I am a relatively simple guy.  My daily routine is nothing out of the ordinary: wake up, do devotionals, go to work, eat, relax, spend time with friends, watch tv, eat more, sleep and repeat.  Regardless of my simplicity and the ordinary nature of my daily routine, life is certainly not mundane.  When you work with as many different personalities and characters as I do, and with the involvement of a plethora of emotions (my own and others), God tends to use the above to “mix things up.”  Every day, my God takes the simple and the ordinary to reveal to me His intricate and exciting plan for me and the world, which ultimately leads me to Him.  How?  Let me share with you how God has been challenging me to do this.
For my enjoyment, I have been reading “The Pursuit of God” by A.W. Tozer.  I highly recommend it.  Here is what Tozer says about God:
“God is a person, and in the deep of His mighty nature He thinks, wills, enjoys, feels, loves, desires and suffers as any other person may.  In making Himself known to us He stays by the familiar pattern of personality.  He communicates with us through the avenues of our minds, our wills and our emotions.  The continuous and unembarrassed interchange of love and thought between God and the soul of the redeemed is the throbbing heart of New Testament religion.”
God is near to us.  Not only is He the God of the Old and New Testament times, but He is God of the 21st century and is well, aware of the world we live in today.  If we are able to fathom the mystery that the God of the universe, who spoke life into being, calls Himself Emmanuel, God with us, we begin to understand that God is a person with personality and not only does He ordain and allow things to happen, He cares about the people that things happen to!
Our relationship with God is no different than any other relationship we have with the people around us.  God gently and powerfully invites us to pursue Him.  God in His perfection makes Himself available to us, reaches out to us first, and loves and delights in our pursuit of Him. If that would only be our response to His grace!  Even more, He brings us and uses the different physical places that we find ourselves, different situations and circumstances, and simple routines, that perhaps we would seek Him and know Him more (Acts 13).
“How tragic that we in this dark day have had our seeking done for us by our teachers.  Everything is made to center upon the initial act of “accepting” Christ and we are not expected thereafter to crave any further revelation of God to our souls.  We have been snared in the coils of a spurious logic which insists that if we have found Him we need no more to seek Him.”
Where are we in our pursuit of God?  Do we recognize that He took that first step through Jesus Christ in reconciling sinners to an amazing, personal relationship with Almighty God?  I pray that God would open our eyes to see how He uses the ordinary to draw us closer to an extraordinary God and that we would be driven to radically pursue our Awesome God.

From Pastor Keeyoung’s Heart
October 21, 2012

The George Zimmerman murder trial has finally concluded. Many people are frustrated by the outcome. The verdict is disappointing to me from a legal and Christian perspective in that even though the criminal justice system is not perfect it does not appear it was properly utilized and fairly applied to its fullest extent to begin with. The whole ordeal smacks of a local community in the South that probably resented the national outrage and pressure to prosecute Zimmerman later after they had already closed the investigation out. So the case was doomed from the beginning.
The authorities from the very start of this case did not appear to have conducted a very thorough investigation into the shooting death of a young unarmed black man. State witnesses were neglected and unprepared to testify at trial, which undermined their credibility. The fact that one of the detectives (a state witness) testified he thought the defendant was believable is unheard of and sums up my point about bias undertones. And so because of an incomplete and sloppy version of the facts presented at trial one of the jurors was later quoted saying that Trayvon Martin “played a huge role” in his own death. It seems pretty clear by all accounts that George Zimmerman went out of his way to escalate the situation and ended up pulling a gun when he was losing.
He’s the only person alive on this planet who truly knows exactly what happened on that day and he isn’t talking, which is his right under the law. At this point what he did on that night is between him and God. I suppose if the whole truth had been made known it’s possible he acted in self-defense but whether he acted justifiably or with criminal intent will never be known for sure.
That’s why I’m reminded of the fact that even though it’s well known in our court system that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty, a “not guilty” verdict does not necessarily mean a person is innocent. Just because Zimmerman was found not guilty doesn’t mean he acted innocently during that violent altercation with Martin. There just wasn’t enough evidence to convict him.
This frustrates me in that in our American society we rely on the trial court system to mete out justice (although designating a judge to settle disputes among people has Old Testament origins). Compared to God’s sovereign judgment our trials may be a crude blunt tool but nevertheless the criminal justice system usually satisfies our sense of justice and fair play and is designed to do just that. Ultimately we’re all subject to God’s judgment but until that day we have come to expect people to be held accountable for their human actions while here on earth. But in this case it does not appear the whole truth was ever revealed making it impossible to prove the case, and thus, justice did not play out. That alone should be disturbing to all of us.
At least these types of polarizing cases where justice seems twisted don’t occur often. But this is not the first instance where an infamous case results in a controversial verdict. I guess it’s just another reminder of how imperfect and limited we are as humans when it comes to true justice, certainly when compared to God. sigh.

