Blessed Assurance

Genesis 30:25 - 33:20

I am one of those fortunate sons that had a father with a life-changing faith in God.  I watched my dad trust in God’s Word and live under God’s blessing all his life.  There were times as a boy that I would go to my dad for assurance that God was with me too.  Dad was quick to say in response to whatever my questions, “Jon, what does God’s Word say about that?”  Then he’d direct me to reading through scripture to address the doubt I faced.  In those moments, I found re-assurance in the fact that it was God who spoke the promises for those who trust in His Word.  Over time and through my journey of faith in Christ Jesus, I have grappled with difficult seasons of life and my own pitfalls in character that have led to various crisis of faith moments.  By His grace, I have watched God deliver me through each moment.  I am eternally grateful for the blessed assurance I have in Jesus Christ to be with me and keep me by His side forevermore.

In our scripture text for this week, we read about Jacob facing intense moments on a long journey to a promised land in Canaan.  We get to see God’s personal presence and blessing on Jacob’s life through it all.  At the conclusion of this reading, we see Jacob with his new name proclaiming that the God of his father, Isaac, is his God too.   It’s a pivotal moment in Jacob’s life as we’ve seen him wrestle like so many of us today with his past and the pitfalls in his own character.  BUT GOD never stops caring for Jacob and is faithful to His promise to always be with him.  Praise be to God!

I’m reminded of the words to a hymn that says, “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine.  Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine.”  Oh, that we would find assurance in God’s word and the glory revealed and fulfilled in Jesus as the Christ.  That in the grappling moments of life, we would know our God is gracious and near.  May we remember that in Christ Jesus, God promises to be with us wherever we go, that nothing can ever separate us from His love, that He will lead, guide and protect His people onward to our ultimate destination as part of His Eternal Kingdom.  EVERYONE is invited to know Jesus and claim Him as their own and to bless the world like He has blessed us.  May it be so for you and me today.

Grateful & Hopeful in Christ,

Jon

You’re Right Where God Wants You

Genesis 27:41-30:34

“Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, ‘The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.’” Genesis 27:41

In the previous chapter, we see Isaac bless Jacob with prosperity, protection, and dominion over the people, including his brother. These were blessings that would have typically been given to the oldest son, which in this case, would be Esau. Esau was fuming with envy and pride because his younger brother was going to receive something that he felt entitled to have. So much so, that he wanted to kill his younger brother.

As someone in my 20s, I find this relatable. Although I would never consider extreme measures as Esau did, I sometimes find myself feeling envious of the blessings other people my age have received that I haven’t. In a world of social media, we are constantly exposed to the highlighted moments of millions of people’s lives. It’s so easy to look around at what everyone else is doing and feel like you’re not doing enough yourself.

“Why do they get to travel and live in new cities all the time, and I don’t? They are so successful in their career, and I still have no idea what I want to do. How is it that everyone around me is in a perfect relationship but nothing ever seems to work out for me?”

These are some thoughts that I’ve had one time or another, and I know a lot of people my age can relate. Being in your 20s is such an interesting time. People are doing vastly different things. Something that I’ve been slowly but surely learning to do is see the beauty in this. How cool is it that God has each of us on our own individual, but equally beautiful path! God has unique plans for each of us and has us exactly where we are because that’s exactly where He wants us. If He wanted us somewhere else, we would be somewhere else.

We can’t compare what God is doing in our lives to what He’s doing in our friend’s or family member’s lives. Wishing that God would bless us with the same things He’s blessed those around us with does way more harm than good. It distracts us from what He is currently doing in our lives and prevents Him from being able to use us in ways He wants to because we are so worried about what we don’t have.

So next time you find yourself feeling envious of others’ blessings, especially ones you feel as though you have a right to receive as well, remember that God simply knows better. He hasn’t blessed you with these things because He has something better in store for you. Even if it feels like everything you’re doing right now is “boring” or “ordinary,” God can do so much through seemingly simple, ordinary things. He has you right where He wants you!

