First United

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Higher Standard Tue. 5/4 Jeremiah 23:16-32 - Who holds you more accountable another person or yourself? It might depend upon who the other person is, but most of the time it is the other person who is able to hold us accountable. In Deuteronomy 13:1-5, Moses gives guidelines to listening to a prophet. The prophet should be leading people to a closer relationship to God not leading people to an idol. In Jeremiah 23:16-32, God speaks through Jeremiah to lead the people into... a relationship with God. According to the word Jeremiah shares, the other prophets are leading the people to a place where they will forget God’s name and who God is. God is holding the prophets accountable for their words and they will soon see God’s response to their words. In what ways are your actions like the false prophets? Like Jeremiah’s? How are you holding those you listen to accountable?

Different Outcomes Mon. 5/3 1 Samuel 15:17-35 - Mistakes are a part of life. There are times when we learn from our mistakes. There are other times when we deny our mistakes. Either way we will be held accountable for our actions. There are two people in our reading today that handle accountability, Saul, and Samuel. Saul sees a problem and instead of waiting he takes matters into his own hands. Samuel sees a problem and mourns deeply over the issue. God holds both acc...ountable and has different outcomes for them. Saul’s actions indicate a pattern of not trusting God, which leads to God’s Spirit searching for another leader. Samuel’s heart is broken over Saul’s actions and Samuel takes responsibility for Saul. God continues the relationship with Samuel and leads him to the next king, David. How does each of them live with their actions? How is God’s response holding each of them accountable?

To Forgive Is Divine Sat. & Sun. 5/1 & 5/2 Matthew 6:14-15 - Alexander Pope in 1711 wrote a poem titled An Essay on Criticism, Part II. The quote to err is human; to forgive divine comes out of the poem. This is a powerful quote. People make mistakes, which we all understand. The second part of the quote to forgive is divine is a little harder to live out. It could be taken that God is the only one to forgive, which lets people off the hook in forgiving others. It... could be taken that when we forgive, we are extending what we have received from God, this to me is Pope’s intention. Jesus’ words go even further than Pope’s. Jesus is talking to those who are following him and tells them to forgive as God forgives. The consequences of not forgiving, laid out in Matthew 6:15, is that we won’t be forgiven. This is a harsh word. Why? It pushes us to move beyond ourselves and our vindictive desire. Is it easy? No, it is not. Does it mean that we shouldn’t try? God will provide us the way to forgive and the strength to forgive. We need to forgive. How hard is to follow Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:14-15? What steps are you taking to follow Jesus in this area? See more

Forgive = Love ? Fri. 4/30 Mark 12:28-34 - Which is easier to follow the letter of the law or the spirit of the law? It may depend upon the law and how long one has dwelled upon the law. Someone who has studied the law of God asks Jesus to share what his thoughts on which law is the most important. It sounds like this person is asking Jesus about the letter of the law. Jesus answers by pointing out the spirit of the law, which is to love God and love others. It is not a ...far leap to look at forgiveness through this same lens. Jesus teaches us to forgive others. Do we do that by just saying the words? Do we forgive by releasing others from the wrongs until the wrongs aren’t a part of us? One is easier than the other, but does it help us to love others? Forgiveness is hard soul work, but it opens our soul to seeing the depth of God’s love. God? How does forgiveness show love? Where are you showing love through your forgiveness?

Forgiving Others Thur. 4/29 Ephesians 4:32 - Do you find the teachings of your parents become more profound as you get older? I have found this to be true. My mother opened me up to reading the Bible at an early age. One of the earliest verses I remember is Ephesians 4:32. It has taken me years to see this verse being lived out, but it is hitting deep within my soul. This verse near the end of Paul giving instructions on how people should live with each other. Paul’s in...structions are directed at helping people live within a community not just a Christian community but living within a city, town, or village. Paul’s words are to forgive as God has forgiven us through Jesus. Paul asks people to forgive not just Christians, but all those who wrong us. This is a tough ask. How hard is it to forgive Christians? How hard is it to forgive those who are not Christians? See more

Good Morning! Join us on YouTube for today's service right now: https://youtu.be/3cfGdCrWIqc You can also find our online giving @ https://firstunitedbradford.churchcenter.com/giving

Good Morning! Join us on YouTube for today's service right now: https://youtu.be/17M_v-9TXa8 You can also find our online giving @ https://firstunitedbradford.churchcenter.com/giving

Which Picture? Tue. 1/12 Numbers 13:26-14:9 - The phrase Hindsight is 20/20 is true. We can look back upon any situation and easily change our minds about what we would do. In Numbers 13, the people of God sent out people to survey the Promised Land for them. Two came back with favorable reports and the others shared the dangers of the land. The people had a choice to make. They chose not to go into the Promised Land. Afterwards, they tried to change their minds, but ...it was too late. When we read their account, we believe we would choose differently. Would we really? There are times when we are given two different reports of a situation. Which report do we follow? When was the last time you were in a spot that you had to make a big decision? What guided you in making the decision?

