Suffering has dominated the headlines this past week.  Whether it was the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Nepal that has claimed over 6,000 lives and 130,000 homes or the massive protests occurring in Baltimore as well as other cities, the news cycle has had no shortage of heart-wrenching messages to deliver.  So much so that the disgusting work of ISIS in the Middle East continuing to murder, kidnap, rape, torture, and sell fellow human beings has gone largely unmentioned.
It’s easy to despair in situations like these.  I’m not sure what kind of person you are, but I’m a pessimist and a realist at heart.  My first thoughts upon hearing terrible news like Nepal or Freddie Gray is to ask God, “Lord, why did this have to happen?  When are these things gonna change?”  And it’s really easy for me to get down and feel like there’s nothing I can do to change the world.  What can I do to help people thousands of miles away who have literally lost everything they own and have no idea where their next meal is coming from or where they will sleep tonight?  What can I do to break down a system of racism and indifference towards people of a certain color and socioeconomic background that has been established by the very political and social infrastructure of this country?  What can I do to change the world?
One answer is – not much.  As an individual, there’s not a lot that this simple man can do.  I have no power.  I have no authority.  I can barely manage my own life – how am I supposed to fix anyone else’s?
But there’s another answer to that question if we call ourselves Christians.  And that answer is to save the world.  As Christians, we believe in a living God who loves His creation and desires for the reconciliation and restoration of all things.  We believe in a God who will “wipe every tear from [our] eyes” (Revelation 7:17).  We believe in a God who commands us to “not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).  We believe in a God who says that “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).  This is the God we follow, this is the God who will save this world.
Education will not save this world.  We are more educated now than we have ever been.  Politics will not save this world.  Look at the rise and fall of all the empires, political movements, and even the current state of affairs in the United States to see what politics has done to improve the world.  There is literally nothing that can save this world from itself other than the redeeming, restoring, reconciling, revealing love of Jesus Christ evidenced by the cross.
Of all the news coverage I saw online of the chaos going on in Baltimore, one of the most striking was when a reporter asked a pastor who was surveying the aftermath of his church’s community service buildings being burned down, “What do you see?”  And the pastor replied “I see revival.  I see the opportunity to rebuild from the ashes.  I see a Church that's been resilient… I see us coming back even bigger and better than before.”  This is who we are.  We are the church.  We are literally the body of the resurrected Christ in the world today.  We are the ones who bring the kingdom of heaven wherever we go.  We are the ones who have the power of the Holy Spirit flowing out of us to touch the lives of everyone we know.  This is who we are.  The task we have is clearer today than ever before.  Will we meet the challenge?
There is a Jewish proverb that states, “I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders.”  Thank God for the shoulders of Jesus Christ that were broad enough to be stretched upon a cross for our sins.  Thank God for the shoulders of the church that are broad enough to be stretched across the world to save it.  Thank God for our shoulders that, though they may seem small, are doing what God has given us the strength to do, whether it be to give sacrificially, pray unceasingly, and love inconveniently.

From Pastor David’s Heart
May 3, 2015

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

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

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

From Pastor Keeyoung’s Heart
February 8, 2015

Moms love unconditionally.
Moms are patient.
Moms know what’s best.
Moms know how to make skinned knees feel better.
Moms have eyes in the back of their head they know what you’re up to before you do.
Moms forgive.
Moms encourage.

I started to make this list of things Moms have a great knack for doing. I know Moms aren’t always perfect but we remember them with fond memories of our childhood of always being there when we needed them the most. Moms have a special relationship with their children more so than Dads I think when it comes to nurturing and caring for their children.  Children will always seem to turn to the Mom. The bond is strong between them whether she’s the traditional stay-at-home Mom or if she works outside of the home. Moms really can do it all. They just seem to find the inner strength to juggle all the roles of mother and homemaker. The children still yearn for the kind of maternal affirmation only a mother can provide. I recall that with my own mother and now see it between my wife and son. And so Moms will always carry that role of providing the emotional support their children need in order to face the challenges of life as they grow older.
The list of things Moms do well for their children may seem to just apply to childhood, especially the part about them having eyes in the back of their head. But as I look at the list I realize the mothering instincts didn’t stop once we grew up. As we grew older and then left the home hopefully we started to appreciate them more for the ways they continually encouraged and supported us. As we matured into adulthood our relationship also matured as we interacted with our Moms as adults and the relationship went from mother/child and became something of a mutual friendship as well. That friendship was a new dimension that I always appreciated with my Mom. She’s always supported and encouraged me even when I haven’t always kept in touch on a regular basis.
But we never want to let go of the nurturing our mothers provide us even as we age. It’s a lesson of grace and love passed down to us that we can strive for ourselves. Amen to that.

From Pastor Mark’s Heart
May 10, 2015

Are You Graduating?

