The Bridge Church: Recent Episodes
The Bridge Church
All of us have had those moments when we feel like we are forgetting something but can’t recall what it is. It’s not a fun feeling. What can make it even worse is when, deep down, we know that what we are forgetting is significant. Whether or not you’ve experienced this recently, there is one vital aspect of life that we need to remember but all too often forget.
This is the spiritual dimension to life. Every day, battles are waged in this arena that we need to win, but to do so, we need to be aware of it and know what to do about it. We invite you to join us for this message series where together, we will learn about this spiritual reality and how we can win the battles that can make all the difference for our lives and others!
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." Matthew 7:24 NIV
"I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." Psalm 119:11 NIV
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." James 1:22 NIV
"Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts." Colossians 3:16a NIV
"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV)
"In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!" Philippians 2:5-8 (NIV)
Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son - This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[a]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[b] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[c] because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[d] (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus." Matthew 1:18-25 (NIV)
"Jesus the Great High Priest - Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,[a] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:14-16 (NIV)
"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:8-14 (NIV)
"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." - Ephesians 4:3
"But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you[a]—see that you also excel in this grace of giving." - 2 Corinthians 8:7
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:1-2
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” - Isaiah 6:8
How does a life that includes actively participating in corporate worship as well as personal worship differ from a life where worship is not a priority? Worship is an integral part in experiencing and sharing in an excited relationship with Jesus.
How our physical environment helps us to take on an appropriate posture of worship. Our spiritual conditioning can facilitate or disrupt corporate worship.
The importance of both heart and physical posture in worship. The different ways in which people express worship influenced by cultural backgrounds.
Music is not worship in and of itself. “Worship is communion with God in which believers, by grace, center their minds’ attention and hearts’ affection on the Lord, humbly glorifying God in response to his greatness and his word.” Bruce Leafblad
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.
Helping those who are considering marriage or are newly married by starting off with a strong foundation.
How to address the need for mutual submission and how this creates a beautiful marriage.
When you have moments where you face your own mortality and you’ve placed your faith in Jesus, what you really want to know is, “Will God come through and save me as He has promised?
Only God can transform a life. Only by God’s supernatural grace can a life be authentically changed, from the inside out. But He chooses never to do it alone. It’s a joint effort. Transformation, the miracle of life change and everything we’ve talked about, is a joint effort. It’s completely and fully by grace, but we have a part.
We will not always understand why specific tragedies occur but what we do know is that when we trust God, He will give us the strength, comfort, and peace we need, and He will bring good from it!
Not only is God all-wise, but He offers us His wisdom.
There is a great promise in James 1:5. “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
I know this will come as a shock: you’re going to die. When you do, there are going to be people at your house eating those munchie little sandwiches. They are going to talk about you. When they talk about me, I want them to say, by the grace of God, “You know what? He was one of the most loving people I ever met. Oh man, I mean, he had his idiosyncrasies,” and they laugh about those, “but he was full of integrity. Christlike. Cared about people. Generous. Loving. Authentic.” Don’t you want people to say the same thing about you?
That’s not going to happen by trying hard to be a good person. This will happen when you understand who you are in Christ; when you understand the power is in Christ’s resurrection, for you and with you, to walk in newness of life; when you allow leaders to equip you; and when you minister. Ministries are birthed along your gifts and passions when you know the Word, you speak the truth in love, you are connected, and God produces it.
Today we will talk about God’s power to change us, and the steps He took to pave the way for our transformation.
The Christian life is not about rules and trying hard and being good enough. The truth is, we can’t live the Christian life alone. Yes, we have to cooperate with the work of the Spirit in our life, and we have a responsibility for our growth. But at the end of the day, transformation happens only when God brings His power to bear on our life.
This week we are going to talk about God’s amazing power to actually transform us. But let's begin with a question . . .
If you could change just one thing about you, what would it be? If you could change one thing about how you look, how you think, how you respond; if you could change one private struggle, or something in which you feel like you’ve made progress but it just keeps backtracking; if you could revamp it, have a makeover, modify it, literally revolutionize something down deep inside your life, what would it be?
Every issue in your life, every relational issue, every self-image issue can be traced back to a FAULTY VIEW OF WHO GOD IS.
