GPNJ Winter Challenge 2022-2023 by Xunkai Chen https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction. --- 2 Timothy 4:2 en-us 2022-12-02 20:57:03 UTC 2025-10-24 14:42:36 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/26bd.png Joy to the World - Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2426463419 Shared the Gospel with the lady who sat next to me on the airplane through the LI6W app! Thanks Greg Stier!]]> 2022-12-21 07:19:17 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2426463419 DT (Rey Burgos) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2426765701 Living in a manner worthy of the Gospel is both convicting (it's hard) and encouraging (the call of the Gospel is not to be perfect but to live within and live out the grace of God, so it makes provisions for broken sinners like us)!]]> 2022-12-21 15:10:07 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2426765701 DT (Cindy Zhao) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2426796685 Today's DT was a great reminder of how we as Christians should view death and suffering. Paul says that "to die is gain". Dying in this world means defeat, but dying for a Christian means to be fully in the presence of God and free of sin. In a similar perspective, suffering for and with Christ is a good thing. As Christians, we should see suffering as a gift as it builds us to be more emotionally and spiritually mature.]]> 2022-12-21 15:49:28 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2426796685 PSALM 1:1-6 (Julie Zhu) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2426814080 Psalm 1:1-6 talks about how according to God's law, people are supposed to love one another, speak the truth to one another, and care for one another as they care for themselves, which leads to the path of happiness and blessing. However, when we act wickedly, we usually abuse others, mislead them, or exploit them to satisfy our own appetites. In verse 1, it states, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;. ” The term scoffers represents people who mock the ideology that God knows what is best for them other than themselves, and they define truth for themselves through having authority in their own life. Thus, further emphasizes how our benefit and blessing come from God's way. Our rebellious desires, the sins we commit, the mockings we make, and our own way of life will ultimately lead to death and loss. Only through loving, knowing, and practicing God's law can we achieve spiritual health and peace. A man who seeks to be right with God is like a fruit tree that grows by a stream, healthy and strong, whereas the wicked man is like withering leaves and useless chaff that is blown away by the wind since everything he does is ultimately meaningless and worthless.]]> 2022-12-21 16:13:48 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2426814080 DT, Ann M. https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2426888829 Verse 27 stood out to me in today’s text, “…manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ…standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side…”
I thought about how this requires a life of integrity whether we are with or apart from the body of Christ. In this season, many have been or will be traveling or away with family. It’s easy to give into tiredness or _____ to not make room for God and different spiritual disciplines. But one way we can live the above truths out is by doing things like our DTs, and even participate in the winter challenge (to spur on our teammates and one another while we are away)]]> 2022-12-21 17:55:56 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2426888829 Doing Apologetics in an Anti-Apologetics Age Message given by Dr. Voddie Baucham (Julie Zhu) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2426962018 The link to the video I watched for this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t91z67hvFvw 

Dr. Voddie Baucham talks about how apologetics has fallen out of favor by us de-spiritualizing it and turning apologetics into a sort of subset of philosophy. Firstly, Dr. Voddie Baucham talks about the reasons why we have fallen out of favor, and the first reason is sentimentalism. Sentimentalism is this idea, especially among the younger generations, that anything confrontational and daring to say that someone is wrong is just not acceptable. Therefore, it gives the impression that apologetics is horrible because the idea of the confrontation of I’m right, you’re wrong doesn’t sit well with us.  Secondly,  Dr. Voddie Baucham adds to the notion of how apologetics has fallen out of our favor by talking about mysticism/anti-intellectualism. In today’s world, we just believe that the mind is a terrible thing, and we talk about head knowledge as though it’s a disease that needs to be cured, so this idea of being a credo or confessional/ this idea of having structure around our faith is wrong. In mysticism, we don’t really have the categories necessary for apologetics and this ideology that my faith is all about my experience, and it’s all about what I feel and what I know on the inside. These things are true because of my internal witness to these things, which results in the mysticism of us not being able to gauge the rightness or wrongness of things by the facts presented, but instead, we tend to gauge the rightness and wrongness of things based on the emotions we experience when they’re presented. Finally, Dr. Voddie Baucham explains the objections we have against apologetics. The first objection is that apologetics is only for certain individuals or special forces Christians. Dr. Voddie Baucham debunks that objection using verses from Jude and first Peter 3:15. In first Peter 3:15, Peter address the issues of apologetics and addresses that everyone and every believer are called to be an apologist and not only for certain select individuals. Our understanding of apologetics being shaped in the way that it is currently, presented in the way taken out of and away from ordinary spiritual life and turned into this sort of specialization, is one of the reasons that we think of it in this way. The Bible doesn't present apologetics in that way, and the Bible illustrates that apologetics is part of the life of every believer. Peter's definition of apologetics is knowing what you believe, and why you believe it and being able to communicate that effectively to others. 


]]> 2022-12-21 19:54:47 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2426962018 Matthew 19 (Kim) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427017601 For me, in this chapter of Matthew the story of the Rich Man really spoke to me, especially these few verses:
v.21 where Jesus tells the Rich Man how he'll find true treasure in heaven and that he needs to sell all his possessions(basically all his wealth). Then in v.23 Jesus says to all his disciples that you'll find it hard to become rich and then go to heaven. These verses have shown me that no matter the amount of money I make or the job that I have, won't get me to heaven. Its a reminder to me as I am home now and I start to get comfortable, but I need to have this reminder that there is so much more outside of this world and that's an eternal relationship with God. ]]> 2022-12-21 22:36:27 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427017601 Phil 1:18b-30 - JB jasperbae1 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427018942 I am encouraged by v.27-28. Apostle Paul tells us that how I conduct myself as worthy of the Gospel to those around me is "a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God." As Christmas comes near, I feel burdened for my family members who are not Christian thinking of ways to get them to hear the Gospel through messages or using Li6W. However, what is another contributing factor to sharing the Gospel is how I love my family members such as cleaning, talking with them, babysitting, etc.]]> 2022-12-21 22:42:03 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427018942 Example Title - [Your Name] jasperbae1 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427019168 This is an example post.]]> 2022-12-21 22:43:02 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427019168 Gladys Aylward- The Little Women (Kim) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427032164 I watched a video on the life of Gladys Aylward and came across her name when a leader back in Irvine had recommended me a book called “The Little Women” which essentially talked about her life as a missionary. Growing up in London, Gladys grew up in a working class family and would then move out to become a maid for a wealthy individual at the age of 14 (really interesting because at that age I would have been in high school, but times were different make then). However, it wasn’t until she had gone to an event that turned out to be a Christian revival meeting where she decided to dedicate her life to not only follow Jesus but also share the Gospel with others. And so she decides to pack up the few things that she owned and went by herself to a foreign land so far away that she was basically risking her life. During that time, there were wars going on, but that didn’t stop her from taking a train to go all the way to China where she doesn’t even speak the language. At this point I’m just amazed that she would leave the comfort of her home to go to a foreign land where she didn’t know the language and preach the gospel. I’ve gone to China myself and I didn’t the know the language as well and I just had a hard time trying to ask for pack of ketchup. Anyways back to her life, she basically arrived in China by herself with very little money but had heard that there was another missionary named Jenny Lawson who also left home after retiring and went out to become a missionary in China. Once she had met with Jenny Lawson they had opened an inn for caravans where every night they would share stories about Jesus from the Bible. And during this time as well Gladys she found herself taking care of the many orphans in her area. Soon, she had become such a popular person in the city she was in that the local governor had grew fond of her and started to trust her, even requesting for some help in different areas such as changing the culture of women who would bind their foot really small or talking with the prisoners. To leave the comfort of her home and travel to a country in the middle of a war, its fascinating and also inspiring to anyone that reads about her story. A quote shared in this short video I watched was a bible verse, Jeremiah 29:11 where it talks about how God has a plan for us. I also wanted to figure out and control my life, but we all know that even when we do make a plan for ourselves it doesn’t really quite come out to what we thought it would be. I just have to realize that my life is in God’s hands and he knows what’s best for me, just like how Gladys trusted God and put her faith in him to go to a foreign land to preach the gospel. One way I want to imitate Gladys is that I can start by just getting out of my own comfort zone by sharing the gospel with those I know around me, and from there maybe even make it out to go on a mission trip. 
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9KZnZvxAnk]]> 2022-12-21 23:35:18 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427032164 Phil 1:18b-30 - Ethan https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427040856 I was challenged by today's passage, in light of the Christmas season, to embrace the sufferings that I face in life and look to Paul's example of rejoicing in it for the sake of Christ and others. As I'm home over break, I really want to grow in relationship with family, particularly my sisters so overcoming communication barriers that have been up for our entire childhood is something I'm not emotionally looking forward to. I'm encouraged by today's passage to see Paul willingly choose the path of caring for others despite personally wanting to take the easier path. He sees it as a joy and an honor to be able to suffer alongside Christ, and with that perspective he is able to have a resilient mindset, which only strengthens all those around him. As an older brother, I need to be actively living that life worthy of the Gospel in front of family even when it's uncomfortable.]]> 2022-12-22 00:00:56 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427040856 Philippians 1:18b-30 megankim3 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427112427 As I was reflecting through today's DT, I was really challenged by how Paul makes it his aim to honor Christ with his life and sees it as an opportunity to encourage others to strengthen in faith. It's amazing that even though Paul had the desire to be in heaven with Jesus, he knows that there's still so much to be done on earth and commits to using his life to encourage others and glorify Christ. I want to grow to have the same mindset as Paul to commit my life to sharing the Gospel and making Christ known.]]> 2022-12-22 02:03:00 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427112427 Shared Revelations 21:4 with Grandpa xunkaichen https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427179751 He recently just got covid, thankfully his symptoms are not bad. With everything that's going on in the family plus his sickness, I gave him this verse to encourage him to look up and consider the possibility of heaven and eternity. I am thankful he took it well and says "it's very comforting, thank you". So I am hopeful for future gospel convos with him! ]]> 2022-12-22 03:56:38 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427179751 Philippians 1:18b-30 katiewong516 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427213086 As I was going through today's DT, I was really struck by Apostle Paul's view of suffering as a privilege and a gift from God. When going through trials, it is almost natural to ask God to remove us from these situations, but in doing so, we miss out on opportunities that God can use to refine us. I was reminded of 1 Peter 1:6-7, which talks about the refiner’s fire, and how being grieved by various trials can test the genuineness of our faith, resulting in the “praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” In this way, I’m challenged to have the same mindset as Apostle Paul, viewing suffering as a gift and trusting God’s ability to use difficult situations to refine my character and grow my faith. ]]> 2022-12-22 05:07:51 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427213086 Phil 1:18-30 - Annie https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427245877 I am challenged by Apostle Paul whose faith is not determined by his circumstances and how others-centered he is. Whether life or death, he sees opportunity in both, yet he desires to live so that he can continue to engage in "fruitful labor". I want to commit to follow in Paul's footsteps by suffering for Christ's sake. I am reminded of the truth that every single person suffers for something they find to be worthy in their lives (whether that be career or their family, etc), but nothing is as worthy as Christ.]]> 2022-12-22 06:10:45 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427245877 Philippians 1:18b-30 BKoo https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427248047 I noticed that a manner of life worthy of the gospel requires living out the gospel together with others as verse 27 points out. 'Standing' and 'striving' indicate that we are to be active in working out our salvation. In verse 28, it notes that there are clear signs of our spiritual progress so if we are spiritually stagnant, there might be areas of passivity that prevent us from growing. I think the main areas are the ways that we can seek comfort and refuse to suffer for Christ. I'm challenged to embrace any suffering while I'm with family to grow in this area so that I can be more like Apostle Paul.]]> 2022-12-22 06:15:52 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427248047 Proverbs 21 Kevin Yim https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427262766 Theres just so much truth to the proverbs. For example, in this chapter, one verse alone, v23 “Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble” is so full of wisdom and truth, that if anyone actually abided by it, including me, instead of just saying whatever is on the mind at the time, would really avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble, conflict and drama.]]> 2022-12-22 06:47:45 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427262766 Isaiah 1 - Mike Ho https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427268690 God doesn't care about the sacrifices or religious acts that we do for him, but he cares about having a personal connection with him and living a life that reflects his heart for justice and compassion. How you conduct your life matters way more to God than how you compartmentalize your religious devotion.]]> 2022-12-22 06:59:13 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427268690 Proverbs 21 - Joanna https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427292670 v. 20 Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling, but a foolish man devours it.
Precious treasure and oil can be seen as the things are acts of kindness and love that a wise person treasures and does onto others. A foolish man takes people for granted, devours up all ppl's kindness without returning it. So it's a lesson to love others generously and not take others for granted. ]]> 2022-12-22 07:44:47 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427292670 Philippians 1: 18 - Joanna https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427294182 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

