Category Archives: Affinity Groups

Beware of Complaining

by Roger Alcaraz

There’s a lot in the world we can complain about. From the tragic to the trivial. From a broken heart to a broken pencil. And the truth is, we will always have an excuse to complain, even if we have to make one up.

I think even if we were to go to heaven in our unglorified state, we would still complain, much like the fallen angels did before us. Adam and Eve lived in a world without sin, and yet Eve was tempted to believe God was holding out on her, and so she complained in her heart about God. It goes to show you that mankind’s attempt to better the world so that we have less to complain about is futile. We will never stop complaining as long as we are able, even in a perfect world.

Complaining is so easy to do, and many of us probably do it without even noticing. But complaining will only bring you more heartache, and it goes directly against God’s commands. Furthermore, it could be what prevents others from coming to know Christ. Philippians 2:14-15 commands us to “do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”

The application from this passage is pretty obvious: to do all things without grumbling or disputing. And I doubt this command is new to you. Even if you grew up in a non-Christian home, you were probably told to stop complaining. Yet chances are, even as a Christian, you still complain. But Paul understood that we need proper motivation when trying to obey God’s commands, so he spends less time giving this command and more time explaining why it’s so important for us as believers.

Being Blameless Before God

It may not seem like much to grumble. Maybe it’s something you think you should stop doing, but it’s not hurting anyone, so why the rush? If so, you need to look at what God says about complaining.

Jude wrote to encourage Christians to contend for the faith, especially against false teachers because “certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 4). Jude goes on to reveal that a severe judgement awaits these false teachers “It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him’” (Jude 14-15). And so who are these ungodly sinners whom God will execute judgement on? “These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires” (Jude 16).

And so the grumblers and malcontents mentioned in verse 16 are actually the false teachers mentioned in verse 4. Now that might not make sense to you because when you think of false teacher, you think someone who spreads lies and heresies. How is this the same as someone who complains? But think about it–if you complain, you are actually teaching. And when you complain, you’re teaching that Christ is not enough. You might even be teaching that God himself is not good. When you complain, you teach this to yourself, and if you complain to others, you spread your teaching to them, as well.

It’s tempting to want to complain about our situation, but if we trust that God is sovereign and has placed us where we are for our good, there will be no room for complaints. Instead of complaining, we are to be content whether we have much or whether we have little, and whether we like our circumstances or not. And as a result of our refusal to complain, we will not only be happier, but more than that, the world can see Christ through our trust in God.

Shining Brightly Before Men

Going back to Philippians 2, we live in a crooked and twisted generation, and you as believers shine as light in the world. But you will ruin it all by complaining and disputing. Earlier I said that we teach people about God in the way we complain and this is most true with unbelievers.

Imagine witnessing to a friend one moment and complaining the next, perhaps over dirty dishes that your roommate left. On the one hand, you’re telling them that Christ is of the utmost importance. But on the other hand, you’re telling him Christ is only enough so long as there are clean dishes. I think they’d have trouble reconciling the difference in their mind.

It would be more consistent with the gospel message to, instead, just take your roommate’s dishes and wash them joyfully. What kind of message would that communicate to your unbelieving friend? One that says: “All I need to be happy and fulfilled in life is Jesus.” And this is over insignificant dishes; imagine how much more that message would be communicated as they see this type of attitude during a real tragedy.

Friends, the world notices how you complain and argue. Sometimes it’s done on social media where the whole world can see. But we cannot afford to persist in this sin any longer. For the sake of those who do not know Christ, we must stop complaining.

Be Killing Sin, Or It Will be Killing You

So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:12-13)

by Josh Liu

Are you living according to the flesh? Or, are you putting it to death? This is the difference between life and death.

The Apostle Paul uses the word “flesh” in a variety of ways. He has used it to mean the physical body (cf. 1 Cor. 15:39; Rom. 2:28); all of humanity (cf. 1 Cor. 1:29; Gal. 2:16); in reference to heritage (cf. Rom. 4:1); to contrast with the spiritual (Gal. 4:23; Rom. 9:8); and to encapsulate evil, corrupt, fallen nature of unregenerate man (cf. Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 2:3).

In the context of Romans 8:13, Paul is speaking of the sinful flesh as that which encompasses unregenerate man–all that opposes the Holy Spirit. He warns that those living according to the flesh must die. In other words, those who engage in habitual ongoing unrepented sin, characterized by a life consistent of an unregenerate person, a life without faith and submission to Christ as Lord and Savior, will die. Paul is not describing the loss of salvation or even threatening believers. He is simply stating that those who do not have (and, as a result, walk by) the Holy Spirit will die (the second death in hell; cf. Rev. 20:14)–the life of unconfessed and unrepented sin identifies an unregenerate person. This is not to say that salvation or eternal life can be earned by obedience; or, a genuinely saved person can never sin. Rather, disobedience–a life opposed to the Holy Spirit, a fleshly life–is characteristic of one who is spiritually dead, and one who will (certainly, in the future) experience eternal death. By contrast, a truly regenerate person will be characterized by obedience–a life opposed to the sinful flesh. So, Paul goes on and teaches that a life that puts to death all that is reminiscent of the life before regeneration is characteristic of one who is spiritually alive, and one who will experience eternal life (cf. John 3:16; 1 Cor. 15:50-57; Rev. 2:7, 11). In preaching on Romans 8:13, John Piper offers a helpful summary:

