Ryan finally turned three and my wife and I are looking forward to sending him to FCS soon. However, things are not going as planned because Ryan is not yet fully potty trained. It feels like we have been trying for the entire year to get him to be ready for school. Maybe we had it too easy with Reina that we never saw this coming. I don’t know if any parents pray for their kids to be potty trained, but it’s certainly on the very top of our list. We have tried many different approaches and methods to make the whole process less stressful for Ryan but it has been a stressful time for everyone in our household. I even bought him his favorite Thomas train toilet, which helped so many other boys, but is now being used as a stool in the bathroom.
I actually went into the FCS office this morning to ask some questions and ended up asking the office staff to pray for Ryan to be potty trained before summer school starts. Mrs. May jokingly asked me whether it would be harder to evangelize to Ryan or to have him be potty trained. I replied without any hesitation, both will be about equally hard…but I feel like potty training will be harder. I know I should be more optimistic and have faith that God will bring about a good result but it’s not so easy. It’s funny how I have so much faith in bigger things in life and can’t trust God for such little thing.
Honestly, I have no idea how God is going to answer our prayer. My wife and I have our fingers crossed hoping that something will click in Ryan’s mind and be potty trained miraculously. I never imagined that I would consider potty training a “miracle.” I guess miracles do happen in and around us all the time since we all are potty trained, lol! I’m sure God wants us to learn to deal with both positive and negative outcomes. Maybe there are no positive or negative outcomes since God makes all things work for good for those who love Him. Whatever the outcome, I need to learn to accept and consider it joy. 
One of the hardest parts of this process was figuring out how to respond to Ryan’s mistakes. At times, I showed my patience and on different occasions I tried to teach him a lesson by giving him time outs and punishments. Sometimes, I feel as if he is looking to see how I will react to his mistakes. He makes me wonder whether I have what it takes to be a good parent. God is definitely using Ryan to humble me and to teach me godly wisdom and endurance. This may just be the beginning of years of stress and agony that I will have to endure as I raise up the kids but I am excited for the challenges that lie ahead. Please pray for me and don’t forget to pray for Ryan that he would be potty trained by mid-June so he can attend summer school. 

From Pastor Brian’s Heart
May 4, 2014

The tragedy of the South Korean ferry disaster has gripped the hearts of many people ever since the news broke out.  This tragedy seems especially painful because more than two-thirds of the passengers were high school students on a field trip to the island of Jeju.   What was supposed to be an once-in-a-lifetime trip for the 300+ students turned out to be a nightmare.  The ferry became a mass grave as so many students were trapped inside.  At the time of this writing, the death toll has reached more than 150, and what was once a search and rescue operation has officially turned into a recovery mission.  My heart broke when I read one article about the divers finding many students with broken fingers because they were trying so desperately to escape. 
Though I did not faithfully follow the news, I’ve heard enough through many articles shared via various social-networking services. There is a lot of anger and frustration lashed out, and rightfully so, against the utterly irresponsible and incompetent captain and his crew who abandoned the ship, against the shipping company that neglected its crew’s training for emergency evacuation procedures, and against government authorities that do not take public safety seriously.  Everyone has an opinion as to who or what is to blame for this heart-wrenching disaster.   It is in our nature to want to punish the bad guys quickly and move on with our lives.    Yes, we must talk about what went wrong so this kind of tragedy will never reoccur, but I feel like that task should be left to the experts, and that takes time and patience. 
I couldn’t help but ask myself, “what if I were one of the parents whose child was trapped inside?” How would I have responded?  Fast and pray?  Declare in the name of Jesus that God will miraculously save my child?  Protest in anger what kind of a loving God would let such a wicked thing to happen to innocent children?”   Probably a combination of all of these...that’s why I was so moved and challenged when I read a prayer titled “But even if He does not,” by the father of one of the students, then still missing:
“I’d be thankful if my son, Jung Min, returns home just as Jonah repented inside the fish and came out. But even if not, I am grateful that my beloved son has salvation, that he is a child of God.  Through this incident, I pray that all God’s people confess that God is sovereign over the life and death, blessings and curses of all things. I pray that we realize we are not permanent residents, but travelers passing through this short life. While we still have breath, we should live as witnesses of Christ.  Thank you all for praying for us.”
His prayer reminded me of Daniel’s three friends in the Bible, who declared, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it… But even if He does not, we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold. . .”  Now that’s genuine faith – an unshakeable confidence and assurance in God’s goodness, sovereignty, authority, and justice no matter what the outcome may be. Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith, it’s impossible to please God.”  I believe the faith of Jung Min’s father is indeed pleasing to God.   We often proclaim “God is good all the time!  All the time God is good!”  But the real test of our faith - whether our faith is in God, the Giver, or in His gifts - comes through tragic times this.  When we face various kinds of trials that shake our faith to the core, I pray we remain anchored in the love of God the Father.  He did not lose His Son to a freak accident, but willed and carried out Jesus’ cruel execution for our salvation.  “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:38-39)