I was so challenged by A.Paul's source of joy even in this midst of being imprisoned and where others were preaching the gospel just to hurt him. If it was me, I'd be so angry and bitter, but A.Paul can rejoice because his life was not about personal gain or advantage, but it was solely to bring Christ glory and proclaim the gospel. So as long as that's happening, A.Paul can be joyful. This is so "otherworldly" and such a challenge to me that I want to aspire to. ]]> 2022-12-22 07:47:58 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427294182 Shared with cousins about the Trinity/Jesus' diety davepatel https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427341055 My cousins asked whether Jesus is God and I was able to share briefly about the Trinity and that Jesus' unique claim of being God. Also shared briefly about distinctions with Catholic traditions and differences between Mormonism. Hoping I get a chance to talk a bit more and answer their questions more fully before they leave tomorrow!]]> 2022-12-22 09:22:34 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427341055 Phil 2:1-11 - Ethan ethantslim https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427460598 The "hymn of Christ" portion of today's passage is always so inspirational when I'm reminded of Christ's perfect humility and obedience. I was challenged by the idea of grasping for things in life. The natural human response to change or loss is to cling onto and protect the familiar. In contrast, Christ is the prime example of radical commitment/love to others  and obedience to God's will. Time and comfort are things I tend to hold onto. I need to continue recognizing when I have built up too much capacity for myself and instead decrease the quantity I spend on myself to increase the bandwidth I have for others.]]> 2022-12-22 13:36:36 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427460598 Philippians 2:1-11 megankim3 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427532912 v. 1-2 reminded me of the ingredients for unified relationships and how ultimately, it comes to daily re-experiencing the Gospel. In a message earlier this year on this passage, Mike said that if we're meditating on the Gospel, then there's no room to think about ourselves because the cross says that you're so bad that Jesus had to die for you. I was reminded of how I need to daily go back to "the primary colors of the Gospel" (as Pastor Ed would put it) and follow in Christ's ultimate example of humility so that I can experience the unity of being of the same mind with others. ]]> 2022-12-22 15:28:16 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427532912 Phil 2:1-11 - Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427539187 I was once again struck with awe at how Jesus is! Emptied himself, humbled himself, obedient to the point of death even death on a cross. It’s amazing. It’s utterly amazing. How could I justify withholding anything and grasping and living in an unsurrendered or selfish way when Jesus was God and did this all on behalf of those who betrayed him, ridiculed, mocked and spat in his face and ultimately crucified him with criminals for a life of love.]]> 2022-12-22 15:40:28 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427539187 Philippians 2:1-11 katiewong516 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427551723 It’s kind of funny that I’ve had Philippians 2:3 hanging up on my wall since 2019, but v. 3-4 served as a good reminder for me today. I was reminded that in the flesh, it is natural to act out of selfish ambition and conceit, living for ourselves and pursuing our own pleasures. The world praises this mindset, but as Christ followers, we are called to live counterculturally, humbling ourselves and viewing life from an outward-looking perspective. This comes from recognizing what I have received from Christ, who did not hold onto his privileges but emptied himself for my sake. As graduation approaches with a looming sense of uncertainty, it’s easy for me to prioritize investing in my own comfort/security. But I’m challenged and encouraged to continue making myself available, looking to Christ as the ultimate example of a life of service. ]]> 2022-12-22 16:04:48 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427551723 Philippians 2:1-11 (Cindy Zhao) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427610093 I think that living with others who are Christian and so different from myself makes me realize when I am selfish. Katie and Elise challenge me to "count others more significant than" myself and try to humbly love each other in ways that are received well. We try to understand each other so that we can be "in full accord and of one mind". This means to be obedient to the will of God to build up these relationships and be willing to be uncomfortable as I surrender what my flesh desires, so that I can be more available to serve and love others like Christ.]]> 2022-12-22 18:02:39 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427610093 Montclair State University - JB https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427614769 Researching Montclair State University gave me a greater sense of the need to reach out to other universities and see the spiritual climate.]]> 2022-12-22 18:13:53 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427614769 Phil 2:1-11 - MaryKim Lin https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427621584 One of my favorite verses! The picture of of full being in full accord and of one mind with other believers is challenging, as I think about how it actually plays out in the details. It would mean being in close community, such that you'd know what's going on in each other's lives, it would mean sharing the same desires/values/mission such that the news you'd share is mutually encouraging to all and it would mean making time to hear from one another to know one another's burdens, to get reoriented to the mission and to actually encourage each other! In application, it would mean making myself available to encourage or comfort others, it would mean thinking about and praying for others even while I'm away and it would also mean to continue in my daily disciplines as a participation in the spirit. Thankful for this winter challenge, so that we can live verses out like these together! ]]> 2022-12-22 18:30:05 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427621584 Memorize Matthew 7: 7-8 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427631866 2022-12-22 18:55:16 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427631866 Is Suicide an Unforgivable Sin? (Cindy Zhao) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427633681 I decided to explore if suicide is an unforgivable sin. I was prompted of this because of the recent suicide of Stephen "Twitch" Boss. I always saw him as a positive and prosperous person and was very shocked by the news. It also triggered some emotions because I also went through a dark time with suicide ideation.
With that said, suicide is a permanent, irreversible attempt to end something that is temporary. Most people who think about it don't want to die, but rather want the suffering and pain to stop. 
Pastor Steven Furtick says that when we interact with someone who is emotionally exhausted and wants to give up on life, encourage them by saying that being weary does not make them weak, but it makes them human. Even Jesus, fully God but also fully man, was tired...tired of the journey that he stopped by the well in Samaria. 
Pastor Chris Philbeck goes through what the Bible says about suicide. He says that the Bible has precepts (absolute rules) and principles (guidance of what to do). An example of a precept is Exodus 20:13 ("You shall not murder"). The Bible commands us to not commit murder, and suicide is self-murder - it is taking a life that God created in His own image. Is suicide the will of God? No. Is suicide a sin? Yes. Is suicide an unforgivable sin? No. Philbeck goes over Matthew 12:30-32. Jesus forgives every sin and blasphemy, but not the blasphemy against the Spirit, which is not what suicide is. However, there is a spiritual consequence to suicide because the person has cut short the life God has given to them without fully realizing the full purpose God created them for. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaTTAk7Pvdo&ab_channel=StevenFurtick
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jm1uEtT1yY&t=662s&ab_channel=MountPleasantChristianChurch
]]> 2022-12-22 19:00:02 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427633681 If There Is A Good God, Why Does He Allow Evil And Suffering? (Kim) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427662935 There were 2 videos I watched explaining this question and one is talked about by Frank Turek, the other is a short clip from everystudent.com. In the first video, he had a series of questions and listed the reasoning behind his answers. For the first question he asked Does God exist, a common question that many ask. In terms of saying yes he stated that there is a beginning to the universe and that the cause must be spaceless and immaterial meaning one thing: God. Next he brought up the fine tuning of the universe where it’s so fine tuned that it couldn’t have happened through physical necessity of chance. Next he brings up arguments for saying No, saying that an argument for God is not an argument against God. He further states that objective evil presupposes objective good and objective good requires God. It’s like you can’t have evil without good, just like you can’t have shadows without sunshine. And that is there is injustice there must be justice. A quote from C.S. Lewis who was a former atheist said this “A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?”. Another question that was brought up was Does God promise to protect us? And the answer is no. You may be Christian and follow God, but in the end we’re not immune to anything. If you take look at the apostles and those that followed Jesus from Abraham to John, there were either tortured, crucified or executed. God says we need to pray but it doesn’t stop us from suffering just like it states in John 16:33. And in the 2nd video it explains that God can do anything that is logically possible, but not things that aren’t logical possible. For example, he can create galaxies and rain forests, but he can’t make a one ended stick or a square circle. And so when God created us he wanted to give us freedom, but it comes at a cost. We can’t be forced to have to worship or obey God because we’re created to be free. It’s because of our own nature of sin and the start of sin when Adam and Eve betrayed God. God meant there to be good, but evil followed and it became a ripple effect once Adam and Eve broke their relationship with God. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJHEsKz_ha8&t=600s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7lZwf6wV34]]> 2022-12-22 20:18:01 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427662935 Philippians 1:6 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427728711 2022-12-23 00:37:51 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427728711 Phil 2:12-30 - Jasper C. jaspercheng https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427796025 Thinking about todays DT about the call to the Philippians to “work out your own salvation w fear and trembling” and to “do all things without grumbling or disputing” as some exhortation that I need to consider and heed for myself since I find that a lot of times I take for granted my salvation because I’ve been a Christian for a while and I’m living a life of active serving. What I often miss then is how a lot of my natural self centered mindset makes its way even in a life of active serving, and probably “grumbling and disputing” (often inward but sometimes outwardly too!) is indeed a good clue that my heart isn’t in the right place. I think as life has gotten busier w the juggling of ministry with work and family, my default is to grow complainey when daily things of life don’t go according to expectation or hopes. That happened even past couple days of traveling to Taiwan as the airline lost our luggage and Ezekiel’s congestion has gotten worse, and what I find is a spirit of irritability and grumbling coming on as this is throwing a wrench into our plans! Had to zoom out and recognize how a negative attitude reflects exactly the mindset of our crooked and twisted generation and lacks a salvation perspective! Challenged then to take these up’s and downs in stride and to cultivate an attitude of gratitude now(!) so that I can shine as a better light for Jesus in the coming days as we’re running around visiting w different family members we haven’t see in a while..]]> 2022-12-23 02:50:37 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427796025 What is Biblical faith? (Cindy Zhao) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427825357 Daniel Maritz goes in depth on what real faith is according to the Scriptures. Real faith is believing in the truths of the Bible AND trusting in them, so that you can receive salvation and sanctification. It is living completely for Jesus as a response to His sacrifice to save us and being renewed (ie. made a new creation) by the Holy Spirit. Real faith requires work and will manifest in deeds (James 2:14-17, 26). Real faith brings about real regret and remorse for our sins and does not abuse God's grace as an excuse to keep deliberately sinning. Real faith is cultivated through being tested and being able to respond differently as you are being led by God.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5_MbLkQnt0&list=WL&index=2
]]> 2022-12-23 03:58:59 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427825357 How is biblical faith different from the popular meaning of faith? (Cindy Zhao) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427826120 Bible teacher Derek Prince distinguishes faith in the Bible as coming from the hearing of and belief in God's Word. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as "a substance of things hoped for, a sure persuasion concerning things NOT seen". Biblical faith is in the heart, not the mind; hope is in the mind. Intellectual faith does not necessarily mean that someone will change. Biblical faith is what changes you and leads to salvation. Real faith is tested or it is not valuable to God. Faith is a manner of character- willingness to be loyal and continue in a relationship with Jesus through trials and tribulations. The testing of faith produces endurance and makes us closer to completion of God's intention for us and it causes us to be more genuine when we reunite with Jesus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzslXmrUWsU&list=WL&index=1
]]> 2022-12-23 04:01:18 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427826120 The great divorce - [Che] https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427860212 I picked this book because I heard it was good. Also it’s cs Lewis but fiction so it’s a lot easier to track as I’m following a story and not necessarily a train of thought. It was a slow start at first but hard to put down when I got into it. It follows a man who goes to “heaven” or cs Lewis’ conception of heaven and through the main character’s point of view you get to witness the fate of the souls who travel to this place. The starting characters are in a place akin to hell but it turns out to be purgatory where they are given a chance to reverse their inevitable end. The main character watches as the souls who take the journey to heaven with him make choices, whether to stay or go. I was intrigued by a lot of their responses, which then turned to frustration because some of the characters seemed blatantly set on ignoring the reality of heaven and going back to what they knew, they even tried to twist what they knew in purgatory as their version of “heaven”.  Some of the things that stuck out at me were the stories of some of the souls whose pursuit of something turned into a replacement for the thing they were searching for. An example was an artist whose need to express the beauty of the landscapes he saw before him turned him away from the creator and towards the the easel, so much so that when he was presented with the opportunity to just take in the beauty of heaven, he preferred to go back to his canvas and seek worldly fame for it, thus rejecting God. This is one of many snapshots of the souls’ desires away from God. I highly recommend as it opened my eyes to how easy it is to be led astray when we are motivated by things other than serving God. Also like I said earlier, it’s much easier to track since it’s a story and it has a moral lesson. ]]> 2022-12-23 05:42:44 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427860212 Philippians 2:1-11 - Mike Ho https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427860941 Reminded that unity doesn't happen by just being together, but it requires a change of mind. A mind that is like the mind of Christ. Challenged personally to be a servant who empties himself and dies to himself like Christ during this winter break, especially to my family members.]]> 2022-12-23 05:45:19 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427860941 Phil 2:1-22 - Annie https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427873891 I'm thankful for this timely reminder to "count others more significant than" myself as I am staying with family. I am thankful that I have this opportunity for the next few days to love my parents by serving and spending time together. The word "count" always stands out to me as it makes it clear that this is a choice I need to always take as it is so natural that by default I would count myself more significant than others, but I can always choose to act in a selfless way.]]> 2022-12-23 06:31:36 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427873891 Proverbs 22 - Kevin Yim https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427876390 After doing my dt today and then later reading this proverb, I thought that v4 was so timely. “The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.” When I used to just care about myself and live for myself, my life was small, miserable, and not going as I wanted it to go despite doing my best to devote my resources to myself first. However, as I read God’s Word and tried to obey his command to “in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” I really did find that my life did become a lot for rich and honorable and vibrant as I began to live life as God intended for it to be.]]> 2022-12-23 06:39:45 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427876390 Philippians 2:1-22 - Jerell https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427887793 "emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men"... I'm thankful for how Jesus has given me the example of what it looks like to love others in humility and servanthood. This is a challenge to me to use my time with the family to love them in this kind of way!]]> 2022-12-23 07:16:10 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2427887793 Phillippians 2:12-30(Julie Zhu) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428011390 What it means to work out my salvation with “fear and trembling” is that light of who Jesus is and what he has done, we are able to live out salvation in the community in such a way that respects and honors the Lord. We can achieve salvation through the obedient fellowship of the Lord and obeying Jesus. We should not embrace this idea of letting the free will of our moral rights for it robs God of his glory and will only lead to us despairing in our failures. For the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Rather, we should say “yes!” to following God and “yes!” to the way in which this actually occurs in our lives. Verse 13 states, “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work according to his good pleasure.” The point Paul makes is that both the will to/want to/desire to and the power/energy to follow through come ultimately from God. He gives us the desire to obey Jesus and then, in his grace, he also gives us the power to carry it out. Work does not suspend God's working in us, nor does God's working suspend our work. Neither is the relation strictly one of cooperation in which God does his part and we do ours in order to produce the required result through their coordination. God works and we also work. But the relation is that because God works we work.  It is God’s work in us that causes us to work out salvation. We have here not only the explanation of all acceptable activity on our part but also the incentive for our willingness and work. Efforts to persist in our work will lead us to believe that all the energizing power and grace we receive is from God.


