SOLA Network

The SOLA Network is pleased to present an interview with Mitchel Lee, pastor at Grace Community Church, a multiethnic church in Fulton, Maryland. He is a friend of the SOLA Network and the author of a new book, Even If: Trusting God When Life Disappoints, Overwhelms, or Just Doesn't Make Sense. 

In his book, Lee examines suffering, including his own, through the lens of the life-and-death decision of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to trust God and face the fiery furnace rather than bow down to the image of a pagan king. He concludes that trusting in God’s presence despite and through life’s sufferings will lead to a true and intimate relationship with God in which we acknowledge his glory. 

SOLA Editorial Board member Moses Lee interviewed Mitchel Lee over Zoom about his book, as well as how he approached the book as an Asian American Christian. 

Watch their conversation, and read the transcript on our website:

https://sola.network/article/finding-faith-in-the-even-if-interview

Email us your questions or conversation topics: 

[email protected]

Links:

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Website: https://sola.network

Pastors get front-row seats to people changing, but they often become too busy, burdened, and blind to their own needs for change or to see the change happening in them. Pastor Harold Kim shares his own story of recovering from burnout and blindspots.

Bio: 

Harold Kim is the founding pastor of Christ Central of Southern California and serves on the Board for Christ Central Network (CCN) and as President of SOLA. He graduated from UC Berkeley, received his Master of Divinity (M.Div.) from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and his Master of Theology (Th.M.) from Princeton Theological Seminary. He was ordained by the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) in 2001. Harold is gratefully married to Sun Hi and a happy father of two daughters, Taylor and Elizabeth. His great joy and passion is to see lives changed as Jesus Christ becomes central to everything.

Shownotes:

Watch the video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/kIhv4KY895g

Read the article transcript:

https://sola.network/article/blindspots-people-still-look-like-trees

More from SolaCon21: All Content

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More from SolaCon21: Plenary Speakers and Panels

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More from SolaCon21: Behind the Scenes

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAoJ5wNGQQE2VhtNvTxK-oHGkyZMHX0x7

Links:

Weekly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/tgif

Monthly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/newsletter

Facebook: https://facebook.com/thesolanetwork

Instagram: https://instagram.com/thesolanetwork

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqsoKbSYBbZZoovA24PhqAg

Podcast: http://anchor.fm/solanetwork

Website: https://sola.network

Pastor Scott Sauls shares about some of the key witnesses in his own life that led him to faith in Christ, as well as some major lessons that he's been learning in this past season. He also identifies some of the major challenges and opportunities for the Church and provides a word of encouragement to church leaders.

Bio: 

Scott Sauls is husband to Patti, dad to Abby and Ellie, and serves as senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville. He was also a lead and preaching pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC after planting churches in Kansas City and Saint Louis, where he also taught homiletics at Covenant Seminary. Scott has authored five books including his most recent, A Gentle Answer. He writes weekly at scottsauls.com and can be found on Facebook or Twitter/Instagram at @scottsauls.

Shownotes:

Watch the video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/Dh3-Wl5Al3M

Read the article transcript:

https://sola.network/article/reflection-on-the-past-year-interview-scott-sauls

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https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAoJ5wNGQQE2hIRu3cUCl76WF0xklNIC9

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https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAoJ5wNGQQE3zRPZBsZUjX4KFRrGW8RpB

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https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAoJ5wNGQQE2VhtNvTxK-oHGkyZMHX0x7

Links:

Weekly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/tgif

Monthly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/newsletter

Facebook: https://facebook.com/thesolanetwork

Instagram: https://instagram.com/thesolanetwork

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesolanetwork

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqsoKbSYBbZZoovA24PhqAg

Podcast: http://anchor.fm/solanetwork

Website: https://sola.network

In this interview, Dr. Sharon Kim, Professor of Sociology at Cal State Fullerton, shares her insights on sociological trends amongst Asian Americans, the creation of third spaces for worship, and the future of the Asian American Church.

Bio: 

Dr. Sharon Kim’s research, which focuses on the intersections of race, religion, and immigration among Korean Americans, has been published in numerous articles and books. Most recently, she has authored a book entitled A Faith of Our Own: Second Generation Spirituality within Korean American Churches that was published by Rutgers University Press. In A Faith of Our Own, she investigates the development and growth of hybrid third spaces of worship among second-generation Korean Americans. Prior to her appointment at Cal State Fullerton, she was awarded a post-doctoral fellowship from the Irvine Foundation and taught for three years at Occidental College. She was a recipient of two grants from the Louisville Institute: The Dissertation Fellowship and The First Book Grant for Minority Scholars.

