The City SG Podcast

“The greatest spiritual danger is not just that we might fall into sin, but that we might simply stop caring. That we might live our lives in quiet despair and call it maturity.” - @andrejosiah Ps. Andre anchored his message in 2 Peter 1:3-11, reminding us not to settle for spiritual laziness or mediocre faith. Familiarity can easily lead to complacency—our passion fades, Scripture feels dry, and church becomes routine. But this weariness isn't the absence of God; it's a deeper longing to pursue Him more intentionality and move into deeper connection. He also warned that all sin leads to death, especially sloth—a spiritual sin that narrows our vision, dulls our hunger for God and breeds indifference. May we examine our lives and reflect where we have settled into cruise control, to pray for empowerment by the Spirit to refuse spiritual passivity and be encouraged that it's never too late to start again in our pursuit of God.

“Victories and deliverance reveal who God is—but it's in the valleys and testing that we're shaped to pursue holiness.” – @jonathantwl This morning, Jonathan shared on The Testing, The Valleys, and The Waiting—deeply formative seasons where God refines and sanctifies us. In the testing, may we lay down our pride and weakness before Him. In the valley, may we allow God to reveal and reshape what needs surrender. In the waiting, may we commit our steps to God, that He may take preeminence. Through every season, may we trust in God's heart and embrace His desire to make us more like Him.

“Where do your identity, power and strength come from? God invites us to move away from self-reliance to reliance on Him, knowing that His power is made perfect in our weakness.” - @xianyi Speaking from the life of Moses, Xianyi shared how God's power was made perfect in Moses' weakness. Moses went from a powerful, self-sufficient prince, to a powerless peasant, to a prophet whose power and strength came from God. As followers of Christ, we are called to come to God with an open-hand posture of surrender, laying down our pride and acknowledging our weakness. In that place, God meets us where we are, giving us His power that we can rely on. Are there areas in your life - the things that you draw your identity, power and strength from - that God wants you to lay down, so that He may display His all-sufficient grace in your life?

“A nurturing community is one where every member brings life to another, helping each other grow through mutual care.” - @chrisvonne Ps. Christine encouraged us to be a nurturing church. Speaking from Romans 12:9-21, we learnt what love in action looks like, and how we are called to behave as followers of Christ. She emphasised 3 key points on what a nurturing community should be: 1. One with the right heart posture, expressing love that is sincere and honouring, not self-serving. 2. One that is present and shows up through seasons, holding space for people to open up. 3. One that is patient and shows grace even through conflict, focusing on forgiveness and restoration. In a world where people are spiritually neglected, may we be a spiritually nurturing church where those who are hurting can heal. May we also experience God's nuture first so that we can be the physical expression of His love and care to the people around us.

“As Christians, we were never meant to live a life bound by unforgiveness.” - David Tan This morning, David spoke to us on “The Freedom to Forgive”. Drawing from the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:23-35, we learn that God, in His grace and mercy, forgives us of our debts. Likewise, we are called to forgive others, which is to release any further feelings and anger towards the person or people who have wronged us. When we forgive and repent, it allows us to live in freedom in spirit, soul and body by letting go of everything else and aligning ourselves to Christ. We pray that God will reveal the depths of His forgiveness to us, that we would receive it and learn to forgive ourselves and others quickly.

Christianity doesn't leave us to face death alone. Instead, it gives us a Champion who has defeated death, and who pardons and covers us with His love.” - @andrejosiah At our Resurrection Sunday service, Pastor Andre concluded our series on the Seven "I Am"s of Jesus - with a sharing on Jesus as the Resurrection and the Life. Many of us fear death, and are reluctant to face our own mortality. We find it hard to comprehend a life beyond this present world, and think that this is all we will ever experience and enjoy. However, as we reflect on Jesus' death and resurrection, we are reminded that our Saviour has conquered death for us. Because He is risen, we are raised to new life in Him. We can now have hope, even through loss, and can live with resurrection courage because nothing, not even death, can separate us from the love of God. Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed!

“Jesus is the way to the Father, manifests the truth of the Father, and gives us the life of the Father.” - Peh Han On week 6 of our Lent series, The Seven “I Am”s of Jesus, and Ps. Peh Han brought us a word on Jesus being the way, the truth and the life. Speaking from John 14:1-6, Jesus declares Himself as the way - the bridge between us and the Father, the truth - the anchor and answer to every chain of life's questions, and the life - who authors, gives and sustains life. Through Jesus, we are invited to come home to the Father and commune with Him the way we were created to. Amidst the doubt and confusion that life throws at us, may we continue being anchored in Jesus by walking the narrow way towards the life we were called to in Christ, and recognise that Jesus is the only truth that we should believe.