From Pastor Mark’s Heart
July 21, 2013

On the second day of our stay in Rome, we got up super early, ate a hearty breakfast, put on comfortable shoes, and got on the subway headed for Vatican City with a tour book in tow. We were confident we would surely beat the crowd with an early start.  In addition, we were smart enough to plan our visit to this tourist-magnet in October, not in the middle of the busy summer months, so we figured we wouldn’t have to spend a lot of our precious time waiting in lines.  We had even purchased tickets online, and we felt good about ourselves!
But as soon as we arrived at the metro station closest to Vatican City, we realized that a whole lot of other people had the same plan!  As if we were competing in a speed-walking event, the three of us walked as fast as our short legs could carry us to get ahead of the mob of people headed in the same direction. Even with all that advance planning, however, we still ended up waiting in line for the security check and to rent an English audioguide for the Vatican Museums tour. You indeed need a lot of stamina and patience to visit the Vatican City.
They say you haven’t seen Rome unless you have been to the Vatican Museums so we were determined to take the time to explore every gallery.  However, we soon realized that doing this might take a whole week or more! The galleries were filled with so many amazing, breathtaking, magnificent (I need more adjectives to do them justice) works of art - paintings, sculptures, tapestries, etc. - that after a while my mind couldn’t handle any more.  It was definitely a case of too much of a good thing, an awesomeness overload!  But we had no choice but to move slowly with the mob in order to reach the pinnacle, the Sistine Chapel, with its famous painted ceiling depiction of the creation account by Michaelangelo.  Incidentally, the Sistine Chapel is also important in that the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church is elected there.
While I was glad to see the most famous ceiling image, “The Creation of Adam,” I was more impressed with and touched by the huge painting on the wall titled “The Last Judgment,” done by Michaelangelo some 25 years after painting the ceiling.  The older Michaelangelo depicts the second coming of Christ and the ensuing judgment.  With Christ in the center, the damned who are being pulled down to hell to be tortured by demons are to His left while the blessed who rise from their graves to enter heaven are to His right.  In addition, Christ is surrounded by important figures in church history, including many martyrs who suffered particularly painful deaths. One particular image that is still vivid in my mind is that of Saint Bartholomew, holding a knife in one hand and his own skin in his other hand.  He is known to have been martyred by being skinned alive.  What a painful and slow death he must have suffered for the sake of Christ!  As great as that suffering must have been, however, it is still nothing compared to being tortured by demons, as the painter seems to convey.
What really struck me was how many of those tens of thousands of daily tourists will just walk away from that painting, considering it as a depiction of a fairy tale or the artist’s wild imagination.  Many may even be shaken by the disturbing nature of the painting, but within a few minutes of leaving the chapel, will forget about it.  I too would have been one of those passerby tourists had it not been for Jesus Christ who saved me out of millions.  Why me and not them? I may never know, but I am eternally grateful for His amazing grace.  How about you?

