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Community Garden Day
Wednesday, June 7th
Katie’s Community Garden
Come plant with us at Katie’s Community Garden.  A fun time of cleaning up the garden and planting for the summer season.  Morning and afternoon shifts are available and all are welcome to help.  Please go to https://www.thebridgereno.com/garden to sign up to help.
 
Starting Point Class
Sunday, June 11th @ 11:15a
The Bridge Church Reno - Learning Center
If you are new to The Bridge Church this is a great place to learn all about our mission and vision and why we believe God has placed us here in this neighborhood.  You will learn all about how we are reaching our community and world, you will also have the opportunity to become a member. Please use the connection card on the website or app to sign up and let us know you will be joining us.
 
Discovering My Ministry Class
Sunday, June 11th @ 11:15a
The Bridge Church Reno - Learning Center
If you have said yes to Jesus and have started a relationship with Him then you have been given at least one spiritual gift. This class focuses on discovering that gift as well as how you can use your talents, abilities, and past experiences all together to serve God.  In this class we will develop your personal ministry profile and work towards discovering how God has uniquely shaped you to further His Kingdom.  Please sign up using the connection card.

Kids Kingdom Water Park Day
Saturday, June 17th @ 1:00p-3:00p
Lazy 5 Water Park, Sparks NV
Families and children: we will be having a water park day to kick off the summer season.  Come and have some water play fun with us at Lazy 5 park in Sparks.  Please bring a towel, sunscreen, and a hat to keep the sun out of your eyes.  We will have a small snack and water bottles available.

CARS Clinic
Saturday, March 24th @ 9:00a
The Bridge Church Reno
If you are a single mother or older person and in need of regular maintenance or small minor repairs on your vehicle; please sign up for our CARS clinic.  On June 24th at 9am the CARS team will be at the church helping with those things.  Please sign up at thebridgereno.com/cars

Message Notes

Courage Under Pressure

Pastor Phil Burdoin
June 4, 2023

Last week we looked at Acts 20 where Paul was finishing up his third missionary journey and believed God was calling him to return to Jerusalem. Paul knew that he would likely face hardship, rejection and possibly even death in Jerusalem but he was determined to go.

This weeks scripture Acts 22:1-22

Paul hasn't done anything wrong, yet the moment he steps into the temple in Jerusalem people want to harass and harm him. There is such a commotion that the Roman soldiers arrest him thinking he must have done something terrible. So they seize him but Paul persuades them to let him address the crowd. And he does this in their own language.

Paul identifies with the people
Paul finds common ground with them
When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said: “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. 
Acts 22:2-3

Paul speaks to them in their own language
It's as if he is saying, “listen I am one of you. I am not an outsider, I am not a foreigner, I come from this place, and I am one of you, God's chosen people.”

Then Paul begins to describe what his life was like before he encountered Jesus.

Paul takes them back to the event that changed his mind
“About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.  I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’ “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. “ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. 
Acts 22:6-8

Paul takes his audience back to the moment that changed everything.  The moment he encountered Christ. Many of us have hear people share their own story of how they encountered Christ. And many of us are here because of those stories.

Paul is a witness for Jesus
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 
Acts 1:8

“A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him. “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. 
Acts 22:12-15

What is the role of a witness. It's simple, you just tell all that you have seen and heard. When you are called to testify as a witness in court your job is to just tell what you saw and what you heard.

Paul is sharing his story out of love
He doesn’t do it to condemn his people, he doesn’t focus on what they disagree on. He just shares what he saw and heard. He was more concerned with telling others about Jesus then about facing misunderstanding and rejection.

He just takes them back to where he first received faith. He just returned to the fire where he was first inspired.

When your faith is challenged whether by other people of by unpleasant circumstances: Return to the fire that first inspired

Previous Messages Can Be Found Here

Small Groups Talk About It

Watch the latest Message Summary:

Discussion Questions:
  1. On a scale of 1-10 how confident are you about sharing the story of how you came to faith in Jesus with someone?  Why?

  2. Have you ever had the opportunity to share that with a friend, neighbor, or coworker? Share that story.

  3. In the beginning of Acts 22, how did Paul end up in Jerusalem?  Why was he arrested? (you might need to read the previous chapter to get context.)

  4. Read Acts 22: 1-5. Why do you think the crowd became “very quiet” when they heard Paul speak to them in Aramaic?  Why did Paul start out by telling the crowd some of his background and where he was from?

  5. In what ways do you try to find common ground with people that have a different world view that you do?  Share some things that have worked and some that have not.

  6. Read Acts 22:6-11. Why do you think he tells the crowd this story?  Did Paul do this with his Greek audiences? Why or why not?

  7. Read Acts 22: 12-16. What things does Ananias tell Paul?  What does the word witness mean?  What did Jesus tell his followers in Acts chapter 1?

  8. Read Acts 22:17-22. Why do you suppose Paul went back to Jerusalem after his encounter with Jesus?  What emotions might he have been feeling going back there?

  9. Read 1 Peter 3:15. What is the reason for the hope that YOU have?  Are you prepared to give an answer to someone who asks why you have that hope?  What would your answer to them be?

Dig Deeper:  In preparation for this week’s discussion, please do the following:
  • Read the rest of Acts 22
    • Why did the crowd listen to Paul until verse 21? 
    • What set them off in verse 22?  Why would that cause them to condemn him to death?
    • Why did the soldiers order that he be flogged?  What had Paul done?
    • Why did Paul pull the “Roman citizen” card in this particular situation?

  • Read Acts chapters 23 and 24 several times
Previous Messages Can Be Found Here