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

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

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

From Pastor David’s Heart
November 9, 2014

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

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

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

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

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

From Pastor Eugene’s Heart
November 16, 2014

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

From Pastor Keeyoung’s Heart
October 26, 2014

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

From Pastor Keeyoung’s Heart
December 7, 2014

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

From Pastor Brian’s Heart
November 30, 2014

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

From Pastor Neil’s Heart
November 23, 2014

This past week, an epic showdown took place that has been much anticipated for a very long time.  This battle has been talked about, blogged about, speculated about for months.  People have gotten into huge arguments over which side is right, which side is the one they are pulling for.  No, I am not talking about the Republican or Democratic debates.  I am talking about the preview for the new “Captain America: Civil War” movie due to release in May 2016.
I’ve been a comic book fan for quite a long time.  I can talk about comic book characters and story arcs longer than most people can talk about anything.  I know more about Wolverine’s origin story than my own children.  I have a collection of comic books stored in four huge plastic bins in my old bedroom in my parents’ house in NJ that I refuse to let my mom throw out.  I’ll be 33 years old this year.  My mom hates me.
We have this nook in the entryway of our home that my wife Mina likes to decorate with seasonal paraphernalia like garlands and bells at Christmas.  I make sure that a Batman figure is prominently exhibited in front of the display.  Whenever Mina takes it down, I promptly put it back up despite her warnings of impending death.  My wife hates me.
My kids have tons of super hero Legos and other figurines.  I get really upset with them when they mix up the pieces and lose them.  I yell at them and make them put them back in the right places and play with them “with the respect due to Silver Surfer and Green Lantern.”  My kids hate me.
Some people might say, “David, it’s time to grow up.  Let’s move on from comic books and focus on, you know, raising your children.”  To them, I’d respond, “Is being a grown up that fun?  Is it really that much better to let go of things you used to love as a child but is frowned upon now that you’re older?  Am I supposed to stop laughing at fart jokes now too?”  As the apostle Paul said, “BY NO MEANS!”
Sometimes, we the church take being a Christian too seriously.  We sit around and debate matters of theology and church business as if we are the very gatekeepers of all that is holy.  We sit in service and worship with frowns on our face, perhaps in concentration, but where is the joy?  Where is our childlike faith?  Where is our unbridled excitement and anticipation to be with our Father?  Maybe for some of us, we’ve been at this “church” thing too long.  Maybe for some of us, we feel like God stuff has to be serious stuff – this is the Creator of FOREVER we’re talking about, right?
Yes, this is all true.  And 1 Corinthians 13:11 says “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.”  But I think this has to do with matters of spiritual maturity, not necessarily the posture of our heart before our Father.  As a father myself, nothing makes me happier than when my kids are happy…especially when they’re just happy to be with me.  So while we should all be growing up into adults in terms of spiritual maturity, let’s remain children in our joy and anticipation of being with our Father.
Also, who wants to watch Captain America: Civil War with me?  My mom, wife, and kids all refuse to go.

From Pastor David’s Heart
March 13, 2016

One of the things that our boys miss about Thailand is all the 7-Eleven convenience stores that seem to be at every street corner (and in between as well)! Whenever we were hungry and all the street food stalls were closed, 7-Eleven was always our go-to place for drinks, snacks, and fresh steamed pork buns. You can even pay your water and electric bills there!
So you can imagine Caleb and Caden’s excitement when we shared with them that they were building a new 7-Eleven just right beside the Harris Teeter grocery store near our home here in Clarksburg, MD. (By the way, I have already brought our boys to the grand opening of this 7-Eleven, and they got their fill of free Slurpees and snacks!)
A fun fact is that Thailand ranks as the country with the 3rd most 7-Eleven convenience stores in the world (behind Japan and the United States). There are actually over 8,300 stores spread out across the country, and they are constantly building more! In contrast, Thailand as a whole only has 5,120 churches. In South Thailand, where we serve as missionaries, there are only 411 churches. So that means there are far more 7-Eleven stores than there are evangelical churches in Thailand! Why are there so few churches in Thailand? There may be various reasons, but one of the contributing factors is that Buddhism is so embedded in Thai culture. The saying goes, “To be Thai is to be Buddhist.” And so sometimes it takes a generation to even establish a solid church plant. It’s certainly not quick and easy!
Perhaps a more perceptive question to ask is why 7-Eleven stores are so popular in Thailand. The central underlying values in Thai culture can be summed up in the four S’s: sanook, sabaay, saduak, and suay. Roughly translated, they mean: fun, comfortable, convenient, and beautiful. 7-Eleven stores are so popular in Thailand because they are convenient. Especially on a hot and humid day, you wouldn’t want to walk too far to get your cup of Slurpee and steamed pork buns!
The sad reality is that the four S’s of Thai culture is evident in our churches as well. How many times have we made decisions based on what is fun, comfortable, and convenient for us? How many times do we make an effort to look beautiful on the outside while at the same time hiding the mess that is on the inside? With this type of mentality seeping in like spreading yeast, it is no surprise that the church has become more a consumer church than a missional church.
There is a fantastic diagram that delineates the difference between the consumer church and the missional church. It defines the consumer church “as a dispenser of religious goods and services. People come to church to be ‘fed’, to have their needs met through quality programs, and to have the professionals teach their children about God (i.e. I go to church).” In contrast, the missional church is “a body of people sent on mission who gather in community for worship, community encouragement and teaching from the Word in addition to what they are self-feeding themselves throughout the week (i.e. I am the church).” So which one are we? And which one do we want to be?
Information from Wikipedia, eStar Foundation website, The Emerging Church by Dan Kimball

