Marshall Family Christmas Lights 2008- Full Show in Hi-Def! from Joey Marshall on Vimeo.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
100! - 10!
this is the church that gave $20,000 to The Bridge about six months ago. the three guys in this video are from their leadership and they are encouraging people to give from their own personal finances to the ministry of the church. awesome!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Baptism
Baptism is all about God's grace and what God has done for us.
In baptism, God claims us as his own and we are cleansed from the guilt of the sin condition into which we have been born.
For more in depth explanation of Baptism, check out:
By Water and The Spirit
If you are up for discussion on the subject, check out the bridge facebook group:
In baptism, God claims us as his own and we are cleansed from the guilt of the sin condition into which we have been born.
For more in depth explanation of Baptism, check out:
By Water and The Spirit
If you are up for discussion on the subject, check out the bridge facebook group:
Monday, September 21, 2009
perfect fit
considering the recent weather (rain) and the recent sermon (grace) here is a music video that is a perfect fit: Grace Like Rain by Todd Agnew
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Risk-Taking Service
Rennie Curran has a great story.
watch this video and then read the quote:
quote from an interview Rennie Curran gave to writer David Hale:
“Just having the younger guys, I think that’s really what opened my eyes to the whole leadership thing is having the younger guys come in who were confused at times and would look to me and reach out to me for help. I was able to do that because of the experience that I had and that really just helped me in terms of developing that leadership. You can’t be a leader without being a servant and being able to help your teammates and just really bring up the ability of the guys around you, raise that attitude and set the tempo.”
it is the same in the Kingdom of God: taking the lead means serving everyone else first.
when the church does this in ways that are sometimes uncomfortable or risky, that is usually when God shows up.
watch this video and then read the quote:
quote from an interview Rennie Curran gave to writer David Hale:
“Just having the younger guys, I think that’s really what opened my eyes to the whole leadership thing is having the younger guys come in who were confused at times and would look to me and reach out to me for help. I was able to do that because of the experience that I had and that really just helped me in terms of developing that leadership. You can’t be a leader without being a servant and being able to help your teammates and just really bring up the ability of the guys around you, raise that attitude and set the tempo.”
it is the same in the Kingdom of God: taking the lead means serving everyone else first.
when the church does this in ways that are sometimes uncomfortable or risky, that is usually when God shows up.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Radical Hospitality
This is Chapter 53 from The Rule of St. Benedict. Benedict of Nursia lived around 500 AD is considered by many to be the founder of Western monasticism. The Rule was his instruction to his fellow believers on how to live following Christ in the monastic lifestyle.
Chapter 53: On the Reception of Guests
Let all guests who arrive be received like Christ,
for He is going to say,
"I came as a guest, and you received Me" (Matt. 25:35).
And to all let due honor be shown,
especially to the domestics of the faith and to pilgrims.
As soon as a guest is announced, therefore,
let the Superior or the brethren meet him
with all charitable service.
And first of all let them pray together,
and then exchange the kiss of peace.
For the kiss of peace should not be offered
until after the prayers have been said,
on account of the devil's deceptions.
In the salutation of all guests, whether arriving or departing,
let all humility be shown.
Let the head be bowed
or the whole body prostrated on the ground
in adoration of Christ, who indeed is received in their persons.
After the guests have been received and taken to prayer,
let the Superior or someone appointed by him sit with them.
Let the divine law be read before the guest for his edification,
and then let all kindness be shown him.
The Superior shall break his fast for the sake of a guest,
unless it happens to be a principal fast day
which may not be violated.
The brethren, however, shall observe the customary fasts.
Let the Abbot give the guests water for their hands;
and let both Abbot and community wash the feet of all guests.
After the washing of the feet let them say this verse:
"We have received Your mercy, O God,
in the midst of Your temple" (Ps.47[48]:10).
In the reception of the poor and of pilgrims
the greatest care and solicitude should be shown,
because it is especially in them that Christ is received;
for as far as the rich are concerned,
the very fear which they inspire
wins respect for them.
Chapter 53: On the Reception of Guests
Let all guests who arrive be received like Christ,
for He is going to say,
"I came as a guest, and you received Me" (Matt. 25:35).
And to all let due honor be shown,
especially to the domestics of the faith and to pilgrims.
As soon as a guest is announced, therefore,
let the Superior or the brethren meet him
with all charitable service.
