Sermon Notes

Rested and Ready: Experience God Deeply

Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Moe

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-21

1. Elijah goes from a huge win to total burnout—and God meets him right there in his weakness (v1–4)

2. God feeds Elijah and lets him rest before saying anything, showing that renewal comes before direction (v5–8)

3. God speaks quietly in the silence, reminding Elijah that He’s not done with him and reconnecting him to purpose and people (v9–21)

Reflection Questions:

Leaders: Are we creating space for silence and encounter with God?

Members: Am I expecting to meet the living God?

Rested and Ready: Unlearn to rejoice

Speaker: Pastor Angela Luk

Scripture: Philippians 3:1-16

Big Picture: Release what hinders joy in Christ. Paul counts all as loss to gain the surpassing joy of Christ.

1. Paul Commands Us to Rejoice in the Lord So We Safeguard Joy Against Deceptive Threats (v.1-3)

Joy Alert (v.1): “Rejoice in the Lord” is command under threat!

True Confidence Checklist:

1. Serve God by His Spirit;

2. Boast in Christ Jesus; and

3. Put no confidence in the flesh

2. Paul Exposes His Impressive Resume as Loss So We Forsake False Confidence for Christ (v.4-6)

Forsake false confidence by exposing the emptiness of past wins

Count our blessings, face our limits

3. Grab the Surpassing Gain of Christ (v.7-9)

A radical renunciation (v.8) - “I count everything as loss” - all or nothing

4. Paul Presses On to Know Christ So We Strain Forward with Mature Grit Toward the Prize (v.10-16)

Lock in on the prize by pressing forward with mature grit

Four action verbs from Paul:

Know Christ and the power of his resurrection (v.10),

Press on - imperfect but pursuing (v.12),

Forget what lies behind (v.13), and

Strain toward the goal for the prize (v.14)

Application: Unlearn to Rejoice

For the Leaders: Release Old Traditions.

Ask: Which habitual practices serve our mission, and which have become joy-robbing obstacles?

Action: Conduct a ministry audit in fellowships/small groups.

For the Members: Release Old Expectations.

Ask: What’s one church expectation that started good but now hinders joy?

Action: Share one “release” in group discussions.

Rested and Ready: Rest and Reclaim

Speaker: Rev. Alex Chan

Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30

“My soul can’t find rest unless it rests in You.”

Why are we so restless?

The illusion of false rest

Jesus modelled Rested and Ready

Jesus’ invitation to true rest

• Requires faith and intentionality

Reclaiming Rhythms of Grace

Application

What are you carrying that Jesus never asked you to carry?

What false versions of rest have you been trusting?

What do you need to reclaim this week?

Sermon Notes

Rested and Ready: Prune and Plan

Speaker: Pastor Shu-Ling Lee

Scripture: John 15:1-8

The Hope to Be Like Christ

Speaker: Pastor Quang Nguyen

Scripture: 1 John 3:1-3

Everyday English Usage of HOPE

• “A wish or desire” for something but you are not certain that it will happen.

Biblical meaning of HOPE

• “HOPE is a joyful and confident expectation of God’s goodness.”

2 great pillars of HOPE

I. The HOPE to be WITH Christ

II. The HOPE to be LIKE Christ.

I. The HOPE to Be WITH Christ (Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 28:20, John 14:16)

1. The Hope of heaven (2 Corinthians 5:8, John 14:1–2)

2. The Hope of Christ’s return (Titus 2:13, 1 Cor 15:51-52)

3. The Hope to walk with Jesus tomorrow (Matthew 28:20, Psalm 27:13).

II. The HOPE to Be LIKE Christ (1 John 3:2)

1. Desire it! (When we realize how much God loves us - 1 John 3:1)

2. Believe it! (We will become like Christ one day – 1 John 3:2)

3. Live it out! (Purify yourselves now – 1 John 3:3)

New Year, Continuing Mission

Speaker: Pastoral Intern Jonathan Moe

Scripture: Mark 5: 2-13

The Big Idea: Spiritual warfare is real, but it is not a battle between equals. Jesus Christ possesses absolute authority over the evil one and breaks the bondage of sin. Freedom from sin allows us to live out God’s purpose.

Mark 5: 1-9 - Christ's AUTHORITY confronts the POWERS of DARKNESS

Mark 5: 10-15 - Christ's AUTHORITY Breaks the BONDAGE of Sin

Mark 5: 18-20 - Our CONTINUING MISSION after Victory

Reflection Questions:

Have we been relying on our own effort to overcome our sin?

What is the thing that Jesus needs us to free us from?

Behold: Joy for All Peoples

Speaker: Pastor Shu-Ling Lee

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

INTRODUCTION: What sparks “joy” for you?

What is advent? Why do we observe the advent season?

“Advent marks the beginning of the Church calendar. It’s the start of a new year for the Christian. It reminds us that fresh starts & new beginnings are not products of our willpower, but expressions of God’s grace in Christ”.—Rich Villodas Jr.

“The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come.”—Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Hymn: “Joy To The World”

How & Where can we find JOY in this difficult, polarizing world?

1. Joy is found in Jesus, the Humble King (v.1-8)

2. We have Good News of Great Joy, but will we choose to receive it daily? (v. 9-16)

3. Joy is meant to be shared (v.17-20)

Conclusion

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.—Philippians 4:4-8

Behold: God with Us

Speaker: Rev. Kelly J Tam

Scripture: Isaiah 7:14

All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Behold! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).

—Isaiah 7:14

A “Blue Christmas”

Honest Hope:

Isaiah 7:14

1. Isaiah 7:14 is a promise spoken amid uncertainty.

2. Isaiah 7:14 is revealing a new perspective.

3. Isaiah 7:14 is a reminder that God is near.

Application:

1. What is the context of your life?

2. Behold, look above.

3. Behold, look again.

4. Behold, look inside.

Knowing Jesus, Modelling Jesus

Speaker: Rev. George Mah

Scripture: John 1:1-14

Big Idea: To follow Jesus, we must first know Jesus – who He is shapes who we are and how we live. Knowing Jesus leads to modelling Jesus, and modelling Jesus multiplies disciples.

In John 1:1–14, the Gospel unveils four profound revelations about who Jesus is and why they matter for us.

1.Jesus is the Eternal Word (vv. 1-5)

2.Jesus is the Promised One (vv. 6-13)

3.Jesus is God in the Flesh (vv. 14)

4.Jesus is the Model of God’s Mission (vv. 4-5/14)

Call to Action

Know Him

Model Him

Join His Mission

When God Interrupts

Pastor Michael Seto

Matthew 2:1-16

Our human nature is to control everything (we reject God’s rule)

Embrace God’s disturbances

(Matthew 2:1-9)

Who was King Herod?

Herod: “King of the Jews”

Herod was disturbed

• Herod was disturbed and all of Jerusalem with him.

• Jesus’ arrival signifies a massive disturbance.

• The idea of Jesus as King vs. The reality of Jesus as King

• We’d rather have the posture of comfort than surrender to God

Herod fights against God’s plan

(Matthew 2:10-16)

• Herod destroys others to save himself

• Jesus offers Himself to save others

A “fully-surrendered” life should look DISTURBED

Living surrendered to Jesus’ rule:

discern - listen - embrace

Where am I experiencing disturbances?

• Conflict

• Choices

• Changes

Jesus invites us to let go of our grip and trust His way.