love is a movement.

2007-07-30T05:28:00.000-07:00

we have shifted to a spanking new wordpress site. reason being it's much easier for all of you to access with just ONE username and password for everyone to share.

the username and password will be given out soon.

meanwhile, head on over to http://loveisarevolution.wordpress.com

cheerios,
daena

Love and respect

2007-06-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

this is as per requested. :)

Lesson: Love & Respect (Eph 5:21-33)

there are many ways to look at and focus on actually, one is that you look at the obvious and that would be wives and husbands and the other is from this drawing parallels between God and yourselves (the church).

i suppose from the previous lesson led by Si Jia, the main thing you should have taken back should be Eph 5:21:

"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ"

which was the basis for Gabriel's and Si Jia's lessons. and as you can see the lesson starts from vs 21 instead of the supposed vs 22 if you have subheadings in your bibles.

vs 22-24 "wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord." at first glance, this may seem unfair to females as in a way, it says outright that we girls are supposed to be humble and give in to our husbands, which of cause is not what the world says with stuff like " the men don't get it" which obviously promotes feministic individualism. yet, if you look back at the reason why females where created (Gen 2:18), you will realise that the female's role is to help, while the men's role is to lead. however, this does not mean that in terms of status, the men is superior as it is often mistaken as. (i will elaborate on this later) so what does it mean to help? in many instances in the bible, we girls often make the mistake that as a helper, we are inferior which has resulted in alot of conflict especially now, since women have the earning ability too. i think one very good bible passage to refer to would be Proverbs 31. i feel that helping means that we support and understand our husbands. now as a leader teaching you all, support is essential as sometimes we are discouraged by people leaving and stuff and it is not easy. to me, as i read a book called the power of a praying wife, our role as helpers is to encourage our husbands to serve and help them when they are face with problems. thus, submission is emphasized here as there is no way 2 can cooperate when they both want to be leaders. hence as females are created to help, we girls are called to submit and listen to our husbands.

vs 25-27 " love your wives, and to make her as..." when reading this, i feel that this is something that is REALLY difficult to do. as i mentioned during the lesson, i think its easy to love, but its VERY difficult to " make her holy..." correct me if i am wrong, but based on my experiences, think about your dads, the men's role is to support for the family and provide for the family's needs, so the main focus is on their careers. the important thing that men often neglects is the emotional needs of the wife. i think most men associate loving their wife as providing for her needs and ensuring that she lives in comfort. however, sometimes we girls just need a listening ear and for christians, a person who could help us through our spiritual struggles. therefore the passage says love your wife, to not only provide for her physical needs but also her emotional and spiritual needs by "making her holy". that in a way is submission as i think it is not at all "manly", doing what the bible says would mean that as men, you would have to forgo perhaps soccer and social bonding to sit down with your wife and talk, to change your mindset that providing physical needs is enough to love your wife. therefore, men are called to lead, as leaders, the focus is not only on the "project" (which in the case of marriage would be committment and providence) but also to ensure that there is teamwork, respect and understanding amongst the team members (which in this case would be between the husband and the wife) so come to think of it, both parties are not superiorto one another but are having different roles which encourage one another to become more Christ-like.

vs 28-33 often we think that Christ and His church, husband and wife are 2 seperate entities, but the bible says that that as we commit to marriage, we become one flesh (Gen 2:24). i suppose (correct me if im wrong) that this portion of the bible emphasises on the fact that the wife and the husband may have very different personalities, as are we the different "members of His body" that perform different functions. As much as we are different, i think the passage here encourages us to love one another even though we may have differences in the way we do things and view things. i guess why the passage says that husband love wife instead of the other way round is that often we girls are emotionally charged and are the ones who usually start quarrels over little things, hence when the husbands realise this and communicate back in a calm manner, many quarrels can be avoided. (im just guessing since i have nvr been attached, but i got this by observing my parents)

after knowing all this, what has it got to do with you? if you are single or not married then does this passage apply? at this point i think we should go back to vs 21, "submit to one another our of the reverence of Christ" what does it mean? who does one another refer to? i think it refers to everybody, namely wives, husbands, children, fathers, slaves and masters which were the main clusters at that time. submission does not start when you are married or when you are with children or even when you are employed, it starts now, as children and as brothers and sisters in Christ. note that we submit because we love Christ and not because we take on a certain role. i was reading a dating book and it says that preparation for marriage does not start when you are about to get married, it starts now, with the brothers and sisters in Christ around you. practice submission out of your love for Christ.

