Basic-Information-Before-Leaving-Earth

I was sitting down looking at a blank screen, trying to write this reflection when suddenly I found myself surfing the internet.  I came across the following (edited for the sake of brevity):

“A father was approached by his small son who told him proudly, “I know what the Bible means!” 

 “Okay,” said his father. “What does the Bible mean?”

“That’s easy, Daddy…” the young boy replied excitedly,” It stands for ‘Basic Information Before Leaving Earth.’” [i]

Our passage this week (Matthew 7:1-12) is definitely basic information for every Christian. The topics covered have been the subject of vast amounts of sermons, Sunday school lessons, books, devotionals, posters and bumper stickers and yet, familiarity can breed contempt.  We can take the familiar for granted, we know the concepts, we may even be able to quote the verses, but at times our words and actions don’t align with these familiar teachings. 

It’s been my experience that even seasoned Christians have trouble with their words and actions when it comes to the topic of judging (verses 1-5):

One summer, a young mother was helping prep one of her children’s classrooms. She was assigned to a room with a woman employed by the Christian school.  When they were done for the day the young mother turned to the school employee and said, “Good luck with the school year.”  Hastily with a haughty look on her face the worker replied, “There’s no such thing as luck.  We don’t believe in luck!”  Red-faced with embarrassment and near tears, the lady left without uttering a word. 

It’s easy to get this judging thing wrong. The world often labels Christians as hypocritical, judgmental, and unaccepting, and those inside the church often label other Christians as too accepting of worldly behavior.  Who, how, when are we to judge? I think Jesus addresses the who when he refers to “your brother’s eye”.  He doesn’t refer to a spec in a stranger’s eye, he doesn’t say some person with whom you have no relationship.  A brother is a fellow believer, a person whom you've been commanded to love. 

The how and when is also addressed in our passage when Jesus says, “first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Self-examination should be a life-long practice for all Christians. One of my favorite bible verses is Psalms 139:23 which says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” The chances of judging inappropriately are greatly reduced when we are continually asking Jesus to show us where our heart has hardened or where sin may have crept in.

I pray the next time you’re tempted to judge someone’s speech, or judge a life by the worst moments, or judge others before considering yourself in the same circumstances you will stop and reflect upon these verses in Matthew.

Brenda Wooff

[i] https://www.jollynotes.com/christian-humor-christian-jokes-clean-jokes-best-christian-jokes/

The Greatest Thing

What’s the greatest thing in all of your life?  The answer you give to that question reveals a lot about where you will direct your attention, energy, and resources as you live.

In our text this week, Jesus says that we should seek the treasure of His Kingdom and His righteousness.  To some Jesus’ words might appear of little value, I mean, why should you care about someone else’s kingdom or someone else’s righteousness.  Well, the greatest treasure that anybody in this world will ever find is in the assurance that God really loves us and has made a way through Jesus for us to be in good standing with Him and thereby become heirs to the eternal riches of His Kingdom.

In my early childhood days, I was fortunate to have a best friend across the street whose dad owned a junk yard close enough to town that we could ride our bikes out to it.  That place had vehicles lined up for as far as I could see.  It was so much fun to explore that debris field with my buddy and his dad’s pack of Dobermans close by like they were our own personal security detail.  We roamed all over, searching for things inside each cab to play with, or for a battery with enough juice that we could operate the CB radios we sometimes came across.  Years later as an adult, I realized just how much value there really was in that salvage yard.  My friend’s dad used its resources as a start-up for his line of auto dealerships in southeastern Illinois that specialized in conversion van sales.  My childhood friend even became an eventual heir to that auto empire.

While I’m thankful for the memories I have of the people and things of that place in time, the ultimate reality is that even those memories are fleeting.  What if I had found my greatest treasure in any of those things?  Every worldly treasure comes and goes with the elements of time.  God has made you and I for so much more!  The greatest treasure that God offers to each of us is imperishable and revealed to us by His word through the good news of Jesus Christ.

