UBC Wed For Life

                                 Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  Lord Acton's famous words echo across centuries, but they pale in comparison to an older truth spoken in humanity's first garden, where the original reach for power planted seeds that still bear bitter fruit today. The Gift That Wasn't Grasped In the beginning, there was no grasping. Only receiving. Then God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground" - Genesis 1:26 (NIV) From the very beginning, humanity was given something sacred: dominion, not domination (Genesis 1:26–28). God placed man and woman in a garden, not a battlefield, and handed them stewardship, not sovereignty. Dominion was a gift, rooted in relationsh...

                                 In the book of Romans, Paul says the following: There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism. - Romans 2:9-11 That last sentence might be a little puzzling to some. How can it be true that God doesn’t show favoritism if He has a Chosen People? When reading the Old Testament, it might be hard to believe that He doesn’t show favoritism when He clearly sides with the Jews over all other people. He gave the Jews land that had already been claimed. He empowered and even commanded the Jews to massacre other groups of people. He didn’t even want the Jews to consort with peoples from other nations and cultures. That certainly sounds like He was partial to the Jewish people. There’s n...

                                   Many people, both believers and nonbelievers alike, consider humility to be an admirable virtue. It can be refreshing to encounter someone who has a down to earth personality despite having everything in the world going for them. For believers, humility isn’t just a nice personality perk. It’s something the Bible instructs us to practice. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. - Ephesians 4:2 What does it really mean to be humble? What is humility? Webster’s dictionary defines humility as the freedom from arrogance and pride . That definition is fine, but what does it look like in practice? Does it mean that we should ignore the good things about ourselves? Should we downplay our own greatness? Consider Lebron James. He’s one of the greatest players to ever touch a basketball. Some feel he is arrogant. They believe he shou...

                                The Bible is a big book and can be a daunting read. Most Christians go their whole lives without truly understanding all of it. Many Christians go their whole lives without reading all of it. That is unfortunate, but also somewhat understandable. Not everyone is meant to be a Bible scholar. Still, we’re all charged with sharing the Gospel. You can’t do that without knowing the Bible to some extent. You have to know enough of the Bible to be able to explain what the Gospel actually is. Additionally, as you share the Gospel, you will likely encounter common questions from unbelievers. Knowledge of God’s Word is what will empower you to answer many of those questions. No one learned the Bible overnight. Everyone has to start somewhere. This entry can serve as a good starting point. Below you’ll find seven Bible verses that every Christian should know. If you want to start your jo...

                  Imagine someone you love approaching you, eyes wide with wonder, hands trembling with awe. In their arms is a vase—not just any vase, but one crafted by the very hands of the Creator. Every curve, color, and line has been shaped with divine care. They place it in your hands and say, " Please, this is precious to me. I trust you. " You accept it, you promise to honor that trust—but somehow, whether through negligence, weariness, or sheer accident, the unthinkable happens. The vase slips from your grasp and shatters on the ground. You reach out in horror, but it’s too late. No matter how carefully you gather the pieces or how painstakingly you glue them back together, the cracks remain. The vase can still be beautiful, still be useful—but it will never be exactly the same again. What now? Forgiveness is the grace that allows us to begin again. Standing before the broken pieces, the owner of the vase sees the damage and, to you...

           The Bible includes four Gospels. Each tells the story of Jesus with a slightly different focus. The Gospel of John, more than any other, makes its agenda clear. Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.  - John 20:30-31 John wanted readers to understand that Jesus, even as he walked the Earth, was divine. He was God in human form. When viewed through that lens, the events that are only mentioned in John become very interesting. Consider the account of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I a...