Sunday, August 31, 2025
“Paraclete”
Pastor Kenichi Osumi

1. The promised Spirit
* Luke 24:49 “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (NIV)
* The Holy Spirit who enables understanding of spiritual mysteries
* 1 Corinthians 2:14 “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them f*olishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” (NIV)
* The Holy Spirit who brings about confession of faith
* John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” (NIV)
* 1 Corinthians 12:3 “Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus be cursed,’ and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” (NIV)
2. Another advocate
* “another” = “aron” = Another one of exactly the same quality
* John 14:17 “…..for he lives with you and will be in you.”
“with” = “para” “in” = “en”
* Matthew 28:20 “…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (NIV)
* “advocate” = “paraclete” = One who is called to one’s side
* 　　　　　　　　　　　 One who pleads one’s case with sympathy, an advocate, an intercessor
* 1 John 2:1 “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” (NIV)
* The “Comforter”
* 2 Corinthians 1:4-5 “who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at mini church:
1. Is there anything that you weren’t able to understand in your mind (intellect), but you understood with your heart (spirit)?
2. Have you ever directly been comforted by the Holy Spirit, of been comforted by the Holy Spirit through someone?

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Sunday, August 24, 2025
“God’s Plan Based on Selection”
Pastor Hiroyuki Anjiki

1. Man’s selfish schemes
* In the case of Isaac, Rebekah, Esau, and Jacob
2. The result of man’s selfish schemes
* Galatians 6:7 “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” (NIV)
* The result in the case of Isaac, Rebekah, Esau, and Jacob
3. God’s plan which supersedes man’s selfish schemes
* Hebrews 11:20 “By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.” (NIV)
* Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at mini church:
1. What kinds of common points do the nature and faith of each of the four characters (Isaac, Rebekah, Esau, and Jacob) have with your nature and faith?

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Sunday, August 17, 2025
“Preparing the Way for Christ:
Sharing the Gospel”
Pastor Joey Anjiki

* John the Baptist: The forerunner of the Messiah
* Isaiah 40:3 “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’” (NIV)
1. Understand the value of the Gospel
* Matthew 3:5 (See above)
* How to share the gospel in a straightforward manner amidst prejudice
2. Share the necessity of repentance
* The message John shared was in verse 2: “Repent”
* In those days, the Jews though that repentance was necessary only for Gentiles.
* Pharisees and Sadducees: Representative religious groups in those days
* Matthew 3:11 (See above) Meaning of this passage
* Awareness and repentance of sin today
3. Share that grace has already been offered
* Why were they led to repentance? “Because the blessing that the Messiah was coming was also told”
* Something that occurred in a Canadian prison
* Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at mini church:
1. Have you ever hesitated to tell someone you are a Christian?
2. When such a thought comes to mind, what should we remember?
3. Why do many people think there is no need to repent?
4. Reflect on the grace of the cross that Jesus Christ has offered us.

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Sunday, August 10, 2025
“Isaac, the Heir to the Abrahamic Covenant”
Pastor Hiroyuki Anjiki

1. Trial of faith
* Genesis 25:1 “disturbed” (Genesis 12:10)
2. Isaac’s faith
3. The victory of Isaac’s faith

Thoughts to share at mini church:
1. What did Isaac do when he got into trouble?
2. What did you learn from Isaac’s faith?

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Sunday, August 3, 2025
“Freedom and Restoration
from Sin in Christ”
Pastor Joey Anjiki

1. The nature of sin as seen in King Herod
* Matthew 2:3 “disturbed”
* Matthew 2:8 “He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” (NIV)
* Matthew 2:16 (See above)
* The nature of sin as seen in Herod
* What occurred at the Dachau concentration cam
2. The family's escape to Egypt: Liberation from sin
* Matthew 2:15 (See above) *Quoted from Hosea 11:1
* The “Egypt” that the prophet refers to = “a general term for persecutors”
* Here Egypt represents “Herod and the devil working behind the scenes”
* Our Exodus from Egypt
3. Restoration from sin as seen in the events surrounding Ramah
* Matthew 2:17-18 (See above)
* The meaning of Matthew’s quote: This sorrow became the prelude to hope
* Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.’” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at mini church:
1. Do we too have Herod’s nature?
2. Have you ever experienced your sinful nature being changed?
3. Have you ever experienced something negative in your life being turned into something positive?

