Recent Blog Posts from Pursuit NYC
Sep 4, 2018
Summer is coming to a close, which means fall is just around the corner. Fall means the weather gets a bit colder, the leaves start to change, and football gets underway. Wins and losses don’t matter until the actual season begins, but there is a purpose to the pre-season. That’s when teams finalize their roster and athletes train for the grueling season ahead. They are willing to endure pain and pay the price so that when the season does begin, they are ready to go. They run up hills and do exercises that stretch them in the pre-season all because the real season matters. Ultimately they are training in pain in the pre-season so that they can play through the pain in the actual season. In the same way often times sowing is hard and painful like that of a pre-season. Why? Because actually reaping during the harvest season is going to be backbreaking labor. Sowing is hard because harvesting is harder, and we need that training. I believe we are on the verge of entering into a new season. So much of what we’ve been contending for and sowing into and watering will come to fruition, but currently we are in that pre-season time of preparation. One of the themes God has been speaking to us has been about new wine and new wineskins. (If you haven’t listened to the sermon from our most recent gathering by Janet, go listen to it now!) I believe this message isn’t just for our team or our ministry or even our region, but for the body of Christ at large. Recently... read more
Aug 28, 2018
by Andre Choi A few things I’ve learned about art is that it’s subjective and never objective. It’s personal and never indifferent. It’s filled with emotions and passions, yet never without an opinion. Art is tangible yet abstract. Art is organic and never forced. We can see art, create art, admire art, but can we ever define it? I believe this is why art is so attractive. Art is all about the chase and never about the possession, the moment an artist believes they made it or “mastered” it, lost the essence of it. The purpose of art is not to master it or to figure it out, but to enjoy it. We love art because it’s beautiful, and art is beautiful because it represents the very unique heart of its creator and by doing so it connects with people across gender, race, age, socioeconomic background, religion, and so much more. As of lately, God has been placing a phrase in my heart that reads: “The Art of Jesus”. I’m not sure what this means but I do know it has the same connotation as when a sculptor talks about the art of sculpting, or when a photographer speaks about the art of photography, or when a master storyteller shares about the art of telling stories. It has to do with what an individual is passionate about as his obsession captivated his heart. I know that it’s personal and unique, and just as art is everything I mentioned above, it’s the same with our relationship with Jesus. A relationship with Jesus is subjective and never objective, organic and never... read more
Aug 7, 2018
Recently I had the privilege of ministering at a summer camp for junior high students in Detroit. It was such a joy to see 10-13 year olds dance, laugh, worship, and pray together. There is nothing quite like seeing precious young people make a proclamation of faith and encounter the Holy Spirit for the first time. Although our ministry at Pursuit NYC is geared towards young adults, God is no respecter of age and shows up just the same. And God showed up in Michigan! You would have been moved to see lifted hands and tears streaming down the faces of these teens. It’s in settings like that when the presence of God shows up that people start to get a passion for God. My spiritual father has always said that passion for God can’t be taught, it must be caught. Events and programs can’t impart passion. They can help, but can’t replace the need for a personal experience with God. When leaders lay down their lives to create a culture and atmosphere for encounter, young people catch that love for the Lord. I believe with all my heart that God wants to set a generation on fire with passion for Jesus! Why? Because it’s passionate disciples that follow the Lord beyond their youth group days. It’s passionate disciples that go to the nations and serve. It’s passionate disciples that impart that passion to others. So the question then is how do we help young people catch that passion? HOPE NOT HYPE To be honest I like hype. When it comes to sneakers and even events. But if we... read more
