The First Good News

Genesis 3

(I won't get into all the specifics and details of Genesis 3 here. So if you haven't taken a moment to read the chapter, I encourage you to do so!)

The events of Genesis chapter 3 are what we might call a spiritual "nuclear bomb." The effects of which we still feel to this day.

What had over and over again been described as "good" in chapter 1, has now been tainted, marred, and lost.

Mankind listened to the voice of the Serpent - the Enemy - and welcomed into God's beautiful creation his own guest. But this guest was a horrible, ugly monster: sin.

And with it, sin brought its own friends:

Sadness.

Hatred.

Fear.

Brokenness.

Death.

As we arrive near the end of the chapter, we might think: what hope is there?

All the "good" of chapter 1 has now been lost! Mankind, who had walked with God in the garden, now has been kicked out of that garden, and separated from his God. 

But what we can't miss is that there is good news in this chapter. We might call it the "First Good News."

In fact, theologians over the centuries have referred to it as just that: the proto-euangelion. "Proto" meaning "first," and "euangelion" meaning "good message" or "good news" (where we get our English word "evangelize").

Where is this good news in chapter 3? It's in verse 15. It's a promise from the Creator.

In the midst of Him handing out all of these curses upon the man, the woman, and the serpent, He promises that the Enemy would be defeated. And the defeat would come through the suffering of the Offspring of the woman.

     You will bruise His heel.

     But He will bruise your head.

At this early point of the story, there are many details to be filled in! And the reader surely has many questions.

Who is this Offspring of the woman?

What sort of suffering would He endure?

As we look backward at Genesis 3 with New Testament eyes, it's not hard to find the answers to these questions. 

We know that this "first good news" is all about Jesus. And what Jesus would do.

Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus would be, as the New testament describes Him, a second Adam.

Where the first Adam failed,

     the second Adam would succeed.

Where the first Adam disobeyed,

     the second Adam would obey in perfect righteousness.

Where the first Adam brought death,

     the second Adam would bring life to all who believe.

Where the first Adam let his wife wander into sin, 

     the second Adam would give His life for His bride (the church), as the payment for her sins.

"For as by the one man's disobedience

The many were made sinners,

So by the one man's obedience

The many will be made righteous."

(Rom. 5:19; for more, see all of Romans 5:12-21)

Believer in Jesus, this "First Good News" is for YOU.

Let your heart filled with genuine joy at this first announcement of the good news of Jesus in the Scriptures!

See the Father's love for us, that since creation - and since eternity past - He planned to provide Jesus the Son as the payment for your sins! 

This is good news!

- Joe

It is Not Good for Man to be Alone

Genesis 2:4-25

“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him’” Genesis 2:18.

I love revisiting the creation story because no matter how many times I re-read the same story, God never fails to teach me something new. This time, He drew my attention to His creation of Eve. God, in His magnificence, created the heavens and the earth. Then, He created Adam. His work was incredibly beautiful, yet God looked at all He created and felt like something was missing. He looked at Adam and said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” Then, he created Eve.

Eve was the finishing touch in God’s beautiful masterpiece. His work was not finished until she was created. This world often puts a lot of pressure on women. As a girl in my 20s, I have definitely felt this pressure, and I know that it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that you are not living up to the expectations. However, this verse speaks volumes about the value that women bring to the table. God’s creation was not complete until we came to be. Our presence in this world and our mere existence alone is valuable beyond our comprehension.

This verse also reminds us of the importance of community and communion with God. We are not meant to do life alone. Each of us have a deep, inherent desire to belong and an ache within us that craves to be known. We want to be a part of something, and we long for deep connection with others. We can’t do life on our own. Attempting to do so will leave us hurt and lost every single time. Isolating ourselves, especially during hard times, makes room for the enemy to creep in and pour lies into our minds. We need each other, and we need God. Life becomes so full and so beautiful when we fill it with God’s love and surround ourselves with people who reflect this love. Find the people in your life who help you see yourself as God does. The ones who help you sort through all the ugly pieces of yourself, picking up each one and pointing out the endless beauty hidden within. I encourage you to let God’s love fill you up today. Prioritize your relationship with Him and with others and remember how valuable you are in this world. <3

-Carmen

Asking the Right Questions

I listened to Taylor Swift singing “How Did It End?” and doesn’t that seem to be the question of our era? How will the story of this present age end, and WHEN? With wars and rumors of wars and unidentified drones, there’s much speculation. For the next several months at The Bridge, we want to shift the focus from the end of the story and turn the page back to Genesis to look at where it all began.

