English Service
WHEN LIFE ENTERS A TAILSPIN
20 Sept 2026
–
Jonah 1
Rev Dr Kow Shih Ming
What do you do when your life enters a tailspin, spiralling rapidly and uncontrollably downward? The Scripture passage today offers three steps we can take:
1. Refuse to Stop Trusting God
When life enters a tailspin and doesn’t make sense, it’s tempting to stop trusting God. Instead of continuing to trust God, you may react like Jonah and choose to run away from what you know the Lord requires of you. Jonah didn’t understand why God would want to send him to the Assyrians, Israel’s enemy, so he ran in the opposite direction to Tarshish and ended up being thrown into the raging sea, drowned, and got swallowed by a fish.
When life enters a tailspin and you can’t understand or make sense of what’s happening, don’t end up in the same place. Refuse to stop trusting God.
2. Rely fully on God
Second, rely fully on God even when you’re in a tailspin. Jonah got into a ship heading away from God. But there is no place where God is not. So, the ship Jonah was in entered a tailspin when the Lord hurled a mighty wind upon the sea.
In trying to get out of a tailspin, it’s tempting to try harder, turn to other spiritualities, look for someone to blame, and even acknowledge that God is a possible solution to your troubles. But it’s not enough to acknowledge God. You must worship God for who He is and fully rely on Him.
Note that the sailors offered a sacrifice and made vows to God after the sea ceased raging (v14). We need not make any more sacrifice, for Jesus has made the ultimate and only needful sacrifice for us. What is needed is absolute surrender of our lives to God, so that whatever happens, you’re assured that God will be with you.
3. Rest in the Lord
Finally, you can rest in the Lord because when there’s no way, God will make a way. For Jonah, it came in a fish which swallowed him.
When life enters a tailspin, especially when you find yourself drowning, you have a choice. You can either resign yourself to your situation, struggle to survive or choose to be still in the Lord and let Him save you.
How do you rest in God?
– Worship: As you worship, you’re focusing more and more on God. You begin to see who God is, the God of mercy and grace, the God whom you can rely on, the God who will be with you whatever happens to you. You’ll also see a God who is much larger than your situation.
– Pray: Tell God what you’re feeling and thinking, so you can begin to heal. God is listening to every word. Be absolutely honest with Him and release all your pent-up emotions and thoughts. Even if you’ve no words to tell God, just be still in God’s presence. God hears your heart and He will bring His shalom presence into your present. As in Psalm 16:11 (ESV), You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
– Support: Sit in God’s presence with a trusted sister or brother. They don’t need to do or say anything, just be fully present in your tailspin moments. Cultivate that relationship of trust today.
💬 Reflection:
1. What is a tailspin in your life that you have faced or are facing? In what way has the sermon challenged or encouraged you?
2. When have you struggled with trusting in, relying on or resting in God? What do you need to change so you can respond better when life turns into a tailspin?
3. Rest in God and worship Him by listening to the song of response (God Will Make A Way). Pray and commit your emotions and thoughts to Him. Then share and pray for one another.
4. Who is someone you can sit with and support through their tailspin situation?
活石华语崇拜
承先启后
20 Sept 2026
–
约书亚记 4:23-24; 以赛亚书 43:18-19;
启示录 3:17
何进南牧师
YOUTH SERVICE
THE MEANING OF LIFE: WHO AM I?
19 Sept 2026
–
1 Corinthians 6:9-14
Rev Joey Chen
English Service
WHAT IS YOUR STORY?
13 Sept 2026
–
Acts 1:1-8
Rev Emanuel Goh
What Is Your Story?
Acts 1:1-8
Before his ascension, Jesus told his apostles, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Putting aside our own notions of witnessing, we may ask ourselves: what does it mean to truly be a witness? From our reading of the passage this weekend, we can learn three lessons about being a witness.
