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- About This Site
June 22, 2010, 12:03
This website – pronounced "you-be-friends-dot-org" – is a virtual meeting place for members of University Bible Fellowship (UBF), their friends and family,…
- All Articles
June 9, 2012, 22:48
This page contains the site table of contents. Use it to quickly find content on this website.
- Commenting Policy
June 22, 2010, 12:31
If you are posting a comment for the first time, your comment will not appear until it is approved by the administrator. This is a necessary part of our…
- Contact Us
June 22, 2010, 15:32
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- Prayers for Blogging
June 22, 2010, 15:30
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is…
- Submit an Article
June 22, 2010, 12:20
UBFriends.org publishes material from Christian perspectives to edify believers and strengthen the Body of Christ. Because this website was launched by members…
- This website is now frozen!
October 21, 2015, 20:25
The content of this website has been captured and is now frozen. Check out the NEW ubfriends.net! New features... Editable comments for up to…
- ubfriends is changing!
October 16, 2015, 08:43
Change is coming! Meanwhile, enjoy this first comment from Ben (which is the 2nd comment ever on ubfriends!…
Blog Posts
- "Forgiving Myself" by Joshua (5)
February 15, 2013, 16:21
Joshua’s recent comment moved me to tears. His words, phrases, comments and articulation strike at the core and at the root of the matter regarding “shepher…
- "May God Make America a Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation!" (86)
January 19, 2011, 08:00
I have been thinking lately about a question that has plagued me since I first came to UBF in 1999: What does the prayer "May God make America a Kingdom of…
- (I am) A Light to the Gentiles (26)
September 22, 2015, 09:07
“We all like sheep have gone astray…” – Isaiah 53:6 Dear spiritual children, It seems as though the words in my last testimony made you react…
- 10 Traits of Creative People (3)
March 22, 2014, 19:34
When I saw this list on Facebook, I was surprised that it described me, though I never thought of myself as creative. Then I chucked to myself, thinking that…
- 12 Random Reflections for the New Year (18)
January 1, 2013, 10:35
12 random reflections that I will likely forget during the year 2013: Reflect daily on the whole counsel/will/plan/purpose of God (Acts 20:27). Give my…
- 12 Things UBF Taught Me (1) (20)
July 8, 2013, 19:01
"Go back to the bible" - The first and most obvious thing ubf taught me was to read the bible. I wasn't taught to study the bible as in seminary school. It was…
- 12 Things UBF Taught Me (2) (11)
July 11, 2013, 21:55
"Do world mission" - The second point in the ubf heritage is World Mission. I learned that World Mission is something you do. The idea is that people in the…
- 12 Things UBF Taught Me (3) (17)
July 13, 2013, 07:50
"Campus Evangelism" - The third point in the ubf heritage is about college campus ministry. I normally combined "World Mission" and "Campus Evangelism" in to…
- 12 Things UBF Taught Me (4) (12)
July 14, 2013, 10:01
"Manger spirit" - The manger is perhaps the most recognizable Christian symbol, next to the cross. ubf taught me "manger spirit" and gave a whole new meaning…
- 12 Things UBF Taught Me (5) (5)
July 22, 2013, 11:38
"A spirit of giving" - This means to support youself. Be independent. Don't look to other people for help. Don't have a beggar mentality. Give, even when you…
- 12 Things UBF Taught Me (6) (40)
July 23, 2013, 15:01
"Spiritual order" - This heritage point is one of the most vague, and perhaps the most misunderstood and misused. I was taught two meanings of this point, and…
- 12 Things UBF Taught Me (7) (4)
July 24, 2013, 14:28
"Lay Missionaries" - This is also known as "tentmaker missionaries" or "self-supporting missionaries". The idea is that a missionary does not need to be…
- 2 Corinthians - Section 1 (18)
July 27, 2014, 09:10
N.T. Wright's study guide is remarkably easy to understand and yet opens doors of deep thought. Section 1 is entitled "The God of all Comfort". Clearly the…
- 2 Corinthians - Section 2
August 2, 2014, 08:19
N.T. Wright’s study guide continues with the text of 2 Cornithians 2:5-3:18. This sectioning off of Scripture is teaching me a highly valuable lesson:…
- 2 Corinthians - Suggestions from Wright (13)
July 13, 2014, 09:44
Bible study. Questions. These things surprisingly still invoke a mild fight-or-flight response in me. Can I trust the study guide? What ideology are these…
- 2 Corinthians Study - Introduction (10)
July 7, 2014, 14:24
One of the freedoms I have been enjoying is the new-found freedom to work out my personal belief system as a bible learner. I started by believing only one…
- 2014 Academy Award Predictions (3)
January 17, 2014, 01:10
This is for fun, since the 2014 Oscar nominations were announced today. But rest assured I am seriously engaged in the present discussions about The Shepherding…
- A 2nd Gen Story (17)
March 21, 2015, 08:37
Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into…
- A Biblical Response to the UBF Definition of Church (57)
May 11, 2014, 06:56
The new UBF history website created in 2013 attempts to define “church” on this page. After that, it tries to build a case, based on this definition, for…
- A Case of Mistaken Identity (11)
June 30, 2013, 10:59
Recent memory for popular culture saw a resurgence of Hugo’s Les Misérables as the 2012 film after the musical caught everyone’s attention. Javert, a…
- A Church in Denial and Infatuated with Itself (33)
July 6, 2011, 07:50
I recently ran across a presentation by Gary Hamel, an author and management consultant who has been called “the world’s most influential business…
- A Consistent Blog (6)
December 20, 2014, 08:53
Well another year has passed! 2014 was a great year for our little blogging community. Somehow Ben, Joe and I managed to not lose our minds (or did we?). Here…
- A Culture of Burden (26)
June 10, 2015, 11:15
"Answer to Brian's post June 3, 2015" Hello, Everybody, My name is Sigrid Goff. I used to belong to Cologne UBF in Germany, then to Washington UBF…
- A Different Type of Shepherd (3)
September 28, 2015, 19:06
Those who know me only know me a short while before I recommend Gk. Chesterton’s Orthodoxy. I am not sure I would not be a Christian today had I never found…
- A Discussion Stuck in Limbo (86)
October 19, 2010, 09:14
Dear Reader: The following is a fictional conversation written to initiate discussion on an important topic concerning different traditions of the Christian…
- A Gentler and Kinder UBFriends (32)
October 27, 2014, 09:35
Gentle and kind. This follows my earlier comment to state again my simple (and perhaps naive) contention that the greatest likelihood of effecting positive…
- A Graphic Realization of Luke 22-24
April 16, 2014, 08:58
I recommend The Third Day especially for those who like comics. This small book of 48 colorful pages contains the Bible text of Luke 22-24 (in the Holman…
- A Guilt-free Easter in 2014 (12)
April 20, 2014, 22:21
It's been a while. But finally I experienced an Easter free of guilt, free of shame and free of exasperation. Such guilt-laden memories are fading fast from my…
- A Happy UBF Chapter (16)
October 21, 2013, 09:16
12 UBF couples (10 from West Loop) renewed our marriage vows on Oct 12, 2013 after attending a series on marriage excellently led by Kevin and Julie Jesmer…
- A Holy Nation is a Blessing to Others (10)
August 1, 2010, 00:15
Editor's note: Dr. John H. Armstrong is the founder and president of the ministry known as ACT3, an acronym for Advancing the Christian Tradition in the Third…
- A Korean Critic (17)
July 2, 2013, 12:46
Critical thinking. Can a Korean do it? Could a Korean display the healthy attributes of a critic? After spending tens of thousands of hours with Koreans in ubf…
- A Lenten Prayer (13)
February 13, 2013, 09:30
Today is Ash Wednesday and the first day of Lent, the traditional forty-day period of preparation for Holy Week and Easter, a season for fasting and repentance.…
- A Letter to Bibleman (28)
February 1, 2013, 12:08
Not long ago, we received the following message from a curious reader. Dear Bibleman, I was wondering if someone can write an article on UBFriends…
- A Letter to Cincinnati UBF (97)
November 17, 2013, 09:10
Dear Cincinnati UBF and all in UBF: It has been over a year and slowly God has revealed to me the truth about UBF and it's practices. UBF is abusive…
- A Midweek Question (11)
July 21, 2010, 09:30
Here is a question that I have been thinking about: Is it possible for Christians to emphasize the Bible too much in their personal lives and ministries? I…
- A Parody: Conversation NOT (19)
April 2, 2012, 11:57
I found MJ’s comment cute. Hopefully she does not mind me re-posting it. It is a parody of two people talking and disagreeing. I found this interesting…
- A Prayer for Ash Wednesday (1)
March 4, 2014, 19:57
Dear People of God: The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord's passion and resurrection, and it became for them the custom of…
- A Question from Ray (11)
February 20, 2011, 13:41
Dear friends: Today a comment arrived from one of our readers. It was originally addressed to Joshua Yoon in response to this: http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/…
- A Real Testimony by Ben Toh-1998 (10)
August 5, 2012, 08:00
I found an old diary I left in Manila, Philippines, at the UBF chapter where I am staying. In it, I wrote on Easter Sun, Apr 12, 1998 a testimony I had…
- A Response to Joe's Open Letter (154)
April 23, 2015, 17:21
As one who has been participating in University Bible Fellowship for many years, I’d like to offer my thoughts on some of the points in Joe's recent open…
- A Response to the Problem of Spiritual Abuse in the Church (23)
February 5, 2015, 12:11
A succinct definition of spiritual abuse. Yesterday, Joe share what he regarded as the best article on spiritual abuse that he has ever seen. I agree. Here it…
- A Roadmap for Peace (9)
July 20, 2012, 12:47
Recently I finished reading the book "Once An Arafat Man" by Tass Saada. I found his true-life story to be immensely helpful, hopeful and inspiring. I would…
- A short comment on brainwashing (9)
February 18, 2015, 11:02
When I was 4 I asked my mother how I didn’t know I was living in a dream. She stood confused, contemplating the question herself. I don’t remember what…
- A Story That Speaks to Life (8)
August 30, 2012, 20:57
Perhaps because I love cats, this story touched me at a deep level. In 1947, the pride of London zoo was a beautiful white polar bear. It’s mother was dead…
- A Tribute to Nelson Mandela (6)
December 6, 2013, 11:49
Yesterday we lost a true visionary, leader and friend of humanity. Nelson Mandela was a man who spent much time in jail, and yet changed the world, especially…
- A True Church Versus The True Church (35)
April 4, 2011, 09:49
One the most significant trends in Christianity in the United States today is the proliferation of house churches. According to a recent Barna study, 10% of…
- A Wonderful UBF Conference, But... (19)
August 14, 2013, 00:11
Overall it was a wonderful conference. I went there eager to hear systematic and textual messages. I came to hear upfront calls to be missionaries. Jesus’…
- A “Tough” Question: What about the God of Deuteronomy 13? (12)
December 22, 2011, 10:50
As suggested by Ray and seconded by David Bychkov and Oscar, let’s give this question a try without an article. A good friend emailed me this question…
- Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation (4)
November 21, 2012, 14:19
This is the (abridged) Proclamation of Thanksgiving by Abraham Lincoln on Oct 3, 1863: “The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with…
- Abuse, Part II: Spiritual Bullying (72)
March 29, 2012, 10:22
In Part I, Spiritual Abuse: Shape Up or Ship Out, I addressed the spiritual abuse of authoritarianism. In this post, I am confessing my sin of authoritarianism…
- Admin Note: Like Buttons! (12)
July 20, 2013, 11:18
Ok so I played around with various "like" and "dislike" buttons, per some requests. This has come up from time to time, so I found a rather flexible solution.…
- Admin: Technology update (11)
June 7, 2014, 20:17
Hey everyone, our website was down this evening for a while, 6/7/2014. I contacted our web host and found out there was a performance issue with the server we…
- Affirming and Non-Affirming (37)
July 17, 2015, 12:44
(The picture may be the response of some on "both sides" to "the other side.") What I will no longer say. Probably until a few years ago, I would have…
- All Hallows Eve (10)
October 31, 2011, 06:48
With Halloween upon us, Christians everywhere are faced with the choice about whether or not to partake in this annual holiday. Some will choose not to do…
- Amazon.com and the Gospel (9)
December 2, 2013, 11:37
Jeff Bezos founded Amazon.com in 1994. In two decades he has amassed a net worth of 28 billion. Watch his fascinating interview on 60 minutes yesterday…
- American Evangelicalism: A Decadent Culture? (45)
February 3, 2014, 16:33
When you hear the phrase "decadent culture," what characteristics come to mind? Eroding morals? Licentiousness and fornication? Gluttony and drunkenness?…
- American Sniper Makes you Proud To Be an American (23)
January 28, 2015, 14:54
I felt proud to be an American after watching American Sniper, directed by Clint Eastwood. It is based on the story of Chris Kyle, an American hero who is…
- An Imaginary Report by Joe-2005 (62)
July 16, 2012, 15:34
No one can approach the Bible without bias. Our understanding of Scripture is shaped by our culture and traditions, personality, history, relationships and…
- An Introduction to Lessons from Travis (7)
October 3, 2014, 08:21
One of the problems that comes with teaching is knowing what was previously taught to your students. If you assume they know too much then you will expect too…
- An Open Letter to the President of UBF (136)
March 2, 2015, 16:38
The following is an open letter to Dr. Augustine Sohn, President of University Bible Fellowship, from Joseph L. Schafer, dated March 2, 2015. Dear…
- An Unedited Message
January 25, 2015, 21:07
This is the message I prepared in the Philippines. I was asked on a Saturday around 2pm. I typed it on a phone. I was allowed to pick anything, and I picked 2…
- And as I slept, I dreamed a dream... (18)
February 24, 2015, 23:07
Admin note: This is a short story titled The Pilgrims. It was contributed by Ryan Prins, a former student at Penn State, and originally published in 2009. We…
- Announcement: Skype Talks (14)
September 21, 2013, 16:04
I expect and hope the UBF conversations here will continue (I know they will as long as Ben is publishing :). Although I will continue to comment from time…
- Another John 10 Testimony (14)
April 13, 2015, 12:47
Recently someone shared a quote with me "You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them they…
- Answers from Lumen Fidei (5)
June 30, 2014, 14:48
I recently came across a document called the Lumen Fidei. It was more than insightful. The Lumen Fidei (light of faith) is a letter of Pope Francis that was…
- Are UBF Chapter Directors/Missionaries Accountable? (59)
May 23, 2013, 12:41
When deemed necessary, can they be questioned, challenged, corrected, or rebuked? In 2013, the current UBF General Director, changed parts of his New Year’s…
- Are UBF Leaders Cult Leaders? (250)
September 10, 2012, 05:40
Question. Brian asked a legitimate question on a previous post Spiritual Bullying: "Does Mr. Ludy explain what many senior UBF leaders have been doing for 50…
- Are UBF people and UBF churches humble? (15)
June 5, 2015, 10:10
Do you belong to a proud or a humble church? Are you a proud or a humble person? How can we really tell if we are proud or humble? We might excuse our pride,…
- Are UBF Shepherds Unobtrusive? (53)
October 12, 2012, 10:41
What does “unobtrusive” mean? Last week when I was praying with a friend who is a UBF leader, I prayed for him to be unobtrusive. The word “unobtrusive”…
- Are You A True Friend? (20)
January 25, 2011, 09:48
The Social Network has recently won the Golden Globes award for Best Picture Drama, and it might also win the Academy Award for Best Picture of 2010. This film…
- Are you in a Christian ministry? (9)
August 20, 2015, 08:49
Before we publish MJ's excellent new article, I want to share a few mid-week thoughts. Ben's recent comment about being HOT (honest, open and transparent)…
- Are You Mentally Strong? (6)
December 19, 2013, 17:22
I love lists. I love this list of Mentally Strong People: 13 Things They Avoid. It reminds me of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People--one of my…
- Aren’t We Christians All Jonahs? (22)
January 27, 2014, 19:26
My Jonah moment. I am reviewing Prophet on the Run for Cross Focused Reviews. It is a short, thorough and excellent practical commentary on Jonah by Baruch…
- Atonement Lessons From Losing My Dog And Cat (10)
October 29, 2014, 10:11
Last Sunday, I preached on Gospel Righteousness. My text, Rom 3:21-26, is regarded as "the center and heart of Romans,” "possibly the most important single…
- Authority and Common Sense (8)
June 28, 2014, 08:59
One unspoken rule I have noticed in traditional UBF chapters is there is this idea that life decisions and choices must be approved by a pastor or shepherd…
- B is for Beauty (10)
