First Chinese Baptist Church San Gabriel Valley

Jesus wants the church to grow up, not just to grow old. The goal of His church is to become more and more like Jesus. To help us mature, God did not only just give us leaders to equip us, God also gave us each other so that we may speak the truth in love to each other. When we speak the truth of Jesus to one another, we grow in Jesus in every aspect of our lives. Rather than living in our childish ways, the Body of Christ can help each other to grow up to become more and more like Christ by speaking the Gospel truth to one another through actions and words.

In this new sermon series, we return to the mission of our church. We'll explore each component as we prepare to enter into a new church year. Our church's mission is to multiply disciples who love God, love one another and love the lost by abiding in Christ through His word, prayer and the Holy Spirit. This week, we explore the greatest commandment - love God. Loving God is more than just doing things for God. We can do things for God without loving God but when we genuinely love God, we will always do things for God. In Matthew 26:6-13, we saw a portrait of love toward God. Mary loved Jesus because she was first loved by God. Loving God means that we give God our very best. To many, our best to God may seem like a waste but to God, it is a beautiful thing. Rather than waiting till later to love God, now is always the best time to love God wherever we are, whatever we do.

We have gotten to meet many people with our life and may think to ourselves "Well ____ will never change." In Acts 9, God changed Saul to become the person we know as Paul. This radical transformation was first initiated by God, responded by Saul and Ananaias was sent as the changed agent. This encourages us that even when we don't see changes in people, we should not give up on the person. Instead, we must wait actively and pray faithfully. We must trust that God knows the right time and knows what He is doing.

Forgiveness is never easy. Many times we don't think we can or we don't want to forgive those who have hurt us. In this sermon, we explore various myths that might cause us to hold grudges toward those who wrong us. The strength to forgive others comes from us being forgiven by God through faith in Jesus Christ. We can and should forgive because we were first forgiven by God.

Through commercials and media, the world around us tells us that we should believe in ourselves. But this lie will not lead us toward life as God creates for us to live. Instead, it will lead to our downfall. We believe in ourselves because somehow we think that we can control our lives. What matters most is who Jesus says He is and who Jesus says we are. Having faith means that we will trust His Word and trust it enough to live by it.

Follow our hearts is destructive because our hearts are faulty and deceitful. Because of our sinful nature, our hearts are one of stone but by the grace of God, through Jesus we have been given a new heart - a heart of flesh. Rather than following our hearts, God calls us to follow His Son Jesus Christ through saying no to our flesh, committing to Jesus even though it may cost us and living like Jesus.

The second lie that many Christians believe is that “God doesn't give us more than we can handle." However, all of life is more than we can handle. The Bible instead tells us that we will go through suffering, but God will be with us through that suffering, even when our lives are falling apart (See Psalm 23:4, Psalm 46:1, Isaiah 43:2 for more). When God gives us more than what we can handle, we come to know God - 1) The sovereign God who is always in control, 2) The all powerful God who empowers us when we can find no power, 3) The loving God who can sympathize with our weaknesses. We have Jesus in us and therefore we have everything we need to face whatever that is going on in our lives. Rather than believing in the lie, we must trust that God won't give me more than what He can handle through us. 

As we kick off our new sermon series Lies Christians Believe, we tackle the first lie: "God just wants me to be happy." This lie leaves us believing that we can choose whatever we want to do just because it makes us happy, even if that means it hurts others or sin against God. This a lie because we can't always be happy. Happiness is based on circumstances and it is very fleeting. Instead, God gives us joy as the Holy Spirit dwells in us. Joy that is from God is not based on circumstances, but on the person Jesus. Our joy remains because Jesus Christ remains in us. Because of this, we are commanded to rejoice in always because we can always trust in Him.

God's love for us is not determined by what we ought to do but by who we are. We are His creation and He loves us with His everlasting love. He loves us so much that He sent His Son to redeem us. Our Heavenly Father's love is not marked by what He can give us but who He is to us. His greatest sign of love is His presence with us everyday. Our response to this love is by delighting in His presence by listening to Him through His Word and talking to Him through prayer.

English Sermon (06/13/21) – Theology of Sexual Identity (Gen 1:26-28) God's perfect design of us includes our sexuality. He created males and females. Our hormones and genetics confirm God's design. Contrary to the world's definition, our sexuality is not different from our gender. Sex and gender are one and the same. While gender roles may be generalities based on social and cultural values, gender identity is absolute. Gender identity is not a preference or a choice. Rather it's God's perfect design for us. Our gender is hardwired into how God has made us. Any sexual behavior that is against God's perfect order is considered a sin against God. But the good news is that the Gospel is good enough to save anyone, including those who struggle with sexual identity.