We often approach the first chapters of scripture and ask HOW?, but the question Moses aims to answer in Genesis is WHO?. Who is this book (and the whole Bible really), actually about? What did the Israelites who had just been set free from slavery need to know about the one who secured their release? And what do you and I, Americans living in 2025, need to know about this same God?

Take some time to read Genesis 1:1-2:3, If you highlight the proper nouns, you’ll find only one: God. God was there in the beginning and every action taken was at his initiative. Whatever questions these opening lines raise for you, set them aside for now and read it again, asking only this:

Who is God and what is he like?

What aspects of God’s character are revealed to you? How do these attributes help you to trust him more?

It used to be that because I couldn’t understand the HOW of Genesis, I didn’t trust the WHO. Genesis may leave us with questions about HOW, but it will not leave us in doubt about WHO. The Author of the Story has made himself known.

He’s been faithful from the beginning, and he will be faithful, even until The End.

Natalie

Love Gives

1 John 3:16

On the bus I work on as a monitor, is a young girl named Allie who is my friend. Allie is around eight years old and has straight brown hair, shockingly blue eyes, and freckles. Allie is incredibly bright, funny, and kind. I met Allie on her first day of kindergarten and she quickly worked her way into my heart. She sits next to me every morning and we talk about how she’s doing in school, what she wants to be when she grows up, and her family. She often asks me about my family as well, what my favorite candy is, and the places I’ve been. She even created a special fist-bump ritual just for the two of us!

One morning, not too long ago, Allie told me that she was bringing me a dollar the next day. I chuckled a little bit and asked her why she was bringing me a dollar, she looked directly into my eyes and said, “Because you’re the best bus monitor, and you’re my favorite.” I smiled and thanked her and told her she didn’t need to do that, she looked me in the eye again and in a very matter-of-fact tone told me, “I want to and I’m going to.” That let me know that the discussion was settled! I smiled and forgot about it. You can probably guess what happened the next morning when she got on the bus. When she pulled out a crumpled dollar bill that looked like it had been in someone’s shoe since the Reagan administration I was stunned. I know that Allie’s family doesn’t have a lot of money, and I couldn’t believe that she was offering me a treasure that could have been saved to buy a toy or candy. I tried to give it back; however, she was adamant, “No, I want to give it to you!” She was willing to make a sacrifice in love.

First John was written to a church community that was experiencing tension and conflict. Some members of this community had turned from the Apostle’s teaching and had begun rejecting Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God and were now trying to get others in the community to do the same. The author wants to remind his readers that they are to love as Jesus loves, unconditionally and sacrificially. Jesus' sacrificial love expressed on the cross was proof that he was God. When we show that sacrificial love to others in both big and small ways we display Christ’s love to a world in desperate need of His grace. May our love always be expressed in sacrificial ways that lead others to our Savior.

In Christ’s Love,

Mike

Pursue Love

“And it began to resemble what I once imagined church might be like, a church you could bear, where people laughed and enjoyed each other and did not care if they were right all the time or if other people were wrong.”*

I hope you’ve found that at The Bridge, that you’ve found a refuge with his people here, not because we’ve discovered the right answers but because we’re leaning into the Spirit and learning how to love. Yes, the sermons are crafted with prayer and care- God’s Word for God’s people in this moment. The songs are selected not to showcase our gifts, but to glorify God. We know how to throw a party, and we fellowship well, but without love all of these are useless, merely distracting entertainment.

We are weary travelers, longing for our true home. One day, and soon, we will see the Word himself face to face, and we will fall flat on ours. We will worship around the throne of God with our brothers and sisters of every tribe, nation, language, and tongue and together we will sing a new song. Soon, very soon, we will fellowship like never before at the wedding feast of the Lamb. There will no longer be need for prophecies, tongues, or any spiritual gifts to guide the church.

We will be home.

For now, we see only a reflection as in a mirror, but on that day, we will know him fully, just as he already fully knows us. And what then will remain? Faith. Hope. Love. But the greatest of these is love. We desire spiritual gifts, but love we pursue. 

It’s a joy to pursue love alongside you, Bridge Family.

Natalie

*From “I Cheerfully Refuse” by Leif Enger.

