Next month I turn 53. I know this is very shocking to many of you because I do not look that old. Maybe 49, but certainly not 53!  Sometimes I am shocked myself when I have to tell others how old I am.  I still feel like a little kid, okay maybe not that young, but certainly like a young woman in my heart, but the fact of the matter is I am old enough to be a grandmother.  I know many people who are already grandparents at my age or even younger!  I cannot imagine being a grandmother right now, but I am sure when the time comes (sooner than later I hope, okay Daniel and Stacey?), I will handle the new role like a pro.  After all, I used to say, “I cannot imagine being married” yet have been married for almost 28 years.  I used to say, “I cannot imagine being a mom,” and now I cannot remember what my life was like before kids.  Though it’s hard for me to imagine holding a grandchild in my arms, I am sure I will love it when the time comes.  I look forward to enjoying  my grandchildren, but the part that I look forward to the most is being able to send them home with their parents whenever I need my own time!  Hallelujah!
Let me not be carried away too far here. Why am I talking about grandchildren when neither one of my children is dating anybody, unless of course they are not telling me something?  With all kidding aside, however, I pray for my children, not just to have an easy, comfortable life, but to have their God-ordained destiny fulfilled.  I trust in God’s perfect timing and His perfect match-making skills. So I resolve not to nag my children about their rather ‘quiet’ social life! 
Back to the point about my getting old, in the past, celebrating my birthday each year was no big deal for me.  I am not a very emotional, sentimental person (yes, you guessed it. I am a Choleric!), so it never really bothered me that I was aging.  That changed a few months ago when my right shoulder began to hurt so much that doing simple everyday tasks such as lifting grocery bags or putting on clothes became very challenging. When I finally went to a physical therapist, I was told that my shoulder was in the process of ‘freezing’, not because of an injury, but simply due to aging.  Till then my age was just a number in my head, but it really hit home that I was getting old.  At the same time, however, just as Paul’s thorn in the flesh acted as a constant reminder that God’s grace was sufficient for him, my shoulder pain has served as a good wake-up call that life is indeed short. I mean it’s not like I am going to die due to should pain, but I realize that I am not in the prime of life any more, that I have a limited number of years and limited physical mobility and energy left to serve God and His people.  What I took for granted all these years, my health and my time, may be fast fleeting.  That realization compels me to be more purposeful and intentional on how I live each day. I feel like I’ve been Martha for the most of my life, but this aging Martha now has no option but to become more like Mary, sitting at Jesus’ feet, spending more time listening than doing.  That’s a very good thing.  So I choose to thank God for my ‘freezing’ shoulder.  I do hope my shoulder heals completely one day, but even if it doesn’t, I shall consider it my thorn in the flesh and confess “God’s grace is sufficient for me, for His power is made perfect in weakness.”  King Solomon has said, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come.”  I second that. Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of not being able to lift your arms fully to worship Him come!

From Pastor Sara’s Heart
February 15, 2015

 I’ve been thinking about what it means to BE the church.  Church, to me, in the simplest definition is “the body of Christ.”  And if you think of the magnitude of that statement, it goes far beyond a building, an idea, or even a group of people. My thoughts are not just about our local church body called New Covenant Fellowship Church but the universal body of Christ which we also happen to call the Church.  Often times when we refer to the word “church” our thoughts and sentiments are programmed to think of your “home” church (the church you grew up in), the most church that you’ve visited (if you’ve been searching or “church hopping”), or the church that you have heard of whether word of mouth or in the news (if you are not a regular church go-er).  But let’s talk about the universal Church, the Church that is called to emulate JESUS, not a group of people or a person.  Here are a few thoughts:

WE are a NEW CREATION, not just YOU (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Paul, in His letter to the church in Corinth, conveys to the church their identity as believers.  The theme of “new” is prevalent in this letter; new covenant, new body, new creation, etc.  He emphasizes the ultimate atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross drives a “new-ness” factor in all our lives.  Specifically to 5:17, we are a NEW creation, literally re-born, re-created, re-made, whatever word that helps you to understand the transition from nothing to something.  However, the danger here is to selfishly rear this idea and claim this truth for yourself but Paul’s placement of this truth in his letter is very intentional.  He places this comment right before he writes about the ministry of reconciliation, the ministry of bridging the world to Christ as ambassadors of God (v.20).  Reconciliation involves others.  It involves YOU the ambassador, the ones needing reconciliation, and God, the one we are reconciled to.  Ministry of reconciliation is an integral part of being a new creation.  How are WE, as the church, being a NEW CREATION collectively?  WE are it, not just YOU.

Christ is the HEAD of the church (Colossians 1:18).  In the bible and as I mentioned above, the church is compared to a body of a human being.  The science of the body is fascinating.  Think for one moment the functions of each part of the body.  They are incredibly unique but at the same time intricately related to one another!  When Paul speaks of Christ being the head of the church, he is referring to the Lordship (head being at the top), the function (the purpose, reason, livelihood, importance), but also the face or the recognizing factor of the rest of the body.  As the body of Christ, made up of unique individuals but so intricately tied together, do we represent the Head?  Do our actions and our words point to the head of the Church, who is Jesus?  If you are part of the local body of believers, like NCFC, how have we represented to the world around us that Christ is our face, our recognizing factor?
Friends, this is just a few on-going thoughts but let me end with this.  The Church is called to be ALIVE or A LIFE!  It is a moving, breathing, LIVING organism, whose parts work together, like the human body, to point the world (and one another) back to Jesus, our head!  Let’s not confine our relationship to God by going to church but commit to being the church wherever we go.  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 

