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.

UFC: Believing in God

In Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis offers one philosophical explanation for the existence of God:

In the very act of trying to prove that God did not exist—in other words, that the whole of reality was senseless—I found I was forced to assume that one part of reality—namely my idea of justice—was full of sense. Consequently atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning.

Genesis 1:1 tell us that "God created the heavens and earth." He was in existence before ANYTHING else.

Psalm 19:1 then gives us proof of His existence.
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

John 1:1 reminds us that in the beginning was the Word, meaning that the Word (Jesus) existed before time, space or universe began. And the Word was God...Jesus and God are one. John was emphatic. Everything that had been made had been created through the Word. The Bible consistently tied together God’s eternal preexistence and the creation of all things by Him at the beginning of time. There was, is, and will be Someone “out there” who is greater than His creation.

Without God, (the source of good) would we know the difference between right and wrong?

God is Real
In the following categories list how God is real (evident) to you.

Nature/Creation, In Others, In Your Life

Suppose you were talking to a non-believer who questioned the existence of God, write how/what you would share with this person.

UFC: Contending for the Faith

A new series has begun!!

As we began our new series today entitled, "Ultimate Faith Challenge" we discussed Contending for the Faith. We defined the word contend (debate, contest, compete, grapple) and how it relates to our faith. Do you know what and why you believe? Can you hold your own in a debate about your beliefs?

Jude vs. 3-5 informs us that there are "godless men" among us and we must be aware of those who have "secretly slipped in." We live in a world where it is more acceptable to be passive about our beliefs than it is to stand up and represent Christ. We can not allow ourselves to be distracted by our work, family, or friends. We have been called by Christ to "go and make disciples of all nations." To do this we must be prepared...we must hide His word in our hearts and ask Him to go before us in all we say and all we do.

Do not allow yourself to become so comfortable with your Christianity that you live as if God does not exist.

Jesus: Bridegroom

After 11 weeks in our series entitled, "It's In The Name", we concluded with Bridegroom. In Matthew 25 we discussed the parable of the ten virgins and how five of them were wise and brought their lamps and oil to await the bridegroom. The other five were foolish and brought their lamps but did not take oil. When the bridegroom arrived, the wise virgins were able to follow him into the banquet hall, but the foolish virgins, who were not prepared for his arrival, had gone out to purchase more oil and they returned to a shut door. When they requested to enter the banquet hall they were told, "I do not know you." The Bridegroom in this story represents Christ and the 10 virgins represent the church. There are many, many people around us every Sunday (yes, even at Lake Pointe) who are considered the "foolish virgins". They have access to the light...they have the ability and resources to ignite the fire within themselves and become Christ followers, but they choose not to prepare for His coming. It is our responsibility, as His bride, to prepare for Christ's return. Prepare by reading His Word, repenting of your sins, communing with Him through daily prayer, and share your light with others so that they too may anxiously await His arrival.

Revelation 19:7-8 "...For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean was given to her to wear."

Desire to be dressed in pure white...live the way you want Him to find you when He returns.

Jesus: The Door

During our hour together today, we discussed Jesus: The Door. We took a birds-eye view of the Tabernacle's layout and how each instrument within its walls points directly to Christ and was placed specifically by God. Just as the Tabernacle has only one gate, we see that it says in John 10:9, Jesus Christ is the door and "If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved..." Once we pass through this door of salvation, there are pieces of the puzzle that we must find and complete. As the Brazen Altar reminds us that we must be in repentance of our sins, the Laver is there to cleanse us, through the washing by the Word. We are to witness to the lost and are commanded in Matthew 5 to "let your light shine before men..." God desires fellowship with us so much that He was willing to come to earth as our "bread of life". We are to be in daily prayer and remember that as those prayers are "wafting up to heaven" like a sweet perfume (Psalm 141), they smell of a fragrance so pleasing to God, He does not want it shared with the world. What better depiction of God being revealed to us in the Holy of Holies than when the Veil tore from the top down during Christ's crucifixion so that we now have direct access to the Father through His son!

Our Father has painted a beautiful picture for us in His divine design of the Most Holy Place. Our puzzle will not be complete until we are standing before the throne of the Almighty, but it is up to us to create a portrait on Earth that is pleasing to Him.

Take the time this week to review your "Tabernacle" and see if there is a door that you need to walk through to deepen your relationship with Him.