The Bridge Church Sermons

“As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” – John 20:21We’ve been sent to love the people in the places we inhabit, and we all long for connection and belonging—two needs that we, as Christ followers, are uniquely wired to meet. We are made in the image of a God of community; therefore, we’re designed for community built on the foundation of His love. What would change in our world if we didn’t settle for isolation and instead strove for deep, meaningful connection? Picture what it would be like for someone to not just “fall on hard times,” but fall on a community ready to rally around them? How might living “sent” in this way actually lead to change? Support the show

Is it truly better to give than to receive?Consumerism is at the very core of our nature as human beings. Many of us approach the church as consumers as well, when God intends for us to be contributors.We can all grow our capacity to contribute by looking for opportunities to “do good” every day. What if we began to view our cities, neighborhoods, and communities not just as places to live, but as places where we have been sent?______________________________________________________________________________________________To support this ministry and help us continue our God given mission, click here: http://bit.ly/2NZkdrC Support the show

If you put your hand over your heart, you feel your heart beating, and that means something powerful. It means that God still has a purpose for your life. But that doesn't mean we won't experience the darkness of our world in ways that affect us physically, spiritually, and mentally. The statistics around Americans struggling with suicidal thoughts are staggering, and they're more than numbers—they're people. Maybe even people we know. But mental illness is a comment on your chemicals, not your Christianity. God has the power to make something beautiful out of brokenness. Scripture shows us that we don't have to hide from our struggles or pretend they aren't there. We can face them head on because we have a God who loves us, who understands us, and who has the power to bring hope and healing. May we, Church, be a safe community to dive into the tough topics and walk alongside each other in the burdens. It's a lighter weight when carried together. Support the show

Feeling depressed doesn’t mean you lack faith any more than being happy means you have it. Mental illness is not a sin, it’s an illness. It’s time we started talking about it as such.The Apostle Paul tells us that we are a body, and that “when one part suffers, every part suffers with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26). If you broke your arm, you would never cut it off just because it was broken or say, “That’s not my problem, that’s the arm’s problem.” Of course not. You would splint it and take care of it until it is healed.As the body of Christ, we are to care for the parts that are hurting, regardless of the pain they’re walking through. We are to be a safe place when others speak up about their pain and struggles. We will all go through hard times. But we know this to be true: you are never alone. We belong to each other, and we belong to the one who has promised: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” - Hebrews 13:5Support the show

Our minds are as much a part of our spiritual life as much as anything, but if there's one conversation we find confusing or overwhelming, it's the one about mental health. Let's talk about anxiety. If we struggle with it, we often don't know how to talk about it; if we don't struggle with it, we often don't know how to help those who do. First, we must understand that anxiety is not a sin, it’s a signal—like a check engine light that something around us is a threat and we are trying to ready ourselves. But the truth is... no one has ever worried their way to peace. So what do we do when anxiety strikes? We study Scripture to train our minds to tell us truth and to combat the lies our minds sometimes tell us. Dive into this conversation on anxiety with us.Support the show

Apart from the resurrection, our faith in Jesus is meaningless. If the tomb had not been found empty on that first Easter morning, the hope of Jesus conquering sin and death would be dashed. But the empty tomb means something life-changing: we don't have to live an empty life. And if you've ever looked for life in dead places, remember the question asked to the women who showed up to the tomb, expecting a dead body: "Why do you look for the living among the dead?" Jesus is risen. He is alive. The empty tomb holds a promise for you—of life and life to the full, if your faith is in the risen Savior, Jesus. Support the show

Jesus didn't come as the king anyone expected, but he did come as the king we needed—humble, holy, and holding hope for the world. As we enter into Holy Week, leading into the events of Good Friday and Easter, we take a look at who Jesus is and how that changes the way we can look forward and live in a broken world that's desperate for hope. Support the show

We can’t evade pain. All of us, if we’re not right now, will walk through trouble and difficulty in this life—Scripture tells us so. What we can evade is joy. We can allow the circumstances around us to dictate what is happening inside of us, and we’re especially susceptible to this when we don’t root our greatest joy in Jesus. Then, when trouble comes, we won’t know where to look to be content. Even when we don’t know the plans of God, we can trust the person of God. And then, even when the bottom drops out, we can worship anyways. Where is your greatest joy? Support the show

We are prone to forget—sometimes small things, often major things... major things like when God has been faithful. Has it ever felt impossible to believe the goodness and faithfulness of God, especially when you stood in the face of difficulty or hopelessness? You might be there right now. Things might not be going well... Yet God is still in control, He is still faithful and good, and He is near. We are not short on experiencing God's kept promises, but we can allow it to fall in the shadows of the valleys if we don't simply take time to remember. How might life look different, in all it may hold, if we just remembered? Support the show

“God, I don’t like your timing, and I don’t like your method.”Ever been there? Ever had the courage to tell God that?That’s what Habakkuk told God. But even though he was frustrated, instead of running away, he ran near to God, and waited.And the lesson Habakkuk learns in chapter 2 is just as relevant for us today: God is working in your waiting. It may not always make sense. And it may not be on our timeline. But he is forever faithful, and his timing is always good. And that has the power to change how we wait.Listen again to…Support the show