Congratulations to all graduates; you’ve done it! Congratulations on your outstanding achievement! I know it must have been a very proud moment for all of you. Two of my own children, Peter and Grace, graduated from graduate school and college this year. I was proud just watching them as their names were called to receive their diploma. Of course, I couldn’t enjoy the moment peacefully because my wife gave me a mission to take pictures. For a moment, I was reminiscent about their first day of school, as they got on the school bus for the first time in their life. Indeed, the time has passed so quickly. Now they are ready to move out into the world. So… all graduates, are you ready for the next phase of your life?
We all know college graduation is not the end - it's only the beginning! School was never meant to teach you everything you needed to know. It merely equips and prepares you. An education is meant to give you all the necessary tools and skills you will need to dig out the deep treasures of life. Still, you must do the digging. That’s why they call graduation, “commencement.” To commence means “to begin.” Now you must use the tools and skills you’ve acquired to find the richness of life, and it’s going to take much patience and great endurance.
Mark Twain is often quoted for his "insight" on teenagers. He said, "When I was 14, I thought my father was the most ignorant man in the world, but when I was 24, I was amazed how much the old man had learned in ten years." If you have a teenager, hang in there. If you are a teenager, hang in there too. Patience is a virtue. It takes time to learn and grow in life.
So… what do you want to do with your life? There was once a guy who didn’t like what he was doing, so he tried medicine. After four years of that, he tried law. Then he wanted to be a teacher, but he couldn’t stand kids, so he tried theology. But he didn’t like dealing with people’s problems all the time, so he decided to sell cars. Of course, he wasn’t very good at that either… So you’ve got the idea where I’m going with this.
Be sure the area you enter is where God wants you, not where you want to be. Then when you get there, stay there and stick it out. Become excellent at it. Anything is possible when you just believe in God and in yourself. Step into the future with a prayer in your heart and you'll soon reap the fruits of your efforts and hard work! The true meaning of a christian's life is to commit to God in whatever you do and your plans will succeed. 
Jesus said, “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). Jesus can give you an education that lasts forever.

Continue to study God’s Word to know what His will for your life is. Don’t just know some facts about the Bible, but get to know Him so you can understand Him. Then, step by step God will show you the life path you need to walk on. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust the Lord with your heart and lean not on your understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” God bless and congratulations!

From Pastor Neil’s Heart
May 31, 2015

By now everyone has heard the things that are going on with ISIS. Couple weeks ago, they beheaded 21 Christian men. They also kidnapped 100 Christians in Syria last week. Why is this happening? Why are so many Christians being persecuted in the Middle East? Is there anything that we can do to stop it?
I believe that this is a call to wake us up. We have it too easy here in the US. We don’t know what it’s like to face persecution. In fact, the most “persecuted” that we might experience is someone laughing at our faith. We have it too comfortable here. I believe this has caused us to be apathetic. We lost the passion and fervor. Coming to church has become a routine on Sunday. Being able to focus during worship has become a struggle. Showing up for Morning Prayer every day has become a struggle (myself included). My whole life, I thought that Morning Prayer was specifically a Korean thing. It makes sense because I grew up in a Korean church. I would ask my non-Korean friends if their church had Morning Prayer, and they would look at me like I was crazy. You do what? That early?
My eyes were opened when I saw that the Spanish church here at NCFC VA campus has Morning Prayer! Wow! Are they like half-Korean? No, they’re not. It was then that I realized that Morning Prayer wasn’t a cultural thing. It was a desperate thing. It was a desperately seeking God thing. The American church used to have Morning Prayer as well, but as America had become blessed, our desperation had faded. We’ve grown too comfortable. We’ve become too complacent. We’re not desperate any more.
When I read about the 21 Christian men who were beheaded, and how they were proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ with their last breath, I was so challenged.  They were so passionate. All they cared about was giving God the glory and having His name be known. They were willing to die for that. I believe that God is calling Christians in America and around the world to our knees. To be a people who are praying with desperation. We know that God is in control of the situation with ISIS and when His timing comes, ISIS will fade away. In the meantime, we need to pray. We need to wake up from our slumber. We need to be ready for the coming of Christ. We need to be alert!
We need to pray for the Christians who are being persecuted around the world. That God would use them to bring people to Him. I believe that God could use Christians to bring members of ISIS to God. If Apostle Paul met God and believed in Him, even though he went around killing Christians, then so can these guys. They need to know that what they’re doing is wicked and evil. The Bible tells us not to repay evil for evil but to overcome evil with good. We can try all we want to defeat ISIS with evil, but nothing can change their hearts except the love of Christ found in the gospel.
Everything begins and ends with the gospel. For us who have lost our passion and zeal for God, meditate on the gospel. As we do that, our relationship will be restored. We’ll be hungry and passionate for Him. Why? Because we realize that we need Jesus. For those who have yet to know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, meditate on the gospel. Why? Because you will realize that you need Jesus. The gospel is simple enough for the nonbeliever to come to Christ, and it is deep enough to sanctify the believer. I believe God is using ISIS to give us a wakeup call. The question is: how will we respond?

From Pastor Eugene’s Heart
March 8, 2015

Remember the story that I shared last Sunday about my soccer tryouts? It was probably one of the most embarrassing memories I can recall during my high school years other than all the silly mistakes I made not knowing much English. As I was preparing my sermon, God brought up this shameful memory and highlighted an area that I overlooked because I was so caught up in not making the team. So even after I told the story on Sunday, I couldn’t shake off the thought of appreciation and love for my brother. Now that I think back, I should have told my brother how much I appreciated his loving and courageous act that he showed on that day. Can’t believe my brother, as a teenager himself, decided to come run with me for another mile or two after he finished the five mile run. I honestly don’t think I would have done that for my brother. Although I love him very much, I would have been very embarrassed of him and would not have had the courage to run out to finish the race together. No wonder I’m the younger brother!
Many of you may not know my brother Jacob. He is only two years older than me so we basically grew up together going to arcades, playing sports and even getting in trouble together in our early teenage years. When I was in 4th grade, I got in trouble with some older bullies in my school because I stood up against them. They threatened to beat me up after school for what I did. So that day my brother, along with some of his friends came out and protected me from those bullies. It sounds so silly now but it mattered greatly then because I was so scared that something might happen to me. Another memory that I have is when we got into big trouble because we stole something and lied to our dad. Long story short, my brother took everything on himself and kept me from getting a good “spanking” from my dad for what we did together. We lived in a house with two rooms at that time and I remember that in one of the rooms, my brother was being disciplined and in the other room, I was crying because of what my brother did for me. There are many more stories I can share but due to limited space I can’t. Just wanted to share that my brother has been there for me all along and I truly honor and love him for being such a wonderful brother to me.
Please understand that I’m not trying to brag about my family and how blessed I am. I shared about my brother because his love helped me to understand how Jesus loves and cares for me. And what I want to ask is that we need to practice such love toward one another in the context of church communities as well. We have been brought together as a family through the wonderful work of Jesus Christ.
There is a story of friends who brought a paralytic to Jesus in Luke 5. These men must have had a great desire (love) to see a paralytic get healed so they went out of their way to make sure that he is seen by Jesus. When they could not get through the crowd, the friends went on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. What a wonderful picture of how a faith community can be! These men didn’t care about what others thought of them. They were willing to do whatever it takes to bring their friend to Jesus. How many of us will go out of our way to help and minister to a brother or sister in our community? And how far will you go to bring someone to Christ? I just love how the bible describes that the paralytic was brought “right in front of Jesus.” There might be people in your life that you want to bring to Christ. What are you willing to do and how far will you go to bring that person “right in front of Jesus?” Something to think about…
BTW, my sister (Jenna) who might be reading this right now may feel left out that I didn’t write anything about her. I will do that in my next column!  

