Just putting up a post because it has been over a year. Planning to use this for some of our bible study content in the future. Been a lot going on in the past year - fine tuning some things, planning for others and ongoing ministries. Launching some new things soon that I will post here as well. Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Sunday, February 15, 2015
The Body
The Body. Today we have the technology to keep a hand alive hooked up to machines for a long period of time. The body that gives up that hand is less than it could be but that hand is functionally useless and barely alive. When we try to exist as a follower of Christ, part of the Body, without being strongly connected to that Body we are like a hand cut off, sustained artificially. Technically alive yet barely functional. The Body is certainly less without us and missing opportunities to be effective but we are next to useless.
There are some people that have called the Bridge their home church, their Body, that do not attend anymore. Some have found other local Bodies to be a part of, but some are cutoff and can't find a place that is right for them. If you are one of those I challenge you to look at why you struggle with coming home. Did another part of the Body offend you? Is the music not exactly how you want it? Did the pastor say something that bothered you? Did something happen that made you decide you would not be a part of the Body anymore? How is that working out for you being a hand with no Body?
As I get older more and more of my body parts disagree with me and do not function as they should, but none of them have left me (except my appendix and he died). The Body, the family of God, has people in it so we will never be perfect and will say and do things that will hurt or offend at times and if you stay plugged in long enough you will hurt or offend someone else eventually. That is no reason to stay cutoff and unplugged. The Bridge, this local Body of Christ, is less without you and I contend you are completely missing out on the role God has planned for you if you keep yourself cutoff and unplugged.
If you have called the Bridge your home church but have not been here and plugged in for some time - if you have tried other churches and can't find a place that feels right - have been cutoff from any Body living an artificial life - then I challenge you, encourage you, to come back home and rejoin this Body that needs you. You need us as well and together we can be so much more! Let's make a difference to our community together!
There are some people that have called the Bridge their home church, their Body, that do not attend anymore. Some have found other local Bodies to be a part of, but some are cutoff and can't find a place that is right for them. If you are one of those I challenge you to look at why you struggle with coming home. Did another part of the Body offend you? Is the music not exactly how you want it? Did the pastor say something that bothered you? Did something happen that made you decide you would not be a part of the Body anymore? How is that working out for you being a hand with no Body?
As I get older more and more of my body parts disagree with me and do not function as they should, but none of them have left me (except my appendix and he died). The Body, the family of God, has people in it so we will never be perfect and will say and do things that will hurt or offend at times and if you stay plugged in long enough you will hurt or offend someone else eventually. That is no reason to stay cutoff and unplugged. The Bridge, this local Body of Christ, is less without you and I contend you are completely missing out on the role God has planned for you if you keep yourself cutoff and unplugged.
If you have called the Bridge your home church but have not been here and plugged in for some time - if you have tried other churches and can't find a place that feels right - have been cutoff from any Body living an artificial life - then I challenge you, encourage you, to come back home and rejoin this Body that needs you. You need us as well and together we can be so much more! Let's make a difference to our community together!
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Unmasked
Wrapped up our Unmasked series. Messages were on wearing masks, our focus (on God or us), and the 3 gifts of Grace - Love, Repentance and Forgiveness. It is Grace that allows us to remove our masks trusting in what God says about us and receiving and giving Love, Repentance and Forgiveness! We so often want to wear masks because we know all of our deepest and darkest secrets and with that we find it hard to believe that anyone, especially God, could be ok with us. When we start to trust what God says about us and that He accepts us we can begin to remove our masks and develop a community of grace. Knowing our own sins and God's Grace and Mercy we can accept others just as they are so that they can remove their masks and for the first time stand naked and unashamed before God and others. I hope this series is taken to heart by many and influences many masks being removed. We desire to be a community of authentic people following Christ.
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Transformed
Working on this powerful series on being transformed by God in 7 areas of our life taken from Rick Warren. As I am developing each message the thought keeps occurring to me that this message series could seriously change lives, but only if people will apply it to themselves. As we go through our year with all of our messages every message comes with "homework". If we don't take up the message and actively apply it to ourselves we will not reap the benefits. I guess this is pretty basic, but I see it occur so often.
I hear from some people that they need to be fed spiritually, but no matter how often the food is placed right in front of them they won't eat! There is a part we play in being "fed" and a part we play in being transformed. We have to do our part! Get into the groups and dig deeper! Pray actively about what the message is about! Take it seriously! The message is not for entertainment, it is for life change! It may be presented in an entertaining way (hopefully) but remember this is serious business. When we grow and improve and are transformed God uses us in powerful ways to affect our communities! Be an agent for change!
When you die and move on into eternity will your passing matter? Will you leave an empty space behind because of what you gave to your community? When God uses you there is a noticeable gap when you are gone!