And first of all let them pray together,
and then exchange the kiss of peace.
For the kiss of peace should not be offered
until after the prayers have been said,
on account of the devil's deceptions.
In the salutation of all guests, whether arriving or departing,
let all humility be shown.
Let the head be bowed
or the whole body prostrated on the ground
in adoration of Christ, who indeed is received in their persons.
After the guests have been received and taken to prayer,
let the Superior or someone appointed by him sit with them.
Let the divine law be read before the guest for his edification,
and then let all kindness be shown him.
The Superior shall break his fast for the sake of a guest,
unless it happens to be a principal fast day
which may not be violated.
The brethren, however, shall observe the customary fasts.
Let the Abbot give the guests water for their hands;
and let both Abbot and community wash the feet of all guests.
After the washing of the feet let them say this verse:
"We have received Your mercy, O God,
in the midst of Your temple" (Ps.47[48]:10).
In the reception of the poor and of pilgrims
the greatest care and solicitude should be shown,
because it is especially in them that Christ is received;
for as far as the rich are concerned,
the very fear which they inspire
wins respect for them.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Back to School
Today, I dropped off my 5th grade daughter and 1st grade son for their first day of school this year. Going back to school is such a big event in the life of a child. New teacher(s), new classroom(s), new classmates, new schedule, and all of that after having just enjoyed months of what my daughter terms "freedom".
Last weekend our church, The Bridge, and a local hotel, America's Best Inn & Suites, helped some of the children in our community get ready to go back to school by providing backpacks, clothes, haircuts, and hearing & vision exams, through the Give-A-Kid-A-Chance program.
This coming weekend, The Bridge will be a distribution point for school supplies in conjunction with Bartow Collaborative. The kids will receive notebooks, pencils, erasers and all that good stuff so, hopefully, they can go back to school with all the "stuff" they will need to succeed.
While we are giving "stuff" to the kids and their families, I hope that we are also able to give them something else they will need to succeed: the love of God. My hope is that they will know that God loves them and so do I and that is why I give my time, money and energy to help. There may be many things people feel ill-equipped to do in the church: teach, lead, heal, prophesy. But anybody, and I mean anybody, can take a few hours and a few dollars to demonstrate the love of God.
James, one of the first followers of Jesus, wrote that our faith in God has to motivate us to help people when we know that they are in need (James 2:14-17). Do you know anybody who needs help? Can you help? Are you involved with a church that has ways for you to help people in your community? Can you help?
Helping feels good, for sure, but it goes deeper than that. Much deeper. In an act of selflessness, giving something of yourself just to benefit somebody in need, you are participating in the Divine, the Holy. Try it soon and see. I know I'm glad I did.
Last weekend our church, The Bridge, and a local hotel, America's Best Inn & Suites, helped some of the children in our community get ready to go back to school by providing backpacks, clothes, haircuts, and hearing & vision exams, through the Give-A-Kid-A-Chance program.
This coming weekend, The Bridge will be a distribution point for school supplies in conjunction with Bartow Collaborative. The kids will receive notebooks, pencils, erasers and all that good stuff so, hopefully, they can go back to school with all the "stuff" they will need to succeed.
While we are giving "stuff" to the kids and their families, I hope that we are also able to give them something else they will need to succeed: the love of God. My hope is that they will know that God loves them and so do I and that is why I give my time, money and energy to help. There may be many things people feel ill-equipped to do in the church: teach, lead, heal, prophesy. But anybody, and I mean anybody, can take a few hours and a few dollars to demonstrate the love of God.
James, one of the first followers of Jesus, wrote that our faith in God has to motivate us to help people when we know that they are in need (James 2:14-17). Do you know anybody who needs help? Can you help? Are you involved with a church that has ways for you to help people in your community? Can you help?