From Pastor Brian’s Heart
February 21, 2016

Remember a time where you experienced heightened joy and happiness.  I’m talking about a memory where you spent hours talking, laughing, enjoying the company of loved ones and the experiences you had with them.  How do you feel now as you think on this moment?  Now remember a time where you experienced the depth of sadness and despair.  A time where you felt there was no possibly reason to rejoice and no hope for the future, the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.  How did you feel now as you think on this moment?
Memories invoke the heights and the depths of the range of emotions that make the situations and circumstances you remember a part of who you are and how you became that person.  The idea of remembering is the foundation for the season of Lent, Passion Week, Good Friday, and Easter – and this is not a new idea, especially for God.  During this time, we remember the sacrifice of Jesus, as the perfect and spotless Lamb of God, who died to reconcile man to God and to proclaim freedom for the broken.  We remember with contrite hearts the pain and suffering He had to endure for our sake.  But we also remember the glory of the resurrection, that though death seemed to have had a moment of victory, Christ in His power resurrected from death to life, giving us hope and freedom from sin.  He was victorious over death and gave us that victory.  We have hope because there was resurrection!  Thousands of years later, we remember this time, but the beauty of remembering did not begin post resurrection.  It began with God long ago.
When the Israelites were in captivity in Egypt, we are told in scriptures that God heard the groans of His people and He “remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob” (Exodus 2:24).  This memory, which was never a distant memory but one that He kept near and dear to His heart, was the first step to the great “exodus”, or the deliverance of His people, and the establishment of relationship between God and a group of people.  God remembered His promise to Abraham that his people would be a great nation and a blessing to all peoples.  God establishes the Law through Moses, laws specifically tailored to keep righteousness or relationship between God and the Israelites.  History shows that the laws were broken time and time again and consequently a broken relationship between God and man.  The future of the relationship seems pretty hopeless, other than a few glimmers of prophetic words, but enter Jesus into the story.
Why did Jesus have to come?  The simple answer is to atone our sins.  But that points the subject of the story to humans, and we know in scripture the subject is the glory of God (which we get to be a part of!).  Jesus came because God remembered.  God remembered His promise to Abraham that His people would be a great nation and for that to happen, because of the sin of man, an ultimate price had to be paid.  For God so loved the world (blessing to the nations, promise of Abraham!) He gave His Son. 
As God remembered His people in the book of Exodus, He had the world in mind.  He remembered His promise, saw the sin of man, and for Him to keep this promise Jesus had to come.  This season we remember with heavy hearts the sacrifice of Jesus.  But mourning turns to joy!  We remember and celebrate today, Easter Sunday, that we have life!  We have joy!  We have victory because Jesus is risen!
I pray that today, and everyday of our lives, the joy of Easter would resonate in our lives and we would never be the same.
 
From Pastor Keeyoung’s Heart
April 5, 2015

I remember reading a leadership/management book or article somewhere to keep a precise hourly record of your daily schedule for a week.  I actually never took that challenge to heart but I did a brief exercise on my own this week and recalled my schedule each day of this week to write down everything I did and how long I did it for.  Among a few other surprises, what I was most surprised about was the percentage of time I spent in literal “quiet time” with the Lord – this did not include any pastoral day-to-day job requirements, church events, or Christian book reading.  I defined “quiet time” as set aside time in communication (prayer) with God, nothing in front of me except for a bible, journal and a pen.  Out of a week that consists of 168 hours only 4% of my time (roughly an hour/day) was spent in personal, intimate, alone, quiet time with God.  In comparison, 8% of that week was spent watching tv/movies, and over 10% spent with friends hanging out – over DOUBLE the amount that I spent with the Lord.  I know many of us reading this have heard of statistics and comparisons like this before, but taking personal inventory of where my time was spent was eye opening for me.  If the saying “time is money” is true of how we view the 24 hours of our day, I was only giving the Lord only 4 cents of my dollar… A WEEK. Furthermore, if we apply time spent with the Lord to the traditional 10% of tithing, we should be spending 16.8 hours a week (10% of 168 hours in a week), about 2 hours and 24 minutes per day with the Lord.  But I’m busy… right?  We’re all busy with daily essentials with work, family, and friends, aren’t we?
In Luke 5, Luke’s account of the calling of the first disciples and healing of the man with leprosy, verse 16 subtly mentions that in the midst of all the healing and teaching that Jesus did, “he often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”  Now scripture isn’t clear on why he withdrew, but one thing is very clear, because of busy-ness, Jesus withdrew to pray often.  His prayer was not the time spent in our cars while driving to work or while cooking a meal or waiting for our children as they finish sports, Kumon, or violin lessons.  Jesus’ prayer times were withdrawn from the craziness of life in “lonely” or “deserted” (void of people!) places.  How are you all doing with that?  How is your time spent with Jesus?  In what ways have you compromised or made excuses to avoid spending time with the Lord?  Martin Luther, responsible for the Reformation, is often quoted saying “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”  He deeply understood the value of close connection and communication with the Lord.  Friends, let’s get our priorities straight.  Let’s commit to withdraw from the day-to-day busyness and give the King, who gave His all for us, the most precious commodity in our lives, our time.