English Sermon (06/06/21) – Gospel (1Corinthians 15:1-4, Mark 1:15-17) The Gospel is the backbone and the core of our Christian faith. Starting from Genesis, God foreshadowed the one-time sacrifice that Jesus would eventually make to cover our sin and shame. The Gospel contains four essential truth: 1. The kingdom is already at hand on earth 2. Christ is the Son of God who came on to this earth 3. Christ died for our sin on the cross and was buried 4. Christ was resurrected on the third day. But the Gospel is not complete without calling people to respond to the Gospel. To receive the gospel, one must repent of sins, believe in the truth of the Gospel, and commit to following Jesus Christ as Lord. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we have been given a new identity in Christ and we are also called to be the ambassadors to share the Gospel and multiply disciples.

English Sermon (05/30/21) – 3 Circles: Brokenness (Genesis 3:1-19) In this sermon, we will explore the second circle in our ‘3 Circles’ series which is “brokenness”. Even without looking into scripture, many of us have had at least a glimpse of what brokenness looks like in this world. When we turn on the news, we see brokenness in the form of homelessness, crimes, addiction, disease, cancer, human trafficking, etc. Brokenness is not a new issue and there is no one who is exempt from it because it is the result of sin. Genesis 3 is the beginning of when man separated from God and God’s perfect design, and the result has been passed on through generations.  You see, we choose to depart from God’s design (sin) and that is what always leads to brokenness. That brokenness is also what helps us see our need for change. We try to fix brokenness through politics, inventions and technology - and while those things can be good, they are only temporary fixes. In the end, the only solution to heal our brokenness is the Gospel. 

English Sermon (05/23/21) – 3 Circles: God's Design (Genesis 1-2) As we go through our 3 Circles series, we will start with the first circle, which is “God’s Design”. Genesis 1-2 are the first few chapters of the Bible and tell us how God perfectly created and designed this world. Out of all his creation, only one was created in his image and that was us, human beings (the first being Adam and Eve). God created us to love us and have a relationship with Him by being deeply involved with the design for every aspect of our lives. By his design we would experience God’s goodness and glorify him in that. Next sermon, we will discuss how that design was disrupted and how sin has corrupted God’s perfect plans for us.

English Sermon (05/16/21) – 3 Circles: Always be Prepared (1 Peter 3:13-17) Welcome to our new sermon series ‘3 Circles’! As Christians, we are commanded to share the Gospel and to be ready to give the reason for the hope that we believe in. This series will hopefully help you to prepare your hearts for Christ and learn to share the Gospel in a way that anyone who is listening can easily learn it and easily train others later.  Looking at 1 Peter 3, Peter tells us that we need to be ready to have an answer or defense for those who ask us about our faith. In this sermon, we will ask ourselves 4 questions as a way to check our preparedness and to ask God for the strength to serve him faithfully in a world that is not welcoming to the Gospel. 

English Sermon (05/09/21) – A Christ-Centered Woman (Acts 9:36-43) Happy Mother’s Day to all the biological mothers, mother figures, spiritual mothers and mothers to be! Today we will focus on a sister in Acts 9, a disciple of Christ named Tabitha, whose name translated means Dorcas. Dorcas was special not because of what she did, but because she was a devoted follower of Christ and her actions were an expression of her love for Christ. She found her purpose in Jesus and as a result that lead her to go out and do many good works and acts of charity (not the other way around). Our lives are not and will not be purposeful or fulfilled by the outward things we do. You see, we do not add Jesus to our lives; Jesus must become our lives and our purpose, just as he was for Dorcas.  Dorcas was a great example to us on how to be Christ-centered people by finding our purpose in Christ, being available to do God’s word, being a witness for Christ and finding hope in Jesus resurrection.

English Sermon (05/02/21) – Pray and Go (Acts 1:6-11) If you’ve been following along with us this year, we just finished our B.L.E.S.S series but that doesn’t mean our work with others is done! Jesus had a method of continuously ‘praying and going’ during his ministry. The early church in Acts all prayed before they went out and prayed also while they were going - that is how Christ’s followers grew from hundreds to hundreds of thousands!  We must realize that every follower of Christ is called to be a witness in this world. Not only are we called to be witnesses locally in the area we live, but also globally. The last thing we must realize is that in order for ANY of this to happen, we need the power of the Holy Spirit.   For the next 52 weeks, we as a church body will be committing to praying continuously for our neighborhood. So here is the question for YOU: are YOU committed to PRAY and GO?