May 17, 2014, 12:59
Please critique what I wrote for my sermon tomorrow: B is for Beauty. Thanks for the helpful comments last week on A is for Accountability. As a result I…
- Back to School (7)
September 1, 2015, 10:35
Yesterday we sent off our second daughter to college. Wow, time flies so fast! My wife and I are so thankful there is no ubf chapter there :) To celebrate this…
- Because God "Blessed" UBF, UBF is OK (33)
May 21, 2013, 10:03
Over the years I have heard this expressed by some UBF leaders: "Since God 'blessed' UBF, then UBF must be OK. For if God was not pleased with UBF, God would…
- Behold the Lamb! (11)
April 22, 2011, 09:20
The death of Jesus is intimately connected with the Jewish feast of Passover. The Seder, the traditional meal eaten by Jews at sundown on the first day of…
- Being Friends With Non-Christians (11)
October 25, 2013, 09:20
I have been in UBF my entire Christian life since I became a Christian in 1980. A seminal moment occurred about 10 years ago when Dr. John Armstrong preached a…
- Believing Grace, Practicing Law (11)
November 19, 2012, 09:38
Saved by Grace; Function by Law. I know that I am saved by Grace (Eph 2:8-9), but somehow I functionally and practically operate as if I am saved by keeping…
- Ben-2012 to Ben Toh-1998 (13)
August 19, 2012, 22:53
A friend described me as “scientific and analytical.” I accepted her assessment. I realize (from my wife) that it is a pain to be scientifically and…
- Beware of the Tiger Mom (16)
January 26, 2011, 10:54
For the last few weeks, the internet has been abuzz with talk of the Tiger Mom. Amy Chua, a professor at Yale University and mother of two daughters, ignited…
- Bible Study: Is More Always Better? (60)
February 26, 2013, 18:41
In the weeks before Samuel Lee unexpectedly passed away, the advice that he gave was, "Go back to the Bible." That saying, “Go back to the Bible,” fe…
- Blogging My Books (3)
May 31, 2014, 13:04
As someone suggested, I decided to blog some of the content of my two books online. Each book is about 100 pages, so I decided to just blog important sections…
- Book Review - I Choose: Subtlety in Cults (18)
May 16, 2014, 08:54
When I heard about the new book by Isabelle Renaud, "I Choose: Subtlety in Cults", I bought one on Kindle for my phone. This is a great read if you want…
- Book Review: Combating Cult Mind Control (10)
October 8, 2015, 12:29
In 1990, Steven Hassan courageously published the book, Combating Cult Mind Control: The #1 Best Selling Guide To Protection, Rescue, and Recovery from…
- Book review: Eyes That See (13)
February 6, 2014, 15:09
As I continue on in the current ACT3 Network cohort class, I continue to be amazed at the beauty of God. One of the pivotal books for me has been James…
- Book Review: Freedom of Mind (16)
February 17, 2014, 12:59
This week I finished reading Steve Hassan's latest book, published in 2012, entitled "Freedom of Mind: Helping Loved Ones Leave Controlling People, Cults, and…
- Book Review: Fundamorphosis (3)
May 22, 2014, 11:55
How could he know? That question surfaced in my mind over and over again as I read Robb Ryerse's new book, Fundamorphosis. How could someone I never met, who…
- Book Review: God and the Gay Christian (64)
May 3, 2014, 10:18
In 1992, Pope John Paul II apologized to Galileo. 359 years earlier, Galileo and those who listened to his teachings were condemned by the church. The church…
- Book Review: Rest Unleashed (21)
May 5, 2014, 18:00
I feel it necessary to explain my relationship with Mr. Brian Karcher and how I became a close friend of a man whom I've never met. My pastor frequently asks…
- Book Review: The Year the World Ended (40)
February 27, 2014, 12:08
I have never been too fond of book reviews; they tend to be written by people you have never met, and they frequently come accompanied with the author’s…
- Book Review: Washed and Waiting (30)
April 29, 2014, 20:56
This discussion needs to be had. I have corresponded with homosexuals, atheists and those who are marginalized in numerous ways-- people in the UBF community.…
- Book: Emotionally Healthy Spirituality (246)
May 27, 2013, 08:04
I would like to share with you about Peter Scazzero’s book, “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality”. Often times seemingly good Christians can have…
- Brian Karcher is Bitter (38)
May 17, 2013, 10:56
Why is Brian Karcher so bitter? How could Ben and Joe forget God's grace and start bashing UBF so shamelessly on a public website? Why can't Chris and Vitaly…
- Bringing Reality to the Spiritual Life (Part 1) (8)
April 15, 2011, 09:29
Francis Schaeffer (1912-1984) was one of the most influential Christian thinkers of the 20th century. In 1955, he founded the L'Abri Fellowship, a residential…
- Bringing Reality to the Spiritual Life (Part 2) (12)
April 26, 2011, 09:47
Francis Schaeffer wrote True Spirituality to address the sense of unreality that pervades the faith of modern Christians. Schaeffer was a philosopher, not a…
- Call for papers - Winter 2015 (5)
February 13, 2015, 11:03
Hey everyone, what do you want to read and discuss here? Anyone have an idea for an article to submit? If not, then you will have to listen to Ben, Joe and…
- Can being "right" be wrong? (6)
October 8, 2015, 14:10
"Many times being right is the same as being wrong." Acknowledgement that you do not monopolize the truth This blog is a response to Joe's excellent…
- Can UBF Divide a Marriage? (18)
September 11, 2015, 08:43
Introduction: After a gradual, but long time struggle with leaving UBF I wanted to review an aspect not directly addressed by many people. As a single…
- Captivated
February 21, 2014, 00:53
Look! Captivated: Beholding the Mystery of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection by Thabiti Anyabwile was a series of Easter sermons. Like the Bible that implores us…
- Change is coming (2)
February 26, 2014, 10:42
Change. Some people fear it. Some embrace it. Change happens, whether we like it or not. Sometimes things around us change the way we want. Other times we have…
- Changes or Just Illusions? (22)
June 17, 2013, 06:28
I want to suggest all UBFers to consider this piece from an article Control Mechanisms in the ICC and to answer the question: Are changes in UBF real or they…
- Christ is Risen! (2)
April 24, 2011, 07:19
Christ is risen, Christ is living, dry your tears, be unafraid! Death and darkness could not hold him, nor the tomb in which he lay. Do not look among the…
- Christian Life is More than Sin Management (12)
April 23, 2013, 11:42
I entered UBF when I was seventeen years old. I had just finished a disastrous break-up with a high school girlfriend that had left me with overwhelming guilt…
- Christianity is the End of Religion (139)
December 12, 2011, 22:02
Contrasting Religion and the Gospel has intrigued me the last few years. Here is an account from Tim Keller’s book King’s Cross: The Story of the World in…
- Christians Behaving Badly Toward Their Own Family (28)
March 21, 2014, 21:50
Recently, I spoke to a childhood friend who expressed to me just how hurt and disheartened he, his parents and his siblings were after his brother married and…
- Cognitive Dissonance, Jehovah's Witnesses and Me (18)
January 12, 2013, 08:46
Recently, some interesting discussion began on this website about the concept from social psychology known as cognitive dissonance. The Merriam-Webster online…
- Coming Home to Elfland (17)
September 30, 2010, 11:10
Some of us are turned off by the word magic and anything related to it. Our minds are drawn to witchcraft, games of poor repute in the Christian community such…
- Commenting Has Been Fixed
November 10, 2010, 09:54
Dear Readers: Over the last few weeks, some of you have tried to leave comments and experienced difficulty. Without our realizing it, commenting privileges…
- Committed to Absolute Truth (14)
October 28, 2010, 12:00
According to recent estimates by the Barna group, three-fourths of American adults now believe that truth is not absolute, but changes relative to the…
- Communicating Genesis 4:7 (6)
December 28, 2011, 12:28
I am a firm believer that grace is the bedrock and unshakable foundation of the Christian life (Acts 20:24). In the NT, the word "grace," a translation of…
- Communication Confusion (58)
October 3, 2013, 11:35
How different is the East from the West in terms of communication? In my opinion, a significant problem in UBF is our suboptimal and often unhealthy way of…
- Community (Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer) (32)
May 2, 2012, 22:03
Reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together, Richard Foster’s review rings true: “Most books can be skimmed quickly; some deserve careful reading; a…
- Competing Glories (in UBF) (8)
October 31, 2012, 11:12
7 competing glories. Do we think that we truly and purely live for the glory of God alone (1 Cor 10:31)? Because we are already “mature, seasoned”…
- Confronting Error: Condemnation or Conversation? (100)
June 21, 2013, 13:06
Luke 20:46-47 says “Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues,…
- Consider Both Sides When You Express Yourself (25)
March 7, 2014, 19:05
I asked a friend why some UBFers are upset with this post that I wrote: Sin is having an identity other than in God. He explained it to me so well in an…
- Counterfeit Gods and the Bible (42)
February 7, 2011, 06:48
Like The Prodigal God (blogged by Henoch), Counterfeit Gods – another great book by Tim Keller — taught me to see and study the Bible in a new…
- Critique My 6th Deuteronomy Sermon: One (4)
February 13, 2014, 22:28
Thanks so much Joe, Brian, Sharon, David, Chris, others for your liminal inducing comments on my sermons on Deuteronomy: Sin (chap. 1), Leadership (Dt 1:9-18),…
- Critique My Deuteronomy Sermon (24)
January 9, 2014, 19:22
Please critique my sermon for this Sun (Jan 12, 2014) entitled Sin (Dt 1:1-46). Since I preach extemporaneously, I do not read my sermon but preach freely by…
- Critique My Ephesians Sermon (72)
January 28, 2014, 22:19
HE HIMSELF IS OUR PEACE Based on Ephesians 2:11-22 Paul’s letter to the Ephesians makes me feel like an ant. Here I am, walking around on the earth,…
- Critique My Fifth Deuteronomy Sermon on Law (65)
February 7, 2014, 08:45
Your feedback on my first four sermons of Deuteronomy--Sin (Dt 4:1-46), Leadership (Dt 1:9-18), Faith (Dt 2:1-3:29), and Obedience (Dt 4:1-49)--compelled me…
- Critique My Fourth Deuteronomy Sermon on… (52)
February 1, 2014, 07:11
...OBEDIENCE, a dreaded cringe-worthy word! In the 2011 NIV, the word “obey” occurs 206 times, and “obedience” 38 times. Daniel Block (OT scholar who…
- Critique my Leadership Practice and Sermon (63)
January 17, 2014, 17:46
This is a record third post in a day! After learning much from critiques of my sermon on Sin, here is my next sermon on Leadership (Dt 1:9-18) for this Sun. Do…
- Critique My Matthew Sermon (16)
January 31, 2014, 14:24
Matthew 5:1-12 The Sermon on the Mount. The Magna Carta of Christianity. Matthew 5, 6 and 7. I call it the Sermon of Sermons, for a sermon is a declaration of…
- Critique My Resurrection Sermon (3)
April 21, 2014, 15:32
This past weekend, Hyde Park, Waterloo and West Loop UBF gathered for a combined Easter retreat in Michigan. It was fresh, spirited and joyful. It was planned,…
- Critique my Sermon on Accountability (26)
May 10, 2014, 13:04
Do freely give me feedback on my sermon which I will preach extemporaneously tomorrow: A is for Accountability. The four parts of the sermon are: Why…
- Critique My Sermon on Wrath (119)
February 4, 2014, 08:15
GOD'S WRATH FLOWS FROM HIS LOVE (a sermon based loosely on Romans 1:18-32, delivered at Hyde Park on 9/22/13) The topic for today is wrath. More…
- Critique My Sermon: Incarnational Spirituality (43)
April 27, 2015, 15:23
This sermon was delivered on April 26th, 2015 at West Loop UBF. Please feel free to rip it apart and tell me how it could have been better :) Introduction…
- Critique My Third Deuteronomy Sermon on Faith (85)
January 23, 2014, 20:00
Getting insightful and irenic feedback for my first two sermons in Deuternonmy (on Sin and Leadership) has been so much fun for me. Thanks! I learned a lot and…
- Daily Bible Reading Plan for 2012: Read Your Bible, Pray Every Day (19)
December 30, 2011, 09:14
When I feel that a patient I visit (I am a home visiting medical doctor in Chicago) will not be offended, I may say to them as I leave their home, “Read your…
- Dangerous Idols and Treasures of Church Leaders (7)
September 19, 2013, 12:26
My wife is reading Paul Tripp’s book “Dangerous Calling” and she is “calling me out” as she reads through the book and as she sees my blind spots…
- Daring To Be Truthful (6)
November 3, 2010, 13:05
Bible-believing Christians maintain that there is absolute truth. We reject the popular idea that right and wrong may be tailored to suit individual preferences…
- Darkness at New York UBF (67)
February 17, 2015, 12:10
When we received the "Utmost Respect" letter at ubfriends, a good discussion about making apologies followed. Joe asked a great question in this discussion,…
- Defiance (20)
July 4, 2015, 09:05
Today is Independence Day here in the USA. It seems to be the most somber 4th of July I can remember. Quite a few people are exhausted from the culture war…
- Deja Vu, Self-Loathing, Resolve (54)
March 31, 2014, 23:31
Déjà vu came over me when I saw this public post on Facebook by a UBF chapter director: “In 2013, I received a lot of grace from God in serving 1:1 and…
- Diaspora Jews and the Potential of Multicultural Missionary Children (3)
August 24, 2010, 10:34
Over the summer, we have been studying Acts at Lincoln Park UBF. To support his upcoming messages, Pastor Mark asked me to make a slide show presentation on…
- Did God already answer? (5)
July 2, 2010, 09:39
The other day I walked into the elevator at work and pushed the button for Floor 3. The doors began to close, but then immediately opened back up. So I pushed…
- Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit (Part 1) (4)
April 1, 2011, 08:38
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world (1…
- Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit (Part 2) (12)
April 11, 2011, 09:04
Continuing in the discussion of Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God by Jonathan Edwards, here are the five remaining "negative signs."…
- Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit (Part 3) (2)
June 12, 2011, 14:34
In his prior two articles, Part 2 and Part 1, David began reviewing Jonathan Edwards' writing, "The Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God".…
- Divisions In The Church, Part II (26)
April 12, 2011, 09:31
In my previous post, Why Do We Have Divisions?, I explained the apostle Paul's contention that divisions occured in the church at Corinth because of unbiblical…
- Divisions in the Church, Part III (19)
April 25, 2011, 08:29
In my two previous posts, Why Do We Have Divisions? and Divisions in the Church, Part II, I discussed why and how divisions occur in the church. In this final…
- Do (not) Read Ubfriends (33)
November 13, 2014, 19:11
If I had a nickel for every time someone told me not to read this site or talk to BrianK or Ben Toh, I’d probably be a dollar richer. Unfortunately, for the…
- Do Dogs Go To Heaven? (37)
September 12, 2010, 05:00
A while back, I was in a long car ride with some UBF friends. As I lay back and try to make the best of the situation, I asked a younger friend of mine in a…
- Do We Need a Counselor? (68)
June 2, 2013, 08:51
After leaving UBF ministry in 2011, one of the first things I noticed was that numerous former members (and some current members too) were going to see…
- Do You Link Your Shepherding With Your Salvation? (2)
October 23, 2012, 16:15
What is the real source of your happiness? We Christians are rightfully so happy when someone accepts Christ through our shepherding and Bible teaching. I love…
- Does UBF Apotheosize Her Leaders? (29)
June 27, 2013, 17:57
I love asking questions, especially highly provocative ones (with a difficult word)! “Apotheosize” means “to exalt, glorify, deify, elevate to the rank…
- Don't be proud (1)
June 10, 2015, 13:36
Dr. Ben Toh recently posted an article about pride. He asked some questions about pride and on his blog gave some questions to help someone determine what a…
- Don't Forget God's Grace (27)
June 26, 2013, 12:22
With the upcoming Summer Bible Conference fast approaching, the labor of many chapters is to bring home the message, "So Loved". The theme is to serve the…
- Elijah Blew It (T4G 2012) (5)
April 14, 2012, 17:28
This week, my wife and I attended the T4G (Together for the Gospel) conference in Louisville, KY from Apr 10-12. 7,000+ attended with the majority age group…
- Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, Part Two (49)
July 15, 2013, 18:15
I want to share with you the book report part two, Peter Scazzero's book. Here I concentrated two parts; first the symptoms of emotionally unhealthy spiritualit…
- End The Endless Self-Pruning... (8)
August 11, 2015, 19:27
...And Instead Dwell In Christ. Admin note: Reading Kevin's testimony, I immediately resonated with what he shared below. I know that the Christian life…
- Evangelism and the Gift of Missionary (Part 1) (8)
December 14, 2010, 12:29
Last week, as I was returning from Australia, I began to read Acts of the Holy Spirit by C. Peter Wagner (2000). The author is a former professor of Church…
- Evangelism and the Gift of Missionary (Part 2) (31)
