by Sam | Sep 10, 2019 | Inspiration, Reflection
by Danny Kang Picture this: You’re in the middle of a deserted island. It’s been three whole days since you last ate. Hunger is an understatement to what you’re feeling. Your stomach’s growling. Your body feels lethargic and weak. You feel every ounce of strength leaving your body. You… want… food! BUT wait! *sniff sniff* What is that? What’s that smell? All of a sudden, your nose perks up as you catch a whiff of something cooking in the distance. It smells like barbecue! But not just any barbecue… Korean Barbecue! *Pause* How foolish would it be if in that moment all you did was talk about how you want that food. “I wish I could eat some of that”, “Ugh I’m so hungry”, “Why can’t someone just feed me”, “I’m so hungry”, “I wish I could just teleport there”, etc. How foolish it would be if all you did was complain about how hungry you were! If you hadn’t eaten in THREE WHOLE DAYS, wouldn’t you get up and RUN towards that smell in hopes that you can feast and eat? You wouldn’t even notice the fact that your body is weak and lethargic. The very hunger inside of you should be what gets you to start running towards the hope of being filled! The simple truth is that the HUNGER in you should force you to get up and PURSUE the very thing you desire! And yet, this seems to be the opposite of what our lives as followers of Jesus looks like. The irony is that we seem to stay content in our hunger: satisfied with...
by Sam | Aug 13, 2019 | Inspiration, Reflection
by Kevin Kim Before I begin… I’d just like to set the stage with the inspiration behind this blog post. Lil Wayne was being interviewed by ESPN’s Josina Anderson when they got on the topic of some of the dark times he’s gone through during his music career. While describing one moment, he said, “Nothing brings reality to you like a conversation with your mother. Because you are no longer what you are to the world, you are no longer what you are to your friends, you are no longer what you are to yourself. You are who you are and what you are to your mother when your mother is speaking to you, and you are her son…” Mic drop. (If you got what I got through that quote, I feel like you don’t have to read any further… If you have any reservations at all, please continue on.) Hearing God’s voice is vital to strengthening yourself in the Lord. I think the quote above captures what hearing His voice can do near perfectly… Let me explain. He’s not talking about God, but if you replace the parts he’s talking about his mother, with God, it’ll all make sense. Nothing brings reality to you like a conversation with God. In this life, what reality is can get pretty confusing. Lil Wayne is arguably one of the most talented artists of our time, and whether you like him or not, you can’t deny that at one point in the 2000s, it seemed like he was literally featured in every song on the radio. I’m not condoning or agreeing with...
by Sam | Aug 6, 2019 | Inspiration, Teaching
by Josh Kim In the Gospels, Jesus’ disciples are witnessing miracles left and right by being with Jesus. Matter of fact, even the disciples experience miracles themselves when Jesus sends them out with power and authority. After they return in Luke 11, we come across an interesting moment between Jesus and His disciples. Rather than asking Jesus to teach them how to heal better, cast out demons more effectively, or perform greater miracles, the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Now the disciples aren’t the brightest group. They often miss Jesus’ point and misunderstand a lot of things. But they’ve been around Jesus long enough to observe that Jesus got up early in the morning to pray, sometimes prayed all throughout the night, and even withdrew from the crowds to prioritize being with the Father instead. When they connect the dots, they realize that it was Jesus’ lifestyle of prayer that empowered Jesus to do all He did. And in the same way, they too will have to learn to establish a lifestyle of prayer like Jesus if they are going to continue doing the will of God – healing the sick, raising the dead, and casting out demons (Matthew 10:8). RHYTHM OF PRAYER But if I’m being honest, as much as I know the significance and importance of prayer, it’s hard for me to establish a life of prayer. Some of the challenges are about not being consistent (time and place) as well as not being persistent. But one of the challenges I recognize in people stuck in prayer is not knowing how to pray...
by Sam | Jul 23, 2019 | Inspiration, Reflection
by Lisa Song In the sweltering summer heat, all I want is the cold winter breeze. In the frigid winter blast, all I want is for the summer sun to warm my face. Wishing and wanting have made so many seasons go by without fully enjoying them because I was always looking forward to the next season. In our walks of faith, there are seasons of favor and seasons of swimming against the tide. In Ecclesiastes 3, King Solomon describes that there are seasons of satisfaction and seasons of disappointment. There will be a time to plant and a time to uproot (verse 2). There will be time to mourn and a time to dance (verse 4). There will be time to be silent and a time to speak (verse 7). But even in the midst of these polarizing seasons, Solomon gives credit to God, saying that God is the author of all seasons from beginning to end (verse 11). Every season is a gift from God. Don’t waste your season Self-awareness is a huge tool in learning how to assess your current season. Being self-aware is not just about understanding who you are now, but why you are the way that you are. Your past seasons have shaped you for the present, but with self-awareness you have an opportunity to shape your future. What season are you currently in? Identify it, pray through it, and learn from it. Self-awareness leads to understanding and understanding leads to learning. There is always something to learn in the destination of every season. Praise is the highway, but complaining is the detour....
by Sam | Jun 25, 2019 | Inspiration
How can we expect our nation to be united when our churches aren’t united? It starts with us. It starts with me. I believe now is the time when the Joseph’s, Daniel’s, and Esther’s of the world will take their rightful place in history. No longer will you be able to tell who is a follower of Christ by their behavior, who they voted for, how they talk, how they look, etc., but only by the fruit of their lives. Only those who know how to be innocent as doves and shrewd as serpents will be able to shape culture and shift nations. All of creation is groaning for the revealing of sons and daughters (Romans 8:19). Now is the time for us to be who God calls us to be. Will it be challenging? Costly? Of course, but nothing has been more toxic to the Church than comfort. It’s then an invitation to rely fully on our Comforter, the Holy Spirit to navigate these times. May we be people of tremendous, supernatural hope for it is rooted in our identity in God and our citizenship in Heaven. Those who have the most hope always have the most influence. Carry hope. Be hope. Be Jesus with skin on. Make a difference! Make an impact! It’s our birthright as children of God. This is the finest hour of the Church. Time to arise and shine. Time to be salt and light. In darkness, light shines brightest. Not to show off, but so that others can simply see in dark places. Jesus is coming back for a body that is in...
by Sam | Jun 18, 2019 | Inspiration, Reflection
The year is 1543. After much work and writing, Nicolaus Copernicus is about to change the world. But first, he will cause much controversy and ruffle many feathers by challenging the status quo. He will go on to say that the earth isn’t central to the universe. In fact the earth actually revolves around the sun, and not the other way around. Copernicus’s discovery is a given today in modern science, but at that time his claims were offensive. How dare he say that the universe doesn’t revolve around us! Yet today, even though people know the earth revolves around the sun, many tend to think that the world revolves around them. In essence, that’s what it means to be entitled. According to the dictionary, to be entitled means, “believing oneself to be inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment.” With it comes an air of arrogance, which is nauseating for all who get a whiff. Now of course, everyone wants special privileges and treatment as well as perks and upgrades. Sure, who doesn’t? But not at the expense of others. Or do we? I mean, no one wants to be described as entitled, right? However, our generation is becoming known for its entitlement. As a result, we are only harming ourselves and setting the generations that follow us up for failure. You can’t be self-absorbed and look to God at the same time. Click To Tweet So how exactly is being entitled harmful? Since entitlement makes it all about us, we become too fixated on the self. You can’t be self-absorbed and look to God at the same...
