ENGLISH SERVICE
20 April 2025
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Luke 22:42
Pastor Judith Halim
❣️ Sermon Reflections & Discussion // 20 Apr 2025
Have you ever pleaded with God to answer your heart’s desire, only to have Him invite you to surrender your will to Him?
In Luke chapter 22, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. The word, Nevertheless, that Jesus uttered (v24) marked the transition to embrace and submit to God’s greater purpose and plan.
There are four key aspects to the ‘Nevertheless’ moment:
– Jesus was in deep agony physically such that blood appeared in His sweat. He also dreaded the spiritual separation from the Father that would come when He bore the weight of the world’s sin on His shoulders.
– Jesus’ struggle was between will and obedience.
– He showed His commitment to God’s plan by setting aside His own desires.
– His choice was a model of submission and trust in God’s higher purpose, even in the most trying circumstances.
– Jesus’ obedience was the key to humanity’s salvation. By His obedience to death on the cross, He secured the path to redemption for all who believe in Him.
A ‘nevertheless’ mindset is a declaration that despite the circumstances, God’s purpose will be fulfilled through our obedience. Rather than plead for a change in our circumstances, pray until submission happens instead.
Where once we lived according to the flesh, as believers in Jesus, we can experience the resurrection power of God when we adhere to, trust in and rely on Him to live a purposeful life in God’s will (Romans 10:9-11 AMP).
Jesus’ ‘Nevertheless’ led to His death but it didn’t end there. He resurrected so all who believe in Him can be raised to life eternal as well. What seemed like an end became a beginning. Similarly, when we surrender our desires and embrace God’s will, we too can experience God’s resurrection power that opens up a new season that He has planned for us.
Are you still searching for your purpose in life? What is God calling you to surrender and exchange for something beautiful? Will you say today, “Nevertheless, not my will, but Yours be done”?
💬 Reflection Questions
活石华语崇拜
20 April 2025
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马太福音 25:40-45
讲员: 王洁生牧师
ENGLISH SERVICE
18 April 2025
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Matthew 27:35-54
Rev Dr Kow Shih Ming
❣️ Sermon Reflections & Discussion // 18 Apr 2025
Can anyone be spared from going through dark moments? How do you walk out of the darkness?
Darkness came over all the land on the afternoon Jesus Christ was crucified, and is also over our world today, with physical wars escalating, threats of trade wars on the horizon and wars of nature occurring frequently. Darkness may be over our personal lives, as some of us are affected by the loss of our jobs, a health crisis or an emotional plague of worry, grief, fear or anxiety.
Darkness is unexpected
Darkness came over the land at noon when the sun was expected to shine the brightest on the first Good Friday. Darkness often comes into our lives when we least expect it.
Darkness is unavoidable
Jesus spoke about the certainty of trials, sorrow and trouble while we are on earth (John 16:33). We are either in darkness or coming out of it in our journey of life.
Darkness is universal
Darkness comes to all persons without exception. While dark moments may be a result of our actions or poor life decisions, rain comes to those who are righteous and unrighteous alike (Matthew 5:45).
Darkness is unenduring
The darkness we face will end. We may suffer for a little while and for a moment (1 Peter 1:6; 2 Corinthians 4:17) but it won’t last forever.
There are five things we need to do to overcome darkness:
Prepare for the coming darkness
Be prepared for the trouble that will come – and it will, as Jesus told us.
Persevere through the darkness
Jesus was taunted by many as He hung on the cross. He could have saved Himself and asked God to send angels to rescue Him (Matthew 26:53). But He persevered because of His love for us. He persevered to complete the God-given mission to redeem mankind from our sin and restore our relationship with God. Persevere through the darkness in our lives.
Pursue God’s purpose in the darkness
God causes everything (including darkness) to work together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). God uses the dark days to transform you to be like Christ and to enable you to shine like Jesus (Romans 8:29). God uses the darkness in our lives to form Christ in us. Jesus persevered through His suffering because He pursued the joy of fulfilling God’s purpose (Hebrews 12:2). We too can experience pure joy when we persevere through the testing of our faith (James 1: 2-4).