From Pastor Keeyoung’s Heart
August 16, 2015

America is a Giving Nation

Charitable giving statistics in the U.S. were reported as follows for 2013:
  - 95.4% of households gave to charity.
  - Americans gave $335.17 billion which is a 4.4% increase from 2011.
  - Corporate giving held steady at $16.76 billion.
  - Foundation giving increased to $50.28 billion--a 5.7% increase from 2011.
  - The largest source of charitable giving came from individuals at $241.32 billion,

     or 72% of total giving; followed by foundations ($50.28 billion/15%), bequests ($26.81 billion/8%),

     and corporations ($16.76 billion/5%).
  - The majority of charitable dollars went to religion (31%), education (16%), human services (12%),

    and grant-making foundations (11%).

Charitable giving dipped a little bit in 2008, but giving is back on track again.  I truly believe our nation is a very generous and giving nation because the nation was founded on biblical principles.  Who said our nation is losing our grip on our faith in God?  Our nation is still staying strong in our faith in God because our giving is strong.
We just finished a series on biblical finance from God’s perspective, and have learned that God loves people who share their wealth with others because God cares about our attitude in giving.  Giving and sharing is very important to God.
One of the ways God evaluates our faith is on the basis of our giving and sharing attitudes. In Matthew 25:34-45, Jesus teaches one of the most exciting and yet sobering truths related to giving. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
Giving to the needy was a core part of Jesus’ teaching. Jesus always personally identified himself with the poor.  What it means is that when we share with the needy, we are actually sharing with Jesus, and it becomes an act of worship, an expression of our love to him, and gratitude for his faithful provision.
So how are you doing with your giving and sharing with others?  Are you still waiting until you have enough to give and share?  It’s not about what I could give if I had $10,000 in savings later; rather it’s about what I could give with the $100 I have now.  You can always begin with a small amount.
Jesus wants us to be like him who was that of an unselfish giver.  Giving is one essential way that will enable us to become like Jesus. The more faithful you are in giving and sharing, the deeper the intimacy in your relationship with Jesus. And it doesn’t end there. Also in God’s economy, the benefit of the giver outweighs the receiver’s. The Apostle Paul said in Acts 20:35, “Remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”  You would think you would lose when you give away what is rightly yours for the sake of others; rather, the opposite happens when you give to others. You would actually gain more. That’s the way God’s economy works! Have faith, and try it and see what happens…

From Pastor Neil’s Heart
March 1, 2015

I’ve been traveling a lot for work these days.  When I was younger, I used to enjoy it.  Spend a night in a random city, stay in a clean hotel room where you don’t have to make your bed, order room service, call it a night.  I used to even prolong business trips and leave in the morning so I could sneak in an extra night of free room service.  Now that I’m older and I have a family, I hate traveling and would much rather just be home.  Besides, I don’t make my own bed at home anyway!
It’s funny how priorities change as we get older.  Though I don’t see myself as very old (Timothy may disagree), I also don’t see myself as very young (Destiny may disagree).  But one thing that’s become clear is how different the things I care about have become.  Instead of expensive expensed meals, I’d rather be picking leftover food off my son’s plate as my wife chases him around the house trying to get him to finish his dinner.  Instead of staying up late watching movies ordered to my hotel room, I’d rather watch my kids sleep through the grainy images of a camera monitor.
I wonder if my faith has changed as well.  Everything I read about the movers and shakers of the Christian faith, be it in missions or in culture, seems to hinge around the younger generation.  David Platt became the youngest senior head pastor of a mega church at the age of 26.  Hudson Taylor first went to China as a missionary at the age of 21.  The Student Volunteer movement was an organization founded in the late 1800s that sent hundreds of college students and recent graduates into the missions field and was a huge part in shaping how missions exists in the world at large today.  And this is even true biblically.  King David is believed to have been 12-16 years old when he was anointed King of Israel by the prophet Samuel.  Samuel himself was dedicated to the Lord at the tender age of 12.  Thus, it’s clear that God definitely uses and moves in the heart of our young people to build His kingdom. 
So what does this mean for our church?  For the younger people, it’s obvious – go out and live radically for Jesus!  There will never be another time in your life like now, where you will have the maximum amount of freedom and passion to chase after God.  But for those of us who trend towards the older group, does this mean we’re done living passionately for God?  Are we simply supposed to be satisfied with growing older and taking care of our families and keeping up with the Jones’s?
Heck no.  There’s nothing wrong with taking care of your family and raising up godly children who love the Lord.  But I believe if we feel that’s our ONLY role in the kingdom of God, then we are selling God, and ourselves, very short.  Even though God certainly uses the younger generations to do great things for His kingdom, I believe that He’s got plenty for us older folks as well.  Abraham was 75 years old when he departed Haran for the Promised Land.  Elizabeth is believed to have been 88 when she gave birth to John the Baptist.  And if you’re looking for something a bit younger, this guy named Jesus is believed to have started his earthly ministry at the age of 33.
So, church, let’s not lose ourselves in the world and the rat race.  Rather, let us focus on God and “let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)  I challenge you, if you had dreams as a young man or woman but have given up on them since you’ve gotten older, dream again.  Ask for greater vision.  Pursue deeper intimacy with the Lord.  Even though my priorities may have changed, one thing I know to be true is still the same: God has big things for all of us but we have to be willing participants in HIS story to make HISTORY.

