Sunday, January 26, 2020

“When the Door of God’s Word Opens”

Psalm 119:129-136 (Pe)

1. There is peace that conquers death

* John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (NIV)

* Genesis 2:17 “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (NIV)

* John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.’” (NIV)

2. There is someone who will walk with you in life

* John 14:16-17 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.’” (NIV)

* “Quill” (Japanese movie)

3. There is bright hope for the future

* John 14:28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.” (NIV)

* John 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (NIV)

* John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (NIV)

* Romans 8:37 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. Why do you think people fear death? Do you?

2. What does the Bible say to do in order to no longer fear death?

english_MCC 20200126.mp3

Sunday, January 19, 2020

“The God Who Takes Action”

Psalm 119:121-128 (Ayin)

1. The God who becomes our guarantor

* “Meido Meguri” by Maki Kashimada (2012 Akutagawa award winning author)

2. The God who handles us by grace

* Masami Sasaki (Christian child psychiatrist)

The importance of “confidence without grounds”

3. The God who changes our values

* Acts 20:35 “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (NIV)

* Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (NIV)

* Malachi 3:10 “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. If you have ever had an experience in which God felt close to you, please share.

2. What is “confidence with no grounds”?

3. Have you tried “God’s economic law” (Acts 20:35, Luke 6:38, Malachi 3:10)?

MCC English20200119.mp3

Sunday, January 12, 2020

“The Way of Life and the Way of Death”

Psalm 119:113-120 (Samekh)

1. The calamity of “double-minded people”

* Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (NIV)

* James 1:5-8 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” (NIV)

* Deuteronomy 11:26-28 “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse — the blessing if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the LORD your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.” (NIV)

* “Tranquilla Trampeltreu” by Michael Ende

2. The happiness of “those whose God is their shield”

* The faith of Toshio Katsuma (cartoonist & illustrator)

* Isaiah 43:4 “… you are precious and honored in my sight…and I love you…” (NIV)

“My Armor”

“At times there is a headwind, but my enemy is not the headwind. Neither is whomever is around me. It’s just the undaunting weakness inside me. However, it’s because I recognize that weakness, you who are the ultimate armor, whisper to me from behind. Yes, it is at those times.”

“Sketch”

“You washed my dirty body for me, and my cleaned body became like a new sketchbook. I get to draw what happens today in there. You unravel what to draw, so I am always filled with anticipation.”

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. When is it that you are tempted to fall into “double mindedness”?

2. When do you sense that “God is your hiding place”?

MCC English20200112.mp3

Sunday, January 5, 2020

“God’s Word is a Lamp For My Feet”

Psalm 119:105-112 (Nun)

1. Jesus Christ, the “light of the world”

* John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (NIV)

* John 1:9 “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.” (NIV)

* John 8:12 “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” (NIV)

* The testimony of Keiko Fujii (pediatrics doctor and former Buddhist monk)

2. We, the “light of the world”

* Psalm 119:112 “heart is set on” = expresses the strong desire “to have something be a specific way” even though the situation is trying to inhibit it

* Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.” (NIV)

* Ephesians 5:18 “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” (NIV)

* Larry Stewart “Secret Santa”

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. In what way is Jesus Christ the “light of the world”?

2. At what times do you think you are the “light of the world”?

MCC English Sermon20200105.mp3

Sunday, December 29, 2019

“The Word of God, Which is Sweeter Than Honey”

Psalm 119:97-104 (Mem)

1. The Jewish educational method

* “Prenatal care” Word education

* From birth to 2 years old: “Hatlar education”

* From 3 to 4 years old: “Et education”

* From 4 to 13 years old: “Teffilin education”

* From 14 to 18 years old: “Talmud education”

2. The Word makes people wise

* 1 Corinthians 1:27 “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” (NIV)

3. The Word provides guidance to the correct path

* “Time” magazine from 1965: “Today’s Teenagers”

* “What Happened to the Graduates of 1965 Thereafter”

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. Why can it be said that Jews are superior? What do you think is that secret?

2. What kind of impact does the Bible’s Word have on forming your identity?

MCC English 20191229.mp3

Sunday, December 22, 2019

“The God That Preserves My Life”

Matthew 1:17-25

1. To fulfill the promises of the Old Testament

* Ronald Reagan (40th President of the USA)

2. To show us Lord God

* Matthew 1:23 “Immanuel” = God is with us

* John 14:9 “… Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father…” (NIV)

* John Lennon (Beatles member)

3. To save us from sin

* Hebrews 9:27 “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” (NIV)

* “The first emperor of the Qin dynasty, Caesar of Rome, and Napoleon of France. When people have power, they want to become god. However, the only person that God became is Jesus Christ.”

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. What kind of promises in the Old Testament relate to the birth of Jesus Christ?

(Isaiah 7:14, 9:6, Micah 5:2)

2. What do you think is the meaning of John 14:9?

3. Do you think you are a “sinner?” If so, what should you do?

english_MCC 20191222.mp3

Sunday, December 15, 2019

“The God That Preserves My Life”

Psalm 119:89-96 (Lamedh)

1. Know the creator Lord God

* Ichiro Sanda (particle physicist)

“Why Scientists Believe in God, From Copernicus to Hawking”

* Stephen Hawking

“Singularity Theorem” “Borderless Space Hypothesis”

2. Know God’s Word

* Phan Thi Kim Phuc

(the young girl in Nick Ut’s photo intitled “The Terror of War”)

* Jeremiah 33:2-3 “This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’” (NIV)

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. Some people deny the existence of the “creator Lord God.” Why do you they do that?

2. How would you explain Biblical truth to such people?

3. What is a Bible verse that has greatly impacted your life?

english_MCC 20191215.mp3

Sunday, December 8, 2019

“Desperately Longing For”

Psalm 119:81-88 (Kaph)

1. The conflict of the psalmist

* Psalm 119:81 - 82 “faints with longing” & “fail, looking for”

Hebrew = Kara (A word expressing the limit of one’s patience)

2. The trust of God’s Word

* The faith of Michael Chan

* 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)

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. What is the purpose of your life?

2. Some people do not know the “purpose and meaning of life.” Why do you think that is?

3. What Bible passage provides support to your life?

english_MCC .mp3

Sunday, December 1, 2019

“The Purpose and Meaning of Life”

Psalm 119:73-80 (Yodh)

1. Know the creator Lord God

* The mystery of the “monarch butterfly”

* 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)

2. Joyfully obey God’s Word

* The faith of Michael Chan

* 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)

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. What is the purpose of your life?

2. Some people do not know the “purpose and meaning of life.” Why do you think that is?

3. What Bible passage provides support to your life?

MCC English 20191201.mp3

Sunday, November 24, 2019

“The God Who Does Good”

Psalm 119:65-72 (Teth)

1. Remember God’s grace

* Psalm 103:2 “Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—.” (NIV)

* Squire Rushnell (American TV Producer) “God Winks”

* Michihiko Yanai (Commercial planner, Tokyo University of the Arts Professor)

“Your weakness is a present from God.”

2. Know the meaning of hardship

* Iris Bolton “My Son… My Son… A Guide to Healing After Death, Loss, or Suicide”

Thoughts to share at Mini Church:

1. Have you ever experienced “God winking” at you? Please share.

2. What does Psalm 119:71 mean to you?

english_MCC 20191124.mp3