•  — Edited

    How Do I . . . . ?

    • Update or complete my profile. Select the icon (or picture) in the upper right corner and select profile. Next select "update my profile." Expand each topic by selecting the arrowhead before each section. You can update your own information whenever it changes.
    • Get the EBEACON and/or PRAYER REQUESTS. In the column on the left, near the bottom of the column you will see a list of groups. Select the group you want and then select "ask to join". Come back to this page and do the same thing for every group you want to join. All newsletters and emails from that group will be sent to the email in your profile. It will also be available in your "newsfeed," (which is what you are reading right now).
    • How do I SEND A PRAYER REQUEST? You can send a request to everyone in our faithlife group by posting right to this feed with the "prayer" feature. If you want to send it to just people in the Prayer Request Group, select the group. Then select Content. Then select newsletter. Then select CREATE NEWSLETTER.
    • HOW DO I READ AN OLD E-BEACON? Go to the E-Beacon Group and the feed will have the old e-Beacons in it.
    • HOW DO I WATCH A SERMON VIDEO or GO THE SERMON ARCHIVE? Go to the church webpage at www.unionchurch.com
    • HOW DO I WATCH FAITHLIFE TV? Go to www.FaithlifeTv.com and type in the user name and password you used to register with Faithlife. DO NOT choose the 14 day free trial.

  • The Gateway 10.25.22

    20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer,* that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.”

    As you read through the Bible you notice that God cares about how we treat and relate to each other. He talks about love and unity. He tells us that this way of relating to each other will reveal the heart and love of God. When we love, we prove to be His disciples.

    In a world where everyone seems to be on the verge of "losing their cool" (and feeling quite justified in doing so), love speaks with far greater volume. We learn to love God by loving each other!

    Practice loving. Embrace patience. Take the route of kindness. Start at home and work your way out to others. When we begin to learn how to take our eyes off of ourselves and see and care for others, our credibility as a witness of the gospel will skyrocket.

    1. Transformation 10.24.22

      God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. ” (1 John 1:5-6)


      John is making a point that we must hear. We are not to measure our lives by how we compare to the people around us or even by how we measure up to the person we want to be. We must always seek to measure our progress by comparing ou libes to the life of Christ.


      So, are you simply wearing a new coat of paint or have you been transformed by the power of God?

      1. Strength Available 10.23.22

        By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3)


        Have you ever found yourself saying, “If I could only . . . then I could live a more committed life for Christ. You might fill in the blank with something about more education, more time, better tools, better instruction at the church . . .


        Peter tells us that we already have everything we need to live a holy life. When we became a Christ-follower we were given the Holy Spirit. It is God’s Spirit who has given us what we need to be faithful to the Lord. This means it is time to stop making excuses and to start living that life that honors Him completely. 


        Make this a matter of prayer. Get a couple friends to take this challenge and then encourage each other as you grow in grace and truth. Our world needs believers who act like believers!

        1. Be Ready 10.22.22

          And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.” (1 Peter 3:15-16)


          Peter gives us good advice: be ready and be respectful. If you miss either of the two of these your attempts to share your faith will fail (and in some cases do more hard than good.)


          It is good to learn to tell your story of meeting Christ in just a couple of minutes. People aren’t asking for a sermon, they are asking for an explanation. Be clear on what the gospel is and how one becomes a child of God.


          The second part is just as important: share the message of the gospel with grace and respect. Our job is not to condemn other people; it is to invite them. We are not given the task of changing the behavior of someone else, that is God’s job. The Holy Spirit will bring about change in a believer. Rather than trying to “fix” the world, our job is to inform and invite the world.


          Yes, people may ridicule your faith but if they see Christ in you they will know they are wrong to attack you. Be faithful. Be consistent. Be kind.

          1. The Better Path 10.21.22

            “14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. 15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

            (1 Peter 1:14-16)


            Peter gives great direction here. When we come to Christ we are no longer who we used to be. This means we should no longer be dragged into the behaviors that used to get us in so much trouble and lead us in a wrong direction. Things like our lusts, bad temper, our tendency to ”shade the truth,” laziness, or indifference to others (being self-absorbed). 