From Pastor Sara’s Heart
April 27, 2014

As of yesterday, we completed the season of lent which began on Ash Wednesday, 40 days ago.  Lent is a time to set aside for reflection on Jesus Christ – his suffering and his sacrifice, his life, death, burial and resurrection.
A couple of days ago, on Good Friday, we gathered together in amazement that our Jesus would die on the cross for our sins and took the punishment in our place.  And we come today to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.  Not merely that he died for our sins, but that he rose again from the dead for our eternal life!!
And the bible says in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  So those who believe in the name of Jesus live because Jesus is alive!  And we rejoice together!  So Easter is the highest point, the climax of Jesus’ ministry.  And now we’ve reached the highest point, is this the end of the story of Easter?  Far from it!  The truth is that Easter is only the beginning of a real journey on earth for all believers.  The story of Easter continues on. 
Far too many of us have gotten to the cross and the resurrection, but far too few have moved beyond receiving resurrection to live eternally.  See, receiving forgiveness through the blood of Jesus and resurrection of Jesus, which is eternal life, is only half of the story of Easter.  Now Jesus wants us to experience His resurrected life on earth by living it until we go to heaven!
The Apostle Paul says in Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.”  What he is really saying is, “since you’re been saved, now you must live your life accordingly, that is the resurrected life!”
The resurrection of Jesus brought about amazing transformation in his disciples.  They went from hiding to preaching boldly in public.  They were willing to go through hardships, persecution and even death.  What had happened to them?  They had seen Jesus resurrected.  The disciples and the followers of Jesus were so radically transformed that they affected their culture big time!  The reality of the resurrection of Jesus had a transforming power that changed people’s perspective and lifestyle.
And Jesus wants to continue the same ministry of transformation in this age, and he wants to work with us.  In Luke 15, Jesus was upset over the discussion the religious leaders were having about who matters to God and who doesn’t, and He revealed his heart for the lost through the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost coin, and the parable of the lost son.  The point he was making was that lost people really mattered to Him!  In the same way, lost people should be matter to us as well.
Yes, we ought to rejoice together for the resurrected life we’ve received through Jesus.  We live because Jesus is alive!   However, let us not forget that Jesus doesn’t want us to be content with just ourselves being saved, but he wants us to reach out to our families, friends, neighbors and others by living out our resurrected life!   It’s all because lost people really matter to God, and they too should be matter to us. 

Happy Easter!!

From Pastor Neil’s Heart 
April 20, 2014

Finally, some warm weather!  It seems like we’ve been under a long winter’s spell from a white witch but now we’ve finally been set free by… a sunny lion, I guess?  This analogy is not very good.
Spring has this way of bringing out newness or fresh starts in people.  The onset of the warmer weather and the departure of the paralyzing cold remind us that we’ve got things to do this year!  Time to start doing some yard work.  Time to get outside.  Time to get ready for the summer beach season.  Time to order allergy medicine.  In reality, maybe Spring is when we should actually make our New Year’s resolutions since it ties in so well with this idea of new beginnings.  Also, I’m pretty sure that about 99% of us have already given up on our original January 1 resolutions anyway… don’t worry, I’m not judging you – my own claim that 2014 would be the year of eating better has been pushed to a yet-to-be determined time.
And why shouldn’t we be focused on making changes anew?  Spring is the perfect time to remind us of new life.  As all the snow melts away to uncover the hidden green, and trees start to bear colorful leaves instead of dry cracked branches, we are reminded that even with death, there is always new life being born again.
In the same way, Spring is when we celebrate Easter.  Can there be a more synonymous season for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ?  For us, Jesus’ resurrection symbolizes not only our death to sin but also our new life in Christ.  In fact, not only during Spring or this Easter season, but every day, we need to remind ourselves of this fact.  Every day, we should wake up and commit to the Lord to die to ourselves today that we may live a new kingdom life by the power of the cross.  And Jesus never says, “too bad, you had your chance and you blew it.”  With Jesus, the invitation is always open and His grace is always enough.
So whatever our resolutions were, even if they have died, now is the time to resurrect them.  It’s not too late to go to the gym or read more or whatever else you may have resolved to do in 2014.  And it’s certainly not too late to start the M’Cheyne Bible reading plan that we go through together as a church or commit to a daily prayer schedule.  Wherever we are at, Jesus always gives us the opportunity to come back to him again.  Even now, if there’s a tugging at our hearts or a small desire to recommit some portion of our lives to the Lord, let’s embrace the thawing today.  Spring is here!

From Pastor David’s Heart
April 13, 2014

So the announcement was made last Sunday by the Pastoral Search Committee that Pastor Neil has been designated as NCFC English Congregation’s Acting Senior Pastor. This announcement was warmly received by the congregation as a whole. And judging by the congregational comments made at the reception following service many had thought he should’ve been made senior pastor all along and wondered why it had taken this long for the decision to be made.
I think the answer to that speaks to Pastor Neil’s sincere faith and deep-seated humility above and beyond any other worldly concerns. He never campaigned for nor positioned himself for any such lofty titles or authority. For the last two decades, he always simply wished to serve the Lord faithfully by thoughtfully and carefully shepherding those placed in his care throughout the years. He embraced the privilege to serve the Lord in the many various roles he served as deacon, elder and now pastor so selflessly without any regard for the consequence or sacrifice to himself.  This is a tremendous witness of the true measure of the man. Indeed, at the reception “pledges” of support and allegiance were made to him by those who held such high respect and admiration for him. He has been essential to our spiritual growth. It must’ve been heart-warming for Pastor Neil to receive back just a little of the warmth and support he and his wife and family have graciously given out over the years. Without him this church would no doubt look very different then and now.
I count myself as one of the many people Pastor Neil has encouraged and nurtured along the way. Although I have not known him for as long as many in our congregation have I feel as though I have a good sense of his character having witnessed the sheer effort, time and energy he invested in this church from the time I was a lay congregation member to now serving with him as pastoral staff.  The patience and grace he demonstrated while serving under strong leadership in previous years was truly remarkable.
And while we as a congregation may profess our commitment to Pastor Neil as now senior pastor, what I love most about that gesture is that it was never calculated or demanded by Pastor Neil. It’s my sense that his ministry was never about getting people to draw closer to him but rather, through his guidance and encouragement, we drew closer to the Lord. God gives us our will and purpose in life if we choose to follow it and there is no doubt He places special persons in our paths to prepare the way. Pastor’s Neil’s reluctant election to step into this senior pastor role as God has called him to, and once again set aside his personal comfort zone and desires, makes him eminently qualified for the position. amen to that.

