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