𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 (Mark 3:13-19) | Dr. Chris McMillan, Sept 20, 2026

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐀 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 (Exodus 33:7-11) | Dr. Herman Moldez, Sept 13, 2026

Friendship with God is experienced in intimate prayer. Prayer is meeting God

face to face, to have intimate conversation between two friends. The God who inhabits the heavens

above meets us in our hearts to listen to our deep longing. Friendship with God draws us intimately

into His love to become like Him.

It is ironic that amidst high tech connections so many feel alone. Al says that

"loneliness is currently recognized as a critical public health epidemic." The WHO Commission on Social Connection says that loneliness causes 100 deaths every hour or 871,000 annually and costs billions to address social health care. People connect through social media but are isolated. They need deep face-to-face conversation with a friend.

Loneliness is not just a social malady. It is a spiritual angst, longing for deep communion with God. God reaches into the depth of who we are to be our Friend. In Exodus 33:7-11, "the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend." (v.11a). We experience deep friendship with God through prayer. Intimate prayer is intimate spiritual conversation with God as our Friend.

Moses set up a Tent of Meeting outside the camp. We meet with God in a solitary place, away from distraction and disturbance to be alone with God. Solitude is not a place but sacred space in our hearts, the spiritual dwelling place of God (1 Cor 3:16; Eph 3:17). Any place will do if we can stay quiet in our heart to be in communion with God.

Prayer is an encounter of the sacred presence of God. Whenever Moses entered the Tent of Meeting, "the pillar of cloud would come down and hover at its entrance" (v. 9b). Prayer is being in the Presence of God. Prayer is meeting with God in solitude to seek His presence. No pillar of cloud appearing; only God's silent presence in our heart. The first act of prayer is to be with God in silence and solitude, simply enjoying His Presence.

As we stay in quiet waiting, without prompt but just pure silence, God speaks without words. Just loving communion with His Presence in our soul. Friendship with God is soul in prayer deeply embraced by the presence God. Even for a husband and wife, deep communion is without words but a deep assurance of each other's presence for better or for worse.

Divine friendship deepens with the human spirit communing with the Holy Spirit in the "Tent Meeting", the dwelling place of God in our hearts. We are accustomed with verbose speech to pour out our thoughts and feelings to God. For sure, God wants to hear us. But conversation with God is to let God speak first while we are in solitude of silent waiting in God's presence. Deep prayer is spiritual communion of sacred face to face soul-union with God to enjoy the touch of His love. Deep prayer is to be spoken to by God in our soul that we are His beloved.

Reflect: What do you long for to commune with God as your Friend?

𝐆𝐨𝐝, 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 (Luke 7:36-43) | Dr. Herman Moldez, Sept 6, 2026

Religion teaches that sinners cannot be friends of God. Jesus opened a new

door where God can be our friend through the way of forgiveness. We grow friendship with God by

grace. God became human to offer us the home of friendship. God looks for friends who are honest

and humble, at home in being human.

Being human is created for relationships. It reveals the image of God revealed in the godhead, God the Father-Son-Spirit. Sin has alienated us from God and from one another. Shalom is invaded by conflict and war, discrimination and segregation, pride and prejudice. We live in a lonely world.

Loneliness is a longing for love to be fulfilled in relationship with God, self, and others. The breakup of marriage, family, and friendship deepens the alienation. God, in Christ, reaches to His enemies. Jesus Christ reveals God making friends with sinners.

Jesus became famous as a partygoer with those regarded sinners (Lk. 7:34). In the following story, Luke 7:36-50, Jesus showed who God is, a friend with a sinful woman who gate- crashed the party of a religious leader, Simon the Pharisee. Religion is meant to reconcile us with God. However, if religious legalism replaces love, it becomes another instrument of alienation.

In the story we see God, who embraces human imperfection so that sinner can be long in His kingdom. The woman was outside the kingdom, yet Jesus welcomes her to kiss his feet and massage it with expensive perfume. What she uses to attract men she pours out to adore Jesus. Jesus is never scandalized being touched by sinful hands.

Society is divided by status and sexuality, the poor and powerless. Religion excludes the bad ones by feeling the good ones. But God welcomes sinners to experience divine intimacy by grace. The story of cancelling the big debt shows how acknowledging our sins make us recipient of God's forgiveness and friendship (vv.41-43 cf. Rom 5:20b). Seeking the mercy of God deepens our friendship with God.

Forgiven sinners exhibit community of friends, out of God's sheer grace. Being the church is to open the door to alienated people, becoming a community of the friends of God. The ministry of hospitality, to eat and drink together out of the grace of God is being a church. Not just to offer a home for strangers but to open our hearts to welcome with compassion and care.

May our church be a place where human loneliness finds healing in loving relationships and those who are alienated from whatever reason are accepted by grace. How will your life be a means by which others can experience friendship with God?

𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐨𝐝 (Micah 6 : 5-8) | Pastor Rein Arlegui, Aug 30, 2026

We can be religious but not in right relationship with God and others. We may know many things about the Bible but never know God intimately. We can have vibrant worship in church but unless we practice vigilant walk in justice and righteousness, humility and holiness, we are out of cadence with God.

1. Humbly Walk in Gratitude (v.5)

2. Humbly Walk in Surrender (vv.6-7)

3. Humbly Walk in Devotion (v.8 )

Humility is not a cloak we put on for a moment, but the very path we walk for a lifetime. Walking humbly with God means remembering His faithfulness, letting go of pride, and choosing each day to live according to His will.

𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 (Col. 3:1-5) | Dr. Herman Moldez, Aug 23, 2026

We live the Christian life in the present, but it must be shaped by the perspective and practice that last to eternity. We do so by seeing eternity casting its power in our earthly existence. This life is hidden with Christ which we must learn to enjoy in our hearts.

