Houston Chinese Church - English

It’s natural for us to praise things. We praise our children before others. We praise the vacations we’ve been. We praise others for their accomplishments. But we don’t find ourselves praising God easily. In fact, it might even be unnatural. Yet the Biblical authors call upon us to praise God. How do we become more natural in our praise of God?

Psalm 96 unabashedly declares the greatness of God and calls his people to worship him accordingly. This exuberant and uplifting psalm reminds us that God created us and redeemed us as his people so that we would declare his glory among the nations.

Who’s qualified to worship God this morning? Who’s allowed to approach the King of Glory? If this line of questioning seems out of line to you, then you need to take a careful look at this psalm of David. Psalm 24:1-10 Sermon preached by Pastor Jason Tarn on June 21, 2026 Audio: Renee LeongVideo: Michael JinEdit: Alexa Lopez

For a third time, Jesus predicts his passion, and yet again his disciples fail to see that he is leading them on a path of suffering and servanthood. They’re too blind because they’re too captured by worldly ambition. But surprisingly, Jesus doesn’t expect his disciples to suppress their desire for greatness. Our ambitions don’t need to be repressed. They need to be redeemed.

Despite the necessity of money in our lives, we often (and too easily) idolize wealth and possessions in our hearts. In today’s challenging text, Jesus tells us that those who seek riches cannot come to him. Our Lord starkly warns against the dangers of materialism, which prevent us from entering the kingdom. Instead, we are to treasure not our possessions, but Christ above all.

For a second time, Jesus predicts his death and resurrection. And for a second time, his disciples don’t understand what he’s saying. On the way to Jerusalem, thoughts of rejection and suffering fill Jesus’s mind. Meanwhile, his disciples are filled with ambitions for status and power. They have yet to grasp what greatness looks like in the kingdom of God. What about us?

You can take all the best experiences of your entire life and it will still be nothing compared to what the three disciples got to experience up on the high mountain. What did they experience and see on the mountain? What was the purpose of the transfiguration? Why did Jesus bring them up there? We’ll answer all these questions as we see what Jesus reveals about Himself to His disciples at the Tra...

This passage marks a turning point. Up to chapter 8:27, Mark has been asking one central question, “Who is Jesus?” While the demons recognize him, everyone else is confused. In v29, Peter finally answers correctly, “You are the Christ.” From this point, the question shifts from his identity to his mission. Now Mark is asking, “Why did Jesus come?” Sadly, the confusion remains.

With this series of dramatic miracles, Mark concludes the first half of his gospel where he sets forth Jesus as the authoritative Son of God. Even though Jesus’ healing power and compassion are on full display, both the Pharisees and his disciples keep failing to understand who he is because they are spiritually deaf and blind, and have hardened hearts. We too often struggle in the same way to und...

As in Jesus’s day, many who believe in a holy God feel unclean and unworthy to approach him. And, as in Jesus’s day, we assume what defiles us comes from the outside in. From individuals or influences external to us. But Jesus taught us that defilement moves from the inside out—originating from our hearts.

We all have a voice that focuses on our uncleanness. It never has a positive thing to say. It focuses on our failures. It reminds us of past sins. It reminds us of our inadequacies. How do we respond to this voice?

After he fed the 5000, the massive crowd was ready to take Jesus by force and make him their king (Jn 6:15). Lest his disciples get caught up in this misguided messianic fervor, Jesus sends them across the Sea of Galilee, smack dab into a storm. And it’s there, in the midst of the storm, that Jesus reveals to them his true identity and his kingly authority over all.

Tolkien coined the term “eucatastrophe” to describe a joyful catastrophe that comes out of nowhere at the end of a story to change everything for the better. He argued that all stories with eucatastrophic endings—the ones that move us to happy tears—are simply echos of the grand Eucatastrophe of human history.

In this famous miracle of feeding the 5,000, our Lord shows himself to be authoritative, powerful, and wise. But, above all these, he is compassionate. Compassion is something we all need and want to receive but is not always easy to show or give. How can become more compassionate to those in need? Look to Christ and remember the compassion that he showed to us. He is the compassionate shepherd no...

In Mark’s Gospel, the crowds are initially highly receptive of Jesus and his ministry. But, starting in chapter 6, they begin to take offense. This sentiment begins in his hometown of Nazareth and spreads throughout Galilee as his disciples are sent to preach his gospel. A flashback scene featuring John the Baptizer and King Herod foreshadows how many in the world will respond negatively to Jesus...

We have seen Jesus show His power over nature when he calms a storm. Then we saw Jesus’s power over demons. In today’s passage, we will see Jesus have power over sickness and death. We encounter a father whose daughter is dying, and a sick woman, both desperate for Christ's power to be revealed in their lives. So it is with us. We are all in need of Christ and His power in our lives.

This morning’s text delves into the frightening concept of demon possession. While some may dismiss it as a relic of ancient superstition, the Bible presents demons as real beings capable of possessing individuals. But as scary as that might be, the more terrifying character in the story turns out to be the One who has the power and mercy to heal the demoniac.

As Mark records Peter’s riveting eyewitness account of Jesus’ miraculous calming of a fierce storm, we encounter the unmatched power of Jesus that should strike both fear and comfort in our hearts. But, this story is not just about how Jesus is Lord of the storm and so can calm the storms of your heart, though that is true. It is far greater than that. It goes to the very heart of who Jesus is – a...

In a contemporary church culture that equates size with superiority, Jesus’s parables serve as a necessary corrective. They emphasize the hiddenness and obscurity of the kingdom, illustrating that what begins as insignificant and unassuming will inevitably grow into something far greater than one could have imagined. To those who have ears to hear, let them hear Jesus’s message.

In today’s text, Jesus began to teach the crowds many things in the form of parables. Parables were helpful tools for conveying challenging truths in an illustrative and memorable manner. But Jesus’s parables were not merely intended to educate—but to expose. To unveil the true nature of the kingdom he preached and the true nature of the hearts of those who listened. The Parable of the Sower epito...

Ever wonder what a disciple of Jesus looks like? How should we follow Him in our lives? Jesus’s disciples look nothing like you’d expect but that’s the beauty of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. That’s the beauty of Jesus. That’s the beauty of Jesus’s family. We’ll take a look at what Jesus does expect from those who follow him.

At this point in Mark’s Gospel, the opposition to Jesus has intensified. The religious leaders are enraged by how Jesus interprets and practices the Mosaic Law in a manner incompatible with their narrow interpretations and ossified practices. At one point, he tells a parable that suggests his approach to the Law will burst and destroy the traditions of men. Jesus doesn’t shy from confrontation bec...

As we observe Sanctity of Life Sunday, the need for dialogue and persuasion over the issue of abortion is greater than ever, since abortion is now up to the States. But, the current narratives dominating the abortion debate have only led our society and many Christians into sharp disagreement and also much sorrow. The false, simplistic narratives are: to be pro-life is to be anti-woman, and to be...

As Jesus bursts on the scene in Mark’s Gospel, his authority is on full display. Demonstrated in how he calls disciples, casts out demons, cures the sick, cleanses lepers, and—as our text reveals—forgives sins. The message couldn’t be clearer: Jesus is God in the flesh, and he’s on a mission to forgive sinners and make them into disciples.

The Gospel according to Mark begins fast and furious. Without a nativity story, we’re immediately introduced to Jesus in his public ministry. Everyone, in every scene, is trying to figure out who he is. In our text, we’re presented with a man of authority who calls disciples to respond in obedience without hesitation.