St Timothy Presbyterian Church in Toronto: Sermons

Scripture Passage John 13:31-35 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Jesus said, I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. (John 13:34) Jesus said he gave them a new commandment. But it was not a new commandment. Already, in the […]

Scripture Passage Revelation 7:9-17 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script You have one life to live. Therefore, I think you should pursue the best things in life. Don’t chase the things that don’t matter. Don’t waste your time on trivial things. Pursue the best things. That’s what makes life worth living, isn’t it? The thing […]

Scripture Passage John 21:1-19 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Feeling guilty is a common response of all human beings. We are not perfect. We all make mistakes. We don’t always follow the good we aspire; we follow the evil we despise, sometimes. We don’t always stand up for what is right. We compromise with […]

Scripture Passage Isaiah 50:4-9 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Our mission team is in Cuba right now. For their trip, we asked for support from all of you. The response was incredible. Many backpacks and items. And cash amounts that exceeded what we asked for: almost $30,000. I reflected on what that means. The […]

Scripture Passage Philippians 3:4b-14 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script What do people value the most? A recent Reuters poll says that American people value time the most. Then career , success , and money come in as close seconds. I think that is so true. What good is money when you have no time to spend it? What good is all the power and success when no time is left for you. It is like a parable of a rich fool that our Lord Jesus taught us. Then he told them a parable: The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops? Then he said, I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry. But God said to him, You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be? (Luke 12:16-21) He had all the riches but he didn't have time. What's the use? Time is the most valuable, the most important, and the most practical. So, appreciate your time. Cherish it. Don't waste it away. It is free but priceless. Once you have lost it you can never get it back. There are different ways of thinking of time. Different aspects of time. The Past, the Present, and the Future. Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. Of these three, I think the future is the most important. If there is no future, our past and present become meaningless. You reflect on your past to make a better future. You work hard today so that you can have a good tomorrow. So your past and your present should ultimately work for your future. Because your future is the most important. The interesting thing is: The future is not here yet but it is the most important. In our hands, we don't have the future yet, but it is what determines the quality of your life. When you have no future, you will be devastated. So life is very interesting and strange in that way. What we don't have, what we don't see, what has not happened yet, – that controls and determines the quality of our life. So don't tell me that I can accept only thing that I can see, I can touch, and I can feel. You are controlled by what is not here yet. Your future. The future – It is interesting. People have different attitudes about their future. I don't think many people are comfortable with their future. Is your future your friend or your enemy? Do you love to think about your future or you try to avoid your future as much as possible? The future can be scary because it is unknown. It is uncertain. These days, the uncertainty of our future has become very real. Because of US policy, the whole world is wondering what their future may be. Uncertain, unknown, unpredictable. The future is not just uncertain and unknown – It is uncontrollable. The future is not in your control. You don't know what tomorrow holds for you. In Myanmar, close to 3,000 people died because of earthquake. Nobody knew that it was coming. Recently in LA, and also in Korea, so many people lost their homes because of fire. Nobody expected that. The future just comes without warning. What are human responses to the very nature of the future? Worries and anxieties. That is what a lot of people have about the future. University students – What if I can't get into the program I want. People who are working, especially in the auto industry – What if I get laid off because of this new tariff. Old people – What if I get sick, who will take care of me? Worries and Anxieties – A very common attitude towards their future. Another human response is – You become helpless and hopeless. You can do nothing about your future. So, just passively receive your future. Que sera sera – whatever will be, will be. The future is not ours to see. But Paul showed a different attitude towards the future today. but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead (Philippians 3:13) He didn't worry about his future. He didn't just passively take whatever future that came to him. He strained forward to what lied ahead. He put away his past. He didn't dwell on it. Our past can be a good teacher for us. But at the same time, our past can haunt us. Our past can drag us down. Not just your painful past but even your glorious past can drag you down. What good is your glorious moment in the past? It's gone. No use. You have to cut it off. St. Paul considered his past as rubbish. Rubbish is a very toned down translation. The Greek word Paul used, skubalon – means “dung,” “excrement,” or “refuse . He cut it off. Forgetting what lies behind me, I will strain forward to what lies ahead. A very future oriented mentality. How could he have this very strong future-oriented mentality? Because he saw what most of us don't see. He clearly saw what was ahead of him. He clearly saw the end. He was able to see the goal. Verse 14. I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14) What do you see in your future? Do you see only dark, gloomy, and ominous clouds? In the same letter St. Paul said this. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6) What does he see in his future? The good work that God began will be completed. The good work God began in you will be completed. He saw what was in his future with the eyes of faith. He saw the power that moved and propelled him into the future. He did not just wait passively for the future to come to him. He entered into the future with boldness. There was power within him and this power propelled him into the future. His attitude towards future is very different from most common attitudes of people: like worries and anxieties, or hopeless submission. He knew that his future was not in his hands. BUT He believed that his future was in God's hands. He believed that death is not the final station of his train. My friends, death is not the final station of your train. Don't get off there. St. Paul believed that the resurrection is his final station. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:10, 11) The power of the resurrection was what propelled him to take on his future. The resurrection was what he saw in his future. Even suffering could not stop that future. Death could not stop that future. If somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:11) What do you see in your future? Believe in your future. When faith dances with the future, it becomes hope. Live with hope. Believe in your future. At the end of your journey, there is the resurrection. See that. And boldly take the challenges that come to you. And build your beautiful future. The post Look To the Future appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script This is a very famous story. I am sure most of you have heard about this story and are very familiar with it. This is one of the most famous parables Jesus left behind for us to remember. What we read today is the last one of three stories. All three stories have the same theme. The first one is about a shepherd searching for one lost sheep, leaving 99 in the wilderness. The second one is about a woman searching for one lost coin. And today's story is the last one about a father who lost a son. All three parables are about losing something and finding it back. But the third story has its unique message that is not in the first two. The shepherd and the woman were actively searching for their lost one. The shepherd went out and went through all the troubles to find the lost sheep. The woman lit a lamp and swept through the whole house to find the lost coin. But the father didn't do anything to find the lost son. He didn't go out to search for him. He didn't send people to find his son. Was it because the father did not love the son? Was it because he was upset at the son? Or was it because he didn't care? I don't think so. I see two images of God in these three stories. The first one is the image of God who actively goes out to search for the lost. The second one is the image of God who waits. The lost sheep and the lost coin could not come back on their own. That's why the shepherd and the woman actively searched for it. But the son – he was different. He chose to go out. He didn't want to stay home. The Scripture doesn't tell us why he wanted to leave the house. Maybe because of his self-righteous brother? Maybe because he felt stuffy at home? Maybe because he wanted to see the bigger world? Maybe because he simply wanted freedom? We don't know why. But he wanted to leave home. He wanted his inheritance. The father didn't die yet. But he wanted his portion anyway. That doesn't sound nice. But strangely, the father was silent. He just gave it to him. The father let him go. He didn't tell him to stay. He didn't tell him to reconsider. He didn't threaten him not to give him his portion. He simply divided his property between two sons and gave his portion. The father might have been disappointed. The father might have been angry. The father might have been concerned. But the Scripture doesn't express any of his emotions. The silence of the father speaks volumes. The father knew exactly that his son needed to do that. He needed to leave the house. He needed to go out and experience the world. He needed to find his own life. He needed freedom even though the father knew that freedom was costly. That is the kind of God we have. God allows us to go. God allows us to have freedom. God allows us to have our own choice. You have many young children. Now they are cute and adorable. But there will be a time when they want to leave you and leave home. They want to make their own choices. They want to have their own freedom. Letting them go is hard. There is pain in letting go. Sometimes going out and actively searching for them is easier. But human beings are not like a sheep or a coin. The image of God this parable portrays to us is the pain of God who lets his son go. The pain of God who lets his son reject him. Asking for his inheritance while the father was alive was the greatest insult and disrespect. And yet the father doesn't say anything. His silence delivers his pain. That is the kind of love Jesus showed. Jesus allowed people to reject him. I could see that very clearly in his last supper. He knew that Judas would soon reject him. And yet he gave the bread to him. Then he said, Do quickly what you are going to do. (John 13:27) John described the scene in this way. So, after receiving the piece of bread, he (Judas) immediately went out. And it was night. (John 13:30) And it was night. This was a symbolic expression. He left Jesus who is the light and entered into darkness. Jesus allowed Judas to betray him. Jesus allowed Peter to deny him. Listen to this conversation. Peter said to him, Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.' Jesus answered, Will you lay down your life for me? Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times. (John 13:37, 38) Jesus allowed Judas to betray him and Peter to deny him. Jesus allowed people to reject him. That is the message of the cross. Today's story shows the agony of the father who allows the son to reject him, disrespect him, and leave him. But that is not the end. The story also shows the image of God who is waiting. The father let him go even though it was painful but deep inside, he was hoping that he would come back. This is well captured in verse 20. So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. (Luke 15:20) I have an African Bible. It is in English but there are commentaries about how Africans may read a particular passage. On this passage, it says, African elders will never run. Same with older Korean custom. They never run. While he was still far off, the father could recognize his son. It gives me the image that he was waiting every day for the son to return. That is the kind of God we have. Not only he allows son to go but he waits for the son who rejected him, insulted him, and left him. That is the gospel. That is the good news. Waiting is much more difficult than doing something for your son. Waiting is much more difficult than searching. The third parable is the climax of God's love. It shows the epitome of God's love. My friends, our God is not God who forces you to stay home. Our God is not God who justifies his righteousness by punishing us. I told you so is not God's attitude towards us. Our God is not God who is forcing you to follow his command so that he could claim his authority and ownership. Our God is God who wants you to be free and experience the world. Our God is God who even allows you to reject him and leave him. But our God is God who waits for you and is always ready to embrace you when you return. This new image of God is what Jesus showed to all of us. This new image of God is what St. Paul discovered. This is the image Pharisees did not understand and could not accept. So they rejected Jesus. My friends, God is always waiting for you. Come home! The post Pain of Letting Go appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Have you had a personal experience of meeting God? Meeting God is a wonderful experience. When you meet God, everything is good. You feel embraced by God's love. Your burdens are lifted. You feel that everything is going to be alright. Many of you have experienced this kind of wonderful encounter with God. This is what it was like when the Corinthians received the gospel. Meeting God instills a core belief: that everything will be alright. In God's hands, all will be good. In Christian faith, we call that hope. Everything might not be alright now, but they will be. Hope is at the core of Christian faith. Hope is what the resurrection is all about. No matter how bad things are now, in the end, God will be victorious. The writer of Revelation articulates a beautiful vision of this good ending: See, the home of God is among mortals.He will dwell with them;they will be his peoples,and God himself will be with them and be their God;he will wipe every tear from their eyes.Death will be no more;mourning and crying and pain will be no more,for the first things have passed away. (Revelation 21:4) That is the promise of our hope. Our whole Christian faith is built on the promise that no matter how bad things are right now, in the end they will be alright. Because of that hope, how you live now changes. You live based on the promise that is to come. That's what happened to the Corinthians when they met God. Christ was coming soon, and that all would be well. Based on that belief, they made radical changes to their lives. They created a new community that crossed social and economic lines. Relationships that would never have been formed were created. It was a beautiful new kind of humanity and community. When you meet God, that hope seems so real and alive. It is a beautiful thing. But what happens when that hope doesn't manifest? What if there is a never ending delay to that promise? What if things don't really get better? Things don't change or even get worse? When the promise of a better future doesn't become real, two questions arise in the heart: What's the point?What difference does it make? What's the point of holding onto faith when nothing changes? What difference does it make to keep trying? Your belief in the promise of a better future erodes. You lose hope. That is the situation that Paul is addressing. Christ did not come as they expected. Their problems remained. They were losing hope. In today's passage, Paul is warning them using examples from the past. The examples he uses are from the Israelites when they were in the wilderness. The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt. God heard their cries and sent Moses to lead them out of Egypt. They experienced the mighty hand of God in leading them out and providing for them. This is how Paul describes this: I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. (1 Corinthians 10:1-4) God had led them out with a mighty hand. God promised that he would lead his people into the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey. But then they got stuck in the wilderness. People grew restless. They began to lose hope in the promise. Paul describes what happened: Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness. (1 Corinthians 10:5) They lost hope and fell away from God. Paul has a few warnings based on what happened to them in the wilderness: Do not become idolaters as some of them did, as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play. (1 Corinthians 10:7) This is based on the golden calf. Moses went up to Mt Sinai to receive the commandments from God. But he took so long. The people got tired of waiting. They demanded a god they could see. So Moses' brother Aaron created a golden calf. They held a festival where they ate, drank and played. God makes a promise that all will be good. But when things don't seem to get better, people easily turn to other things. Where do you really turn to to feel safe and secure? What do you trust to make your life better? We must not engage in sexual immorality, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. (1 Corinthians 10:8) At another point during their time in the wilderness, they settled at a place in Moab. The men began to sleep with Moabite women. Not only that, they began to offer sacrifices to Moabite gods. They forgot about God's promise. They lost hope they would ever get to the Promised Land. So they focused on pleasure for that moment. Many people say: just focus on the present. We should enjoy each moment, yes. (Olivia tanned from vacation – jealous!) But when you only focus on the present and ignore the future, if all you look forward to is pleasure, it could be a sign of lost hope for the future. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. (1 Corinthians 10:9) When God's promise does not come to fruition, people question God. When I see people, they don't turn to God or places like the Bible for wisdom, guidance and answers. They turn to experts online, influencers, people who sound intelligent. Anywhere but God. When I mention the word Bible , many times I sense an immediate aversion. It's almost like: God can't exist when there's all this mess – prove to me that God exists . Even after all that God had done, many people in the wilderness questioned God himself. And do not complain, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. (1 Corinthians 10:9) People complained and grumbled to Moses the whole time. They even asked why he had brought them out of Egypt. At least there they had food to eat! Grumbling, complaining, being a victim – these are not marks of trust in God and his promises. Paul uses these examples to identify pitfalls to faith. Things that take your eyes away from the promise we build our lives on. What is the Christian journey? It is living in that gap between God's promise and its fulfillment. That's what it means to follow Jesus. The Christian life exists in tension between the messy reality that's now and what will be. That's why it can be so difficult. That's why so many people fall away. Christian life is not for the faint of heart. It's not for those seeking a simple, easy life. It is living with that gap that sometimes seems like a chasm. The main ingredient for life in this gap is faith: trusting in the promises of God, even when they seem so far away. Trusting the one who makes the promises. When faith goes, so does hope. There are so many reasons to lose belief in God's promises. We have our Sioux Valley info session today. So many challenges – drug epidemic among youth. Grave concern among elders and leaders for youth. Legacies of history and residential schools is tragic – breakdown of family life where love is experienced. Message from broken family and outside world: you are not loveable. Questions: what's the point? What difference does it make? Lost hope – no belief that future can be different, better. It seems more difficult than ever to hold onto hope in God's promises. But I hold onto God's promises. Why? First, because life with no hope is no life. I don't want to have nothing to live for! Secondly, because of what I've experienced and because of people's living testimonies of faith. I've seen the living testimonies of faith in you and places like Sioux Valley. I've seen people get through so many challenges and difficulties with faith in God's promises. They don't lose hope. I've seen the power of faith that moves mountains and overcomes all manner of tribulations. They assure me that God's promises are real and true. My friends, it is worth it to hold onto the promises of God. The rewards of the promise are great. They are life. They are joy. They are fullness. Living with faith in that promise has its rich rewards now. It brings peace, joy, community. That is what we are: a community that holds onto the promises of God. Paul gives this assurance to us: No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13) We face many tests of our faith. But God will not let them overcome you. God will give you strength. God will give you a way out! God will hold up your hope. Hold onto hope. Do not give up. Find rest in the promises of God. The post Hold Fast, Do Not Give Up appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage 2 Corinthians 4:5-12 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script What did St. Paul discover after meeting Christ? Pause! There are many things he discovered. He discovered new things about himself. He realized that he was a sinner. He discovered that he had an inner conflict within him. Even hypocrisy. He discovered that he […]

Scripture Passage Romans 8:12-17 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Living an Empowered Life Our time here on earth is short. With the time we have, I believe it's important to live an empowered life. I believe that is God's desire for us. These were Jesus' last words to his disciples: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. (Acts 1:8) It was a promise of empowerment. After St. Paul met Christ, his life changed. He lived an empowered life. For him too, the source of this power was clear: the Spirit of God. There was a clear contrast between an empowered life and a disempowered life. This is how he describes it: For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. (Romans 8:5-6) To set your mind on the things of the flesh is a disempowered life. To set it on the Spirit is life and peace – an empowered life. Things of the Flesh We need to know what the difference is between flesh and Spirit. St. Paul did not mean literal flesh. He meant things that relate to our earthly existence. Things we need to live, like: Money. Health. Job. Reputation. We need them to live, but they are temporary and perishable. When we die, all of that goes away. Setting our minds on these things is not an empowered life. But that's easier said than done. We know that these earthly things are temporary. But they affect us on such a deep level because these are the things that make up so much of our daily lives. When you don't have these things, or your situation is shaky, it makes you feel vulnerable and insecure. Your experience of lacking these earthly things can rock your sense of safety and fill your heart with fear. Money struggles may come and go. Health challenges may come and go. But the fear they produce remains. The things of the flesh may be temporary, but their effects on our hearts can be permanent. They make your heart fearful. That fear saps power from your life. The Solution to Fear We think the solution to overcoming that fear is to improve or get rid of the circumstances that produced the fear. So we set our minds on these things of the flesh. But that is setting your mind on the wrong things. To set your mind on the things of flesh does not lead to life and peace. Yes, your circumstances might be better. But your heart remains the same. It remains a prisoner of fear. Focusing only on creating good circumstances is not the path to an empowered life. But so much of our time and energy is focused on that. Because that is what we see. We are not only flesh. We are not only physical creatures who eat and reproduce. We are also spirit. We are spiritual beings who have a consciousness and desire for meaning. Just like your body, your spirit must be tended to and nourished. If you neglect it, it will be malnourished and shrivel up. It won't come alive. When your circumstances are good, then you have the pleasure of those circumstances. Pleasure is good. But pleasure is like dessert. I love dessert. After a great meal, it is a delightful way to end it. But that's just what good circumstances and pleasure are – dessert. If you have it, that's great! But without the main course, dessert is just empty calories. Too much dessert, and you feel sick. You need the main course. The main course is food that feeds your spirit. Food that makes your heart come alive. We've been too focused on making and eating dessert. We haven't fed our hearts with the main course. This is the reason people don't feel passion for life. Why people feel no meaning or purpose in life. They are not driven by the real desires of their heart. They are driven instead by fear. Their hearts remain locked away in fear. It remains buried. The Spirit Sets Us Free So many people don't know what their heart truly desires. That is a sad reality of our modern life. For St. Paul, it was clear what the main course is: the Spirit of God. The Spirit is not something we can touch or see. The Spirit is present in your heart. When the Spirit is connected with your heart, the Spirit revives it. The heart heals. The heart gains new insight. The heart grows. Most importantly: the Spirit gives you power to break free from the fear that imprisons your heart. The empowerment of the Spirit is the power to set your spirit free from fear. This is the freedom that St. Paul experienced: Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there the heart is set free (2 Corinthians 3:17) A heart set free to soar. To dance. To desire. I don't own a dog, but I've seen dogs unleashed at the park. They are free. They become who they really are – dogs. An empowered life is having a spirit that is set free from fear. It is not about your circumstances. Whatever your circumstances, a strong spirit will give you empowerment. That is the kind of empowered life that St. Paul lived: I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:11-13) That is an empowered life. Let the Spirit make your spirit strong, and you will live an empowered life. This is the most important thing in life. A strong spirit will get you through any and all circumstances. It doesn't mean that fear doesn't exist. But it no longer has a hold on you. Say Yes! You want to know what an empowered life looks like? It is a life of saying Yes! Yes to life. Yes to my present circumstances, even difficult ones. Yes to helping others. Yes to sacrificing your comfort. Yes to what is asked of me. No, or maybe, is the response of a disempowered life. No is the answer of fear. When your spirit is set free from fear, it is free to say yes! Do you want to be free? Then practice saying yes. Let that be your spiritual practice and discipline. Say yes, especially when you feel afraid, uncomfortable, or inconvenienced. That is the time to say yes. Saying yes will make your heart come alive. It will stir up fear in your heart. But it will increase your faith and trust in God. It will open up doors and paths you never imagined. It will heal you. You will discover what your heart desires. It will create a new shape for your life. You will live out your calling when you live a life of saying yes. Saying yes is a blessed life. Blessings for you and blessings for others. Saying yes is the sign of an empowered life. When you are afraid, uncomfortable or inconvenienced, say yes. When you are at the fork in the road, pray for courage. Pray for a bigger heart. Pray for faith. God will set your spirit free and give you the power to say yes. All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. God brought you into this world to live an empowered life. God loves you so much that he sent Jesus to rescue your heart and set you free. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36) Jesus has set us free! Let your heart be set free. Let it soar. Let it dance. Let it persevere through your challenges with faith. Let it be strong. Let it say yes! The post Set Your Spirit Free! appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage John 17:6-19 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Jesus’ Last Prayer What we read was Jesus’ last prayer before he died. Jesus sensed that his death was coming near. His situation was getting worse and more dangerous. This all happened because he raised Lazarus from the dead. After raising Lazarus, Jesus became very […]