Love Story

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

There is still some debate on what it means to truly be in love.  Some are of the opinion that it means never having to say your sorry and I get that.  Others will say true love leads us to say we are sorry when someone we love is hurt by us and I get that too.  Either way, the enduring sign of true love is that it will persevere through anything and everything.

Paul speaks of love in terms of patience, kindness, sacrifice, hope, faith, commitment and rejoicing in the truth.  At first glance, the type of love Paul speaks about may seem theoretically sound but impossible to live.  And yet, it is the very kind of love we want to experience and share with others.

The good news is that our Heavenly Father has revealed His perfect love through His Son.  Jesus Christ is the personification of true love and that is captivating for His followers.  By His steadfast love, our risen Hero is living and leading us to love in ways that would be impossible for us to do on our own.  Once we know God’s perfect love from firsthand experience, it continually changes us from the inside out so we can demonstrate it in similar ways to others as God fills our hearts by the power of His Spirit.

The truth of the matter is that God is telling the story of His love as good news for a world in need of it.  His love story is demonstrated by how His followers love each other.  May it be so in our church today!  His love story will never end and there is more to His credit with each new day here and in the hereafter.  May we rejoice in that truth!  And may we pray onward in the way I was directed recently by a brother in Christ, “Lord, teach us to love.”

Grateful & Hopeful in Christ,

Jon

Motivation Matters

1 Corinthians 12:31-13:3

Christmas of nineteen ninety-six was shaping up to be a lean one. It was early in my and Gwen’s marriage, and finances were tight. We’d scraped together enough money to make sure that our son, Colin, got a few presents, but that was about it. Our parents were aware of the state of our finances, but we’d done our best to keep it to ourselves, making especially sure not to say anything around Colin because we didn’t want him to worry about us at Christmastime. We were cautious in shielding him from our financial reality, or so we thought.

We gathered at my parent's house on Christmas morning for our annual family gift exchange and noticed an enormous gift under the tree with no name on it, which we assumed was something my folks had gotten for Colin as a surprise. As was our family tradition it was the job of the youngest to pass out the presents and it was a joyous experience to watch Colin happily pass out the gifts one by one until only the big present was left. We were surprised when Colin brought that last gift to us with a huge smile on his face. By this time, we knew something was up because everyone was smiling and watching us, but no one was saying anything. We were so surprised when a bunch of helium balloons came floating out of the box, each with money tied to its string! Colin danced around the room shouting, “It worked, it worked!” He had saved up his allowance to create this gift and his only stipulation was that we couldn’t spend it on bills or groceries but on something fun for just the two of us. I can’t tell you how much money was in that box—I don’t remember—but I will never forget the love and joy of the little boy who gave it to us.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul writes a lot about gifts, Spiritual Gifts to be precise. God had given the people of the Corinthians many gifts; unfortunately, they used them for all of the wrong reasons. God had given them these gifts to build each other up and bring more people into the salvation that Christ offered, however, they chose instead to glorify themselves. Paul makes it clear in this passage that our motivations matter. Our “good deeds” don’t impress God, the condition of our hearts is what matters most to him! The Lord doesn’t need us to accomplish his will, he allows us to serve him for His glory and the transformation of our hearts. As we enter this season of giving, may we do so with the heart of Jesus.

In Christ’s Love,

Mike

Comparison is a Killer of Joy

Romans 12:14-21

The enemy often uses comparison as an attempt to lead us away from God. He whispers lies in our ears saying, “Look at what they have that you don’t. This must mean that God loves them more than he loves you.” It’s especially easy to believe these lies when you find yourself in a season of waiting for something: a spouse, a child, a job opportunity, healing from an illness, or the fulfillment of another prayer you have been praying for a long time.

When you start looking at other people’s lives and wishing you had what they have, it’s easy to lose sight of what God is doing in your life. He has you exactly where you are for a reason and will bless you with the things he has placed on your heart when the time is right. Lean into the season he has you in, spend time strengthening your relationship with Him, and stay faithful in prayer, expectantly waiting for God to move. Be genuinely happy for those around you and the way God is working in their lives – even when that includes seeing them experience things you wish you had. God has each of us on different paths but every single one of those paths is beautiful in its own way.

On the other hand, comparison can also cause us to exalt ourselves. It can be easy to lose humility and fall into the trap of thinking we know better than everyone else. It’s easy to think, “Well, I’m not perfect, but at least I’m not doingwhat they’re doing.” The truth is, we all fall short and are all a long way from perfectly reflecting Jesus. We really don’t have it figured out any more than the next person. We are constantly learning, and we shouldn’t look at ourselves as being better than someone else just because they are learning different lessons than us.