When you experience the teachings of Jesus – do you just see more religious junk or do you find your life’s purpose and meaning in it – to know God and glorify-worship-enjoy Him forever!  God’s Word leads us to keep things in proper priority so we can appreciate his gifts rightly.  Our Father in Heaven gives us all we need and so often blesses us with things that are only for a season of this life but His perspective remains focused on our eternal relationship with Him because God knows His covenant with us is the greatest thing in all of our lives.

Where are you storing your treasure today? 

May it be the treasure kept in the storehouse of our one true King, the righteous One – Jesus Christ!

Grateful & Hopeful in Him,

Jon

"Our Father Which Art In Heaven', This 'Be Thy Name."

"Matthew 6:9 says, 'Our Father Which Art In Heaven', This 'Be Thy Name.'"

Would you be able to buzz in with the answer?

This question on the famous TV game show Jeopardy went unanswered last week. I was a bit surprised no one answered it but even more so that it was a question on Jeopardy. Is a Christian prayer common knowledge? I was never taught the Lord’s Prayer in any of my school classes. I also never attended any religious schools or had any religion classes offered to me. I was taught by my family and in Church. (I still try not to get tripped up on debtors and trespass. I tend to interchange the two words.)

So how does a Christian Bible prayer end up as a Jeopardy question?

-Guinness World Records has the Christian Bible, as the best-selling book of all time with 5-7 billion copies sold worldwide.

-The world population is around 8 billion people as of today.  

-Answers.com states there are about 3 Bibles in an American home.

-Lifeway Research surveyed 1,000 Americans and found that 1 in 5 Americans have read the Bible at least once.

With the stats above you'd think, yes, the odds are in the favor of the contestant; best selling book, several in the home…easy!

When I was talking with a friend about it, she said “most don't see God as holy so how would they know the answer is “Hallowed”, when they see him as their Bro?”

Yet another friend was not surprised at all. 

Are you surprised by this? Do you think this was a fair Jeopardy question? And do you honor God as holy or is He just your BFF?

“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Let’s hallow His name!

Nikki Fiedler

* https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/best-selling-book-of-non-fiction

https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/

https://www.answers.com/Q/Average_number_of_Bibles_in_American_home

https://research.lifeway.com/2017/04/25/lifeway-research-americans-are-fond-of-the-bible-dont-actually-read-it/

Seen

“Mom, play the song from camp!” I scrolled through my playlist and moments later Mimi was singing “God, you know our hearts…beyond the surface.”

Indeed, He does. In 1 Samuel 16:7, God counseled Samuel not to look at the appearance or size of the future king David and said “Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.” And now, in Matthew’s gospel, this same God has appeared in the flesh to tell us what kind of heart the Lord is looking for.

In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus addresses how we are to give, to pray and to fast. He presupposes these are acts of devotion regularly practiced by those who follow Yahweh, but as in the rest of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks not only of the action but about the disposition of the heart that precipitates the action. He reminds us that our Heavenly Father sees in secret and so there is no reason to draw attention to our own piety. God sees. God knows. It doesn’t matter if others know.

A recent tik tok trend utilizes a split screen. On one side of the screen, a dramatic video plays. On the other, someone watches the video, recording their emotional response for everyone else to see. Why is this popular?

We are a people fixated on being seen. We’ve put our lives on display through carefully cultivated words and imagery intended to impress the masses. But to what end? Whose glory are we living for?

Jesus warned not to live seeking the applause of people, to be noticed, or to receive gain, because that is what the hypocrites do. For the people of God, even if no human sees or knows what good we’ve done, our Father does, and our reward is with Him.

Sisters and Brothers, you are seen; known by the God who searches every heart and understands the intentions of every thought. May we live to magnify Him alone.

Choose Love

Have you ever been thrown in a pit and left to die? Sold to slaves? Stoned by a mob?  Betrayed by a close friend for profit? I’m going to take a guess that the majority of us have not had these experiences. Yet, I’m sure all of us have had an enemy at one time or another. According to Oxford Languages, an enemy is “any person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone; antagonistic to another”. Have you driven on Interstate 270 in North County with all the road construction? I’m pretty sure some of those drivers could be labeled hostile and antagonistic. I’m also sure that when I’m driving and they are present, I’m not loving them.

