The Bridge RSM

Genesis 37:1-28

Few things have the emotional capacity to wound quite like rejection. We continue to look at the story of Joseph in Genesis, who faced a rejection of incredible violence. Despised by his brothers, He was cast away and sold into slavery. There was a long journey in between, but by the work of God Joseph was able to overcome the pain of that rejection. He became the model of restorative grace that pointed forward to the work of Christ. That form of grace that restores us into the Family of God is now available to us through that very work. He has made us sons and daughters, coheirs with Christ.

Genesis 50:19-21

There is no quick fix to hardship. No matter who you are, you will have to endure it to some degree. For followers of Jesus, this hardship is part of the process by which we begin to resemble our Savior and Teacher. You can't avoid it. You must experience it. The good news, however is this: You don't go through it alone. Even in hardship we can trust in the name of God. We can trust in His goodness and that His purposes are ultimately, eternally good.

Matthew 7:24–27

You can tell someone all day about your faith, about what is right and wrong, and about your ethics. It won't carry much weight unless you actually live it out. As you lead and mentor, you have to exemplify what it is you want to see grow in those you're leading. This is true of children, students, mentees, etc. There is no "do as I say, not as I do". The only effective leadership that leads to health is one that models the truth to which their words point.

Ryan Oddo

Calling over career. As followers of Jesus we're called to love God first. This means following Him before worrying about your job, your income, your public image, any of it. Then you trust Him to handle the rest as He sees fit. We also seek to establish a culture of calling focus in our Homes that seeks first the Kingdom of God and lives to hear "well done, good and faithful servant."

Exodus 17:8–16

Prayer has an impact. Know it. Believe it. God has invited us to partner with Him in ruling over His creation and one way that we participate in heavenly realms is by praying. As such, we have a responsibility to those we care about to cover them in prayer.

Deuteronomy 11:18–25

Occasionally we find ourselves taking a passive approach to our spirituality. We treat God as an addendum to our lives and, as a result, allow things outside of God's Word and Spirit to shape the way we see the world. To be a Healthy Home in the Kingdom of God however, means that we actively pursue practices that shape in us a view of our world and circumstances that reflect the view of God

Luke 6:46–49, Deuteronomy 11:18–21

No matter what you're home looks like, who lives there, or how old they (or you) are we're called to share the stories of God's work in our lives with the next generation. Spiritual conversations are one rhythm that, when fostered, lead to a healthy home. It's not too late. You can start discussing God, His Word, and His work with those closest to you today!

Psalm 118:24, Luke 9, Luke 19

Jesus is King of the valley and of the mountain top. Julia Schmaltz leads us through a look at the Triumphal Entry to Jerusalem of Jesus Christ on Palm Sunday and the ways that He is faithful in every season.

John 8:31–36

It's for freedom that Christ has set us free. But we can have some pretty twisted ideas of what freedom is. Usually, in our 21st-century, enlightenment context, we think of freedom as the right to do as we please. This is not what Jesus or the Biblical authors had in mind. Pastor Ryan finishes our series on our identities as followers of Jesus as he unpacks what it means to be free in Christ.