Browns Bridge Church

Fear invites us to follow the path of self-preservation. However, if we follow that path long enough, we will neither preserve nor have anything to show for our lives. The original disciples of Jesus had the same tendencies at times. On one occasion, Jesus reminded them of what it means to follow him by saying four powerful words that still apply to his followers today.

From an early age, we learn quickly to look for loopholes in the rules. We try to figure out what we can get away with and still be okay. We tend to take this same mindset into our relationship with God, but it doesn’t work. When we opt for loopholes and workarounds, we find ourselves in a category no one wants to be in: hypocrites. Jesus calls us to move beyond loophole religion.

Whether it’s school, sports, or religion, when we focus only on the rules, it can be difficult to remember the overall purpose of something. Jesus reminds us that when we focus so much on the letter of the law, we may forget why the law was written in the first place.

Jesus ignored certain religious protocols. He claimed to have authority to forgive sin. He was uncomfortably comfortable with unrepentant sinners. In this message, we hear about three encounters that showed Jesus came to reverse the order of things.

We often read the Bible for application, inspiration, or direction. However, there are times when the author wants to simply point the reader to a big idea—an idea that fits with God's grand story. In the Gospel of Mark, we read about Peter's experience with Jesus that led Peter to believe in one big idea: the kingdom of God is near, and everyone is invited to participate.

Prayer can be challenging. The idea of talking to an invisible God can seem weird to some of us. It seems important though. We feel like we should pray, but we’re not sure we’re getting the words right. But what if our perception of prayer is inaccurate? What if the way we’ve been taught to pray or figured out how to pray over the years is misguided? What if there’s a better way? After watching Jesus for some time, his disciples went to him and said, “Teach us how to pray.” And he taught them. What he said about prayer may surprise you.

We all want to be the best versions of ourselves. To do that, we steer clear of things we know will bring us down. There’s one thing we all need to steer clear of, but it just may be that you’re already knee-deep in something without even knowing it.

Regardless of the area of life, when something becomes personal, it matters more to us. In fact, when something isn’t personal, it rarely keeps our attention, affection, or passion. If this is the case, how do we make faith personal in order to make it last and make the most of it? The good news is that Jesus described the kind of relationship he wants with us, and he was clear—it’s personal.

The unity and diversity of the early church shocked and intrigued the ancient world. Ours should as well.

Our political views are shaped by a number of variables: our backgrounds, education, and personal experiences to name a few. It’s easy to feel like our view is the right one, but the person beside you is more precious to God than your political view.