Crossbridge Weekend Messages

Grief is the feeling that accompanies all loss in life, whether big or small. We may think that as the Son of God, Jesus somehow floats above grief or is immune to grief. Wes explains that because Jesus has gone through and experienced grief, he can give us a game plan for how to handle it and the strength needed to make it through.

Most of us think that Jesus is offended by sinners. The Scriptures portray a God who actually went out of his way to befriend them. James Bryant explains how Jesus shows us he is a friend to sinners... and why it matters. Discussion Questions: 1. Is there an office of Jesus (king, prophet, priest) that means something to you right now? Why? 2. Is there an office you would like to know more about? What one? Why? 3. How does understanding these offices affect your desire for relationship with Jesus?

Many of us are familiar with the idea that Jesus is holy. But what does that actually mean and why does it even matter for our lives? Discussion Questions: 1. When you hear the word "holy," what comes to mind? Why? 2. Are there some ways in which Jesus is holy that you had never thought of before? 3. Why is it important to you, personally, that Jesus is holy?

It can feel at times like Christians are purposely creating barriers to God. Jesus stands steadfastly in opposition to anything that prevents people from finding God. Discussion Questions: 1. Are you creating barriers or building bridges? 2. When you see others creating barriers, what do you typically do? 3. Who was the best "bridge builder" or "barrier remover" you have ever personally known? What made them so effective?

Our view of God shapes not just our approach to life; it shapes us. Jesus being God means that when we look at him, we can have a clearer view of what life looks like with the Father. Discussion Questions: 1. What do you think of when you think of God? 2. Do you think that our view of God influences how we live our lives? Why or why not? If yes, how? 3. What part of God do you think Jesus might be trying to personally communicate and demonstrate to you?

"I don't believe the Bible" is a pretty common objection to Christianity. But is that statement actually a well-founded belief or just a smokescreen that gets thrown up to avoid giving consideration to the Bible's demands on my life? CB leadership team member Jason Fudge shares some reasons why we can believe the Bible is more than a fairy tale, but a historical reality that demands attention in my life. Discussion Questions: 1. What did you think of the Bible as you grew up? What role does it play in your life now? What would you do if you couldn't read the Bible anymore? 2. Which parts of the Bible are easiest for you to follow? Which parts are hard for you to submit to? 3. Read Matthew 5:17-20. What are some practical implications of Jesus' view of Scripture?

Suffering and hardship have been a part of life since, well... life. Why can we continue to believe in a good God in the midst of suffering? And what good can come about from suffering and hardship in our lives? Discussion Questions: 1. Talk about some times in your life where you experienced hurt, pain, or suffering, only to eventually see it play a redemptive purpose. What happened? 2. Wes said that our protest at suffering reveals, in part, our sense of entitlement to a suffering-free life. Do you agree or disagree? Why? 3. Does it change things at all for you to know that Jesus himself also experienced suffering? Why or why not? How can you draw off of his experience?

The value of Christianity as a belief system hinges on a simple question: Did Jesus really rise from the dead? John King explains his three reasons for why we can believe that Jesus has truly resurrected. Discussion Questions: 1. Which of the eyewitness accounts is your favorite? Why? 2. How has your life been impacted by the resurrection of Jesus? 3. If a good friend asked why you believe in the resurrection, what would be your response?

Sadly, when we experience hurt at the hands of God's community today, we are in a long line of people experiencing the same. Wes walks through three things that he believes Jesus would say to us when we experience pain at the hands of those who carry Jesus' name. Discussion Questions: 1. What is one of your favorite memories about church? What is your least favorite? 2. Jesus has compassion on those who are "harassed" and "helpless" (Matthew 9:36). How does the knowledge that Jesus has compassion for you help you to process hurt? 3. Where are the places in our church or in the church in general where you think reform is needed? What can you do to help?

We often see doubt as the enemy of faith. But faith isn't a resolute feeling, it's a confidence that is just enough to take action. Discussion Questions: 1. If you grew up in church or going to a youth group, do you feel like it was a place that was safe for doubts? Why or why not? 2. Wes said that faith is confidence enough to rely on God. What do you think is different about this definition of faith versus how we typically think about faith? 3. Do you feel like you struggle with doubts? What? What kind of doubt do you think is common for you?