December 17, 2010, 11:41
In Acts of the Holy Spirit (2000), C. Peter Wagner offers an intriguing discussion of the conflict that arose in the Jerusalem church at the beginning of Acts…
- Excerpts from the Penguin Narratives (13)
February 27, 2015, 09:27
At one point in my life, I thought I had Christianity all figured out. I felt the twinge of pride as I “kept the faith” while people around me seemed to…
- Extemporaneous Preaching (55)
September 30, 2013, 10:33
Consider preaching extemporaneously. For 30 years I preached by reading from a typed manuscript, perhaps like the way most UBFers deliver their Sun messages.…
- Feedback from 2011 and Direction for 2012 (35)
December 19, 2011, 11:36
Readers, thank you for making UBFriends a fun interactive Christian website. Jesus says that he came so that we may live life “to the full” (Jn 10:10),…
- Feelings, Actions and Thoughts (40)
April 26, 2014, 17:50
Warning: This is a random, rambling, ruminating reflection! I’ll start with a painful and shameful confession. For the first two decades of my marriage, I…
- Finding the Key to Real Transformation (5)
April 11, 2013, 09:14
While the UBF conversations continue here, we would like to begin some new dialogues about Christianity in general. We have a few articles that have been…
- Flying From New York (24)
February 19, 2015, 09:20
There was once a man flying from New York to Omaha. In the airport garage he was attacked by a gang. They took his laptop, his wallet and his cell phone, beat…
- Focus on the Less Honored (24)
October 31, 2013, 13:40
When the church becomes ugly. I often read a short daily commentary by Henri Nouwen. I find him insightful and inclusive, refreshing and renewing. An excerpt…
- FOLLOW ME Means Repent, Deny Yourself, Lose Your Life and Make Disciples (19)
March 24, 2015, 00:57
“What did Jesus really mean when He said, ‘Follow Me?’” This is the title of a small pamphlet by David Platt that a friend showed me. I eagerly read…
- Forests Proposes A Toast (8)
June 18, 2014, 06:42
Seeing as I was in such a rush to have dinner with Ben Toh, I failed to give a toast to my roommate and Ben West. I have chosen to present my toast a few days…
- Forests Top 10 Movie Quotes (4)
September 4, 2014, 08:22
The past few articles had various references to movies. I am a big can on top 10 lists. So in that aim I decided to give you my top 10 movie quotes. These…
- Forgiveness: Loyalty, Love and Life (144)
August 26, 2013, 22:52
Recently I was inspired by the discussion about David’s lament and praise of Saul. I really appreciated Terry’s input to try to stimulate discussion. I…
- Four Signs of Healthy Community (45)
October 5, 2015, 11:02
Jean Vanier knows something about community. Born in 1928 as the son of a high-ranking official in the Canadian government, Vanier traveled the world and…
- Francis Chan's Anointed Sermon (28)
January 1, 2014, 15:06
Francis Chan preached in Kansas City at the One Thing 2013 IHOP conference on Dec 30, 2013. A friend who attended sent me the link to Chan's sermon. I was…
- Friendship (50)
May 8, 2012, 08:34
On Sun, May 6, Dr. John Armstrong gave a sermon on friendship at West Loop; here's the video link: Learning to be Friends with Jesus (Jn 15:9-17). His personal…
- From Certainty to Uncertainty (15)
September 10, 2014, 10:54
For 34 years and counting of being in UBF, I’ve heard countless testimonies titled something like, “From a Samaritan Woman to a Mother of Prayer,” or…
- Galatians Set Me Free From Legalism (266)
May 1, 2014, 15:02
Are you free from legalism? Reading and studying Galatians in 2009 set me free---28 years after becoming a Christian. This freedom and exhilarating liberation…
- Galatians Set Me Free From Legalism - Part 2 (32)
May 30, 2014, 08:58
As a follow up to an article I didn’t write I think it only apt to say that Galatians Set Me Free From Legalism was the best article I never wrote. That…
- Generation: Found (12)
May 20, 2014, 18:31
What was the originally intended purpose of Ubfriends? The mission statement of the site says: Our purpose is to foster open interpersonal communication on…
- GLBT Evangelism (26)
May 14, 2012, 17:01
Last week, President Obama revealed a somewhat surprising statement: "I've just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm…
- Glimpses of the Gospel (7)
November 10, 2014, 12:53
Ok so my "indefinite time away" turned out to be not so long. It's been 10 days since I commented here, and 2 weeks since I posted an article. New world…
- Go Ahead. Make My Day (12)
November 23, 2012, 14:03
Dirty Harry’s classic line “Go ahead. Make my day” is one of the best Hollywood movie lines ever. Check out the super cool extended 4 min clip, or the…
- God is Love (34)
January 13, 2014, 09:31
Our newest book is coming out in a month, entitled "The Year the World Ended." It is a love story and a story of my life in UBF for 29 years as a Bible…
- God, Not Man, As Shepherd (3)
June 11, 2014, 11:59
Lacking nothing. I read Ps 23:1 this morning, which resonated with me. God is my Shepherd. I felt deeply that I truly lacked nothing, which is nothing but…
- Godly Sorrow - Part 1 (15)
June 8, 2013, 06:36
Recently I discovered a gem of Christian sermons. It is Spurgeon's sermon "Godly Sorrow and Sorrow". I am compelled to share this today as I am convinced this…
- Godly Sorrow - Part 2 (2)
June 16, 2013, 12:36
"I am going to preach tonight about sorrow for sin. I hope it has not yet quite gone out of the world; I trust that sorrowful penitence does still exist,…
- Godly Sorrow - Part 3 (25)
June 19, 2013, 19:34
Here is the conclusion of Spurgeon's sermon on godly sorrow that leads to repentance. "Lord, let me weep for nought but sin, And after none but thee; And then…
- Going Silent for Lent (4)
March 4, 2014, 11:12
Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, which for Roman Catholic and Protestant churches marks the beginning of the season of Lent. (The Eastern Orthodox observance of Lent…
- Good Leaders Delegate Without Control (18)
March 25, 2013, 19:25
A key to successful leadership is delegation. Last Sun in Manila, I preached on The Words Moses Spoke (Deut 1:1-46) in my gradual attempt to grasp “the…
- Good Leaders Judge Fairly Without Partiality (3)
March 28, 2013, 20:01
Why able and capable young leader’s leave. In good leaders delegate without control, I explained why Moses was a wise and effective leader, while many…
- Good Leaders Lead Without Lording Over Others (2)
March 31, 2013, 18:34
No growth = Deficiency of leadership. Good leadership is a major key to any healthy growing organization or church. If a church is not growing you can almost…
- Good Teachers Make Themselves Unneeded (12)
June 12, 2014, 22:16
How to be a good Bible teacher. A friend shared on Facebook an extremely insightful and useful quote by C.S. Lewis from The Four Loves. I think that if all…
- Good works done for wrong reasons are evil (9)
August 4, 2010, 05:00
When I was saying goodbye to my friends in Hannover, I invited them for pizza and Bible study. Surprisingly, some came. And so we had an interesting group…
- Gospel = No Condemnation! Really?? (10)
December 17, 2011, 12:03
Does your God, boss, or pastor look like this judge? This past Mon, Dec 12, I appeared in traffic court for 2 offenses: a moving violation and no insurance…
- Gravity: Discovering Life When Facing Death (3)
November 17, 2013, 12:16
Not to distract from bigbear’s important letter to Cincinnati UBF and to UBF at large and his first post (kudos!), my post provides some levity and counter-pr…
- Guidelines for Best Shepherding Practice (54)
April 28, 2013, 16:01
A friend asked me (paraphrasing his question), “How may UBF communicate the best practice of shepherding?” This is my short reply. When "shepherding…
- Happy Independence Day! (3)
July 4, 2013, 07:25
I am an American. I am born free. Jesus' gospel is the gospel of freedom. No more re-defining "freedom" for me! Freedom means you are free. Fast, on a…
- Happy, Healthy, Humble View of Self (18)
January 20, 2012, 18:02
Real happiness. As I have been studying the little letter of Philippians, it is quite fascinating to me that Paul was truly such a genuinely happy man. He…
- Have the Conversation on LGBTQIA - Part 1 (36)
July 12, 2015, 13:39
The defining question of the church in our generation, like it or not, has become this: What is your view on homosexuality? So instead of pretending this…
- Have the Conversation on LGBTQIA – Part 2 (5)
July 14, 2015, 12:48
I plan to continue sharing each summary. Feel free to jump in at any time. I hope to share my reactions to questions posed to me from time to time by…
- Have the Conversation on LGBTQIA – Part 3 (7)
July 18, 2015, 22:45
Thousands of former members have noticed the oppression at UBF stemming from spiritual abuse. Hundreds have documented their stories publicly on the internet.…
- Have the Conversation on LGBTQIA – Part 4 (85)
July 20, 2015, 23:10
Here is my last part of the LGBTQIA conversation presentation. Even as I share these articles, my PowerPoints are changing, correcting and transforming. I plan…
- Have You Lost Your Freedom? (5)
August 15, 2012, 18:32
Are you truly free as a Christian? The unique distinctive of Christianity among all the world’s religions is freedom (Gen 2:16; Jn 8:32; Gal 5:1; 2 Cor…
- Having Fun (2)
December 8, 2013, 09:41
A key to having fun is to truly being yourself and living out who you are. When one is truly who they are, they live in the freedom and contentment and spirit…
- He Descended into Hades (9)
April 23, 2011, 09:49
Many of us recite the Apostles' Creed during our Sunday worship services to profess our faith and to affirm our membership in the universal Body of Christ. But…
- He Is
June 10, 2014, 12:35
This video is stunning and amazing. Would not all Christ-followers…
- He/She is a Mental Patient (33)
December 12, 2013, 11:33
Tragic caricature. The labeling and caricature of anyone is never justifiable. It is certainly not loving nor is it Christ-like behavior. For decades I have…
- Healthy and Unhealthy Leadership (12)
April 18, 2012, 10:00
Unhealthy leadership is coercive. Leadership was addressed in my very first blog: Why Do We Have Divisions. Leadership is always important. The future of any…
- Hello Malaysia, Ukraine and South Korea! (15)
May 18, 2013, 07:37
From time to time, as the technical admin here, I review our website statistics from Google Analytics. We may wonder who is reading this stuff. According to…
- Holy Saturday
April 19, 2014, 07:19
This year, for the first time almost 30 years, I observed the Lent season. The Spirit made it clear in my heart what to abstain from: blogging. I love blogging…
- Horrible Things Happen to Those Who Run Away (27)
September 2, 2015, 10:23
In retrospect, one of the weirdest aspects of being in UBF during the 1980’s and 1990’s was listening to stories told by Samuel Lee. In his Sunday messages…
- How big is your binder? (19)
September 6, 2014, 10:37
Three ring, white binders. Remember those? This week my son needed several three-ring binders for High School. Of course, as good and faithful ubfers in the…
- How can smart people be controlled? (25)
December 21, 2013, 14:57
Ben's article about being mentally strong reminded me of Dr. Singer's work. Margaret Singer is the author of Cults in Our Midst. One of her contributions to…
- How Did You Raise Your Kids as a Pastor (The ABCs of Godly Parenting) (9)
March 9, 2014, 22:56
Yesterday, a friend made a comment to me about Katy Perry and Jessica Simpson being PKs (pastor’s kids), who apparently no longer profess to be Christians.…
- How do Christians relate to culture? (10)
October 1, 2012, 13:31
In Jesus' final great prayer, he prayed for his followers to not be taken out of the world and at the same time remember that they are not "of the world" (John…
- How do other people react to you? (10)
October 12, 2014, 08:09
Ok so today's article comes right from Brian's beer church. For about two years now, I have not attended a church service, apart from visiting my friends at…
- How do you communicate with God? (6)
June 4, 2014, 12:42
I understand that I just asked a big question, and one that will certainly not be answered in this short article or on this forum. But it is a question that I…
- How Do You Understand and Explain the Gospel? (15)
May 17, 2011, 18:07
One of the issues that I perpetually struggle with is: How do we understand the gospel and faithfully articulate it in these times? Formulaic presentations of…
- How Does Shepherd Paul "Feed Sheep"? (36)
March 6, 2013, 13:10
How does the apostle Paul shepherd God’s flock? To emphasize mission and Bible teaching, UBF has loved Paul’s imperatives from 2 Timothy: Endure hardship…
- How Does UBF Teach Sanctification? (13)
March 18, 2013, 21:01
Does UBF teach an effort driven sanctification? Do correct me on this, but based on what I have heard for over three decades, UBF teaches this: “While…
- How Great Leaders Inspire Action (6)
July 25, 2014, 17:52
Right now, I’m on the road. This summer I visited three different countries over the span of 6 weeks. It is tiring living out of a suitcase, but the good…
- How I Experienced God (7)
July 8, 2014, 06:27
A friend asked me to preach a sermon on “Kingdom and Church.” This sounded rather broad and abstract. I wanted to decline because I have no idea what to…
- How I Had Fun in 2013 (5)
December 31, 2013, 07:07
Is having fun a sin? For years I felt that having fun as a Christian was a sin. I felt bad watching movies and sports. So I took my Bible students with me to…
- How I Met God (My Mystical Conversion)
March 26, 2014, 00:00
If God loves man, why does he command him not to eat the forbidden fruit? This is the story of my mystical conversion. In 1980 I left my homeland Malaysia and…
- How My Life Changed Forever (24)
June 23, 2013, 20:37
Often times when someone has something important, someone close to them they are pushed to let go. We learn that it is our Isaac. This is a point that is…
- How Should UBF Respond to Criticism? (18)
December 26, 2012, 10:21
How has UBF handled criticism? Perhaps not very well? Do we embrace and listen to what our critics say? My friend Brian Karcher is a critic of UBF (where he…
- How To Be A Team Member (5)
October 18, 2013, 00:44
How An Older Christian Can Be An Effective Member In An Intergenerational Mission Team “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just…
- How To Improve Our UBF Messages (49)
August 9, 2013, 09:21
Critiquing our UBF messages (sermons) at the 2013 ISBC is NOT an indictment against the messengers. To say that a message sounds like the “same old same…
- How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (16)
November 29, 2010, 09:22
Yes, I know. There are tons of books out there dealing with the subject of how to study the Bible. And you may have read some of them and may feel that you…
- How to Spot Contradictions (6)
December 1, 2014, 21:27
I suspect most of our readers here already know quite a bit about using logic and discerning truth from lies. If so, then I would love to learn more! As the…
- How UBFriends Started: What You Don't Know (39)
August 29, 2013, 16:45
IMHO UBFriends gets a pretty bad rep from UBF. Discussions among some leaders invariably involve shutting down UBFriends or controlling it. It is also almost…
- How Well Are You Discipling Others? (87)
July 13, 2012, 07:45
This is based on a fascinating 9 min video by Father Robert Barron about how he would teach his seminary students as the new President of Mundalein Seminary,…
- How You Glorify Yourself (8)
December 12, 2012, 12:18
This could just as easily be titled, “How I glorify myself.” Why do we do this? It is part and parcel of our fallen humanity. It really does not matter how…
- How's Your Mark's Gospel Study? (8)
March 15, 2011, 11:08
Have you been taught Mark's Gospel? Has Mark's Gospel been preached to you from the pulpit? Have you taught Mark's Gospel to others? From your recollection,…
- I Am A Disciple of Jesus (2)
January 1, 2012, 20:47
Today, my friend Henry Asega gave the first sermon at West Loop UBF Church for 2012 and read what has been called “a Zimbabwe Covenant.” I was moved and…
- I am not Anti-War, I am Pro-Peace (9)
August 17, 2015, 21:24
"I was once asked why I don't participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I'll be…
- I Don’t Trust Dr. Ben (14)
November 24, 2014, 18:37
Highly autonomous. As a predominantly autonomously driven introvert and agent provocateur, the opinion of others likely affects me far less than it might…
- I Dream of Absolute Honesty (162)
April 1, 2013, 20:17
We often dream things we never think of while we are awake. Joseph’s two dreams concerned a thing he would have never thought of or imagined. Dream has…
- I Have This Against You (2)
April 6, 2013, 18:28
Scary words of Jesus. These are harsh, critical and condemning words of Jesus to the church at Thyatira (Rev 2:20). To the church at Ephesus and Pergamun,…
- I Will Awaken the Dawn
April 24, 2011, 05:38
My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O LORD, among the…
- I will make you kosher (5)
September 13, 2015, 00:15
My favorite line So in August ubfriends started a book club. The book was A Fellowship of Differents by Scot Mcknight. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, good…
- I'll Stand (42)
August 31, 2013, 08:33
You stood before creation. Eternity within Your hand. You spoke the earth into motion. My soul now to stand. "The Stand" by Hillsong United You…
