UFC: Relying on God's Word

Recap by Justin Graves

This past week's lesson was on "Relying on God's Word". The lesson included some statistics about "Bible Knowledge" and "Bible Statistics" (see below), but the question I ask myself is "Do I know how to "rely" on God and His Word?" Don't we tend to find ways to take care of all our problems and stresses. Do we turn to scripture for answers in everyday life? Do we pray when we're at work having a crappy day? Do we pray when we get mad at our spouses? If we don't....the question to ask ourselves is why? Ask yourself this question this week. Share your answers with your spouse. Read 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21, and Luke 1:1-4. I don't think knowing statistics and facts about the Bible make us better Christians. The challenge is...are we really "relying" on God's word in our daily lives.

UFC: Comprehending Creation

There are several views on creation...literal creation, the gap theory, evolution, progressive creation. But what does scripture tell us about the beginning? We know from Genesis 1:1 that, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Clearly it states that before this there was nothing. This is the BEGINNING. Genesis continues showing us that God created light from darkness, sea from sky, land from sea, day and night, every living creature and even female from male.

Acts 17:24-25
The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.

It is amazing to believe in a God that does not need to be validated by science and can be accepted through faith. Hebrews 11:3 states, "By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible."

Since God made us in His own image, we are to celebrate our significance, our value as a moral, eternal being. Celebrate our purpose to reign with God in creation, and celebrate our responsibility to worship.

Does it take more faith to believe that God created everything, or that it all happened by accident?

UFC: Three in One

Have you ever made the attempt to describe the Trinity using the analogy that H2O can be water, ice or steam? Or that an egg is 3 parts...shell, yolk and white...yet it is still ONE egg? If so, you have probably also realized that there is nothing that can fully explain the doctrine of the Trinity. In the end we have to believe by faith because God has revealed it in His Word.

Though the word Trinity is never used in the Bible, it is implied throughout scripture. John 6:27 shows us "God the Father", Hebrews 1:8 proves to us that God is the Son, and Acts 5:3-4 reveals that the God is also the Holy Spirit. But remember, even though God is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Father is NOT the Son, the Son is NOT the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is NOT the Father.

There is but one God...AND the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, all three, are God. We are to worship God the Father, who chose to love us, worship God the Son who redeemed us by grace, and worship God the Holy Spirit who sealed us into fellowship with the Godhead and the church.