Helping feels good, for sure, but it goes deeper than that. Much deeper. In an act of selflessness, giving something of yourself just to benefit somebody in need, you are participating in the Divine, the Holy. Try it soon and see. I know I'm glad I did.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
kings today....
you don't see kings much these days. i know there are societies or countries far off where they probably still have kings and queens and such. yes, i know, England has a queen.
but, there was a time in history where kings were all the rage. every country had a royal ruler. democracy and shared authority and free elections are a relatively new thing on the historical political scene.
i have been reading in the Bible about kings. i have also been reading about "masters": people who are in charge of other people. in some sense, these two roles are similar. there is a person who has responsibility for, and to a certain degree command over, another person or people.
the reason i bore you with all this is because i think the instruction and teaching in the Bible for people in these positions could be impactful in our culture today.
we may not have kings, but we do have CEO's and Plant/Store Managers and Principals and Senators and such. these people all have a measure of influence and even control over the lives of the people working for them or living under their jurisdiction.
the Bible calls people like this to live with concern, care and compassion for those "under" them. justice, mercy and protection are the attitudes that a ruler should have toward their people...rather than seeing them as means to an end or cogs in a wheel to get work done.
if there is someone, anyone, that you have any control or influence over by way of your position in society, please treat them the way prescribed by the Bible. i wonder how that would change the picture today if many people were to rule and lead this way?
but, there was a time in history where kings were all the rage. every country had a royal ruler. democracy and shared authority and free elections are a relatively new thing on the historical political scene.
i have been reading in the Bible about kings. i have also been reading about "masters": people who are in charge of other people. in some sense, these two roles are similar. there is a person who has responsibility for, and to a certain degree command over, another person or people.
the reason i bore you with all this is because i think the instruction and teaching in the Bible for people in these positions could be impactful in our culture today.
we may not have kings, but we do have CEO's and Plant/Store Managers and Principals and Senators and such. these people all have a measure of influence and even control over the lives of the people working for them or living under their jurisdiction.
the Bible calls people like this to live with concern, care and compassion for those "under" them. justice, mercy and protection are the attitudes that a ruler should have toward their people...rather than seeing them as means to an end or cogs in a wheel to get work done.
if there is someone, anyone, that you have any control or influence over by way of your position in society, please treat them the way prescribed by the Bible. i wonder how that would change the picture today if many people were to rule and lead this way?
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Rich Mullins
Screen Door on a Submarine, circa 1996
It's about as useless as
A screen door on a submarine
Faith without works baby
It just ain't happenin'
One is your left hand, One is your right
It'll take two strong arms, To hold on tight
Some folks cut off their nose
Just to spite their face
I think you need some works to show
For your alleged faith
Well there's a difference you know
B'tween having faith and playing make believe
One will make you grow
The other one just make you sleep
Talk about it, But I really think you oughta
Take a leap off of the ship
Before you claim to walk on water
Faith without works is like a song you can't sing
It's as useless as a screen door on a submarine
Faith comes from God
And every word that He breathes
He lets you take it to your heart
So you can give it hands and feet
It's gotta be active if it's gonna be alive
You gotta put it into practice, Otherwise....
It's about as useless as a screen door
On a submarine
Faith without works, baby
It just ain't happenin'
One is your right hand, one is your left
It's your light, your guide
Your life and your breath
Faith without works is like a song you can't sing
It's about as useless as a screen door
On a submarine
It's about as useless as
A screen door on a submarine
Faith without works baby
It just ain't happenin'
One is your left hand, One is your right
It'll take two strong arms, To hold on tight
Some folks cut off their nose
Just to spite their face
I think you need some works to show
For your alleged faith
Well there's a difference you know
B'tween having faith and playing make believe
One will make you grow
The other one just make you sleep
Talk about it, But I really think you oughta
Take a leap off of the ship
Before you claim to walk on water
Faith without works is like a song you can't sing
It's as useless as a screen door on a submarine
Faith comes from God
And every word that He breathes
He lets you take it to your heart
So you can give it hands and feet
It's gotta be active if it's gonna be alive
You gotta put it into practice, Otherwise....
It's about as useless as a screen door
On a submarine
Faith without works, baby
It just ain't happenin'
One is your right hand, one is your left
It's your light, your guide
Your life and your breath
Faith without works is like a song you can't sing
It's about as useless as a screen door
On a submarine
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Ahhhh...High School
It just hit me. I guess because the school year just finished up and somewhere there are high school graduates celebrating their new-found freedom and remembering their memories of the last four years. I remember high school. Awkward years, mostly, of trying to figure out who I was and how to avoid being left out, singled out, or punched out.
What hit me is that painful transition I made during the middle of my junior year of high school. I moved in with my dad in a totally different place and totally different school. After Christmas break, I was the new kid at a new school with new people and it was tough.