From Pastor David’s Heart
March 15, 2015

Timothy is leaving for the retreat today. We have not had our own youth group retreat since last winter retreat. So many kids and counselors are looking forward to spending the next three days at the Skycroft Retreat Center. We have a total of 116 kids, 29 counselors, 3 parent volunteers and 3 pastors signed up. These numbers are so special because we have been praying for God to move the hearts of many students to attend the retreat.  Thank God for answering our prayers! Praise the Lord!
One of the first questions I like to ask students and counselors at the first small group is about their expectation of the retreat. Many come with an expectation to be challenged and renewed but we always have a few who reluctantly gave in their parents’ request. To me, I really don’t mind whether the students came willingly or reluctantly because I know that God has a special plan for each student and He will do amazing work that I can’t even imagine of with my limited human mind. There is just something about the retreat atmosphere that makes it very hard for people to resist God. So I trust in God that He will accomplish His good plan that He has in stored for this retreat.   
Our theme this year is “Giants are birthed out of Intimate Places”. There is no short-cut or an easy  way when it comes to becoming a Giant for the Kingdom of God. It’s not the talent or the “gift” that a person has that make him/her a giant. Giants are made through a process of life through personal and intimate places, and many times through difficult trials. Joseph went through so many trials as a young man however, he remained faithful to God and God used him to save many people’s lives. David was trained at a young age to tend his sheep not knowing that he was gonna be a king one day. When he was faithful to carry out his daily duties of life as a young shepherd boy, God anointed and used him to shepherd His people.
I believe God is going to raise up many young men and women of NCFC to become heroes of faith who will impact the world with the power and the love of Jesus Christ. Someone once said it takes a village to raise up a leader. I wholeheartedly agree with that statement. As parents, friends, mentors, brothers and sisters we need to respond to God’s calling to intercede and jump in this together!  So I ask you, the church, to join me in praying for the Timothy and the counselors. Please pray that both youth and the young adults will encounter God in a very personal and special way. Pray also that their hearts will be stirred up to rediscover their love for Jesus!
Lastly, I want to give an important tip to the visitors. We always welcome visitors to come and pray for us, but we LOVE visitors who bring things to make our tummies feel good. Just saying…=)

From Pastor Brian’s Heart
December 27, 2015

“Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Mark 10:14
There is a documentary movie in theaters now called The Drop Box. It’s about a South Korean pastor who has constructed a specially made drop off receptacle at his home entrance in Seoul where unwanted babies born with special needs or to unwed mothers can be anonymously dropped off. Day or night, when a baby is dropped off a bell tone sounds and this pastor and his staff rush to gather the infant child in their arms to pray over and begin the long and arduous journey of providing a lifetime of care and love. It’s both beautiful yet heart-breaking to see.
A month ago I had seen a news clip on the internet of this extraordinary Christian and the saga of his amazing devotion to these children. I didn’t realize it was a documentary movie that would be released in the US until it was mentioned at church staff lunch last week that people had recently seen it. My wife and I had already talked about this story because it has somewhat of a connection to me personally. When I had visited Seoul for two months back in ’96 on a law school internship it was the first time I had returned there since being adopted when I was about 2 years old. My wife (whom I had met that Summer!) had accompanied me to the Red Cross facility there in Seoul where I was prior to adoption to the US. To my surprise they actually had a record of me in their archives from 1969 (wow, I’M OLD!). There wasn’t a lot of information but it did indicate that I had been dropped off at the Red Cross station by a grandmother.
Many of the unwanted Korean newborns aren’t afforded at least this consideration. They are often abandoned on the street by the birth parents or simply disposed of. So much so that this Korean pastor felt compelled to devise this doorway drop box to rescue these precious lives. By grace he did not seek to condemn others but to simply save lives. Every nation struggles with this challenge of providing for unwanted pregnancies, including the US (for example, laws in many jurisdictions allow unwanted babies to be dropped off at police/fire stations without threat of criminal prosecution). However, these Korean children have very little support domestically. Furthermore there have been more than 150,000 international adoptions of Korean babies over the years.
There is obviously something about the culture and social mores that makes it difficult if not impossible for these children to survive and be accepted in their own country, by their own people. The strict adherence to family honor and bloodlines no doubt contributes to this tragic dilemma where lives deemed unfit by the very society that produced them are rejected outright. But there is hope. God’s will cannot be denied. Could it be that the steadfast unyielding work of faithful servants of the Lord such as this pastor will witness to a nation? There is still work to be done. Slowly but surely in God’s own timing may there come a day when God’s unconditional love will prevail over every tribe and nation. Lord willing, hearts and minds will be transformed to transcend cultural identity to an identity in Christ Jesus. Amen to that.