From Pastor Keeyoung’s Heart
February 8, 2015

So the Superbowl is today, the biggest sporting event in the U.S. by far. A billion sports fanatics and casual sports fans all over the world will watch not only for the game itself but also for the funny commercials and the entertaining halftime show. I’m not necessarily a huge sports fan but I am loyal to Seattle teams having grown up with the Seahawks, Mariners and the Sonics (I don’t want to talk about it until Seattle gets another NBA team). This season I realized I was getting a tad obsessed with the Seahawks’ bid to repeat as champions when I found myself yelling at the TV during their games. Go Hawks!
The constant Superbowl media coverage is massive to say the least and the players are fully aware every little thing they say and do will be heard round the world. Some of them choose to share their Christian faith, which certainly seems to be the admirable thing to do and a pleasant contrast to the blatant corporate commercialism swirling around the event. Seattle’s quarterback had a terrible game in the NFC championship two weeks ago until he pulled out a win at the end to get to the Superbowl. Exhausted and emotional, his immediate post-game comments were the familiar “God is so great, all the time.” He went on to comment that God had “orchestrated all of this to bring him to this point.” Hmm, now don’t get me wrong I have no issue with someone sharing their Faith on the big stage and I think this person has a sincere love for the Lord. However, his comments seemed to imply that this sports contest victory was a result of divine intervention. The various public reactions to this were amusing if not predictable. The opposing quarterback for the Packers remarked “I really don’t think God cares about football.” Sports radio ran with it: “So did God lay the 7.5 points or did he just go with Seattle winning straight up?” Another prominent media person commented he had a serious issue with a god that has a rooting interest in a football game. There’s a fine line between one witnessing his/her genuine Faith and coming across as self-righteous entitlement. If the Seattle QB is saying God is allowing him to be the best darn person he can be even in his athletic vocation and he gives all praise to God regardless of the outcome then so be it. But to assert beyond that invites skepticism and ridicule from Christians and non-Christians alike making wise-cracks about God and the point spread, which is an impression of the Gospel he certainly did not intend, and one God most certainly did not intend.
This kind of proselytizing draws unwanted attention and I dare say even spiritual battle. I recall years ago, a former high-profile Seattle player was playing in the Superbowl and he made the foolish prediction that his team would win because of his superior Christian faith. The night before the big game he was arrested by undercover police for soliciting “dates.” His team lost the game and no one ever wanted to hear from that guy again. The current Seattle QB holds out his Christian faith for all to see but will also draw scrutiny for having filed to end his 2-year marriage last year coincidentally right after he became famous. Even solid character guys like this one will be subject to forces of this world that want to see him stumble. It’s a dangerous game to attach God’s goodness with wins or losses. What I would love to see is that players on both sides of the final score and in life proclaim “God is good, all the time!”

From Pastor Mark’s Heart
February 1, 2015

These days, because I have very limited free time, I’m very selective about the movies I watch.  I don’t want to waste 2-3 hours of my life on a bad movie!  I could use that time for sweet precious sleep!  My wife and I usually disagree on which movies to watch though – she likes the serious, introspective dramas while I just want to zone out and laugh at crude jokes.  You can tell how different we are by our favorite movies: hers are “Braveheart” and “Forrest Gump” while mine are “My Sassy Girl” and “You’ve Got Mail.”  Don’t cry, Shopgirl, don’t cry.  (You can tell which side of the generation gap you stand on if you hear “you’ve got mail” and think of the sound of a modem.  Also, if you know what a modem is.)
This is why when I watch a movie that’s not particularly good or too long, I get really annoyed.  I just wasted 3 hours of my life that I will never get back just to watch a bunch of hobbits in awful British accents run around like a bunch of ninnies!  Don’t waste my time with this stuff, Peter Jackson!  And why do all elves look the same?  Racist!
We all have similar attitudes with our time.  Maybe it’s because we’re living in an age of instant gratification where the speed of 4G LTE brings us anything we want in seconds.  Maybe it’s because our schedules are so full nowadays that it’s always just gogogogogo.  Or maybe we’re just spoiled.  But this attitude is often reflected towards church as well.
It seems like we have the same sort of consumeristic approach towards church as we do with movie choices or plans for Saturday night.  If it can entertain me for a few hours and is a better option than anything else going on at the same time, then fine.  Otherwise, don’t bother.  And believe me, I understand this very well.  Even as a pastor, sometimes I wish I didn’t have to go to another church function and just go home and hang out with my family or watch “Tangled” with my wife (a movie we can both agree on).  But honestly?  That attitude shows just how much we really are in need of more Jesus in our lives.
Now, let me caveat that church does not equal Jesus.  Going to a retreat every month, coming out to early morning prayer every day, participating in a weekly small group meeting 3x a week WILL NOT get you into heaven and WILL NOT help you know Jesus more.  These are just “things to do.”  They do not equate to God.
However, it is specifically at “things” like these where we have opportunities to encounter God with our church community in ways that we do not throughout the rest of our days.  Let’s be honest – how many of us are truly encountering Christ on the regular?  How many of us feel like there’s not a single area of our lives where we need the Lord?  (And not in a “God, give me more money” kind of way).  Yet despite the fact that we know in our heart of hearts that we do need more Jesus, we still go out of our way to make excuses or prioritize tons of other things over church.
I challenge you, church.  When you see an announcement for the fasting retreat, do you inwardly groan?  When you hear about a praise and prayer event, do you automatically pretend like you’re busy?  When you are invited to receive prayer, do you start inching towards the doorway?  Again, I get the sentiment.  But that feeling comes from our attitude towards “things.”  If we can channel our focus on Jesus instead, I think our hearts will change.  And frankly, there’s nothing that can change our hearts other than more Jesus.
So please sign up for the fasting retreat.  There are no good movies out anyway.

From Pastor David’s Heart
January 25, 2015

Our son, Andrew, is now a little over 2 months old. He loves lots of things. He loves to eat (like daddy). He loves it when we pick him up and walk around the house. When we do that, he just stares at everything. It’s like he is trying to figure out what he is seeing. Just last week, when it snowed a lot, he stared wide-eyed out the window. He was in awe of all the falling white stuff. He also loves to babble. We think he will be quite the talker when he grows up. He and I have had long talks already, and he can babble on for hours. He loves bath time now, but that wasn’t always the case.
I remember the first bath we gave him. He was terrified. He didn’t like the floating feeling he got when he was in that mysterious stuff called water. He curled his toes as if he was trying with all his might to keep his legs from floating up. He looked for things to grasp with his hands. I offered him my finger and he grabbed onto it for dear life while my wife bathed him. As he was crying, I remember saying “It’s okay, daddy’s got you.” over and over again.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago, and bath time is a totally enjoyable experience for him now. He is very relaxed, and water doesn’t scare him anymore. His toes aren’t curled up and he isn’t looking for things to grasp with his hands. He even has a smile on his face.
From Andrew’s perspective, bath time was scary. Being in water, being washed, being dried, it’s all new to him. From our perspective, we knew that Andrew had nothing to be scared about. He was safe and we were watching over him to make sure that nothing happened to him. In the same way, when God calls us out of our comfort zone and into the unknown, we can be scared. We can react like Andrew and curl our toes and look for things to grasp and cry out to God. It’s all new to us so it makes us uncomfortable. But in God’s perspective, He knows that we’re safe. He is in control. He’s holding us the whole time and saying “It’s okay, daddy’s got you.”
As we keep getting placed in the unknown, we eventually learn that it’s okay. There’s no reason to be scared. It took quite a few baths before Andrew realized that bath time was okay. He actually became quite comfortable during bath time. That’s how we realized that he had grown. It will take quite a few unknown situations and circumstances for us to learn that it’s okay and there’s no reason to be scared. In fact, we need to be placed outside of our comfort zone in order to grow. We cannot expect growth if we are always comfortable and avoid the unknown.
So there may be some of you today who are going through situations that you don’t understand. You might be going through tough times at work. You might be dealing with family problems. Whatever the case may be, even though from your perspective, it is scary and doesn’t make much sense, I want to remind you that God is holding you. He is holding you and saying “It’s okay, daddy’s got you.” And when that situation comes to pass, you’ll be able to look back and realize that you’ve grown from it. As we experience many of these situations, maybe one day we’ll be able to truly understand James 1:2-4: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