I felt very much like I had invaded somebody else's territory and everybody there knew what was going on but me. Add that stress and discomfort to an already difficult time of transition and development (i.e. the teenage years) and you have the makings of a painful experience.
The reason my high school experience is particularly relevant to me now in my life is because of the new church we are launching. Our expressed intention is to be a church that is focused on connecting with people who are not a part of the church. For people checking out the church for the first time, or the first time in a long time, I imagine it could feel much like going into a new high school mid-way through your junior year. My prayer is that the bridge will allow someone to feel invited, welcomed, and like they fit right in.
What hit me is that painful transition I made during the middle of my junior year of high school. I moved in with my dad in a totally different place and totally different school. After Christmas break, I was the new kid at a new school with new people and it was tough.
I felt very much like I had invaded somebody else's territory and everybody there knew what was going on but me. Add that stress and discomfort to an already difficult time of transition and development (i.e. the teenage years) and you have the makings of a painful experience.
The reason my high school experience is particularly relevant to me now in my life is because of the new church we are launching. Our expressed intention is to be a church that is focused on connecting with people who are not a part of the church. For people checking out the church for the first time, or the first time in a long time, I imagine it could feel much like going into a new high school mid-way through your junior year. My prayer is that the bridge will allow someone to feel invited, welcomed, and like they fit right in.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Good Friday
This is the day that Christians have historically remembered as the day that Jesus was arrested, tried and convicted, and crucified in Jerusalem.
I can't help but be reminded by the wicked storms raging outside my house right now of that scene at Golgotha when Jesus took his last breath. In the Bible (Matthew, chapter 27), the writer describes the scene this way:
From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. (v. 45)
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. (v. 50-51)
When the storms today started raging and the sky got dark, everybody took notice. We immediately turned on the news to see the latest forecast. We even stopped cooking dinner to see what was developing and ended up in the bathroom waiting for the tornado warning to pass. My mom called to check on us. My wife's mom and sister called to check on us. News crews were dispatched to the storm centers to report on what they saw.
The account of the crucifixion of Jesus reads much the same way. When the sky got dark and the earth shook and the rocks split, everybody took notice. Even one of the guards who had ridiculed and beaten Jesus said, "Surely he was the Son of God" (v. 54).
So, seeing today's storm (on Good Friday) reminds me of that guard and the storm he saw on the very first Good Friday. He had not been a believer in Jesus as the Son of God before the storm, but afterward, he declared his belief for sure.
On this Good Friday, will you say with me...Surely Jesus is the Son of God!
I can't help but be reminded by the wicked storms raging outside my house right now of that scene at Golgotha when Jesus took his last breath. In the Bible (Matthew, chapter 27), the writer describes the scene this way:
From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. (v. 45)
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. (v. 50-51)
When the storms today started raging and the sky got dark, everybody took notice. We immediately turned on the news to see the latest forecast. We even stopped cooking dinner to see what was developing and ended up in the bathroom waiting for the tornado warning to pass. My mom called to check on us. My wife's mom and sister called to check on us. News crews were dispatched to the storm centers to report on what they saw.
The account of the crucifixion of Jesus reads much the same way. When the sky got dark and the earth shook and the rocks split, everybody took notice. Even one of the guards who had ridiculed and beaten Jesus said, "Surely he was the Son of God" (v. 54).
So, seeing today's storm (on Good Friday) reminds me of that guard and the storm he saw on the very first Good Friday. He had not been a believer in Jesus as the Son of God before the storm, but afterward, he declared his belief for sure.
On this Good Friday, will you say with me...Surely Jesus is the Son of God!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Fat Tuesday
Today is Fat Tuesday because tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season in the Christian calendar called Lent, which ends with Easter. This season is often identified with people giving up things in their daily life as a way to remember and identify with the sacrifice that Jesus made for humanity.
In early celebrations of this season, many people sacrificed food and would fast or eat only sparingly during Lent. This season was also a time of preparation and study for people who had converted to Christianity and wanted to join the Church. For a very long time, Lent was without a doubt the most important season of the year for the Church.
Fat Tuesday became a day of celebration and even indulgence as people prepared for their fasting or sacrificial living during Lent. Eventually, the celebration became a season in itself: Mardi Gras (which means "Fat Tuesday"). It's just hard to get a good party to end.