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Sunday, July 27, 2025
“The Certainty of God’s Selection”
Pastor Hiroyuki Anjiki

1. The prayers of Isaac and Rebekah
• Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (NIV)
• Hebrews 11:3 “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” (NIV)
• Genesis 25:22 “jostled” = “Latsa” in Hebrew meaning kicking each other or fighting”
2. The birth of Esau and Jacob
• Genesis 25:27 “content” = “Tam” in Hebrew meaning complete, correct, pure
• Genesis 25:31 “birthright” (right for oldest son)
(1) Physical blessing (The oldest son received two times the portion of other siblings)
(2) Spiritual blessing
(3) The blessing of being linked to the genealogy of the Messiah
(4) Possession of the promised land
• Genesis 25:34 “despised” = Handled as something of no value
• Hebrews 12:16 “See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.” (NIV)
3. God’s selection and man’s response
• Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (NIV)
• John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.’” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at mini church:
1. If you have recently experienced an “answer to prayer,” please share.
2. Why did God not choose Esau, but Jacob?
3. You have been chosen by God. What do you think about this fact? What is the calling of those who are chosen? (Refer to John 15:16)

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Sunday, July 20, 2025
“Abraham’s Preparation for
the End of His Life”
Pastor Hiroyuki Anjiki

1. Reconcile – with the past
* Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (NIV)
2. Live in faith – in the present
* Planning for the end of your life
(1) Clean up unwanted items in your home
(2) Tell others computer and other passwords
(3) Write final notes
3. Have hope – for the future
* John 14:6 “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at mini church:
1. How much progress preparing for the end of your life have you made regarding the past, present, and future?

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Sunday, July 13, 2025
“Maji from the East:
To meet Jesus Christ to Satisfy Your Thirst”
Pastor Joey Anjiki

1. Turn your eyes upward
* Magi from the east = Not three people
* Matthew 2:2 (See above)
* Prophesy of the birth of the Savior and the appearance of a star
* Numbers 24:17 “… A star will come out of Jacob…” (NIV)
* Many people try to satisfy their thirst with things they can see
* “This is Water” by David Foster Wallace, and American writer
* “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man, which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator.” Blaise Pascal
2. Turn your eyes to the Gospel
* Why where the Maji of the east, who were gentiles, able to know about the prophecies of the Old Testament?
* Daniel and Babylon
* “The plan to restore the relationship between God and man” written in the Bible
* Sin separated the relationship of people with God, and people began to feel thirsty
3. The salvation of the cross
* Matthew 2:11 “…Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” (NIV)
* Each of the gifts was a symbol of what would occur in the life of Jesus
* The salvation of the cross
* The testimony of Justin Bieber, a Canadian singer
* John 4:14 “but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at mini church:
1. Prior to meeting God, what did you try to satisfy your thirst with?
2. Share about your experience accepting the salvation of the cross, having your relationship with God restored, and your thirst satisfied.

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Sunday, July 6, 2025
“The Virgin Birth:
The Faith of Mary and Joseph Who Excepted It”
Pastor Joey Anjiki

1. The meaning of the virgin birth
* Matthew 1:18 Mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they became one, they found out that Mary had become pregnant through the Holy Spirit
* According to the law, Joseph had two choices. (Deuteronomy 22:23-27 & 24:1)
* Why was it necessary that Jesus Christ was born through the Holy Spirit?
- Sacrifices in the Old Testament times
- Passing sins on to animals → Animals bearing the sin had to be “those without defects or blemishes”
* It is because Jesus Christ was born sinless that he was able to bear the sin of all humanity on the cross, die, be resurrected on the third day, and complete the means for salvation.
2. The faith of Mary who accepted the virgin birth
* Luke 1:38 “‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.’ Then the angel left her.” (NIV)
* Dr. Paul Brandt, who served as a missionary doing medical work in India for many years
3. The faith of Joseph who accepted the virgin birth
* Thereafter, two different images of Joseph spread
(1) The image of a foolish person
(2) The image of a loving person who protected young children and people who didn’t have anyone
to protect them
* The image of father Jospeh overlays with the course of his son, Jesus Christ

Thoughts to share at mini church:
1. Why was it necessary that Jesus Christ was born through the Holy Spirit?
2. What can you learn from the faith of Mary and Joseph?

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Sunday, June 29, 2025
“There is Hope for a Tree”
Pastor Kenichi Osumi

1. Death is not the end
* There is a world after death
* Colton Burpo “Heaven is for Real”
* Romans 4:17 (See above)
2. There is hope for a tree
* Romans 4:19 (See above)
* Job’s hope
* Job 14:14 (See above)
* Job 14:7 (See above)
* Romans 8:11 “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at mini church:
1. Do you think there is a “world after death?”
2. Why is there hope for even a seemingly dead tree stump?

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