Too often, when life doesn’t go our way, we blame our difficulties on circumstances, other people, or even God. At times, though, we are the cause and need to take personal responsibility to see the positive changes we want to take place. Join us as we take time to discover how many of the blessings we would like to see in our lives starts on the inside.
The Garments: The parallel between the Old Testament Priesthood garments and the New Testament ones.
The Pattern: Understanding the parallel between the literal sanctuary and our body, the spiritual sanctuary.
This message is to focus on the greatest depth Jesus went for us - “becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8)
This message is to focus on how Jesus didn’t live “the good life” while here on earth, but instead, “made himself nothing” and lived the life of a servant. (Philippians 2:7)
This message should focus on how Jesus is fully God and had perfection in paradise, and yet, gave it all up to come to earth. (Philippians 2:6)
This message will focus on the Great Commission, share about the mission’s ministry at The Bridge, which starts with our local communities and goes into the world, and encourage people to take part fulfilling the mission!
This message is meant to share how we are not ashamed of the gospel (Romans 1:16) and we are a church committed to being the feet that bring good news (Romans 10:10-15). This message should also give the opportunity for people to respond to the gospel and become part of the Church!
This message will focus on the local church’s role to care for the widow and orphan (James 1:27), remember the “least” among us (Matthew 25:31-46) and appreciate the elderly among us who have much to offer (Leviticus 19:32, Psalm 92:14)!
This message will focus on the church’s role to reach the next generations with the gospel (Ephesians 3:21, Psalm 71:18) and ways we are going about doing this at The Bridge!
This message is to focus on our dependence on Jesus (John 15:5), reliance on the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:25) and that we are open to God working in powerful ways (Ephesians 3:20).
This message is to focus on the fact that the church is meant to be a house of prayer(Mark 11:17), that we love the growing prayer movement taking place at The Bridge, and encourage people to grow in their prayer lives(Colossians 4:2, Ephesians 6:18).
This message is to share how the local church should reflect a powerful unity among those who are a part of it (John 17:22-23, Ephesians 4:3) and share how we love the fact that The Bridge is ever striving to be a unified community of people from diverse backgrounds and this commitment to unity is reflected in our Team Leadership Model and Ministry Center Vision.
This message is about the doctrine of the church, casting vision for the role of the local church in our lives, and why it is important for everybody to be an active part of the local church.
Hebrews 10:24-25, 1 Corinthians 12:7
All of us have different ideas about how to experience a blessed life. Deep down, though, we can wonder whether we are on the right track.
The good news is that Jesus has taught us what it takes and you’re invited to hear the answer. Join us during this series where together we will learn how we can live truly blessed lives!
All of us have different ideas about how to experience a blessed life. Deep down, though, we can wonder whether we are on the right track.
The good news is that Jesus has taught us what it takes and you’re invited to hear the answer. Join us during this series where together we will learn how we can live truly blessed lives!
All of us have different ideas about how to experience a blessed life. Deep down, though, we can wonder whether we are on the right track.
The good news is that Jesus has taught us what it takes and you’re invited to hear the answer. Join us during this series where together we will learn how we can live truly blessed lives!
God has amazing plans for your life and for the Bridge Church for this new year! Discover what it will take to experience all that God has in store for 2019 and for years to come!
Shopping, wrapping, cleaning and cooking are only a few of the ways that we get ready for Christmas! Of all the activities we can engage in, though, spending time preparing our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus is the most important!
This holiday season, we invite you to set aside the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Join us for Advent at The Bridge Church where we will focus on the four gifts (Hope, Joy, Peace, Love) that Christmas brings into our lives as we get ready to celebrate the birth of the Savior of the World!
Be our guest and be blessed this Christmas!
Shopping, wrapping, cleaning and cooking are only a few of the ways that we get ready for Christmas! Of all the activities we can engage in, though, spending time preparing our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus is the most important!
This holiday season, we invite you to set aside the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Join us for Advent at The Bridge Church where we will focus on the four gifts (Hope, Joy, Peace, Love) that Christmas brings into our lives as we get ready to celebrate the birth of the Savior of the World!
Be our guest and be blessed this Christmas!
