New Life Community

Jesus gave an example of how we might treat other people in different situations, this new culture of treating others with equality regardless of the social status or position needs some conscious practising. Jesus teaches that the higher our position is the more we need to serve others. 

Throughout Jesus ministry, we see a principle of following Jesus, from fishermen to tax collectors, to a young rich ruler. Each of them was challenged to deny themselves, their dreams, and their sources, to trust God with their future and as their source. If being a Christian today seems boring, we might not be truly a follower of Jesus but merely adding Jesus to achieve what we want to begin with. 

On the road to Emmaus, there were two disciples that discussed with Jesus but unable to recognize him, until he broke a loaf of bread and gave it to them. This act of breaking a loaf of bread has been strong throughout gospel, from triggering a miracle to officiating a remembrance. A lesson that is very relevant to people of all ages, including us today.

Through the last few hours of crucifixion, we can learn how Jesus actually foretold the Kingdom of God with the abundance of mercy, grace and showing the perfect obedience to the will of God that brings about repentance to the multitudes on the calvary.

We are called to be a blessing and to do good works. We are to give whatever we have back to God as a good steward, and this is regardless of our current vocation/career. The right experience of living our calling is less about getting the right job, but to do everything as if for God and not men. 

Every one of us has both generic and specific calling, the biggest step is for us to respond to it the right way by looking inside and see what God has provided us to do. 

There are lessons we can learn from Joseph. Every pain that we went through in our past is a preparation for our calling. There will be provision for every process that we face today. All of our platform and season today has a purpose to glorify Jesus through everything we do and everyone we see.

We try to find calling, and we wait for that calling moment in our lives - while actually, the Bible shows us quite clearly what our "calling" is. Yet most of the time we missed it. Jesus calls us to salvation, sanctification and service, and this is the cornerstone of how we approach things, how we work every day, how we serve one another these days.

True repentance comes from the right understanding of the Gospel. How we live our salvation depends on how we perceive our salvation and our everyday lives. This is why we must not stop at having the knowledge of God but respond the right way too. 

To become the person God wants us to be, we have to be real. Being real is being authentic, true, and genuine. With this mindset, we will see repentance in a new light, as something that we need to do, not something we avoid.

True repentance comes from a relationship, ad not from religious practice. It enables us to love God, it brings about change in all aspects of our lives, and it leads us to have self-discipline and excellence. 

The first preach in the gospel is a call for repentance - we learn from David that there is some learning to truly repent from our sins. Repentance never stop with feeling and intention, but with obedience and decision.

Peter met Jesus and his life was changed forever. There are lessons that we can learn from the event that transformed Peter to his newfound identity as the fisher of men. A lesson that prepares us to respond graciously to all the different seasons and opportunities around us.

We are God's masterpiece and handiwork, we are well equipped to do what we were designed to do. There will be many distractions and disappointments, but there is nothing that can change our identity or stop us from fulfiling what we supposed to do.

When what we experience varied wildly from our plans, we need to know that God is in control. Having this understanding shall help us to respond wisely to all of the hurt, failure, and disappointments of life. 

We were created in Christ and for Christ - so that we can live freely to become the true original design. Christ redeemed us not only from sin but also from false identities that this world thrown at us every single day.

Identity determines how we respond to things and situations around us. By understanding that this world tried to label and define our identity, we know that the true identity comes from God, our creator. 

We celebrate Christmas and the last service of 2020 in simplicity - as we back to what matters the most to us, the born of baby Jesus. 

Contentment is elusive nowadays. The secret of being content comes from the understanding that being content when we have plenty is as difficult as being content when we are lacking. Joseph, Jesus' earthly Father shows us how he can have situation against him yet chose to be content nevertheless. 

Gratitude is a command - God commands us to be grateful but gratitude is nothing natural. We need to know the trap of feeling grateful wrongly that would help us to be grateful to God's justice everyday.