1. A Witness has a Story, Not a Script with all the Answers
The Greek word for ‘witness’ is martys, and is where we derive the English word ‘martyr’ from. The meaning of this Greek word is one who testifies to what he/she has personally seen. This definition reveals to us that witnessing is not primarily about persuading, but about reporting what we have seen and experienced. Such reporting does not require that we are trained in answering all questions and responses to our witnessing. Let us be encouraged by the man born blind in John 9 who was healed and later questioned about the One (Jesus) who healed him—his response to the Pharisees was, “Whether he (Jesus) is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” We may be unqualified, but Jesus has and can certainly use the testimony of unqualified people to point others to himself.
2. A Witness has Power, Not Just Passion
Jesus’ apostles were not instructed to be immediate witnesses. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses…” Jesus first issues a command for the apostles to wait for the power and presence of the promised Holy Spirit—without the Holy Spirit, their witnessing would not be effective. Since Pentecost, the Holy Spirit takes residence in every one who professes faith in Jesus. We can take comfort in knowing that we have the promised Spirit in us, and continually be filled with the Holy Spirit as Paul urges us.
3. A Witness has a Place and Pays a Price
As witnesses, God places us in very specific places and positions to testify. Oftentimes, there will be a price for being a witness. Telling the truth about Jesus in public will cost us something. However, we may consider that the cost is not worth comparing to the joy of knowing and gaining the very real Christ—as did the Samaritan woman who met him at the well and left everything to testify to her village about Jesus.
We can take comfort in knowing that Jesus does not send us out alone, and that we are simply living evidences of his resurrection power and work.
💬 Reflection:
Do we feel inadequate about ourselves, and does that feeling of inadequacy prevent us from doing so?
Do we know that we have access to the Holy Spirit, and are we continually being filled with the Holy Spirit
Where is God placing us to be witnesses?
Do I have a testimony to share? If I do not, am I willing to come into an experience of God and put my trust in Him?
活石华语崇拜
你是有影响力的！
13 Sept 2026
–
使徒行传 27, 28:1-10
陈赞美牧师博士
YOUTH SERVICE
THE MEANING OF LIFE: WHEN NOTHING SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING
12 Sept 2026
–
1 Samuel 27
Pastor Andrew Leong
English Service
WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?
6 Sept 2026
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1 Kings 19:9-18
Pastor Caroline Chew
Oftentimes, even though we know the truth that God is good and faithful, we still find ourselves exhausted, discouraged and afraid when we focus on our problems instead of on God. Elijah had just witnessed God’s power in a dramatic way, but when Queen Jezebel threatened his life, he became terrified and fled. Eventually, he found himself alone in a cave at Mount Horeb. Then God asked him a simple but searching question: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Perhaps God is asking us the same question today as an invitation to pause, listen and allow Him to meet us where we are.
1. Retreat and Review: Stop and allow God to meet you
Elijah had been running, withdrawing from everything and everyone and hiding in a cave. However, his retreat became the place where God met him.
Sometimes, we need to take a pause too, to be still and allow God to meet us and begin restoring us. When God asks, “What are you doing here?”, He is inviting us to review and examine our hearts, to consider whether our circumstances are shaping our reality, or if God truly is our anchor. What fears, disappointments or perspectives have we been carrying? We can come before Him honestly, because He who is gracious and merciful meets us where we are.
2. Reveal and Realign: Listen for God and come back to His truth
Elijah expected God to reveal Himself through something dramatic but God came in a gentle whisper. God’s revelation may not be what we expect. It may not immediately change our circumstances, but it can change our perspective. God often changes us before changing our circumstances.
God also corrected Elijah’s wrong thinking that he was completely alone, reminding him that there were still 7,000 in Israel who had not bowed down to Baal.
Perhaps there are things we have come to believe about ourselves, others or our circumstances that are not true. Maybe we think we are alone, that we are not enough, or that everything depends on us. As God reveals these things to us, may He bring our hearts and minds back into alignment with His truth.
3. Restoration and Recommission: Move forward with God
The cave was where Elijah was restored, but it was never meant to be his endpoint. God told him, “Go back.” God reminded him that there was still purpose of his life and ministry.