From Pastor Mark’s Heart
April 6, 2014

“What are you giving up for Lent and why?” is a question often asked around in the church (or among Christians, whatever term you prefer) when Ash Wednesday comes around.  It is a time when believers all over the world observe a time of fasting, moderation, repentance and reflection for typically forty days in “honor” of Christ’s death and His resurrection.  Shortly after Christianity was legalized in 313AD, the Council of Nicea comes in the picture where gathered together to bring about a consensus of Christian conduct and discipline.  One of the disciplines established was the practice of a period of fasting, typically 40 days, prior to a more intense week of fasting during Holy Week.  There were many rules and regulations attached to this period (which I won’t go into) but one can safely assume the season of Lent was established during this time, a time integral to any Christian’s life.  Fast forward many years to today and the Christian practices we uphold.  Good Christians read the bible, pray, attend church and small groups and the month and half before Easter Weekend, we give up something to observe Lent.  But why do we do this?  What is your reason for giving up anything in the season of Lent?  Is it REALLY to honor Christ and bring an intense season of remembrance in your life?
When asked about fasting by the John the Baptist’s disciples, Jesus replies, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them?  The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast” (Mt. 9:15).  Here Jesus gives us foresight into the rich analogy of His relationship with His people, the church – that of the bridegroom (Jesus) and the bride (the church).  There are many examples of what fasting is (and isn’t) in scripture, but the verse in Matthew gives us insight to simple instruction and perspective of fasting – do it when Jesus is not here.  What does this entail?  In the absence of a savior and true king, God’s people were constantly under the rule and reign of foreign kingdoms and influences.  However during these times, prophets would prophesy that there would be a coming King, from the line of King David that would bring peace and prosperity to God’s people.  We can be sure that there was fasting and mourning and desperation in their prayers to God for this King to come!  We flip the pages of scripture to the Gospels on the arrival of Jesus.  He Himself proclaimed that He was the King of the Jews, the LONG awaited King, but not in the way that the Jews wanted.  A select few were convicted of His message, became His disciples and continued His work after He ascended into heaven.  Today, once again He is physically no longer here.  To a certain extent, we feel the sentiment of the Jews of Old, where there was no Jesus.  However, scripture is abundantly clear that He actually is, not in physical form that makes sense to us, but through the Holy Spirit!  To which I return to my original question, “what are you giving up for Lent and why?”
This is a strange paradox that we live in.  Jesus is here through the Spirit, but not yet, as indicated in Revelation, that Jesus Christ Himself, in physically/tangibly will come to rid the world of pain, suffering, and sin.  Clearly we have pain, suffering, and sin in the world today.  But we have the promise of the Holy Spirit that He is with us NOW and will empower us to continue His work and BE CHRIST wherever we go.  So here is my conviction:  I don’t fast while weeping and mourning because Jesus isn’t here yet, but I fast in excitement that the Holy Spirit lives in me, and to hear His voice that much clearer, and in anticipation Jesus WILL come and establish His COMPLETE rule and reign in this world.  I now approach fasting with JOY.  I don’t flaunt it in the street corners but in the secret place, rejoice in the Lord for His promises today and for tomorrow.  I leave you with this quote from Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury: "It’s important to remember that the word ‘Lent’ itself comes from the old English word for ‘spring’. It’s not about feeling gloomy for forty days; it’s not about making yourself miserable for forty days; it’s not even about giving things up for forty days. Lent is springtime. It’s preparing for that great climax of springtime which is Easter—new life bursting through death. And as we prepare ourselves for Easter during these days, by prayer and by self-denial, what motivates us and what fills the horizon is not self-denial as an end in itself but trying to sweep and clean the room of our own minds and hearts so that the new life really may have room to come in and take over and transform us at Easter." 

From Pastor Keeyoung’s Heart
March 30, 2014

It’s that time of the year! For those of you who are not familiar with “March Madness” it refers to the NCAA men & women’s division 1 basketball championship tournament that happens in March every year. It seems like March Madness is something that gets the whole nation pumped up and excited like the Superbowl. People are filling out the tournament brackets to see if they can guess the outcome of the tournament. For this year’s tournament, Warren Buffett has offered a 1 billion dollar prize for a perfect bracket. The odds of filling out the perfect bracket are 1 in 9.2 quintillion. For next year’s tournament, maybe I should go to the Media and throw out a big amount of money prize for the perfect bracket because the chances of someone winning that prize is almost zero.
As I was driving home from work on Wednesday, I heard a debate on the radio on who each person thought was going to win the tournament. There were 5 men involved in this debate and each person sounded so intelligent that I was amazed by how much information each person knew about each basketball team represented in the tournament. These people truly deserve to be called experts and if someone was to guess the perfect bracket, it would be one of these people for sure.  
However, if you have ever been through March Madness before, you know there is always the “upset” factor that messes up everyone’s bracket, including the experts’.  Since I started following March Madness, there has always been at least one upset that messed up everyone’s brackets. This year’s tournament started out with a huge upset and there were at least 2 more upsets on the first day of the tournament alone. How ridiculous is that! How are we supposed to get the perfect bracket and win the billion dollar prize with all these “upset” factors?! I guess that’s the beauty of “March Madness” that draws me in.
Who’s your top pick for this year’s March Madness? Although I didn’t fill out a complete bracket this year, I am hoping for either Kansas or Kentucky to be the winner of this year’s tournament. I know Kentucky may not be the best pick but I think they have so much talent and potential to be the winners. I guess we will find out in a week!
Being surrounded by so much uncertainty in life, I am reminded of the confidence and hope in Jesus Christ. There is no “upset” for us because Jesus Christ has already won the battle for us on the cross. We just have to trust in Him and walk victoriously. How awesome it is to know that we will all receive the prize that God set before us whether we live a perfect life or not!  