English Sermon (04/18/21) – B.L.E.S.S – Share Your Story (John 3:1-18)  Thank you all for sticking around to the end of our B.L.E.S.S. series! All of the other letters we’ve been discussing have been leading up to the last letter ’S’ which stands for ‘Share Your Story’. While the first 4 letters (B, L, E, S) are essential, it is actually not enough for us to just live good Christ-like lives. To some people, your outward actions may tell them that you are a good person but those people may not necessarily make the connection that your actions are the result of having Christ in your life. The words we use to share our testimony are so important and powerful to communicate the Gospel but oftentimes we are too fearful to use them. We can learn how to better share our story through John 3 which describes the encounter of Jesus and Nicodemus. Jesus shared with Nicodemus briefly who he was, what he was going to do and how Nicodemus too could have eternal life.  Jesus shared a short story with someone who was spiritually interested and then turned a regular conversation into a spiritual one. Through this, Nicodemus’ life was completely changed!  We can learn from Jesus and prepare to share our story by creating a written testimony, practicing it, and lastly praying for open doors and open hearts for people to receive God into their lives so that they too can have eternal life once they hear the Good News.

English Sermon (04/18/21) – B.L.E.S.S – Serve in Love (Mark 7:31-37)  During his ministry, Jesus performed many miracles but he didn’t do so randomly - Jesus most often served those who were right in front of him. Although he could just speak the words and heal someone far away (think of the Centurion and his servant), he usually healed those within his proximity. In Mark 7:31-37, Jesus comes across a man who is both blind and mute. He takes the man aside, looks up to heaven and with a deep sigh, heals the man with God’s power. Jesus did not heal every sick person the same way but rather through understanding and having empathy of each person’s unique personal needs. So far we’ve learned how to ‘BEGIN with prayer', 'LISTEN with care', 'EAT together', and now the next step is for us to SERVE in love. The first 3 letters help us to know someone on a deeper level so that we can serve them better and more accurately.  Jesus served those within his proximity with perceptiveness and on a personal level by using God’s power. Serving others in love starts by following Jesus’ example wherever we are in the place God has sovereignly put us in.

English Sermon (04/11/21) – B.L.E.S.S – Eat Together (Matthew 9:9-13) Today, we’ll talk about the letter ‘E’ which stands for “Eat Together”. Although eating may seem like a simple thing, it can become a very powerful way to bless other people. Jesus exemplified this in his life by eating for the glory of God. Not only did he eat with others but the food itself was also central to many of his miracles (i.e- water to wine, feeding five thousand, last supper, communion). In Matthew 9, Jesus called Matthew, a tax collector hated by many, to follow him and immediately after that they shared a meal together (for context, eating with someone in those days was a sign of approval and association). To add to that, many other tax collectors and ‘sinners’ also came to sit and eat with Jesus at that meal. Through eating, Jesus brought these people who were far away from God to become closer to God. Luke 7:34 says that Jesus was known as a FRIEND of tax collectors and sinners. How does this apply to us? In both secular and Christian contexts, eating together is a way of networking and connecting with people. Jesus was a missional eater, and as his followers, we also learn how to be missional eaters that work to bring the Gospel to others.

English Sermon (03/28/21) - B.L.E.S.S - Begin with Prayer (Luke 18:35-42) The next letter in our B.L.E.S.S series is ‘L’, which stands for “Listen with Care”. In Luke 18, a blind man hears the news that Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. When he hears this, he cries out to Jesus to have mercy on him and when those around him try to silence him, he cries out even more! Although this happened during the Passover season and the area was very crowded and very busy, Jesus hears the man and commands that he be brought to him. From there, Jesus asks a somewhat strange question, given the man’s seemingly obvious needs. He asks the blind man, “What do you want me to do for you?”. Even though Jesus knows all that we need before we ask, Jesus asks because he listens to people. How well do we listen to others - or rather, genuinely listen to others? How often do we assume others' needs or think about how we will respond to someone before they even finish speaking? We can bless others just like Jesus did by learning to listen better to others so that we know what they are going through because when people are HEARD, then they feel KNOWN and ultimately they will feel LOVED.