another way of looking at this passage would be to concentrate on the relationship between husbands and wives and draw parallel to the relationship between Christ and us. sometimes in order for a bgr to work, we have to put in alot of time and effort to get to know the other person better, to antagonise on the part of the boy to think of ways to capture and keep the girl's heart and for the girl to reciprocate the affections. but yet in a way, Christ loved us when we were unlovable, He even died for us and is "standing at the door" to come into our lives (Rev 3:20). think about it, are we spending enough time with Him? are we interested to know Him and His promises more? if we are not then do we love Him enough in the first place or are we loving some other things more than Him and He is taking the backseat in our lives?

Submission

2007-06-17T22:58:00.001-07:00

Hey...

was doing QT and came upon this passage ( 1 Peter 2: 13-25). submission is actually mentioned alot of times in the bible but i think this pasage is a good in your understanding of why we must submit to those who dun deserve our submission. i mean why must we submit to those who tae advantage of kindness and only to return hurt and pain back to us?

"Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because of he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you recieve a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps." (1 Peter 2:18-21)

i think the passage speaks for itself. i think by now we all know that as Christians we are set apart for God, to spend His salvation to others blah blah... so we wanna go on mission trip and stuff. but what does it mean to be set apart for God? often, when things go wrong or we get trapped in a nasty situation where we get horrible teammates or really sucking teachers who seem to pick on us all the time how do we react? it is easy for us to try to get back at our teachers, to gossip behind their back (i have been there done tt), PURPOSELY hand up homework late and write with lousy handwriting which irks our teachers to no end...

but... are we reflecting what God says? are we making God proud? is doing street e and sharing the gospel more important or living the way God wants is more important? i know its hard to be nice to horrible teachers but i would like to challenge you pple to ENDURE. u might feel silly at first (i did), but to God it is more precious than your desire to bring pple to church or going on a mission trip. :)

God bless

Spiritual gifts definition list

2007-05-21T22:30:00.000-07:00

hey...

here's the more elaborate definitions for the gifts from the survey tt u all took on sun, so have a look!

Creative communication
Definition: To communicate God's truth through a variety of art forms
Related verses: 2 Sam 6:14-15; Psalms 150:3-5; Mark 4:2, 33

Shepharding
Definition: To nurture, care for, and guide people toward on-going spiritual maturity and becoming like Christ
Related verses: John 10:1-18; Eph 4:11-12; 1 Peter 5:1-4

Teaching
Definition: To communicate information relevant to the health and ministry of the church. The divine enablement to understand, clearly explains, and applies the word of God, causing greater Christ-likeness in the lives of listeners
Related verses: Acts 18:24-28; Acts 20:20-21; Romans 12:7; 1 Cor 12:28-29; Eph 4:11-14; 2 Tim 2:2

Wisdom
Definition: To know the mind of the Holy Spirit in such a way, as to recieve insight into how given knowledge may best be applied to specific needs arising in the body of Christ
Related verses: Acts 6:3-10; 1 Cor 2:1-13; 1 Cor 12:8; James 1:5-6; 2 Peter 3:15

Knowledge
Definition: To discover, accumulate, analyze, and clarify information and ideas which are pertinent to the growth and well-being of the body. The divine enablement to bring truth to the body through a revelation or biblical insight
Related verses: Mark 2:6-8; John 1:45-50; Acts 5:1-11; 1 Cor 2:14; 1 Cor 12:8; Col 2:2-3

Encouragement
Definition: To minister words of comfort, consolation, counsel and encouragement, to other members of the body in such a way that they feel helped and healed. The divine enablement to present truth so as to strengthen, comfort, or urge to action those who are discouraged or wavering in their faith.
Related verses: Acts 11:22-24; Acts 14:22; Acts 15:30-32; Rom 12:8; 1 Tim 4:13; Heb 10:25

Discernment
Definition: To know with assurance whether certain behavious purported to be of God is in reality divine, human or Satanic. The divine enablement to distinguish between truth and error, to discern the spirits, differentiating between good and evil, right and wrong
Related verses: Matt 16:21-23; Acts 5:1-11; Acts 16:16-18; 1 Cor 12:10; 1 John 4:1-6

