by Sam | Oct 23, 2018 | Reflection
An insecure leader is one of the most destructive forces in the world. Out of their own fears and hurts, they harm those around them. I know from experience by serving under one. It was a difficult season, yet one where I learned so much. Some of the greatest leadership lessons I’ve learned were during this time, and the most profound lesson that I learned was how not to lead. No matter what capacity of leadership you might be in, here is how not to lead. LEADING FOR APPROVAL Every single person was created for approval and affirmation from God and from others. Yet if we are not secure in who we are and approved by the Lord first, we will soon abuse our position to gain praise from people. We can’t effectively lead those who we desperately need to like us, because we are actually following their opinions rather than the voice of the Lord. As a leader, you will have to make the right decisions even if it’s difficult and unpopular. If Moses was leading for approval, he would have led the Israelites back to Egypt the moment they complained. He wasn’t leading for approval, but as a man appointed by God. Only then can you faithfully honor God and serve your people. LEADING WITH AN AGENDA During that time of my life under an insecure leader, I was asked to do things that honestly didn’t make sense. It didn’t align with our purpose as a ministry, and it was proving to be ineffective as well. When I asked the leader why we were doing it this...
by Sam | Sep 25, 2018 | Guest Blogger, Inspiration, Reflection
by Koob Vang “Wilderness” is a word we often use to denote rough seasons in our lives. It’s sometimes a journey of loss and sorrow, and other times, a journey that’s weird and confusing. We find ourselves in agonizing pain and excruciating heartbreaks navigating through an endless tunnel. Something God has been really teaching me through the wilderness is to value the intimacy and the life that can only come while being in the wilderness. I’ve been overseas for over a year now and some days, it’s been a wilderness. There are only a few people I can fully express myself to. I’m limited by the language barrier. I can’t simply go down the street and buy something without struggling. I can’t pay my own bills without depending on others. And I can’t find any clothes that comfortably fits me (but this is totally my fault being American-sized). I wish there are times where I can just drop everything, be a student again, and take a summer vacation back to my parents’ place. But that’s not reality; I have to face the wilderness I’m in. There are two sides to the wilderness though. One that takes life away and the other that brings life. The Bible speaks of the wilderness as a place that is mostly dry, barren and filled with roaming wild animals. The prophet Jeremiah calls it “a land of desert and pits…drought and deep darkness…that none passes through, where no man dwells”. It is also called “arabah”, which may be translated to desert, wasteland, or pain. A few years ago I went to Israel and...
by Sam | Sep 4, 2018 | Inspiration
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...
by Sam | Aug 28, 2018 | Guest Blogger, Reflection
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...
by Sam | Aug 7, 2018 | Reflection
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...
by Sam | Jul 31, 2018 | Reflection, Testimony
God has been moving powerfully thus far in 2018! In faith and obedience we have launched different projects and endeavors this year while continuing what we’ve been contending for. As we are already underway in the second half of 2018, we wanted to take time to reflect on the past 6 months. Remembering is one of the key disciplines of faith and one we value greatly. Psalm 105:5 in the NLT says, “Remember the wonders He has performed, His miracles, and the rulings He has given…” We wanted to share with you several testimonies that recall, recount, and remember what He has already done so far this year. More than giving an update from our end, we wanted to share testimonies from our fellow brothers, sisters, leaders, and friends throughout the region. With gratitude, it’s an honor to share them with you. Glory to God! In my dry season of waiting and being uncertain about the future, all I wanted was a personal encounter with the living God. It wasn’t that I couldn’t be in God’s presence in my personal devotion time or that God only speaks to me through large events, but I was just hungry and thirsty for something more. Honestly, I needed some spiritual help, so I drove 3 hours to Pursuit’s July Gathering in hopes that God would do something new in my life with a body of believers who also hunger to see God move like never before. “What can you offer to God” were the words spoken by the praise leader as we started worship. I hadn’t been serving at church at the...
