“Women are image bearers, not just images to amuse the sexual appetite of men. The gospel overturns any small, diminishing, and often degrading message for women with a clarion call to live within the boundless parameters Jesus defines - to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength”.” - Pastor Andre Tan

Ps. Andre continued part 2 of his sermon on Half The Sky: Jesus, Women and The Church by diving into and clarifying certain verses in the Bible which might seem to oppress women; he explained how these verses need to be read with the context of the times when the scripture was written - these verses were not meant to be oppressive, but a reflection of the culture in that day and age. He also gave a call for the church to lead culture and be a safe space for women - we can all do so by resisting objectification, refusing to participate in oppression and giving fair opportunities for all.

“To be like Jesus is to place value on people, even when one’s culture doesn’t.” - Pastor Andre Tan

In his Mother’s Day message - Half The Sky: Jesus, Women and the Church, Ps. Andre shared on the vital role that women play in the kingdom of God. Historically, women have been oppressed. Here in The City, we believe that the community of God should be the epicenter of flourishing for both men and women. Just as Jesus has entrusted great things to women, may we encourage the women in our community in their giftings and with their missions!

“Our role is not to decorate the cross and to entice the world, but to be faithful in our witness and our testimony of Jesus.” - Jason Chua

Jason Chua spoke on Will He Find Faith: Remaining Steadfast to The End in our Sunday service. He shared about staying faithful, and choosing the better portion. He encouraged us to be like Mary in the Bible, who remained steadfast and undistracted in the midst of serving. May we be found to be faithful witnesses!

“In times when we feel stuck, let us be encouraged to persevere by knowing the necessity of pain, remembering that the presence of God is always with us, and renewing our perspective.” - Pastor Matthew Chern

This morning, we had the privilege of hearing our newest pastor, Ps. Matthew, speak on how to overcome feeling stuck, as we live in the tension of now and not yet. He encouraged us to push on and persevere in the circumstances we might find ourselves in, with the knowledge that it is Hope that will bring us and our dreams back to life.

“We can be Easter people in a Good Friday world.” - Pastor Andre Tan

Ps. Andre Tan shared on having a Hope in a Good Friday World. The good news is this - that in the midst of a world filled with suffering and disappointment, we have a living hope. The resurrection of Christ is far more than a moment in time that we celebrate; what Jesus accomplished on the Cross will stand for all eternity and we can look forward to a world that far eclipses this world in its glory and splendour. He is risen!

“To be an authentic follower of Jesus, we have to embrace the centrality of forgiveness in the Christian faith.” - Pastor Andre Tan

In his yearly recap on the topic of forgiveness, Ps. Andre reminds us of the importance of choosing to forgive. As followers of Christ, forgiveness isn’t just something we should do, but a core value we should adopt daily. Let us consciously and continually choose to forgive and love on others who have sinned against us, just as God has forgiven us of our sins.

“For gold to be pure, it has to be tested by fire.” - Pastor Daniel Chua

Ps Daniel shared a word on perseverance and encouraged us to Keep On Keeping On in the face of trials and setbacks. In this new week, let us hold fast to the revelation of God’s steadfastness and goodness in bringing to pass His promises in our lives. #sundaysatthecitysg #wearethecitysg

“Faith will never require us to leave our brains at the door. We do not honour God by our refusal to think.” - Andy Moore

Guest speaker Andy Moore spoke on Encountering Doubt this morning. He shared on the tangent between our doubts and our relationship with Jesus. He encouraged us to bring our doubts and questions to Jesus, who is truth personified, and in doing so be able to stand witness to the people around us.

“Prayer is love in its essence - God desires for His church to express their dependence on Him through prayer.“ - Andrew Tam

Andrew shared on Coming Back to Prayer this morning, and challenged us to return to a place of single-minded devotion in our desire of God. May we continue to carry this in our hearts as we enter a new week, and grow in our surrender to God in prayer.

“We can live in the knowledge and freedom that we are co-heirs with Christ, and have unlimited access to all that the Father’s kingdom has to offer.” - Constance Chua

Constance spoke on the Spirit of Adoption, and how we can overcome the struggle of having an orphan heart. She reminded us that we are sons and daughters of God, entitled to the fullness of His inheritance. May we embrace this reality of who our Father is, and function out of that identity.