If you are living according to the flesh – if you are not making war on the flesh, and not making a practice out of killing sin in your life, then there is no compelling reason for thinking that you are united to Christ by faith or that you are therefore justified. In other words, putting to death the deeds of the body is not the way we get justified, it’s one of the ways God shows that we are justified. And so Paul commands us to do it – be killing sin – because if we don’t – if we don’t make war on the flesh and put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit – if growth in grace and holiness mean nothing to us – then we show that we are probably false in our profession of faith, and that our church membership is a sham and our baptism is a fraud, and we are probably not Christians after all and never were. (“How to Kill Sin, Part 1”)

When the Apostle Paul says “putting to death the deeds of the body,” he is saying kill, destroy, slaughter, put an end to any sign of life, mortify, totally obliterate any deed, thought, attitude, speech that stems from the remaining sin principle in believers. Do not nurture, engage in, or practice sin. Kill it. John Owen says, “…the choicest believers, who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin, ought yet to make it their business, all their days, to mortify the indwelling power of sin….Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin, or it will be killing you” (The Mortification of Sin, 25-26).

Fellow children of God, you cannot afford to be passive about sin. You have an enemy who opposes you, like a roaring lion seeking to devour his prey; you are surrounded by the world, whose tide is always seeking to sweep you away; you have the flesh within you, which is always seeking to deceive you with its sinful passions and lusts.

Yet take hope. Victory is won through Christ’s death and resurrection! The Holy Spirit has been given, empowering believers to overcome sin.

Sin is more evil than we realize, for we forget how holy God is. Our consciences are prone to excuse actions, attitudes, words, and thoughts that are abominations before God. The purpose of this article has been to exhort you to actively confront sin. Jerry Bridges’ book, Respectable Sins, helpful exposes sins that many believers are guilty of nurturing, of neglecting to mortify. Below is a list of sins that Bridges addresses, with my personal annotations. Look through the list and prayerfully examine yourself.

Ungodliness

  • Living one’s everyday life with little/no thought of God, God’s will, God’s glory, or dependence on God. God is essentially irrelevant to your life. Cf. Col. 2:33-34.
  • Check: How are you actively developing a more intimate relationship with God?

Anxiety & Frustration

  • Anxiety = distrust of God’s providence; usually involves fear and contributes to sinful actions, thoughts, attitudes. Frustration = attitude built upon sinful expectations that are not met; involves anger. Cf. Matt. 6:25-34; Phil. 4:6-8; 1 Peter 5:7.
  • Check: Do you tend to become anxious or frustrated when things don’t go as you planned? (My plans vs. God’s apparent plans).

Discontentment

  • Sinful discontentment is a response to unwanted circumstances (e.g. unfulfilling job, singleness, health, friends, appearance). Cf. Job 1:21.
  • Check: Can you genuinely say, “Lord, I am willing to: Receive what You give, Lack what You withhold, Relinquish what You take.” What is your attitude toward your circumstances? Do you submit, accept, and embrace it?

Thanklessness

  • A heart of thanklessness does not treasure God (Who is the greatest possession) and does not recognized all that He has abundantly provided. (Cf. Luke 17:11-19; Deut. 8:11-14; Rom. 1:21; Eph. 1:3ff). It is against God’s will (Cf. Eph. 5:20; 1 Thess. 5:18).
  • Check: What is the content or direction of your thanks in prayer? Is it centered on who God is and what He has done in salvation history?

Pride

  • Subtle areas of pride: – Moral self-righteousness (cf. Luke 18:11), Correct doctrine (cf. 1 Cor. 8:1), Pride of achievement (i.e. desire for recognition), Independent spirit (resistance to authority & unteachability).
  • Check: Are you easily offended? Are you quick to defend yourself? Do you humbly honor others’ interests before your own?

Selfishness

  • Common areas of selfishness: Interests, Time, Money. One can selfishly guard time, and selfishly impose on others’ time. Cf. Phil. 2:4; 1 John 3:17; James 2:14.
  • Check: Examine your conversations: how much time is spent talking about your interests vs. asking about the other person?

Anger

  • Anger = intense discontentment; hatred/murder from the heart. It is never right to be angry with God. Cf. Matt. 5:22; James 4:1-2; Eph. 4:26.
  • David Powlison: “I want my way and not God’s, and because I can’t have my way, I rage.”
  • Check: How often do you choose to respond with anger, rather than overlook or presume the best about another?

Weeds of Anger (Long term results of nurtured anger)

  • Resentment = anger held onto
  • Bitterness = ongoing animosity
  • Enmity/hostility = openly expressed bitterness
  • Grudge = hatred; taking revenge
  • Strife = open conflict/turmoil
  • Anger is never static; it will grow and feed the above sins
  • Check: Do you nurture anger, not allowing it to die out? Do you seek to love and honor others in your own thought life?

Worldliness

  • Worldliness = being attached to, engrossed in, pursuing for refuge, satisfaction, or ultimate value, or preoccupied with things of this temporal life. Cf. 1 John 2:15-16; Col 3:2; 1 Cor. 7:31b.
  • Check: Do you pursue looking like the surrounding culture?