“Crooked and twisted” is an accurate description of the current generation because our mindsets are so corrupted and everything revolves around only oneself that people have wicked thoughts about how to manipulate people for their gains.  Accordingly, most of us have no expectation of there being any price to pay for being a disciple. Most ‘churchgoers’ today are not taught to expect any affliction, pressure, or testing. Instead, the general impression given is that the Christian life is meant to be non-challenging, uncontroversial, and moderate and that we should fit in nicely with the unbelieving world around us. Some leaders go even further and preach what has come to be known as a “prosperity gospel”. That is the idea that Christians should expect to prosper financially and that they should pray for and expect to receive wealth, property, and prestige in this life. Indeed, the absence of such privileges is then portrayed as if it was evidence that one lacks faith that one is not living right, or not pleasing God. There is actually an element of truth in such teaching about prosperity, but only an element. It is frequently taken much too far until it becomes a dangerously false teaching. So, as a general rule, if we live in accordance with God’s will, develop the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and put biblical principles into practice, then we will prosper. Moreover, that will often include financial success and promotion in one’s career. He actually commands that we follow Him, obey Him and devote our entire lives to Him. We are meant to hand over to Him all that we have and all that we are. That includes our possessions, career plans, ambitions, relationships, and even our own bodies. In today's society, there is this assumption that a Christian is simply someone who believes in God, or perhaps someone who goes to church. We tend to recoil from the suggestion that we should be any more committed than that. It sounds ‘over the top’ to our modern ears to go any further than merely believing in Jesus. 




]]> 2022-12-23 13:55:40 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428011390 Philippians 2:12-30 megankim3 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428011706 I like how the commentary described "fear and trembling" as "sober living". As I was thinking about this concept, I was thinking about how being sober minded means being able to see reality clearly - not seeing yourself as so bad that you're undeserving of grace, nor as someone who doesn't need grace, but objectively as a broken sinner who has received God's grace. As I was reflecting on how God has worked in me to will and to work for his good pleasure, I was thinking about what God has saved me from, both in this life and for eternity. Looking back at my life and how I used to live, I was able to see how God has been so merciful to me. Had it not been for the grace of God, I would've been just like the crooked and twisted generation Paul describes in v. 15. But by of God's grace, I have been freed from my crooked ways and God has worked in me to transform my life and redeem my past. ]]> 2022-12-23 13:56:21 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428011706 Phil 2:12-30 - Ethan ethantslim https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428016788 I was challenged in today's passage by what it means to "work out" your own salvation and to approach it with "fear and trembling." The commentary expounds on it sufficiently that salvation is coming to experience all the aspects and blessings of salvation progressively. This struck me as being so true that my salvation came from a decision, but to actually experience God's transformative work in my life takes time and struggle. Paul's encouragement is a good reminder for me to have patience in God's plans while continuing to shake off complacency in the familiar and instead actively grow day-by-day in my relationship with Him. Paul's lauding of Timothy is simple yet powerful: a genuine care and love of others with a heart that yearns for Christ's desires. I'm challenged to look at Timothy's character and be inspired to grow more in my heart to have nothing but Christ's desires present, and in doing so, my care will be more genuine and loving for others.]]> 2022-12-23 14:09:54 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428016788 Philippians 2:12-30 (Cindy Zhao) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428046825 "Crooked and twisted" are accurate ways to describe the current world we live in because people take what is good and pervert/twist it so that it fulfills their own fleshly desires. People ultimately live life selfishly and try to live as "easy" as possible. They are afraid to face suffering and admit their wrongs, but desire freedom and expect forgiveness and grace. This even relates to many people who call themselves "Christians". They believe in Jesus as a Savior, but not Lord. They want to be freed and promised eternity in heaven, but not willing to sacrifice worldly desires and live fully for the will of God. In other words, they want the benefit but not the burden, and this is what the Bible calls a "lukewarm" Christian, who are the type of believers God dislikes more than non-believers (Revelations 3:15-16). ]]> 2022-12-23 15:36:45 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428046825 Like 1-2 (Iokkei) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428060086 I saw a recurring theme of the angels coming to see Zechariah, Mary and the shepherds and the first thing the angels would say is to fear not. After that, the angels would tell the good news of great joy that they are bringing. I thought about how God knows what is good for us and that we need the gospel but often time we are not opened to it until we have a need/ fear. But this window of opportunity is so short and rare for some people so we need to pray for those kind of opportunities especially when we are back at home for Christmas. :)]]> 2022-12-23 16:19:43 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428060086 Philippians 2:12-30 john_cai https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428086550 I was struck by how Christian life is always forward looking. We've been saved by grace, but we are always working out our salvation. There is, in other words, always room to grow--but we are to approach this growth with the security of knowing we're already saved.

Furthermore, God himself works in us--we are not alone in our efforts in sanctification. As I consider ways I still need to work out my salvation with fear and trembling, I often start to feel inadequate and almost a sense of rejection. "Wow I have so far to go still, I don't feel like I'm good enough" and this leads to feelings of discouragement. Yet the picture we get here is very different. God himself is working in us to work and will for his good pleasure. 

I can both approach my sanctification with a sense of seriousness, but also a sense of peace and security.]]> 2022-12-23 17:54:32 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428086550 John Chapter 1 (Kim) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428127519 Prologue: Christ, the Eternal Word
John: “the disciple whom Jesus loves”
  • We get to know about the “Word” who was God
    • It speaks of the beginning, there is no before because God is at the beginning 
    • God was there from the start before there was anything
    • John speaks of the word providing us the 3 essential basic foundations of our faith- the Trinity
    • The divine word became human (Genesis 1) 
    • The “Word” also created all things thereby God himself is an uncreated being (v.3)
    • Through God he is also life and the light 

  • Introduced to John the Baptist, whom was sent from God not be of the Light but to bare witness of the Light
  • God came down as Jesus but when he had come down no one knew who we was even though he was the one who created this world
  • Then there were those that received this word and became children of God
  • “And the word became flesh and dwelt among us…”, one of the many claims John made in reference to Jesus
  • John’s testimony:
    • Says Jesus is: 
      • the “Lamb of God” and makes the statement that he will be the one to take away the sins of this world
      • The Son of God, testifying this is as a witness not a baptizer 
  • Led other people to meet Jesus, and many whom meet Jesus have given him nicknames, 7 titles to be exact which were:
    • Lamb of God 
  • Son of God 
  • Rabbi 
  • The Son of Man 
  • Messiah 
  • Jesus of Nazareth 
  • King of Israel
  • We then get to see the introduction of the disciples that will meet Jesus:
    • 2 of the first Disciples were John’s that began to follow Jesus
      • Andrew and Simon Peter 
    • Philip 
    • Nathaniel 

Some key verses to know:
  • “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”
- John 1:1
  • “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world” 
- John 1:9
  • “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth”
- John 1:14
]]> 2022-12-23 21:15:24 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428127519 Philippians 2: 12-30 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428134204 I was struck by the imagery of swimming upstream, against the current when thinking about how to work out my salvation with fear and trembling. The current for me being comfort and going along with what’s trendy. I learned that I had to hold onto my salvation and be fearful of the currents that threaten to wash it away. I was called to approach the world with a wary and guarded approach not to give into comfort but by God’s mercy and leading to make good choices and have sober judgement. ]]> 2022-12-23 21:53:42 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428134204 DT 12/21 (Philippians 1:18b-30) michael_kang https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428149345 Vv. 27-30 gives a picture of what is to be expected in Christian life. Apostle Paul wants to hear that the Philippians are standing firm, striving side by side (v. 27), and not frightened by their opponents (v. 28). They are called not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for his sake (v. 29) as they are engaged in the same conflict and spiritual battle as Apostle Paul (v. 30).

Christian life is not easy and in fact we are to expect suffering, conflict, opposition, and frightening situations. Therefore, we are to stand firm, strive, and even suffer for the sake of Christ. To live a life of obedience and faithfulness requires effort and struggle and this is against the idols of comfort and pleasure and so it’s tempting to try and avoid rather than engage in it — but this is the manner of life that is worthy of the gospel, responsive to the gospel, and enabled by the gospel.
]]> 2022-12-23 22:27:28 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428149345 12/22 Philippians 2:1-11 michael_kang https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428149466 Apostle Paul describes Christian life in vv. 1-4 as one of being encouraged in Christ, having comfort from love, participation in the Spirit, affection and sympathy. I thought about Mike Edson, our friend and missionary in Central Asia, whose newsletter updates are always full of gratitude and praise for the brothers and sisters that he works with or meets on his travels, and he’s always gushing about how beautiful the body of Christ is. He is someone who is practiced at being encouraged and comforted, someone of great affection and sympathy. I also got to experience this during this past week at the team retreat, as I was encouraged by all of the 20s team members from across our church, as well as down to the new grads who served in the kitchen to prepare our meals. They worked so hard and served with such joy and it was a picture of this passage being lived out. I felt all the more encouraged and challenged to join with them — to count others more significant than myself and look to their own interests, to follow in Jesus’ pattern of descent and emptying rather than grasping.]]> 2022-12-23 22:28:20 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428149466 12/23 Philippians 2:12-30 michael_kang https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428149723 I was challenged by the picture of Timothy and Epaphroditus, characterized by working hard for the cause of the gospel and also being very relationally faithful and loving to Apostle Paul and the Philippian church, putting the work of God and the interests of others before their own — for Epaphroditus, even above his own life.

I am challenged to live with that kind of devotion to the work of Christ and the welfare of others — not seeking my own interests, which is my default and comes so naturally without even trying. Genuine concern for the welfare of others entails emotional toil and burden which is probably harder than even the time and energy expended doing the work of ministry.

V. 12: not only as in my presence but much more in my absence.
Often people obey more in the presence of authority (and less in their absence, when no one is watching). But Apostle Paul says the Philippians should obey even more in his absence — because it is God who works in them, and they are to live before Him and work out their salvation with fear and trembling. 

To be aware of God’s presence and God’s gaze on our lives is not a bad thing — it’s actually very motivating, because if I’m living before God, then I am in a posture of inviting God to work in me and this verse gives me encouragement that He indeed will help me to will and to work for His good pleasure. 
]]> 2022-12-23 22:28:50 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428149723 (Aurora) 15 HOURS: cleaning garage (BEFORE) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428154835 Building upper body strength by hauling heavy boxes + testing stamina by going 10 hours the first day and 5 hours the next (according to Healthline, that can be 588 calories PER HOUR) ]]> 2022-12-23 23:01:58 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428154835 (Aurora) 15 HOURS: cleaning garage (AFTER) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428154957 after 15 hours of labor
according to Healthline, ~588 calories are burned PER HOUR of intense cleaning/moving boxes]]> 2022-12-23 23:03:01 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428154957 Philippains 2:12-30 katiewong516 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428172577 While reading through today’s DT, I was caught on v. 12, which says to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” I thought it was interesting that Apostle Paul worded it this way, but I recognized how living out the faith is deeply intertwined with proper reverence toward God. When we recognize that God is holy, eternally separated from us in our sin, and yet so merciful + gracious to send His Son, we can’t help but be filled with awe and gratitude. We’re only able to come to this conclusion through God’s work (softening our hearts), and after receiving salvation, God gives us the desire to do good and the ability to carry it out. As I reflected on how I experienced this during the fall semester, I was filled with a lot of gratitude, seeing how God worked “both to will and work for his good pleasure.” I’m so thankful that I don’t have to strive out of my own effort, as that leads to burnout, but I can continue to show up even when it feels like I have nothing left to give — all that God requires of me is humility and daily obedience. On my own, I will never be enough, but praise be to God that it is His daily grace that sees me through :)]]> 2022-12-24 01:10:44 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428172577 Isaiah 66:1 john_cai https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428174013 2022-12-24 01:20:29 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428174013 Philippians 2: 12-30 - Mike Ho https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428175237 I reflected on the verse "Do all things without grumbling or disputing." There are endless things that we can complain about. Our world praises those who see themselves as victims as we treat any difficult or hardship as some kind of gross injustice. Yet as I spend my winter break at home, I can witness to my family by doing all things without grumbling or disputing, and serve with cheer and joy.]]> 2022-12-24 01:29:44 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428175237 Philippians 1:12-18a [Minah] https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428187672 v12 "...what had happened to me has really served to advance the gospel..."

I was challenged by this particular verse and Paul's overall perspective on all the different kinds of situations he was in throughout his ministry at this point, even during his time in prison.

I'm someone who defaults to thinking it's a dead end when I experience failure or disappointment - especially in ministry. But Paul's unwavering faith tells me to think otherwise. God is always working to make things good, and to turn failure into miracles. ]]> 2022-12-24 02:47:15 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428187672 Philippians 1:18b-30 [Minah] https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428189719 This passage is one that I like to come back to when things are hard or when I want to live a comfortable life. There are moments where I it would be easy to simply run away from it all and wish it never happened. But v29 tells us that "for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake..."

