Adams Farm Lake Scripture Scavenger Hunt
The lot nearest the gazebo and playground is open to everyone, but the lot near the Mood Treatment Center (large white building) is limited during business hours.
Social Distancing:
Remember to practice social distancing. Move over to the edge of the pathway when others are near. The playground is closed during COVID-19 awareness.
To Start:
Begin your visit to Adams Farm Lake at the center of the bridge/dam. You’ll be taking the pathway from here and going around the lake to the tunnel and back. It’s approximately 1.28 miles (2.06km) round trip. Enjoy the Spotify music playlist at the bottom on your walk back!
Bridge/Dam: Standing in the center of the bridge/dam, look over the edge (Facing Adams Farm Parkway). Is the water roaring, or just a trickle? What does Song of Solomon 8:7 say about waters and floods? Is God's love for quenched in difficult seasons?Stone b _ _ _ house: Now walk towards the stone building that stands on the edge of the lake. It has three large white doors. What do you think is supposed to go inside? Read Mark 4:35-41 for a hint. What happened to Jesus and his disciples when they rode in one of these? How does the Lord speak to you in stormy times?
Fork in the Road: Right after you leave the stone building, you’ll see a fork in the path. You have a choice to make: Go left and you’ll stay close to the lake. Go right, and you’ll venture up past the pool and to the tennis courts. What does Matthew 7:13 say about the path (or gate) that we will choose? Is it always clear or easy to choose the right path?
Don’t Feed the Wildlife: If you just chose to go right at the fork in the path, your scavenger hunt is over and you must start over. Just kidding! You don’t have to start over, but you do need to go back to the path by the lake. I mean, did you really think we’d have a bible verse about Tennis Courts? If you chose to go left at the fork, you’ll now be near the lake and you’ll see a “Don’t Feed the Wildlife” sign. Stand there and look across the lake to the top of the tallest trees on the part of the shoreline that sticks farthest out into the lake. You might see the silhouette of a family of herons standing in their nest. If not, look around for a bit. There are at least 2 herons that make this lake their home. Who provides their meals, according to Matthew 6:26? How are you provided for in hard times?
More Wildlife: Keep walking along the path until you come to a small bridge. There is a pond to your right and the lake to your left. Keep an eye out, because a lot of geese tend to hang out here. They’re known to be very protective of their territory and nest, and might even hiss at you. If you don't see any geese here, they might be further down the path or even in the lake. How does Jesus describe his longing to love and protect Jerusalem in Luke 13:34? Were they willing for Jesus to do that? Are you ready for Jesus' protection?
Fences & Houses: You now have a short walk to continue along the path. Notice the fences and houses on your right. Each house has its own yard, property line, and a fence to keep the good things in and the bad things out. What would happen if you bought a house on this path and immediately removed the fence (or your neighbor’s fence)? What do Proverbs 22:28, Proverbs 23:10, and Deuteronomy 27:17 say about boundaries? What other kinds of boundaries (emotional, relational) could these verses apply to?
Lily Pads: Before you go too far past the houses, look to your left. If it’s Spring or Summer, you'll see lily pads along the shoreline. If not, you can still see their brown stems waiting to grow again. They grow and die with the seasons. What kind of amphibians like to play on lily pads? How did God use these amphibians (along with 9 other plagues) to make Pharaoh obey in Exodus 8:1-3? Does God still have control over His creation in our own day?
Trash can/Another path: Slow down here and keep any eye out for a sharp left turn in the path. If you go straight and end up on Bridle Ridge, then you’ve gone the wrong way. You’ll know it’s time to turn left because there is a small bridge and a trash can. What does Isaiah 64:6 say about trash (i.e. "filthy rag," "polluted garment")? Gross, right? If our best is still “trash,” aren’t you glad that God also gives us the promise of Ephesians 2:8-9?
Beside still Waters: After your left turn at the trash can, you’ll walk down a curved part of the path. There are houses up the hill to your right and water to your left. Pause here and read Psalm 23:1-6. Do you see:___ Green grass (v.1) ___ Still waters (v.30) ___ Path of “righteousness” (v.3)__ Valley of the shadow… (v.4) [the tree-line leading to the Bridle Ridge tunnel is usually shrouded in shadow. Maybe it's not the "shadow of death," but it is a little scary at night!
A light at the end: After your Psalm 23 interlude, keep walking until you reach the Bridle Ridge tunnel. This is your turnaround point. You can walk through the tunnel and then turn or you can turn around here. But before you go through the tunnel, notice how dark it is inside, but how light filters in through the other side. Matthew 4:16 talks about light and dark (alluding to Isaiah 9:2). Read Matthew 4:16. What did Jesus’ arrival mean for a dark world?
