Continuation Of God’s Covenant Blessings
Have you ever wondered whether good things will continue and whether God will still remember to bless you tomorrow? We are often laden with all kinds of worries about our future, and sometimes when we look at our situations, we can’t help but question how God can possibly still fulfil His promise to us. What has the Bible to say about such concerns? How can the contents of Genesis and Exodus relate to God’s faithfulness to us?
“Good Pretending”?
Have you ever played “dress-up” as a child, pretending to be a character of your dream such as a policeman or a fireman? Do you sometimes feel that you are “hypocritical” when you pretend to be like Christ, when you are far from being Christ-like? But what if there is a kind of pretending that is good? What is the difference between good and bad pretending?
The Need For Solitude And Community
Are you someone who prefers to be alone or hang out with people? Does time alone draw you closer to God, or lead you deeper into certain temptations or loneliness? Bonhoeffer ever said, “Let him who cannot be alone beware of community. Let him who is not in community beware of being alone.” Do you sometimes feel that as long as you get the support you need from the Christian community, you do not need to pray so much to God yourself? Or do you feel that you do not need to be in a Christian community because you can build good relationship with God on your own?
Counterintuitive and Sufficient Grace of God
We have always heard that there is no free lunch in the world. Thus, we tend to get very suspicious of deals which are too good to be true. Also, we are very used to the idea of “earning for our rewards”, so it feels strange when we do not have to put in efforts to attain something precious. That is why God’s grace is so counterintuitive to the human mind. How is the gospel counterintuitive? How is Jesus enough for all human needs? Find out more through this message.
Why Do We Strangely Choose Something that Clearly Harms Us?
Have you ever regretted some of your foolish decisions or actions? Many a times although we know certain things are bad for us, that they will make us suffer loss and end up being unhappy, yet we still insist on choosing them. Why are we often so foolish? How can we overcome the heart of disobedience toward God?
Reconciliation and God’s Sovereign Goodness
One important theme in the Bible is reconciliation – reconciliation with God, with men, as well as the mission of bringing men to reconciliation with God. Are you already reconciled with God? On the foundation of our reconciliation with God, are we also reconciled with men? One key to reconciling with those who have hurt us is to trust in the sovereign goodness of God, but can we believe that God is sovereign yet good at the same time, especially when seemingly bad things happen to us?
Jacob Blesses His Sons
There are a few important realities we cannot ignore: the certain eventual death of every man, the definite consequences of sins and the uniqueness of every person. How can the story of a dying Jacob blessing his different sons according to what was appropriate to them also present a noteworthy lesson for all of us? How does the grace of God play out in the death of his saints, in giving blessings to those who repent from sins, and in uniting people with different gifts and inheritance?
Testifying God’s Faithfulness
Our typical human nature tends to complain when we meet misfortunes in life, but have God proven your despair and unbelief wrong in the end? Have He surprised you with grace you didn’t imagine? Through the many testimonies of biblical characters, we are reminded that though they also had their share of adversities and despairing moments, God kept His promises to them ultimately. How about your own testimony? Are you able to confirm God’s faithfulness in your life and share those testimonies with people around you?
From Bitter To Better
We know God is good, yet sometimes we can’t help but feel that what He has allowed to happen to us taste bitter. It could be an illness, a difficult marriage, a toxic family environment, an unfair boss, the death of someone dear, even the current pandemic, and the list goes on. Can God have better plans in our bitter encounters? Instead of feeling bitter, can we grow better?
Wobbly Idols, Steady God
What is the most dangerous sin that we need to guard ourselves against, which the Bible repeatedly warn us about? Is God’s presence a blessing or trouble for you? What if you sometimes secretly feel in your heart that God seems to have lost – lost to sin, suffering, the world’s culture, people who do not fear Him?