Jesus said that to follow him would mean walking down a path of suffering and pain. And it was Jesus himself who willingly and gladly suffered the most out of his love for mankind. It's reassuring every time I go back to this specific passage and remember that my pains are small and short compared to the eternity of heaven. ]]> 2022-12-24 03:01:52 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428189719 Phil 2-Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428192588 I was blessed recalling how God worked in my life to will and h is pleasure. It’s truly only because of his mercy and salvation and redeeming work in my life that i could be here today and actually in many moments want to obey God and follow in his footsteps of being a servant, a life of self-sacrifice compared to the way of the rest of the world, including my family. It’s his grace that I can even begin to work out what it means to live out the Gospel more and more each day.]]> 2022-12-24 03:19:41 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428192588 1 Chron 2-9 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428194432 It’s one of the books of the Bible that isn’t read as much especially because these chapters are just the genealogy. I think the next thought then is why is this in the Bible in the first place and I think to me it says at least this: God has walked with these individual people throughout time and knows each of them by name. To me it’s a name and few of them I know a little more of their story, but to God it’s more than a name, it’s a life, a journey, his precious child of God that He worked salvation in and walked with whether they knew it or not. Down the line, I will just be a name, forgotten through time, but God knows my name and has wrestled and journeyed with me and I won’t be forgotten.]]> 2022-12-24 03:32:29 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428194432 Philippians 2:12 (Rey) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428197112 On why “fear and trembling” is the correct attitude I should have when working out one's own salvation (if working out one's salvation is the idea of living a life worthy of the gospel):
  1. a. The purpose of our salvation is to bring the light of Christ to others as well, that they might be saved. It is the call to save souls. To not be afraid and trembling at both the prospect of people being lost and the weight of the job of bringing Christ to them indicates a lack of true understanding of our job and the weight of the situation. This can be either due to arrogance (thinking that they are able to do this job by themselves) or self-centeredness (not thinking about others, but thinking about myself).

]]> 2022-12-24 03:50:49 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428197112 Psalm 51:10-12 marykimhoang https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428213867 2022-12-24 05:56:13 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428213867 Phil 2:12-13 (Alex Lin) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428215978 I reflected on how we are to "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling" and yet at the same time, "it is God who works in us, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." At first read, it seems like following God is supposed to be this fearful thing that is guilt-driven and we should always be living as if we are walking on egg shells hoping that God wouldn't smite us or obliterate us at even a hint of sin. That would be a terrible way to live out Christian life - and yet there was a period I felt like that and I heard others went through the same thing. I think verse 13 puts it into perspective. Yes our salvation is to be worked out, fearing sin and God's Holiness, but God is the one who works in us so that we start to desire to live a more godly life. I thought of it as some momentum/force that gets activated once you take a step of faith. With each step of faith, God puts in us more desire to be more and more godly. I've seen this in many points of life - after mission trips, after outreach, after many steps of faith that I've taken. And so it's not an impossible, fearful, guilt-ridden journey but a sweet, relational one - God transforming us while we take the initiative!]]> 2022-12-24 06:12:49 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428215978 Lottie Moon Summary marykimhoang https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428217292 I watched a video on Lottie Moon, or otherwise known as Charolette Digges Moon,  who in 1873 left her life of luxury and comfort to become a missionary for the vastly anti-christian nation of China. Even though she was single and a women, she defied the social norms and committed herself to foreign missions. Normally it would be the men who were called to missions and their wives who would come along, but Lottie went despite that and committed her whole life to reaching a lost people. She opened a school for girls, which was how she was able to build relationships and share the gospel with them. She also provided a a safe haven for newly converted Christians, who often would experience severe persecution from their family and friends. She became instrumental in laying down the foundation for the evangelical missionaries movement in China! I'm inspired by her faithfulness, as much of the time she would experience severe loneliness while doing the work, but continued on out of love for people and God. Favorite quote: "Should we not press it home upon our consciences that the sole object of our conversion was not the salvation of our own souls, but that we might become co-workers with our Lord and Master in the conversion of the world?"]]> 2022-12-24 06:23:07 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428217292 2 Chronicles 7:14 (Iokkei Yim) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428222659 2022-12-24 07:01:48 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428222659 Philippians 2:1-11 [Minah] https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428327282 v.8-9 "...he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name..."

The word that stood out to me the most was "Therefore." I've seen the different ways that God has blessed those who obey His calling, and I want to be able to take more time to reflect on how I have been on the receiving end myself. I am also reminded of and inspired by the heroes of faith who never got to personally witness what God has promised them but still remained faithful until the end. ]]> 2022-12-24 15:30:53 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428327282 Talking with my Dad - JB https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428333586 We usually have spiritually conversations everyday because my dad doesn't get an opportunity to express where he is with God. We extensively talked with Heaven and where he is at with God. He's not sure if he can believe in heaven and he still sees Jesus as a wonderful teacher but not the Son of God. He has been reading a lot of wisdom/philosophy literature and Tim Killer, his favorite author... He has opened up about his life on how his faith formed and deflated with Swedenborg-ism which gave me a better picture of his life. Pray to be a listening ear to my dad!]]> 2022-12-24 15:51:05 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428333586 Luke 2: 1-20 [Helene] https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428370755 I know we’ve all heard the Christmas story 1,000 times, and I know we’ve all read the chapter, but I think that I still need reminding every now and then about what Christmas is truly for. It’s easy to get wrapped up in stories of Santa and in the want for presents, and to forget the reason we celebrate. Sometimes it takes rereading this chapter to focus my mind once again on the fact that the best present of them all was already received.]]> 2022-12-24 18:14:32 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428370755 Jonathan Goforth ethantslim https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428394556 I came across Jonathan Goforth while researching different heroes of faith to read up on, and his name stuck out to me, so I went with him, plus he was Canadian. Goforth was the seventh of eleven children and grew up on a poor farmstead, recalling times his father had to walk 70 miles to get flour. His mother was his first exposure to Christianity, encouraging him to study and memorize Scripture. During his teenage years, he was inspired by the messages given by visiting missionaries (particularly George Mackay) and was convicted upon hearing no one was answering the missionary's call for reinforcements. His response: "Then and there, I capitulated to Christ. From that hour, I became a foreign missionary." Of course, he was still only 18 then, but his mindset was already on that goal. Jonathan ended up attending Knox College in Toronto, a Christian college, but often experienced ridicule from other students over his socioeconomic status, which was evident in his fashion. These hurdles didn't deter him, though, as he would often spend time in the slums and prisons of the city preaching God's word to those in the community. He continued this throughout his college career and was inspired by George Mueller and Hudson Taylor to rely on God to provide him with his daily needs, often living down to the penny. What is remarkable was that as a testament to his character, the students of Knox College would later send him out as a missionary to China. His transition to the field in China didn't start smoothly either, nor did it grow any easier. Within two weeks of the move, his house burned down with all his family's belongings, and in total, their house/belongings were destroyed four times while ministering in China. There were often nights as he traveled that he stayed in the same room as the livestock. His first two children passed away, and he would later lose three more children, often to local diseases. Mobs often ridiculed or chased Goforth out of towns and cities. Yet, through these difficulties, Goforth clung onto Zechariah 4:6 "not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts." Goforth lived up to his name and kept enduring, kept pushing for the Lord. Despite being physically and emotionally exhausted, Goforth and his wife preached an average of eight hours a day to anyone who would come to their house, essentially having an open-door policy. I find it amazing that Goforth reached so many different groups of people. Not only did he travel to all different regions in China (he moved at least once a year for seven years), but he was willing to talk to opium addicts and college students alike, showing a heart for all. Goforth kept up a Pauline approach, planting churches and disciples wherever he went, and by 1900, just 22 years after he had sailed for China, he had established over 50 sites. His work continued for a few more decades despite declining health, losing most of his teeth and sight in both eyes. It struck me that in life situations that seem miserable, even on paper, Goforth was a figure of joy and steadfastness. As we've been going through Paul's missionary journeys this season, I felt the connection between Paul's and Goforth's rejoicing in the face of challenges, entirely devoting their lives to God's salvation work. Reading about Goforth's passion for the Gospel message inspires me to have the same fervency and urgency. Goforth and so many others could confidently go into an entirely foreign land and reap the harvest. His stories put into perspective the times I can overthink and struggle to share at a college campus I'm familiar with, but I'm glad to add one more reference I can think of to gain confidence during times of personal lack.
Favorite quotes:
  • "What would [Christ] think of us today as we continue to spend most of our time and money in giving the Bread of Life to those who have heard so often, while hundreds of millions in China are still starving?"
  • "The safest place for you and the children is the path of duty."
Resources: https://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biorpgoforth.htmlhttps://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biorpgoforth.html
]]> 2022-12-24 20:05:41 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428394556 Matthew 6:33-34 - Esther Park https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428436945 2022-12-25 02:23:23 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428436945 Memorized Deuteronomy 6:4-5 katiecatherineho https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428457609 Katie Ho - Team 4]]> 2022-12-25 05:29:51 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428457609 Marilyn Laszlo [Lily] https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428462454 I read about the life of Marilyn Laszlo, mostly because I wanted to find a particular snippet in her Memorial Service that really encouraged me some time ago. The rabbit hole of reading about her many stories and watching various videos of her sharing her passion for Jesus with younger folks definitely did not disappoint! 

Laszlo spent 24 years working with Wycliffe Bible Translators as a missionary in Papua New Guinea, translating the Bible into a native unwritten language. During the time, Marilyn, her Shirley, and a translation partner created an alphabet for the language and taught the native Sepik Iwam people to read and write in it. They lived among the natives and established schools and medical centers. Today, the ministry is carried on by a new generation of missionaries following her footsteps to bring the gospel to surrounding villages and its populations. After Marilyn moved back to the US for family reasons, she continued to teach and speak to many churches and mission organizations, inspiring many to take up their callings as ministers to the lost.

Marilyn's story is one of stunning simplicity and joy, and perhaps that's what inspires me the most. She shares many harrowing experiences with great lightness in her voice and demeanor. After sharing about some near-death encounters, she chuckled that "they're not recruiting stories." It's clear that God is much more potent than all the troubles in her God-colored lens. One day, I hope I'll love Jesus enough and trust God enough to also have this level of an eternal perspective. ]]> 2022-12-25 06:16:31 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428462454 Convo w Quarantine Center Doctor [Lily] https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428464998 From two weeks ago: At the quarantine center in China, I called the doctor in charge of my building several times because of logistical issues. But in one of the later conversations, he said that he really doesn't care and that I should just go home. We ended up having a conversation about the meaning of life. He shared that he doesn't actually want to inflict restrictions on the travelers and thinks all the monitoring is dumb, but out of fear of losing his job he has to do it. He said that all he's doing is staying alive and feeding his family, and life is cheap and meaningless. I shared some words of encouragement with him and didn't get to finish sharing the gospel before he was called away. Surprisingly he was really receptive to what I did say. I still have his number, and God willing, I want to call him again after the travel quarantines are cancelled to share the gospel...  ]]> 2022-12-25 06:34:38 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428464998 Update: Spiritual Convo with Dad - JB https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428576649 I'm thankful that I got to be a listening ear to my dad because he told me he doesn't get to talk about this to anyone, not even my grandfather. We talked about Swedenborg and what his teachings were about which was salvation is by faith and loving others - different from salvation is by faith alone (Eph 2:8); and, his depictions of heaven and hell. Swedenborg, an 18th-century theologian, had visions of going in and out of heaven/hell and translated all these "symbolisms" in OT/NT (except for Pauline letters) and his trips to heaven/hell. Prominent Swedenborgians are Ralph Waldo Emerson, William Blake, and Helen Keller. Swedenborg's teachings are largely unknown as they fizzled out in the mid-20th century. We talked about my dad's faith life as a Xian Swedenborg (I thought he was just Xian)! And, he saw hypocrisy within the Swedenborg theologian school that he attended where professors/students thought they were self-heralded as "angelic beings" in Swedenborg's teaching on "levels of love" (earthly - on survival, spiritual - go to church/read WoG/praise, angelic - actively loving one another). He was also introduced to Science which conflicted with his beliefs. From our three-hour conversation, I got to see my dad's life, his beliefs, and where he is then from our first conversation.]]> 2022-12-25 16:10:01 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428576649 Shared parts of my testimony w/ my grandmother :) katiewong516 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428598290 My Pohpoh (grandmother on Mom's side, for those who don't know Canto) is staying with us for Christmas, and we were able to worship together today! The message covered Isaiah 11 with an emphasis on verse 1, which says that there will be "a shoot from the stump of Jesse," a foreshadowing of the coming of Christ. During the message, there was a time to share how we experienced God working in our lives this past year, bringing hope where there was none, and how it's all because of Christ. Through this time, I was able to share parts of my testimony, especially all that I experienced this past semester, and explain other ways that God has redeemed so many different areas of my life. I started getting slightly teary eyed as I shared from Psalm 23, as this past semester often felt like I was walking through the valley. But through all of it, I've been able to experience God's love in new ways, being able to cling to hope, knowing that my Good Shepherd has been guiding me every step of the way. My Pohpoh had never heard me share like this before, so I was really grateful for this time and that she could see God's faithfulness in my life. I also heard about her life and her walk with God, which she doesn't bring up very often, as she has also had her share of struggles/suffering. I'm so thankful to see all of the ways that God has been working through my family and for the time that we get to spend together this Christmas :)]]> 2022-12-25 17:22:51 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428598290 1 Chron 10-14, Psalm 65-66 - Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428688763 After the genealogy, 1 Chron goes into telling some snapshots of 1 Kings from the death of Saul and how he didn’t trust in God and the valiant men of Jabesh Gilead who went to retrieve Saul’s body from the Philistines to David on the run gathering people around him to him as king bringing the ark but God striking Uzzah.
Psalm 65-66 truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.]]> 2022-12-26 00:37:11 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428688763 John 3:14-21 [Helene] https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428720672 After reading this portion of the Bible and pairing it with my devotional, I learned the answer to an important question. Why did Jesus have to die before defeating Satan? Well, if Jesus had defeated Satan before the cross, we all would’ve had to go to Hell because we had sin. By first dying to purify us, Jesus then made it possible to defeat Satan without having to send us all to Hell with him.]]> 2022-12-26 02:00:58 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428720672 Spiritual conversation with friend https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428752180 Engaged with my friend whom I shared Isaiah with on the idea of God being the one who determines if life is worth living. Next should be on what God's purpose for us would be ]]> 2022-12-26 03:09:33 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428752180 Philippians 3:10-11 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428989520
  • Becoming like Christ in his death would be becoming like the character of Christ as it was in his death:
    • Christ’s character as seen in his death:
      • Sacrificial: Done for the sake of those whom he loved, even though we were his enemies
      • Lowly and Meek: Quite literally the Son of God choosing to lay down his very rights and his position and take upon himself the figure of a normal human, perceived as being closer to a peasant and even a criminal
      • Obedient, in pain: Despite everything that pained him physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually, Christ still obeyed the Lord, verbally telling the Father that his will be done rather than Christ’s own, and actually carrying those words out
    • These all had the focus of only two parties in mind: God the Father and those whom he was saving (Hebrews 12:2). The cross, which would lead to his own pain, his own humiliation and his own death were but small things compared to these two parties.

