Bridgewater Hallstead’s Podcast

What I most love about God is the character trait that I least desire in my own life. He loves His enemies. I like loving my friends, but loving those who love me isn’t virtuous, it’s just smart because it benefits me. Jesus didn’t die just to make stupid people smart, He died to make bad people good. That takes extraordinary love of our enemies. Luke 6:2-27 explains not only what extraordinary lo...

How do you live your best life now? How can we have a successful life? Jesus tells us in Luke 6 that the keys to success are poverty, hunger, weeping, and being cursed, mocked and hated. What is that all about? Did Jesus wake up on the wrong side of bed that day? Many of the things Jesus says seem to turn the world upside down. But Jesus isn’t wrong. We must kill the concept of normal success if w...

Ordinary religion operates like a club: Following the rules is what gets you in and keeps you in. Jesus’ relationship with the rules kills the ordinary religious scorecard. Instead of a club, God created a family. Keeping the rules didn’t get you into your family, nor does it kick you out. Instead, God’s commands point us toward something even more important than conforming to the rules – loving G...

Children dream of slaying dragons or befriending them. But somewhere in the journey to adulthood, we scale back our visions for greatness and settle for an ordinary life... and then, boring mediocrity. But the Creator of this Universe didn’t make you to be ordinary. Jesus didn’t die on the cross in the hope that you would someday reach the heights of ordinary-ness. Let’s let our 2-dimentional drea...

At the end of Esther 7 everything seems fixed, but there are three chapters left! A new law had to be written, preparations made and then the Jews had to unite and fight for their survival. God’s deliverance still required obedience. But even after that, it wasn’t over. The last phase of God’s victory is setting up a system to remember it. When will you habitually celebrate God’s victories in your...

It is the plot of endless stories, because we never tire of it. The situation is dark. All hope is lost... but then out of some impossible scenario, the hero shows up and wins the day. The tables are turned. That is the story of Esther 6-7. But how did it happen? Eventually, God always wins. But Esther shows us several tips of how to make sure we are on the Lord’s side.  Passage: Esther 6-7 Speake...

In our modern age of fear and anxiety we desperately need to have the courage of Esther. How was she able to confront the two most powerful men in the largest empire on earth – alone!? Esther 4-5 reveals four secrets to great courage that will embolden you to overcome the fears in your life today. Passage: Esther 4-5 Speaker: Kevin Stiles

What do you do when it seems like God doesn’t show up and evil is winning? Don’t mistake God’s silence for His absence. Like Esther we must trust and obey God even when everything seems hopeless. Evil often takes the lead, but God’s side succeeds. Passage: Esther 2:19–3:15 Speaker: David Wyman

God’s name is never mentioned in Esther, but His fingerprints are all over every unexpected twist and turn. Join us as we discover how God works to bring about an amazing story of courage, justice, purpose and hope through quiet coincidences, not obvious miracles. Esther’s story reflects our own: we may not always see God’s hand, but we can trust His heart. Often, God’s plan to transform the world...

They say the hardest part of a journey is the first step, and that may be true. But the next hardest part is the next step. The first step onto the water for Peter must have been terrifying, but it’s when he notices the wind that he begins to sink. Peter’s first step of faith was strong, but we need to trust Jesus through every step of our journey. After catching Peter’s fall, Jesus says to him, “...

Instead of merely being content to wait for Jesus to come to him, Peter asked Jesus to give him the power to walk on water toward Jesus. Peter didn’t know how it would turn out, but he trusted that Jesus could do what seemed impossible. He didn’t wait for an explanation - Peter asked for an invitation: “Tell me to come to you.”. Too often, when we say “tell me,” it’s “tell me all the information,”...

When Jesus came walking to them on the water, the disciples recognized Him. Whether it was what He said, the sound of His voice, or His presence alone, they knew immediately that they could trust this man walking on water to them. Yet we have so many voices, thoughts, and ideas swirling in our minds all the time. How do we listen to His voice when the world around us seems like it’s crashing in? H...