Scripture Passage John 15:9-17 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script The Last Commandment Love one another. This is the last commandment Jesus taught us. It is the last commandment, the greatest commandment, and the most important commandment. When you put together everything Jesus did, said, and taught, the ultimate conclusion is this: LOVE. So Jesus said this conclusively. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. (John 15:12) What is the meaning of the word, commandment? It doesn't mean having obligation to do what you don't want to do. It means what is the most important in your life. What makes your life life. The reason for you to live. The reason for you to live is to love. The ultimate purpose of life is to love. Love is the most important thing in life. That's why St. Paul said at the end of his famous chapter on love. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13) That was his conclusion too. Do you believe that? Love Makes Us Happy Also, love gives you happiness. When you are in love, you are happy. People who are in love have a big smile on their faces. Because they are joyful. They are happy. That was what Jesus said today. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. (John 15:11) The reason Jesus came to the world was to make you happy. He came to love you and tell you how much God loves you so that you may become happy. Love makes joy come alive. Love makes you happy. Do you believe that? Then if we believe that love is the most important thing in life and love makes you happy, how come I don't see love much around me? I see a lot of hatred and anger. I see indifference. People don't seem to care. But not love. Maybe we say we believe that but don't truly believe that in our heart? Maybe we don't have conviction in that? Created in the Image of Love Christians believe that love is the most important thing in life and love makes us happy. Because our Lord Jesus said so. Because we are also convicted in our heart as the truth. Because we have also experienced that ourselves in life. When God created us, God put love within us. When love is the most important thing, wouldn't God put that in our heart? It is more important than eyes, ears, arms, and legs. It is more important than stomach, intestines, liver, and kidney. When God put all those things within us, wouldn't God put love which is the most important within us? Yes, God put love within us when he created us. God created us in the image of God and the image of God is love. This was what John said. Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4:7-8) Because we have love, we can be connected with God. Because God is love. God put love within us so that we can relate to God. Also so that we can relate to each other and relate to the creation. This was what the first human being said about Eve. This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. (Genesis 2:23) Growing to Love We have love almost like an instinct. I could see that last week. Teddy and Nicole's baby, Cody, had a complication. I received a text on Wednesday from Nicole, asking for prayer. Fortunately, Cody is Ok and he came home. I know the feeling of Nicole and Teddy because Yong Mi and I went through a similar situation. I saw the love of parents. Babies will grow with parents' love. They are the first people they see when they are born. That is the first world they encounter. The first thing they experience is love. Love makes you grow. Love makes you a complete human adult. Being an adult doesn't mean now you are 18. It means to become a person who can fully love. That was Paul's idea of love and being an adult. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. (1 Corinthians 13:11) He said this in his famous love chapter. When you are able to fully love, you put an end to childish ways and become an adult. Teach your children love. There is nothing more important than that. When they learn to love, they will survive in any situation. They will be strong. You are strong not when you have muscles. You are strong when you are able to persevere through extreme situations. When you have love, you will have that strength. Rekindling Our Love The reason we cannot see much love around us is because the love within us is damaged. When we are hurt, we are not just hurt but the love within us gets damaged. We become hardened. We become incapable of receiving love and giving love. Jesus came to heal the damaged love within us. Jesus came to rekindle the love within us. Love heals. Jesus' love heals. Jesus expressed his love in this way. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. (John 15:13) Jesus showed love that laid down his life for a friend. He showed the ultimate form of love. He sacrificed himself for love. That love flowed out of the cross. The love that flowed out of the cross flowed into us. That love heals us. Our diseases, our hurt, pain, suffering, worries, doubt, anxiety, and darkness – love heals them all. Our hardened heart will become soft. We could not receive love before. Now we can. We could not freely give love. Now we can. A Way of Life Love is not something you feel. Many people think of love as feeling. But that is not true. Feeling comes and goes. But love does not. If love is a feeling, no one can love forever. (Baek Hyun-woo) did not just feel for (Hong Hae-in). He took the bullet for her. (Korean drama – Queen of Tears) Love is neither feeling nor action. There are times when you cannot do anything. But that does not mean you cannot love. Love is the way we live our life. Love is something within us. Love is the way we interact with others, other people, the world, and God. Since it is the way we live our life, we should practice. We need to practice to receive love from God. Meditate on God always and carve in your heart how much God loves you. That is a practice. You have to practice to love so that love within you grows. You cannot learn a full marathon overnight. You cannot learn to love like Paul overnight. Empty yourself and build others up. That is a practice. Don't let your hurt damage the love within you. Turn it into compassion: Suffering love. Learn to understand others. There is no love without deep understanding. Thick, Nhat Hanh said, Without understanding, love can't be true love. We must look deeply in order to see and understand the needs, aspirations, and suffering of the one we love. Practice it so that love within you becomes healed and stronger. Practice it so that love within you freely flows out of you. The post God Planted Love Within Us appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Acts 8:26-40 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script The Way of the Spirit Jesus described the Spirit in this way. We are familiar with this verse. The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. (John 3:8) The Spirit is like the wind. We can hear the sound of it. We can even feel it. But we can't control or predict its movement. It blows where it chooses. We may not like hearing this. We like to be in control. We like what is logical and predictable. We like to live our lives on our own terms. What Jesus says about the Spirit seems to tell us otherwise. The Spirit does not move the way we want. That doesn't mean it moves arbitrarily either. Notice how Jesus said, it blows where it chooses . It moves with its own purpose and intent. He even said to Peter after the resurrection Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go. (John 21:18) We may not know exactly what the Spirit is thinking all the time. But the Spirit always moves according to God's will. Jesus revealed what that is to the disciples. It is our theme verse for the year But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8) The Spirit does not remain insular. It doesn't stay in one place. The Spirit always moves outwards. From our immediate circle to the neighbouring communities, and to the ends of the earth. The Spirit moves in such a way so that God's blessing and the gift of new life can be experienced by all people, not just some. It fulfills the promise which God originally gave to Abraham, the forefather of our faith. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. (Genesis 12:3) With Clear Direction In order for the Spirit to continue doing its work in this world, God calls us to do one thing. It is uncomplicated and simple in theory. But it can be challenging and difficult in actual practice. That is, to GO WHERE THE SPIRIT LEADS. That is how the early church started. That is how the good news of the resurrection spread. It wasn't necessarily the acts of the apostles. It was the acts of the Spirit, and the people who went wherever the Spirit led them. In today's passage, we read the story of Philip. This isn't Philip the Apostle, but Philip the Evangelist. He was one of the Seven who were chosen to care for the poor in the early church community. Philip lived his life going where the Spirit led him. He didn't think twice. He simply went. He trusted in the way of the Spirit. Then the angel of the Lord said to Philip, Get up and go toward the south (Acts 8:26) So he got up and went. (Acts 8:27) Then the Spirit said to Philip, Go over to this chariot and join it. (Acts 8:29) So Philip ran up to it (Acts 8:30) Each time, the Spirit directs Philip's steps. It almost seems too simple and straightforward to be true. But I believe that is how the Spirit works. It is absolutely CLEAR when it calls. Like the wind when it blows. Because it comes knocking on our hearts. It pulls us in a certain direction. It is so clear that it frightens us at times. So, rather than going where the Spirit leads, we turn away from it. We let the voice of fear and doubt dominate our hearts. We come up with clever justifications on why we can't go. I'm not ready yet I have other plans Other people can do it We complicate what is so simple and straightforward. The Spirit Takes us Beyond When I first sensed my call to ministry, I was so anxious and afraid that I didn't address it for about two years. I had this deep conviction that I was to live my life for others. That conviction was answered in the form of calling to ministry. But it came at the most unexpected and inconvenient time. I was afraid to make such a drastic change to my life. Then one day, I had this vision while I was praying. I was alone in a house on an island. I was floating through this particular area in the house. When I looked to my right, I caught a view of this vast, beautiful ocean through the window. I remember thinking, I wonder what it's like to be out on those waters Even though I wanted to go and see it for myself, I didn't go out. Actually, I couldn't. I was too scared. The experience kept on repeating itself. I found myself circling the same spot, over and over again. The Spirit always wants to take us beyond our small world of familiarity and certainty. The Spirit wants to lead us into the world of the unknown, where there is SURPRISE, CONNECTION, and TRANSFORMATION. That is what happened to Philip. He just went where the Spirit led him. Because of that, he became connected with an Ethiopian eunuch. Through his help, the eunuch's life was totally changed. The eunuch even wanted to be baptized! When we go where the Spirit leads, we experience wonderful things. Things we never planned or expected. We see the Spirit working in concrete yet mysterious ways. People come together. Lives are changed. We see the Spirit opening new doors. The moment I decided to go into ministry, I began to see the Spirit open doors, one by one. It all happened quickly and effortlessly. The Spirit connected me to Simon at Knox. Through Simon, I first heard about St. Tim's. The Spirit then led me to this community, while I was looking for a place to serve during my studies. It was through this community that I met people whom I would have never met otherwise. That includes Rev. Kim, whose spiritual mentorship and guidance have shaped me into the pastor I am today. Now, after seven years, I sense the Spirit leading me once again. Not someplace else though. But here. Intertwined with the Calling at St. Tim’s I feel called to remain where I am. I feel called to continue serving this community. Now in a slightly different capacity. As a minister of Word and Sacrament. On paper, it may not seem like a logical decision. Someone on the Search Committee asked me, When you could've gone anywhere you wanted, why here? That is a mystery even to me. But I see how God has been working in this community. I see a story that is unfolding. I see how God is calling us to go beyond and be his witnesses. Not just in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. But to the ends of the earth. To be faithful to our roots as a Korean-immigrant church, yet still grow to be a culturally diverse community of faith. I see this community stretching, growing, and blossoming, bit by bit. I feel called to participate in this unfolding narrative at St. Tim's. To continue journeying with you through this story. In that sense, my calling is not just personal. It is deeply intertwined with the calling of this community. It is interesting to see how Philip's encounter with the Ethiopian ends. Luke describes it like this When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more and went on his way rejoicing. (Acts 8:39) Don't worry, I won't vanish all of a sudden. I'm pointing to this verse for a different reason. It reminds me that it is the Spirit who leads, not me. So, I don't need to worry. I simply need to go and be faithful. And I will be faithful until the end. May we go where the Spirit leads us, no matter what. I pray that we can commit to this journey together. The Spirit will provide us with what we need. The Spirit will give us wisdom and boldness. The Spirit will guide our every step. Through us, the Spirit will work wonders. I believe that. The post Go Where the Spirit Leads appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Acts 4:5-12 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script The Work of the Spirit What happened to the Christians after their leader, Jesus, died? Usually when a leader dies, the movement loses its power and slowly dies away. That's why they killed Jesus. They wanted to kill the movement by killing its leader. But it wasn't so with the Christian movement. After Jesus died, the movement got stronger and bigger. It spread much more powerfully. Jesus basically stayed in Palestine during his lifetime. He moved up and down from Galilee to Jerusalem. But after Jesus died, the movement spread to all over from Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. And it changed the Roman Empire. It spread to the whole world. What was the reason? What was the driving force? It was the Holy Spirit. We cannot explain this phenomena without including the work of the Spirit in its formula. They received the Holy Spirit. And with the power of the Holy Spirit, they were able to do more powerful works than Jesus, their leader did. A new momentum erupted when they received the Spirit. That was what Jesus wanted. This was what Jesus said while he was alive. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate (the Holy Spirit) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. (John 16:7) Jesus released the Spirit to them. And Jesus said, Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12) The Disciple Who Was Different During Jesus' lifetime, the disciples were weak. They didn't have much faith. They had no courage. They were quite ignorant and incapable. So, Jesus often told them: O men of little faith. How long must I stay with you? Why don't you understand this? Jesus was quite frustrated with them. They always doubted. They always sought their own glory. They were always filled with fear. They were full of themselves and yet very weak. But today, Peter was different. Peter was bold. Listen. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said (Acts 4:8) With boldness and courage, he said, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. (Acts 4:10) He didn't doubt; he believed. He was filled with the Spirit. He was standing in front of Sanhedrin, the highest court, the court that decided to crucify Jesus. Death was before his eyes. And yet he was calm and confident. That was the same Peter who denied Jesus three times. Never mind the Sanhedrin. He was scared of a little girl. Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant-girl came to him and said, You also were with Jesus the Galilean.' But he denied it before all of them, saying, I do not know what you are talking about.' (Matthew 26:69-70) A very different person you see today. It is the same Peter. But he was very different. A person can change. What changed him? The Spirit. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:8) Changed Through The Spirit A person can change only through the Holy Spirit. The early Christians received the Spirit and they were filled with the Spirit. The concrete sign of being filled with the Holy Spirit was boldness and courage. They were able to overcome the fear within them. They weren't scared of anything. Even death could not intimidate them, never mind the powerful kings and authorities. When death could not intimidate them, nothing in the world could intimidate them. THAT IS THE POWER. Listen to what Peter and John said. A little later in the same chapter. But Peter and John answered them, Whether it is right in God's sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge. (Acts 4:19) They feared God but not people. That was what our Lord Jesus taught us. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28) They were bold not because they were able to psych themselves up, but because they were filled with the Spirit. It's not what you do but it is what the Spirit does. A clear sign of the working of the Spirit is to help you overcome fear in your life. You can even embrace the fear of death. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, died with this boldness. When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen. But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. (Acts 7:54-55) It was not just Stephen. When the early Christians received the Spirit, they all overcame their fear. They boldly proclaimed the power of Jesus. Stronger Than Fear This is very important to all of us as Christians living in this world. Don't live with fear. Don't live with doubt. Suzy Kassem, Egyptian-American writer said. Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will. Don't be scared of failures. Try again. Have a fighting spirit. I came across an article of a baseball coach . He is a coach for LG. When you go to baseball stadium, there is this sign in front of LG Locker-room. Fear and Hesitation are our greatest enemies. He asked for that sign. LG team was a good team but they could never overcome crisis situation. Once they encounter crises, they collapsed. He realized that it was to do with fear. He asked his team to play Running baseball. Even if you die, you run offensively. He made his team steal bases and he got 166 stolen bases, the highest in the league. But also, 101 times he failed in stolen bases. So only 62.2% of success. People criticized the effectiveness of his strategy. He said. Stealing bases is not my goal. My goal is to cultivate the spirit of challenge, a fighting spirit and make the team dare instead of taking a safe route. The team won 86 games and they won 42 games by flipping the game in the end. When they were able to overcome their fear, they were able to deal with crises. Being safe is not everything. I read a blog of this woman. This was what she said. Though I could have chosen a leisurely path of retirement, I instead made the decision to reinvent myself as a painter, a teacher, and a motivator for others. Don't give up because of fear. Dare to live. Dare to challenge. Dare to live out the full potential. Live out the calling. This was what Isaiah said. Do not fear, for I am with you,   do not be afraid, for I am your God;I will strengthen you, I will help you,   I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. (Isaiah 41:10) Psalmist challenged himself. The Lord is my light and my salvation;   whom shall I fear?The Lord is the stronghold of my life;   of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1) God called you and God filled you with the Spirit so that you may live boldly, proclaiming the power of Jesus in your life. The post Peter Was Bold appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage John 14:1-7, Matthew 7:14-21 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script We thank our guest speaker, Rev. Dr. Ernest van Eck, for sharing the Word with us this past Sunday. The sermon script is unavailable for this week. Sorry for the inconvenience! The post He Is the Way to a True Life appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script The Stone is Rolled Away Happy Easter! Welcome all of you! May the Spirit of Easter bless you with new life! On this day, we are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is risen! Death could not engulf him. Death could not imprison […]

Scripture Passage Isaiah 50:4-9 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Doing Good for Others Isaiah was a prophet in Babylon. He was part of the exiles who were deported from Jerusalem. He ministered to the exiles. He ministered to people who were weary. God gave Isaiah a gift. The Lord God has given me a trained tongue, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. (Isaiah 50:4) Isaiah's gift was to give strength to the weary exiles with a word. A word to sustain them. To keep them going. I believe that we are all created to do good. We are all given something to help others. I believe that our ultimate purpose on this earth is to do good for others. The spiritual journey connects you with the good that God has given you to help others. We hope that others will receive what we have to give. We hope they will be thankful and appreciative. Seeing people appreciate our goodness is like fuel that keeps us going. We want affirmation for the good we do. But somehow, that's not always the case. Doubt Over the Bad My good intentions are not always received well. Sometimes they're misunderstood. People can receive what I do badly. Instead of the good I'm trying to do, they only see the bad. We are all a mixture of good and bad. I'm not perfect. I try to do good, but sometimes it gets distorted by the bad in me. It taints the good I want to do. All of this is part of who we are. But people see the bad. They judge you based on the bad. They're eager to point out your flaws. They let you know how bad you are. When others only see the bad and not the good you want to do, you wonder what's the point of trying to do good. Doubt creeps in. This is the dilemma Isaiah was facing. He spoke the word God gave to sustain the weary. But it wasn't well received. The more he spoke what God said, the more people rejected it. He was tempted to stop listening. But that is not what he did. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I did not turn backward. (Isaiah 50:5) He could just stay quiet and not stir up any reaction. But he did not shut off his ear. He did not turn backward. He persisted in doing good. Conviction in What You Do What are you living for? Where does your conviction come from? Are you driven by the need for approval from others? Or are you driven by your deepest convictions about what is good? Are you living out your convictions and doing your best to do good? Isaiah was convicted by the rightness of what he was doing. It was unshakeable. That conviction came from his deep connection with God. Morning by morning he wakens – wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. (Isaiah 50:4) Every day, he listened to what God was saying. God made clear what Isaiah had to do. God gave him the words to speak. When you know what you have to do, and that conviction comes from God, nothing can shake you. Even if others reject you, you can stand firm in what you have to do. A New Vision for Humanity Many scholars believe Isaiah was not speaking about himself. He was speaking of a servant. They don't know exactly who this servant was. This Servant was more of an ideal. An ideal of a new humanity. In exile, Isaiah saw a new vision for a new humanity. His experience in exile changed how he saw things. He experienced how difficult life was for the weak. How weary life was for the poor. He saw the stark contrast between the rich and poor, strong and weak. In this situation, God gave Isaiah a new vision for humanity. A humanity driven by goodness. This is what he saw: The wolf shall live with the lamb; the leopard shall lie down with the kid;the calf and the lion will feed together, and a little child shall lead them. (Isaiah 11:6) No more wars. No more domination over the weak by the strong. Only goodness. The Servant embodied this new vision of humanity. A humanity that did not react to hate. A humanity that broke the cycle of anger and violence. A humanity in which goodness would triumph over evil. This Servant would carry on goodness and even absorb the hate of others. I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. (Isaiah 50:6) No vengeance. No hate. No bitterness. Only confidence. Only resoluteness. Only goodness. The exiles would overcome their weakness not through power but by resolute goodness. That was the way of salvation for all peoples. They were to be a light for all peoples by living the way of goodness. This vision captured the imagination of Jews. But for 600 years, it was only in their imagination. For 600 years, they struggled with this vision in a world driven by power. But 600 years later, followers of Jesus connected the vision of this Servant with the life of Jesus. Jesus lived out the goodness of God. Somehow, the good that Jesus did stirred up a fierce reaction against him. People opposed him. Despised him. Attacked him. But he did not react to hate. He did not hide from rejection. He simply did what he had to do. He absorbed their hate and rejection on the cross. Passion Week Today is Passion Sunday. It is the beginning of the Passion Week. It is the week in which Jesus absorbed the rejection and hate of the world. But right to the end, Jesus did what he had to do. He trusted God. He trusted God's goodness. Jesus' confidence was vindicated. Hate and evil killed Jesus, but God raised him from the dead. Hatred and evil could not overcome goodness. That is the faith we live with. That is why we celebrate Easter. Easter is the most important day for us because God's goodness is vindicated. It gives us assurance that we too can live lives of goodness and prevail. Evil and hatred may seem to win right now, but God's goodness will prevail. In God’s Goodness My friends, look at your own lives. You have all been through your own challenges. You've had to overcome obstacles. But God's goodness prevails in your life. You are here because God's goodness has prevailed. God's goodness has sustained you, lifted you up, and given you grace. You are all here today because of God's goodness. I get so inspired listening to stories of what you've had to overcome. You are living witnesses to the goodness of God in your lives. The goodness of God is all around you. And it is within you. Despite all the sins that are part of you, there is good that God has created in you. Good that you are to share with the world. We are all sinners. But God's goodness is greater than your sin. Our fight today is the fight for goodness. People turn to power because of fear. Their fear makes them mean and angry. People don't want to stick their necks out. But we remain on the side of goodness. We fight for goodness. Don't turn away from good. Fight the good fight of faith. Do good. Listen carefully to what God is telling you to do. Then go and do it. No matter what others say or do. Be confident in God's goodness. God will be with you. God will vindicate you. God's goodness will prevail in your life. The post Fight for Goodness appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage John 12:20-33 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script A Time for Everything Jesus' life was very different from our life. We do not really know what time it is. Jesus knew exactly what time it was. Ecclesiastes teaches us this wisdom. For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:a time to be born, and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;a time to break down, and a time to build up;a time to weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time to dance;a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones togethera time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-5) We do not know what time it is. And we don't care actually what time it is. We do not know whether it is the time to tear or the time to sew, the time to keep silence or the time to speak. Up to this point, Jesus kept saying to people: My hour has not yet come. But in the passage we read today, finally, Jesus said: The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. (John 12:23) In other words, Jesus knew exactly what time it was. Up to this point, Jesus performed 7 miracles in John. That's why chapters 1-12 are called the Book of Signs. And the last miracle was to raise Lazarus from the dead. But after today's story, Jesus didn't perform any miracles. He knew that it was not the time for him to do miracles. It was the time to quietly accept what was about to happen. He knew it was not the time for him to hold onto his life but the time to let go. Why did he stop doing miracles and just accept what was about to happen to him? Because he knew what was happening was beyond his control. He knew that time came. Jesus Knew the Time When he decided to raise the dead Lazarus, which was his last miracle, he knew that this wouldn't be good. It wasn't good politically for him. Already, the religious leaders did not like that so many people followed Jesus. And raising Lazarus from the dead would make more people follow him. That did not sit well with the religious leaders. Jesus knew that. He saw it right. Right after raising Lazarus, this was what the religious leaders said. So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council, and said, What are we to do? This man is performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation.' So from that day on they planned to put him to death. (John 11:47, 48, 53) Not only they tried to kill Jesus but also even Lazarus. When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus. (John 12:9-11) Today's passage comes right after this. So Jesus knew that by raising Lazarus, he would get into trouble and his situation would be out of his control. So he chose to let go. In his mind, he had this determination like Esther. If I perish, I perish. Choosing to Let Go Letting go is accepting what is happening right now and leaving it in God's hands, instead of worrying about it. To let go, you have to have trust. You have to have faith. Letting go is not easy. Even for Jesus, it was not easy. This was what Jesus said. Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say Father, save me from this hour ? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name. (John 12:27, 28) Jesus wanted to raise Lazarus even though this would brought him a lot of troubles. It would create a situation where he had no control. But he did it because it was the right thing to do. So Jesus did it and left the situation in God's hands. That is letting go. Do your best to live out God's calling and after that, leave your life in God's hands. Do what is right and after that, leave your future in God's hands. That is what it is to let go. My friends, you have to learn to let go. Letting go is the secret of living a happy life. People suffer so much agony because they cannot let go. They cannot let go of those who hurt them. They cannot let go of their painful past. They cannot let go of fear they have. They cannot let go of worries and anxieties. They hold onto all these things within them. These things torment them. This was what St. Paul taught us to to. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6) Don't worry about anything but let your requests be made known to God. That is letting go. Then what happens? And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7) Why do you hold unto garbages within you. You have to let go. Don't try to control what you cannot control. Don't carry all the burdens within you. Let go of your burdens. Live Your Eternal Life Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30) If you don't let go and hold unto them, then you will be rotten away. Your life energy will be drained from you. You will live your life with dark clouds over you constantly. If you cannot let go, you will die. If you let go, you will live. This was what Jesus said. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. (John 12:25) Here, love and hate are not literally love and hate. Jesus meant it as attachment and detachment. If you attach to things in your life, not being able to let go, you will lose your life. But if you are able to let go by detaching yourself from things that you cannot control, you will live. Keep it for eternal life. Letting go is releasing all the negative things such as doubt, worry, fear, anger, disappointment, and so on. You can do that only with faith in God. When you let go, you are creating space in your heart to embrace new challenges and new opportunities. You can move on with your life. My friends, let go. One by one, let go. Christian journey is the journey of letting go. What we need to practice every day is the practice of letting go. That is what discipleship is all about. Let go of your small world. Let go of the walls you created to protect yourself. Let God. And see what happens in your life. Even though the earthly Jesus performed many miracles, the real power came on the cross when he let go of himself. When he let go of his life to the cross, the real power of resurrection was released. That is the power of letting go. When you let go of your greed, when you let go of your worries and anxieties, when you let go of your fear and anger, when you let go of trying to control yourself, when you let go of wanting to be in charge of your life, you will experience the power that comes from above, not from you. That is the power of life. That power will make you alive. The post Let Go appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage John 2:13-22 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script What We Worship Jesus came to the temple and he was very sad. As a matter of fact, he was very angry. You don’t see this kind of Jesus a lot in the gospel. He even prayed for the forgiveness of those who wanted to […]