    • ]]>     2022-12-26 16:26:32 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428989520     Sharing the Gospel at the airport https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428990692 Whitney and I were stuck at the airport for another cancelled flight. While waiting for our bags (with Gary Chang), a 7 yr old girl named Raya approached Whitney when she was eating some dinner that Ilju brought for us. She was cute and bold and kept asking us questions. Whitney gave her a cookie that her cousin made, which Raya really liked. As we kept talking with her, Whitney got to share the simple gospel with her through a sticker Raya noticed on her water bottle. ]]> 2022-12-26 16:29:45 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2428990692 Adeline's First Christmas john_cai https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429009840 Adeline's 1 month "birthday" happened to fall on Christmas. Helen and I prepared a little activity of making ornaments with our hopes and wishes for Adeline. We followed it up with singing two Christmas songs, Silent Night and Joy to the World. We shared about what brought us joy this year and of course, people brought up Adeline's birth.

    Helen's dad had some thoughtful questions though. He brought up how it seems like babies are so pure, but then somehow we become "polluted" by society. We shared how it's because of man's sin, which is why Jesus came to save us. 

    We asked Helen's dad what prevents him from accepting the Gospel, and he said it's still hard for him to believe that the God of the universe is Jesus. But, surprisingly to us, he said that he now believes that there must be a God, just that he's not sure who it is.

    We were able to share some apologetics with him about the reliability of the new testament and so forth, and it ended up being a very nice time!]]>     2022-12-26 17:28:00 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429009840     Philippians 3:1-11 - Mike Ho https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429032050 Anything that we take security or significance in, whether it's our degrees, our career, money, health, family, is counted as a LOSS if it gets in the way of knowing Christ Jesus personally. This is very challenging for me, especially when things are going well in life. However, the things that I naturally want to avoid, even if it's tragedy or sorrow or pain or suffering, are the things that are counted as GAIN because they bring me to know Christ Jesus more personally. ]]> 2022-12-26 18:36:12 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429032050 Memorized Philippians 1:6 - Mike Ho https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429033131 2022-12-26 18:39:33 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429033131 Philippians 3:1-11 megankim3 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429052278 I was really challenged by Paul and how he was able to rejoice and be confident not in his own flesh, but in the Lord. He knows that he is part of the circumcision, not because he was physically circumcised, but because of the cleansing he has received in Christ. The way that Paul was able to count all of his reasons for confidence in the flesh as rubbish reminded me of his description of Jesus in Philippians 2:1-11. Like Jesus, Paul didn't grasp onto any reason to be confident in his flesh, but emptied himself to make room for Jesus's glory to shine. I'm challenged to follow in Paul's example and count everything as loss because the weight of knowing Christ surpasses any reason to boast in this life!]]> 2022-12-26 19:43:36 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429052278 Philippians 3:1-11 katiewong516 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429073829 As I was going through today’s DT, I was struck by Apostle Paul’s willingness to put aside all of his qualifications, everything that could have provided worldly security and significance, for the sake of knowing Christ. It is interesting how Apostle Paul uses both the past and present tense when explaining how he counts everything as loss (v. 7-8). As I reflected on this, I realized that “counting everything as loss” is not only something we had to do in the past, but it’s something that we must continue doing as we try to live out Christian life. If left unchecked, it can be easy for pride and legalism to seep into the ways that we try to serve/love others, forgetting that our righteousness is not our own. I’m thankful that through the gospel, I can have “the righteousness from God that depends on faith,” no longer having to work for my own sense of security/worth, but being secure in what Christ has done for me at the cross.]]> 2022-12-26 21:22:33 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429073829 1 Chron 11-23, Psalm 66,67 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429103502 From David’s reign, bringing the ark to Jerusalem, establishing the Levites service and those in charge of praise from whom we have many of our psalms, to his battles, to David wanting to building a house for God but instead God wanting to build David’s house to Solomon. I appreciated David’s response to God’s promise, one of just simple accepting and trust because He is God. Not complicated at all.]]> 2022-12-27 00:15:43 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429103502 Philippians 3:12-21 - Jasper Cheng jaspercheng https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429195384 From todays text I was considering what it takes to “forget what lies behind” and “strain forward to what lies ahead.” Thinking about the 1st point, I think that the reasons for why it’s important to forget what lies behind is because what’s there is a lot of past sins and failures, things which Satan can use to craft lies of discouragement to prevent me from wholeheartedly following Jesus now. Beyond that though, I thought about how what lies behind could also be past spiritual high points as well, not bad things at all, but it could also be detrimental to let that define my spiritual life and allow me to become satisfied and complacent with where I’m at versus continuing to grow and expand in my discipleship to Jesus. Thus I need to let those things lie behind and focus on what I’m called to do now still. ]]> 2022-12-27 03:30:40 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429195384 Philippians 3:1-11 ethantslim https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429232832 Paul's words are always timely. It stuck out to me how he acknowledges that he has more reason than anyone to be proud of the flesh, having been one of the most accomplished men both in birth status and religious achievement. Just like Paul is able to, I'm reminded to write down or reflect on achievements or other trophies of life that have the potential to cause me to have unfounded confidence in the flesh. Similarly. I'm challenged to respond just as confidently as Paul does in counting all these things I've built for myself as loss, simply because Christ is worth all that and more. ]]> 2022-12-27 05:14:44 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429232832 Philippians 3:12-21 katiewong516 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429381069 I’m really thankful for today’s DT passage, especially the reminder to be intentional and press on in the faith. If we approach life with passivity, it’s easy to get swept up in different distractions, good and bad, which prevent us from reaching the goal that Apostle Paul talks about. I was reminded of Hebrews 12:1-2, which tells us to “lay aside every weight [and sin]” and to “run with endurance the race that is set before us.” This comes from looking at the example laid by our spiritual forefathers who took up this calling and built upon the foundation laid by Christ. Recognizing that it’s a privilege to continue this work causes a necessary perspective shift and prevents us from walking through life unfocused and off course. I’m encouraged to continue pressing on, even in the midst of struggle, looking to the prize that is mine in Christ Jesus :)]]> 2022-12-27 13:18:41 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429381069 Phil 3:12-21-Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429381150 Forgetting what lies behind. This idea has confused me in the past. What does this mean to forget? Does that mean we can actually just cast aside and if anyone brings up something from the past then that would be wrong? Could I ignore everything from the past and pretend like nothing happened? I knew the answer was no but it then what? Thinking about the context more and what I’m straining forward to heaven, I think it’s not letting the pain, discouragement, struggles of sin, the shame, become something that stops me from wanting to keep growing, keep trying, keep loving, keep struggling so that one day I can see finally Jesus face to face and hear well done good and faithful servant.]]> 2022-12-27 13:18:57 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429381150 Philippians 3:12-21 megankim3 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429428730 Today's DT was a good reminder of the picture of sanctification: that it's already been secured for us in Christ, but not something that we've obtained yet in this life. In v. 15, Paul says that this is a mature way of thinking, so I thought about what it would look like to have an immature way of thinking: (a) to think that you've already obtained perfection or (b) falling into despair or self-pity when you fall short. There are times when I am both quick to become proud or quick to despair, but I need to remember the goal that I am pressing on toward - not that I've already obtained it or will ever be able to obtain it on my own in this life, but in confidence that God will bring his work in me to completion on that day. And as I remember what has been won for me on the cross and my Savior who awaits me in heaven, I can continue pressing on to live for Jesus!]]> 2022-12-27 15:35:01 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429428730 Philippians 3:12-21 marykimhoang https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429591336 v.13-14 says, "Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." To forget what lies behind is definitely an intentional act that happens in our mind, as "what lies behind" can encompass so many areas of our lives. For example, in the context of Phil 3:1-11 Apostle Paul talks about the things that used to give us confidence in the flesh and being able to leave those things behind for Jesus. In my youth those things were cheap thrills, fame, social status and all that I did to make a name for myself. As I get older, I realized that there are new areas that I need to leave behind like past ministry mistakes, wounds I've nursed or areas of shame and regret that come back to haunt me (i.e. gospel opportunities missed, family/friends who have passed, people who are no longer in my life etc.). Apostle Paul calls us to forget those things and strain towards what lies ahead, straining meaning "to exert unusually great effort towards" because it's not easy to forget those things on our own. But when we think about what lies ahead i.e. in v 20 our citizenship in heaven, our bodies transformed and an eternity in heaven with our Savior, then we gain the courage to look to the future and confidence in what we have already attained in Christ. I'm thankful for this reminder, as it's God's way of maturing me in Christ to be self-restrained in my thought life and to set my eyes not on earthly things but on heaven! ]]> 2022-12-27 23:59:21 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429591336 1 Chron 24-27, Psalm 69-Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429595699 David organizes people for the priestly service in this passage. Being priests is a sacred and important duty and the amount of time spent on it shows it as such so I also need to treat it as such. ]]> 2022-12-28 00:11:20 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429595699 Jeremiah 9:23-24 john_cai https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429676375 2022-12-28 03:08:25 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429676375 Philippians 3:12-21 - Esther Park https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429705604 Verses 13-14 stuck out to me today as well! For a lot of us, our past can hold us back from giving our all for Christ whether it may be past hurt that we may have experienced or past sins that we keep struggling with. I think this is why AP tells us to let go of our past so that it doesn't hinder us. While I think it's important to face our past in order to live in the present, I think AP here is saying to not dwell too much on the things of the past in an obsessive way. Another way that I looked at this was that we tend to hold onto things of the not too distant past like grudges and petty problems. This definitely holds us back from loving others and is something that I struggle with a lot and need to continually work on! It's also important for us to strain forward to what lies ahead because we are reminded of the bigger picture of our life. We are reminded about the promise that God gave us as well, and this can help us to become unstuck from the dailiness of life! And as we strain forward to the mission that God has called all of us to, we can press on for Christ and endure the different obstacles that life may bring.]]> 2022-12-28 04:23:00 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429705604 Philippians 3:12-21 - Ethan ethantslim https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429736958 Paul's assertion of that one thing he does stood out to me from today's passage. "Forgetting what lies behind" is fairly broad and all-encompassing in that it includes both positive and negative baggage. On the one hand, I shouldn't let past failures and falls hinder my walk with God by forgetting that God loves me regardless and has already forgiven me. On the other, I need to maintain the same mindset Paul has in knowing I am not perfect (nor ever will be in this life) by not letting blessings or achievements God has given me increase my pride in myself. I'm reminded to continue striding to become more Christ-like, and what is amazing is God's provision of fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who are all in different phases of growth pushing on another on in their walks. I'm also reminded by Paul that there are many "walks" that people live out in the world, but the only one I need to keep my eyes focused on is the one centered on Jesus.]]> 2022-12-28 06:06:21 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429736958 Philippians 3:12-21 - Mike Ho https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429748448 If there's something about Christian life, it's a race. But it's not a race against other people, but a race for ourselves to attain to the image of Christ. There's such an intensity and focus required to do this, because it requires that we press on and forget what lies behind and strain towards what is ahead. We set our eyes on living for God and living for heaven and living for eternal things, and leave behind old sinful habits that desire earthly things. ]]> 2022-12-28 06:45:40 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429748448 Philippians 3:12-21 - Joanna Kang https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429780683 I love the verse "forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead." 
    I think as life goes on, there's a lot of things that lies behind that can weigh you down. We're sinners living in a sinful world so things that accumulate are regrets. Satan would love to use that to make us down and depressed and think we're not qualified to serve God anymore. But I am reminded that the only way I can forget what lies behind, is to remember Christ and what he's done for me on the cross, and to lay all my burdens down there and trust that he's set me free. It's only then I can forget what lies behind, and move forward and serve God while it is day. There will be rest at the end of my life in heaven, so I can continue on and strain forward until that day. :) ]]>     2022-12-28 08:37:22 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429780683     Deuteronomy 1-2 - Joanna https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429782138 I was reminded of the Israelites and how they sent in spies into the promised land. When the spies came back reporting how scary and big the people were, the Israelites cowered in fear and refused to go in. Reminded me how fear seems like it's something that I can't help, however, it is offensive to God because it's a statement that God is not powerful enough to overcome that fear, and he's inept to deal with the challenges I'm facing. I was inspired by how it was only Caleb and Joshua who trusted in God despite the odds. To cultivate a heart that can bring my fears to God and to trust in him even against the odds, I need to be practiced at prayer and bringing my fears before him and asserting who God is! ]]> 2022-12-28 08:42:06 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429782138 Kickboxing with my peers at 6am! - Joanna https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429783415 My peers in Alameda have been going to this kickboxing gym, and they convinced me to go with them at 6am for 1 hour! I was really tried/grumpy at first, but felt great/sore afterwards. ]]> 2022-12-28 08:46:48 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429783415 12/28 | Philippians 4:1-9 michael_kang https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429933549 Apostle Paul says not to be anxious, and instead to rejoice, pray, make supplication, and give thanks. The Christian response to difficulties and trials and scary situations that would otherwise cause anxiety is very different. As much as anxiety seems to be an automatic response, perhaps this exhortation can actually be obeyed — in other words, there is a choice to rejoice, and this is a reasonable response because the Lord is at hand, because no matter what I am facing, there is much to be thankful for. It’s always possible to rejoice, and in everything respond with prayer and supplication and thanksgiving.]]> 2022-12-28 16:26:49 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429933549 Spiritual convo w/ college friend - Lee https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429936925 My friend from college called to share some news, and the topic led to the future and what are we to do with our lives. She mentioned how she feels pretty lost even though she had accomplished what she had wanted to - finishing dental school, getting married to her highschool sweetheart, etc. Mentioned how now she just feels aimless because to her it feels like chasing after the next best thing. Was able to share the Christian perspective of purpose since she asked me "ok I'll bite, what does your Christianity stuff say about what we're supposed to do with our lives?" I wasn't expecting that as she's been pretty vocal to how she's very much not into religion but thankful that we got to have that convo]]> 2022-12-28 16:36:00 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429936925 Seton Hall University(Grow in Our Hearts)---Julie Zhu https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429981702 2022-12-28 18:22:15 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429981702 Philippians 4:1-9 katiewong516 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429999870 I’ve read over Philippians 4:6-7 many times, and these two verses have provided me with much comfort over the years. As I thought more about the relationship between anxiety and prayer, I realized that these are two different responses to life’s obstacles. I thought about the two different paths, and it ended up looking something like this:

