Sermon Rewind 7/7/13 - Why Pray?

Mark 14:36

New International Version (NIV)
36 “Abba,[a] Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Hebrews 4:16New International Version (NIV)16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Dave Brubaker kicked off the truthstarts campaign by addressing the question: Why do we pray for our hopes/dreams/desires if God already has a plan? Dave, often citing C.S. Lewis, offered up these five aspects of prayer:

1. Prayer allows us to be absolutely real with God. Jesus did not want to go to the cross and honestly conveyed that message while remaining subservient to whatever God decided.
2. Prayer involves "chutzpah." When we pray, we can take the stance of supreme confidence (perhaps even audacity) of demanding that God show up.
3. Prayer transforms us. Just as Jesus promised to make the disciples "fishers of men," pray that God changes us.
4. Prayer leads to participation in God's work. Dave defined a miracle as the intersection of our faith and actions and God showing up. Responding in action to prayer gives us the opportunity to become the answer to someone else's prayer.
5. Prayer is communion with God.  When we pray we experience all aspects of the Trinity, as God makes us desire to pray, leads us in the method of prayer, and becomes the context of prayer.

by Chris Cheung

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Sermon Rewind 6/16/13 - Time Is Short

1 Corinthians 7:29-31

New International Version (NIV)

29 What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; 30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep;31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.

Alex Wu reminded us that our time on this earth is short. All of us face two truths: life is fleeting and Jesus is returning soon. There is nothing more important for us to do than to establish a saving relationship with Jesus. Not all of our earthly fathers are still alive, but in Christ we can still celebrate Father's Day in Heaven.

Alex's friend Linda shared about her feelings and experiences after her husband Tom passed away suddenly last year, leaving her and their four children behind. A powerful blessing is that he had reiterated his profession of faith in Jesus earlier that same day.

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Sermon Rewind 6/9/13 - A Lasting Faith

Liz Yim continued the Red series with a message about faith, and what faith is based on the accounts where Jesus talked about faith in the Gospel of Matthew. Faith requires us to know God, to know His character and nature.  A lasting and real faith will be rooted in a relationship with God that is informed daily by the scriptures.  Faith also requires us to believe, act with a hopeful expectation and have confidence in who God is.  As we get on the journey of faith, sometimes our experiences may not match up with what the scriptures say.  In these times, God will honor our conversations with Him about unbelief - "I believe, but help me overcome my unbelief."   

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Sermon Rewind 6/2/13 - More Than Words

John 14:15-24
New International Version (NIV)
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[a] in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”


23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.



Dave Brubaker paraphrased Jesus' words from John 14 by quoting the song More Than Words by Extreme: "...if you only knew how easy it would be to show me how you feel ... then you wouldn't have to say that you love Me, cuz I'd all ready know."  Just as we are called to demonstrate our faith by our works (James 1:14-18), we are called to show our love for Christ in our obedience.  Dave also quoted Howard Hendricks: "The opposite of ignorance is not knowledge; it's obedience."  Jesus followed this principle when He acted out both his love for us and His obedience to the Father by going to the cross. Dave closed by asking all of us what act of love we felt the Holy Spirit was placing on our hearts to show someone right now.

by Chris Cheung

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Sunny Softball Sunday

Chloe Lee

Nothing beats old-fashioned, American baseball games on sunny Sundays in southern California. Or, in this case, the sport's close cousin, softball. With the exception of the grapefruit-sized baseball, all-female teams and slightly different fields, baseball and softball are very similar.

"I liked that I was able to be with my friends and the Cheers kids I babysit at the same time. It was all my BFFs in the same place." -Joy Hsieh

On Sunday, March 10, two small groups convened at the baseball diamond in Craig Park for a little softball showdown: The Village versus Cheers. While the grown-ups got to work on the field, the kids ran around, enjoying themselves. Under the influence of a cheerleader, the little Village children made up a cute little cheer.

The older Lifegroup led the game off with a good start, pulling ahead by a couple runs. But as more minutes passed and The Village grew tired, Cheers swooped in and finished it off. With a wipeout too large in number to be remembered, The Village life group accepted their loss with positive attitudes.

"I enjoyed the fellowship during the game. Plus I liked the snacks." -Helen Lee

Communiity is a big part of Christianity. Sometimes it is better to experience God with others. He often works through others. A little softball game may not seem like much to you, but it could mean the world to God. He might have changed someone’s heart through the game. God works in many mysterious ways.

Sermon Rewind 3/10/13 - The Ministry Of Presence

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

New International Version (NIV)

2 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.^[a] 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. ³ I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. ⁴ My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, ⁵ so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

Pastor Peter deepened our understanding of discipleship by sharing about the ministry of presence. Discipleship isn't about performance and isn't limited to programming. Discipleship can occur when we are present with each other. Peter offered the following tips:
     1) Show up  
     2) Leave room for the Holy Spirit to show up.  
As simple as this sounds, there is often a great cost because when we are present one place, we can't be present in others. Navy Chaplain Tim Seo shared about his ministry of presence among sailors at sea and the cost that he and his family pay during his deployments.

by Chris Cheung

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Sermon Rewind 3/3/13 - Following Christ With All Your Heart

Mark 10:17-27

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Rich Young Ruler

¹⁷ As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” ¹⁸ And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments, ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” ²⁰ And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.” ²¹ Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” ²² But at these words ^[a]he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.
²³ And Jesus, looking around, *said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” ²⁴ The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus *answered again and *said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁶ They were even more astonished and said to Him, “^[b]Then who can be saved?” ²⁷ Looking at them, Jesus *said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

Alex Wu's message last Sunday was about following Christ… with all of our lives, with nothing holding us back. Will we be like the rich young ruler, who Jesus loved, but who turned away because he was not ready to lay his entire life for Him? Jesus knew the ruler wanted to follow Him, but he would rather be comfortable with his own wealth. That can be an idol in your life.

Idols in our lives can be more than just wealth. Power, status, even a relationship. They are not just idols, they are anchors that keep us from the Spirit. Christ wants us to pursue Him with all of our hearts and raise the anchors to Him. Let His Spirit guide your life.

by Ed Chu

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