Scripture Passage Mark 8:31-38 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Accepting the Path of Suffering Peter was Jesus’ first disciple. He was the closest to Jesus. But he rebukes Peter in the most serious way: “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” (Mark 8:33) […]

Scripture Passage Mark 1:9-15 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script In a World We Do Not Belong Today is the first Sunday of Lent. As of last Wednesday which was Ash Wednesday, the season of Lent began. During the season of Lent, we reflect on Jesus’ suffering. We reflect on the meaning of the cross. […]

Scripture Passage Mark 9:2-11 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script To Experience Dreams February is Black History Month. It celebrates the achievements of black people throughout our history. More than just their achievements, it celebrates the dreams that survived and overcame the harsh realities of racism and oppression. Perhaps the most famous figure in black […]

Scripture Passage Isaiah 40:21-31 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Living With Power Last week, we talked about the authority of life. The authority of life is the empowerment of life. This week, I am going to talk about a similar theme. I think the Spirit is guiding us into that theme. This year's theme is Be A Witness. To make us a witness, God gives us the message about the power and the authority. To be a witness, you will have to have power. Only with power, you can be a bold witness. That's why Luke said in his book, Acts. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8) Before he told them to be a witness, Jesus told them to receive power first. Living as a witness is living with power. That was how the early Christians lived. They were bold. They lived with power and authority. That power and authority did not come from them. They didn't have anything. No position in their society, no money, and no powerful connection. They were in the marginalized minority. Their power and authority came from the Spirit. It was not the power that belonged to them. It was the power that was given to them. Even though they were weak in every way, they had the power. St. Paul became a witness after he experienced this kind of power. but he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.' So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) You can be confident ALWAYS in any circumstance when you have the power that comes from outside, not from you. The power that comes from you can help you only when you are strong. When you are weak, that power disappears. But the power that comes from God is always with you regardless of the condition you may be in. Paul knew the secret of this power. But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. (2 Corinthians 4:7-10) The extraordinary power belongs to God not to you. That kind of power gives us confidence in all kinds of situations. In Our Waiting We have to have this kind of power. We have to wait for this kind of power. Isaiah cried out. but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,they shall mount up with wings like eagles,they shall run and not be weary,they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31) Isaiah was talking about the power that comes from God. Those who wait for the Lord will have new strength. They shall mount up like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. There are times when we feel tired. There are times when we feel like giving up. There are times when our circumstances are unbearable. There are times when we feel so small. That was what the Israelites experienced in captivity. As they were taken in captivity, they lost all their dreams. They were losing hope in God. They started thinking that God could not do anything for them. Isaiah saw that in people. Isaiah saw that they were losing passion for God. They started becoming inward looking. They ran away into their own small world. They were not captivated only by their enemies. They became captives in their own small world. When Job lost everything, his friends came to him. They came to comfort him but they didn't really comfort him. Rather they took away Job's last hope. Job's last hope was God's recognition of his own righteousness. His friends took that away from Job. They tried to prove to Job that he must have done something wrong. When Job saw no hope left for him, he caved into his small miserable world. What did God do in the end? This was what God said to Job. Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?Gird up your loins like a man,I will question you, and you shall declare to me. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?Tell me, if you have understanding.Who determined its measurements surely you know!Or who stretched the line upon it?On what were its bases sunk,or who laid its cornerstone? (Job 38:1-6) What is God doing here? He is bringing Job out of his small world and letting him see the bigger world. Living with Renewed Strength When we have problems, we often cave into our own small world. That small world is filled with problems, self-pity, anger, disappointment, and fear. In that small world, you lose yourself. Israelites were the same. Instead of seeing the bigger world, they fell into their own small world of misery and captivity. That is what colonization does to us. It makes us feel small. It prohibits us from having a big dream. As you become a victim of colonization, you become captivated in your own small world. Racism is not just about discrimination you experience. Racism makes you feel small. You cannot see a bigger world. We should live with dreams. We should live with a noble purpose of life. Life is not just about living comfortably and safely. Life is about living what we were born to do. I told you this quote before. A ship in a harbour is safe but that is not what ships are built for. Early Christians lived as witnesses. The more persecutions they received, the more actively they proclaimed the good news. They didn't cave in. They survived very difficult circumstances. They were strong. That is to live with the power. Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. Power to Live with Faith In that word wait , we see faith and hope. Because you believe, because you have hope, you wait. When you wait with faith and hope, you will receive the power to live. Examples are Last Wednesday. 6.25 War: One mother brought 5 children to escape from North. Faith. Another person: Faith of our mothers – amazing. Yes, that is the power of faith. When you have faith, you don't give up even when your circumstances tell you to give up. When you have faith, you see the future even when your present tells you there is no future. When you have faith, you can sing in the rain. No matter what happens to me, if I have faith, I can rise again. Because through faith, I will have the power that doesn't come from me but given by God. Living with that kind of power is itself being a witness. You don't have to go to Dundas Square and shout out to believe in Jesus. When you overcome your personal hardships and weaknesses through the power given to you, you already became the witness of Jesus Christ. Look to God. Don't look to yourself. Wait for God. Don't be a prisoner in your own small world. God will do wonderful things through you. That is to become a witness. The post The Power to Be a Witness appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Mark 1:21-28 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Restorative Authority Mark wanted to show right from the beginning that Jesus had the authority. That was important to Mark. He wanted to get across this message. This Jesus of Nazareth was not merely a village preacher. He was the man with the authority. After baptism, temptation, and calling of disciples, the first thing Mark recorded was what we read today. Mark wanted to show that Jesus had the power over darkness. He had power over the evil spirit. That was Mark's witness. He saw that kind of power in Jesus. That is who Jesus is. Jesus has the power to defeat the evil of this world. This poor man was tortured by the evil spirit. He could not be what he was supposed to be. He could not live his full potential. Something more powerful than him controlled him. That was not what he wanted but the evil spirit controlled him. We are not exactly like him. We won't necessarily identify with this man. But, in fact, we are very much like him. We are not as free as we think. We are tortured by the negative spirit often. We don't want to feel that way but we do. Darkness hovers over us and this darkness leads us into despair and anxiety. We cannot be what we are supposed to be. We cannot live our full potential. We are not living the best version of ourselves. Something else controls us. It's not that we are hungry. It's not that we don't have a place to live. It's not that we don't have clothes to wear. And yet, we feel empty even though we are not hungry. We feel naked even though we have lots of clothes. We have many worries even though we have everything. We constantly live in fear. I don't think doing well in our career will help us. I don't think having more money will help us. I don't think having more time will help us. It is our internal problem. Since it is our internal problem, we cannot solve it externally by doing something. Our biggest problem is that we don't have the AUTHORITY over our life. We don't feel the empowerment to live as we wish. Jesus took out the evil spirit out of him. Jesus freed him from the power that enslaved him. People saw the authority of Jesus Christ. They said, What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him. (Mark 1:27) They saw the authority working through Jesus. With that authority, Jesus restored the authority in that man. That is what Jesus does to us. Jesus restores authority within us. Living in God’s Image You are beautiful. You are wonderfully made. Last week, we reflected on that through Rev. Simon Park's sermon. For it was you who formed my inward parts;  you knit me together in my mother's womb.I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Wonderful are your works;that I know very well.  My frame was not hidden from you,when I was being made in secret,  intricately woven in the depths of the earth. (Psalm 139:13-15) We are created in God's image. But we lost the image of God. You heard about unmarked graves they found in old residential schools. We were all shocked when they found so many unmarked graves at the residential schools. They found 215 unmarked graves at Kamloops residential school. Many of them were taken away from their parents against their wishes and their parents' wishes. That was not what they wanted. That was not what their parents wanted. But they took them away anyway. Some of them never returned home but no explanation. Now they know. They were buried. In the name of assimilation and Christianization, they destroyed their language, their culture, and their identity. They destroyed the image of God in them. That is what the evil power does. Destroying the image of God within us. Jesus came to restore the image of God. Jesus came to give back to us the authority that makes us who we are supposed to be. Jesus had the power to do that. His teaching was filled with authority. They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. (Mark 1:21, 22) Jesus had the authority and with that authority, he healed the man totally bounded by the evil spirit. By healing him, Jesus gave him back the authority he deserved. Authority to live with the image of God. Authority to live as a child of God. True Authority But interestingly, this is not the end of the message of Mark. Mark's story is developed in a strange way. Mark had a secret in his story. Mark wanted to reveal the mystery of the gospel. The secret of the gospel. In the beginning, Mark showed that Jesus had the authority to defeat the power of darkness. But only in the beginning, Mark described Jesus' power. As the story progressed, Jesus didn't do this kind of miracles any more. Even when he performed a miracle, he told people to be quiet. Don't tell people about it. Jesus was quiet. Often he talked about his own death. Peter even rebuked Jesus for that. And ultimately his life ended with the cross, Mark said. Jesus emptied his authority and gave himself to darkness. Mark wanted to show a radically new understanding of the authority. In Mark's understanding, the true authority did not come from power. The authority was not revealed in the act of casting out demons. The true authority was manifested in Jesus delivering himself into death. The authority of taking up the cross. Where did this authority come from? It came from Jesus' love for us. The ultimate power that can destroy the power of darkness is love. Mark understood that message. That was what Jesus chose to do. He let go of his power and authority. He chose the cross. That was the authority of love. Live with Love Love is the most powerful authority that can chase away darkness and the evil power not just once but forever. Only love can truly restore the image of God. You cannot solve your problem by having more power. Find love in your life. Discover the love of God. Be filled with love. Love will cast out fear. And when you have love, you will find the new authority of your life. With the authority of love, restore others' authority. Restore the image of God in others. Authority of love will overcome the power of death and bring about the resurrection. The post Authority of Love appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Mark 1:14-20 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script What He Sees When Jesus met his first disciples, it was an ordinary day. This is how Mark describes it: As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea – for they were fishermen As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. (Mark 1:16, 19) It was an ordinary day for Simon, Andrew, James and John. They were just doing what folks had done for generations. Their parents had fished. Their parents had fished. They were fishing. They were simply doing their jobs and feeding their families. They probably did not see much beyond what they were doing now. But Jesus saw something very different. He did not see just fishermen. He saw who they would become. What Jesus saw in them, they would never have imagined for themselves. Jesus sees you. But he doesn't only see who you are today. He sees who you can become. He sees what you can do. He sees the potential and possibility in you. He sees things in you that you cannot see for yourself. Isn't that amazing? Jesus called his disciples: Follow me and I will make you fish for people. (Mark 1:17) The disciples thought the extent of their role in life was to catch fish and feed their families. But Jesus was calling them to more. He was calling them to fish for people. To be a blessing to more people. Jesus was calling them. Calling is not about finding your passion. It is not about pursuing what you want to do. Calling is being pulled beyond who you are today to become someone bigger. Calling is being transformed into a bigger person so that you can bless others. Jesus did not see uneducated, unsophisticated fishermen. He saw people who would lead others to God with great power. Jesus sees the potential and possibility in you. He sees gifts that you have not discovered that can be used to bless others. Learning to Grow Beyond Yourself The problem is how we see ourselves. We only see who we are today. We see our limits. I'm not rich. I'm not powerful. I'm not capable. Who I am, and what I have, is not much. The best I can do is to take care of myself and my family. We see our limitations so clearly. Everywhere we go, we are reminded of our limitations and shortcomings. There is always someone smarter than me. More attractive than me. More capable than me. When we compare ourselves to others, we always feel so small. What could I possibly contribute when there are people who are so much better than me? Our limitations define us. They stop us from doing more. From being more. And we settle to live life within those limitations. Within those limitations, we stay in our own small world. We don't grow beyond that. We get very comfortable in it. Being comfortable is nice. I can't wait to go on our vacation down south – the first time since Covid. I can't wait to lie down on a beach chair with my drink and be comfortable. But only being comfortable doesn't lead to growth. If you are not growing, you stagnate. Stagnation is the recipe for death. Whether physical death or existential death. We need to grow. The best way to grow is by serving others. When you serve others, you are forced to grow. Human relations are the most difficult. You confront someone totally different from yourself. You have to learn how to understand them. Communicate with them. Connect with them. You have to grow to learn how to do that. The other day I had lunch with a young adult. She's struggling with her work right now because of her boss. The work itself is not that inspiring, but she can live with it. But it's the people aspect that makes it difficult. The boss was probably good at this job, or good at getting noticed. But he's not good with people. He doesn't know how to relate or communicate. Or make people feel valued and heard. And that makes life so difficult for those who work with him. We have to grow so that we can be a blessing to those around us, not a source of burden. A Journey of Transformation Let me suggest two concrete ways you can be a blessing to others. First: learn how to see people and notice them. Especially those who are less popular or influential. Train your eyes to see them. Notice how they're doing. Secondly: learn to see beyond what you see on the surface. Don't just see their flaws and limitations. Learn to recognize gifts they might not recognize in themselves. Learn to see their potential. Learn how to share this with them. You will see what kind of effect that has on them. Notice them and see what's special about them. You will be a blessing to those people. To do that, you need to grow. When you follow Jesus, you begin a journey of transformation so that you can bless others. Jesus gives you the power to change. We've all heard that Jesus died for my sins. That our sins are forgiven. What does this mean? It means that Jesus no longer sees your limitations. He doesn't define you by them. You are free from past mistakes. Free from guilt. Free from greed. Free from fear. We are free from the shackles of our limitations. Believing in Jesus and following him is allowing him to make us into the people we are supposed to be. The worst thing you can do is to limit how you see yourself. That is a great sin! It prevents change. It prevents growth. It prevents you from becoming the person God created you to be. Following Jesus is a journey of trust. You place your trust in him to lead you, change you and give you the power you need to go beyond your limitations. We don't know where we're headed when we follow Jesus. We simply trust him and go where he leads. More Than You Are My friends, do not limit yourself. God sees you. God sees what is possible in you. God loves you so much and created you so beautifully. Your life is a beautiful gift to this world. That is what the psalmist recognized. O Lord, you have searched me and known me. For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed. How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! (Psalm 139:1, 13-17) You have been fearfully and wonderfully made. You are more than who you are today. The disciples would never have seen themselves as more than fishermen. But Jesus did. And that changed everything. Because of what Jesus saw in them, they left their nets and followed him. They transformed from timid, fearful fishermen to become the pillars of a new movement. They carried on Jesus' ministry after he left the earth. They received the Holy Spirit and did much more than Jesus himself did. All because Jesus saw and called them. What a beautiful life it is to follow Jesus! I am a witness to God's wonderful power and grace. I have seen God do so many amazing things in my life, and in so many of you. You are a blessing to this community, and you have the potential to be a blessing to so many others as well. God will continue to do many amazing things in all of you and this church. Follow Jesus. He will make you a blessing for this world. The post Jesus Sees You appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage 1 Samuel 3:1-20 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Our Voices of Logic Today's story is about what happens when God speaks. These are the first words God said to Samuel: See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. (1 Samuel 3:11) When God speaks, God is about to do something. When God speaks, everything is about to change. Hearing God speak is something that sounds very foreign to modern ears. We don't know what that is, or what it looks like. The voices we do hear are the voices of logic and reason. With logic, we have learned how to survive in this world. Logic helps us understand the world, analyze it and adapt to it. The other day, I was speaking to someone who works at the head office of McDonald's. To us, they're simply selling Big Macs. But behind the scenes, the best and brightest minds use all of their logic to analyze mountains of data, see patterns, and come up with ways to sell even more Big Macs. They know us better than we know ourselves! I was so fascinated by what goes into the business of selling Big Macs. Logic has done wonders for our lives. There is an important place for it. But logic alone is not everything. Logic can help us survive, but logic cannot bring fulfillment to our lives. It comes up with solutions based on the facts and data available to it. It is dependent on those facts and data. Logic cannot understand mysteries of life that go beyond facts and data. It cannot anticipate a future different from what already exists. It cannot imagine a future independent of the facts and data that exist now. Speaking to Our Hearts When God speaks, he speaks of things that logic cannot understand. What God is about to do does not depend on what exists now. God creates something new out of nothing. Most of us know that there is more to life than logic. We know that only living logically does not bring happiness. No matter how logical our choices and decisions have been, we still feel something is missing. We feel that in our hearts. The funny thing is, instead of listening to the heart to see what's missing, we use logic to try and figure out how to fill the empty space in our heart! God does not speak to us through our logic. God speaks to the place that can imagine something new and different from what exists now. That place is the heart. God speaks to the heart. The heart is what notices that something is missing. Even when logic has covered all the bases, it is the heart that says maybe everything is not right. Logic tries to snuff out the heart. It says the heart is not rational. It says the heart is silly. It says Trust in me, because I have all the answers. But my friends, when you hear a little voice from the heart trying to say something, stop. Stop and listen. God may be trying to speak to you! It is a mystery how and why God chooses to speak to us. Many people believe in some sort of higher being, but not many people believe that this higher being chooses to speak to us in a personal way. Somehow, starting with Abraham, a small group of people experienced God speaking to them in a real and personal way. The psalmist expresses his wonder this way: When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are humans that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? (Psalm 8:3-4) This is the God who continues to speak to us today. Simply Have Openness There is no criteria for whom God chooses to speak to. You don't need to already be in a relationship with God. Samuel did not know God when God spoke to him. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. (1 Samuel 3:7) Samuel served in the temple since he was a little boy. He learned a lot about God from Eli, but he did not know God. Many of you have come to church for a long time. You've learned a lot about God, but you may not have met God yet. And that's okay. Samuel did not yet know God, but when I look at him, I see a heart that is open and receptive. Five times in this passage, his response was Here I am ! Here I am. This is a very special term in the Bible. The term indicates a posture of openness. A posture of trust and surrender. Samuel had this spirit of openness. At first, he didn't know who was calling him, but each time he responded with the openness of here I am! He trusted Eli's direction to ask God to speak: Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening! . With that openness he heard God speak, and he listened. When we hear a voice in our heart calling out to us, how many of us actually take the time to stop and listen! God chooses when to speak. But when he does, you will hear him only if your heart is attentive and you listen with the spirit of Here I am . When we pray, we pray with a heart of openness. We listen with our hearts to what God may say to us. What is Hidden in Our Hearts How do you know you're hearing the voice of God and not your own? How do you distinguish between God's voice and the many other voices that have infiltrated the heart? When God speaks, God doesn't merely confirm what you already know. It's not just another good piece of information. When God speaks, it's not just a nice word that makes you feel good and you go on your way. No, my friends. When God speaks – when God actually speaks to you in your heart – what God says can be utterly surprising, shocking and disturbing. When Samuel heard God's words, he was shocked. He was afraid. He was afraid to tell Eli about his fate. Eli had taken in Samuel as a young boy and taught him everything. He was appreciative of Eli and didn't want bad things to happen to him. God's words were deeply disturbing to Samuel. When God speaks, it uncovers something hidden in the heart. What God said to Samuel was not something random out of left field. What God said disclosed something that had been deep in Samuel's heart. Samuel was born after great difficulty. His mother, Hannah, had been barren for a long time and couldn't conceive. She prayed and prayed and finally bore Samuel. She was so thankful that she dedicated Samuel to grow up in the temple. His life was dedicated to God. But what he saw growing up in the temple was the opposite of that. Eli's sons were the priests of the temple. They were so corrupt. They became rich by taking from the sacrifices offered to God. They slept with the women who served the temple. Eli was powerless to stop his sons. They paid no heed to him. He gave in to the corruption of his sons. Samuel loved Eli, but must have been bothered by the conduct of his sons. There was probably a lot of confusion. But he was a boy and didn't know what to make of it. So his unease and confusion became hidden in his heart. When God speaks, God discloses what is hidden in your heart. But he does so with new insight. Something New For Us God brings a new revelation to what's in your heart. God uncovers what has always been there, but now you see it clearly and understand it in a new way. This new revelation can be utterly surprising, unexpected and disturbing. Your instinct might be to resist what God reveals. The implications of this new insight and revelation are too heavy. That's why Jonah tried to run away when he heard God's call to go to Nineveh. He went on a boat and went the opposite direction. It's why I avoided answering God's call to ministry for 20 years. When God speaks, it can be shocking, surprising and disturbing. But when God speaks, God is opening the door to something new, something profound, something unexpected. When God spoke to Samuel, he was preparing him to become the leader of Israel through a time of great change. Samuel became the leader who anointed the first kings of Israel. When God speaks and we listen, we know that we are not alone. We know that God is with us, and that changes everything. Samuel became a man of authority after this experience of connecting with God. As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. (1 Samuel 3:19) When God speaks, God is preparing to do something you have never imagined. Something good. Something to bless you and others. When you feel a tugging or nagging in your heart, don't ignore it. Don't go running immediately to logic. Pay attention to it. Pray about it. Ask God to speak. This may be a sign that God is about to do something new in your life. Listen for God's voice. Seek the counsel of others in the faith community. Samuel was blessed to have Eli who supported him, even when what Samuel heard foretold his doom. When the angel told Mary the news that she would bear a Son who would become the Saviour of the world, she was deeply disturbed. It was shocking news. But ultimately, she responded with the same faith as Samuel: Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word. (Luke 1:38) Because of her faith, we have the blessing of her Son, Jesus Christ. Because this young girl and the young boy Samuel listened to God, God did amazing things through them. When God speaks to you, don't be too scared. Trust God and respond with the openness they had: Here I am. The post <a href="https://timothypc.com/...