English Sermon (03/21/21) - B.L.E.S.S - Begin with Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)  If a stranger comes to your house to try and sell you something, you may not be all that interested (even if they have a good deal to offer). But, if a friend approaches you to point out something that serves to benefit you and your interest, you may be inclined to listen (even if they are doing it to sell something). In the same way, there can be a big difference in the effectiveness of expanding God’s kingdom based on how we approach others. Rather than trying to “convert” others to know Christ (no matter how strategically we try to do it), a better approach is to do so by BLESSING others, just as Jesus did. Pastor Dave Ferguson created the acronym B.L.E.S.S to help us remember how to bless others in our lives practically.  Today, we will focus on the first letter of B.L.E.S.S. which is 'B' - Begin with Prayer. Prayer is extremely important not only because Jesus himself did so before his ministry, but also because we must remember that we ourselves do not have the power to change and transform people’s hearts - only Jesus can reveal his Kingdom in other’s lives! So how do we pray? Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13 which is more commonly known as the ‘Lord’s Prayer’. Jesus teaches us to pray for: 1) God to rule and reign in people’s lives and 2) for God to make us available for his mission.  When we start praying for those who are far away from God, that leads us to be more available and more perceptive of those around us who are in need of Jesus. Therefore, ask God to reveal himself to those around you - who is he calling you to reach today?

English Sermon (03/14/21) - B.L.E.S.S - Jesus’ Mission Our Mission (John 4:1-26) Do you ever feel like you face the same routine everyday? Same school, same job, same family, same friends, etc. For many of us, we are often doing the things we “have to” do, but what would it look like if we switch from just surviving into truly thriving? What if instead of doing things we “have to” do, we turn to things we “HAVE TO” do with passion and purpose? In John 4, Jesus decided that he and his disciples HAD TO pass through Samaria because his mission was to reach Samaritans through a Samaritan woman. At the well, Jesus told the Samaritan woman that he can give ‘living water’ for which she will never thirst again and also revealed to her that he is the Messiah. She believed and became a witness to others. Through her testimony, many who lived in that town also came to know Jesus. Because Jesus’ mission was to reach others, all of us who claim to be followers of Christ also have the same mission to do so. We can love others and fulfill our mission by REACH-ing, RESTORE-ing and REPRODUCE-ing.

English Sermon (02/28/21) - Beneath the Surface: Growing into a Spiritually Mature Adult (Luke 10:25-37) Unlike physically maturing into an adult, spiritual maturity doesn’t necessarily come with age. In fact, it is very possible for someone to have accepted Christ or attended church for a long time yet still be a spiritual infant. That is because the true mark of spiritual maturity is more than just discipline and even more than a vertical-only relationship with God; it is defined by how we interact with others (horizontal). In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus tells of a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan who all encounter a traveler that was beaten and stripped by robbers on the road yet only one of them stopped to help. Even though the priest and Levite were supposedly the more spiritually mature ones, it was the Samaritan who had compassion and showed love to the traveler. Spiritual maturity and loving God is intricately connected with loving others. We can grow and show love to others by 1) seeing the people around us and their unique needs 2) going towards those in need and meeting them on a personal level and 3) doing something for others and taking action.

English Sermon (02/21/21) - Beneath the Surface: Discover the Rhythm of the Daily Office  (Daniel 6:10) We live in a busy and hurried world. As things become faster and more efficient, it also means that the amount of things that we can and will do increases more and more. Yet even in our busyness, we can be and actually need to be intentionally engaging with Christ in whatever we’re doing. In the midst of everything we have on our plates, we can develop a rhythm to be with God. At the peak of his career in Babylon, Daniel’s rhythm was to get on his knees and pray to God three times a day. Daniel spent frequent time with God (daily office) and that prepared him to continue to engage with God actively throughout his day. Daniel was thriving in Babylon as the second highest person in command without ever compromising being with God. We seek the Lord frequently not just to ask for supplication or in an attempt to please him, but so that we can come to know and love him more, just as the psalmist writes in Psalm 27 v.4, “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple”

English Sermon (02/14/21) - Bear Much Fruit of the Gospel  As a reminder, our theme for this year is to “Abide in Christ, Bear Much Fruit”. In Romans 1, we know that Paul was very eager to preach the Gospel all across Rome. Why was he so eager to preach the Gospel and what does that imply for Christians to share the Gospel today? Do Christians have the option not to share Christ with non-believers? We know that for those who are saved their eternity is with Christ, but non-believers are walking towards a cliff which is an eternity of death. We have accountability to share the Gospel to our family, friends, acquaintances and even strangers, who don’t know Christ yet - and this is not optional (Ezekiel 33). For us to share, we ought to ask God to open the door of opportunity for us, ask Him to give us the boldness to share, do our very best to share and lastly leave the rest to the Lord.