    Remembering -> thankfulness -> prayer (focus = God)

    Forgetting -> ungrateful -> anxiety (focus = self)

    Praying with thanksgiving requires remembrance; without it, our prayers sound more like whining. When we remember what God has done for us, sending His Son and all of His provision, we can rejoice even in hardship. I’m reminded that when I’m feeling anxious, it stems from a place of pride and ingratitude, holding onto my inability to control life’s circumstances and ignoring all that God has done for me. Although I can't choose what happens in life, I can choose to rejoice, knowing He is still faithful and in control. 
    ]]>     2022-12-28 19:21:35 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2429999870     Philippians 4:1-9 megankim3 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430112242 v. 6-7 was really timely for me, especially after getting to pray with my cousin on Christmas about her health. I was reminded about how prayer leads to peace as we remember what is true about God and the Gospel and give thanks to God. 

    v. 1-3 was a good reminder for me of what a blessing it is to be surrounded by so many rich relationships in the church: so many whom I love and fellow workers in the Gospel. I was reminded that even though we're all so different, we can experience agreement in the Lord and reconciliation because of our common ground and mission in the Gospel!]]>     2022-12-29 02:23:17 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430112242     The Great Divorce [Marisa] https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430114630 I have also read The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, a short novel yet with much packed inside. It is a huge metaphorical and allegorical text which follows an unnamed narrator, an author himself, which takes a bus ride from Hell to Heaven, witnessing him and the others turmoil of whether to stay or leave. It deeply answers many extremely broad questions of heaven, god, and their intentions subtly, making them even more compelling. Since Che has already discussed the painter scene, I will talk about the other most impactful of these conversations to me, comparing the difference between Earthly love and God’s love. It happens between a mother who lost her child early on and could never move forward in life, rejecting any other forms of love in the process. On the surface, many of these conversations seem reasonable, but one they are deeply dived into in the eyes of something higher, it reveals many of the messages we could take for granted. The imagery is absolutely stunning as well, and you are completely dragged into the unconventional story and its messages. Nothing is explicitly said, even some character names, allowing the focus to be the deeper messages which you have to find yourself, much like the characters in the novel. There are also some unique twists in the novel because of this format as well, which makes it even more interesting. For example, we come to find out the the “Hell” the characters had come from most likely is instead a form of purgatory instead, with them holding their own power to rise into heaven, instead of then feeling they are forced back to their “Hell.” With an author himself being the viewer of the events of the novel, especially with the end reveal of him waking up, readers come to question weather he was actually in heaven, was it a dream, is he in Earth or Hell at the end of the novel, was it all in his head? I highly recommend this book for anybody, as it will take Christians and non-Christians alike on a very unique, psychoanalytic ride through the greater questions of the universe and everything you think you know. 8/10. ]]> 2022-12-29 02:30:04 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430114630 Spiritual conversation with my aunt megankim3 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430124277 Today was my late grandfather's birthday, so my family went with my grandma and aunt to the cemetery together to pray. Since we all couldn't fit in one car, I went with my aunt and grandma and asked for stories about my grandpa because he passed away about 4 months before I was born. I got to hear about how his testimony and how my grandma and aunt started going to church. Turns out my grandparents' conversion stories involved some divine interventions! But through this conversation, my aunt opened up about how sometimes she questions why she had to go through so much suffering (her first daughter passed away about 5 years ago and her second daughter recently got diagnosed with a kidney disease that has no cure and has been affecting her quality of life). She also thanked me for praying with her second daughter on Christmas because she could see the difference in her mood before and after we prayed together. I got to share a little bit about heaven and reaffirm with her that her first daughter is in heaven where she's no longer in pain or suffering. Then my aunt told me that she's praying more now than she has ever prayed before and that the biggest thing that's motivating her to go to heaven is to see her daughter again. When she said this, I felt really burdened for her because this reminded me of Pam, the ghost from The Great Divorce who was only interested in going up the mountain to see her son Michael, but had no desire for God and ended up forfeiting the chance to go up the mountain. I wanted to tell my aunt how the greatest news is to know God and be in a relationship with him through Jesus and how heaven is the place where we do get reunited with loved ones, but even more than that, be reunited with our creator and heavenly father. But before I could share, my parents' car pulled up behind us and we got out of the car to visit my grandpa, then went our separate ways for the day. I'll be seeing her again on New Year's Day, so please pray that I can have the opportunity to share with her that the Gospel is the greatest news, not because it'll reunite her with her daughter or take away her suffering on earth, but because it brings her back into a relationship with God. ]]> 2022-12-29 02:54:19 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430124277 Spiritual conversation with my cousin megankim3 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430131756 Reached out to my cousin today after my conversation with my aunt where I shared Philippians 4:6-7 from today's DT. She ended up opening up about how prayer has been hard for her recently because she questions, "why is this happening to me?" and she's afraid of heaven and not being able to live her life how she wants. She's afraid that if she gets closer to God, then He'll take her away from earth sooner than she wants. It was a short conversation on the phone, but we're planning on meeting up in person sometime before I go back to school to talk about it more!]]> 2022-12-29 03:14:51 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430131756 Rowan University megankim3 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430143358 2022-12-29 03:49:08 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430143358 Phil 4:1-9 ethantslim https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430183008 As I read verse 8, I found it interesting that Paul ended it with "think about these things" rather than "do" these things. This led me to think about my life's tiers of priorities and how my thoughts usually circulate around the top tiers throughout the day. Whether it's staying on top of schedules/responsibilities or growing my personal walk with God, I tend to actively think about these things every day; thus, I stay on top of my goals. At the same time, it's so easy to forget the things I'm not actively using in my mind, such as answers to some apologetic questions that I know I should know. Paul's conclusion to incorporate truth, purity, love, and other things God stands for into the mind is telling. I personally have to believe or know these things strongly, and the action will naturally follow. I was reminded of Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Similarly, with the mind, where your thoughts are, your lifestyle and actions will follow. I'm reminded to really keep my thoughts in check and to turn them back to God so that my life can reflect the qualities Paul so proudly presents.]]> 2022-12-29 05:55:14 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430183008 God and Mathematics - Dr. Craig Video https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430191744 The fact that mathematics is so effective in explaining our physical universe can be explained by theists or naturalists; however the naturalists' explanation falls short of fully explaining why and is really no explanation at all. In 1960 physicist Eugene Wigner published a paper titled: "The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences" in which he concluded that the effectiveness of mathematics is a miracle. Theists have a reasonable explanation for why - God designed our universe according to the mathematical model and that's why mathematics can explain our physical world so well.]]> 2022-12-29 06:22:23 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430191744 Spiritual conversation with my niece! marykimhoang https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430192420 My niece has been attending a private catholic tk (transitional kindergarten) school and asked me, "What is Jesus saving us from?" and I got to explain that sin separates us from God and ultimately we will all die. Jesus wants us to be in heaven with God, so he came to save us from our sins so we can be with him forever. Thankful that she's learning these things early on - I got to explain how awesome heaven is and that it's like being on the best vacation ever, but forever! (She loves vacations haha). She beamed and asked if there's swimming there and I said yes, definitely there will be swimming and we won't get cold after haha. ]]> 2022-12-29 06:24:46 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430192420 Cheng Grandpa and Grandma accepted Christ!! - Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430229866 Jasper, I, Calvin and Esther put our heads together late into the night last night to prepare to share the Gospel in our broken Mandarin and Taiwanese and they both accepted Christ!! Praise the Lord!!]]> 2022-12-29 08:33:31 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430229866 Philippians 4:10-23 megankim3 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430301027 From v. 10-14, I was challenged by Paul's response to the Philippians' expression of concern for him: it gave him reason to rejoice, but it wasn't something that he demanded or expected from them because of his contentment. In v. 17, Paul says that he didn't seek the gift itself, but their fruit/growth in Christ. His reason for rejoicing wasn't because he felt loved and cared for (although I'm sure he did feel this way), but because of their growth in others-centeredness and being able to express concern. Ultimately, it was because of Paul's ability to rely on God to sustain him rather than the love or care of people that Paul was content and didn't have expectations for others to notice and tend to his needs. This challenged me to grow in being content in the Lord, trusting that He will give me strength to continue obeying and serving Him rather than relying on the love and care of people.]]> 2022-12-29 12:59:10 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430301027 Philippians 4:10-23 katiewong516 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430380626 V. 19 “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” 

    It was good for me to reflect on this verse today, being reminded that God supplies all of my needs, not all of my preferences or wants — my needs. As my Creator and Sustainer, God knows exactly what I need every moment and isn’t slow to provide. My confidence can come from remembering that God has supplied for my greatest need by sending Christ Jesus, providing me with a way to salvation, which I could never provide for myself. In remembering this, I can remain content in every situation, trusting that God can redeem even the worst situations for my sanctification and for His glory.  Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also graciously give us all things?” I can approach life with a sense of security and contentment, knowing that if God was faithful in sending His Son, He remains faithful now to provide for all my present and future needs. 
    ]]>     2022-12-29 17:33:19 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430380626     CCM community college [Marisa Kingston] https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430387805 2022-12-29 18:03:01 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430387805 1 Chron 24, 2 Chron 1-3, Psalm 70, Phil1-4 - Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430467309 From Philippians, want to claim Phil1:6 in particular for myself as I wrestle with my pride in seeing the ways I’m not complete as well as for grandpa and grandma. With their decision just feel burdened that what we’ve contributed is so small but that God will bring it to completion what He started in the first place with them.
    In Chron, feel sad about how though Solomon started out so well, because of his strategic thinking and hold on romantic love, he grew more and more distant from God. But God is faithful and still completed his promise to David through Jesus.]]>     2022-12-30 00:36:02 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430467309     Does "willful sinning" threaten salvation? (Cindy Zhao) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430561423 Dr. Bruce Ware shares that no longer sinning is impossible, so it does not threaten our salvation when we sin. We do not "lose" our salvation. However, willfully sinning (i.e. choosing to sin) questions our real faith and our true acceptance of salvation. One must persevere in the faith; it is not a one-time decision. Saving faith is living and present in our daily life. Salvation requires obedience and makes us different with Christ from our past. Therefore, willful sinning demonstrates lack of faith and obedience, and belief in vain. There is a difference between those who believe in Christ and sin, and those who sin with complete disregard of Christ. The latter is not true Christians, while the former is bound to happen because our flesh is in constant battle with the spirit. I understand all this as willful sinning is a sign that one is straying from Christ and/or one was never actually saved because one who is saved will continually desire to live for and turn to Christ. 
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXaCOedYCzQ&ab_channel=SouthernSeminary]]>     2022-12-30 05:38:56 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430561423     Family Memorial Service for my Grandma (Mike Kang) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430586579 On Christmas eve, we had a memorial service for my grandma who passed away on Thanksgiving (very appropriately, as she was someone of immense gratitude and humility).

