Houston Chinese Church - English

Some of us believe that if we religiously follow a set of moral rules we will experience rest. Peace will come. Others of us think that an absence of rules will lead to rest. If we cast off the shackles of morality, we can experience peace. But these two ways of thinking prevent us from experiencing true rest. What then do we need to experience true rest?

Jesus is not ashamed to call us His brothers and sisters (2:11). This initiative and act of God to adopt us into His family should create in us a sense of awe and humility that the One who creates and sustains all things would stoop down to our level to take on our pain and suffering so that we may fully experience this "great salvation" (2:3) and persevere through situations that tempts us to "dr...

The book of Hebrews can be summed up with the word better. Each chapter introduces us to “something better” (11:40) or, better yet, Someone better. His name is Jesus, and he is God the Son who has come to reveal God the Father and proclaim the best news in all the world – the gospel message.

Genesis 34 was a dark and shameful chapter in Jacob’s life, but his story doesn’t end there. In the next chapter, the Lord mercifully speaks into his life, calling him to repentance. Jacob is given another chance to fulfill his vow, to renew his devotion, and to live out his new identity as Israel. The Lord’s unremitting commitment to bless this flawed figure – to love the unlovely – has been the...

Genesis 34 is a dark chapter that recounts a horrific act of violence that bred a more horrific response. It’s a shameful moment in biblical history, but it offers valuable lessons about the depths of human sinfulness and the importance of wholehearted obedience to the Lord.

Twenty years prior, Jacob stole Esau’s blessing and fled to evade his brother’s wrath. Our text begins with an air of uncertainty as to how their reunion will unfold. But it’s quickly apparent that Esau’s fury has turned away. There’s no longing for revenge. Instead, there’s an act of true reconciliation. This act of grace can show us how to mend our own fractured relationships.

Nearing the end of Jacob’s story, we encounter one of the more mysterious moments of Jacob's life. He wrestles with a man in the middle of the night. This is more than a random wrestling match but we encountered one of the most pivotal moments in his life. As we have said over and over again, Jacob’s story is a story of God’s grace. What we get to see in our passage today is what Jacob will receiv...

At this point in his narrative, Jacob, as a work-in-progress, is almost there. That pivotal moment that will transform his life will unfold in the next chapter. Slowly he is coming to trust God and act righteously. Now, in our passage, Jacob’s character arc is juxtaposed to Laban, who embodies the kind of person Jacob once was. When we consider Laban’s actions, we gain a better sense of the factor...

We all do different types of work in our lives. Ministry work. Vocational work. Domestic work. Gardening work. But in work, we may experience foes that undermine our work. They disrupt schedules. They erect barriers. They undo our work. They oppose us. How do we experience favor when we encounter foes that undermine our work?

In the gospels, we read of Jesus' wonderful parables, grand sermons, weighty discourses, and masterful illustrations. We also come across his hard sayings and difficult teachings. We know we should not listen just to the words of Christ that we like, nor ignore the ones we find challenging to hear. We also know we ought to receive them all as the expression of his love, wisdom, and grace to us. Bu...

People respond to the idea of Jesus rising from the dead in different ways. Some think that Jesus had passed out on the cross. Three days later, he woke up. He then died later. Others think that the disciples stole the body of Jesus, and they spread a lie. There’s an idea that the disciples fabricated the story of resurrection so that they could gain fame and power. But what does the Bible say abo...

Our series has been centered on biblical passages where God raises the dead. In Matthew’s gospel, there’s a unique and peculiar reference to dead saints being raised to life and emerging from their tombs, after Jesus’s resurrection, appearing to many in Jerusalem. That moment hints at the earthshaking, life-changing consequences of Jesus’s death on the cross.

Our series on spiritual awakenings has centered around passages in Scripture where God raises the dead back to life. Among these, the account of Jesus raising Lazarus stands out as one of the most well-known. This story provides profound insights into how to navigate challenging times when God disappoints us, when we lose loved ones, or when we lose hope amidst suffering.

Many of us will face desperate situations. Terminal Illness. A wayward brother. A lay off. Enormous debt. Relational conflict. Loneliness. Mental illness. We feel like everything we do fails to make things better. What should we do when we find ourselves in a desperate situation?

In our ongoing series, we delve into passages where God raises the dead to inspire faith-filled prayers for God to continue doing the same. We want to see him resurrect the spiritually dead in our lives. Today’s passage highlights Jesus’s compassionate act of raising a widow’s son, which leads the crowds to firmly believe that he is a great prophet sent by God. Just as the prophets of old represen...

As we press on in a season of fasting and praying for spiritual awakening in our lives, our churches, and our city – let’s revisit a story of how God metaphorically moved a mountain in response to a faith-filled request. The raising of the Shunammite woman’s son is an illustration of the limits of earthly prosperity and power in contrast to the unbounded mercy and might of the Lord.

Distance strains relationships. Physical distance prevents people from connecting. Think of a long-distance dating relationship. Mental distance occurs when you think of other things when people talk to you. We experience emotional distance when people fail to understand how we feel. If distance strains our interpersonal relationships, then it also strains our relationship with God. What does God...

Jacob, a man on a desperate search, seeks to fill an inner emptiness that has been gnawing at him. Earlier, we witnessed his longing for fatherly love and the family blessing. Now, his desire has shifted to the love of a beautiful woman. By the end of chapter 29, he remains oblivious to the fact that he is substituting romantic love for the divine love of God. However, this is the lesson learned b...

Jacob is a man who has it all but, at the same time, has nothing. He secured the coveted birthright and blessing, but he now finds himself displaced, sent away from the very land he conspired to inherit. He begins to reap the consequences of his efforts to secure a blessed life for himself – to be his own savior. In this chapter, Jacob receives a vision that impresses upon him the accessibility of...

If it wasn't already evident by Genesis 27, it becomes clear that the patriarchs were never intended to be paragons of virtue. They were meant to be recipients of God's grace, and many of their stories were crafted as cautionary tales. The poor choices made by all the characters in our story give us an opportunity to learn from the mistakes of others and deepen our appreciation of gospel grace.

We desire blessing in our lives. We want to be blessed financially. We wish for our bodies to be fit. We hope to do work we enjoy. We long for the approval of others. Many of us have experienced such blessings. But have we ever wondered: why does God bless us? This morning’s message will help us know the purpose of God blessing his people, so that we can use our blessings rightly.

The twins, Jacob and Esau, were destined for a tumultuous relationship from the start. Their differences were evident even in their mother’s womb. While their particular story contributes to the broader narrative of God’s promise to bless and expand Abraham’s family, it also offers valuable insights into the nature and extent of God’s sovereign grace.

Churches are always at risk of complacency, resting on the laurels of their past faithfulness. While it's fitting to reflect on and celebrate 50 years of gospel fidelity, our focus, as Houston Chinese Church, should shift to the future – to extending our legacy of faithfulness. To that aim, let us place our hope in and hold fast to the great promises of our Lord.

On this Sanctity of Life Sunday, we will see how, if we proclaim that Jesus is Lord, it affects the way we view and think through abortion. At the same time, Jesus is Lord calls Christians into action to push back darkness in the world, especially when it comes to this issue. What do we do when the doctrine of Imago Dei is being trampled on and what can we do, as image bearers, to restore life in...