Category Archives: Bridge Church
Discipleship = Relationship + Mission
One way we see New Testament Christianity framed in the ministry of Christ is in the connection between relationship and mission.
Mark 3:14 says,
“he (Jesus) appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him (RELATIONSHIP) and he might send them out to preach (MISSION).”
Then speaking to his post-resurrection followers, Jesus says in John 20:21-22,
“As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you (MISSION). And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit'” (RELATIONSHIP).
Then before ascending to heaven, he gave his followers their marching orders for the rest of time in Matthew 28:19-20,
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you (MISSION). And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age (RELATIONSHIP).”
To be in RELATIONSHIP w/Jesus, means to be listening to His voice through regular time with Him and to be empowered by and dependent upon His presence and not our own strength. To be ON MISSION w/Jesus means to continue His work of teaching, proclaiming, healing, having compassion, and sending (see Matthew 9:35-38) and walking in obedience to Him.
We must have both to have a robust, growing, multiplying faith and church. At times in my life, I’ve lived with one without the other. Emphasizing only relationship meant for me becoming a Sunday morning Christian. Making Christianity only about knowing the Bible and being at Christian events. Eventually RELATIONSHIP will dry up and Christianity will become RITUAL and RELIGION. Our relationship with Christ, will lead us to be ON MISSION with Him. Charles Spurgeon may have said it best when he said, “Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter.”
I’ve also emphasized MISSION at the expense of RELATIONSHIP in my Christian life, leading to frustration and near burnout as I try to do God’s work in man’s strength, or legalism as I try to DO MORE for God, SO THAT I can be an acceptable Christian. His Mission can only be accomplished in His power. It was that power that turned the frightened, locked away disciples into a missionary force that turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6). And only Christ makes us ACCEPTABLE to God. There is nothing more that we can do to deal with our sin or the worlds. Christ finished the work. Our only task now is intentional obedience, surrender, and dependence upon Him for this mission.
So, are you in RELATIONSHIP w/Christ? If so, are you ON MISSION w/Christ in this world? Healthy disciples grow as these two collide. Church leader, does your church provide opportunities for developing a healthy relationship with Christ as well as opportunities to be on His mission in the world?
This weekend, our church will hold our second Faith in Action Sunday of 2012. Every time there is a 5th Sunday in a month (four times per year) we take the weekend and provide opportunities for people to be on mission in our community. It’s been a great way to emphasize sending and mission among our community of disciples. Check out more info and our Faith in Action itinerary at bridgenorthshore.com/faith-in-action.
The Crux: Christ vs. Human Emotions
Defined as the essential point requiring a resolution or resolving an outcome. Crux is latin for Cross. Every time we use or hear hear this phrase we’re referencing the essential point of God’s plan for the world that demands a resolution from each of us.
What do you emphasize as the essential point of your spiritual life? When it comes to spirituality there’s a few things I think I’ve made the CRUX instead of the cross:
Last post we dealt with Christ’s Cross vs. our Human performance.
Here’s another: Human Emotions. We often let our feelings tell us what’s true or false about God, the Gospel, ourselves, and others. God made us emotional beings and emotions can be a very positive force in our spiritual growth and fruitfulness as we experience God and the needs of others. But if allowed to be THE CRUX they can send us on roller coasters and hard crashes and ups and downs in relationships with God and others. Emotions drive our decision making in today’s world. Our modern ethic is based on three emotional pillars: 1) It seems right at the moment. 2) Everyone else is doing it. 3) It feels good. The common refrain today is “Follow your heart.” But the Bible says that the heart is easily deceived, wicked, and unkno//,wable (Jeremiah 17:9).
Here’s what happens if we allow our feelings to be the point:
- We feel unvalued and cared by God and others. “Where was God when…?” “Everybody is so unfriendly at the church.” “Everybody talks about me.” The way we feel becomes a lens by which we see everyone and everything.
- We live inconsistent spiritual lives, because discipline and consistency of action seldom feels good to the flesh. There has to be more to motivate you than warm and fuzzy feelings if you’ll grow and continue a certain way of life. Imitation is what Jesus desires, not just inspiration. “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me” Luke 9:23.
- We’ll be often defeated by temptation because we’ll choose the easy way instead of the right way.