Scripture Passage Acts 1:8 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Sharing Our Experiences Early Christians had wonderful experiences. They never had this kind of experience before in their lives. Jesus had a profound impact on them. First time, they felt they were so full of life. They realized how beautiful life was. They felt so positive about their lives. God became so real to them. The important thing is – They didn't keep their experiences to themselves. They shared. They shared their experiences with others. That is what BEING A WITNESS is all about. Sharing what you experienced with others. When good things happen, you want to share with others, don't you? They were all witnesses to good things that happened to them. They saw clearly what God was doing in their lives and for the world. They saw that the new world had come and they proclaimed boldly the arrival of this new world. You have to understand how difficult it was for Christianity to survive. Christianity was not a big religion. A very small number of people. And they were not necessarily elites; they were ordinary people. Around them, there were a lot of sophisticated ideas, systems, and religions. Like Greek philosophy. Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Stoics, and so on. A very solid religious establishment like Judaism. A powerful and sophisticated political system like Romans. Christianity – A very new movement. It didn't have political power, financial power, cultural power or religious power. How did the Christianity survive? How did it break through the thick walls of opposition and persecutions? How did it overpower the big ideas that were present and became a dominant idea next several hundred years? It completely depended on WITNESSES – WITNESSES of those who experienced the power of God through Jesus Christ. Through their witnesses, Christianity was able to break through all kinds of barriers and walls and persecutions not only to survive but also to sweep through the whole world. That itself is the greatest miracle to me and that was what happened historically. The history is its proof. It wasn't what they experienced that changed the world. It was their witnesses that changed the world. Being A Witness Early Christians boldly witnessed to what they experienced. That was the power of the Spirit. St. Paul was one good example. On the road to Damascus, Paul had a wonderful experience of meeting Christ. His eyes were open. His worldview changed. His understanding of God changed. His attitude towards the law changed. His understanding of righteousness changed. His whole outlook of life changed. After that experience, he didn't keep it to himself. He shared what he experienced with people. The whole story of the Acts of Apostles is about Paul's life of being a witness. We are going to study that in February. Being a witness was not always easy to Paul. He was persecuted. He was hated. He was imprisoned. People tried to kill him. But he didn't stop being a witness. That is the power of the Spirit. He received a wonderful life message and he wanted to let others know. Church was established and Christianity was firmly rooted by his witnesses. His life was a witness to God's grace he experienced. He said, I am who I am by God's grace. His life was a witness to freedom he enjoyed. In Christ, he said we are free. Sometimes I hear this kind of statement. Oh, I should behave myself because they know that I am a Christian. That is not being a witness. That is putting up a false image. Be yourself. Be authentic. Be real. Being a witness is not to show how great you are. Being a witness is not to show how good you are. Being a witness means to show how God has been so good to you in spite of your shortcomings. It means to show how confident you can be in God's power even though you don't have your own personal power. You can share how you can be free from your obsession about your own survival. You can share how you can overcome your own difficult circumstances with grace. By being with those who are lonely, alienated, and abandoned, you are witnessing to Jesus' teaching. By rejoicing with those who rejoice and crying with those who cry, you become a witness to God's presence. Being a witness means to be humble and yet confident, to be gentle and yet firm, to be loving and yet courageous to be able to say what should be said. This is what St. Paul said. But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. (2 Corinthians 4:7-10) That is being a witness. You have this treasure in clay jars. The extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from you. You witness that to others. Your Humble Calling My friends, you are a witness of Jesus Christ. Christ has done so much for you. God has blessed you in so many ways. Don't keep your precious experiences to yourself. Share them with others. Be a witness to what Jesus has done for you. YOUR CALLING IS NOT TO GO OUT AND CHANGE THE WORLD. Your calling is simply to be a witness. It is God who will change the world, not you. But God will use your life to change the world. Being a witness is not always talking about it. Being a witness is not a verbal exercise. You are a witness of Jesus Christ through your life. Be authentic. Be honest. Be who you are. Be real. That is the first thing you have to do. Then be a warm presence in this very cold, calculating, competitive, and cruel world. St. Paul said you are a fragrance of God. Yes, you are a fragrance of God. Be a good, sweet fragrance. Your presence matters. Your presence can help so many people. You have to ask yourself what kind of presence you will be. A Spiritual Presence for Others The world we live in is very hostile. The world we live in is not a friendly place. Power controls the world. Not love. Selfishness and greed control the world. Not sacrifice and goodness. Be a friend in this hostile world. Practice love in the power hungry world. Care for others in this selfish and greedy world. That is being a witness. There are so many people who suffer in the world. Your presence matters. Be a spiritual presence in the world. The other day, I visited a person at North York General with the Rev. Chung. She just found out that she had a pancreatic cancer. I didn't do much. I was just there. She thanked us so much. My presence was spiritual presence for her. A few weeks ago, a young man died. And many of our church members helped the funeral through organizing and through music. Your presence was spiritual presence for the family. You were witnesses. Be with those who are sad. Be with those who feel lost. Be a warm and sweet presence. People need to experience that. What kind of presence are you? Are you cold and rude? Be kind. If people greet you, greet them. In the elevator, I try to tell them, have a good day. Be always positive no matter what circumstances you may be in. Don't be selfish; be generous. Don't be self-centred; be concerned with others. Don't live out your fear; be courageous. Don't hang out with the powerful and the popular; reach out to those who are invisible. Be in solidarity with the weak and the vulnerable. Live your life as a witness. You will experience the power of life. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8) The post Be a Witness appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage 2 Corinthians 5:17 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script With a Faith-Driven Attitude Today is the last day of 2023. In a few hours, we will welcome 2024. How meaningful it is to come on the last day and worship together, thanking God for everything he did for us this year. This year was special. Christmas Eve was on Sunday. And the last day of this year is on Sunday. So it was very meaningful. On this last day, let us think about change. It is quite appropriate to think about change before we take the new year. People make new resolutions for the new year. That is a commitment to change. I talked about change last week already by reflecting on Mary. Jesus brought a new era, a new beginning. And Mary was impregnated with the new beginning in her body. That wasn't easy for Mary. It was a scary experience. But Mary listened. She didn't close her ears. She listened to her heart because God speaks to our heart. In her listening, she heard very clearly and loudly that nothing was impossible with God. Yes, nothing is impossible with God. Take the new year with that attitude. That is to prepare yourself mentally and spiritually. Plan it. Make resolutions. Dream dreams. BUT BELIEVE THAT NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD. Change is always hard. Never easy. Change always makes you uncomfortable. That's why you have to have this attitude that nothing is impossible with God. This attitude comes from your faith. So having faith is good. It gives you a positive attitude towards life. Inevitable Change Changes happen to you in three ways. First, change just happens. It just happens every day, every moment. It is nothing to do with you or nothing to do what you do. You have no choice but to take it. Like aging. Some people say aging sucks. I don't but some people say that. Whether aging sucks or not, you have no choice but to take it. Whether you like it or not, it just comes to you. Seasonal change – it just comes. No matter how much you like summer, winter will come. Relationships change. They don't stay the same. People change. Your children will not stay the same. They will grow, leave you, and find their own life. Sometimes it's sad but that's the way it is. These changes happen regardless of what you do. So be prepared to ACCOMMODATE these changes. If winter comes, be prepared with warm clothes. Learn to accept these changes. Don't resist. You don't need to be sad. Don't be depressed about it. Just think wisely how you are going to welcome these changes and deal with them. These changes will not necessarily bring harm to you. But often your unwise reaction to these changes can bring harm to you. Change by Choice Secondly, there are changes that you make. Around this time, people often make resolutions. From tomorrow, a new year begins. So we want to make some changes. I already bought at least three notebooks. One – 2024 calendar book. One – My personal journal. One – 5 Year journal. We need to constantly make intentional changes. Being able to make changes shows your empowerment. You don't want to take whatever is given to you. You want to make the best of it. So you make changes. If your health is not good, then make changes to improve your health. If you don't like certain things about yourself, then make changes so that you feel better about yourself and also become a better person. If you are in a toxic relationship, do something about it. You don't have to live with the abuse. If your habits make you unhappy, then make concrete plans to change your habits. You are not just victims of your old habits. No matter how long you have lived in a certain way, you can always change. That's what I believe. Nothing is impossible. That is the empowerment. The more you are empowered, the more courage you will have to make changes. Don't be scared of changes. Make a good friend with change. Routinely unroutined. (I don't know whether it is the word.) Discomfort forces you to make changes. In that way, discomfort is good. Problems are not a road block but a pathway to a better life because you see the need of change. Change with Divine Presence Thirdly, this is what I am interested in the most. There is change that happens with you when you are connected with the divine. It is not just natural change that happens to everyone. It is not the change you can intentionally make. It is the change that comes as a result of your connection with the divine. It is the kind of change St. Paul experienced. It was not a natural change. It was not a change he made. It was change as a result of being connected with the divine. It was so powerful that Paul said this. It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. (Galatians 2:20) When you are deeply connected with God, you realize that you are not alone. You are not alone in making all the important decisions. You are not alone in carrying all the burdens. You realize that you are deeply connected with the divine. You are not God but deep within you, there is divine presence. You are empowered by this divine presence. Your thinking is enriched by this divine presence. The darkness and the sinfulness used to dwell within us. This negative sinful power used to sabotage you and control you. It has made your will weak and useless. It has paralyzed you. But Jesus Christ came and took away this dark power within us and created divine presence instead. When we are connected with this divine presence, we become new. So in today's passage Paul said this. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! (2 Corinthians 5:17) That was a wonderful discovery for Paul. You can really change when you have this divine power. You cannot change yourself. That is just wishful thinking. A good theory, a good idea. But you need power to change. You cannot be both the object of change and the agent of change. If there is gonna be change with us, the power has to come from outside. The Crux to Change What we cannot do, God can do. Once a young man came to Jesus and asked, How can I have the eternal life? Jesus said, Keep all the commandments. He said proudly, I did. Then Jesus said to him, Go sell all your possessions and give to the poor. Young man could not do it and went away sad. The disciples asked Jesus, then who can be saved? Jesus said, What is impossible for mortals is possible for God. (Luke 18:27) Death is the change that comes upon you. You cannot do anything about it. You just have to accept the change that is imposed on you. You are totally helpless there. But the resurrection is the change that only God can bring to you. You cannot be the agent that brings about that change. What is impossible for mortals is possible for God. A lot of changes happen to you all the time. Many of them, you can do nothing about. You just have to accept them. But when you are connected with God, everything will work out for good. God will use these changes that happen to you to make you a new person. These changes will not make you a helpless victim but God will use them as catalysts to make you a new person, a stronger person, a more compassionate person, a wiser person, and a happier person. In 2024, experience good changes. Have courage to change! Happy New Year! The post Courage to Change appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Luke 1:26-38 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script God’s Wonders Merry Christmas! How wonderful it is to gather together like this the day before Christmas. May wonders of Christmas be on your family. May the gifts of Christmas be abundant on you and your family. On Christmas, we are reflecting on God’s wonders. [&#8230;]

Scripture Passage Isaiah 40:1-11 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Comfort for Comfortable People Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. (Isaiah 40:1) Isaiah cried out loudly. He spoke this message while he and the Israelites were in Babylon. You know Babylon. They were all in exile. Isaiah’s voice was penetrating through the dark [&#8230;]

Scripture Passage Mark 13:14-27 Worship Video Due to technical difficulties, the Worship Video is unavailable for this week. Sorry for the inconvenience! Worship Audio Sermon Script Good Things to Come Today is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent means coming or arrival . It is also the first Sunday of the church calendar year. So we begin the new year by waiting for the coming of Christ. But it is not just ordinary waiting. It is waiting with great expectation. Jesus uses this example in today's passage: It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. (Mark 13:34) He then goes on to say: Therefore, keep awake – for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. (Mark 13:35) Be alert. Be awake with expectation. Today, I want to meditate on expectation. Expectation is the feeling that good things are about to come. My daughter gets so excited for December because starting December 1, they begin the Advent calendar that contains a chocolate each day. She looks forward to Christmas, when Santa brings presents. There is great expectation. Expectation brings excitement. It gives you something to look forward to. It gives you motivation and energy. Going The Way We Expect I've officiated a number of weddings now and it's been a great privilege. During the ceremony, you can really tell when a couple is in love. People cry when they recite sincere vows to one another. There is great expectation of a happy life ahead for the couple. Everyone shares in the joy of that expectation. Living with expectation is a great gift to human beings. But many times, our expectations go unfulfilled. They get chipped away. Somehow, the marriage is not as smooth and happy as I expected. The job is not as fulfilling as I expected. Achieving all that I wanted has not given me the satisfaction I expected. My life has not gone the way I expected. Underneath expectations is hope. A belief that something desired will come to be. When things don't turn out as we hoped, it affects our expectations. At first there is an effort to keep our expectations alive. You try and put in great effort. You wait patiently. But somehow, if things don't change, you get frustrated. Disappointment starts creeping in. Your heart gets tired of waiting. I wonder if that happened in the master's house. At first, they were attentive and waiting expectantly for the master to return. But after weeks, months and years, maybe they grew tired of waiting. When this happens, you lose belief that what you hope for will happen. Instead of giving you energy, the expectation becomes tiring. It becomes a reminder of the disappointment in your heart. When your heart is tired, expectation turns into resignation. Living with Indifference Resignation is having no expectations. It is seeing your undesired situation as inevitable. I don't want to be in this situation, but it's inevitable and unchangeable. And so you give up on having any expectations. Resignation then becomes indifference: the absence of any feeling about the situation you're in. You don't care any more. Indifference is the end result of unmet expectations. From expectation to resignation to indifference. A life of indifference is a life of no expectations. It's a dull life. It is a tiring life. Everything just drains you. All you can pursue are pleasures to escape the indifferent life you're living. But beyond that, there is no joy, no motivation, no sense of direction. The problem with indifference is that you fail to notice the possibilities of change. Jesus said this: From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. (Mark 13:28-29) Indifference prevents you from seeing new things that are about to happen. Instead of being ready for new things, you remain asleep in your indifference. I've seen this happen many times. As children, you see the expectation in their eyes. But when you meet them much later, that sparkle is gone. They don't live with any expectation. They just get by from one day to the next. A Mask For Our Hope I don't believe that indifference is our natural way to live. That is not how God created us. God created us to live with great expectations. Life is more than just getting by and enjoying the pleasures of life. Life is about living with the excitement and flavour that expectation brings! The difficulty of overcoming indifference is that it forces you to come face to face with your despair. The loss of hope you felt when your efforts failed. The disappointment you felt. The fear of failure and more disappointment. It feels easier to remain in your indifference. At least that way I won't feel any more disappointment or failure. But my friends, indifference is not really the absence of feeling. Indifference is a mask. It is a mask that covers up hidden hope. Hope that is afraid. Hope that has been buried. Hope that is asleep. Indifference is the result of disappointed hope. Albert Einstein said this: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I agree with that. But what if you've tried different things but still get the same results? Lowered expectations and indifference come when you get the same results no matter what you've tried. Sometimes, the situation is not in your control. What can you do? There will be seasons where we struggle with diminished expectations. We will struggle with resignation and indifference. But we cannot remain indifferent forever. Life is too short to just let it pass by. We need to take off our masks of indifference and reconnect with the hope inside of us, no matter how fragile or broken it might be. A Cry for God One day, a Gentile woman came to Jesus. She begged him to heal her sick daughter. Jesus had a very strange and rude reply: Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs. (Mark 7:28) He's saying that I came to serve other Jews. The woman could have given up in despair. But she would not be deterred. Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs. (Mark 7:28) She did not allow herself to be defeated by her circumstances. She would accept even the crumbs if that's what it took. That is faith! Jesus was so moved by her faith that he healed her daughter. Faith is not a reasonable, logical belief in God. Faith is a desperate cry about the situation that kills our expectations. It is a cry against indifference. It is a cry against despair in the heart. It is a cry that you have tried everything, but you are at the end of the rope. My friends, if you can figure things out on your own, then you don't need faith. Faith is for those who know there are limits to what we can do on our own. It's for those who know they need a higher power to go beyond what they can do. Faith is a cry for God to come and make things right. The image of the Son of Man coming down from clouds is an apocalyptic image. Apocalyptic faith arose when the situation of Jews became unbearable. Their situation was awful. Their temple was desecrated by foreign rulers. They were massacred. They were utterly powerless. But instead of giving into despair, something else happened. From that dark, hopeless situation, they began to have visions of God breaking in from the heavens to make things right. Apocalyptic faith is not a rational faith. It is a desperate faith that comes from your gut. It is a declaration of belief in God, but it is even more a desperate plea for God to come and do something. Await New Things People of faith face despair and disappointment just like everyone else. But people of faith do not sit back and give up! They fight! They cry out to God. God come and save me! Advent starts off the new church year. The year begins when the days are dark and short. When the air gets cold. In this darkness comes a desperate cry for God to come. That cry awakens our hearts to wait in expectation. In the darkness of exile, the prophet Isaiah said this: I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:19) God is about to do a new thing in your life. Can you perceive it? Awaken the expectation in your heart and wait for God to come. The post Awake with Expectation appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passages Isaiah 11:6-9, Ephesians 2:14-20, John 17:22-23 Worship Video Sermon Video Sermon Audio Sermon Script It is wonderful to gather together like this. This gathering itself is inspiring. It would be nice to have worship service like this every Sunday. One of the planning team members asked, can we do that every Sunday? How nice! God wants us to gather together and worship God in one spirit regardless of who you are. People from East and West and North and South come and worship God. Having this ONE SPIRIT is important to have a meaningful worship. So Jesus said, first be reconciled to your sister or brother and then come and offer your gifts. So we have gathered together this afternoon with A REPENTANT HEART to confess our sins that hurt our sisters and brothers PERSONALLY or/and SYSTEMATICALLY. We recognize that we have treated our sisters and brothers with less than FULL RESPECT. We recognize that we have been blinded by our own ENSLAVEMENT of PRIVILEGE AND POWER. We recognize that our SELF-CENTREDNESS had created prejudice, hurt, and division. We recognize that our laziness, complacency, indifference, and wilful blindness had ignored SYSTEMIC RACISM and injustice that had been going on for many years. Now we have come to recognize all these things and ask God to heal us and restore the one spirit within us. We come before God to ask God's forgiveness and God's help. Without God's help and our conviction, this event will become another SHOW we put on. By God's grace, not only are we forgiven but we are EMPOWERED to be able to live as a NEW CREATION. By God's grace, we are not anymore victims of division, separation, animosity, and domination. We are free by God's RADICAL GRACE. As St. Paul confessed, I am who I am by God's grace. He is saying that I am not anymore a victim of my dark history, my power-hungry environment, and my prejudiced self. I am free in Christ. In this freedom, I can be deeply connected to God and to others. So deeply connected that we have become one. So he confessed, There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28) In that freedom, the wall that divides us is broken. The letter to the Ephesians captured this idea very well. Even though it may not be Paul's authentic letter, it captures Paul's idea very well. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. (Ephesians 2:14) In Christ, we are one. We are not just black, white, or yellow. We are not just Canadians, Koreans, Chinese, Hungarian, and Arabic. We are a new creation by God's radical grace. We are given a new humanity. The fact that we are different does not divide us. Rather, it should be a way to ENRICH us. Unity can exist ONLY IN DIVERSITY. Without diversity, there is no unity, only UNIFORMITY. To create uniformity, you have to kill diversity. But to have the unity, diversity is necessary. Our differences should not be the reason that DIVIDE us. They should be the reason for us to CELEBRATE. So there is no reason to IGNORE these differences, FEAR these differences, and attempt to NEGATE and NULLIFY these differences. But that is not the reality that we see around us or we face every day in the world we live in. Instead of celebrating their differences, they have often become THREATENED by these differences. Their differences became not only their REASON but also their WEAPON to conquer and submit those who are not like them. Instead of finding a beautiful voice of harmony, they have SUPPRESSED different voices with the POWER and the PRIVILEGE they have. They cannot sing in HARMONY any more. Now they are all forced to sing in UNISON. By nullifying differences, we nullify our unique identity. By nullifying differences, we destroy the beautiful vision of being one. By ACCEPTING others, by RESPECTING others, and by EMBRACING others, we can be one. Without you, I can never be complete. That should be the attitude we should have. You and I together COMPLETE THE PICTURE. My congregation members know this phrase very well because I have quoted many times. As a matter of fact, our minister, the Rev. Simon Park just quoted last Sunday. It was originally an African saying: I am because you are. I can never define who I am without you. I am deeply connected with you. I am because you are. I can never be whole without you. Adam saw that when he saw Eve. This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. (Genesis 2:23) When God created human beings, he didn't create just two human beings: Adam, Eve. He created And that connects Adam and Eve. Now Adam, And, Eve. He created the RELATIONSHIP. He created the CONNECTEDNESS. The Unity. They did not have to pretend that they were NOT DIFFERENT. They were who they were. But by God's grace, they were connected. Jews and Gentiles were one in Christ, Paul said. Gentiles did not have to be like Jews by being circumcised to be one in Christ. They are one in Christ by God's RADICAL GRACE, not by their SIMILARITY. Their differences do not separate them. Their differences enrich them. Don't be intimidated by your differences. When you nullify your differences out of fear, you are destroying the SPIRIT within that person. You are taking the BREATH out of that person. You are SUFFOCATING them. That is what RACISM does. Racism brings SUFFOCATION to humanity. We human beings have been suffocated not just for 8 MINUTES AND 46 SECONDS but for a long time because of racism. We need to bring back the breath, the breath of life to humanity. That was what Jesus did to us. He brought back the breath by blowing the air into our mouth. When he had said this, he breathed on them (John 20:22) We ask the Spirit to blow his breath upon all of us. The fresh Breath will give us a new life. The living Spirit will empower us to live a new bold life. The mysterious Wind will take us and guide us to where we have never been before. The Spirit, the Breath, and the Wind – as you all know, they all come from the same word, Ruach. In this new life, our differences will not divide us. In this new life, our differences will be HONOURED and CELEBRATED. Jews and Gentiles, Slaves and free, male and female will all become one while they are all different. Being a COLOUR BLIND does not do anything. Be COLOURFUL and enjoy your colourful life. That is the power of God's radical grace. That was what Jesus did for us. And this was Jesus' last prayer. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one. I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:22, 23) Isaiah saw the same vision. He saw this wonderful vision that not only human beings were one, but the whole universe was in harmony. The animosity disappears. No more enemies. They have all become friends. Now we have gathered together this afternoon with COMMITMENT and CONVICTION. We came with HOPE. We ask God to grant his grace so that we may be able to pursue this dream of being one. God's RADICAL GRACE will be able to empower us to do so. By the request of the planning team, I will quickly summarize my sermon in Korean. I am sorry that I cannot do that in other languages. . . . . . . . . , . . , . , . , , . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . , ,

