Building Bridges Not Walls Sugar Hill Church

Play in new window | Recorded on September 17, 2024 Welcome back to another edition of the Weekday Podcast! We're thrilled to have you with us today as we dive into a crucial topic: building bridges instead of walls. In a world that often feels divided, it's more important than ever to foster connections and community. Today, we'll explore how, despite our fears and past hurts, we can challenge ourselves to create healthier relationships and cultivate a spirit of inclusion. Plus, don’t forget to check out our new resource, Grow Your Faith, designed to help you deepen your faith and share it with others.

Let’s embark on this journey together! Welcome to the weekday podcast of Sugarhill Church, where we desire to help you know God and discover your purpose. Whether you're exercising, driving, meditating, or just hanging out while you tune in with us today, thanks. We hope these next five minutes help you feel encouraged and inspired for your day. Well, hey friends, welcome back to another edition of the weekday podcast. I'm so glad you're here today.

I want to encourage you to pick up the book, Grow Your Faith. You can go to growyourfaithbook.com. Pastor Chuck and I spent a lot of months putting this resource together, and it's just a little guide to help you grow a bigger faith. Whether it's for you or a friend or a family member, we'd be so honored if you'd grab it from Amazon and share it with somebody today. Well, today on the podcast, I want to encourage you in a world of walls to be a bridge builder. Today, I think this is something so crucial in our world, building bridges instead of walls.

In a time that it's so easy to feel divided, church ought to be focused on connecting people. You know, it's natural for us to want to burn bridges sometimes. Maybe it's because we've been hurt, or maybe it's because we're trying to break free from some toxic situation. That's valid. But what if we challenged ourselves to build more bridges where they're healthy? The Bible reminds us in Ephesians 2 verse 14, he says, Now, here's what I found.

Building bridges isn't always easy. We might fear rejection. We might lack confidence. We may feel like we're too busy. Past hurts can even make us hesitant, but here's the thing. God uses the church, all of us together, to build bridges into people's lives.

In fact, the early church that's described in Acts chapter two was all about that connection. They brought people together. They shared meals together. They prayed together. They studied together. They created a community where everyone was welcome.

So think about it. What if we took a step towards being a bridge builder? It could be as simple as inviting someone for coffee, joining a small group, or volunteering. We're not meant to do life alone. We literally are stronger together. And so I want to encourage you.

Let's be the kind of people that reaches out, that welcomes everyone, that builds bridges of love and understanding. In a world of walls, let's be the kind of people that say, I want to be a bridge builder. Have a great day, and we'll see you back here soon. Jesus built bridges, not walls. Although people stumbled over Jesus and were divided in their opinions over him, the debate often centered on his bridge-building practice and claim to be God’s reconciling agent in the world. At Jesus’ death, the veil in the Temple was torn from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51).

He tore down the dividing wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile (Ephesians 2:14). There is no longer a division between Jew and Gentile, male and female, slave or free. They are now one through Jesus’ atoning work: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”... Jesus not only tears down the wall of hostility; he also tears down the wall of celebrity: Jesus’ cross is death to factions based on name recognition or fleshly wisdom and power; our boast... The tearing of the veil in the Temple signified that we now have direct access to God in the Holy of Holies through Jesus’ sacrifice as the innocent lamb of sacrifice. The tearing down of the wall of hostility—the wall between the outer court and inner court in the Temple—signified that all people have direct access to God through Jesus, making us all one.

With the previous points in mind, the church is called to build bridges, not walls. We who are Christians need to make sure the dividing wall of hostility (as well as other walls of division) stay down. While Nehemiah rebuilt the wall in Jerusalem, the church is a city or nation without walls. As 1 Peter 2:9 indicates, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you... Churches can construct buildings all they want, but ultimately the church is a people. Hell has walls with gates, which the church storms (Matthew 16:18).

In fact, while Heaven has gates, they are always open (Revelation 21:25). The problem is that we lock the doors to our hearts so as to keep God from entering. We also do that with others. Today is my birthday, and I am wondering how I might become more adept this year at building more relational bridges rather than walls. This is no easy task. As we get older, it is easier for us to experience relational hardening of the arteries.

This past weekend, I was consecrated as a deacon in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It was a wonderful day, full of celebrating the work of the Holy Spirit. I was excited to write all about it and share my joy this week here on the blog. That will have to come in a later post. Because today, I am about as a joyless as I have ever been. I have been raised to believe in the power of communities to come together.

I have been raised to believe in the power of people working together, so that all might do well and have an equal opportunity regardless of ethnicity, skin color, religious belief, gender, sexual orientation,... I believe in the importance of working for the common good. I believe in building bridges, not walls. In these times of division and discord, both inside and outside the church, it's a necessity to learn how to respect, appreciate, and integrate diverse perspectives. Dealing with division can be a daunting task. But leaning into the challenge, adopting a listening posture and building relationships can foster a more harmonious and understanding church environment.

The Rising Challenge of Division in Church Division in the church is hardly a new phenomenon. But in this cultural and political climate, it has become increasingly prevalent. By recognizing and tackling this issue head-on, we can begin bridging the divides in our congregations. A new documentary, "Leap of Faith," explores this issue. It follows 12 pastors from diverse backgrounds and theological perspectives as they gather to see if faith and friendship can bridge the divides among them.

The pastors committed to engaging regularly, focusing on listening more than speaking, learning, and loving even amidst disagreement. As a result, walls started to come down, misunderstandings cleared up, and genuine connections were formed. So how can we apply these principles to mitigate division within our church staff and congregations? Here are four steps we can take: Play in new window | Recorded on October 9, 2024 In today's episode of the Weekday Podcast, we’re diving into the theme of restoration, focusing on the power of humility in building bridges that connect and heal.

In a culture often driven by self-promotion, we’re reminded that true strength lies in lowering ourselves to help lift others. Drawing from Paul’s words in Galatians and examples from scripture, we’ll explore how humility is the foundation of every bridge worth building. From prayer to gentle guidance, today’s message challenges us to become bridge builders—creating paths of hope, healing, and restoration for others, while recognizing that one day, we might need those very same bridges ourselves. [00:00:22] Well, hey, friends. Today on the weekday podcast, I want us to think about restoration. Paul says in Galatians six three.

He says, if anyone thinks he's something when he's nothing, he deceives himself. The strongest bridges I've found are the ones that are built by those who know they may need to cross a bridge themselves one day. Now, humility is not a popular word in our look at me culture. Now, people will say humility, but they don't actually live it out because we think it's all about us. But it's the foundation of true bridge building. It's understanding that we're not above others that were beside them, that were to help carry the load.

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