​Hey, Bridge Family, I hope you are all doing well as always. I have to say, we’ve had some wonderful times of worship with the kids over the past couple of weeks. Let me encourage you to take a week and come to a Bridge Service and worship with us. No strings attached, but I believe it will give you a chance to see what and how your kids are learning, which will better prepare you to talk with them during the week. Also, it will show your child how much you treasure their relationship with God. This ties into the biblical point of our message this past Sunday: God is a Treasure—so we value Him more than anything.
 
Our story comes from the Book of Matthew, chapter 13, where Jesus shares two parables that provide a right-hearted view of the Kingdom of Heaven. The main point is that the Kingdom is priceless and worth any cost. In other words, God’s Kingdom is more valuable than anything else. We need to recognize what we value and how it appears in our lives, because our children will value what we value. As Christians, we hope to raise our children to focus on eternal things rather than earthly ones. This can be hard as parents because children often find it easier to value what they see than an unseen God. Let’s face it, that’s a tricky concept for adults, too. So, before expecting our children to believe that God is more valuable than anything else, we first need to examine ourselves to see if that truth lives within us. 
 
A good practice, regardless of how long we’ve been followers of Jesus, is to set aside time for self-reflection, allowing God to reveal that our true treasure is, for wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will be (v. 6:21 NLT). This may be a more difficult practice than we often like to admit. However, if done effectively, God may often reveal to us something very different from what we expect or think. If we genuinely want to teach our children that God is a treasure, we must first demonstrate it in our own lives. Here are some questions I’ve found that are helpful to ask yourself.
 

• What is the first thing I think about when I wake in the morning? My spouse? My job? God?
• What holds my mental attention? The ballgame? My kids? My iPhone?
• What would others say I value?

 
Remember, it’s never too late to engage. As long as your child is at home, you have an excellent opportunity to share the Bible and explore it together, making faith an exciting and meaningful adventure. God Bless, and hope to see your family on Sunday.
 
Pastor Bob

Hey, Bridge Family,

Hope everyone’s doing well. This week at the Bridge, we shared a story from the Book of Luke. The story goes that Jesus and the disciples are traveling to a village when they come across a funeral procession for the only son of a widow. His heart was filled with compassion (7:13 NLT) for the grieving mother, and with just a word and a touch, he brought the young man back to life—two takeaways from this message.

First, the story is striking because the widow didn’t ask Jesus for help or a miracle; she might not have even noticed him or believed in his power. Jesus saw her grief, felt it, and took it away. We can experience Jesus in the same way even now, even amid suffering and rejection. This story shows Jesus is always with us, sharing our pain and taking it away. Paul’s message in Philippians reminds us we can experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand…in Christ Jesus (4:7).

Second, understanding what compassion means is essential for being truly compassionate. Empathy involves sharing feelings, but compassion goes further—it drives us to take action to alleviate suffering, just as Jesus did in this passage. Since compassion isn’t innate, we must experience and teach it to our children so it becomes part of their daily lives, modeled on Christ’s example. Here are a couple of ideas to help cultivate a compassionate heart in our children.

1) Share how Christ has been with you through tough times and rejection, and how He lifted your spirits during those moments. Maybe someone new came into your life and made a difference. Describe what that person did and how it made you feel. Share that this was an answer that only God could have given you.

2) Find a way to turn empathy into action, like sponsoring a child through ELIPS at the church or organizations like Children’s International. Help them understand their need for support, encourage them to write back or earn money to contribute, and pray for the child together.

Remember, it’s never too late to engage. As long as your child is at home, you have an excellent opportunity to share the Bible and explore it together, making faith an exciting and meaningful adventure. God Bless, and hope to see your family on Sunday.

Pastor Bob

Hey, Bridge Family,
 
I hope your recent three-day weekend was fantastic! Have you noticed how young children are often fearless about Christ? Asking them to pray feels natural, and bedtime Bible stories bring joy. Worship songs make them want to dance and have fun. But then, suddenly, they change. Usually, boys first, then girls, by age eight, everything shifts. Does this mean they stop loving Jesus? Probably not, but maybe something else is at play. As children grow, they worry about others' opinions and fear rejection. It’s heartbreaking for us as parents, yet many of us relate and still struggle with these feelings.
 
Consider this: if we’re not bold in our faith, our children may not be either. Are our lives true examples of Jesus’ boldness? We can talk about being bold for Jesus—He’s bold!—but unless our actions match, our words are empty. James reminds us, “faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless (v. 2:17).” Let’s live our faith to inspire the next generation. LET’S BE BOLD!  
 
Okay, if this is making you a bit uneasy, I understand. Sharing my heart, especially for Christ, can at times be paralyzing for me. So, let’s start easy.
 
1. Share what your child(ren) learned at the Bridge as soon as possible after the service, and if possible, explain how you learned something similar in the adult service. 

2. Take a moment during the week to sit down with your kid(s) and go through the “Dig In @ Home” handout you received on Sunday. It’s a wonderful way to find ideas for reinforcing the lesson throughout the week.  The 'Talk About This' section can also be a great tool to help you share what you believe in a warm and meaningful way. 

3. Encourage your Kid(s) to memorize the summary verse by turning it into a game. It’s on the handout as well. Once they learn it, ask them to share it with us when you drop them off. 

4. Pray with them. Lead them in their prayers or finish up their prayers. 

5. Read the Bible with them. 

One last thought: don’t force them to be bold. Be bold for them and let the Holy Spirit manifest His boldness in them. Forcing kids risks pairing shame or embarrassment with prayer and Bible reading, undermining the desire for Christ you aim to nurture. You may need to carry the water for a while, but the reward makes it worthwhile.
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Remember, it’s never too late to engage. As long as your child is at home, you have an excellent opportunity to share the Bible and explore it together, making faith an exciting and meaningful adventure. God Bless, and hope to see your family on Sunday.
 
Pastor Bob