“To abide is to draw life from something - to stay close and long enough so that whatever you're abiding in begins to shape, nourish and form you.” - @andrejosiah In week 5 of our Lent series on the seven “I Am”s of Jesus, we dive into Jesus being the vine. Focusing on John 15:1-11, Ps. Andre shares that because Jesus is the true vine, we now have direct access to God through abiding in Jesus. To abide is to make your home in something or somewhere. When Jesus calls us to abide in Him, He is saying to us to make our home in Him, as He makes His home in us. Just like a branch draws life from a vine, as we remain in Jesus, we draw life from Him and are shaped into His likeness. And just as a gardener prunes the branches that bear fruit so that it can be even more fruitful, we face seasons of trials and tribulations that test our faith to purify and prepare us to receive more of what God has promised us. As we learn to continually abide in the true vine and root our lives in Him, we pray that we would not rush through life, strive to prove ourselves or shy away from suffering, but to recognise that we are already loved and chosen by God, and that our joy is complete in Him.

“Our security lies in our proximity to the Good shepherd. We can trust Jesus the good shepherd to lead and care for us.” - @pehhan82 Pst Peh Han continued our Lent series on the Seven “I Ams” of Jesus, with a sharing on Jesus as our shepherd. Jesus' leadership of His flock is the antithesis of today's ideas strong leadership - self sacrificial and meek, He watches over His sheep with deep concern and care because we are His own. The question for us today is: do we know His voice, just as He knows us intimately? May we desire to cultivate a deep and personal relationship with our shepherd, and answer His call to hand our lives completely to Him as He leads us into the future we long for.

“Living a vibrant life in the Lord involves going in and out of the gate - not staying safe on the inside of pasture, but taking up the call to follow Him in laying down our lives for a cause that he has called us to.” - @janicechinchern Janice continued our Lent series with a sharing on Jesus' saying: I am the gate. While we go through many different paths to find fulfilment and purpose, we discover that there is no other way to deliverance from sin, disordered desires and salvation but through Jesus. As the gate, He protects, saves and restores us. Yet, the invitation isn't just to experience Jesus for ourselves but to follow in His footsteps and be a gate that others may come to know Him. As we reflect on the word, may we rediscover Jesus as our gate that we may rest and live secure in Him. At the same time, pray into how we may serve others around us just as Jesus did.

“To our struggle with emptiness, evil and existential longing, Jesus says. “I am the Light”, the fulfilment of God's presence, righteousness and salvation for you.” - @timothyshaun Tim continued our Lent series on the seven “I Am”s of Jesus, with a sharing from John 8, where Jesus makes Himself known as the Light of the World. Have we tried to fight the darkness in our lives with artificial light instead of following and pursuing the ultimate light - Jesus Himself? Yet, nothing can guide us out of spiritual darkness but Jesus who has come to lead and save us from our sins. May our response be to receive, walk in and share the Light of Christ in our lives, and know Him as He desires to be known.

“Jesus came to change our desires at the core so that He becomes the main one, the central desire.” - @pehhan82 Kicking off the Lenten sermon series ‘The Seven ‘I am's' Of Jesus', Ps. Peh Han taught from John 6:26-35, where Jesus declared Himself to be the bread of life. He promised that those who put their faith in Him would never hunger and would receive eternal life. The miraculous act of Jesus feeding the multitude with just five loaves and two fish was intended to reveal His divine nature, inviting people to place their faith in Him as the provider of eternal treasures, far beyond the fleeting satisfactions of this world. It reminds us that when we focus on temporary things, we lose sight of what truly matters. God knows our needs and will provide, though not always in the way we expect. Jesus came to redirect our desires, urging us to focus on the eternal, making Him the central and lasting desire of our hearts. Let's reflect on Jesus as the Bread of Life, and examine areas where we may be focused on the temporary and shift our focus to what is eternal. May we trust in God's provision, even when it doesn't align with our expectations, and let this deepen our desire for Jesus and setting our hearts on the eternal treasures He provides.

“We can't step into God's promise while still holding onto the idols of yesterday.” - @andrejosiah In the final week of our Vision Series, Ps. Andre spoke on his vision to see our church become a people who refuses to settle. Speaking from the life of Terah, we learnt that there are a couple of factors why we settle in our faith - out of familiarity, out of grief or loss, or out of fear. When we allow these things to have a hold on us, they hold us back from stepping fully into what God has in store for us. Are there any areas in your life where you have settled, thus preventing you from taking that step of faith to fully obey God's call? We pray that God will grant us the courage to submit those areas to Him, and refuse to settle for anything less than all of Him.

“The world will not be impressed by a church that mirrors society's divisions, but it will be astonished by a church where people who have nothing in common except Jesus — love one another as family.” - @andrejosiah In week 2 of our Vision Series, Ps. Andre shared his heart for The City to have a missional unity which transcends personal preference, affinity, and cultural similarities, and binds the church together for the shared purpose of advancing the gospel. He talked about how missional unity can be expressed through being a category-defying community, one that guards against division, and captures a shared mission. In a world that teaches us to narrow our circle - to align ourselves with people who think like us, act like us, live like us and benefit us, may we be the church that does the opposite: widen the circle to welcome those whom the world would never put together.

