Monday, May 30, 2011
Friday, May 06, 2011
Voting to the glory of God
It's been an exciting week in Singapore hasn't it! Many of us will be voting on Saturday. Many, perhaps, for the first time.
Here's a compilation of links to articles which I hope will help us think through how we can vote in a way that glorifies God, remembering 1 Corinthians 10:31 "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." and Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him".
Articles from 2010 and 2008, before the UK and US elections
Articles from two Christian bloggers here in Singapore, before GE2011:
Happy reading, and voting, and let's persevere in praying for our country!
Adapting slightly, for Singapore, John Piper's prayer for the election back in 2008:
Father in heaven, as we approach this election on Saturday, we pray:
1) that your people will vote,
2) and that they will vote with a sense of thankfulness for a democratic system that at least partially holds in check the folly and evil in all our hearts so that power which corrupts so readily is not given to people too easily;
3) that we would know and live the meaning of
- being in the world, but not of it,
- doing politics as though not doing them,
- being on the earth, yet having our lives hidden with Christ in God,
- rendering to Caesar the things that are Caesars, and to God the things that are God’s
4) that we would discern what truths and values should advance by being made law and which should advance only by the leavening of honest influence;
5) that your people would see what love and justice and far-seeing wisdom demand in regard to the issues of education, business and industry, health care, marriage and family, abortion, welfare, energy, government and taxes, military, terrorism, international relations, and every challenge that we will face in the years to come;
6) and above all, that we will treasure Jesus Christ, and tell everyone of his sovereignty and supremacy over all nations, and that long after Singapore is a footnote to the future world, he will reign with his people from every tribe and tongue and nation.
Keep us faithful to Christ’s all important Word, and may we turn to it every day for light in these dark times. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
Are you an Adult?
Here's a video from a young adults' community in a church halfway across the globe from us, flagged on the Boundless blog by Martha Krienke who writes:
So if you've got about 30 min to spare, the speaker considers these 5 counter-cultural, biblical ideas on adulthood:
5 Things Adulthood from Axis on Vimeo.
You've heard it said before: "Sociologists traditionally define the 'transition to adulthood' as marked by five milestones: completing school, leaving home, becoming financially independent, marrying and having a child" (The New York Times, August 2010). I agree that these are all important markers in a person's life. But what about those of us who have only completed two, three or four of the milestones? Is a college graduate who moves home to search for a job not an adult? What about a 30-something who is single? Or a newlywed couple who is unable to have children? There's something fishy to me about basing adulthood on these milestones, which is why I was pleased to recently come across a sermon that describes adulthood differently.
So if you've got about 30 min to spare, the speaker considers these 5 counter-cultural, biblical ideas on adulthood:
1. Life is hard. (John 16:33)
2. You're not that important - your life matters for the sake of others, not yourself. (Romans 9:20)
3. Your life is not about you. (Galatians 2:20)
4. You're not in control - trade control for courage. (Job 37)
5. You're going to die. (James 4:13-15)
5 Things Adulthood from Axis on Vimeo.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Upcoming events and other updates!
The month of April has been a busy month for everyone with exams, elections and what not, so the YAM comm has decided to take a short break and postpone our events to May. To help relieve us from all the stress that the past month has brought, and to celebrate the end of exams (for those of us who are schooling), we've decided to have a really fun social event for May...LASER TAG!!! We have engaged an external vendor to come down to church (the Clementi Woods Park actually) and bring their laser guns and equipment for us to play. It'll be awesome fun!! If you're interested, do note down the date (21st May; meet at 4pm in church) and make yourself available!
Our 2nd event is a sequel to the YAM small group workshop we had several weeks ago. The purpose of this YAM small group workshop is for CG members to come and share the struggles that their CG has faced/is currently facing so that we can all learn from one another and through our sharings, help to encourage and support one another. We've received favorable feedback from the first workshop and we hope that through this workshop, more members and their CGs will be blessed. If you did not attend the 1st workshop which was held several weeks back, we'll like to encourage you to take time to pray about coming. For those who attended the first workshop, this 2nd workshop is not a repeat workshop. More information about the agenda of the workshop will be posted soon. In the meantime, do jot down the dates in your diary; it's the 28th May, from 11am-1pm. Lunch is provided!!!
For registration for the above 2 events, please register through your CG leader. Your CG leader will then let us know via email. Please note that the deadline of registration is the 15th of May for Laser Tag and the 22nd of May for the small group CG workshop. For those who do not belong to any CG, if you're interested in any of the events, you may register via email at mountcarmel.yam@gmail.com :)
Now for other updates! The CG committee would like some feedback from CGs as well as their members on mentorship. There are 2 forms that we would like everyone to help fill in. The first is an online form for EVERYONE to fill in regarding individual mentorship. CG leaders, please help to inform your members that they need to complete this form. The second is a Word document for CGLs to Print and discuss during CG, regarding mentorship for the whole care group. For this, each CG should only submit one form. CG leaders, you should have received the word document in your email. Please take time to go through the care group mentorship form with your entire CG so that everyone gets a say in the matter. Please transfer all your CG's answers into the softcopy word document and email it back to the yam email address. ALL FORMS ARE TO BE COMPLETED BY END APRIL AND SUBMITTED IN SOFT COPY!
Have a great week ahead!
Our 2nd event is a sequel to the YAM small group workshop we had several weeks ago. The purpose of this YAM small group workshop is for CG members to come and share the struggles that their CG has faced/is currently facing so that we can all learn from one another and through our sharings, help to encourage and support one another. We've received favorable feedback from the first workshop and we hope that through this workshop, more members and their CGs will be blessed. If you did not attend the 1st workshop which was held several weeks back, we'll like to encourage you to take time to pray about coming. For those who attended the first workshop, this 2nd workshop is not a repeat workshop. More information about the agenda of the workshop will be posted soon. In the meantime, do jot down the dates in your diary; it's the 28th May, from 11am-1pm. Lunch is provided!!!