Here’s the Crux: The Gospel and it’s events (the death and resurrection of Christ) remain unaffected by whatever you’re feeling at the moment. And Jesus died to give us more than the warm fuzzy’s. He died that we may know REAL LIFE, POWER OVER SIN, AND LOVE THAT KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES. The cross of Christ stands as a constant reminder of HIS value and love and desire for us, no matter what. If Christianity is about what others think, what I feel, or what someone else may say, we miss the point.
Bridge Church is in the midst of a series of sermons on the Cross called The Crux. Gather with us Sunday’s, 10:30am at the West St. Tammany YMCA.
A Little Faith in Action This Week
This week we’ll be partnering with Covington’s Boy & Girls Club to paint their new building on Columbia Street in Covington. The
Boys & Girls club has never had it’s own facility in Covington and now they will be taking over the former Habitat Restore. A great location near the West 30’s, but much work is needed. Come by this week if you can give some time to painting and demolition. The Covington Boys & Girls Club provides a vital service to a neighborhood with many latch key and fatherless kids. Opportunities to tutor, mentor, volunteer in other ways abound.
We’ll also be partnering with the new mixed income apartment complex called
The Groves at Mile Branch in the West 30’s for an Outdoor Movie Night. Hoping to provide a fun night for residents to connect and cultivate relationships. And the Groves management hopes to use its state of the art space to help kids in the entire neighborhood.
We’ll also continue our Bus Stop Buffet’s, serving through giving away breakfast bars etc. at several multi-housing communities.
The Crux: Christ vs. Human Performance
Defined as the essential point requiring a resolution or resolving an outcome. Crux is latin for Cross. Every time we use or hear hear this phrase we’re referencing the essential point of God’s plan for the world that demands a resolution from each of us.
What do you emphasize as the essential point of your spiritual life? When it comes to spirituality there’s a few things I think I’ve made the CRUX instead of the cross:
Human performance. Believing God’s favor and forgiveness can be earned or is merited by human goodness or completing a list of religious deeds. I go to church, put money in the plate, give intellectual assent to the truths of the Bible, help with VBS, AND I don’t cuss, I buy the pastor a Christmas present, don’t watch “R” raided movies unless they’re about God, participate in canned food drives, help with D-Now weekend, give to the building program, participate in Boycotts of stores that support unbiblical agendas. I’ve had similar lists of things that are not bad, but are equal to the best of human GOODNESS. And the religious Pharisees of the New Testament could point to such list. But to rely on and make your list, your performance THE CRUX is to essentially claim that the death of Jesus on the cross was essentially unnecessary or insufficient. That’s what the Pharisees claimed as well.
Here’s the CRUX: If I could do anything to earn my way to God, then Jesus would have never had to die. He died because of our inability to earn or work or perform our way to heaven. The cross stands as a reminder of our inability and the impossibility of getting to God on our own. It speaks to the limitation of human goodness. It’s righteousness that’s required for a relationship with God. And righteousness is made available as a gift from God, because of Christ’s death on the Cross.
“He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” 2 Corinthians 5:21.
Don’t trust anything but Christ and what he accomplished for you at the cross.
Bridge Church is in the midst of a series of sermons on the Cross called The Crux. Gather with us Sunday’s, 10:30am at the West St. Tammany YMCA.
Core Practices of Sent Living
We are saved to be sent into the world (John 17:18; 20:21; Romans 10:14-15). Unlike my email “DRAFT” box which is full of messages that are SAVED BUT NOT SENT, God desires that we live out our faith. How do I live sent? The past two months Bridge Church has studied the Core Practices of Jesus’ life and those closest too him. We’ve asked the question, “What DID Jesus Do?” Here’s the Core Practices of Sent Living and some of the resources we’ve gathered as we’ve journeyed through this series:
1) LISTEN TO GOD. Do I have a regular time I spend with God? Jesus spent much time away from the crowds connecting with the Father. If He prioritized it, how much more should I? Check out the booklet How to Get a Grip on the Bible for tips on starting a daily time with God.
2) BE INTENTIONAL W/PEOPLE. Do you see people as distractions or as people that God loves? Do others know you care about them? Jesus was always close to people who needed him. The Message Paraphrase of John 1:14, says “the Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.” Are you intentional in your service and sharing with those closest to you? Here’s a booklet with over 100 ideas for Incarnational Living.