Lack of Self-Control

  • Lack of self-control = indulging in desires, cravings, impulses, emotions, passions such that they control us, instead of controlling those desires. Common areas: Eating and drinking, Temper (cf. Prov. 14:17; 26:32), Personal finances. Cf. Prov. 25:28.
  • Check: Do you live as you please without any regard to God and others? Do you depend on the Holy Spirit for control?

Impatience & Irritability

  • Impatience = strong annoyance at (usually) unintentional faults/failures of others. Cf. 1 Cor. 13:4a. Irritability = frequency of impatience. When you are the object of impatience, respond like Christ (1 Pet. 2:23), or consider confronting (Matt. 7:5; 8:15)
  • Check: Does it seem like people are “walking on eggshells” around you?

Judgmentalism

  • Includes presumption on a person’s heart motives. Occurs when preference/opinion is elevated to absolute truth. Cf. Rom. 14:1ff.
  • Check: Are you known for a critical spirit? Do you respond with giving the benefit of the doubt? Do you seek to understand/ask questions first or jump to conclusions?

Envy, Jealousy, and Related Sins

  • Envy = resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another. Envy often leads to covetousness. We often envy those we are closely identified with (peers) and in areas we value most.
  • Jealousy = intolerance of rivalry. Results in unloving competitiveness and desires to control. Cf. Acts 5:17-18; 13:44-45.
  • Check: Do you tend to focus on self when others succeed?

Sins of the Tongue

  • Gossip, slander, critical speech, lie, critical speech. Cf. Eph. 4:29.
  • Check: Do you actively encourage others?

Let us confront sin as an act of worship and love for our Lord and Savior, who paid the penalty for our sin and liberated us from its dominion to be slaves of righteousness. The war is won, but there is a war nonetheless, and God has sounded forth the rallying cry. Be killing sin, or it will be killing you.

Growing Pains: Are We There Yet? (Part 1)

By Kristen Lim

This article is a continuation of the “Growing Pains” series, a look at various issues that new / young Christians encounter. Previous articles:

The microwave oven is one of the greatest inventions to date (slight hyperbole there). But in all seriousness, isn’t it a wonderful concept to have last night’s cold leftovers hot and ready to consume in a matter of minutes? Not to mention, people have creatively come up with ways to hack the microwave’s power, like mug cakes and quick scrambled eggs.

Why doesn’t the Christian life work like a microwave? Why can’t God make me perfect and without sin RIGHT NOW? Without even realizing it, we may have been accustomed to what I like to call “microwave-mentality:” expecting immediate results with little to no effort, and in this case in regards to spiritual maturity. We’ve lost a sense of patience, and there is a mounting panic and discomfort in waiting. In our need for speed, we want to expedite every part of our lives including sanctification, but we will soon find out that God’s plan for our growth is a gradual, life-long process.

What is biblical sanctification? Let’s look at Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi:

“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;” (Ph. 2:12 emphasis added)

Paul does not say for you to work “for” your salvation; that would be salvation by works! Let’s pause and remember Scripture is clear that salvation is by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ (Eph 2:8-9). So what does it mean to work “out” your salvation? Paul is affirming the truth that God calls His people to holy living out of submission to our good Master and in accordance to our new identity as children of God. Our redeemed status is not conditional to whether you had a great day honoring God, or failed (again) to make time to read the Bible. Nothing can separate true Christians from the love of Christ (Rom. 8:35-39). Rest in that truth. Marinate in the extravagant grace of God. We will spend the rest of our lives discovering the breadth, length, height, and depth of the love of Christ (Eph. 3:19), and to truly comprehend that to know Christ is eternal life (John 17:3).

There is no room for dabbling in sin and cheapening the glorious grace of God to be just a free pass to “sin and repent.” Read Romans 6, my friend. Working out your salvation involves hard work of putting off the old self and putting on the new self (Eph. 4:22-24). But rest assured that it’s not in your hands to change your heart…

“For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Ph. 2:13 emphasis added)

God is the One who grows us! He gets the glory and praise for transforming us into the image of Christ. There is no room for boasting in ourselves or even in another person for causing us to grow (1 Cor. 3:6-7). You may wonder, how can God be the one doing all the work in me when it feels like I’m the one striving and laboring? We must remember that God is the giver of life and breath, and apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). Your desire to even want to grow in faith is a product of God placing that desire in your heart! He gives us various “means of grace,” such as reading the Bible, prayer, fellowship, memorizing Scripture, sermons, etc. to accomplish this steady progression of maturity. Just because you don’t conquer a particular sin by memorizing a verse doesn’t mean that God has failed. He is growing you in other ways, perhaps patience and perseverance. In the mean time, God desires for you to continue to fight sin in humble obedience, trusting in His sovereign and perfect timing.

If you are a Christian longing for a pure heart, but still find yourself struggling in the fight against sin, you are in good company. Paul honestly admits the raging war in his soul against his old, sinful way of life versus God’s way (Rom. 7:14-25). Also, find encouragement that much of Paul’s letters are filled with exhortations to struggling Christians who needed instruction to fight hard against remaining sin. If Christians back then needed to war against sin, then I do too.

Maybe you experienced a drastic change in your life when God saved you. Praise the Lord for His abounding mercies! You have the rest of your life to keep on growing in the knowledge of God and becoming more like Christ. Know that God will be faithful to complete the work He has started in you.

