I spend more time reading Internet comments than is probably healthy.  There’s some sick pleasure about going to a random YouTube video and seeing how the comments quickly descend into inane arguments about Obama, Miley Cyrus, the Illuminati, or good ol’ racial slurs.  Who says the Age of Enlightenment is over?
I’m especially intrigued when the comments circle around matters of faith.  Sometimes, people present well-reasoned, thoughtful questions while other times, people just start talking about a flying spaghetti monster and insult your mother – and those are the so-called Christians!  But I remember one comment that distinctly stood out to me.  The commenter said, “How can Christians read the same book over and over again and not go crazy?  That is the definition of insanity.”
The commenter did have a point.  While the definition of insanity isn’t necessarily rote repetition, I can understand why someone might view doing the same thing over and over again fruitlessly as a sign of dementia.  But the key word in that statement is “fruitlessly.”  While I’ve read the entire Harry Potter series probably over a dozen times and the Lord of the Rings series nearly 20 times (as I’ve mentioned before, I was really popular in high school), none of these books have ever bettered my life, changed my heart, or helped me love my God and people more.
As Christians, we believe the Bible is the living Word of God – that God literally speaks to His people through the words written on these pages.  And I can personally testify to this truth – the times that God has spoken reassurances and peace to my heart through His promises in the Word, the times that God has revealed His heart to me through stories of His interaction with people throughout history, the times that God has challenged me and made me open my eyes to His truths.  Even reading the same exact verse but at a different time in life, I can hear God speaking different insights that I never had before.  This is the living Word of God.  This is how we draw nearer to our Father and grow in understanding of His character.  But we rarely seek out God’s word with that in mind.
My son loves the Disney movie “Cars” more than anything in this world and has about 100 toy cars to prove it.  He sleeps with cars, takes baths with cars, needs to have a car to ride in the car (how meta), will only eat with cars on the table next to him, cries for his cars when they’re not near.  And when you turn on the movie?  Oh boy, get out of his way.  Even though he’s watched it more times than I’ve read Harry Potter and the Hobbit combined (again, I did have friends in high school), he still loves it and never gets bored. In fact, he can watch the same scene over and over and he’ll still react the same way he did the first time he saw it.  I believe the reason my son can do this is because he really and truly loves “Cars.”  Randomly walking around the house, I can often hear him muttering to himself “I love cars.”  This is not a joke!  And this is why he can watch the same movie again and again – and not be qualified as insane.
If we had the same enthusiasm for Jesus as my son did for “Cars”, we would also approach the Bible with the same kind of excitement and joy we did when we were first saved.  Instead of approaching our quiet times or our Bible studies as something we “have” to do or an obligation to fulfill for the day, what would our spiritual lives look like if we loved the Word as much as we say we love our God?  If we truly believed that the Bible is God’s living Word to us, then reading it every day isn’t an exercise in repetition – it’s visiting with our friend and Savior, and seeing what new truth He has to say to us today.  So, call me crazy if you want, but I want to read my Bible every day.  Harry Potter will have to wait.

From Pastor David’s Heart
September 28, 2014

There are certain darker, more uglier aspects of our society that as a parent I would rather shield my 10 year-old son Julian from for as long as I can. For example, we want our children to grow up in a healthy safe nurturing environment so naturally we’re careful about what movies and video games they’re exposed to. But I’m not naïve enough to think that I’ll be able to shield him from every little thing. My son loves sports and lately even with that ESPN is depicting some pretty serious issues of domestic violence and child disciplining. Even matters of subtle racism will rear it’s ugly head from time to time, which is unfortunately what we encountered a couple weeks ago.
We recently attended a summer camp open house down off the North Carolina coast. Families were invited to visit the camp over the weekend and partake in all the camp activities. There was a zip-line, archery, target range, tennis, golf, motor boating and sailing etc. It was pretty neat- lots to see and do and experience. (although having to sleep on bunk beds in the non air-conditioned cabins that time of year was brutal for us adults).
Although the interaction and conversations with other families during meals and activities were polite and pleasant enough, we couldn’t help notice that we were literally the only non-white family among the hundred or so families there. No other asian or black families whatsoever. Everything seemed fine though. But there was one particular incident my wife Jennifer later shared with me when she and Julian were standing in line for the zip-line. Ahead of them in line were a few girls, about 8 or 9 years old. They were all uttering “ching-chong-ching” loud enough for my wife and son to hear. Jen could hear them making this obvious racial gesture even though Julian probably didn’t notice or realize what they were doing. He’s still naïve and innocent enough at his age thank God.
Jen was pretty offended by this but to her credit she didn’t say anything or make an issue of it. But that’s pretty brazen for white kids to tease not just towards some asian kid but to also do that to an adult. When my wife later told me about it she asked me if I thought she should’ve said something to them or told their parents or staff. In my opinion it wouldn’t have made any difference telling their parents since I would assume this kind of attitude is fostered by the adults.
So now this minor little incident places us in a different context of enrolling Julian in the summer camp next year. We didn’t create that situation but now we’re confronted by it. I can’t be sure how far something like this could escalate when he’s in camp by himself. It could be potentially devastating to him. It’s the kind of thing that I know I’ll have to talk to Julian about. Not sure what he’ll completely understand about it. Part of me resents having to even bring it up in this day and age.
I have to resist my personal reaction from my own negative experiences growing up and the subtle racial undertones I observed around Julian even in MD. But as a Christian parent how do I discuss this kind of thing in such a way as to not embitter him and thus defeat him, but inform him as to the messed-up way the forces of this world seeks to tear one another down? Showing that level of grace towards each other is a major challenge for adults let alone children. I have to trust that God will continue to watch over his heart and mind and allow him to emerge as a light to this darkness. To that I say amen.

