 14, and 28)
- Creating Liminal Space (October 5)
THE UNITIVE LIFE: Reflections on Spiritual Maturity
April 6 – June 1, 2022
YouTube link for this workshop
This Prophetic Life Workshop will seek to give you a clear picture and concrete guidance for cultivating genuine maturity in your relationship with God. The Triune God created us for intimate fellowship, partnership, and friendship. In this workshop, Pastor Steve will guide us toward a life that brings joy to the heart of our heavenly Father.
God’s Word calls us to a life lived in union with God, filled with His Spirit, and abiding in His Son. As we grow deeper in God, we begin to experience His presence, His peace, and His power.
If you are hungry for something more, join us in this Prophetic Life Workshop as we explore our capacities to be filled with God.
CLASS NOTES
- God’s Dwelling Place (April 6)
- Holons and the Bonding Process (April 13)
- Holons, Christification, and Five Characteristics of Spiritual Maturity (April 20 and April 27)
- The Unitive Life (April 27)
- Living With Love (May 4 and 11)
- Basics of the Spirit Filled Life (May 18 and 25)
- Baptism and Filling of the Holy Spirit ( June 1)
EMBERS TO FLAME: IGNITING YOUR LIFE THROUGH PRAYER
January 12 – March 30, 2022
YouTube link for this workshop.
God is intimately with us, and He is also infinitely beyond us. It is prayer alone that can reconcile these two polarities. Through prayer we begin to experience both God’s intimate presence and transcendent dominion. Consistent prayer helps us to feel companioned by God.
Ps. 62:8 Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.
Prayer is a key that opens the door to a secret chamber of your heart where your true life is hidden with Christ in God (See Colossians 3:3-4). In prayer we shift the center of living from self-consciousness to self-surrender. As a tree torn from the soil, as a river separated from its source, the human soul wanes when it is detached from God through the absence of prayer. Without prayer, we are like the scattered rungs of a broken ladder. To pray is to become a ladder on which our lives and others can mount up to God. And He also comes down the ladder to us.
This Prophetic Life Workshop will explore how to experience a satisfying life of prayer that leads you into ever deepening companionship with God.
CLASS NOTES
- Real Prayer (January 12)
- What is Prayer? (January 19)
- Praying in the Spirit (January 26)
- Reflections on Prayer (February 2)
- Principles of Prayer Life and The Soul of Prayer (February 9)
- Prayer Basics (February 16)
- Prayers, Simplicity, and Mystery (February 23)
- Prayer’s Mystery and The Serious Sin of Prayerlessness (March 2)
- Teach Us to Pray (March 9)
- The Power of the Praying Church (March 23)
BEDROCK: FAITH THAT LASTS FOREVER
August 11 – October 13, 2021
YouTube link for this workshop.
This class will address the issue of faith. What is faith? How does it work? Why is faith important? These and many other questions concerning our faith and its nature will be explored over this semester. The world we live in will trivialize our lives unless we learn to “walk by faith and not by sight.”
This class is aimed at deepening our intimacy with God through cultivating a bedrock faith in our soul. “Without faith it is impossible to please God, for those who come to Him must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Faith is a bedrock substance that increases God’s pleasure and presence in our lives.
CLASS NOTES
- The Nature of Faith (August 11)
- THE RIVER Poem, Perfecting Faith, Faith–Over All, Through All, In All (August 18)
- Perfecting Faith, Bedrock (poem), God’s Self Revelation (August 25)
- The Physics of Faith – Expecting the Unexpected (September 1)
- The Physics of Faith – Seeing the Invisible (September 8)
- The Physics of Faith – Believing the Impossible (September 15)
- Belief vs Faith (September 22)
- Overcoming Faith (September 29)
- Living Faith and Understanding Faith (October 6)
- A Theology of Hope (October 13)
SPRITUAL FORMATION: BECOMING LIKE JESUS
April 7 – May 26, 2021
YouTube link for this workshop.
Spiritual formation is not a quick-fix, a one-size-fits-all, or a controllable technique. Disciples are hand-crafted, not mass produced.
Authentic spirituality must touch our lives in meaningful and practical ways. During this course, Pastor Steve will bring a comprehensive approach to spiritual growth, revealing a number of ways that God conforms us to the “image of His Son.” Ultimately, all spiritual formation is about learning to be loved and to love the Living One we call God.
CLASS NOTES:
- Living With Love (April 7)
- Living With Love and Spiritual Formation–Some basics (April 14)
- “Self” Centered (April 21)
- SELF Centered (April 28)
- The Bonding Process and Rules for Second Half of Life (May 5)
- Rules for Second Half of Life (May 12 and 19)
- What is Bible and Transformational Agenda (May 26)
LIVING A GOD-FILLED LIFE
January 6 – March 31, 2021
YouTube link for this workshop.
Through His Spirit and His Word, God continually calls us to be filled…to be filled with his Word (Col. 3:16), to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18), to be filled with Christ (Gal. 4:19), and to be filled to the fulness of God (Eph. 3:19). Our calling as followers of Christ leads us to experience God’s presence and anointing until our cup overflows (Ps. 23:5).
Would you say that your cup is overflowing? Is your life bathed in the presence of God? What would your life be like if you were filled to all the fullness of God? How would your life be different?
This Prophetic Life Workshop will guide and inspire you to experience all that God is offering. Augustine said, “We come to God by love, not by navigation.” Spiritual formation is about removing the things that hinder love. If you are longing to increasingly experience God’s nearness, this workshop is just for you.
CLASS NOTES:
- Living a God-filled Life – Sessions 1, 2, and 3 (January 6, 13, and 20)
- Living a God-filled Life – Session 4 (January 27)
- Spiritual Practice Comparisons (February 3)
- Everything Belongs (February 10)
- Character Comes Through (February 10)
- Creating Liminal Space and Five Truths for Everyday Living (March 3)
- Five Truths for Everyday Living (March 10)
- Whoever Loses Wins (March 24)
- Lose Your Life for My Sake (March 31)