From Pastor Eugene’s Heart
January 18, 2015

On Tuesday morning, the kids ran into our room and tried to wake us up. My wife and I would’ve already been up getting ready for work on a regular weekday but both of us knew that we had some extra time to sleep in due to the snow. When Reina and Ryan opened the blinds and saw the snow outside, they were jumping and shouting with excitement. Although it was a hectic morning due to the school closing situation not being announced early, the fact that it snowed made everything ok. There’s something about snow that makes everyone feel like a kid again. I really like that. However, I have grown to not like snow that much since living in the States. When I was growing up in Korea, I don’t remember anyone shoveling and getting into accidents. But now that I’m older and have been through a couple of snowstorms by spending many hours shoveling and being stuck at home for days, I don’t really look forward to snow days anymore. I can live without the “hype” of seeing snow, making snowmen and sledding down the hills.  I’m actually more worried about people getting into accidents and small business owners losing business over bad weather. Maybe I need to rediscover my youthfulness and excitement all over again. Or maybe I’m just being too practical. 
It’s been a couple days since it snowed and the kids are still in their “snow mode.” Whenever they see a pile of snow, they want to walk on it and touch the snow. While they are having so much fun, my wife and I are so worried about them slipping and getting the car wet or dirty. You get the picture, right? It happened again this morning at my parents’ house when I picked my kids up to take them to school. Ryan just blatantly disobeyed my instruction and ran around my parents’ front yard covered with snow. I had to carry him out of the snow and put him in the car. Ryan was so upset that I didn’t allow him to play in the snow, he kept on saying he doesn’t like daddy over and over. As I was driving, I thought about my actions and felt that I could’ve allowed Ryan to have some fun in the snow before getting in the car. He was just being a kid being excited but I was more worried about his clothes getting dirty and the car being wet. I don’t think what I did was wrong, any parent would have done the same but Ryan’s reaction made me think about it a little more. 
Usually, I try not to spiritualize every matter, but God made me realize something very important through this incident. There are many of us who have lost the excitement or the youthfulness when it comes to our relationship with God. I’ll be the first one to admit that. Although we are not called to remain “immature” and “child-like” in our faith, the genuine joy of knowing Jesus Christ and worshipping Him are something we need to keep. Many times I use my so called “wisdom” to limit myself from stepping outside my own little comfort zone. It’s not a coincidence that Timothy Winter Retreat’s theme was “Let Go.” I think this year will be a year that God will challenge me and my family to let go of whatever fear we are holding onto so we can fully experience the true freedom we can enjoy in God!    

From Pastor Brian’s Heart
January 11, 2015
4, 2015

Jonathan Edwards was a preacher and theologian during the 1700s. He is considered one of America’s most important theologians and greatest intellectuals. He was a leading figure in the Great Awakening. When he was about 20 years old, he wrote down resolutions he made between God and himself and he committed to reading them every week for the rest of his life. Considering many of us make resolutions at the beginning of the new year, we wanted to share some of his with you and hope you are inspired, encouraged, and challenged. Happy New Year!
1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad’s of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.
4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.
6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.
14. Resolved, never to do anything out of revenge.
16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.
20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance in eating and drinking.
24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.
25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.
28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.
30. Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.
37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent, what sin I have committed, and wherein I have denied myself: also at the end of every week, month and year.
56. Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.
58. Resolved, not only to refrain from an air of dislike, fretfulness, and anger in conversation, but to exhibit an air of love, cheerfulness and benignity.
67. Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what good I have got by them, and what I might have got by them.
70. Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak.

From the Pastors
January 4, 2015

How was your Christmas?  Did you enjoy (or at least successfully tolerate) getting together and catching up with your extended family members? Did you get the presents you hoped you’d get?    Or do you have a pile of presents that you need to return? I am no psychologist, but now that Christmas is past, I can predict that people will generally fall into three groups:
The first group of people are the ones who feel happy and blessed because they received what they really wanted for Christmas. Their joy, however, is likely to be short-lived, lasting until a newer, faster, slimmer version of the awesome gadget they are so much in love with comes out.
The second group of people are the ones who feel angry and taken advantage of because they went out of their way to treat others, yet they did not get as much in return. They realize they will be hit with a huge credit card bill next month, and they grow angrier and angrier every time they pass by the box of fruitcake no one wants to even try (no offense if the reader happens to have given a fruitcake as a gift!). 
The third group of people are the ones who suffer from what they call a “Post-Christmas syndrome.” These are the people who had such high hopes for Christmas, now that it’s over with all of the holiday hoopla gone, they experience a big let-down, even feelings of depression. These holiday blues may be due to a variety of factors.  Perhaps the holidays were not as festive or celebratory as expected, their plans fell through, or expectations simply were not met, whatever they might have expected. 
I can relate to the feelings of post-Christmas blues because I experienced it first-hand as a young girl growing up in Korea. I did not grow up in a Christian home. In fact my mother was a Buddhist and frequently visited a Buddhist temple.  As a result, I had no idea what the real meaning of Christmas was, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.  That understanding and appreciation for Christmas came much later after my family immigrated to the US and started attending church and I became a follower of Jesus Christ.
I still vividly remember feeling letdown on Christmas morning.  I cannot quite remember what kinds of presents each of us children received from our parents, but I am sure we received something. Back then no one received multiple gifts like kids do this day and age. I think we are spoiling our kids too much, but that’s for another column.  Honestly it wasn’t because I was disappointed with what I received from my parents, but a feeling of emptiness, a sense of “there must be something more than this”, was overwhelming even for a young girl.  I couldn’t understand why some people seemed genuinely so thankful and joyful around Christmas.  The happier people seemed at Christmas, the more miserable and left out I felt.   Now that I know and understand the true reason for celebrating Christmas, I wish some of my Christian school friends had shared the Gospel with me.  I would’ve not have suffered from post-Christmas blues then.
But praise God that I no longer suffer from a post-Christmas syndrome (well, except for clothes fitting a little too tight!)!  In fact, I do not have to suffer from any blues - pre, mid, or post-Christmas. In fact, with God Immanuel, the indwelling Christ, in my life, every day is Christmas.  And He is the one gift that I never want to return!

