First International Christian Fellowship— (FICFRENO)

All your life, you’ve only been told to be nice, no matter what—bend over backwards, even, just to make everyone happy. We live in a world where getting along is the bedrock of a functioning society. It seems like that's the only way to get by... by trying to appease everyone, at least. What happens, then, when that stops working for you? This week, Pastor Joe flips the industry on its head as he...

Hey there, friend! We jump right ahead into a new sermon series tackling the book of Galatians! In this week’s sermon, we look at the life of Paul and how a believer should live after accepting Christ as their Lord. Which side are you on: Are you part of the world, or are you fully devoted and surrendered to what God has in store for you? Bullet points from the sermon: JOURNEY THROUGH THE BOOK OF...

As he wraps up the finale of our journey through 2nd Corinthians, Pastor Joe sends us off with a message that hopefully emboldens people to make a stand in God's Name. Bulletpoints from the sermon: INTRO: To Whom are You Living For? - Phil. 1:21 I. LIVE FOR GOD’S WILL! 2 Cor. 13:8 IA. DENYING GOD’S WILL = SIN = TROUBLE - Gen. 16:2 - Rom. 1:18 ; 24-25 II. PRAY FOR EACH OTHER - 2 Cor. 13:9-10 - Eph....

This week, Pastor Joe reinforces the imperative role of thoroughly examining oneself; whether our actions fundamentally embody Christ or we merely allow the enemy’s lies to disarm the Holy Spirit’s fruits—inadvertently disqualifying us from finishing the race strong. Think about it. Points from the sermon: INTRO: No Longer I, But Christ! - Galatians 2:20 I. NOT BY OUR STRENGTH 2 Cor. 13:3-4 Phil....

Have you ever been accused of being a fake fan before? It’s not a very fun experience for all parties involved. As we approach the end of our series, Pastor Joe asks that we conduct an honest examination of what motivates our every endeavor. Do we come from a place of authentic love that overflows from our flourishing walk with Christ or from an all-time faith-it-‘til-you-make-it kind of attitude?...

Everyone knows of this exclusive realm you wound up on with a sibling or a friend where you both understand exactly how the other one operates at any given point in time without even uttering a single word. Pastor Joe envisions the church striving to breach this level of intimacy with Christ not only derivative of, but especially outside receiving the Lord's Supper. INTRO: IN REMEMBRANCE OF JESUS...

Live in this broken world long enough, you will soon learn that having a weakness leaves you vulnerable to other people's exploitation. If Psalm 139 makes a magnanimous declaration of God's fearfully and wonderfully making of us, what purpose do our weak points serve then? Closely following Christ entails a series of unprecedented events that take you to uncharted territories in your life you neve...

Why is it essential to fellowship with other broken people who can potentially disappoint us more than anyone else in this world? In an attempt to reconcile this oxymoron, Pastor Joe takes the church on a nature trip in the beautiful campgrounds of Lake Francis. Take a hike with us across a trail of various verses. Gain some expert backpacker wisdom on navigating the glaring importance of coming t...

It goes without saying that it takes a village to raise your children. But miles beneath that perfectly curated hook is a nonstarter truth that gets lost in all the shuffle: Our fathers shape who we eventually become. Child-rearing is no easy task by any measure. While our moms stress over shielding us from the world, it is up to our dads to launch us to higher vistas. And they must perform such d...

Did you know that selective hearing is a legitimate psychological filtering our brain is physiologically capable of? Yes, our brain can't process all stimuli constantly bombarding us. But far from being an impairment, this voluntary choice of where we focus attention on ultimately falls on us. The church of Corinth wasn't resistant to this type of malingering when it comes to Paul's warning of fal...

As imperfect people, we can be deceived by the appearance of a man, and we often measure how successful he is by what we see on the outside. This week's message tackles on how we can live a holy life by accepting one another instead of judging them first. This is the first step before we can start maturing in our walk with Jesus. Pastor Joe invites us to trust God and let His will be done in our l...

Have you seen this post lately? 'FEAR NOT' WAS MENTIONED 365 TIMES IN THE BIBLE It serves as preface to a life lived impenetrable to fear. While it is an encouraging, well-meaning thought—it's also a false statement. At best, King James' translation only offers at least 100 verses or so of this glamorized Christian fearlessness narrative. Nevertheless, hopefully our faith in Jesus can stand by its...