From Pastor Dave’s Heart
November 15, 2015

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

From Pastor Eugene’s Heart
January 18, 2015

Last Sunday, I had the privilege of witnessing and participating in P. Eugene Cha’s ordination service. Many people including P. Eugene’s family and relatives were there to celebrate this very special occasion.
What really touched my heart the most was watching P. Eugene’s dad, who is also a pastor and currently pastoring a church in Charlotte, North Carolina, give the word of encouragement to his own son. His dad was ordained as a pastor at NCFC 15 years ago and served many years for our church. So P. Eugene grew up watching his dad serving as a pastor in the church. Now he is following in his dad’s footsteps and carrying on a legacy of faith which he inherited from his dad.
Most of the time when you think of passing on a legacy you think about the ways you can leave some tangible things to your children—wealth, fame, reputation. But there is a more valuable thing you can leave to your children than all of these. It is the legacy of faith.
In Deuteronomy 6:6-9, Moses instructs the Israelites, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
It is very important for parents to be involved in their children’s spiritual teaching and growth. It’s important for fathers to spend time with their children and teach them what it is to be a man of God. Mothers also should spend time with them to teach them what it is to be a woman of God. 
Nothing in life, as Christian parents, is more important than how we raise our children in a godly way. Yet many believers spend more time planning their activities than how they are going to raise their children in a godly way. How important is teaching God’s words and prayer in the upbringing of your children? It is impossible to pass on your faith in your own strength and wisdom. It will not happen.
Our children do not belong to us—they are God’s children. Our children have been entrusted to us as gifts to pass on our legacy of faith. So we, as parents, have great responsibilities of raising our children in a godly way. They say there are no grandchildren in God’s Kingdom because when you fail to raise your children in a godly way, your children will not able to pass on the legacy of faith to their children. So we just can’t afford to fail at this.
So what legacy do you want to leave behind? What kind of life lessons will your children have when we are gone from this world? What will they have to look back on in their lives and say, “that was something that I inherited from my dad or mom?” What will they remember about you is the big question.
In response, P. Eugene shared that this was a very special moment of his life. He had several opportunities to get ordained in the past, but God had a better plan and had saved it for the best. He said he was so grateful that he got ordained at the church where he grew up and with his dad’s blessing for his ordination.  Who knows? There is a possibility that his son Andrew might one day find himself in the same situation. Wouldn’t that be awesome if that is the case?
So how are you going to pass on your legacy of faith to your children?  As a parent, you must live out your faith in your own life. It is impossible to give away something you don't have. When your children see you finding ways to "be a blessing," it will become a way of life for them too, and that is the best way to pass your legacy of faith onto your children.