From Pastor Brian’s Heart
March 23, 2014

We’re in the midst of studying through the book of Nehemiah on Sundays.  I’m really enjoying it immensely because I sense that God is speaking to our congregation through this book.  God knows well what we’ve been through as a church, what condition we are in, and to where He wants to take us.  Someone asked me the other day, “What is our vision as a church now as we move forward?”  I simply replied that the vision that God had given to NCFC from the beginning still remains the same, “Make disciples of all nations and glorify God.”  No matter who’s at NCFC, the original vision that was given by God to NCFC should continue on because the head of NCFC is always Jesus Christ.  People change but Jesus never changes.
Yes, we’ve been experiencing some glitches recently, and some portions of walls and gates have been broken down in the city of NCFC.  But God says He will restore the broken down walls and gates of NCFC.  Then, how does He want to do it?  I truly believe that God is revealing to us how He wants to restore us through the book of Nehemiah.  It’s almost like He is giving us a manual which provides step by step procedures which we can follow to resolve problems.
What really fascinates me is that Nehemiah was a layperson like you who lead the task of rebuilding the broken wall of Jerusalem which seemed to be an insurmountable task.  How was he able to do it as a layperson?  Nehemiah caught God’s vision because his heart was focused on God’s heart.  And he cared so much about the wellbeing of Jerusalem that he was weeping and praying for the restoration of Jerusalem.  His heart was so focused on it. 
Do you see the broken walls and gates of NCFC?  Can we do the same as Nehemiah has done?  I would really like to invite all of you to come out to our Saturday morning prayer and monthly praise and prayer meetings to come together and cry out and pray to our God for the restoration of our church.  As Nehemiah began to cry out to God, He began to move and opened the door.  Do you know our prayer can move God?  Prayer moves God because it is partnership with God.  It is not an act of forcing God to do what is against His will.  But as we ask for what He wants to carry out, He begins to move.  Does God want to restore NCFC?  Is it His will?  I have no doubt it’s indeed His will.  Then, let us cry out together and reach out to Him.
God also mobilized everyone to do the work of restoration through Nehemiah.  God knows one person cannot do the restoration alone.  Can you imagine Nehemiah and a few others trying to do all the repairs of the broken walls and gates of Jerusalem?   God wanted everyone to come and work together.  Everyone needs to be involved.  I talked about “divide and conquer” last week.  Everyone gets an assignment.  It’s much easier and faster to do it together.
When we work together, everyone feels they played a part in the restoration and contributed to make a difference.  Also, God’s blessings and rewards are shared.  God wants to bless as many people as He can.   And in fact, if one or a few people do everything, those few may end up taking God’s blessing away from others.  In the parable of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-7) describes God’s desire to bless as many people as He can.  A landowner went out again and again to hire workers for his vineyard from early in the morning until the late afternoon.  Verses 6-7 say, ‘“And about five o’clock that afternoon he went out and found others standing around, and he said to them, “Why are you standing here all day without work?”  They said to him, “no one has hired us.”  He said to them, “You go and work in the vineyard too.”” 
How about you?  Are you still standing without work because no one asked you?  The vineyard at NCFC is in need of many workers who are willing to come and work.  The harvest is plentiful, and workers are few.   Come and let us work together!

From Pastor Neil’s Heart
March 16, 2014

The season of Lent is upon us.  This past Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the 40-day period of fasting and prayer for many Christians in preparation for Easter.  There are, however, 46 days from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday, so how do you explain the seeming discrepancy?  Since Jesus Christ resurrected on Sunday and since all Sundays – not just Easter Sunday – were to be celebrated for Christ’s Resurrection, the Roman Catholic Church, which began the tradition of Lent, excluded Sundays in its calculation of the 40 days, which incidentally was to mirror Christ’s 40 days of fasting in the desert before He began His public ministry.
At the dinner table on Ash Wednesday, my daughter Stacey point blank asked me, “So what are you giving up during Lent, Mom?”  As a pastor, I wish I could tell you that I had earnestly prayed about it long before Stacey asked me and had an answer right away, but I had not really thought about it so I was caught off guard.  I had to come up with something really fast without letting anyone know that I am panicking.  I was tempted to say I was going on the Daniel Fast, giving up meat for Lent, but I was in the middle of chowing down on pork barbeque.  The thought of giving up Facebook crossed my mind briefly, but FB is a valuable ministry tool for me, keeping an eye on how my beloved congregation members are doing spiritually and otherwise (I hope that doesn’t sound too creepy, like I am stalking people on FB!).  I could’ve said I would give up drinking soda or eating chocolate, but I felt like that would be more from a selfish motive to improve my health or lose a few unwanted pounds.   I managed to mutter, “I am still thinking about it,” and quickly changed the subject, praying Stacey would not push me further.
Since then I’ve been thinking about what, if any, God may want me to give up during Lent this year.   I couldn’t help but wonder if my effort to achieve a heightened state of spirituality and purity during Lent by giving up certain pleasures in life would really impress God, knowing full well that once lent is over, my life is most likely to return to business as usual.   Worse yet, I may even indulge in the things I gave up during Lent to compensate for my ‘sacrifice,’   much like people who gain weight during Ramadan,  the Islamic holy month of fasting, by excessively eating and drinking all night while fasting during the daylight hours.  That would be a classic example of following the “letter of the law” while disregarding the “spirit of the law.”    Even well-meaning Christians can err the same way if giving up something for Lent inadvertently causes us to have a sense of self-righteousness or  to judge others with a ‘holier-than-thou’ attitude.   As honorable as people’s efforts to observe Lent are, we have to be very careful to check our intentions and guard against spiritual pride because “knowledge puffs up while love builds up.”  
So, if you cannot decide what to give up for Lent, here’s a thought: how about adding something to your life during Lent?  Instead of focusing on you – all that you are giving up or sacrificing, how about adding something that helps you focus on someone else in need?   I believe ultimately that is the true spirit of Lent, to serve those God has brought into our lives, just as Jesus Christ came to meet our needs; to reconcile us with God so we can have the gift of eternal life.  Lent is indeed an excellent time to be reminded of what Jesus said, “I tell you the truth; whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me,” and put it into practice.  So this Lent, you may still see me eat meet, get on FB, and eat tons of chocolate, but I hope and pray that you will also see me surrender myself to serve His people each and every day as I am compelled by the love of Christ.