- I'm Done...Writing Testimonies (31)
July 9, 2013, 10:42
In 2007, 27 years after being in UBF, I woke up one morning and said to myself, “I’m done writing testimonies for the rest of my blessed Christian life in…
- I'm Praying For You (4)
October 13, 2015, 09:16
The words haunt me. Ever since my name showed up on the Sunday announcements as someone "struggling and in need of prayers", the words are a shower of…
- Identity Snatchers (24)
September 6, 2015, 06:32
Over a year ago, I wrote a provocative article here on ubfriends, entitled Shepherd Brian is Dead. It is an unfortunate reality that in order to have any…
- Idolizing Mission? (16)
September 2, 2010, 11:34
Reading through the history of the Israelites in the Old Testament has always been a frustrating experience for me. Here's the reason: The #1 sin that appears…
- If Not For UBF I Would Not Be Married (292)
January 23, 2013, 20:04
What I am sharing in this post is my happiest story. I have shared it uncountable times over the last 30 years ever since I “married by faith” in Chicago…
- If Not for Ubfriends I Would Not Be Getting Married (16)
January 18, 2015, 21:09
Although there are tons of marriage by faith stories out there, some good some bad- I in some sense feel that mine has a ring of uniqueness to it. Not to say…
- If UBF Would Listen... (43)
July 1, 2013, 15:07
Over the past few weeks there has been more than usual comments and articles that I, who love to read your stuff, can’t keep up! The cynical part of me…
- In Christ Alone I Stand (2)
April 21, 2013, 14:13
At the last supper, the disciples disputed about who was greatest, but Jesus taught them the spiritual way: Luke 22:25-26 Jesus said to them, "The kings of…
- In Jail Charged with Sexual Assault (11)
April 19, 2012, 06:58
Yesterday, I visited a former Bible student in jail. Last weekend, he was arrested and charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault and attempted robbery.…
- Individualism, Collectivism, and UBF (10)
August 6, 2010, 05:00
At a meeting of the Evangelical Missiological Society (EMS) back in 2008, one of the presentations that made an impression on me was given by Professor James…
- Inspired to Love the Church by a Gay Christian (111)
April 20, 2015, 08:25
In April 2012 I was baptized by full immersion at our local Christian church. It was a wonderful and godly experience. The pastor's words "You are free from…
- Is 0.3 Percent Enough? (111)
November 12, 2010, 20:43
At last weekend's Harvest Festival in College Park, Maryland, my friend David Kim gave a lively and colorful presentation titled "Fruitful Fishing and…
- Is America Free? (11)
July 8, 2015, 19:54
The spark of this article is a lecture we held at West Loop entitled "Homo-liturgics (Understanding our humanity through the act of worship and the litrugy)."…
- Is Psalm 119 a Love Poem About the Bible? (Part 1) (14)
September 26, 2013, 09:07
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path (Ps 119:109). Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, has two prominent features. First, it is an…
- Is Psalm 119 a Love Poem About the Bible? (Part 2) (21)
September 27, 2013, 14:59
My job requires that I leave my home in Pennsylvania to spend part of each week in the Washington metropolitan area. While away from home, I miss my wife. We…
- Is Raising Disciples the Main Purpose of the Church? (16)
July 26, 2013, 08:38
Editorial Comment: This was sent as a private email. But since it asks and addresses a fundamental and pertinent issue, I suggested that this be posted for…
- Is there a time to use deception to get God's blessing? (59)
May 29, 2011, 19:14
As I read Ben's post earlier this month, What is the Point of Genesis?, I began thinking a lot about my own Genesis Bible studies. I have studied all 50…
- Is There Glory and Honor in Reconciliation? (19)
March 14, 2013, 20:53
Reconciliation is the “hardest” job of Christians. The “easier” job is to invite new people to Bible study. A friend said, “It's better for UBF to…
- Is This An Authentic Work of the Holy Spirit? (8)
January 31, 2011, 07:32
If you have read my previous articles, then I hope you are becoming convinced that what Christians think about the Holy Spirit really does matter. But…
- Is UBF Scared of Grace? (161)
April 24, 2013, 20:42
Is authoritarianism the reason people leave UBF? A repeatedly expressed sentiment is that authoritarianism causes so many to leave UBF even after decades of…
- ISBC UBFriends Stats (8)
August 3, 2013, 22:19
I found the following statistics to be kind of exciting. For August 1st to August 3rd, the most number of visits from a city to ubfriends.org is…
- Issues UBF “Ignores” (are not ignored on UBFriends) (26)
April 11, 2013, 05:36
Commenting on the “Most Commented.” Scroll down the right side of this page. The last section is titled “Most Commented.” It is interesting to note…
- It is Very Good (87)
May 7, 2014, 19:13
In the last few weeks I have posted some content on this site that might be labeled as “critical” or “negative”. This obvious question I might get is…
- It Must Come to an End (34)
May 8, 2013, 06:09
It must come to an end. If it doesn't end, it won't be healthy for any of us. That was the advice one of our pastors gave to a member of our cohort group as we…
- It’s more fun in the Philippines - Part 1 (7)
April 22, 2014, 18:30
It is very hard to start this story, because in some sense my trip has changed me in remarkable ways. Maybe it’s best if I start at the start. Why did I…
- It’s more fun in the Philippines - Part 2 (35)
April 23, 2014, 06:46
In Part 1 I spoke of the lead up to my trip. This story is the story of my trip so I will begin with my initial impressions. When I last left Paul had spoken…
- It’s more fun in the Philippines – Part 3 (11)
April 24, 2014, 13:06
In part 2 of my report of the Philippines, I mentioned some initial impressions of my time. I now want to speak of the actual content of the conference, and…
- Jamie Oliver and Evangelism (15)
July 11, 2010, 07:00
Have you heard of Jamie Oliver? Jamie is a charismatic, passionate TV chef from Great Britain who knows how to cook and cares about social issues and the…
- Jesus is Lord (60)
June 11, 2013, 03:34
When Christians preach the gospel of Jesus they say to their converts that “Jesus is our Savior and Lord”. We all discuss UBF here and we all know what UBF…
- Jesus is the Door (12)
May 25, 2014, 09:00
Today I woke up with John 10 on my mind, and immediately I began thinking of my comments about being baptized by Pastor Wayne. When I re-read the comments on…
- Joe Paterno’s One Mistake: Should it Define His Life and Legacy? (20)
January 23, 2012, 11:32
Should one mistake define your life and legacy? Greatness and Shame. Joe Paterno (1926-2012) died yesterday. No one can take away his greatness as a head…
- John 10 Testimony (5)
September 27, 2014, 15:04
In the 10th chapter of John, Jesus explains he is the good shepherd. He uses a metaphor calling his elect sheep, and calling himself their shepherd. He says…
- John Armstrong on Knowing When to Stop (27)
May 9, 2013, 08:15
As I read Brian's last article, "It Must Come to an End," I thought about the importance of knowing when to stop. How many organizational leaders have…
- Junk Food from the Pulpit (8)
December 13, 2013, 17:32
In 1960, approximately 14% of adults in the United States could be classified as obese. By 2008, the prevalence of obesity had risen to one-third. Public-health…
- Keep Spiritual Order (28)
December 13, 2012, 15:14
My thesis is that spiritual "order" is equality as in the Trinity, not hierarchy. Where hierarchy prevails, it butchers the Trinity, and makes Christianity…
- Kingdom Strikes Back: Mission and Missionary (Part 1) (4)
August 9, 2010, 06:44
How can we read the Bible through the lens of God's mission? "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth," speaks about two aspects of God's…
- Kingdom Strikes Back: Mission and Missionary (Part 2) (2)
August 11, 2010, 06:12
The prototype of the"Great Commission" is found in Isaiah 49:6: "...a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." After…
- Law and Grace, Moses and Paul (17)
February 15, 2014, 10:41
Is there a conflict between law and grace? Does Paul contradict Moses? Grace alone. Alternate perspectives and counter comments have previously been bantered…
- Learning from Forests (5)
January 5, 2015, 10:15
What do you want to read? As many of you know I am about to be back from the Philippines after nearly a month stay. I have many things I could write about…
- LeBron James Takes Responsibility (35)
June 13, 2013, 13:43
In Game 3 of the NBA Finals (6/11/13), San Antonio beat Miami by 36 points, which is the third worst loss in NBA Finals history. After such a humiliating…
- Legalism (2)
June 3, 2014, 13:14
This is NOT written about UBF. This is from Tough Topics by Sam Storms on legalism, which is related to my previous post: Galatians Set Me Free From Legalism. …
- Lessons from Travis: The good Christian (10)
October 10, 2014, 07:04
It was a day late in late summer. The light streamed through the window into a room with several high school students. Two Chinese girls sat on a couch and…
- Lessons from Travis: The Marriage game (14)
October 18, 2014, 11:42
Who wants to play a game? The group of students paused in anticipation. “What’s the game?” a student asked excitedly. “Well it’s simple”…
- Let 100 Flowers Blossom (5)
September 16, 2015, 10:36
This week I had the privilege to listen to Guy Kawasaki speak. It is refreshing to learn from an actual world-class leader. Guy is "one of the Apple employees…
- Let Local Leaders Lead (17)
July 31, 2012, 22:53
In Manila, I am witnessing a vibrant work of the Holy Spirit in Philippines UBF, which I have not experienced in 32 years as a Christian in UBF USA. John…
- Let's Reform UBF (32)
August 20, 2013, 18:19
After reading Joe's article about CMI and some private conversations, I am compelled to share and document the following declaration of reform. This declaration…
- Levity From A Friend: Love Your Husband (3)
August 8, 2013, 11:45
Maybe some of you had heard this before. I had not and found myself laughing. After a friend emailed me this, I thought I'd post it to "lighten the mood"…
- LGBT, Marriage, and Singleness (39)
June 17, 2012, 20:47
I will start with Richard B. Hays' take on the LGBT issue. He is a United Methodist, New Testament scholar and currently the Dean of Duke Divinity School. He…
- Like Button Updates
November 6, 2013, 13:26
During this downtime for our conversations here, I thought it would be interesting to highlight some things we can learn from our "like" buttons. As I…
- Lincoln, Life of Pi (25)
November 30, 2012, 12:29
Both movies will be nominated for multiple major categories during the Golden Globes and Academy Awards season. Though both movies are over two hours long,…
- Listeners Are Born, Then Unmade (9)
January 7, 2013, 17:10
Warning: This article may cause psychological pain by revealing that you are not a good listener. If you can’t handle the truth, stop reading, cover your…
- Listening is Greater than Speaking (3)
May 15, 2012, 16:01
In Community (Chap 1 of Life Together), Bonhoeffer explains what destroys Christian community: “…the human element always insinuates itself and robs the…
- Love God in 2014 (9)
December 30, 2013, 12:55
As 2013 comes to a close and 2014 approaches, a good thing UBF emphasizes is to write a review of the previous year and to choose a key verse for the New Year.…
- Love Gone Bad: Demi Moore's Sad Downward Spiral (3)
January 30, 2012, 10:16
I’m really not lovable. A top recent celebrity news is that Demi Moore was hospitalized for inhaling laughing gas on Jan 23. Reports of her being depressed,…
- Mark Driscoll Removed from Acts 29 (146)
August 8, 2014, 17:47
What we can learn from Mark Driscoll’s removal from Acts 29? The big news in Christendom today. Acts 29, a national church planting group with 500…
- Marks of True Believers (17)
September 23, 2015, 20:05
At West Loop, I’ve been preaching on Isaiah every Sunday since the end of June 2015, beginning with How Stupid Can You Be (Isa 1:1-9). This coming Sunday…
- Marriage By Faith (Should "No Dating" be a Church Policy?) (124)
June 20, 2012, 17:39
At some point in our one-to-one Bible study with our Bible student, we might encourage them not to date so as not to fall into sexual temptation. If they still…
- Marriage is Covenant Keeping (70)
October 5, 2011, 13:12
Recently, a friend and member of West Loop UBF asked me about my wife. He and his wife were wondering if Christy, my wife of 30 years, had any sins, since they…
- Marriage--Breaking An Engagement (79)
April 19, 2013, 05:34
I just “love” to talk about marriage, especially with singles. Teasing singles about their marriage with levity is just so much fun and cute. I have…
- Married For 32 Years (8)
August 18, 2013, 10:29
This past week my wife Christy and I celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary. Our older UBF missionaries have been married much longer than we have. But I…
- Marry the One you Love or Love the One you Marry (7)
April 7, 2015, 21:15
Love and marriage. A friend from Malaysia made a comment to me yesterday. He said, “In the west people marry who they love. But in the east people love who…
- Matthew 15 (6)
August 27, 2015, 22:50
I have heard tradition described accurately as giving a vote to our ancestors. As with all principles, the principle which explains the law supersedes it. In…
- Matthew 3 Testimony (6)
February 13, 2015, 15:47
This is a copy of my testimony from last Sunday that was given before the message. Today’s sermon really touched me. I felt like it spoke to recent events…
- Meaning, Application, Message (14)
June 21, 2015, 08:41
For those interested, I would really like to have more theology related discussions here. I have been learning that a robust and helpful understanding of the…
- Memorial Day 2015 (2)
May 24, 2015, 10:59
Memorial Day in the United States is a day of remembering the men and women who gave their lives defending freedom. It is a day of somber remembrance and…
- Methods and Aims (19)
November 11, 2014, 23:31
“And there is this difference between the matter of aims and the matter of methods…”- Gk Chesterton, Heretics I recall a childhood story about a girl…
- Midweek Question: Different Ways to Present the Gospel (64)
November 9, 2011, 13:41
For a long time now, I have been thinking about the various ways that Christians evangelize. More specifically, about how Christians frame the gospel and…
- Midweek Question: Message Do's and Don'ts (79)
September 5, 2013, 14:29
A lively discussion has begun on this website over whether it is constructive to post reviews and ratings of specific messages delivered at UBF Sunday worship…
- Midweek Question: Resolving Conflict (39)
September 15, 2010, 15:55
Last week, the thoughtful Christian blogger Mark D. Roberts began a series of articles titled "What to Do if Someone Sins Against You?" He contends that: Soon…
- Mission Versus Sanctification (17)
March 8, 2011, 14:04
In a comment on the article Word, Spirit, Gospel and Mission (Part 8), Joe pointed out that in UBF we rarely preach about sanctification. In Reformed theology,…
- Mission/Legalism/Tradition Hinders Spiritual Growth (10)
June 12, 2012, 19:10
Welcome back from a break. Thank you, admin, for your labor in the Lord! Emphasizing mission. Since 1961, UBF’s strength has been our emphasis on mission.…
- Missionaries Must Nurture Relationships (14)
September 9, 2015, 18:20
1 Corinthians 12:18-19 “But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would…
- Missionaries Must Nurture Relationships, Part 2 (19)
September 19, 2015, 10:48
“The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” (1 Cor 12:21, NIV) The Christian…
- Missionaries Must Nurture Relationships, Part 3 (11)
October 3, 2015, 14:38
A “Person of Peace” And The Family “I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of…
- Missionary Empathy- 4 things I learned in the Philippines (13)
January 13, 2015, 23:49
I know that last time I said I was going to write about my marriage by faith, and I promise that I will post that in due time. I planned on posting it this…
- Missions Conference 2014 Synopsis (5)
November 4, 2014, 18:42
There was a Missions Conference at Moody Bible Institute October 14-17, 2014. I wish all of you could have attended. It was completely free. I decided to make…
- Misunderstanding Faith (16)
October 15, 2014, 09:29
“If you have faith, you can marry.” “If you have faith in God, you can raise 12 disciples.” Did I miscommunicate biblical faith? I used to make such…
- Misunderstanding Sin (40)
November 23, 2014, 00:41
He is IMPORTANT in the church. When a friend shared with me some horrible sin of a person in the church, I said, “For his sake and for the sake of the…
- More Thoughts on the Updated NIV of 2011 (69)
March 24, 2011, 05:00
Editor's note: Last month, Ben W posted an article that was supportive of the NIV 2011. The piece below, which was written by Chris Kelly and first appeared on…
- More work equals more blessing? (22)
October 13, 2013, 18:58
In this article I’d like to discuss a clear ubf teaching that I heard very many times in my ubf chapter in Yekaterinburg. Brian provided us some space to…
- Most Christ-like Heretics in 2014 (12)
December 14, 2014, 00:50
Do you know what it feels like to be called a heretic? Well I learned from the best! Here is a quick summary of the most Christ-like voices among the heretics…