From Pastor Sara’s Heart
December 28, 2014

As Christmas is fast approaching, everyone starts to get excited.  Whether it’s because of presents, breaks from school, spending time with family, spending time AWAY from co-workers, whatever the reason – most of us look forward to Christmas as the most anticipated holiday of the year.  Now, one way to take this column would be to say – “BUT WE FORGET JESUS!”  But I don’t think that’s true.  We talk about Jesus all year round – if you are forgetting Jesus at Christmas, I don’t think we’re doing a very good job as a church, and that’s a whole ‘nother issue.
But what I will say is – let’s not forget those who have less.  Christmas is a time meant for family, giving, and thanksgiving.  However, if all of our focus is inward, I believe we neglect the gospel message that we are meant to bring to the world.  Especially during this time when there’s so much to enjoy, can we really celebrate when we have brothers and sisters around us suffering?  This is not meant to guilt people into forgoing their Christmas dinners and giving all the food away (although if you want to, don’t let me stop you).  In Micah 6:8, the Bible says “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”  Are we doing that this holiday season?  Are we acting justly and loving mercy and walking humbly with our God?
Maybe all it takes is to start a new tradition.  Before opening presents, set one aside that can be donated to a local charity.  Before Christmas dinner, stop by a local food bank to serve those in need.  Perhaps it’s delivering a hot meal to a family in need.  The fact is, we don’t need to travel overseas to help people – according to the Capital Area Food Bank, there are 78,000 people in Montgomery County who are food insecure.  78,000 of our neighbors who are unable to feed their families a full meal.  Where is the justice, mercy, humility for them?
As I consider more and more what it means to be a good parent and am struggling with how to share the gospel with my kids, one thing I know I want to convey is how blessed we are – not just materially, but with the gift of salvation.  We who are rich, can we not give more to those who are lacking?  Jesus in his parable of the sheep and the goats refers to what we do for the “least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”  We won’t forget Jesus this Christmas.  Let’s not forget the least of these as well.
P.S.  If you have a heart for serving others or feel convicted to do more for your neighbors, please consider joining the newly formed Community Service ministry led by Eugene Rhee.  We are not looking for people to commit all their free time to the causes we partner with – rather we just want people who have a heart to love our brothers and sisters on the margins.  Please consider joining as we start up next year and have more announcements!

From Pastor David’s Heart
December 21, 2014

So I had attended a church Promiseland PTA meeting a few weeks ago since my son Julian is a 5th grader and I wanted to try and support the ministry as a parent if I could. One of the topics discussed was ideas for fun field-trip events to plan for the future. Snowtubing was one of the ideas for example. So there was conversation back and forth among the group but then I noticed no one was able to volunteer to merely look into the costs and dates etc and report back to the group. I’m a typical guy so therefore I’m sorely lacking in the children’s event planning/detail department. But nevertheless it’s something that needed to be done so I thought why not and raised my hand and volunteered to look into it. I naively wondered to myself what harm could that do to offer to just look into things?
So a short report of several different fun things to do (like glass blowing!) was prepared and submitted. Not long after that I get an email from the group thanking me for volunteering to lead the field trip. Whaaaa? Hey what just happened here I had merely offered to look into it and next thing I know I’ve been “volun-told” I was leading. Very smooth of them that’s for sure.
Of course I’m only good-naturedly complaining about getting deftly roped into further involvement. This is not the first time I’ve tried to be involved. I think it finally dawned on me as a parent that it’s not enough to just expect others to provide these experiences for the kids. The church staff and volunteer Sunday school teachers and other parents have continued to invest in these younger generations so faithfully. And I’ve been blessed not only in fellowship meeting the other KC congregation parents and but also in my relationship with my son. Julian still occasionally recalls the last Promiseland retreat when our 12-bunk cabin had a late night pillow fight of epic proportions. Our cabin was the “cool” cabin. The kids in the other cabin even wanted to join our cabin. I told my son I was pretty much a band geek growing up so I had never in my life ever been considered in the “cool” crowd. So even though I’m not personally thrilled about these overnights sleeping in bunks, or campground tents, or on the Playstation floor upstairs (my back is not crazy about it either) it’s worthwhile to be part of our kids lives and maybe also score some Dad points too along the way.
Our church ministries across the board are relying more and more upon individual participation in order for the ministries to continue their good works. No doubt there are opportunities for each and every one of us to be more involved and quite honestly our participation is becoming essential. We can’t take for granted that the same parents or same church leaders should bear the full responsibility for this congregation’s spiritual well-being. The excellent examples our young adult and high school leaders have set investing their time, energy and heart into the youth over and over again is humbling. How does one say no to making an effort in the name of the Lord? And all this time God is watching.

