How Can A Loving God Send People To Hell?

This was the question a friend and I considered when I was nineteen years old.  After much discussion we agreed that the idea of hell was inconsistent with a loving God and therefore concluded that hell, if it did exist, was for the really bad people of the world and should not concern a couple of "better than most" types like the two of us.

About a year later I actually began to read the Bible! Boy, was I surprised by how much Jesus had to say about hell!  In fact, no one spoke more about hell in the Bible than did Jesus.

I have long since revived my beliefs about hell since that conversation with my friend so many years ago. Unfortunately, many still hold to their beliefs about the afterlife without regard to what the Bible plainly teaches.

Admittedly, hell is a tough topic to discuss.

Peter Kreeft, a Catholic theologian from Boston College, puts it this way:  "Of all the doctrines of Christianity, hell is the most difficult to defend, the most burdensome to bear, and the first to be abandoned."

Whether you are just exploring Christianity or are a long-time follower of Christ, we all struggle with the doctrine of hell.  We struggle with the notion of fellow human beings suffering for all eternity.  We struggle with believing that a God of love could create and sustain a place of eternal torment.  We struggle with whether it's fair that people go there who don't seem to deserve it—good people, religious people.

Check out the message at https://vimeo.com/99493655

Bo

Is Jesus the Only Way to God?

Of all the statements Jesus made, none rankles the non-Christian more than this exclusive claim of Christ. To the post-modern mind this statement seems both arrogant and intolerant.  But is Christianity intolerant? Is it wrong to assert that we, believers in Jesus, have the truth and that other religions are wrong?

After all, aren't all religions basically the same?  Don't all religions have as a foundation a message of love and good will toward one's fellow man?  Don't all religions point to God, if only from different perspectives with slightly different paths?

As you can see, we have a lot to explore on this important topic.

Blessing to you!

Bo

Is it reasonable to believe in God?

This is the question we will seek to answer this Sunday in our Answers series.Whitney, who will be handling this all-important topic, provides this brief intro.

When I was a child I remember playing a game called Domino Rally.  The whole object of the game was build an elaborate line of dominoes traversing stairs and slides, going up and down, snaking back and forth across the board.

After laboring for an hour to set it up the player gently taps the first domino, knocking it into the second, which falls into the third, and continues until the climax where one of the dominoes falls into a ball which rolls down a long ramp and into the mouth of a small plastic alligator.  Victory!

It was a great game.  And a great example of the evidence we see that God exists.  You see, our world is governed by an ongoing chain of cause and effect we get to discover through scientific inquiry.  We are watching dominoes fall all around us, and we discover more about our world every day by studying those cause and effect chains. But our world, just like those dominoes bears two important features:  impetus and design.

By watching the falling dominoes, there is no doubt that someone put them there to accomplish a particular goal.

There is also the inescapable fact that someone started this whole chain of events at some point in the past.  These ideas, impetus and design, are some of the evidence we will analyze on Sunday to answer the question, "Does God exist?"

Spoiler Alert: He does!

Band of Brothers this Saturday at 9

Band of Brothers is a men's group that gathers on the second Saturday of every month at the church to eat breakfast and hear an inspiring message on biblical manhood.  All men are welcome to join us.

Blessings,

Bo

D-Day

As I typed today's date I couldn't help but be reminded of what took place on this date 70 years ago.  June 6, 1944 was the day the Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy to begin the invasion of German occupied France.  Establishing a beachhead on the continent of Europe was an essential step in the defeat of Nazism during WW II.

In this, the largest amphibious assault in history, at least 12,000 soldiers lost their lives in this epic battle in order to help free a continent held in the grip of tyranny.  Let us never forget their sacrifice, or the freedom it secured.

In the same way, we must never forget those who gave their lives to ensure the gospel of Jesus Christ was taken to the ends of the earth.  Of the original apostles of our Lord, only John died of natural causes.  All the others died as martyrs.  Peter, tradition tell us, was crucified head downward.  James was killed with the sword, probably by beheading.  Thomas was run through with a spear while taking the gospel to India.

I used to wonder why it was necessary for the disciples to die such horrific deaths.  But then it occurred to me that by dying for their beliefs the disciples were communicating to all succeeding generations that the things they had heard and seen regarding the person and ministry of Jesus were really true.  As it has been noted, people don't die for a fable.

The Bible we possess contains the record of the life, death and resurrection of the One to whom these disciples bore witness with their lives.  And yet this Bible which has been treasured by followers of Christ for two thousand years is under attack.  This is nothing new.  The Bible has always been attacked, vilified, outlawed and even burned by those who reject its message. 

But today the attacks are more subtle, more sophisticated.  So-called biblical scholars in search of the "historical Jesus" claim that the Christ of Scripture bears little resemblance to the Jesus who actually walked the earth.  Some claim the Bible has been corrupted in transmission, or that the Gospels were written so long after the events they describe that they are nothing more than myths and legends put forth by those intent on deifying a mere man, a man they say never claimed to be the Son of God.