- Muslim - Christian dialogue: taboo or necessity? (43)
January 21, 2015, 13:22
I don't have to mention the news we get on TV nowadays related to the Middle East and what is happening there under the name of Islam - and it makes us…
- My "Worst" Humiliation (43)
January 10, 2013, 10:55
Humiliation is very difficult to talk about. Perhaps, some ex-UBFers who share “abuses” that they experienced in UBF, arose from feeling humiliated by…
- My "Worst" Infuriation (188)
February 9, 2013, 12:05
I had previously shared about my "worst" sin and my "worst" humiliation. In keeping with my predisposition toward making sweeping generalizations and extreme…
- My "Worst" Sin: Losing ,000,000! (38)
February 10, 2012, 14:14
What is my “worst” sin? All sin is serious (Num 32:23). All sin leads to death (Rom 6:23). So “worst” is relative; it does not in any way lessen the…
- My 7th Book (21)
July 1, 2015, 08:13
The recent Christianity Today book review of a UBF 2nd gen's book "The Spirit Moves West" prompted me to get back to a book draft of my own. Rebecca Kim's book…
- My Baptism Testimony (14)
August 25, 2014, 14:01
Editorial note: Nianzu Ma is a graduate student at UIC (the University of Illinois at Chicago) studying for his Ph.D in computer science. He fellowships with…
- My Concerns About The International Conference (363)
May 15, 2013, 22:17
(My original title was “Why I Won’t Attend the International Conference.” But I was persuaded to change it to a “less hostile” title.) Let me state…
- My Concerns About The International Conference, part 2 (54)
May 21, 2013, 19:16
Earlier Ben shared an article expressing his concerns for the upcoming UBF ISBC (International Summer Bible Conference) to be held in Pennsylvania. The article…
- My Confession (60)
May 14, 2011, 08:38
To Rebekah B. Kim in Houston: If you are reading this, I want to apologize. I was one of the Toledo brothers who broke into your house one cold winter…
- My Confession, Part II (30)
September 23, 2011, 22:14
In My Confession, Brian confessed how in 1990 he illegally broke into the home of James and Rebekah Kim, the very fruitful Director of Toledo UBF for over a…
- My Dad (10)
June 9, 2014, 18:45
I am working on my sermon next Sun with the theme of Father for Father's day. Then I began thinking about my dad. Love. My dad died two decades ago in the…
- My Dilemma Between the Dichotomies (3)
February 3, 2014, 13:41
The saddest dichotomy that I have experienced in my 34 years of being a Christian (all in UBF) is between those who are strongly loyal UBF defenders and…
- My Feelings about UBF (25)
March 18, 2015, 09:29
Here is a somewhat poetical but not completely poetical writing I wrote about what I would tell my Pastor if I thought he would listen. How I want to cry…
- My First Few Days in Chicago (32)
March 9, 2015, 16:30
Last Friday Chicago held a campus mission night. I traveled from St. Louis to Chicago for the event. My pastor had the missionary meeting so he was not…
- My Gospel Story of God's Grace (3)
September 26, 2014, 16:14
Forgiveness. I extemporaneously shared my story of God’s grace in my sermon last Sun: Gospel of Grace. I have previously shared parts of this before. I first…
- My Journey of Recovery (14)
August 15, 2013, 22:59
Ever feel like you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders? Ever feel crushed and suffocated by the weight of your burdens? As a member of ubf,…
- My Last Few Days in Chicago (17)
March 12, 2015, 14:35
The closing testimonies at Campus night last Friday were given by Moses Noah, Jim Rabchuk, and Ron Ward. The title on the program was “Campus mission,…
- My Letter (15)
August 28, 2013, 13:12
As I conitnue my journey of recovery from over two decades as a UBF leader, I sometimes go back and read what I said or wrote in the past. I came across a…
- My Letter to Joe-2005 (46)
July 23, 2012, 17:13
Dear Joe-2005, This is my response to your report "How to Read and Study the Bible" which you gave at our 2005 summer conference. Please accept this as…
- My Letter to the Committee (136)
September 24, 2014, 10:39
This week I sent the following letter to the UBF Ethics & Accountability Committee. I received an acknowledgement from one committee member that they have…
- My Mother (27)
August 17, 2014, 08:22
It seems like every other week in the comments I see people arguing about Samuel Lee. Some think the judgment is if he was a terrible, or the most terrible man…
- My Offer (13)
August 13, 2013, 12:35
After attending the Global Leadership Summit last week, I was inspired to offer something to ubf directors. Perhaps we could forge a new relationship because…
- My Original Intent... (16)
August 27, 2012, 21:24
My post--Samuel Lee was not overbearing--“happened” as I was intending to write about authoritarian Christian leadership (again!): “NOT lording it over…
- My Own Response (13)
March 10, 2015, 10:08
I watched two Facebook videos the other day. http://www.upworthy.com/a-customer-walked-into-his-pizza-shop-and-changed-philadelphia-with-1-and-a-single-post-it…
- My Personal Theology of Intercultural Ministry (5)
May 28, 2015, 16:08
After reading some of the comments on this site I do agree that the interactions that take place are perfect material for a psychologist to analyze. Sometimes…
- My Reaction to the 2014 Staff Conference (48)
July 5, 2014, 11:06
Did you attend the latest ubf staff conference? What is your reaction to this conference? How do you feel about it? Here is my reaction to the Sunday lecture…
- My Son (2)
May 28, 2011, 15:21
As an admin for UBFriends, I've been working with Mary J. on some technical issues this past week. We've also had some intense discussions. For this holiday…
- My Thank You (16)
January 27, 2015, 17:45
My time here on ubfriends is growing short, at least for the near future. More and more of my time is being sown in other interests. I am in the midst of my…
- My thoughts on the 2015 Follow Me Conference (40)
July 25, 2015, 18:53
As many of your know last weekend America took one step closer to becoming a kingdom of priests and a holy nation at the 2015 Follow Me conference. Although I…
- My Working Philosphy of Education (18)
August 14, 2011, 05:49
I have hardly begun my journey as an educator, which affords me the luxury of being totally idealistic. Though I have read and heard sad stories from America’…
- Navigating the Catholic-Protestant Split Today (42)
April 8, 2011, 08:36
Editor's note: This article was written and posted on another blog about one year ago. Given the discussions that have appeared on UBFriends in recent days, it…
- New Life – The Growing Family (30)
July 29, 2013, 09:22
Editorial note: Our friend "gc" has been offline for awhile, taking care of his growing family. Congratulations on your new child! Here are some thoughts…
- New UBF Heritage Guarding Website (84)
May 10, 2014, 15:27
Have you heard? UBF loyalists opened a new website recently. The purpose is to guard and protect and pass on the UBF heritage. Some people might have thought I…
- No More Excuses—an essay (2)
November 13, 2014, 19:28
I have to admit that the mention of UBF elicits several mixed reactions. On one hand, I personally received the grace of God’s love and salvation through…
- Not So With You (12)
May 12, 2013, 09:18
Recently I shared the conclusion of the study group my wife and I attended for about nine months. Today I am sharing about the beginning of the Emerging…
- Not Understanding Older Brother Sins (3)
July 22, 2014, 08:31
Is the older brother a “bad” sinner? For over two decades, whenever I studied the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Lk 15:11-32), I fully understood and…
- Notes for Midwest Conference 2015 Part 1 (4)
July 6, 2015, 15:32
We are a few weeks away from the Midwest conference. The questionnaires were carefully made and chosen. I have developed below some other notes on the passage…
- Obedience and PTSD (9)
September 19, 2014, 08:39
“Just obey” may cause PTSD reactions. Obedience might be a favorite word and teaching in UBF (and many other churches). I recently realized that it is also…
- On Heresy (11)
August 10, 2014, 08:18
I always thought when I met a heretic I would know exactly what to say. I would be armed with all my beliefs and I would quickly dismantle such an argument.…
- On Lent and Fasting (12)
February 19, 2013, 10:10
Lent is universally observed in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and the so-called high church Protestant traditions. In recent years, many low church…
- On Our 20th Anniversary (21)
July 2, 2014, 05:08
Marking anniversaries. I can't help it! ubf conditioned me to mark each year and to write my own history. Each conference was so historical! But my wife and I…
- On the Ministry of Reconciliation (22)
February 25, 2013, 11:03
Yesterday, a friend called my attention to an article titled, An Open Letter to the Church: How to Love the Cynics. The author, Addie Zierman, writes from the…
- One Reason People Leave UBF (94)
December 28, 2012, 11:59
In a recent comment, Joshua sums up his (decade plus) experience in UBF here. He says that his wife and he “were told specifically how we ought to obey…
- One Thing Everyone Knows (9)
August 28, 2010, 05:00
For the last nine years, I have been working with people with developmental disabilities. Some of these disabilities are severe and profound. Many of them…
- One year! (3)
June 24, 2011, 22:11
One year ago, ubfriends began with an article entitled, What is good communication?. I thank God who has led many of us to better communication with each other…
- Organizational Health and the Church (38)
December 15, 2012, 11:42
"The single, greatest advantage any company can achieve is organizational health. Yet it is ignored by most leaders even though it is simple, free, and…
- Overcoming the Male-Dominated Culture of UBFriends (8)
January 5, 2011, 13:31
When this website was launched in the summer of 2010, we had a grandiose vision of a cyber-cafe where people of many different backgrounds could meet and…
- Parish Nursing (9)
May 22, 2012, 13:58
Last Sat, May 19, 2012, I attended a Seminar on Parish Nursing led by Helen Wordworth, RN from England. This is based on her power point. What is health? In…
- PART 1 Operation #exposeUBF (16)
September 25, 2015, 11:55
“Dear UBF, I am your worst nightmare” ABOUT ME Born in Chicago, and Son to Korean missionaries, I lived within the UBF system from birth to high…
- Pastor's Code of Ethics (18)
June 29, 2012, 11:56
How should pastors, elders, shepherds, and church leaders behave? Do pastors need a code of ethics? Code of Ethics for Pastors (CEP). Over 18 months,…
- Pay No Attention To That Man Behind the Curtain! (7)
January 10, 2013, 11:22
In the book Ethnography as a Pastoral Practice, author Mary Clark Moschella hones in on some painful truths about pastors. Religious leaders are often…
- Philippines UBF: An Indigenous Ministry (22)
March 3, 2011, 05:00
Churches (like companies) tend to experience three phases: an initial phase of rapid growth, a plateau phase, and a final phase of decline. But Philippines UBF…
- Philippines UBF: Richness in Poverty (2)
September 8, 2012, 08:29
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” (Lk 6:20). Check out this 12 min video picture montage of my 6 week stay in Philippines…
- Pious Fellowship Permits No Sinners (3)
May 10, 2012, 18:18
A Christian’s “wish dream” destroys Christian community. In Community (Chap 1 of Life Together), Bonhoeffer explains that it is a Christian’s “wish…
- Porn and Christian Leadership (11)
March 2, 2012, 13:12
My first encounter with porn. I first saw porn in 1979 after a friend gave me several dozen Playboy magazines when I was a young doctor in Singapore. I could…
- Post 2013 ISBC Reflections (102)
August 5, 2013, 11:01
Do share your experiences and reflections from the 2013 ISBC. Share the good the bad and the ugly. When we share only the good (as on UBF websites), it is…
- Praise God Who Blessed the 2013 ISBC! (52)
August 19, 2013, 13:08
“Praise God who blessed the 2013 International Summer Bible Conference August 1st thru 4th…” Thus beginneth the first sentence of the official report…
- Prayers for the Church (6)
April 4, 2013, 23:13
I sense that the Bride of Christ needs us to pray for her now. Here are some excerpts from The Book of Common Prayer. Will you agree with me on these in…
- Prayers for the Church (16)
March 4, 2015, 12:59
The Bride of Christ could use some prayer right now. Here are some excerpts from The Book of Common Prayer. Will you agree with me on these? For the…
- Praying like Daniel? (15)
April 10, 2012, 08:52
I recently participated in an encouraging and delightful bible study where we studied the famous story of Daniel in the lion’s den (Daniel 6). In particular,…
- Prepare the way for the Lord (65)
September 7, 2015, 16:56
I want to share my testimony from this week’s message because I feel that sometimes the positive things about UBF are not heard on this site. I hope that…
- Psalms in the Key of Life (2)
August 12, 2012, 10:07
The book of Psalms has played a vital role in Jewish and Christian spirituality. Dietrich Bonhoeffer called it “the prayer book of Jesus Christ.” Jews at…
- Psychology Meets Religion (Part 1) (7)
March 22, 2011, 06:08
As a student of psychology, I encounter many research studies that can speak on matters of faith and personhood. If the Bible teaches us about who man…
- Psychology Meets Religion (Part 2) (16)
April 6, 2011, 09:45
Which would you rather have: Greater self control or higher intelligence? There are obvious advantages to choosing intelligence. You would have an enhanced…
- Psychology Meets Religion, Part 3 (4)
September 8, 2011, 06:53
Psychologists have often treated mental processes -- attention, memory, and decision making -- as divorced from the body. As if the mind was processing…
- Puppets On A String (43)
June 29, 2013, 17:43
A friend of mine brought the following list to my attention this week. I feel compelled to share this as an informative article in hopes that people might…
- Question Everything (18)
November 11, 2014, 23:36
1 Thessalonians 5:21 “but test everything; hold fast what is good.” This is the 11th week of Seminary. The academic challenge I am getting here is very…
- Questions For The Next General Director (80)
February 2, 2011, 08:50
A new General Director of UBF is going to be elected this year. If I had the opportunity to interview candidates ahead of time, these are some of the questions…
- Racism in the Church (23)
April 5, 2012, 07:02
Is there racism in UBF? Might some leaders be racist? If so, is the racism the result of a strong “honor culture”? Some may not like such questions because…
- Radio Silence (18)
April 14, 2013, 22:06
There is a communication term called "radio silence". This term refers to a "status in which all fixed or mobile radio stations in an area are asked to stop…
- Reactions to Ellerslie? (16)
January 5, 2012, 13:14
During the holiday break, I did a lot of reading, praying and thinking. I happened to come across a preacher named Eric Ludy and the Ellerslie Church. After…
- Read the Bible - Trying and Doing (31)
January 6, 2014, 14:27
Do you read the Bible daily? I believe that all Christ followers know that we should read the Bible regularly, consistently and faithfully, if not daily. Do…
- Reading, Discussing, Writing (30)
February 21, 2011, 10:09
Reading makes a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man. -- Francis Bacon Bacon adds that if a man writes little, he needs to be really…
- Rebirth in Eau Claire (12)
September 9, 2010, 12:12
In the summer of the year 2000, God led my family to the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, where we are currently carrying out our mission work. Eau Claire…
- Reflections at 60 by Sinclair Ferguson (21)
October 20, 2011, 08:00
Greetings UBFriends from Russia! I would like to direct you to a good talk by Sinclair Ferguson (1948 - ). He is a Scottish preacher from Glasgow, but now…
- Reflections on Today's Daily Bread (97)
May 6, 2014, 18:10
Dear Readers: We, the administrators of UBFriends, were deeply moved by this morning's Daily Bread passage and accompanying commentary that appeared on…
- Rest Unleashed - Narrative 1 of 3 (11)
May 23, 2014, 13:08
Based on DavidW's advice in his recent article, I decided to "blog my books" here. So I'll present three articles for each of my two books over the next…
- Rest Unleashed - Narrative 2 of 3 (1)
May 24, 2014, 07:31
My journey continues by considering the gospel of Jesus. Narrative 2 expresses my seeking answers to one massive question: What is the gospel? I know the easy…
- Rest Unleashed - Narrative 3 of 3 (5)
May 24, 2014, 13:35
The last and longest narrative in my book, Rest Unleashed: The Raven Narratives, is my story. So far, my journey has begun with considering forgiveness and the…
- Rethinking Genesis: Man Equals Mission (45)
June 22, 2011, 12:05
Why did God create you? What is the purpose of your life? When I studied Genesis in 1980, I was taught that God created man for mission (Gen 1:28). Dr. Samuel…
- Review: Scripture As Communication (6)
November 2, 2010, 09:40
Jeannine Brown's book Scripture as Communication offers the reader a communicative model for biblical interpretation. God communicates with us, and he uses…
- Revival Begins With Oneself (3)
July 26, 2012, 01:00
We Christians want a revival in our own ministries, churches, nation and world. But no revival happens corporately before it happens individually. No revival…