Carmen K

Unfair

Genesis 25:1-27:40

Growing up, one of the meanest things my older brother could say to me was that I was my parents' favorite, usually implying that it was because I was the “baby” of our family. Being called the baby was aggravating, but what bothered me most was, strangely, being told I was the favorite. He would accuse me of getting away with things he got in trouble for, or that I didn’t have to do as many chores as he did, or that his chores were harder. He stopped as we got older, however, the memories of his taunts continued to bother me…but why? I wondered why I hated the thought that I was getting special treatment; I didn’t want to get in trouble more or take harder chores! I think what bothered me was that his taunts offended my sense of fairness. We’re taught from a young age that fairness is a virtue and should be sought in our dealings with others.

Genesis 25:1-27:40 is primarily concerned with Abraham’s son Isaac and his family. Isaac marries Rebekah, who turns out to be barren, and he prays to God on Rebekah’s behalf. The Lord grants Isaac’s prayer and Rebekah conceives twins! Unfortunately, this happy moment is short-lived, and the twins begin struggling with each other before they are even born! The Lord reveals to Rebekah that while these two brothers are destined to father great nations, they will always be rivals. Furthermore, God tells her that the younger son will rule over the older son, which likely shocked Rebekah. As you read further, you find that dysfunctional is the only word to describe this family. Isaac and Rebekah play favorites with their sons, with Isaac favoring Esau and Rebekah favoring his younger brother Jacob. What follows is a series of bad behaviors, primarily Esau selling his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew and Rebekah encouraging Jacob to steal Esau’s blessing. The whole story feels kind of like an Old Testament reality show.

Is God unfair? Traditionally, the oldest male child would inherit everything from his father; however, the Lord made it clear before their birth that Jacob, not Esau, would be the one to inherit everything. On the surface, that may seem unfair, but God knew these two young men before they were ever conceived. God knew that Esau was foolish and impulsive. He not only disregarded his birthright to lead his family, but he was also rash and headstrong, marrying two Hittite women against the wishes of God and his parents. Amid this family’s failings, God’s sovereignty and grace still shined through, for in time God would bless both Jacob and Esau as well as keep the promise he made to Abraham.

May you remember God’s sovereignty in those moments when life seems unfair..

In Christ’s Love,

Mike

Wow Factor

Genesis 23-24

Kim and I celebrate a milestone wedding anniversary this week.  I thank God for providing her as my wife and best friend.  I thank God for bringing us along TOGETHER to this point.  Anyone that has been married for a while knows that relationships are full of ups and downs.  By God’s grace, I can sincerely say that every part of our relationship has been worth it!  I am wowed more than ever by her and still more by the gracious LORD that has walked before, beside and behind us through it all.  The best counsel that I ever received in the course of our marriage came to me in the form of a question, “IF JESUS ASKED YOU TO, WOULD YOU DO IT?”  The answer to that question is convicting for those of us that call ourselves Christians and followers of Christ and has the power to change everything.

In our text this week, we see Rebekah being wowed by how the LORD is working in her life and it leads her to go along with His plan in a way that will be for her blessing through the covenant God has made with Abraham and his line.  The blessing on Rebekah’s life has a legacy impact for those of us who believe in the person and work of Jesus Christ today. 

In the face of our lackluster attempts to control our fate and the vain glorious pride that will only fail us, how we continue to respond to the previously mentioned counseling question in each moment of our lives will impact not only us but those around us too.  Will we go in the blessing of trusting in the steadfast love and faithfulness of the REDEEMER or will we stay under the curse of resisting the gracious plan of blessing our Heavenly Father calls us toward?

May it be that the Bride of Christ will be quick to repent in each moment and turn only to Jesus and His desire to bless us.  May we remember His steadfast love and faithfulness in our next heartbeat and be wowed again to trust in the guidance of His Spirit instead of our weak idols and false pride. 