Giving
Definition: To contribute their money and resources to the work of the Lord with liberality and cheerfulness
Related verses: Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4; Rom 12:8; 2 Cor 6:8; 2 Cor 8:1-7; 2 Cor 9:2-8

Help or Service
Definition: To invest the talents they have in the life and ministry of other members of the body, thus enabling them to increase their effectiveness. This special ability is to identify the unmet needs involved in a task related to God's work, and to make use of available resources to meet those needs and help accomplish the desired results
Related Verses: Mark 15:40-41; Luke 8:2-3; Acts 6:1-4; Acts 9:36; Rom 12:7; Rom 16:1-2; 1 Cor 12:28; Gal 6:2, 10; 2 Tim 1:16-18; Titus 3:14

Mercy
Definition: To feel genuine empathy and compassion for individuals who suffer distressing physical, mental, or emotional problems, and to cheerfully and practically help them so that their sufferings are alleviated and Christ's love is reflected
Related verses: Matt 5:7; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 10:25-37; Acts 11:28-30; Acts 16:33-34; Rom 12:8

Missionary
Definition: To minister whatever other spiritual gifts they have in a second culture
Related verses: 1 Cor 9:19-23; Acts 8:4; Acts 13:2-3; Acts 22:21; Rom 10:15; Eph 3:8-9

Evangelist
Definition: To share the gospel with unbelievers in such a way that men and women become Jesus' disciples and responsible members of the body of Christ
Related verses: Luke 19:1-10; Acts 8:5-6, 26-40; Acts 14:21; Acts 21:8; Eph 4:11-14; 2 Tim 4:5

Hospitality
Definition: To care for people by providing fellowship, food and shelter
Related verses: Acts 16:14-15; Rom 12:9-13; Rom 16:23; Heb 13:1-2; 1 Peter 4:9-10

Faith
Definition: To discern with extraordinary confidence the will and purpose of God for his work. The divine enablement to act on God's promises with confidence and unwavering belief in God's ability to fulfill his purposes
Related verses: Acts 11:22-24; Acts 27:21-25; Rom 4:18-21; 1 Cor 12:9; 1 Cor 13:2; Heb 11

Leadership
Definition: To cast vision and set goals in accordance with God's purpose for the future and to communicate these goals to others in such a way they they voluntarily and harmoniously work together to accomplish those goals for the glory of God
Related verses: Luke 9:51; Luke 22:25-26; Acts 7:10; Acts 15:7-11; Rom 12:8; 1 Tim 5:17; Heb 13:17

Administration
Definition: To understand clearly the immediate and long-range goals of particular unit of the body of Christ, and to devise and execute effective plans and procedures for the accomplishment of those goals
Related verses: Ex 18:13-26; Luke 14:28-30; Acts 6:1-7; Acts 27:11; Rom 12:8; 1 Cor 12:28

Craftmanship
Definition: To creatively design and/or construct items to be used for ministry
Related verses: Ex 31:3; Ex 35"31-35; 2 Kings 22:5-6; Acts 9:36-39

Intercession
Definition: To pray on behalf of and for others for extended periods of time on a regular basis, and see frequent and specific answers to their prayers
Related verses: John 17:9-26; Acts 12:12; Rom 8:26-27; Col 1:9-12; Col 4:12-13; 1 Tim 2:1-2; James 5:14-16

Ephesians

2007-03-28T23:00:00.000-07:00

heyz all...

hope you all have been praying for each other (tt lil piece of paper). :P

anyway... since we have now finished James, and i havent told you what we are going to do next, im going to tell you now. lolz. if not e blog no use le.

upon completion of James, we are now embarking on Ephesians! eh... dunno whether its a good or bad thing, but in any case, do read up on it yah?

just a brief intro to Ephesians:

Purpose: to strengthen the believers in Ephesus in their Christian faith by explaining the nature and purpose of the church, the body of Christ.

To whom written: the church of Ephesus, and all believers everywhere.