From Pastor Mark’s Heart
September 21, 2014

Think of the last conversation you had with someone that involved advice giving from either party.  If you were the recipient of advice, how did you feel after that “wisdom bomb” was dropped on you?  Did you feel wiser?  Ready to take on the task you needed advice on?  Let me switch it up a bit.  Did you feel loved?  Did you feel like the person you went to actually cared about your situation?  For the advice givers, did you take time to ask questions about the person and their situation?  What was the more prevailing thought in your mind, “what should I say “ or “how should I love”?
At one point in my ministry, I realized that a successful day of work would be squeezing in as many meetings with people in the span of 4-5 hours.  That’s what a pastor does, right?  With that definition, I was absolutely successful.  Every few days, I would go down the list of people in my ministries, schedule meetings, drop a “wisdom bomb” or two or three, and on to the next.  I was the best wisdom bomber I could be, ruthlessly proclaiming truths of scripture and life into those less wise and experienced than I. 
Then a sad realization came – the people that I had met with were still struggling with the issue they came to me for!  Heathens!  How could they, when the power and truth of scripture was so clearly stated by me?  “It must be them, not me.  They have issues,” I’d reassure myself, because I was speaking truth as I was called to do.  As I struggled through this process, God graciously lead me to the famous Ephesians 4:15 where the Apostle Paul emphasizes the way in which we interact with people, “with truth in love.”  Often times, this scripture is viewed in the context of conversation; as we speak, we must speak truth with a healthy dose of loving comments here and there.  Though this is true, I believe that Apostle Paul is asking us to take it a step further.  “Truth in love” is not in the context of semantics or conversation but rather the speaking of truth is in the context of the pursuit of loving our brothers and sisters as Christ first loved us.  Pretty simple, right?  Maybe, but what if I phrased the verse like this: “As you are loving those around you as Christ loved, speak truth.”  Living that out is a bit harder, but that’s exactly what Christ commands.  In our fast-paced culture, we are so ready to give one-liners that will fix all problems instead of taking the time to love the individual and put ourselves in their shoes.
Stephen Covey in his book “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” suggests one way to enhance the effectiveness of conversations is to constantly practice empathetic listening.  He states, regarding our natural inclination in conversation:
“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply. . . . They’re filtering everything through their own paradigms, reading their autobiography into other people’s lives... [they must] seek first to understand, then seek to be understood”
And about what it means to listen with empathy:
“Empathetic listening gets inside another person’s frame of reference. You look out through it, you see the world the way they see the world, you understand their paradigm, you understand how they feel. . . . You’re listening to understand.”
And to me, that’s exactly how Jesus listens to us.  If Jesus, the most empathetic, wise, and loving being in the world takes time to know us, see us, and love us as we are, wouldn’t that be the most effective AND loving way to approach all our conversations?
Friends, let’s be slow to speak and quick to listen.  Let’s take the time to love and care for everyone we are blessed to converse with because one of the essential ways to speak and live out the Word of God is to listen.

From Pastor Keeyoung’s Heart
September 7, 2014

After a long summer break, the kids finally went back to school this week! I’m so happy that Reina started her first Kindergarten class and Ryan started Preschool. But now, the kids have to be dropped off at two different locations at two different times so I have to make sure to manage my time well. I can’t imagine what your mornings are like for those of you with more kids. Perhaps things will get easier and become more natural as I get used to it but for now, I am running up and down the stairs getting kids ready and making sure I’m not leaving anything behind, especially their lunches.
When I put up a couple pictures of my kids’ first day of school on facebook, some of you made a comment that Reina’s lunch bag is big. It’s because we take our meals very seriously. A lunch bag is all Ryan takes to his school. That explains everything right? I must share a painful story to get my point across here. When I was in elementary school, I cried so bitterly during lunchtime because for some reason, on that particular day, I couldn’t open my lunch bag zipper and I was too shy to ask anyone for help. I don’t remember whether I was eventually able to open it or not, but one thing I vividly remember is that I ran into the bathroom and cried. My parents told me that I came home crying that day. So my wife and I want to make sure our kids don’t have to go through anything like that. haha.
In fact, my wife told Reina to ask her teacher to heat up her lunch if we pack something that needs to be microwaved. And of course, Reina wasn’t too thrilled to hear that because she got my genes of being all shy. So my wife and I decided to heat things up in the morning and pack them in a thermal lunch jar to make sure Reina doesn’t skip her lunch because she’s too shy to ask her teacher to heat up her lunch. On the other hand, we have no worries for Ryan. His teacher told me the first day that Ryan kept on asking, “Is it lunch time yet?”  Doesn’t that sound like something that I would say? Ryan certainly got my genes of eating!
I would like to share an important lesson that I learned with other parents. When my family was having dinner together, I asked Reina and Ryan to pray before their meal. And to my surprise, Reina responded by saying “we don’t do that anymore.” So I told her to pray even when her friends don’t pray but I knew in my heart that it wasn’t going to be that simple for Reina to sing the song like she used to sing at Fellowship Christian School before their meal times. And if Reina has a hard time asking the teacher to heat up her lunch, she certainly will not be able to sing the long “God our Father” song before she takes her meal in front of her classmates. This was one of those “wake up” moments for me. It hit me so hard that Reina is now in a public school where prayer, worship, stories of God is not a norm anymore. I should have prepared her better by teaching her how to do a simple prayer before her meals. Not only that, I really need to buckle up and pray for her to be strong in her faith and to live out a life of worship even at a young age. God has been challenging me for a while to set aside time for a family worship where our kids are saturated with the Word of God and learn the life of worship from the family setting. I know that the Sunday worship and a bible class once a week on a Sunday morning for a couple hours will not be enough for our kids to keep their faith in this world. God really convicted me to take family worship more seriously and practice doing it more consistently.
Dear fellow parents, it’s time to wake up! It’s time to pray for our families and our kids. More than worrying about what activities and programs we can provide for our kids to develop their talents and gifts, we need to teach and guide them a life of worship and living out His Word. And that has to start from our homes. As the apostle Paul said in Romans 12:2, the transformation by the renewing of the mind has to become our priority so that our families will not conform to the pattern of this world.

From Pastor Brian’s Heart
August 31, 2014

I enjoy watching and participating in baptism.  It’s always a wonderful experience for me which never gets tired.  As people get ready to get baptized, they look nervous, but also excited at the same time.  Their family members and friends are there to support them and share that very special moment in their walk with Jesus.  After they make their public confession of faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and get immersed in the water as a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, their countenance looks so joyful and peaceful coming up out of the water.  Not only do the people who get baptized experience joy, but also family members and friends who are witnessing the baptism experience the same joy as well.
What’s the meaning of baptism?  It's important to understand that baptism does not guarantee anyone a ticket to heaven.  Salvation comes only through the acceptance of Jesus Christ as the personal Lord and the Savior.  There's nothing we can do to earn it.  Unless true conversion comes first, then baptism is just a meaningless ceremony.  Then how is it related our salvation?   It's not something we must do in order to be saved, but it's something we do because we are saved.   There will probably be people in heaven who were never baptized because of various reasons.  The Bible mentions the thief on the cross was saved without getting baptized because Jesus promised Him eternal life.  The thief never had an opportunity to get baptized.
Oftentimes, we emphasize too much the outward act of baptism.  Yes, it is a command of Jesus Christ to the church and to the new believers.  When Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, Jesus commanded Saul through Ananias, “Get up, be baptized.”  Also, it is a public declaration of our relationship to Jesus Christ.
But it's the inward change that we truly need to focus on.  Titus 3:5-6 says, “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because His mercy.  He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”  This "washing" is what baptism represents.  Jesus washes us from our sin.  But the next statement is more important.  As we’re washed by Jesus through baptism, our mind is also being renewed by the Holy Spirit!
Last Sunday, we baptized three of our beloved people, Justine, Kibaek and Melissa.  I could tell Melissa was feeling nervous as she stood on the stage sharing her testimony in front of many people, including her family members and friends.  But at the same time I was in awe of how deeply I could feel God’s presence within her in response to her recommitment to God.  Justine had to wait for her baptism for a long time because we had cancelled the last two scheduled baptisms.  We really felt so bad about that. But she was determined and persevered. I couldn’t hold my tears just watching her.  She was sobbing profusely and streams of tears were flowing from her eyes.  Her tears were not from sadness or stress.  Rather her tears were the songs of joy that come from the heart of God.  When I saw Kibaek’s joyful and smiley face as he came out the water, I knew in my heart that only Jesus can give anyone that kind of joyful and smiley face.
Some people might think baptism is nothing more than a public display of someone’s commitment to God: they get immersed in the water and then it’s over. However, when you’re the one getting baptized, it’s much more than that. It’s the moment of the tenderness touch of God’s fingers on the person who are getting baptized. It is an emotional time, and you’ll never forget how the mighty power of the Holy Spirit’s presence can touch not only the person who is getting baptized but also the people who are participating in it.  Have you yet to be baptized? What’s stopping you from getting baptized now?