Lent, however, is not a party. It is a time to remember the depth of the sacrifice God made for you and me through Jesus. It is also a time to remember the reason that such sacrifice had to be made - the reprehensible and regrettable condition of humanity - sin. That is where Ash Wednesday comes in. The Church long ago adopted a tradition to begin Lent by people marking their foreheads with ashes as a symbol of the regrettable condition of sin and the desire to turn away from it - repentance.
Whether you are a Christian or not, get into religious symbolism or not, would you still be willing to think about that regrettable (or even reprehensible?) thing in your life that needs to go away? If so, this season of the year, leading up to Easter and the new life of spring, might be the perfect time for you to remember the sacrifice God made for us all and consider what you are willing to let go of....
To read more about Lent, check out this link: Lent 101
In early celebrations of this season, many people sacrificed food and would fast or eat only sparingly during Lent. This season was also a time of preparation and study for people who had converted to Christianity and wanted to join the Church. For a very long time, Lent was without a doubt the most important season of the year for the Church.
Fat Tuesday became a day of celebration and even indulgence as people prepared for their fasting or sacrificial living during Lent. Eventually, the celebration became a season in itself: Mardi Gras (which means "Fat Tuesday"). It's just hard to get a good party to end.
Lent, however, is not a party. It is a time to remember the depth of the sacrifice God made for you and me through Jesus. It is also a time to remember the reason that such sacrifice had to be made - the reprehensible and regrettable condition of humanity - sin. That is where Ash Wednesday comes in. The Church long ago adopted a tradition to begin Lent by people marking their foreheads with ashes as a symbol of the regrettable condition of sin and the desire to turn away from it - repentance.
Whether you are a Christian or not, get into religious symbolism or not, would you still be willing to think about that regrettable (or even reprehensible?) thing in your life that needs to go away? If so, this season of the year, leading up to Easter and the new life of spring, might be the perfect time for you to remember the sacrifice God made for us all and consider what you are willing to let go of....
To read more about Lent, check out this link: Lent 101
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Recession Proof
Money is tight these days. People are losing their jobs. 401(k) balances are falling like...well...like the stock market :(
Pretty much every talking head, expert, and adviser admits that we are in the midst of a recession in the American and the global economies. Everybody is feeling the pinch. Even the Treasury Department has begun printing new dollar bills to reflect the state of the economy:
I recall learning in business school about recession proof businesses that dealt in the staples of life and were able to withstand economic downturns because people will always get sick, people will always gamble, people always have to eat and have to drive.
Much is being written today about how to recession proof your career, your budget, your family, and even yourself! There are articles about recession-proof companies, recession-proof cities, and even recession-proof blogs. :)
"I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (NIV translation)
Although I think the Bible verse Philippians 4:13 is used and abused, that verse and the two before it have a lot to say about "recession proofing" our lives. Unfortunately, the emphasis gets put on the "I can do everything" part more than the "him who gives me strength" part. The big idea in that verse is that God gives us what is needed to endure all of life's twists and [down]turns. Also, if you read verses 11 and 12, you find that Paul is saying that he has learned to be content when he has little and just as content when he has much. He can live through it all because of the strength he receives from God.
Being Content. Now that is a concept and a perspective that will help recession-proof your life!
Pretty much every talking head, expert, and adviser admits that we are in the midst of a recession in the American and the global economies. Everybody is feeling the pinch. Even the Treasury Department has begun printing new dollar bills to reflect the state of the economy:
I recall learning in business school about recession proof businesses that dealt in the staples of life and were able to withstand economic downturns because people will always get sick, people will always gamble, people always have to eat and have to drive.
Much is being written today about how to recession proof your career, your budget, your family, and even yourself! There are articles about recession-proof companies, recession-proof cities, and even recession-proof blogs. :)
"I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (NIV translation)
Although I think the Bible verse Philippians 4:13 is used and abused, that verse and the two before it have a lot to say about "recession proofing" our lives. Unfortunately, the emphasis gets put on the "I can do everything" part more than the "him who gives me strength" part. The big idea in that verse is that God gives us what is needed to endure all of life's twists and [down]turns. Also, if you read verses 11 and 12, you find that Paul is saying that he has learned to be content when he has little and just as content when he has much. He can live through it all because of the strength he receives from God.
Being Content. Now that is a concept and a perspective that will help recession-proof your life!
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