Our passage this week (Matthew 5:38-48) centers around the topics of “turning the other check” and loving your enemies.  Matthew isn’t the first or the last to write on this subject. The Bible is consistent in its message:

“Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary bless …” (1 Peter 3:9)

“Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them.” (Romans 12:14)

“Repay no one evil for evil…” (Romans 12:17-20)

“When reviled, we bless, when persecuted, we endure.”  (1 Corinthians 4:12-13)

“Do not say I will repay evil, wait for the Lord and he will deliver you.” (Proverbs 20:22)

 “But love your enemies, and do good…” (Luke 6:35)

“If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.”  (Proverbs 25:21)

 “…Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:27-28)

Years ago I had a boss I didn’t like. He took things away from me that I loved: projects, autonomy and authority. He was my enemy. I did not love him, bless him or pray for him and cursed him behind his back. I handled the situation poorly: I didn’t trust that God was in control of the circumstances and consequently missed the opportunity to display to my co-workers how a follower of Christ handles adversity and enemies. I chose self-pity and misery.

I’ve told you my unflattering story about my boss because it’s situations just like that where Jesus is asking us to apply love when love is not the easiest or most logical choice. The Bible gives us wonderful stories about faithful men of God who forgave their enemies despite the high cost, but the principles taught to us through Joseph and Stephen also apply to the mundane, minute areas of our lives. Maybe it’s your neighbor who lets his dog bark all night or perhaps your cousin who borrowed an expensive power tool and never returned it, or maybe it’s just the drivers on I-270. Jesus wants us to choose love and His Word tells us that we “can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”  (Philippians 4:13) 

Brenda Wooff

The Promise

Ten years ago this month, I committed to be an adult leader in the children’s ministry for our church.  In all that time, I was proud that I had only missed my assignment once with short notice on the morning of my father’s passing.  And then it happened, one Sunday months ago, when it was my turn in the monthly rotation to lead, I missed it.  I wasn’t even gone from the church, I was just sitting in the service and completely forgot that it was my turn to lead that day.  It wasn’t until after the service was over and Natalie Runyon came up to let me know she had covered it in my place that I realized my mistake.  I was embarrassed that I had forgot and had not kept my commitment to the children with other adults also depending on me to remember.  While that was a first for me in that role, it’s really just the tip of the iceberg in so many times that I’ve failed to keep a commitment that I’ve made in my life.  Maybe you can relate.

In the passage this week, Jesus is teaching again about the values of His Kingdom in regard to the Mosaic Law as people had heard it and what was truly meant by it.  He teaches about really heavy issues that impact our lives today in dealing with being faithful to marital and civil commitments.  Jesus raises the bar every time to His standard of perfection so that we will look to Him in all things – even the commitments we make to one another.

Each of us has failures and victories in keeping our promises, but in all these things, we can learn to trust Jesus more.  Because Jesus never fails to keep His word.  All of His promises are secure and will be fulfilled.  Some might read this passage and focus on what it speaks against.  But if you keep this teaching from Jesus in good context, you should see that Jesus is saying these things to emphasize who he is for.  Do you know who Jesus is for?  The Bible tells us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.”  May each of us today, make no mistake in remembering this – Jesus is not against us, He promises to be for us!  The Great King our souls long for is on our side and always keeps His promise to lead His followers to life and that more abundantly!

Grateful & Hopeful in Christ,

Jon

More Than Actions

As I read these verses in Matthew 5:21-30, I hear a battle cry, “It is finished.”

Jesus’ teaching in Matthew is asking us to look deeper; action alone is not the only way we commit sin. Our feelings and thoughts are the root of sin and bring judgment upon us. Therefore, we cannot claim to be sinless merely by lack of sinful action. Christ alone is without sin, and the rest of us are to be judged.

Jesus tells us it is better to cut off an arm or gouge out an eye, if it brings about sin. This language speaks to the laws of ancient Babylonian, Biblical, Roman, and Islamic principles of reciprocal justice: Measure for measure. The measured punishment of sin is for our whole body to be cast into Sheol. Death. 

Death is the just punishment for our sin. But God, rich in mercy, sent His only Son to save us from that death. Jesus cried out “it is finished” on the cross so that we could enter, through him, into a place of peace and love. Not just in heaven above but within the Kingdom on earth, as it is in heaven.