Maybe you feel spiritually dry and stagnant in growth, and wonder why it doesn’t feel like God is working in you anymore. But God is still working in your heart. Though it may seem slow and the fruit may not be evident right away, be patient and persevere. Know that God will be faithful to complete the work He has started in you.

It is worth mentioning that many farming analogies are used to describe the Christian life. Psalm 1 describes the one who delights in God to be a “tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season…” Matthew 7:20 reveals that you will know the type of tree it is (Christian or non-Christian) by the fruit it bears. And in Galatians 5:22-23 we find the “fruit” of the Spirit. The growth of a tree may at times seem imperceptible, but it is still growing and will flourish with fruit in its season.

A microwave is useful for many things, but not a good object on which to build an understanding of sanctification. Hopefully it’s clear that waiting on the Lord for spiritual growth is not an idle task. Rather it is a fierce dependence on God that clings to His unchanging promises, and disciplines the self to walk in obedience, knowing full well that God is the one who changes hearts.

The Benefits of Ministering in Sonlight

by Ryan McAdams

We generally discourage focusing a person on the ways in which a particular situation can benefit him or herself, but for a Christian, the greatest good is conformity to Christ and the praise and glorification of God. So, the true benefits of the service in the Sonlight (Sunday morning with the church’s K-through-5 children) ministry will necessarily result in edification of others and praise to our God.

I don’t intend for this list to serve as a recruiting tool for our particular ministry, but serving as part of the staff for the Sonight ministry confers many benefits upon the servant. Other ministries may share some or even most of these advantages, and this list will not exhaust the set of possible benefits for this ministry. Nonetheless, Sonlight is a wonderful ministry of our church. In no particular order, serving in the Sonlight ministry benefits you because:

  • You learn to develop relationships with those whom you have little to nothing in common. Among the staff members, we share Christ in our lives, which gives us immense commonality even with no other similarities. We’ll cover it more in a subsequent point, but for most of the children, we do not have that essential unity. On top of that, most of us on the staff would have no clue about the latest toys or crafts or activities which occupy the children’s minds, and for many of us, we only have a fading memory of our formal educational experience. To that end, we’ve had to think and make effort toward building relationships with the children that we’re going to see week after week. It doesn’t come easily, but this effort can serve us well in the relationships we would seek to develop outside the church as well as we seek to spread the gospel to those around us.
  • You have the chance to share the gospel with lost souls each time you serve. Salvation comes not by living in a Christian household, but by grace, through faith, according to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. So, even though most of our children have the tremendous advantage of parents who love God, most also have not bowed their knee to the Lord Jesus. According to the book of Romans, faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ, and each Sunday, God provides a chance for us to present and exposit this very word of Jesus Christ. The ministry also has helped us gain a broader sense of sharing Christ, since the children are watching our every move, so that even our attitudes and actions can help (or hinder) our proclamation of the gospel.
  • You partner with the families of the church in the aforementioned evangelistic ministry and in the development of the next generation. The parents rightfully have the vast majority of the influence on their children, but for those with children in Sonlight, they give us a small slice of time to assist them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Because of this ability to partner with the parents in their family ministry, we on staff gain an extra measure of fellowship with the parents, and we certainly know the parents better as a result of our participation in this ministry. This fellowship and understanding helps the church as a whole promote the understanding of the body as a big family.
  • More than just families, the ministry lets you serve alongside members from all walks of life. As our church grows, the difficulty of coming to know all of the members certainly increases, but the growth also tempts us to shrink our relationship focus to those around us in the same life stage. But, through Sonlight, each of us on staff can say that we at least know people outside of our age and life stage. We have the chance to serve next to each other and we aim to encourage development of those relationships with activities and meetings we plan, as well as encouraging fellowship with other members of the church who don’t serve in Sonlight by ensuring that we protect staff members from serving on too many shifts. This again helps promote the unity of the body in spite of the uniqueness of each member.
  • You can learn to compose and teach a coherent, engaging message. For the men in particular, some of us have the responsibility to deliver the sermon to the children. While this does challenge us each time, we also can grow in our study and handling of God’s word, and our compilation and proclamation of his truth. We also learn about the necessity of illustrating that truth, because the children provide brutally honest feedback. When the quiet girl in the front raises her hand without prompting in the middle of my message and asks Did you know I lost my tooth?, I know I’ve lost her and probably the rest of the class. But, these experiences help to mold us and make us better expositors of God’s word.

Hopefully you can see how this sampling of the benefits which service in Sonlight imparts to an individual member leads to benefit and growth of the church body as a whole. As a ministry within the church, we would hope and expect that we do nothing except build the unity of the church so that the world would see that we follow Christ through our love for one another.

Essentially, Sonlight does not exist in isolation, simply to watch the kids or even only to teach the kids. It also fosters discipleship, fellowship, and unity within the staff and the greater church body. And by God’s grace, we have a church full of such ministries.

Cultivating a Spiritual Environment in Your Home

by Pastor Patrick Cho

For the past several years, Grace Life has maintained more or less a singular focus: to help cultivate a spiritual environment in the home. We have looked to equip men to be greater spiritual leaders as husbands and fathers. We have sought to provide instruction to married couples and parents to effectively live out their God-ordained roles to His glory.

