Bridge Community Church Leeds

Discipleship is more than following up young converts, attending classes or one of the seasonal activities we perform in church. Discipleship is a relational journey with Jesus.  As Pastor Bawa describes it - “It is the fellowship of disciples...followers of Jesus hungry to be more like Him.” Discipleship is a life of supreme love and fullness of submission. It can be hindered by love of othe...

Have you ever thought of prayer as God’s invitation for you to be with Him? Clement of Alexandria (died around 215AD) said “Prayer is keeping company with God.” We may be very diligent working out Jesus’ call to “go” - to service and to mission. How diligent are we in being “with” Jesus? To become like Jesus, we need to be with Jesus, a foundation of which is prayer. Pastor Andy shares, from the S...

Pastor Steve introduced the first in a series on Becoming a Disciple - how to organise our lives around the same rhythms, practices and truth as Jesus which open us to God’s power to change us. We will follow the outline of a book by John Mark Comer - be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus did. We discover the honour of being called to be a disciple of Jesus since, as Pastor Steve say...

From our reading - Ephesians 5.1-20 - Pastor Andy continues our series on holiness, which starts in the heart of God, is for our blessing and God’s glory and the way to a deep and satisfying walk with Him. Holiness keeps us on target - to what pleases Christ and his purposes. We live holy lives by being careful, not casual about holiness. recognising that in Christ we children of light, who died a...

Today we welcomed Gavin Calver, CEO of the Evangelical Alliance. Gavin introduces the work of the EA sharing its vision, values, and how we can support its mission. Taking us the last chapter of the book of Acts, chapter 28, he encourages to see ourselves as people who are writing chapter 29. Gavin inspires us in three areas: Look wider, and share God’s heart for the lost. Be bolder - we have trem...

Confused about consecration? Pastor Bawa deals with common misconceptions about consecration. He draws lessons from the way Jesus called his 12 apostles in Mark chapter three, to show that consecration is an act of God - intentionally setting apart by Him and for Him. In our own experience of consecration we will discover Preparation, the Presence of Jesus, Power to bring Jesus’s good news and de...

What does it mean to be consecrated to God? Pastor Steve shows us how Peter learned the meaning of consecration from Jesus - making Him Lord, loving Him, and Peter's experiences both of Christ’s call and His renewal. How do we respond to Jesus? We can follow Him at a distance, with Him in the rear-view mirror, or keep Him front and centre. If we are drifting, we can be encouraged that “Wherever yo...

What’s in a greeting? A lot more than you may realise! With Pastor Bawa we walk with Mary and Elizabeth to share their experiences of greetings around the births of their sons. We discover how greetings can engage, encourage, enrich, empower and envision. We are encouraged to be people who truly greet each other, and to greet the goodness of God in each other. We see how our greetings overflo...

“There is hope today, because the light shines in the darkness.” Pastor Andy inspires us to be captured by the awe and wonder of the Christmas story. Through this we can find the strength to face the challenges of life, remembering that Jesus, the light of the world, shines in our dark times. We have this confidence - the darkness neither understood Jesus, nor overcomes Him.  About Bridge Com...

“Hope is being able to see that there is light, despite all the darkness.” Archbishop Desmond Tutu. In this world of war, cost of living and climate crises, political instability and a host of other challenges, where do we find hope? Pastor Jacqui invites us to reflect on what we’re hoping for this Christmas, how Jesus is the the foundation for our hope, and to engage in spiritual practices that f...

What gifts are you thinking of giving this Christmas? Well God had an eternity to think about how he would give us the gift go His Son Jesus! Andrew Onobrakpeya shares how grace and truth wrap around God’s plan through history to restore our broken relationship with Him. The cross allows our relationship with God to be restored. Andrew explains that the presence of God isn’t confined to a place or...

Why do Christians get baptised as adults? What has this got to do with the Christian message? Listen to the stories of nine people who tell their stories of the transforming experience of life in Jesus, and the importance of baptism in their ongoing journey of faith. Pastor Andy concludes the service, inviting us to ask this question of Christians we know: “What does Jesus mean to you?” He explain...

