7/24/2010
Made for Relationships, #3
"How Authentic Do I Have To Be?"
Marc Schelske

Marc and Kevin lead a discussion about the role of accountability in a community, and how it can happen in a way that is loving, gracious, and life-giving.

Videography by David Jester.

Tags: Authenticity, Community, Confession, Accountability

7/17/2010
Made for Relationships, #2
"A New Kind of Relationship"
Marc Schelske

We long for intimacy. We value inclusion, because we want to be included. But in our culture relationships are very often used as tools to get the things we think we need. We form groups so that we can feel the safety of relationship, and then we use those groups to exclude others, so that we feel value. But as followers of Jesus we are called to a new kind of relationship, one where we offer committed intimacy and radical inclusion to those around us. Our effectiveness as witnesses of the Gospel rests on our willingness to use our relationships to serve others.

Videography by Ethan Morrow.

Tags: Community, Relationships, Committed Intimacy, Radical Inclusion

7/10/2010
Made for Relationships, #1
"A Relational Church Needs Relational People."
Marc Schelske

A new series, "Made For Relationships" was kicked off with this entry. This message lays out the Biblical and theological basis for the importance of relationships in the church. The gospel is at its core relational. That means the church must be as well.

Videography by Ethan Morrow.

Tags: Community, God's Character, Relationships, The Church

7/3/2010
Are You Feeling OK? Emotional Temperature and Discipleship
"Passion Is A Gift" #4
Marc Schelske

The fourth and final week of this series discusses the gift of passion, and how God created us so that our emotions would draw us to Him, and make it easier for us to do the right thing. Jesus' example of enduring the cross "for the joy set before him," tells us that when our hearts are in alignment with God's, our passionate response can lead us to do great and Godly things.

Tags: Emotions, Passion, Life Purpose

6/26/2010
Are You Feeling OK? Emotional Temperature and Discipleship
"Are You Feeling Well?"
Marc Schelske

This third week of our series on emotions in the life of a follower of Jesus focuses on practical teaching for understanding and dealing with our emotions. God's purpose in our lives is to grow us up in the image of Christ, and that does not mean growing out of having emotions. It means growing to feel the way that God feels. This teaching includes the 5 A's - a tool for helping sort through feelings and understanding what they might mean.

Videography by Ethan Morrow.

Tags: Authenticity, Emotions, Healing, Hearing God

6/18/2010
Are You Feeling OK? Emotional Temperature and Discipleship
"An Emotional God?"
Marc Schelske

The Bible says that we are made in God's image, and that God's purpose in our life is to grow us up in the image of Christ. That means that the picture we have of God is really important. What picture do we have of God when it comes to emotions? Stoic and removed? Well, the Bible portrays God in amazingly passionate and emotional language. What does this mean for us?

Videography by David Jester

Tags: Emotions, God's Character, Love, Wrath

6/12/2010
Are You Feeling OK? Emotional Temperature and Discipleship
"Flying Blind"
Marc Schelske

In this first week of a 4 week series we look at the tendency we have to ignore our emotions when it comes to our life of faith. We've all been taught that emotions are untrustworthy. But what happens to us if we live this way?

Videography by David Jester

Tags: Emotions, Authenticity, Hearing God

5/22/2010
Jesus Is All We Need
"Jesus: Our Lord"
Marc Schelske

We wrap up our ten week series looking at Jesus by examining the first creed of the early church, "Jesus is Lord." What does it mean to make Jesus the Lord of our lives? Partly it has to do with obedience, but partly it has to do with freedom.

Videography by Steve Hayes

Tags: Commitment, Discipleship, Jesus, Obedience

5/8/2010
Jesus Is All We Need
"Jesus: Our Foundation"
Marc Schelske

We build our lives on a wide variety of things, looking to them for a sense of security. When those foundations are threatened, we react in fear. But every possible foundation except Jesus is flawed. Only in Him can we find the rock that can carry both the weight of our lives, and the impact of unexpected life circumstances.

Videography by David Jester

Tags: God's Promises, Jesus, Idols, Life Purpose

5/1/2010
Jesus Is All We Need
"Jesus: Our Bridegroom"
Marc Schelske

One of the images used in scripture of Jesus is that of Bridegroom. This is a picture of God anticipating being with us, of longing for an intimate relationship with us, and of committing to us no matter what. This amazing picture is exactly what we need to draw our attention away from all the false idols that occupy our hearts, promising us salvation and love and demanding sacrifices. We can turn to the God who has said that He is profoundly for us, He will never leave us or cast us out. We can never be ugly or undesirable to Him.