From Pastor Mark’s Heart
December 14, 2014

I was thinking to myself this week – I love being comfortable.  Not having to worry about my physical well-being - my next meal (other than the difficulty of choosing something that will appease my palate), where I’ll sleep, my safety, etc. – is a beautiful thing.  It’s so easy to take all the simple luxuries in life for granted.  Then I began to think a bit more.  The idea, for most of us the reality, of comfort goes so much more than our physical bodies – there is also an emotional element of comfort that we need to factor in.  If you were to ask a wealthy person who had just experienced a death in the family if they were in a state of comfort, the answer would be a resounding “no” – the pain of a loss would surely lead to much pain.  So when we find ourselves in comfort, we can generally assume that physically and emotionally there is no pressing issue, no reason for us to doubt or be in pain.
Then I hear about the outcomes of trials involving the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner.  I hear of the marches, demonstrations, and unfortunate riots - responses to deal with the pain, suffering, and anger caused by these court decisions.  Many are crying for justice and pointing fingers to racism while others are responding that justice has been served and these situations are isolated events, having nothing to do with the larger social (and I believe spiritual) issue of racism.  Even in Christian circles, there is division on how to approach all that has been going on.  It’s a devastating time, to say the least.  But I’ll be honest about my initial reaction - my head knew that there was something deeply wrong with what is going on but my heart responded “what’s the big deal?”  There was a disconnect with what I knew and what I felt.  Which led me to the realization of how comfortable I was.  Let me explain.
No one wants to be disturbed.  In the heart and soul of every person is a longing to be safe and secure, physically and emotionally, and we will do whatever it takes to make it so.  But I began to wonder if my search for comfort, protecting myself from being emotionally vulnerable, had hardened my heart to what’s been going on in our world today.  Could this be the reason for the disconnect between my mind and heart?  I believe so.  Jesus made Himself vulnerable to a world of hurt and pain during His time here on earth.  He suffered physically but more than that He suffered emotionally – the result of the sin of man and being rejected by those He loved to the very end.  I had been looking at the events in the eyes of a news anchor wanting to be aware and communicate the latest from a distant, not through the lens of Christ who hurts and walks with those in pain, carries burdens, and heals all wounds.  I was so busy making sure my heart was secure that I refused to respond with true compassion to my brother and sister thus disobeying the latter part of the great commandment, to love my neighbor.
Friends, we will never ask a friend or family member in deep pain to justify and explain why they are hurting.  If we truly cared, our initial response would be embrace and doing whatever it takes to bring comfort and peace.  Why is this situation any different?  Our brothers and sisters in the African American community are hurting.  Why do we turn a blind eye or even worse, ask them to justify why they are hurting or angry?  Have we become so focused in protecting ourselves that we’ve lost sight of being like our Savior who wept bitterly for the lost and broken and died for the other?
(These are simply my reflections and thoughts in light of current events from my realization of the lack of compassion I see in myself and around me.  I’d be more than happy to discuss my personal opinions on racism, justice and the situation as a whole.)

From Pastor Keeyoung’s Heart
December 7, 2014

It’s been three weeks since I came over from VA campus to serve at MD campus. Although we are one church in two separate locations, there are a lot of differences that I still need to learn and get used to here in MD campus. The toughest challenge is getting to know the people. I’m an introvert by nature but God is continuing to push me to be more aggressive and be more open to necessary changes. If it wasn’t for God, I would probably get too comfortable with myself and become stagnant. God is reminding me the lessons that we learned together through the Experiencing God series that when God invites us into His work we are faced with a crisis of faith and therefore need to make necessary adjustments. It’s been a very tough journey thus far for sure because I know that there are so many expectations to make better things happen. However, God is training me to know what it means to “trust” Him and surrender all my fears to Him.
I thank God for the His Word that I can recite and proclaim over myself in moments of doubt.
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in your ways submit to Him, and he will make your path straight.” (Prov 3:5-6)
It seems like the rest of my family is adjusting well to the new surroundings. Thanks to Fellowship Christian School and the summer camps that my kids attended in the past, both Reina and Ryan already had some friends in their new Sunday school classes. And my wife actually has some close friends in the English congregation so she is happy to be able to reconnect with her old friends as well. As I reflect on this transition and how things unfold, I can clearly see that God has been preparing all our family members for this transition even before it came about. My wife and I like to plan things ahead of time but this is something we couldn’t have even imagined. No human minds could have planned out better than how God did it so perfectly. I’m always so amazed how God orchestrates everything to make all things good for those who trust in Him. Praise God for His provision and His faithfulness!
There is a major change in Timothy ministry that will take place starting next Sunday (12/7). We will be implementing a new Sunday schedule for both middle and high school ministries. The church leadership and the Timothy committee have been working very hard to come up with a change that will benefit the Timothy ministry as a whole. I know change is often very uncomfortable and not welcomed by many but change can also bring forth new hope and excitement to the ministry. So I ask the English congregation from both MD and VA to pray with me for the Timothy ministry that the upcoming transitions and changes will go smoothly and the students will adjust well. I know this change is only for MD campus but we are all partners in the Kingdom of God so I ask the VA campus pray together as well. Thank you.

From Pastor Brian’s Heart
November 30, 2014

November 3rd marked two years since Kenneth Bae became a prisoner in the Democratic of Korea (also known as North Korea), and Kenneth’s family couldn’t really celebrate a normal Thanksgiving for the last two years. You can’t even imagine the pain this caused to Kenneth and his family. Their lives were held captive, filled with deep heartache and fear. As they were wondering when Kenneth would ever be free, on November 8th we all heard the news that he was freed and was on a plane from North Korea. He was finally coming home. At his interview, Kenneth said that he was grateful that he is back home now, and what he wants to do most was to spend time with family and friends he had so longed to see. This year’s Thanksgiving Day will be more meaningful than ever before for Kenneth and his family.
What does Thanksgiving Day mean to you?  How are you planning on spending your Thanksgiving Day?  The meaning of Thanksgiving Day has certainly changed over the years. Thanksgiving Day seems to get filled with more of watching football games and shopping for bargains.  Now this year, stores are saying that they will be opening at 6:00 pm on Thanksgiving Day and extend their special deals until Sunday evening to get people into buying more stuff.
It seems shopping has become more important than spending time with family and friends, and we tend to take our relationships with people we love for granted. We always see them so what’s the big deal? This kind of careless thought and lifestyle is chipping away at the true meaning of Thanksgiving Day. Yes, Kenneth was completely cut off from his family for two years. So when he said all he wants to do most now was to spend time with family and friends, we can say we would feel the same way if we were in his situation.
But the point is that we shouldn’t take the relationships we have for granted even if your relationships are perfectly fine with family and friends. For Kenneth, the relationship with his family and friends were cut off from him unexpectedly without his control. He said he learned a lot through this ordeal, and I could sense that missing his family and friends were the most painful and difficult things he had to deal with while he was imprisoned.
My youngest brother passed away last December unexpectedly. Since we were seven years apart, we rarely had deep and intimate conversations as we were growing up. But as we got older we began to share more about each other’s life, and when he was hospitalized for three weeks before he passed away, I had gotten to know more about him. I wish I had spent more time sharing with him before this happened. Well, it’s a little too late, isn’t it? Moreover, our Thanksgiving Day this year may not be the same as last year, especially for my aging mother.
Don’t forget to appreciate the relationships with your family and friends you have now. Don’t take them for granted. The relationships you have now could be interrupted without warning, and time will not wait for you either. Enjoy and cherish what you have now, and do your best to keep it while you have it!
Also let us not forget our God who’s always been so faithful and loving to us, and give utmost thanksgiving to Him.  Let us remember how blessed we are for having our God who loves us unconditionally and provides us with all good things.
I pray that all of you would have a wonderful Thanksgiving gathering with your families and friends, and enjoy spending time together.   Have a wonderful and a happy Thanksgiving!

