Purpose
Our focus is on 3 simple things: Love God, Love People, and Serve Others. We believe that doing these 3 things is how every person on earth can fulfill God’s purpose for living.
Love God: Reaching Upward
Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." - Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV)
Why should we love God?
We found an awesome reason why: The reason we should love God is simply because He loved us first. And then He backed up His love with actions that spoke of His love!
This is love : not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. - 1 John 4:10 (NIV)
How Should we Love God?
Bridge of Hope we’ve defined this 1st step in the discipleship process as reaching upward in worship to know, experience, and love Jesus. We love God by:
- Acknowledging Jesus
- Loving one Another
- Obeying Jesus
Love People: Doing Life Together
Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." - Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV)
Why should we love people?
The bottom line is that Jesus commanded us to love one another. We love God by obeying His commands. The other great thing about loving people is that we build great relationships that go beyond just talking about the weather. We can really experience life together and that makes the journey so much more vibrant and exciting!
How do we love people?
At Bridge of Hope we’ve defined this 2nd step in the discipleship process as reaching inward through Small Groups to learn about and follow Jesus while building relationships as we love one another. We are encouraging each person to:
- Spur one another toward love and good deeds
- Encourage each other daily
- Teach and admonish one another with all wisdom
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. . . This is my command: Love each other.
John 15:12-14, 17 (NIV)
Serve Others: Sharing God's Love With Our Community
Talking with His disciples one day, Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
Luke 22:25-27 (NIV)
Why should we serve others?
Jesus said that He came to this earth as one who serves, and our desire as a disciple of Jesus is to be like Him. If we don’t serve others, then we are acting like we are greater than Jesus.
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
How do we serve others?
At Bridge of Hope we’ve defined this 3rd step in the discipleship process as reaching outward in our community to share the Good News concerning Jesus by giving of yourself as we love our neighbor. We serve our community when we:
- Care about them
- Help them in their need
- Tell them about Jesus
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