From Pastor Neil’s Heart
August 24, 2014

The other day I almost got into a car accident because I was distracted.  No, it wasn’t because I was texting (although that is very dangerous – seriously!).  No, it wasn’t because I was dancing like a madman to my favorite Kpop song (also dangerous both for car accidents and pride).  It was because I saw a white nose hair in my rearview mirror and was trying to pull it out.
Now, I’m used to white hairs.  I’ve had a bunch, mostly in the back of my head, since I was 10.  This always led to interesting conversations on the first day of classes where inevitably, whoever was sitting behind me would tap me on the shoulder and ask, “Do you know you have white hair?”  To which I would always reply, “Your breath smells,” and turn back around.  I was quite popular in high school.
But a white nose hair was a first!  And I was so shocked at seeing it that I had to pull it out the instant I glimpsed it, in order to a) verify its existence and b) commiserate at my getting older.
I’m not a guy who gets caught up in getting older.  If I die, I die.  It’s ok, I have life insurance.  And frankly, I don’t “feel” old – I’m still “cool,” right, Timothy?  Actually, just asking that question probably precludes me from being “cool.”  Nevermind, Timothy, I don’t care what you think.  (That’s a “cool” attitude, right?)  But even though I never cared about getting older, for some reason this white nose hair was really bothering me and got me freaked out.  I started wondering if I had reached the halfway point of my life.  Would I be able to see my sons graduate college?  Would I be able to see them move into my basement after graduating college?  Would I ever have my retirement home in beautiful New Jersey?  Those are all jokes – of course I’m going to retire to New Jersey, don’t be ridiculous.
I did spend a lot of time thinking about my sons though.  Josiah is 2 and Connor is 0.  They’ve got such a long way to go and I started thinking about what kind of men they’d be when they grow up.  What they would look like (hopefully mom), what their personalities would be like (hopefully mom).  What careers they would have, who they would marry, what their OWN kids would be like.  I was getting so deep into it that I actually had to stop and remind myself that my kids still poop in their own pants.  “Slow down, David.  Before you start worrying about your grandkids, why not enjoy the time you have with them now?”
This reminded me of Dr. Shamblin’s message last year about understanding the times in our lives where we find ourselves in the spiritual desert.  How instead of focusing on the promised land, we should be focused on where we are currently at and what God is doing in our lives at THIS moment versus what may happen tomorrow.  No matter where we are or what we’re going through, God is very purposeful in the situations we find ourselves in, and there’s always a purpose for God.  Oftentimes, we focus so much on the future and worry about what could or could not be that we don’t get to enjoy or learn from what we have in front of us right now.  For me, freaking out about my kids’ futures would preclude me from enjoying their toddler years now.  Tomorrow will come, with all of its worries and stresses whether I want it or not.  But what I do know is that His grace is sufficient for me today… and it will be tomorrow, too.
All this from a white nose hair that turned out to be a booger.  Go figure.

From Pastor David’s Heart
August 17, 2014

I am reading through the book of 1 Samuel for my personal devotional time these days. Unlike the M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan ‘homework’ that I feel obligated to complete each day, I enjoy the freedom to be able to read and meditate upon as few or many verses at a time, waiting on God to ‘speak to me’ through His Word.  In 1 Samuel Chapter 6, the Philistines, who had captured and kept the ark of the Lord for seven months, frantically try to send it back to the Israelite territory because God afflicted the Philistines everywhere the ark was moved to.  After consulting with their priests, they get a new cart and hitch two cows that have recently calved and never been yoked.  They put the ark of the Lord on the cart and send it on its way.  If the cart reached the intended Israelite territory despite these ‘unqualified’ cows, they would know that it was not a coincidence but the hand of God that has caused the great disaster upon them. 
The cows go straight up to the destination without turning to the right or to the left, but the Bible also records that they lowed all the way.  This part really got to me.  Because I am a mother, I could relate to these cows- how sad they must have been to have their calves stripped away from them.  In addition, this was their first time being yoked and hitched to a cart.  Indeed they suffered greatly both emotionally and physically.  And for all the suffering these cows endured, I expected a happy ending for them.  The Bible, however, does not say that the grateful Israelites freed the cows, allowing them to find their way back to their calves. 
Not even close.  The Israelites were so happy to get the ark of the Lord back that they chopped up the wood of the cart and sacrificed the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord!  Instead of all the other available cows, two never-been yoked, nursing cows were taken away from their calves to be used by God, and what do they get for their sacrifice?  They become a burnt offering!  I was furious.  What kind of justice is this, Lord? 
As I sat there in my anger, God began to ‘speak to me,’ not in an audible voice, but by revealing His heart to me:  
God:  “Do you know what life is like for cows?”
Me :  “Eat, poop, work, sleep, & repeat. They eventually get killed and eaten by people.” 
God:   “Then which is better – to be slaughtered to fill man’s stomach or to be offered as a
 burnt offering to the Lord to renew the relationship between God and sinful man?
Me:  “. . .”
God: “It wasn’t a sacrifice, but a privilege for those cows to be chosen by Me.”
God revealed to me that it was not about the cows, but about me. I felt enraged by the final destiny of the cows because I saw myself in them.  In ministry I often feel like an unqualified cow hitched to a cart. But I am able to keep going, telling myself, “Hang in there. You will receive a great reward for all your sacrifices.”   There is nothing wrong with this statement of faith except what we often consider a great reward, such as successful ministry, recognition from men, or financial security, may not be what God has in mind. God doesn’t want to give us just good things, but the very best according to His glorious riches and grace.   “Thank you, Lord, for the privilege of being a burnt offering for you.  May you be honored and glorified, not through what I do for you, but through how I trust you no matter what.”