From Pastor Neil’s Heart
November 23, 2014

I would like to use this time and space to introduce myself and my family. I am Eugene Cha, and I am the new Timothy/EC pastor at NCFC VA campus. It really seems like life has come full circle. For those who may not know, I grew up at NCFC. I was a part of Timothy starting from the sixth grade, and then joined Impact as I studied at UMCP (Go Terps!). After that, I ended up moving to Charlotte, NC to help my father who had become a senior pastor at a Korean church. What started out as just volunteering to help the youth group became my calling into youth ministry. I still remember praying and sensing God calling me into youth ministry. My first response was “Heck to the no.” However, as I kept praying, God placed in me a passion for youth that has been growing ever since.
It was then that I started attending Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary while serving at a church in Raleigh, NC.  Upon graduation, I had the opportunity to serve the youth in Sacramento, CA. Sacramento will always have a special place in my heart because that is where I “met” my wife. Let me explain why I have met in quotations. After I had moved to Sacramento, I got a call from my aunt who wanted to introduce me to a girl (my wife Sophia) who lived in Korea. So I sent her a message via Kakaotalk (thank goodness for Kakaotalk!). We got to talking and things were looking good. We both sensed that God has brought us together at the right time. She told me that she had a long list of things that she had been praying for while searching/waiting for her husband. She told me that I was the first one that met every single item on that list. To this day, she hasn’t told me what that list was in order to keep me humble (she’s a smart lady).
I flew out to Korea for a week, and we finally got to meet in person. I still remember seeing her walking towards me for the first time at Incheon Airport, and I was just frozen by her beauty. We had exchanged pictures, but she just looked so beautiful in person. On our second date in Korea, I proposed to her at Hae Woon Dae Beach in Busan. We got married in Korea almost one year after we first “met.” The first Kakaotalk message I sent her was on 11-11-12 and we got married on 11-02-13.
After I got my calling into youth ministry, I had always wanted to go back to serve at NCFC at some point because it was my home church. Not only that, but I was impacted by the youth pastors that I had there, and I wanted the opportunity to do the same for the next generation of Timothy students. Little did I know that it would happen so soon and so suddenly. My wife was 37 weeks pregnant with our son Andrew, and so we had no intentions of moving anywhere. In fact, we were busy setting everything up for the baby in Sacramento, but God had different plans for us. My wife ended up flying to VA ahead of me and waited while I finished closing up everything in Sacramento. It was truly the work of God that allowed us to move to VA. He took care of our apartment lease in Sacramento, insurance for the baby, and so many other things. One by one, He took care of them as we lifted them up in prayer.
Our son was born on Friday 11-07-14 at 6 lbs. 6 oz. at Fairfax Hospital. I think it’s so cool that he and I were born in the same hospital. We’re thankful that he is healthy and that he eats and sleeps like champ (gets that from his dad). We’re looking forward to getting to know everyone at NCFC and serving God faithfully here back at home. Home sweet home.

From Pastor Eugene’s Heart
November 16, 2014

There’s been a lot of recent news about elections all over Facebook, which is my primary source of information.  This may explain why I’m pathetically unaware of what’s going on in the world but am an expert on what Instagram filter is best for pictures of fancy dinners.  (Always go with Nashville.  You can’t go wrong.)
Politics is a touchy subject for many of us.  It arouses our passions and emotions, and draws sharp dividing lines between people with differing opinions.  I remember one argument I got into with one of my best friends because he was a single-issue voter which I found to be silly.  (Note that this argument happened many years ago and do not reflect my current views.  If you’re curious, my views now largely revolve around indifference.)
I don’t believe in using the pulpit to encourage one’s political leanings.  Trying to persuade a certain voting outcome under the subtext of faith seems irresponsible to me.  That doesn’t mean that the church should avoid issues that involve politics – we should be a standard bearer and truth proclaimer when it comes to issues of morality, compassion, charity, social goodwill, etc.  Granted, not everyone may agree with what the Bible says, which is our rights as free Americans and free-thinking human beings designed in the image of God.  However, this does not mean that God does not have a specific desire and agenda for the way our lives should be, and to ignore His word and truth is a very dangerous game.
That said, while I am encouraged by the desire, especially in our younger generation, of our society to vote and try to shape the landscape of our country with the power of voting, as Christians, ultimately, our power does not lie in our ability to mobilize a strong voting turnout or politic for certain government representatives.  Rather, the power to change our country, our society, and our world comes from getting on our knees in prayer.
In 1 Timothy 2, Paul says, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”  Paul’s desire is first and foremost for all of us to pray.  And the purpose of these prayers – of praying for our leaders to make godly decisions, of praying for policy changes that are in favor of God’s commands, of praying for God-fearing men and women to be placed in positions of leadership – is ultimately to save people.  It’s not to live in a land where I can pay less taxes so I can have a more comfortable life for my family.  It’s not to live in a land where I have the freedom to do whatever I want because TEAM AMERICA!  It’s to save people to Christ.
The truth is, there is a lot that I would like changed in America (and the world).  There is a great need to vote and try to protect our society from… really ourselves.  But rather than proudly wearing, “I voted!” stickers once every couple of years, I would rather our church simply pray every day for the leaders of our municipalities, counties, states, and country.  I’d like to see what a bloc of praying Christians can do to change a nation rather than a huge voting turnout.  This is the way our God works.  And frankly, at the end of the day, I’m pretty sure God’s party, which isn’t Blue or Red, is going to win. 