Petition for God’s help in the darkness
The curtain in the temple tore in two when Jesus died, opening the way for us into God’s presence forever. We have access to all of God’s resources (Romans 8:32). Ask Him for the resources you need to overcome the darkness (James 4:2). Jesus, the light of the world, can drive away the darkness in our lives. (John 8:12). Come to Him and submit your life to Him.
Picture your future with God
The chains of death were broken when Jesus died on the cross. Those who died trusting God came out of their tombs on Easter Sunday (Matthew 27:52-53). Jesus is preparing a place in God’s house for those who believe in Him (John 14:1-2) It is a place of release and relief (Revelation 21:4). A great future awaits us on the other side of darkness.
Reflection Questions
活石华语崇拜
18 April 2025
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路加福音 23:32-45
讲员: 林建成牧师
ENGLISH SERVICE
13 April 2025
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Genesis 25: 29-34
Rev Emanuel Goh
❣️ Sermon Reflections & Discussion // 13 Apr 2025
When put to the test, would you resist instant gratification for an eternal reward?
Abraham did everything within his power to ensure the covenant line of promise continued through Isaac by giving gifts to and sending away the sons of his concubines. He also passed on the legacy of his faith in God to Isaac, as seen when Isaac prayed for his wife Rebekah to conceive over 20 barren years.
God is a God of generations, seeing ahead to future generations. He revealed to Rebekah that the struggle of her two sons, Esau and Jacob, within her womb was both spiritual and prophetic. Both sons were heads of two nations. Esau would become the ancestor of the Edomites and Jacob would be the father of the covenant people of God. The two nations would be separated and divided, as recorded in Numbers 20:14-21, Obadiah and Psalm 137:7. God can redeem broken generations and rewrite our story in the generations ahead, as He did by bringing Jesus through the line of David, even though he had sinned against God.
What is true in this generation may not hold true in the future. Although Esau was physically stronger than Jacob, his descendants would be destroyed eventually while Jacob’s would prevail, just as God told Rebekah. God often chooses the humble, overlooked, unlikely, ordinary and unexpected to fulfil his purposes and for His glory (1Corinthians 1:27).
The birthright was a privilege passed to the firstborn son in ancient Israelite culture that had material and spiritual responsibilities and blessings. Esau traded God’s eternal covenant blessings for momentary comfort and showed contempt for something sacred. The lure of instant gratification can blind us to the problems and lasting consequences that our impulsive choices can create.
The Marshmallow Experiment by Walter Mischel found that children with better self-control who had chosen to delay gratification tended to have better social skills, greater academic and career success, and were able to make better life choices.
To resist the temptation of instant gratification, we should count the cost of the short-term pleasure against the promise of long-term gain. Jesus invites us to count the cost, carry the cross and follow Him. Palm Sunday reminds us that Jesus willingly chose the cross to pay the price of our sins, so we can have the choice to come into the lineage of Jacob and receive the promise of eternal fellowship with God. The cross is God’s love exemplified. Whenever you are tempted, will you look at the cross, count the cost and choose to follow Jesus?
💬 Reflection Questions:
活石华语崇拜
13 April 2025
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创世记 23:1-20
讲员: 刘光明传道
12 April 2025
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Romans 8:18-27
Rev Joey Chen
ENGLISH SERVICE
6 April 2025
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Genesis 24
BE Dr Wee Boon Hup
❣️ Sermon Reflections & Discussion // 6 Apr 2025
How do we ensure the faith of our fathers is passed on to the next generation?
🔹 The Covenant as the starting point
Abraham remembered the covenant promise of offspring God made to him and he instructed his servant to find a wife for his son Isaac from his kin, who were also believers of God. We who are followers of Jesus Christ are also the offspring of Abraham (Galatians 3:7). Like Abraham, we should take steps to continue the bloodline of faith.
Our first mission is to our family and our children, nephews and nieces. We stand a better chance of faith succession through the generations when we choose to marry those who also believe in and follow Jesus Christ.
