Union Avenue Baptist Church - Memphis, Tn.

09/23/2026

9/23/2026:

Sharing in Christ's Sufferings and Comfort

“For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” — 2 Corinthians 1:5

OPENING THOUGHT
Suffering and comfort are not opposites competing for space in your life — they rise and fall together. The deeper the trial, the deeper the reserves of God's comfort available to meet it. Today, let this truth reframe whatever hardship you are facing: it is not evidence that God has abandoned you; it is an invitation to a deeper comfort than you've known before.

THE MESSAGE
Paul makes a striking claim: as the sufferings of Christ overflow into our lives, so does His comfort overflow through Christ. The word for “abound” pictures a river breaking its banks. Suffering doesn't overflow alone — comfort rises to match it, and often surpasses it.

Being united to Christ means we are united not only to His resurrection joy but to His sufferings. We should not be shocked when hardship comes; it is, in some sense, the normal inheritance of anyone joined to a crucified and risen Lord. But neither should we despair, because union with Christ also means union with everything He is now pouring out — comfort, strength, and hope.

This is not a tally of pain against comfort where we simply hope it balances out. Paul's language suggests something far more generous: comfort doesn't just equal suffering, it exceeds it. God is not stingy in His response to our pain.

This truth matters most in the moments when you feel you have been given more than your share of hardship. The same measure by which the trial has grown, God's comfort has grown to match — and, if you let Him, to overflow beyond it into someone else's life as well.

REFLECT
Have you ever experienced comfort from God that felt disproportionately larger than the suffering that preceded it? Describe it.
In what way might your current struggle be part of “sharing in Christ's sufferings” rather than a random or meaningless hardship?
What would it mean this week to actively expect comfort to abound as much as your trouble has abounded?

Prayer Directive

Jesus, You suffered before You were glorified, and You have called me to walk the same road. I don't ask You to remove every hardship, but I ask You to let Your comfort abound in me even more than my suffering does. Let me experience today that Your grace doesn't just match my pain — it overflows it. Amen.

Union Avenue Baptist Church - Memphis, Tn.
2181 Union Ave
Midtown, Memphis, TN

09/23/2026

Did you know?

In 1951, the Reverend Billy Graham came to Memphis, TN, to plan an evangelistic weekend with 600 ministers. The 32-year-old evangelist also appeared briefly at a public showing of a revival film here at Union Avenue Baptist.

A Living Legacy - 1902-2027

09/22/2026

Tonight! Meet at the game at 6:30 so we can get tickets together! See you there!

09/21/2026

Happy Monday! Since it’s so hot out, it’s time for “Popsicles on the Playground!” Want to join the fun? Grab two friends and volunteer with us tonight from 6-6:30 p.m. at the CEC entrance. We”d love to see you there!

09/21/2026

9/21/2026

Blessed Be The God Of All Comfort

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort,” — 2 Corinthians 1:3

REFLECT
When was the last time you began a hard conversation with God by praising Him first, rather than leading with your complaint?
Which specific “mercy” do you need from the Father today — for your body, your relationships, your fears, your regrets?
Do you tend to picture God’s comfort as sympathy or as strength? How might that shift change the way you pray?

PRAYER DIRECTIVE

Father, before I bring You my burdens, I bring You my praise. You are blessed and complete in Yourself, and I need nothing more than to be near You. Thank You for being the Father of mercies who has exactly what I need today, and the God of all comfort who strengthens me rather than merely pitying me. Draw me close, Lord, and let me feel Your strength beneath my weakness. Amen.

2181 Union Avenue
Midtown, Memphis, TN

09/21/2026

A Living Legacy
1902 -2027

Union Avenue Baptist Church - Memphis, Tn.

Please stop by and Share your fond memories, thoughts, prayers, and well wishes for our 125th celebration.

Your home in Christ…

2181 Union Avenue
Midtown, Memphis, TN

09/19/2026

(YouTube): 125th Anniversary | A Living Legacy | 1902-2027

We look forward to seeing you on Sunday!

* Bible Study 9:30 AM
* Greeting and Fellowship 10:45 AM
* Worship: Mr. Kirby Brewer Preaching 11 AM

https://www.unionavenue.org/upcoming-events

2181 Union Avenue
Midtown, Memphis, TN





midtownmemphis

09/19/2026

“A hundred and twenty-five years is a long time by any human measure. Generations have been born, raised, and sent out from this place. Wars have come and gone. The city around us has changed in ways our founding members never could have imagined. And yet the message preached from this pulpit has not changed at all. The same gospel that gathered a handful of the faithful in 1902 is the gospel we preach today: Christ crucified, risen, and coming again. That continuity is not our achievement. It is God's faithfulness on display.”

-Pastor Jeff Williamson

Join us at 2181 Union Avenue on Sundays at 10:45 AM, or online at unionavenue.org, as we begin this season of celebration together

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

09/18/2026

When were you first introduced to Union Avenue Baptist? Do you know that you are part of "The Living Legacy"

In 1902, a small congregation of believers gathered in obedience to a simple conviction: that the gospel of Jesus Christ was worth building a church around. They could not have known what the next century and a quarter would hold. They only knew that God had called them together, and that was enough

09/17/2026

…A Prayer for your week. We are always praying for you.

Please join us at for our Sunday worship beginning at 10:45am

2181 Union Avenue
Midtown, Memphis, TN