Teachings from Unionville Alliance

What do you do when something stands in front of you that feels bigger, louder, and stronger than you? In 1 Samuel 17 we encounter a familiar story, not about the size of a giant, but about the strength of a trust rooted in God’s faithfulness. While fear paralyzes an entire army, David steps forward with covenant confidence shaped by years of walking with God in hidden places. This message reminds...

What if the very place you feel overlooked is the place where God is doing His deepest work? In 1 Samuel 16 we are invited into a quiet moment in Bethlehem where God passes over the obvious choices and sets His heart on a shepherd no one expected. This opening message reminds us that God sees beyond appearances and chooses people not for their platform but for their heart. Long before David wore a...

What if healing is more than getting better and salvation is more than going to heaven? In Mark 5, we meet a woman whose life was marked by twelve years of chronic brokenness, physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually, until one desperate act of faith brought her face to face with Jesus. In this message, we explore the powerful Greek word sozo, where salvation and healing are inseparably...

Every story Jesus told revealed a glimpse of His heart, but this one reveals His very mission. The parable of the Good Samaritan is not just a moral lesson about kindness; it is the story of Christmas itself. We are the ones left wounded on the side of the road, and Jesus is the One who comes near. He is the true Good Samaritan who crosses the distance of heaven to reach us in our brokenness. The...

Love is never content to stay on the other side of the road. In Jesus’ story, a Samaritan sees a wounded stranger and moves toward him with compassion that costs something. He binds the man’s wounds, lifts him up, and pays the price for his recovery. That is the kind of love Advent calls us to remember. God saw our brokenness and did not turn away. He crossed the greatest distance of all when He s...

Every traveler longs for a place to rest during a difficult journey. For the wounded man, that place was an inn: a space for comfort, care, and peace. In the story Jesus told, the innkeeper quietly receives the broken stranger and tends to his healing. What if that is what the church is meant to be? A refuge for the weary, a hospital for the hurting, a community for the broken. Advent reminds us t...

In this Advent season when heaven came close to earth, how often do we still keep our distance? The priest and the Levite both saw the wounded man but kept their distance. They hurried past, too busy or too proud to stop. They didn’t cross the road or cross their prejudices, barriers, or stigmas to help the needy. Advent invites us to trade our religious routines for a faith that moves, a joy that...

The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was steep, dangerous, and lonely. In Jesus’ story, a man lies beaten and half-dead on that road, stripped of dignity and left with nothing but fading breath and a desperate hope that someone might stop. That’s our story too. Humanity lies wounded by sin and separated from God, longing for rescue we can’t achieve ourselves. But Advent reminds us that Hope Himself...

Why does one person feel closest to God in nature while another thrives in study or service? God has given His people different pathways to connect with Him, and each one is sacred. Some draw near through creation, others through celebration, others through stillness, service, or study. The psalmist declared, “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you,” yet the way that...

Sometimes life is amazing and sometimes things just go our way, but have you ever had a moment in your life when nothing makes sense? A moment when life is putting you through the wringer and you just can’t figure out why any of it is happening? Join us this Sunday as we continue in our Made For More series and explore how God is faithful in our times of suffering, and how the Lord can use the exp...

Why do you respond to life differently than the people around you? The truth is that God designed your personality intentionally, shaping the way you relate, lead, and serve. Scripture says that the Lord does not look at the outward appearance but at the heart, and your heart is expressed through the temperament God gave you. Some are energized by people, others by projects, some prefer leading, o...

Why do certain tasks feel almost effortless for you while others seem exhausting? The answer is that God has given you natural abilities that reveal His intention for your life. From the skilled artisans who built the tabernacle in Exodus to the servants in Jesus’ parable of the talents, Scripture shows us that God delights in using the skills He has placed in His people. These strengths are not j...