I have had radical change in my life that has felt very much like losing a limb, for the more I walk with Christ the more separated I become from the things of this world, things that feed the flesh and bring about sinful desires. I repent and my heart shifts to desire the holy life that God has for me; fleeing not just outward sinful actions, but for my inner person to be renewed. 

Anger. Murder. Lust. Adultery. When our hearts condemn us, we don’t have to despair. There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus! As we battle sin in our own lives, we fight from a position of security. Christ has won the victory! Hosanna in the highest heaven!

-Nikki

I Saw The Lord

There are so many beautiful awe-inspiring things we see every single day.  Sunrises and sunsets, flowers and trees, the sun, moon and stars, rivers and lakes.  It is true - "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." (Psalm 19:1).

In the midst of all of this beauty we often go about our days unaware and therefore unmoved by all the majesty surrounding us.  All the while God is whispering and sometimes shouting - "I am here.  I care.  I see you.  Look around and you will see Me."

Isaiah the prophet had such an experience.  Catastrophe hit.  King Uzziah died.  Israel's future was unknown and God's people felt heartache, fear, pain and grief.   Isaiah goes to the temple (he goes to church), but this is not a "normal" church service.  The Lord gives Isaiah eyes to see the King who never dies and always reigns.  It is a beautiful, holy, awe-filled sight.  Angels flying, the doorposts and thresholds shaking, smoke filling the room, the presence of the Holy One leads Isaiah to cry out, "woe is me!  I am ruined!"

I do not know how you feel about God-encounters.  I hear a lot of people say things like, "I am not worthy.  I am not special.  I do not want to waste God's time with my problems."  But God delights in revealing Himself to the people He created - especially when we are "at the end of our rope."  And God meets us at the very place we feel most unworthy.  When Isaiah saw the Lord he said, "I am a man of unclean lips" and an angel comes with a coal from the altar to touch his lips and says "your guilt is taken away and your sin is atoned for."

Then Isaiah HEARS the Lord say, "whom shall I send and who will go for us?"  "God does not call the qualified, but He qualifies the called."  When we have experienced God's forgiveness and grace and mercy and love He enlists us as His witnesses to share with others just how much He loves us.

This coming Sunday we will hear testimonies from our brothers and sisters from First Fruits Christian Discipleship Training Program.  Their stories will be beautiful and awe-inspiring.  The Lord will bring us hope and healing as they share their experiences.  It is my prayer that as we prepare to gather for Sunday worship - that we will not merely "go to church" unaware and therefore unmoved, but that we would see the Lord high and lifted up and that we would hear and answer His call.

See you Sunday,

Steven

Keep Us Salty

Jesus didn’t tell his followers- then or now- “Be salty!” Because we already are.
“You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you.”

“You are the salt of the earth.”

“You are the light of the world.”

Jesus has made it so.

We live in a culture that tells us we can and should work to be the best. Aim high! And higher! Higher still! Perform better! Faster! Keep striving!

That’s not the gospel.

Jesus said “Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”

Remain. Remain. Remain. And once more, in case we missed it, our Savior said “remain”. If we abide in him, his Spirit will produce the fruit in us. Much fruit, in fact: an ever-increasing yield of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.

If we don’t remain in Him?

Useless branches thrown in the fire, burned.

Tasteless and impure salt, trampled.

A lamp hidden; our world left in darkness.

Jesus, teach us to abide. By the power of your Spirit, keep us salty so the world may taste and see that you are good, and glorify our Father in heaven. Amen.

-Natalie

The Beatitudes

Our passage this week is the well-known, often quoted Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus outlines the “The Beatitudes”- attributes of the heart and actions of the person who lives as though Jesus is their Lord and Savior.  Do we immediately obtain these attributes after accepting Jesus’ grace?  I didn’t.

The first item in a list is often the most important or the beginning step.  This certainly holds true for the first Beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit…”.  Those who are poor in spirit are those who live like nothing on this earth will satisfy the way Jesus does, they continually acknowledge their need for Him and realize they are unable to live the life the Creator desires for them apart from Him.  Unfortunately, there are days when I behave as if that new, sparkling, “must-have” thing will satisfy me more than Jesus. 