“To fall in God's kingdom is to be about good deeds without great love. It is giving up the better part.” – @andrejosiah Pst Andre kicked off our Vision Series today with a message on Fending Off Lukewarmness. Sharing from the story of the church of Ephesus that started with passionate love for Jesus but eventually settled for routine faithfulness, it was a stark reminder of how easily we too can lose our zeal and fall into compromise. Jesus shows us the way back—by remembering what we've lost, repenting from the seriousness of sin, and returning to the works of first love. Let's rededicate ourselves to a rhythm of renewal, and rediscover a desire for God's love and life to fill our lives and community.

It's time to get serious.” - @timothyshaun Following Andrew's message on our priestly calling, Timothy encouraged us to follow Jesus seriously in 2025. We know that we are to live with our reward being joy and communion with God, and spend our lives for God's dreams and His kingdom. But in trying to live out these goals, we realise that our hearts are prone to wander because the desires of our hearts are at war with each other, distracting us from pursuing God's kingdom wholeheartedly. Let's stop to ask ourselves where our desires are leading us to - the desires of the flesh, or Jesus and His kingdom? As we commit to lay down the desires of our flesh, Jesus reassures us that we will receive our reward, though sometimes not in the way or at a time we may expect. So how should we live in this tension and position where we are to hold on to the desires that God has given us, yet be open-handed with how and when they come into fruition? Timothy encourages us to go deeper inward, by sitting with our wants and allow the Holy Spirit to show us how order our true desires. He also mentioned how we could reach further outward; where seeking first the kingdom looks like being on the mission of God.

“Jesus did not promise that everything will work out in this life, even if we were fully obedient. However, he promised that it will be worth it, because He is worth it all.” - @andoryuutam Speaking from the book of Malachi and the life of John the Baptist, we learn what our priestly calling is, which is primarily to revere God, and stand in front of Him in awe and trembling. We are called to live faithfully, putting the first things first and letting everything else apart from God fade away. May we be like John the Baptist and be a people who see God rightly, who are willing to say 1000 ‘no's to the world for the 1 ‘yes' to God, who will not be preoccupied by what our own dreams are, but stop to consider what God's dreams are - not just for us but our families, our friends, our community, our society - and make space in our hearts to carry and partner with Him to fulfil those dreams.

“When we don't have everything figured out and when we are overwhelmed, that's where God's grace unfolds.” - @pehhan82 Pst Peh Han shared on The Sacred Rhythms of Grace as we kicked off our first service for the year. Has the new year already started to feel like the same cycle of exhaustion, and are we already starting to question where we are headed? Therein lies an opportunity for renewal and hope amid such circumstances by forging deeper connections and rediscovering practices of healing and unity. God has not called us to bear the weight of life's struggles alone. Instead, He calls us to be in community as a body of Christ, and wants to meet us with His grace in moments of uncertainty. As we enter a new week, may it be our prayer for God to help us embrace the uncertainties of life with faith and hope, as we fix our eyes on Him.

“Advent is not merely about waiting but about cultivating the discipline of not becoming overfamiliar and the readiness to embrace the mystery when it is revealed.” - @pehhan82 In week 3 of the series ‘Missing Jesus', Ps. Peh Han taught from Luke 4:16-22, where the people of Nazareth, influenced by their preconceived ideas about Jesus due to their close familiarity with Him, allowed this to shape their perception and, ultimately, caused them to miss the truth. Being so accustomed to the religious traditions and expectations have led them to spiritual blindness and an inability to recognise Jesus as the anointed One. He invited us to ponder if we have failed to use our spiritual eyes in our relationships with people and God, where our assumption of knowledge and resistance to the unfamiliar have hindered us from moving into a new arena of faith and into deeper revelation of God. May we examine our hearts and reflect if there is any overfamiliarity that has led to unbelief and prevented us from missing the divine in the everyday. Let it be our prayer to abide and remain in that posture of awe and wonder as we seek Him out in our daily lives. #wearethecitysg #sundaysatthecitysg

“The way we view sin, grace and God's redemptive love shapes the righteousness we live by.” - @janicechinchern In week 2 of our series ‘Missing Jesus', we take a look at the Pharisees and how their self-righteousness pulled them away from God, because in their emphasis on keeping the law and honouring God, they neglected the fuller picture of God's intent: restoration of the shalom of God. In their self-righteousness, the Pharisees placed rules above relationship, status over people and conformity over love and unity. But God calls us to a righteousness that is primarily about right relationship with Him and others, and we embody His heart and desires. May we be a people who would reject self-righteousness for God's righteousness, walking in the Spirit to experience the fullness of God's unconditional love and grace for us and live with hearts of generosity towards the people around us.