Shopping, wrapping, cleaning and cooking are only a few of the ways that we get ready for Christmas! Of all the activities we can engage in, though, spending time preparing our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus is the most important!
This holiday season, we invite you to set aside the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Join us for Advent at The Bridge Church where we will focus on the four gifts (Hope, Joy, Peace, Love) that Christmas brings into our lives as we get ready to celebrate the birth of the Savior of the World!
Be our guest and be blessed this Christmas!
Shopping, wrapping, cleaning and cooking are only a few of the ways that we get ready for Christmas! Of all the activities we can engage in, though, spending time preparing our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus is the most important!
This holiday season, we invite you to set aside the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Join us for Advent at The Bridge Church where we will focus on the four gifts (Hope, Joy, Peace, Love) that Christmas brings into our lives as we get ready to celebrate the birth of the Savior of the World!
Be our guest and be blessed this Christmas!
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Take time to experience the special Thanksgiving Praise Service at The Bridge and express to God what you are thankful for!
What would your life be like if everything went wrong? What if you could live in such a way where you could be happy even if it did?
Have you ever felt like you could never measure up or be good enough? If so, have you ever thought that maybe you don’t have to?
What allows us to truly get ahead in life and what sets us back? The answer may surprise you.
Just about everything we do in life has a way in which we prepare for it and a way in which we look as we do it. How do we prepare for worship? What does worship look like?
Humans have been so wired to worship that if they do not choose to worship Jesus they will worship something and/or someone else.
Come and hear from the pastors of The Bridge Church, Stonemill Church, and Visible Church as they share the exiting story behind The Bridge Church’s Ministry Center and how God can use this approach to reflect the love and unity that is meant to be displayed among God’s people!
Discover how you can move from the potential to the certainty, from the possibility to the promise of rest.
Being blind in the first century caused a person to have a difficult life. A man named Bartimaeus knew that firsthand. Yet, he didn’t allow this to stop him from seeking God and the result….was miraculous! Come and find out what can happen in your life when you choose to not to be denied!
What can a man born blind and some mud teach us about seeing the activity of God in the world and in our own lives? Discover how an odd healing can help us all to see!
Saul was a man who believed he had his life together until the moment he lost his ability to see. Saul would eventually regain his physical sight, but more importantly, his ordeal would enable him to truly see. Allow his experience will help you to see God at work in your life.
Walking along the road to Emmaus, two men have an encounter that allows them to truly see God at work. Find out what happened and how this can help you on your life’s journey.
It may seem like Jesus had just showed up on the scene during the time of the gospels but nothing could be more further than the truth. Jesus has always been on the scene though he may have had another name.
We accepted Christ, great. That's just the beginning. In order to be empowered and produce fruit we must now remain in Him.
Because Jesus is the only way to salvation and the only way out of trouble, the antidote to a troubled heart is trust in Him. As Jesus dwells in us as the Father dwells in Jesus we will begin to do the same work that Jesus did; mainly, reveal the Father.
In this installment of the I AM series we look at how Jesus uses the death of Lazarus to reveal the fact that Jesus does not simply resurrect or gives life but He is life in himself. Nothing dead can stay dead in His presence.
Jesus calls us sheep. And although being called a sheep may not be very flattering it does imply our need for a shepherd to protect us and guide us. Jesus is The Good Shepherd who laid his own life for us. He is also the door by which we may go and have fellowship with the Father.
The Bible associates light with the ability to see. But it goes beyond seeing, for truly seeing requires understanding. Jesus is the Light of the world in that He brings understanding concerning spiritual things and in so doing he provides us light by which we are able to see in the midst of a world that is submerged in spiritual darkness.
Have you ever wondered when Jesus makes statements like, “I Am the light of the world”, or “I am the Good Shepherd” what does he mean? What does Jesus being those things have to do with me and how does that help me in my current situation?
This message series is to help people understand the uniqueness of Jesus in being able to fulfill and provide for every aspect of human life. Jesus is God not just because Christians say so, but because is He said so. Jesus declared himself to be the Almighty God in many ways. And in being God He is the answer and the way out of every situation that falls upon humanity.