I didn’t become “poor in spirit” or “meek” or “merciful” automatically at conversion.  But, my desire to put Jesus first, to be meek and merciful and hunger for righteousness grows in strength when I stay near Him, when I’m in the Word, when I’m giving him praise for the many blessings and when I’m spending time with the body of Christ.  Conversely, if I’m walking away from His Kingdom, when I’m pursuing things the world claims will bring happiness, my desires for these attributes are weakened.  Are you walking into God’s Kingdom or away from it?  My prayer is for Jesus to produce a poverty of spirit in all of us.

Brenda Wooff 

Each and Every Thing

In my current position with the Fire Department, I am in the office directly next to the Fire Chief.  There are many issues that come before me in the Inspection Office but I’m careful not to bring each and every thing before the Chief as he is a man of authority and in high demand.  But there are some things that are just too weighty and I make sure to go before him with those issues.   

In the passage for this week, we see great crowds forming around Jesus’ ministry.  Jesus was a man in high esteem and in high demand.  Yet I’m struck by the things that people are bringing to Jesus.  Even more, I’m struck by how Jesus ministers to each of their needs no matter how big or small they might seem to others.  To Jesus, they all matter because each of those people in the crowd matter so deeply to Him.  Oh how they must have felt very much loved by Him in their moments of healing!

I’m encouraged by this glimpse into Jesus’ ministry because it reminds me that I also can bring all things to Jesus.  There’s not a thing in my life that He does not care about.  Rather, Jesus cares about each and every thing in my life because He cares so deeply for me.  And it’s the same for you too!  Each and every thing that we bring to Jesus is a chance for Him to prove His love to us and for us to feel His love as He ministers to those needs.

Today, will you come to Jesus with the things on your heart -  He is a miracle worker in every way!

May we trust Him more with everything big or small and may the world praise His name for the things He has done in and through us!

Grateful & Hopeful in Christ,

Jon 

Following Jesus

The sun is setting outside, fiery orange burning through the newly formed green leaves of spring, outlining the trees. Sitting at home, watching the evening unfold from my upstairs window, I’m transported, sitting on a bus that is driving down an extremely bumpy dirt road. Staring out the bus window, I’m watching the same sun burning fiery orange through the green trees of Rwanda, Africa.

Four years later and I still have a hard time believing it was all real. All I had to do was follow.  “Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people” Jesus said in Matthew 4:19.

What does following Jesus look like? It could look like a mission trip to Rwanda, but it could also look like leaving your fiancé who just told you he never was a Christian and never will be. It could look like a life set apart from your biological family, going to church on Sundays and sitting with your church family. It could be as simple as calling the friend that has been on your mind, or as daring as hugging a very agitated stranger in the Schnucks parking lot.

Sometimes following Jesus means you will have enemies; you will take up your cross and lose your worldly life. That last line sounds hard, even painful. So why follow Jesus?  So that you can be healed. So you can be made whole.

Life is hard, moment to moment, even harder still without Jesus. You are already doing the “hard”, yet nothing is working. You’re stressed, full of anxious thoughts, empty and sad at the same time. Scared of what may happen, even angry. Stop what you are doing. Pray. Ask Jesus to help you and follow what comes next.

If you are reading this and you have more questions or would like someone to pray with, email connect@bridgetograce.org today. 

-Nikki Fiedler

O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E

“Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe. 

Doing exactly as the Lord commands, doing it happily. 

Action is the key, do it immediately, joy you will receive. “

I loved to belt out this song as a child in church, and all the more when I was chosen to hold the poster boards with lyrics written in different colored markers!

“O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E. 

Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe.”

The Lord’s desire for his people is that they would be holy- set apart. When I was a kid, “set apart” meant no drinking, dancing, movie theaters or face cards. Christian liberty means we can have differing convictions about things such as these, but abstaining from them doesn’t make us holy. Positionally, if you are in Christ, you have already been made holy. In Matthew 4, we read about Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. Here at the beginning of his ministry, if Jesus had given into the temptations of Satan, our story would be quite different. Yet, with each taunt from the enemy, Jesus refuted Satan with the word of God. In every way, Jesus was tempted just as we are, yet he remained without sin. He lived the life we couldn’t, died the death we deserved, took upon himself our sin, clothes us in His righteousness and lives to intercede for us. This is the gospel. We are saved by God’s grace!