- Rise of the Planet of the Apes (17)
August 11, 2011, 09:52
Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that I love film. Although I do not consider myself a “film junkie,” I do see a fair number of movies a…
- Samuel Lee Was Not Overbearing (19)
August 24, 2012, 00:29
Samuel Lee was Meek (and Authoritarian). Those who read this blog know I have a very positive sentiment toward Samuel Lee, our UBF founder. I freely acknowledge…
- Sanctification by Grace through Faith (53)
September 21, 2014, 08:03
How do we become free from the burden of sin? During a Q&A session after a church service where 2 Tim 3:6-17 was preached, someone asked “How do we…
- Sanctification Versus Perfectionism/Elitism (10)
January 12, 2012, 11:51
This post is my 2012 reflection and prayer for myself and for my local church community: West Loop UBF Church. We had prayed that 2010 may be a year of the…
- Saying "I'm Sorry" (12)
April 16, 2013, 22:47
After losing one million USD to a conman in 2004, I said to my wife, “I’m sorry.” Perhaps, I never felt worse in my life because I knew how much I had…
- Scapegoating, Ignatian spiritual practice, and the subversive gospels of Passion Sunday and Good Friday (31)
April 2, 2015, 14:07
The recent film Kill the Messenger is based on the true story of a reporter named Gary Webb who worked for a mid-sized newspaper during the 1990’s. By…
- SCARY Bible Verse: Your Sin WILL Find You Out (22)
February 7, 2012, 11:30
Your sin will find you out. “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out” (Num…
- Sensation over Sense (6)
September 24, 2015, 12:31
Huffington Post BK recently submitted an article about Trump and Evangelicals. And it made a lot of sense. But what doesn't make sense is how much media…
- Sexual Sin and Church Leadership (34)
February 24, 2012, 13:12
Should a church leader continue to be a leader after a sexual sin? I thought the answer was an obvious, unequivocal, “No.” But apparently, church leaders…
- Sexual Temptation (8)
November 8, 2012, 11:52
You always notice someone in church, or in class, or at work, but you will never tell anyone. How do we Christians overcome the ever present temptation to lust…
- Shattered Dreams (4)
May 2, 2012, 13:41
I was touched by this 2 minute video showing God’s grace to one whose dreams were dashed to pieces: Shattered Dreams. It was choreographed by Tim Fitch to…
- Shepherd Brian is Dead (81)
February 19, 2014, 08:17
Now that I’ve got your attention… I’d like to share the last puzzle piece of my recovery from my twenty-four years in University Bible Fellowship. This…
- Shepherds or Sheep: Who Sacrifices More? (19)
October 14, 2010, 10:56
A while back, one of our readers asked for an article that explores the relationship between UBF shepherds and sheep. Many volumes could be written about that…
- Should UBF Adjust/Modify The Way Joseph Is Taught? (13)
December 30, 2012, 11:51
A verse every Christian experiences. Christians love the story of Joseph in Genesis. In the big picture, it proclaims the marvelous and majestic sovereignty of…
- Silence and Solitude (Bonhoeffer) (14)
May 18, 2012, 10:26
Tim Keller writes in the forward of Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas that Life Together “is perhaps the finest single volume I have ever read on the character of…
- Siloam (3)
September 15, 2010, 09:01
Here at UBFriends, we are willing to publish any kind of creative writing and artistic work that honors God. A while back, we received an audio recording of a…
- Sin Gathers; God Scatters (9)
September 20, 2013, 18:24
Building one’s own kingdom. The sin of every man---including Christians---is to build their own tower of Babel (Gen 11:4). They gather and centralize the…
- Sin Is Having An Identity Other Than In God (15)
March 4, 2014, 07:57
The sin beneath the sin. A Christian lies and says, “I did not slander you or gossip about you behind your back.” We conclude that the person sinned by…
- Six Stages of Training (25)
June 14, 2014, 09:57
Ben's excellent article, "Good Teachers Make Themselves Unneeded", which was inspired by a friend's C.S. Lewis quotes, inspired me to expound on a topic I…
- Slavery, Harps and Fig Newtons (51)
January 17, 2013, 21:54
Last year during a blogging discussion with various people, I had someone tell me: "The bible says it, and so I believe it. End of story." Such an attitude…
- Snow (10)
July 20, 2011, 11:53
Perhaps because it is so hot here in the midwest, or perhaps because these words struck a cord with me today, I decided to publish a poem submitted by Brian…
- Sola Scriptura and Mr. Cs Lewis (6)
October 23, 2014, 21:16
Recently I was studying Galatians 1 with a friend. When I read the verse “if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached…
- Sometimes we need Hero and Villain (13)
June 23, 2014, 09:01
Sometimes theologians and church people forget how culture expresses the "spirit of the times" and that such expressions can have something profound to teach…
- Son of Rick Warren Commits Suicide (18)
April 6, 2013, 19:02
Reading this news shocked me. The youngest son of Rick Warren, Matthew, aged 27, has committed suicide after a life long battle with mental illness, depression…
- Sophomoric Musings: My Dream (29)
July 16, 2013, 14:36
This is the first article in a series I've entitled “Sophomoric Musings”. I view my musings as sophomoric for two reasons. The first is that the word…
- Spiritual Abuse: Shape Up or Ship Out (45)
March 24, 2012, 15:14
For over 2 decades as a UBF fellowship leader, my uncompromising implicit imperative to others was, “Shape up or ship out!” Looking back, it is a surprise…
- Sprechen Sie UBF? (22)
July 1, 2010, 08:00
People in UBF speak an unusual dialect. Our conversations and writings are full of UBFisms which are immediately recognized and understood by longtime members…
- Steven Hassan Interview (20)
October 14, 2015, 12:53
Please watch this. Steven Hassan and Brian Karcher discuss various topics from Steven's book "Combating Cult Mind Control" and Brian's book "Identity…
- Stuck At The Wall (Part 1) (15)
August 23, 2010, 09:13
For as long as I can remember, I had assumed that the "normal" Christian life follows a pattern. The journey begins when you put your faith in Jesus Christ and…
- Stuck At The Wall (Part 2) (12)
August 26, 2010, 05:00
For a long time, I mistakenly assumed that a spiritually mature person is one who directed by faith rather than emotion, one who consistently denies or ignores…
- Stuck At The Wall (Part 3) (30)
August 30, 2010, 09:45
This is the third article in a three-part series. These articles were meant to be read in their proper sequence. Please do not look at this article this until…
- Suggestions for UBF Ethics Committee (56)
August 29, 2014, 20:47
I wanted to contact UBF Ethics committee but I could not easily find their contact information at ubf.org. If they are serious about making ethical reform…
- Switching to the NIV 2011 (23)
February 15, 2011, 06:02
This year is the 400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible. For hundreds of years after its publication, it was the standard English version of…
- Telling it to the Church (201)
April 29, 2013, 11:28
One of the most explicit New Testament passages on how to handle issues of sin within the church is Matthew 18:15-17: "If your brother or sister sins, go…
- Telling it to the Church, Part 2 (79)
May 3, 2013, 09:46
In the discussion following my last article, a reader who goes by the name "vmi" asked a good question. I just want to ask Joe if you have tried the…
- Telling it to the Church, Part 3 (92)
February 28, 2015, 21:44
Yes, the time has finally arrived. The moment that handfuls of you have been waiting for. After a two-year hiatus, we pick up the story that began with…
- Telling The Truth (How West Loop UBF Began) (58)
May 3, 2013, 21:36
As Joe is telling it to the church (I am lovin’ it with high fives!), I wish to tell the truth as a parallel post. UBF leaders like to say among themselves…
- Ten Works of Satan (23)
November 14, 2014, 15:02
I’ve heard rumors that some at ubf ministry think I am doing the work of Satan or that I’m even Satan himself. Forests also reported hearing such things in…
- Testimony - Galatians 6 (42)
May 4, 2014, 20:01
A certain someone named BK told me to be direct with my testimony this week. The message this week was on Galatians 6. BK must forgive me, because his book…
- Thank God for 2014 (10)
December 17, 2014, 11:46
2014 has been by far the most exciting year since 2009 when I went to college. I have so much to be thankful for. God's grace has truly been with me. Janua…
- The 10 Commandments of UBF (24)
April 13, 2013, 04:40
I am the LORD your God who delivered you from human systems that keep you in bondage to slavery (cf. Ex 20:2; Deut 5:6). You shall not put your church…
- The 100/0 Principle (11)
January 20, 2014, 07:18
"They were simply people whose experience taught them where true power lies." Malcolm Gladwell. I have very good news. One of my favorite authors, Malcolm…
- The B.I.T.E. Model (12)
December 24, 2013, 11:49
These days I love psychology-- the science of mind and behavior, the mental or behavioral characteristics of an individual or group, and the study of mind…
- The BCD of Teaching the Bible (6)
June 30, 2012, 16:43
While preaching through Titus, I came up with the BCD of Bible teaching and preaching. Each letter stands for 2 words which should always go together when we…
- The Blessed Life (5)
May 26, 2015, 11:02
Because I have found myself in the unofficial, unsanctioned exit counselor role for ubf, people from ubf have contacted me for help at the rate of once per…
- The Brain Science of Ambition (2)
March 23, 2011, 08:25
Yesterday, after we published Gerardo's article on theories of intelligence, a fascinating article appeared on Scot McKnight's Jesus Creed blog: Ambition...…
- The Church I Want (14)
October 5, 2013, 15:20
So what kind of church do I want? Here is what I dream about, think about, ponder about, wish for, hope for and look out for. This is the kind of church I…
- The Conundrum of Approval (1)
September 13, 2015, 23:18
“If you just set out to be liked, you will be prepared to compromise on anything at anytime, and would achieve nothing.”- Margaret Thatcher. Chapel with…
- The Difficulties of Genesis 1 (Part 1 of 2) (43)
February 8, 2011, 10:01
One of my last articles on UBFriends was a book review on Stewart and Fee's How to Read the Bible for all its Worth. The authors, who are not only great…
- The Difficulties of Genesis 1 (Part 2 of 2) (37)
February 11, 2011, 08:43
In my previous article, I tried to show why the first chapter of the Bible is an exceedingly difficult passage for Bible students. The complexity of this…
- The Fallibility of Paul (28)
August 6, 2012, 15:30
Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about how to approach Scripture. When I was discipled in my present church, I was taught a very specific…
- The Fear of “if” (3)
November 3, 2013, 11:34
If. It is a small word, just two letters. I like the word better in Russian, “если”. Or perhaps in French, “si” or German “wenn”. And even…
- The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness (119)
April 14, 2013, 07:58
I would like to share with you about a book written by Timothy Keller. He talks about three parts; The natural condition of the human ego, the transformed view…
- The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, Part two (89)
May 11, 2013, 08:08
This is part two of Keller’s book “The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness” report. Freedom is so precious like diamond. It cannot be easily obtained. It…
- The Good and the Bad of UBF (61)
February 2, 2015, 11:29
The title is intentionally provocative, even if I genuinely mean it. It probably displeases “both sides.” (Sorry to say but there are “two sides,” as…
- The Good Things I Saw Samuel Lee Do (12)
December 28, 2013, 09:53
A monster? If someone had never met Samuel Lee and all they knew about him they read on the Internet, then he is an egotistical megalomaniac and a cruel,…
- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of UBF (41)
June 5, 2013, 13:53
The good. UBF has many good godly Christians. UBF people are also generally very sincere. This may be a reason why many have come to Christ through UBF people,…
- The Gospel and Linsanity (7)
February 22, 2012, 17:08
Is there any gospel in Linsanity? Yes! Linsanity happened because a most unlikely person literally came out of nowhere to become the “savior” for a Knicks…
- The Gospel in "The Descendants" (4)
January 17, 2012, 13:15
If you intend to go and see The Descendants do not read this, for it contains movie spoilers. It won the Golden Globe award for Best Motion Picture drama,…
- The Gospel of Christ Vs. The Gospel of Mission (24)
July 18, 2013, 16:11
During my ten years of Bible study in UBF, I was taught many wonderful truths. Some of those truths led me into a personal relationship with my Lord Jesus,…
- The greatest struggle of my adult life (25)
January 6, 2015, 01:37
Marriage is the second biggest choice anyone ever makes outside of their choice to accept Jesus. Every culture the world over has marriage of some kind, along…
- The Happiest Compliment I Ever Received (2)
March 14, 2014, 21:18
I love my four kids. I love each of them. My sense of pride as their dad knows no limit. They are indeed God’s best gifts to me; they tangibly reveal the…
- The Holy Spirit: Does What We Know About Him Actually Matter? (Part 1) (11)
January 13, 2011, 00:01
The importance, nature and work of the Holy Spirit are not well understood by many Christians today. And in that category, I definitely include myself. Since…
- The Holy Spirit: Does What We Know About Him Actually Matter? (Part 2) (3)
January 17, 2011, 13:26
In the last post, I argued that the Holy Spirit plays an indispensible role in our understanding of the gospel. We see abundant evidence for this in Scripture.…
- The Holy Spirit: Does What We Know About Him Actually Matter? (Part 3) (17)
January 23, 2011, 06:23
If you are a Christian, then you ought to call the Holy Spirit "he" rather than "it." The Spirit is not an invisible power or force, but a person who thinks,…
- The Holy Spirit: Does What We Know About Him Actually Matter? (Part 4) (33)
January 28, 2011, 17:46
Beneath the surface, Christians have many unofficial, unstated, and untested notions about the Holy Spirit that profoundly impact their spirituality. These…
- The Hunger Games (13)
March 23, 2012, 18:19
For the first time ever, I saw a movie by myself on the first day. I felt odd in that everyone else seemed to be under 30 years old, with the majority under…
- The Hunger Games Screams for Justice (9)
November 24, 2013, 10:45
When I asked, What is the central theme of your life, Brian answered and explained why his center is justice, which is a crucial center for God (Gen 18:25; Dt…
- The Importance of Being Disillusioned (26)
March 16, 2012, 12:23
It feels like there is an imposter claiming to be the bride of Christ. She wears a similar veil so that it is often difficult to tell the difference until you…
- The King, the Carrot, and the Horse (11)
December 14, 2011, 13:09
Why do you do what you do as a Christian? A previous post, Christianity is the End of Religion, contrasts Religion with the Gospel. As a Christian, we do…
- The Law Makes You Worse (8)
November 17, 2014, 06:53
Do’s and don’ts. Don’t flirt. Don’t lust. Don't watch porno. Don’t date...until you’re ready to marry by faith. Don’t be lazy. Work hard. Prepare…
- The Law of Undulation: a Concept by C.S. Lewis (17)
July 4, 2010, 05:08
In 1942, C. S. Lewis published The Screwtape Letters. The story is written as a series of letters from a senior demon, Uncle Screwtape, to a junior demon (his…
- The Minimum Barrel (33)
May 30, 2013, 12:59
One of the topics that keeps surfacing here on this blog is spiritual abuse. This is a topic that has garnered growing attention in recent years among American…
- The Mortification of Sin (11)
July 18, 2010, 07:00
"Be killing sin, or it will be killing you." How are believers supposed to deal with remaining sin in their hearts? Those who align themselves with Reformed…
- The Myth of Multiplication, Part 1 (18)
June 29, 2011, 05:49
If you’re as old as I am, you might remember this annoying TV commercial from the 1970’s.The executives who came up with this ad imagined that, if each…
- The Myth of Multiplication, Part 2 (9)
July 20, 2011, 13:41
In the first installment of this series, I challenged the popular notion that the church expands primarily through multiplication. Multiplication is the…
- The Myth of Multiplication, Part 3 (3)
July 25, 2011, 12:11
In Matthew’s version of the Great Commission, Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19, NIV). For most of my life, I interpreted the…
- The Necessity of Penal Substitution (Part 1) (6)
December 2, 2010, 05:00
In the 19th century, the hymn writer Philip Bliss penned the following lyrics regarding Jesus Christ: "Bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned…
- The Necessity of Penal Substitution (Part 2) (8)
December 5, 2010, 19:19
In part 1 of this series, I presented evidence from Scripture for Penal Substitution as a primary view of what happened at Calvary. But what about other…
- The Next Christendom (7)
October 5, 2010, 09:19
Philip Jenkins, writing in his pre-9-11 book The Next Christendom, laments the fact that religion -- in particular, the dawning of the movement of Christianit…
