RUF UWM
By Nick Bratcher
RUF UWMSep 18, 2019
Summer Conference Seminar: Ethics, Pt. 2
Summer Conference Seminar: Ethics Pt. 1
“Ski Lift Debacles and Singing the Mercy of God” (Exodus 5:1–2; 7:1–13; 9:13–17)
“The Grief of False Gods and the Grace of the Living God” (Exodus 5 & 6)
SEMINAR: “Let’s Get Ethical!”
“John Knox and Gourmet Dominoes Pizza” (Exodus 4:1-17)
“A Game Changing Moment” (Exodus 3:1-17)
“Suffering and the Weeping Lion” (Exodus 1:22-2:25)
“The Sandlot God” (Exodus 1:1-21)
“Marriage, Jesus, and Joshua Bassett’s Treachery” (Ephesians 5:21–33)
“The One about Dating” (1 Corinthians 7:1-40)
“The Good Gift of Singleness” (1 Corinthians 7:1, 7-9, 25-38)
But singleness is more than just the first step toward romantic connection. That’s why Paul needed to tell the Corinthian church what it truly means to be single in the eyes of God. Campus minister Nick Bratcher unpacks God’s wisdom to singles in 1 Corinthians 7:1, 7-9, and 25-38.
"God, Sex, and the Human Body" (1 Cor. 6:12-20)
God telling us to forgive people, to work hard for our employers, to love our neighbors. This all seems well and good.
These, we think, are societal matters. They affect everyone. They are part of what it means to be a good person.
But why does God care about our sexuality? Campus minister Nick Bratcher seeks to answer that question from 1 Cor. 6:12-20.
“Relating to the Local Church” (1 Cor. 12:4–31; 13:1)
The church. Love it or hate it, it's Christ's body. How do we relate to this body with our various experiences of it? Some full of skepticism and pain. Others tell tales of healing and growth. Sill others, apathy and confusion. What is the local church and what does it mean for how we know Jesus? Campus minister Nick Bratcher touches on this and more from 1 Cor. 12:4–31; 13:1.
"Friendship, Part III: God's Forgiveness and Ours" (Matt. 18:21-35)
True friendship can be awfully messy. We hurt one another and struggle to love those who sin against us. How much are we supposed to take before hitting the proverbial "eject" button on a friend? Campus Minister Nick Bratcher unpacks this issue as part of our series on Relationships.
“Friendship, Part II: Whom are we to befriend?” (Luke 10:25-37)
"Friendship, Part I: What is friendship?" (Proverbs 18:24; 27:10; 16:28; 27:5-6, 9, 17)
God has said that it is not good for humans to be alone (Gen 2:18). Friendship is vital in meeting our need for relationship, but what does a healthy friendship look like? What are its challenges? What are its benefits? Campus Minister Nick Bratcher touches on this and more as he seeks to answer the question, "What is friendship?" from the book of Proverbs.
“The Strain on Relationships” (Gen 2:9-17; 3:1-3:27)
"Why are we here?" (Gen. 1:1-2:3)
Origins—the stories of our world—are important for making sense of the present and what ought to come next. We understand the reason for Peter Parker’s crime fighting as Spiderman better when we know about the death of Uncle Ben at the hand of criminals Peter should have stopped. Getting the start right enables us to view the present through the correct lens, with the proper worldview, so to speak.
As part of our Spring 2021 sermon series, Campus Minister Nick Bratcher teaches from Gen. 1:1-2:3, seeking to understand our origin story. We answer the question: why are we here?
"Not That Long Ago, in a Manger Not So Far Away" (Matthew 1:1-17)
Campus Minister Nick Bratcher preaches at Christ Church Milwaukee on 11/29/20 as part of their advent series. He unpacks Matthew's genealogy which tells us at least three things about how Jesus came to us on the first Christmas:
1) Jesus came as a king (v. 1)
2) Jesus came with a past (vv. 2-16)
3) Jesus came as planned (v. 17)
"God’s Love and Our Love" (1 John 4:7-12)
In our pain, we often decide that we are only going to love ourselves and those who are enough like ourselves to not be too difficult. We love when it is convenient. Yet God is clear: we are to love one another without exception. So, how do we love our enemies? How are we to love one another, without exception? Campus minister Nick Bratcher unpacks this and more from 1 John 4:7-12 as part of our sermon series, “That You May Know.”
"Overcoming Antichristian Deception" (1 John 4:1-6)
All around us, there are voices with conflicting messages about what our identity is. Is it how much money we have, our sexual preferences, what we look like, or even the opinions of our friends? Into this cacophony of voices, 1 John 4:1-6 advocates the truth that Jesus is the Christ who has come in the flesh. Campus Minister Nick Bratcher teaches that we should believe this truth because of the worldliness of the false teaching and the godliness of the truth's audience.
"Loved by God, Loving One Another" (1 John 3:11–24)
The marker of Christians is not just how they negatively abstain from sin. They are also known by their love for one another. From 1 John 3:11–24, campus minister Nick Bratcher argues that because God has shown us such great love, we ought to love one another. How are we to do that?
John’s provides three ways we are to love one another:
vv. 11-15- inwardly
vv. 16-18- outwardly
vv. 19-24- confidently