Day 9: Preparing Your Guest Room
Today’s Message
“Preparing Your Guest Room”
Philemon 10, 13, 22; Acts 27:22-24
We would like to thank Pastor Bayless Conley (Cottonwood Church) for his message today. Tomorrow’s speaker will be Prof. Eddie Byun (Biola Univ.).
Yesterday’s Sermon
“The God of Much More”
2 Chronicles 25:6-9
Pastor Bayless Conley, Cottonwood Church
We serve a God of much more. In 2 Chronicles 25:6-9, King Amaziah thought he was going to lose a fortune, but the man of God tells him that the Lord is able to give him much more than what he had lost! So when you are in trouble or in crisis, put our trust in Him – who does not lack in resources or creative solutions. God can open doors and make a way!
Jesus talked about this principle. Matthew 6:25-34 tells us that God takes care of the birds and the flowers. God will take care of us much more! Whatever need we have – for guidance, material resources, or health – we can look to our Father to meet those needs. But to that end, we must remember two things:
1. We must get our priorities right. Jesus says we should first seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness. We must put the spiritual above the material, and God’s agenda before our agendas. We may have heard this before, but we must respond in simple obedience. In order to turn on a car engine, we need to press the brakes first before pressing the engine button. Likewise, when we prioritize God’s kingdom, God’s blessings will flow into our lives.
2. Do not worry. Jesus says this three times! When we worry about tomorrow, we are overloading ourselves and it will erupt in marriage problems, broken health, in depression, etc. Many are worrying about next week, next month, or years into the future. Do not worry because our Father in heaven cares for us!
In Matthew 7:7-11, Jesus tells us to ask, seek and knock. As parents and grandparents, we have an extraordinary love for our children and grandchildren, and there’s nothing we wouldn’t do for them. But that’s nothing compared to our Father’s love for us. In this time of prayer, let’s ask God to move and do much more abundantly than we could ask or imagine – for revival in our families and in our land.
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.
Scarlett K, HolyWave
Nurse, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center
Working on the ICU floor at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Irvine, it was decided fairly quickly that we would become the designated COVID unit for our entire hospital. The most difficult part was the uncertainty- how do we treat our patients? How do we protect ourselves? How do we protect our families at home after our shift is over? No one had answers. Throughout the past ten months, we witnessed tears shed over video calls, young lives taken too soon, and some families who had to say their final goodbyes through a glass window, unable to hold their loved one’s hands for one last time. These moments were tough, but there were many moments where God’s supremacy and control shined through. After long months of treatment, miracles happened, and those with the least chances of survival were able to go home. Because of the no visitor rule, we’ve seen families gather in the parking lot to pray for their sick loved ones. God also blessed us with an amazing team of motivated nurses. We learned together, grew together, and supported each other. Many times we were alone in our unit. Without our usual ancillary staff, we learned to work together to provide the same amount of care, but with sometimes fewer resources. Although difficult, this made our bond stronger. It is a blessing that I have an amazing group of people to work with.
Some prayer requests I have are 1. God’s daily protection over all staff 2. For staff not to get burnt out, as we have now become the permanent COVID unit 3. Continued support from administration. Thank you.
“God Understands My Troubles”
Kayleen K, k-Jr. High (7th)
Hello, my name is Kayleen Kim and I am in 7th grade, currently attending KJH. I started attending Teuk-sae since I was born. To me, Teuk-sae is a path to better understand my relationship with God. Teuk-sae means that I am willing to wake up earlier on a school day to worship Him and that I am willing to go to these lengths to praise God. The pandemic had a big impact on my spiritual life because I believe worshiping together as a church is really important for my spiritual growth. And knowing that someone who is willing to pray for/with me is right next to me, reassures me. But I also believe God understands my troubles and I want to feel God working through me through Teuk-sae. I pray that everyone working at church will stay healthy and continue to lead us into worship. Also, I pray for the people working outside the church to continue to praise God and stay healthy. And last, I pray that God will use me to have a big impact on the world. May God bless everyone and help us continue to worship Him together.