Not saved by works, but saved to walk in the good works God has planned for us, we are now called to live lives of holiness in light of our holy standing before Him. What he calls us to, he empowers us to do. With the Holy Spirit in us we can put to death the deeds of the flesh: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. More and more our lives will be characterized by the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. “If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit as well.”

Church, by the power of His Spirit, we can increasingly walk in O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E to all he has commanded us to. Have you been saved by his grace? If not, what stands in your way? If you have, what sin is he calling you to put to death? What fruit of the Spirit is he developing in your life?

Satan will continue to tempt us. It’s his way. But the enemy of our souls has nothing to offer us except stones. Jesus offers us a better way. It’s the way of the cross, and it will involve suffering but it leads to an inheritance imperishable, undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven for us until that glorious day.

Until then, rest in the knowledge that the One who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it. He holds you fast.

- Natalie

A Man on a Mission

Could you hang out with John the Baptist?  I think I could as long as it wasn’t dinner time.  Watching someone eat locusts, even if they are 60% protein would not work for me.  I’ve always been a bit envious of individuals like John the Baptist who knew exactly what they were born to do.  John was a goal-driven, laser-focused, self-controlled man whose mission was to prepare the way for Jesus.  Luke tells us his single mission was made clear from the moment of his birth: “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins” (Luke 1:76-77).  Our mission today is the same:  point people to Jesus.

Have you ever wondered why John was in the wilderness?  The bible doesn’t tell us how long John lived in the wilderness prior to the beginning of his ministry but based on his eating habits and his attire I’m going to guess he had been there for some time.  Did John need to lead a secluded life away from the temptations of the city in order to focus on his mission? GrowingDisciples.org suggests: “John was calling people away from the system, from their luxury, from their religious hypocrisy and their phony temple worship so they could focus on the qualities of their own sinful hearts.”1  Whatever the reason for John’s location, it’s a great reminder that God can use you right where you are.  God can use you to accomplish his purpose whether you’re in a tree stand in the middle of the woods or a board room in Manhattan.

What do you need to do today to focus on the Lord’s work?  Do you need to retreat to a place of solitude in order to examine your heart?  If we are to reflect the light of Jesus to a dark world we need to do as John instructed and walk in a new direction, away from our sins, away from the things that are keeping us from Jesus. I pray that as a church we can become like John:  goal-driven and laser-focused on the work for which we were created.

Brenda Wooff 

1 https://www.growingdisciples.org/Studies/Mt3QA.htm

You Don't Need My Opinion

You don’t need my opinion, but how about a testimony?

Nowadays it is suggested to use the phrase “in my personal opinion” before or after any extreme statement. In this season of life, I feel like I am asked often to share my opinion on many different issues. With young adults living in my house, I really struggle with how and when to share my personal opinions. As I read our text for this week, I’m reminded of the power of testimony from Jesus’ followers and how the charge of His words has had such powerful effects on my life today. This reminds me of the urgent need to also share my testimony about following Jesus and living by His word. There really is a big difference between spouting opinions versus actually testifying to Jesus’ work in my life.

In our text, the women find Jesus is no longer in the tomb. An angel proclaims to them the amazing message that JESUS HAS RISEN! They are invited to see for themselves the truth of that proclamation. Then these same women are told to go and share the message with others. As they go, Jesus meets them on the way and also tells them to go and share the same message. These women had a powerful testimony to share – one that would transform their world then and now. When the disciples responded to their testimony, they also met Jesus just as He had promised and received His great commission as the Risen Savior and Eternal King.

On the other hand, there were some in our text this week that could not accept the testimony of Jesus’ followers and instead they weighed in heavily with another opinion on what might have happened to Jesus’ body. Over the 2000 years since Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, there have been too many choosing to reject the gospel truth about Jesus and the testimony of His followers in favor of some other opinion about Him and His work. But God who is rich in mercy, has transformed my life through His Spirit’s continuing presence to save me from my sin and work in me to bear good spiritual fruit that leads me to eternal security in His Son. That is my testimony of what God has done for me in Christ Jesus!

