Gospel Light Christian Church

By Pastor Jason Lim Moses now persuades Israel to obey God after he has highlighted the events in Deuteronomy 1-3. 1) THE CALL Moses commends to Israel the blessings of obedience. They will live and possess the land when they obey. They will also be a light to the nations, when people see how a wise and understanding people they. The laws are for their good and flourishing. 2) THE CAUTION He also...

By Pastor Jason Lim Instead of being angry and living in sin because of the pains of trials, the people of God should exude righteousness. But what does this righteous life look like? How can you and I practically do it? And why does this matter at all? James teaches about living in righteousness in trials here: 1. Instructions A true Christian is evidenced by obedience to God’s Word even through...

By Pastor Jason Lim Moses stirs up Israel's faith and obedience by reminding them of three events in their history. They also highlight biblical motivations for the Christian life today. 1) THE COVENANT God's favour is freely, graciously, and unwaveringly bestowed upon Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their offspring. The goodness of God should lead Israel to faith and obedience. And it is God's goodnes...

By Pastor Jason Lim Moses held a kind of "Living Funeral" 40 days before he was to pass away. He gathered Israel to speak to them before they would soon cross into the Promised Land. His message was not to get them to sharpen their knives or brush up on their military tactics, but to obey God . He reminds them of God's: PROVISIONS God calls His people to love and obey Him—not to earn His love, but...

By Pastor Nazario Sinon For his final sermon before retiring from full-time ministry, Pastor Nazario Sinon teaches from Psalm 90. Psalm 90, the only psalm attributed to Moses, is a sobering yet hope-filled prayer that brings us face to face with the eternal greatness of God and the fragile brevity of human life. It reminds us that our days are limited, our lives marked by sin and suffering—but tha...

By Pastor Jason Lim When we face suffering, we need to go to God's Word (Jas 1:21), and we need to pray (Jas 5:12). 1) THE PRIORITY OF PRAYER When we face suffering, prayer should be our first response—not our last resort. But what do we pray for? We can pray for: A) the removal of suffering, B) the strength to remain steadfast through suffering, or C) the ability to rejoice in suffering. 2) THE P...

By Pastor Jason Lim James returns to the subject of suffering that he began with in this letter. He urges his readers to be patient in suffering. 1) THE MEANING OF PATIENCE Patience is enduring hardship without bitterness or sin. James warns against grumbling or swearing and calls believers to put away all wickedness—even in suffering. Trials are no excuse for sinful behavior. 2) THE MOTIVATION OF...

By Pastor Jason Lim Many people train for sports, music, art, or work. But it is even more important to train for godliness. THE EXPLANATION Godliness is devotion to God that leads to a life pleasing to Him. It is both inward and outward; it involves both attitude and actions. THE EXERCISE Godliness is not automatic; one must train for it. It requires effort, hard work, and discipline. No pain, no...

By Pastor Jason Lim People exploit others for money—even in the church. James warns the wealthy who fuel their indulgence through injustice that their riches will one day testify against them. If unrepentant, they face coming judgment. THEIR WANTONNESS They live for luxury and pleasure. They do not love the Lord. THEIR WICKEDNESS They fund their indulgent lifestyle by defrauding the poor and withh...

By Pastor Paul Choo Gospel Light Christian Church (GLCC) has always been missional—not just rooted in the community, but reaching the nations. From giving up to 90% of our budget to missions, to launching Asia’s largest seminary and training thousands of leaders, GLCC is committed to multiplying disciples and planting churches that transform lives. Today, through GoFeed Philippines and the Goducat...

By Pastor Jason Lim THE SIN James puts his finger on the people's arrogant presumption and boast that they can control their own destiny and plan without acknowledging God's sovereignty over them. This boast of arrogance is foolish, for no one knows what tomorrow brings. THE SUBMISSION There is nothing wrong with planning or profit. But it is important that our plans be made in humble submission t...

By Pastor Jason Lim THE SIN Speaking evil is to accuse or slander with malicious or evil intent. It is using words to condemn. But this is not just a sin of the lips, for it is primarily a sin of the heart — a heart that bears a grudge, is filled with a desire for vengeance, or is driven by envy and jealousy. Therefore, speaking evil is murder with words. THE SEVERITY Whilst we often think speech...

