Bridgewater Vestal’s Podcast

This is What We Do: We Put God First

Do you do This? This opens doors and solves problems. This inspires others to do This, too—it’s the good kind of contagious. When they tell our life stories, we want them to put This at the top. We are hardwired for This. This is who we are, and This Is What We Do.

Giving may be an action, but generosity is a posture. When we are generous with our resources, we follow the example of our God, who is not only generous toward us, but multiplies the impact of our giving and the joy we experience as a result of our generosity. Generosity, beginning with the tithe, helps us to put God first.

 

2 Corinthians 9

Speaker: Aaron Patton

Starting Point: Invitation

Many people are looking for more purpose in their lives and circumstances. As we wrap up our Starting Point series, we will see that our uniqueness finds its fullest and best expression when connected to God's divine purpose in the world. As followers of Jesus, we are a part of something so much bigger than ourselves--and it's called the Church.

Acts 9

Speaker: Aaron Patton

Starting Point: Faith

Faith has a starting point, and as we discussed in week one, our faith is tied to the resurrection. The Christian faith is founded on a person and an event that is supported by historical evidence, and the evidence demands a response.

Acts 17

Speaker: Aaron Patton

Starting Point: Grace

Most religions want to negotiate with God. The Bible tells us that God isn’t interested in negotiating, because He is more interested in giving to us than getting from us. In this week of Starting Point, we talk about how grace explains why we can’t bargain with God.

Ephesians 2

Speaker: Aaron Patton 

Starting Point: What Can Wash Away My Sin?

“What can wash away my sin?” It is the age-old question everyone and every religion asks. We all have seasons of our lives and things in our lives we wish we could erase or forget. What do we do with them? In this week of Starting Point, we talk about the solution to our guilt and shame

Mark 1

Speaker: Aaron Patton

Starting Point: The Role of Rules

Rules, Rules, Rules! Why are there so many rules? Sometimes when you read the Bible it can very quickly feel like all it is is a list of do’s and don’ts. Some people even think that the 10 Commandments are the centerpiece of the Christian faith and that obedience is required to get in. But what if a relationship with God doesn’t depend on obedience? When it comes to your relationship with God, what is the role of rules?

Exodus 20

Speaker: Aaron Patton

Starting Point: A Great Big Mess

We can all agree that our world is a mess! The world’s three largest faith traditions claim the same starting point - Abraham, and they all agree that God stepped into the mess of our world to do something about it. The question is - how do we get the help He provided?

Genesis 12

Speaker: Aaron Patton

Starting Point: The Problem

Everyone makes mistake, right? But is it a mistake when you do it on purpose? What do you call a mistake that you can’t seem to stop doing even though you really want to? Our problem isn’t that we are mistakers. Our problem is that we are sinners. We must first recognize our sin for what it is. But we must also see how Jesus came not to condemn us in our sin but to restore us.

Matthew 5:20-22; 27-28

Speaker: Aaron Patton

Starting Point: What is the Starting Point of Your Faith?

Everything has a starting point: A relationship, a career, a life, a nation. What is the starting point of Christianity? What do you believe and why do you believe it? Join us as we ask questions and think through the foundations of not just Christianity, but your relationship with God.

Paul wrote a dozen books of the Bible and was beheaded for following Jesus and telling others about Him. What was the starting point of his incredible faith? What was most important to him and the other Christians who knew Jesus personally?

1 Corinthians 15:3-6

Speaker: Aaron Patton

This is Us: Everyone Has a Next Step

Following Jesus means becoming more like Jesus. That is a high standard, but thankfully we do not have to get there all at once and we are not alone in the process. Everyone has a next step to take in becoming more like Jesus. We can be more of what God calls us to be each day if we will walk by the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16-26

Speaker: Aaron Patton