ENGLISH SERVICE
7 December 2025
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Romans 15:4-13
BE Wee Boon Hup
The season of Advent is about hope in waiting for our Lord Jesus’ coming, both for His incarnation and His promised second coming. And the theme of hope is apparent throughout the passage in Romans 15. We can see in Paul’s writing how there is a need for hope in our lives, we have the certainty of this hope and lastly, how we can live a hope-filled life.
The need for hope
Paul establishes our need for hope in Romans 3:23. Because we have all sinned and missed the mark in our lives, we all need the hope Jesus Christ offers on a universal level, so we can be who God wants us to be. Paul also writes about this need on a personal level, where believers, upon receiving hope, need to give hope and help others find that hope (v1).
The certainty of hope
The English use of the word ‘hope’ in phrases such as “I hope so” has an element of doubt and uncertainty, but the biblical point of view of hope implies confidence in something that one knows is going to take place. There is a certainty about biblical hope, because God is the source of hope (v13). When we have faith in the God of hope, the power of the Holy Spirit will enable us to abound in hope. We have this certainty also because God has confirmed and fulfilled His promises (v8). He is a faithful promise keeper and can be trusted so we can hope in Him. But now comes the important question: How does it look like to have this hope in our lives?
A hope-filled life
There is a common understanding that hope is a type of battery or energiser that fuels our endurance for the challenges in life. But Paul flips it around in stating that it is endurance that produces hope. In Romans 5:1-5, he writes that suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope. In our difficult times, Jesus teaches us to turn to Him. When we are yoked to Him, He walks with us through the suffering, shaping and forming our character, producing hope in us as we experience His power with us.
This Advent, may we continue to hope in Jesus who not only gives hope but is our living hope.
💬 Reflection Questions:
活石华语崇拜
7 December 2025
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哥林多后书 4:7-18
讲员: 陈思如牧师
6 December 2025
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Hosea 3:1-5
Mr Samuel Tay
ENGLISH SERVICE
30 November 2025
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2 Corinthians 5:14-20
Ps Simon Lam
As we step into Advent, we remember that Christmas is God’s move toward us — a love that never fails, a relationship that holds us steady and invites us to declare its joy. In 2 Corinthians 5:14-20, Paul reminds us that this love doesn’t just comfort us; it changes us. It shapes how we live, how we see people and how we respond in a world that can feel rushed, divided and discouraged. Christ’s love compels us, reshapes our vision and redirects our actions.
1. Christ’s Love Compels Us
“Christ’s love compels us” means His love doesn’t just inspire — it holds us together and pushes us forward.
The greek word for ‘compel’ — sunecho describes something that closes a wound or keeps things from falling apart. That’s what His love does for us. Before knowing Jesus, our lives were driven by ego, success, money and self-preservation. But His love narrows our lives to one clear purpose: living for the One who died and rose for us.
Even when we feel stressed, stretched, or overwhelmed, His love is the steady force holding our hearts together.
2. See Others Differently
Because Christ’s love shapes us, we no longer look at people the way the world would. Whether it’s a slow cashier, a reckless driver cutting our lane, relatives with difficult questions, or someone who seems “not very useful” — our natural reaction is to judge or dismiss.
However, Advent teaches us to develop “manger eyes” — eyes that see people the way Jesus sees us. God looked at our broken world and moved toward us with compassion.
Many around us struggle during Christmas with feelings of loneliness, grief and exhaustion. Instead of seeing people as interruptions, we remember: Christ died for them too. We ask God to help us see others with His eyes, even those who have hurt us.
3. Act Differently
Seeing differently leads to living differently. As people reconciled to God, we are now His ambassadors — people who take the first step to restore peace. Reconciliation means choosing to close the gap, just like God did for us.
Christmas often brings up old tensions, family wounds, or awkward gatherings. However, followers of Jesus aren’t thermometers that simply reflect the room’s dynamics — we are thermostats that set the atmosphere with grace, patience and forgiveness. The Christmas story breaks all boundaries when shepherds and magi stood side by side at the manger when Jesus was born.
As ambassadors of Christ, every space we enter becomes an embassy of the King. We represent His character, His compassion, and His message of reconciliation. Don’t just sing of His love, live transformed and compelled by it.
