The Bridge Churches Podcast

We all have a collection of relationships, and within that collection of relationships there’s a climate. Within every relationship, there is something that sweeps in and when it’s not dealt with, when it’s not resolved, the relationship flatlines. Conflict. If you’re going to participate in friendships, if you’re going to have work relationships, neighborhood relationships, family relationships, if you want to get married and stay married, you will not be able to escape conflict. Conflict is a by-product of relationships. In part 3 of this series, we’re going to look at the words of Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, as the thankfully weighed in on our reality and gave us wisdom to help us navigate the storms of conflict.

Each of us has a collection of relationships and each of those relationships has a climate. One of the most significant climate shapers in all of our relationships is: insecurity. What insecurity does to the climate of our relationships is it creates an unstable climate. Unfortunately, for many years, our culture has sold us on the idea that self-esteem is the cure for insecurity. This is simply not true. In part 2 of this series, we’re going to talk about the insecurities in our lives and discover what God has to say about who we are, and as you take his words to heart, your relationships and the climate of your relationships will begin to stabilize.

No matter how old you are, and regardless of what you do or don’t believe, one thing we all have in common is that we all have a collection of relationships. What’s true about you is that within that collection of relationships, there’s a climate associated to every single one of those relationships. In part one of this series, we’re going to discover a principle that is at play in our lives that we may not be aware of, and the principle is this: the climate of our relationships dictates the forecast.

While salvation is not attained through works, James emphasizes their significance. He claims, "Faith without works is dead." Is he contradicting Paul? How can we maintain a dynamic faith that doesn't rely on works for salvation yet actively incorporates them? This week we will discuss what it looks like to have a vibrant alive faith, full of good works.

We've all heard the old adages, "You can't get something for nothing," or the classic, "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is." These phrases have been ingrained in us since childhood, making us naturally skeptical because, let's face it, we've seen those warnings play out in real life. This scepticism wanders into our faith too. We ask question like, “Does the same principle apply to God? Is His offer of Grace really free, or is there a catch? Does it apply to people who have done the "really bad stuff”?" Let's dive into what being saved by grace alone is all about.

It’s likely that you’ve heard the phrase, “What goes around comes around.” It’s also likely that you’ve experienced this principle play out in various ways, in various arenas of your life and to varying degrees. Thankfully there is an exception to this rule, and as we conclude this series, we’re going to discover what that exception is, how we can experience it, and most importantly, why experiencing that exception is possible.

It’s likely that you’ve heard the phrase, “What goes around comes around.” The interesting thing about this principle is, it doesn’t always happen right away. It can take days weeks, months, or even years for a split-second decision to “come around.” In part 3 of this series, we’re going to look at a famous story that took decades to unfold. It’s a sobering reminder that actions and decisions have consequences, even when and if we don’t see them or experience them right away.

No doubt you are familiar with the saying, “What goes around comes around.” What about, “What a tangled web we weave when first we try and deceive?” What goes around does come around. Deceit has a way of catching up to us and making our lives, relationships, finances, and futures complicated. When deceit catches up to us, it’s easy to be angry at the consequence and while being blind to where it all started. In part 2 of this series, we’re going to look at how one man’s decision led to a series of complications it was almost impossible for him to get out of, until a decision someone else made led to a turning point in his life. What we see in their past will shed light on our present.

It’s likely that you’ve heard the phrase, “What goes around comes around.” It’s also likely that you’ve heard the phrase, “Things aren’t always what they seem.” Things truly aren’t always what they seem, nor are people. Often times it’s easy to hide our true emotions and motives under a contradicting façade. It’s often because of what people see on the outside that makes “what comes around” seem so unfair. In part one of this series, we’re going to look at a famous story, but a character who often goes overlooked because he was a master of disguise.

We kicked off 2024 with a special service entitled “Best Year Ever,” where we also took communion. In this message, Pastor Scott shared Biblical advice for how to keep our busy lives in balance by keeping Jesus at the center of everything we do.

Christmas is the season of wonder, laughter, song, and celebration...it’s a time to be surrounded by the ones you love, but let’s face it: some people have a way of getting under our skin. Would we see them differently if we first took a look at ourselves? God’s grace to us is an invitation to be amazing. It’s our chance to extend to others what God has freely extended to us. But while most of us are full of something . . . it’s usually not grace. What are you full of? What would it take for you to give someone what they don’t expect? Or deserve? We’ll find out together as we close out this series, “All I Want For Christmas.”

Have you ever put “limit” on how much you and other family members were going to spend on each other at Christmas? On one hand, we want to keep each other from unnecessary financial stress. One the other hand, deeper than that, there is sense in which we don’t want there to be in imbalance in what one gets over another. In part 2 of this series, we’re going to look at what to do when what we’ve gotten and what we need to give isn’t equal or fair.

What do you want for Christmas? What we all want for Christmas is the very thing we hope no one asks us for. When we're on the receiving end of this gift, it is extraordinarily refreshing. When it's a gift we have to give to someone else, it is extraordinarily disturbing. In this 3-part Christmas series, we’re to unwrap the undeserved, unearned, unearnable favor that Jesus came to offer us.

Building trust can be a real challenge—especially when it comes to trusting a God we can't even see. It's a constant struggle of relinquishing control and allowing ourselves to "Let go and let God." We grapple with the idea that maybe, just maybe, God knows better than we do. While we might understand this concept intellectually, when life throws its curveballs, there's that lingering uncertainty deep within us. Trusting isn't always easy, but it's a journey worth taking.

Have you ever had a conversation with someone and had the distinct feeling that they weren't truly engaged? Perhaps the TV was blaring in the background, their kids were demanding their attention, or their mind seemed miles away. Similarly, there are times when we struggle to hear God, not because the message isn't there, but because we're drowning in distractions. To truly hear from God, sometimes all we need to do is silence the external chaos and attune our hearts and minds to the His frequency.

You likely have individuals in your life whom you can consistently depend on. These are the people who are always there to give you a ride when you need it, offer excellent advice, or provide a comforting shoulder to lean on. Their trustworthiness is unquestionable, built upon a history of being there for you when it truly mattered. In the same way, we can have faith when he is silent because he has shown up before.

It happens to many people. You decide to give the Bible a shot. You sit down with a good translation. But how do you get something out of it? And when you start to understand it, how do you experience God? It might surprise you to discover that the key to experiencing God through the Bible is more than what you can read and understand.

One of the biggest challenges with the Bible is how to approach it. With so many genres, where do you begin? How do you interpret it accurately? And how do you go from simply reading the Bible to experiencing it? In this message, we’ll show you the overarching story of scripture and how you can leverage it to experience the Bible for yourself.

There are lots of people over the last two thousand years who tried to read the Bible and gave up. Others are skeptical about whether they can trust the Bible or if it’s just a bunch of made- up stories. However, there are also billions who would say it’s a book that’s changed their life. Why is that? Why do and how do these Christians read the Bible? The answer might surprise you.

We invite you to join us this Thanksgiving Sunday, as we celebrate the one thing that we are most thankful for - Our Lord Jesus - through communion. If you’re watching online, you’re also welcome to participate in communion by preparing some crackers and juice as emblems to represent Christ’s body and blood.