Union Avenue Baptist Church - Memphis, Tn.

Union Avenue Baptist Church - Memphis, Tn. Connecting You and this Community to Christ and His Community.

08/20/2026

….A Prayer for your week.

Please join us at Union Avenue Baptist Church
2181 Union Avenue THIS SUNDAY.

Worship service begins at 10:45am





"Through world wars, economic shifts, and cultural changes, God has found us faithful to gather across 6,473 Sundays and...
08/19/2026

"Through world wars, economic shifts, and cultural changes, God has found us faithful to gather across 6,473 Sundays and 6,472 Wednesdays just to praise His name and study His truth."

1902-2027, A Living Legacy

8/19/2026:When the People Pray for the King"May the LORD answer you in a day of trouble; may the name of the God of Jaco...
08/19/2026

8/19/2026:

When the People Pray for the King

"May the LORD answer you in a day of trouble; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you." — Psalm 20:1 (CSB)

OPENING THOUGHT
This psalm begins with 'you' — and that 'you' is the king. The people are praying for someone else. They are standing in the gap for their leader. That's a posture the church still desperately needs.

MESSAGE
It's easy to read Psalm 20 as a personal psalm — a prayer for oneself in a time of trouble. But the original context is communal intercession. The people are praying for their king. Ten times in the first five verses, the pronoun is 'you' or 'your' — and in every case, it refers not to the one praying but to the one being prayed for.

The king is heading into something hard. He's already knelt at the altar. He's already laid his offerings on the fire. And now the people surround him with prayer — not watching from a distance, but actively participating in his battle through intercession before he ever takes a step.

This is one of the most beautiful dimensions of this psalm. The community's well-being is bound up with the king's outcome (v. 5 — 'we will shout for joy when you are victorious'). They're not merely sympathetic observers. They are invested intercessors. What happens to him happens to them.

The New Testament draws a similar picture for the church. When one member suffers, all suffer. When one is honored, all share in the joy (1 Cor. 12:26). We are not isolated individuals pursuing private faith — we are a people whose prayers for one another carry real weight.

The Selah in this psalm creates space not just for personal reflection, but for communal attention. It asks: who are you praying for today? Who is heading into something hard, and does your intercession go with them? The pause of Selah may be precisely where our most important work happens — not in the noise of our own concerns, but in the quiet of standing before God on behalf of someone else.

REFLECTION
• Who in your life is in a 'day of trouble' right now — facing something difficult, uncertain, or threatening?
• How often do you pray for others with the kind of specificity and investment shown in Psalm 20? What gets in the way?
• What would it look like for your church community to be the kind of praying people who surround their leaders, members, and neighbors with this kind of intercession?

PRAYER DIRECTIVE
Write down the name of one person who is in a difficult season right now. Spend the next few minutes praying for them specifically — for God's protection, his presence, his answer. Let this be an act of offering on their behalf.

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




8/18/2026:The Name Above Every Strategy"Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name...
08/18/2026

8/18/2026:

The Name Above Every Strategy

"Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of the LORD our God." — Psalm 20:7 (CSB)

OPENING THOUGHT
Israel's neighbors had armies built on iron and speed. Israel had a name. And the psalm dares to say that's the better resource.

MESSAGE
The word 'name' appears three times in Psalm 20 — verses 1, 5, and 7. That repetition is not accidental. The entire psalm is scaffolded on the name of God. The people pray that the name of the God of Jacob would protect the king (v. 1). They raise banners in the name of their God (v. 5). And in their declaration of trust, they take pride not in weapons or strength but in the name of the LORD their God (v. 7).

In Hebrew thought, a name wasn't just a label — it was a summary of character and presence. 'The name of the God of Jacob' reaches back to the exodus, to Sinai, to the burning bush where God revealed himself as the one who would be what he would be — present, faithful, and active on behalf of his people. To trust the name was to trust everything that name represented.

The contrast in verse 7 is pointed: some trust chariots, some trust horses — the most advanced, most feared military technology of the ancient world. And yet the psalmist doesn't say chariots are irrelevant. He says they are the wrong foundation. You can use a chariot; you just can't trust one.

This is an important pastoral distinction. Psalm 20 isn't calling for passivity or naivety. The king made plans (v. 4). He sought counsel. He offered sacrifice. He led an army. But beneath all of that preparation was a deeper question: where does your confidence actually rest? In the excellence of your own preparation, or in the God who holds the outcome?

The Selah that follows verse 3 asks us to make this same honest inventory. What are your chariots? What do you reach for first when pressure comes — your own cleverness, your financial cushion, your reputation, your network? Those things may not be wrong. But are they your foundation, or is he?

REFLECTION
• What is your 'chariot' — the thing you naturally trust most when life gets hard?
• How would your daily decisions change if the name of the LORD was genuinely your primary source of confidence?
• The psalm says 'we take pride' in God's name — not just 'we trust.' What is the difference? What does pride in God's name look like in practice?

PRAYER DIRECTIVE
Pray through the things you tend to rely on most — your income, your abilities, your relationships, your plans. Name them honestly before God. Then, one by one, release each one back to him, asking him to be the name above every strategy in your life.

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




UABC, would you pray for our CEC Daycare? Share this post with young friends and family so they can be a part of our CEC...
08/18/2026

UABC, would you pray for our CEC Daycare?

Share this post with young friends and family so they can be a part of our CEC community!

“The 125th Anniversary at Union Avenue Baptist Church is unbelievable. I’m looking forward to the celebrations, the hist...
08/18/2026

“The 125th Anniversary at Union Avenue Baptist Church is unbelievable. I’m looking forward to the celebrations, the history, and discovering everything the church has provided over the years. I love history. I love the way God is using this church. And I’m thankful that God inspired those three ladies from ‘Baptist Ladies Aid Society’ for raising money selling cookies, bonnets, and candy, to purchase that plot of land for $300 to start this church. These were unbelievable ladies. I am thankful for our Pastor (Jeff Williamson) for his dedication to God’s work and this celebration.” - Sue Albonetti (Member since 1958)

And so it begins…..We are excited to begin our year long 125th celebration at Union Avenue Baptist Church. There is so much history to explore. Please join us on this journey. Make sure to stop by and learn more about the church and remain updated about events.

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





UABC, would you pray for our CEC Daycare? Share this post with young friends and family so they can be a part of our CEC...
08/18/2026

UABC, would you pray for our CEC Daycare?

Share this post with young friends and family so they can be a part of our CEC community!

Help us pass out popsicles tonight at 6:00pm! Come greet the Girl Scouts at the CEC entrance!
08/17/2026

Help us pass out popsicles tonight at 6:00pm! Come greet the Girl Scouts at the CEC entrance!

Tonight at 6:15! Come welcome the Girl Scouts at the CEC entrance!
08/17/2026

Tonight at 6:15! Come welcome the Girl Scouts at the CEC entrance!

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2181 Union Avenue
Memphis, TN
38104

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