Themes of Ephesians:

God's purpose
Christ the center
Living church
New family
Christian conduct

interesting things to note:

like James, the book of Ephesians ends of with prayer. (hope u know wad im implying)
Ephesians is the only letter written by Paul that does not tackle problems of the church but one which encourages Christians.

think tts about it. do study hard and play hard. :)

God bless and take care,

Puiki

Wisdom

2007-03-05T23:00:00.000-08:00

heyz, i chance upon this article when starting on mi new QT book. anyway... hope it gives u a better understaning of heavenly and earthly wisdom that confused u all tt day. :)

The meaning of wisdom
Wisdom is the practical side of knowledge. It shows us what is important, gives proportion to what we know, and enables us to use insight skillfully to reach a desired goal.

There is more than one kind of wisdom

According to the New Testament, the wisdom of the world if different than the wisdom of God. The first uses knowledge to get ahead at the expense of others. The second uses understanding for the good of others. Each is distinguished by its motives.

Seeing that real wisdom is not only a function of the mind but also a condition of the heart, an apostle of Christ wrote:

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom… For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (James 3:13, 16-18).

By describing what’s at the heart of both kinds of wisdom, James explained why knowledge makes some people arrogant while enabling others to love. The wisdom he recommended is “pure” because it is not infected by “selfish ambition.” It is “peaceable” because it values good relationships with others. It is “gentle” because it knows the value of handling others with care. This wisdom is “willing to yield” and is “full of mercy and good fruits.” It is also “without partiality and without hypocrisy” because it puts the well-being of others above selfish interests.

The source of real wisdom
Once we see that knowledge without wisdom is like marriage without love, we can see why Solomon wrote, “Happy is the [person] who finds wisdom, and the man [or woman] who gains understanding; for her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, and her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, and all the things you may desire cannot compare to her” (Proverbs 3:13-15).

The priceless treasure Solomon is describing is found by those who invest their lives in the principles of the Bible. The Old Testament describes a wisdom that begins with the fear of God and is rounded out by the timeless principles of practical insight (Proverbs 1:1-7; 9:10). The New Testament builds on the wisdom of Moses and Solomon but moves to another level of enlightenment. With the coming of Christ, the Gospel writers introduce us to Someone who makes the wisdom of Solomon pale by comparison. As the Son of God, Jesus did more than teach truth and knowledge and wisdom. He personified it (1 Corinthians 1:20-31).

As Lord of heaven and earth, Jesus could have overwhelmed us with new information. He could have lectured on science, theology and philosophy in the most prestigious academies of higher learning. Yet when He walked among us, He talked about what He know was most important. He talked about honoring His Father and seeing the value of people who were regarded as worthless by others.

Showing wisdom with a heart of love, Jesus had a way of putting other information in perspective. With wisdom that speaks for itself, He simply asked questions like, “What profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).

~Our Journey, March - May 2007, Mart De Haan~

2007-03-03T05:35:00.000-08:00

Well as you know we had the Tackle Games today
And this post is for the people who were there

I must say, I could see the spirit in the players today
AND WE HAD FUN YEAH?
So even though we didn't exactly win
We still did our best
That's what counts

Thanks to everyone
Who were on the pitch, by the sidelines
Thanks for the support you lent us
And for not flaring up at the others
And for having a rockin' good time

And for those who weren't there
You really missed out.

(:

2007-02-26T20:10:00.002-08:00

found this online, and i thought it'd be useful to you all in light of the upcoming camp :)

Seven Reasons Not to Share Christ
(and why we should go ahead and do it anyway)
by Chris Lutes

1) "I'm not smart enough"

Fact: Jesus' disciples weren't known for their brains or theology degrees. They were pretty ordinary guys, really. Take the time Peter and John were telling a hostile crowd of religious leaders about Jesus. Here's how Acts 4:13 puts it: "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus" (ESV). Look at that last part again: And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. Maybe you've heard this saying: "It's not what you know that counts. It's who you know." Knowing Jesus is what matters. You are smart enough to tell others about Jesus because you have a friendship with him. And the closer you get to him, and the better you know him, the more you'll have to say about him.