English Sermon (02/07/21) - Beneath the Surface: Enlarge our Souls through Grief and Loss (Matthew 26:36-46) Oftentimes we may think becoming more like Christ is just coming to church and reading the Bible and while that is true, God wants to transform us and change us on a deeper level, from the inside out. This change requires and occurs most often when we experience grief and loss. The Bible never shies away from or hides grieving. A few examples include the book of Lamentations and Psalms and characters such as David, Job, Jeremiah and Nehemiah. But perhaps the most powerful and encouraging example of this was through Jesus himself. In the garden of gethsemane, Jesus grieved and suffered deeply and as such learned obedience that was part of the Father’s will so that through his death, all sinners may be saved. It’s okay to embrace our grief and loss and doing so is actually part of what makes us human. When we embrace our grief and loss, we can learn to fall to God’s will, fall down on our knees in prayer and to fall into the arms of our community of brothers and sisters who support us and in all this, come to know God more and display the Gospel in our lives. 

English Sermon (01/31/21) - Beneath the Surface: Journey through the Wall (Genesis 22)  At some point in our lives, we hit a wall. That wall may come in the form of a bad break-up, a broken dream, an unfortunate diagnosis, loss of a job or loss of a loved one. Yet, in order for us to continue to grow, God sometimes allows us to hit that wall. Abraham waited many years for God to fulfill his promise to make him a father of many nations. However, when his son Isaac was finally born, God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his one and only son. When Abraham hit this wall, he was not being punished by God but rather being tested in order that God might reveal something to him. When we hit our personal walls and our faith is tested, we need to identify what is keeping us from drawing closer to God, receive His forgiveness, accept that growth is a lifelong process and finally trust that God will provide, because on the other side of that wall is a greater understanding and deeper relationship with Jesus.

English Sermon (01/24/21) - Beneath the Surface: Going Back in Order to Go Forward (Genesis 50:15-21) Something that none of us get a say in is the family we are born into. However much we love them or whatever way we feel about them, we all know that none of us are born into perfect families. Joseph’s family in Genesis was no exception. Looking through his life, we know that in his family there were lies, sibling rivalry, favoritism, and unhealthy marriage - most of which were sins passed on from his family generations before. Yet, we see what he says to his brothers, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (v.20). Joseph recognized and eventually called out the sins of his family but even more than that, he was able to show love to his brothers because he loved God and trusted in God’s sovereign hand. Our family past becomes part of our identity, and exploring that past and knowing more about them gives us discernment for our choices in the future. Through the power of the gospel, we can break free and move forward.

English Sermon (01/17/21) - Beneath the Surface: Know Yourself So You May Know God (1 Samuel 17)  How many of us are living day by day based on how the world expects us to live without thinking about the real purpose of our lives? Wake up, go to school or work, sleep and repeat the same routine the next day and every day after that. Many of us currently live this false self - one that God did not intend or make us to be. Through the famous passage in 1 Samuel 17, we look at how to discover the way that God has made us. Part of that journey is identifying the barriers in our lives that keep us from living out our true selves. We need to live true to how God made us, using what God has given us, so that we may know who He is and by extension for the whole world to know who He is, just as young David did.

English Sermon (01/10/21) - Beneath the Surface: Danger of Saying "No" (1 Samuel 15:17-35) Today we begin our new series starting with the danger of saying “no”. There has been a problem in Christianity for generations. The problem we have is this inconsistency in our Christian lives that our outside life does not match our inside life. The Gospel has changed our behavior on the outside but has not reached deep enough to change our hearts. That is because we focus so much on the outside 10% of what is visible on the surface and have neglected to reflect on the 90% of what is beneath and unseen to others. We are all susceptible to this inconsistency and will eventually learn how unsustainable it is for our spiritual walk and growth with God. Today we will look at the story of King Saul in 1 Samuel:15 and discover how he focused too much on the 10% rather than the 90% and the things he said “no” that led to his downfall, his discontentment and God’s rejection. Saul had a sad ending but God wants to redeem us not just by fixing the 10% but giving us ways to work on the 90%.

