BridgePointe Christian Church

<p>The human heart is sinful. We will always be inclined to do what is right in our own eyes and rebel against God. That deserves judgment and wrath from God. However, the story of the flood ends with a promise that God will deal differently with our sin--He intends to rescue not destroy, to save rather than condemn.</p>

<p>Sin separates people from the God who created us. It creates problems at every level of our lives. There is no way we can fix this problem on our own. God promised long ago to cleanse us of sin and cover our shame. That work was completed through Christ's death on the cross.</p>

<p>God created. This is the foundation of our faith. God is sovereign and He is good. The crown jewel of His creation was mankind, made in His image. As His image-bearer in this world, we are to live in relationship with Him and carry out His purpose.</p>

<p>The best Gospel message and mission come from a heart like God's. His love never gives up and His grace never runs out. Like with Jonah, God patiently and persistently pleads with us to have a heart like His, especially for those who are still running away from God and who He is still running after. We have received God's grace and He, therefore, wants us to run after others with Him.</p>

<p>People are saved whenever they respond to the Good News of God. But people can only repsond to the message of God when they hear it from someone else. (Romans 10:14-15) God sends us with His message of judgment and salvation so that people will stop running from Him and turn toward Him through repentance.</p>

<p>Jonah is saved by God in the depths of his rebellion. This story shows Jonah's personal experience of God's grace. It is the turning point in Jonah's story, when he chooses to honor God and take God's message to the people of Ninevah. Likewise, we are most motivated to share God's grace when we know how much we need it, too.</p>

<p>God pursues those who are running from Him, whether it's people who know Him well (Jonah) or not at all (Ninevah). This intro to the book and series, will set up the theme that God wants us to have His heart for people who are far from Him, and that means running after them to bring them back to God!</p>

<p>Simeon (and Anna) had waited so long for God's Promised One. Simeon had been promised that he wouldn't die without seeing the Messiah. When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple, the Spirit affirmed that Jesus was God's Chosen One. Simeon believed and rejoiced because God keeps all of His promises, from least (the personal one) to the greatest (for all people). We have a reason to rejoice because Jesus shows that God keeps all of His good promises for His people.</p>

<p>The shepherds had been told all their lives they didn't belong, especially in the presence of God. The angels had an invitation to the shepherds that a savior had been born to them and they were welcome to meet him. This is why the angels burst into song and its the reason the shepherds went home praising God. God welcomes us, despite who we are or what we've done. He wants us to come close to Him, which is all the reason we need to celebrate!</p>

<p>Elizabeth and Zechariah have felt the weight of unmet expectations and unfulfilled hopes on many levels. God promises to give them a son in their old age. This son will prepare the way for the Messiah. After John is born, Zechariah praises God for his redemption and rescue, specifically from sin, which is our reason to rejoice in Christ, too.</p>

<p>After Mary receives news of what God is going to do, and when she's greeted by Elizabeth, Mary rejoices over how God has been mindful of her in her humble state. For her, Israel, and all people, God cares deeply about our needs and came to meet them all in Jesus.</p>

<p>God invites us to look at ourselves through His lens and not ours. We are chosen, royal priests, holy, and God's special possession. Once we understand how God see us and who we are in Christ, it gives us a clear identity and purpose: We are people who belong to Jesus and bring others to Him.</p>

<p>James 2:14-26; giving examples or faith in action from throughout the book. If we truly believe in Jesus and are filled by the Spirit, our lives should be radically transformed. It should affect the way we treat the poor, think about wealth, use our words, respond to suffering, deal with temptation, and so much more.</p>

<p>Paul writes a letter to another pastor and dear friend, Timothy. In this letter, we see how we can each do our part to help the church reach its potential. In this message, we look at how the church is at its best when we preserve the truth of the Gospel, pray for others, provide care for each other, protect each other's dignity and partner with God through generosity.</p>

<p>The return of Jesus is the secure hope that one day all the brokenness of this world will be restored for those who believe in Jesus. This should give us the strength we need in order to keep living for Jesus and loving others, even when life is really hard.</p>

<p>Colossians 3:1-17; applying the household instructions in the conclusion to show that the Gospel should have its greatest impact on the people closest to us. It is critical that we do not return to the sins that Jesus died to set us free from. Jesus has changed our status before God, and that change just also be evidenced in the way we live for Him.</p>