“Control turns the very thing that God sends to bring us life and freedom into a perceived threat to our sense of security. We end up trading the peace of His provision for the anxiety of our own striving.” - @andrejosiah Pst Andre kicked off our advent series, Missing Jesus, as we enter a season of contemplation as a church family, and collectively ponder on the wonder of Jesus' birth. Sharing from the life of king Herod, who grappled with an excessive need for control, Pst Andre asked us to consider if there are areas in our lives where we too cling to our desire for control, and as a result, experience exhaustion and spiritual emptiness. While the illusion of control enslaves us, we can have hope in Jesus. As we let go of control, and a choose a posture of surrender, He grants us His peace and rest. As we enter the new week and reflect on the word, let us reflect on the areas that we are clinging to control that God is prompting us to release. As we prayerfully surrender them to Him, that we can rediscover life in Christ and His resurrection power.

“What if all this was so that your life would create a context for someone else to come into his destiny? Would you still do it?” - @yeohjo In the final week of “Caught up in God's story” series, we had the honour of having Josh Yeoh, who shared his journey of how God gave him a word to sow seeds of prayer movement into the local church, yet challenged and remade him into a man that will lay down his dreams and step away from self-actualisation and help others come into their destinies. Sharing from the relationship of Jonathan and David, Barnabas and Paul, where the former had godly contentment in taking the backseat and fully investing in the interest and the assignment of the latter, brought God's purpose to pass and the Antioch Church was established. He left us with this question: Who are the people, ‘David's' and ‘Pauls' in our lives that we would step aside to, give our resources, time and energy and lay down our lives for so we could build them up for success? Ultimately, the Antioch church can only be build through: 1. A diverse body with different gifts and talents and we are not to dismiss those whom we think are less. 2. A culture of fasting and praying, where we are filled with a holy discontent and be awakened to things in God we would otherwise go without. 3. Identities found not in the sending but in being set apart for the Lord. As we close this sermon series, may we pray for the desire to be set apart for His kingdom and live out God's story in our lives.

“Prayer is key to developing a heart of compassion.” - @eugeneseow12 We had the privilege of having Eugene Seow with us at service, for week three of the “Caught Up in God's Story” series. Sharing from Matthew 9:36, Eugene spoke about the compassion Jesus had for the multitudes, and Jesus' call for harvesters even as the harvest is plentiful. Yet, the biggest hurdle holding the church back from reaching out to the lost is compassion. Developing Jesus' heart of compassion requires us to: 1. Open our eyes to see the crowd 2. Open our hands to meet their needs and 3. Open our hearts to ask God to grant us His heart for the lost We hope you were blessed and inspired by the word to take decisive action and pray into how we may meet the needs of the communities around us as the body of Christ.

“Our call as Christians is ultimately to equip & disciple nations, no matter our vocation. Our jobs themselves do not really matter that much; what truly matters is what we are doing our jobs and our tasks unto.” - @soykang_ In week 2 of “Caught Up in God's Story”, we had one of our very own, So-Young, to share with us on how God moved in her life, turned ashes into beauty, and ultimately led her to her life's calling with the founding of Awaken Group and Gnowbe. When we consider what our calling is in life, we usually think it is tied to a certain job or vocation. But, So-Young reminded us that each person's calling is their unique talent that God has given, and how we can use that unique talent and serve together with others as one Body with one shared mission. As she shared her story, she also spoke on how everything that we have been through has been deposited in our lives for a reason. In her life, out of pain, purpose was birthed. God does not waste anything. When we go through painful experiences and difficulties, God does not want us to just go through them, but rather what He does is to redeem our pain and transform it into our gift, turning ashes into beauty. Ultimately, what God is after is us and our hearts. In our lives, may we do every task and job we are given with excellence unto God, seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness in everything we do.

Kicking off the “Caught Up in God's Story” series, we had the honour of having Heidi Tan share with us on the work she does at Habibi International, a humanitarian organisation in Iraq, and her life story on how she felt called to be in the mission field to serve communities on the margins. In her sharing, she spoke on how as she waited to be out in the mission field, she learnt what it truly meant to “delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give your the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4), where as we spend time with the Lord and delight ourselves with Him, we become more aware of His heart's desires, and that shapes our heart's desires to align with His. She also spoke from John 1:35-42, where we read that John's disciples, Andrew and Simon Peter, followed Jesus. In that passage, the conversation between Jesus, Andrew and Simon Peter captures some key questions that still hold true to this day as we search for a deeper purpose in our lives and our walk with God: 1. What are we looking for when we decide to follow Jesus? 2. Do we know where God is moving, and where His heart is? 3. How can we be a part of what God is showing us? No matter where you are in your walk with God today, we pray that we will be willing vessels, ones who know God's heart and make all of our lives available for God to move in and through us for His good works.

Kicking off the “Caught Up in God's Story” series, we had the honour of having Heidi Tan share with us on the work she does at Habibi International, a humanitarian organisation in Iraq, and her life story on how she felt called to be in the mission field to serve communities on the margins. In her sharing, she spoke on how as she waited to be out in the mission field, she learnt what it truly meant to “delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give your the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4), where as we spend time with the Lord and delight ourselves with Him, we become more aware of His heart's desires, and that shapes our heart's desires to align with His. She also spoke from John 1:35-42, where we read that John's disciples, Andrew and Simon Peter, followed Jesus. In that passage, the conversation between Jesus, Andrew and Simon Peter captures some key questions that still hold true to this day as we search for a deeper purpose in our lives and our walk with God: 1. What are we looking for when we decide to follow Jesus? 2. Do we know where God is moving, and where His heart is? 3. How can we be a part of what God is showing us? No matter where you are in your walk with God today, we pray that we will be willing vessels, ones who know God's heart and make all of our lives available for God to move in and through us for His good works.

