The Highest Peak

Theologians identify certain sections of Scripture as being some of “mountaintop passages” in the Bible.” The Lord’s Prayer would be one of these, as would the 23rd Psalm, as well as John 3:16. This Sunday as we continue our Unstoppable series, we will be looking at what some refer to as the “highest peak” of any of the mountaintop passages. The passage of which we speak is Philippians 2:5-11, which reads;

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Not only does this section of Scripture make a clear claim to the divinity of Christ, even more, but amazing is also the fact that this One who existed with God before time began, emptied Himself of this exalted status and came to earth as a man. The implications of this as it relates to our salvation are enormous. But equally amazing is that we are instructed to “let this mind” be in us; that is we are to have the same mind-set as the Son of God who took on the form of a servant and allowed Himself to die a shameful death.

While few of us relish the idea of suffering shame, all of us would like to share in the glorious resurrection of Christ and experience the glories that are His in heaven. This is what is promised to those who truly “let this mind” be in them, that adopts the mentality of a servant and take the humble road, the road that includes a cross, instead of the road of self-service and self-exaltation.

Be sure to join us this Sunday as we discuss what this means in everyday life because when we truly learn to have the mind of Christ, we become unstoppable Christians.

See you Sunday!

Unstoppable

October 5, 2019

I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that life is a series of challenges. Some challenges are not so horrific, like a pop-quiz in Biology, or forgetting that you had a homework assignment due. Other challenges, on the other hand, can be quite difficult. And being a Christ-follower certainly does not exempt us from life’s myriad of challenges. If anything, being Christian increases the challenges we face because we are swimming against the cultural current that condones certain practices the Bible calls “sin.” In fact, the Bible identifies three specific areas from which challenges can arise. These challenge-sources include the world, the flesh, and the Devil.

Now that I’ve depressed you by reminding you about how hard life can be, let me encourage you with these words; God has made it possible for us to overcome every challenge we face, and in fact, to be unstoppable in life. This message comes through in various places in Scripture. Consider these few verses from the Bible that support the idea that we can be unstoppable in the world.

“In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer,
I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

1 John 4:4

“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him
who loved us.”

Romans 8:37

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Philippians 4:13

These verses remind us that we don’t need to fear or be overwhelmed by what comes our way. Whatever we face, Christ within us is greater and more powerful than any challenge or obstacle in our way.

Being an unstoppable Christian will be the topic of a new sermon series we are kicking-off this Sunday at The Bridge. Be sure to join us and be prepared to be encouraged!

See you on Sundays in October!

Preparing for the Future

February 12, 2019

Some of you may be aware that we recently posted an ad on a church staffing website for the position of senior pastor at The Bridge. If you saw the ad you will know that the ad states that we are looking for someone to “transition into the role of senior pastor.” The key word here is “transition.” I want to assure you that I have no intention of leaving The Bridge, or of retiring; at least not any time soon. As we all know I am much too young to consider retirement!

What we are doing is beginning the search for that special individual who can come alongside me, first, to help us reach younger people, and secondly, to prepare to one day take my place as the primary leader and teacher of our church. The Elders and I felt it would be prudent to start this process sooner rather than later in order to best prepare for the future.

Part of the impetus for this is related to the church-wide survey we conducted back in the summer. The survey revealed that while we are most definitely a multi-generational church, we are a bit older than the average church in America. This came as no surprise since I am not (all joking aside now), not a young man and churches tend to attract people closer to the age of their pastor. The Elders and I believe that by bringing someone on board now, or at least in the near future, will help our church now, as well as make for a smoother transition when the time comes for me to hand the reins to the next lead pastor.

As for how I feel about serving as the Senior Pastor of this wonderful church; I know without a doubt that I am exactly where God wants me to be and I am doing exactly what God has called me to do. Furthermore, there is no place I would rather be and I am looking forward to serving as your pastor for years to come and to sharing the Good News of Jesus with this wonderful community to which God has called us.

I hope and pray you feel as blessed as I do about being here at The Bridge and that you will continue to join with Jannie and me in this most important of missions!

With much love,

Bo Weaver

The Bridge Men’s Conference is next Saturday!

Our first ever Men’s Conference is fast approaching. Our theme for this conference is Stronger Together, which is a truly biblical concept. We really do grow stronger when we connect with others who are endeavoring to follow Christ. Plan to join us on Saturday, June 2 at 9:30 AM for this opportunity to connect with other men and take steps toward becoming all that God wants us to be. In true manly fashion we will get right down to business with a morning and an afternoon session with a hearty meal of Eli’s BBQ in between.

 You can register online at www.thebridgenky.com. The cost is just $45.

Bo

2018 Men's Conference

Men's Conference from The Bridge Church on Vimeo.

From The Pastor

Celebrating Moms

Today is Mother’s Day and we will be celebrating Moms and thanking them for all they do, or did for us when we were growing up. This November will mark the fourth anniversary of my Mom’s home-going, but hardly a day goes by that I don’t think about her and thank the Lord for the huge deposit she made in my life. We owe so much to our Moms, so join us Sunday as we honor Moms.

In the lobby Sunday we will have a giant Mother’s Day banner in front of which Moms may have their picture taken with their family. Photos will be available for pick-up the following Sunday. So Moms, do your best to get all of your kids, grandkids, or anybody else you want in the picture, to church on Sunday!

Stronger Together Men’s Conference – June 2

Guys, don’t forget to sign up for our upcoming Men’s Conference with special guest, Rick Howerton. The purpose of this conference is to help encourage and assist men in taking the next step toward spiritual growth and maturity. This conference is for any man who feels stuck in his spiritual walk, or for any guy who just wants to be challenged to become everything God wants them to become. While this is a one-day event, the intent is to set the men of our church (or any many who wants to attend) on a course that will impact them for a lifetime – as well as impact future generations.

The cost is $45, which includes Eli’s barbecue for lunch, as

Discover The Bridge - Sunday at 6 PM

If you would like to learn more about The Bridge Church, as well as have the opportunity to meet our staff and leadership team, I invite you to join me for three consecutive Sunday nights starting this Sunday at 6 PM at the church. In this hour-long class you will learn about our history, our mission, vision and values. At the end of these three sessions you will be given the opportunity to join the church, if you so desire.

There is a sign-up sheet at the Welcome Desk in the lobby, or simply respond to this newsletter if you plan to attend. If you need child care, please provide the number of children and their respective ages. I hope to see you there!

Trunk or Treat – October 31

On Halloween from 6-8 PM we will be inviting children from the community and their parents to come to The Bridge to receive candy and enjoy cookies and hot chocolate. Last year hundreds showed up for this fun event. For many, this was their first exposure to our church. Here are ways you can participate:

▪	Between now and October 31st, bring bags of individually wrapped pieces of candy to the church and place them in the container in the lobby.

▪	To hand out candy, arrive at the church by 5:45 PM on Halloween and park your car in the designated area. You may wear a Halloween costume and/or decorate your car if you like. Prizes will be awarded for the best costumes and best decorated car.

▪	Sign-up to help direct traffic or serve at the café during this event.

▪	Bake and bring cookies to the church on Halloween.

▪	And if you know how to make balloon animals (or are a fast learner) you may assist Chris and Janet Garner who last year developed blisters from twisting and tying so many balloons!

Teams in Ghana and Zimbabwe

Please remember to pray for our teams in Africa – that God will protect and keep them in health and safety and use them mightily for the kingdom of God. 
See you Sunday!

Bo