The Christian life is eternal. In the coming and work of Jesus Christ eternity has dawned in and invaded history. We are risen with Christ to live in the light of eternity.

We don't wait for eternity but walk in it now.

1. Framework of life

2. Focus of life

3. Formation of life

How is eternity shaping your perspective, priorities, and practices in life?

𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 (1 Jn 1 : 5-7) | Pastor Rein Arlegui, Aug 16, 2026

Light is a powerful metaphor. It is the character of God being formed in the lives of believers who become children of light. The Christian life is shining as light through peace and purity we practice as a church.

1. Walk in the Light v.5

2. Live out the Truth v.6

3. Pursue Purity in Christ v.7

Light is a powerful metaphor because it reflects the very character of God shining through His people. To be called children of light means allowing His nature to be formed in us, so that our lives radiate His presence. As believers, we must let our light shine with the peace and purity that come from Christ. And together, as a community of the redeemed, we bear a living testimony of God’s transforming grace to the world.

Walking in the Way of Christ (Phil 3:1-11) | Dr. Herman Moldez, Aug 9, 2026

Jesus is our model par excellence. Imitation of Christ is a biblical and aspirational spirituality. However, we fail to walk in the life of Jesus. In Philippians 3:1-11 Paul gives spiritual direction to guide believers on how Christ's risen life can grow in their everyday living.

We can walk the life of Jesus by the power of the resurrection (vv. 10-11) through the indwelling Holy Spirit (v. 3, Rom. 8:9-11). Being religious will not enable us to live like Christ because the sinful nature (flesh) weakens human resolve to obey Christ. It is a loss, in fact garbage (vv. 7, 8). It is only by relying on the Holy Spirit by prayer that Christ's risen life will be formed in our ordinary life.

But it is not that simple. The fleshly nature works powerfully in our bodily desire (see Rom. 6:12-13). So we must participate in the suffering of Christ to be conformed in his death to rise to a new life (v. 10). Suffering is God's means to sanctify our life. It is through the crucible of pain that Christ's character becomes part of who we are. We must embrace the crucified life to resist the flesh to rise with Christ and live his life. We die to false self in total surrender to Christ our Lord. This is not a quick-fix practice. It requires diligent pursuit of Christlikeness by daily walking to imitate Jesus. We are still a work in progress. We live with imperfection. We press on no matter how difficult by practicing spiritual disciplines.

The walk is living Christ's risen life slowly being formed in us by the power of the Holy Spirit through participation Christ's suffering, in conformity with his death to die from our sinful desire. It is a process as we practice daily obedience.

What kind of lifestyle are you walking with?

Walking Between Two Worlds (Rom 12: 1-2) | Dr. Herman Moldez, Aug 2, 2026

Sometimes we think that if we build the city of God in the city of men, life will be beautiful. But Christ did not send us to walk out of the world, nor walk with the world, but to walk in the world, navigating between two worlds. The Christian life is walking where the kingdom of heaven and earth meet where we are.

The Christian life is walking to follow in this world but we live in a different world. We navigate the now and the not yet where heaven and earth meet where we are. How?

1. Walk in God's path

2. Walk in God's perspective

3. Walk in God's purpose

How can you live in the world but not of it?

Deep Calls To Deep (Ps 42:5-8) | Dr. Herman Moldez

In an age of very advanced information technology, ordinary people have known so many things almost about everything. Never before have we the available resources to know about the Bible and theology. However, despite the vast knowledge of God in the marketplace, Christians remain shallow in knowing God in their lives.

What we need, Richard Foster said, is "not intelligent and gifted people but deep people."

In Psalm 42:5-8, the saints yearn for deeper life with and love of God. They cry "deep calls to deep" as they feel submerged in the overwhelming sorrow, like waves and roars of the waterfalls. How do we grow deep in life and relationship with God? The deep represents the bottomless and boundless abyss of the soul where God dwells. Deep is the spiritual encounter with God in the very depth of who we really are in our soul. We experience intimate communion with God in the deep.

It is in the abyss that we are DRAWN closer to God's love. It is not only the human spirit thirsting for God but the divine Spirit is yearning to love the saints. But we are too busy to attend to God's intense desire to embrace us by His pure love.

It is usually in deep sorrow of the absence of God that we DIVE in the ocean of God's love. What the world offers to be loved through performance, possession, and prestige become empty. Status before the world does not give true significance to know our true identity. It is in the deep of our total nakedness that we are deeply loved without condition. In the deep we rest in God's love fully satisfied like a weaned child (Ps 131:2).

In the deep we are assured being the beloved. God DIRECTS us to notice how each day is lavished with His love to sing in the night. Deep people remember the goodness of God to rejoice in His love.

Intimacy with God grows in the deep. Not on the mountain peak but in the places of the ordinary where we encounter trials and troubles, sickness and suffering, emptiness and nothingness.

Where are you seeking intimacy with God?

When God Hides His Face (Ps 13:1-6) | Dr. Herman Moldez, July 19, 2026

How can we be intimate with God when we feel He has left us?

When we feel FORGOTTEN by God, we begin to long for His presence. From the dryness of our soul, we desire His face, His presence. The Holy Spirit makes us homesick for God.

Actually, God has not been away from us even a moment. We have departed from God.

Longing directs our FOCUS on God to find hope and help in Him alone. We ask for light in our darkened eyes to illumine our hearts to see Him clearly, to seek His deliverance from our enemies, problems, and troubles we feel so helpless.

Seeing God with illumined eyes makes us delight in the FAITHFULNESS of God with His unfailing love. Our sorrow wells up to rejoice with songs of praise for His goodness and salvation. In our brokenness, we experience God's beloved.

In what ways do you feel God has abandoned you?

May it deepen your longing to let Him look on you and experience His love.