ICA Tokyo Podcast

What kind of culture are you building in your home? ❤️

Every family has patterns that shape how we communicate, handle conflict, forgive, and love one another. But what happens when those patterns are pulling your family away from the relationships you really want?

In From Here to There #2: Changing Your Family’s Culture, discover how to move beyond simply keeping the peace and start intentionally building a Christ-centered home where Jesus shapes the way you love, serve, and treat one another.

Because a strong family isn’t just defined by what it avoids. It’s defined by what it intentionally builds.

In this message, you’ll discover how to:

• ❤️ Put Jesus at the center of your family and relationships

• 🗣️ Use life-giving words that build your spouse and family up

• 🤝 Resolve conflict instead of letting anger and resentment grow

• 🙏 Practice forgiveness instead of keeping score

• 🏡 Build a healthy family culture rooted in Christ-like love

Here’s the question to ask yourself: What does Christ-like love require of you?

You can’t change your family overnight, but with God’s help, you can start changing the culture of your home today. You don’t have to wait for someone else to make the first move. Choose to love first, forgive first, and serve first—just as Jesus did for you.

📖 Key Scriptures: Genesis 3:6–13, Genesis 4:7, John 15:12, Ephesians 4:26–32

Listen to the full message and discover how small choices today can shape the future of your family.

*Disclaimer: This summary has been made by a ChatGPT summary directly based off the original message notes.

What kind of culture are you building in your home? ❤️

Every family has patterns that shape how we communicate, handle conflict, forgive, and love one another. But what happens when those patterns are pulling your family away from the relationships you really want?

In From Here to There #2: Changing Your Family’s Culture, discover how to move beyond simply keeping the peace and start intentionally building a Christ-centered home where Jesus shapes the way you love, serve, and treat one another.

Because a strong family isn’t just defined by what it avoids. It’s defined by what it intentionally builds.

In this message, you’ll discover how to:

• ❤️ Put Jesus at the center of your family and relationships

• 🗣️ Use life-giving words that build your spouse and family up

• 🤝 Resolve conflict instead of letting anger and resentment grow

• 🙏 Practice forgiveness instead of keeping score

• 🏡 Build a healthy family culture rooted in Christ-like love

Here’s the question to ask yourself: What does Christ-like love require of you?

You can’t change your family overnight, but with God’s help, you can start changing the culture of your home today. You don’t have to wait for someone else to make the first move. Choose to love first, forgive first, and serve first—just as Jesus did for you.

📖 Key Scriptures: Genesis 3:6–13, Genesis 4:7, John 15:12, Ephesians 4:26–32

Listen to the full message and discover how small choices today can shape the future of your family.

*Disclaimer: This summary has been made by a ChatGPT summary directly based off the original message notes.

How did I get here? One bad decision rarely happens overnight. It’s often a series of small compromises that slowly take us somewhere we never intended to go.

In this message, “From Here to There #1: How Did I Get Here?”, we look at the story of King David and how a man known for his integrity fell into devastating compromise. His story reminds us that pride can blind us, small choices shape our direction, and eventually, what’s happening in our hearts shows up in our lives.

But here’s the good news: Where you are doesn’t have to be where you stay.

Discover what the Bible says about overcoming temptation, breaking the cycle of bad decisions, and finding the courage to take your next right step. Through God’s faithfulness, there is always a way out, and through Jesus, there is grace, forgiveness, and a way forward.

📖 In this message, you’ll discover:

• How small compromises can lead to big consequences

• What King David’s fall teaches us about pride and spiritual drift

• Why good circumstances don’t automatically lead to good choices

• How to recognize temptation and choose God’s way out

• Why one bad decision doesn’t have to determine your next one

• How repentance can change your direction and help you move forward

• How to approach God with confidence and receive His grace

Key Scriptures: 2 Samuel 11:1–4, Deuteronomy 17:17, Proverbs 16:18, 1 Corinthians 10:12–13, Psalm 51:17, Hebrews 4:15–16.

💬 Reflection question: Have you ever looked at your life and wondered, “How did I get here?” Remember, you may not be able to change the decision that brought you here, but you can choose what you do next.

📍 Join us at ICA Tokyo, an international, English-speaking church in Tokyo, Japan.

Whether you’re exploring faith, looking for a church community, or wanting to grow in your relationship with Jesus, there’s a place for you here.

🔔 Subscribe for more Bible-based messages, practical Christian teaching, and encouragement to follow Jesus every day.

How did I get here? One bad decision rarely happens overnight. It’s often a series of small compromises that slowly take us somewhere we never intended to go.

In this message, “From Here to There #1: How Did I Get Here?”, we look at the story of King David and how a man known for his integrity fell into devastating compromise. His story reminds us that pride can blind us, small choices shape our direction, and eventually, what’s happening in our hearts shows up in our lives.

