|
10/29/2025 Jesus knows us... so we get to know HimHey Bridge family!
I want to share something with you. I have learned more about Jesus from teaching children than from any other study in my Christian walk. Lori and I have served in children’s ministry, on and off (but mostly on), for over 30 years. I can’t begin to describe how much more I now understand about Jesus and His Word—the Bible—than when I started. There’s a good reason for this. In Mark 10:15 (NLT), Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” When we help children know Christ, He lets us experience their childlike wonder and innocence, just as He intends. Their questions and thoughts have often led me to reflect on the mystery of God. I can’t speak for Lori, but I felt totally ill-equipped to teach kids when I began. Maybe you feel the same way when you look at the weekly Dig In @ Home we provide or when you hear the pastor challenge you to share the gospel with your kids. I get it, but we can’t let that stop us from doing what we, as parents, are called to do. Here are a few ideas to remember. · Keep it real: there is no expectation that your discipleship time will become a church service. That’s why the dinner table is such a great opportunity. It doesn’t have to be every night. Just look for one or two times during the week to share the gospel. See where God leads you from there. · Keep it natural: discipleship is a way of life, not a program. Our discussions should be natural, not forced. Look for themes in movies, shows, and music. Talk about how they relate to the gospel. Maybe try this: read your children C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Hint: Aslan is a type of Christ. · Keep the wonder: share with your children the things of Christ that amaze you, even if you can’t explain them. Talk about how Jesus fed all those people or calmed the seas. Imagine what it must have been like to be there. Let your kids build on that curiosity. Build on each other’s curiosity; it could be fun. It’s an excellent opportunity to get to know Jesus with your family. I, for one, wish I had had someone share this with me. My prayer is that you’ll make the most of the time you have. It doesn’t last as long as you think. 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 together. Focus on exploring its stories, discussing applications to daily life, and nurturing deeper conversations as a family. This makes faith an exciting and meaningful adventure. God Bless, and I hope to see your family on Sunday. Pastor Bob 10/24/2025 Jesus is loving... so we're lovingHey Bridge Family!
I want to share something I read last week: wherever Jesus went, He was reversing the effects of the Fall. The clearest examples are His healing of others. Because of the Fall, sin entered the world. We know sin brought death, but it also caused blindness, deafness, muteness, cancer, and many other diseases along the way. Though temporary, we read of God making these things new. Of course, one day we will see Him make all things new, but that is a talk for a different day. This week’s story shows Jesus reversing the effects of the Fall by healing a woman who was crippled for 18 years. He does this on the Sabbath in a synagogue, which causes resentment from the synagogue leader and others. Why? Because they fail to see that the Creator’s love is being poured out on His creation. Instead, they focus on Jesus working on the Sabbath. They didn’t realize what they were witnessing; this happens when we focus on the wrong things. Before criticizing the Pharisees, let’s give them some grace. They aren’t much different from us. Their mistake was misplaced focus—striving for obedience led them to prioritize rules over love. I believe they cared for others and wanted what was best, but they missed recognizing Jesus because of their strict adherence to rules. We all want our children to grow into obedient followers of Christ, hoping they will be morally upright and positively impact society. Rules are important, and the Bible provides valuable guidance for living morally upright lives. However, adhering to morally right rules isn’t the ultimate point of the Bible; Jesus is. Many children drift away from church as adults because they realize that keeping biblical rules is impossible. We parents, like the Pharisees, want what’s best, but we also can become too focused on rules, and in the process, our children miss Jesus. The best way we can show love, as our Bible Point suggests, is by loving others —or, better yet, by sharing the love of Jesus. In our homes, we should have rules, but even more importantly, we should nurture a love for Jesus. 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 Hello, Bridge family!
