BridgePointe Christian Church

<p>In chapter two of his book, John recounts Jesus' first public miracle at the wedding in Cana and the clearing of the temple courts in Jerusalem to reveal the glory and authority of Jesus.</p>

<p>John the Baptist was a forerunner, announcing the coming Messiah and making sure people didn't miss Him when He came. The accounts of the response of the first disciples show us the appropriate response to Jesus, the Messiah.</p>

<p>At the beginning of this first chapter, John presents Jesus as the incarnation of the eternal, creator God. As God himself, Jesus reveals to us who God is and what He is doing in this world.</p>

<p>This series starts off with an overview of the book of John and the man who wrote it. The book was written to strengthen the faith of Christians who were struggling to believe from the unique perspective of a man who was close to Jesus.</p>

<p>The church is an interdependent community held together by what we believe about Jesus. When we gather together on Sundays we prioritize our commitment to one another.</p>

<p>We gather to sing on Sundays in order to redirect our worship to God alone. Singing gives us a higher view of God and a more humble view of ourselves, and this is a reset we need each week. This message is given in three parts with a set of worship songs as a response to each part.</p>

<p>Jesus instituted the practice of communion when He ate Passover with His disciples. Since then, Christians remember the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus through the practice of communion. For us today, communion proclaims our belief in Christ's death and resurrection, helps to make it personal for us, and helps us renew our commitment to Jesus.</p>

<p>Christians have gathered on Sundays to worship God and proclaim the good news of Jesus for over two thousand years. While our view and value of the Sunday gathering may have evolved over the years, God’s purpose for its place in our lives hasn’t changed. This week we look at the importance of hearing God's Wisdom weekly. We gather each week to hear from God's Word in order to give it priority and authority in our lives.</p>

<p>Wrapping up the series, this message looks at the emotion of fear. When we're scared, God reminds us that He is there if we just turn to Him and put our trust in Him.</p>

<p>Our happiness can be like decorations on a Christmas tree -- without something substantial (the tree) to hold them up, on their own they are just a pile of baubles. In this message, we look at what gives substance to our happiness - we can be happy because of all that God has already done for us and because of all that God will yet do for us.</p>

<p>Often at Christmastime, seemingly out of nowhere we are overwhelmed by an emotion, of grief, sadness, stress, loneliness, anger or regret. In Psalm 42, we see an overwhelmed David run to God, pour his emotions out, and choose to put his hope in God despite his circumstances.</p>

<p>Christmas is a time when we are really aware of what others have, and often find ourselves lacking for things and longing for more. In Psalm 23, David writes that he lacks for nothing because God is a good shepherd. Christmas can be a time marked by jealousy, or it can be a time we become more aware of what we have in Jesus.</p>

<p>We need help with our sin. We have a sin debt from our past that we cannot repay. The only way it will be forgiven is if we bring it to God. We need help with future sin that temptation will lead us into. So, we ask for the power of God to lead us away from temptation and give us the victory over the evil one. We need God to deal with sin-past and future.</p>

<p>While God wants us to pray for and pursue His will rather than ours, He still wants us to ask Him for what we need each day. Jesus' words are rooted in the OT story of God's provision of manna when He gave just enough for each day. Asking God for what we need each day increases our awareness, appreciation, and trust of God. In this message, I'll challenge people to start each day by praying through their day, asking God for what they need for each part of it.</p>

<p>We often use prayer to ask God to further our plans and agenda. Jesus teaches that prayer is a way to align ourselves with God's will. God's will is not hidden, elusive, or mysterious. He wants His Kingdom to come, so that earth looks more and more like heaven. By asking for God's Kingdom to come, we are saying that we are willing to be used by Him to bring His Kingdom by revealing His glory and bringing people to embrace Jesus as King.</p>

<p>This message will begin with a basic understanding of prayer. It is not about who sees us or how holy it makes us look. It is a personal conversation with God that should never be stale or repetitive. So, the most important part of understanding prayer is not the how but the who. We are invited to talk to the Holy God who is our loving Father. This will change everything about how we pray.</p>

<p>Shifts in our view of money can make all the difference in what we do with our money and what our money does to us. This series looks at the scriptural view of money and challenges us to shift our own view.<br><br>Series bibliography and resources:<br><br>How to Be Rich by Andy Stanley<br><br>Fields of Gold by Andy Stanley<br><br>The Generosity Ladder by Nelson Searcy <br><a href="http://(www.generosityladder.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">(www.generosityladder.com</a>)<br><br>The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn<br><br>Don’t Say $#&%X in Church by Bo Chancey<br><br>Financial Peace University (w/ Dave Ramsey)<br><a href="http://(www.fpu.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">(www.fpu.com</a>)</p>

<p>Shifts in our view of money can make all the difference in what we do with our money and what our money does to us. This series looks at the scriptural view of money and challenges us to shift our own view.<br><br>Series bibliography and resources:<br><br>How to Be Rich by Andy Stanley<br><br>Fields of Gold by Andy Stanley<br><br>The Generosity Ladder by Nelson Searcy <br><a href="http://(www.generosityladder.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">(www.generosityladder.com</a>)<br><br>The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn<br><br>Don’t Say $#&%X in Church by Bo Chancey<br><br>Financial Peace University (w/ Dave Ramsey)<br><a href="http://(www.fpu.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">(www.fpu.com</a>)</p>

<p>Following Jesus is not easy and it takes perseverance to keep one's commitment. This message looks to the book of Hebrews for wisdom on how to stay faithful to Jesus until the end.</p>

<p>Part one of a two part series of messages that focuses on on the believer's commitment to Jesus. This message explains what baptism is and why we do it.</p>