2) "I don't want to make anybody mad"
Maybe you've been around Christians who are annoying. The way they act—all smug and self-righteous—can make non-Christians angry. We don't want that. So we keep quiet. Understandable. But now look at Jesus: People crowded around him. People wanted to know him. People wanted to follow him. Why? He cared about hurting and lost people (Matthew 9:36). He listened carefully and responded to their deepest needs (John 4:1-26). Now, he did occasionally make people mad. He was really good at ticking off religious know-it-alls. He found self-righteous people annoying, too. But it was the message that ticked off people, not the messenger. Sometimes the truth hurts. So, it's OK if people get a little mad sometimes—as long as it's the true message of Jesus that upsets them, and not the obnoxious messenger.

3) "My friends will make fun of me"
Here's something to think about: We often turn this fear into a bigger problem than it really is. You'd be surprised at how often people will respect you for your beliefs. They might not understand why you don't drink at parties, or avoid dirty jokes, or why you like youth group. And you might hear an occasional "fanatic" or "religious nut." But people often find genuine faith pretty interesting—confusing, but interesting. Many people will even respect you for your strong convictions. In fact, when we try our best to live and act like Jesus, we "shine like stars" in a world that's pretty dark (Philippians 2:15). So let your life shine, knowing others can't help but be attracted to the light.

4) "None of my christian friends do it"
Ever talk to your friends about why they don't witness? There could be a ton of reasons—like those in this article. Maybe they're just not sure how to witness. Why not use this article to get the conversation going? You could also do a book study together. Suggestion: Witnessing 101 by Tim Baker. Of course, you may need to take the lead and be the first in your group to witness. Your friends just might follow.

5) "I'm not a very good Christian"
You're a believer, but you mess up. You don't pray or read your Bible as much as you should. And you sin. Every day. So why should you tell other people about Christ if you can't even get it right? Fortunately, being a believer isn't about getting it right. It's about God's love and God's forgiveness. It's about his saving grace. (See Ephesians 2:8-9, John 3:16 and Colossians 2:13.) So, does this mean you can act however you want? No. God wants us to become more like him each and every day. But he can also use us even when we mess up or aren't as good as we should be. You don't have to be "perfect" to share Christ. Not at all. Instead, make it clear to your friends: "You know, I'm sure not perfect. That's why I need God's love and forgiveness." Chances are, your friends will appreciate your honesty. They might also be kind of amazed to discover you believe in a loving and forgiving God. And isn't that what the Good News is all about?

6) "All of my friends are Christians"
It's great to have good Christian friends. God uses our Christian friendships to help us grow in our faith. And it's just fun to be around people who love God. But we also need to, as Jesus put it, "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). We can't do that if we don't have any non-Christian friends.

7) "I don't even know where to start"
Why not start by inviting a non-Christian friend to your youth group? Maybe your group has special events that are fun outreach nights with no heavy Bible studies. At least invite a non-Christian to take in a movie with you and your Christian friends. Then what? Well, when the subject of faith comes up, start with the story of how you became a Christ-follower. Or talk about why you're a Christian and how God helps you live life. Just be honest, just be real, just be you—and you might be surprised at how much God can use to reach out to others.

2007-02-26T20:10:00.001-08:00

2007-02-21T18:37:00.000-08:00

hey people!

first of all, HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR! hope everyone had lots of fun going around collecting angpaos, eating and enjoying the break from school. don't be too stressed now that you're back to school alright?

remember your march holidays are coming!! (:

and speaking of march hols, remember the GOFISH CAMP that we leaders have told you about? it's on the 16th to 17th of march.

well, you're highly encouraged to go!

please do make time for it coz it's going to be really really really very exciting. yup! i'm not even trying to hype it up, and the other leaders can vouch for this. especially those who are in the planning committee. they've got lots of fun activities lined up for you, which i shall not reveal yet.

as you know it's not just a fun camp and you'll be learning evangelistic skills. you'll even get the chance to share the gospel with your non christian friends! you'll be learning about an exciting new way to share the gospel too (and no it is not using the bridge to life booklet). and of course there will be games and stuff like that too.

personally i'd really encourage you to go, and let God teach you something about evangelism and sharing the gift of salvation with your friends and loved ones. when i found out about what's going to happen i was immediately quite upset...because i've got school the whole day and i can't join you all!

anyway details will be announced pretty soon and consent forms will be given out. see you there!

