Sermon Rewind - 4/17/2011 - Ruth: Receive Like the Beggar

Benjie Kim ends the Benchwarmers series with his take on Ruth. She was from the hated land of Moab and yet God still used her to demonstrate the beauty and wonder of hesed - an extraordinary act of kindness, love, and self-giving. Our calling as followers of Christ is to not only demonstrate hesed, but to also take on the posture of the beggar - in order to receive God's love with openness and humility.

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Sermon Rewind - 4/10/2011 - Thomas - From Doubting Benchwarmer to Sacrificial Starter

John 11:5-16 (New International Version, ©2011)

⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, ⁷ and then he said to his disciples,“Let us go back to Judea.”

⁸ “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”

⁹ Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. ¹⁰ It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”

¹¹ After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

¹² His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” ¹³ Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

¹⁴ So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, ¹⁵ and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

¹⁶ Then Thomas (also known as Didymus^[a]) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Alex Wu continued the Benchwarmer series with a sermon on "Doubting" Thomas, a man labeled because of his actions of disbelief after the resurrection of Jesus. John 11:5-16 sheds light on a new label for Thomas, "Bold Sacrificer". Alex shared two things we can take from Thomas. The first thing is, it's okay to doubt a little. Doubt is the crossroad that can bring us to a place where our faith is strengthened. The second thing is, be willing to sacrifice. Thomas was bold and willing to follow Jesus, even at the cost of his life. Where do you see God leading you? Be open to the will of God.

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Sermon rewind 3/27/2011 - Naaman - An Everyday Hero

Cindy Park continued the Benchwarmers series with her message - the healing of Naaman - from 2 Kings 5. Naaman went to Elisha, expecting to meet him and be instantly healed. Naaman expected a heroic cure, however, was instead asked to simply wash himself in the Jordan River. Fortunately, Naaman's servants challenged him to put aside his pride and disappointment and obey Elisha's instructions.

We are not always asked to do dramatic, heroic things, but rather humbly obey and submit to God's call on our lives, even if the daily tasks seem ordinary. We're called to be faithful with the time and resources He's given us, and to engage with the people He's put in our lives. The everyday tasks in our lives may not feel heroic, but we need to trust in God's sovereign plans, knowing that in our obedience, we get to part of His epic story.

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Joseph - Keeping The Faith

Genesis 45:4 - 7
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.


Have you ever felt inadequate, inferior, or stuck in a moment you can’t get out of? Pastor Peter introduces us to one of the first “Benchwarmers” of the Bible – people with flaws and dire circumstances whom God still used to play significant roles in His epic story of redemption. Joseph was the youngest of his family - pampered, and an arrogant braggart. Over the course of his life he was sold off as a slave, framed an adulterer, and then spent many years in jail. Rather than bemoaning his situation, Joseph responded gracefully and made the best of it, trusting that God was with him always. Through this time, Joseph learned of courage, humbleness, and unyielding faith. In the end, Joseph rose to power, and through his experiences, helped save many around Egypt. Let us do the same and focus on WHAT we can do rather than WHY!

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