From Pastor Sara’s Heart
October 28, 2012

In case you were wondering why Pastor Sara was nowhere to be seen last Sunday, I was away in Italy for a week!  I have two special friends that I’ve known for more than 30 years, and when we all turned 45 and realized that we weren’t getting any younger, we decided to take trips of our own every two years without our children or husbands.  We live in three separate states, each busy with family and professional responsibilities, so we have to intentionally plan time for ourselves to maintain our precious friendships. This was our second international travel after our trip to Paris four years ago.  There are so many interesting cities in Italy, such as Rome, Venice, Florence, Pompeii, and Naples just to name a few, but since we didn’t want to spend all our precious time on the road travelling from one city to another, we decided to spend half of our time in Rome, visiting the many tourist attractions and the remaining days on the beautiful Amalfi Coast located in the southwestern region of Italy, relaxing and enjoying the breathtaking view of the Mediterranean Sea. 
While in Rome we visited many world-famous structures, including the Colosseum, Vatican Museums, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon (ancient Roman temple), and several other ancient landmarks.  The Colosseum was definitely one of the most extraordinary places I’ve visited in my life. It was not just its amazing architecture or impressive size, but the sense of its gory history stirred up something in me. While so many tourists from all over the world were casually strolling through the structure, posing for pictures here and there, it dawned on me that it was here that gladiators engaged in deadly combat and condemned prisoners fought off hungry lions while tens of thousands of Roman citizens were cheering on. During mass battles, the smell of blood and burnt flesh and that of wild animals became unbearable.
According to the tour guide, such violence was considered rousing entertainment.   It also served as a crime deterrent, reminding people of the brutal punishment for criminals and prisoners of war. Another important function of these brutal public events was to give the citizens something to occupy their minds with - to distract them from political and economic problems.  As soon as I heard the word ‘distract,’ I could not help but think of all the year-round sporting events that keep many people occupied and obsessed in the US, while distracting them from dealing with real life problems.  When baseball season nears its end, football season is in full swing. Once football season winds down, basketball games begin. And then back to baseball and so on. Sports - and any other entertainment for that matter - are not harmful in and of themselves.  However, if all our leisure time, energy, and resources are spent on them, Satan surely has succeeded in distracting us from pursuing joy and satisfaction in God.  Just as the emperors used the gladiators and wild animals to create spectacular scenes to control the crowd, Satan has used the media, electronic gadgets, music idols, sporting events, and other means to distract born-again Christians from seeking and fulfilling God’s will for their lives, to render them ineffective as God’s people.  The scheme of the enemy has remained pretty much the same from the very beginning.  It’s to distract us, to keep us occupied with things of this world.  Tragically, too many of us have fallen victim.  We must wake up and walk out of this modern-day Colosseum.

From Pastor Sara’s Heart
October 21, 2012

First of all I want to thank God for his protection over us. Some areas in the Eastern region were hit hard but most of us who are living in MD and VA weren't as affected. I heard that so many people died, lost their houses, businesses, and many are still without power in some states. I pray God's love and peace will fill everyone's hearts and mind as the victims are suffering from their losses. 
One good story I heard on the radio this morning is that the utility workers in our area are volunteering to go help with restoration projects in the New York and New Jersey area. We always have people who sacrifice and go out of their way to help the ones in need in times of trouble. Every time we have a natural disaster hit us or even when the terrorists attacked our country, people like policemen, fire fighters, utility workers and even civilian volunteers have sacrificed so much for our country. My deepest gratitude goes out to all of them. And I specially want to thank Pepco for their continued effort over the past few years to improve their service and reliability. It certainly paid off this time because I, along with many Pepco customers, appreciated having power during the time when the hurricane hit our area.    
Do you remember how crazy it was last weekend? People were getting ready to face the storm in many different ways. Every grocery store was out of water bottles and gas stations ran out of gas. My parents and I filled so many buckets with water in case of emergency; we are still trying to get rid of those buckets of water. 
Speaking of getting ready for the storm, we as a NCFC congregation had a very special service last week to prepare ourselves for the storm as we heard the story of Jesus calming the stormy water. We sang a song together, "When the oceans rise and thunders roar, I will soar with You above the storm, Father you are king over the storm, I will be still and know You are God." It's amazing how God's word and a passage that was selected many months ago could fit perfectly with the current events and even the natural disaster that was about to happen. I'm not trying to spiritualize it too much but I can't help but be amazed by the timing of the message.
Lastly, i want to give a shout out to the church maintenance group over at MD campus for working so hard to restore the damage made by Sandy. It was a rainy, windy and very cold week to work outside but the weather did not stop them from showing their dedication and love for the Lord and His church. Good job and thank you!