English Sermon (01/03/21) – Our Antioch Moment (Act 13:1-4) Happy 2021! Before we dive into our new sermon series, we have a special message to begin the year with from Acts 13. 2020 put many of us into survival mode so now you may be wondering - what’s next for the future? Many years ago, the church in Antioch had the same question. They had this “Antioch Moment” from which there was a burden to grow and progress and the answer to that question would eventually lead to an explosion of the Gospel and an expansion of God’s Kingdom in Asia minor. How did the church accomplish this? The answer can be found in verses 2-3: they did so by FASTING and PRAYING. Let’s start off the year by emptying our hearts of last year's idols and allowing God to fill our hearts this year through the act of fasting. Come join us this month as we plan and prepare to fast for 21 days together!

English Sermon (12/27/20) – DNA of a Disciple – #7: Traveler to Guide (Matthew 28:16-20) The last part of our DNA series is the journey from being a traveler to a guide. Part of our spiritual journey is not just to travel alone with God, but to guide others. Living the Christian life is not just about reading the Bible, praying, serving the church or having quiet time with God. We need to focus not only on the vertical aspect of this life, but also the horizontal which is our relationship with others. Two ways we are called to guide others is by helping them to receive Christ as king and by teaching them to obey him as king. We do this by sharing the gospel and by disciple making with one another - helping each other to obey Jesus through the church body. This may seem like a tall task, but it is God himself who equips us. Our qualification to make disciples has nothing to do with us and our abilities but everything to do with Jesus through his name, his Word and his presence. It is simply our task and our mission to be there and be present - prepared daily to obey Jesus and carry out his work.  

English Sermon (12/20/20) - The Beautiful Names of Jesus (Isaiah 9:6) Did you know that God’s name is not actually “God” but is, “I AM”? “God” is a title. According to Isaiah, some of the names given to Jesus were “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”. Today we will discover why each of these names leads us to the reason why the birth of Jesus Christ is the best gift that his followers can receive. For example, he is called “Wonderful Counselor” because he not only sympathizes with our weaknesses but also gives us the power to overcome them through mercy and grace before the throne - all the while being present with us. This is the same Christ who has come on earth to die so that sinners may have a relationship with him. Jesus paid the price for our sins so that we may have  eternal peace with him that not even death can take away. If you don’t know Jesus yet, will you open up your heart and receive him into your life this Christmas?

English Sermon (12/13/20) - DNA of a Disciple - #6: Receiver to Giver (2 Cor 5:16-21) Those who are followers of Christ are receivers of Christ’s reconciliation and are now a new creation. To reconcile means to change thoroughly and to be reconciled by Christ means to go from being in sin to being “holy and blameless and above reproach” (col 1:22). Since we have received reconciliation from God, we are now called to do the Gospel ministry - the ministry of reconciliation as ambassadors for Christ. Lost people matter to God and so those lost people must matter to us. We are called to REPRESENT Christ and to do so we must engage with the broken world, be intentional with others and ourselves to carry out the mission, and lastly be invitational by making an appeal to the lost.

English Sermon (12/06/20) - Baptism Sunday (Matthew 28:19-20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26) Happy Baptism Sunday! First of all, congratulations to our dear brothers Martin, Anthony and Ethan for their step of faith and obedience in baptism. As a church body, we are excited to support you in your spiritual walk and we look forward to seeing what fruit you will bear as you have committed your lives to Christ. Baptism and communion are significant and meaningful external symbols for the church - just as a wedding is to a bride, a diploma is to a college graduate or a trophy is to an athlete. It is not only a personal symbol of identification with Christ, but it is also a symbol of unity with Christ as a church body. As such, we are united as ONE body and ONE spirit. May this baptism day (and many baptisms in the future!) be a reminder of the good that God has done in our lives as well as the commitment we have to the Body.  

English Sermon (11/22/20) - DNA of a Disciple - #5: Charitable to Extravagant (2 Corinthians 9:6-15) A significant proportion of Jesus' teachings in the Bible had to do with money - 11 out of 39 parables were about money! Jesus knew that money has a grip on our hearts. Many Americans believe that they are generous because they give money from their pockets each year, but being generous does not just mean giving because there is a difference between charitable giving (out of excess and convenience) and extravagant giving (irrational and a sacrifice). Extravagant giving is not just about your wallet, but about your mindset. With God’s provision and supplication, we decide if we want to have a mindset of scarcity or abundance. Will you consume what God has given to you and give in excess or will you first set aside a portion first that God can multiply for others and use what is left? To go from being charitable to extravagant in radical generosity [journey], we give for the benefit of others and God’s glory [action] because when we give extravagantly, God multiplies abundantly [mantra].