Shownotes:

Watch the video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/xi0m7F0QTwQ

Read the article transcript:

https://sola.network/article/a-bigger-asian-american-dream

More from SolaCon21: All Content

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAoJ5wNGQQE2hIRu3cUCl76WF0xklNIC9

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More from SolaCon21: Behind the Scenes

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAoJ5wNGQQE2VhtNvTxK-oHGkyZMHX0x7

Links:

Weekly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/tgif

Monthly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/newsletter

Facebook: https://facebook.com/thesolanetwork

Instagram: https://instagram.com/thesolanetwork

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesolanetwork

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqsoKbSYBbZZoovA24PhqAg

Podcast: http://anchor.fm/solanetwork

Website: https://sola.network

The treatment and reception of Asians in the broader American society has shaped the theological tendencies of Asian American Christians, ranging from very radical to very conservative theologies and all of these tendencies, even though often at odds with each other, share a common goal to gain a voice in mainstream Christianity.

Bio: 

Esther Chung-Kim is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Associate Director of The Gould Center of Humanities at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California. Her research focuses on questions of authority, early modern biblical interpretation, and poor relief reform. She has published books on Inventing Authority: Use of the Church Fathers in Reformation Debates over the Eucharist (2011), Reformation Commentary on Scripture: Acts (2014) and most recently, Economics of Faith: Reforming Poor Relief in Early Modern Europe (2021). She teaches courses on History of World Christianity; Poverty, Wealth, and Social Change; Christianity and Politics in East Asia; and The European Reformation. She is an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church.

Shownotes:

Watch the video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/fEfR8PN513k

Read the article transcript:

https://sola.network/article/gaining-a-voice

More from SolaCon21: All Content

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https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAoJ5wNGQQE3zRPZBsZUjX4KFRrGW8RpB

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More from SolaCon21: Behind the Scenes

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAoJ5wNGQQE2VhtNvTxK-oHGkyZMHX0x7

Links:

Weekly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/tgif

Monthly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/newsletter

Facebook: https://facebook.com/thesolanetwork

Instagram: https://instagram.com/thesolanetwork

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesolanetwork

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqsoKbSYBbZZoovA24PhqAg

Podcast: http://anchor.fm/solanetwork

Website: https://sola.network

Most of us work and work for a lifetime. In fact, the majority of Americans spend the most number of their waking hours at work. Christian workers witnessing well in their workplaces can surely make a difference for Jesus. But what does that look like? Why should I bother? What does witnessing mean in the Bible, and how can we do that at our work without being labeled weird, feeling awkward, and getting in unnecessary trouble?

Bio: 

James H. Lee is a pastor at Living Hope Community Church in Brea, CA. He gets to be the husband to Hannah and father to Abigail. A former frat boy, James has been radically transformed by Jesus and strives to live for Him. A novice crypto investor with a few years of corporate experience, James is passionate about issues of faith in the workplace.

Shownotes:

Watch the video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/zL5RQ4k2PUM

Read the article transcript:

https://sola.network/article/witnessing-well-in-the-workplace

More from SolaCon21: All Content

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Links:

Weekly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/tgif

Monthly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/newsletter

Facebook: https://facebook.com/thesolanetwork

Instagram: https://instagram.com/thesolanetwork

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesolanetwork

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqsoKbSYBbZZoovA24PhqAg

Podcast: http://anchor.fm/solanetwork

Website: https://sola.network

As we see in the Psalms, no feeling is meant to be excluded from our relationship with God. In fact, every emotion is designed to turn us toward God and assist us in bringing our hearts and lives before him. Yet in this extended season of suffering, the waves of sorrow, anxiety, and depression have rolled through our lives and drawn our hearts away from God. In this seminar, we will consider from the Psalms how God teaches us to build emotional health in our churches as we engage what we feel and learn to draw near to God with even the most painful emotions.

Bio: 

Tim St. John serves as the counseling pastor at Lighthouse Community Church in Torrance, CA. He's a graduate of the Master's Seminary (M.Div, Th.M) and completed counseling certificate training through ACBC and CCEF. Tim's passion is to see the grace of gospel-centered counseling grow and thrive in local churches.

Shownotes:

Watch the video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/4gMmdbw0fk0

Read the article transcript:

https://sola.network/article/engaging-our-emotions

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More from SolaCon21: Behind the Scenes

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Links:

Weekly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/tgif

Monthly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/newsletter

Facebook: https://facebook.com/thesolanetwork

Instagram: https://instagram.com/thesolanetwork

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesolanetwork

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqsoKbSYBbZZoovA24PhqAg

Podcast: http://anchor.fm/solanetwork

Website: https://sola.network

How can we find the strength to sing in a worst-case scenario? Like Paul and Silas in prison, we can worship and witness in any situation because God is sovereign over every circumstance.