- The Nuances of Honesty: Criticism and Cynicism (16)
August 29, 2015, 09:40
"Criticism- doubt informed by curiosity and a deep knowledge of a discipline related to your work... Cynicism- doubt resulting from ignorance and antiquated…
- The Old Testament and Inspiration (45)
December 5, 2014, 13:53
I recently read an article authored by OT scholar and professor Peter Enns in which he discussed the compilation process of the OT (link to article here). This…
- The Only Necessary Thing (127)
June 25, 2013, 12:34
Forgiveness is such an important subject and one of the main teachings of Jesus. Jesus taught his disciples to forgive those who wronged to them seventy times…
- The Pain of Leaving UBF (19)
February 21, 2015, 09:43
(Admin note: I, Bento, did not ask permission from Joe to post this. I’m making an assumption that he would be OK with me doing so since he posted it on…
- The Power of "And" (3)
November 10, 2013, 12:14
Word clouds are fascinating to me. For example, copy and paste some text into wordle.net and you'll be able to create a visual image of the most repeated words…
- The Power of Now (10)
March 6, 2015, 12:41
What if we figured out and did good and right things now? What if we had already done them years, even decades ago? On the other hand, what if we don't do them…
- The Reflective Bible Teacher (2)
August 16, 2010, 07:53
In 1983, Donald Schön published The Reflective Practitioner. The book is not explicitly Christian. I am not sure whether he is a Christian, as the book gives…
- The Sacred Secular Divide (2)
August 26, 2014, 19:34
I used to consider some activities as spiritual (sacred) and others as worldly (secular). Spiritual. I thought that carrying out 1:1 Bible studies on the…
- The Satisfaction of Justice (Django Unchained) (6)
January 30, 2013, 11:29
This is a reflection of Django Unchained. It has uncountable racial slurs and is ultra violent, typical of a Tarantino movie. It is not recommended for kids…
- The Secret of Happiness in 2015 (3)
December 31, 2014, 15:54
The last day of the year sets the stage for the first day of a brand new year. It inclines us toward having a bright optimistic outlook to start over anew and…
- The Shepherding Movement and UBF (Part 1) (31)
January 15, 2014, 13:38
There is a book making rounds among many churches by John Bevere called “Under Cover: The Promise of Protection Under His Authority.” It’s been some time…
- The Shepherding Movement and UBF (Part 2) (18)
January 21, 2014, 12:08
In my last article, I shared how Allen Clare introduced the Shepherding Movement of the 1970s and connected it to John Bevere’s 2001 book “Under Cover.”…
- The Sins of Older Christians (3)
March 21, 2013, 21:14
As an “older” Christian, it is so easy for me to rant and rave about the sins of “younger” Christians and non-Christians: lust and laziness, impropriety…
- The Six Stage UBF Training Model (61)
July 6, 2014, 16:40
The most important aspect everyone needs to understand about UBF ministry is the six-stage training process. When I joined in 1987, no one had ever…
- The Sower (Part 1) (2)
April 18, 2011, 08:10
This is the first part of a three-part series on the parable of the sower, focused on the version of that parable that appears in Mark 4. In the second…
- The Sower (Part 2) (14)
April 19, 2011, 08:29
In my last installment, I gave a brief introduction to the parables of Jesus in the gospels, and laid out a framework of "levels of meaning" that I claimed can…
- The Sower (Part 3) (10)
April 20, 2011, 08:44
As I hope I made clear in part two of this series, my preferred way of reading the parable of the sower uses Level 2 (the parable in the narrative context of…
- The State of Christianity in Korea (12)
March 19, 2012, 10:12
The quotes below are from a report from a two-day intensive Gospel in the City conference held in Seoul on Feb 20-21, 2012 (written by Stephen Um, a Korean…
- The Strength of UBF: Doggedness (25)
October 28, 2012, 11:11
UBF bashing? Some say that UBFriends promotes UBF bashing. Perhaps, there is a fine line between being transparent with full disclosure, and being discreet and…
- The Symposium (33)
November 2, 2014, 11:58
I have only been in my current chapter for a little over a year now, but I feel like what happened last night was something, by accounts of many…
- The Tank Man: Language Defines Reality (11)
July 16, 2015, 09:23
A Chinese protestor blocks a line of tanks heading east on Beijing's Changan Blvd. June 5, 1989 in front of the Beijing Hotel. The man, calling for an end to…
- The theology of “Gross!”: What modern psychology can teach us about purity, disgust, love, and the gospel (54)
September 15, 2014, 12:28
Back in January, I posted a sermon I delivered on Ephesians chapter 2. I wrote: In these verses, Paul makes the surprising claim that the law – God’s…
- The Time Has Come! (29)
August 1, 2010, 00:00
The moment has arrived. UBFriends has emerged from its construction phase and has officially launched. Our first post is a special piece by our friend John H.…
- The Ubferator! (10)
September 3, 2015, 21:51
Hey everyone, we just topped 19,000 comments! The conversations have been rather heavy lately, so I thought we could all use a good laugh. I am in tears from…
- The Unforgivable Sin (59)
September 29, 2015, 09:21
Have I committed the unforgivable sin? This coming Sunday I will preach on The Unforgivable Sin from Isaiah 22. One of my Bible students has asked me repeatedly…
- The Upside Down Kingdom (4)
August 11, 2013, 15:01
One of the points in Chris Brown's sermon at the 2013 WCA Global Leadership Summit was about Jesus turning leadership upside down. Here is a different sermon…
- The Value of Acceptance (18)
January 8, 2015, 12:57
We just want to be accepted. This is often the cry of humanity. And far too often the response (directly or indirectly) of the Christian church is: You are not…
- The Way of the Cross is Dialogue (140)
March 3, 2012, 10:24
Bowing to alternative views that appeal to us has always been a temptation. We refuse to believe there is only one way of salvation, only one way to the…
- The Woolly Mammoth in the Room (11)
August 7, 2013, 18:15
As I read through Ben's reflections on the 2013 ubf ISBC and the comments that followed, I was encouarged to see honest sharing. That tells me the gospel…
- The Work of Satan in Mexico (81)
March 11, 2015, 10:14
In light of the public prayer topic for our ubfriends in Mexico, I would like to share some news so that you can pray more clearly about the situation.…
- They want Christ, not Christians (41)
August 22, 2015, 13:28
"I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."- Mahatma Gandhi Going back to Seminary produces mixed…
- This is My Life (5)
September 13, 2014, 14:41
“It feels like we are just floating in space.” That’s how one of my friends who left UBF ministry with me described how she felt after leaving. I can…
- This is the Night (1)
April 23, 2011, 21:40
This is the Night, Which throughout the world Frees all who believe in Christ From the vices of their time-shackled existence, From the lightless dungeon…
- This is your Church (7)
October 12, 2014, 11:19
So for anyone at UBF, here is what your leaders think. This is your church in a nutshell. Why do you put up with such things? This is from a SL worship…
- This Week's Question: House Church or Family? (30)
July 30, 2010, 11:26
When couples get married in UBF, it has become common to say, "They established a house church." The terms house church and family are used almost interchangeab…
- Thoughts on Christian Friendship (65)
March 12, 2012, 07:35
Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are…
- Thoughts on the Death of Osama Bin Laden (27)
May 5, 2011, 08:41
As all of you are certainly aware by now, Osama Bin Laden has been killed by brave Navy Seals who put their own lives at risk to rid the world of him. As I…
- Three Books for Free (8)
December 26, 2014, 13:10
As 2014 comes to a close, I want to share my three books with you that I published this year. Instead of retelling my story so much, it has been very helpful…
- Tim Tebow and Paul's Sport's Imagery (7)
January 9, 2012, 12:16
Let me first explain to those who are not living in the U.S. and who are not fans of the NFL (National Football League), because you may not know who Tim Tebow…
- Tired of Talking About UBF (29)
May 13, 2014, 20:21
Note: this article is for those who have decided to remain in UBF but are endlessly frustrated. It is not for everyone to remain in UBF, so I understand and…
- To be or not to be...a shepherd (10)
August 14, 2014, 11:43
I recently heard a story of a man from a UBF chapter far far away from me. The topic of him becoming a “Shepherd” had been raised numerous times to him and…
- To Stay Or Not To Stay? (462)
March 18, 2011, 09:50
When is it a good idea to stay in a church or para-church ministry, and when is it better to leave? This was the question that Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones…
- Toledo UBF Message - Just Obey (77)
August 31, 2014, 10:10
Now it's time for another Toledo UBF message review. This one is a doozy. The Message If you want to read the original message delivered in August…
- Top 10 Things Not to Say to an Ex-UBFer (8)
January 17, 2014, 04:49
Sorry to post this the same day as your movie post Ben, but I'm a late-night TV sinner not a movie sinner like you :) I couldn't resist sharing this Top 10…
- Traits UBF Leaders Do Not Like (24)
June 20, 2013, 11:36
UBF leaders clearly do not like those they regard as rebellious, stubborn, proud, self-directed members who do not listen to them, obey them, wait on them, or…
- True Love’s Kiss (22)
August 22, 2014, 15:46
Not necessarily a chick flick! This is a random, jumbled musing after I finally watched Maleficent, which was thoroughly satisfying. It reminded me of Frozen.…
- Truths Learned In and Out of UBF (12)
April 12, 2013, 12:47
I joined UBF in September, 2002 when I was seventeen years old. After serving the Lord for nearly 10 years, God led me to say farewell in August, 2012. God has…
- Turning Pressure into Beauty (90)
February 26, 2015, 13:26
Pressure. It builds, it mounts and then it explodes. And it is the one reason my fellow outlaw preacher, John O'Keefe, claims as the primary reason people are…
- Two Kinds of Shepherding (6)
July 30, 2013, 14:48
This might be a redundant article in that I had recently written related articles: guidelines for best shepherding practice, how the Apostle Paul "feeds…
- Two Things I Want To Say to Every Sheep (202)
May 4, 2015, 15:14
Once you join UBF bible study, two words will forever be seared into your mind: shepherd and sheep. Everything at UBF depends on this fundamental relationship.…
- UBF and Dialogue: What Joe, Charles and Pope Francis Say (33)
February 24, 2015, 10:25
Admin Note: Having a genuine meaningful dialogue in UBF is a very important issue that absolutely needs to be seriously addressed and practiced. I say this…
- UBF at the Crossroads (213)
August 21, 2013, 21:00
UBF is in a crisis. Many will disagree with me. "Stop exaggerating," they'll say. "Don't worry, have faith! Focus on the positive. Remember what God has…
- UBF Doctrine - Behavioral Slogans (19)
August 1, 2013, 09:33
How then shall we live? I heard that famous question many times in ubf. In fact, the first 7 ideological points of the ubf heritage were often quickly taught…
- UBF Doctrine - Ideological Slogans (13)
July 27, 2013, 13:16
Just to re-cap, next up on my systematic review is point 8 of the 12 point ubf heritage. This "house church" point begins a new section, which I call "behaviora…
- UBF Doctrine - Introduction (55)
July 5, 2013, 16:00
What does ubf believe? What are their doctrines? The answers to these questions have been ellusive at best for over 50 years. Some people point to ubf's…
- UBF in Crisis (23)
August 25, 2013, 08:50
Joe's last article has brought me an unexpected amount of resolution and healing on my journey of recovery from University Bible Fellowship. If a senior…
- UBF Needs Troublemakers (111)
August 12, 2013, 08:16
Please cause trouble! A friend sent me this link and I thanked him for paying me the highest compliment: Make Trouble, My Friends. It is a commentary of what…
- UBFriends Admin Notice (6)
June 1, 2012, 16:29
The admin team here at UBFriends wants to thank everyone who has contributed articles, made comments or read along silently! We are hopeful that this…
- Ubfriends Book Club (59)
May 11, 2015, 15:02
Hey ubfriends community, how's about we form a good ol' book club on this site? After seeing some of the theology-related comments and perusing some of the old…
- ubfriends is changing (1)
October 17, 2015, 03:40
Change is coming! Meanwhile, enjoy this first comment from Ben (which is the 2nd comment ever on ubfriends!) Ben Toh (2010-06-25 16:17:39) "Hi Joe, You Be…
- UBF’s Expectations or God’s? (5)
March 7, 2014, 01:52
Admin Note: This is a comment to Sin Is Having An Identity Other Than In God: "For 27 years my (Ben Toh's) identity was in my faithfulness to never miss a UBF…
- Unapologetic (3)
October 12, 2015, 13:25
Is sorry puppy always supposed to be sorry? This blog post discusses the phenomena of feeling the need to constantly apologize for one's existence. It's…
- UnbeLin-vable! (5)
February 15, 2012, 16:03
I never thought I could be a fan of a New York sports team. Sorry, New Yorkers! Nothing personal. But Linsanity changed me. As we might say, I was "cooked,"…
- Uncommon Aspects of "Common Life" (15)
February 5, 2011, 17:14
He likes the Steelers; I could care less about the NFL. He likes "The Office" on NBC; I love the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" on Bravotv. He watches…
- Utmost Love and Respect (24)
February 14, 2015, 14:43
Last time I had an argument with my wife, I was confident I was right and she was wrong. I had been wrong many times before. But I was sure this time I…
- Vox Populi Vox Dei (11)
December 2, 2014, 01:05
In times of trouble and conflict we are accustomed to call upon the practical man. Unfortunately the opposite is needed. For the practical man can only do the…
- Walking in the Light of Absolute Honesty (133)
May 8, 2011, 09:22
One word that appears frequently in UBF messages, testimonies, mission reports, and prayer topics is absolute. If you type "absolute" into the search engine at…
- Walking in the Shoes of the Other (16)
August 11, 2015, 09:23
Empathy. The ability to understand and share the feelings of another. I am blessed and cursed with empathy. It's one of my top 5 strengths based on multiple…
- We have loved the light (10)
August 28, 2014, 19:11
Recently, Ben shared his thoughts on Mark Driscoll being removed from Acts 29. As I read more and more articles and comments, I am more and more amazed at how…
- We Need Your Help! (4)
September 29, 2010, 12:29
This website was created three months ago. Is UBFriends having an impact? You bet it is. One way to measure impact is to examine the traffic flow. Our…
- Wesley's Reflection on Authority and Authoritarianism (153)
May 31, 2013, 00:01
(Editorial Comment: This is Wesley's detailed and lively unedited response to Ben's sermon on "Shepherding Sheep" last Sun, May 26, 2013, at West Loop.) Ben,…
- West Loop UBF, 2008-2014 (7)
December 15, 2014, 14:21
Living with my head in the clouds. Last year I shared how West Loop (WL) UBF began in 2008. This is a follow up random, limited and selective reflection…
- West Loop’s first sermon in 2008: Where is your vision? (2)
March 20, 2015, 17:21
Editorial note: While searching for an old email, I happened to find the first sermon preached at West Loop UBF on Jan 6, 2008. It is over 6 years ago. I feel…
- What 2nd Gens Need From Their Dad (57)
November 14, 2012, 21:28
Barnabas Piper, son of John Piper, wrote about 7 Things a Pastor's Kid Needs from a Father. I sent it to my four kids and asked them how I measured up (or did…
- What a First Day in Philippines UBF (7)
July 22, 2012, 17:38
For 8 years, I visited Philippines UBF yearly. It has been an indigenous UBF ministry led from the outset by Filipinos for the last 25 years. I have felt the…
- What Are Friends For? (18)
February 20, 2013, 10:25
"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (Pr 27:17). At a recent breakfast with a group of Christian men, one person offered this verse as an…
- What are we talking about? (23)
January 23, 2013, 11:16
Three years ago we started this blog in hopes that it would become more than a blog-- perhaps we could become an influence and an online community which would…
- What Bible Verses Transformed Your Life? (27)
December 15, 2011, 15:30
This Christmas, consider with thanksgiving the Bible verses that have significantly affected you. Think about them (Phil 4:8), meditate on them (Psalm 1:2) and…
- What Can UBF Do? (42)
December 18, 2012, 18:06
Comments heard are that UBFriends states ad nauseum all the wrongs of UBF without stating what can be done. Perhaps so. But I believe that some good and some…
- What Cs Lewis had to say to college students (1)
April 25, 2015, 21:07
Did you know Cs Lewis once gave a commencement address? Cs Lewis is largely regarded as the most influential Christian in the last century. If you…
- What do followers want? (6)
March 17, 2013, 14:51
Leadership. That's a word I've heard a lot about the past 25 years. We Christians talk an awful lot about leadership: Who is a leader? Who is allowed to be a…