English Sermon (11/15/20) - DNA of a Disciple - #4: Consumer to Producer (1 Peter 4:10-11, Luke 9:23-27) It is our natural human instinct to live for ourselves and have a consumer mindset. Many of us will readily accept the Gospel knowing that by doing so our sins are forgiven and we are saved, yet what we may fail to realize is that we were not saved for ourselves, but rather saved to produce and bear fruit for the kingdom of God. Luke 9:22-23 tells us that when we accept Jesus into our lives, we are called to take up our cross daily and give up our lives for others. We can do that by serving others with the spiritual gifts God has blessed up with so that in everything we do, God may be glorified. In order to go from consumers to producers [journey] we learn to serve others [action], just as Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve. By this we recognize that our lives are best lived by giving it away [mantra]. 

English Sermon (11/08/20) - DNA of a Disciple - #3: Isolation to Community (Hebrews 10:23-25, Acts 2:42-47) During this COVID-19 season, many of us have been isolated from each other - physically, emotionally and even relationally. Even prior to COVID-19, some of us isolate ourselves for various reasons. The truth is, sometimes it seems easier to be alone, and we make plenty of excuses as to why - people are messy, they hurt us, they are hard to get along with, etc. Yet, this isolation, specifically isolation from the church body, is deadly for Christians. That is because we were made to be in community and in fact, we long for it. Spiritual community is necessary for us to stir each other up so that we can grow in our relationship with God, meet each other's needs and help us each live out the mission of God. Although this doesn’t always work out perfectly here on earth (we are a broken people), we are all part of the body of Christ. In this message we learn how to move from isolation to community [journey] by connecting with one another [action] because although it is easier to be apart, we are better together [mantra].

English Sermon (11/01/20) DNA of a Disciple - #2: Self-Hearted to Soft-Hearted (John 15: 10-17) For the 2nd DNA of a disciple, we will go over the journey from being “self-hearted” to becoming “soft-hearted”. Due to our sinful nature, we are self-hearted because we are always in an environment of living for ourselves - just like a fish living in water. Every experience in our lives has led us to be this way but the way to salvation and to be a disciple is for our hearts to be soft. In order to become soft-hearted towards God [journey], we need to obey [action]. God’s love language for us is mercy and grace; our love language to God is obedience to His Word [mantra]. Journey | Action | Mantra 

English Sermon (10/25/20) DNA of a Disciple - #1: Earner to Heir (John 15: 12-17, Titus 3:4-8) Welcome back as we wrapped up our Missions Month! As we continue through John 15, we will focus on the DNA of a disciple - essentially the distinctives that make someone a disciple. As we go through them, we can break it down to the: 1) journey 2) action and 3) mantra, to help us live this out. The first “DNA” or distinctive is that followers of Christ go from being an EARNER to an HEIR. From a young age and even as we grow older, we tend to ask ourselves, “Am I good enough?”. Whether it comes to school, sports, career, or family - we have this earner’s mentality. As we go through this [journey], we must learn that we are not earners but rather heirs with Christ, and that we must trust Him [action] because ultimately, we are worse off than we think but more loved than we know [mantra].

English Sermon (09/20) - Bear Much Fruit (John 15:1-17)  The purpose of the Christian life is TO BEAR FRUIT. What kind of fruit are we expected to bear and how do we bear that fruit? In John 15:12 Jesus says, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” and in verse 16 He says, “...but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit”. In order to bear fruit, we must abide in Him otherwise it is impossible. Just as a detached branch cannot produce any fruit on its own, this fruit cannot be manufactured. To abide, we must lean into God by engaging with Him through the Word and in prayer so that we can bear the fruit of loving others and sharing the gospel with them. 

English Sermon (09/12) - Trust in the Vinedresser (John 15:1-11)  In gardening, pruning is the process of cutting branches to make sure that a tree can bear the best fruit. John 15 tells us that Jesus is the true vine, the Father is the vinedresser and we are the branches. The branch cannot do anything on its own, but the vinedresser has the master plan for the garden. As such, we must learn to trust God and submit to being “pruned”, even when our flesh says that we don’t want it. Pruning is never comfortable and never easy - but it is intended to expose the idols in our lives (health, grades, career, etc.). It involves pain, loss and disappointment. In this message through John 15:1-11 we discover how we can endure a season of pruning today.  