    I showed some pictures from her life, and then each of the family shared some words for her, and then I finished with sharing from 1 Thess. 4:13-18 and 5:16-18 to talk about how she was a person of thanksgiving as well as the hope that we have in the gospel.

    Very thankful for this time as we got to remember her together, and I had a chance to preach the gospel to my dad in this way.]]>     2022-12-30 07:25:10 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430586579     Exodus 26-27, Deuteronomy 3-4, Phil 4 - Joanna https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430586876 I was struck by the Philippians 4:10 and how they revived their concern for A.Paul through sending money to provide for his needs while he was in prison. It's a reminder that love is concrete action. It's amazing that by that one act, the Philippians were able to encourage and strengthen Paul in a very trying time in his life. It shows me the wisdom of the body of Christ, and how we mutually strengthen and encourage each other through acts of love in our times of need.


    ]]>     2022-12-30 07:26:17 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430586876     Peter Parker - your friendly neighborhood physician [Xunkai] xunkaichen https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430739352 I was listening to a podcast and learned about Peter Parker - not Spiderman, but the first-ever medical missionary to China in the 1830s. Born in Framingham, Massachusetts, Parker “opened China to the gospel at the point of a lancet.” He was born into a Christian household but he never committed his life to Christ until later in his youth days. He surrendered his life to Christ and kept praying for God to lead him to ministry. After Parker graduated from Yale School of Medicine in 1834, God called him to ministry in China and gave him an opportunity to go. Parker was shocked to see the poor medical conditions in China and his heart went out to the Chinese people whom he never knew before. He was a skilled surgeon and ophthalmologist, and his hospital in Guangzhou won over the initially suspicious Chinese. The Medical Missionary Society in China was founded in Guangzhou in 1838, with Parker as a leading figure. Forced out of China during the First Opium War (1840-1842), he did not stop his pursuit of medical missions in China. He went around and promoted medical missions in the United States, England, Scotland, and France, securing financial support and arousing interest in and awareness of the work. He returned to China after the war and kept healing people and sharing the gospel with them in the meantime. It is estimated that during two decades of ministry in China, he treated more than 50,000 patients. Although later on, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) questioned Parker’s work as being “too devoted to medical and diplomatic affairs rather than evangelism”, his advocacy of medical missions undoubtedly inspired many and paved the way for later missionaries to come, including Hudson Taylor. 

    I appreciated how he was open to the ways God can use him for ministry in unknown areas. No one has ever stepped foot on Chinese medical missions, yet Parker was not deterred by that but responded to the need that God revealed to him. Because of his boldness, he opened a new gateway to a form of ministry that later proved vital for Chinese missions and the well-being of Chinese people. Thankful for his sacrifice! Pray that I would have the same boldness and willingness to try all things for the sake of the gospel as well!
    ]]>     2022-12-30 17:47:12 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430739352     Philippians 1-4 katiewong516 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430778398 Although there are many themes in Philippians, the idea of commitment stuck out today. It was interesting that Apostle Paul encouraged the Philippians to be committed to the gospel and to one another, regardless of whether he was present. That says something about human nature and the tendency to give in to comfort when no one is looking. The Philippian church was healthy, as stated in the commentary. Still, in some ways, they had become stagnant, leading Apostle Paul to exhort them to press on toward the goal (3:14). As my last semester approaches, I’m challenged to continue giving my all in reaching out to people, knowing that even if my efforts do not amount to much, giving out of the proper heart is a “sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God” (4:18). I’m thankful that I can look to examples laid by heroes of the faith, such as Apostle Paul, and that I’m able to press on toward the goal with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ :) ]]> 2022-12-30 21:07:30 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430778398 The Bible has some inaccurate details. Does that threaten our faith? john_cai https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430807380 If there are historical inaccuracies in the Bible, does that suddenly render the whole Christian faith null and void? 

    William Lane Craig argues that it doesn't, and his argument is two-fold.

    First, the idea of inerrancy needs to be more robust than "ah, I found a historical inaccuracy in the Bible's account of something!" No one would point the finger at Jesus when he talked about the mustard seed being the smallest of seeds. (isn't a poppy seed smaller?) because Jesus wasn't teaching botany. He was teaching about the kingdom of God. The details don't In fact, in the ancient world, historical accounts were thought of different than today. Our modern idea of a historical account necessitates accuracy of details. Times, places, people, etc. In the ancient world, these details were not as important as the main idea eg: We defeated an army that was much larger than ours! So minor historical inaccuracies does not threaten the message.

    Secondly, our faith is not built on Biblical inerrancy but instead the resurrection of Jesus, which we have enough evidence from solely from extra-Biblical sources. In other words, even if the Gospels contain inaccuracies, we still have a solid bedrock of evidence for the resurrection, which validates that Jesus is divine and everything he says. Even if the Bible is shown to be errant in some way, some of our doctrine might have to change, but the center of our faith is not affected.]]>     2022-12-31 00:12:08 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430807380     2 Chron 4-7, Psalm 71 - Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430812550 This mostly covers the building of the temple. It was supposed to be God’s dwelling place with man, where people could bring their burdens, sins and sorrows in prayer and sacrifice to God but even with this beautiful temple, we fell away, Solomon still ended up worshipping other gods.
    Psalm 71- God is my refuge, my fortress. May I indeed take refuge in prayer to God and who He is.]]>     2022-12-31 00:49:43 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430812550     The Madelbrot Set: Does this equation reveal intelligence coded in Math? https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430812646 The Madelbrot set is Zn2 + 1 = Zn+1. This equation, when plotted on paper or computer, leads to the incredible image found in the caption. And though you can’t see it from the picture, this image has the ability to infinitely zoom, revealing even more intricate designs. When you analyze the designs, you will see many familar patterns found in nature. Shapes that look like leaves, snowflakes, galaxies, animals, sea shells, lightning bolts, and many more. Dr Jason Lisle, an astrophysicist from University of Colorado Boulder, asserts that this not a coincidence, nor evidence that “the natural world follows mathematical laws” but that this equations helps to reveal the intelligence of the person who made numbers. I personally wouldn’t lead with this as an argument for God, bit it was an interesting Watch!

    “We don’t often think of God creating numbers because they are abstract. we think of God creating animals, stars and planets and so on… God is sovereign over the abstract just as much as he is the physical universe”
    ]]>     2022-12-31 00:50:32 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430812646     Fairleigh Dickinson University katiewong516 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430816836 2022-12-31 01:23:19 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430816836 Binghamton University katiewong516 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430816892 2022-12-31 01:23:49 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430816892 Kean University katiewong516 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430816929 2022-12-31 01:24:12 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430816929 The Fate of Those Who Lived Long before Christ (Helen) helenliu https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430818499 I wondered about this a lot when I first became Christian as a teenager. What about all the people who lived before Christ - what happens to them? Dr William Lane Craig answered this question in 2 parts. First, people who lived before Christ learned about God in the same way as people today who have not yet heard about Jesus. "God’s general revelation in nature and conscience" applies for people in the past before Christ as well as today. He also mentions how Apostle Paul describes how God “overlooked the times of ignorance” (Acts 17.30) and “passed over former sins” committed prior to Christ’s advent (Romans 3.25). Christ’s death atoned for people's sins all the way back to Adam and Eve. ]]> 2022-12-31 01:38:11 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430818499 Philippians 1-4 john_cai https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430831842 What struck me reading the book all the way through was how future oriented Paul is. Perhaps that is one reason why he is able to rejoice even as he's in prison. Paul emphasizes and challenges the Philippians to strain towards what is ahead, forgetting what is behind. 

    The picture of Christ laying down his life is the standard for every Christian, and this standard is always beyond us--which is why we need to strain towards what is ahead to lay hold of the upward call in Christ Jesus. 

    This means that in Christian life, there is always room to grow since there's always ways we can be more like Jesus in his cruciform life. 

