Sunday, December 7, 2025
“Let it Be:
　Faith that Says ‘Your Will be Done’”
Pastor Joey Anjiki

1. Unexpected difficulties
* Luke 1:27 (See above)
* Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” (NIV)
* Was this announcement good news for Mary? Not entirely.
* Difficulties in our lives
2. Mary’s faith: God was with her
* Luke 1:38 (See above)
* Why was Mary able to respond “Let it be to me according to your word”?
* Luke 1:28 (See above)
* The blessing of knowing the Lord is with you
3. Faith in the salvation of the cross
* Why was it necessary that Jesus Christ be born of a virgin through the Holy Spirit?
* The concept of redemption coming forth from the Old Testament
* Matthew 26:39 “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (NIV)
* Hebrews 12:2 “… For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at mini church:
1. Why was Mary able to overcome the difficulties she was facing?
2. Where is the foundation for faith in God during difficulties that are given to us today?

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Sunday, November 30, 2025
“Jacob’s Family Escaping
to Their Homeland”
Pastor Hiroyuki Anjiki

1. Jacob’s escape
* (1) One’s desire
(2) Environmental conditions
(3) God’s Word
(4) Opinion of trustworthy people
2. Laban’s pursuit
* Genesis 31:21 “fled” = Hide oneself at the risk of danger
* Genesis 31:24 “Keep it in mind not to condemn Jacob at all.” (Shinkyodo translation)
“Don’t talk to Jacob about good or bad things.” (Iwanami translation)
“Refrain from saying anything good or bad about Jacob.” (Sekine translation)
3. The covenant of Gilead
* James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at mini church:
1. What are four points when seeking God’s heart?
2. Through God’s intervention, Jacob was protected from Laban’s pursuit. Have you ever experienced God’s protection?

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Sunday, November 23, 2025
“Praise the Lord, my Soul”
Pastor Kenichi Osumi

1. Why does it say “my soul?”
* Not relying on others
2. “Forget not all his benefits”
* What was the most “beneficial” thing for David?
“Forgiveness of all sins (iniquities)”
* “Amazing Grace” by John Newton
“Amazing grace, oh how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me”
“wretch” = despicable person or villain
* 2 Samuel 12:13 “Then David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Nathan replied, ‘The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.’” (NIV)
* Various “benefits”
“Healing of all your diseases” and “Redemption of your life from the pit”
3. The Lord who satisfies us with “benefits” (good things)
* What was the most “beneficial” thing for David?
* “Mango” (Poem of Wind) poem by Tomihiro Hoshino (English translation)
“I give way to rain.
I give way to wind.
I give way to summer heat.
I can’t do anything,
even though there is a sick person in the east,
and even though there is someone who is in trouble in the west.

I want to be strong
So I take care of myself and eat healthy food.
I like delicious things.
I don’t like things that are not delicious.

I want money.
I want clothes.
I’m that kind of person.
I’m lying in bed on my back.”
* Excerpt from the book “If I Hadn't Suffered” by Genzo Mizuno (English translation)
“If I had not suffered, I would not have known God’s love.”

Thoughts to share at mini church:
1. Have you thought about “iniquities (sin)?” What do you think about “iniquities (sin)?”
2. What kind of “benefits” (good things) is God satisfying you with in your life?

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Sunday, November 16, 2025
“How to be the Salt of the Earth
and the Light of the World”
Pastor Joey Anjiki

1. What is “the salt of the earth”?
* Matthew 5:13 (See above)
- Salt in those days and now as well is an essential seasoning
- Salt was also used as a preservative in those days and valued for that
- “We are to be a good flavor among people and protect them from corruption.”
* Miki Sawada worked hard to save war orphans born in Japan
2. What is “the light of the world”?
* Matthew 5:14 (See above)
* Matthew 5:15 (See above)
* The central disciples and the crowd in those days
* Matthew 5:16 (See above)
* The testimony of Dr. Paul Brand’s mother, Evelyn Brand

Thoughts to share at mini church:
1. What are the meanings of “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world?”
2. Have you ever met such a person?

