UBC Wed For Life

Over the course of the month of July and part of August, Pastor Pope gave a series of sermons all connected to the theme Empty Your Cup. We as human beings and as Christians tend to pick up a lot of things, both physical and figurative, as we move through life, and we carry those things with us whether we know it or not. We may not think that such a habit affects us, but it does, often more significantly than we understand. Everybody can understand that if you are burdened by things, releasing that burden may free you from undue strain on your life. So the concept of emptying your cup or freeing yourself is something that can be universally accepted. However, as Pastor Pope pointed out, from the standpoint of a Believer, emptying your cup has a deeper meaning. It can mean throwing off your burdens, but it also requires taking things a step further. Sometimes we need to release, not only our burdens and the things we don’t like, but also the things we like and cling to so muc...

As I'm studying, I have realized John the Baptist has to be second to Moses in being in being the humblest man of all time. Just look at his life. He didn't want for anything to be specifically known about him, and he lived that way until the end. He lived in the wilderness, homeless. Consider that his main mission was to make the way for Christ. He was a forerunner; he had to pave the way for someone else. When Christ arrived, John the Baptist continued to stay his pace. He knew that as Christ increased, he needed to decrease. John faded into the background. He even lost his own disciples and he encouraged them to follow Jesus. Not only that he was beheaded, and then after all that, Jesus said paraphrasing, it said in Mattew 11:11 that no one born a woman is greater than John yet the least in the kingdom is greater than he...What!!We would look at that say that John's life didn't mesh up to anything, but it did as he shows us a perfect example of what it looks ...

With so many tragedies around us, we are in desperate need of a word from God as it relates to today's topic. The media is seemingly consumed by stories of mass murders, political unrest, daily and senseless violence, health scares, and many other generally bad reports.  There is a word from God that can calm the raging sea of worry that comes with being flooded with so much negativity. To know God is to know peace, but without God there is No peace. What is peace? Peace can be defined as: the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is. We all have people we love right now who are in situations that cause us to be a little more than concerned. We know that it can’t always be that way.  Eventually circumstances will change, but, in the meantime, that moment of struggle may as well be an eternity. When faced with such circumstances, we tend to...

With everything happening in the world today, it is understandable that some might come to despair. The recent events in El Paso and Dayton may cause some to believe that we really aren’t safe anywhere. That is a disturbing idea with which to wrestle. While such thoughts may be a little exaggerated, it cannot be denied they bear some truth. As humans, our lives are fleeting. Mass shootings are scary, but the truth is that people lose their lives every day with far less spectacle. That is how it’s always been, and we have to understand and appreciate just how short and fragile life can be. These big events do force the masses to contend with mortality in a way that differs from the deadly car accidents or the all too common homicides that happen every day, and those rooted in the Lord can see that there are lessons to be learned from all of it. When events, big or small, raise feelings of fear and hopelessness in us, where can we turn for refuge? For Believers, God’s Word shou...

The Bible isn’t just a book of fables and tall tales as many see it. Those who want insight, particularly Believers, should view it as a presentation of practical knowledge that we can apply to our everyday lives. It’s common today for people to want small and easily digested tidbits of content. So reading some portions of the Bible does not appeal to them. Those parts are important and we should all strive to delve deep into the Bible to really begin to understand everything it has to offer. That said, the Bible does have little tidbits of information that can be readily applied to anybody’s life to make a difference. In fact, it has a whole book of such bits of insight – Proverbs. Many of the proverbs are not overly spiritual in nature. For example: The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper. – Proverbs 19:8 That certainly can apply to how we deal with the Bible. After all, wisdom can be obtained through the consumption o...