From Pastor Sara’s Heart
March 9, 2014

Last year, when we were in Ecuador for missions, we visited an old Roman Catholic cathedral.  It was several centuries old and one of the most beautiful buildings I’d ever been in.  Huge open doorways at several entrances opened right into the heart of bustling city streets as parishioners quietly sat on ancient benches in quiet contemplation.  And as I walked around the house of worship appreciating the architecture, beauty, and art, it was through these doors that I saw a sight that helped me understand my God a little more.
Sitting on the sidewalk a few feet from the open doors was a woman holding a listless boy.  The child was too big to be held – perhaps 8 or so – but he was fast asleep.  The woman wasn’t begging for money verbally, but her eyes spoke her desperate words well enough.  I had obviously seen beggars before but for some reason, that woman with that child in that setting hit me very differently.
As soon as I saw her, thousands of thoughts rushed through my head.  First, was the sympathy for her and her child’s place in life.  Next was a thought to give her all the money I had, perhaps even going to an ATM to max out my withdrawals.  Then came doubt – would the money even go to her or was this some gang-related scheme to prey on donors – was the child even hers?  Then guilt – even if she only saw a fraction of the money and some gang does take all her donations, isn’t that worth it, to give her a little?  And finally came despair.
God, where are you?  This woman, your daughter, sits inches away from your “house” and she is dying.  Literally, figuratively, spiritually, she is dying.  Where are your angels to protect her?  Where is your healing hand to touch her son?  Where is the church, your body, to feed your sheep?
And it was at that moment that I understood the desperation for Jesus to return.
We live in a dark, cynical world.  Outside the gated communities that we reside in, there is so much suffering in this world.  You don’t have to be a pessimist to believe that there is more pain than not in the world.  As a suburban, middle class church, this is a thought that’s “out of sight/out of mind” but nevertheless, the truth is the truth.  For the majority of this world, life is extremely hard. 
If this is all life is, if this is really all we have in this world, then yes, it’s depressing.  Just as random as some say religion is depending on where you’re born, then we’re supposed to accept that one’s chance at a somewhat happy well-adjusted life is also based on where you’re born?  In the words of the Princess Bride, inconceivable!
This Ash Wednesday we celebrate the beginning of the Lent Season which leads up to Easter, the greatest day in history.  Because of what happened on this day, we as the Church, the body of Christ, can say there is hope in Jesus Christ; there will be an end to the pain and awfulness of today.  We are not lying when we pick up a suffering child or victim, look them in the eye and say, “It will get better.”  Jesus is the reason we have hope.  For when he returns, all the tears, all the pain, all the heartache, suffering, shame, fear will be gone forever.  And it was this hope that I held onto as my prayer of despair became a prayer of desperation.  Jesus… please come back and save your people.  Please come back and set us free.
Come, Lord Jesus, come.

From Pastor David’s Heart
March 2, 2014

So when Ed Boasso was the guest speaker at our church a couple weeks ago he was mentioning that in the last two years or so he found himself falling in love all over again with Christ Jesus. He was experiencing Jesus again through reading of Scripture and through fellowship and though praise and prayer. It made him both giggle and cry. I really liked that idea, that it’s ok for us to allow ourselves to be vulnerable emotionally. That we can experience Christ and reach a point of true authentic intimacy with Him, engaging Him in our heart and mind and relating to Him in our own way as the Holy Spirit leads us.
I think the challenge for us as Christians in spreading the Gospel to others is that there is an initial intellectual pursuit of God people have towards religion that can be a major hurdle to overcome in order to get them to experience Christ in a more personal intimate way. For example, I had a recent conversation with a client of mine. After a legal consultation about her court case the topic of conversation turned to religion. She was a non-Christian and proceeded to state, among other things, that she didn’t think the Bible was “fair” to everyone such as women. She believed in God but didn’t necessarily think any one particular religion completely articulated God as a higher power. This is a common occurrence, where people see the various religions in the world, such as Muslim, Buddhism, Christianity, and then conclude based upon their observations that they’re all talking about the same divine entity just in different aspects.
My response to her was that we have to be careful when we attempt to describe just who God is based upon the limitations of our human perceptions. It wouldn’t be a very awesome and powerful God if He’s reduced down to our worldly observations. In that sense God is unknowable to us as mere humans.
This is what I mean about how our minds create barriers in our attempts to draw closer to God. Non-Christians want the Bible to match up with what they see in the world according to what modern science and societal values have evolved into. They want the theology to make logical sense to them. They don’t see the Bible as a means to an ends of experiencing God but rather the end itself. They don’t see how God wants them to draw closer to Him through the Bible, not merely draw closer to the Bible. God wants us to draw closer to him through the fellowship, through praise and prayer.
I know that there are those in our congregation who initially struggled with the intellectual pursuit of Christ but eventually experienced incredible breakthroughs. Their initial intellectual understanding of God through Scripture was merely a gateway that opened up to a greater sense of God’s love for them. To see how they have been transformed and now have a genuine love and understanding of the Lord is a beautiful thing. That’s gotta come from God. amen to that.

From Pastor Mark’s Heart
February 23, 2014

We are coming out of a great conference weekend where we broached the topic of “Christ Centered Culture.”  The themes were consistent with what I believe we are going through as a community and the Lord certainly challenged us in what it means to be a community centered on Jesus.  The ability to love and care for one another comes not from human efforts and means but from a divine impartation and awareness of His love for us FIRST since “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).  However, though our intimacy with Christ precedes intimacy with one another in community, our relationships with the people around us do reflect our relationship with the Lord (1 John 4:7-21).  I’m convinced that everyday of my life I have to surrender to the rule and reign of God in my life, confess His great love displayed on the Cross of Jesus, and receive this love that was given to me by the Holy Spirit (though in human fair-ness standards, it’s difficult to accept since we deserve death due to our sin).  Then and only then as recipients of His love can we extend love to the people around us and to the world that desperately needs to see it. 
Henry Nouwen writes this about community:
“To care means first of all to empty our own cup and to allow the other to come close to us. It means to take away the many barriers which prevent us from entering into communion with the other. When we dare to care, then we discover that nothing human is foreign to us, but that all the hatred and love, cruelty and compassion, fear and joy can be found in our own hearts. When we dare to care, we have to confess that when others kill, I could have killed too. When others torture, I could have done the same. When others heal, I could have healed too. And when others give life, I could have done the same. Then we experience that we can be present to the soldier who kills, to the guard who pesters, to the young man who plays as if life has no end, and to the old man who stopped playing out of fear for death.

By the honest recognition and confession of our human sameness, we can participate in the care of God who came, not to the powerful but powerless, not to be different but the same, not to take our pain away but to share it. Through this participation we can open our hearts to each other and form a new community.” 
When I as a person realize I am as sinful as the next, I start to see that the grace and love extended to me is not more special or powerful than others.  Christ died and rose for all and His grace and love is sufficient for all.  Remind yourself of this truth everyday and be transformed by it and see how you begin to view the people and world around you by the renewed mindset which is transformed in the likeness of Christ.