At the end of the day, it all comes back to love. We should love those who have the things we are so eagerly awaiting. We should love those who see things differently than us and are on different paths than us. We should love those who hurt us. The best revenge is prayer. Pray for those who hurt you and love them anyway. We are not called to condemn others or make them pay for their actions. God is the ultimate judge, leave it up to Him to do that. Our job is to forgive and treat those who hurt us with kindness. This is how we can reflect the character of Jesus and conquer evil by doing good.

Carmen K

Nikki's Reflection

Romans 12:9-13

One of my favorite artists is Jewel, who rose to fame in the 90’s. She is an Alaskan native who spent a year homeless at the age of 18. She has spoken of her experience seeing people greet a stray dog with loving kindness, but never even looking at her or much less welcoming her the way they did an animal. Her song “Hands” was written during this time and the line “in the end, only kindness matters” is a remembrance of those few who did show her kindness when many others looked so far down on her.  

I have been on a “downsize, declutter and reorganize” kick lately and as I was sifting through my stack of violin music, I came across two items that stirred my own memories from the 90’s. The first, a speech I wrote in High School, and the second, a letter from my little sister. 

The speech was about my trip with Encounter to DC and the letter was written by my sister as she adjusted with me being gone for a week or so. Both little pieces of paper tugged at my heart, and I was transported back to my youth. My speech described my first true brush with homelessness as I helped clean trash along the streets behind the White House. My eyes were opened to suffering I had never noticed before, and when I came back to Alton, I realized it existed here too, though like a shadow world, barely visible to passersby. 

During that time, my sister wrote about how she was bored, wondered what I was doing and told how she was looking forward to my return. When I came home she was happy to have me back, gave me her letter, and we fell right into the sisterhood rhythm; borrowing clothes without permission, teasing each other playfully while always knowing we have each other to share our lives with. Through perfectly woven moments of goodness, times of joy and holding on to hope during the hardest of times, we always know through the ups and downs of life we will hold space for one another.

Romans 12:10 states, we are “to love one another deeply as brothers and sisters." 

Love one another deeply. Did you know there are over 36 verses in the Bible that speak to Christ followers about loving one another? Peter, John, Paul and James have all written about loving one another as a fundamental teaching of Jesus. Jesus himself spoke about loving one another and in the Gospels there are many accounts of him showing us how to love one another through our words and actions. It is a major theme in the Bible. Yet it seems we fall short on loving one another.

As I reflect on my life I can’t help but ask “Can I greet a stranger on the street with the same loving welcome as when I greet my sister?” It is in Christ that we find this type of loving kindness. 

May our days be filled with the love from one another so joyfully described in this passage. 

Love Nikki

Grace and Faith

Romans 12:3-8

"A passage on spiritual gifts? That's great, Paul! I can't wait for you to tell me about all the ways that I can be used of God to serve others in the body of Christ."

We might approach this passage - Romans 12:3-8 - with the posture above. And while that is not an altogether wrong mindset, the apostle Paul wants to start somewhere else.

He does not want to start with our giftings.
He wants to start with us.

And more specifically, how we think about ourselves.

In other words,
before he addresses our "hands,"
he wants to address our "hearts."
And our humility.

He says in verse 3:

"I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think."

In 12:2, Paul had just spoken of a renewed mind - "... be transformed by the renewal of your mind."

And perhaps the primary way that this "transformed, renewed mind" shows itself is in how the believer thinks about *himself.* That he think humbly. That he NOT think highly of himself.

And furthermore, the very things that Paul emphasizes in these verses will help the believer do that very thing. Not think highly of himself.

Grace and faith.

1. Grace - two times in this passage (12:3, 6), Paul draws our attention to "the grace given to us."

What is grace? That God has been unbelievably kind toward you through Jesus Christ.

We would do well to remember that Paul is 11 chapters deep into this letter to the church in Rome. And "grace" has certainly been one of his themes so far!

     3:24 - "[we] are justified by his *grace* as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus"

     5:15 - "For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the *grace* of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many."

     8:32 - "He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him *graciously* give us all things?

And many more examples so far in this letter!

And as Paul is beginning to instruct his readers about spiritual gifts - and first, how we think about ourselves - he first wants to say:

Don't get far away from grace.
Don't forget how unbelievably kind God has been to you through Jesus Christ.

