Welcome back to the Menlo Midweek Podcast! This week, hosts Phil EuBank and Carly O'Rourke go behind the scenes of our current series, "I AM: The God Who Gets Close." We’re moving past the "big and loud" moments of faith to explore the profound truth that God meets us personally and unexpectedly—not just in theory, but in the middle of our real, often quiet lives. This episode centers on the story of Elijah from 1 Kings 19 and what happens when we find ourselves waiting for God in the silence. 📍 In This Episode: The Elijah Journey: Phil and Carly discuss Elijah’s retreat to the cave and the surprising way God chose to meet him there. The Still, Small Voice: We break down why God often speaks in a "gentle whisper" rather than the wind, the earthquake, or the fire—and what that means for our busy, noisy lives. The Tension of Transition: A deeper look at the scriptures and ideas that shaped this weekend's message, focusing on how God gets close when we feel most alone or exhausted. Real-Life Application: Practical ways to recognize God’s presence when you feel like He’s being silent.

This week, we continue our "I AM" series by stepping into one of the most iconic stories of the Old Testament: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. When life gets "seven times hotter" and the pressure to conform feels overwhelming, where is God? We’re looking at Daniel 3 to discover that God’s nearness isn't proven by the absence of the fire, but by His presence in it.

This week on Menlo Midweek, we dive into the second installment of our "I AM" series, focusing on the powerful promise: I am with you in the fight. Whether you’re facing internal struggles or external challenges, we explore what it means to wrestle with God. It was also a high-energy weekend across our campuses as we celebrated Baptism Weekend and Student Weekend! We witnessed incredible stories of transformation and welcomed the next generation into the heart of our church.

God doesn’t wait for you to escape the wilderness, He meets you in it. In Week 1 of our new series I AM, Matt and Phil explore the moment God calls Moses from a burning bush, not in Egypt, not in the Promised Land, but in the desert of exile and shame. Before giving instructions or a strategy, God gives His name: “I Am.” What if the journey of closeness with God doesn’t begin in clarity, but in confusion? What if His presence is the point? If you’ve ever felt stuck in between where you’ve been and where you’re going, this conversation is for you.

We close out our Love Is series by getting back to the heart of what love means, and how we are constantly being formed and deformed. Mark Morinishi also shares more about his transition, reminisces on some of the amazing moments we had together and gives one last bit of encouragement.

This week we dive further into the story of Ruth, and Jevon shares how our upbringing, culture and learned love can be at odds with or in step with a biblical picture of love. Want to love better? This is for you.