2007-01-20T06:33:00.000-08:00

today while on my way to church, the song that gave me the name of this blog popped up on my ipod. i leave it on shuffle because its an ipod shuffle and it's too much of a hassle to try to find songs. hehe.

and so i've decided to post it. if you want to listen to the song get it from me online. i don't want the blog to play music coz i personally find blogs which play music kind of annoying sometimes! :) if you want photos, by the way, also look for me online.

love is a movement - switchfoot

a day in L.A and millions of faces
looking for movement
coz everything's stuck
and everything's broken
and nobody moves
and everyone's scared that
motion will never come

this is the incompletion
stuck in a line

[chorus]
love is a movement
love is a revolution
this is redemption
we don't have to slow back down.

the stars are alive
they dance to the music
of the deepest emotion
and all of the world
is singing in time
mysterious ways
why God gave His life
to put motion in my soul

its bigger than cold religion
its bigger than life

[chorus]

bridge:
we're starting now
we're starting now
we're starting now
and we don't have to slow back down.

yup that's it. open for interpretation! toodles!

daena

2007-01-16T00:32:00.000-08:00

Just sharing something I've read.

----------------------------

Our deepest fear in life is not that we are inadequate
Our deepest fear in life is that we are too powerful beyond measure
We ask ourselves who are we to be brilliant, gorgeous or fabulous
Actually, who are you not to be?

Your playing small does not serve the world
We were born to manifest in the glory of God that is within us.
As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same

----------------------------

That aside, I wanna ask who's goin for cynthia's wedding?

Cheerio

2007-01-12T06:04:00.000-08:00

Helloo y'all! Must be a MOST tiring week for everyone ya? I mean, who ain't loaded with all the homework this weekend. Anyways I wanted to get the ball rolling by posting, though i'm not sure what to post though. And the only thing goin on is SCHOOOOOL! Which is like sooo boring. Who agrees?
Its like lessons, lessons and well... lessons now, getting kinda repetitive. So I can only turn to the only source of relief, the computer. And the TV. The couch potato kinda stuff.
Boy, I must say that Sec 3 life is like so different. More homework, longer lessons. I heard now two of my days end at 3.50. Yes you heard me right. THAT LATE!
Also struggling a little with math. Somehow algebra looks all like cryptic symbols. I shan't elaborate cos it'll spoil the "weekend" mood for y'all. Hope i'll catch up soon.

Sadly I can't go for fusion NOR church NOR soccer cos I'll be away... Not that I really wiill like it though. Cos I'll be doing work most of the time.

Anyone has problems in school, feel free to share in the form of posts or tags. Really, this blog is for us group 3'ers, so make use of this chance. SO GET TYPING PEOPLE!

Tanto Amore

prayer request!

2007-01-10T20:31:00.000-08:00

hey you all, as you know i had to head back to school this week. i'm enjoying my one and only thursday off from school today and so i've got time to blog this!

ok so my grade point average last semester was not spectacular at all and i think some of it has to do with the fact that i 1.) skip classes and 2.) sleep in classes.

i'm being tested again coz i have 4 8.30am lectures a week, 3 of which are terribly BORING. i've slept through one of them already, despite the fact that i had a laptop right in front of me.

please pray that God grants me discipline to study well, because i know i'm not going to be able to do this on my own.

and as far as discipline is concerned, i've got a waking-up problem, which explains why i have not been coming on time for ttb service on sundays. i'm purposely setting my alarm clock earlier so i can pull myself out of bed, but it's not really working. i don't want it to degenerate to a point where i don't even want to go to church. do keep me in check on this coz it's bugging me (:

for those of you going for fusion i'll see ya tomorrow!

God-shaped hole

2007-01-07T23:00:00.001-08:00

hmmm... i chanced upon jj's blog just now and he asked: "We haf a God-shaped-hole when we know christ.. What does it mean?? o.O"

eh... i think i wasnt clear. what i meant was that we all have a God-shaped hole in us. it is when we get to know Christ, then this hole in us is covered.

what i was saying was that because of this God-shaped hole, we tend to pursue things to fill this hole up. like people spent their lives making money, having countless relationships to find love to fill this hole, the quest for immortality etc... i think those of you who did not know God before should remember this feeling.

but... we realise that we can nvr fill this hole no matter how far we look or wad we attempt to do. so this is where God comes in to fill it. so this is one way in which we are made "complete, not lacking anything".