But here’s the good news: Where you are doesn’t have to be where you stay.

Discover what the Bible says about overcoming temptation, breaking the cycle of bad decisions, and finding the courage to take your next right step. Through God’s faithfulness, there is always a way out, and through Jesus, there is grace, forgiveness, and a way forward.

📖 In this message, you’ll discover:

• How small compromises can lead to big consequences

• What King David’s fall teaches us about pride and spiritual drift

• Why good circumstances don’t automatically lead to good choices

• How to recognize temptation and choose God’s way out

• Why one bad decision doesn’t have to determine your next one

• How repentance can change your direction and help you move forward

• How to approach God with confidence and receive His grace

Key Scriptures: 2 Samuel 11:1–4, Deuteronomy 17:17, Proverbs 16:18, 1 Corinthians 10:12–13, Psalm 51:17, Hebrews 4:15–16.

💬 Reflection question: Have you ever looked at your life and wondered, “How did I get here?” Remember, you may not be able to change the decision that brought you here, but you can choose what you do next.

📍 Join us at ICA Tokyo, an international, English-speaking church in Tokyo, Japan.

Whether you’re exploring faith, looking for a church community, or wanting to grow in your relationship with Jesus, there’s a place for you here.

🔔 Subscribe for more Bible-based messages, practical Christian teaching, and encouragement to follow Jesus every day.

What if God has already spoken… but we’ve left Him on read?

In this message from GHOSTED #5, we look at 3 reasons we miss God’s voice and why hearing from God isn’t always about waiting for a supernatural sign.

Sometimes we overcomplicate God’s will. Sometimes we’re afraid of making the wrong decision. And sometimes we know what God is asking, but we’re afraid of the cost.

So how do we learn to hear God’s voice and actually obey?

We’ll explore what the Bible says about seeking God, trusting Him when we don’t have complete clarity, and having the courage to take the next step—even when it costs us.

📖 In this message:• Why we overcomplicate God’s will• Why fear can keep us from obeying God• Why God’s will isn’t always easy• How to seek God instead of just seeking signs• What Peter’s walk on water teaches us about faith• How to trust God when you don’t know the whole journey• What to do when you already know the next step

The goal isn’t just to hear God’s voice. It’s to recognize His voice and have the courage to obey.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” — Proverbs 3:5–6

🙏 God…Position me to hear Your voice.Help me recognize it’s You speaking.Give me the courage to obey.

GHOSTED — A series about hearing God when He feels silent.

📍 ICA Tokyo — International Church in Tokyo, Japan🇯🇵 English-speaking church in Tokyo

What if God has already spoken… but we’ve left Him on read?

In this message from GHOSTED #5, we look at 3 reasons we miss God’s voice and why hearing from God isn’t always about waiting for a supernatural sign.

Sometimes we overcomplicate God’s will. Sometimes we’re afraid of making the wrong decision. And sometimes we know what God is asking, but we’re afraid of the cost.

So how do we learn to hear God’s voice and actually obey?

We’ll explore what the Bible says about seeking God, trusting Him when we don’t have complete clarity, and having the courage to take the next step—even when it costs us.

📖 In this message:
• Why we overcomplicate God’s will
• Why fear can keep us from obeying God
• Why God’s will isn’t always easy
• How to seek God instead of just seeking signs
• What Peter’s walk on water teaches us about faith
• How to trust God when you don’t know the whole journey
• What to do when you already know the next step

The goal isn’t just to hear God’s voice. It’s to recognize His voice and have the courage to obey.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” — Proverbs 3:5–6

🙏 God…
Position me to hear Your voice.
Help me recognize it’s You speaking.
Give me the courage to obey.

GHOSTED — A series about hearing God when He feels silent.

📍 ICA Tokyo — International Church in Tokyo, Japan
🇯🇵 English-speaking church in Tokyo

Have you ever prayed, waited, and heard… nothing?

You prayed for the job. You prayed for the relationship to heal.You prayed for direction. You asked God for an answer, but all you got was silence.

What do you do when God feels silent? Does silence mean God has abandoned you? Is He not listening? Or could God be doing something deeper in the waiting?

In the final message of our GHOSTED series, we look at the life of David and what Scripture teaches us about hearing God, unanswered prayer, spiritual silence, and trusting God when we don't understand what He's doing.

David knew what it was like to experience God's miraculous power—and also what it felt like to cry out to God and hear no answer.

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” — Psalm 22:1

Yet David's faith wasn't ultimately in an answer. His faith was in God.

Because silence isn't the same as absence.

Maybe the waiting isn't wasted. Maybe God is using the waiting to form you, strengthen your faith, teach you perseverance, deepen your dependence, and remind you of His faithfulness.