Tags: God's Love, Grace, Jesus, Idols

4/3/2010
Jesus Is All We Need
"Jesus: Our Rescue"
Marc Schelske

The intuition that we need to strive to save ourselves is powerful in us. It's at the root of every religion humanity has ever created. We are constantly looking for was to "build a staircase" to get to heaven. We seek value and accomplishment. We try to validate ourselves before others and God. But Jesus' death and resurrection is God's ultimate statement that He has come for us. We don't find Him because of our great accomplishments. We find Him because He has come down to rescue us.

Videography by Ethan Morrow.

Tags: God's Love, Grace, Jesus, Reconciliation, Salvation, Ways to God, Easter

3/20/2010
Jesus Is All We Need
"I Will Draw All People"
Marc Schelske

This message introduces a ten-week series looking more closely at Jesus, and what God revealed about Himself in Jesus. Humanity has a deep desire to see and experience the ultimate. We might not label it this way, but the Bible tells us that this is our desire to see God. We've tried many ways to connect to God, but the Gospel tells us something new: God has already shown us His face in Jesus. As we look at Jesus, we see everything we need to know about God.

Videography by Steve Hayes.

Tags: Jesus, God's Love, Ways to God

3/6/2010
Life Songs
"Your Love O Lord"
Marc Schelske

We close our teaching series on worship, emotional authenticity and the Psalms by looking at the text of Psalms 36. Here we see a joyful worship that comes from seeing God for who He is, and seeing ourselves for who we are.

Videography by Ethan Morrow.

Tags: God's Love, Psalms, Worship, Authenticity

2/13/2010
Life Songs
"A Shield About Me"
Marc Schelske

Continuing our series looking at the variety of worship and different emotional experiences in the Psalms. Today we look at Psalms 3, another song of Davids. This time he is crying out to God when the circumstances of his life are out of his control. Honestly expressing our fear and confusion to God is another kind of worship, where we trust Him with the details of our lives.

Videography by Ben Ashlock.

Tags: Authenticity, God's Promises, Prayer, Psalms, Worship

2/6/2010
Life Songs
"Have Mercy, O My God"
Marc Schelske

Continuing our series looking at the variety of worship and different emotional experiences in the Psalms. Today we look at Psalms 51, David's song of confession after his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. Here we see that honest confession is also a kind of worship as we approach God truthfully, desiring restored intimacy with Him.

Videography by Ben Ashlock.

Tags: Authenticity, Confession, Forgiveness, Worship, Psalms, Prayer

1/30/2010
Life Songs
"Better Is One Day"
Marc Schelske

Today we introduce our new teaching series, "Life Songs." Many people assume that worship is what they see happening when Christians sing generally happy songs in church services. And so when their feelings don't align with those kinds of songs, they assume they can't worship, or they feel fake. But reading through the Psalms we discover that worship is much broader than that. In this series we'll look at a number of different Psalms that reveal the emotional breadth of true worship, where we can bring ourselves in whatever condition we are to God.

The first week we look at Psalms 84 and see an example of worship that is rooted in yearning to be in God's presence.

Videography by Steve Hayes.

Tags: Psalms, Authenticity, Worship

1/9/2010
Stories of New Life
"Don't Fall Away Because of Me."
Marc Schelske

We start the new year talking about the difficulty that arises when we measure the quality of our faith or God's presence by the quality of our circumstances. By looking at the story of John the Baptist and his inquiry of Jesus, we see how easy it is to blame God or get spiritually frustrated when it seems that God isn't coming through for us in the way we hoped. Jesus reminds us that we don't follow Him for what He does for us, but because of who He is.

Videography by Steve Hayes.

Tags: Authenticity, Discipleship, John the Baptist, Testimonies

12/12/2009
Bridge City Ethos, #7
"Core Values - Compassion"
Marc Schelske

The next core value in the Bridge City ethos is Compassion. "Love Takes Action." Jesus taught his disciples very clearly that following Him wasn't just about them. A big part of the story was how they served the people around them. Jesus stood clearly in line with the Old Testament prophets, saying that the way we care for those who can't speak for themselves, and those on the margins, express our understanding of God's heart. While there are a lot of ways to engage this part of our faith, all of them come down to a moment of obedience. Will we respond to God when He asks us to serve the people around us?

The last 15 minutes of the video includes the interview with Nathan and Candi Burton about the adventure they are currently on of serving a homeless couple. It's a powerful conversation that we'd love you to be a part of.

Tags: Bridge City, Ethos, Compassion, Service, The Church, Obedience

11/28/2009
Bridge City Ethos, #5
"Core Values - Authenticity"
Marc Schelske

We continue our teaching series on the Bridge City ethos by looking at the second of our core values. We value authenticity. The Christian life starts with a moment of vulnerability the Bible refers to as confession and repentance. But God's intention is not that this should be a one time thing. His plan is that we live lives marked by this kind of openness with Him and each other.