From Pastor Neil’s Heart
July 19, 2015

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

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

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

From the Pastors
January 4, 2015

Wednesday night, my wife and I were craving some ice cream, so I went to the store to buy Haagen Daz Vanilla for her because that is what she wanted. I got Ben & Jerry’s Cookies & Cream Cheesecake Core, which contains half cookies & cream and half chocolate ice cream with cheesecake flavor in the middle. We were able to enjoy our ice cream in peace as Andrew was sleeping. Poor boy, doesn’t know the joy of ice cream yet.
Thursday night, I get home after our young adults Bible study and my wife tells me that she really wants some chocolate ice cream (AKA half my ice cream)! I told her to just enjoy her vanilla Haagen Daz, and that she should have chosen chocolate instead of vanilla yesterday. After several minutes of dialogue, I reluctantly went to the freezer and took out my Ben & Jerry’s ice cream along with two spoons. We sat there eating MY ice cream together. I was holding onto it for dear life. I was literally hugging it. She had to reach over my arms for every bite. It was so painful watching her take spoonful after spoonful of MY ice cream, while hers was nicely tucked away in the freezer.
When I had first bought the ice cream, I was thinking how nice it was going to be to savor every bite and just really fully enjoy it all to myself. She had her vanilla, so surely, she wouldn’t bother to eat any of mine. I think it was the shock at how wrong my thinking was, that made it so hard for me to share my ice cream with her. To be fair, my wife is not some evil ice cream stealer. She is a very kind and sweet person. We are both just very passionate when it comes to ice cream.
About half way through, I was able to let go of my death grip and actually place the ice cream in the middle of us. We were able to finish the rest of it in peace. I realized that it was only ice cream. I could always buy more. As much as we both love ice cream, there is no need to be so serious about it.
I think love has a way of putting things in perspective. Whatever your “ice cream” might be, we realize that it’s not greater than the ones you love. You wouldn’t want your “ice cream” to come between you and the people you love. To take it one step further, you wouldn’t want your “ice cream” to come between you and God. Having been in a relationship with God for some time now, there are many things that I had to let go because it was interfering with our relationship.
Looking back at each of them, I do not view them as a loss at all. I do not regret giving them up for God. I have definitely gained more than what I gave up for my relationship with Him. Moving forward, I know that there will be more things that I will have to let go, and I will gladly do so because my relationship with God is far greater than whatever that might be.
Do we have “ice cream” that is coming between you and your loved ones? You and God? I hope that we can realize that in the end, those things are not greater than the relationships that we have. As people of God, we should be putting way more value in people and relationships rather than things. That is the example we see from Jesus. He had love for God the Father and the lost. He never had a love for things. Everything He did was for God and for people. Let’s take the time to invest in relationships rather than things.

From Pastor Eugene’s Heart

February 28, 2016

The true indicator of the health of a church is not the size of the congregation, the offering,
the staff, the building, or any of the worldly measures we like to use. I believe the true
indicator of a healthy church is a church that is fully and completely dedicated to fulfilling the
Great Commission. When evaluating all of our ministries, we are to ask ourselves, “Are we
going, sending and equipping people to do this?” “Are we involved in the disciple-making
process?” And if we are not doing that, then we ought to make changes or adjust our
ministries to bring them back into focus with the heartbeat of Jesus. The bottom line is this –
we are called to be Great Commission Christians and to build a Healthy Missional Church!
Jesus only mentions the church in two verses (Matthew 16:18 & 18:17). Based on these
verses, it would be difficult to determine that Jesus was focused on the size of the
attendance or the offering. As I read the Gospels, Jesus placed heavy emphasis on our
obedience as He sends His followers to go and make disciples. What if our church actually
focused on winning the lost and making disciples? And what if our church were intentional
about training every believer to make disciples who make disciples…so on and so on?
As your pastor, I want to see NCFC become a church that’s being filled with spiritual
multipliers: a church full of people who can reproduce themselves. Each of us taking the
responsibility of winning, teaching, baptizing, bringing people into the church, equipping
them and sending them back out. I pray that we would all be dedicated to such an
unending cycle of spiritual reproduction. For there’s nothing more important and powerful
than we, as a body of Christ, becoming this kind of people and church.
Over the years, I’ve noticed that new Christians often have fervor to share their faith.
In time, however, many find their hearts cooling off as they wander away from their
relationship with Jesus. I pray that we would all rediscover the passion of our early
Christian days! We must keep it fresh and vibrant in our daily walk with the Lord.
Meditate, read, and study the Word of God. Learn to remain in Him who promised
to remain in us (John 15). Take your personal time with the Lord and your prayer life
seriously. Take time today to praise God for His salvation. Then commit to carrying
out your part in the Great Commission by talking about Jesus with someone in your life.
Look around, we are surrounded by broken lives everywhere! No more excuses! No
time to waste! Let us reawaken the passion of going and making disciples for His
Kingdom!

Rev. Jason Kim