From Pastor Mark’s Heart
March 22, 2015

No, I’m not talking about the New York Football Giants. They’re not going anywhere (sorry P. David! I feel you though as a Cowboys fan). I’m talking about the Timothy group. This past week we had our Timothy winter retreat and the theme was “Giants Are Birthed From The Intimate Places.” On the last night, Pastor Chris really challenged all of us to rise up as giants for the Lord. He shared with us his vision and dream that he had 11 years ago. In this dream, he saw a lion roaring and behind the lion were 10,000 youth marching into battle in the DMV area.
It’s no secret that the DMV, along with the rest of America, needs revival. We, as a country, have strayed too far from God. This was a Christian nation, but I don’t think that can be said any more. We are in need of revival and it will come from the next generation. We have a hungry generation who are waiting to rise up for the Lord. They are not just little kids who are up to no good. These are young men and women. They are capable of doing so many things. In fact, I don’t like it when people call the Timothy students kids. They are not kids. If we call them kids and think of them as kids, then that’s what they’ll amount to be.
Let’s think of them as young men and women, and challenge them. We have no idea what they’re capable of when we encourage them and look at them as young men and women. Did you know the youngest person to sail around the world solo was a 16 year old girl named Lauren Dekker in 2012? A sophomore in high school invented a pancreatic cancer detection tool. An 18 year old girl invented a gadget that can fully charge your phone in 20 to 30 seconds. (How many of us would really like one of those?)
The point I’m trying to make is that these teenagers are capable of doing great things and we need to help them discover their potential. If we were to turn to the Bible, David was believed to only be 12 to 14 years old when he killed Goliath. Daniel was 16 when he was taken captive and thrown into the lion’s den. Joseph was also a young man who God used to save His people. We see that God uses young people to do His work.
As we end 2015 and enter 2016, my hope and prayer is that our Timothy students will become giants for their generation. That they will be willing to stand up and fight for their faith. That they would give their lives to the advancement of the gospel. That they would allow God to use them in whatever way He pleases. Our Timothy group is hungry for God. I was so blessed and encouraged by the response on the last day to become giants. I believe almost everyone came forward to give their lives to God.
So the next time you see a Timothy student doing something stupid (we know this happens fairly often), instead of dismissing it as them being kids, please take the time to teach them. Take the time and invest into the lives of these young people. Take the time to challenge them and show them what it means to follow Christ. It’s great that we have so many college and young adults who invest into these teenagers, but older adults (40+) they need you too. You’re not “too old” for these students. You have a ton of wisdom and experience to offer to these young people. Let’s be a church that’s dedicated to turning our young people into giants. Giants who will love the Lord and live for Him. Keep watch. Here come the giants! Amen!

From Pastor Eugene’s Heart
January 3, 2016

I’ve been thinking about heaven a lot lately. Maybe it’s because that was one of the Bible lessons during VBS which VA campus just finished up last week. It’s always been fun to think about what heaven would be like. We do get a glimpse of what it looks like in Revelation, but a lot is left to the imagination. Jesus said that he would be preparing a room for us in heaven. I wonder sometimes what my room would look like. What would be in it? Would all our favorite things be there? I shared this with the VBS kids, but I hope I have a bowling alley in my room. Since we’ll be perfect in heaven, I would be averaging 300. I think that would be great!
Maybe I’ve been thinking about heaven lately because of the recently discovered earth 2.0 AKA Kepler-452b. It is apparently very similar to earth. It orbits around a G-2 star like our sun. Its orbit is a little longer than ours though at 385 days. Its distance from the sun is similar to earth. It is bigger than earth and it has more land than it does water. It is also older than the earth. When I read about this, immediately I said to my wife “What if this is the ‘new’ earth that God had in mind when he told us that there would be a new heaven and a new earth?” And my wife looked at me and sarcastically said “Yeah, and we were able to discover it.” She found it hard to believe that we could discover something like that since God is God and we’re only human. But I said to her “Yes, we discovered it but its 1,400 light years away so it’s impossible for us to reach it anyways.” This is just my thought of course. There is no validity to what I said. However, how funny would it be IF it was true? God works outside of time so he could have already created this “new” earth while he created everything else, and it would still be “new” to us.
We had a pastoral staff retreat this past Monday and Tuesday and we were going through the book of Acts together. In Acts 14:22, we see Paul and Barnabas encouraging and strengthening the disciples. They say this “We must go through many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.” I asked myself why do we have to go through hardships? And I was reminded that it’s because this land here is not our home. We are only immigrants while we’re living here on earth. Our citizenship is in heaven. Many of us come from immigrant families and know what a challenge that is compared to friends of ours whose parents were born here in the USA. We go through hard times here because our parents are citizens of South Korea. It’s always difficult to live in a land that is not your own.
Maybe that’s really why I think of heaven. While here on earth, we will endure lots of hardships, but we all know that heaven is a perfect place. It has no disease. No tears. No pain. What an awesome place! As I read that verse in Acts, it really comforted me and reminded me that this is not my home. I should expect lots of hardship living in a foreign land. No one knows exactly what heaven will be like and we will have to wait to find out, but we do know it’s going to be a wonderful place.
Whenever you are going through hardship here on earth, just think about heaven. Think about spending all of eternity in a perfect place just worshiping God all day long. Remember that we are only immigrants here on earth while we wait for our time to go back home.