Part of the reason is the unfortunate trend in the church whereby families almost entirely depend upon the church for their spiritual formation, and separate the spiritual aspect of their lives from pretty much everything else. It’s as if there are spiritual concerns and “everything else” concerns. As you consider the teaching of Scripture though, what we believe in faith should have an effect on everything else in our lives. If there is little to no spiritual “flavor” to the way things are in your home, then something is definitely wrong. Your spouse and your children ought to see that your commitment to Christ involves more than just praying before meals.

Here are some practical ways to help cultivate a spiritual environment in your home. If these are things you are already practicing, then I would encourage you to continue in them and even think through how to increase the bond between Christ and your home. But if this is an area that you feel you are struggling in, hopefully these practical tips can be of use to you.

  1. Pray as a Family, Sing as a Family, Read as a Family. The home should be a worshipful place. While it is important to grow as an individual Christian through Bible intake and personal prayer, it is also important to put faith on display in the home. It is instructive, helpful, and encouraging for your spouse and children to see you in the Word and in prayer. Expression of worship through music is another way to put that faith on display, whether listening to Christian music or singing songs together as a family.
  2. Demonstrate Faith to Your Guests. Every time we travel abroad for a summer missions trip, one of the things that stands out to me is how focused the homes are on the Lord. When we are invited in as guests, the hosts talk to us about spiritual things, encourage us with spiritual words, and pray with us. One of my favorite things to do in Argentina is to sit around with a small group and sing songs together, enjoying each other’s company and lifting up praise to the Lord. When someone comes into your home, you should remember that you are given a wonderful opportunity for ministry and discipleship. What you choose to talk about and how you spend that time can be a choice of worship.
  3. Take Your Wife on Regular Meaningful Dates. There are some couples who routinely talk about spiritual things. There are husbands and wives that regularly enjoy meaningful conversations and take time to pray for one another’s needs. I understand when your relationship has this kind of strength that you argue that date nights are not necessary. But truthfully, many homes don’t possess these kinds of quality relationships. This is why I feel like a purposeful and regularly scheduled date night is helpful. It gives you a chance to talk about spiritual things and even provides an occasion to share prayer needs and to pray with one another. Of course this could just be a portion of the date. It’s always good to have fun doing other things you enjoy as well!
  4. Take Advantage of Ordinary Moments. One of my favorite things to do is to go on little walks with my kids. Sometimes it is towards the end of a meal while we wait for other family members to finish up their food. Sometimes it’s just to take a break from whatever we are doing in the house and to get some fresh air. During these walks, I like to talk to the kids about God’s creation and all the wonderful things He has made. I even sometimes try to transition that talk to the gospel so that they understand how it’s all connected. Of course, we could just enjoy a walk together without really talking about anything, but I have found that a lot of times the more impactful conversations I have with my kids are just from taking ordinary events and connecting them to spiritual truths.
  5. Discipline Your Children to Instruct. Children are going to disobey. It’s built into the fiber of their being. As such, it is going to be necessary to correct them and discipline them. Every time you talk to your child about disobedient behavior is an opportunity for spiritual instruction. I understand that circumstances sometimes dictate that you don’t have a lot of time for a long, meaningful conversation, but you can always come back to it. This is why it is so vitally important to maintain a right heart during these encounters and to guard against anger. It’s practical impossible to segue to the gospel after blowing up at your child because of their behavior.
  6. Teach Your Children Practical Christianity. This is similar to point #4, but the practice is a bit more deliberate. Instead of waiting for opportune moments to teach a spiritual lesson, plan to take time to instruct your children in practical Christianity. It might involve a lesson on wise handling of money and principles of giving. It might be about discipline of time. It might be about serving others. Whatever the lesson, teach your children that Christianity is not only about believing certain things or going to church on Sundays. Help them to see how faith in Christ permeates life and affects all of life.

However you seek to cultivate a spiritual environment in your home, really the goal is to make God an ordinary and normal part of your life. Do your children see that you desire to live for the glory of God? Does your spouse? Do your guests? This is the primary reason we assign homework for Grace Life. We understand that sometimes the assignments are fairly basic, but the point is less to provide you as an individual some deep theological instruction and more to get you and your family to talk about what you learn.

God’s Broken Image

by Sean Chen

In the Lord of the Readers book club, we’ve been studying The Christian Life. Upon reading chapter 2, I was struck by the title— “God’s Broken Image.” I initially thought to myself, “God is perfect. How could His image be tarnished?” Sinclair Ferguson clearly illustrates how our sins dishonor the image of God. According to scripture, the effects of our sins disintegrate our relationships with God, our fellows, the world around us and ourselves. Sin is missing the target which God has appointed, and falling short of the glory of God which we were created to enjoy (Romans 3:23). Naturally, we not only deviate from the right path but also rebel against our rightful and loving King. Consequently, we find ourselves as traitors to the goodness of God (Romans 3:10-18), guilty in the presence of the Eternal Judge.

1. The image of God defaced

Genesis 1:26-27 introduces us the image-bearer of God—man. The image of God probably means that God originally made man to reflect his holy character and his position as bearing rightful rule over all his creation. In that respect he is like God. From the first moment of man’s sin (Genesis 3), however, God’s gracious plan is distorted, accompanied by a change in the image of God.

