UBC Wed For Life

  Across Scripture, history, psychology, and lived human experience, periods of deprivation and uncertainty consistently precede transformation. The settings in which these periods occur are both physical and psychological and are biblically referred to as the wilderness. The wilderness appears as a recurring environment in which control is removed and identity is clarified. Moses spent forty years in the wilderness of Midian before liberating Israel. Elijah fled to a cave when death threats stripped him of his prophetic confidence. Jesus Himself, immediately following His baptism and divine affirmation, was “ led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted ” for forty days (Matthew 4:1). This was not accidental wandering but intentional leading, suggesting that barren seasons function as deliberate mechanisms rather than random misfortunes. This observation raises a fundamental question: If wilderness experiences appear consistently in transformational narratives, what divine ...

                  The Story We’re Taught About Power Most of us grow up learning the same unspoken rule: if you want influence, take control. Climb the ladder. Guard your position. Don’t look weak. Over time, this story shapes how we understand leadership, success, and even our sense of purpose. Yet many discover a strange contradiction: the tighter we grasp for control, the more restless, disconnected, and exhausted we become. That inner tension opens the door to a deeper question: Is there another way to live and lead? When Power Fails to Deliver If power, as the world defines it, so often corrodes meaning and connection, is there an alternative vision for greatness, one that produces wholeness instead of harm? More specifically, does Jesus offer more than a moral challenge? Does He provide a workable redefinition of power and purpose that actually leads to life? Understanding True Power Jesus’ life and teachings exhibit a radical possibil...

                 It’s the Christmas season once again. It’s supposed to be a time of merriment and cheer, but this season is turning out to be stressful for many. Prices have risen on goods, food, energy, and other things. As a result, many people are finding it more difficult to partake in their usual holiday activities. That’s understandable, especially for nonbelievers. However, for believers, the troubles we’re currently facing in today’s world shouldn’t steal our Christmas joy. After all, we know the reason for the season. That shouldn’t be treated as a fun little saying. It should be our reality. Beyond the gift giving, family meals, and time off work, Christmas should be about celebrating Jesus, our savior. It’s not surprising that the world forgets why we celebrate this holiday. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image...

                 If you’ve ever stood before a funhouse mirror, you know the shock of seeing your shape stretched, squeezed, or reshaped into something unrecognizable. Have you noticed how societies work the same way, quietly bending people into forms they never intended to take? Scripture gives us such a mirror in the story of ancient Israel, where even the most sacred households produced sons who reflected not their fathers’ faithfulness, but their nation’s corruption. It’s a reminder that culture is not a distant backdrop, but a sculptor shaping souls. Consider Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, infamously described as “worthless men who did not know the Lord” (1 Sam. 2:12). They leveraged their father's holy office for personal gain, distorted justice, and weaponized spiritual authority. Their behavior was a product of their situations and circumstances; it echoed the spiritual erosion of Israel, a nation drifting into moral corruption and...

                                      A.I. is one of the big buzzwords we constantly hear about. Many of us hear of and have even experienced beneficial uses of it. At the same time, we also hear about some of the negative results of its implementation such as people losing their jobs and harmful environmental impacts. As with seemingly everything humans create, it comes with both good and bad. There are sects of Christianity that believe we should avoid modern trappings and reject technology. It’s easy to understand why they might feel that way. Much of what the modern world has produced comes with harmful trappings and can pull us away from the righteous path. However, there’s another way to look at it. A.I. and many other human creations are just tools at their core. They aren’t bad or good. It’s how they are used that determines whether they please or grieve God. Consider something Jesus s...

                                If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.  - 2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV) All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.  - Isaiah 54:13 (NKJV) Holy Spirit, I lift this cry straight from my heart, a heart full of love and longing, to the Most High. This cry is not just for my children, but for all children. Those we’ve raised, those still finding their way, and those we carry in prayer every single day. And this cry is not just from me, t’s for every heart that needed to hear it. If this speaks to you, it’s yours too. I give you permission to pray it, share it, and carry it forward. Most High, call them back to You. Holy Spirit, unsettle anything in them tha...