From Pastor Brian’s Heart
November 04, 2012

About a week ago I was waiting in a doctor’s office.  Since my phone battery was running low, I decided to find something to read instead.  On top of the pile of various magazines on the table was a children’s book titled Aesop’s Fables for Children. ‘What a refreshing idea!’ I thought and proceeded to flip through the pages. I ended up enjoying many stories that I grew up listening to.  One of the stories in particular had left an indelible mark on me as a young girl, and I was thrilled to have the chance to be reminded of the lesson that story had taught me.  It’s the story called “the Wind and the Sun.”
Here is the story as found on one internet site:
One day the Wind and the Sun were disputing which was the stronger. Suddenly they saw a traveler coming down the road, and the Sun said: "I see a way to decide our dispute. Whichever of us can cause that traveler to take off his cloak shall be regarded as the stronger. You begin." So the Sun retired behind a cloud, and the Wind began to blow as hard as it could upon the traveler. But the harder he blew the more closely did the traveler wrap his cloak round him, till at last the Wind had to give up in despair. Then the Sun came out and shone in all his glory upon the traveler, who soon found it too hot to walk with his cloak on.
The moral of the story: gentleness and kind persuasion win over force and harsh confrontation.
Of course, if you talk to my children, they will say, “there is no way our Mom got the moral of that story.  She didn’t practice that principle on us as we were growing up!”   I admit that many times I was too demanding on my children.  I was quick to confront them about their mistakes as if they would be ruined for life if I did not correct them as their Mom.   It is only through the grace of God that they turned out pretty normal!  My children may not agree, but I am trying really hard these days. I pray I will become a gentler and kinder mother (and wife!) each day with the Holy Spirit working in me.
This story also made me think of the song, “Your kindness, Lord,… leads me to repentance…,” which comes from Romans 2:4.  “Do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?”  Jesus doesn’t use guilt to get us to repent although He could. Instead He uses kindness!  His kindness leads us to repentance, obedience, and a broken heart for Him.
Just as God draws us in with His kindness, the only way that we are going to reach the lost world around us is through kindness. Strong historical arguments, great theology, and powerful personal testimonies – they are all good ways to bring someone to Christ. But the best way to draw, attract, or introduce someone to Christ is through kindness, His kindness!  I pray and encourage everyone to practice kindness toward others throughout the upcoming week.  First it should begin amongst our family members and our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Then it should be carried with us wherever we go as an ambassador for Christ.  May we witness lives being transformed as we share His kindness!

