The Bridge Austin

Today, in this special Christmas message, Pastor Jack teaches that Christ’s return has a forever ending. There is a Heaven, and Christ is the only Way to get there. Eternal life is promised to those who believe in His birth, receive His message of salvation, and look forward to the promise of His return.

Every Sunday, when we gather at church to worship Christ, learn from His Word, and spend time with our friends and family, it’s easy to forget how blessed we are - to worship Jesus freely and read from His Word without the fear of having our freedom taken away. It really makes you think. Have you ever wondered what the early church looked like 2,000 years ago? Today, Pastor Chris takes you back to the very beginning of the Church age, to the moment when the Holy Spirit was poured out, and the Church was born.

Who do you say Jesus is? Are you truly a Christian? Rabbi Schneider shares from Caesarea Philippi, in the Holy Land of Israel, that Jesus said, "I am the way the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through me." In this episode, we learn the various ways the traditional Catholic and traditional Protestant churches interpret Jesus' words to Peter, but is that what Jesus meant? Putting it all into perspective, Jesus refers to revelation through God the Father. You are chosen. You have a destiny. Come to the Father through Jesus the Messiah.

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Mark reflects on the lessons he’s learned as a parent and grandparent, emphasizing how small, consistent conversations build trust and open the door for deeper, life-shaping talks with kids and teens. He shares how both positive and negative voices shaped his own life, and how a handful of wise, older mentors profoundly influenced him through simple but powerful statements offered over time. Mark highlights qualities these mentors modeled and explains how their steady presence helped form his character and calling. He encourages parents and grandparents to embrace this same role, becoming consistent, life-giving influencers who listen well, speak truth and reflect God’s wisdom to the next generation.

Visit parentingtodaysteens.org to explore all of Mark's resources designed to support parents and grandparents in this adventure of raising teens.

Parenting Today's Teens is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be, visit parentingtodayteens.org. 

The holidays naturally inspire generosity. As Christians, we feel a heightened awareness of need—empty tables, struggling families, and financial hardship made more visible by the contrast of celebration all around us. And that impulse to give is good.

But God calls us to something deeper.

True, Christ-centered generosity goes beyond a one-time act of charity. It invites us to walk alongside people in ways that restore dignity, build hope, and reflect God’s heart for renewal—not just during Christmas, but throughout the year.

To explore what that kind of generosity looks like in practice, we sat down with Lisa Sheltra, Director of Community Engagement at Salt & Light, a ministry committed to helping without hurting by empowering individuals rather than creating dependency.

Scripture sets the tone for how we approach generosity. “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4). That verse reminds us that generosity is inherently relational. It’s not just about meeting needs—it’s about entering into someone’s life with humility and care.

Lisa explained that while giving material help is often necessary, biblical generosity must flow from our relationship with Christ. God’s model for giving isn’t transactional. It’s restorative.

She pointed to John 3:16 as the ultimate framework for generosity. When God gave, He didn’t offer something temporary or superficial—He gave His Son to address our deepest brokenness and bring true flourishing. If our generosity reflects God’s heart, it should aim not only to relieve immediate pain but to support long-term restoration, reconciliation, and community.

Many churches and families feel pressure in December to focus heavily on relief efforts—food drives, toy collections, clothing donations. These are good and often necessary responses, especially in moments of crisis.

But Lisa cautioned that relief, by its nature, creates a giver-receiver imbalance. When relief becomes the default instead of the exception, it can unintentionally harm both sides of the relationship. It can reduce people to passive recipients and rob them of agency, dignity, and participation.

Relief is best understood as a tourniquet—it stops the bleeding in an emergency. But most ongoing struggles, including those we notice during the holidays, are not emergencies. They are development needs, requiring long-term walking together, not repeated short-term fixes.

Salt & Light works closely with principles championed by the Chalmers Center, which emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between relief and development.

• Relief addresses urgent, immediate crises.
• Development focuses on long-term growth, dignity, and restored relationships.

During the holidays, what looks like an emergency is often a symptom of a deeper, ongoing struggle. Repeated relief may feel satisfying to the giver, but it rarely moves families toward lasting stability or community.

Development, on the other hand, invites people to use their own gifts, make their own choices, and participate fully in solutions. It treats individuals not as problems to fix, but as image-bearers with capacity and value.

At Salt & Light, empowerment isn’t seasonal—it’s woven into everyday ministry. Participants invest in the program year-round and are treated not as charity cases, but as customers and guests with agency.

Rather than handing out preselected gifts, families can choose items for their loved ones. That choice matters deeply. Lisa shared that many participants have said,

Think about some of the most popular names in politics, in tech, or in entertainment. These individuals, due to their massive influence, tend to dominate the news cycle and often come up in conversation. But today, Dr. Robert Jeffress draws our attention to one name that rises above them all.

To support Pathway to Victory, go to ptv.org/donate.

Ann Wilson was simply trying to help her husband, Dave, become a godlier man. But Dave felt like she was constantly “booing him” as a husband and father. The Wilsons explain why spouses need to be more encouraging and supportive of one another, focusing on positives rather than negatives in your spouse.

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Kids facing a big decision? Teach them how to evaluate their options. Helping them choose wisely saves years of heartache and pain.

Transferable Concept #4: Teach them to make WISE choices.

A theology of holiness

• God is high and holy, “TOTALLY other.” -Rev 4:8-11
• God is absolute TRUTH. -Jn 14:6
• God’s WORD defines absolute truth. -Jn 17:17
• God’s LAW (morals) are for our protection. -Ps 119
• God’s ultimate aim is to make us HOLY. -Rom 8:29
• Old Testament roots -Ex 3:5-6; Is 6:1-8
• Biblical profiles: Moses, Stephen
• New Testament command: 1 Pt 1:15-16

Help them learn to make wise choices:

1. Encourage them to saturate their minds with the TRUTH. The Bible, great books, videos -Rom 8:5-8, Jn 8:32

2. Encourage them to HANG OUT with wise, godly people. -Pr 13:20

3. Model for them how to ASK GOD for discernment and wisdom. -Ph 1:9-11, Jas 1:5

4. Teach them to monitor their EXPOSURE to the media.-Rom 12:2

Life message: Holy living allows you to experience God’s BEST for your life.

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