In Portland as it is in Heaven. All teachings are available to stream and download at bridgetown.church.
Episodes
Aug 30, 2020
Aug 30, 2020
46 min
From the series "Gospel of Matthew." Is marriage a contract, or a covenant? Is the love that lasts a lifetime a fiery passion of desire, or something else? Is divorce a necessary evil to “be true to yourself,” or a rupture of a deep union? Jesus’ teaching on divorce is based in his vision of marriage, which is as radical today as it was nearly two thousand years ago.
Aug 23, 2020
Aug 23, 2020
44 min
From the series "Gospel of Matthew." Jesus understands what it means to owe a debt. On the cross, he died for betrayers, deniers, hypocrites; you and me. The parable of the unmerciful servant reminds us of how forgiven we are, so that we would be liberated to forgive others.
Aug 16, 2020
Aug 16, 2020
39 min
From the series "Gospel of Matthew." What do we do when other followers of Jesus fall into sin and wander away? Let them go? Act like it’s okay? Make them our enemy? In this teaching we explore Jesus’ practice for dealing with sin in the church. It’s one of Jesus’ most used and abused teachings, and yet, it has the potential to form the church into a community where God’s will is done.
Aug 9, 2020
Aug 9, 2020
39 min
From the series "Gospel of Matthew." Jesus’ call for his apprentices to become like children is one of his most misunderstood teachings. In this message, we explore the cultural background to Jesus’ words and rediscover just how fitting and fierce they are for our culture today.
Aug 2, 2020
Aug 2, 2020
39 min
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.
Jul 26, 2020
Jul 26, 2020
38 min
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.
Jul 19, 2020
Jul 19, 2020
44 min
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.
Jul 12, 2020
Jul 12, 2020
23 min
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.
Jul 5, 2020
Jul 5, 2020
41 min
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.
Jun 28, 2020
Jun 28, 2020
45 min
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.