By Pastor Jason Lim THE CAUSE Why do church people fight? Is it because of scarcity? Or is it because of personality? James identifies the source to be Hedones (wrongful desires for worldly pleasures) in our members. THE CAUTION And James raises the stakes to say that such strife, as a result of sinful desires, reveals a heart that does not really love God. He calls such people adulteresses and en...

By Pastor Jason Lim The world thinks that wisdom is primarily about knowledge and intelligence— or that wisdom is the ability to get things done or to get our own way. But according to James, true heavenly wisdom is seen in one's conduct—particularly in the trait of meekness. James goes on to say that "wisdom" borne out of bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, or that which results in disorder or...

By Pastor Jason Lim James teaches us that the tongue is uncontrollable; no man can tame his tongue. He also teaches us that the tongue is destructive: it is a fire and can destroy lives. But it is also important to see that these are not the main lessons about the tongue. The purpose James teaches about the tongue is understood from James 1:26. He says that true religion is seen when one bridles h...

By Pastor Jason Lim John wrote his gospel to prove Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. He recorded several miraculous signs Jesus did so that we may believe Jesus is the Christ. (John 20:31). The last and perhaps the most spectacular of them all in the first 11 chapters must be the resurrection of Lazarus in Chapter 11. Lazarus was dead and his body laid in decay (4 days in the tomb). His body wa...

By Pastor Jason Lim Martin Luther, who began the Protestant Reformation, commented that the letter of James is a "letter of straw", meaning it had little value because he could not find the gospel there. Luther claimed James “mangles the Scriptures and thereby opposes Paul and all Scripture.” This is in no small part due to the statements in chapter 2 which we are looking at today. So, does James...

By Pastor Jason Lim Jesus breaks down age-old barriers to form a united people—the church. There is now no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female, in terms of how we should treat one another. Therefore, favoritism (which is unfair and preferential treatment of one person while despising another, due to self-interest and/or pride) is contrary to the work of God. Instead of loving one...

By Pastor Jason Lim Instead of being angry and living in sin because of the pains of trials, the people of God should exude righteousness. But what does this righteous life look like? How can you and I practically live it? And why does this matter at all? James teaches about living in righteousness during trials here: 1. Instructions - True faith is shown through obedience, not anger. A believer f...

By Pastor Jason Lim One of the easiest ways to deal with our mistakes is to blame others. And we can even blame God for our sins. James writes to those who blame God, or who are going to blame God, for their sin when they go through trials. He says that no one should do so, and he furnishes 3 reasons why. 1.Incorruptibility of God. God cannot be tempted with sin, and He Himself tempts no one. We s...

By Pastor Jason Lim Genesis 50 speaks of 2 deaths - of Jacob and Joseph. It is like an echo from the Garden of Eden when God said, "In the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." But even though the book of Genesis ends with death, it looks forward to life beyond death! Genesis 50, together with the rest of Genesis, points to the Promise, Providence & Power of Faith. 1. Promise. The prom...

By Pastor Jason Lim Fortune-telling, or clairvoyance, is fascinating to us. So it is interesting that Jacob would be able to tell the future of his children in Genesis 49. I suppose he could do it only because God had first revealed it to him. And so when he was about to die, Jacob would call his sons together to bless them, in order to encourage them regarding God's promise to flourish them. We w...

By Pastor Sin Yu Fei "The Book of Ruth is a story of loyalty, redemption, and God’s providence. After losing her husband, Ruth, a Moabite, chooses to stay with her Israelite mother-in-law, Naomi, declaring, “Your God will be my God” (Ruth 1:16). In Bethlehem, she gleans in the fields of Boaz, a relative of Naomi’s late husband. Boaz fulfills the role of a kinsman-redeemer by marrying Ruth, providi...

By Pastor Jason Lim The wise look at and go through trials in a very different way. Instead of wavering and doubting the worth of God, the wise see further than the average man and: 1. Rejoice He counts it all joy, because he knows sufferings work steadfastness or endurance, which then leads to growth and maturity. He is not ruled by his feelings. He leads his life with deliberate thinking accordi...

By Pastor Jason Lim The author of this letter is likely James, the half-brother of Jesus. Let's get to know him. 1. James the Saint He was a believer of Jesus Christ. In fact, he was the leader of the Jerusalem Church. But he did not believe in Jesus when he was growing up. It was likely that it was only after the death and resurrection of Jesus that he believed. And the miracle of conversion is t...