3) PUT YOUR FAITH IN ACTION. How are you serving others with your life? Can people see God working in and through your life? Jesus responded to the needs of people with compassion & urgency. 40 times in the Gospel of Mark the word “IMMEDIATELY” is related to Jesus’ ministry. What do you do IMMEDIATELY? SHAPEforMinistry on learning your SHAPE for ministry and consider getting involved in a church in a way that God has SHAPEd you.
4) GIVE IT AWAY. Do you live with generosity from your checkbook to your words? Do you live with open hand or closed fist? Jesus held nothing back for the needs of people, even when it meant giving his very life (Philippians 2:5-9).
5) TELL THE STORY. Can you share your testimony? Can you share the Gospel with others? Jesus shared the message simply everywhere he went. Check out http://www.WhatIValueMost.com for a great resource on sharing your testimony with others.
6) GO VIRAL. Do you have a desire to see the message spread and how are you using your relational influence to do that? Jesus started a movement not an institution. How are you extending the SPREAD of the Gospel from where you are? Check out this article on Utilizing Social Networking for Ministry for some tips on using your web influence.
7) LIVE SENT. What is God doing in the world? One answer: SENDING. God saw our deepest needs and SENT Christ (1 John 4:9-10). And today, he sees the needs of your neighborhood, work place, community and He has SENT you. Are you practicing SENT living?
Check out all the messages from this series and their intro vids here.
Saved, but NOT Sent
I’ve been pretty good at keeping up with email for most of my digital life, but lately my “Draft” box is filling up. That means I’ve started an email to you but I got distracted before I was able to complete it. If you’re waiting on an email from me, SORRY! These messages are SAVED, but NOT SENT.
Incidentally, I believe this describes many of us Christians in today’s Western church. We have been SAVED by God and put ourselves into the DRAFT box of church membership, but we’ve not seen the opportunities or necessity to be SENT by God into the world to used BY Him and FOR Him. Many Christians today are SAVED, but NOT SENT.
SENT is a key word in the Story of God. By nature God is a SENDER:
- He SENT Abraham away from Ur to find a promised land
- He SENT Joseph to Egypt to save his family from famine
- He SENT Moses to Egypt to rescue the Hebrews from slavery
- He SENT Judges to Israel to fend off enemies before the days of the Kings.
- He SENT Prophets to call the people to repentance and lead the people during the exile.
AND THE CLIMACTIC MOMENT:
- He SENT Jesus to die for the sins of the world and defeat sin and death through the resurrection.
- Luke 4:18, “He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind…”
- John 17:3, “this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have SENT.”
- 1 John 4:9, “In this is the love of God was made manifest among us, that God SENT his only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.”
And He’s continued SENDING:
- He SENT the Holy Spirit to empower the church for ministry and multiplication.
- He SENT the Apostles to start a Gospel movement around the known world. Apostle actually means “sent one”
And continue through 1,000’s of years of Church History and you’ll find yourself in a long list of people that God desires to be SENT into this world for His Glory.
We are SAVED TO BE SENT into the world for His glory.
- John 17:18, “As you SENT me into the world, so I have SENT them into the world.”
- John 20:21, “As the Father has SENT me, even so I am SENDING you.”
- Romans 10:14-15, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?t And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are SENT?”
So God sees the needs of the world and His response – HE SENT YOU AND I. We are God’s response.
So are you living SENT? or are you content with SITTING and watching others? Is your church a SENDING church or a SITTING church?
This weekend Bridge Church finished up a series of messages called Core (get the series and their Intro Videos here). It’s all about SENT Living and this week’s message we’ll talk about some practical ways to Live Sent.
What are some ways that you’ve know people to Live Sent? How have you lived sent in your world? What are the implications of being SENT by God on our daily lives?
A great book on Sent Living is entitled Live Sent by my good friend Jason Dukes. Check out info and some of my big take away’s from the book here.
Viral Faith happens at the Dinner Table
“Pray that the Master’s Word will simply take off and race through the country to a groundswell of response” http://bible.us/2Thess3.1.MSG
In my last post I talked about 4 elements of Viral content. God’s design for the Gospel was for it to spread virally as we see in 2 Thess 3:1. Here’s one practical thing you can do to in this regard: have dinner with some friends.
One way the gospel spread in the New Testament was “house to house.”
- Acts 2:46 (NASB) “day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart”
- Acts 5:42 (NASB) “every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.”
- Acts 20:20 (NASB) “I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house”
For the New Testament Church this was out of necessity – they had no buildings – and conviction – practicing hospitality was a core practice (Romans 12:13, Hebrews 13:2, 1 Peter 4:9). But there’s also a strategic advantage to using our homes and hospitality to spread the Gospel. There’s just something significant and sticky about sharing a meal with others that’s unforgettable and life changing. We tend to let our guards down around the dinner table and open up our lives to an extent that relationships are propelled forward and opportunities to share the gospel are cultivated. That may be why Jesus made this a core practice of his earthly ministry. One of my favorite post by Stuff Christians Like author Jon Acuff was about this:
What an ineffective communicator Jesus was by our modern standards of platform building. He could have spoken to hilltops of thousands of people each night, but instead he wasted time at dinner with a handful of tax collectors and strangers.
Want to change the world? It’s easy. Have a long, time-wasting, friendship-generating dinner with someone.
Alan Hirsch said it this way in his book Untamed:Reactivating Missional Discipleship:
If every Christian household regularly invited a stranger, or a poor person, or a work colleague into their home for a meal with the family once a week, we would literally change the world by eating!
Sounds like fun to me! Allow your home to be more than a refuge from the world. Use hospitality and meal making as a platform for your faith in Christ and a way to build relationships that will lead to the gospel spreading. So, pull out the favorite recipe’s, clear off the dining table, open up your life, invite a neighbor over, and go viral w/your faith.
Viral Faith
“Pray that the Master’s Word will simply take off and race through the country to a groundswell of response” http://bible.us/2Thess3.1.MSG
And that’s exactly what it did in the early days of the New Testament Church. But today we face slow declines. We bemoan the loss of Biblical values in the culture and it’s hard to see churches struggle to survive. But the worst part is that the message no longer races through the country, person to person, house to house, village to village, country to country.
Yesterday at Bridge Church we talked about how to have viral faith as part of our Core Practices message series. We know about 
viral things mainly from our favorite Youtube Videos that have been passed around through our social networks and email inboxes. Seth Godin mentions 4 things that have to be present for some content to go viral. His list is instructive in relation to the spread of the Gospel:
1. The content has to be understood. Recently our Association partnered with the LA Baptist Convention on a first of its kind opinion poll related to Northshore residents views on religion and church. One of the questions was: “How can a person become a Christian.” Over 80% could not explain how to become a Christian in the estimation of the operator. But interestingly enough only 31% of self-identified Southern Baptist, 34% of non-denominational, 8% of charismatics, 15% of Methodists could give a clear answer. Good question: Do I understand the gospel and can I explain it in a way that others can understand and can pass along?
2. There has to be a desire for others to know about it. We tend to pass on and create buzz about what is important to us. Today, church leaders are in the buzz creating business, but usually it’s creating buzz about programs that will keep us coming to church. There’s little desire to see the Gospel set people free around us. It was Charles Spurgeon who said, “Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that.” Do I have a desire for others to know Christ? As a church leader is there a growing desire in my church for others to know?
3. There’s a belief that passing it on has personal and corporate benefits. What’s the benefits to spreading the Gospel? We have to look deeper than the skin and we have to be willing to look to others. There’s great benefit to obeying Jesus, like his promised presence with us and eternal reward for faithfulness (Matthew 28:19-20, John 14:21 & 23). And there’s the benefit to society of a message that can transform people and cultures. In our concern to fit church into people’s schedule and keep them coming through tangible earthly benefits, have we lost the viral advantage of eternal benefits and an other’s centered perspective on life (Philippians 2:3-4).
4. It can be spread affordably. Here’s a product that’s free and can be spread for absolutely free if so desired. It’s free to us and free to spread, but a high price was paid for us to have the opportunity to know and make it known. Jesus paid it all. Our cost now: people’s opinions of us – “I don’t want people to think I’m a fanatic”, time – “I’m just so busy”, concern for others – “That’s their problem, not mine.” Small prices to pay comparatively.
This week I’ll be sharing some practical ways to go Viral with your faith.
I Don’t Want to Be a Drive-by Disciple
A few years ago, I was a busy pastor driving to the church 2-3 or 4, OK 5-6 nights a week for meetings, events, or to open the door and micro manage others meetings and events, when God opened my eyes to something. All of a sudden I noticed people out in their yards, coming home from work, and some even waving at me. Then I started noticing homes that were substandard and people walking on the side of the road and people living alone w/o relationships. God opened my eyes to the fact that I was DRIVING BY the needs of my neighborhood and community to get to my busy schedule of ALL GOOD and MOSTLY necessary church activities. I had essentially become the Levite and Priest in the story of the Good Samaritan, passing by the beat up guy with mega needs for the sake of my busy schedule and the opinions of others. I realized that I had become a DRIVE-BY DISCIPLE. I repented and ask God to help me live life on mission beyond my church’s calendar and property lines.
Matthew 9:36 says that Jesus “SAW the crowds.” Can you see those around you? Their needs? Their lifestyles? Their value to God? Their potential through Christ? In my area, when I looked around I saw 76-90% that are not attending church more than once per month if at all (96% not attending SBC churches). And the number that I’m driving by on my way to church is increasing every year. I see a growing number w/o hope leading to an ever increasing suicide attempt rate and people who are daily recognizing their pursuit of pleasure and ease is a facade. I began to see widows and elderly with no one to take care of their simple household issues. I began to see the multi-housing facilities and parks that takes me a few seconds to DRIVE-BY, but house 30o-500 lives in need of the Gospel.
In Matthew 10:5, Jesus responded to what he saw by SENDING his disciples on mission. He’s done the same today. WE ARE sent not to church, but into the world to give, to love, to share, to serve. Being a member of a church is an important part of life on mission, but it must not be a substitute for responding to and serving the needs around us as disciples, individually and corporately.
Every time there’s a 5th Sunday in a month, our church takes a Sunday – Faith In Action Sunday – to take care of needs we’ve been DRIVING BY for three months. It’s an intentional way for us to encourage life ON MISSION FOR OTHERS and take our message to the world beyond the church walls.
Join us for Faith in Action Sunday in 2012 – January 29th (more info and project list here), April 28th-29th, July 29th, and September 30th. Better yet, open your eyes to the needs around you. Look around as you drive to church this weekend. See the crowds, have compassion, realize that if you’re a disciple Jesus has sent you to this place for this time.
This Faith In Action Sunday we’ll be taking care of a few elderly widows needs, throwing a block party for inmate families at our local jail, painting a house in a neighborhood that’s undergoing revitalization, and more.
Here’s a great list of dozens of ways to be On Mission in your neighborhood, workplace, or community.
Core: Be Intentional w/People
One characteristic of a follower of Christ is intentionality in personal relationships. Jesus is our model of intentionality and living life on mission in three ways:
- He was responsive to the needs around him. In the Gospel of Mark a word jumps out at least 40 times – IMMEDIATELY. He responded to needs without hesitation and demonstrating great concern.
- He intentionally sought out people with needs. From Zaccheus, the wealthy, friendless, lonely man looking for a slither of hope from the fork of a tree – see Luke 19:1-10; to the woman at the well, who was hardened by broken relationship and a bad reputation – see John 4; to the man by the pool at Bethesday who had been a invalid for years – see John 5. Jesus intentionally walked into these people’s lives and sought avenues to invest and heal.
- He befriended people others wouldn’t. The religious crowds faq, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” http://bible.us/Mark2.16.ESV. Jesus was always at the parties that modern day WWJD? bracelet wearers would say he shouldn’t be at. And you get a sense that these folks loved being around Jesus, AND that he loved being around them.
So, how intentional are you? What did you do immediately this week? Who are intentionally seeking to bring hope and healing to? Who are you investing in that’s far from God and may be hard to love at times?
This month Bridge Church is talking about the 7 Core Practices of Life In Christ-On Misson-4 Others. Check out the other 7 Core Practices and listen to Message #1 and #2 from this series here. Also, check out this great resource full of ideas about how to live with Gospel intetionality – Simple-Ways-To-Be-Missional-eBook from Verge Network.
Join Bridge Church at one of our gatherings on Sunday: 10am at the West St Tammany YMCA or 6pm at Northshore Community Fellowship in Hammond. Other gatherings: 9am at the St. Tammany Parish Jail and 6pm at Oak Villa Mobile Home Park #71.
Lane Corley 