Fallen man is essentially an affront to God. He takes all that God has lavished upon him to enable him to live in free and joyful obedience, and he transforms it into a weapon by which he can oppose his Maker. The magnitude of his sin is also the measure of his need for salvation. The wonder of God’s saving purpose lies in the fact that he longs more than we imagine to restore what has been lost. But the old creation must pass away, and a new one must be established; what was lost in Adam must be restored in Christ if there is to be any hope of sharing the glory of God from which we have fallen.

2. Man under the dominion of sin and death

The threat of sin and death appears early in the narrative of Genesis; Satan came in serpent-guise to destroy the divine-human fellowship. He attacked the promise that man would come under the dominion of death (Genesis 3:4). He also undermined the goodness of God by his suggestion that God grudged their presence in his garden (Genesis 3:4-5). The rest of Genesis 3 narrates the sad tale of man’s yielding to temptation to sin. The same truth appears in the teaching of Jesus (John 8:34). Paul emphasizes the same point in Romans; the references to sin in the Greek are usually to The Sin, as though it had taken on personal characteristics (Romans 5:12-6:23). As a result, men are powerless (Romans 8:6-7), yet “the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Romans 7:19).

3. Man guilty before God

Not only does man suffer the consequences of sin in human misery, but he comes under the condemnation of God. In Romans 2:1-16, Paul outlines the principles which God employs in coming to a verdict on our lives. He shows that God’s judgment is always according to truth and reality (verse 2) that is given in accordance with works (verse 6), and also is tempered by the light of revelation which men have received (verses 12-15). It is a judgment which will be administered through Christ (verse 16) and therefore will take into account all the secrets of men’s hearts. Paul demonstrates the guilt of all men before God. By the standard of Christ’s life we are guilty sinners. Every mouth will be closed and all men will be declared guilty before God (Romans 3:19). Apart from Christ, “the wrath of God remains” (John 3:36).

4. Man in the grip of Satan

The light shows the true nature of the darkness. In the full light of Christ, Satan is drawn out into the open, unmasked and identified. Men are seen not only as living a lifeless death in sin, dominated by the course and fashions of this world, but are described as being under the dominion of the devil (Ephesians 2:1-3). John describes Satan as the “prince of this world,” suggesting that the whole world lies in his power (1 John 5:19). The ultimate tragedy of man’s self-understanding is that he believes himself to be free, has all the feelings of a free agent, but does not realize that he is a slave to sin and serves the will of Satan.

In order to escape the grip of Satan, the gospel exemplifies our needs:

  1. We need re-creation by Christ in order that the image of God, once distorted by sin, may be restored.
  2. We need deliverance from the dominion of sin in order that we may live freely for God.
  3. We need to be rescued from the power of Satan so that our lives may be given to Christ the Lord as his glad bondslaves.
  4. We need to be saved from the wrath of God so that, released from this most terrifying of all prospects, we may live the life of forgiven sinners.

Salvation

We will never properly understand the work of God which takes place in the Christian life unless we first of all have some kind of grasp of why we need the grace of God. It comes to us in our sin and begins to undo what had been wrongly done in our lives in order that God’s image may be restored. But the Bible pronounces us already to be, in Christ, what we will be only when we are transformed into his perfect image (1 John 3:1-3). Our newness does not only reflect what Adam was in the presence of God and what he would have been had he continued in obedience. The gospel does not make us like Adam in his innocence—it makes us like Christ, in all the perfection of his reflection of God.

This is the essence of the salvation Christ provides (Romans 8:29). He came into the world as the Second Man, the Last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45, 47). Out of his perfect reflection of the image of God we may draw by the power of the Holy Spirit. We share in his death the freedom from the dominion of sin (Romans 6:10). Under him we shelter from the wrath of God, knowing that he bore our guilt (Galatians 3:13). He became sin for us although he himself knew no sin, so that in him we might be made the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). He died, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18). On the cross he triumphed over Satan, and exposed him as our enemy (Colossians 2:15). In his name therefore we may also conquer (Revelations 12:10). Christ is our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). All we shall ever need we will find he supplies by his grace.

Reflections on the CollegeLife Praise Ministry

by Samuel Chung

I’ve been a part of the music ministry since my second year of college and God has definitely matured me in many ways throughout these years. The deeper understanding of Scripture and theology has helped to bring greater meaning to the songs that we sing. The memorable melodies have helped to remind me of specific and necessary truths about our God. It is evidence for me to reflect on John 4:23-24, where it says “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” This account with Jesus and the woman at the well shows that worshiping God requires an intricate balance of both spirit and truth, where a greater emphasis on either will offset the scale. If we focus too much on truth without the spirit, we can easily become Pharisees or intellectual robots who merely give assent to the truths without a change of heart. If we focus too much on spirit without the truth, we may very well be worshiping something other than the one true God (although it may even feel like we are) because of the lack of a clear definition of who He is.

A question I want us to consider is: What is worship? I believe that it’s a term that we use so often that we don’t consider the context in which we use it as much as we do. For example, I hear people say, “That worship set was ____.” or “How is the worship team doing?” We also have songs that say “I will worship with all of my heart” and “Worship His holy name.” In each of those statements, what did it mean to worship? To clarify, I am not saying that the examples above are incorrect, but I am saying that we often use them without thinking very deeply about it, which is something we need to do more. Depending on the context of conversation, the definition ranges from a person’s overall heart attitude to something specific as the time of singing at church. More often than not, I’ve noticed that we utilize only the latter definition of worship. Once again, the statements above are not necessarily wrong, but I believe that the focus has become too narrow when it comes to our understanding of worship.