Scripture Passage Matthew 25:31-46 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Invited to His Kingdom Today is Christ the King Sunday. It is the last Sunday of the church calendar. Next week is the start of Advent, which begins the new church calendar year. Advent means waiting. So the year starts with waiting. The year ends with Christ reigning as the king. What we waited for has come. Today's passage talks about what it will be like when Christ reigns as the king. It's a story about this kingdom and who gets invited: Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. (Matthew 25:34) Those invited into this kingdom are those who have lived with compassion. Those who fed the hungry; clothed the naked; welcomed the stranger; took care of the sick. What's interesting is, these people didn’t even realize they lived compassionate lives. They all asked: when was it? Being compassionate was just who they were. The kingdom that we rejoice in is a compassionate kingdom. It is where compassion is the way of life. No one gets left behind. No one is left alone. It is a beautiful image. We all want to live in this kind of world. We all agree that compassion is good. But the everyday life we live and experience often seems so different. Forgetting Those in Need To get home, I often have to make a left turn from Eglinton Avenue onto Martin Grove Road. It is a very busy intersection. At all hours, there are so many cars in that left turn lane. There are cars coming from the 401. From the 427. From Eglinton Avenue. All of them trying to squeeze onto that left turn lane. Sometimes you can't even get into it because there are so many cars. The whole time, my mission is to get in that lane and make that left turn. There's an advanced left turn green light. When it comes on, the race is on to make that left turn. When I'm there in the evening, there's often someone on the island by that left turn lane asking for money. The thing is, I don't carry around any cash. I either give an apologetic look, or I just look away because I feel bad. That lasts just a moment, because once that advanced light turns green, the race is on to make that left turn. Once the intersection is in the rear view mirror, I forget about that person. This experience at the intersection depicts much of our life today. We are too busy going to our next destination. Fighting to get into our lane. So busy that we don't see the person in need. I don't remember what the person looks like. I do not know that person's name. I do not know that person's story. I do not know what sort of struggles they're going through. In reality, it is as though that person doesn't exist. I saw that person, but I didn't really see that person. In the story of the Good Samaritan, a man was beaten and robbed and left half dead. A priest came across him and passed him by. A Levite then came across him and passed him by. They knew the Jewish laws very well. They knew they should help a stranger in need. There are many theories as to why they passed him by. I wonder if it was because they were just too busy. Too busy going to the synagogue or to attend to their important religious duties. To get to our destination, we can't see everything. We need to NOT see many things. Especially those who are in need. They just get in the way. They only slow us down. The only way to block them out is to become indifferent. To feel nothing toward them. We Lack Our Humanity The playwright, George Bernard Shaw, said this: The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of inhumanity. (George Bernard Shaw) Our indifference tells them that they don't exist. The worst sin is to essentially erase their existence. It says that their existence doesn't matter. Indifference not only affects those who are ignored. It affects the ones ignoring. Indifference robs us of our humanity. To be human is to be a connected creature. As the African proverb says: I am because you are . Connection with others is what gives joy to life. Indifference takes away that possibility of connection. Indifference robs us of the joy that comes from connecting with others. In our modern life, we are busy going from one place to another, but we don't see each other. The needs and suffering of others remain invisible from our indifference. That indifference dehumanizes us. Without realizing it, we float through a dehumanized existence. How can we retain our humanity in this dehumanizing world? Mother Teresa's Faithfulness Today's passage is most famously associated with Mother Teresa. She lived out this passage. She fed the hungry. Clothed the naked. Cared for the sick. She lived among the poorest of the poor. She served those whom everyone else had abandoned and discarded. She inspired millions of people around the world. After she died, her private letters were published. They revealed a person who had many doubts. She felt the absence of God. She struggled with faith. And yet, her work of serving the poor never stopped. She was consistent and faithful in her work right to the end of her life. What kept her going? Despite her own doubts and struggles, she saw the face of Jesus in every person she encountered. That was what kept her going. In each person, she saw the divine image of God. Each person contained a trace of God's wonderful touch. Changed by the Face of God Not all of us can give up everything to serve the poor. Not all of us can escape this busy life. But all of us can learn to see the face of God in others. That, I believe, is the secret of resisting the indifference and numbness that our busyness inflicts upon us. See the face of God in others. In church, we worship God. We praise God. We honour God. We express love, gratitude and appreciation. We sing beautiful songs to God. See the presence of that same God in each person you encounter. It will change how you see people. Just like we do to God, you will want to show them honour, respect and dignity. You will begin to see less of their flaws and more of their beauty. It will change your attitude toward them. You will become more gracious. More forgiving. More compassionate. See the face of God in others and it will change you. It will make previously invisible people visible to you. Especially the least among us. You will see people whom the world ignores and considers unimportant. You will see them as important, because you see God in them. You will be moved to compassion. To suffer with them. Your eyes and your heart will be awakened. See the face of God in others and it will awaken your spirit to the presence of God. If you see God in the face of others, then God is everywhere. Every encounter is an opening and possibility for a new revelation from God. Maybe you will be prompted to act. Maybe a new calling will reveal itself to you. You will be more connected with others. More connected with God. More connected with life. Seeing the face of God in others is the antidote for this dehumanizing world. It is the way to awaken compassion in our hearts. It is the way to keep our hearts alive in the busy, competitive world we live in. Everyday, our prayer should be: God, today, help me to see your face in each person I encounter. That should be our prayer every day. In each encounter. Then you will see God. The Kingdom of God In the beginning of the year, the prayer is your kingdom come, your will be done. But on the last Sunday of the year, on Christ the King Sunday, we rejoice that the kingdom has come. Jesus said this: The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed, nor will they say, Look, here it is!' or There it is!' For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you. (Luke 17:20-21) When compassion is our way of life, the kingdom of God is among us. When we see the face of God in each other, the kingdom of God is among us. Turn to your neighbour and say this: Brother/sister, in you is the image of God. I see God's face in you. God bless you. Each and everyday, in every encounter, see the face of God in others. The kingdom of God is among you. The post See the Face of God in Others appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Matthew 25:14-30 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Everyone Has A Talent Today's story tells us many things about our life. The first thing that caught my attention was that we are all equipped with talents. Every single one of you has talents. Some of you sing well. Some of you do sports well. Some of you have good intelligence. Some of you have a great personality. Some of you have wisdom. Some of you have good health. Every single one of you has talents if you look at yourself carefully. Don't say that I have no talent. God gave each and every one of you talents. Some are hidden and others may be dormant yet. But you have talents. Another thing that caught my attention was that not everyone has the same amount of talents. Some have 5 talents. Others have 2 talents and still others have one talent. That's a fact. What can you do? Some are smarter than you. Some are stronger than you. No matter how much you try, if you were not born with a great voice, you will never be able to sing like Pavarotti or Celine Dion or Elvis. What can you do? No matter how much you try, there will be people who are better than you. You may not live up to the level of Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan even though you may have some athletic talents. Not only are our talents different, the amount of talents you have is different. This is where the problem comes. We don't like that. If our talents are all different, then it's ok. We can accept that. We can at least say that even if I don't sing well, I can dance well. But when the amount is different, when other people are better than you, it's hard to accept that. Because it makes you feel small and insignificant. You question why you are not as good as others. Why is she prettier than me? Why is he taller than me? Does God love me less? We translate the amount of talents into the amount of God's love. We measure the amount of God's love with the amount of talents we have. Appreciating Your Talents Once you start thinking like that, you are entering into a very slippery slope. This kind of thinking may lead you into self-pity and into a dark gloomy place. You lose confidence. You cannot even use the talent you have well. Maybe, that was what Jesus meant when he said this. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. (Matthew 25:29) I think that is what the person with one talent did. He felt that what he had was nothing compared to those who had 2 talents and 5 talents. He thought they had talents twice as much, five times as much as he had. All of a sudden what he had seemed so small and so insignificant. He didn't appreciate what he had. That is the problem a lot of us have. We don't appreciate what we have. But do you know how much is one talent? It is a big amount. It is the amount a day labourer can save for 20 years without spending it at all. The story is telling us that we all have enough. Even the person who had one talent had enough to be able to do something worthwhile. But he didn't think of doing anything with it. He just hid it in the ground. Even though what he had was enough, he fell into this trap of comparing himself with others. This reminds me of the movie Amadeus. Salieri was a good musician and yet he felt that he had nothing compared to what Mozart had. He didn't appreciate what he had. He felt that God did not love him. God did not bless him. He hated God who bestowed such a great talent to a person who was immature, silly, and obscene. He renounced God and vowed to take revenge on God by destroying Mozart. God gave all of you wonderful talents. Don't measure the worth of your talents by comparing with others. How much talents you have is not as important as how you enjoy your talents and do something worthwhile with what you have. When you enjoy what you have and start using it creatively, you can be content. Being content and being complacent are two different things. Being content is to appreciate what you have no matter how big or how small it may be. Content in Little and Plenty Yesterday, my grandkids came to our house. It is a small condo. 11 people were there and we could barely sit around. But the kids were different. They went into the bedroom and created their own game. They didn't let the environment limit them. They knew how to use their environment creatively to have fun. It is because their thinking is not tainted yet. It doesn't matter the environment. They know how to have fun, how to be happy. That was Paul's attitude. Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. (Philippians 4:11-12) He knew what it was to have little, and what it was to have plenty. Whether he had a lot or not, that was not what was important. He knew how to accept his situation and be comfortable with it. And he enjoyed what he had. After he said this beautiful phrase, he concluded with this. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13) That is what being content looks like. Confidence In Your Treasures Being content not only makes you appreciate what you have but also gives you this confidence to do something with it. You don't lose confidence because what you have is little compared to what others have. You have confidence to do whatever you want to do with it. Having a lot is not as important as enjoying what you have, being content with it, and doing something wonderful with it. Being complacent is different. You don't appreciate what you have. You don't know how to enjoy what you have. You don't see the value of what you have. You just live your life as though you have nothing. You hide your talents in the ground and do nothing about it. Let me talk to those who are 50 and over. If the years you have are talents, you have less than those who are in their 20s. But don't think that your good years are over. Do something meaningful with what you have. Don't waste your time by hiding it in the ground. Let me talk to those who are 50 and younger. Appreciate what you have. Do not compare yourself with others. See the significance of what you have. Find treasures within yourself. And do something wonderful with the talents you have. All of you, be content but don't be complacent. God has given you this life. This precious life. That is the most precious talent you have. Don't waste it. Do something worthwhile. Enjoy it but don't exhaust it. Love it but don't chase after every craving. Be thankful but don't settle for less. Feeling full, abundant, and satisfied doesn't come from having a lot. It comes from your deep gratitude for what you have. Life is not about doing better than others. Life is about enjoying what you have and doing your best with what you have. Be free from belittling yourself. Be free from self-pity. Be free from feeling small. Be free from fear of not being able to make it. God gave you a talent and he will help you when you try to do something with it. The post Be Content, Not Complacent appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script A Leader of His Generation Joshua is a well known person in the Bible. But he's not as well known as Moses. Moses is the towering figure in biblical history. He was a giant. Moses led his people out of slavery in Egypt. He freed them from a mighty empire against all odds. These are the leaders who are revered and remembered. When such a towering figure leaves, they often leave a void. It is hard for others to follow those giant footsteps. Not anyone can do this. It takes someone very strong and capable. Joshua was that person. He filled the void left behind by Moses. Moses could not get to go into the Promised Land. He died in the wilderness. Joshua finished what Moses began. Joshua was the last surviving person of his generation. He was 110 years old when he gave the speech in today's passage. He lived through everything the Israelites had experienced, from bondage in Egypt to freedom, and from the wilderness to the Promised Land. Throughout his life, he saw all that God had done. All the wonderful and mighty things God did for them. And now, as he was getting ready to depart the earth, he wondered whether the next generation would experience God the way he had. Now that they were settled, would they continue to look to God as he had? Faith in God For Joshua and his generation, they had nowhere to turn to. God heard them cry out in Egypt. God sent Moses to rescue them. God parted the Red Sea when they were trapped between the sea and pursuing Egyptians. God provided manna when they had no food in the desert. Everytime they were in need, God provided for them. Human nature is such that we only turn to God when we have nowhere else to go. When we are in control of things, then we don't need God. Joshua was concerned whether this would be the case with the next generation, now that they were settled and living in the Promised Land. But even when things are hard or not going well, that doesn't necessarily mean that we have faith. All throughout their journey in the wilderness, most of the Israelites grumbled and complained. Even after all that God had done for them, they did not trust God. They still complained and grumbled. They still had so much fear. While they were in the wilderness, Moses sent 12 spies into Canaan to scout the land and its people. When they came back, 10 of them had very negative reports. The land was indeed good, but the people were scary and unbeatable. They were like giants, and the Israelites looked like grasshoppers in comparison. Everyone believed them and fell into despair. They even began to mobilize to go back to Egypt! Back into slavery where at least they would have work and food. Only Joshua and Caleb had faith. They saw the exact same thing as the other 10, but they interpreted it very differently. This was Joshua's response: Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes and said to all the congregation of the Israelites, The land that we went through as spies is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only, do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of the land, for they are no more than bread for us; their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them. (Numbers 14:6-9) Joshua had faith. If God was with them, they would succeed. He trusted God wholeheartedly when everyone else was struck with fear. How did he have this faith when no one else did? The Gift of Faith That is a great mystery. Faith is a mystery. Faith is a gift. Somehow, Joshua was blessed with the gift of faith. He had unshakeable trust in God no matter what the circumstances. He did not waver or succumb to fear. That's what made him a great and courageous leader. Because of his faith, he was able to see and experience the power of the living God. That is what faith does. It's not that God is not working. It's that without faith, you cannot see God at work. Faith gives you eyes to see God at work. Faith gives you trust that God is working even when you cannot see it. Faith gives you hope in times where the situation is dark, unclear and uncertain. And faith opens up your heart to experience the wonderful peace and presence of God. That is the testimony of people who have faith. It is a powerful and wonderful gift. Because of his faith, Joshua experienced so many wonderful works of God. His wish was for future generations to experience God the way he did. He knew their challenges would be different from his. But he still wanted them to experience the power and presence of God in a real way. He worried that they would forget about God and look to other gods. An Original Experience with God It was not tradition that Joshua wanted to pass down. Tradition is a set of beliefs and practices that is passed down from one generation to the next. But we live in a time where tradition has broken down. It doesn't mean anything to people anymore. What used to work in the past doesn't work for us anymore. What used to be true for your parents is not necessarily true for you anymore. Life has changed so much and it keeps on changing. Tradition seems outdated. Behind tradition is an original experience that begins that tradition. Joshua had this powerful original experience of God throughout his life. He did not want to pass on a tradition. He wanted each generation to have their own original experience of God just like he had. The key to that original experience of God is faith. What we need is not tradition. It's not the beliefs of our parents or grandparents. What we need is our own original experience of God. The reason we study the Bible is to get at the original experience of God that people had. Tradition makes it easy not to think. You simply live out what's given to you. But with the breakdown of tradition, we don't know what to think. We have no guiding frameworks. Direct Your Heart Our hearts and minds are easily drawn to whatever seems most attractive and useful at that moment. This is the greatest challenge to faith today. Our hearts and minds are scattered. They're drawn in so many different directions. Everyone has an opinion. We don't know what to follow, what to believe. So we just follow the loudest voices and live from moment to moment without much thought. You cannot experience God when your heart is so scattered. You cannot experience peace and rest in God. This is the key point in Joshua's final speech: Now, therefore, revere the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline (direct) your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel. (Joshua 24:19, 23) Direct your hearts to God and nothing else. When your heart is fearful or uncertain, don't turn elsewhere. Don't be shaken by the noise around you. Don't put your trust in false opinions. Direct your hearts to God. You will experience the fullness of God's presence. God's Promise for You At the end of his life, this was Joshua's confession: And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one thing has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you; all have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. (Joshua 23:14) Faith leads you to see that God's promises are true. All the difficulties you've experienced are just part of God fulfilling his promises for you. Faith gives you assurance that they will continue to be true. That faith is your power for life. I think it's the greatest blessing to have in life. Yesterday the Session had a wonderful retreat. It was a spiritual time together. We left feeling hopeful. The Spirit of God is alive in our church. Your elders care so much about you and this church. For those who are rooted in this church and are now thinking of life beyond your career: Direct your hearts to God, and like Joshua, see how all of God's promises have come true in your life. God is not done yet. He will reveal a calling that is beyond your scheduled life. I also pray that our younger generations may experience the living reality and power of God in their lives. This was the prayer and hope of all of our elders and ministers. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Do not turn your hearts to other things. Ask for the gift of faith. Direct your hearts to God. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6) That is how Joshua lived, and that is what he experienced. This was Joshua's wish for his people. That is God's wish for you. The post Joshua’s Wish appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Psalm 67 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script God’s Dream by Rev. Young Ohm. The sermon script is unavailable until further notice. The post God’s Dream appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Ephesians 5:1-2 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Living Out the Image of God St. Paul said to be imitators of God. He didn’t mean to mimic God. Be imitators of God. Genesis writer said that we’re created in the image of God. So God created humankind in his image, in the image [&#8230;]

