Bridgetown Video Podcast

A Story of Death and Taxes

From the series "Gospel of Matthew." Jesus is slowly but surely headed for Jerusalem, where he knows he will suffer and be killed. Along the way, the collectors of the temple tax ask Peter whether his rabbi pays the tax. Through a parable about kings and through the belly of a fish, Jesus shows his disciples what it looks like to live secure and rooted in the Father’s love.

The Way of the Mustard Seed

From the series "Gospel of Matthew." Guest teacher Tyler Staton, from Trinity Grace Church in Brooklyn, New York, discusses the value of prayer and fasting to the follower of Jesus. They are the humble, hidden ways we choose the tiny seed over the suit of armor. And in the upside down Kingdom of God, that seed of divine love grows and blossoms into a force of divine power.

On Listening

From the series "Gospel of Matthew." At the fulcrum point in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus goes up on a high mountain where he is transfigured before his apprentices. Over their fear, the apprentices hear a voice from heaven saying, "listen to him!" Thousands of years later, in our own fears, the call to find a mountain and listen to Jesus is greater than ever. 

Simplicity & Contentment

Part 7 of the series "Simplicity" as part of Practicing The Way. Every person will at one time or another be confronted with reconciling the ache, need, and desire to feel fulfilled within—to feel satisfied and happy with what we have and who we are. In order for us to practice Simplicity in our lives, we must first confront the soul ache within; to take notice of why we are driven to consume, and then to invite God to meet us there, allowing him to show us and teach us how to be satisfied in him. It is through the discipline and practice of contentment that we extinguish the fire of “more” in our lives and ultimately find freedom to live lives of simplicity.

Simplicity of Pleasure

Part 6 of the series "Simplicity" as part of Practicing The Way. God designed us to experience joy. He wired the complex chemical reactions of our brains to accommodate it. But we are broken. And so is the world. And so many corrupt the freedom of Jesus twisting and mangling it so that it becomes a license for excess. Simplicity of Pleasure declutters the mind and the soul so that we can become active channels of the Holy Spirit.

Simplicity of Stuff

Part 5 of the series "Simplicity" as part of Practicing The Way. After laying the groundwork for the practice of simplicity, we tackle materialism head on. A truth that cuts across the human condition is: the more you get, the more you want. Many of us live in a kind of captivity to the desire for more. How do we break free? In this teaching we examine 1 Timothy 6 and explore two practices from the way of Jesus that both fall under the rubric of simplicity: 1. Limit how much you own, and 2. Practice generosity. A life of freedom is waiting for us in the kingdom of God.

A Pastoral Word on our Cultural Moment

We are all reeling from the last few months of life in America. The partisan divide between Right and Left, and the level of anger and acrimony, is at an all-time high, into the global pandemic of COVID-19, into a global recession, which so many out of work, or living in fear of a layoff, into a tipping point in the outcry over systemic racism in our country after George Floyd’s murder set off a wave of protest unlike anything in our nation’s history, where for the first time, the vast majority of the population is ready to do whatever it takes to change, into rioting and violence – the cascade effect has felt like wave after wave.

An Interview with Richard Probasco

We are honored to have Richard Probasco, founding pastor of New Song Community Church, with us to tell the story of his life in Portland as a Black man, a musician, a pastor, and an adoptive father.

Race & Justice with Mark Strong

We want to stop and acknowledge the reality that our Black and Brown sisters and brothers experience in our country. We are honored to have Mark Strong, lead pastor of Life Change Church in North Portland, with us to share what the Gospel of Jesus has to say about race and justice. 

A Pastoral Word on Bridgetown & Racial Justice

As a church, a city, and a nation, we are angry and heartbroken over the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. And of the many Black men and women before them. We are in an historic moment. People are waking up. The majority culture can no longer ignore the reality of systemic racism that goes back for centuries. And we pray this is the tipping point in our nation. And in our church. Bridgetown repents for not doing more. We are sorry for not leading into what the Spirit of God is doing in our time. There is no short, easy fix to systemic racism. But we are committed to doing the work now and into the future. Discover ways to listen, learn, and give to our Black and Brown brothers and sisters as we go on the journey of racial reconciliation and healing.

 

http://bridgetown.church/racial-justice