“We are a visible, tangible reminder to the forces of darkness that their power is broken and their end is near. The church gathered is a prophetic statement that God's Kingdom is advancing, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” - @andrejosiah In the final sermon of our Immeasurably More series, Ps. Andre spoke on being Immeasurably Strong from Ephesians 6:10-20. Paul's letter to the Ephesians reminds us that we are not merely passive recipients of God's grace, but active participants in a cosmic struggle. The great lie we have to confront as followers of Jesus is that we are not susceptible to spiritual warfare, or that we remain ignorant of how we are supposed to fight against an unseen realm of deeper spiritual forces. As the church, may we be reminded to live as a light in the darkness, and to continually seek the Holy Spirit for wisdom and discernment - wisdom to navigate the complexity of this unseen reality and discernment to see beyond the surface of our everyday struggles.

“The mark of a spirit-filled life is the ability to submit to one another.” - @pehhan82 Pst Peh Han continued our sermon series with a sharing on how we are Immeasurably Filled to live a spirit-filled life. This influences the dynamics of our relationships, especially in the household when we relate to our spouses, parents and children. Christ's love for the church is to be our model of authority - lordship that is expressed in meekness and self-sacrificial humility. Likewise, we are to adopt the model of honour that serves with sincerity of heart and goodwill when we submit to others in authority. As we reflect on the word, let it be our prayer that God transforms us and shapes us to be the spirit-filled community He has intended, that we will be able to submit to each other in the fear of the Lord.

“Now made alive in Christ, we are called to live out our new identity transformed by God's Spirit, engaging in the process of whole-person discipleship that is personal, embodied, and relational.” - @janicechinchern Janice continued our sermon series, Immeasurably More, with teachings anchored in Ephesians 4:25-5:21 where Paul called the Ephesian church to be immeasurably transformed by the Spirit in these manner: 1. Put off the old, put on the new (4:25-32) 2. Imitate Christ's love and holiness (5:1-7) 3. Shine as children of light (5:8-14) 4. Walk in wisdom and Spirit-filled freedom (5:15-21) She invited us to spend time examining our hearts and ponder over this in the upcoming week, “In what area of our lives is God inviting us to experience deeper transformation, and how can we intentionally partner with the Holy Spirit?” As children of God and imitators of the light, may we pray for grace to engage in our transformation process to be more Christlike for the sake of others to the glory of God.

“We are a family and we are to embrace God's desire for us to be one.” Dr Tan Soo Inn shared an encouraging word on God‘s call to unity as the body of Christ. We live in a unique time in history with five generations coexisting in society and in the church. In the face of differences, Dr Tan reminded us of God's desire for us to be one. Even as we comprise of many parts, we can be united in our mission to pursue God. And in unity to celebrate diversity and learn to love and serve one another. May our unity across the generations be a testimony to our world of God's redeeming love, and His desire to reconcile all to Himself.

“We get to participate in God's eternal purpose by growing and helping others grow in discipleship to Jesus.” - @timothyshaun Continuing with our series “Immeasurably More” where we explore the book of Ephesians, Tim spoke from Ephesians 4 today and how we are immeasurably called by God to do good works in His redemptive plan. Despite knowing this truth, sometimes we feel it's hard for us to grasp or experience that glorious reality because everything outside of Christ is and can be influenced by the powers. But the good news is that Christ has paid the price for us to be free, and given us grace to walk worthy of our calling. Where church has been marked by programmatic consumption, God has given us the grace to overcome it by maturing in relationship through truth in love. Where there is performative burnout, God has given us grace to be secure in who we are as we grow into our gifts. Where there is purposeless stagnation, God has given us grace to live on mission for others. And with God's grace, may we be a people that will make disciples of all nations, until we attain the fullness of Christ.

“God's redemptive plan is never about us - it is all about His glory revealed in and through us.” - @jasonchua.sg Jason continues our sermon series, Immeasurably More, and study of Ephesians with a sharing on God's eternal purpose and redemptive plan. God has always desired to dwell with humanity and to make Himself known to creation. When sin separated God and His people, Jesus paid the ultimate price on the cross to restore us, and remove the divide that separated us from God and each other. Living in response to God's eternal purpose means embracing God's desire for unity by putting aside offences and unforgiveness. May we desire God's purposes above our own, that we may enter full maturity as His church and be a dwelling place for His glory.