- What Happened in Toledo UBF - Part 1 (123)
September 10, 2013, 10:31
In a recent comment Vitaly asked numerous valid questions about what was going on in Toledo UBF. It will indeed take many years for the ministry there to…
- What Happened in Toledo UBF - Part 2 (124)
September 13, 2013, 02:57
So here it is. This is the sequel you've all been waiting for. It's nothing new however. There's no need to read this post. These words have already been…
- What Happened in Toledo UBF - Part 3 (72)
November 14, 2013, 10:26
Recently I shared a two-part article about what was happening in Toledo UBF. In part 1, I shared how the Toledo UBF members tore down the old center building…
- What I Am Most Thankful For (39)
November 27, 2013, 15:05
Grace (Eph 2:8-9; Tit 2:11). Love (Jer 31:3; Gal 2:20; 1 Jn 4:19). Election, i.e., being chosen (Jn 15:16) before the creation of the world (Eph 1:4), and…
- What I Am Not Ashamed Of (2)
October 4, 2014, 10:03
My sermon for tomorrow is Gospel Power based on Rom 1:16. These are my rambling thoughts as to what I might preach extemporaneously tomorrow, which may change…
- What I Experienced at the 2013 WCA GLS (13)
August 10, 2013, 09:13
Each year since 1995, Willow Creek Association in Chicago has hosted a two day leadership conference called the Global Leadership Summit. In 2013, that summit…
- What I Feel Right Now (70)
April 8, 2013, 09:27
A few days ago, Wesley posted this comment which was addressed to Brian. Brian, I apologize I haven’t read all your postings here. Help me out. What do…
- What I Learned from Tangled (3)
May 22, 2015, 12:09
I hope to participate in the upcoming ubfriends book club. But in the meantime, maybe we can also have a movie club. The movie Tangled was the most significant…
- What if God loves Esau? (44)
January 8, 2014, 09:21
During my arranged marriage process, someone asked my wife, "Do you want to marry a man like Jacob or like Esau?" My wife said Jacob, of course. And so I was…
- What if UBF Had Used The NASB? (51)
June 12, 2013, 12:38
Think fast: what is the #1 most popular Bible verse in UBF? I think that those who have studied the Bible in UBF, who have attended UBF wedding ceremonies,…
- What is Good Communication? (58)
June 24, 2010, 10:32
Imagine a "good communicator." What comes to mind? Someone who is confident, poised and articulate, who speaks well in public settings? The gift of articulate…
- What is shepherding? (37)
December 6, 2012, 10:59
At the heart of the UBF lifestyle is something called 1:1. This is pronounced "one-to-one" and it refers to the role of shepherding other people (specifically…
- What is the Central Theme of Your Life? (9)
November 22, 2013, 12:23
I am reading John Frame’s magnum opus--Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief. It is 1,220 pages. I am surprised that I am enjoying reading…
- What is the gospel? (124)
September 22, 2012, 18:30
For over two decades I thought I knew the gospel. I believed the gospel, preached the gospel, taught the gospel and shared the gospel. But it occurred to me…
- What is the Point of Genesis? (50)
May 6, 2011, 08:07
What is the point of Genesis? This question is especially pertinent to us because, for the last fifty years, the study of Genesis has been the bread and…
- What is your gospel? (140)
May 8, 2015, 12:12
Someone astutely pointed out here in the latest blitzkrieg of comments that one key issue between many of those who criticize ubf and many of those who…
- What is your song? (7)
October 27, 2014, 22:23
If there is a song that expresses your faith, your gospel, everything you believe and love right now, what is it? Here's mine. Chris…
- What just happened here? (90)
April 29, 2015, 15:42
Let's cut to the chase. Let's all take a step back and process what just happened here on ubfriends and at ubf the past several weeks. The main event that…
- What Kind of Leader Are You? (11)
June 15, 2012, 09:08
UBF loves to raise leaders. I love to raise leaders. Do you love to raise leaders? We show our love for raising leaders by using phrases like “discipleship…
- What next? (57)
May 12, 2014, 06:23
After committing to catching up on previous posts, I found myself staying up the entire night trying to cover nearly 5 years of articles and comments. With…
- What next? Four books (26)
May 12, 2014, 13:02
Today our new Friend submitted a thoughtful, heartfelt and well-articulated article entitled "What next?" I want to share my response as an article instead…
- What Not to Say to Someone Who Has Been Hurt By Church (168)
May 1, 2015, 09:47
It is no secret that this website has become a place where people who have had bad experiences in University Bible Fellowship gather to share their stories.…
- What Samuel Lee Taught (53)
November 19, 2014, 14:34
After his passing in 2002, Lee is credited with 8 to 12 legacies that are being used as “core values” to define UBF throughout the world. But I’m…
- What Samuel Lee Taught - Part 2 (7)
November 20, 2014, 06:24
"You are free from one man's teachings." I will forever remember those words. Those were the words spoken to me by Pastor Wayne, just before he dunked me under…
- What To Do and Believe Daily (9)
May 28, 2014, 11:40
Yesterday, a graduate student who met me for Bible study for the first time asked, “What do you do when you feel disconnected with God? Distant from God?…
- What would the other guy say? (21)
August 3, 2013, 10:30
This week I heard a fantastic logic puzzler called "The Two Doors Puzzle". After hearing the answer to the puzzle, I immediately recognized the principle…
- When Apple lost its founder… (23)
October 7, 2011, 08:47
“Tradition is the living faith of the dead. Traditionalism is the dead faith of the living.” - John Armstrong, during a meeting at Chicago UBF Every once…
- When Christians Make Christianity Ugly (19)
September 5, 2015, 13:13
We Christians are firmly convinced that we should choose between: God and sin, God and money, right and wrong, good and bad, heaven and…
- When Right is Bad and Wrong is Good (11)
January 20, 2015, 09:12
Constantly constipated. When I did what was “right” and played “by the book” I was rigid, inflexible, easily irritated, determined to "fix up sinners,"…
- When Silence Speaks Volumes (8)
March 4, 2013, 11:23
It's no secret that UBFriends has become a gathering place for some who have strongly negative opinions and experiences of the UBF organization. It is a very…
- Where's the Hope? (41)
August 31, 2013, 18:59
In a recent comment, Joe asked me "What is springboarding?". And Ben challenged all of us to think about "How to improve our UBF messages". Because I feel that…
- Who Is Our Worship Service For? (16)
January 10, 2011, 08:26
As John Piper said, because God has supreme and absolute worth, the best thing He can give to us is himself. And worship in Spirit and in truth is the only way…
- Who's Talking about ubfriends? (21)
April 22, 2014, 12:52
Who are the top commenters here? Who has submitted the most articles? Someone who recently left a ubf chapter mentioned something in a comment that intrigued…
- Why Are Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and UBF Members So… (34)
January 23, 2013, 09:01
A clever analysis of religious groups has been circulating on the internet. I first saw it in this article by Christian author Frank Viola, but it has been…
- Why Are UBF Missionaries Tired? (95)
May 6, 2013, 14:40
At every major UBF conference one prayer topic is invariably to encourage tired, burdened, burnt out and discouraged missionaries. “This conference is for…
- Why Christianity Needs Gay People (23)
October 25, 2014, 10:52
Now that I’ve processed a large portion of my recovery from ubf, I am free to rebuild and rework my theology. Two years ago, in October 2012, I was inspired…
- Why Churches Stop Growing (5)
November 9, 2013, 11:50
I am reviewing a new book Innovation’s Dirty Little Secret by Larry Osborne for Cross Focused Reviews. Osborne is a senior pastor at North Coast Church, a…
- Why Do We Have Divisions? (101)
November 4, 2010, 17:24
What's the problem with the church? Someone said, "The problem with the church is that it has people!" This is funny, I think. But the reality is that…
- Why I am Going to the Philippines (32)
July 13, 2011, 07:36
In an earlier post, I explained the spiritual health and vibrancy of Philippines UBF as an indigenous ministry with humble godly servantship. When I last…
- Why I Am Not a Christian (21)
March 2, 2014, 09:28
As the Lent season approaches this week, one question has surfaced in my mind: What does it mean to be a Christian? This is one of the thoughts I plan on…
- Why I Attended Samuel Lee’s Memorial Service (35)
November 12, 2013, 12:35
Ronwad Thicke made this interesting comment about my attendance at Samuel Lee’s memorial service last month: “...most of you continue to engage in this…
- Why I Love Westloop UBF! (15)
April 30, 2015, 06:43
I was prompted yesterday by Ben's comment to share how much I love the church at Westloop UBF. They share the gospel through worship The first thing…
- Why I Say UBF is a Cult (82)
April 30, 2015, 12:37
As promised, here is my third installment in my three part article series. I am well aware of the provocative title in this third article. This is intentional…
- Why I will not try to obey the OT Law (62)
July 30, 2014, 12:55
So you are not even going to try to obey God's Law? Nope. Not even a little? No. Aren't you afraid of backsliding? No. Don't you fear God? Not anymore, no.…
- Why John 17 is About the Mission of Jesus (30)
May 19, 2013, 07:39
My good friend Ben recently posted an article where he shared his concerns about the upcoming ubf summer bible conference (ISBC). Ben has become a friend who…
- Why People Leave UBF, Part 2 (14)
January 6, 2013, 11:49
We cannot agree as to what the solution to a problem is unless we agree as to what the nature of the problem is. People leaving UBF is a problem. Often (and…
- Why Samuel Lee Was Deified and Demonized (163)
January 3, 2011, 12:57
Many readers of this blog may not have personally known Samuel Lee. Lee was a loving husband, a good father, and the cofounder of UBF. He went to be with the…
- Why So Many Are Done With UBF (41)
August 26, 2015, 08:13
Admin note: Committed Christians--including more and more 2nd gens--leaving UBF is a reality that some leaders do not wish to face, acknowledge, address or…
- Why The Sabbath? (23)
July 25, 2010, 05:00
The Sabbath is not on the periphery of the Christian life; it is at its core.
- Why the Shepherding Movement Failed (73)
May 24, 2013, 12:46
Have you heard of the Shepherding Movement? It was a phenomena that occurred in America mainly in the 1970's. The Shepherding Movement, which had roots in the…
- Why Trump and Evangelicals Go Together (15)
September 18, 2015, 05:10
Yesterday I got some exercise by walking 4 miles around Las Vegas. On the way back I saw one of the buildings in Donald Trump's hotel empire. It dawned on me…
- Why UBF Should Read Brian’s Books and Know His Story Well (20)
January 3, 2015, 11:25
I ended 2014 with The Secret of Happiness and I begin 2015 with my friend Brian Karcher. Brian keeps UBF honest. Forests reviewed Brian’s first book and…
- Why would anyone ever want to be a Christian? (46)
July 22, 2015, 12:06
(This is the reflection I wrote at the Midwest Summer Bible Conference 2015) Luke 9: 25 "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose…
- Wish Dream Destroys Christian Community (38)
May 26, 2014, 08:28
In my sermon yesterday (5/25/14), C is for Community, I shared extemporaneously about “wish dream,” a phrase coined by Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his classic…
- Word, Spirit, Gospel and Mission (Final part) (17)
March 29, 2011, 11:39
Two months ago, I started to write this series of articles titled "Word, Spirit, Gospel and Mission" to formulate answers to some of the mission-related…
- Word, Spirit, Gospel and Mission (Part 1) (16)
February 10, 2011, 06:30
Here is a statement that you might endorse: "The Bible is the authoritative word of God. Refusing to obey God's word in the Bible is an act of disobedience…
- Word, Spirit, Gospel and Mission (Part 10) (3)
March 12, 2011, 09:02
In the last installment, I argued that the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 should not be taken out of context and made the preeminent motivator and…
- Word, Spirit, Gospel and Mission (Part 11) (6)
March 14, 2011, 10:58
When modern Protestants study Romans, we tend to focus on justification by faith. Our eyes are drawn to Romans 1:17, which many have said is the key verse of…
- Word, Spirit, Gospel and Mission (Part 12) (7)
March 16, 2011, 19:06
In the last installment, I argued that a major theme of Paul's epistle to the Romans is divine election. Paul didn't answer all the questions that people have…
- Word, Spirit, Gospel and Mission (Part 2) (14)
February 13, 2011, 01:48
It happened about two decades -- only half a generation -- after the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Church was facing an identity crisis that threatened…
- Word, Spirit, Gospel and Mission (Part 3) (7)
February 16, 2011, 10:46
From the perspective of the early Christians at the Jerusalem Council, it is understandable that many of them would think that Gentiles should be circumcised…
- Word, Spirit, Gospel and Mission (Part 4) (13)
February 17, 2011, 09:18
Donald A. McGavran (1897-1990) was born in India as a son and grandson of American missionaries. He served as a missionary in India for thirty years, then…
- Word, Spirit, Gospel and Mission (Part 5) (16)
February 22, 2011, 11:18
In the last article of this series, I introduced the strange and novel idea of missionaries being evangelized by their converts. The Bible's prototypical…
- Word, Spirit, Gospel and Mission (Part 6) (40)
February 24, 2011, 03:00
One overarching theme in the book of Acts is that the mission of the church is directed by the Holy Spirit. The church cannot fully set its own direction,…
- Word, Spirit, Gospel and Mission (Part 7) (10)
March 1, 2011, 18:38
At the end of the last installment, I mentioned the doctrine of election. When we hear that word "election," our minds immediately turn to the 400 year-old…
- Word, Spirit, Gospel and Mission (Part 8) (25)
March 4, 2011, 10:33
Many Christians have characterized the mission of the church only as winning individual souls. I argued in the last installment that this view of the gospel…
- Word, Spirit, Gospel and Mission (Part 9) (16)
March 10, 2011, 06:54
Election is a controversial concept for many Christians because, in the way that it is often presented, it appears to contradict human freedom. The Bible…
- Wounded by the Righteous (30)
May 30, 2012, 10:49
"There is no deeper pathos in the spiritual life of man than the cruelty of righteous people." Reinhold Niebuhr, An Interpretation of Christian Ethics.…
- Writer's Block (7)
September 7, 2010, 07:53
When I told someone recently that I studied Creative Writing in college, he responded, "Oh man, I can't write at all." That's what I typically get when I talk…
- Yet Not I, But The Grace of God That Was With Me (34)
November 19, 2013, 13:09
1 Corinthians 15:10 “ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet…
- Yoked for life? (30)
August 17, 2013, 10:56
A personal, life-long shepherd. Do you want one? In 1987 I happened by chance to meet ubf shepherds on my campus during my third week of college. I was 18…
- You eat-a no meat-a?! (25)
August 8, 2015, 09:14
“I see it all perfectly; there are two possible situations — one can either do this or that. My honest opinion and my friendly advice is this: do it or do…
- Your food sucks! (6)
September 27, 2014, 10:10
How do you help a group of people whose lives are intertwined with a failing organization? How do you get through to owners who are in denial about the state…
maybe a religious corollary is:
good food=helpful word of God
good service=helpful conduct
cleanliness=sincerity/authenticity
may the Spirit guide us to God’s words and help us interpret God’s meaning for good purpose
I’ve heard (and read) countless notable church leaders and leadership books say virtually the exact same thing: the starting point of turning around a declining church is to face the painful truth about your church…with your church.
It starts by listening not to themselves (like the declining restaurants, they think everything’s fine!), but to others. Until that happens, things cannot but continue as they have been, which is downhill. This is just what many books and leaders say.
Yes, Ben, it may be easy to dismiss the obvious solution to most problems: love. But it is so hard to do. I find that we often need someone to point out the obvious.
Hard listen to others because they may be wrong but can listen to God if the Spirit helps find true good meaning
Mark, those are things I had in mind… What “food” does your church offer? How is your church serving people, especially people not from your church? How transparent are your church’s leaders, i.e. do they hid their dirty laundry or are they vulnerable, accountable and approachable?
The “food” issue was a major point of contention during the Toledo ubf collapse. We were supposed to keep regurgitating the same old lectures, derived from SL’s lectures, over and over again. We were supposed to just look the other way when the Sunday lectures were used as a public shaming mechanism.
Most of us concluded that we just could not keep eating such crap.
Hallelujah; now the Spirit can make us shame free..