From Pastor Sara’s Heart 
August 10, 2014

Sometimes it’s the simple gestures that mean a lot. Last Saturday I went to get a couple bibles in my office that we keep for gifts. There weren’t any more there but then it dawned on me that we had last used a bunch of books from our shelves, including the shrink-wrapped gift bibles, for the Christmas Banquet decorations. If you recall the lobby ceiling was decorated with that sheer curtain drapery centerpiece. The delicate fabric was not pinned to the ceiling but was weighted down with books on the ceiling overhang. I had just assumed all of the books had been returned afterwards. But I still wasn’t sure if the bibles were still up there in the lobby ceiling.
So I just happened to see Kim Il Doo Jip Sa Nim (Deacon) in the hallway at church and I asked him if he by chance happened to know if the bibles were still up there in the lobby ceiling from the banquet. To my surprise he had noticed they were actually still up there from when he had changed lobby lightbulbs.
So once he confirmed they were still there I went off looking for one of the ladders to fetch the bibles on my own. I wasn’t able to track down a ladder and a short while later Il Doo Jip Sa Nim asked me if I got the bibles down from the ceiling. I told him no not yet. So at that very moment he dropped what he was doing and he and another KC (Korean Congregation) gentleman went and got the big 12-foot tall ladder and hauled it into the lobby. Then one of them climbed up the ladder and began to retrieve the bibles for me.
I really appreciated his gesture to stop what he was doing and go out of his way to do this for me. I wasn’t expecting nor even asking for his assistance and besides, it was odd and a little embarrassing to be asking him about stacks of bibles left up high. And yet he didn’t hesitate in assisting. This from a man whom, you may not be aware, sustained a serious back injury about 2 years ago as a result of a ladder accident at church. The three of us had a good laugh at how bizarre it was that they were climbing up a tall ladder to retrieve books still squirreled away in the lobby ceiling.
So I walked away from that incident last Saturday grateful to God (and Deacon Il Doo) fully appreciative that their gesture was not out of duty or obligation but simply because they had a heart to do it. It reminded me that gestures such as this, however large or small, make such a difference towards the greater harmony and cooperation of this local church body.
The English and Korean congregations are usually each busy tending to their respective ministries. I think it sometimes reduces the opportunities for meaningful fellowship and interaction between the two congregations. But even though there are differences in language and culture between KC and EC, nevertheless here in the midst of those differences there are congregation members who recognize that we all love the Lord regardless of culture and can work together as one body in Christ. It’s a comforting thought imagining how God will use us to further his kingdom when we have this perspective. Amen to that.

From Pastor Mark’s Heart
August 3, 2014

Have you ever felt like there was not enough time in the day to finish everything you needed to do?  Have you ever been overwhelmed with so many things on your task-list that at times you felt the best way to deal with life is do to nothing at all?  Have you ever said “I’m so busy” or “I’m too busy for [insert activity of secondary importance here]” to someone or even yourself?  Have you ever forced yourself to sleep by pure exhaustion of thinking about what you have to accomplish in the next day or week to come? 
I do.  When my Google calendar begins to look like a coloring book of a 2 year old boy and each days’ appointments and tasks looks like an encrypted message from a spy movie, sometimes I want to throw all electronic/communication devices out the window and travel back to the Stone Ages where things seemed so much… simpler.  I’m sure I’m not the only one but if I am, you can stop reading now.  But professionals, students, fathers, mothers, friends, volunteers, etc. know what I’m talking about.  We all come to a point where things get ridiculously busy or maybe you’re so used to busy-ness that all the above has become normal.  Summer time is one of those times for me; juggling preparations for youth Friday activities, Sunday school materials, young adult evenings, planning meetings, worship songs, sermons, counseling meetings, my personal studies and squeezing in family and friends… sometimes become daunting and joyless tasks.
But God brings us to a “wake up and smell the coffee” moment.  For me, that came in the most unexpected place, an episode of Duck Dynasty, a show that I never watch but happened to watch with a few friends.  The episode was about Mia, the daughter of one of the Robertson’s (star family of the show) who was going in for her fifth procedure for a cleft issue.  In efforts to rally around her to encourage and love her, her parents had decided to gather family for a time of food, fun, and fellowship (sound familiar?).  The evening seemed enjoyable except for the reality that this whole production was to bring some smiles and happiness to a young girl who had been dealing with a physical deformity all her life.  Can you imagine what her parents were feeling - the fear, anxiety, worry, and sorrow to have their precious child go through this?  Wow.  As the end of the event came to a close, Mia’s father invited her up to the stage.  Little Mia nervously took a note out of her pocket to read a letter to her friends and family that she had prepared in advance.  She thanked everyone for being there and began to share briefly with everyone her fears, struggles and other sentiments.  Her father and mother were at the brink of tears (as I’m sure many viewers were as well).  But what really struck me was the wisdom, faith, courage, and love that was displayed as she read her closing statement and I paraphrase, “My favorite verse is from Psalm 46, ‘Be still and know that I am God’ because I know He’s with me and will take care of me.”
Friends, there is no doubt in my mind of how busy you and I are and will be.  We all have responsibilities to undertake and will most likely be bombarded by the sinking feeling of “too busy”.   But we must remind ourselves in the midst of busy seasons and lives, to be still and know that God and Him alone is sovereign and supreme, He is worthy of our FULL attention in worship in EVERY moment of our lives, and invites us to love the people around us by giving and sharing our LIVES to one another in LOVE as He first loved us, which brings Him glory (1 John 4).  Let’s make room in our lives and hearts for the Spirit of God to truly move and work.  He is worthy of it.