<p>Philippians 2:1-11; with references to the living examples of Timothy, Epaphroditus and Paul. Jesus brings the Good News of God's love, mercy and kindness into the flesh by surrendering to God the Father. The same thing happens when we assume a posture of humility and surrender--we bring the love, mercy, and kindness of God in the flesh into our world so that more will see Jesus.</p>

<p>Ephesians 2:1-10 is the text that will most clearly present the Gospel during this series. It leaves no room for us to think that we earn or deserve salvation. God loved us so much that He pursued us, even when we were enemies of Him and dead in our sins. As a result, we have been given grace--we have so much more than we deserve because of the riches of Jesus.</p>

<p>The Spirit of God leads Jesus followers into the life of freedom and peace. We all strive for this in one of two ways--keeping all of the commands or breaking them all. But neither produce freedom nor make us into who we want to be. True life and freedom are found only in the Holy Spirit for those who believe in Jesus.</p>

<p>While worship shouldn't only be understood as singing, singing is one of the most natural overflows of a person who worships God. Angels sing. The Old Testament is full of song. The arrival of Jesus is characterized by song. The disciples and Jesus sang. The believers in the New Testament gathered to worship and were instructed to sing.</p>

<p>In the Old Testament, people were devoted to knowing the Law and putting it into practice so that it might lead them into the life God desired for them. In the New Testament, disciples listened to Jesus and learned from Him. Once the church started, the Holy Scriptures (eventually including the apostles' teaching) became an essential component of discipleship.</p>

<p>Throughout the New Testament, it is clear that believers need other believers in order to thrive in their faith. We support and strengthen each other so we can continue to be faithful to Jesus. Jesus established the identity of his church. The early church modeled fellowship. The New Testament letters give instruction for the church to be connected.</p>

<p>Hope is confidence that things will change and despair is fear that they won't. The major difference between the two is the degree of control we have in a situation. When everything felt out of control, we looked for ways to regain it. We need to Knock It Off in order to worship the One in control and embrace the uncontrolled mess of relationships.</p>

<p>This present crisis has created plenty of reasons for us to need comfort. But instead of finding true comfort in God, we often settle for coping with the discomfort by distracting ourselves with food, alcohol, porn, shopping, Netflix, gaming, etc. We need to Knock It Off so we can find the true comfort of God during difficult times.</p>

<p>We are conditioned to be consumers, looking for the products and deals that most meet our needs. We know church isn't supposed to be viewed like that, but COVID-19 has made it so easy for us to approach church like a consumer. We need to Knock It Off in order to keep growing in Jesus.</p>

<p>Isolation isn't good for us: studies show it; prisons use it; people feel it. The isolation of COVID-19 has taken a toll on us and we need to find a way to knock it off in order to regain our spiritual health.</p>

<p>The book of Joshua ends with the land claimed and settled by Israel. Joshua speaks to Israel, charging them to choose whether or not they will be faithful to God. Their decision will determine whether they remain in the land or are exiled away from God. God intends for us to enjoy eternal life (now and forever) with Him, but our faithfulness determines whether or not that becomes our reality.</p>

<p>After the land had been allocated and settled, the eastern tribes (on the other side of the Jordan) were worried that the others would eventually forsake their unity. So they built an alter, a memorial reminder to the unity that all the tribes shared. Our unity can be easily forgotten or forsaken, too. And it's the alter of sacrifice, the cross of Jesus, that reminds us of our unity in Him.</p>

<p>The Gibeonites feared being destroyed by Israel, so they tried to deceive Israel into a treaty. Israel's error was that they did not consult God. They trusted what they saw and do not gain God's perspective on the situation. Like them, we are vulnerable to deception if we don't gain God's perspective.</p>

<p>Immediately after their first victory, the Israelites make two mistakes. Individually, a man named Achan keeps something that belongs to God. Collectively, they enter into their next battle confident in themselves. Not until they have repented to do they experience victory. Our sin, hidden or public, will keep us from all that God wants to give us. We must eradicate our sin so that we can experience His life.</p>

<p>Jericho was the first battle the Israelites faced in the new land. It was an imposing city. However, God's instructions to Israel demonstrate one very important thing -- their success will be entirely dependent not on their strength but on their surrender to Him. Likewise, in our lives, we experience life and victory not through our own strength but in surrendering to God so His power works in us.</p>

<p>God's path into the Promise Land begins with a remarkable step of faith--into the flooded waters of the Jordan River. God acts, but not until Israel steps. Our life with God is a series of steps that show our trust in God to do what He promises, including the first step of believing in Jesus and passing through the waters of baptism.</p>