For registration for the above 2 events, please register through your CG leader. Your CG leader will then let us know via email. Please note that the deadline of registration is the 15th of May for Laser Tag and the 22nd of May for the small group CG workshop. For those who do not belong to any CG, if you're interested in any of the events, you may register via email at mountcarmel.yam@gmail.com :)
Now for other updates! The CG committee would like some feedback from CGs as well as their members on mentorship. There are 2 forms that we would like everyone to help fill in. The first is an online form for EVERYONE to fill in regarding individual mentorship. CG leaders, please help to inform your members that they need to complete this form. The second is a Word document for CGLs to Print and discuss during CG, regarding mentorship for the whole care group. For this, each CG should only submit one form. CG leaders, you should have received the word document in your email. Please take time to go through the care group mentorship form with your entire CG so that everyone gets a say in the matter. Please transfer all your CG's answers into the softcopy word document and email it back to the yam email address. ALL FORMS ARE TO BE COMPLETED BY END APRIL AND SUBMITTED IN SOFT COPY!
Individual Mentorship Form: https://spreadsheets0.
And for those who have yet to fill in our YAM registration form please do so here: https://spreadsheets.
As the YAM Comm will be planning programs with the information provided in all survey/registration forms, please fill them in as quickly and accurately as possible. Help us to help you. :)
Have a great week ahead!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Gospel Coalition 2011 Conference
The Gospel Coalition is an organization made up of evangelical churches that are deeply concerned with the world's influence on the church today and how churches can continue to remain rooted in Christ and his Word (the bible). Every year, the Gospel Coalition will conduct a conference to promote gospel advocacy, encouragement and education so that church leaders (young and old) can be better equipped to lead their ministries with principles and practices that will glorify God and benefit those that God has died for.
This year's conference, which was held in Chicago, covered a wide range of topics including business leadership, counseling and sharing the gospel with Muslims. Many of these workshops were conducted by renowned speakers such as John Piper, Don Carson, Tim Keller, Matt Chandler and so on.
Even though the conference was held overseas and thus many of us were not able to attend, the Gospel Coalition has kindly uploaded the audio clips of these sessions onto their website for us to listen and be blessed by the message of the speakers. To listen to all the plenary sessions and workshops of the conference, do visit http://thegospelcoalition.org/conferences/2011-media. Even if you're not a church leader, I'm sure God can use these messages to benefit you in some way.
All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work - 2 Timothy 3:16-17
This year's conference, which was held in Chicago, covered a wide range of topics including business leadership, counseling and sharing the gospel with Muslims. Many of these workshops were conducted by renowned speakers such as John Piper, Don Carson, Tim Keller, Matt Chandler and so on.
Even though the conference was held overseas and thus many of us were not able to attend, the Gospel Coalition has kindly uploaded the audio clips of these sessions onto their website for us to listen and be blessed by the message of the speakers. To listen to all the plenary sessions and workshops of the conference, do visit http://thegospelcoalition.org/conferences/2011-media. Even if you're not a church leader, I'm sure God can use these messages to benefit you in some way.
All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work - 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Friday, April 01, 2011
Psalm 119
Did you perhaps pick up the Bible this morning to read a chapter or two (or flicked through a couple of pages on your phone as the case may be)? Did you, in reading that bit of Scripture come across words which conveyed truth in a way they hadn't previously, or words which convicted you of sin, uplifted your spirit, showed you more of who God is, stirred you to praise?
God's word is living, we know it, we give thanks for it! But I wonder how many of us, with Bibles so widely available in English, have ever felt what the people in this video felt, receiving the New Testament in their own language for the very first time?
Have a look at this amazing video of the Kimyal tribe, living in the Eastern Highlands of West Papua in Indonesia (not so far away from where we are really). Their joy, their tears, their gratitude.... May these scenes of brothers and sisters' great rejoicing move us to love and treasure God's Word more!
God's word is living, we know it, we give thanks for it! But I wonder how many of us, with Bibles so widely available in English, have ever felt what the people in this video felt, receiving the New Testament in their own language for the very first time?
Have a look at this amazing video of the Kimyal tribe, living in the Eastern Highlands of West Papua in Indonesia (not so far away from where we are really). Their joy, their tears, their gratitude.... May these scenes of brothers and sisters' great rejoicing move us to love and treasure God's Word more!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Gold-medal effort
Hi all,
Here's a sharing from Evan. Hope all of you will be blessed by this devotion: http://odb.org/2011/03/28/gold-medal-effort/
It talks about how serving God (no matter where we are) encompasses being gracious to others and loving others. The greatest 2 commandments in the bible is to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength" and to "love your neighbour as yourself". May we be able to serve God daily by emulating and demonstrating to others God's love and grace as we learn each day when it means to be more and more Christ-like :) May we also learn to do things for God's glory, rather than for our personal gain.
Here's a sharing from Evan. Hope all of you will be blessed by this devotion: http://odb.org/2011/03/28/gold-medal-effort/
It talks about how serving God (no matter where we are) encompasses being gracious to others and loving others. The greatest 2 commandments in the bible is to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength" and to "love your neighbour as yourself". May we be able to serve God daily by emulating and demonstrating to others God's love and grace as we learn each day when it means to be more and more Christ-like :) May we also learn to do things for God's glory, rather than for our personal gain.
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