by Sam | Jul 10, 2018 | Inspiration, Reflection
by Kevin Kim “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:13-16 (The Sermon on the Mount is arguably the greatest sermon ever given in history… so many messages have come from it including this blog post! So much depth in God’s word…) “You are the salt of the earth.” I’m sure by now everyone has been called salty at one point, but not in the way Jesus called us… so what does it mean to be salt? Salt is a seasoning – this is my favorite aspect of salt. A common way that salt is used is to add flavor to something, but another thing salt does is bring out the flavor of something. One of the weirdest encounters I’ve had with salt was when my friends told me that putting salt in chocolate milk would actually make it sweeter. I didn’t believe them so I never tried it, but that statement would haunt me from time to time. I finally decided to do some research… Through my thorough research (on...
by Sam | Jun 12, 2018 | Inspiration
Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” Luke 17:11-19 We all know that one guy, if you know what I mean… The truth is you never want to be “that guy.” That guy who can’t take a joke. That guy who drives under the speed limit. That guy who always ruins the ending of movies. That guy who just can’t keep secrets. The list goes on and on of someone just having to be that one guy. Sometimes they just can’t help themselves, but you find them everywhere. At work. At church. At school. At home. On Facebook (insert eye emoji here)… Maybe you’ve even been that guy before. It’s a real epidemic! In the Gospel of Luke, there’s a story where Jesus came across ten lepers during His travels. And what do you know, this encounter...
by Sam | May 1, 2018 | Reflection, Testimony
Couple weeks ago, Kevin, Josh, and myself (Sam) had the tremendous privilege of going to Bethel’s Leaders Advance. We all made sacrifices and took time off from school and work to attend this leadership conference. Although it was our first time there, we all agreed this wouldn’t be our last! There were hundreds and hundreds of leaders there from literally all over the world. There were over over 30 nations represented at this conference alone! Wow! There were so many highlights for me personally on this trip. Being able to meet leaders from different parts of the world is always so interesting and expands my horizon each time. Also there was a level of excellence and honor that Bethel stewards so well that inspired me to pursue after them even more. I also had the tremendous honor of sitting down with couple of Bethel’s pastors during my time there. Their encouragement, acceptance, and wisdom definitely left an impact. I really felt like I left this conference with a special deposit from the Lord. It was already at work on our flight back home when God supernaturally healed a man at the airport. Praise God! Along with my brief update and recap, I’ve also asked Josh and Kevin to share about their experience as well. JOSH KIM Heading to Bethel Church for the Leaders Advance, I was feeling burnt out, stuck, stagnant, and complacent in ministry, and also just personally. So my expectations for the conference was to be inspired, encouraged, and motivated to keep growing as a leader, go deeper with God, and rekindle the passion in my heart...
by Sam | Apr 17, 2018 | Inspiration, Reflection
“People lose their way when they lose their why.” – Michael Hyatt Whether it’s a new project, a new job, or a new semester, the first great challenge anyone faces is in just getting started. Once that first step is taken, it can be exhilarating and life-giving. Filled with conviction and a sense of calling, people are eager to begin in faith. It’s risky, but worth it. There’s a satisfaction that comes from just beginning a good work. Yet what I noticed is that while many of us can overcome that first challenge of simply beginning, we are often not ready to handle an even greater obstacle of sticking it through. I remember when I first started Pursuit NYC. It was risky, it was scary, but I was excited to start and pioneer something new. The timing felt right and there was a strong sense of calling from God. During this season God spoke clearly about what I was supposed to do. After much prayer, I shared what was on my heart with many trusted friends and leaders, who all affirmed what I was sensing. It was time! I wasn’t sure what I was doing, but God was leading and I was so fired up! There’s nothing like seeing the dreaming stage of the process start to come to life before your eyes. I overcame the challenge of starting by taking the first step. As anyone who has every started anything knows, it’s not all sunshines and flowers afterwards. I had a head on collision with a mix of unforeseen circumstances, challenges, and struggles that made me question why...
