The latest at The Bridge
Stay up to date with the happenings of The Bridge by visiting our blog. You'll find information such as announcements, sermon notes and thoughts from our pastor to encourage and challenge your walk with the Lord.
8/17 Sermon Recap and Reflection Questions
by: Sara Nielsen
08/18/2025
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8/17 Sermon Recap:
Pastor Suzanne talked how knowing what to look for and hope for helps us remain steady throughout our journey. In particular, she talks about how “glory” is our destination. Glory is when we are at peace with God, at peace with ourselves, at peace with others, and at peace with creation. In the meantime, however, we will experience “groaning” like the groans of labor pains. Looking for signposts of glory helps us through the journey as we groan and partn...read more
8/11 Sermon Recap and Reflection Questions
by: Sara Nielsen
08/13/2025
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8/10 Sermon Recap:
Pastor Suzanne talked about how we are unable to serve two “bosses.” Now that we have received freedom from God, what we do with that freedom matters. “Offering ourselves” wholly to God’s ways leads to life and flourishing, while offering any part of ourselves to sin leads to destruction and chaos and death. We are invited, every moment, to keep choosing to live in obedience so that we and all those around us will experience life.Reflection Questions:
Wh...read more
7/27 Sermon Recap and Reflection Questions
by: Sara Nielsen
07/28/2025
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7/27 Sermon Recap:
Pastor Sara talked about the word “faith” (pistis) in Romans and how Paul connects that word to Abraham’s faith in the Old Testament. Both with Abraham and for us, faith is more than mentally assenting to a list of specific beliefs or theological claims. Faith invites us to “start walking” out of our jail cells towards the inheritance and promises that Jesus is inviting us to.
Reflection Questions:
What is one step you could take to actively live out your...read more
7/20 Sermon Discussion and Reflection Questions
by: Sara Nielsen
07/21/2025
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7/20 Sermon Recap:
Pastor Suzanne talked about the word “redemption” (apolytrōsis), which means “the act of freeing someone from bondage, slavery, or captivity.” She reminded us that God gave us a picture of this redemption in the story of the Exodus. She then talked us through a metaphor to help us understand what Jesus did for us: irrevocably opening the doors of a prison. Though this freedom is a wonderful gift, we sometimes get comfortable in our prisons, which make it...read more
7/13 Sermon Recap and Prayer of Confession
by: Sara Nielsen
07/14/2025
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7/13 Sermon Recap:
Pastor Suzanne talked about Romans 1 and the ways that Paul sets up a rhetorical trap for his listeners. He starts by talking about how terrible they are, but then quickly flips the switch to say, “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgement on someone else.”Pastor Suzanne reminded us that we all have sin and mess and things that make us need God’s help.Prayer of Confession
Creator God,
I am quick to run from my conscience and to run from you.
F
...read more
7/6 Sermon Recap and Discussion Questions
by: Sara Nielsen
07/07/2025
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7/6 Sermon Recap:
Pastor Tony talked about Romans 9-11 and how these passages talk about the different kinds of privilege given to Jews and Gentiles. In particular, he talked about the privileges given to the Jews, and how they we called to use their privilege to bless all the peoples of the earth. Tony talked about the privilege he has as a straight, white, American male, and talked about how God gave us privilege to steward it for the sake of others.Sermon Discussion Qu
...read more
6/29 Sermon recap and Discussion Questions
by: Sara Nielsen
07/01/2025
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6/29 Sermon:
Pastor Sara talked about how Paul demonstrates using our words to bless and honor those around us. How might you bless and honor the people around you with your words this week? ...read more
6/22 Sermon Recap and Discussion Questions
by: Sara Nielsen
07/01/2025
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6/22 Sermon Recap:
Pastor Suzanne talked about Paul’s instructions to those “with power” and “without power” in the church in Rome as they gathered to eat together in the midst of their differences. Paul speaks to those without power and tells them not to judge those with power. And he speaks to those with power and he tells them not to use their power to create stumbling blocks for those without power. They are called to tolerate each other and to welcome each other becau...read more
6/15 Sermon Recap and Discussion Questions
by: Sara Nielsen
06/16/2025
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Sermon Recap:
Pastor Suzanne talked about what to do with this passage in Romans 13 that tells us to be subject to governing authorities. She explained that the temptation in reading this passage is either to: Take these words literally and insist that there are no exceptions Or ignore this passage and try to explain it away. The problem is we want to use this passage when the person we like is in power but ignore it when we don’t like the person in power. The order govern...read more
6/8 Sermon Recap and Discussion Questions
by: Sara Nielsen
06/11/2025
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Sermon Recap:
Pastor Sara talked about the context of the book of Romans. In particular, it was a church founded by Jewish Christians who were then exiled from Rome. When they came back to the church, Gentile Christians were running the church. A lot of what Paul has to say to the Roman church addresses that context. Pastor Sara also gave a short recap of Romans 1-11 (see picture below). Finally, she told us that because of God’s love demonstrated for us on the cross, we a...read more
6/1 Sermon Recap and Discussion Questions
by: Sara Nielsen
06/03/2025
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Sermon Recap:
Suzanne talked about how diverse we are as a church. We have different original languages and cultures, different music preferences, different political opinions, and different theological understandings. She told us that the book of Romans was written to address a similarly diverse audience - to teach them how to live together to bring glory to God.Rather than an abstract book about theology, Romans is a book written to a particular church with a lot of diff...read more
5/25 Sermon Discussion
by: Sara Nielsen
05/27/2025
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Short responses to 4 questions
we did not get to on Sunday:
Can spiritual gifts change?The work of the holy spirit appears to be in the believer. What is the relationship of the holy spirit and the non-believer and is the holy spirit involved in our prayers for non-believers?How do you cultivate good soil for the Holy Spirit to produce fruit into?I have two adult children in their 20s who recently lost friends. When they ask why did God take them so young -- what do I say? ...read more
5/18 Sermon Recap and Reflection Questions
by: Sara Nielsen
05/19/2025
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Sermon Recap
Pastor Sara talked about spiritual gifts, focusing on 1 Corinthians 12: 7. In this verse, Paul talks about spiritual gifts as “manifestations of the Spirit,” and encouraged us to consider the ways that our spiritual gifts uniquely make God visible to the world. We then took time to fill out a spiritual gifts assessment to reflect on how God has uniquely wired us. Below are links to the PDF of the assessment we took in person and a virtual test if you did not h...read more
5/11 Sermon Recap and Reflection Questions
by: Sara Nielsen
05/13/2025
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Sermon Recap
Pastor Suzanne talked about the ways cultivating the fruit of the Spirit is somewhat like gardening. Our life is like a garden plot. Some of the things were planted in it by others (family of origin, friends, culture around us, etc.), and some of the things in the garden are things we plant and cultivate. Weeds naturally pop up in gardens no matter what, but daily surveying our garden and dealing with the weeds early helps them from growing deep roots. We need...read more
5/4 Sermon Discussion and Reflection Questions
by: Sara Nielsen
05/05/2025
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Sermon Recap
Pastor Suzanne talked about the ways that the Holy Spirit gives us assurance of God’s love and care and nearness. She talked about the process of adoption. In an adoption there is a gap of between the legal paperwork being signed and the child’s experience of safety and security in their new family. The child need consistent experience of love and safety to help them feel the truth of their adoption.Until they experience that, children will often return to the...read more
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