What breaks your heart or makes it beat faster? God has placed deep desires within each of us that align with His purposes for the world. These are not shallow interests but holy passions that reveal who and what He is calling us to impact. The Apostle Paul wrote that God comforts us in our troubles so that we can comfort others in theirs, reminding us that even our pain can fuel our purpose. When...

Have you ever wondered why following Jesus can feel impossible in your own strength? Scripture teaches that the Spirit gives gifts to every believer for the building up of the body of Christ. These gifts are not random talents but divine empowerments, given so that you can serve with effectiveness and joy. Too often we compare ourselves with others or bury what God has entrusted to us, forgetting...

What if the greatest tragedy in life is not failing, but succeeding at things that never truly mattered? Scripture reminds us that we are God’s masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do. You were formed with intention, designed by the Creator of the universe for a purpose that cannot be duplicated by anyone else. Yet so many of us settle for l...

It often seems to us that God in the Old Testament is wrathful, while God in the New Testament is loving. This can give us the impression that the Bible contains two different gods! But when we look closely we see that in both testaments we find God's wrath and His love. This actually makes sense, because wrath is not the opposite of love -- indifference is. God's wrath is on account of His love f...

The Message translation of John 1:14 reads, "The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighbourhood." It's a reminder that Jesus came to be with people and to be present even in the messiness of our lives. How can we live as Jesus lived, in our neighbourhood, and in community with people around us? Flow Without Bounds Ministries is a Christian outreach to Kin Village and Trinity Square....

Have you ever wondered, "How can I know that God exists?" For Lee Strobel, a former atheist and investigative journalist, the search for truth became personal when his wife became a Christian. He embarked on a mission to disprove the claims of Christ, only to find himself transformed by the very evidence he set out to refute. We explore this same question—not through scientific proofs, but by aski...

The Bible makes bold and provocative claims of eternal significance—claims that, if true, call for our wholehearted allegiance. But how do we know the Bible is credible? How can we trust that it is divinely inspired?

It’s a topic that stirs curiosity, raises questions, and sometimes even sparks fear. The book of Revelation—with its vivid symbols and apocalyptic imagery—can feel overwhelming or hard to interpret. But at the heart of it all, Jesus offers clarity. He spoke openly about the signs of the times, the coming of His Kingdom, and the call to remain spiritually alert. Revelation doesn’t just reveal chaos...

Have you ever wondered, in your darkest moments, “If God is good, why does He allow so much pain in this world?” This question isn’t just philosophical—it’s deeply personal for anyone who has faced loss, injustice, or heartbreak. Throughout history, Christians have wrestled honestly with the reality of evil and suffering, finding not easy answers, but a God who enters into our pain. We’ll explore...

Locked rooms, lonely hearts, and a world ripping apart at the seams—sound familiar? This Easter we’ll trace some raw encounters with the risen Jesus and discover how the empty tomb still shatters anxiety, loneliness, division, guilt, suffering, marginalization, and even utter hopelessness. From a breakfast fire on a Galilean beach to a whispered name in a quiet garden, every scene delivers hope th...

On that first Good Friday outside of Jerusalem three people were sentenced to die. Two were criminals who were guilty of their crimes. Between them was Jesus who would be found innocent of any crime, yet unjustly condemned to death for His claim to be the Messiah. The story of the crucifixion in Luke 23 highlights Jesus’ willingness, even as his own life is draining out, to give comfort, hope and...

On Palm Sunday, we wave our branches in celebration, but all too quickly they wither and are forgotten—much like how the triumphal entry can become just a small detail in the larger Easter story. Yet, this moment is rich with meaning. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem not only foreshadows His crucifixion and resurrection, but also connects deeply with the Old Testament, revealing God's heart and the int...

Have you ever felt the weight of past mistakes pressing down on your heart, longing for a fresh start? From the cleansing rituals in the Old Testament to John’s baptism of repentance in the New, Scripture offers a beautiful picture of redemption and renewed life in the call for believers to repent and be baptized, marking a bold step of faith toward a brand-new identity in Christ. More than a mere...