The testimony of Jesus’ followers then and the testimony of His followers now can still have a life-changing eternal impact on people like me and you. May we be a people that rejoice in the gospel truth about the Risen Christ! And may we be intentional to share sincere testimony about all that we have experienced in Him and because Jesus lives!

Happy Easter,
Jon

The Giving and Loving Jesus. Hesed.

These past few weeks I have seen people coming together in extraordinary ways. From assisting a man who can no longer speak as dementia takes hold, to caring for a young woman and her children whose husband and father passed away weeks before they broke ground on their dream home. I've watched groups provide for our community’s foster children, support a young woman as she battles breast cancer, and help a woman who was paralyzed in a horrible fire.

Above are just glimpses of ways this Riverbend Community has come together to care for one another. 

Last Sunday we read in Proverbs 3:27 “do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor 'come back later; I’ll give it to you tomorrow'- when you now have it with you.”

In the New Testament, Matthew chapter 21 we see Solomon's advice lived out by a man who gives his donkey and its colt to disciples of Jesus. The man did not ask for them to come back later. For Jesus, there was no later, for at the end of the week he would be crucified on a cross.

We are called by God to freely give what He has blessed us with to those in need, in order to glorify Him who is the giver of all things. Jesus came gentle and loving as he gave his life so that we would be deserving of all that God has for us in Heaven and Earth. May we be givers and receivers of mercy and grace that surpasses all understanding. May we receive Jesus!

-Nikki Fiedler

Great Things in the Past

On March 31, 2013 about 100 people gathered at 504 East 12th Street, Alton, IL to make MAKE MUCH OF JESUS.  It was said that day, “we are here for one reason -- to brag and boast – not about us – but about Jesus Christ who came and rescued us when we were far from God.”  Because HE is FAITHFUL we have been blessed to witness JESUS connect people to God’s indelible grace these last 10 years.

So this coming Sunday we will gather at the same location to do the same thing – brag and boast about Jesus and worship Him in Spirit and Truth and we will experience His indelible grace together.  He can be trusted – He created the earth with wisdom (Proverbs 3:19-20), seeking Him gives life to our souls (Proverbs 3:21-22), walking with Him keeps us from stumbling (Proverbs 3:23), and trusting Him makes our sleep sweet (Proverbs 3:24).

I am in awe when I think about how God has worked in us and through us the past 10 years.  As we look forward to Sunday I want to encourage you to ask the Lord to fill you with His Spirit.  When I pray this way I “lean in” a little more.  I actively look for and listen for the Lord.  I move from being a spectator to a participant.  I pray a little more fervently.  I sing a little louder.   

We believe God planted The Bridge to point to Jesus and that through The Bridge our city would be blessed with the hope that comes from knowing and experiencing God.  And I am convinced of a truth we will sing Sunday in the song The God of this City:

“There is no one like our God.  There is no one like our God. 

Greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city.”

So we will look back at God’s faithfulness over the past decade, but we will also look forward to the “greater things” in the future.  And did I mention – we will also EAT lunch together?  We will enjoy good food and conversation as a church family.

And one of the greatest gifts the Lord has given to me is to be a part of The Bridge.  It is an honor and privilege to know you and to experience the Lord together with all of you.  I love you family!

See you Sunday, 

Steven 

Disciplined by the Word

Solomon explains to his son in Proverbs 3 the kind of life he can anticipate as he embraces the wisdom of God and lets his heart keep his father’s commands. It’s a good life! In verses 1-10, Solomon says “keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.”

Unlike Solomon, the Apostle Paul didn’t have a biological son, yet he had a son in the faith. Like Solomon, Paul was eager to impart wisdom and guidance to Timothy. In 2 Timothy 3, Paul explains to Timothy what he can expect to see in the last days as people reject the wisdom of God and their hearts rebel against their Father’s commands. In verses 1-7 he says “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

The “last days” that Paul warned of are in many ways the antithesis to the good life Solomon described. What both these men implored their sons to take to heart is this- human flourishing happens when we live our lives disciplined by the wisdom and Word of God. And when we don’t- woe to us. As God’s people, we have been made new in Christ, our hearts and minds renewed by his Holy Spirit to more and more reflect Jesus in our thoughts, conduct and the way we love.