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

From Pastor Keeyoung’s Heart
July 27, 2014

Some of you might have thought that my wife and I are expecting another child from the heading. Sorry if you thought that! On Thursday, God blessed my brother’s family with a beautiful daughter Sophia! What a great joy she brought to not only her parents but to everyone who have been praying for them. For the last couple years, my brother and his wife have been trying without any positive results but God gave them a special gift as they have been patiently waiting on God for His perfect timing. It was a fresh reminder of God’s goodness and faithfulness. Before the name “Sophia” was given to the baby, she was called “웃음” (means Laughter in Korean). It’s a great Korean tradition that I should’ve followed with my own kids because I used to refer the baby as “it” at times, especially when I didn’t know the gender. I really liked the name “laughter” because it reminded me of Isaac from the bible, the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham and Sara. I hope and pray that that Sophia will grow up to be a special child that brings much needed laughter and joy to this world that’s filled with anger and bitterness.
I believe I have never held an infant baby other than my own because I usually don’t feel comfortable and awkward holding an infant in my arms. However, it was different this time around because Sophia is my first niece. I was actually looking forward to seeing her born and holding her in my arms. I kept on thinking about how it would feel when I actually see her in person. It was indeed a different feeling than when I held Reina and Ryan for the first time when they were born. It was more of an overwhelming appreciation for such a special gift that the whole family was waiting for over the years. Looking back on how my own kids were born just as my wife and I have planned out, I definitely took God’s grace for granted for such amazing blessings in my life. Or maybe I was too young to comprehend the full spectrum of God’s blessings but now I do. My wife and I are truly blessed beyond measures to be able to raise two beautiful kids that God placed under our care.
This whole process of Sophia being born reminded me of two important lessons. First, I was reminded of “Pray Until Something Happens (P.U.S.H.)” slogan. God challenged my lack of faith and endurance when it comes to prayer and petition. I, too often, give up on praying for certain things because of delayed response or no answer from God. I need to learn from my parents’ generation where they held onto a tree and prayed until the tree was literally uprooted from the ground. What a determination and a pure desperation they had. Some people may call them fanatics but I just love and appreciate their hunger for God and want to be more like them. 
And secondly, I was reminded of the joy of a new life being born. It says in Luke 15:10 that there is a great rejoicing in heaven when a sinner repents and comes to know Jesus Christ. Just like the birth of Sophia brought so much joy to my family, the heaven rejoices over people being saved. And that’s what the body of Christ, the church family, needs to devote more of our time and resources. So instead of focusing so much on our needs and wants, we need to turn our attention what God wants to do through us. I am thoroughly convinced that we can find the joy in our lives, the ministries we serve in, and in our families if we partake in the Kingdom business of bringing people to Christ. I pray and hope that our will be a church that brings many new lives into the family of believers. 

From Pastor Brian’s Heart
July 20, 2014

Hurry up!  Have these words ever driven your life?   Many parents say it quite often every morning at home for getting their children ready for school.  I often find myself hurrying from one place to the next - always with my eye on the clock – sometimes only to end up behind an old couple leisurely driving 20 miles an hour on a single lane street, and find myself murmuring loudly “Come on, hurry up!”, but more than once I thanked them for saving me from getting ticketed by the police who was waiting at the very next corner of that street.
We’re living in a fast paced world.  The world desires instant response; fast food restaurant, speedy oil change, instant coffee, and etc.  Nowadays with ever growing internet access such as instant messaging, texting, Facebook, and others the world is ever so close to each other.  Information is flowing at lightning speed.
But on the contrary, there are also drawbacks that come with this fast paced lifestyle, and one that really stands out is a lack of patience.  People are definitely becoming less patient these days.  Most of us don’t have much trouble getting ready to meet the urgent needs of life.  But, how many of us are good at waiting?
We often try to look for a short cut in order to get things done quicker.  We, even as believers, get frustrated unless we are constantly moving ahead, and sometimes we try to compromise the way we do God’s ministry for the sake of getting things done.  We just don’t want to wait.
Speaking of being in a hurry, the Israelites felt the same way after they came out of Egypt.  There was no doubt the Israelites wanted to march right into Canaan as quickly as possible. They just experienced incredible power and the wonders of God that devastated the Egyptians, and they walked right through the Red Sea as God parted the sea.  They wanted to go all the way.  Their confidence level was at its highest!  But God wanted them to go slowly. Why? God wanted to teach them that there were other more important things that they needed to learn than just quickly conquering the Promised Land.
You have probably had experiences when God was being silent on your prayer for a lengthy time. You wonder whether God has heard your prayer, and didn’t understand what was going on.  Where are you God?  Well…  God may have wanted you to learn to wait on the Lord and be patient.  Why?  God may have wanted to teach you there were more important things that you needed to know.
James 5:7-8 says, “Be patient, brothers, until the Lord’s coming.  See how farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm.”  God wants you to know who is in control.  God is the one who makes the rain come. God wants to get rid of your self-reliance. You can’t make rain come.  Also, God wants to increase your confidence and faith through more discipline and training, and it takes time.  Your confidence and faith cannot grow overnight.  Also, God doesn’t want anyone to be left behind.  If you go to too fast, not everyone can keep up with you.
God often remains silent because He wants to usher you into a new experience with Him which you have never previously experienced in your life.  Do you really want to experience God’s presence in your life?  Then, learning to wait on the Lord and being patient is a must.  God knows you the best, and He knows exactly what, when and how things need to be done for your life.

From Pastor Neil’s Heart
July 13, 2014

"Solio Deo Gloria,” which means “Glory to God Alone” in Latin, was the theme of the 2014 Grace Retreat held at Virginia State University in Petersburg, VA from June 25 – 28.  There were 60 plus Timothy students, counselors, parents, and pastors attending the Grace Retreat from NCFC this year.  My first Grace Retreat was two years ago with a handful of VA Timothy students, and I was tremendously blessed.  So though I was physically tired from having attended the Promiseland Retreat just a few days prior, I was looking forward to the Grace Retreat.   Additionally, with Pastor Brian unable to attend due to the short-term missions to Ecuador, I felt I needed to be there to take care of the Virginia students and witness whatever the Lord may be doing in their midst. 
There were over 450 people in attendance, representing 38 different churches, from as far as  North Carolina.  That’s an average of about 12 people per church.  If you take NCFC and other large attendance churches into consideration, this means many of the churches sent fewer than ten students. The Grace Retreat indeed is a big blessing and spiritually eye-opening event for the students from these small churches.  They are not likely to be able to afford nationally renowned speakers and experience worship provided by the “Hillsong quality” worship team. 
As expected, the retreat was packed with awesome keynote speakers and seminar leaders, many of whom NCFC has already heard from through the past revivals and retreats.  These speakers included Pastor Q, the Senior Pastor of HOPE Church, the organizer of the Great Retreat since 2001, Pastor Carlos Reyes, Pastor Bob Hartley, and Pastor Stephen Chandler.   In addition, there were other pastors and missionaries from YWAM in Hawaii, Bethel Church in Redding, CA, and other local churches.  One surprise guest speaker was Pastor Esther Chang, who used to attend NCFC in the mid-90’s.  She gave the best ‘sex talk’ I have ever heard.  She was direct, transparent, and engaging with a great sense of humor, keeping the audience’s attention the entire time.  I’d love to invite her to NCFC during our next ‘True Love Waits’ campaign.   Thanks to Pastor Esther, I will never be able to eat IKEA Swedish meatballs.   Ask a Grace Retreat attendee to find out what I mean. 
I am thankful for the many powerful testimonies of physical, emotional, and spiritual healing that many of the retreat attendees experienced. I also hear that many of our own Timothy students have encountered God in a new, more intimate way.  Indeed God alone deserves all the glory!  I too experienced spiritual renewal through the times of powerful corporate worship and challenging messages from the anointed servants of the Lord.  However, the greatest message that I walked away with from the retreat was not presented in any of the main sessions or seminars. It was not preached or taught, but demonstrated, and its impact will remain with me for a long time.
It turns out that the Retreat registration fee barely covers the cost of room and board the hosting university charges.  So HOPE Church members raise over $20,000 throughout the year to cover the airfare, honorarium, and room and board of the retreat speakers.  Though they can reduce the expense by inviting only local speakers and having a fewer number of speakers, they believe in investing in the youth and go all out. 
What really blew my mind was the fact that HOPE Church has fewer than ten youth members who attend and benefit from the Grace Retreat.  In another words, they are not organizing the Grace Retreat for their selfish gain, to bless their Youth Ministry members. If they were concerned about their youth only, they could take an easier and more cost effective approach to accomplish the goal.  The Grace Retreat was born out of and continues to operate in love, love for God and love for God’s people.  No wonder God’s favor and powerful anointing are upon the Grace Retreat, and many next generation Kingdom workers are being raised through it!  Do you also want to become a history maker?  Here is the first step: Practice selfless love where God has placed you.