It's impossible to know everything there is to know about discipleship. But if we will live with a simple posture toward Jesus, we will never lack the ability to see the areas in our lives that need to be discipled to Jesus. Discussion Questions: 1. We've spent a whole summer talking about discipleship. What do you think is your greatest takeaway from this summer? 2. Why do you think we struggle so much to see Jesus as the source of life, despite him giving and doing so much for us? 3. Where are areas in your life where you struggle to make Jesus the hub, not a spoke? What will you do to address that? How can this group help?

The Good News about Jesus has the power to change lives, but only if we actually know how to share it. Wes shares the gospel message and how God worked to reconnect us to him. Discussion Questions: 1. Think about a time in your life you received some great news. What happened? How did you feel? 2. How confident do you feel in being able to share with someone the good news about Jesus? 3. Why do you think we have such difficulty in believing the good news is as good as God's Word says it is? How can we remind ourselves that it really *is* that good?

When it comes to caring about people disconnected from God, we don't need a lot of knowledge or unique talent. We just need a willingness to share our story and let God do the heavy lifting. Discussion Questions: 1. What barriers do you think get in the way of you more actively caring about people disconnected from God? 2. Read John 1:35-51. What are simple ways that we can bring people to Jesus, sort of like the people did in the story? 3. Wes talked about being prepared to share our story with others. What are some of the key elements of your story with God?

It's easy to think discipleship is only inward. Jesus models for us that disciples who are fully formed by him will move outward. Discussion Questions: 1. If you've made a commitment to follow Jesus, talk about the people who helped to lead you to that commitment. How did you experience them caring for you? 2. Think about the 3 T's Wes shared about your "care temperature." How did you do on your assessment? 3. What do you feel like your attitude is toward people who are disconnected from God? Are you quickly and easily making time and space for them?

You have a unique, one-of-a-kind superpower that God has given you to make a difference in the world. Finding out what that is and putting it to use is one of the greatest avenues we have for communicating the love of Jesus and learning to love like Jesus. Take the five-fold gift assessment at crossbridgechristian.com/gifts. Discussion Questions: 1. Describe a time in your life when you felt or sensed that God was using you to do something. What was that like? 2. Did you take the gift assessment? Are you surprised at your findings? 3. What are some ways you think you could potentially put your spiritual gifts into action?

There is one thing that all of us, no matter our race, life stage, occupation, or education level can do to love each other well. It is something Jesus modeled for us frequently throughout his time on earth and something we can join him in practicing today. Discussion Questions: 1. Describe a time in your life when you were impacted by someone just noticing you. What happened? 2. What do you think it says about God that Jesus was so good at noticing? Why is that important to you? 3. Where (or who) do you feel a nudge from God to notice?

Everyone loves the idea of service, but actually living it out in practice is hard. Jesus tells us that if we will dismiss our allegiance to "what's in it for me?" we can walk into the freedom to love and serve others generously. Discussion Questions: 1. When is a time in your life where you felt like someone truly loved you like Jesus? What happened? 2. Do you struggle with the whole "what's in it for me?" question getting in the way of being a servant toward others? 3. Read Matthew 16:20-27. Is there an area where you sense God might be asking you to lay down your life so that you can better serve him and others?

Many of us feel like we stand far off from God. But he actually invites us into more intimate relationships with him than we can imagine.

At the heart of cultivating a close relationship with Jesus is our decision to trust him. Listen at three different Crossbridge attenders share about their experiences of learning to trust God. Discussion Questions: 1. How do you define trust? Who is someone in your life that you trust a lot? Why do you trust them? 2. Read Jeremiah 17:5-8. What do you think it means to have trust in God? 3. What is a practical way this week that you can try placing more trust in God? After everyone's shared, have the person to their left pray fo rGod to help them trust him this week.

Our world has a lot of different ideas about how to connect with God, all with varying amounts of success. Jesus and the earliest Christians understood Scripture to be one of the ways we can most intimately know God. When we open Scripture, we open a rich pathway to know God at a deeper level. Discussion Questions: -Where do you go or what do you do normally to connect with God? -What do you feel like are your greatest barriers in approaching Scripture? -How can our group support you or help you engage more frequently with Scripture?