Houston Chinese Church - English

It’s easy to overlook God’s providential hand of blessing. It works through such ordinary means that we chalk it up to mere coincidence or to the kindness and generosity of others. It really takes eyes of faith to recognize and appreciate the hidden hand of the Lord’s favor.

As we start the new year with a fundraising campaign to renovate our new building, let’s reflect on our church’s biblical identity. Before we expand our space, let’s make sure we understand our place in God’s mission.

People know how to prepare for Christmas to remember Christ’s birth. They set up a nativity scene at home. They hang ornaments of angels on their tree. They read an advent book together. But people may not know how to prepare for Christ’s return. How do we prepare ourselves and others for the return of Christ?

During this season of Christmas cheer, we rarely consider the cosmic battle that took place during our Savior’s birth. We ignore the blood that was shed and the cries of agony that pierced the silence of those fateful nights. It does a soul good to meditate on these grim realities.

People search for Jesus for different reasons. Some governments search for any mention of Jesus to erase it so that they can eliminate his influence on their societies. Some search for Jesus out of curiosity. Who is this Jesus that we celebrate during Christmas? Some search for Jesus to learn about his teachings. But what is the biblical reason to search for Jesus?

In the first part of chapter one, Matthew places Jesus, the messiah God’s people have been waiting for, in the context of redemptive history. Matthew now turns to the human beginnings of Jesus. From Matthew’s story about the birth of Jesus, we get a glimpse of who this Messiah is. His identity. His names. The names given to Him by God. Son of David, Jesus, and Immanuel.

Every Christian goes through spiritual winters of the soul where we are forced to ask ourselves, “Has God stopped working in my life?” Advent is his timeless answer to this unsettling question.

In John’s Gospel, there are seven famous I AM statements where Jesus discloses his true identity. By saying, “I AM the True Vine,” Jesus is claiming to be the True Israel who is capable of doing what God's people in the Old Testament failed to do – to be fruitful as a blessing to the nations. If New Testament believers abide in Jesus like branches in a vine, we can partake in the same mission to b...

In John’s Gospel, there are seven famous I AM statements where Jesus discloses his true identity. In saying, “I AM the way and the truth and the life,” Jesus makes an exclusive claim that flies in the face of prevailing opinion – that all faiths are equally valid (or equally wrong).

We are surrounded by dead people. Classmates. Co-workers. Fellow Shoppers. Other parents. Their deadness prevents them from understanding spiritual truth. The gospel puzzles them. People will eventually experience physical death. Those who do not believe in the gospel will experience spiritual death – separation from God. How does Jesus help people to overcome death?

In John’s Gospel, there are seven famous I AM statements where Jesus discloses his true identity. In claiming, "I AM the Good Shepherd," Jesus is revealing how he views his followers and how he sees himself in relation to them. We can take comfort in knowing how good our Shepherd is and how much he loves his sheep.

In John’s Gospel, there are seven famous I AM statements where Jesus discloses his true identity as God in the flesh. In claiming, "I AM the Door of the Sheep," Jesus is inviting anyone – who wants to access the sheepfold of God and enjoy the abundance of life therein – to enter through him and him alone.

The second I AM statement that we will explore today is Jesus declaring that He is the Light of the World. What does He mean when He says this? What does Jesus being the light of the world mean for us? Just as light is meant to shine in the dark places, Jesus came to be the light in a dark world. Through our passage today, we’ll see how Jesus is the only hope we have in our life and in our world.

In the Gospel of John, there are seven famous I AM statements where Jesus discloses his true identity as Yahweh (the LORD God) in the flesh. In claiming, "I AM the Bread of Life," Jesus is challenging anyone who treats him as a materialistic Savior. He calls us to follow him – not because he’s useful to get what we need – but because he himself is everything we need. 

Many of us are workaholics who find it hard to rest from our labor. Exhortations to observe a Sabbath rest come across as impractical or even irresponsible. But we are worse off when we ignore the 6+1 rhythm of life ingrained in us, as creatures made in the image of God – a God who rested.

Difficult bosses suck the joy out of work. They make the workplace miserable. You always feel like you’re walking on eggshells around them. The mood at work feels dark and cloudy because your boss could lash out at any moment. What should we do when we work for a difficult boss?

As we begin a new phase of our legacy building project, we want to focus on the mission of our church – to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Which means our primary aim is to intentionally do spiritual good to others in a highly relational context. So our whole approach to building new facilities is to help facilitate new disciple-making opportunities in the years to come.

If the gospel can give dignity and purpose to the work of a first-century slave, then there is definitely hope for yours. Whether you’re the one giving orders or the one taking them, the gospel has the power to reorient your attitude and motivation to do good work at work.

Just as we’re prone to idolize work, we're prone to grow idle at work. Both errors stem from a failure to recognize and respect the God-ordained purpose behind our respective vocations. The propensity towards idleness is best addressed by a recovery of a strong Christian work ethic that connects our work with our discipleship to Christ.

Our view of work might fall into one of two categories: live to work or work to live. If we live to work, then we fall into the temptation of idolizing our work. We often think of idols as statues that primitive people worship or inspirational people. But idols represent anything in creation that we love and serve rather than God. Examples of idols include children, perfectionism, leisure, and eve...

Some people live to work. Their work is their life passion. Others work to live. They view work as a means to facilitate their real passions in life. Which is it for Christians? How should we view our God-given vocations? Is there meaning and purpose in the work itself? But where do you draw the line, so that your work doesn’t end up defining you?

Paul concludes this letter to the Galatians with a final appeal to reject the false gospel they’ve been entertaining and to invest deeply in gospel-centered ministers and ministries in the church. That’s the same response expected of those who have died to a slavish dependence on the world’s praise and acceptance. Those who know they are already loved and accepted because of the cross of our Lord...

The idea of walking by the Spirit (or keeping in step with him) is meant to be conducted communally. Imagine a group hike. Not a solo race. And what characterizes a Spirit-led community will be a mutual concern for each other – not an atmosphere of competition or conceit.

Freedom in Christ doesn’t give you permission to indulge your flesh and do whatever you want without judgment. To be free in Christ means you’re now free to resist your fleshly desires and to walk by the Spirit. To bear his fruit – both in your life and your life together as the church.