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At the height of his power, David does something no one expects. Instead of eliminating the remnants of Saul’s household, he asks if there is anyone left to whom he can show covenant kindness. In 2 Samuel 9, strength expresses itself not through dominance, but through hesed—steadfast, promise-keeping love.

The search leads to Mephibosheth, a man with no leverage, no status, and no power. Lame in both feet and living in Lo-Debar—a place of “nothing”—he embodies weakness in a world that worships strength. When he is summoned before the king, he expects judgment. He calls himself a “dead dog,” convinced he has nothing to offer.

But grace interrupts expectation. David restores his inheritance and gives him a permanent seat at the king’s table. He had nothing. He offered nothing. Yet he received everything.

This story reveals more than David’s character—it reflects the heart of God. Like Mephibosheth, we come with no résumé to impress the King. There are no prerequisites for His kindness, no performance that secures His welcome. And yet, through Christ, we are invited to the table.

The invitation is simple: give Him your nothing. Bring the shame, the weakness, the parts of your story that feel like Lo-Debar. What we cannot earn, He freely gives. And as recipients of that covenant kindness, we become people who extend it—welcoming the overlooked, loving without calculation, and echoing the heart of the King.

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We long for joy, yet we live in a world marked by evil, suffering, and death. We often assume that if sorrow is present, joy must be absent. But in John 16:20–22, Jesus is utterly honest: “You will weep and lament… you will be sorrowful.” He does not deny the pain of life—He names it.

Yet He also makes a staggering promise: “Your sorrow will turn into joy.” Not a fragile joy dependent on circumstances, but a permanent joy powerful enough to transform pain itself. Like childbirth that gives way to overwhelming gladness, Jesus speaks of a future meeting with Him so certain and so glorious that it will one day reach back into our present grief and reframe it.

The invitation is not to escape sorrow, but to anchor our hope in the One we will see face to face. Instead of building our lives on what can be taken from us, we are called to center our hearts on Jesus—the source of a joy that cannot be stolen. When our future with Him becomes the centerpiece of our hope, we become a community of joy even in a world of pain.

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We spend much of our lives giving our hearts to things that promise security—careers, approval, success, or control. We look for something visible and strong to organize our lives, but the wrong kings always take more than they give.

1 Samuel 16 shows a different kind of King and a different kind of life. While others chase appearance and achievement, God looks at the heart. He sees the overlooked, the hidden, and the unfinished places we often ignore.

The invitation is simple: instead of striving to manage every external condition, give God your heart. Trust the King who sees you, speaks to you, and raises you up in His time. What we surrender to the right King, He restores with His presence.

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Jesus says that we were made for "Full Joy" -- marked by awe, wonder, delight, security, and peace. 

Yet, the reality is that locating joy can be difficult and the pursuit of joy can be dysfunctional.

So, how do we come to experience the "full joy" that Jesus promises?

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January mornings are often slow, quiet, and heavy—the first half hour of the day can feel like just waking up.

Yet that early, honest moment can become sacred when we allow God to meet us there. Isaiah 63–64 shows us how facing reality—our guilt, fatigue, or disconnection—opens space for God’s presence.

The invitation is simple: in the first half hour, honestly acknowledge where you are, then make a raw, expectant plea for God to break in. What starts quiet can become explosive, and what feels weak is never wasted.

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So much of how we relate to God is shaped by how we’ve related to our earthly fathers. Our expectations of God—how close He feels, how patient we believe He is, what we think He requires of us—are often informed by those early relationships.

Which leads to an honest and necessary question: Have I actually been living like a child of God?

Even when we intellectually affirm the gospel, we can still live out of either an orphan mentality or a slave mentality. Luke 15 and the parable of the Prodigal Son shows us how we can return home and experience the love of the Father.

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Beginnings Matter
How we start things shapes what follows. The beginning sets the direction, the tone, and the posture of our hearts. But instead of beginning the year with a focus on the will we exert (e.g. resolutions that stems from an experience of insecurity), we begin with a focus on what we receive!

The priestly blessing in Numbers 6:24–26 is repeated because it is meant to be powerful and lived. It is God’s heart spoken over His people. We repeat it at the end of our service with the hope that what we experience together in the room can be carried into the rest of the week. The presence of God is not meant to stay in a service—it is meant to shape everyday life.

We want to begin the year not by trying harder, but by receiving what God already desires to give.

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Story from Patrick Kim

At the core of Christian celebration of Christmas is a single question with a truth so staggering, it is what theologian, J.I. Packer, described as the “supreme mystery” of Gospel. 

Scripture is honest that this truth—God becoming human—can be difficult to comprehend. Luke 1–2 shows us that God does not simply announce this staggering reality; He prepares us to receive it.

For Images Referenced in the Sermon

In 2 Corinthians 1, Paul reminds the church that God is “the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,” who comforts us in our affliction—not by removing suffering, but by joining us in it. 

Jean shows us from this passage that comfort is not optional in the life of God’s people—it is essential. God meets us in suffering, and then sends us to carry that same comfort to others.The promise of the gospel, Jean explains, is not escape from pain, but presence within it. We will suffer, but we are never alone, and our suffering is never wasted—it is redemptive.

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In this sermon, we see that Jesus changes now only "why" we give but also "how" we give. The author, Paul, writes that those who follow Jesus are to give aggressively. We unpack why we can be reluctant to do that and why we ought/get to. Through this practice of "aggressive giving" we see that God wants to encounter us "aboundingly, personally, and holistically."