Tags: Bridge City, Ethos, Authenticity, Cell Groups, Community, Healing, Relationships

11/14/2009
Bridge City Ethos, #3
"Core Values - God's Guidance"
Marc Schelske

We continue our teaching series on the Bridge City ethos by looking at the first of our core values. We value God's guidance. That means we want Him to set our agenda and be our ultimate truth test. How do we seek God for guidance? How do we let that guidance structure our lives?

Tags: Bridge City, The Bible, Prayer, Ethos

10/31/2009
Bridge City Ethos, #1
"Love God, Love People, Bless & Serve the World."
Marc Schelske

This is the first message in a series introducing the Bridge City Ethos - a series of 8 ideas that define who we are as a church and where we're going. In this first week, we look at the reason for having such a document in the need for a compass to provide quick guidance as we make decisions in our lives and our church. Then we look at the mission, "Love God, Love People, Bless & Serve the World" as the most direct way to know that we're headed in the right direction.

Tags: The Church, Bridge City, Mission

10/17/2009
Cell Summity 2009
"The Second Reformation"
Marc Schelske

Looking at the Biblical basis for small intentional communities of Christians, and how these communities help the church live out it's Biblical mandate. This message is a strong philosophical basis for why Bridge City has committed to cell groups as a core element of ministry.

Tags: Cell Groups, Community, Cell Summit, The Church

10/10/2009
Series: Never Ending, Unstoppable Grace
Message #5 "Grace Before Us"
Marc Schelske

We wrap up our five week series on Jesus' story of the prodigal father and hs two lost sons, looking at how the themes of this story fit into the larger story of the Gospel. Studying through Ephesians 2:1-10 we discover that God's Grace is about more than just saving us, and that the grace extended to us is also an invitaiton to be gracious to the world.

Tags: Evangelism, God's Love, Grace, Prodigal Son

10/3/2009
Series: Never Ending, Unstoppable Grace
Message #4 "Grace Among Us"
Marc Schelske

It's easy to think of Grace as being all about us, the defining factor in God's relationship with us as individuals. Grace certainly opens the door to relationship with God, but that's not the end of the story. The father in Jesus' story in Luke 15 went out to invite the older son in to the party as well. But there's a hidden implication there. In order for the older brother to come into the presence of his father, he had to join in the party celebrating the return of his lost brother. Grace has implications for community. In fact, accepting God's grace means accepting the people God has been gracious to.

Tags: Community, God's Love, Grace, Prodigal Son, Reconciliation

9/19/2009
Series: Never Ending, Unstoppable Grace
Message #2 "The Not-So-Good Son"
Marc Schelske

The second half of the story of the prodigal son is perhaps the most interesting and important part. Here we pay attention to the story of the older brother - the one who stayed home, who obeyed the father, and was responsible. Why is there tension between the two brothers? What does it mean when the older brother refuses to come in to the party? What does this mean for us? We find out that God's grace stretches further than perhaps we thought.

Tags: Grace, Judgement, Value, God's Love, Prodigal Son

9/12/2009
Series: Never Ending, Unstoppable Grace
Message #1 "We've Changed the Ending"
Marc Schelske

We start a new teaching series looking deeply into the story of the prodigal son from Luke 15. Here we investigate the first half of the story that deals with the younger son who ran away. In a world where we so often thing that God's love and blessing follows performance and accomplishment, Jesus tells us that our value to the father doesn't come from these things. It doesn't matter who we are or what we've done, we are welcome home.

Tags: Grace, Prodigal Son, Salvation, God's Love

6/20/2009
Series: Be The Church 2.0
Message #10 "This is How It Looks."
Marc Schelske

We close out this ten week series on the church with three powerful stories from the lives of real Bridge City people that illustrate exactly what being the church means.

Tags: The Church, Testimonies, Community, Cell Groups, Service, Commitment

6/13/2009
Series: Be The Church 2.0
Message #9 "Paramedics & Art Restoration Specialists"
Marc Schelske

God's purpose since the fall has been to bring restoration, and this is the ministry He has entrusted to us. His mission has become our mission. We are called to bring restoration into the lives of the people we come in contact with. Sometimes this means being involved in other people's crisis, sometimes this means investing in a person slowly and gently over the long haul. But in either case our relationships are meant to be avenues of healing to others.

Tags: The Church, Healing, Service, Mentoring, Reconciliation

5/23/2009
Series: Be The Church 2.0
Message #7 "Upside Down, Inside Out, Prophets & Clowns"
Marc Schelske

Following Jesus means signing up to be part of an entirely different culture. Instead of making decisions based on what seems normal or "common sense," we are called to make decisions that align with God's character. What would this look like? What would it mean for us?

Tags: The Church, Holiness, Culture

5/23/2009
Series: Be The Church 2.0
Message #6 "Unexpectedly Holy Imperfect Saints"
Marc Schelske

Another thing that scripture claims of the church is that it will be holy. This comes across in statement about identity and action. What does it mean for the church, for us, to be Holy? Is it all about doing the "dos" and avoiding the "don'ts"? Is it something more? Is holiness about us or about God? What role do our actions play in this?