I really love this week’s Bible Point, Jesus is Wonderful, so we expect good things from Him. I don’t know about you, but I often need a reminder of just how wonderful Jesus is. For example, this week’s story we shared with the kids—Jesus does it again—He heals! This time, it’s a deaf man with a speech impediment. I have heard and taught this story so many times that sometimes, if I’m not careful, I completely miss the wonder and awe of our Lord. Maybe one reason Jesus said we must become like children (Matt 18:3) is that children tend to read and hear the Bible stories with wonder and awe—qualities I often wish I still had. How about you? Does reading the Bible sometimes feel like a routine exercise for you as well? Here’s the catch: if we want our children to keep the wonder and awe of Jesus, guess what—we have to recapture ours, or they will start to hear these stories like we do. We want our hearts for Jesus to become contagious in our children’s hearts. Therefore, the more wonder and awe that the Bible stories evoke in us, the more wonder and awe our kids feel. When my reading starts to feel dull, I imagine myself inside the story, witnessing the events firsthand. This approach makes the Bible come alive with wonder. For example, consider the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, especially verses 48 and 49. Visualize yourself there: a young man in the valley below, facing a giant in full armor across the valley. As they begin to move toward each other—picture Goliath’s heavy steps and David’s quick, determined run—the tension rises (you might imagine a rock anthem to amplify the scene). Suddenly, David drops the giant with a single stone, almost too fast for your eye to follow. Imagine the gasp that echoes through the valley. Get caught up in the wonder and awe that the Israelite army felt, and let yourself experience the same. Now, slowly read the story we shared this week and witness the incredible work of our Savior. 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 Hello, Bridge family!
This week’s Bible Point is truly inspiring when you reflect on these verses: What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows (Matthew 10:29, 31 NLT). If God cares about even the smallest details, like sparrows or the number of hairs on your head (v. 30), then why should we fear? The disciples needed to hear this message because they were about to begin their mission to share the good news of Jesus. Essentially, regardless of the obstacles they faced, God knew everything they would go through, down to the smallest detail, and He cared. What a comforting message. What a commendable parenting skill to emulate! I’m not saying that we don’t love and care for our children, but I recognize that it’s easy to get so involved in our busy lives that, to our children, it might appear, sometimes, as though we don’t. The more we understand our children, the more they feel safe and cherished. Parenting is tough, especially with multiple children. Still, when we choose to follow God in this, we allow for the light of Christ to illuminate their lives. In that, they can find comfort. So, how can we make this happen in our homes? Consider this: our home is the church. It is a domestic one, but there’s no reason our homes can’t model the church as described in Acts 2:42, especially in sharing meals. Whenever possible, we should turn off the outside world, sit down with our family, and learn about their lives. The dinner table is the best place for this. That small act can go a long way in showing our children how much we care and help them understand how much their Heavenly Father cares for them. Give it a try! 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 Hello, Bridge Family!
I hope everything is well at your homes. I find this Bible Point quite challenging. I don’t know about you, but I believe that Jesus is dependable; however, I have serious concerns about my own dependability. I wish I could say I don’t, but honestly, if I reflect on my dependability over the past 65 years, I’ve struggled. Why? Well, I could probably provide you with a million different excuses. In reality, it boils down to this: I aim to do what is right, but I don’t always succeed. I want to avoid doing wrong, but I sometimes do it anyway (Rom 7:19 NLT). I know Paul is speaking about sin here, but for me, it also reflects my struggle to be dependable. As a husband and father, I truly wanted to be dependable, but I often fell short of that goal. And unfortunately, I still do. How about you? Am I alone here? Consider this: a small promise to take your child to the store that goes unfulfilled reflects a lack of dependability in their eyes. How many times has this, or something like it, happened in your home? We probably can’t count the times if we are honest. Without realizing it, we establish this life truth in the hearts of our children—people aren’t always dependable. That’s just part of life. We need to be honest with our children when we talk to them. Yes, our goal in life should be to be dependable so that we can show the work of God’s Spirit in us. But we sometimes fail. In our story, we see that Jesus finished what He started despite distractions. In every story about Jesus, He always completes what He begins, including sacrificing His life as a punishment for our sins. Jesus never fails to be dependable. It’s his dependability that we need to rely on most. Then, be honest, admit your struggles. Share how it makes you feel when you fail. Then let them know that when we struggle to be dependable, we are not alone. The one who gives us everlasting life will also, through prayer, give us the strength to become more dependable. 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 |
Search by typing & pressing enter
RSS Feed