What is your life? And what do you want to be remembered for? Scripture tells us that we build upon the foundation of Christ Jesus with two sets of building material: gold, silver and precious stones OR with wood, straw, and hay. One set does not stand the test of time and leaves no ripples into eternity, the other leaves ripples that go into eternity. What will your legacy be? Gold, silver and precious stones or hay, wood and straw?
All of us have had those moments when we feel like we are forgetting something but can’t recall what it is. It’s not a fun feeling. What can make it even worse is when, deep down, we know that what we are forgetting is significant. Whether or not you’ve experienced this recently, there is one vital aspect of life that we need to remember but all too often forget.
This is the spiritual dimension to life. Every day, battles are waged in this arena that we need to win, but to do so, we need to be aware of it and know what to do about it. We invite you to join us for this message series where together, we will learn about this spiritual reality and how we can win the battles that can make all the difference for our lives and others!
All of us have had those moments when we feel like we are forgetting something but can’t recall what it is. It’s not a fun feeling. What can make it even worse is when, deep down, we know that what we are forgetting is significant. Whether or not you’ve experienced this recently, there is one vital aspect of life that we need to remember but all too often forget.
This is the spiritual dimension to life. Every day, battles are waged in this arena that we need to win, but to do so, we need to be aware of it and know what to do about it. We invite you to join us for this message series where together, we will learn about this spiritual reality and how we can win the battles that can make all the difference for our lives and others!
All of us have had those moments when we feel like we are forgetting something but can’t recall what it is. It’s not a fun feeling. What can make it even worse is when, deep down, we know that what we are forgetting is significant. Whether or not you’ve experienced this recently, there is one vital aspect of life that we need to remember but all too often forget.
This is the spiritual dimension to life. Every day, battles are waged in this arena that we need to win, but to do so, we need to be aware of it and know what to do about it. We invite you to join us for this message series where together, we will learn about this spiritual reality and how we can win the battles that can make all the difference for our lives and others!
All of us have had those moments when we feel like we are forgetting something but can’t recall what it is. It’s not a fun feeling. What can make it even worse is when, deep down, we know that what we are forgetting is significant. Whether or not you’ve experienced this recently, there is one vital aspect of life that we need to remember but all too often forget.
This is the spiritual dimension to life. Every day, battles are waged in this arena that we need to win, but to do so, we need to be aware of it and know what to do about it. We invite you to join us for this message series where together, we will learn about this spiritual reality and how we can win the battles that can make all the difference for our lives and others!
All of us have had those moments when we feel like we are forgetting something but can’t recall what it is. It’s not a fun feeling. What can make it even worse is when, deep down, we know that what we are forgetting is significant. Whether or not you’ve experienced this recently, there is one vital aspect of life that we need to remember but all too often forget.
This is the spiritual dimension to life. Every day, battles are waged in this arena that we need to win, but to do so, we need to be aware of it and know what to do about it. We invite you to join us for this message series where together, we will learn about this spiritual reality and how we can win the battles that can make all the difference for our lives and others!
We all have heard that Jesus died for our sins. But do we really know why his death was necessary? If God is God why didn’t he end it as soon as it started? Or, perhaps, prevent it from happening at all? Was sin a part of the plan? Was the creation of man with the potential for sin, God’s experiment gone wrong?
We have all asked these questions at some point in our lives. Come join us on a “Journey to the Cross” as we discover the answers to these and other questions by examining the Process, the Pattern, and the Reality of the cross of Jesus Christ.
We all have heard that Jesus died for our sins. But do we really know why his death was necessary? If God is God why didn’t he end it as soon as it started? Or, perhaps, prevent it from happening at all? Was sin a part of the plan? Was the creation of man with the potential for sin, God’s experiment gone wrong?
We have all asked these questions at some point in our lives. Come join us on a “Journey to the Cross” as we discover the answers to these and other questions by examining the Process, the Pattern, and the Reality of the cross of Jesus Christ.
We all have heard that Jesus died for our sins. But do we really know why his death was necessary? If God is God why didn’t he end it as soon as it started? Or, perhaps, prevent it from happening at all? Was sin a part of the plan? Was the creation of man with the potential for sin, God’s experiment gone wrong?
We have all asked these questions at some point in our lives. Come join us on a “Journey to the Cross” as we discover the answers to these and other questions by examining the Process, the Pattern, and the Reality of the cross of Jesus Christ.