Can the Bible be trusted?

I'm sure that you, like me, believe the Bible to be the Word of God.  But can you tell people who question the truthfulness of Bible why you believe the Bible is the Word of God?  This Sunday at The Bridge we will be answering the question; can the Bible be trusted?  In this message we will provide solid, empirical evidence that Bible we possess is indeed trustworthy.

I don't believe it is hyperbole to say that the battle raging over the trustworthiness of the Bible is even more critical than the battle that commenced on the beaches of Normandy 70 years ago today.  On this battle for the Bible rests not merely the temporal lives of men, but eternal souls.

Be sure to be with us Sunday at The Bridge at either our 9:30 or our 11:30 A.M. service.

Blessings,

Bo

Answers

This Sunday kicks-off a brand new series in which Whitney and I are endeavoring to answer five of the most commonly raised objections to Christianity.

This series will have real practical application to your life and will strengthen your faith -- so don't miss a single message!

New Service Times begin this Sunday (9:30 and 11:30 A.M.) and Serving Opportunity

With summer vacations on the horizon we could use some additional help in our nursery and children's ministries.  Please consider making a three month commitment to serve in one or more services a month over the summer.

If you would like to help in our infant, toddler or preschool nursery, or in either the Clubhouse (grades K-3) or the Crossing (grades 4-6), please reply to this newsletter with your name, phone number and email address, along with where you would like to serve.

Thanks for serving!

Connect Groups Kick-off this week

If you have not yet signed up for a Connect Group, you may do so at church on Sunday or by going to our website.  Go to www.thebridgenky.com and click on "Connect Groups."

Baptism -- June 8^th

If you have trusted Christ as Savior and have not yet been baptized, you will have that opportunity to do so during our 11:30 A.M. service on June 8^th.

In addition to identifying with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection, baptism allows you to publicly profess your faith in Christ.  So what are you waiting for?  Take the plunge in obedience to your Lord and sign-up this Sunday at the Welcome Center.

If you don't plan to be at church this Sunday and would still like to be baptized, reply to this newsletter with your name, phone number and email address along with a brief testimony of how you came to Christ and the difference He has made in your life and we will add you to the list.

Baptism at the Bride is limited to those 12 years of age or older.

Baby Dedication -- June 15

If you have a child 24 months or younger and would like to participate in our baby dedication service on June 15, be sure to register at the Welcome Center this week.

See you Sunday at The Bridge!

Bo

The "New" -- New Service Times

Last Sunday I announced the new summer service times as being 9 and 11.  Scratch that. After more thought, I have decided that 9:30 and 11:30 AM services will provide the greatest likelihood of a more even distribution of attenders.

So, starting June 1^st the New Service times will be 9:30 and 11:30.

New Sermon Series

Also on June 1^st, Whitney and I will be teaming up to kick-off a new sermon series we are calling Answers.

In this series we will endeavor to provide answers to some of the most commonly asked questions by unbelievers.  These may not be questions that plague you personally, but they are questions you will likely encounter as you endeavor to share your faith in our increasingly secular society.

The questions which we will be addressing are;

1.     Why believe in God?

2.     Can the Bible be trusted?

3.     If God is good and all-powerful, why is there so much evil in the world?

4.     Is Jesus the only way to God?

5.     How can a loving God send people to hell?

We are excited about this series and feel it will not only help strengthen the faith of believers but will be of interest to anyone who is open to exploring the Christian faith.  I encourage you to invite anyone you know who is looking for answers to some of life's most important questions.

Nursery and Children's Ministry

With some of our current nursery and Children's Ministry volunteers taking some time off this summer, we are in need of additional volunteers.  If you are not currently serving in these ministries but would like to, please sign-up this Sunday.  With enough volunteers, we can fully staff our nursery and Children's Ministry by having each person serving in one service once a month.

I hope your plans for this Memorial Day weekend include enjoying the privilege of worshipping God this Sunday.

With much love,

Bo

Easter Sunday

This Sunday at The Bridge we will celebrate the glorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus!

This is a day like no other!  This is a day we celebrate the triumph of life over death, of love over the forces of darkness.  Be sure to join us for one of our very special Easter services this Sunday at 8:30, 10:00 or 11:30 A.M.

If you are able, please consider attending the 8:30 A.M. service in order to make more room for the many guests we are expecting this Sunday.

Special Easter Offering

As I mentioned this past Sunday, we are asking everyone to bring a special Easter offering this Sunday. This will help offset the expenses incurred for advertising our services.  Whether large or small, anything you can do will be greatly appreciated!

And please join me in praying that people will come to know Jesus in a real and personal way this Easter! That, after all, is what Easter is all about.

See you Sunday!

Bo