Hello, Bridge family. I hope you're all doing well. This week, we shared that God is our provider. To reveal this truth, we shared the story of the feeding of 5000 from the book of Matthew, chapter 14. Let me encourage you to check it out this week. I think the most interesting verse in this passage is verse 16. After the disciples approached him to send the people away so they could get something to eat, Jesus responded, "That isn’t necessary—you feed them." Can you just picture the disciples' faces as they look at the two fish and five loaves of bread, then lift their heads to see more than 5000 people spread out across the countryside? That verse is a good reminder to each of us of God’s ability to provide for us even when it seems impossible, as well as the fact that God will use us at times to supply that provision.


An important lesson to share with your children is that God provides what we need, not necessarily what we want. I believe that because we easily confuse those two, we often take God’s provision for granted. Our nature is to desire more, the finer things in life, if you will. So, because we tend to look at all that glitters, we miss what God has done or is doing. Take time to reflect on God’s provision in your life and how those things have met your needs. Also, reflect on those God has placed in your life and how they have been placed there at a particular time to meet a need. Once you’ve taken some time to do that, sit down as a family and share what you have discovered, and help your children realize how God has provided for them in certain times and situations as well.


Remember, as long as your child is at home, you have a wonderful opportunity to share the Bible. Together, explore its stories, discuss how they relate to daily life, and encourage deeper family conversations. This makes faith an exciting and meaningful journey. God bless. I look forward to seeing your family on Sunday.


Pastor Bob

Hello, Bridge family. I hope you're all doing well. This week, we discussed the story of Jonah, in which God told him to go one way, but he chose to go the opposite way. Of course, you know the story. God knew what Jonah was up to all the time, and Jonah ended up in the belly of a really big fish, who spits him out on a beach, surprisingly enough, in the direction Jonah was supposed to be heading in the first place. This story is a great example of what King David expresses about God in Psalm 139, O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me (v. 1 NLT).


As always, the DigIN@home material is a great way to help us all understand and reinforce the Bible Points we teach each week. I hope you can find time to go through it with your family. We feel it will go a long way in helping you. Direct your children onto the right path (Prov 22.6 NLT). I can’t stress this enough: you all have a greater influence over your children than we ever will. Our hope is that you build on the small foundation we lay out each week. I think you will find this week’s take-home very helpful in helping your children understand what it means for God to be all-knowing.


It is mind-boggling to consider what it means for God to know everything about us, every thought and every action, even before we take them, let alone after they are said or done. He knows. It is an uncomfortable fact of life, don’t you think? For many of us, if we are honest, it can be a dreadful thought. Yet it should be a comforting one. That is the point we, as parents, need to make to our kids. Don’t be fearful; be comfortable with God’s omniscience. Here’s a way to present the concept of an all-knowing God that I hope will help.


In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul writes, "But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead" (v. 2:4 NLT). We can rejoice because, even though God knows everything about us, Christ still came and died for us when he really could have punished us. Jesus took that punishment instead of us. See, God is all-knowing, and he is rich in grace and mercy, so even though he really knows us better than we know ourselves, he still wants us to be part of his family. That is truly comforting, don’t you think?


Remember, as long as your child is at home, you have a wonderful opportunity to share the Bible. Together, explore its stories, talk about how they relate to daily life, and encourage deeper family conversations. This makes faith an exciting and meaningful journey. God bless, and I look forward to seeing your family on Sunday.


Pastor Bob

Hello, Bridge family. I hope you're all doing well. This week, we shared that God is our Friend. I have to tell you, while I wholeheartedly believe that God is our friend, we must understand that it’s not at all like our earthly friendships. So how can we help our kids understand this unique and special friendship with God?


First, as always, the DigIN@home material is a great way to help us all understand and reinforce the Bible Points we teach each week. I hope you can find time to go through it with your family. We feel it will go a long way in helping you. Direct your children onto the right path (Prov 22.6 NLT). I can’t stress this enough: you all have a greater influence over your children than we ever will. Our hope is that you build on the small foundation we lay out each week. I think you will find this week’s take-home very helpful in helping your children understand what having God as a friend is all about.


Secondly, we all need to understand the unique meaning of saying that God is our Friend. In the book of John, Jesus says, "You didn’t choose me. I chose you" (15:16). We need to understand and be able to share with our children that our desire to be friends with Jesus is because He first came to us; we are simply responding to His calling.