Tags: The Church, Holiness

5/9/2009
Series: Be The Church 2.0
Message #4 "Jesus' Junior League of Evil Fighters"
Marc Schelske

We continue in our exploration of what the Bible says the church is to be doing in this world. The church is the community of people on mission with Jesus. That means our mission is the same as His mission. In Jesus' personal mission statement in Luke, we learn that Jesus was coming to announce the arrival of a whole new kingdom. That set his kingdom in opposition to the kingdom already in place - the kingdom of evil. As followers of Jesus, one of our purposes is to oppose evil wherever we find it - in Satan's lies, Satan's influence and Satan's presence.

Tags: The Church, Evil

5/2/2009
Series: Be The Church 2.0
Message #3 "Image Bearers & News Sharers"
Marc Schelske

Having confronted the truth that the church is the people - not the building, or organization or programs - we have to start reflecting on what this means for us. If we are the church, what is the Bible calling us to be about? Today begins seven weeks looking at different roles the scripture calls us to. This week we examine our calling to be Jesus' witnesses, examining our baggage around that idea, and looking at the example of the first Christians for how we might go about this responsibility.

Tags: Evangelism, The Church

4/25/2009
Series: Be The Church 2.0
Message #2 "Welcome to the Family"
Marc Schelske

Last week we looked at the Biblical truth that the church is not buildings or programs or organizations - it's the people. But it's not accurate to leave it there. The church is more. It is the community of people on mission with Jesus. In this message we orient ourselves to what this means by looking at the like of the early church found in Acts 2. What did their community look like and why?

Tags: The Church

4/18/2009
Series: Be The Church 2.0
Message #1 "Tag. You're It!"
Marc Schelske

This week we begin a recap of some our Bridge City's foundational Biblical understanding of what it means to be the church. The word church is widely misunderstood in our culture and even in the church. The church is not a building or an organization or even a program - as good as these things may be. The church is the body of Christ. That means the church is the people. Everything the Bible teaches the church is to be doing is what you and I as followers of Jesus are to be doing.

Tags: The Church

Last week, on Saturday 3/28, we ended our series in Genesis with the movie clip entitled "A Thousand Questions." This video clip - found here - challenged us about our role in God's promise to bless the world. It ended with the words of Isaiah the prophet: "Here am I; send me." The response to this service and video has been very strong. Many of you asked where you could see the video again, and others asked about what steps to take next. Because of the response, we wanted to continue the conversation. So, please take a moment to watch this 6 minute video about what might come next for us. If you didn't get to see the video "A Thousand Questions," we suggest you watch it before watching this response.



So, what is the next step for you? We are going to provide a number of "next step" opportunities and experiences in the upcoming weeks. Watch the weekly email and weekend update for more information.

The first opportunity is to join us as we participate in a Night Strike. This is an activity of Bridge Town Ministries. On Friday, April 10th we'll be taking a group of 15 on this experience. We'll be serving some of Portland's homeless by delivering food and socks, washing feet and giving haircuts, as well as praying for people and listening to their stories. This is not a good event choice for small children; we are recommending 12 and up. Because of the limited space, this activity requires signing up ahead of time. If you want to join us call the office at 503-794-1696 or email wheelhouse@bridgecity.org.

In the coming weeks we'll be announcing other opportunities with different flavors and levels of engagement. Be watching for those, and if you have service ideas, ways that we as a church family can bless & serve, then let us know. It's time for us to expand beyond Circle 1 and Circle 2, and begin making a mark in Circle 3.

I look forward to seeing where this part of the journey takes us!

- Marc

2/7/2009
Series: Encouraging Words
Message #5 "God Has More For Your - Heaven & Eternity"
Marc Schelske

The biggest promise made in scripture, the one that might be the hardest for some to get their heads around, is the promise of eternal life. Jesus promised His followers that He would return for them, and take them to be with Him forever. This promise is really about the end of death - and that means it's about the end of fear. When we face loss and pain, the power of the resurrection is available to us today.

Tags: Heaven, God's Promises

1/24/2009
Series: Encouraging Words
Message #3 "God Understands You"
Marc Schelske

We all have a core desire to be understood, and many people struggle with whether God can really understand them. This study of Hebrews 4:4-6 shows us that we have a God who understands us intimately and who has given us unprecedented access to His heart.

Tags: God's Promises

1/17/2009
Series: Encouraging Words
Message #2 "God Gives You Peace
Marc Schelske

God has promised us peace. And yet Jesus said that He does not give peace in the same way the world does. What brings us peace? What kind of peace is God offering? What does this look like practically in the middle of our chaotic and fragmented lives?

Tags: God's Promises, Peace