From Pastor Keeyoung’s Heart
February 16, 2014

The word, “accountability,” makes us feel quite uncomfortable and even scares many of us. We are afraid that if we become really honest with each other, there will be judgment and disapproval for our mistakes.  Especially if you are pastors or leaders in the church, your credibility and reputation is always on the line, and if any dishonesty or misdeed is exposed, you may be afraid that your future leadership ability may be questioned. But scripture teaches us to confess our sins to each other and pray for each other. Scripture does not exempt anyone from having to be accountable. In fact, scripture emphasizes that leaders are to be the most accountable so that others may follow their example.
So we know for a fact that, as a believer, each of us is accountable for our actions. Then, the next question is do we have a proper understanding of God’s intention of accountability for believers? We must remember that God’s intention of accountability is to show love to one another. Jesus said he gives a new commandment that we love each other. As I have loved you, so you must love each other. The teaching of Jesus begins with love and ends with love.
Am I saying then that we shouldn’t care about how others are living and simply disregard them from facing the facts? Absolutely not! Sometimes we are afraid to hold people accountable because we don’t want to create unnecessary tension that we have simply decided to look away. But this is not how the church should function because God’s love requires a commitment to one another. We must learn to love each other enough not to ignore our sins.
Then, how do we go about being accountable for each other? Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus laid down his life first for everyone before he asked us to be accountable. It takes love and humility to be held accountable. Accountability is not about judgment. It is about love so that we may be what God has called us to be.
Also Paul says in Galatians 6:1, “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.  But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.” Yes, believers must be honest about our sin, but accountability must point back to the throne of grace and become accountable to the love of Jesus because the ultimate purpose of accountability is restoration. And it must be done with the intention of love, not judgment.
One of the biggest problems in the church is that we trample on the wounded. But this is not God’s intention for us being accountable each other. Are we as a church wiling to be accountable to each other? Then first we must show one another that we love them, and our goal has to be for restoring them.
As our church moves forward, we will continue to face many issues of accountability. And the course of action that we take will either make us or break us. We shouldn’t overlook the sin and refuse to face the facts, nor should we expose the sin openly and inflict wounds of hurt. As long as what we do points back to God’s grace and love, and our focus is on restoration, not only will God restore our mistakes or shortcomings but also we will grow stronger and tighter as a community of believers.

From Pastor Neil’s Heart
February 9, 2014

I usually try to take care of family duties on Mondays. Well, I should say that’s what is expected of me because I am not home much on the weekends due to ministry stuff.  At times, my wife writes “TO-DO” lists so that I don’t become lazy and waste the whole day. Although I complain that she expects too much from me, I do appreciate her so much for being a “super mom” and that she constantly challenges me to become a better husband and father. God has indeed blessed me beyond measures with a perfect partner to share my life with. I am forever grateful for her… except for the days when we get into fights and end up not talking for a couple days or so. Yes, as a pastor, I should know better not to let the sun go down while we are still angry at each other (Eph 4:26). But it doesn’t always happen that way.    
As a result of a recent conflict with my wife, I had a bad incident this past Monday morning. She didn’t notify me of our minivan being very low on fuel so the car just died on me right after I buckled the kids into their car seats to take them to school. After spending so much time and effort in the freezing weather to pump in gas, my hands were all frozen and I spilled gas all over my hands. So I was very annoyed at myself for not properly resolving conflicts with my wife because my wife would have warned me of the low fuel light on our “normal” days. She probably forgot to mention it because we didn’t talk to each other for the entire weekend. To add to my frustration, even Reina was annoyed at me that she was late to her school. And why did it happen on the day that my parents and my sister went out early in the morning for a hospital visit? Everything just didn’t go right for me on that morning all because I failed to deal with unresolved conflicts with my wife.
How do you resolve conflicts? There is an article that I came across that presents 5 different ways people resolve conflicts. Find out which one you can identify with and learn the “carefronting” way to preserve relationships. (Refer to the source for more detailed explanation)
 
The Win-Lose Strategy: Seeing everything as right or wrong. No “gray” whatsoever.
Avoidance: May end up with weal and superficial relationship. Avoiding conflict at all costs in often a sign of weakness and insecurity.
Giving In: Yielding to others to maintain peace. People pleasers
Compromise: Sometimes both parties may give up something important to them and high risk of ending up unsatisfied and unhappy.
Carefronting: The two parties must agree to come together, commit to preserve the relationship, creatively find a solution that satisfies both sides, utilize reason over emotion, separate the person from the issue, and strive for a solution that will bring peace. 
Source: <http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevinwax/2013/08/13/5-western-styles-of-managing-conflict/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=5-western-styles-of-managing-conflict&repeat=w3tc>

From Pastor Brian’s Heart
February 2, 2014

Today we wrap up the study of the book of Jonah, which we’ve been going through for the past four Sundays.  I do not know about you, but I enjoyed preaching from it immensely,  a delightful departure from the study of the two Pauline Epistles (Colossians and Philippians) that we’ve previously spent close to six months on.   While preparing my sermon, I came across the following funny story, which many of you may already have heard:

A lady on a plane was reading her Bible. The man sitting next to her gave a little chuckle and asked, "You don't really believe all that stuff in there, do you?"
"Of course I do. It is the Bible," the lady replied.
"Well, what about that guy that was swallowed by that big fish?" he asked.
"Oh, Jonah... Yes, I believe that, too. It is in the Bible," she replied.
"Well, how do you suppose he survived all that time inside the fish?" he asked.
"Well, I don't really know. I guess when I get to heaven, I will ask Jonah," said the lady.
"What if he isn't in heaven?" the man asked sarcastically.
"Then YOU can ask him." replied the lady! 