From Pastor Sara’s Heart
June 9, 2013

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

From Pastor Sara’s Heart
March 9, 2014

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

Where is home? That was the question that Caleb, our oldest son, asked when we were packing up and preparing to return to the U.S. He was five-years-old and his younger brother, Caden, was three-years-old at the time we had left the U.S. for Thailand, our mission field and home for the last four years.
But before I answer the question of where is home, let me take a moment to introduce ourselves for the benefit of those who don’t know us. Though I was born in Taiwan, I grew up in Saudi Arabia from age one to seven. It was not until my family immigrated to the U.S. that we came to know the Lord through a Chinese church in the southern Bible belt state of Alabama. Lila on the other hand was born in the Midwest state of Illinois, and grew up in a Christian home with Korean parents. It was not until her parents divorced and her dad remarried that she relocated to Maryland. She started attending NCFC in 1992, and gave her life to the Lord in 8th grade at a church retreat.
Fast forward a few years, and the Lord brought us together as husband and wife in 2005 with a passion to glorify Him through our mutual call to cross-cultural missions work. Both of us received a clear calling from the Lord. And so after I worked seven years as a civil engineer and Lila worked eight years as an elementary school teacher, we decided to quit our jobs to attend seminary in preparation for vocational ministry. Eventually, I graduated from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 2009 with a Master of Divinity and joined the pastoral staff of NCFC briefly on a part-time basis. Lila returned to teaching in the public elementary school sector, while we continued to prepare for the mission field. At some point, we had two little boys, Caleb and Caden, along the way!
Currently, we are serving as full-time missionaries in Thailand with OMF International. We have just completed our first term of four years church-planting in South Thailand. We were involved with language and culture studies, relational evangelism, English teaching outreach, and partnership with an existing OMF church plant. Our youngest, Corban, was born in South Thailand, and we joke that he is half Thai!
And so that brings us back to the question of where is home? I must admit that at first I did not quite know how to answer that question. I have had my own personal struggles with answering that question myself because of my own cross-cultural childhood experience. Everywhere seems to be home, and nowhere seems to be home as well. But the best answer I could give Caleb was that home is where our family is together at the time. And so if we are in Thailand together, that is our home. And if we are in the U.S. together, that is our home. We also thank God for you, our church family, because you have warmly welcomed us and made the transition back to the States so much easier. And for that, we are grateful.
Ultimately, I am learning to teach my boys that home is where heaven is as well because, as believers, we are all on a journey towards that direction, and Scripture reminds us that “our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20). Even with the reverse culture shock that comes with adjusting back to the U.S., we are learning to be comfortable with the uncomfortable and reminded to always be gazing heavenward.

From Pastor Dave’s Heart
September 20, 2015

I believe one of the greatest inventions in life is GPS navigation.  As someone who has a notoriously poor sense of direction, I really appreciate the sense of security and peace my little GPS navigation system provides.    The other day, I met up with a couple of friends in Alexandria. I had no problem getting there, but coming home was a totally different story. By the time I left Alexandria, it was past 4 PM, and I could not get back on I-66 West because the HOV-2 restriction had already kicked in.  So right before I was to enter I-66 W, I got off an exit and found myself in the middle of Rosslyn!  I pulled to the side of the road and tried several different destinations near home to get the GPS to give me alternate routes that did not include I-66 W. To make a long story short, after having found an alternative route, and yet missing necessary turns a couple times, I found myself on Canal Road in Georgetown, headed into Maryland!  I was in utter despair and terribly frustrated.  I had to attend a 7 PM Bible study in Fairfax that evening, and at this rate I was going to be at least 1 hour late.  I began to vent to God. “God, why is this happening to me?  Why am I wasting 2 hours on the road? What is the point of all this?”  I called my poor husband several times to complain about how stupid my GPS was.  On the way to Maryland, however, the GPS finally figured out a way to get onto 495 headed to Virginia, and I arrived at my destination on time.  I ‘apologized’ to my GPS that I should have trusted it more, that it did not fail me.
That evening, as I was reflecting upon my driving nightmare, God gave me a revelation that the panic, confusion, and anger I experienced may be how many NCFC members feel about our current church situation.  They feel helpless, and out of fear and frustration, they are passing judgment on one another.    Instead of trusting our ultimate GPS, Jesus Christ, to get us through this journey safely, many are taking matters into their own hands.  By doing so, however, they are making matters worse.  This reminded me of something I read from the book, Developing a Supernatural Lifestyle, by Kris Vallotton.  The author talks about the importance of pilots trusting the plane’s instruments, NOT their mind’s perceptions, when they are flying in clouds.  Due to what is called spatial disorientation, pilots, in severe weather, feel like their plane is upside down and rising when in fact it is the opposite.  If they fly by how they feel instead of what the instruments indicate, this usually results in the plane crashing right into the ground.  Likewise when we cannot see or comprehend what is going on in life, we have to trust our spiritual instrument, the Word of God as well, not our perceptions or feelings.   “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers. . ., will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Rom  8:38-39)   No matter what happens, it is within the boundaries of God’s love for us.  As we keep our eyes on this truth, NCFC will get through this time of turbulence victoriously and come out more sanctified and humbled, even more ready and equipped to fulfill His calling for NCFC, to make disciples of all nations!