💬 Reflection Questions:
1. Where is Christ’s love holding me together or redirecting me?
2. Who do I judge easily, and how does remembering Christ’s sacrifice for them, change my view?
3. What step can I take to reconcile or comfort to someone forgotten this Advent?
活石华语崇拜
30 November 2025
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马可福音 7:24-30
讲员: 汤才荣牧师
29 November 2025
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Psalm 23:1-6
Rev Joey Chen
ENGLISH SERVICE
23 November 2025
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John 13:3-17
Ms Jemima Ooi
In her sermon, Ms Jemima Ooi invites us to adopt a posture of humility, presence, and compassion, not only in missions but also in everyday relationships. Drawing from 14 years of serving refugees and survivors of war in East Africa, she shares lessons learned through walking alongside the suffering.
Honouring Pain: Hosting Hearts Before Fixing Lives
In the midst of overwhelming suffering—war, displacement and poverty—the natural instinct is to offer solutions or take action. Before rushing to fix problems, God invites us first to honour the pain of others by slowing down to truly listen, and host their hearts so they feel seen and known. Going ‘low and slow’ means resisting the need to appear strong or knowledgeable and embracing a posture of humility and empathy.
Incarnational Missions: Following Jesus’ Way
Incarnational missions means emulating Jesus, who came as a baby—vulnerable, dependent, and fully identifying with human suffering. When venturing into new spaces or cultures, we adopt the same posture: be learners, not experts. By receiving instead of only giving, and allowing others to lead or teach us, we give them the blessing to bless us. Our meekness communicates honour and builds relationships that are truly safe.
Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Jesus
Jesus demonstrated humble leadership through actions such as washing His disciples’ feet. In John 13:12-15, He served before instructing, softening the disciples’ hearts by serving them, which prepared them to serve others. In Matthew 11:28-29, He reveals Himself as ‘gentle and lowly in heart’, offering rest for weary souls. His humility becomes our model for how we relate with others.
Being Broken: Knowing their Pain
God sometimes allows us to experience brokenness so that our compassion deepens. He is close to the broken-hearted, and as His people, we are called to carry His tenderness. Whether in missions, workplaces, or homes, we slow down even for a single heart—just sitting with someone for a few minutes can profoundly impact lives.
Ask God for the grace to see others through His eyes of love, to share in their suffering, and wash their feet with gentleness.
💬 Reflection Questions:
活石华语崇拜
23 November 2025
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腓利比书 3:12–16
讲员: 李沙龙弟兄
22 November 2025
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Exodus 33:7-11
Dr Low Kwang Meng
ENGLISH SERVICE
16 November 2025
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Matthew 25:14-30
Rev Dr Kow Shih Ming
We are two weeks away from Advent, the season of preparation for the coming of Jesus. While it is more associated with His first coming, an important question to ask ourselves is whether we are ready for His second coming. There is no way of knowing when that will be, but what is certain is that we will all eventually pass from this life to the next. When we come face to face with God, He will ask us the following questions: What did you do with My Son, Jesus Christ? What did you do with what I gave you?
In the parable of the talents, we see three distinct points of how to be ready for the second coming of Jesus:
Be generous.
The generous heart of the master is on display in the parable. Even though the servants did not deserve anything, the master was generous enough to bless them. Our lives testify to the many ways in which we have been blessed by God. Everything we have, even our breath, comes from and belongs to our generous Lord. We are called to be generous like Jesus, not just with money but in our attitudes and actions to others, even to those whom you think do not deserve it.
Be good and faithful.
The two servants who managed to multiply their talents were not praised or judged based on the amountthey returned, but on their effort to multiply what they had been given. God has blessed us bountifully with time, energy and spiritual giftings. The question then is how we have faithfully multiplied and invested them in our lives and in the lives of others. Being good and faithful is a response that starts from having the right view of the Master through an intimate relationship with Him.
Be gutsy.
Fear is a real thing in our lives. We may be afraid of stepping out of our comfort zone to do more in unknown territory. But just as fear is real, God is also real and bigger than any fear we face. He has promised to be with us, never leaving nor forsaking us. We can stand firm and trust in the Lord knowing that when we step out in faith, God will guide and provide.
God will likely pose a third question: Who did you bring with you into the family of Christ?
The Christmas Village at PLMC is a good opportunity to take baby steps towards inviting someone into a relationship with Jesus. Pray daily and seek God regarding whom to invite, look out for divine timing to make your invitation, and host them at the event.
In the coming season of Advent, may we prepare well to become generous, good and faithful servants who are willing to take the risk and step out in faith as He leads us.
💬 Reflection Questions:
活石华语崇拜
16 November 2025
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哥林多后书 5:14-16
讲员: 林耀捷牧师
15 November 2025
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2 Timothy 2:1-7
BE Wee Boon Hup