In the Bible, we see that the word worship often incorporates both ideas of an inward adoration and an outward expression of the adoration such as falling prostrate in humility (Genesis 24:26, Job 1:20, Psalm 95:6), singing (Psalm 29:2, Psalm 96:1), and paying homage (Matthew 2:11). Worship is not just about the music or a feeling. As stated before, it requires a combination of truth and spirit as well as a combination of inward and outward adoration to God.

Why am I being so nitpicky about one word? Isn’t it just semantics? It’s important for us to consider how we are using this term because proper usage of it displays a stronger understanding of the meaning of that word. Worshiping God is so much more than the singing. It should be our lifelong commitment to acknowledge and adore God in whatever we do. We worship with our whole life, and not just a part of it. It isn’t confined to a specific action such as singing, but should be a characteristic of who we are. As we gather as a church, we are engaging in corporate worship from the moment you step into the doors until you leave. We can worship through corporate reading of Scripture, singing songs of praise, hearing the Word of God preached, giving of offerings, praying in meditation, and even interacting with the people next to us. It all comes down to our hearts being prepared to acknowledge our need of God’s grace and give Him the adoration that He deserves for Christ’s death and resurrection!

In conclusion, let’s consider the common Christian term of worship and find ways to portray its full definition when we use it. Let us worship our God in spirit and in truth from our hearts, leading to our external displays of affection to Him!

Growing Pains: Introduction

by Kristen Lim

Growing up can be painful. That’s why there’s even a T.V. show called “Growing Pains.” Certainly we all have various circumstances in our upbringing, but surely no one would say that their adolescence was a breeze with absolutely no difficulties.

In a similar way, being a young or new Christian can be a confusing time as you begin this journey of living for God’s glory, and you find that it’s not an easy task. There are both external and internal pressures that war against the pursuit of holiness. It is a constant battle to set our minds on the things above and not allow culture or worldliness to dictate life choices. You may mentally agree on the Christianity 101 basics, but there are still lingering questions with the mechanics of how God impacts the mundane day-to-day living. There is an itch to grow in maturity quickly, yet the same recurring sin keeps on appearing, bringing discouragement and possibly doubts of salvation. And when you do overcome a certain struggle, there is a temptation to take pride in that accomplishment rather than to give praise to God. Add in other sinners to the mix, and now there is the issue of peacemaking and loving others when they unintentionally offend you, or even intentionally sin against you. And oh, what to do with spiritual disciplines if I don’t “feel” like doing them? Do I need to have perfect and pure motives before serving God?

Thus begins a series on common spiritual topics (aka “growing pains”) that young Christians grapple with in the process of sanctification and development of a Biblical worldview and God-centered outlook on life. This series will be a grab bag of thoughts, experiences, temptations, and pitfalls young and new Christians may go through. My goal is to show you that God’s word really is sufficient for training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16) and has answers to the various emotions and circumstances that may make you feel stuck and confused.

If you consider yourself a young Christian and relate with some of the questions listed above, may you find encouragement that God did not leave us to ourselves to blindly navigate the rapid waters of life; we have His complete and inerrant words. Psalm 119:9 reads, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.” If you are hungering to be more in God’s word, you’re on the right track.

If you consider yourself a more mature, seasoned Christian, then hopefully reading this series will remind you of struggles you once had and may God give you a heart to reach out to the baby Christians and take them under your wing (Titus 2). Reading a blog post certainly can’t and shouldn’t replace human-to-human discipleship.

Disclaimer: I have to mention that I myself am a young person who doesn’t have many years of life experiences, and I certainly am not the spiritual maturity guru. But since I am relatively young, I still recall the vivid memories of working through the various topics in this series, searching Scripture for guidance, and asking those more mature than me for their counsel. Rather than reading this series with the mentality that it holds all the answers, think of it as an ignition to whet your appetites to study these topics in further detail and spark more intentional conversations within your church family.

I’m excited to begin this series of various spiritual issues young Christians may ponder. Stay tuned next month for the discussion of the first growing pain!

Further reading related to spiritual growth and maturity:

Reflections from the Fireflies’ Ministry

by Sallie Yang

As the end of the calendar year approaches, we are able to reflect on how God has been faithful to LBC and in particular to the Fireflies’ ministry. In Fireflies, we have seen a good number of babies born and enter into our care on Sundays. We have welcomed new families in with their little ones. We have seen helpless babies grow and develop to become curious toddlers. And, we have joyfully seen a good number of our little Fireflies become Sparklers. In addition to the children of Fireflies, God has been faithful to provide so many committed nursery workers from different affinity groups, all who love the Lord and the kids. Even as some of them have had to move on to other places or ministries, God has continued to be faithful to provide 33 nursery workers, including 7 teachers to our growing Fireflies’ ministry of 16 babies in N1 and 20 toddlers in N2.

