A Bridge of Hope
Pastor Erickson teaches from 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 15:13 that the church is one body with many members and that hope comes through the power of the Holy Ghost, borrowing his title from a missionary school for refugee children in Beirut. He calls every member to find their place in the body and to be a bridge of hope to the people around them through relational evangelism and sharing their testimony.
The message in 6 points
One body, a bridge of hope
He reads 1 Corinthians 12:18-20, many members yet one body, and Romans 15:13, that we abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. He titles the lesson a bridge of hope and says he will teach on relational evangelism.
28:45The Bridge of Hope school
He borrowed his title from a school in Beirut that missionaries started for Syrian refugee children who are shut out of the schools and sell goods in the streets. They wanted to bring those children over the bridge to hope, and now children there are being filled with the Holy Ghost and baptized in Jesus name.
31:27Three hopeless days
Pastor Erickson says the most hopeless time in the Bible was the three days Jesus lay in the grave, when his followers saw their dreams buried with him. Life without Jesus is hopeless, and real hope does not come from knowing about him but from his Spirit living inside of us.
37:32Every link matters
The church is not the hope but the bridge that leads people to it. Reading 1 Corinthians 12:12-20, he compares the church to a chain only as strong as its weakest link, and honors greeters, custodians, parking attendants, choir members and teachers, since it takes the whole church to make disciples.
46:25Relational evangelism
Every member must develop their ministry and also share their testimony. He says connect groups will now look outward, because a real relationship reaches people better than door hangers or billboards, and relational evangelism is authentic, natural, personal, patient and done as a team.
1:00:40Share your hope
Using a handout, he shows how to prepare a short, specific testimony in plain words, sharing not only what you believe but the hope God has given you. He closes by praying that God would place someone in each person's life this week so they can be the bridge of hope.
1:21:34
In his words
“Life without Jesus is hopeless, whether it's three days, three years, 30 years. Life without Jesus is hopeless.”
“It is our responsibility to be the bridge of hope. We are not the hope, right? We are simply the bridge that leads them to the hope.”
“When it comes to relational evangelism, people don't want this person and they really don't want this person. They want you. They want what they're used to talking to every day at work.”
Taken word for word from the video, with punctuation added.
Scripture
He reads
1 Corinthians 12:12-20
12For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 14For the body is not one member, but many. 15If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 17If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 19And if they were all one member, where were the body? 20But now are they many members, yet but one body.
King James Version.
Romans 15:13
13Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
King James Version.
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