2. Faith - Paul finishes out v. 3 - "... think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned."

What is faith? Looking AWAY from ourselves - our righteousness, our worthiness, our ability to save ourselves (of which we have none) - and looking TO Jesus Christ for those things.

So notice what faith is at its very essence. Faith is not thinking of ourselves highly, and thinking of Christ highly!

Even more than that, note that Paul says that our faith has been "measured" and "assigned" by God.

Even our faith - our own ability to look away from ourselves, and to Jesus - even that didn't come from us. It wasn't because we willed ourselves to believe on Christ. It's because God actually measured out and assigned that faith to us!

So whether it's prophecy, serving, teaching, exhortation, generosity, leading, or acts of mercy - don't forget where to start.

We start with the kindness God has shown us in Jesus.
We start with the fact that our faith has been measured out and assigned to us.

And may all that lead us to not think highly of ourselves. And to think highly of Jesus Christ.

- Joe

Formed

Romans 12:2

The ESV translates it as “the world”. “Do not be conformed to this world.” Through the years the church’s view of what is and isn’t of “the world” has morphed. What was worldly to our grandparents seems innocuous to us. Which “world” should we avoid being conformed to?

The Greek word for world, used here, is aiōni, meaning “a space of time, an age”. Another rendering of Romans 12:2 says “Do not be conformed to this age”.  This puts us in a predicament because no longer is the conversation only about outward conformity to an ever changing standard of behavior. And how can we resist being shaped by this age, by this period of time in which the Lord has ordained for us to exist? All people, everywhere have been formed and reformed by their family of origin, their culture, their life experiences, their passions and pains, their wealth or poverty. None can help but be shaped by their space in time, but church,  we can be transformed.

What has shaped you? Is it the living and active word of God which is sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart? Or is it something else? What is at this very moment shaping you? We are Christ’s ambassadors. God is making his appeal through US, to the WORLD to be reconciled to Christ. This is part of God’s good, pleasing and perfect will.

There is only one way to be rightly formed. The Spirit of God must renew our minds with the Word of God to conform us to the image of the Son of God. In this age, this moment in time, I pray God will give us such a hunger for his word, that nothing lesser will ever satisfy.

-Natalie

How do you "Show Up?"

Every Monday morning I get to greet 4th-8th graders as they enter the school building.  I witness everything from smiles, to frowns, to grimaces, to sleepy eyes, to panicked stress (usually from students running late). 

People often “dread” Monday mornings.  Our culture has taught us to “live for the weekend” and to have a TGIF mindset, but is this the right way to “show up” for life?  What all might we miss when we live this way?

Paul offers an alternative way to “show up.”  “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1).

The “mercies of God” remind us that  God “showed up” in all the right ways when we were headed for destruction.  “God demonstrates his love for us in this: “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Paul is clear in Romans 12:1 that when we really “taste and see” the mercies of God it will change us.  It will change everything.  We will present (offer) our bodies (all of us - heart, soul, mind, will etc.) as a present (gift) to God in an act of full surrender (living sacrifice) in each present moment.  When we live this way we will “show up” to school, work, church, dinner, ball games, music recitals, coffee meetings etc. in a totally different way.

May we be those so moved by the mercies of God that it is our aim and our joy to “show up” standing in awe of God.  May we present (offer) our lives as a present (gift) to God in every present moment of every minute of every day.

In awe of Him,
Steven

The Crux of the Matter

Galatians 6:11-18

The major religions of the world are major for a reason.  People are created with a desire to worship God and will continually strive for a way to get right with God until they find it.  As we wrap our study in Paul’s letter to the Galatians, our text this week is in his final remarks.  Paul knew from experience that pride will be a major problem for the church.  Paul teaches that the only place for pride in the church is in the one thing that deserves our full attention – what God has done through the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.  While the cross of Christ has the power to humble us from our religious pride, it will offend anyone that doesn’t want to see their sin.  It will also offend anybody that thinks they can still save themselves from sin in some other way.  Those who don’t want to trust in the cross of Christ will rage against it.