for those of you who are wondering y it was written for Gentiles, er... its not written for Gentiles. lolz. its written for Gentiles who are believers. James is written entirely for believers because these are difficulties that we face or they face after they accepted Christ eg. persecution for them at tt time.

anyway... i think its a good idea for one of u to post an entry of e summary of e lesson as well as prayer request n thanksgiving after lesson once a week. this blog after all is meant for u all. :) becoz i dunno all ur blog adds. lolz. n if u have any questions, feel confused abt wad we said or if we leaders were not clear, do ask abt them in e tagboard or just write an entry.

mi apologies again for cancelling the farewell for jeremy cum welcoming sijia lunch today... hope u all understand.

have a blessed week ahead all!

ps. there is a song called God-shaped hole by Plumb. u can ask Daena for e song if u are interested.

King's call

2007-01-02T06:17:00.000-08:00

er... i chanced upon this while playing online flash games. do have a look at it. to kill boredom n stuff...

King´s Call: The Village of Soulous

anyway... think this is an interesting way of sharing the gospel. :)

God bless!

2006-12-31T22:59:00.000-08:00

time really really flies. it was like, two years ago that all of us leaders made the decision to well, become leaders. two years ago you sec threes were still known as 'ikan bilis'.

but all in all, i'm still thankful for the experiences we've all shared in the past year. from the most mundane Bible lessons to the chalet and all the games days.

2007's arrived and my prayer for you, and for all of us (leaders included!) is that all of us grow together in Christ and continue to build each other up.

here's a little collage i made, in thanksgiving for the past year that we've shared together.

i guess that even though sometimes i feel discouraged and tired serving God in this ministry, He reminds me of all these little joyful moments. and that picks me up. look at your smiles, and remember those moments we shared in fellowship.

look at your smiles...and keep smiling! [:

oh, and have yourselves a blessed new year too!

Introduction to James

2006-12-31T19:00:00.002-08:00

By now i think u all shld know tt we would be doing the book of James for the new year...

anyway... this is a short intro for James to help u understand this letter better, but i do encourage u to read the book before e 1st lesson so tt u can have e big picture of wad is happening.

purpose of James: to expose hypocritical practice and to teach right Christian behaviour.

As compared to Hebrews, e previous book in which e emphasis is to believe (in Christ), the emphasis here is abt living our faith, since we say that we believe in Him.

to whom written: 1st-century Jewish Christians residing in Gentile communities outside Palestine, and all Christians everywhere.

major themes in James: living out our faith

trials used to test our faith
keeping the Law of love (Mat 19:19)
wise speech coming from accepting wisdom from above
importance of heavenly wealth
importance of prayer

hope this would help u understand the book better

God bless!

info gotten from:
Holy bible
life application study bible (NIV)
what the bible is all about: bible handbook (KJV edition) by Dr. Henrietta C. Mears

Commandments for this blog

2006-12-31T19:00:00.001-08:00

Commandments:

do not use flower (swear) language here
do not bad-mouth anyone (ur frens or ur leaders) on this blog (constructive advice n feedback are greatly encouraged though) :)

haha. not much of rules (commandments) here but more of a reminder tt we are all God's children n hence we shld love one another and be mindful of our words, thoughts n actions.

~puiki~

A blog for His people

2006-12-31T19:00:00.000-08:00

heyz gofishies!

in this coming year, we ur leaders have decided to start a blog just for u dudes and dudettes! below are some of the things tt this blog can be used for. :)

questions u may have abt e lessons
some problems that u or ur frens may be facing (studies etc) that u may wanna share or ask for advice
prayers and thanksgivings for e week
feedback abt how u may wan us leaders to improve on e way we lead
a place where u can tok with e leaders who are in army (or gg in) since u might not see them on sundays :)
anything under the sun!

to post entries, just create a blog acct from www.blogger.com n start posting! this blog is mainly for e peeps in group 3. lol. so u guys have e privilege to blog here. for the rest of u guys, the tagboard is always open to u all to give comments n advice to ur fellow frens. n if u think tt this is a gd way to communicate, u can always bug ur leaders to start one! X)

have fun with this blog n make full use of it yah?

love,

puiki

p.s.: do read e rules n regulations before blogging or tagging yah?

2006-12-16T07:48:00.000-08:00

test post

jesus loves us! (: