The Bride Church

Key Points The indwelling Holy Spirit was promised by Old Testament prophets. God graced us with His indwelling Spirit to help us walk according to His will and to vindicate His Holy Name. The Holy Spirit brings us life and living water. The Holy Spirit reveals to us the truth about Jesus & His Word and is named The Spirit of Truth. Jesus promised to send us the Holy Spirit after His resurrection....

Key Points Fasting for ourselves defeats the purpose of fasting. In Isaiah 58 we find God’s chosen fast. To repent and give. We are oftentimes yoked or strapped to self-desires. Giving to those in need helps free us from self.  We are saved not by works but those who are saved do good works. Discussion Pastor Bob listed some unhealthy yokes that we are at times strapped to: covetousness, complacen...

Key Points Prayer awakens us to the presence of God. Jesus instructs us to pray to the Father in secret. The prayer positions us under His hallowed Name. The prayer is relational both vertically and horizontally.   Daily bread, daily forgiveness, and daily protection. There is beauty and majesty embedded into The Disciples’ Prayer.  This prayer is to be lived. Discussion What part of this prayer s...

Key Points We are promised a blessing when we hunger & thirst for God. We need to be awakened to our daily need to crave Jesus. Trials, suffering, and lack can awaken us to hunger and thirst for God.  We often settle for a substitute to meet our needs. These will never satisfy.  David describes this relationship as our souls clinging to God.  The practice of fasting from food can help awaken our h...

Key Points “The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year, but rather we should have a new soul." - GK Chesterton For us to be transformed, we must look upon the One who changes us, Jesus Christ, Himself. You will never be satisfied with the praise of man. Jesus was not looking for the praise of man but only to glorify the Father in His timing, not His own.  There is a better rewa...

Christmas Eve 2023

Key Points Old Testament prophesy indicates a single shepherd with a single flock. Jesus declares Himself the Door to the sheep fold as well as the Good Shepherd. This contrasts the thieves and false shepherds of Israel. He taught this just following his declaration as the Light of the World. The Pharisees had just removed the blind man that was healed from fellowship. (John 8 & 9) The Good Shephe...

Key Points Jesus declares Himself The Light of the world. His “I Am” statement is backed up with the healing of the blind man. The darkness and the light will always be divided. Walking in the light includes confessing the darkness. Light in the dark brings revelation to the goodness of God, even in the pain.  As His light bearers, we are called to good works. Discussion How would you describe His...

Key Points Moses found out that God’s Name speaks to the sum of who He is, His character, and His essence.  God highly exalted His Son and gave Him His Name and His Name is above every other name. Jesus rightly proclaimed that He is the first and the last. Jesus not only took part in creating the universe and all that is in it, but it was created through Him and for Him. Jesus holds it all togethe...

Key Points After the Israelites were delivered from Egypt and after God miraculously parted the Red Sea, His people were singing praises. Three days later, they began to grumble. God moves to bring grace upon grace to His grumbling people by sweetening the water, raining bread from heaven, and even providing quail for food. Notice: the original grumbling turns the entire congregation against Moses...

Key Points Those who fail to honor God or give thanks will end up with darkened hearts. A heart of ingratitude stems from “never enough” and “I deserve more.” A heart of gratitude stems from “I don’t deserve anything” and “I expect nothing.” If one expects nothing, anything more will produce a heartfelt thanks. God doesn’t need a thank you, but He knows we need to. A grateful heart carries over to...

Key Points Jonah is angry and leaves the city to what watch would become of Nineveh. God appoints a plant, a worm, and a hot wind to teach Jonah about the condition of his heart. We often give too much credit and blame Satan for circumstances God Himself has appointed to transform our hearts. God’s mercy was good for Jonah but not for his enemies. God is merciful towards the ungrateful. Discussion...