Solomon reminded his son “do not despise the LORD’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.”

Paul’s final charge to Timothy was this- “but as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

One way, perhaps even the primary way, God disciplines us, is through the renewing of our mind that happens as we study His Word. Paul says it’s how we are trained in righteousness. It’s the Word that makes us wise for salvation. It’s the Word that equips us for every good work. Do we want to live lives led by wisdom? Then we must live lives rooted in God’s Word.

God make us a people who treasure Your Word!

Natalie

Need some help learning how to better understand and study the Bible? There’s still space left in our Bible Study Basics workshop on 4/1. Register at https://thebridgealton.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/1651211

The E Word

All through high school Chemistry I wanted to believe that sleeping with my Chemistry book under my pillow would allow the material to seep into my brain.  Not only did I want the facts, I wanted to understand and apply it.  We’ve learned in earlier verses of Proverbs that wisdom comes from the Lord but Proverbs 2:1-5 tells us it’s not a passive transfer, there is action required on our end.

Reading Proverbs 2 reminded me of the discussions I had with my children as they were growing up about one of my favorite words, the E-word:  E-F-F-O-R-T.   Verses 1-5 of Proverbs 2 is filled with words of action: receive, incline, apply, cry out, seek and search.  What does action require?  The E-word.  We don’t put our Bibles under our pillows and wake-up with wisdom.  We must be diligent about searching His Word, asking or pleading with Him in prayer for His help in understanding and storing those truths in our hearts.

Is seeking God still exciting to you?  Proverbs 2:4b says: “… search for it as for hidden treasures”.  If someone told you that there was a treasure buried in your backyard would you spend your time and resources to find it?  Wouldn’t it be exciting?  Would you have a sense of urgency, almost a desperation to find the treasure?  God wants us to seek him with that same urgency, that same desire, devoting our time and resources to find our greatest treasure.

“With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:10-11 ESV) This Psalm is my prayer for all of us.  Let us be willing to make the effort to continue to grow in our knowledge of our Lord and Savior.

Brenda Wooff

What Jesus Knew

As a kid and still as an adult, I enjoy the type of story where some sage character imparts wisdom and guidance to help another younger character achieve heroic outcomes.  It’s an awesome phenomenon when wisdom is shared and applied to life in a way that leads to good stuff.  I have been very fortunate to have some great mentors that have offered me sage advice along my journey.   At times when I applied that wisdom to my life, I have been able to watch God do many amazing things through it.  The more that I embrace such wisdom the more that I trust it.  On the flipside, the more I’ve rejected such wisdom the harder it is to understand it let alone trust in it.  So much good spiritual fruit in my life is the result of knowing that I can be my own worst enemy and admitting daily that I am in constant need of a better Hero. 

In our text this week, wisdom is described as crying aloud in public spaces to garner our attention in order to correct our errant ways and lead us to the life that God desires.  For those that heed the call of wisdom and turn at her reproof will find enduring security.  While those who despise her call to repent will be tossed about and destroyed by their foolish desires.  The Heavenly Father has done so much time after time to show us the Way to good spiritual fruit.  God loved us so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, in order that we would know His heart and live by the fruit of His Spirit. 

For those who are in Christ Jesus, we have the Perfect One as our Sage and Master.  The final words to His followers as He ascended into Heaven were “And surely I am with you always even until the end of the age.” How could it be that as Jesus was seen physically leaving this world, He would make such a promise.  What Jesus knew was that His Spirit would be poured out and indwell every one of His followers in order to lead them in His Way.  His is the eternally Heroic Way that offers good spiritual fruit as we are re-formed to His desire and purpose for this world.  As we spend time in this passage, may we acknowledge God’s ongoing efforts to love us by His truth and grace.  And may we rejoice that He leads us to pursue His righteousness and His kingdom by the power of His Holy Spirit.

Grateful and hopeful in Christ, 

Jon