From Pastor Sara’s Heart
July 6, 2014

This weekend, I attended my second wedding of the year.  My wife, Mina, and I are at the stage in our lives where weddings take up a good deal of our social calendars.  We have potentially six this year though at our peak, I believe we once had eight in a year.  And though weddings can be fun, with two babies at home who will wake you up at an ungodly hour with no regard for what you did the night before, our days of staying out late and hitting the after party are way behind us.  I hope Josiah and Connor appreciate all the sacrifices Mommy and Daddy make for them!  P.S. please let us sleep.
That said, I find weddings somewhat… boring.  Whether it’s because I don’t like getting dressed up or I’m getting too old for this stuff, I’d rather be at home eating fried chicken and watching Josiah run around the house in his diapers while Mina slowly loses her sanity.  Don’t get me wrong – I’m extremely happy for the couple getting married and it’s always good to see friends.  But every wedding seems the same.  Everyone is dressed the same (bride in a white dress, groom in a suit), the sermons are all similar, food is the same (especially at Korean weddings), and awkward dance circles always inevitably take shape amidst a ring of clapping people.  Been there, done that!
One thing that even a cynic like me can recognize though, is what a special day it is for the bride and groom.  One of my favorite things to do at a wedding is look at the groom when the bride walks into the room.  While all eyes are on her, I like seeing how the groom reacts.  If he looks unhappy then, it’s probably not a good sign.  But usually, his face doesn’t disappoint.
This day is all about the bride and groom; it’s their special day!  The wedding day is supposed to be the best day of their lives.  Until marriage begins, in which case every day thereafter is better than the last one, right, guys?
Our approach to church in general and Sundays in particular is similar to my attitude towards weddings.  For those of us who have been going to church for some time, Sundays can be boring – same sermon, same people, same songs – just a routine to go through.  But for the person who comes on Sunday and encounters the living God for the first time, it’s so much more.  It’s their special day – a day of powerful meeting between them and the true lover of their soul.
At weddings, I’m always reminded of my own wedding and how happy I was that day.  I’m reminded of how fortunate I am to be partnered with a woman who knows all my flaws yet still believes in me and supports me unconditionally.  This Sunday, let’s remind ourselves of our own times when we, too, fell in love with Jesus.  Let’s look back and remember how blessed we are and pray that God would rekindle our love once again.  And let’s also lift up a prayer that today would be a special spiritual “wedding” day for a brother or sister next to us too.

From Pastor David’s Heart
June 29, 2014

So I just submitted a state mandated annual report to the Maryland State Bar Association about whether I had represented any court cases pro bono- that is, whether I had voluntarily represented any indigent clients for free who were in need of legal services but couldn’t afford to hire a lawyer. Most attorneys I know would grumble at the thought of doing cases for free (this is our livelihood after all) and the fact we’re required to report the number of pro bono hours has a bit of a forced charity to it that diminishes the gesture. Why do lawyers have to donate their particular expertise anyway?!? Whose idea was that? Why don’t other folks have to volunteer according to their occupations? For example why don’t mailmen have to volunteer delivering mail for free? Why aren’t street mimes required to mime for free?
This is just good-natured whining and ranting of course which is my wont to do (but don’t worry I won’t sue street mimes). The sermon today is on God’s desire to have an intimate loving relationship with us through the gift of his Son Christ Jesus on the cross. There is a profound sense of love we experience through Christ that transcends any human emotion. God’s love is unconditional. But nevertheless when we truly experience God’s love for us it calls us to action and releases us from our natural hesitation I described above in order to express our love for the Lord.
But it occurred to me that God’s “love languages” don’t all necessarily apply directly back to Him. By that I mean that yes God is pleased when we lift up praise and adoration to Him and give Him all the glory (eg Words of Affirmation and Quality Time). However, God does not personally need any of our tithing and gifts and He most certainly does not need any pro bono Acts of Service from me or anyone else whatsoever, mimes included. But the beauty of God’s exquisite grand design to his Gospel message of love is that we obey his second command, which is to love one another as He loves us. So each of us is gifted in God’s unconditional love. And so as God compels us to do, therefore we ought to be striving for ways in which to express that love unconditionally towards others through something as simple as a kind gesture towards another in a desperate time of need. It then becomes the natural flow from our desire to live in communion with God, regardless of our occupation or social status.
That kind of unconditional expression of love towards others transcends any state mandated requirement. Amen to that.

From Pastor Mark’s Heart
June 22, 2014

Happy Father’s Day from Calvin and Hobbes!

Fathers, contrary to popular belief, we actually do listen to the things you say=)!
There’s a story about my father that I will never forget – a story of his character and actions that speak to me about life and ministry.  This story was told to me in a leadership group by our previous senior pastor.  Many years ago when my father was an oikos leader, he and a leader in training were sitting under a seminar/teaching from our then senior pastor.  The topic was on care ministry and the role of the oikos leader and subjects as love, compassion, leadership structure were all being spoken on.  There came a point in the seminar, where the senior pastor wanted to use his life as a personal example and how the people sitting under his teaching can relate to him.  So he asked a simple question, “who is your pastor?”  Thinking that all would point to him, since he was the pastor, there was a brief moment of silence, and with a quiet but confident voice the leader in training pointed to my father and said, “he is my pastor and mentor.”  When I heard the story, I couldn’t help but beam with pride.  You see, my father is not a pastor by title.  In scripture, Paul talks repeatedly about gifts given to people from the Lord to admonish, encourage, and challenge the church.  Often times the role or gifts of “pastor” and “shepherd” are limited to that of the elders or capital “P” pastors of the church.  My father never told me this story, but what he taught me was that compassion, love, and care for the flock that the Lord (and no one else!) has placed under you is a serious responsibility and calling.  He showed me that though he was “only” an oikos leader by title, he went the extra mile to love and care for his people as any Pastor or Elder would and should. 
Friends, Jesus gave a new commandment (singular!) to his disciples during the last meal He would have with them – love God and love others.  He said do this simultaneously, not one after the other.  Fathers and future fathers, the greatest gift you can give to your children, wife, the people around you, the flock God has placed before you, is to love and care for them as Jesus loved and cared for us.  We look to you to lead but more than that, we look to you to love as Christ loved the church.  As Paul prayed over the church in Ephesus, I leave you with this prayer:
 “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
God bless you and keep you.  Amen.

