Day 7: Living By Faith in a World of Fear
Today’s Message
“Living by Faith in a World of Fear”
Psalm 46
We would like to thank Prof. Eddie Byun (Biola University) for his message today. Tomorrow’s speaker will be Pastor Bayless Conley (Cottonwood Church).
Yesterday’s Sermon
“Crisis is God’s Opportunity”
Joshua 3:3-5,14,17
Pastor Byung Sam Kim, Manna Church
An event can be a crisis to some people but an opportunity to others. What’s more important than the event itself is how we perceive it. In today’s passage, the Israelites are crossing the Jordan. It is not a big river, but it would overflow at the time of harvest making it impossible to cross. It was a way they had never passed before, and they were gripped in fear.
We all have fears about the unknown. What is necessary to overcome fear? It is faith. If we don’t have faith in God, it is difficult to go the way that we have never gone before. Faith is not about making a choice. Rather, it is about making a commitment. A lot of times, we pray not because we don’t know the way we should go, but because we don’t have the courage to go. And prayer becomes a way for us to avoid making a difficult commitment.
Life is filled with various crises. Some people give up, but some people find opportunity. For the Israelites, everyone received the promise of Canaan, but not everyone was able to enter the land. The land was only given to those who courageously stepped into the Jordan river. Christians shine their light the brightest in crisis when faith is required. God turns the crisis into opportunity and tests our faith.
In verses 3 and 4, we see that God commanded the Israelites to place the ark of the covenant in the front. The ark represents God’s presence. It was placed about 2000 cubits (half a mile) away from them so that everyone can see it. When we go the way we have never passed before, what we need is not mere confidence, but faith to step into the Jordan river, looking to God who has been and is leading us.
In verse 5, the Israelites are required to consecrate themselves before experiencing the wonders of seeing the Jordan split before them. When we consecrate ourselves, we will experience God’s wonders. The church today has lost power because we have lost our holiness. We must rid ourselves of bad habits and set our priority on seeking the kingdom of God. Then God will lead us, and He will turn our crisis into opportunity.
Community Stories
Celebrating Everyday Heroes
The pandemic has changed the world. But one thing that remains unchanged is the love of Jesus Christ. We celebrate those who continue to share the hope and love Christ with those who are hurting and broken especially during this time.
Jennifer oh, next
Kindergarten Teacher, Edward B Cole
I still remember the day so vividly, March 13, 2019. My principal barged into our classrooms to inform teachers and students that our school would be closing. While I was slightly worried about switching to Distance Learning without any training or time to prepare, I had believed my students’ parents would step up and take responsibility for their child’s education.
I quickly realized that my assumptions were completely incorrect. More than half of my entire kindergarten class had stopped showing up for online lessons, and I began to feel frustrated and resentful towards my students’ parents. After reflecting and sharing with my spiritual family, I was reminded that I serve a community of underprivileged families. Many of whom spoke minimal English and had little to no experience with technology. I reevaluated my heart and started showing grace towards my students and their families. I started calling and reaching out to my students’ parents on a weekly basis, and I learned that many had lost their jobs, homes, and even loved ones due to the ongoing pandemic. As these families shared their stories with me, the Holy Spirit filled my heart with empathy and compassion. I repented for passing judgement on them without even trying to understand their circumstances or struggles. I began to grow thankful for my students who come online with a big smile on their face despite not being able to be physically back in the classroom.
While transitioning to remote learning has been challenging, it has also been an eye opening experience. I learned that my place as an educator and as a disciple of Christ, is not to criticize and judge people who do not share my same priorities. It is to listen to the cries of the marginalized and to embrace them with prayer and compassion. Please continue to pray for our children and fellow teachers as we continue to embark on this new journey!
“God Who Answers My Prayer”
Nicole K, k-Jr. High (7th)
I still think a lot about last year’s 특새 because it was my first one at Sarang. Growing up in Korea, I went to many 새벽예배 from when I was very young. I remember spending time with my family, eating 순대국 or 감자탕, and hanging out with church people afterward. I also went to 새벽예배 while living in Canada. It was not as big as our 특새, but still was special in my memory. Last year’s 특새 was even MORE special because it was the first time I actually wanted to go to a 새벽예배 rather than being forced, and I found a huge reward. Not only did I receive a hoodie, but also a gift from God. I just moved from Canada last year and I didn’t have many friends. My mom told me to pray about it, so I prayed during the whole 특새 every day. God answered my prayer and put kind and trusty friends by my sides and helped me get through the school year. This year, I want to pray for people around me so we can go back to church and meet our teachers and small group friends in person. I also want to pray for Becky, who just came from China in February. She used to sit alone at school everyday during recess, but we became good friends and I want to learn to speak Chinese with her. Even though we cannot go to the service in person this year, I believe that the spirit of 특새 is still there. Although, we can’t sit with our 다락방 together, we are still praising and worshiping the same one and only God.