Key Points Jonah is graced with new life on land and given a second chance. Although Jonah is obedient and does what the Lord asked him to do, as he goes into Nineveh, he will soon be very angry. God’s forgiveness and mercy was good for Jonah; in Jonah’s heart, His mercy and forgiveness was not for the Ninevites. Jonah was not only a runaway prophet, but he was also someone that needed God’s heart...

Key Points We are fighting spiritual enemies, false teachings, and hostile ideologies.  Knowing God’s Word is critical toward winning the battle. Jesus’s example of swordsmanship against the devil in the desert was a clinic on how to fight spiritual battles. Jesus gave authority to His Church to be aggressors in this war; “the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” We don’t fight for the vict...

Key Points The fruit of Jonah’s honest guilt is repentance. Jonah did not blame shift, minimize, or victimize his sin. The real change brought through repentance is the transformation in our heart. Jonah turned to God, restored his worship, and gave thanks. When in the belly of the fish, there are no distractions. The Lord spoke to the fish, but Jonah got the message. Discussion Questions If you w...

Key Points Jesus believed the reality of Jonah’s great fish experience; we should too. Jonah was asked to bring a message of repentance to the Ninevites.  Jonah attempted to run from the call of God and run from the presence of God. God appointed a storm to turn Jonah’s heart back to Him. In the process, men with foreign gods were saved. It is impossible to run away from the presence of God. When...

Key Points The aim of repentance is love. Our problem with our idea of repentance less about what we haven’t been told to do but more about what we have already been told to repent of. There are many unique situations that we need the Spirit’s help to navigate the right and wrong, some of which are matters of conscience. To go against your conscience is sin. The church needs to be taught all that...

Key Points Peter capitalized on the questions of non-believers and skeptics. He used it as an opportunity to explain the Gospel. Peter did not soft sell the message. Peter’s sermons were outlined by the prophecies of the Messiah’s coming, His suffering, and His resurrection. Peter charged the listeners that they killed Jesus. His sermons called the hearers to repentance, to turn from wicked ways,...

Key Points Peter was called while fishing to fish for men. Peter was strong-willed with good intentions but never capable to maintain his commitment in his own strength. Peter’s denial was foretold by Jesus, but Peter overlooked it. Peter’s denial was around a charcoal fire; he lied three times about knowing Jesus. Jesus looked him in the eye while the rooster crowed. Peter wept in brokenness. Pet...

Key Points Peter’s life was radically changed by Jesus Christ. All of Peter’s letter should be looked at under the lens of the sovereignty of God, especially  1 Peter 5:6-11 . The God of all grace is sovereign over salvation, suffering, life, death, and everything in between. Peter exhorts the older in faith to shepherd the younger ones in the flock. God rewards those who shepherd others in accord...

Key Points Peter points us to the mortification side of the cross to arm us against the temptation to go back to the past life in the flesh. We are to reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to Christ. Suffering for doing good is within the will of God. Love covers sin but love also includes discernment. Remembering the Holy Spirit rests upon us during trials is reassuring. Hatred stirs up strife a...

Key Points Peter’s letter continues to point us to mimic Jesus and to suffer for righteousness sake. He asks wives to submit to their husband even when they are not in alignment with the Word that they may be won over. Peter ascribes precious beauty in the eyes of the Lord when a woman comes under the leadership of a husband. Submission means to come under the mission of the husband as they follow...

Key Points Jesus calls Peter out of his own enterprise and into His. God has chosen us to be His priests. God calls us out of darkness and into His light. God calls us out of our individual body and into His. God calls us out of our own interests and into His. God calls us out of self and into others. God calls us out of rebellion and into submission. We are invited to come to Him and desire the p...

Interesting Facts About Peter In Scripture Peter’s name is mentioned in the Gospels more than anyone other than Jesus.  No one speaks in the Gospels as often as Peter. Jesus spoke more to Peter than to any other individual. Jesus rebuked Peter more than any other disciple. Peter was the only disciple who dared to rebuke Jesus. Peter confessed Jesus more boldly and accurately than any other discipl...

The ministry of Jesus was twofold: Touching and Telling.