From Pastor David’s Heart
November 9, 2014

When we engage others with our Christian faith, speaking from the heart says more than the words we use. By that I mean when we share our personal experience with God there is a sincerity present within the content of our words that speaks of an unconditional love and grace that can only come from God. I’m convinced no theological debate or head knowledge of God will ever witness more effectively than that. Two recent occasions I’ve had illustrate my point.
I was recently sitting in court waiting for my case to be called and so I happened to be reading a bible passage. Another attorney sitting beside me, whom I am not necessarily personal friends with but have known over the years, noticed and asked me what I was reading. So I told him I was reading the bible (NIV translation).
So this guy then asks me what translation of the bible I was reading so I told him. And even though we were having what I thought was a polite conversation he proceeds to make a sarcastic dismissive remark about that particular bible translation. Now, I’m aware of the debate over whether the new 2011 NIV translation has taken too many liberties in order to make the Bible more inclusive. (I happened to be reading the 1984 NIV version but that’s beside the point). But this fellow Christian chose to not only dismiss that new NIV translation outright, but also any of those who choose to read that particular translation. He also proceeded to espouse at length his conservative political/religious views and how society was basically going to hell in a hand basket but for his efforts to protect God and the USA. Regardless of his religious and political ideology I couldn’t really perceive any love for the Lord that Scripture speaks of that I would’ve hoped he might have gained from his efforts. He was more inclined to draw lines in the sand over bible translations to further his own agenda rather than use actual Scripture to draw himself and others closer to the Lord.
I know we have congregation members who are attempting to reach out to their non-Christian family members or friends. Non-Christians often times want to debate God on an intellectual level where God must appeal to their sense of human logic before they believe or have faith in Christ. Sometimes a person is trying to reach out to his or her respective non-Christian spouse or family member and the conversation gets bogged down in argumentative debate about the Bible or the hypocrisy of other Christians behaving badly. My suggestion to them has been that they should simply speak from their heart when it comes to sharing their faith. Yes, Scripture is important for us to know and understand. We should strive to understand through Scripture how God wants to have communion with us through prayer and worship, for example, and to know what God did for us and now through us because of Christ. However, our interaction must begin first with how Christ Jesus has transformed our lives from a life of sin and darkness to a new life in light and hope. This is the Gospel message others will see in us. That we are sinful but forgiven. That we can love others unconditionally just as we are unconditionally loved by God. This is the undeniable Gospel message that disarms all hostilities and renders all intellectual debate as pointless rambling.
I’m a professional arguer by trade and I may know a thing or two about the Bible at this point. But I can honestly say when it comes to sharing my Faith with others, no amount of theological debate or self-righteous superiority ever instilled a love for the Lord in anyone. When we live a life in Christ filled with grace and mercy, as challenging as that might be at times, others will see and take notice. Amen to that God willing.

From Pastor Mark’s Heart
November 2, 2014

As many of you reading may already know, Pastor Mark Driscoll, lead pastor of mega-church Mars Hill in Seattle, had recently resigned from his position as lead pastor.  Prior to his resignation, Driscoll was suspended from ministry duties, asked to step down from a church planting network/organization that he had founded, and subject to an investigation of misuse of church funds (this is not an exhaustive list but only some of the things he is going through).  Let me say that I am not a fan of Driscoll nor do I fall in the camp of people who want to publically humiliate and discredit his ministry.  I have listened to several of his sermons and have been incredibly blessed and at the same time have been appalled at some things he’s said.  However, as I reflect and pray about this situation, a few things come to mind and heart that I believe presents a far deeper issue for everyone.
First, to those who have been hurt by the lack of wisdom of church leaders, whether it be misuse of finances, sexual misconduct, or a heartless power-trip, I pray and humbly ask for your forgiveness.  Pastors are indeed imperfect people.  But I also pray that through these situations, you become aware of the depth of fallen-ness of all man but at the same time the heights of love, mercy, and grace in which Jesus delivers all of us from that fallen nature.  Pastors are called to a higher standard, as those called to shepherd, teach and equip the congregation.  The church is called to be a community of grace and forgiveness in which a pastor is a part of.  Both must happen simultaneously. 
Second, we all as individuals need a deep-rooted faith, built on the cornerstone Who is Christ.  I’m reminded time and time again of my years of campus ministry as a college student, specifically remembering those whom I served with to make Christ known but who have fallen away after college as a result of a lack of deep roots.  Maybe it was because they relied heavily on a single leader, or organization.  Maybe it was because the worries of this world “choked” them up to prevent growth.  Whatever the reason may be, through prayer, reading of scripture, corporate worship, fasting, among many other spiritual disciples, we must individually and corporately find our joy of salvation and eternal destiny and purpose in Jesus and Him alone.
Lastly, as Paul admonishes the church in Ephesus, we must strive to be a body that speaks truth in love to one another.  This is not simply an accountability call, but as the verse continues, we speak truth in love to one another that we may “mature” as the body whose head is Christ.  One telltale sign of a church that is mature is one that speaks truth in love.  It’s not truth AND love, but the speaking truth in the position and posture of love, which is relationship and Christ-like perspective of one another.  I think of Driscoll and though I don’t know the details of his situation, perhaps he did not have spiritual friends to speak freely, truthfully, and lovingly into his life.  And it goes both ways.  As we speak truth in love, we must be gracious RECEIVERS of truth in love as well.  Believers must be ready in all seasons to hear the tough stuff with an unoffendable heart.  Friends, practice this.  God does not speak through His Word for nothing.  He KNOWS the BEST for us.
It’s been incredibly difficult for me to hear stories like this, especially as a pastor.  I have heard and personally experienced way too many stories where leaders in the church have fallen and been asked to step down from their positions for various reasons.  But I remind myself of several things that brings me back to my feet - there are sheep looking to me to point them to Jesus, there’s a world out there that needs to know Jesus (and I get to be a part of that!), and most importantly, Christ has already defeated sin and death on the cross and walks, leads, and fights with us to the way of hope and life.  And that is the best thing of all, that “God demonstrated His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
God bless you and keep you.