From Pastor Keeyoung’s Heart
June 15, 2014

As many of you know, my family recently moved to a new place. The whole process of searching and moving into our new home has been a true testimony of how God provided and orchestrated everything so perfectly. My wife and I are filled with so much gratitude and awe of how God brought different people to help and support throughout the process. It was stressful at times not knowing where we were going to end up, but it certainly has been an amazing time of growth in our faith as well. Thank you for those who have been praying with us! 
We’ve been living with my parents and my sister for the last couple years but my wife and I decided that it was time for us to move out and have a new start to our family. We went from being a just married couple to having two more additions to the family in our previous house over the last 7 years that we lived there. Now that the kids have grown up, the house was getting a little too small for all of us to live together. There are so many good memories that our family will continue to cherish for the rest of our lives. Ryan is actually a little confused now that he’s sleeping at our new house at night and being watched by grandma during the day at our old house. I ask him every morning on our way to the grandparents’ house whether he knows where we are going, and Ryan just says “home!” Isn’t he adorable?! Other than Ryan, everyone else is enjoying the changes we are going through. My parents are very excited about their “new start” on their own. My sister will be moving out and starting her own family in a couple of months. And my older brother’s family is coming back to the States and is expecting a daughter to be born in July. It’s going to be a crazy summer with so many big family events.
Talking about craziness, our house has never been so messy since we got married. My wife always kept the house very clean (thanks to her OCD tendency) and nicely organized (yes, even with the kids). But now that we have just moved and have boxes everywhere, the house is a mess. We’ve got the rooms pretty much sorted out but the main living room area still needs to be painted and organized. Until a couple days ago, my kids were using one of the boxes as their table for their meals. And to add to the craziness, we actually had the gas and electricity service terminated because we forgot to call the utility companies to start the service when we moved in. You can probably imagine how crazy not having gas and electricity must have been with everything else that we had to take care of. Now that everything is back on track, we are slowly catching up on our laundry, cleaning and unpacking.
One thing I am NOT looking forward to is taking care of the house. I never had to worry about fixing and taking care of things around the house because I had my father, a handy man, who always took care of everything. And it worries me that now I am the one to fulfill that need. In fact, it took me a long time to install curtain rods for the kids’ rooms the other day. It’s not that I can’t get the job done; it’s just that having tools in my hand just doesn’t feel right quite yet. Please pray for me that I will overcome this fear of mine and become a handy man. Maybe I need to start watching more “Bob the Builder” or “Handy Manny” with the kids?! =)

From Pastor Brian’s Heart
June 8, 2014

What a great honor and privilege it is to have God’s faithful servant, Loren Cunningham, the founder of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) as well as a world renowned author, pastor, and missionary, visit NCFC and share God’s heart, not only for our church but also for the universal church of Jesus Christ!  I’ve read several of his books, watched him on Youtube, and got to hear him in person at the 2007 New Wave Rally in Silver Spring, MD, alongside the Match Strike worship team, but to have him speak at our own church during both the KC and EC Sunday Service is indeed special.  I am also looking forward to the Sunday evening “Big Wave” Rally with many churches joining together to hear what is on God’s heart, where God is moving, and how to join Him where He is working.  The 2007 New Wave Rally definitely set things in motion, and now we are willing and ready to ride a Big Wave with Jesus Christ! 
On Monday afternoon, there will be a leadership meeting, where the area pastors and other church leaders will get together with our guest ‘up close and personal.’  We pray that God will challenge us through Loren so that we can begin to walk in greater anointing and authority to fulfill God-ordained dreams, both here in the DC area and throughout the world.  I look forward to hearing God’s message to me specifically as well as getting to know Loren better. Hopefully some of his anointing and awesomeness will rub off on me as I spend time with him!
You may not believe this, but I am actually shy when it comes to meeting new people. I am not good at striking up small conversations with people I do not know that well, especially if it’s someone who is famous and important like Loren Cunningham!  But Loren is like a father to my beloved brother and sister in Christ, Chongho and Kris Won, the NCFC-sent missionaries serving at YWAM Kona, and that makes him sort of like my uncle!   When we share Jesus Christ, we indeed become like families no matter what nationality, age group, or socio-economic background we may come from. Jesus Christ indeed is the great equalizer!
Speaking of Chongho and Kris, they didn’t just talk about the cost of following Jesus Christ, the cost of discipleship, but they’ve fully embraced it and are living a life of discipleship through their involvement with YWAM.  The Wons had just purchased a 7000+ sq. feet, 3-car garage mansion when God called them into the mission field.  It’s not like Chongho and Kris were living a selfish life, pursuing worldly dreams, either. They were faithfully serving at NCFC in various ministries and contributing a lot financially as Chongho’s business was really successful at the time.  They could have compromised and settled to be wonderful senders of missionaries, supporting others to go into missions through prayer and financial contributions. However, they sought the Lord earnestly, not settling for what is good but wanting God’s best, and received confirmation that they were to go into the mission field. 
The Wons have been living at the YWAM base in Kona, Hawaii for the past 11 years, but have traveled all over the world, whenever and wherever God called them to go.  They’ve indeed witnessed God work powerfully in and through them during this journey of faith, but that’s not to say the ride has always been smooth and without challenges.  It’s not because God lacks heavenly resources, but it’s because God wants them, having responded to God’s call by faith, to continue to walk by faith.  Someone has said, “Salvation costs you nothing, but discipleship will cost you everything.  Salvation occurs in a moment, but discipleship takes a lifetime,” and Chongho and Kris are a shining example of the truth of this statement.  Yes, a life of discipleship is not easy, but if you ask Chongho and Kris, I bet they will say they’ll do it all over again in a heartbeat because you get to go on amazing rides with Jesus.  Once you experience it, nothing this world can offer come even remotely close.
They say there are only two groups of Christians in this world, those who send and those who are sent.  We have only one life to live. This is not a dress rehearsal. We should not waste our life on things that will fade away.  I pray that you make plans to attend the Big Wave Rally Sunday evening at 6 PM at MD Campus and discover what God has to say about the purpose of your life. See you all at the Rally!