I hear from some people that they need to be fed spiritually, but no matter how often the food is placed right in front of them they won't eat! There is a part we play in being "fed" and a part we play in being transformed. We have to do our part! Get into the groups and dig deeper! Pray actively about what the message is about! Take it seriously! The message is not for entertainment, it is for life change! It may be presented in an entertaining way (hopefully) but remember this is serious business. When we grow and improve and are transformed God uses us in powerful ways to affect our communities! Be an agent for change!
When you die and move on into eternity will your passing matter? Will you leave an empty space behind because of what you gave to your community? When God uses you there is a noticeable gap when you are gone!
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Update
Easter was a great time! Here is what happened at The Bridge on Easter -
Good Friday Communion – 38
Good Friday Communion – 38
Easter Egg Hunt - 120
Saturday PM Service - 70
Sunday 8AM Service - 56
Sunday 11Am Service - 224
Sunday PM Service - 15
Total Attendance Easter Weekend - 523
Total Attendance at Services - 403
We were able to make a connection with over 500 people. 2 years ago we were averaging that many people at our weekend services and today we are averaging half that - 250. With all the setbacks from being shut down and relocating for 7 months we are doing well regrowing. We have been back in our facility for just over a year now and have grown from 150 in attendance to 250.
Through all of the transitions we have seen people's lives changing from a new saving relationship with God through the Son to relational healing to freedom from addiction issues. God has been good to us and through us. We are praying that God will glorify Himself through us. Looking forward to whatever is next!
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Noah
I want to get my 2 cents in on this Noah movie. Have not seen it yet but will as soon as I can. My issue has nothing to do with the movie. I expected some type of back lash from the church community over this movie. I was not disappointed. There have been several "Christian" reviewers I have read and they range in their reviews from liking it to attributing it to a work of Satan. I think the reviewers that say something to the effect "while it does not adhere to the biblical account it can be a great conversation starter and has some powerful biblical points that can be drawn out" are the ones that have a healthy response to the non-christian world digging into the biblical text for entertainment. Why does the "church" have to respond like this? So negative and attacking and derisive of the unchurched or non christian people using the bible as a source for entertainment?
I remember shortly before becoming a Christian as a young adult a movie came out called the Last Temptation of Christ that had such a tremendous outpouring of hatred and anger come at it from the "church". This movie was not appealing to me and I never watched it until after becoming a Christian and hearing vague criticisms of it from people that had never watched it. Upon watching it I found 2 things. One was that it really was not that horrible and had some very valid positive messages in it despite some very non biblical content. Two was that people in the church attacked me as a Christian for daring to watch it. I could not believe that as a follower of the Christ that is the way, truth and the life, the one that promised that those that seek the truth will find it, I was being told that just watching a movie that may have non biblical content regarding a biblical story was dangerous.
What it appears to me is that the "church" is fearful and believes Jesus' followers are weak minded. So scared of some story or movie - so scared of "magic" and false religions - so scared of so much! The early church and particularly Jesus were not scared of anything. Paul pointed to the idol made out to the unknown god and proclaimed it as the one true God! If we did that today the rest of the church would cry heresy. Paul did not fear the false gods and false religions because he was confident in Jesus and His teachings. A confident follower of Christ would be able to take a movie that was put out by the "heathen" about a biblical story and point out how correct it is in the areas that they get right. Why do we feel compelled to attack in these situations? Why can't we find the common ground and build from there?
My little rant for today! Thank you.
I remember shortly before becoming a Christian as a young adult a movie came out called the Last Temptation of Christ that had such a tremendous outpouring of hatred and anger come at it from the "church". This movie was not appealing to me and I never watched it until after becoming a Christian and hearing vague criticisms of it from people that had never watched it. Upon watching it I found 2 things. One was that it really was not that horrible and had some very valid positive messages in it despite some very non biblical content. Two was that people in the church attacked me as a Christian for daring to watch it. I could not believe that as a follower of the Christ that is the way, truth and the life, the one that promised that those that seek the truth will find it, I was being told that just watching a movie that may have non biblical content regarding a biblical story was dangerous.
What it appears to me is that the "church" is fearful and believes Jesus' followers are weak minded. So scared of some story or movie - so scared of "magic" and false religions - so scared of so much! The early church and particularly Jesus were not scared of anything. Paul pointed to the idol made out to the unknown god and proclaimed it as the one true God! If we did that today the rest of the church would cry heresy. Paul did not fear the false gods and false religions because he was confident in Jesus and His teachings. A confident follower of Christ would be able to take a movie that was put out by the "heathen" about a biblical story and point out how correct it is in the areas that they get right. Why do we feel compelled to attack in these situations? Why can't we find the common ground and build from there?
My little rant for today! Thank you.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Bold
Doing a new series on Boldness - Bold Witness, Bold Prayer, Bold Speech and Bold Obedience.
2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)
2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power,
love, and self-discipline.
We are called to Boldness. Boldness leads us to great actions! Bold Actions come from Bold Prayer and Bold Obedience. God will provide you with the courage you need to do the great things He has planned for you!
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