Houston Chinese Church - English

Living out the Christian faith is not always easy. Following Jesus can be tiring. We feel tempted to throw in the towel. We want to give up. What can help develop a spiritual endurance to live out our Christian faith for the entirety of our lives?

Some of us as Christians have spiritual aspirations. We try to read through our Bibles in a year. We serve on short-term mission trips. We play an instrument on the worship team. And it is good that we do these things. But there is a danger if we focus too much on the things that we do for God.

On behalf of the Philippians, Epaphroditus served Paul selflessly and sacrificially by risking his life. Paul served Epaphroditus and the Philippians by sending Epaphroditus back to Philippi, where Paul commanded the Philippians believers to receive Epaphroditus well and to honor him as a hero.

If our spiritual life resembles a garden, then what type of work do we need to put in? Does our faith just naturally produce spiritual fruit? Or do we need to contribute work? After all, most of us would want a thriving spiritual life. What is the relationship between faith and works?

In our passage today, Paul turns his attention to addressing the Philippians and their situation. Paul doesn't specifically bring up what's happening in Philippi, nor do we know what exactly the problem is, but he gives them some instructions on living lives that are worthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So that's what we will look at today - how we might live a life worthy of the G...

There are only two outcomes for most scenarios in life. Win. Or lose. Trying to get your child into a popular school is difficult. Those able to enroll their children win. Those who are not able to enroll their children lose. Thousands of people enter a lottery to see the Wave in Arizona. But only 4-8% of those who apply are granted entry. They win. The other 90 plus percent lo...

The opponents of the gospel plotted to imprison Paul, assuming chains would hinder the gospel’s advance. Little did they know that chains merely served to unleash the power of gospel preaching – undeterred by the opposition or false motives of either enemies or friends.

If you read through the book of Philippians it is easy to sense how hopeful Paul is throughout the entire book. You can see his emotions really come out in his letter to the Philippians. As you read the book of Philippians, you should walk away with such feelings as well. In our passage today, and throughout the book, we can see the joy Paul has and what causes him to have this joy. Specifically,...

God has given us the gift of life. May we not squander it by believing that we are the master of the universe, but instead, believing that God is the master. We are created uniquely by God to fulfill God’s purpose, which is always for His glory and for our good.

Belief in the Sovereign Self bleeds over into the issue of ethnicity and identity. In an effort to create our own identities, we're tempted to either reject our given ethnicity with a sense of shame or revere it with a sense of superiority. But either reaction fails to recognize the goodness of our given ethnic heritage and its purpose in the mission of God.

This series is aimed at challenging the modern idea of the Sovereign Self. The idea that we have within ourselves the authority to create our own reality. In other words, I can fashion my identity as I will, even if it means rejecting the givenness of my nature. But many aspects of human nature are stubborn and unbending. Consider our mortality – how our bodies age, decline, and eventually die. We...

The dominant cultural narrative today teaches that happiness comes from discovering your true self and then having the courage to give expression to that identity. You may have to reject societal norms and expectations along the way. But no price is too steep. For authenticity is now considered the highest virtue. But in contrast, the biblical narrative teaches that happiness comes from discoverin...

Salvation through Christ is not just for Israel, but for all people. God shows no partiality. Peter receives a vision from God, telling him that the Good News is for Gentiles as well as Jews. He goes to the home of Cornelius, a Roman officer, and tells him about Christ. Cornelius and his family believe and are converted.

Palm Sunday commemorates the royal welcome Jesus received when he entered Jerusalem at the start of that fateful week. The words of praise shouted by the people that day were stanzas from an ancient song heavily used in Israel's liturgical tradition. Those words reveal the people's messianic expectations but also foreshadow their confusion as to what this kingly figure had come to do. This Palm Su...

Pursuing and preserving unity is tough work. We see it in the world. Countries break away from unions. It’s difficult to get a group of leaders to work together on a common cause. We see it in the workplace. Everyone has a different idea on how to complete a project. Analysts disagree on what caused the dip in profits this quarter. We see it in families. Spouses have different plans for&...

After the Flood, God is starting over. But things are not the same as before. He is committed to preserving the earth and protecting humanity, but the effects of the Fall are so entrenched that even a deep cleanse like the Flood was not enough. A better solution awaits.

Noah and the flood is one of the best known stories in Scripture. Children know it by heart. Picture bibles and toy arks with pairs of toy animals have shaped their imagination. But let’s not lose sight of its main point, that being divine judgment. The story is about God’s grief over the utter sinfulness of man and his intent to cleanse his world and start over.

In Genesis 4, we get a glimpse of life east of Eden. Life outside of Paradise. Life in a fallen world. Suffice it to say, it doesn't look good. Sin is on the loose. Violence is on the rise. Relationships are broken and hurting. But grace is there. And hope will follow.

Sin causes people to treat us differently. If the IRS audits our tax returns and discovers that we fudged the numbers, then they’ll demand payment of lost taxes and scrutinize our future tax returns. If we “conveniently” forget to send payment to our friend to pay for our portion of dinner, then we may not receive a future dinner invite. If a friend discovers that you disclosed...

The events dominating the headlines this past week are a stark reminder that we live in a world marked by bloodshed, violence, and war. It's always been that way. Though, at times, we can be lulled into a false sense of peace and stability. The source of all this pain and suffering – whether on the world stage or in our own lives – is found in a singular event in ancient history that involved a co...

Any worldview or religion worth any consideration needs to offer an explanation for what’s wrong with the world. Why is there so much suffering? Why do people hurt each other? Why are we so selfish? If your story doesn’t have an adequate answer for why bad things happen, then perhaps you’re in the wrong story. Perhaps it’s time to consider the Christian story and its explanation for what’s wrong w...

Marriage holds little appeal for many because they've gone through the pain of picking up the pieces after the dissolution of their own marriages (or that of their parents). So nowadays people don't know what marriage should look like. But, thankfully, we have the Word of God. Genesis 2 is like the picture on the box of a puzzle. Without it, we're left with a mess of jumbled pieces. But,...