Scripture Passage Matthew 22:15-22 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Freedom to Give Yourself What is freedom? This question is at the root of their question to Jesus about paying taxes. Do you, Jesus, as a leader of the people, accept our submission to a foreign power? Or should we stand up and fight for our independence? Many people believe that freedom is independence and autonomy. Being in control of your situation. Being able to do what you want without being restricted by others or circumstances. That is what many Jews desired while they were under Roman occupation. But Jesus provides an interesting response to that question: Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's. (Matthew 22:21) He's pretty much saying accept the situation as it is. Pay the taxes. Accept Roman rule. In this sense, Jesus was clear eyed. He knew what the consequence was of revolting against them. It would have been near suicide. But it's not a passive resignation to the situation either. He says to give to God what is God's. What does he mean by that? What is God's? Jesus says this: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. (Matthew 22:37-38) Your heart, soul and mind belong to God. Always give that to God. You have the freedom to do that, and in doing that, you have real freedom. Whatever the situation is, no matter how little control we have, we can always give our hearts to God. This is what Jesus did and how he lived. In the end, Jesus had no control over his body and life. The Romans put a stop to what he did. They put an end to his very life. They hung him on the cross. But even in his death, he had freedom. This is what he said on the cross: Then Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands! Having said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 23:46) To his final breath, Jesus trusted God. That was his freedom. Peace In Any Circumstance My friends, it is not your circumstances that make you free. True freedom comes from letting go of control in total trust to God. It is your faith – your total trust in God that makes you free. Faith changes you and allows you to handle any situation. Whether you have control or not, faith allows you to handle it. When we lose control of our lives, it is natural to feel fear, anger, frustration, and worries. These are all things we feel as human beings. But they are very strong emotions. If we are not careful, they have the power to take control of our thoughts and actions. When you give your heart to God in trust, they are still there, but they don't have control over you. This is what Jesus said to his disciples during his last speech: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. (John 14:27) Peace reigns in your heart when you give your heart to God in trust. It's a peace that God gives to us. A peace that the world cannot give. A peace that surpasses all understanding. Peace allows you to live with the other emotions. Peace regulates them and keeps them in check. You are free from their control. This is the struggle that African American slaves must have had. For over 200 years, they had no control over their lives. Many endured brutal suffering. They had no control over where they lived or their families. They were property that could be bought and sold. They were treated as property. But many of them found freedom in faith. Through faith, they came to know who they were, and whose they were. Their bodies belonged to their earthly masters, but their hearts, souls and minds belonged to God. Despite the circumstances, they believed there was a God who cared for them. Their faith enabled them to endure and persevere. Their faith gave them hope. Their faith gave them new visions for society and the world. From this faith tradition came leaders like Martin Luther King Jr who helped change the world. The spiritual I've got peace like a river came from their experience of faith. When you are controlled by negative emotions, they will cloud and affect your thinking. You cannot think clearly when they control you. Your thinking and actions will be driven by those emotions. With a peaceful heart, you can think clearly. This is what St. Paul said: Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2) When you give your heart to God in trust, you no longer follow what everyone is doing or saying. You're able to think clearly. You are able to discern the will of God. With peace in your heart and clear thinking, your desires become oriented to the will of God. What is good and acceptable and perfect. That is a life of freedom! Reclaim Our Hearts Today, our bodies are more free than ever. We enjoy greater freedom than anyone has ever known. But somehow, we are not so free. We have more political, social and economic freedom than before, but our hearts, souls and minds are not our own. They have been given away to others. When I read and think about things going on, I say to myself, we have really lost our minds! Our hearts, our minds and our souls have been hijacked. I've been reading about the trial of the person who ran over the Muslim family in London, Ontario. The whole family except for the youngest boy was killed. The defence is admitting to the act. The issue is whether he had the necessary intent. The main defence is that his mind was clouded by his addiction to far-right content, and that he was not in control of his actions. His hard life experiences, his depression and his anger led him to consume content that further fuelled his rage and clouded his thinking and led to this tragic action. We will see whether the jury accepts that. But whatever the legal case is, the young boy will have to grow up without his family. We need to reclaim our freedom. We need to reclaim our hearts and give them to God. One concrete thing you can do is take time each day to put aside your phone. That device, and the platforms that run on them, are constantly taking our attention. That is their business model, to keep our attention. Your act of resistance is taking time each day so that you can stop and think. Process your emotions and your thoughts. Make your thoughts your own. Give your heart to God and ask for your mind to be renewed. Every day, make this a practice. Peaceful hearts. Clear thinking. Right desires. That is what we need to be free people. Pray With Hope and Peace Unfortunately, Jews did end up revolting against Rome. Passions prevailed. Those passions led to catastrophic actions. Rome came in and totally destroyed Jerusalem. They destroyed the Temple. They massacred thousands upon thousands of people. And they drove out the Jews from their traditional homeland. For 2000 years, they would live as a diaspora, suffer persecution, culminating in the Holocaust. Many of them made their way back after that to form Israel. The only thing is, there were people who had already been living there for thousands of years. The situation we are in now is in large part a result of their decision to revolt against Rome 2000 years ago. We are sitting at the precipice of an unknown situation right now in Israel. I pray that peaceful hearts, clear thinking and right desires may prevail. Jesus chose a different path from those who chose violence. He chose the path of non violence. The cross was an instrument of total control. It was the symbol of what would happen if you resisted. It was a symbol of the inevitability of Roman power. Because of Jesus' faith right to the end, that symbol was transformed. The cross is now for us a symbol of hope amidst darkness. Of new life that arises from death. I pray that there may be light that emerges from our present dark situation. St. Paul said this to his followers: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7) Reclaim your freedom in prayer. Don't let anxiety and worries overwhelm you. Let the peace of God guard your hearts and your minds. The post Reclaim Your Freedom appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Philippians 4:1-9 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Do You Live with Joy? The words we heard in today’s choir anthem are the words of a joyful spirit. They spring from a heart filled with joy. That is what we do when we gather to worship each week. Together, we make a joyful noise to our God. But can we say that we live our lives joyfully? We should ask ourselves this question. Do I live with joy in my heart? When I wake up in the morning, do I see a bright and hopeful day? Or do I see a dark and gloomy day ahead? It can be hard to live with joy. When we look around us, we don't see much to be joyful about. We are surrounded by our worries and problems. We can't seem to find a moment's rest in our daily life. Even with what's happening in the world as we speak, there's so much darkness, violence, destruction, and suffering. So we say, If only IF ONLY everything was okay in my life IF ONLY all these problems disappeared IF ONLY all was alright in the world Then maybe I'll be joyful. Yet St. Paul tells us today, Rejoice in the Lord always He doesn't stop there. Right away, he says Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. (Philippians 4:4) Rejoice, and rejoice. Rejoice always. These words may not be easy for us to accept so quickly. We want to reason why we shouldn't or cannot rejoice. The irony here is that circumstantially, Paul wasn't in a good place when he wrote these words. Far from it. He was in prison when he said, Rejoice! He had no idea whether he'd live to see another day. He lived not knowing what tomorrow held in store. While in prison, he also heard about a conflict that happened between two women (Euodia and Syntyche) in the Philippian church. Yet in his letter to the Philippians he says, Rejoice always. Philippians is known as Paul's joyful epistle. The words rejoice or joy appear about 11 times! Paul had a very different understanding of joy. Rejoice with Recognition For him, joy was not an emotional response to our circumstances. That's how we tend to understand joy. An emotional high. It is dependent on our circumstances. If that was the case, then Paul had nothing to rejoice about. Paul rejoiced not because everything was going well, but because behind the immediate circumstances of his life, he was able to SEE clearly God's hand at work. Not just in his life, but also in the life of the community he loved. When he encountered the living Christ, Paul saw the old age pass away and the NEW one beginning. It completely transformed his perspective on life. He says earlier in Philippians I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6) In any and all circumstances, Paul saw the power of living Christ at work. And so he rejoiced regardless of his circumstances. Let Go and Trust God In our journey, sometimes it's difficult to see this. Sounds nice on paper, but hard to experience in reality. Last week, Rev. Kim said how easily we forget God's grace. He called it, spiritual amnesia . Just as we don't remember too well, we don't see all that well either. We are spiritually near-sighted. We suffer from spiritual blindness. Spiritual blindness is an obstacle to a life of rejoicing always. We can't force ourselves to see what we cannot see. It is God who opens our eyes. But in order to see what we ought to see, we can do one thing. LET GO. LET GO of our fears and worries. LET GO of our prejudice and stubborn ways of thinking. LET GO of our desire to be in control of our life. Through PRAYER, we can LET GO. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6) As long as we let these things have hold over us, we will only see what's in front of our eyes. Our eyes will be fixed on the darkness we see. We ourselves will become dark, negative and cynical. When we learn to let go of these things and entrust them in God's hands, we will be free to see what we could not see before. Scales will fall from our eyes. We will find a little bit of sunshine in the darkest day. We will see our foggy horizon clearing up. We will experience a deep sense of calm in the midst of a storm. Isn't that what Paul said? And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7) Rejoicing comes from hearts and minds that are surrounded by the peace of God. We rejoice because we trust that God who began the good work in Christ is still at work in our midst. Rejoice Always In that sense, joy is not just some feeling . It is not a mere display of excitement. Rather, it is our attitude towards life. Our way of being. It is more like a quiet confidence, assurance, and inner gladness. That way, we can rejoice always . Our attitude will not easily change according to our circumstances. Don't mistake what I'm saying as being invincible. We will always be affected by what happens in our life. We are fragile and vulnerable. We will get angry, sad, frustrated, and disappointed at times. Though we are not of this world, we are still in the world. But our joy will keep us from being overcome by the power of darkness that tries to swallow us up. It will make us strong, resilient, and hopeful. Listen to what the prophet Habakkuk said Though the fig tree does not blossom and no fruit is on the vines; though the produce of the olive fails and the fields yield no food; though the flock is cut off from the fold and there is no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will exult in the God of my salvation. (Habakkuk 3:17, 18) YET I WILL REJOICE! It is a bold and powerful declaration. To rejoice when there seems to be no reason to rejoice that is faith. As people of the resurrection, we live by this faith, with joy. As God's people, let us stand firm. No matter what may be happening in our lives, let us not give up or be easily discouraged. What we often see with our own eyes is only a tiny fraction of what is really happening. Instead of being reactive, let us be patient, gentle and kind. Let us look to God. God will grant us his wisdom and show us what to do. God will give us the eyes of faith to see what is good and the strength to do what is good. Joy will flow out of our life like an endless stream of river. The post Rejoice Always appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Deuteronomy 8:7-18 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script By God's Grace Thanksgiving is simply not forgetting. St. Paul said, everything is God's grace. He said, I am who I am by God's grace. Yes. Everything is by God's grace. I am who I am by God's grace. The fact that I can breathe is God's grace. The fact that I can have a good and peaceful sleep at night is God's grace. Living with joy and peace is by God's grace. Grace is such a beautiful gift of God and yet so many people don't feel it and that's sad. They live with this tremendous burden that everything depends on them. They don't feel the giftedness of life every day. People who experience grace don't live like that. It's not that they don't work hard. They work hard too. But in the end, they know that everything in life does not depend only on them and their abilities. They know that life is more than what they can make with their own hands. They know that life is bigger than them. So even when they become weak, they don't give up. Even when the future is gloomy, they don't lose hope. Even when they get old, their spirit is always young. That was the life of St. Paul. That's why he said this. So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16) What's going on outside is only a fraction of your existence. What's going on inside is a greater portion of your life. When you know that you are who you are by God's grace, you can live a SOLID life. You will not be easily defeated. A Lesson for All Moses wanted to teach his people this beautiful lesson. He wanted his people to live a solid life. If you can teach your children that life is a gift of God and there is a power of God's grace that will carry their life, you are giving them the best lesson of life. You are not just giving them fish. You teach them how to fish. You teach them the secret of life. They will not be defeated in life. They will enjoy every moment of their life. That is the best lesson that you can give to your children. We don't know what they will experience in life. They may experience challenges bigger than what they can handle with their own strength. They may lose themselves, their confidence, and their hope. They may experience failures. They may lose their health. But if you teach them that there is power of God's grace, they can overcome their challenges. Moses wanted to teach them this lesson. Wilderness was the best place the Israelites could learn this lesson. It was God's grace to let the Israelites go through the experience of wilderness. God wanted to teach them that they were not alone. We human beings never learn with our brain. We learn only when we feel through the skin. In the wilderness, they learned the lesson not with their brain but through their skin. When there was nothing to eat, they experienced hunger in their stomach. When there was nothing to drink, they experienced the thirst in their mouth. When they were bitten by poisonous snakes, they felt the pain through the skin. But through those experiences, they learned that it was God who provided. We can see that in today's passage. (It is God) who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid waste-land with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good. (Deuteronomy 8:15, 16) God put them in a condition where they could not do anything. Then he wanted to teach them this: even in a condition where you cannot do anything, you will survive because of my grace. Their wilderness experience was God's grace for them. It was God's blessing. Learn Through Your Suffering Sometimes our suffering is God's hidden blessing. There are things you can never learn without suffering. You cannot learn humility without suffering. You cannot learn your limitations without suffering. You cannot learn that life is about helping each other without suffering. You cannot learn to feel others' suffering without suffering. You cannot learn that you can be stronger with suffering. More than anything else, you cannot learn that our life is by God's grace without suffering. Suffering will never disappear from us. We have suffering in our broken relationships. We have the pain of sending away loved ones first. There are also people who hurt us. We go through our own personal darkness. Suffering will always be there. I hope that these sufferings may not make you weak. Rather, I hope that they teach you about God's grace. Do Not Forget The biggest problem is that we live forgetting God's grace. That was what Moses was concerned about. We can see that clearly in Moses' words. When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery (Deuteronomy 8:12-14) Not forgetting, Remembering – that is what thanksgiving is. Not to forget that your life is by God's grace – that is thanksgiving. If you don't forget this, your suffering will not overwhelm you. You will never perish. When you are healthy, you don't realize how important it is to be healthy. When you have plenty of food, you don't know how good it is to have food at every meal. When everything is going well, you don't know how things can be so complicated. That's when you forget. When things go well, you forget. You even forget God. Then thankfulness disappears from your heart too. That is the beginning of problems. Your heart will be replaced by complaints, dissatisfaction, and frustration. That's not the end. Worries, anxiety, fear, and darkness will fill your heart. Spiritual amnesia – that is something we have to deal with when we try to live a spiritual life. Don't fall into spiritual amnesia. Write a thanksgiving journal. Every day, from small things, learn to appreciate. Verbalize your appreciation. Express it, to others, to yourself, and to God and write them in your journal. Spiritual people are filled with thanksgiving. People who live with deep thankfulness will never perish. Their life will be open. Blessings follow those who live their lives with thankfulness. Thankfulness brings another thankfulness. And this thankfulness brings blessings. Remembering is Thanksgiving When thankfulness disappears from you, your life becomes dark. The best therapy for your gloominess is to cultivate this thankfulness within you. There are so many things to be thankful for. When you think about these things, you have no time to complain. But people make time to complain. Very unwise. Be thankful. It is a very simple thing to do but a very powerful and effective thing to do. When you start having this thankfulness, your life becomes untangled. You will see that. Don't make your life complicated. Be thankful for the roses. But also be thankful for the thorn. That is life's secret. Thankfulness opens your life. Complaints and criticism close your life. When you are thankful, you will see a path you didn't see before. It is a path that shows you what to do. It is a path that leads you to the solution to your problems. Thanksgiving will give you life's confidence. This is St. Paul's confession. Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13) He said, I can do all things. Not because of his own abilities but because of the one who strengthened him. Don't forget that life is a gift. Enjoy it and be thankful. Happy Thanksgiving! The post Thanksgiving – Not Forgetting appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Matthew 21:23-32 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script A Life I Want to Live I want to live my life with authority. Whenever my final breath is, I want to know that I've done my part to the fullest. I want to know that I lived out my unique calling. I want to know that I've done everything I can to make a positive contribution to this world. That's the kind of life I want to live. I don't want to live looking over my shoulder. I don't want to cower in fear of what others will think. This is easier said than done. I know I still have my insecurities. I still desire the approval of others. But in my heart, I want to live a life true to my deepest convictions. I want to live with courage. I want to live free to love others. I want to live a life that is uniquely my own. I want to live with the power of God in my life. I want to be transformed to live according to God's will. I don't want to just settle for a comfortable and safe life. I pray that I may have the faith and courage to endure difficulties for the sake of my deepest beliefs and convictions. Different Kinds of Authority The chief priests and elders had great authority. They had great power. They were in charge of the Temple. The Temple was the center of Jewish life. The Romans gave them the power to tax every Jew in the Empire, no matter where they lived. This authority came with many benefits. The Temple economy generated enormous wealth, and these leaders grew very rich. They lived in the best houses; enjoyed the best food; and had the greatest status among all of the Jews. But this power and privilege came with a price. Their authority came from the approval of others. They became concerned with protecting their power. They were busy looking over their shoulder at what people would think. We know nothing of what they really believed. They were not driven by their deepest convictions. We can only see fear beneath their awesome power. This was their response to Jesus' question about John the Baptist: And they argued with one another, If we say, From heaven,' he will say to us, Why, then, did you not believe him?' But if we say, Of human origin,' we are afraid of the crowd, for all regard John as a prophet. So they answered Jesus, We do not know. (Matthew 21:25-27) What a copout! No courage of conviction. No courage to say what they truly believed. Simply looking over their shoulder. That is a weak and flimsy authority. John the Baptist was so different from these chief priests and elders. His authority came from no person. He was a wild man who lived alone in the desert. He ate locusts. He wore camel's hair. Many thought he was crazy or insane. But he had a power of conviction. He knew what he believed in. And people were drawn to his message. His authority came from the response to his words. People believed him and were changed. What kind of authority are we seeking? What kind of authority have we been living with? Fitting In Last week I was invited to preach at TKPC. That is the church I grew up in. It's the church that shaped who I am. It's the place I met God. It's the place I learned how to be a leader. It's the place I first felt my calling to ministry. Being there brought back many memories. It made me think back to where we came from, where we're at now, and where we're heading. The church was an important place for us. It was a place we felt safe. Growing up in Canada as a visible minority took a great toll on many of us. It inflicted many little cuts and slices to our souls. We felt unwanted. We felt like outsiders.. The racism we experienced seared into our self-confidence. The church absorbed some of this pain. We found some comfort. But it could not shield us fully. It did not help us reflect critically on our experiences. It did not help us deal with the pain to find new meaning from it. We had to find our own way in the world. To survive, we had to fit in. Fit in our workplaces. Fit in our neighbourhoods. Fit in the circles that our children needed to belong to. Fitting in became the key to survival. Many second generation became like the chief priests and elders. Looking over their shoulder became second nature. They worked so hard to find acceptance in their jobs and careers. They enjoyed the lifestyle that came from this acceptance. Maintaining that position and privilege became the main concern. In their quest to fit in, I wonder if we lost ourselves. I wonder if at the bottom of it, we are still driven by fear. Fear of losing everything we've worked so hard to build. Fear of losing enjoyment of what we have. I wonder if somewhere along the way, we lost belief in ourselves. Belief that we have something unique and special to contribute to this world. I wonder if we've convinced ourselves that this is as good as it gets. Just be thankful and appreciative for what we have and enjoy it. Just fit in and enjoy it. Do Not Hide Your Fear and Pain In church, we hear every week about how God loves us. We say amen. We say yes we believe. But I wonder if we've become like the second son in today's passage, who says yes I will , but then does not. We say we believe in God's love for us, but do we live as if that's really true? Do we live with the confidence and assurance of such love and live out our truest beliefs and convictions? The second generation experienced so much pain. But this pain is hidden and buried deep in our hearts. To overcome that pain, we wanted to show how much we are acceptable. How much we can fit in. We ran away from the pain by fitting in. In the Bible, God uses the pain of human experience to work most powerfully. St. Paul himself said that when I am weak, I am strong, for power is made perfect in weakness. God takes our pain and transforms it into something beautiful. But that only happens when we come face to face with it. Jacob's greatest fear was encountering his brother Esau. He had deceived and tricked Esau, and he ran away for many years. But now he was about to confront him after all these years. The night before the encounter, he was all alone by the river. A man came to wrestle with him. They wrestled all night. Jacob would not let go. The man struck him in his hip socket and put his hip out of joint, but still he would not let go. The man asked Jacob to let him go, but he said: I will not let you go until you bless me! He asked Jacob what his name was. When Jacob responded, the man said: You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans and have prevailed. (Genesis 32:28) Jacob strove and prevailed. He paid a price for it. His hip socket was permanently out of joint, and walked with a limp for the rest of his life. But he was blessed. From the fire of dealing with his fear and pain, he emerged as a new person with a new name and identity. Live With Authority of Your Convictions My friends, to live with authority, you must wrestle head on with your greatest fears. When you wrestle like Jacob did, God will bless you. You will emerge as a new person. You will be free from fear. You will be healed of your pain. You will be free to discover your truest passions and convictions. You will have the courage to live according to them. That is a blessed life. We should be thankful that God has brought us this far. We are blessed in many ways. But we have another step to take. To go beyond this safe place we are in and venture forth with boldness. To discover deeper convictions and be driven by them. Let us be free of the need to fit in. Live an original life! The great African-American author, James Baldwin, said this: The place in which I'll fit will not exist until I make it. (James Baldwin) Make a beautiful life for yourself and others. Live life with the authority of your deepest convictions. I pray that all of you take this journey. God is faithful, God is merciful. God will bless you. And you will live your life with authority. The post Live with Authority appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Matthew 20:1-16 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script The Searching Landowner Jesus is talking about the kingdom of God today. What does the kingdom of God look like? Jesus said the kingdom of God is like a landowner. For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. (Matthew 20:1) A landowner who went out early in the morning That's what the kingdom of God is like. The kingdom of God is like the landowner who is searching. He was searching from early in the morning. But not just in the morning, he was searching all day. When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same. And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, Why are you standing here idle all day? (Matthew 20:5, 6) That's what the kingdom of God is like. God who searches for us. A woman who searches for the lost coin. A father who searches for the lost son. That is what our God is like. This is what Christianity is all about. This is the core of our faith. Jesus, God's son, came in human form, to search for those who are lost. We can see this in Jesus' parable of the lost sheep very clearly. This story comes out two chapters before today's story. What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. (Matthew 18:12, 13) You will never be left alone abandoned. Because there is God who searches for you. We will not be lost. My friends, we don't always walk on a right path. We don't always walk straight. Sometimes we wander. Sometimes, we get lost. When I was a child, I went to this palace called in Seoul. At that time, there was a zoo in the palace. So many people. So crowded. I went with my mother and I got lost. I followed balloons and after a while, I realized that I was all alone in the crowd. My mother wasn't there. I looked around everywhere and I couldn't see my mom. The feeling of panic I got at that time is still vivid to me. But soon, I saw my mother who was searching everywhere to find me. God Searches for His People Life is not always good. It doesn't matter how hard you try, sometimes things don't work out. Even the most capable people can fall. The prophet Isaiah knew about this very well. So he said, Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted. (Isaiah 40:30) Even youths will faint. The young will fall exhausted. Sometimes we see no solution for our problems. We feel that even God cannot help us. We cannot see any clear path to take. Isaiah knew our troubled heart so well. Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God'? (Isaiah 40:27) But Isaiah did not give up. When there was no hope, when there was no power left in him, and even when he felt that his way was hidden from God, he didn't give up. Because he knew that there was God who would search for him and his people. Even when Israelites abandoned God and went their own separate ways, God did not abandon his people. And Isaiah knew that. This was his confession. Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31) The landowner did not go out to search for the best of the best. He went out at the 11th hour. 11th hour means the one hour before the end of the day. Even at that hour, he went out to look for people. This is what they said when the landowner asked why they were not working. Because no one has hired us. (Matthew 20:7) Nobody wanted them. That is mercy. That is how mercy works in our life. That is what grace is like. That is the kingdom of God. We have to experience this mercy in our lives. God is not with us only when everything goes well. When you experience difficulties, when you feel powerless and helpless, when you don't know what to do, even then, God is searching for you. If you can see that, you can see the kingdom of God. Mend a Broken Society Jesus said, Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners. (Matthew 9:12, 13) The measure of a society is how it treats its weakest members. When we have the vision of the kingdom of God, our society will not collapse. When our society is only filled with competitiveness and when our society is only for those who are capable and powerful, when that society loses the vision of the kingdom of God, it will not be able to sustain. There will a lot of sorrow, frustration, and darkness. The birth rate of Korea is the lowest in the world. Young couples don't want children. Because there are few jobs they want. Also because there is a high cost of education. They call it Edupoor (Neologism from Education and poor.) 0.78 – well below Japan's 1.26. OECD countries' average: 1.58. They may have to receive immigration to sustain the economy. Does that society have the infrastructure to be able to accommodate the weak and poor immigrants? That was what Jesus did. Jesus' whole life was like a metaphor. Metaphor that shows what the kingdom of God is like. He spent time with those who were rejected and alienated and gave them hope for the new life and a new opportunity. He restored their dignity. They felt loved for the first time. From the society, they constantly experienced judgment and discrimination. But for the first time, they felt valued. The Kingdom of God Most people might have followed Jesus because they saw the miracles he performed. But there were also people who followed Jesus because they experienced what the people who came at the 11th hour experienced. They experienced the kingdom of God. When Jesus said to Zacchaeus, I would stay at your house, he felt so welcomed and honored because no one wanted to associate with him. So, he gave away all of his possessions. He experienced the kingdom of God. When Mary felt deep love from Jesus, she poured her most expensive perfume with tears. She experienced the kingdom of God. When the disciples experienced the kingdom of God, they gave up their lives. The kingdom of God is hidden to those who think they can handle their lives well on their own, who don't need anybody's help. The kingdom of God is revealed to those who desperately need God's help. The kingdom of God is not what we can create for ourselves. The kingdom of God is a gift given to us. It is to get a new opportunity to start again even though we have failed. That's why there is joy. That's why there is gratitude. People who experienced the kingdom of God live with joy and thankfulness. The fact that they worked at the vineyard was by the grace of the owner.  On top of that, receiving a full day's wage was also the grace that they received. Especially people who came one hour before knew that clearly. To them, 1 denarion was not a wage but a gift. Our life is not a wage but a gift. If you understand that, your life will be brightened up. When you are down, depressed When you feel that nothing goes well in your life You are not alone. Remember: God is searching for you. Don't forget that. The post God Who Searches appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Romans 14:1-12 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Judgmental Attitudes In today's passage, St. Paul talks about judgmental attitudes. That is what I want to reflect on today. Judgmental attitudes destroy relationships and communities. This was the underlying issue in the community in Rome. Judgmental attitudes were threatening the community. Judgmental attitudes create divisions among people: within families, among friends, and in communities. To live in peace and harmony with one another, we have to overcome judgmental attitudes. Judgmental attitudes make you see only the flaws in other people. You start defining other people solely based on their flaws. It gives you an excuse to see them as less than human; treat them as less than human. You look down on them because of their flaws. Judgmental attitudes are corrosive. They erode the sense of community and togetherness. They kill the spirit of those around you. Not only those around you, but they also kill your spirit too. When you have a judgmental attitude, you can't enjoy life. It takes over you. It darkens your outlook and clouds the way you see people. The only energy you get is from judging other people. It's toxic. From Our Hearts Judgmental attitude comes from a toxic heart. A heart that is not at peace. There is some great unease and disturbance in the judgmental heart. When that disturbed heart gets triggered, it lashes out. It releases itself in judgment toward others. So the root of a judgmental attitude lies in our hearts. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. (Matthew 5:19) Add to this verse the words judgmental attitudes . The judgmental heart is very uneasy. It is insecure. It is volatile. Its sense of well-being fluctuates wildly. The judgmental heart often feels threatened. It fears losing its standing. At its very core, the judgmental person is afraid that my life doesn't mean anything. That my life is insignificant. That I don't matter. That I am not loved or loveable. In order to feel like they matter, the judgmental person needs to justify themselves. Justify their life. Justify their existence. Justify who they are. With Self Righteousness, Without Peace To survive, the judgmental person becomes very self-righteous. To be righteous means to live rightly. To have right standing. The self-righteous person tries to feel better about themselves by convincing themselves that they are living rightly. The problem with self-righteousness is that you are righteous only in relation to others. You feel better about yourself only in comparison to others. You do the right thing compared with those who are doing the wrong thing. Self-righteousness elevates yourself by putting others down. Self-righteousness does not give you peace in your heart. You are always verifying that you are more right than others. You are always measuring yourself. Luke describes this story: Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: I thank you, God, that I am not like other people cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I'm certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.' (Luke 18:9-12) Most of us may not explicitly say or pray these things, but somewhere deep in our hearts and subconscious, we think in this way. My friends, when you have a judgmental heart, you can only feel better about yourself by putting other people down. You can only be righteous by having people who are inferior to you. Self-righteousness always separates you from others. It does not make you happier. It is futile and will never bring you peace. Find Peace in God’s Righteousness You can only find peace in your heart when it's not dependent on the approval or acceptance of others. People's reactions, their approvals, what they say – it will fluctuate and vary wildly depending on the circumstances. Our peace has to be consistent and reliable no matter what the circumstances are. This peace is what St. Paul discovered. He found this peace not in his own righteousness, but in the righteousness of God. The righteousness of God is very different from self-righteousness. God does not establish his righteousness by putting us down. He does not do so by pointing out our flaws or condemning us. Rather, God overlooks our wrongdoings and shortcomings. God absorbs and takes on our weaknesses and failures. That is what Christ did on the cross. St. Paul says: God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) God's righteousness comes from love. God acts rightly out of love for us. God loves us in order to restore our relationship. Self-righteousness separates and divides, but God's righteousness reconciles and brings together. God's righteousness creates the possibility of a new beginning together in harmony. The Light of God’s Grace God's righteousness brings peace that removes hostility and judgmental attitudes. The danger of a judgmental attitude is that it blinds you. It blinds you to the brokenness inside of you that drives your need to elevate yourself above others. It blinds you to the effects that your judgmental attitude has on others. It blinds you to your arrogance and lack of empathy that keeps others down. This is why confession is such a big part of our faith life. We ask God to shine a light on areas where we are doing wrong. To take away our blindness and reveal our sins so that we can confess them and seek forgiveness. It is like requesting a spiritual x-ray from God to diagnose any hidden tumors in our hearts. That was the prayer of the psalmist: Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. (Psalm 139) The scariest part of getting an x-ray is the fear of finding something unexpected. We see our sins not to feel guilty or ashamed. We see our sins so that we can see the greater grace of God. When you see your sins clearly, then God's grace means so much more. If you don't see your sins, then there's no need for grace. When you see your own brokenness, God's grace becomes a powerful force that brings healing for your soul. The knowledge that God overlooks your sins to restore a relationship with you humbles you and changes your heart. See Preciousness Our righteousness does not come from checking off any boxes. It is not based on what we do. It comes from believing in God's love for me. Not a belief in my brain, but a belief in my guts and bones. From accepting a grace that seems too good to be true but is. It comes from knowing and trusting that God overlooks my sins to restore a right relationship with me. God's grace affirms how precious you are in spite of your flaws and weaknesses. It affirms that your life matters. That you are loved. God has made you beautiful. You don't need other people to tell you that. You don't need to check off any boxes. God has fashioned you and designed you in a unique way. Every day, root yourself again and again in God's grace. Grace opens your heart. It makes room for others. In God's grace, you see how precious you are. That grace spills over and lets you see how precious other people are as well. THAT is the key to overcoming judgmental attitudes: to see how precious other people are. When you see how precious they are, you make room for them. You can still see their flaws, but they don't trigger judgmental attitudes in you. Instead of judgment and condemnation, you feel empathy and compassion. You see that their flaws arise from some hurt in their heart. Instead of a judgmental attitude, you develop critical discernment. You see their flaws clearly. You see how they might affect the community. But instead of judging them, you seek the wisdom to minimize the damage they do. In love, you try to restore that person to the community. Restored With Grace &amp; Love That is what Jesus did. Zacchaeus was not a good man. He was a chief tax collector who got rich off the backs of the poor townspeople. Jesus did not condone what he had done. But instead of judging and condemning him, he invited himself over to his house. His actions and presence of grace changed Zacchaeus. He essentially gave all of his money away as reparations for all he had done – to repair his relations with his community. It came not from guilt but from grace. This is what Jesus said about Zacchaeus: Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. (Luke 19:9) Jesus' ministry was to restore those judged unfit back into the community. This is the ministry we have been called to. There is too much judgment and condemnation in our world today. Overcome judgmental attitudes. Create room for grace by living in the grace of God. Be people who restore others back into the community. The post Overcome Judgmental Attitudes appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Romans 13:8-14 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Owed Love St. Paul begins the passage by saying this: Owe no one anything, except to love one another. (Romans 13:8) We owe something to those who love us and take care of us. The amount of love and help we've received, we owe that back. You owe them gratitude. You owe them your care and resources when they need it. But what about people you owe nothing to? They are people outside of your circle. People who have not been a part of your life. St. Paul is talking about a different kind of love. Not loving just those we owe that love to. But loving those we owe nothing else to. This is very different from the love we're used to. It's love that crosses my boundaries. Love for those I don't feel any connection with. Loving others sounds nice. But why should we owe love to others who have nothing to do with us? Can't I just live my own life? Isn't causing no harm good enough? Neighbour The commandments are about not doing harm to others. Do not murder; do not steal; do not covet. But Paul summarizes all the commandments in a more proactive way. To love your neighbour. Jesus expanded the meaning of neighbour. The Samaritan did not know the man he encountered on the road. No one would expect a Samaritan to help a Jew. Samaritans and Jews were enemies. He expanded the meaning of neighbour to not just someone you know, but anyone who needs help, especially those you don't know. I don't think it was only for the sake of those who need help. It is also for the sake of the one giving the help. The kind of love that Jesus and St. Paul are talking about is meant to bless us. To expand our life. That is what mission is all about. It is about going beyond people I know. Connecting with those who I have no relation with. We don't owe them anything. But we go to love them nonetheless. But in the process of loving them, we become more blessed. That is what the team that went to Sioux Valley experienced. Apart from the Songs, none of us had any relationship with the people there. They had nothing to do with us. But we went with a call to love them nonetheless. I think more than them, it was those of us who went who were more blessed. We were filled. We were healed. Our lives were expanded. You can live your life owing nothing to anyone. You can live comfortably and safely with just the people you like. But you will miss out on so much in life: No new or deeper connections with others. No new experiences. Stay stuck where you are. Stay small. Loving those we owe nothing to expands who we are. Enriches life. Brings joy, satisfaction, fullness. Love the Stranger If you can love those whom you owe nothing to, then you are a spiritual person. Loving those who have nothing to do with us is the highest level of spiritual maturity. It reflects who Jesus was. But it is the hardest thing to do. It is the most unnatural thing to do. We cannot just will ourselves to love like this. There has to be a change in my heart. Something that changes how I see others. God gave the Israelites this commandment: You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 10:19) Love the stranger. This commandment was given to the Israelites after they escaped slavery in Egypt. Right from the beginning, they are commanded to love the stranger. Why did they receive this command? Where did it come from? That commandment arose from the memory of their own suffering. Not just the suffering itself, but how God came and rescued them from their suffering. The Israelites had been through so much. Suffering under slavery. Being lost in the wilderness. Facing an uncertain future. But when they looked back, they remembered God who loved them, was faithful and had been with them. Knowing God's love for them opened their hearts to love the stranger. In God’s Love Life is filled with difficulties and suffering. We cannot escape it. Many of you have faced and still face your own challenges and difficulties. If you feel like you've had to do everything on your own, and that there was no one there to help you, then you feel like you owe nothing to anyone. But if you see that you have been helped when times were difficult, then your heart becomes filled with gratitude. That gratitude is the prerequisite of an open heart. A heart that welcomes and loves others. (KLSA story). Life has been and is challenging. Sometimes we wonder how we made it to today. But you have all made it this far. You are still standing here today. That is reason to rejoice and be thankful. Don't take life for granted. When I was on vacation: African American church services. Prayer of invocation: always thank you for letting me wake up, thank you for another day to worship you Same with Sioux Valley. Through all your difficult times, God was there to help you. There were times we were down and out. But God helped you. God provided people to help you get through those times. God gave you the strength to keep carrying on More than that, God helped us even when we were strangers from God. Not just strangers, but even enemies of God. When we were selfish, God still helped us. When we were mean and unloving, God still helped us. When we were sinning and doing all kinds of wrong and evil things, even still God helped us This is what St. Paul proclaims: God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) While we were still enemies of God, God was still loving us and reaching out to us. There is nothing that we did to warrant God's love, but God chose to reach out to us. That is the love that God has for us. We are all here by God's grace When we live in God's grace, God's love fills us and flows out from us. It is no longer us that decides to love. It is God's love that flows out from us. Loving others is the result of being filled with God's love Everyday, live in the goodness of God's love. Start every day thanking God for his goodness. Commit each day to live in his goodness. Let that goodness fill you and flow out from you Grateful St. Paul gives a warning: You know what time it is, how it is already the moment for you to wake from sleep the night is far gone; the day is near. (Romans 13:11-12) The time to love is now. Not tomorrow, not next week. We should never take life for granted. When we do die, it is not the number of years you live that count. We don't know exactly when St. Paul died, or how old he was. But that does not matter: what matters is that he left behind beautiful words that became the Word of God for us. Those words continue to shape us, help us and empower us today. What matters is the love that flowed through him in the words he left us. Viktor Frankl, a psychologist who survived the Holocaust, said this: We do not judge the life history of a person by the number of pages in the book that portrays it but only by the richness of the content it contains. Viktor E. Frankl, Yes to Life: In Spite of Everything It is not the number of pages in the book of your life that matters, but the richness of its contents. Make your life filled with rich content! Love is what makes the content of your life rich. Loving those whom we owe nothing to is the most beautiful thing we can do. The great thing about love is we can never stop expanding in our ability to love. It can keep growing until the day we die. (Reflections on St. Tim's and KSM) This church has to be a place where the goodness of God is experienced Our job is to live daily in the goodness of God. Be grateful for each day. Let the love of God flow within you. That love will flow out to others. Your life will be truly blessed. The post Let Love Expand You appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Romans 12:9-21 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Do Not Avenge These are beautiful words. We should read them daily and keep them in our heart. Paul is teaching us about how to live as a Christian. Or how to live as a good human being. These are marks of Christians. These are visible marks of being a good person. You don't become haughty but associate with the lowly. You extend hospitality to strangers. How beautiful it is to live like that. It doesn't matter whether you are Christians or not. It is what a good human being is supposed to do. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. It sounds simple and easy but people don't do that. Many times people are jealous with those who rejoice. They are indifferent to those who weep. We just don't know how to feel for others. St. Paul said to feel for others. That is a beautiful attitude. But Paul left the most important and the most difficult topic to the end. DO NOT AVENGE! Bless those who persecute you. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. This is what differentiates a good person from an ordinary person. What Paul is telling us to do is very hard. How can you bless your enemies? Those who did evil to you? How can you bless them? Our whole body protests against that. Every cell of my body shouts, NO WAY!!! At best, I can ignore what they did to me. But no way I can bless them. An Eye For An Eye Taylor Swift sang, There's nothing I do better than revenge! Yes, that is what I want to do. We can all identify with that. We don't need to practice to do that. We are already good at it. It is our automatic response when we are hurt. Somebody strikes you, you strike back. We believe that we are entitled to do that. We have the right to do that. Maybe we do. Paul is not saying that you don't. But Paul is saying, Don't do it. Why? BECAUSE IT IS NOT GOOD FOR YOU. Gandhi said, An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Yes, it destroys both. It destroys you. And it destroys those who hurt you. Actually, Moses gave an eye for an eye instruction for the sake of telling them to be fair. When somebody takes your eye, just take his eye, not his nose and his ears. Don't be a savage. Just one eye, not two eyes either. That's fair. That was Moses' ethics. Ethics of being fair. But when it comes to Jesus, he introduced a higher ethics. You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. (Matthew 5:38-41) A very different idea and a very different standard. It was the same idea as what St. Paul said. Bless those who hurt you. Bless and do not curse them. That is Jesus' way of living our life. It sounds unreasonable. It doesn't sound rational. But I believe that there is a good reason behind that. A Vengeful Heart When evil is done to you, it hurts. Yes, it hurts. When you are betrayed, When you are back stabbed, When you are wrongfully accused, It hurts. No one is immune from the feeling of that hurt. You don't need to pretend that it doesn't hurt. It hurts. When I went to Ohio for a conference, I heard a minister telling us this story. He went to another town to preach and there he met a couple who used to come to his church. After the service, they came to him and so he greeted them nicely and talked to them. That night, when he came to his hotel room, he was covered with hives. And he was shivering. He didn't know why. He realized that he was still feeling the hurt. When this couple was at his church, they hurt him so much that he still felt it. The evil done to you hurts you. But it doesn't stop there. It often creates a vengeful heart and brings darkness within you. It does not just hurt you but takes you into a very dark place. When you are hurt, you want to avenge yourself. You feel that you have to do it. You feel that you need to release your negative emotions. So that you may not be destroyed by your negative emotions. But it doesn't. It doesn't help you. It makes you feel worse. The research found out that the revenge makes you feel worse. Kevin M. Carlsmith, Timothy D. Wilson, and Daniel T. Gilbert studied several participants about the revenge. In their studies, while participants thought they'd feel better after exacting revenge, the researchers found the very opposite. It wasn't just that punishing the transgressor didn't provide a release but that it in fact made participants focus on and ruminate about both the transgressor and the transgression more. Yes, momentarily, you may feel good because you can release your negative emotions within you. But in the end, it is not good for you. You will feel worse. Not only you feel worse, if the hurt turns into a vengeful heart, it will take you to a dark place. This vengeful heart is much more difficult to deal with than the hurt you feel. You don't want your hurt to create a vengeful heart. Living out a vengeful heart takes away joy from you. You cannot be happy with the vengeful heart. Being hurt – yes, it is painful. But living with a vengeful heart is much worse. Dr. Joseph Burgo said in his book, The Narcissist You Know, said, The more narcissistic you are, the more tendency you will create a vengeful heart within you. Grace You don't always have to turn your hurt into a vengeful heart. We Christians are equipped to deal with our hurt in a healthy way. Knowing our weaknesses, God has provided us with a mechanism to deal with our hurt. God has given us the grace. And with the power of grace, we can deal with our hurt in a healthy way. When grace is strongly present in you, your hurt will not turn into a vengeful heart. When the grace of God is powerfully working within you, you don't let the evil do that to you. The grace within you will protect you from the evil. The grace will deliver us from evil as Jesus taught us to pray. God's grace will turn cursing into blessing. St. Paul said, Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21) Deal with evil done to you with God's grace. The only way to deal with evil is not with evil but with good. Blessing those who persecute you – that is overcoming evil with good. That was what Jesus did on the cross. He prayed for the forgiveness of those who crucified him. The cross itself is overcoming evil with good. Jesus' whole life was overcoming evil with good. Because he lived his life by God's grace. When you are able to do that, you will be the winner of life. Nothing can destroy you. That is the sign of real strength. The post Turning Curses Into Blessings appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Matthew 14:22-33 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script The Sea of Galilee Albert Einstein once said, “Three great forces rule the world: stupidity, fear and greed.” I think fear is the greatest and most pervasive force of all. Stupidity and greed can come from fear. Fear exercises a powerful influence over us. It [&#8230;]