            When these things want access to our lives, our response should be to remind ourselves that these behaviors are a dead end path . . . They lead to nothing but trouble. Then we must turn to the Lord for strength and ask the Holy Spirit to help us live in the new life that was given to us through Christ.


            Of course, if we believe Satan, that the old life wasn’t so bad, we will stumble and fall again. We must be convinced that His way is the best way. And of course, it is.

            1. Endurance and Focus 10.20.22

              “And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2)


              It is not easy to follow Jesus. It is wonderful and joyous, but it is not easy. Satan seeks to trip us up as we go; the old nature keeps rearing its ugly head, and even society resists the message of the gospel and the call to holy and pure living.


              Our task is to keep moving forward both in our personal lives and in our life in the world. Our goal is to finish like He did . . . full of faith and the truth.


              Don't lose your focus! (One of Satan's most effective tricks is to keep us so busy we have no time to grow in the Lord.) So, stop reading this, and spend some time with the One who loves you more than we can comprehend.

              1. Unburdened 10.18.22

                “17 Then he says,

                “I will never again remember

                their sins and lawless deeds.”*


                18 And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.” (Hebrews 10:17-18)


                Life would be so much more enjoyable if we would believe the words written above. We waste a lot of time trying to pay for what Christ has already paid for in full. We beat ourselves up over sins in the past. We live our lives paralyzed by guilt. We spend our time looking back with regret instead of moving forward in confident pursuit of holiness and godliness.


                Those who put their trust in Christ have been forgiven. The debt is paid. No more payments are necessary! We can stop looking backward and begin to enjoy the present, looking forward to the day when we stand before the Lord in humble gratitude.


                Whenever you feel those stabs of regret today remind yourself that when we confess our sin . . . He forgives. It is staggering. It is hard to comprehend. But, it is true. Leave the burdens of regret at the foot of the cross and live enthusiastically for Him today. 

                1. Coming to God Boldly 10.18.22

                  “14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)


                  Because Jesus is on the side of the believer, we are to hold firmly to the truth and come boldly to the throne.


                  Bold means confident, not arrogant. For some reason, the concept of boldness has turned into almost a bullying mentality. It's that "don't mess with me" mentality. This is the exact opposite of what God commands. We are to be humble, teachable, compassionate, and consistent. Arrogant is the opposite of all those things.


                  Come boldly to the Lord. Know that He will answer you and do what is best in your life. As you come boldly, do so humbly.

                  1. No More Fear 10.17.22

                    “Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.” (Hebrews 2:14-15)


                    This is an explanation of why God became a man in the person of Jesus. It was the only way the Son of God could set us free from the power of the devil and the fear of death.


                    Don't miss those last two phrases. When we truly trust Christ the devil no longer has power over us (he can tempt us and try to move us off the path of godliness, but he can't MAKE us do anything!) Thi means we no longer "have to" sin. the excuse "that's just the way I am" no longer holds water. It was the way you USED to be. When you come to Christ, you are a new person.


                    We are also told Christ freed us from the fear of death. The reason we no longer need to fear death is that we know what is on the other side. We know we will "live even though we die" (John 11). This life is but the first step in a journey that (the believer) will last through all eternity.


                    So, have you surrendered your life to the One who died for you?

                    1. Handling the Word of God 10.16.22

                      “15 Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)


                      It is often said (at least by me) that you can prove anything from the Bible if you don't care about the context of the passage.


                      Be discerning as Pastors stand in the pulpit and teachers teach in a class. Be careful as people share in small groups and Bible Studies. Sometimes people have something they want to say and use the Bible to back up what they are saying. That is not necessarily wrong but it can be dangerous because texts can be used out of context. I believe (and practice) what I think is a better approach. Start with the Biblical text and then let the text somewhat preach itself.


                      When you own a car it is important to know the safety precautions and then follow them. The Word of God is even more powerful than the fastest car. We must use it and share it carefully. Listen to what the Bible is saying before you decide what it means for daily life.