From Pastor Eugene’s Heart 
August 23, 2015

*Note: many portions of this column are tongue in cheek.  Especially the title.  I love teleworking.  Mostly because I don’t do any real work but shhh…
I don’t know about you guys, but frankly, I love when the pope visits DC.  I got to work from home for three days this week!  Thanks to the Holy See!  (What the heck is a See anyway.  If I were the pope, I’d have people refer to me by a much better nickname like the AllFather or the Super Robe or the White Wizard.  I’ve been reading too many comic books.)
The reason I got to work from home was because of the potential traffic gridlock caused by blocked off streets and massive amounts of tourists that was anticipated, so my employer decided to allow employees to telework if they needed to.  I heard some people were planning on sleeping at work or going in at noon and staying past midnight just to avoid traffic.  Because let’s be honest, driving in traffic in this area makes one really appreciate gun control laws.  But ironically, for those that did have to commute, it didn’t really turn out to be that bad.
Maybe it was because of the amount of employers approving telework in anticipation of the traffic or people changing their commuting schedules to avoid any issues.  Maybe it was divine providence because the pope really does have a landline upstairs.  Whatever the reason, those that did brave the outside during the pope’s visit probably had a much easier commute than expected.  For a region that prides itself on having only 1 road between Maryland and Virginia, that’s pretty good!  (In other news, seriously, get it together Maryland and Virginia.  Build a bridge or something.  It’s not that hard.)
Often times, we’re so much more afraid of what the consequences we imagine could be than what reality actually turns out to be.  In matters of faith, this is probably a concept many of us church-going Christians are all too familiar with.  “But if I commit to an oikos group, my Saturdays will never be free.”  “But if I tell people I’m a Christian, they might expect me to be good all the time.”  “But if I go to a missions trip, I might have to… do stuff... and not be able to shower.”  Yes, these are all very true potential consequences, except the showering part – this is purely optional but highly recommended for the sake of your teammates as well as the gospel.
But, in Christianity, there is no such thing as teleworking.  Jesus’ Great Commission is not a message to a select few super Christians.  The Bible is not a book to be read only by Christian nerds.  Our faith is not meant to be a lamp hidden under a bowl.  We are supposed to live what we believe no matter what the consequences.
And the truth is, the consequences are never really as horrible as they seem.  On a personal level, some of my greatest experiences of true vulnerability and community have been within an oikos context.  Telling people I’m a Christian at work has allowed me to share my faith with those I might never have spoken to about Jesus.  And every missions trip I’ve been on, not only have I showered (except that 1 time when I wanted to see how black my scalp could get), but I’ve seen God move incredibly in the lives of others as much as myself.  I also know for a fact that many others in our church have had similar if not even greater outcomes.
So, church, let’s step out in faith and say yes to the Lord in things both big and small.  No doubt, there is potential for some traffic on the 495 of our souls (my old English professor just threw up).  But the truth could be so much sweeter than what we fear.

From Pastor David’s Heart
September 27, 2015

Another family reunion for North and South Koreans was held in the DMZ of Korea this past week. 96 families had private reunions with their relatives living in the North. Such a family reunion event began as a result of the first inter-Korean summit in 2000. Twenty face-to-face family reunion events have been held so far.
Nearly 130,000 South Koreans are registered in the government’s database as having family in the North, separated by the 1950-53 Korean War. Half of them have already died, with around 66,000 people on the waiting list. The border between the two Koreas remains tightly closed, with no cross-border travel, phone calls or email exchanges allowed. The two Koreas are technically still in a state of war as the Korean War ended in a ceasefire, not a peace treaty.
The Korean War separated millions of Koreans from family members for a multitude of reasons. What they have in common is shock that South and North Korea remain so bitterly divided after so much time. A mother, 95, reunited with her youngest daughter, who was 2 when she left her and is now 64. She said before meeting her daughter, “I am not sure if I will even be able to recognize her. I don’t even remember how she looked as a baby.” In another reunion, a husband who was separated 65 years ago met his wife. They were separated after 6 months of marriage when the Korean War started. She said that she can't even cry because it has been so long but she missed him a lot. She thought her husband died and has had a ceremony every year for the past 37 years. She gave birth to his son after he disappeared and raised her son alone with hard jobs. These similar stories were commonly shared from everyone who was fortunate enough to be selected to be a part of this reunion.
What a tragedy! The war separated them from being together for such a long time. And there is yet another divde that separates people. Hurt separates! What does hurt do to relationships with other people? It divides. When a person hurts another person, it drives them apart and separates them.
Have you been hurt by someone or have you hurt someone, and as a result, the relationship has been broken? And are you longing to restore that broken relationship again? How can you be close again? Something needs to be done. The hurt has to be forgiven. You may say, “It wasn’t my fault that our relationship broke!” But Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus, being blameless, voluntarily offered Himself to be the sacrifice that would overcome our sins against God.
And the Apostle Paul says in Colossians 3:13, “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Not only did Jesus bring us close to God, but Jesus also wants us to forgive others and be forgiven from others. Jesus can give us the courage, strength and love that will enable us to forgive. No human can remove the hurt. Only Jesus can. Are you having a hard time forgiving someone even though you’ve been wanting to forgive because your wound is too deep? Ask Jesus to give you the courage, strength and love that will enable you to forgive. Jesus desires to restore our broken relationships with each other. What a tragedy it would be if the relationships remain broken for 50, 60 years or even beyond! You don’t want to wait too long before it becomes a little too late. Our God is a God of union, not of separation.

From Pastor Neil’s Heart
October 25, 2015

The month of November is here and it marks exactly one year since I started at NCFC. Not only that but this past Monday, my wife and I, celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary. We also celebrated Andrew’s first birthday yesterday. So November will always be a special month for me. How appropriate that Thanksgiving is also in November. So the three things I love most (God, family, food) are all in this month.
I shared this at the Back to School night for VA Timothy in September, but I really felt like a redshirt freshman this past year. In college football, usually the freshmen take the first season to learn instead of play. They study the play book and watch how the other players execute. Then they start to play in their second year. I could relate to them because I was busy trying to learn the NCFC way of doing things and getting to know the people this past year. This is not to say that there was nothing going on. I believe there has been progress for Timothy. We’re moving in the right direction and I’m looking forward to this next year.
I’m also thankful to have such great pastors to learn from. Seeing how they do ministry and handle different situations that come up has really stretched me as a leader. It made me widen my focus so that I can see how the different ministries work together to better the church and give God the glory. God showed me how important it is to see the big picture and take a step back to see the direction that God is leading rather than being so focused at the task at hand.
As a second year husband, I have to admit that there’s room for improvement. I do have a little bit better understanding of what it means to be a godly husband compared to year one. God has been showing me what it means to be the spiritual leader of the household. He’s been showing me what it means to love my wife as Christ loves the church. I thank God every day for giving me a wife who loves and supports me despite my weaknesses and shortcomings.
As a first year father, I can say that I truly love my son; no matter how many surprises he has left for me in his diaper or the countless sleepless nights. It brings me great joy to see him grow and do new things as his brain is developing. Right now he knows to wave good bye when I leave the house. He should be walking soon as he’s been getting good at standing and balancing himself. The time that I cherish most with him is when I’m trying to put him to sleep. There’s something really intimate about being in a quiet dark room as I pace back and forth with him in my arms. He rests his head on my shoulder and drifts off to sleep while I pray for him. Then I lay him down and put the blanket over him. Just seeing how peaceful he looks puts a smile on my face.
As I reflect upon this past year, I am thankful for God’s faithfulness. What an awesome God we serve! I’m reminded of what it says in Deuteronomy 7:9 “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.” Getting to this point in my life hasn’t been an easy road. There have been many bumps along the way, but God has been faithful. Each and every bump was used to stretch me and shape me. What a great ride it’s been so far. I look towards year two with great anticipation. I look towards His faithfulness.