Plans Mon. 1/18 Jeremiah 29:4-14 - God has a plan for us. This thought is comforting yet terrifying. Comforting because it gives us purpose. It is terrifying because we will try to find and wonder if we ever do. Most times, people see Jeremiah 29:11 as the proof of God’s plan for life. Jeremiah 29:11 is a great verse and is even better when it is seen through the lens of when it was written. The people of God were carried away to Babylon by God’s design. It was not a... happy time. It was filled with death and destruction. During this, God sends word through Jeremiah that people are to live life in Babylon. They are to marry and plant gardens. This may not be what the people wanted to hear. They wanted God to bless them where they were not where they are. We also want a life that is easy and comfortable. This is not the way life is. It is comforting to know that God is with us when life is not going well. What did you do when life didn’t go as planned? Where is God in the midst of that pain?

Facing Life’s Struggles: A Look at Nehemiah Foundation for Jan. 18 Jan. 24, 2021 Maybe you have heard: When is the best time to plant a tree? Twenty years ago. When is the second-best time to plant a tree? Today. I have heard this many times lately in relationship to taking action on a plan. It makes sense, right? We talk over making changes for a long time, but they never seem to come to fruition. How long have we talked about the need to eat healthy? When did you last eat healthy? The one question that we ignore or skip over is What is stopping us from starting? Nehemiah shares the plan of rebuilding the wall and how God has provided what is needed to rebuild the wall. Nehemiah takes it one step further and starts. What is holding us back from deepening our relationship with Jesus? ~ Pastor Seth

Naked? Mon. 1/11 Genesis 3:1-10 - What happens when perceptions change? Genesis chapter three shows us the first time a perception changed. Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden doing their everyday activities when Eve turned to speak with a serpent. After that incident, life changes for Adam and Eve. In verse 10, an interesting thought comes forward. Adam says that he saw that he was naked and hid. This is interesting because it wasn’t a problem until now. Adam and ...Eve started life being naked. The concept of nakedness could refer to their lack of clothing. It could also go deeper in that there was no secrecy between Adam and Eve and God. Everything was shared and in the open. The perception of being naked as a normal way of life changed. Nakedness was no longer acceptable and their openness to God changed from being complete to being partial. This would become with new normal for humanity. When has your perception changed? How do you recognize when your perceptions change?

The Real Picture Sat. & Sun. 1/16 & 1/17 Nehemiah 2:17 - We live in a world that is filled with contradictions. An example would be a fast-food ad for healthier eating. Another contradiction is that people want to share what is going through heart and mind, but many people believe vulnerability means weakness. In the reading for today, Nehemiah tells it like it is. The city is vulnerable. We are vulnerable. The last sentence in verse 17 indicates that the people are a d...isgrace. Cities were known for the safety that they provided. Jerusalem is not safe. It could be attacked and captured at any time. Nehemiah even pushes it a step further and says that the citizens of Jerusalem have failed because they have not taken the necessary steps. He is telling them like it is. They knew it, but they lived without a wall for so long. They grew accustomed to the rubble. Nehemiah came to rebuild the wall and in doing so rebuild the community and the people. Who points out the real picture in your life? How do you handle that person? What rubble are you used to in the church, your family, and in your life? See more

We captured a sweet moment today after our service ended. Our kids sometimes miss out on communion during the service because they are in Noah’s Park learning about God on their own level. However, the children are always welcome to go back into the sanctuary with their parents and receive communion from Pastor Seth, if they’d like to. Almost all of the children do so each month. Today five of the girls decided to kneel at the rail and take communion together. It was a heartwarming moment.