On a more serious note, the story of Jonah is one of the most ridiculed Bible accounts by people who consider themselves intellectual and sophisticated.  Some ‘Christian liberals’ have attempted to ‘solve’ the problem by saying that  it is not to be taken as actual history, but only as a parable to convey a hidden meaning.  I disagree with this stand for the following reasons:
While the authors of the Bible did use parables, whenever they did, they always said so or made it evident in the context, which is not the case with the book of Jonah.  In addition, Jonah was an actual prophet who is also mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25, and the book of Nahum also records God’s prophecy against the wickedness of the people of Nineveh. 
More importantly, Jesus Christ himself accepted the account as true:
[Jesus] answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the Prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matt. 12:39-40)
In fact Jesus compared Jonah’s experience to His own impending death and resurrection, pointing out the factual and miraculous nature of both!   Thus, to deny the historicity of Jonah’s story is to charge Jesus Christ to be either deceptive (using Jonah as an example, knowing he was only a fictional character) or ignorant (not knowing Jonah was a fictional character), either of which is denying Jesus’ deity.  And the notion that we can accept the miracle of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ without believing the miraculous account of Jonah is absurd.  Either we believe the Bible to be 100% true and inerrant or we don’t believe the Bible at all, for “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…” (2 Tim. 3:16) 
Then how do we explain the story of Jonah?  There is little question that it was a miracle performed by God, just like the other miracles in the Bible and many miracles that still happen around the world today.  We may be ridiculed for believing the Bible in its entirety, but once we confess our faith in the resurrected Christ, we should expect it to come with the territory. Since that faith saves us from going to hell, we should be willing to be ridiculed for it as well!

From Pastor Sara’s Heart
January 26, 2014

There was an article this week from a church leadership website I subscribe to that discussed the intent of Sunday preaching. A visiting church consultant asked a church leadership team what the desired end purpose of preaching each Sunday was. Someone answered “Evangelism.” The consultant answered “Wrong!”
Another said “Teaching.” . . . “Wrong”
Worship? Fellowship? Ministry? Service?
“Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!”
The consultant’s answer? “To bring people into an ‘experience’ with God.”
As I read that question in the article I was answering in my head “To draw people closer to God.” So it appears that my own response is somewhat aligned with that of this consultant in the article (whew). But I don’t mention the article’s conclusion because I necessarily agree or disagree with its points. But I do think it’s worth mentioning for the mere premise that not only is there an intentional purpose by a given preacher but there is equally an opinion and expectation by the listening congregation receiving the sermon message. I began to wonder if the two perspectives between the preacher and congregation are always in harmony of if they are ever in tension with one another.
Surely for many people at NCFC the above answers such as worship, evangelism and teaching are what they would answer as far as what preaching should be achieving. I would agree they are very important and worthwhile endeavors to strive for during service. So I can imagine it must annoy or slightly offend that some church consultant out there would say this is “Wrong.” I’m not here to debate those points or ask anyone to take sides. I bring this up to emphasize the point that we are all uniquely created and have distinct a separate personalities. We respond differently both emotionally and spiritually during service. As such we all will also relate differently to God as the Spirit leads us. For some, praise worship is a powerful moving experience that touches their hearts. But for others the intellectual theology of a sermon is what resonates mostly with them. And for others the fellowship and sense of community the service provides is how they “experience” God. And then when you combine the individual unique strengths and giftings of the preacher to this mix, why then you get my point: Sunday service can be a very layered and complex experience for all present.
We may make it that way, but God is not limited by any of this whatsoever. Although the means by which we are in communion with the Lord varies across different emotional and intellectual spectrums, God has the power and capacity to reach us where we are at in our lives. In His own timing and in His own way our hearts and minds are gradually transformed.
Perhaps there is a way in which to tie those responses in with the answer that the desired end purpose of preaching is “To bring people into an ‘experience with God.” Regardless of how, when and why people relate to Sunday service either emotionally or intellectually,  the important thing is that through each of those experiences along the way God speaks to us. And as a result we draw closer to Him. Hopefully there is harmony within that shared effort. Amen to that.

From Pastor Mark’s Heart
January 19, 2014

A blog entry from Jared C. Wilson on adoring Jesus:
 “We are typically very quick to note when someone is not showing love for their neighbor. But what about love for Jesus? Should it settle implicitly? Is love for Christ something that is sufficient when latent?
What I notice a lot every day in the Christian spheres of social media is just how incredibly adept we evangelicals are at doctrinal criticism, cultural rebuke, theological analysis, biblical exegesis, contending for the faith in apologetic and ethical debates, pithy spiritualbon mots, religious advice, and of course the quoting of Christian leaders present and past, but what seems less prevalent is adoration of Jesus.
When we see a Bible verse, we run its meaning through our mind and can expound on it with intelligence, but when we see Christ before us, do we stagger at his beauty and exult in it with awe? Do we adore Jesus?
When we see a lost person acting a fool in the news, our righteous indignation runs right through our fingertips to our keyboards, but when we see Christ before us, does our righteousness crumble and run right to his feet in a posture of supplication? Do we adore Jesus?
When we see one of our Christian heroes saying something smart or funny or challenging, we send them a virtual high-five and echo the proclamation in shouts of appreciation, but when we see Christ before us, do we lift him high in our hearts and herald his glory with shouts of acclamation? Do we adore Jesus?
When we see that someone is wrong on the Internet, we feel the responsibility to speak up, to be the one to stand in the gap between their ignorance and our assurance, but when we see Christ before us — supreme and sovereign and saving — do we feel the wonders of his radiance?
When we look at Jesus, are we warmed? Or do we shrug our shoulders?
Some professing Christians don’t seem to speak of Christ at all. Let them ask themselves, “Do I adore Jesus?”
Has Jesus become our mascot, our projection? When you look at him, what do you see?
There’s nothing wrong with using the Internet public squares for all kinds of messages, from the serious to the silly, and I don’t mean to suggest that there is. I just want to ask sometimes, “But do you adore Jesus? It seems you are fired up about all sorts of things, but it is not clear if you love Jesus.” I don’t think we should simply assume from some peripheral fire that the central ignition is love of Christ.
Christ is the apex of all that is precious, the center of all that is glorious and delightful. He is the very point of existence. He is the Son of the living God, the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last who was and is and is to come. “O come let us adore him!”, not scrutinize, utilize, or analyze him.”
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so…
– Psalm 107:2
How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,
who publishes salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
– Isaiah 52:7