From Pastor Keeyoung’s Heart
October 26, 2014

Seems like Ebola is the “hot topic” that is being talked about more than anything else on the news and among people. When I heard that one of the Ebola patients flew into NIH for treatment during the week, I couldn’t help but worry about our church people who work at NIH. Not only them, but for most of us who live not too far from NIH, it’s something that gets our attention for sure.  I felt so bad that an ordinary nurse who was simply trying to help out an Ebola patient ended up contracting the disease. I’m sure a lot of things could have been done differently to prevent such a tragedy, but I can’t imagine the pain and the hopelessness she is dealing with knowing that there is no cure for the disease. I just pray and hope that we find a way to cure this deadly disease as soon as possible.
I’m currently listening to CNN news where John Kerry, the Secretary of State, is having a press conference as he was making an urgent plea for more countries around the world to step up and respond to the Ebola outbreak to fight against this deadly disease. However, the contributions made by a few countries tallied up to only a third of the $1 billion dollar goal set by the UN as of Friday morning. The news anchor was emphasizing the fact that only a handful of countries have contributed to this important cause out of 193 UN member countries so far. One of the lines that really stood out from his speech was “winning this fight is going to be costly and will take all our effort.” I don’t know much about politics and I’m not trying to promote anyone, but the Secretary Kerry is right on point on that. I almost said “amen” to it because that applies to not only the fight against Ebola but our missions as Christians living on this earth.
The great commission that we are called to carry out will require everyone’s effort, not just pastors and leaders. When the news anchor made the comment on how only a few members of the UN countries are making contributions, I immediately thought about the current state of the church. One of the hardest things to do in church is mobilizing and gathering up the members to be involved in the Kingdom work. Whether people are too busy or not motivated, only a handful of people end up doing the majority of the work for churches. The same trend has been and is still happening in local and global missions where only the so called, “missionaries” are evangelizing with urgency. Many of us who are living the American Dream, are busy pursuing our own agendas and thus have put aside the great commission that Jesus commanded to every Christian. 
The bible tells us that every believer has a role to play in the body of Christ. In Ephesians 4, the apostle Paul urges (just like John Kerry made an urgent plea) the church to live a life worthy of the calling we have received. And in order for a body of Christ to grow and mature in the likeness of Jesus Christ, Paul says it’s crucial that each part has to do its work (v. 16). As quoted earlier, not only will it require everyone’s effort, winning this “fight” is going to be costly. Someone has to be willing to pay the price as our Lord Jesus Christ stepped up and paid the price for us on the cross. And Jesus is asking us to do the same. We currently have a couple hundred “members” of NCFC but only a few are making a contribution toward winning “souls.” It is my plea to the church of NCFC to step up and get involved in saving people from the deadliest disease called “sin.” I pray and hope that many more will join in and become more involved in winning souls for the Kingdom of God.

From Pastor Brian’s Heart
October 19, 2014

As you probably have heard, we recently added a new family member at our home. She is not a human; rather she is a puppy, named Hazel, now about six months old. We can say she is almost housebroken. She still cannot let us know if she needs to go outside, but she can hold it until we let her outside. So we assumed she was under control.  Well…let’s face it. Every dog owner knows that whenever you say “my dog is housebroken,” in fact it really isn’t. We’re going through that reality with Hazel at home.
A couple of weeks ago, we had the pleasure of having our son Chris visit from Japan. He had come home for his cousin Jonathan’s wedding. I had just come home from church, and as I was passing by the stairs that lead to the basement, I could smell something like the stench of rotting meat. So I asked Chris “Do you smell something?” And he said “No.” But when I looked down the stairs, I could see several chunks (11 to be exact) of dark brownish chopped off sausage like stuff strewn all over the small flat area half way down the stairs. You guessed it right. Those were Hazel’s poop. I usually get really irritated when something like that happens. But this was so out of character, totally unthinkable and unimaginable, my mouth just dropped and my brain literally became frozen. I couldn’t talk. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t get mad either, and instead just started laughing. If you had seen it, you probably would’ve reacted the same way.  I should’ve taken a picture of it before I cleaned it up.
I believe this how our loving God the Father would react whenever we make mistakes in our lives. I am sure that He just smiles and laughs when He sees our mistakes because He knows how incomplete and mistake-prone we are. Then some of you might ask, “Didn’t He say, be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect?” (Matt. 5:48).  But God also said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). See, we only can be perfect through God’s grace which is in Jesus Christ. So God leaves us room to be human where we can make mistakes. In Jesus, God provides an environment where we can make mistakes so that we can learn from our mistakes and grow. Of course, our puppy Hazel had no clue about what she did and never will.  Will she learn and grow through this experience? I will let you guess…
Often, people can become easily entangled with some absurd notion that people expect them not to make any mistakes. You must give yourself a break or others a break. Mistake-making is actually a part of growing up. Mistakes will happen for people to grow, develop, make changes, and become better and successful. And this is so true in the church all the more. We need to make sure we’re supporting a safe environment in the church that allows a little wiggle room. Growth cannot happen in a place where mistakes cannot be tolerated. If you only reward perfection, people won’t be willing to push beyond anything that’s not “safe,” which can be crippling. Plus, if you are constantly holding back to try to be perfect, you’re going to be under constant stress and there will be no joy in your life.
I believe God wants NCFC to have a safe environment where people can come and make mistakes and not be judged. When we see someone making mistake, we shouldn’t be mad at them or disappointed in them or criticize them harshly or wish God would punish them for their mistakes because our God isn’t like that. God is not mad at you. Sure, His brain may freeze for a moment, but He is always madly in love with you and won’t reject anyone who comes to Him. He is not waiting to punish you. Rather He wants you to come to Him and receive His abundant grace so that you can learn and grow from your mistakes. This is the environment that God wants to create in NCFC so that we can grow as a believing community, and in order to do so, we all need to be more gracious toward one another as our God is gracious to each one of us.

From Pastor Neil’s Heart
October 12, 2014

I am not a very emotional person, but there is one song that makes me tear up every time I listen to it. It’s called “Thank you” by Ray Boltz.  With the newly commissioned Sunday School teachers in mind, along with YWAM Missionary Chong Ho Won visiting NCFC after his trip to Iraq, I wanted to share this song as an encouragement to all those who serve so faithfully. The lyrics alone do not do justice so PLEASE listen to the song on YouTube!

I dreamed I went to heaven, and you were there with me.

We walked upon the streets of gold beside the crystal sea.

We heard the angels singing; then someone called your name.

You turned and saw this young man, and he was smiling as he came.

And he said, "Friend, you may not know me now."

Then he said, "But wait. You used to teach my Sunday School when I was only eight."

"And every week you would say a prayer before the class would start.

And one day when you said that prayer, I asked Jesus in my heart."

Thank you for giving to the Lord.  I am a life that was changed.

Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am so glad you gave.

Then another man stood before you and said “remember the time

A missionary came to your church, and his pictures made you cry.”

"You didn't have much money, but you gave it anyway.

Jesus took the gift you gave, and that's why I am here today”

Thank you for giving to the Lord.  I am a life that was changed.

Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am so glad you gave.

One by one they came far as the eye could see,

Each life somehow touched by your generosity;

Little things that you had done, sacrifices made

Unnoticed on the earth, in heaven now proclaimed.

And I know up in heaven you're not supposed to cry

But I am almost sure there were tears in your eyes.

As Jesus took your hand, you stood before the Lord

He said, "My child, look around you, for great is your reward."

Thank you for giving to the Lord.  I am a life that was changed.

Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am so glad you gave.

You may not see the fruit of your labor on this side of eternity, but you are indeed making an eternal difference. One day you will meet the people whose lives were forever changed because of your sacrifice.  Thank you for doing your part to build up the body of Christ!  Thank you for giving to the Lord!

From Pastor Sara’s Heart
October 5, 2014