<p>Through faith, all people have access to the life that God has promised.</p>

<p>On the edge of the Promise Land once again, Israel must have faith that God will keep His promises and give them this new land (and life). Just what is the life that God offers us? And how can we have faith in God to do what we cannot?</p>

<p>When life goes well for us, there is the temptation to believe that we have all that we need…that we can be self-reliant and independent. This mindset stands in direct opposition to the Gospel, which demands that we recognize our weakness and reliance on Jesus. Jesus calls for repentance in order to reestablish a relationship with Him.</p>

<p>In light of recent events and an outcry of injustice, brokenness, and pain in our nation, BridgePointe made space to cry out to God in prayer and worship. In his message, Jared looks to the Gospel to find unity and points to the source of our healing and change.</p>

<p>When life hurts, it's hard to hang on. Jesus Himself has suffered and overcome. For those who are hurting, weary, wondering if it's worth it, Jesus calls us to find strength, rest, and hope in Him. He is all we need and He promises that a better day is coming.</p>

<p>Sometimes, the most spiritually dangerous place a person can be is a comfortable one. It lulls us into thinking that life is "good enough," or that we can rest on what we've already done. But faith requires ongoing effort, continued momentum toward Jesus. For this, we must continue to remember who He is, what He's done, and what He has for us now and forever.</p>

<p>The influence of the world has a gradual effect on us. Drifting a little at a time can result in a significant deviation when the journey is long. The Christians in these churches, and so many of us, have tolerated sin in our lives which is compromising our faith and could lead to condemnation before Jesus. We must repent and be faithful.</p>

<p>There is something exciting and invigorating about love at first. We feel this in human relationships and we see it in our faith. Over time, love can flicker and expressions of devotion diminish. Jesus deserves and desires our best love, our first love. He calls us back to love Him with the kind of love He has shown us.</p>

<p>Suffering often has such a negative effect on us emotionally and spiritually because we perceive that it's the opposite of what we deserve. Job grapples with this in the beginning of the book, resolving to worship God because everything he had and lost was God's to begin with. In the middle of the book, Job becomes resentful because he believes he deserved better. And then, by the end, when Job makes peace with God and accepts whatever God gives, he receives more than He's ever had before (ch. 42). We need to have a right view of what has been give to us by God in this life... and we need to gaze ahead to the day, beyond this life, when God will give us so much more than we would ever deserve. Our hope in this life is the future inheritance the Lord has promised.</p>

<p>The book of Job is a trial… most think God is on the stand, needing to defend himself when life hurts. In the heavenly dialogue, we see that humanity is on trial--will people love God when they have no earthly reason? The question is needed today. The end of Job shows the reason for our love for God--he delights, irrationally, in His creation. His love for us is all the reason we need to love Him, whatever life brings.</p>

<p>Job was a really good man. So, when he suffered, Job concluded that God wasn't just. His friends argued that Job must not be good because God is surely just. How many still come to one of those conclusions in the midst of suffering– God isn't fair or this must be my punishment for sin. By the end of the book, God explains that suffering is more complicated than they think, and the right response for us is to trust Him, who is sovereign through it all.</p>

<p>Salvation is a sign of our victory. It's already been won by Jesus and when we fight on His side, we are already champions. This message needs to show how Jesus wins the victory, proven through the resurrection, and how we take our place on His side through faith in Him.</p>

<p>Up to this point, it feels like we are hunkered down and trying to endure the attacks of the enemy. With Scripture and prayer, we go on the offense. Both bring the power and presence of God, "his mighty power" into the battle. We desperately need a rhythm of Scripture and prayer in our lives.</p>

<p>Faith is believing in who Jesus is and trusting what he says. Every soldier had a custom shield, perfectly fit for them. Each of us has our own faith, not to be compared or confused by someone else's. This personal faith prevents the attacks of the enemy from doing damage to us.</p>

<p>The Good News of Jesus is a message of peace with God. When we consider the alternative, that God could see us as enemies, makes our peace with God even more amazing. In response, we should be ready at any moment to go and announce this message of Good News for all who will receive it.</p>

<p>The invisible battle around us is real. It feels like we are fighting ourselves, each other, or the world around. But really, there is an unseen enemy who opposes us. On our own, we're sure to struggle and eventually lose. This introductory message will equip us with the power of God and the armor we can put on for protection.</p>

<p>God has established us as His spiritual family--children who have received the unconditional and undeserved love of the Father. We live up to our place in God's family by honoring His commands and His children. Sin causes us to refuse love to others in God's family.</p>