Series Description: What do you do when you find yourself in the middle of a storm you never signed up for? A marriage that’s fallen apart, another job that fell through, nights and storms that seem like they’ll never end - and your kids are caught up in the middle of the crossfire. It can feel like you’re in the middle of the storm, wondering if anyone sees you - if anybody cares. That may just b...

As fathers, we often focus on directions and rules for our kids, but what if we could also learn to be their greatest encouragers? What kind of legacy could we leave for our kids if we became their #1 encourager? Passage: Psalm 78:4-7, Psalm 127:3-5, Ephesians 6:4 Speaker: David Wyman

Spiritual growth doesn’t happen by accident, and it was never meant to happen alone. While many people desire to grow in their relationship with Jesus, that pursuit often gets redirected by the pressures and pace of life. In Hebrews 10, we see that God’s design for growth is shared pursuit: people who help one another hold on, stay encouraged, and keep moving forward. Biblical community isn’t just...

God has uniquely gifted every follower of Jesus, not randomly, but on purpose, to serve others and make a difference. In 1 Peter 4:10–11, we see that these gifts come in many forms, but all are meant to be used, not just held. When we step in and serve, relying on God’s strength and pointing to His glory, we begin to find where we truly fit and experience the joy of being used by Him. So our next m...

Worship is our response to who God is and what He has done. This message invites people to step into God’s presence and respond— not as a performance to observe, but as a response to participate in. As we understand who we are worshiping, we are freed to respond authentically and to carry that response into our daily lives, not just our Sunday experience. Passage: Psalm 100; Romans 12:1 Speaker: D...

This message moves beyond the act of giving to the formation of the heart, showing that generosity is not driven by obligation but by the grace of God. As we recognize that God is the one who provides and shapes a harvest of generosity in us, giving becomes a joyful response rather than a reluctant duty. This week reinforces the 90-day tithe challenge and calls our church to take a shared step of...

Following Jesus always leads us forward. There’s always a next step. But growth doesn’t happen when we just understand something, it happens when we step into something. In this series, we’re exploring what it looks like to take intentional steps forward in practicing the values that shape us into people who look more like Jesus. Throughout Scripture, giving a tenth was a consistent way God’s peop...

Today, we’re celebrating how God uses moms and women to shape faith in ways that last far beyond what we can see. In the story of Lois, Eunice, and Timothy, we’re reminded that faith is usually passed on through everyday life—through prayers, conversations, reading the Bible, and simply showing up again and again. It’s a lot like packing lunches and taking care of the daily stuff that never feels v...

This message centers on the reality that while following Jesus brings new life, it doesn’t remove life’s hardships, but it does change how we carry them. Drawing from 2 Corinthians 4 and 1 Thessalonians 4, it shows that the resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of our hope: because He rose, our suffering is temporary, our future is secure, and even death is not the end of our story. Passage: 2 Co...

Because of Jesus’ resurrection, we are not invited to simply improve our old way of living, but to live a completely new life that often runs counter to our natural instincts. In Philippians 2, Paul shows that this new life flows from what we’ve already received in Christ and is modeled by Jesus Himself, who chose not to cling to His rights but humbly obeyed the Father, even to the cross. What loo...

Week 3 of Life 2.0 answers the question: How do we live the new life Jesus gives us? While many people try to follow Jesus through sheer willpower, the Christian life was never meant to be lived that way. Through resurrection, God gives believers His Holy Spirit, whose power raised Jesus from the dead and now lives within His followers. The Spirit convicts us of sin, guides us into truth, and prod...

Many people think Christianity is about becoming a better version of themselves, but the resurrection offers something far greater than self-improvement. In Romans 6 and Colossians 3, Paul explains that when we trust Jesus, we are united with Him in His death and resurrection: the old life defined by sin dies, and a new life begins. Because of this new identity, we no longer have to hide or manage...

Life 2.0 isn’t about an upgraded or better version of the old life. It’s about a brand-new life made possible by the resurrection of Jesus. When we make Jesus our Forgiver and Leader, we’re not invited into self- improvement, we’re invited into resurrection. The old life is laid down, and a new life begins. And while that new life carries a future promise of heaven, it also reshapes how we live he...