At the start of a new year, we often set out to accomplish goals. But more than having a vision, we need to build our lives on a firm foundation—a revelation from God and His Word. 

To have a strong foundation, we need to build before the storm comes. We do this by getting into the Word, prayer, ministry and godly relationships. The fact is, storms of life will come—and when they do, we must be ready to stand firm. To have a strong foundation, we need to build below the surface. Often, behind a brave front, there are issues we struggle with below the surface. The Holy Spirit wants to dig out the dirt and fill the void with His strength and love. Finally, to have a strong foundation, we need to build beyond the present. Instead of focusing on short-term results, we need to build our lives with eternity in our hearts and minds. 

When we have Christ as the cornerstone of our foundation, then every storm and valley that we go through, we will withstand and overcome!

Pastor Wu Yuzhuang shares the account of how Jesus interrupted the 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus and changed the course their lives. 

When Jesus “interrupts” our lives, He is with us every step of the way, walking with us. When unmet expectations bring disappointment and disillusionment in life, He wants us to know that while He may not always give us what we want, He will always ensure we have what we need. 

We may go through interruptions or difficult situations in life—but when we cannot see Him in our circumstances, we can find God in His Word. 

Like the 2 disciples, we have a choice to let Jesus pass us by, or invite Him to stay with us. When we are able to see Christ in life’s interruptions, we will experience His presence and our purpose will be restored once again!

The Bible says that as believers, we all have a measure of faith, albeit the size of a mustard seed. Yet, just a mustard seed size of faith is enough to do the impossible. 

The key lies in knowing how to activate our faith. Pastor Bobby Chaw shares 4 ways in which we can do that. 

First, we need to meditate on God’s Word. By doing so, we allow the Word of God to cleanse our thoughts and as God’s Word saturates our mind, transformation will take place. Second, we are to believe and confess God’s Word. Confessing the Word of God was how Jesus prayed in the Lord’s Prayer. 
Third, we need to receive a clear vision from the Holy Spirit; just like how Abraham began his faith journey with a vision from the Lord and went on to become the father of faith. 

And finally, we simply need to get started. Action is essential to activate our faith. Mustard seed faith with action will produce great results. 

As we activate our mustard seed faith, may it grow and lead us to encounter Jesus every day of our lives.

It is Christmas Weekend at City Harvest and we are celebrating the Light of the world—Jesus! It was against a backdrop of the darkest winter that Jesus was born into this world. This is the good news of Christmas, that Jesus will come into your dark times, your difficult circumstances and struggles; and you will receive grace and strength to withstand your problems. In our darkest moments, God is closer to us than we think.

The challenges of life will come to the best of us, but He promised to be with us in the midst of it. He doesn’t want to change our circumstances, He wants to change us; so that we may develop patience and character, to be more like Jesus. Just as a seed needs to be buried in the dark soil for life to come forth, so will the light of Christ shine through us in the darkest times. 

Invite Jesus into your darkness and witness how He will take you through the fire and the flood as you put your trust in Him and depend wholly on Him!

Christmas is a time to remember that Jesus came to bring light to a world of darkness. We all go through dark seasons in life that often get us down and discouraged. But God wants us to know that He can use these tough circumstances to bring us to a higher purpose in life. 

In sermon leading up to Christmas, Pastor Kong shares three simple things we can do (B.T.S.) when we are in a dark place in life. The first is to believe. No matter what you are facing, keep believing, visualising and confessing the promises of God over your situation. Secondly, we are to trust that God is working for us and in us; strengthening us to overcome our challenges. Finally, having done all we can, we need to wholeheartedly surrender the outcome to God, knowing that He is our sovereign Lord. 

Just as a seed needs to be planted in the soil—a dark place—so that life on the inside will come forth, it is in the dark times that our character will be moulded; where we learn patience and lean in to God for strength and faith!

Salvation is not the mere pardon of sin, it is a Christlike transformation. The goal of the Christian life is to have an intimate relationship with God—spiritual union and sharing in the communion of the trinity.

For a believer to lead a Spirit-filled life, he must walk in the righteousness, love and power of God; because this is the true nature of God. 

The early Pentecostal fathers looked for four
evidences of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. A Spirit-led believer is one who: displays intense hunger for righteousness; a deep crucifixion of self; continual praises to God; and an unspeakable love for God and for one another. Genuine Christianity involves deep affection for the Lord and for others. That is the heart of our spirituality.

As we grow in spiritual union with God, may we cultivate spiritual affections that show forth our gratitude towards the Lord and His goodness, compassion for our fellow men, and courage to live our best life for Jesus.

As human beings, from time to time, we’d wish we had superpowers. But let’s take a moment to consider that God, who is all-powerful and all-knowing, decided to put aside His powers to become human, to identify with our humanity and frailty—in order to save us.

Jesus Christ came to give us salvation and grace needed for this life—to overcome difficulties, crisis and tragedy. As we learn to acknowledge our human limitations, God wants us to fully depend on Him; to work alongside Him and with Him.

Pastor Aries shares 3 benefits we will receive as we depend on God: a healthy confidence, a healthy humility, and a balanced Christianity.

As we hear this word, may we be encouraged to know that while we acknowledge our human limitations, we can depend fully on an unlimited God for His grace and strength to live our lives for His glory.

As human beings, from time to time, we’d wish we had superpowers. But let’s take a moment to consider that God, who is all-powerful and all-knowing, decided to put aside His powers to become human, to identify with our humanity and frailty—in order to save us.

Jesus Christ came to give us salvation and grace needed for this life—to overcome difficulties, crisis and tragedy. As we learn to acknowledge our human limitations, God wants us to fully depend on Him; to work alongside Him and with Him.

Pastor Aries shares 3 benefits we will receive as we depend on God: a healthy confidence, a healthy humility, and a balanced Christianity.

As we hear this word, may we be encouraged to know that while we acknowledge our human limitations, we can depend fully on an unlimited God for His grace and strength to live our lives for His glory.

One of the toughest battle to fight is the battle of the mind. That is why in Rom 12:1-2, the Apostle Paul urges us to daily renew our mind.

God wants to give us a new mindset— a whole new way of thinking—to live with a kingdom perspective.

The word “renew” in Latin is “renovare”, which means to restore or restructure what is old and malfunctioning. There are areas in our lives that need to be torn down to be rebuilt—a spiritual renovation!

If you want to experience the power of God, then your thinking towards God, and towards His promises, must change.

Pastor Lin Junxian shares 3 requirements for the renewing of our mind. It requires our focus on the Word of God; it requires the focus of our whole being; and it requires our focus on the Holy Spirit. 

As we set our minds on the things of God, may our thinking be renewed day by day, so that our lives will in turn be transformed to shine forth the light of Christ!

Continuing his series on Katharsis, Theoria and Theosis, Pastor Kong Hee touches on the second key to having spiritual union with God—Theoria. Theoria means “to see; to have a vision of God; to have an encounter with Him; to tangibly experience Him.” Encounters with God show us He is real and that, in turn, transforms our lives. 

How can one experience encounters with the Lord? By having the right spiritual temperature of walking in God’s light (righteousness), in God’s love, and in His power. The evidence of God’s saving grace in us is a life of righteousness, in that sin no longer reigns in us. Holiness comes with we walk in the love of Christ and take on His Spirit and nature. Finally, as believers, our ministry must operate with the demonstration of God’s power. 

So let us walk in God’s light, love and power, that may we encounter God and experience spiritual union with Him!