Why do we study the word of God? And how? Simmie and Jo share that, through studying the Scriptures, we build intimacy with God, learn what it means to be true representatives of Christ in the world, and build our discernment and defence against evil. In communion with other believers we test and refine our understanding of the word and learn how to put in into practice. We get the most out of the...

“May the cross and the fire never simply be emblems of what might have been but the hallmarks of our lives and witness until Jesus comes again.” Pastor Andy reflects on living empowered by the fire of the Spirit and the sacrifice of the cross. We deny ourselves for the sake of Christ and for others who need us to represent him in this dark world. Jesus compares the Spirit to the flow of rivers (pl...

Pastor Steve shares three Biblical truths about giving. First, we give from a heart of worship not duty, trusting God as our creator, sustainer and provider. Second, we are stewards of everything and owners of nothing. Third, he shows us the connection between giving and blessing, and addresses head on what the Bible does - and doesn’t - say about this. He shares how giving attracts the blessing...

“Men and women have run this race in the past. Will you be added to the list?” Pastor Bawa shows us that the message of Hebrews 12 follows on and continues the teaching of Hebrews 11 - there is a great cloud of faithful witnesses who have run and completed the race of faith ahead of us. To inspire us to finish race, Pastor Bawa gives us passages of Scripture that show that we run to win Jesus, we...

Pastor Steve shares three lessons from Hebrews 12.1-4. First, get rid of excess baggage. “Things that hinder” are things not bad in themselves but can keep us from investing in those spiritual practices that promote a healthy life rhythm - time alone with Jesus (even if it’s a walk!), rest, and healthy enjoyment. Sin disrupts our relationships with God and people - get rid! Second, we need to pers...

How do we compete successfully in the race of the Christian life? The apostle Paul tells us that we compete not against each other, but for each other. As Pastor Steve puts it in this message: “You cannot encourage each other, or be encouraged, by running this race alone.” Make it your goal to encourage at least one person every week - it will change your life and the lives of people around you. A...

About this episode What does agape love mean to you? Our young people, share what agape love means to them. They share what they understand by agape love - a love which “seeks the good of the other above all else” and which “challenges us to go beyond what is easy or convenient.” We catch their vision of God who loves in this way, and learn how they apply this selfless and self-giving love in thei...

About this episode Can we really hear the voice of God? How do we recognise it? When we do, how do we respond to it? Rev Tania Harris is a church planter, pastor and lecturer, ministering across the globe to all traditions and age-groups, and through radio and TV in the Antipodes and UK. Tania shares how God spoke in Old Testament times and how he spoke through Jesus. Now, the Holy Spiri...

About this episode “People may spend their whole lives climbing the ladder of success only to find, once they reach the top, that the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall.” So wrote Thomas Merton. But how can we make sure we are on the right ladder? And who will we meet at the top of it? Pastor Andy Lancaster shares three incidents involving Nicodemus, a key Jewish leader in Jesus' day. What w...

About this episode Jesus calls us to follow Him. But what does it mean to be follow ing Jesus? In a world when many people are calling out for followers, what makes Jesus so compelling? Pastor Bawa explains why we would want to make the radical decision of making Jesus our priority - because He alone is God’s endorsed and approve Son, the source of His forgiveness, healing, and the path to life.&n...

About this episode Building on last week’s talk, Pastor Karen Green shares her experience about being an ambassador for Jesus. Pastor Karen shares various testimonies about how God gradually freed her to be more open and confident in sharing her faith and shows us natural ways in which we can do the same. We are encouraged to build relationships, pray for our friends, neighbours and colleagues, an...

About this episode Paul writes : "We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God" But what does it mean to be an ambassador of Christ? Pastor Andy encourages us with these insights. A UK ambassador must first meet the king. What do we remember about our first meeting with king Jesus? Ambassadors g...

About this episode The walls or the rubble - what tends to captivate our attention? Concluding our series from Nehemiah, Pastor Steve shows us how to respond when we become weary, or are tempted to be disheartened. We focus on what God has rebuilt - in His church, and as He works in us to make more like Jesus - more than we focus on what still needs to be done. We build life-affirming spiritual pr...