“We were hopelessly sinful, but God made us a new creation in Christ to walk with Him in good works” - @timothyshaun In week four of our sermon series, Immeasurably More, Tim taught from Ephesians 2:1-10, how God intervened when we were in hopeless condition — dead to sin, influenced by power, slave to the flesh and saved us immeasurably by making us a new creation. With the revelation that we now have been made alive and seated with Christ, we are reminded to walk with God in good works, as we share in Jesus' life, authority and dominion. Tim challenged us to ponder on what it means to be saved and how our lives in the here and now ought to experience a complete reorientation and radical shift that propels us to labour for God's kingdom with joy and zeal. As we go about our new week, may we reflect on our inheritance as co-heirs with Jesus with thanksgiving and joyfully use what we are given to serve God and others. Let's meditate on the Lordship prayer further as we spend unhurried time in the loving presence of God to grow in fruitful friendship with Him.

“We are immeasurably empowered to be the means and embodiment of the fullness of Christ.” - @janicechinchern In week 3 of our series Immeasurably More, Janice brought us a word based on Ephesians 1:15-23, where Paul prays for the Ephesian church to grow in wisdom and revelation of God, and for the following three points to be realities for them: 1. The hope of God's calling - the knowledge that their hope in God is an eternal one, and it is a living, blessed and sure hope 2. The riches of God's inheritance - the knowledge that they have received spiritual blessings which are not earned, but that they were given access to. They are God's possession, and are thus of immense value. 3. The greatness of God's power toward them - the knowledge that they are immeasurably empowered to be the means and embodiment of the fullness of Christ. It is our prayer that the eyes of our hearts will be enlightened to see Jesus for who He really is, so that we know God not just in our heads but in our hearts. As we pray to increase in the knowledge of God, may we live out our identity of being a people who are immeasurably empowered with the hope, riches and power we receive from Him.

“In a world where culture tries to define us, or we struggle to carve out our own identity amid chaos and confusion, we have a gift—a God-given identity.” - @andrejosiah Ps. Andre continues our sermon series, Immeasurably More, with a sharing on how we are Immeasurably Rich in Christ. Our identity is deeply connected to what we believe gives our life meaning and significance. When we fall short of our ideal selves that we aspire to live up to, we feel guilt and shame. Yet, we can find hope in our God given identity through the gift of salvation we receive through Christ. As the One who fashioned humanity, God alone holds the key to our true identity and purpose. Without the light of His revelation, we are left stumbling through the darkness of confusion, unsure of who we are or why we exist. We can take heart in knowing that God has chosen and redeemed us - an irrefutable truth no matter the circumstances we find ourselves in.

“Ephesians, more than any other epistle, demonstrates how important and central the church is to God's plan and His purpose for mankind.” - @pehhan82 We are starting a new sermon series titled “Immeasurably More”, which aims to uncover a biblical vision for the Church through the book of Ephesians. Over the next 10 weeks, we will dive into what God has designed and intended for the church in our world, and how it is immeasurably more than what we can conceive or imagine. Kicking off week 1 of the series, Ps. Peh Han brought us through a historical background of the founding of the Ephesian church, as well as Paul and the Lord's heart for the Ephesian church through the letters written to them. In Acts 20:17-35, Paul wrote his parting words to the elders of the Ephesians church, which included his instructions to them like serving the Lord with all humility, telling the body of Christ everything that is helpful, shepherding the church of God, and finally reminding them of the words of Jesus, that “it is more blessed to give than to receive”. Revelations 2:1-7 is the second letter addressed to the Ephesians in the Bible, which is Jesus' letter to the Ephesians through John the Apostle. In particular, in Revelations 2:5, Jesus writes “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works” - in our lives, in areas where we may have fallen away from God, we pray that God will help us remember our history with Him, and keep in mind that true repentance is always accompanied by corresponding actions.

“The greatest resources in the family is what's in the hearts and spirits of its sons and daughters.” Ps. Peh Han continued our sermon series on “Family”, with a sermon on The Original Story, where we discovered God's original intention for family. Designed to be the optimal environment for growth, Eden was a garden of delight and pleasure for the first family to intimately relate with God and others. When Man fell into sin, instead of abundance and intimacy with the Father, they lived in lack and strife. Part of restoring the family lies in restoring our individual inner brokenness. Secondly, in remembering who we are in Christ - as individuals and as a community, to reflect God's blessings and joy. As we go about the new week, may we seek to cultivate the gardens of our home life, and come to a new revelation of who we are as a family in Christ.

“When we are covenanted in marriage, we are to die to our old selves, taking on the new identity of “we”, where all that we have and all that we are now belong to each other. And as we begin to operate as one in prayer, there is power and synergy because we are one in the Spirit.” - Tim & Patsy Continuing on with our series on ‘Family', Tim & Patsy spoke on the topic of “Unleashing the Power of Marriage”. They reminded us that when God wants to bless us, He cuts a covenant, and the covenantal love of God is a love that is unconditional, that never fails, and never leaves us. In covenant, couples are yoked together, to walk together in humility and work together to fulfil God's purpose that does not just bless the couple themselves, but for the generations to come.