From Pastor Keeyoung’s Heart
January 12, 2014

I believe that retreats, regardless of who the speaker is, what the theme is, who serves as counselors and how many kids sign up, always turn out be a blessing to everyone. I can attest to that because there has not been a “bad” retreat for the last 8 years I’ve served as youth pastor at NCFC, not counting many years when I went as a student. God never fails to show up beyond our expectations. This past winter retreat was no different than other retreats in ways that God touched our hearts and how He stirred up new passion and vision for His kingdom. However, apart from all the usual retreat experience, this past winter retreat was definitely a memorable one because we celebrated New Year’s Eve together. It was a special night that everyone will talk about for many years! The level of excitement and craziness (in a good way) that I witnessed that night was something very special. You just had to be there to experience it!
When we started planning and promoting the retreat, many parents were concerned that the retreat was ending on New Year’s Day because families getting together has been a long tradition for many Korean families. As a result, a good number of families decided not to sign up and there were kids who just didn’t want to come to the retreat on top of that. Even though I understand the culture and the family traditions and all, I was so frustrated that people take these retreats so lightly when we have more than 20 counselors who take these retreats so seriously by taking their personal vacations (some without pay) to serve and to love upon the students. I had one teacher couple who even brought their kids and stayed overnight in the motel room because they wanted to be there for the kids they teach. I even told some people to come visit for a day or two before going out to the family gatherings for the New Year’s Day but no one took my advice seriously. You can probably feel my frustration as you read this column. I believe it’s a matter of setting “proper” priorities in life. Many of us say that God is our number one priority in life but a lot of times other things in life come first and God becomes secondary.
During a Sunday school class when I asked the kids what helps them to grow in their relationship with God, 7 out of 8 people answered “retreats”. Of course, a mature Christian can grow by reading the bible and praying consistently but we know how hard that is for young people who are so busy and are surrounded by worldly pleasures all around them. So I urge everyone to make it a priority to attend future retreats. I pray and hope we will have more hunger and thirst for God this year. I pray that we, as a church, will hold on to God’s promise from Joel 2:28-30 and act upon His promise for the year of 2014.

28   I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
30 I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth

Happy New year everyone!

From Pastor Brian’s Heart
January 5, 2014

So we approach the year’s end. Another year of life happening at even greater leaps and bounds especially as we get older. We face the ongoing challenges (and pressures) living out the “American dream” from an early age throughout adulthood- achieving academic excellence, advancement in our careers, acquiring material wealth, marriage, family and so on and so forth. We fret (and hover) as parents over our children’s development and well-being. As Christians at times we struggle reconciling those pursuits with what our Faith compels us to do.
This year NCFC endured profound change the likes of which it had never experienced before. Who could’ve ever imagined at the start of the year how different it would be for everyone within less than a year’s time? And yet despite the transition of such magnitude this congregation remains together steadfastly resolute as a local church body of Christ. Not all churches would respond to this kind of crisis in the same manner. But I would like to think God individually confronted us with this intentionally with a specific purpose in mind for each and every one of us.
It’s been my observation that it’s often in the times of crisis that we seek God. Whenever we suffer hardship- whether physically, spiritually or materially- we go to God in prayer. God loves to hear from us in all things- not only in times of need but also in times of thanksgiving and confession, for example. But as I have shared before, if God only hears from us in our time of need and crisis then perhaps indeed God obliges us with need and crisis in our lives as our means of communion and dialogue with Him. That is, until we realize and experience a better way. As we have discovered, being driven into a barren isolated “wilderness” in life is not a spiritual attack to be resisted. This may be God’s intentional way of stripping away the distractions of this world in order to get us to surrender to His will and purpose in our lives rather than our own.
Personally, the self-reflection and spiritual growth I’ve experienced in the last 6 months at church has been life altering for me. I am an argumentative realist/cynic by profession. It’s been brutally humbling but at the same time necessary and transforming for me in my pastoral ministry to have gone through these times in order to be broken to myself.
I wouldn’t wish stress and hardship upon anyone and none of you are as stubborn and foolish as I am to bring that upon yourselves. But if hardship is what it takes to bring about beautiful transformation God intends in your life then I applaud you for your perseverance. Amen to that.

From Pastor Mark’s Heart
December 29, 2013

I’d like share with you one of my favorite Christmas stories originally told by Paul Harvey.  I hope this story help bring forth a deeper understanding and appreciation for Jesus Christ, God incarnate, as you celebrate Christmas this year.  
A man was invited by his wife and children to go to the Christmas Eve service at their church. He refused to go saying, "I don't understand how a God who is supposed to be loving and kind can let mankind suffer so much. Why would He decide to become a man and be born as a baby in a manger, no less? There is no logic in such an absurd idea, and I just can't accept it." So his wife and children went to church without him.
Shortly after the family left, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier and then went back to his fireside chair to enjoy a nice quite evening alone.  Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound, then another, and then another. At first he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against his window. But when he went to the front door to investigate, he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow. They’d been caught in the storm and, in a desperate search for shelter, were trying to fly through his large window.
Feeling sorry for the birds, he came up with a great idea. He would open the barn doors and let the birds spend the night there. He put on his coat and boots and trudged out to the barn, opened the doors wide, and turned on a light.  But the birds just kept flying against his window, trying to get in. 
He figured food would entice them in. So he hurried back to the house and sprinkled bread crumbs on the snow, making a trail to the lighted wide-open doorway of the barn. But to his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs and continued to flap around helplessly in the snow. He tried catching them. He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around them, waving his arms.  But to no avail, they scattered in every direction, except into the warm, lighted barn.
“What’s wrong with these birds?” he thought. Then he realized that they were afraid of him. To them he was a strange and terrifying creature. “How can I let them know that they can trust me, that I am not trying to hurt them, but to help them?” he felt frustrated and distraught. “Oh, if only I could become a bird like they are and speak their language! Then I could tell them not to be afraid and show them the way to the barn.  I wish I could become one of them so they could hear and understand me!”
At that moment the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind. And he stood there listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas. And he sank to his knees in the snow.
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel," which means, "God with us." (Matthew 1:22-23)

From Pastor Sara’s Heart
December 22, 2013