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Sunday, November 9, 2025
“The Secrets to Raising Children
Taught in the Bible”
Pastor Hiroyuki Anjiki

1. Raise children with parental love
* Ephesians 5
* Ephesians 5:22 “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.” (NIV)
* Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” (NIV)
2. Raise children as united parents
3. Raise children with God’s love
* Romans 5:8 (See above)
(1) All people are sinners against God
(2) God expressed His love through Christ
(3) Believe in the Savior Jesus, invite Him into your heart, and live closely connected to God

Thoughts to share at mini church:
1. What are improvement points for your child raising? Please discuss this with your spouse.

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Sunday, November 2, 2025
“The Second Half of the Beatitudes”
Pastor Joey Anjiki

1. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
* Boundaries transcended by Jesus Christ
* Where did Jesus Christ learn these kinds of values from?
2. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
* The errors of Pharisaic Judaism
* To see God and experience the Holy Spirit
* American pastor, David Wilkerson
3. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
* This is teaching on the peace between God and man
* 2 Corinthians 5:18 & 20 “18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation… 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” (NIV)
* The testimony of an Ethiopian woman
4. “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
* The story of the twenty-six martyrs of Nagasaki

Thoughts to share at mini church:
1. Review the content of each teaching.
2. What kind of grace did Jesus portray?
3. It says “see God” in verse 8. Have you ever experienced the Holy Spirit?
4. What kind of people are those who make peace?
5. What did you sense from the incident of the twenty-six martyrs of Nagasaki?

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Sunday, October 26, 2025
“To See is To Own”
Pastor Hiroyuki Anjiki

1. The deal between Jacob and Laban
2. Jacob’s wisdom
3. God’s law of possession
* Genesis 13:14-15 “The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, ‘Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.’” (NIV) (Promise regarding land)
* Genesis 15:5-6 “He took him outside and said, ‘Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” (NIV) (Promise regarding descendants)
* Philippians 3:13-14 “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (NIV)
* 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at mini church:
1. What did Jacob do to increase his livestock? What meaning do you think that had?
2. What is it that we should always fix our eyes on?

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Sunday, October 19, 2025
“The First Half of the Beatitudes”
Pastor Joey Anjiki

1. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
* What it is that causes people to become Christian
* The problem of death
2. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
* The self-centered nature of people
* Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (NIV)
3. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
* People who live not by the world’s standards or their own standards, but by God’s standards
4. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
* Hebrews 5:12 “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!” (NIV)
* Philippians 3:12 “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” (NIV)
* A white youth who participated in the civil rights movement

Thoughts to share at mini church:
1. Reflect on the four teachings.
(1) What caused you to become a Christian?
(2) What kind of circumstances was it when you were shown your sin?
(3) What kind of people are those who live by God’s standards?
(4) What is necessary each day to be transformed into the image of Jesus?

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Sunday, October 12, 2025
“The Birth of Jacob’s Children”
Pastor Hiroyuki Anjiki

1. Leah’s children
(1) Reuben: “Reu” = behold, “ben” = a son
(2) Simeon: listen
(3) Levi: connect with, draw near to
(4) Judah: praise
2. Rachel’s female slave Bilhah’s children
(5) Dan: vindicate, judge correctly
(6) Naphtali: struggle
3. Leah’s female slave Zilpah’s children
(7) Gad: good fortune
(8) Asher: happy
4. Leah’s additional children
(9) Issachar: reward
(10) Zebulun: gift, dwell with
5. Rachel’s child
(11) Joseph: take away, add
* 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. Children were born one after another between Jacob and four women. What kind of plan and work do you think God had in place in the background of this happening?

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Sunday, October 5, 2025
“Mission Work
Emulating that of Jesus Christ”
Pastor Joey Anjiki

1. Regions where mission work began (share widely)
* Jesus Christ based himself in Capernaum in the Galilean region
* How to enable the church to share the gospel widely
* Romans 10:14 “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (NIV)
* Use of the internet
2. The disciples were chosen and used (to personally share the gospel)
* Invitation of 4 disciples to “become fishermen of men.”
* The role of a disciple is to lead people to Jesus Christ
* What kind of people where Jesus’ disciples?
* “God is one who uses small things to do great works”
3. Why is the gospel to be shared?
* Matthew 4:14, 15, 16 (See above)
* The gospel has the power to change lives

Thoughts to share at mini church:
1. Why did Jesus base himself out of Capernaum? What can we learn from that?
2. Why did Jesus choose disciples? What can we learn from that?
3. Why should we share the gospel?

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