“God's view over our lives is the most important and critical because unlike other people's views that change based on different factors, His view is stable, accurate and life-giving. if we want to know the truth of our lives, we need to know His perspective of us.” - @jennihohuan Ps. Jenni shares about the importance of knowing our core identity as God's beloved children, because His perspective is the most powerful perspective. With each season we step into and each role we take on in our lives, we develop identities related to them, which God uses to grow deeper roots of security, confidence and purpose in us. Speaking from Exodus 25:31-40, Ps. Jenni shares how God revealed two important truths about who we are through the detailed instructions of how Moses was to build the lampstand. The first is that like the lampstand God has designed each of us to display His glorious beauty, and the second is that God has a purpose for each of us - to shine forth His truth. May we learn to rest in our core identity as God's beloved and embrace our season, and allow God's vision to transform how we feel and act so that we may know how to carry and conduct ourselves in our daily lives.

“The truth is that we desperately need others to lead us closer to Christ. The call to honour leaders isn't about inflating their pride, but diminishing our own.” - @andrejosiah Today, Ps. Andre shared on Rediscovering Spiritual Leadership, and unpacked what the Bible intended for spiritual leadership, as well as how we should respond as a community. The prevailing culture of our day resists and rejects the concept of submission, especially given widespread disillusionment concerning church leadership. Yet, Ps. Andre reminded us that the response to failures in leadership shouldn't be to dismantle the entire structure or for the people of God to be left to their own devices. Instead, we are to pray for our leaders as they are given a charge to shepherd God's people, and are accountable to God to see souls prosper under their care. Let us continue to pray for the leaders of our church, including the new Elders we commissioned as a community today. May our testimony as a faith community be that of joy, as leaders and as a congregation.

“Our hearts should be the source of our expression of our love for God and not the source of what leads us. We can't depend or be led by our feelings.” - @jonathantwl Jonathan shared about having An Undivided Heart and how this is God's ultimate desire for our lives. Oftentimes we find ourselves with a divided heart because we are led by our feelings, and our affections and desires are not wholly toward God, but toward self gratifying goals and aims apart from God alone. By consciously choosing and desiring to walk in the Spirit, God can reorient our lives that our affections towards Him may be whole, we truly desire Him, and our spirit is sensitive to His leading. As we reflect on the sermon, may we prayerfully Invite God to examine the condition of our hearts, especially the areas in our affections and desires that we need to surrender before Him, that He may be our sole pursuit.

“In the face of rampant immaturity, God calls us to conduct ourselves for unity and serve one another with our gifts — building up the Body in Love, unto the fullness of Christ” - @timothyshaun Speaking from Ephesians 4:1-13, Tim brought us a word titled “Built Up In Love”, encouraging us to walk in the manner worthy of God's calling on our lives to fulfil His mission. In Ephesians 4:7, Paul mentions that each one of us has been given grace, as Christ apportioned it, which refers to the ways that God has gifted each of us unique callings and abilities for His mission. What is the unique grace or gifting that God has gifted you for His mission through the church? As we discover what our giftings are, we pray that God will also reveal how you can come fully alive in the way you serve with your gifts, allowing God to mature it so that as a church and a community, we can build one another up in love and help others mature too.

“Life was always meant to be walked with God, close to God and where we regard Him in everything. Life was meant to be in Christ.” - David Tan David shared the word and asked us to consider how we view success as Christians. He reminded us that the goal of our lives is knowing God intimately, and for our lives to reflect our closeness to God, in our work, worship, and service. As followers of Christ, everything that we do can be an opportunity for intimacy with Him, even the times of disappointment and anxiety that we face. We hope that you were blessed by the word. May we enter this new week with a renewed awareness of God's presence and desire to abide in Him, even as He longs to meet us in the moments we are in.

“Speaking the truth in love to one another, while difficult to do, is essential for our growth as individuals and collectively as the body of Christ, as we grow to become the mature church under the headship of Christ.” - @xianyi Xianyi shared on “Speaking (and Hearing) the Truth in Love”, focusing on the verses in Ephesians 4:1-6 and 11-16. It's important for us to speak the truth with love, because if either one is missing, we could fall into being too critical or being condoning. The most loving thing we can do for others is not to prescribe our opinions or to use our human wisdom, but to point them to the truth that is in Christ Jesus. In order for us to speak the truth in love, we have to start with letting the Lord speak the truth in love into our hearts first - that He would heal our hurts and our brokenness, and that we would be transformed into His likeness.

“Understanding that we are known deepens our grasp of our identity. Only God satisfies the innate desire we all have to be known.” - @janicechinchern Janice brought a sermon titled “Known by God” where she spoke life into the area of our identity as children of God. In a time of much uncertainty and instability concerning this matter, there is utmost importance for the revelation that we are deeply loved and known by God. She illustrated with the faith accounts woven throughout the Bible that God knows us personally and intimately and how paramount that is for our spiritual formation. She invited us to gently ponder “Would we allow ourselves to be known?” As we contemplate and reflect on His relentless love for us that is not contingent on what we can or cannot do, may we be deeply rooted in our identities as children of God and confident that He shall surely be faithful to perfect what He started in us.