English Sermon (09/06) - Abide in Christ (John 15:1-11) The theme for this church year is: ABIDE IN CHRIST BEAR MUCH FRUIT. Today we will focus on the word ‘abide’; what does it mean to us and how does doing so look in our lives? Jesus says that He is the true vine and we are the branches and that we must abide in Him because apart from Him we can do nothing (v. 5). Just as the branch is attached to the vine, our relationship with God is essential, constant and connected in a loving relationship. That’s why we ought to choose Him above everything and anything else - all day everyday.

English Sermon (8/30) - Finding Hope (Romans 8: 20-39) How do we find hope in times of uncertainty and transition? What do we do when the walls we’ve been leaning on (relationships, career, etc.) suddenly crumble? The answer can be found in Psalm 33:22, which says, “Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you”. This message will focus on the reasons WHY we put our hope in Jesus and in Jesus alone as HE is the answer to hope.

English Sermon (8/23) - Be a Sycamore Tree (Luke 19:1-10) “For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost” - Luke 19:10 For every nonbeliever/unsaved person there are barriers between them and Jesus. For some the barrier is a cultural one, some a relational one and others spiritual, etc. In the case of Zacchaeus in Luke 19, there was a literal physical barrier: his height. Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector - a very rich man whom many despised. The beauty in this story is that the barrier can be BROKEN or overcome. The sycamore tree allowed Zacchaeus to see Jesus. There was nothing special about this tree except that it was in the right place at the right time and ready to be stepped on and be the platform for Zacchaeus to use. Let us be the sycamore tree in each of our communities so that those who are lost may come to see Jesus. 

“PLEASE MIND THE GAP” This is a warning for the gap between the train and the platform. Sometimes there seems to be a gap between us and God and we don’t know what to do -the plans we have fall apart, people disappoint us or something interrupts our lives. We call out to God and pray continuously but seem to get no response. Daniel was living in that gap during a time that his brother and sisters were facing opposition. He mourned and fasted for 21 days but it seemed as if nothing was getting through to God. In Daniel 10, we learn how Daniel persists in tough circumstances because of God and how he can heed the warning and avoid the “gap”.

How do we stand strong in the face of discouragement and against our enemies? When Daniel heard the news that anyone who worshiped any god or man aside from King Darius would be thrown into the lions’ den, he went to pray (and even prayed in a bold manner!). Daniel did not suddenly pray because he feared what would happen; he prayed as he did before -with HUMILITY, CONSISTENCY and DEPENDENCY. God does not promise to deliver us from the ‘lion’s den’ in our lives but promises us that HE is in control of the outcome. Through this familiar story of Daniel, we learn that Daniel was not saved because of his own works, but rather by the sovereignty of God and a faith that starts with prayer.

Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that made him very afraid. It was only Daniel who could not only interpret the dream, but also be completely honest about it and not hold back when telling Nebuchadnezzar what he must do to prevent terrible things from happening to him and his kingdom. Nonetheless, Nebuchadnezzar continued to persist in his rebellion but Daniel chose to stand up for him even when he was lost. How will we stand up for those who are lost and how can we bring them to come to know God like Daniel did for Nebuchadnezzar?

English Sermon (07/26) - Stand Firm (Daniel 3:1-18) A TESTED FAITH IS A TRUSTED FAITH. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were ordered to be cast into the fiery furnace for refusing to worship the gods of the Chaldeans and bowing down to the golden image. They firmly believed that God would deliver them out of the hand of Nebachadnezzer and if not they still would not bend their knees to worship false idols. It is not just about what we say or do on the outside - true faith starts from the inside. 

English Sermon (07/19) - Stand Out (Daniel 1:1-21) STANDING OUT for God isn’t always beautiful. It is hard and unnatural and much easier to blend in with the rest of society. Daniel and his friends made the choice to stand out for God. It wasn't easy, but God was enough for them - more than the fine things this world could offer. What resolutions will you make to commit to God today? How will YOU stand out? 

How often are our hearts moved when we look at people? Many people are suffering and need mercy yet they are overlooked. Jesus saw people as helpless and He was touched and had compassion on them. In the same way that Jesus had compassion on the blind man in the book of Mark, we are called to have compassion for others. In this way we are called to not only preach the Gospel but also to demonstrate it to those in our own communities.