The Bridge Church

MY NEXT STEP TODAY IS:

I need to receive Jesus Christ as my personal Savior for the first time.
https://thebridgevenice.churchcenter.com/people/forms/500390

I need to be baptized.
https://www.thebridgevenice.com/baptism

I need to attend Starting Point.
https://www.thebridgevenice.com/starting-point

I need to join a serve team.
https://www.thebridgevenice.com/serve

I need to join a small group.
https://www.thebridgevenice.com/bridge-groups

Dig Deeper:
1. What does the word “peace” bring to mind?
2. Read Isaiah 9:6. Describe the different names of Jesus and examples of each.
3. The need for peace in our world has never been greater. Provide examples of how people might search for peace.
4. Read Luke 2:10-14. Who is the angel talking to? What might they be experiencing at this moment?
5. When you imagine the stable where Jesus was born, what do you usually see? Knowing that it was like a cave, does that change your image of our Savior’s birth? Why or why not?
6. Shalom means peace, wholeness, or completeness. It is also a greeting and a goodbye. Why would someone use this as a greeting or a goodbye?
7. Read John 16:33. Is peace the absence of conflict? If not, how can you have peace in conflict?
8. Read John 14:27. How is Jesus the originator and giver of peace?
9. Read Philippians 4:7. Why must you have peace with God to experience it in other areas of your life?
10. Read Romans 5:1. What does it mean to have peace with God?
11. Read Colossians 3:15. How can Jesus’s peace “rule your heart”?
12. Describe a time in your life when your peace surpassed understanding; when your heart was ruled by the peace of Christ.
13. Read Isaiah 26:3. How is trust related to peace?
14. Why is peace meant to be shared? Share an example when you’ve seen peace being shared.
15. Read Colossians 1:19-20. How is peace a promise, not a possibility?
16. Read Isaiah 53:5. Discuss what was done to Jesus, and why. Then, discuss what was done to us. How is the gospel of Jesus Christ the greatest gift exchange? How does this align your focus this Christmas season?

Live It Out:
How do we experience peace this Christmas? Our greatest need is to experience:

1. Peace with God. Unless you have peace with God, you will never have peace in other areas of your life. Jesus came to bring restoration between us and God. True peace begins with being reconciled to God.
2. Peace of God. We can’t have the peace of God until we have peace with God. The peace of God is internal before it is external. Jesus is the only answer to the brokenness of our world. He is the One that can mend your brokenness. He is the One that can save you from your sins.
3. Peace from God. Peace is meant to be shared. Hebrews 12:14 says, “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone”. As recipients of peace, we are to be givers of peace! Who in your life needs to experience the peace you have?

Read Matthew 11:28-29. Peace is not a possibility; it’s a promise! Describe the time when you came to Jesus and found rest for the first time. Pray to God, thanking Him for giving you His ultimate peace. If you have never experienced this, read Romans 10:9. Salvation begins when we repent and turn away from our sin and we ask Jesus to be the leader and Savior of our lives. It is there where true peace is experienced. If you’ve never accepted Christ, you can do that right now by praying to God!

Reading Plan:
Monday: Isaiah 9:6
Tuesday: Luke 2:10-14
Wednesday: John 16:33, John 14:27
Thursday: Philippians 4:7, Romans 5:1
Friday: Colossians 3:15, Isaiah 26:3, Colossians 1:19-20
Saturday: Isaiah 53:5, Matthew 11:28-29, Romans 10:9