🔹 The Choice of our successor
The choices of the next generation are theirs. Rebekah was remarkable for extending hospitality towards a stranger and going the extra mile to draw water for the 10 camels. She was also noted for making the choice to leave her family and go to Canaan. One commentary noted that Rebekah had an Abrahamic outlook to step out in faith and choosing to be part of God’s promise. May our next generation make wise choices in life in the larger context of God’s plan.
🔹 The Complexities of succession
Family relationships can be complicated, and life can be complex as human will can run in tension to God’s will. Abraham learnt this the hard way when he had a son with Hagar that caused much heartache and chaos in the family, and also in his relationship with his nephew Lot, whom to intercede with God for and rescue. In his search for a bride for Isaac, Abraham trusted God to guide his servant to the right person. It wasn’t solely human effort as an angel of the Lord went before the servant, who also prayed expectantly. Prayer is the intersection of God’s will and human will. We can bring our human desires in prayer to God and await His response.
Our prayers to God are never wasted and will be answered, even if it happens after we pass on to glory. Never stop praying for yourself and for your loved ones to remain steadfast in their faith and love for Jesus Christ.
💬 Reflection Questions:
1. How did you come to faith? If you are born into a Christian family, how did your parents or grandparents come to follow Christ and pass the faith on?
2. What steps can you take to pass on the faith to the next generation?
3. What is one thing you can pray for yourself, your children, or your nieces and nephews?
活石华语崇拜
6 April 2025
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创世记 22:15-24
讲员: 陈佳明牧师博士
5 April 2025
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Romans 8:1-17
Rev Joey Chen
ENGLISH SERVICE
30 March 2025
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Genesis 23:1-20
Rev Dr Kow Shih Ming
❣️ Sermon Reflections & Discussion // 30 Mar 2025
How do you live in the face of impending death?
Death is a reality all of us will face one day. Let us look at the story of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 23 for three insights on how we can respond to death in life.
1. Grieve with God’s promises in our heart.
Grieving is a normal human response to death – even Jesus wept. However, as Christians, we grieve not without hope but with God’s promises in our heart. Though Abraham mourned when Sarah died in Genesis 23, he also acted in faith in God’s promise to give him the land of Canaan by purchasing land there as a burial site for Sarah, himself and his descendants. He staked his claim on the land believing in God’s promise. We too, can grieve with God’s promises in our hearts. We can hold onto the hope and promise in Philippians 3:20-21, that our citizenship is in heaven and that one day, our present bodies will be transformed to be like Christ’s that will never die again.
2. Guarantee our eternal home
We will see our loved ones again if we guarantee that we will also be in the eternal home God has prepared for us. Jesus has gone to prepare a heavenly home for us (John 14:2-3). We need to be prepared when Jesus comes back to bring us to our eternal home. Will we be ready when He returns, or when our time here is up? We need to live our lives walking in the Spirit daily, to grow deeper in our faith and our understanding of the grace of God towards us.
3. Gift the generations an eternal legacy
Even through death, we can gift future generations an eternal legacy. How do we do that? We can start by living our lives in such a way that models Christ and points the way to Him. We can also leave an eternal legacy by fulfilling God’s specific purpose and assignment for our lives. We are each made by God to do good works (Ephesians 2:10) thereby building up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:16).
The time to prepare for death is now, in the living. What do you want your epitaph from God to be? What changes do you need to make today to make it happen?
💬 Reflection Questions:
1. Death is a guarantee in life. But we have the blessed hope of an eternal home in Heaven. How are you living your life today with heaven in mind?
2. What is God’s specific assignment for your life? What meaningful steps are you taking to fulfil that purpose?
3. What eternal legacy do you want to leave behind? Share and pray for one another at the end of the sharing.
活石华语崇拜
30 March 2025
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创世记 21
讲员: 吴声亮牧师
翻译： 黄丽雯姐妹
29 March 2025
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Genesis 22:1-19
Rev Jacob Lim