Reno Journal Jog
Sunday August 25th 7:30 – 9:30am
The Bridge Church Reno 
The 53rd running of the Reno Journal Jog will be hosted at the Reno High School Track (across the street from the church) on Sunday August 25th.  Foster Drive will be closed between Booth St. and Hunter Lake Dr. from 5:00am to 9:05am.  Therefore there should be no traffic impact for our 10am service.  However, leaders that need to be here early may need to use the Hunter Lake Dr. entrance.


Pastoral Candidate Sunday
Sunday August 25th 10am
The Bridge Reno
On Sunday August 25th our pastoral candidate, Rob Ham, will be visiting.  He will preach that Sunday morning.  There will be a meet and greet session with him from 8:30 to 9:30 in the welcome center.  He will also preach that Sunday morning.  After our normal 10am worship service we will have an in-person members only vote.  With a simple majority needed to affirm him.  If you have questions about this, you can email boardmembers@thebridgereno.com


Church Wide Small Group Campaign
Sunday September 8th
The Bridge Reno
We will be starting a 6 week church wide small group campaign based off the book “Anxious for Nothing” by Max Lucado.  These days fear and doubt are around every corner but we as followers of Jesus want to live lives that are anxious for nothing.  We are encouraging every Bridge attender to try a small group for these six weeks.  We will have a sign up table in the welcome center this Sunday so you can pick up the book and sign up for a group.

Financial update
As of July 31st
 
                 Budget                 Income                Expenses           Difference
YTD        $283,899.00      $224,863.00      $249,972.70      $(25,109.70)
Jul-24   $40,557.00        $34,161.40        $30,953.83        $3,207.57

Kids Kingdom News
I hope everyone enjoyed our celebration on Sunday.. Everyone who moved up will go to their new classes this Sunday. On August 25th, we will not be having Kids Kingdom. Rob Hamm will be bringing the message and right after the message we will be voting on him becoming our new pastor. We all are excited about this and want all members to be a part of it. This week will wind up our series on " Camp Wannastay". It has shown us what Jesus expects in a leader and how to have those qualities. I want to see all of your smiling faces on Sunday. Have a great rest of the week.

Jesus Resurrected
Today’s Scripture: John 20
Context keeps us from conning the text! To understand any scripture, we have to understand the text before and after the scripture.  The goal:  to understand what God means by the text.

Context of John 20

• Jesus has been crucified and hastily buried in a tomb.
• The apostles and His followers never really understood that Jesus would die and be resurrected (until He was resurrected).
• 10 of the remaining 11 apostles are hiding out in a locked room hoping not to get caught up in a whirlwind against this new Christian sect.

We will focus in on the apostle Thomas.
Scriptures that the Jewish people missed regarding the Messiah:

Isaiah 53:8
By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
 Yet who of his generation protested?
 For he was cut off from the land of the living;
  for the transgression of my people he was punished.
 
Isaiah 53:11
After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.

Scriptures that they expected a conquering Messiah

Daniel 2:44
 “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.

Psalm 2:9
 You shall break them with a rod of iron,
 You shall shatter them like earthenware.’”
Jesus spoke repeatedly that he would be killed often combining being raised again from the dead:

• Matthew 16:21-23-Killed & Raised on the 3rd day
• Matthew 17:22-23-Killed & Raised on the 3rd day
• Matthew 20:17-19-Crucified & 3rd day raised up
• John 12:7-8- “the day of my burial”
• John 13:33- “with you a little longer”
• John 14:25- “while remaining with you”

Thomas needed to see with his own eyes and feel with his own hands to believe Jesus was alive!

John 20:24-25
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
When we take in from God but don’t give back out for God we can get Spiritually Constipated!
Like Thomas we often doubt that Jesus is with us when we don’t see Him or feel Him there!

Matthew 11:28
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Discussion Questions
1.Would you consider yourself a glass half full optimist or a glass half empty pessimist?

2.What are some of the reasons you think the apostles and disciples did not think that Jesus would leave the grave?

3.What are some of the prophesies for the Messiah that the Jewish people would have been familiar with from the Old-Testament?

4.Read John 20:24-25, why do you think Thomas would doubt what the other apostles told him about Jesus being alive?  Is it any different now when you tell people who do not believe that Jesus is alive?  Why do you think the apostles had locked themselves in a room?

5.Read 1 Thessalonians 5:19, what does it mean to “quench the Spirit”?  What are some of the ways we can quench the spirit?

6.What are some of the ways we can take in from God and what are some of the ways we can give back out for God?  Can a Christian only take in from God and never give back out?  Why or why not?

7.Please let Pastor Phil know that holding Justin’s coffee cup hostage was not cool.

8.Read John 20:28-29, how can people who have not seen Jesus and believed be blessed?

9.Can we know for certain we are going to Heaven?  If so, how can we know for certain?  If not, why can we not know for certain?