Don’t you just wish on some days following Christ is like the film Yes Man (2008)? The movie’s premise is hinged on this cult ideology that there’s zero need for a complex formula to better your conditions or an excruciating ordeal to go through to succeed in life—you only ever need to say ‘Yes’ to everything, no matter how ludicrous it may sound at first. Pastor Joe takes us further in with this...

Has this ever happened to you? Mother’s Day is fast approaching and somehow you just can’t come up with the perfect special gift to give your beloved mom. Unless you have an immaculate track record you maintain, you might have missed the mark on several years here and there. But what if we tell you the best Mother’s Day gift out there has zero calories, is gluten-free, and unbelievably dirt-cheap?...

Unbeknownst to many, the last book of the Harry Potter franchise befuddled critics and fans alike when it featured Matthew 6:21 in its plot line. Like the Bible verse: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,“ Pastor Joe urges us, this week, to ruminate on things we give value to. Do our offerings reflect whom we place our reliance on? Are we able to genuinely say “It’s my pleas...

Shortly after its launch in 1990, NASA discovered that the billion-dollar initiative Hubble Telescope had a lens problem when photos it took of the Milky Way came back blurry. Richard Fennimore pleads a case against our complacency when it comes to God’s call to holiness. How come our perception and awe of our God come back dull and blurry? How come it takes only searing pain for us to peer undern...

They say worship is a lifestyle, in such a large scale that it hijacks your weekend plans, sabotages the habitual decisions you used to make and interferes with your regularly scheduled program called Life. An insidious operant takes over a Christian’s life if a disconnect between what he does on weekdays and how he serves on the weekends exists. Pastor Joe takes a series break detour this week as...

Jesus clearly said that He came that we may have life and enjoy it to the fullest. There were no hidden caveats—He was not talking about this seemingly far and ahead afterlife we all long to get to someday but, instead, this * right now* life that we live. But also, God expects us to live a life of purity and holiness in such an extreme way that we shine as beacons of hope to this sinister world....

Heavy is the head that wears the crown. The very first motion picture of Spider-Man has cemented what probably is the most tired quote of all time: “With great power comes great responsibility.” What it entails is this huge, unspoken obligation expected from anyone gifted with extraordinary capabilities. This week, we discover exactly what extraordinary bearing we receive when we come to know our...

In this day and age, information is open-access. But imagine being alive during the first century, when mere mention of Christ’s Name comes with risk; when grieving for a death of a son, a brother or a friend is punishable by law. Can we sincerely pledge our allegiance to this self-proclaimed Messiah who, despite His magnanimous promises of eternal life, simply…died? Will we ever be ready to find...

How do you sail a ship and dock it successfully? You orient yourself in the right direction and you consistently sail forward, according to your measured bearings. This metaphor is analogous of Richard Fennimore's take on the perilous, legalistic stance even some vet Christians are not immune of taking. Avoid other various, common traps. Learn how to navigate #GodsPlan and policy in this week's Pa...

Just accepted Christ into your life? What's next and what do we do now to please God with our actions? We find our way out of the woods this week and get an intimate know-how on proper service as new creations with our new body in Christ for God's glory and what we get out of that exactly. Title: THE PROMISSORY NOTE 2 COR 5:1-11 Introduction:2 COR 4:16-18 I: THE NEW BODY 2 COR 5:1-8 IA: OUR GOAL I...

This week's sermon attempts to unravel God's mysterious intent on providing pain in this world. Pastor Joe carefully drives us home to the point: We ought to focus our energy on propagating God's Word throughout our personal frontiers. Fix your eyes so far ahead into the unseen and encounter Jesus. Title: PART OF THE GAME MAIN VERSE: 2 COR 4:7-18 INTRODUCTION: GOD'S POWER IN JARS OF CLAY 2 COR 4:7...

How do you tap into God's unlimited power? Pastor Joe delves deeper into our series: The Book of 2nd Corinthians and plays out this dynamic between the Spirit and our capacity to choose to stay behind the eponymous veil Jesus has already torn apart. Podcast is now up on your native resource. Title: By the Power of God Main Verse: 2 Corinthians 4:1-6 INTRODUCTION: GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT THE HOLY SPIRI...

Come and revisit Pastor Joe's post-dated Valentine's day message. We take a break from our series with a message about love that comes out tomorrow! Be on the lookout for release on our YouTube and Facebook page! This podcast is available on your native podcast resource! >> NOTES: MAIN VERSE: 1 JOHN 4:7-12 INTRODUCTION: FIRST FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT GALATIANS 5:22-23 I: GOD'S PROOF OF HIS LOVE TO...