May God alone be glorified in my life and in His church so that all will know He is the ONE who provides what is good and never stops loving His people - no matter what!

Grateful & Hopeful in Christ,

Jon

Jehovah Jireh

In Genesis 20, Abraham moved to Gerar but intentionally omits the fact that he is married to Sarah out of fear. The King, Abimelech, takes her into his home to become his wife which puts him at risk of unknowingly committing a sin. God intervenes to prevent Abimelech from having relations with Sarah and warns him in a dream about the consequences of his impending actions. Abimelech acknowledges this warning and offers some of his wealth to Abraham after learning that Abraham is considered a prophet. This narrative highlights the protection and provision for all parties involved: Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelech.

In chapter 21, Sarah, Abraham, and Hagar face a difficult living situation. After Sarah is blessed with a son, she decides to send Hagar and Ishmael away, unable to tolerate their presence. Abraham consults God, who reassures him that He will provide for Ishmael. As Hagar and Ishmael wander through the desert, Hagar leaves Ishmael in the bushes, unable to watch him perish. God hears Ishmael's cries, and the angel of the LORD calls from the heavens to comfort Hagar and leads her to a well of fresh water. God fulfills His promise by providing a son to Sarah and Abraham and ensures the well-being of Hagar and Ishmael.

In chapter 22, God instructs Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. Abraham obeys and travels to Moriah with Isaac. When Isaac asks about the lamb for the offering, Abraham assures him that God will provide it. Just as Abraham is about to sacrifice Isaac, the Angel of the LORD stops him, acknowledging his obedience. A ram is provided and sacrificed in Isaac's place. 

In these 3 chapters we see God’s provisions for His people. God speaks to His people, coming to them in dreams, leading them to water and drawing them out of sin-led situations.  The same God that provided for Abimelech, Abraham, Sarah, Hagar and Ismael also provides for you and me. Even when we lean into our own understanding and take matters into our own hands, God is there to guide us and correct us. There are consequences for our behaviors and death is the consequence of sin. But God provided the ultimate provision when Jesus, God’s only Son, died on the cross so that those who believe in Him will have everlasting life. For God did not come to condemn us but to save us! He is Jehovah Jireh- the Lord who provides!

Love, 

~Nikki

Our God is a Consuming Fire

In Genesis 18-19, we find the account of the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

We were first introduced to these cities in connection with Lot back in chapter 13. After Abram and Lot made their decisions about separating the land, it says:

“Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.” (13:12-13)

Fast forward to chapters 18-19. Here are the high points:

- God Himself, along with two angels, visits Abraham and Sarah. God, once again, promises that they will have a son - to which they (again) respond with laughter - this time, Sarah.
- God also tells Abraham what He is about to do - because the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah is “very grave”, God is going to bring destruction on the cities.
- Abraham intercedes on behalf of the righteous that might be in the cities - asking that God spare the city if there are fifty righteous people there. And eventually, even if there are just ten people there.
- Highlighting their own wickedness, the men of Sodom want to have sex with the two angels, who were spending the night in Lot’s house. Lot (also wickedly) offers to the men of Sodom his daughters instead. The angels quell the threat by striking the men with blindness.
- The angels once more warn Lot of the destruction and punishment that is coming. Lot warns his sons-in-law, who think he is only kidding.
- Lot continues to linger and not escape. But mercifully, the Lord uses the angels to bring Lot and his family outside of the city. Lot and his family flee to Zoar - a small, nearby city.
- Destruction comes - “the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven. And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.” (19:24-25) Lot’s wife, looking back at the cities, is turned into a pillar of salt.
- But the wickedness sadly has not ended. Lot’s daughters, now living with Lot in the mountains and caves, plot to get their father drunk, have sex with him, and become impregnated by him. From these two daughters would come the Moabite and Ammonite peoples.

---

There are few passages in the Bible that rival this one in terms of displaying both the wickedness of man, and also the holy wrath of God.

Upon reading such passages, what is your attitude? What are your takeaways?

I think it's safe to say in our approach to God's Word, we tend to tend gravitate away from passages like this, and gravitate toward passages that highlight the love, mercy, and kindness of God.

Said another way, we really like the passages that remind us of the good news (rightly so!), but we are, at best, indifferent toward the passages that remind us of the bad news.

But friends, we must never get too far away from the bad news. Because it is in light of the bad news that we truly feel and experience the GOODNESS of the good news!

Here is the bad news: God is pure, holy, and wrathful toward sin. He MUST punish sin - to not do so would contradict His perfect character.

As the writer of Hebrews says,
"Our God is a consuming fire." (12:29)

Certainly we see this on display in Genesis 18-19. And you might read this passage and think,

"Well, certainly the people of Sodom and Gomorrah should have been punished. But I'm not anywhere near as wicked as them!"

But friend, we must not diminish the holiness of God. He is too perfect, too high above us for us to rationalize our righteousness before Him.

In our sin, there is between us and God an infinite chasm. And yes, perhaps in our man-made righteousness, we could get a few feet closer to the other side than the worst person in Sodom. But you and I are still miles and miles from reaching the other side.

Only God Himself can bridge this gap.
And good news:
That's exactly what He did for us in Jesus.

Not only was Jesus perfect on our behalf, but on the cross, He fully bore God's wrath in our place.

That same wrath we see displayed toward Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis, Jesus absorbed that as our Substitute on the cross.

"Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ, I live."

As you reflect on Genesis 18-19, may the passage serve as a challenge to you...

To not minimize the holiness of God.
But also,
To not minimize His kindness toward you through the finished work of Jesus.

- Joe

The God Who Sees Me

Genesis 15-17

Have you ever waited so long for God to fulfill a promise that you begin to lose hope and decide you’re better off taking matters into your own hands? If so, you’re not alone.

In these chapters, God makes several big promises to Abram. He promises that Abram’s descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky, that these descendants will inherit land, and that they will be freed from slavery. At first, Abram believes in these promises, but as time goes on, he begins to lose faith. His wife is old and struggling to bear a child, so the couple decides to take matters into their own hands. Abram agrees to have a child with his wife’s maidservant, Hagar.

After finding out she is pregnant and facing harsh treatment by Sarai, Hagar flees to the wilderness. Here, God appears to her, telling her that he hears her affliction. He makes a promise to her that her son will be the father of a great nation. In this moment, Hagar refers to God as “El Roi.” This is a Hebrew name for God meaning, “The God who sees me.”

What a beautiful reminder for all of us. God sees us. He sees our pain, our struggles, and our sin. He sees us take matters into our own hands when His promises are taking too long.

Not only does he see us, but He chooses to stay with us and use our mistakes for His good. He doesn’t let us sit in our pain or sin but guides us back on track. Right before God promises that He will use Hagar’s mistake for good, he tells her to return to Sarai and submit to her. He doesn’t let her sit in her pain but leads her back to work.

God does the same for us. When we get impatient and choose our own way over His, He doesn’t shame us, but covers us in His love. He uses our mistakes for good and guides us back into His arms. He wants the best for us. He knows us way better than we know ourselves and has a perfect plan for each of us even when His plan seems to make no sense. No one’s walk with God is perfect. We all make mistakes, and try to do things our way at times, but luckily, we can rest in knowing that if we’re seeking God, He will always lead us back where we belong.

Carmen K

Journey

Genesis 12-14

I first felt God calling me to vocational ministry in 2003. About a year later I was offered the position of full-time youth pastor at our former church and I readily accepted! Shortly before I began my new position, but before I had quit my old job, I met with my senior pastor in his office to discuss my role as youth pastor. Before we even began discussing my new job, he looked at me very seriously and said, “Before we begin there’s something I want you to consider.” I could tell by the tone of his voice that this was important. “Mike, if there is anything else you can do in life besides pastoral ministry and still be fulfilled, then you should do it.” I was speechless…that was not at all what I expected him to say! He continued, “I say this because pastoral ministry is hard, it can be frustrating and heart-breaking, and it can often leave you feeling emotionally drained.” My first thought was, “Well it’s good that you became a pastor because you sir are a terrible salesman!”

In chapter 12 of Genesis, we meet a man named Abram whom God calls to pack up his entire household and possessions, leave his homeland, and travel to a foreign country. God also gives Abram a promise that he will bless Abram with a huge family that will, in turn, bless all the families of the earth! Abram’s journey isn’t always easy, he makes mistakes, deals with family conflict, and must even fight a battle against superior numbers! In all of this, the Lord’s grace continues to cover Abram’s life. In chapter 14 he meets a man named Melchizedek who is both a king and a priest; he has no lineage of ancestors or record of his death—in effect, he has no beginning or end. Melchizedek accepts Abram’s offering of a tenth of the spoils and blesses Abram.

Like Abram, we are all called to make a journey of faith by God. It may not be an easy journey. We may be called to leave behind a place of comfort or even complacency, to do something we never imagined doing in a place we never imagined being. In each of our faith journeys, we will make mistakes, deal with conflict, and fight spiritual battles that seem overwhelmingly impossible…but here’s the good news: we, too, have a high priest and king with no end. When we answer His call and go where he sends us, He will bless us beyond what we can fathom. May you be blessed on your journey.

In Christ’s Love,

Mike

From Every Tribe and Language

As we move forward in Genesis, and leave behind the accounts of the flood - God "resetting" the earth and mankind - the reader might think,

"Surely things will be better moving forward!"

But while there has been this "reset," sin is still present. Rearing its ugly head.

We're generations now from Noah, and the earth is once again being re-populated through the sons of Noah - Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Genesis 10).

And then in Genesis 11, this "reset" humanity, in their godless pride, decide to band together to build "a city and a tower with its top in the heavens" (11:3-4).

At first blush, maybe this seems harmless. This "reset" humanity is simply taking an interest in proper civil engineering.

But the verse goes on to tell us their motive:

     "And let us make a name for ourselves."

From the beginning, God had created mankind to ultimately find joy and fulfillment in making much of HIS name.

But instead - the name - the glory, the renown - of God has been replaced with man's. The Creator's name replaced with the creation's.

How does God respond? In judgment, God brings confusion, and then, dispersal (11:7-9).

He confuses the languages of the people - so they can no longer understand each other, let alone work together.

And then from their city and their tower - now known as "Babel" (because of their babbling) - God disperses them "over the face of all the earth."

For this "reset" humanity, their pride and their sin have led to confusion, dispersal, and disunity.

---

And no doubt, the effects of Babel are alive and well to this day. The earth is full of hundreds of different cultures, and thousands of different languages. It is estimated that there are over 7,000 languages on earth (!), let alone tens of thousands of different dialects.

But even within a culture and a language, there can still be a lack of unity, and great conflict. Umm, just look around you in America today!!

---

But we can take hope in the fact that, where sin leads to disunity, Jesus can and will bring unity.

We can take hope in looking at "the back of the book" - the book of Revelation.

In Revelation 7, we're given a vision of the throne of God, and around the throne there is "a great multitude that no one could number" (7:9) - with a loud voice worshipping God. and Jesus the Lamb.

And notice - this multitude is "from all tribes and peoples and languages."

You see, one day, Babel will be undone.

Not undone in that all of mankind's languages and distinctions will be erased. But that, in spite of all the distinction, there will be unity through the Lamb. The Lamb who was slain for this people.

A couple chapters earlier (5:9) we hear another song being sung to the Lamb,

     "Worthy are you to take the scroll
     and to open its seals,
     for you were slain,
     and by your blood you ransomed people for God
     from every tribe and language and people and nation..."

The Lamb was slain, and shed His blood, so that from every tribe, language, people, and nation - ONE ransomed people of God would be formed to worship Him forever and ever.

One day, Babel will be undone.

---

Brothers and sisters, we look forward to this day with great hope! Especially when we live in days of constant conflict, disunity, and hate.

Our ultimate hope is this scene we see in Revelation. And we won't experience true, full unity until then.

But - as people who have been ransomed by the Lamb who was slain, what an opportunity we have to be ambassadors in the here and now!

Ambassadors for unity, for love, and for the good news that all who repent and believe the good news of Jesus will join us in worship on that day.

- Joe

God Revealed

Genesis 6-9

Genesis Chapters 6-9 are about the Great Flood that destroys the world because sin had corrupted even the ground. Many of us know this story well and probably first heard it in Sunday school. I remember seeing animals and the Ark painted on the walls of a classroom in my childhood Church. It has all the elements of a great children’s story, a big boat and every animal going two by two into it and many days out at sea floating on the waters. For me, a huge animal lover, it sounds like a fun cruise I would pay to vacation on! Yet, some of this story can be hard to explain to a child, and even harder to understand as an adult. 

God saw that man was evil and was sorry for His creation. He decides to destroy everything He created by a flood, all animals, the earth and man. 

“God was sorry…” God is telling us about Himself in the story of Noah and the flood. God seeing what was happening on Earth and to man was sorry and decided to destroy everything that sin had ruined. Yet, Noah and his family had found favor with the Lord as Noah was the only righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth walking in close fellowship with God. God observed the violence and corruption that was everywhere on Earth, so God said to Noah, He had planned to destroy the Earth and all that had become corrupt. Noah obeyed and followed God’s plan obediently. God carries out His plan and after many long months of nothing but water, God remembers Noah and ends the flood and dries up the land. God says to Noah they can all exit the Ark and Noah builds an Altar to God, with a burning sacrifice. God is pleased with the aroma and says that He will not curse the ground because of humans even though they bend toward evil in thought and action.

Wow, God is revealing Himself in big ways, I have underlined a few. We also see a bit about Noah’s character, how he found favor with God and his relationship with God. God sees what is happening on Earth and observes all of it. He is sorry evil has ruined not just man but all creatures and even the soil to corruption. He finds favor in the fellowship He has with Noah and sees Noah as blameless and Noah stays in close fellowship with God, not turning toward evil. God tells Noah what He is about to do, He lets Noah in on His plan. Noah obeys and God does what He said He would do. God remembers Noah and ends the flood. Yet, it doesn’t end there, and God is about to reveal even more about Himself.  

God makes a Covenant with Noah. We now have a second Covenant between God and man. The first was with Adam and is called the Adamic Covenant. I’m new to the word Covenant. Not a common word used in my everyday life and up until 8 years ago I never gave the word much thought. Over the past 8 years that word has engaged my curiosity. What is a covenant? What is the importance of a Covenant between God and His people? What do covenants have to do with love? Have to do with me? I have learned that there are 7 covenants listed in the Bible. Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Palestinian, Mosaic, Davidic and New Covenant. I won't dive into all the covenants, but I will tell you it was the Abrahamic Covenant where I first saw How much God loved Abraham and me and where the word Covenant began to stand out for me.

What is a covenant and what did it mean in Noah’s time? A covenant is a legal binding agreement. A promise under oath, between two parties and if broken, damages and debts can be recovered. In Ancient Israelite times covenants were often determined by kinship, joining a tribe to an individual, like a wedding or an adoption. There are two types of covenants; the party covenants, made between equal parties and the suzerain-vassal covenants, made between a greater party called the suzerain and a lesser party called the vassal. The suzerain would provide the greater benefits, like land and protection to the vassal(s). Vassal(s), sometimes servants, would be indebted to the suzerain and a vassal could only have one suzerain often referred to as lord or master. If they dared to have another suzerain, they could be tried for treason. The vassal would also be responsible for keeping the proof of the covenant and if that proof could not be presented, the covenant could be voided by the suzerain, no longer having to provide for the vassal and the debt would be collected.

Why is this important to know? So that we can see how God views Himself. God tells Noah and his sons that the covenant is with them, their descendants, all the animals and every living creature on earth. He promises to never flood the earth or destroy everything again. To remember this covenant God gives a sign to Noah, to all living creatures and all generations to come. God gives His rainbow to Noah and says when He sends clouds over the earth, He will see the rainbow and He will be reminded of this covenant.

God who is the one with the greater power would be known as the suzerain party and Noah would be the vassal, the lesser. Noah as the lesser would be responsible for the sign and be tasked with reminding God of their agreement. All lesser parties would be responsible, that would mean the animals, the earth and Noah’s descendants would have to show God the proof of the contract to avoid ever being destroyed again. That sounds like an impossible task!

God the greater party is Thee Suzerain. Yet, God takes on the role of the vassal! God takes the lesser position and gives up His rainbow as a sign of the agreement. God then also being the greater takes the role of the Suzerain saying that when He sees His rainbow He will remember this promise and hold the terms of the Covenant. God then confirms His sign and the covenant with Noah. Sign sealed and delivered!

God tells us about Himself so that we may know Him. God sees us, observes what is happening to us, tells us His plans, is just in His ways to protect us from evil, favors our relationship with Him and is pleased when we thank and worship Him. God is willing to take the lesser role and greater role by providing His greatest protection over all the earth, over us. God does all the work for us! Do these characteristics of God remind you of someone?  

Jesus on the night that He was betrayed asked the disciples to remember Him right before He took the lesser role on the cross. As I began to scribble out my notes on this reflection and order my thoughts. I flipped through a random journal I had grabbed out of my stack of half-filled journals. It was from 2015, when I was going through a hard time in my life. As I skimmed the words, they were unrecognizable to me for the person I was, the pain I felt during that time has now become a faded memory. Jesus and the covenant He made with me on the cross is the covering between the pain of my past and the love I have today.  

When we see the rainbow may we be reminded of how God is willing to take the lesser and the greater role for us. He loves us by preparing a way so that we will not be filled with worry, all has been provided to us. May God reveal His love to you as you continue to walk in fellowship with Him.

~Nikki

Living the Life

Genesis 4-5

What does it mean to you when you hear someone saying they are “living the life”?

One of my favorite quotes of all time is from a famous movie of my young adulthood that said, “Everyone dies but not everyone truly lives.”  Could you say right now that you have truly lived?  Recently, I have been overwhelmed and blessed by God’s ever-present help in my life.  All of it, a reminder that I am made to spend eternity in His holy presence.

In our text this week, we see many people named.  Some live a long time and some live a short time.  One name stands out among the many, Enoch, because it says “he was not found for God took him.”  It’s not completely clear what this means but it stands out.

We get some clarity on what happened with Enoch in the New Testament passage of Hebrews 11:5 when the writer states, “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him.  Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.”  This verse by itself is a powerful reminder of the work that faith in the LORD God will do in the life of the one who lives by it.  Also worth noting, Enoch is named in the hall of faith chapter of Hebrews but not his son who is credited with living the longest of any human on earth.  Clearly, God’s greatest concern for us is not on length of days but on the faith that fills them. 

We should not be surprised that death is coming for each person because of judgment on sin unless the LORD God gets to us first.  If there was hope for the son of Cain then I want to glean from that same hope today. Jesus as the Christ gets the last word over death.  His own death and resurrection are the guarantee that He is able, faithful and will do it.  The bedrock of our assurance for Him keeping His promises to us is in His steadfast love for us demonstrated most notably at the cross for us.

In this life, have you ever known a love so great as this?  Without that, you have not truly lived!  May we know that hope springs eternal because the perfect Keeper is pursuing us to keep us by His side forevermore.  May we walk with faith in our LORD God and His ability to do it!

Grateful & Hopeful in Christ,

Jon

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