Bio: 

Aaron Lee is the Social Media Manager at SOLA Network. Aaron also serves as the Social Media Officer of First Chinese Baptist Church of Walnut, where he is a Sunday School teacher and music leader. Aaron’s music, videos, podcasts, and articles about worship and art are on his website (http://musicgoon.com).

Shownotes:

Watch the video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/BVmqZRCBkqA

Read the article transcript:

https://sola.network/article/3-ways-to-worship-witness-in-worst-case-scenario

More from SolaCon21: All Content

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Links:

Weekly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/tgif

Monthly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/newsletter

Facebook: https://facebook.com/thesolanetwork

Instagram: https://instagram.com/thesolanetwork

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesolanetwork

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqsoKbSYBbZZoovA24PhqAg

Podcast: http://anchor.fm/solanetwork

Website: https://sola.network

The rise in violent attacks against Asians, especially Asian women, has shown the need for the church to examine the ways it can be better supporting women at this time. Hannah Chao, Soojin Park, and Heidi Wong discuss how churches can amplify the voices of women and equip them to become partners.

Bios: 

Hannah Chao is the editor of SOLA, where she also often writes. She has been editing for SOLA's website since its inception in 2016. She is currently a student at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and is a graduate of the University of Southern California with a B.A. in print journalism. Hannah attends All Nations Community Church, where she is also the administrator. She is a wife and mom of two beautiful girls.

Soojin Park is on SOLA's Editorial Board, and she is the Youth Ministry Director at Christ Central Presbyterian Church in Centreville, VA. She is currently a student at Reformed Theological Seminary DC where she is pursuing a Master of Divinity. Before entering vocational ministry, Soojin started her career supporting anti-human trafficking organizations and later worked as a conference planner for tech companies.

Heidi Wong is the College Ministry Director at Exilic Church in New York City. She currently works in the technology industry, and is a part-time student at Reformed Theological Seminary NYC where she is pursuing a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies.

Shownotes:

Watch the video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/HqgCn7eSS7E

Read the article transcript:

https://sola.network/article/how-can-the-church-support-asian-american-women

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Links:

Weekly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/tgif

Monthly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/newsletter

Website: https://sola.network

In this panel, four pastors from diverse contexts discuss how the church can remain gospel-centered and united as it engages with the topics of justice, racism, and diversity.

Bios: 

Michael Lee currently serves as the lead pastor of All Nations Community Church. He also serves as a council member and the Executive Director of the SOLA Network. Originally from Atlanta, Michael majored in philosophy at the University of Southern California and received his Masters of Divinity from Talbot School of Theology. He is a huge USC Trojan football fan, avid golfer, and donut aficionado. He resides in Pasadena with his wife, son and daughter, and dog.

P.J. Tibayan is a pastor-theologian of Bethany Baptist Church in Bellflower, CA, where he lives with his God-fearing and beautiful wife and their five children. He writes at gospelize.me, helps lead The Gospel Coalition LA Regional Chapter and the Shepherd LA Conference (for pastors), and serves on the SOLA Editorial Board. He is currently a doctoral student (DMin) in Biblical Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary working on the book of Revelation.

Bobby Scott is the Pastor of Discipleship at Community of Faith Bible Church in South Gate. He loves teaching the Word of God and through the power of the Holy Spirit watching God’s Word transform lives (2 Cor 3:18). Pastor Bobby is passionate about strengthening the urban church. He has pastored for over twenty-five years and enjoys writing. You can follow Pastor Bobby on Twitter @pastorbscott. Pastor Bobby married up when God blessed him with his wife, Naomi. He loves his six kids (ages 15-24). As a UCLA alumnus, his two favorite two teams are UCLA and whoever is playing SC. Go Bruins!!!

Scott Sauls is husband to Patti, dad to Abby and Ellie, and serves as senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville. He was also a lead and preaching pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC after planting churches in Kansas City and Saint Louis, where he also taught homiletics at Covenant Seminary. Scott has authored five books including his most recent, A Gentle Answer. He writes weekly at scottsauls.com and can be found on Facebook or Twitter/Instagram at @scottsauls.

Shownotes:

Watch the video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/rl8SM4KgqJE

Read the article transcript:

https://sola.network/article/race-gospel-local-church-stories-of-hope

More from SolaCon21: All Content

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAoJ5wNGQQE2hIRu3cUCl76WF0xklNIC9

More from SolaCon21: Plenary Speakers and Panels

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAoJ5wNGQQE3zRPZBsZUjX4KFRrGW8RpB

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https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAoJ5wNGQQE05DKlOea0N_ScPArVSpnz-

More from SolaCon21: Behind the Scenes

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAoJ5wNGQQE2VhtNvTxK-oHGkyZMHX0x7

Links:

Weekly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/tgif

Monthly Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/sola/newsletter

Website: https://sola.network