From Pastor Eugene’s Heart
November 8, 2015

It’s that time of the year again!
I hope everyone took advantage of the tax free week to get ready for the new school year. I usually don’t enjoy this time of year because of so many back to schools meetings I have to attend. As a pastor I should enjoy meeting and getting to know new people but I honestly don’t enjoy it that much due to my personality as an introvert. So whenever I attend my kids’ school events or go to their friends’ b’day parties, I usually sit in the corner and stare at my phone the whole time. However, when it comes to ministry I can’t hide my face and sit in the corner anymore because I need to actively reach out to parents and students. I really enjoy ministry but meeting new people is always a big challenge for me. Pray for me! ^^
Promiseland and Timothy ministries will have our back to school meeting today after service. We are going through so many changes as a church so make sure to come to be informed of those changes and meet our new ministry partners. Although changes are not always welcomed by many, I think they bring freshness to the ministry and also push us to get out of our comfort zones. The Children’s ministry is going through a time of transition under the new leadership of P. Jae. He’s been working hard to get to know the people and to learn the NCFC culture of doing ministry for the past couple months. At the same time P. Jae is bringing new perspective into the ministry as well. One thing I love about him is his heart for the children. I can’t stop laughing whenever he preaches to the kids because this big guy with an intimidating look puts on a cheesy smile and gets down to their level. The best part is that he does that wearing a suit and a tie. Don’t get me wrong, I am not making fun of him. I am truly inspired by a man who broke my stereotype of what a children’s minister should look like. I’m so glad that God sent us such a great pastor with a clear conviction and passion to love the children. Please get involved and partner with P. Jae in Promiseland ministry as they are still in need of more volunteers!
Timothy is also starting a new chapter of history today by having our own service. It’s been such an honor and blessing to worship together with EC families for so many years but now God is taking Timothy into a different direction. Many kids have been spectators of an adult worship but now God is challenging our youth to rise up to take more ownership of their service and become worshippers instead of watching other people worship. We will definitely miss the presence of EC family and leaders who set examples for our youth to follow. However, I believe God will use this new opportunity to raise up a new generation of leaders who will not only influence fellow youths, but the whole church in the years to come. God is already moving the hearts of many parents and other adults to partner with us. We have teachers and parents who are ready and excited to embark in this new journey together. It’s going to be a great year! Yes, I believe! Please pray and partner with us!
See you at Back to School.

From Pastor Brian’s Heart
August 30, 2015

I was watching a documentary program on TV which covered a business district in Pusan, Korea where many street stalls were located that sell a variety of popular street food and drinks. A street stall, also called “Po-jang-macha” in Korean, is a popular place to have a snack or drink late into the night. The documentary captured various aspects of what was happening on the street.
As I was watching the program, an interview with a man who was eating and drinking by himself in a street stall vendor caught my attention. When he was asked why he was there alone, he said he’s been coming to this particular street stall for over 20 years since he was in his early thirties, and he began to reminisce about his life. Then he said, “Isn’t life a rental? No matter how much or how little you acquire or accumulate in this world when you leave this world, you must leave everything here because you can’t take anything with you. We own nothing here, and we’re all going back to the same place where we came from…”
King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 5:15, “Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand.” Solomon was a man who lived his life with no restraints. But, did you know that at the end of the journey of his life, he was a very unhappy man? He starts out by saying in Ecclesiastes 1:2, “’Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!” He had done and achieved much but his life was empty. He found life to be miserable and hopeless. He left God out of his life and ended up with nothing but emptiness for his life.
Are you living a meaningful and hope-filled life? You can only find a true meaningful and hope-filled life when you are tightly connected with God. Your life will remain empty and meaningless if you continue to seek a meaningful life from this world. People all around us are trying to find the same thing in many different ways, and you can go with the flow. Yes, you can argue that Solomon had and did all he wanted to do in his life, and that’s why he was able to say that. But when Solomon came to the conclusion of his life, he says in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, “Now all had been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”
You know what? You will never have enough in this world. Isn’t that the mark of our society? The insatiable desire for more... When you get a little bit, you will always want a little bit more. We are never satisfied with the money we make. Instead, we desire more money, a better job, and more and more of … We must remember that contentment is not found in more of this world. Contentment can only be found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
The man at the street stall vendor (Po-jang-macha) in Korea at least recognized the reality of his life. He came to realize that his life was a rental, and knew when he leaves this world; he must leave everything behind here. Now the question is how about you? Do you keep looking to more of this world to find fulfillment in your life or are you trying to find the true meaning of your life through your relationship with Jesus Christ? Our life can only be a rental in this world, but in God’s Kingdom, your life is yours because God gives you a life that is permanent and everlasting through his Son Jesus Christ! That is what Christmas is all about. Jesus came to give you everlasting life which is not a rental but your own. Have a merry Christmas!!

From Pastor Neil’s Heart
December 20, 2015