I understand that having God as a friend can seem abstract, probably more so for adults than for children. Because a child’s mind is full of wonder and amazement, I doubt it is really a stretch of the imagination for them, especially for those who are of Bridge age. Let me then encourage you to encourage them to write to God. Or, for our really younger kids, draw God a picture. Not every day, but from time to time, encourage them to sit down and get with their special friend, Jesus. Encourage them to tell their friend how their day went, or what is happening to them that is making them happy or possibly sad. Teach them to share with their friend. I think that could plant a seed that could grow for eternity. How about you?


Remember, as long as your child is at home, you have a wonderful opportunity to share the Bible. Together, explore its stories, talk about how they relate to daily life, and encourage deeper family conversations. This makes faith an exciting and meaningful journey. God bless, and I look forward to seeing your family on Sunday.


Pastor Bob

Hello, Bridge family. I hope you're all doing well. This week, we shared the story of Elisha and the armies of God. It’s a great story that shows us all that, even if we don’t feel like it, God is always with us. Check it out. You can find it in the book of 2 Kings, chapter 6.


Too often, the idea that God is always with us is a parental code for: God is watching you, so you’d better be good, because the proverbial hammer of God is locked, cocked, and ready to rock the moment you step out of line. Yes, we are all accountable to God for our actions. However, using the idea of an ever-present God to instill fear and achieve right behavior in our children completely overlooks the central message of God’s omnipresence.


I recently listened to a podcast that explored what it means to have an ever-present God. I appreciate that it drew on King David’s words in Psalm 139. If you want to help your children understand a God who is always with us, Psalm 139 is a great place to start. David helps us understand that God knows everything about us, is with us at all times and in all places, and that this is so mind-boggling that it is truly beyond our ability to understand. Think about it. There are eight billion people in the world, and none of us can escape God, who knows every detail of our lives.


I think my favorite verses in this Psalm are 17 and 18: “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.” They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! That is the essence of an omnipresent God.


God's omnipresence is both fearfully overwhelming and beautifully protective. Yes, it brings accountability, but more than that, it gives us unshakable security. ** David’s motivation for obedience to God was love. God’s love for us is unmerited, and our obedience should be an outpouring of love in response to His love, not fear. Omnipresence should be taught as a positive, not a negative. Don’t you think?


Remember, as long as your child is at home, you have a wonderful opportunity to share the Bible. Together, explore its stories, talk about how they relate to daily life, and encourage deeper family conversations. This makes faith an exciting and meaningful journey. God bless, and I look forward to seeing your family on Sunday.


Pastor Bob


**Foundation Worldview Podcast

Hello, Bridge family. I hope you're all doing well. This week, we shared one of my favorite Bible stories. It’s from 1 Kings and describes how Elijah, alone, confronts 450 prophets of Baal. Of course, it’s not Elijah fighting them alone—it's God working through him. It's a powerful story, and I encourage you to read it with your family. It vividly demonstrates God's power.


Here’s a brief summary: There has been a drought in Israel’s northern kingdom because King Ahab's people are unfaithful, worshiping Baal instead of the one true God. Elijah challenges them to identify the true God by building two altars, offering two bulls, and praying for fire. The god who answers with fire from heaven is the real God. Spoiler alert, it does not bode well for the worshipers of Baal.


We love to talk about how God is all-powerful, but does that mean there’s nothing God can’t do? Is there a limit to God’s power? God isn’t like Superman, who loses his powers when exposed to Kryptonite. However, God cannot do anything that doesn’t make sense. That is, God can’t do something that is illogical. For example, God can’t lie, can’t make a square circle, and can’t make two plus two equal five.


This may seem obvious, but it’s something I believe can be unclear to children. Therefore, when we talk with our children about God’s omnipotence, it’s important to make clear that, as powerful as He is, God cannot and will not do something that makes no sense. That way, when they are challenged by silly arguments, such as “Can God make a rock so heavy He can’t lift it?” they will see them for what they are, silly, and they will not create doubt in their minds and hearts. They can trust that “No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 8:39 NLT).” Now that is power they can have confidence in.


Remember, as long as your child is at home, you have a wonderful opportunity to share the Bible. Together, explore its stories, talk about how they relate to daily life, and encourage deeper family conversations. This makes faith an exciting and meaningful journey. God bless, and I look forward to seeing your family on Sunday.


Pastor Bob