The song “In Christ Alone” has lyrics that say “no power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from his hand, til He returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.”  The gospel is the power of Christ on which God’s church will stand secure.  In the spiritual war of man-made idolatry, the matter is settled in my heart that the cross of Christ has solved the problem and saves me completely from it.  His cross displays to me His steadfast love which is everything I could ever want.  In His cross, I experience the peace and mercy of God almighty.  At His cross, I stand amazed by the grace of my God who saves as His anointed One took the curse for my sin on Himself so that it could be crushed with Him on that cross instead of me.  No more striving and no turning back because Jesus continues to win me over to His side through the cross He bore for me and the sins of the world!

At the cross, we can all be humbled by the grand gesture of our eternal and resurrected King’s sacrificial love toward us.  As a church, let us boast most about the cross of Christ because it settles the matter in our hearts for which we were made to worship God.  Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!  At the cross, the zealot, the cynic and anyone in between can be changed into a new creation – grateful and hopeful in our Lord Jesus Christ.  May it be so for us each new day!

Jon

From Doubt to Discovery

I was raised Christan, but after a family member was in a bad accident, I stopped going to church. After a while, I claimed to be an atheist. I would make fun of people who believed, because "Why would you believe in something not provable?" By the time I reached High School, I just walked through life, and the only thing exciting me would be debates.

I then discovered Cliffe Knechtle. He would go to colleges and debate people on the Bible; whether it is factual, or has contradictions, and he sparked something in me. I then started attending the youth group on Wednesdays, and I changed. I was smiling more, more energetic. I would say I'm still early in my journey, but I do see the gifts God gives people. I recently went on a retreat, and while there I experienced something I can't describe.

If you know someone who is like me, invite them, tell them to ask questions, invite them to listen. They might hear something or experience something like I did.

Sincerely,

Isaiah Moore

Don't Lose Heart

Galatians 6:7-10

Lately I have been reminded of the fact that living life as a Christian is not always easy. Choosing to follow Jesus in a world that normalizes sin is hard. People often don’t understand why you choose to live differently. I especially find this hard as a young adult.

I would be lying if I said there haven’t been times where I’ve asked myself if it’s worth it. Am I missing out? Is this really how I want to live?

But each time these thoughts pop into my head, God sweeps in and covers me in His love. He reminds me that true freedom is not found in doing whatever we want, but in laying down our lives and living in a way that honors Him.

As Christians, we are supposed to be a light to others, showing them the joy and freedom that is found in the Lord. But how are we supposed to do that if we are living in sin?

The more time we spend with God, studying His word and getting to know Him, the more it is going to show in our lives. We are going to be able to love and serve others better. Joy and peace are going to exude out of us even when it doesn’t make sense.

Alternatively, if we choose to satisfy our sinful desires and live far from God, that is going to show in our lives too.

It’s not always easy to be obedient and choose God over sin, and sometimes it feels like it’s not worth it, but it is. Don’t lose heart! We will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. And although this harvest does not always come immediately, God is on our side and is always working. Choosing God and being obedient even on the hard days, is always worth it.

Carmen K

Agents of Restoration

Galatians 6:1-6

He was my friend—a volunteer youth leader, a Sunday school teacher, a husband and a father. He was also cheating on his wife. I don’t believe he intended to have an affair at first, but unresolved issues in his marriage led him to turn to another woman. What started as an emotional affair became a physical one that ultimately led him to leave his wife and children behind.

In the aftermath, I tried several times to reach out to my friend about the situation, pleading with him to remember his vows before God and to try and save his marriage. He chose to ignore me, shut me out, and let me know that my opinion wasn’t wanted or needed. In the weeks that followed, I spent many counseling sessions with his wife and children and my anger and frustration with him began to grow and consume me. I wanted to see him hurt the way he had hurt those he had walked away from. Thankfully, I was convicted by the Holy Spirit of my sinful attitude and I started to pray for God’s will for my brother, not my own; in so doing I was able to forgive him.

The first verse of Galatians 6:1-6 tells us, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” The words “caught in any transgression” describe a situation similar to an animal that slowly enters a trap only to realize too late that they have been caught… my friend, who likely hadn’t planned to have an affair, found himself trapped in adultery nonetheless. The scripture tells us that if we see a brother or sister trapped in sin we are to help “restore” them. The word translated as restore is the Greek word Kataritzo, which means to ‘put in order’ and so to ‘restore to its former condition’. In medical terminology, it describes setting a fractured or dislocated bone. If you’ve ever had a broken bone set or a dislocated shoulder put back in place you know how painful “restoration” can be, but without it, healing can’t begin. Paul also warns that in the painful, messy business of restoration, our emotions and passions can get the better of us and can even lead us to sin if we’re not careful. As messy and challenging as the ministry of restoration and reconciliation can be, it is one of the most important things Jesus calls us to do. He tells us in John 13:35, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” We are God’s chosen agents of restoration; may we carry out that calling in love.