A different Reality Fri. 1/15 Romans 8:1-4 - Life is hard when only our wrongs are pointed out. There is a feeling that we do not measure up to the expectations. This is the difficulty in being realistic in seeing our life. We tend to either see all the good or all the bad. It is hard to see the mixture of the two. This is why our faith is so important. God knows that we are both good and disobedient. God loves us so much that he provided a way for us to be in his pr...esence even though we are not able to measure up to his expectations. Jesus took on our disobedience. Jesus stands with us and says, I will take on the punishment of not living up to God’s standards. Jesus did not have to do this. He is the only one who could live up to God’s standards. It is through Jesus that you and I can live a life where our wrongs are forgiven, and we can have a fresh start as our wrongs are forgiven. What does it feel like to be forgiven? How does forgiveness spur us on to live life differently?

2 Sides of a Life Thur. 1/14 Matthew 16:13-27 - One of the best examples of our lives with Jesus is seen in two interactions between Jesus and Peter. The first occurs when Jesus asks the disciples, Who do you say that I am? Peter responds that Jesus is the Messiah. Peter is praised for what has been revealed to him. The second is when Jesus tells the disciples what is about to happen as he goes to Jerusalem to be hung on the cross. Peter is clear in saying that it will... not happen. Jesus turns and rebukes Peter. We are just like Peter. One moment we are seeing Jesus as who he is, our Savior. We are living our life with that truth at the forefront of our life. The next moment we are denying our faith through our words and actions. Which moment are you living out now, praise or rebuke? What are some examples of living a life of praise?

Facing Life’s Struggles: A Look at Nehemiah Foundation for Jan. 11 Jan. 17, 2021 In high school, there was a teacher who would give a quiz every Friday. The quiz was a Find the Difference picture. There were 10 differences, which meant the quiz was worth 10 points. The teacher’s goal was to train us in seeing the real picture of what was in front of us. The teacher wanted us to see problem areas by noticing what was incorrect in what we were seeing. I wish I could say that I aced the quizzes, but that would be a lie. The quizzes helped me to see what was in front of me and to see the differences of what it could be. Nehemiah is a biblical person whose story is great at helping us to see the struggle of what is and moving to what could be. This week is a good week to see what the reality around us is. ~ Pastor Seth

What Should I Follow? Wed. 1/13 Psalm 19 - Each of us has a standard that we use to live our life. Often, our standards are not shared by those around us even our own families have their own takes on standards. Psalm 19 gives us the standards that King David used. King David was the greatest King of Israel. He united the country and led the people into conquering the lands all around them. King David uses the law of the Lord as his standard. The picture that Psalms 19 p...aints is David takes the time to listen and reflect upon the laws God gave the people of Israel through Moses. He uses them as his guide to live a life that is up to God’s standards. David sees God’s standards as ones that will keep him from living a life filled with God’s blessings and forgiveness. As we live in today’s world, we may be tempted to put aside God’s standards. Time has not diminished God’s standards. What are your standards? How do they line up with God’s standards?

The Bold Ask Sat. & Sun. 1/9 & 1/10 Nehemiah 2:4 - Life is filled with questions. Often, the answers are hidden until we try to live out the answers. Nehemiah is one of those who asks a bold question, What is happening in Jerusalem? It might seem like a benign question to us, but in Nehemiah’s day the people were starting to move back to Jerusalem. The exile in Babylon was ending. The work in Jerusalem was just starting. The answer Nehemiah heard broke his heart. His... next bold question was What can I do? He started with prayer. He laid his heart out before God by confessing the sins of God’s people and asking for God’s wisdom for the next steps. God provided an opportunity to Nehemiah through his work as a servant to King Artaxerxes. As Nehemiah took this opportunity to describe what was happening, the king made a bold ask, How can I help? One bold ask leads to another and another in God’s timing. What is one bold ask that you have made? What is easy or hard? Why? Where did you see God when you made the bold ask? How is God continuing to move through that ask today? See more

Generous! Fri. 1/8 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 - There is a huge risk when we start talking about money. Money is a subject that causes a lot of people to squirm. It might be that they don’t have enough, or they don’t want people to know that they have a lot. It might be that they are addicted to spending or they are afraid that there will not be enough. Paul makes a bold ask when he tells the church in Corinth that he is bragging about their generosity. There are some people c...oming with him to see the generous gifts that the people are giving. If it were happening today, we may think that Paul is manipulating the people to stroke his own ego. Paul is using these gifts to help the struggling church grow. The gifts are given to those who are hungry and struggling in different parts of the world. Paul points out that their generosity shows their thankfulness to God and what He has given. What is generosity to you? How does your gifts to God show your thankfulness?