While we have the privilege of ministering to the families and children of Fireflies, we have sought to expose the kids to simple truths about God and Jesus through Bible lessons, memory verses, and songs. We focus on one truth and memory verse for an entire month, ending that lesson with a craft at the end of the month. The truths we cover include: God is everywhere; God always wins; God knows everything; Only one God; God is good; Jesus is here; Jesus is a friend; Jesus is the boss; Jesus is alive; Jesus loves me; God made everything; and only God is big. As a teacher, I have loved watching the young toddlers start off N2 with blank faces, a little unsteady on their chairs, and not totally aware of what is going on during lesson/memory verse time to later seeing them as older toddlers, participating in lessons and enthusiastically singing the memory verse songs with hand motions. Although those moments will not be there every time I teach on Sundays, it is sweet to see them when I do. It is our hope that we would be able to share God’s love and the joy of the Lord with them.

As a parent of two children who have gone through Fireflies and moved on to Sparklers and Sonlight, I have appreciated the foundations of truth laid by the Fireflies’ ministry. Even now when I prepare for nursery teaching time, my kids love to listen to the Bible lessons and sing the memory verse songs with the hand motions. As fun as it is for them, I especially love that they love to learn about God and are hiding God’s Word in their hearts so young. We pray that what was true for Timothy would be true for the children of our church.

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:14-15

It is our prayer that the Fireflies would love God more and more as they learn about Him in His Word to the end that they would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We thank the parents of our Fireflies for the opportunity to serve them and partner with them in this way. To God we give the glory, thanks, and praise.

Reflections on Ten Years of Marriage

by Patrick and Christine Cho

2015 has been a memorable year for the Cho home. This is our daughter’s first year in public school, and with all the fears we had going in, we are pleased that it has gone (and is going) much better than we could have hoped. We also had a chance this past summer to visit the Czech Republic with the church’s missions team, and it was a wonderful time of ministry and fellowship with the brothers and sisters in Beroun. We were even able to spend about a week in Paris for a family trip. Although it was completely exhausting, it was also tremendously fun! The main reason for that trip, and the biggest reason this year stands out for us, is that October 22, 2015 marks our ten year wedding anniversary.

I’m sure especially with a young church, a decade of marriage may sound like a really long time to some. Understandably, it also may not seem as long to those who are a bit more seasoned. In either case, the time really has flown by and this milestone serves as a fitting time to reflect on lessons learned and blessings experienced. Christine and I recognize God’s kindness to carry us through ten years of marriage, and there are many things we have been able to learn from it all. Here are some of the things the Lord patiently taught us over the past ten years.

  1. Marriage is truly a gift of God. One of the lessons we have learned is not to take the gift of marriage for granted. We still stand behind the words of Proverbs 18:22 which state, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD.” Whatever the Apostle Paul might say about the value of singleness in 1 Corinthians 7, we also understand that marriage itself is a profound blessing. It has been a great journey walking together in faith. It has also been a blessing to simply undergo the process of learning one other. We know that there are many who desire marriage that for whatever reason in the purposes of God will not experience it, so we are extremely grateful for this gift of grace.
  2. Marriage requires teamwork. This is a theme that we cover in any premarital counseling sessions with other engaged couples. Love is not easy. Yes, there are times when everything seems to be working really well in the relationship and we are pushing in the same direction with a profound like-mindedness, but there are also times when the relationship is more difficult. There are times it seems we are seldom on the same page and are not understanding each other. There have been times that we have hurt and failed one another. And there have been times when it has been necessary to share a hard word with our partner. It’s in these times that it has been tremendously helpful to remember that we are on the same team. Whatever hardships we might walk through, we are walking together. We are cheering for each other and desire each other’s success. I know I want the best for my wife and she wants the best for me. It reminds me of the thought from Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, that there is strength in numbers. Being on the same team means that there will be times that we need to lean on each other, especially when one is not as strong. There will be times that we need to protect and defend each other. There are times when we need to encourage and cheer for each other. Being on a team means that we don’t speak ill of each other to others. We don’t throw each other under the bus. Instead, we work things out in private until the relationship is good.
  3. There is value in affection. Christine and I joke around that we are still in our honeymoon phase. We enjoy each other’s company because fun is a non-negotiable factor in our relationship. I sometimes tell other married men in the church that you cannot express love to your wife enough. You can’t say it enough and you can’t demonstrate it enough. Some may have heard the joke of the husband saying to his wife, “I told you I loved you when I married you, and if anything changes I’ll let you know.” But especially in a Christian marriage, love is the ultimate expression since it is the summation of the Law of God (Matt. 22:37-40), and there should be a consistent expression throughout the marriage relationship. As Dr. Ernie Baker recently shared at our recent married couples’ weekend conference, the Bible instructs us to love our neighbor (Matt. 22:39), and perhaps our closest neighbor is our spouse. Of course, there are many different ways to express love and affection (e.g., physical affection, intimacy and sex, verbal communication, acts of service, acts of sacrifice, gifts, etc.), and different occasions will warrant different expressions. The important thing is that it is being expressed and that the relationship is being affirmed.
  4. There still is a lot to learn. There are many other lessons and blessings I could add to this list that Christine and I have gained over the past ten years, but if anything is concrete and clear, it is that we are not at the journey’s end. We still have so much to learn about marriage and each other. We have much to learn about what it means to love one another in the love of Christ. Our selfishness and pride oftentimes get in the way. We constantly find ourselves returning to the throne of grace begging for mercy and help. Even with all the lessons learned, we praise God for the arena of marriage where God continues to make and mold us into the man and woman He desires us to be.