In this message, we explore:

• What to do when God seems silent• How to respond to unanswered prayer

•Why silence isn't necessarily the same as absence

• How David continued trusting God in difficult seasons

• Why we should keep asking, seeking, and knocking

• How to recognize whether God has already answered

• The importance of obedience, repentance, and listening

• How God may speak through Scripture, people, circumstances, and the Holy Spirit

• Why God's greatest desire is relationship—not simply giving us answers

• How to wait on God without wasting the wait

• Why sometimes we need to get quiet enough to remember who we're talking to

Matthew 7:7–8 reminds us to keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking.

And when we don't hear anything at all, we can pray:

“God… position me to hear Your voice. Help me recognize that it's You speaking. Give me the courage to obey. And when I don't hear anything at all, give me the courage to wait.”

Just because God isn't speaking doesn't mean He's not moving.

Don't waste the wait. Keep pursuing Him, not just an answer.

Have you ever prayed, waited, and heard… nothing?

You prayed for the job.
You prayed for the relationship to heal.
You prayed for direction.
You asked God for an answer—but all you got was silence.

What do you do when God feels silent? Does silence mean God has abandoned you? Is He not listening? Or could God be doing something deeper in the waiting?

In the final message of our GHOSTED series, we look at the life of David and what Scripture teaches us about hearing God, unanswered prayer, spiritual silence, and trusting God when we don't understand what He's doing.

David knew what it was like to experience God's miraculous power—and also what it felt like to cry out to God and hear no answer.

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” — Psalm 22:1

Yet David's faith wasn't ultimately in an answer. His faith was in God.

Because silence isn't the same as absence.

Maybe the waiting isn't wasted. Maybe God is using the waiting to form you, strengthen your faith, teach you perseverance, deepen your dependence, and remind you of His faithfulness.

In this message, we explore:

• What to do when God seems silent
• How to respond to unanswered prayer
• Why silence isn't necessarily the same as absence
• How David continued trusting God in difficult seasons
• Why we should keep asking, seeking, and knocking
• How to recognize whether God has already answered
• The importance of obedience, repentance, and listening
• How God may speak through Scripture, people, circumstances, and the Holy Spirit
• Why God's greatest desire is relationship—not simply giving us answers
• How to wait on God without wasting the wait
• Why sometimes we need to get quiet enough to remember who we're talking to

Matthew 7:7–8 reminds us to keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking.

And when we don't hear anything at all, we can pray:

“God… position me to hear Your voice.
Help me recognize that it's You speaking.
Give me the courage to obey.
And when I don't hear anything at all, give me the courage to wait.”

Just because God isn't speaking doesn't mean He's not moving.

Don't waste the wait. Keep pursuing Him, not just an answer.

Ever prayed for direction and thought, “God… is that You speaking, or is that just me?” 🤔

You’re facing a decision. You’ve prayed. You’ve asked God for guidance. But there’s no voice from heaven, no giant sign, no text message from God telling you exactly what to do.

So how do you actually know if God is speaking?

In GHOSTED #3: IS THAT GOD OR JUST ME?, we look at how God guided the Apostle Paul, not primarily through dramatic supernatural experiences, but through open doors, closed doors, wise decisions, ordinary circumstances, and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Paul didn’t always know what was next. Sometimes God opened a door. Sometimes He closed one. And sometimes Paul simply had to make a decision and move forward in faith.

Maybe God is speaking to you more often than you realize.

In this message, you'll learn...

• How to recognize God’s voice• How God can speak through ordinary moments• What an “open door” can mean• Why a God-given opportunity doesn’t always mean an easy road• How God can use closed doors as protection• What to do when God says “NO”• Why sometimes God says, “You choose.”• How Scripture helps guide our decisions• Why you don’t have to be certain to be faithful• And how to take your next step when you don’t know the whole plan

Ever prayed for direction and thought, “God… is that You speaking, or is that just me?” 🤔

You’re facing a decision. You’ve prayed. You’ve asked God for guidance. But there’s no voice from heaven, no giant sign, no text message from God telling you exactly what to do.

So how do you actually know if God is speaking?

In GHOSTED #3: IS THAT GOD OR JUST ME?, we look at how God guided the Apostle Paul, not primarily through dramatic supernatural experiences, but through open doors, closed doors, wise decisions, ordinary circumstances, and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Paul didn’t always know what was next. Sometimes God opened a door. Sometimes He closed one. And sometimes Paul simply had to make a decision and move forward in faith.

Maybe God is speaking to you more often than you realize.

In this message, you'll learn...

• How to recognize God’s voice
• How God can speak through ordinary moments
• What an “open door” can mean
• Why a God-given opportunity doesn’t always mean an easy road
• How God can use closed doors as protection
• What to do when God says “NO”
• Why sometimes God says, “You choose.”
• How Scripture helps guide our decisions
• Why you don’t have to be certain to be faithful
• And how to take your next step when you don’t know the whole plan