In Christ’s Love,

Mike

The Fruit of Freedom

Don’t rely on the works of the law and put yourself under a curse.

Don’t act like a slave when you are an heir.

Don’t live like a child born of flesh, when you are a child of promise, born of the Spirit.

You are free. Free to love and serve your brothers and sisters. Free to walk by the Spirit who leads you.

Don’t live like the Jews, Paul has said.

But also, don’t live like the Greeks.

The Greeks believed pleasure was to be sought after. Hedonism was the highest good. Do what makes you happy!

Where Judaism of Paul’s day was overly concerned with circumcising the flesh, Greek culture was predominantly preoccupied with satisfying the flesh. In Galatians 6:19-20, Paul lists some works of the flesh; sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing and anything similar.

Legalism and licentiousness.

There is danger at either extreme.

You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ and have fallen from grace. You who are practicing works of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God.

BUT.  (There is a better way.)

As you walk by the Spirit, neither under the law nor carrying out the desires of your flesh but living in the freedom Christ has secured for you, there will be fruit.

It’s the fruit that is produced by the Spirit as we abide in Christ, our lives lovingly pruned by the Father.

Love.

Joy.

Peace.

Patience.

Kindness.

Goodness.  

Faithfulness.

Gentleness.

Self-control.

Such desirable fruit, indeed.

Jesus said, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourself to be my disciples.”

Bridge Family, I pray we keep in step with the Spirit. Christ has set us free from being law keepers or law breakers and the Father has sealed us with his Spirit to guide us. We have been given everything we need to live lives that yield a harvest. May we be a fruity bunch, in all the best ways!

Natalie

Love Others As You Love Yourself

Galatians 5:13-18

Author: Paul

To the Church in Galatia

“You have been given freedom: not freedom to do wrong, but freedom to love and serve each other. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: Love others as you love yourself.”

In the past, I struggled with the instruction to love others as you love yourself, because I wasn’t sure I even loved me. How can I love, if I am not sure what love is? Natural self-preservation could be a form of self-love, the will to survive, meeting all your Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. When your will to care for yourself is purely instinctual, can you call that loving yourself?

What is love? There are thousands upon thousands of poems, songs, books and movies about love. Most art in paintings and photographs depict some version, some interpretation of what love is or isn’t. There are books about the language of love and astrological star love signs. So if we aren’t sure what love is, or how to love, or even if we are loved; if we aren’t sure if we love ourselves, where do we go to find out?  

In the Hebrew and Greek language there are 4 words to describe love. Eros (romantic love), Storge (family love), Philia (deep friendship love) and Agape (Perfect love from God). Eros, Storge pronounced Stor-jay and Philia are straight forward. Agape, the perfect unconditional love from God teaches us and shows us what love is and how to do as Paul instructs in Galatians 5. Live in the freedom to love and serve each other.

Guilt, shame and false teaching lead me on a path of destruction. Looking back on it all and trying to write about my self-deprecating, self-hate seems ridiculous, cruel and unimaginable to me now and yet it was the underlying thought running through my head for so many years. “No one loves you; you are unlovable, you are nothing. You are a sinner. You’ll never be good, women can’t be good, you have no value. You are just to be seen, not heard.”

“And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” Psalm 50:15 and God did! He heard me cry out in my guilt, shame and grief and he led me to His word. He led me to repentance and freedom in the name of Jesus who died so that I may live!

Guilt can be used by Satan. “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly grief produces death.” In Genesis, guilt entered when Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge. They hid from God. God out of love called to them, searched for them and then clothed them in animal skin. To provide them with animal skin, blood was shed. “Under law almost everything is purified with blood. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Hebrews 9:22 “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Repentance leads to Restoration. “Hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:5  “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17 “There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!” Romans 8:1

Oh, what freedom I was given when God showed me His agape love! I am special to God, so special He clothed me!

Paul tells us to walk by and obey only the Holy Spirit’s instructions. How do we walk by the spirit? “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Walk in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Ephesians 4 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Colossians 3:16

May God continue to show Agape love to us so that we can love one another as we love ourselves, the way God loves us. So that we can be free of what binds us and rejoice in all that is good! Praise God! 

