A People

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8 NIV).

The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God" (Genesis 17:8 NIV).

"So I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God" (Exodus 29:44-45 NIV).

“I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart” (Jeremiah 24:7 NIV).

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:9-10 NIV).

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9 NIV).

Consider/Discuss:
Do you know how to recognize the people of God? How?

The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: 'Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy'" (Leviticus 19:1-2 NIV).

“‘If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people’” (Leviticus 26:3, 12 NIV).

I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God (Ezekiel 11:19-20 NIV).

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." Since you call on a Father who judges each person's work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear (1 Peter 1:13-17 NIV).

Consider/Discuss:
What does holy mean?
Did you know that the People of God are holy? Are you?

"'My servant David will be king (prince) over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees'" (Ezekiel 37:24 NIV).

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV).

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13) (See Also 1 Timothy).

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming (Ephesians 4:14 NIV).

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ (Ephesians 4:15 NIV).

Consider/Discuss:
Is Jesus your Lord, The King? Do people see that in your life? How?

I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms. They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God (Ezekiel 37:22-23 NIV).

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me (John 17:20-23 NIV).

From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work (Ephesians 4:16 NIV).

New Covenant Picture
(Ezekiel 37:26-27; Jeremiah 31:33-34; Hebrews 8:10-12)

Living It Today
(Acts 2:38-39; Ephesians 4:22-24, 30-32)

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV).

Consider/Discuss:
How are you connected to the Body of Christ?
Who do you serve in love?

Pray for one another - That we will all be the People of God.

We would love to connect with you!

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Let us know how to best serve you.

We will be praying for you throughout the week.

Offering is an act of worship that we do cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:6-15) to thank God for giving us everything we need to enjoy life (Acts 17:25) to the full (John 10:10).

We give at Life Bridge to empower, equip, and encourage one more to walk together with God (Matthew 28:18-20, 22:34-40).

Do not feel pressured by anyone to give a certain amount or percentage (2 Corinthians 9:7). That is between you and God (James 4:17). God will make it clear if you should give and the amount you should give (James 1:5-11).

We trust God to give us all what we need to do what God calls us to do.

Donations can also be sent to:

Life Bridge Christian Church
1705 Laporte Ave.
Valparaiso, IN 46383

Communion is a time when we, as a community, remember Jesus: the central focus of our faith.

The original Last Supper was a passover meal that Jesus had with his disciples before being arrested and taken to his death. Jesus changed the meaning of that meal for his followers.

The meal included bread and wine, which you can supply in your own setting.

The bread would have been unleavened (without yeast). Tortillas, flatbreads or other unleavened bread would be the most authentic. Any bread will suffice.
The wine back then was not as strong as ours today. To include younger audiences and to be sensitive to brothers and sisters who struggle with alcohol in any form, consider using grape juice instead.

Here are some Scriptures to consider in preparing to take communion together. Give one another some quiet time for reflection and prayer.

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." (Matthew 26:26-29 NIV)

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body." Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many," he said to them. "Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." (Mark 14:22-25 NIV)

When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God." After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. (Luke 22:14-20 NIV)

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26 NIV)

So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. (1 Corinthians 11:27-29 NIV)