Perhaps some of us feel stuck, tired, disappointed, or unsure of what comes next. We too may feel we are finished, but God is not finished with us. We may not see what God is doing, but that does not mean God is not doing anything.
God restores and recommissions us so that we can move forward with Him in obedience.
Perhaps God is asking us today: “What are you doing here?”
May we respond by listening to His gentle whisper, letting Him do His work in us and continue walking into the purposes and plans He has prepared for us.
💬 Reflection:
1. What disappointments or fears am I carrying right now that I need to honestly bring before God?
2. What wrong perspective might God be inviting me to realign with His truth?
3. What might it look like for me to move forward with God in obedience?
活石华语崇拜
活出美好
6 Sept 2026
–
彼得后书 1:3-8
陈思如牧师
YOUTH SERVICE
The Meaning of Life: When Life is Good
5 Sept 2026
–
Philippians 3
Mr Joshua Heng
English Service
E.L.F. END LUKEWARM FAITH
30 August 2026
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Revelation 3:14-22
Rev Joey Chen
In Revelation 3:14-22, Jesus reproves the lukewarmness of the Church in Laodicea for saying, “…I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing”, not realising that they were, in reality, wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, naked and in need.
This situation remains true today—the trap of lukewarmness is that it is subtle, evading our awareness. Perhaps we do not even know that we are lukewarm or the dangers of being lukewarm. But Jesus is clear: he is disgusted by lukewarmness. We are facing a spiritual battle where lukewarmness is a silent killer of our soul. Lukewarmness is associated with sloth, which signals an apathy for the things of God. Sloth, translated from Greek, is akedia (commonly spelt acedia ).
Akedia can look like many things in our lives, but in essence, it is being occupied with the wrong things. In so doing, we neglect the right thing—our relationship with God—and miss out on the abundant life in God. We could be so weighed down by the busyness and demands of life that we become numb to the spiritual things of God, we don’t abide in Him or draw close to Him through prayer and His Word. We turn away from God, who is our deepest calling and our highest good. Jesus’ rebuke to the Church in Laodicea applies to us also: those whom He loves, He reproves.
We can heed Paul’s words to the Church in Ephesus in response: Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you, being very careful how we live, not as unwise but wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.(Eph 5:14-16)
Here are 3 ‘R’s and 3 ‘P’s that we can use to counter akedia:
1. Recognise that lukewarmness in our faith is a problem.
2. Repent for lukewarmness: By the Holy Spirit, we can let the weight of our sin of akedia to sink in, allow the tears of repentance to cleanse us and have our hearts turned back to God. If we repent, God promises our intimacy with Him will be restored (Rev 3:19-20).
Resist akedia: If we resist the devil, he will flee from us (James 4:7).
Those of us who feel it is difficult to resist can simply turn to God for His help, like the father who cried, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) We can hope in God’s rescue, and obey the Holy Spirit to empower you to resist akedia.
3. Pray: Prayer will require effort, which is why it is a discipline. We can start small, but we ought to start and then keep praying.
4. Perform: “Just do it”—become aware of God’s presence, think about what you are supposed to do, and simply do it.
5. Persevere: Jesus wants us to be victorious, so that we can sit with Him on His throne, to rule and reign with Him. So commit to resist and ask for God’s grace to do what you are supposed to do out of love and not duty. Let us run in such a way as to obtain the prize, putting our hand to the plough and not look back. Let us follow Jesus and finish well!
💬 Reflection:
1. How have I been lukewarm in my faith?
2. What is one thing I repent of that has taken my focus and time away from God?
3. What is one thing I commit to do from today to restore intimacy with God? Share your commitment with and pray for one another.
活石华语崇拜
合神心意的美好人生：懒惰真义
30 August 2026
–
箴言 6:6-11
William 传道
YOUTH SERVICE
THE MEANING OF LIFE: FACING THE STORMS
29 August 2026
–
Matthew 14:22-36
Rev Emanuel Goh