From Pastor Sara’s Heart 
June 1, 2014

This Monday is Memorial Day.  Wikipedia, my go-to-source for all information (after the Bible of course), says that “Memorial Day is a US federal holiday wherein the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces are remembered.”  In truth, I never really thought about this holiday, and always lumped it in with other random days off throughout the year.  And I doubt that I’m alone in these kinds of thoughts.  Does anyone even actually know what Labor Day commemorates?  Or Presidents’ Day?  In fact, why limit it to 1 day for all the presidents?  We should definitely have a separate day for Abraham Lincoln at least.  I mean, he abolished slavery and killed vampires!  Why should he get lumped in with scrubs like Franklin Pierce or Chester Arthur? (Thanks, Wikipedia!)  What an insult!
Despite being lumped in with other miscellaneous holidays, Memorial Day is absolutely different though.  There’s some real meaning behind this day.  While someone like me who doesn’t have any immediate family members in the military may not fully appreciate the weight of Memorial Day, at the least I can acknowledge that my life as I know it today would not be as it is without the ultimate sacrifice given by so many.  I will never understand and appreciate how someone who never knew me would willingly give his/her life for me.  While it may not have been a personal connection, rest assured, the sacrifice was immensely personal to him/her and his/her family.  If we don’t have the opportunity to personally thank a member of the armed forces today, church, let’s at least say a prayer for those we know and their families.  May God bring them all home safely.
The sacrifice of our soldiers reminds me so much of the sacrifice that Jesus made too.  The parallels are numerous: dying for those who didn’t/don’t/won’t appreciate you, bravely facing death when the opportunity to flee exists, sacrificing your life for the continued freedom of so many.  However, while we should undoubtedly remember what our soldiers have done for us on this Memorial Day, as Christians, every day should be spent thanking Jesus for the new life he’s given us through the cross and the resurrection.  Christ’s sacrifice is the reason we can live the lives of freedom, joy, revelation, and peace that God offers us every day.  His freely offered submission to death on a cross is the reason we are sitting here today under the grace of God.
In Galatians 2:20, Paul states, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”  Earlier, I mentioned how there is typically personal connection with the soldier who died for us.  But with Jesus, even as he was going to the cross, he knew us and loved us (John 17).  His connection with us was intimately personal.  And so, today, we thank you, Lord.  We remember what you’ve done on the cross.  And like Paul, we say let us live lives by faith in you.

From Pastor David’s Heart
May 25, 2014

Lots of babies being born lately. In the past year or so alone we’ve probably had at least a dozen or more newborn’s welcomed into this world in the English congregation alone. Our children are truly gifts and joyful blessings from God. But with parenting comes a great responsibility of raising them. There is a verse in today’s sermon passage about how we as Christians are storing up our inheritance in Christ by enduring the challenges in this lifetime. It got me thinking about inheritance and the “spiritual” inheritance we as parents are imparting upon our children in this life.
In our society inheritance is a firmly established custom and practice. Complex Wills & Estate laws exist to ensure and promote one’s ability to leave behind whatever material wealth one has amassed in life to one’s children and loved ones. It’s natural for a parent to want to provide a better future for their children than they had growing up. But as Christians there is the challenge of what we are bestowing upon our children in terms of our Christian Faith.
It’s fairly straightforward to assess whatever money and assets that remain after one’s death. Those materials things are carefully accounted for as the inheritance children receive. But in terms of spiritual inheritance, our individual Christian faith is not something that we can simply bottle up as an asset to be presented to our children after we pass on. The spiritual inheritance our children receive from us is a lifetime’s work of our love for the Lord expressed in our love for our children.
We receive unconditional love and forgiveness as children of God and yet condition our approval and acceptance of our children as we live vicariously through their successes and failures. God never required us to “earn” his love and acceptance. He just wants to have a relationship with us. We spend a lifetime killing ourselves amassing material things for the sake of providing for our children’s future security when what they needed most was to be loved. What they needed most was for us to stop for a moment and spend time with them as a witness of our love and faith in the Lord to provide all things.
One of my favorite passages is Psalm 127:1-7. Unless the Lord is present our labor is in vain. For

"It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
For he gives to his beloved sleep.”

From Pastor Mark’s Heart
May 18, 2014

Happy mother’s day!  To all the biological and spiritual mothers in our congregation, God bless you and keep you!  To the sons and daughters, do whatever it takes to make them happy.  Happy mom, happy life=).  Mother’s day is always interesting for me.  I thank the Lord that it is a national holiday; no matter what ethnicity, religion, age, or gender you are, on this day, we recognize nationwide how amazing our mothers are and are reminded to thank our mothers for what they do.  However, it’s also a rude-awakening on how much I don’t appreciate my mom enough every other day throughout the year.  Let’s remember to thank the Lord for one another all the time.  God is indeed an amazing gift giver, solely based on the people he has placed in our lives.
I remember a particular instance in high school when I got into big trouble.  My mom heeded the Word of the Lord and certainly did not spare the rod.  But this time her discipline was different.  I don’t quite recall what I did or said, but what I do remember is my mother’s response as if it happened yesterday.  I remember her sitting me down with tears welling in her eyes and saying in Korean, “It’s my fault.  I wish I was there for you every day when you came home from school, to be able to ask you how your day was, and to cook you a meal.  I wish I was there.”  Even now, thinking of her response, emotions rise but more than that, one thing is absolutely clear; the power of presence - the ability of a loved one to simply be who they are created to be and just BE for the people around them.  My mom knew in her heart that she could DO a lot of things for me to express her love (and she did!) but none would compare to the simple assurance of who she is and that she would be there for me no matter what. 
That is what God does for us.  He is a faithful God whose actions are consistent with His promises.  He is a loving God who pursues His people from the beginning of time to the end of time who provided the ultimate sacrifice in Jesus.  He is Father.  He is Counselor.  He IS all these things and acts it out.  And one of the greatest promises and truths in scripture, He is Emmanuel, God WITH us through the Holy Spirit.  Jesus promises this gift and it’s available for you and me.  We have God who does amazing things throughout our lives that increases our awareness of Him, but when things don’t seem to go as planned and His works are not as evident, we have the truth of scripture that says “[He] will never leave you nor forsake you”.  Emulating this aspect of God is one of the greatest gifts a mother and father can give (or be) to their children.  In 1 Corinthians 4:14, Paul writes to the church in Corinth that they have many guides (ESV) or guardians (NIV) in Christ but not many fathers.  There were so many “do-ers” in the church who taught scriptures and did good works.  There were many relationships that resembled the modern day congregation to preacher dynamic.  But Paul is clear when he says that there’s too much of those relationships but not enough spiritual son/daughter and spiritual father/mother relationships.  Paul knew when a spiritual parent makes himself or herself available to spiritual children, gives time and presence to them, they are emulating an aspect of God that is so profound and powerful, that has the ability to spur children in holiness and Christ-like character – the ABBA God, or Father God.  Today, I challenge you all to look beyond your family unit to see the people that you serve and worship with as potential mothers and fathers, sons and daughters in Christ. 
Mothers, we celebrate and honor you today.  We praise God because of you and pray that you would be encouraged and appreciated by all.  We love you!

From Pastor Keeyoung’s Heart
May 11, 2014