<p>The story of Zacchaeus shows us that curiosity about Jesus can be the catalyst for a life-changing discovery of Him.</p>

<p>A woman pushed her way into a house where she wasn't invited, wasn't welcome and had no place to be. Jesus let the woman with a reputation come close to Him and addressed the outrage of the guests present by telling a story to explain His actions.</p>

<p>Sitting down and sharing a meal with someone builds the relationship and can be a marker of how close you are. Jesus sat down and shared a meal with sinners and the religious leaders could not understand how he could sit at the same table with them. The story of Levi in Luke chapter 5 helps us understand how we can follow Jesus’ example.</p>

<p>When God called Samuel as a young boy, he famously answered, “Here I am.” In the message Anointer, we see how God chose Samuel to raise up others who would become greater than him. Samuel’s willingness, humility and obedience become an example for us as we invest in the lives of others. First 15 Guide: <a href="https://notes.subsplash.com/fill-in/view?doc=rydxqoQLb" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://notes.subsplash.com/fill-in/view?doc=rydxqoQLb</a></p>

<p>Gideon was unimpressive and insignificant in the eyes of his family and community. Because he was the most improbable candidate to be God’s mighty warrior, Gideon ends up being the perfect magnifier of God's greatness. FIRST 15 GUIDE: <a href="https://notes.subsplash.com/fill-in/view?doc=ryQhVv5HW" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://notes.subsplash.com/fill-in/view?doc=ryQhVv5HW</a></p>

<p>“Deliverer” tells the story of how God chose Moses, a fugitive living in a foreign land with a speech impediment and little confidence, to return to the last place he wanted to go and do the last thing he felt capable of doing. God saw in Moses a deliverer, and today God sees in ordinary people the capability to lead others to take steps toward Jesus. <br><br>First 15 guide: <a href="https://notes.subsplash.com/fill-in/view?doc=rJgSfiJrZ" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://notes.subsplash.com/fill-in/view?doc=rJgSfiJrZ</a></p>

<p>The church is not a location, a building, or a time of the week. Church is people and BridgePointe is a community of authentic, diverse, and imperfect people who are united by faith in Jesus. As BridgePointe opened its door for the first Sunday at 855 Waterman Ave., this message revisits the mission that BridgePointe has held onto since first opening its doors in 2013.</p>

<p>This message is the first in our series ICNU, a series about God’s extraordinary vision for ordinary, everyday people as seen in four character studies from the Old Testament. “Legacy Maker” looks at the story of Abraham and how God used him to begin a legacy of faith that continued for many generations.</p>

<p>Hospitality has an important role in the church and each of us has a part in it. Hospitality can define the church and set it apart from the culture around us. Through hospitality we show that each person has value and the power of consistently practiced hospitality can’t be underestimated.</p>

<p>Jesus told his disciples to go out and make disciples of all nations. But their first step in accomplishing that mission, was to go and wait for the Holy Spirit. The same charge is given to us today. The work of the church continues to spread as people who have found life in Jesus help others to find life in Jesus, and in order for us to succeed, we need to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit.</p>

<p>Have you ever wished that you could hear directly from God? In this message, discover how the Holy Spirit speaks to us in order to bring us closer to God.</p>

<p>Through His death and resurrection, Jesus promises us victory over sin, but it is the Holy Spirit who gives us that victory today. The power of the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to win the battle over sin today. We don't need to wait until we get to heaven to be free.</p>

<p>Heaven is where God is, and often that feels otherworldly and out of reach. But for those who believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit brings heaven to earth. Through the Holy Spirit, we can enjoy all that awaits us in heaven while on earth.<br><br>We were created to enjoy the presence of the God, yet sin limits our ability to experience God's presence. Jesus came to die for us and sent the Holy Spirit so that we can live in the presence of God.</p>

<p>Busyness robs relationships of the time they need to grow deep and flourish. A look at the story of Jesus visiting the home of Mary and Martha helps us understand what's most important when allocating our time.</p>

<p>Word have the power to bring life, and words have the power to bring death. In James 3, Jesus's brother James writes that "<a href="http://...no" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">...no</a> human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison." This message looks at what we can do to keep the weed of "words that hurt" out of our relationships.</p>

<p>Relationships cannot grow when they’re entangled with expectations. This message helps us understand where expectations come from and the harm they can inflict on relationships. Ultimately, God desires for us to find contentment and fulfillment first in Him. When we are able to seek God first to meet our expectations, we are less likely to impose expectations on others that they can't fulfill.</p>

<p>Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem on a colt just days before His death. The crowd laid their cloaks and palm branches down before him and greeted Him with cries of “Hosana” (he saves). Jesus arrival stirred the city. As we join the crowd in celebrating Jesus, we need to understand who He was and what He came to do.</p>

<p>After his baptism, Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness fasting and praying. At the end of this time, Satan came to tempt him. At the heart of the three temptations are lies the devil still uses to lead us off the path as we follow after Jesus.</p>

<p>The series Crossroad looks at four events in Jesus' life where he chose to continue walking toward the cross. At the first intersection, the Baptism of Jesus, we see that Jesus choice to carry our sin to the cross, complete with its consequence and cost.</p>

<p>The last message in the series coincided with the celebration of BridgePointe's 4th birthday. In Finish the Race, we look at one of the last letters Paul wrote to Timothy. In this deeply personal letter, Paul gives Timothy his last instructions and reflects on his own race of faith.</p>

<p>The love of money can destroy the church, but God has a better way. "But godliness with contentment is great gain." 1 Timothy 6:6</p>