In the final week of our series “The Freedom We Long For”, Ps. Andre spoke on a heavy yet relevant topic of Lust & Love. In a culture where lust is prevalent, causing us to dehumanise and objectify others for our sexual pleasure, how can we cultivate a community that promotes healthy sexuality? In the New Testament, by the grace of God, we are enabled to live in the freedom that Christ has to offer. By asking for a new heart, capturing a biblical vision of sex, and taking active steps to fight lust, we can be spiritually transformed to be more like Christ. Ultimately, the freedom we long for is the vision that Christ has for our lives. More than a depth of conviction, this freedom is now a possibility because of Christ's redeeming work on the cross.

“Anger is not the problem; it tells us something is wrong under the emotional, spiritual, or relational hood of our lives. We use anger to express our hurt or frustration, and to protect and preserve ourselves.” - @andrejosiah In week seven of our sermon series, The Freedom You Long For, Pastor Andre shared about Anger and Patience. A common fallacy in our approach to anger is thinking that we should never ever be angry as Christians, and that it is an emotion that we should repress. Yet, to be human is to feel, just as Jesus Himself felt the full extent of human emotions. While the feelings of anger are not a sin, what we do with anger can become dysfunctional and destructive. Where then can we take our anger? When we go to God in repentance, He restores us, and we can seek His strength for divine patience as we abide in His love. As we go about the week, may we seek God's grace for the areas of unresolved anger and bitterness in our lives, and trust that He can transform us as we surrender to Him.

“God longs for us to bring our need for approval to Him, for Him to satisfy our desire and to free us from approval addiction to truly live pleasing to Him and others in secure identity.” - @janicechinchern Janice continues our current sermon series, The Freedom You Long For with a sharing on Approval Addiction & Secure Identity. Deep within all of us is a desire for approval, which originates from God's original design for us to desire righteousness and a life of good, and the ultimate aim of be pleasing in God's eyes. Where we often end up disillusioned and disappointed is when we seek the approval of others and not God himself. In rediscovering the revelation of the Father's acceptance of us, we are able to grow into the freedom that God has called us to, and into the identity that He has given us by grace.

“When we release bitter judgement, it brings death. But when we release forgiveness, it brings life.” - @chrisvonne In week 5 of “The Freedom You Long For”, Christine spoke on the topic of Bitterness & Forgiveness. In Hebrews 12:15, we learn of how we should not allow any bitter root to grow, as it will bring trouble to us and defile those around us. Many of us live unaware of our bitter root system, which are a result of our own sinful reactions to our circumstances. When we feed these bitter root judgements and place bitter expectations on people, they reinforce the sinful structures in our lives that eventually manifest into bitter fruits. These bitter fruits isolate us and prevent us from building healthy relationships with the people around us, and ultimately forms a vicious cycle that is hard to break. So how do we find freedom from these bitter roots? 1. By acknowledging that only God, the one who is perfectly holy and good, can be the rightful Judge. 2. By acknowledging the bitter roots in our lives, repenting of our sins, forgiving the people that have hurt us and caused our bitter roots to grow, and extending grace to others. If you are seeking pastoral care and support, please check out www.thecity.sg/resources for more information.

“Envy exposes the idols of your heart, the sources of your identity, and where you derive your sense of worth; learn what you envy and you will know who you are.” - @andrejosiah We are on week 4 of our sermon series “The Freedom You Long For”, Ps. Andre spoke on the topic of Envy & Contentment. We often hear the saying that “comparison is the thief of joy”, and envy sets in when we compare others' blessings with our own and it makes us feel inadequate. But as followers of Christ, we can find contentment in God by abdicating the throne of our own lives and letting God take His rightful place. Christian contentment is not about minimalism or simplicity - it is about contentment in Christ, because of Christ, and empowered by Christ. May we take some time to reflect on the following 3 questions, and invite God in to free us from the sin of envy: 1. Is there a disappointing or even painful situation in my life that's leading to feelings of grief or injustice or longing? 2. Is there anyone whose happiness brings me sadness because I want the happiness they are receiving? 3. Is there anyone I've allowed to harbour feelings of bitterness or anger towards?

“If Eden represents a loving relationship with God and others, then hell is helpless isolation, and the church is where we find connection and acceptance.” - @timothyshaun Timothy continued our sermon series “The Freedom We Long For”, with a sharing on Shame and Vulnerability, where he discussed the destructive cycle of shame. Sharing from Genesis 3, The Garden of Eden and Luke 8, the parable of the woman with the issue of blood, Tim shared how the wounds we pick up form the narrative of a shameful identity. This is reinforced by our helpless isolation, but when we encounter Christ who dignifies us, we can find healing. God is our pursuer, who asks us “where are you?” when we hide away in shame, and invites us to come to Him vulnerably and experience this reality through embodied acts in community.