The Bridges Course

The Bridges Course is designed to help you in your two goals of helping to bring a change of world-view and the establishing of long-term relationships. The name "Bridges" was chosen, because that essentially is what a follow-up group is about - a bridge into a whole new way of living.

The Bridges Course is made up of five lessons:

Church
The lesson is not designed to be a catechism or a Bible study. The keynote of each lesson is always relationships - a Christian's relationship to God, to other Christians, and to non-believers in the world. The lesson is not trying to introduce major doctrinal truths. It is simply aimed at a change of world-view - a world-view that now includes Jesus Christ as its center, and a daily relationship with God as its basis. The teaching of doctrinal truths is seen to be the responsibility of the members' churches after Bridges, not during.

THE AIM OF THE COURSE

The Bridges Course is designed to lead a person through from a limited understanding of why Jesus came to a more solid grounding in the relationship that person has with God through Jesus Christ. The course encompasses three main aspects:

• Each person's relationship with God
• Each person's relationship to others - in the church and outside
• The privilege of sharing the new life with others

These three things are important for a balanced Christian life. They are the focus of Bridges.

RECURRING THEMES

Apart from the recurring theme of relationship, you will notice that there are other threads running through all five lessons. In particular, there is a common illustration of the tree. This illustration is seen in various forms:

• The seed planted in the heart
• The seed growing through watering
• The tree putting down its roots
• The tree bearing good fruit

The purpose of these illustrations is to show that God gives us a new life, but that life must grow. Growth into the fullness of God's plan for our lives is what the Christian life is all about.

LESSON ONE - GETTING TO KNOW JESUS

This lesson is about the person of Jesus - who He is and why He came. The Bible says: "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor.3:11). This lesson seeks to lay that foundation, upon which everything else will be built.

Question 1: Why did Jesus come for you?

Possible answers:

• To show us what God is like
• To give us life
• To seek and to save what was lost
• To give His life as a ransom for us

Question 2: What does God expect from you?

Possible answers:

• To be in relationship with Him
• To repent - turn back to God
• My whole life

Question 3: What do people do with Jesus today?

Possible answers:

• Reject Him, Mock Him, Ignore Him
• Use His name for swearing

Question 4: What does Jesus mean to you?

Possible answers:

• Various

LESSON TWO - DISCOVERING THE REAL ME

The purpose of this lesson is to show how God sees each one of us. Section One deals with the fact that we were all made in God's image. Section Two deals with the fact that that image is marred because of sin. Section Three deals with what happens when we give our lives to God - God "re-creates" His image in our lives. Section Four deals with that image growing to be more and more like the character of Jesus Himself.

Question 1: What are the lies we believe about ourselves?

Possible answers:

• That we are no good, useless, an accident, etc.
• That we are OK, don't need God's help
• That we are no worse than the next person, and that
• this is all that matters to God

Question 2: What inside things affect people's behavior?

Possible answers:

• Wrong attitudes
• Wrong thoughts
• Broken relationship with God
• Sin

Question 3: What does it mean to be "born again"?

Possible answers:

• To be born into God's family
• To have a new perspective in life
• To be in relationship with God
• To be born by God's Spirit

Question 4: Why is God's life like a seed?

Possible answers:

• Because God puts His life into our hearts
• Because God's life needs to grow

LESSON THREE - LIVING EVERY DAY WITH GOD

This lesson seeks to establish a Christian's relationship with God as a daily experience, not just a weekly one. Section One deals with the three essential things that every Christian has been given from God. Section Two deals with the putting of our life's roots into God. Section Three deals with the three things we should do every day - talk to God, read the Bible, stand strong. Section Four deals with the secret of the Christian life - the power of God's Spirit on the inside.

Question 1: Why do many people try to earn the three gifts?

Possible answers:

• Because they think they need to do something to be accepted by God
• Because of feelings of unworthiness, guilt, failure
• Because they don't know they are gifts

Question 2: Where do many people put their roots?

Possible answers:

• Themselves
• Money
• Unforgiveness, etc

Question 3: How can we really be "daily Christians"?

Possible answers:

• By spending time with God every day
• By praying every day, etc

Question 4: How does God's grace really work?

Possible answers:

• Through the Holy Spirit
• By asking God for help when we are facing problems
• By giving you power on the inside to do what God wants

LESSON FOUR - DISCOVERING GOD IN CHURCH

The purpose of this lesson is to help a person understand the importance of the Church in his/her life. Section One deals with the fact that the Church is God's people, not just the buildings they meet in. Section Two deals with the description of the Church as a family, as a body, and as a fellowship of support. Section Three deals with why it is important for Christians to meet together regularly. Section Four deals with the essential ingredients of Christian fellowship.

Question 1: Why does the Church mean so much to God?

Possible answers:

• Because the Church is His people
• Because Jesus died for the Church
• Because the Church is made up of all those God has redeemed

Question 2: What is God's goal for our lives?

Possible answers:

• To become more and more like Jesus
• To grow as a Christian
• To allow God's image to shine out

Question 3: What common things make us the Church?

Possible answers:

• We have all believed on the Lord Jesus Christ
• We are part of God's family
• We have been redeemed
• We have God's Spirit living in our hearts

Question 4: What does "love your brother or sister" really mean?

Possible answers:

• To love people in the same way God loved us
• To forgive in the same way God forgives us
• To lay down our lives for others in the same way Jesus did for us

LESSON FIVE -REACHING OUT WITH JESUS

This last lesson is important because it sets the focus of the whole Christian life. The Christian doesn't just hide away from the real world. The Christian is a part of the real world. Section One deals with how God sees the world and people's suffering. Section Two deals with how the Christian sees his/her life in the world. Section Three deals with the work God is doing in people's lives, drawing them to Himself. Section Four deals with how we can reach out, showing God's love to others.

Question 1: What kind of walls do we build around our lives?

Possible answers:

• Walls that block God out
• Walls that block others out
• Walls of hurt, unforgiveness, independence, etc

Question 2: How can you be "in the world but not of it"?

Possible answers:

• By loving God more than what this world has to offer
• By knowing that we have "died" to the world
• and now we "live" to God

Question 3: What kind of work is God doing in others' lives?

Possible answers:

• God is drawing people to Himself
• God is working invisibly on the hearts of people

Question 4: How can we show God's love practically to others?

Possible answers:

• By giving our time, etc
• By listening to them
• By helping others practically: mowing lawns, baking cakes, etc

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