ENGLISH SERVICE
6 September 2026
–
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
6 September 2026
–
彼得后书 1:3-8
陈思如牧师
5 September 2026
–
Philippians 3
Mr Joshua Heng
ENGLISH SERVICE
30 August 2026
–
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
30 August 026
–
箴言 6:6-11
William 传道
29 August 2026
–
Matthew 14:22-36
Rev Emanuel Goh
ENGLISH SERVICE
23 August 2026
–
2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Rev Dr Kow Shih Ming
In Philippians 4:19 (ESV), God promised that He “will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus”, yet most of us desire more money now. Does that mean the promise cannot be fulfilled? Paul’s teaching in today’s passage helps us unlock the riches contained in God’s promise to us.
Our giving is a direct test of faith, showing whether we truly trust God to provide. Giving the church the first 10% of our income as tithe serves as a tangible act of worship and a step toward growing a generous heart. Christian generosity flows from gratitude for Jesus first giving His all for us. Ultimately, God desires our whole hearts and lives offered to Him in worship as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1).
💬 Reflection:
1. How have you struggled to be financially content, seeking to satisfy not just needs but also ‘wants’ or even greed? Share with your group if you’re comfortable and pray for one another.
2. How has God provided for a need you had? You may also share an experience where you gave first before God met your need.
3. The sermon highlighted four attitudes for biblical giving: being thoughtful, enthusiastic, voluntary, and cheerful. Which do you find easiest to practise, and which the most challenging? Why?
4. What specific financial fears or anxieties is God asking you to surrender and trust Him with today?
活石华语崇拜
23 August 026
–
马太福音 7:1-6
何廷轩弟兄
22 August 2026
–
Luke 10:25-37
Mr Timothy Tay
ENGLISH SERVICE
16 August 2026
–
Matthew 15:21-28
Pastor Simon Lam
A.I. = Audacious Intercession. What does it mean to pray with audacity? In Matthew 15:21–28, a Canaanite woman refused to stop crying out to Jesus for her daughter. Her prayer is bold, persistent and desperate. She simply went to Jesus acknowledging He is Lord, and that even the overflow of His mercy is more than enough.
Audacious Intercession is ultimately not about the strength of our prayers but about whom we are praying to, trusting in God’s faithfulness and unchanging nature.
1. Pray boldly.
The Canaanite woman boldly approached Jesus calling Him the Son of David, acknowledging Him as Messiah and Healer. Hebrews 4:16 invites us to approach the throne of grace with confidence because Jesus is our great High Priest who sympathises with our weakness. Boldly praying therefore is confidence in the One we’re asking, believing in His steadfast love and that God is worthy of our trust even when we do not understand His ways.
2. Pray persistently.
The woman “kept crying out” and “kept kneeling.” The disciples wanted her sent away. Jesus was silent. His response seemed to be another barrier in front of her. Yet she did not leave. Her persistence was not an attempt to manipulate or force Jesus’ hand to grant the outcome she desired. Her persistence flowed from trusting in Jesus and His mercy.
Oftentimes, when nothing seems to change, our prayers begin to die and we assume that God is not listening. The Canaanite woman shows us how to persist even in silence. We may not know what God is doing in situations that seem beyond repair or redemption (a wandering child, a struggling marriage, a chronic diagnosis) but we can continue to place people and situations before Him, trusting that no prayer offered in genuine faith is wasted.
3. Pray desperately.
Her daughter’s suffering became the woman’s own cry: “Have mercy on me.” This is the posture of Moses pleading for Israel, Jacob wrestling with God, Paul agonising in prayer, and ultimately Christ Himself interceding for His people. To intercede is to allow ourselves to be moved by another person’s brokenness — not from a place of self-righteousness, but because of love and compassion. We bring both “us” and “them” before God: Lord, have mercy on us. Lord, help us.
Ultimately, audacious intercession is not about striving or making a transaction with God. It is having the stubborn confidence that God remains good whether the answer comes today, comes differently, or remains hidden from us.
When we struggle to pray, the Holy Spirit will help us pray, and Jesus continues to intercede for us. We can pray boldly, persistently, audaciously because the God we’re asking is good, whether the answer comes today or not.
💬 Reflection:
活石华语崇拜
16 August 026
–
马太福音 6:25-34
孙振乾弟兄
15 August 2026
–
Genesis 18:1-8
BE Dr Wee Boon Hup
ENGLISH SERVICE
9 August 2026
–
Psalm 33:8-22
BE Dr Wee Boon Hup
As we celebrate National Day, we may desire for Singapore to be a “Christian” nation especially in light of Psalm 33:12: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance.”
Without its context, it is easy to surmise that the emphasis of the verse is on the “nation” and the people, which can then lead us to think that size matters, that how Christian a nation is is measured by the number of its Christian population. However, the emphasis should rightly be on the next part of the verse, God!
There are three ways the passage highlights which shows God is Yahweh the Lord. He is the Lord of Creation (v6-9), the whole earth fears the Lord who spoke them into being. He is the Lord of History (v10-17) who is able to “foil the plans of nations” and “thwart the purposes of the peoples”. This echoes Genesis 11:9, where the Lord frustrated the plans of the people who were building the tower of Babel. God is the Lord of unfailing love (v18-22) who is steadfast and committed to the people with whom He has entered into covenant.
Blessings come not because of who we are, the numbers of Christians in a population or the influence we exercise. The blessings come because of who God is, His grace and the outflowing of His steadfast love. The outcome is still the Lord’s to give; He is the one who chooses to bless.
Jesus did not come to establish a Christian nation, but He came to establish the Kingdom of God which is not of this world. How should we respond in this shared call to establish God’s kingdom?
Wait on the Lord (v20)
God is in charge; we wait for His instructions. Instead of jumping ahead of Him, we must learn to listen first to what comes out of God’s heart and mind.
Rejoice in the Lord (v21)
If we are always on the go, trying to plan for the next best thing, it is hard to rejoice. Instead, we are to wait with joy.
Hope in the Lord (v22)
The steadfast and unfailing love of the Lord is something that we can always rely on. Even if things do not turn out the way we expect, we still hope.
We cannot deny the fact that Singapore has been really blessed. But it is not so much because the efforts of Christians here and the prayers that we’ve prayed. The blessings are due to the prerogative of God who is the Lord of all. Thanks be to God!
💬 Reflection:
1. How have I been thinking of Singapore as a “nation whose God is the Lord”? How have my perspectives changed about where true blessings come from?
2. When have I been tempted to “jump ahead” of God? What would it look like to practically trust His timing and leadership in one area of your life? Share and pray for one another.
3. What are some practical ways that I can wait on, rejoice and hope in the Lord?
活石华语崇拜
9 August 026
–
路加福音 12:15
刘丽娜姐妹
8 August 2026
–
Ephesians 2:13
Pastor Ian Wong