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.
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
4/27 Sermon Recap and Reflection Questions
by: Sara Nielsen
04/28/2025
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read more
4/13 Sermon Recap and Reflection Questions
by: Sara Nielsen
04/14/2025
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Sermon Recap
• Pastor Suzanne talked about the multiple things to see in the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. She invited us to look at the story and see the connection to the Jewish celebration of Passover.
• John makes intentionally adds details to his gospel that help us see the connection to Passover. (See image below)
• Suzanne emphasized that in the Passover celebration, the sacrificial lamb was not being punished for something. The lamb was a sign th
...read more
4/6 Sermon Discussion and Reflection Questions
by: Sara Nielsen
04/07/2025
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Sermon Recap
Pastor Suzanne talked about the religious leaders during Jesus’ trial and invited us to consider how it is possible to be both “deeply sincere and dangerously wrong.”She pointed out that the religious leaders had good reason to want to stop Jesus: he was claiming to be God. This was a heresy that the Old Testament says is punishable by death. They then become so focused on getting this accomplished that they are willing to use any means necessary. By the end o...read more
3/30 Sermon Recap and Reflection Questions
by: randy siders
04/07/2025
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Sermon Recap
Pastor Sara talked about Pilate’s question to Jesus: “What is truth?”Pilate, due to changes in power dynamics in Rome, was left unsteady, and unsure what would bring him security, so he was left bending to the will of the crowds.She talked about how a lot of people in our postmodern world are wrestling with this question for a variety of different reasons. She encouraged people who are walking alongside people questioning their faith to consider asking questio...read more
3/23 Sermon Recap and Reflection Questions
by: Sara Nielsen
04/07/2025
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Sermon Recap
Pastor Suzanne talked about the importance of making sure we are not compartmentalizing our lives in unhelpful ways. She talked about how Peter behaved one way around his fellow disciples and another way around other people. He was not able to integrate and live consistently and with integrity in a variety of environments. Suzane talked about 3 reasons we likely are not consistent everywhere we go: We want to feel accepted and like we belongIt’s easier- we cho...read more
3/16 Sermon Recap & Reflection Questions
by: Sara Nielsen
03/17/2025
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Sermon Recap
Pastor Suzanne taught us about the character Annas - who served as the high priest, but was removed from his position by Rome. Annas then appointed his sons as priests and continued to operate with authority behind the scenes.Annas was treated unjustly and then felt justified in his attempts to maintain power and even sanction violence. Annas should have been the person who recognized Jesus, and ended up being the person that assured his death. Suzanne asked u...read more
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