From Pastor Sara’s Heart
April 7, 2013

There is a Korean proverb that I learned as a child.  Roughly translated, it says, “A tiger leaves its skin behind while a man leaves his name behind.”   A tiger skin was very expensive and rare (and it still is) and served as a nice coat for winter.  Thus, a tiger’s skin was considered its contribution to society.  This saying was often quoted to challenge young people to live as a beneficial member of society, leaving a good reputation and legacy behind through achievements and successes.
Gone are the days, however, when a man could only leave his name behind!   A few weeks ago, around the time of the 2nd anniversary of my brother James’ passing from a heart attack, our family received a letter from the Washington Regional Transplant Community.  At the time of his death, we did not have to agonize over what to do with his body because James had already registered himself as an Organ Donor (as indicated by ’     Organ Donor’ on his driver’s license).  Knowing what a caring person James was, we would have all agreed that he would gladly donate as much usable organs and tissue as possible anyway; nonetheless, we were thankful that we didn’t have to make the decision on his behalf and that we were able to honor his wish.
The letter from WRTC stated that James’ donation consisted of orthopedic tissues that were used for patients suffering from bone or spine disease/injuries and heart valves that benefited individuals with severe heart defects or heart disease.  His gift of skin has enabled surgeons to perform reconstructive surgeries for severe burn victims.  His donations have been distributed to 15 states including Maryland and Virginia.  Though my beloved brother is no longer with us on this earth, it is somewhat comforting to know that parts of him are still ‘living.’   It is indeed bittersweet! 
James lived a rather ordinary life. He’d been sick with diabetes for much of his adult life and did not achieve much success or fame by the standards of this world.  He did not have much to leave behind for his family and friends.  James’ gift of life, however, meant the world to the recipients of his organs and tissue.   James certainly left more than his name behind. He literally left his skin and more so others could have another chance at life. 
We as followers of Jesus Christ have already received the gift of eternal life and have been commissioned to live as salt and light of the world.  One day God will call us home to live with Him in heaven forever with glorious new heavenly bodies.   Thus in my opinion, we Christians should be the first ones to become organ donors for thousands of people whose only hope for life is to receive an organ or tissue transplant.  How awesome it is to be able to practice “Love your neighbor as yourself” even at death!  I understand this kind of matter is a personal decision and needs to be discussed with one’s family.  I do encourage all of you, however, to talk about this important topic of organ donation with your loved ones.  And as you share about life, death, and beyond, I pray you will each be overcome with incredible gratitude for the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. He showed by example what it means to give the gift of life to others.  Let us imitate Jesus Christ.  Would you consider becoming an Organ Donor next time you apply for a driver’s license or a leaner’s permit? 