-Nikki

Him Who Calls You

Galatians 5:7-12

In this paragraph, though Paul is speaking directly to the people of the church, he has some words for these False Teachers in Galatia.

* They are hindering the church from obeying the truth (5:7).

* They are troubling (5:10) and unsettling (5:12) the church.

* They are persecuting Paul (5:11).

* Paul's confidence is that they will bear the penalty (5:10).

* Paul's wish for them is that they would not stop at circumcision, and that they would CUT. THE. WHOLE. THING. OFF (5:12).

Whoa.

And Paul wants to point out that the church is being persuaded by these teachers, and not being persuaded by God Himself. He says in 5:8...

"This persuasion is not from him who calls you."

Note how Paul frames this. He doesn't simply say "This persuasion is not from God."

There's something about God, and what God has done for these Galatians, to which Paul wants to draw their attention.

He is the One "who calls you."

And Paul has used this verbiage in the letter already.

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel" (1:6).

God has *called* these Galatians.

Called them in grace and kindness.

Called them to freedom (5:13).

Called them "out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).

Like Lazarus, called them out of the tomb, and to walk out, from death into life.

They were slaves, but God called them into freedom. 

They were in darkness, but God called them into light. 

They were dead, but God called them into life.

With this focus on calling, Paul is wanting to underline something. For both the Galatians, and us today.

That in our salvation, God is the One who does everything.

He is the Actor.

     We are the spectators. 

He is the Giver. 

     We are the recipients.

He does everything.

     We do nothing, but believe.

In what ways can God change us when we understand this? When we fully get our minds around this?

We will stop trusting in our own efforts to save ourselves, and earn righteousness from Him.

We will rest in the finished work of Jesus.

And we will rest in the One who has called us.

---

Remember how Paul described his own conversion, back in chapter 1?

"But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and *who called me by his grace*, was pleased to reveal his Son to me..." (1:15-16, emphasis mine).

Called by His grace.

Set apart before you were born.

Pleased to reveal the Son to you.

Believer in Jesus, rest in the freedom of this today.

- Joe

Fallen From Grace

Galatians 5:1-6

When I type “fall from grace” in my search bar, I see it’s often paired with the phrase “means I can lose my salvation”.  Is it possible to fall from grace? And if so, what could one do that would be so terrible that it would result in a fall from grace? In our culture, when we talk about someone falling from grace, it’s because they have done something reprehensible that’s led to a loss of position, respect, or popularity. It seems logical then, that a fall from grace in the Bible would be caused by some grievous sin. But the terrible sin that would lead to this fall, isn’t unrighteousness as much as it is self-righteousness (which is also quite unrighteous, if you think about it.)

In Galatians 5:1, Paul proclaims triumphantly, “For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.” We are free at last! After centuries of unsuccessfully kind-of-trying to obey all of the law, Christ has set his people free by imputing to them (and us!) his perfect record of obedience. Now we are sons and daughters! You know what circumcision accomplishes? Nothing! You know what uncircumcision accomplishes? It’s not a trick question- also nothing! Only Jesus is able to accomplish anything of saving merit, which he has done. Paul told the Galatians then, and it applies to us now, “If you are trying to be justified by the law, you are alienated from Christ. You’ve fallen from grace.” Have you ever met someone who said “If there’s a God, he could never forgive me because I’ve done so much wrong”? Have you ever met someone who said “If there’s a God, he could never forgive me because I’ve done so much right?” We would think that’s weird. Doing the right things is supposed to earn us favor, not alienate us from the One we are striving to please. But Paul says, that’s just what it does. We fall from grace anytime we think we need more (or less) than the grace that’s already been given to us.

We now live in a time-in-between: declared righteous, but not yet fully so, we eagerly wait with hope for that day. Until then, what matters, is faith working through love. In the next two months as we finish Galatians, we will see what freedom in Christ looks like and how faith working through love should be demonstrated both internally and in community.

Before we get there, let’s ask some hard questions. Have you fallen from grace? Do you find in yourself a tendency to believe the Father is pleased with you because of all you have done in his name? Or are you able to rest in the finished work of Christ, knowing you are just as loved on your bad days as you are on your good? Do you need to repent for trying to earn a love that’s already been lavished on you? If so, may today be the day you are restored to grace.

I pray that we will ever be growing in both the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, our only Righteousness.

Natalie