UBC Wed For Life

After the previous topics addressed in this discussion, it should be understood that when we come to our faith, we should seek to move in the direction of goodness. To do that we need to seek knowledge of God so that we truly understand what goodness means. Peter said the next step after obtaining knowledge is to add self-control. It should be easy to understand why self-control comes next. It is true for anything that knowing and doing are not the same. A person’s knowledge of good doesn’t guarantee that a person will always do the right thing nor does that knowledge guarantee that a person will always avoid evil. A person needs self-control to accomplish those goals. Most people who choose to follow Jesus will try to do good things when the opportunities arise. However, even many who are on fire for God find it difficult to avoid sin completely. Getting to that point is a process, and self-control is what makes the process work. Another word for self-control is discipline....

    2 Peter 1:5-7 gave us a list of steps we need to take after we’ve come to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. The previous blog discussed goodness, the first thing we must add to our faith. As soon as we choose Jesus, we should seek to do the right thing, and with the Holy Spirit inside of us, we can work towards that immediately upon being saved. However, that is just a start. If we truly want to grow, we have to come to a true understanding of what God wants from us, and that requires seeking knowledge. As Paul said to the church in Philippi in one of his letter:   And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ. – Philippians 1:9-10   Greater knowledge can enable us to better navigate our paths without falling victim to the obstacles of sin. Think about traveling in a normal sense. Suppo...

When we make the decision to follow Jesus and live according to God’s will, we understand that we need to give up on our sinful ways and many of our earthly desires. For most of us, that transition is easier said than done. If our faith is true and we rely on the Holy Spirit that resides in us, no change is too great. Still, as people, we often need a plan, checklist, or something that might allow us to stay on track and understand what we’re working towards. The Bible provides some insight that could be helpful in 2 Peter 1:5-7. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. The pathway to salvation is the development and profession of faith. The above scripture provides an ordered list of the attributes we should seek after we’ve come to the Faith. To some e...

Typically, I try to stay away from writing anything too personal in this blog. For one, it is not my blog, it is the United Baptist Church blog (so please UBC family feel free to contribute to it as God leads you), and second, I tend to be more private in my thoughts. However, sometimes God lays things on your heart and directs you to go against the norm, so I’m breaking tradition a little with this entry. This year hasn’t been the best for my family financially. Thank God that our bills have always been paid and we haven’t had to suffer any true hardship. Still, a number of things just didn’t go our way and others didn’t work out the way we expected or would have liked. As a result, both my wife and I have felt frustrated numerous times throughout the year. Despite those frustrations, I feel like we did a better job of turning to God and putting our faith in him, and both my wife and I have found ways to be even more active in his service. While that has resulted in us being m...

What do we mean when we say we believe in Jesus? That’s a strange question to ask at this point in the discussion, but in some ways it is reflective of how we behave when it comes to our Faith. Many of us grow up in the church or are, at least, exposed to Christianity at an early age. We believe we know who Jesus is and what he represents, but don’t always ask if that belief is true to what the Bible teaches. Is it just conditioning devoid of true understanding? Consider the concept of Christian Atheism. A quick look at Wikipedia reveals the concept as such: Christian atheism is a form of cultural Christianity and an ethics system drawing its beliefs and practices from Jesus’ life and teachings as recorded in the New Testament Gospels and other sources, whilst rejecting the supernatural claims of Christianity. In other words, Christian Atheists treat Jesus as if he is a character like Paul Revere or Johnny Appleseed. They likely believe he existed, but look at the New Testamen...

  Our marriages are a picture of the gospel. The greatest place to look for a picture of the gospel is the cross. The cross is an instrument of torture. People die by way of crucifixion. Jesus died on the cross. However it was not suffocation or lung collapse or asphyxia that caused the death of our Lord. He willingly gave His life up (John 10:18). 17 "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father." (John 10:17-18 NKJ) Therefore in marriage someone MUST die. Not murder lol...but willingly laying down your life for your spouse. When one person dies for the other, true love is experienced. Greater love has no man than this than to lay down one's life for his spouse. Okay, the Bible actually says " his friend " (John 15:13). 13 "Greater love has...

Many believe that Christians are tasked with getting people saved. That’s not exactly true. As Believers, we are supposed to spread the Gospel. Ideally, upon hearing the Word, non-believers will come to God. However, things do not always work like that. In fact, many have no desire to even hear about Jesus, and will quickly shut down any attempt by a Believer to raise the subject of Jesus. In those cases, it is easy for us to feel like we have failed, especially for those who are particularly passionate about spreading the Good News and converting people to the Faith. What happens when people simply do not want to believe? First, we have to understand that we spread the Gospel, but the process of a person being saved is not really about us. It’s all about God. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9 We may feel a sense of rejection when we try to s...