From Pastor Sara’s Heart
September 8, 2013

As most of you know, my husband and I plan to go out as long-term missionaries and are earnestly seeking God’s will regarding where and when.  We visited YWAM in Kona, Hawaii back in April and came back quite excited about the possibility of joining YWAM.  With Elder Frank’s background in computer networking and YWAM bases around the world that could benefit from his expertise, it seemed like that’s where God was leading us.  Then a few months later, we met with Pastor Daniel and Ruth and were challenged to pray about another possibility.  After having run the SICAP Center (equivalent of a Bible college) in Samar, Philippines for the past 16 years with much fruit, Pastor Daniel has been called by God to serve as the GP USA National Executive Director in CA.  As excited as they are for the new platform to mobilize more 1.5 Korean-Americans into mission fields, they are understandably concerned about the continued well-being of the SICAP center.  When they heard about our plan for long-term missions, they contacted and asked us to pray about the SICAP Center opportunity.
Not having been able to make the decision one way or the other, Elder Frank and I plan to visit the SICAP Center in late January to seek God’s will.  On the way back from the Philippines, we will spend a few days in Korea. While there I want to visit the Yanghwajin Foreign Missionary Cemetery, where more than 160 foreign missionaries to Korea (including family members) are buried.  Trying to obtain the visiting hours and directions, I checked out their website (http://www.yanghwajin.net) and came across a missionary I’ve never heard of.  Her name is Ruby Rachel Kendrick, born in 1883 in Texas who died in 1907 at the age of 25 as a missionary in Korea.  After her arrival in Songdo, North Korea, she led morning prayers, taught English, and took care of sick children, but unfortunately died from exhaustion after only nine months in Korea. 
Missionary Kendrick used to say, “If my work here in Korea is to be so short, I want to write to the young people at home to come and take my place.”  Many young people did follow in her footsteps and became missionaries to Korea, and nearly $120,000, which was a phenomenal amount of money back in the early 1900’s, was raised through the Ruby Kendrick Memorial Fund.  The epitaph on her tombstone reads, “If I had a thousand lives to give, Korea should have them all.”  I was shocked by this statement.  What could have possibly caused a young woman, after having spent only several months in a small, obscure country that no one really cared about, to say something so touching and humbling!  It could not have been just her passion for Korea, but God’s passion for Korea that she carried in her heart.  Today we see many seeds produced by this precious ‘kernel of wheat’ that laid down her life. Korea is the second largest missionary sending nation after the US.
As I sat amazed by Missionary Kendrick’s story, I was reminded that’s what Christmas is all about – remembering and honoring the greatest missionary in history, Jesus Christ.  Yet because we celebrate Christmas year after year, we no longer seem to be amazed by His story. I pray that our sense of ‘shock and awe’ of what Jesus endured for us would be rekindled this Christmas.  And rejoice! You will NOT find Jesus’ tomb in Yanghwajin or anywhere else; He is back on His heavenly throne, waiting to return to earth soon as King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

From Pastor Sara’s Heart
December 16, 2012

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

The NFL draft is coming up this Thursday, and it is definitely one of the things that I look forward to each year. Not only because I am curious as to who the Cowboys will be drafting, but maybe more importantly, it means we’re just that much closer to the start of the NFL season. It’s a part of my personal countdown to September that starts with free agency and the draft followed by OTAs, rookie minicamp, training camp, and the preseason. This year’s draft is particularly more exciting for me because the Cowboys have a huge hole to fill at running back. I’m still hoping that AP will get traded to the Cowboys, but in the event that that doesn’t happen, I want to know who they will be drafting.
Every year before the draft, all the NFL teams go through a process of evaluating the college players. They come up with a board that ranks all the players at each position. They even have an overall board, where they rank who they think the best players are regardless of position. I believe this year, the best player overall is supposed to be quarterback Jameis Winston from Florida State. In order for each team to come up with these boards, they go watch players at the NFL combine and even invite certain players for something called a Pro Day. They watch the players run through drills which vary depending on the position that they play. They interview the players, and they watch their college game films. You can just imagine how much work they put in to evaluate hundreds and hundreds of players, and I’m sure each board will have similarities and differences among the different teams. Then on draft day, they use that board to decide who to pick based on what players are taken and what players are remaining. I can imagine it’s a lot of headache and pressure trying to pick players who they think will be successful in the NFL. If they miss on a pick that means time and money is wasted, and they’ll have to deal with a lot of angry fans.
Which really got me thinking, why would these coaches and scouts put in all this effort to make sure that they picked the “right” players? I conclude that it’s because we are imperfect human beings. Since we are imperfect, we need to find the best in order to succeed. For NFL teams to win the Super Bowl, they need a team filled with as many good players as possible. I don’t think there ever was a team that won the Super Bowl with a bunch of no-name scrubs. There was never a team that won with a lot of “Mr. Irrelevants” on their team. Mr. Irrelevant is the nick name given to the last player chosen in the draft.
On the flip side, we see in the Bible that God didn’t have to put in a lot of effort and research to find the best servants for Him to use. He didn’t have a servant board that ranked everyone from best to worst. He was able to use anyone even the most unqualified. God doesn’t have to stress because He is perfect. He can take a team of imperfect people and make them successful. Jesus had the first football team, the 11 disciples (Judas doesn’t count). They were a bunch of no-name scrubs. They all ran away when Jesus died on the cross, and yet God used them to build the church. God used them to spread the good news. God used them to really change the world!
When it comes to serving, it’s not about our worth. It’s not about our skills or talents. It’s about God’s perfection. It’s about Him. God can use Mr. Irrelevants like you and me to do great things.