Scripture Passage Revelation 21:1-4 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Sioux Valley The writer of Revelation talks about the new heaven and new earth. He compares it to the old order. The old order consists of death, mourning, crying and pain. In the new order, tears are wiped away, and the things of the old are no longer. Sadly enough, we experienced so much of the old order during our mission trip this past week to Sioux Valley Dakota Nation. Sioux Valley is a beautiful place in southwestern Manitoba. They are a beautiful people with beautiful hearts. But the legacy of colonialism, residential schools, and everything else is visible in the lives of the people of Sioux Valley today. In Sioux Valley, every day seems to be like the old order of things. Everyday is a catastrophe waiting to happen. You never know what tragedy the next day will bring. There is a lot of pain. These days, there is a drug issue on the reserve. One evening we held a worship service at the local church building that's owned by the community. Some kids from the neighbourhood saw cars in the parking lot and were curious so they peeked in. Sarah went to talk to them and asked where their parents were. One girl said that her mom died so she was staying with her auntie, but she wasn't sure where she would be tomorrow. Another said her dad had died and she was staying with a grandma. And another girl with a similar story. They spoke matter of factly, as if it was a everyday occurrence. Prayer at Martha's house? Any one of these things would shake us to the core, and we would need a lot of time to process just one of these. But for so many people there, these are everyday occurrences. How can you function in such a world? We held a memorial service at the community cemetery. I looked around the cemetery. So many young deaths. Our norm these days is for people to live into their 80's at least. If they die during their 70's, there is a feeling that their lives were unfortunately cut short. But there, so many people die at a young age: adults in their thirties, twenties, teens, and even babies. There are so many health issues too. So many people there have diabetes The legacy of residential schools and other colonial policies destroyed families, their cultures, their way of life and even their bodies in the form of poor health. But the most lasting legacy is the legacy of damaged hearts A heart that is damaged cannot receive or give love properly. A damaged heart instead inflicts its damage onto others. It sees no hope or purpose What is needed is healing of damaged hearts. So they can love again. The ingredient that the heart needs to heal is love. Love Is All We Need As we began the trip, we weren't sure how it was going to go. Would people be open to us? Would they welcome us? But then an interesting thing happened: some of the first kids to come were children of those who used to attend the camp at Sarah and Joon's old church. A lot of people who attended these camps as kids came to see them and say hi, and they brought their own kids. After all these years, they still remember the love they received at these camps. It seems like a small thing for us, but the love they received has remained in them. As the days went on, word spread about our presence there and more and more people came. Door to door: you guys are the Koreans from Toronto? Our meals were obviously the most popular thing – at one point we had one hundred people come to eat. Our kitchen crew had their hands full the entire trip, and I'm so thankful for them. Jesus said the kingdom is heaven is like a mustard seed: it is the tiniest of seeds, but it grows into the greatest of shrubs where birds can build nests. Love is like a tiny seed. It is not visible when planted. But if it is nurtured and grown, it has the possibility of becoming a tree that bears fruit Love is what we all need. The kids came like magnets. Over 50, 60, 70 kids and youth. They cleaved to our young leaders, for whom I'm also so grateful. They developed the same bonds with the kids that were formed with their parents and others many years ago. A lot of Sioux Valley people move to the nearby city of Brandon to find jobs and opportunities. It's about half hour away. But they drove to Sioux Valley and back each day bc they treasured this camp. It was hard saying goodbye on the last night – there were many tears shed. Everyone kept asking: will you guys come back again? I had to keep responding: I really hope so There are a group of women who are faithful believers. But there is no congregation in the community. Speaking with these women, their desire is for a pastor who can shepherd a congregation. A place for children and youth to learn the Word of God. To hear the message of Jesus' love. Safe place for love and the Word to flourish – counter to what they see on a daily basis. They lament that there is no such place for them It made me realize the second thing that people need: the Word of God has the power to change hearts. Love heals the heart; the Word changes it. There needs to be a place where hearts can be changed by the Word. That's is what the church is. What's on my heart is that they need a church and a pastor that can be with them day after day, week after week, whom we can support. It's not enough to just go there once a year. They need a space where love and the Word of God is present on a regular basis. This will not be easy. Young people are not interested in hearing anything religious or spiritual. There is also sense a resistance to Christianity among leaders of the community. I totally understand. Christians did so much damage, damage that remains to this day. The Centre But I came to see one thing very clearly: the central importance of love. Only love will heal. Not the religion or form it takes. If love is not at the centre of a religion or practice, it will not heal, it will not bring about positive change. Jesus came to restore love at the center of life. We have lots of work to undo the legacy of what people did in Jesus' name that was opposite of who he was. We held a special prayer service for the believers in the community. We sang hymns they knew growing up while Bob played piano. I shared Jesus' last commandment to his disciples to love one another as he had loved them. For some reason, they all knew each other but were not meeting up together. Followers of Jesus are called to love one another, to pray together, bear each other's burdens. I went around asking what they would like prayed for. We would pray for that person, and then I would pray out loud for them. It was a wonderful time of God's presence among us. It was the first time they had prayed together with others like that in a long time Love remains. There was a couple named Jodi and Dawn. They were kids when Sarah and Joon's old church went. They ended up coming out every day even though there's no program for them. I could tell that they've been through a lot of difficulties. And yet I see seeds of hope because of love. She went around with a notebook asking everyone from our mission team to write in it and sign it. So we did. I wrote that God loves her no matter what and to always remember that. She wrote a letter to Jack. Love is the seed of hope for a new world. There's a family that Sarah and Joon got especially close to during their years there. One of the girls was Hannah. She was extremely shy and reserved when she first met them. But over time, she grew close to them and looked forward to each summer. She went through many challenges, including addictions and thoughts of suicide. She died after a complication during a surgery a few years ago. We held a memorial service for her. Yesterday would have been her 30th birthday. She was taken too young. Their family was at the prayer service, and their prayer request was that they be able to get through yesterday. So many tears run through the people of this community But love carries the seed of hope for a new future. Their sister Hillary gave birth to a beautiful baby daughter. She's 6 months old now. So precious. So beautiful. They named her Hannah, after her deceased sister. The old Hannah passed away, but there is hope for something different with the new Hannah. She was at the prayer service in her stroller with her family. We had everyone pray for her. I prayed that she may grow up embraced and surrounded by love. That the life of new Hannah would wipe away the tears left by the old Hannah. It was a powerful moment where we all lifted her up in prayer. The community carries much pain, but they are tight-knit and resilient Love is the hope for a new future. It is the only thing that can wipe away the tears. The central ingredient in the new heaven and earth will be love St. Paul said this about love: It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. (1 Corinthians 13:7-8) My friends, life is difficult. But when there is love, there is always hope. Love overcomes all things. Love overcame death on the cross. When there is love, anything is possible. Let us pray for the people of Sioux Valley. Let us pray for love to heal our own hearts. Let us pray that God's will be done on earth in love The post Love Overcomes All appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Romans 8:26-39 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script You Are Not Alone How beautiful these words are! So loving, so assuring, so hopeful. Every single sentence is touched with grace and love. There is not too much to add to this beautiful passage. It shows how much God cares for us. You are not alone. God is right there with you to take care of you. The Holy Spirit helps you in your weakness and prays for you with sighs too deep for words. Jesus Christ intercedes for you at the right hand of God. God the Father loves you with love that nothing in the world can separates you from. The WHOLE TRINITY is right there. They all work together to take care of you. What a wonderful news. You are blessed. You will be all right because behind the scene, there is God working hard for you. There is nothing to worry about. This is what St. Paul said. We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) All things work together for good – because God is working so hard for you. Verse 31 comes to me as a loud declaration! If God is for us, who is against us? (Romans 8:31) If you believe in God, that absolute God is telling you, he is for you, not against you. That should give you confidence. If God is for me, who or what will be against me? No one can condemn you. No one can bring any charge against you. No angel, no ruler, no power can stop God who HAS DECIDED TO LOVE you. Even death cannot stop God from loving you. BUT THE IRONY IS WE ARE OUR WORST CRITIC. We don't love ourselves. We don't accept ourselves. So we have hard time believing that God loves us that much. No matter how much God loves you, if you don't accept the love, the power of love cannot have any effect on you. The Monster Last two weeks, we have reflected on the flesh and the evil. We saw that the flesh is our shadow self and it is deeply ingrained in us. And the evil is very much entangled with the good. We have been always surrounded by the flesh and the evil. We have been always surrounded by these dark forces. That makes it hard for us to love us. Yes, We were not untouched by these dark influences. We were influenced by these negative thoughts. We made it worse by ruminating and overthinking negative things about ourselves. We all experience failures and we all make mistakes. Instead of shaking them off and move on, we dwell on our failures and mistakes. They create anger, disappointment, fear, regrets, and heartaches within us. We have become our own prisoner. We have become our worst enemy. We have become incapable of loving ourselves. We have become slaves of the flesh within us and the victim of the evil around us. As Mena told me about the song last week, I listened to the song, Monster, by Justin Bieber. I could feel this tremendous pressure. You put me on a pedestal and tell me I’m the best Raise me up into the sky until I’m short of breath, yeah Fill me up with confidence, I say what’s in my chest Spill my words and tear me down until there’s nothin’ left Rearrange the pieces just to fit me with the rest, yeah But what if I, what if I trip? What if I, what if I fall? Then am I the monster? Just let me know And what if I, what if I sin? And what if I, what if I break? Yeah Then am I the monster? Yeah Just let me know, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah We deal with monster within us. And often we don't win. We just let the monster rule us and dictate us. And we become monster. Love Your Neighbour as Yourself Being perfect – it sounds good. But the thing is – It only leaves us with scars. It just makes us more disappointed about ourselves. We either give up or cover up. A French Enlightenment writer and philosopher, Voltaire said: Perfect is the enemy of good. I understand what he is trying to say. Perfectionism only leaves us with disappointment and bitterness. We become very uncomfortable with ourselves. JESUS SAID, LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF. It is quite a profound sentence. He didn't say, just love your neighbour. He said love your neighbour as yourself. He was saying that if you don't love yourself, you cannot love your neighbour. That is not possible. Love is like a flow of water. When it flows within us, it flows to others. When there is love overflowing within us, then it overflows to others. If you are judgmental to yourself, you will be judgmental to others. If you are abusive to yourself, then you are abusive to others. If you are gentle and kind to yourself, then you can be gentle and kind to others. Self-love is not selfishness. When you truly love yourself, you can overcome selfishness because you don't need to be so obsessed about yourself. You are so comfortable with yourself that you don't need to think about yourself so much. What you need is not self-esteem. What you need is self-love. Self-esteem is something you get when you do well and when your life is going all right. But self-love is being kind and gentle to yourself in all circumstances, even when you fail. Don't make yourself as your enemy. Beautifully Imperfect Dr. Kristin Neff, an associate professor in the University of Texas, Austin, said: A lot of people think self-compassion is weak, but it's just the opposite. When you're in the (emotional) trenches, do you want an enemy or an ally? LOVING YOURSELF DOES NOT COME FROM YOUR WILL OR YOUR EFFORT. Negative energy is too strong for you to do that. You will be too critical of yourself. You will feel helpless often when you try to love yourself. Because you can't. The Spirit will help you. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26, 27) Even when we are helpless and don't even know what to pray for, the Spirit searches our heart and knows our heart and prays for us with sighs too deep for words. Being able to love yourself is God's gift. When you truly meet God, you can finally accept yourself. You can even love yourself. Because you realize God's love. You realize how precious you are. You are precious enough for Jesus to die for you. You realize that God is for you, not against you. You realize that nothing can separate you from the love of God. Even you cannot do that. Then you can stop being so harsh and judgmental against you. Now you can see yourself differently. That is the beginning of salvation and the beginning of healing. You appreciate who you are. The confession of the Psalmist becomes your confession. For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. (Psalm 139:13, 14) You find your own beauty. Even when you are imperfect, you will find yourself BEAUTIFULLY IMPERFECT. Don't ever look down upon yourself. That is the greatest sin. It is the sin of looking down upon God's beautiful creation. Then you are ready to love others. There is a song You are so beautiful to me. I was listening to the version Charles Lloyd and Norah Jones sang. You are so beautiful To me You are so beautiful To me Can’t you see You’re everything I hoped for You’re everything I need You are so beautiful To me While listening, I heard it as though God is telling me that. You are so beautiful. The post You Are So Beautiful appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script The Problem Outside Last week, we reflected on the flesh that is within us. The flesh is not just our body but it is our dark self, shadow self. We cannot get rid of it or remove it from us. It torments us and paralyzes us. Even though we don't like it, the flesh is us. It is like our self is attacking us. So as far as the flesh is concerned, we are powerless. Knowing that we are powerless about the flesh, Jesus gave us the Spirit and now through the power of the Spirit, the power of the flesh cannot control us any more. It is there within us but it cannot dominate our lives. Now we are in the Spirit, not in the flesh. Today, I want to talk about another big dilemma that we are dealing with in our lives. It is not a problem of the flesh. Now the problem is not just in us but outside of us. It is within our society. It is the problem of the evil. Jesus’ Parable To help us deal with the problem of the evil, Jesus gave us this parable. Let us look at the parable again. Someone sowed the good seed in his field. But when the plants came up and bore grain, the weeds appeared as well. So the servants asked this question. Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from? (Matthew 13:27) The world God created was good. God created EARTH AND SEA and he said it was good. God created PLANT AND FRUIT and he said it was good. God created THE SUN AND THE MOON and he said it was good. God created FISH AND BIRDS and he said it was good. God created ANIMALS and he said it was good. God completed his creation by creating HUMAN BEINGS and he said it was good. And yet, the world we live in is not always good. There is evil. There are suffering, hardships, agony, and sadness. We ask the same question. Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from? (Matthew 13:27) Jesus did not look at the world with utopian eyes. Jesus did not see you and your life with utopian eyes. He was not fooled by what looked good on the surface. He saw everything as it was. The Nature of Evil Jesus saw the evil working in this world. Jesus saw the evil working in what looked like a holy place and holy people. He saw the power of evil. He saw the intrinsic nature of evil. He saw that the evil is intricately connected with the good. The evil is entangled and intertwined with the good. Money is good when it is used for a good purpose, helping out those who are in need. But at the same time, the evil is right there and it uses money to destroy relationships and even humanity. Religion is good when it helps people to live with goodness and generosity. But at the same time, the evil is right there and uses the religion to create discrimination, wars, and bigotry. In everything, the good and the evil are intertwined. That's why Jesus said this. The servant came to the owner with a solution. Then do you want us to go and gather them? (Matthew 13:28) In other words, do you want us to go and pluck them out? The owner said, Oh no. Don't do that. No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. (Matthew 13:29) In other words, the weeds and the wheat are so intertwined and entangled that you may even hurt the wheat by trying to take out the weeds. From the roots, they are entangled. The Ultimate Victory Evil in our lives or in the world is not something you can easily or naively take out. That was what Pharisees did. They defined narrowly what was good life and what was bad. They used the law to define it. Then they separated the righteous people from the sinful people. Unfortunately, they categorized Jesus as a sinner and his work as evil. Their way of dealing with it was to get rid of him. So they crucified him. Plucking out the bad apple. Then what do we do? Do we do nothing? Just helplessly let the evil play its game? Jesus tells us one thing very clear. Ultimately, the evil will not prevail. The evil will not overcome the good. There will be a consequence of the evil. This is what Jesus said. at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn. (Matthew 13:30) He gives the interpretation later. the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen! (Matthew 13:39-43) In the end, the evil will be punished. The good will win. Keep that in mind. We have confidence in this ultimate victory. We persevere our hardships and difficulties because in the end, God will restore the good. In the Midst of Evil St. Paul said this. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6) We still sow the good seed even though the evil is out there. Because God will bring it to completion. That was what Job did. Even though he was a righteous man, many evil things happened to him. His prosperous and abundant life was taken away. His seven sons and three daughters were taken away. His flocks destroyed. His servants were slaughtered. He was all alone and now he was smitten with a skin disease. The evil things happened to him. But Job never lost his hope in God. THE EVIL NOT ONLY BRINGS SUFFERING BUT IT CUTS YOU OFF FROM THE SOURCE OF HOPE. John Swinton said this in his book, Raging with Compassion: Pastoral Responses to the Problem of evil. The primary message of the book of Job is Not: How can a loving God allow this to happen to an innocent sufferer? But: How can human beings continue to love God in the midst of evil? The evil not only makes you suffer but its ultimate purpose is to cut you off from the source of hope and love. Resisting the evil is to continuously hope and continuously love. When we are able to do that, the evil loses its power to control us. That is what Jesus did on the cross. That is what the message of the cross is all about. Forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. Into your hands, I commit myself. It is done. Jesus kept faith, hope, and love. He even prayed for forgiveness of those who were killing him. That's love. Even when the evil reached its climax, Jesus was able to love. The evil lost its power at the cross. Resisting the evil is not just fighting it but keeping faith, hope, and love in the midst of evil. In the end, we know that the good will win. But meanwhile, we should resist the evil by keeping faith, hope, and love. The post Resist the Evil appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Romans 8:1-11 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Spiritual and Worldly Life In today's passage, we see a clear contrast between the life according to the Spirit and the life according to the flesh. The spiritual life and the worldly life. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. (Romans 8:5) What does it mean to set the mind on the flesh? Does this mean to live morally sinful life? Does this mean breaking the law? Does this mean violating cultural norms? The most common understanding of the difference between the spiritual life and worldly life is. Spiritual life is living a moral and religious life and the worldly life is living a secular life. We think of it as something that you do or not do. Just a lifestyle on the surface. In today's passage, I think Paul is talking about something deeper than that. What is this flesh? The flesh is yourself. But a particular aspect of yourself. Your dark self. You can call it your shadow self. Do spiritual people not have it? No we all have it. We are all influenced by this flesh. It is not something that you can deal with by doing anything. It is not about doing anything. It is the condition of your heart. It is our dark side. It is a place we don't want to go, we don't want to be. Behind the social mask we wear every day, we all have this hidden side that we don't want to expose. It makes us feel embarrassed and shameful. That is what the flesh is. It is the self that torments us. It is not only unacceptable to others but also unacceptable to ourselves. It creates tremendous inner struggle within us. The flesh is the reason we hate ourselves. It takes away our joy and our confidence. It takes away light from us. We feel dark when we face this shadow. Unbearable guilt torments us. The Shadow We don't feel it most of the time because we hide it very well deep in our secret place. We put it in there and shackle it with a lock, thinking that it is dealt with. But just because we hide it away and lock it away, it doesn't disappear. We may repress it but it's there. It only goes deeper within us. You can never shackle it with a lock. There is no lock in the world that can lock up our flesh. This is what Swiss Psychologist Carl Jung said. Everyone carries a shadow and the less it is embodied in the individual's conscious life, the blacker and denser it is. (Carl Jung) Repressing it, denying it, and hiding it – that is what we do. We think that we can handle it by doing this. But what we are doing is just getting rid of it from our awareness. We are just turning a blind eye. Its effect is still there. The more you hide it, the more powerfully it will affect us. It creates anger, shame, guilt, fear, and a sense of worthlessness. We become cold, detached, indifferent, and self-centered. We become damaged. We cannot feel for others. We cannot feel life. This shadow can manifest itself collectively, then it becomes collective shadow. One good example is the Holocaust. It can affect the whole nation. They don't feel it and so they can do unimaginable things. It is a malady of modern society. They set fire on a person just sitting in the subway. They just shoot a person without reason. No feeling left any more. Jesus saw that very clearly. We reflected on this last week. We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn. (Matthew 11:17) You become emotionally dry. You become incapable of emotionally engaging with others. This dark self does not allow us to live an integrated and authentic life. We sense hypocrisy within us. Our smile is a fake smile. Our kindness is merely a social gesture. We are not real. Nothing matters except me. That is what the flesh looks like. That is what it means to live according to the flesh. Thing is you can never get away from the flesh. It is who you are. Your shadow self is also yourself. Your dark side is also you. Whether you like it or not, it is you. The more you try to hide it, the more it will control you. The more you try to get rid of it, the more it will make you feel helpless. The Flesh The solution is not to hide it. The solution is not to get rid of it. The solution is for the flesh to serve you, not to make it become your master. Don't give power to your flesh but let it serve you. There is a famous Argentinian writer. His name is Jorges Luis Borges. He said, All that happens to us, including our humiliations, our misfortunes, our embarrassment, all is given to us as raw material, as clay, so that we may shape our art. (Jorges Luis Borges) I think it is a good advice. Creativity does not come from only what is good. Creativity comes from both good and bad. Even our flesh, our dark side, when it is in God's hands, it changes its effects. Instead of destroying us, it will help us to be creative. It is possible because God gave us the Spirit. The Spirit is the greatest gift Jesus gave us when he left the earth. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. (John 14:16) You have the Spirit within you. And the Spirit is more powerful than the flesh. The Spirit is the only way that can bind the power of the flesh. You don't have to worry about yourself so much. The Spirit Do you know why people don't have peace? Because they worry about themselves. I am the greatest source of my worries, my anxiety, and my fear. I am the greatest source of my misery. I am the greatest enemy of myself. Because we are still governed by the flesh. Self-obsession is not loving yourself. It is fear of yourself. Even though it is you, you are not comfortable with yourself. Living like that is living according to the flesh. Jesus rescued you from your dark self. You are a precious child of God. The Spirit declares that you are God's precious child. The Spirit cries out that you are God's child. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, Abba! Father!' it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:15, 16) You have the Spirit. Now you can deal with your flesh. When the dark thoughts come upon you, don't be scared. When condemnation oppresses you, don't let it take you into darkness. You have the Spirit. St. Paul said, there is no more condemnation. That is how he started the chapter 8. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1) That Spirit will give you strength. That Spirit will lift you up. That Spirit will take you into the light. You will be filled with hope, confidence, and creativity. No more shame, no more fear, no more guilt. Instead of shame, you will have confidence. Instead of fear, you will have courage. Instead of guilt, you will have forgiveness and righteousness. Now you can live a life of integrity. You can have an authentic life that does not need to hide away or repress your shadow. That is the power of the Spirit. You are not in the flesh. You are in the Spirit. The post Not In the Flesh, But In the Spirit appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Scripture Passage Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 Worship Video Worship Audio Sermon Script Unresponsive Numbness In just a few days, the City of Toronto will install a new mayor. This election was a milestone. The three leading candidates were immigrants or children of immigrants. Two of them were people of colour. For the first time in Toronto's history, we will have a mayor who is a racialized person of colour and an immigrant. It's a historic moment. It signifies the kind of place Toronto has become – as a city that draws people from all over the world It was also an important election because there are so many issues in the city: Acts of random violence have increased. The problem of homelessness and lack of shelters has grown. Our transportation system is facing issues. Cost of housing is through the roof. But when I think about it, I don't think any of this really mattered much to a lot of people. For most people, this news, if it even registered, was met with a collective shrug. Voter turnout wasn't terrible, but the level of emotional engagement was very low. I wonder if this is how Jesus felt during his lifetime. Jesus was Emmanuel – God with us. The living presence of God in the flesh. He came to usher in a new reign of God. He performed great deeds to signify the beginning of this kingdom. People should have marveled at these great deeds, see them for what they were – the beginning of a new era of God's good works – and changed their lives in response to it. I mean, if you see powerful deeds that mark the beginning of a new thing that God is doing, there is nothing else to do but change! But that's not what happened. Instead of wonder and change, Jesus encountered unresponsive numbness. This is what he says in today's passage: But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.' (Matthew 11:16) Unresponsive numbness: Is this what life is like today? When things happen around us, do we just greet it with blank stares? Our Hearts Are Tired I don't think that people have no feeling. All of us have feeling. We all care about things. I am thankful for the people of our church: warm, kind, accepting. I think the problem is that people are just overwhelmed with all the things they need to care about It is not that people lack feeling, it's that people's hearts are tired. So many things weigh on their hearts. Many worries. Many anxieties Living day to day takes its toll on us. Bumping up against others in our daily encounters. Being in toxic environments. Feeling lack of purpose in what you do. Going through that daily grind without end. These things leave nicks and bruises on our hearts. They take a toll. They weigh on us. Even when we want to care, when we encounter indifferent numbness in others, it makes our hearts more tired. Sometimes we confuse the brain and the heart. Our work and daily requirements consume us. Our brains get tired. We want to shut down our minds. Shut them down and enjoy some pleasures to rest our minds. But our minds are different from the heart. Shutting off our minds does not give rest for our hearts. The heart is our spiritual center. It is what makes us human. It is the seat of empathy. It is the seat of care. It is the place where hope is born and our imagination comes alive. It is also the gateway to God. It is the place we encounter God. Our brains articulate our experience of God and process our understanding of God, but the heart is where we experience God When our hearts are tired, all of these capacities are diminished. When you don't get enough sleep, your physical and cognitive functions diminish. When your heart is tired, your human and spiritual capacities diminish. You lose capacity for empathy. To care. When your heart is tired, you are unable to concern yourself with anything beyond your own surroundings. There is no room in your heart for more. Everything feels burdensome. When your heart is tired, you become numb to things around you. Instead of being inspired, you become jaded, cynical and judgemental. This is how people responded to people like Jesus and John. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He has a demon'; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' (Matthew 11:17) Jesus and John were sent by God. They were God's messengers and agents. But they could not recognize that. When your heart is tired, you cannot recognize God. You cannot feel life. Life becomes merely a string of activity with no meaning. No joy. Rest Sleep restores, regenerates and heals the body. In the same way, our hearts need rest. Rest that restores, regenerates and heals the heart. Rest that allows our hearts to feel again. Rest that makes room for others in our hearts. Rest that lets us see God at work. Rest that heals our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh What do our hearts need? How does the heart get rest? The heart needs to be heard. What is therapy? It is an intentional space to be heard. Good therapists and counselors are trained to listen. The therapeutic process happens as you feel heard. It is when we feel heard and understood that our hearts find rest and healing Jesus said: Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28) Come to me, and I will give you rest. Come to me, and lay down your burdens. Come to me, and be heard. Come to me, and be understood. Come to me, and be comforted. Come to me, and find rest for your weary heart. There is a famous hymn. I'm sure many of you know it. What a friend we have in Jesus All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer! Oh what peace we often forfeit Oh what needless pain we bear All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer Prayer is nothing other than laying out our hearts to God. It is being heard by God. It is being understood by God. It is finding rest in God's gracious and loving presence. Jesus says this: I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. (Matthew 11:25-26) I still remember when Joonie was born. Deb had a very long and arduous labour – over 24 hours. After giving birth, she was totally wiped out. First night: no sleep because of other baby. Second night: Deb exhausted, slept. I had Joonie all night: he would cry out if I put him down – had to be held all night. When he was in my arms as I walked up and down the hospital hallway, he would be calm and sleep. Infants cry out when they have needs. They cry and cry until their need is met. Infants don't have words to articulate their needs. They simply know they have needs and cry out for them to be met. When the parent responds and holds them, they are soothed. They feel secure and confident. They find peace and can rest. Many times we don't even know what our heart needs. We don't have words to express what's in them. But to find rest for our hearts, we need to be like infants and cry out to God. The psalmist says this: Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24) Even when you don't have the words to express what's in your heart, come to God and say this simple prayer. Rest is the culmination of creation. On the seventh day, God rested and blessed all of creation. In rest, we find the blessings of life. In rest, we find strength for another day. God made the Sabbath so that our hearts may rest in him. Coming to worship God is to find rest in his presence. Find rest in Christ. And with a rested heart, be the presence of Christ for others in whom they too can find rest. The post Find Rest for Your Weary Heart appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.