From Pastor Eugene’s Heart
April 26, 2015

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

Back when my wife was 8 months pregnant with our son, Andrew, we were living in Sacramento, California. I had come home from the church office on a Thursday late afternoon. We had an appointment to take a tour of the hospital that we were planning to go to have our baby. This was before we even knew we would be moving to VA and having Andrew here. We were running a little late, so my wife made a makeshift dinner. We sat down to eat, and there in the middle of the table was a plate of what I thought was sautéed red onions. So I started eating it along with rice and the rest of the side dishes of meat and kimchi. As I was eating the red onions, something just did not seem right. It seemed raw and uncooked. Rather than questioning her cooking, I said “This tastes good!” and kept on eating it. I just thought maybe this is how people eat red onions in Korea nowadays. I don’t know if some of you have ever had raw red onions, but the taste and smell is so strong. Some of the pieces brought tears to my eyes from the spiciness, but I kept on chomping away and ended up finishing the whole plate.
After we quickly ate, we rushed out the door and started driving to the hospital. The smell of onions was beginning to take over the car. I tried everything. Driving with the windows down. Blasting the AC. Closing my mouth. But nothing worked. Just as it was getting unbearable, we arrived at the hospital. We signed in for the tour and waited in the lobby. Slowly, the lobby was getting filled with other people who were taking the tour. The onion smell reeked. There was absolutely nothing I could do to stop it. What made it worse was for parts of the tour we had to pack into the elevator. It was a short trip up and down, but if felt like an eternity for us and the people packed in that confined space with the stench of onions as our only source of air. I don’t think I have ever smelled so bad in my life. I don’t think I will ever smell so bad in my life.
Towards the end of the tour, we were walking behind the rest of the group (it was the least I could do to help them deal with my stink), and my wife turns to me and says “You really smell bad!” I replied “Yea, I know, it’s from those red onions.” To which she said “I didn’t want to tell you that I had forgotten to cook them and that you were eating raw onions because you seemed to be enjoying them so much!” We both just bust out laughing. We were laughing because I stunk so much. We were laughing because all these people were suffering because of me. We were laughing because they knew I was the source of the smell. We were laughing the whole car ride home. Needless to say, I was so happy to rinse my mouth and brush my teeth when I got home. I’ve also become more careful with my onion consumption after this had happened.
That day, I literally experienced what Jesus meant when he said “Nothing that goes into a person from the outside can make him unclean. It’s what comes out of a person that makes a person unclean.” in Mark 7:15. Although, we may not be able to “smell” things like cursing, blasphemy, pride, judgement, condescension, envy, lewdness, and other things that can come out of our mouths, I’m sure that it probably smells worse than the smell of red onions coming from my mouth. Let’s not take lightly what comes out of our mouths. Instead, let’s watch our stank!

From Pastor Eugene’s Heart
June 14, 2015

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

From Pastor Mark’s Heart
December 29, 2013

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

From Pastor Brian’s Heart
February 2, 2014