    Now that I am older, I sense that at times I lack this urgency to strain forward because the standard I compare myself to is not Christ's character as Paul eloquently lays out in Philippians 2. I compare myself to other people, and if I'm doing relatively okay compared to them, then I don't feel the need to strain to grow. But, Philippians reorients me to Christ as my standard--and as soon as my life is reframed in that way, suddenly there are all kinds of ways I can strain forward towards Christ-like character. In fact, each season of life and each day presents opportunities to be a little more sacrificial, and a little more self-giving.]]>     2022-12-31 03:10:47 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430831842     Psalm 16:2-3 iokkeilo https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430862558 2022-12-31 07:15:59 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430862558 Philippians 4:10-23 - Mike Ho https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430863878 There's something about giving that is so beautiful in this passage, and there's so much joy all around. The receiver receives with JOY because he sees the gift as something to their credit and as a gift to God. God receives the gift with JOY. And the giver is able to give with JOY because they are learning to share in the heart of God and in the troubles of others. We turn giving into something complicated and awkward. But God is pleased when we give and share in the needs of others, and that's the joy that God invites us to join in.]]> 2022-12-31 07:26:59 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2430863878 Switch [Marisa Kingston] https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2431031088 I have read the book Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath, a self help book to help make real changes in your life. They give an in depth yet clear cut chapters on different areas phycologically in order to change, and keep the ways to change very small and easily to do. It very much goes into the how and why for each point, and give real life inspirational examples and fascinating g studies on why they work. The three main sections and aspects they have are the Rider, the brain and logical realm, the Elephant, the heart and emotional realm, and the path, the outside environmental well. One of the most interesting examples of change in the book was with a first grade teacher in a class of students with skills below Kindergarteners, some of which knowing nothing about ABC’s. By tackling the Point to the Destination aspect of the Rider section, she boldly told her students that there were all to be third graders by the end of the year, giving both clear direction and backing up why it’s worth it by their already inherent admiration for the older students as well as by calling all of her students scholars. With her changes, 90% of her students were reading at or above a 3rd grade level by the end of the year. Through many of these examples in the book, the authors show any change is possible with slight tweaks in each area, and the inertia on the tweaks will take care of itself and form a long lasting habit and remarkable impact. I also love and am inspired by how most of the examples of the book come from those with very little resources, money, or authority, making the impressive changes more relatable and feasible for the average person to do. I will use much of their advice with my own goals, and would definitely recommend reading the book 9/10. ]]> 2022-12-31 20:25:21 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2431031088 Acts 4:1-12 [Helene] https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2431406531 We can trust that Jesus is the ONLY Savior, and can say so without being arrogant. Jesus is remarkable because many other “saviors” that the world has made haven’t died for their people, and they cannot bring salvation. It isn’t arrogant to say so because it’s just the statement of a fact, as you would say that a tree is a plant.]]> 2023-01-02 04:39:38 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2431406531 Historical Evidence for the Exodus benjamindlee https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2431445779 Recently, I was asked "How come there isn't much historical evidence for the OT?"  I didn't have much other explanation than what I know from C101, so I decided to look up some videos/books about OT archaeology.  In this video, Sean McDowell interviews Dr. Titus Kennedy who is a Biblical archaeologist.  He presents the "Point A to Point B" approach where rather than trying to find evidence for the plagues or the Israelites wandering in the desert for 40 years, we should focus on the evidence of Israelites living in Egypt before the Exodus (Point A) and after the Exodus (Point B).  It was interesting to hear how there is a good amount of evidence that showed a group of Semites were working as slaves in the 18th dynasty (before the time of the Exodus) and how these pieces of evidence were similar to the Exodus narrative.  I think one of the coolest pieces of evidence was that there is an inscription on an Egyptian stele about a nomad group that follows Yahweh. After watching the video, I bought Dr. Titus's book to learn more!]]> 2023-01-02 06:25:28 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2431445779 Ten Challenges to Faith benjamindlee https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2431453935 I watched this video from Sean McDowell a few days ago about 10 challenges/objections to the Christian faith.  A good chunk of the challenges were questions that we were familiar with (e.g. Why would a good God send people to hell or Is Christianity at war with science?) but there were some challenges that raised my eyebrows.  For example, one challenge was "Is the cross an example of divine child abuse?" where the claim is that the cross represents an unjust Father who sent His Son to be abused and die a terrible death.  Other challenges he brought up include "Is Christianity racist since the Bible was used to promote and justify slavery?" and "Is Christianity sexist?" Of course, we can refute these with so many different Bible verses, but it kinda goes to show that it's important to have proper understanding and discernment of the Bible, especially since it may be the case we will have to encounter such questions in this coming generation.]]> 2023-01-02 06:44:43 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2431453935 Psalm 1-2 - Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2431460332 In both psalms I noticed that the default of humanity is rebellion against God, I.e. the nations rage and wicked and scoffers. The blessed person doesn’t follow the rest of the world and instead meditates on His law day and night and is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season. So thankful for the blessing I have received by being rooted for the many years I’ve known Christ in my life and the blessing of being rooted in His word. ]]> 2023-01-02 07:03:07 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2431460332 Hebrews 9:11-28 [Helene] https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2431793874 Literally nothing we can do will “achieve” forgiveness. No good act counteracts the bad ones, and the ritual sacrifices before Jesus’ death couldn’t cleanse the inside (the heart) of a person. It’s God and the death of Jesus alone that makes us clean and gives us forgiveness. It’s as Augustus M. Toplady wrote: “wash me, Savior, or I die.” Without the death of Jesus, we wouldn’t be internally clean for Heaven.]]> 2023-01-02 18:30:24 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2431793874 Psalms 1-2 katiewong516 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2431813793 I’m thankful for today’s DT passages, especially seeing the difference in life trajectory between the righteous and the wicked. I was really struck by the imagery in Psalm 1 of the tree planted by streams of flowing water. I think it’s a beautiful picture of a life of abundance and flourishing for the tree and others who benefit from its fruit. This is the picture I want for my life — being rooted in God’s Word, able to withstand life’s circumstances, and pouring out to others as I am filled by God as my life source. ]]> 2023-01-02 19:17:08 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2431813793 Psalms 1-2 - Helene HeleneHoran https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2431837778 I found an area in my life that I need to apply these verses to. Like it says in Psalms 2, God can easily take power away from rulers that lead without or even against Him. Even though I doubt I’ll ever lead a country, I know there will be leadership positions I’ll fill in the future. When those days come, I need to keep God as my main focus, as He is the only reason any of us ever receive power. It’s like it says in Psalms 1, straying and following the ungodly path rather than the one that the Lord sets will keep us from Heaven. We can’t let any power or greed pull us away from God’s path.]]> 2023-01-02 20:13:09 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2431837778 Genesis 1-3 megankim3 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2431994351 Started a new Bible in a year plan for 2023 and read Genesis 1-3. From Genesis 1-2, I'm amazed by God's care and intention in his creation and how intricately he designed our world. I'm always reminded of the picture of the anticipating parent and in awe of God's relational character. From Genesis 3, I was reminded of the relational nature of sin and how regardless of the circumstance that led to it, sin is ultimately the individual's choice of whether to accept or reject God and his boundaries. But I was also reminded of God's loving character and how he seeks us out when we're in hiding and invites us to come into the light about our sin. I'm so thankful to have such a relational God who wants the best for me and whose boundaries fall in pleasant places and who always seeks me out. ]]> 2023-01-03 02:43:59 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2431994351 Psalm 1-2 megankim3 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432008030 Was really blessed by today's DT. It was a chance for me to reflect about what it means to have a blessed life in the world's eyes vs. in God's eyes. I was reminded of my former life and how I achieved what I thought would be the blessed life, but left me feeling empty and tossed around like chaff. I'm so thankful for how God has changed the trajectory of my life because of the Gospel and get to experience the blessing of being rooted in God's word and driven by the mission of the Gospel. Psalm 1 challenges me to continue meditating on the law of the Lord day and night and to live the blessed life according to what God desires. I was also reminded by Psalm 2 how I too have rebelled against God and rejected God him for lesser gods and authorities. But I'm thankful that God has offered me forgiveness and salvation through Jesus and that I can serve him and take refuge in him! ]]> 2023-01-03 03:06:27 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432008030 Gen 1-4 - Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432019220 I was amazed at God’s love that he could see us, he could see all the betrayal and the sin that was going to happen to finally His own sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and say looking at the creation of man as it is very good. Just for our relationship with Him, for the chance of spending eternity together, God not only considers us worth creating but it is very good. Amazing love, how can it be.]]> 2023-01-03 03:24:39 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432019220 Psalm 1 - Mike Ho https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432035975 Beginning the new year with psalm 1, I see that the beautiful picture that God has in mind for me this year is to be like a tree planted by streams of water. God's vision for my year isn't so much to chase after the next exciting thing, but to remain rooted in his Word so that I would bear fruit. As I think about a theme for the year, I think that this can be a year of deepening in the Word of God, especially as we'll be studying through the Bible in our DTs.]]> 2023-01-03 03:53:31 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432035975 Bible in a Year: Genesis 1-3 katiewong516 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432042119 I started a new Bible in a year plan! After reading these chapters, I was in awe of God's gentleness + tender care toward Adam and Eve, asking, "Where are you?" and clothing them even after they admitted to eating the fruit. This is a picture of God's heart toward us as rebellious people. I'm so thankful that it's out of His love for humanity that He didn't leave me in this hopeless situation but sent His Son instead — calling into existence things that do not exist (my own righteousness) and saving me from the penalty that I could never pay myself. ]]> 2023-01-03 04:03:57 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432042119 Bible in a Year: Genesis 4-7 katiewong516 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432058163 Two things stuck out to me in reading these chapters:
    1) The reminder in Genesis 6:5-7 that we serve a relational God and that it grieves Him when we sin. Reading v. 6, which says, "The Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart," nearly brought me to tears. Through this, I was again reminded of the seriousness of sin and how my own sin affects God in this way. But at the same time, filled with awe/gratitude that God would be willing and gracious enough to save someone like me. Through the story of Noah, I'm reminded that even though there was so much evil deserving of wrath and judgment, there was still grace, and I'm so thankful that this is the God we serve. 
    2) The description of Noah in Genesis 6:9 — righteous, blameless in his generation, and that he walked with God. I think there are many ways that people want to be remembered in today's society, often in terms of worldly status or wealth, but v. 9 paints an entirely different picture. At the end of my life, this is how I would want others to describe me — not as someone who had any righteousness of my own, but as someone who walked with God and was obedient to His guidance. I think this is what it looks like to live a blessed life, and it would be a privilege to be remembered in this way. I am also challenged to be as surrendered as Noah, willing to do all that the Lord commands (Gen 7:5), even if it means looking crazy to the outside world, but knowing God is pleased. ]]>     2023-01-03 04:25:09 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432058163     Psalm 1-2 benjamindlee https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432081454 I was reflecting on the picture of a tree planted near water, and as someone who used to be into taking care of plants, I thought it was apt to compare this to someone who delights in God’s word. A little bit of sunshine and water each day sustains a plant in the long run, and so it is the same for someone who reads and study God’s word each day. This coming year I want to be saturated in God’s Word more through DT and verse memorization, and I hope I get to experience more delight in His Word!]]> 2023-01-03 05:07:10 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432081454 Psalm 84:10 benjamindlee https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432085311 2023-01-03 05:14:26 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432085311 Psalm 1-2 - Bernice Lee https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432088782 I was reminded in Psalm 2 of how even though it seems like "earthly kings" and evil continue to rage and set themselves against God and His righteous ways, that in the end, God and His goodness will be what prevails. I was also blessed by the picture of the congregation of the righteous in Psalm 1, and knowing that here on earth and one day in Heaven I will get to stand together with that congregation of the righteous.]]> 2023-01-03 05:21:25 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432088782 1 Cor 1:18 - Bernice Lee https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432109805 2023-01-03 05:59:36 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432109805 Genesis 1-4 - Megan https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432519522 From today's DT, I was really struck by Genesis 4 and Cain's progression of sin. In v. 6-7, God says to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted?" God knows exactly what Cain wants - acceptance. Cain thinks that Abel is the only one standing in the way of him gaining acceptance. But being accepted is NOT in the context of comparison or competition, but in his relationship with God. God just wanted Cain to present his best to God, but Cain ended up complicating it by comparing himself to Abel. The consequence of Cain's murder in v. 12 was that he became a fugitive and a wanderer, but I was thinking about how actually, Cain was always a wanderer because he didn't know where his true acceptance was. I found Cain's pursuit of acceptance to be very relatable, especially living in a world where we compete for recognition, value, and acceptance. But I'm thankful that when I come before God, all I have to do is offer my best and focus on pursuing Christ.]]> 2023-01-03 14:57:04 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432519522 Philippians 1-4, Proverbs 2-4, Psalms 1-2 & Genesis 1-4 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432568066 One thing gained from Philippians was how Paul was able to remain grateful as a result of the deep relational bond that he felt with his fellow Christians, such that their joy becomes his, even though he is in prison and people are stirring up trouble against him while he is gone 

    With proverbs, there is a constant use of turning away from something (either in terms of engaging in the action of turning away or refraining from turning away). This, however, requires someone to have something to fix their eyes on (Solomon says to keep your eyes on his words, which convey wisdom. In the same way, we can keep our eyes fixed on God's word, which can be done by actively engaging with it)

    For the Psalm DT, my attention was grabbed by Psalm 1, where all the actions that are described with the person who associates with the wicked are actions that indicate delight (think about if you delight in someone). So, if you want to delight in the Word of the Lord, you can do the same actions, but toward God and his Word)

    For the Genesis DT, the last verse in chapter 4 (4:26) says that the people began to call on the name of the Lord. This indicates that before then, they were not doing so. This is a good image of the relational break that sin had caused, and also just how faithful God is, since he continued to interact with man at times, having mercy on, providing for and protecting them, despite the fact that humans themselves, instead of calling out to him, hide themselves from him. He ends up taking the steps toward being with them (as he does through Jesus), despite their constant moves away from him.]]>     2023-01-03 15:37:57 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432568066     Genesis 1-4 katiewong516 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432604295 Reading through Genesis 4, I thought it was interesting that God calls Cain out in v. 6-7, saying that Cain still can please Him, but it involves overcoming sin. What follows in chapter 4 shows how we are helpless against the power of sin apart from Christ. I’m reminded of Romans 7:19, where Paul says, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” This is a picture of all of us, apart from Christ, slaves to our own sinful passions and unable to control ourselves. I’m thankful that the story doesn’t end here, but this is why God sent His Son — to save us from the penalty and power of sin. I’m thankful that God gives me the desire and ability to do what is right and that even when I fail, I can bring all of it to Christ, knowing that He has paid for all of my failings: past, present, and future. ]]> 2023-01-03 16:10:41 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432604295 Genesis 1-4 - Mike Ho https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432761250 God creates. God forms. God separates. God calls. God forms man in his own image. God breathes into man the breath of life. God places. God notices that it's not good for man to be alone. God provides a helper. God provides meaningful work. Even when we have sinned, God searches us out and lovingly asks, "Where are you? "Where is your brother?" and "What have you done?" And even then, he provides a covering for Adam and Eve, and a mark of protection for Cain. He abounds in love and grace. Indeed, God is all-powerful and the Creator of everything, but he loves us deeply.]]> 2023-01-03 18:25:13 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432761250 The Case for a Creator [Marisa Kingston] https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432848364 I read the book The Case for A Creator by Lee Strobel, who was an investigative journalist with a love for science, previously an atheist before the end of his investigation of whether science really can explain the universe. In this book, part of a 3 book series, he presents a case for the existence of God based on scientific evidence, investigating experts in a variety of fields including physics, astrophysics, and philosophy. These experts provide arguments and evidence for the complexity and design of the universe, the fine-tuning of physical constants, and the existence of consciousness as evidence that a higher creator, aka God, must exist. Strobel also goes on to address objections atheists have proposed against a possible God, as well as the implication of believing in one. He goes very in depth into scientific principles, but certain sections are much denser in content than others, and a couple places have lost me. In the beginning it was extremely engaging and eye-openingly fascinating, but over the course of the book some of the sections were losing me. I will say that he does explain everything well and treats both sides of the evidence of science and faith equally. I also find it very fascinating of the many examples of scientists who, through more research, believed in God and Christianity, even bringing more scientists into the faith through logic. I would have thought the opposite would be true, and hence found many of the topics fascinating. However, I would recommend this book for those who love and know previous knowledge on science, as it is included as 80% of the book. Overall, this book does provide great logical evidence for God to exist, but was personally too heavy of a read to me. 6.5/10


    ]]>     2023-01-03 20:02:38 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432848364     Genesis 1-4 HeleneHoran https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432920858 I’ve noticed some very interesting things in these chapters. It is stated that Eve’s descendants will be able to bruise the head of Satan’s (as there is now a rivalry between them). Later in the Bible there is a verse that says that Jesus can CRUSH Satan’s head. I like this distinction because it shows that no matter how hard we try, the best we can do against Satan and sin is a bruise; we need Jesus to completely obliterate it.

    Also, these verses show to us that when we sin, we need to tell God about it in explicit detail, as Adam, Eve, and Cain have modeled for us. After each of them sinned, God asked them what they did, even though have knows everything. He wants us to come to Him and tell Him.]]>     2023-01-03 22:19:59 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2432920858     Genesis 1-4 - Alex Lin https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2433069481 I'm reminded of these things about sin that are the same today as they were since the beginning of time:
    1. Satan tempts us in the very same ways today. He sows mistrust in God in us. He tries to get us to doubt God's goodness and take things out the right boundaries and timing they are meant to be in.
    2. Sin takes us further than we want to go. Sin begets more sin. For Adam and Eve it was hiding and shame. For Cain it was murder and jealousy. Sin leaves an endless ripple effect that we won't realize until the end of time.
    3. Sin always ends in separation from God. For Adam and Eve it was removal from the garden. For Cain it was removal from God's presence.
    Thanks be to God who is merciful and gracious. He was merciful to Adam, Eve, Cain. And he is merciful to us. In ways we can't see to be sure..., in his ways of redemption and of course always in the cross that will stand forever. ]]>     2023-01-04 02:53:48 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2433069481     Genesis 1-4 - Erin Lopez edl59 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2433143443 “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.””
    ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭4:7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

    This verse stood out to me — God tells this to Cain after he is upset that God does not want his offering. He is unable to control his anger, and instead of examining what was wrong with his harvest, he killed his brother. We can see that this contrasts God’s advice in v.4:7. Cain succumbed to the sin “crouching at the door” and was unable to rule over it. Its desire was to bring him far from God — and it succeeded in doing so.

    While we are sinners, we must be careful not to let sin derail our lives. We can rejoice that Christ died for us so that we can have a relationship with God. 
    ]]>     2023-01-04 04:56:12 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2433143443     Gen 4-8 - Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2433491825 The description of God’s grief over the condition of man’s heart so full of evil struck me like I never read it before: it grieved him to his heart. The pain and grief. His beautiful creation, what he had once called very good. And the Bible said he regretted that he made man. The good and holy God filled with grief. I can only barely begin to understand what my sins do to God and how he could later then vow to never blot out man even though He knows our hearts are full of evil. It’s only at the cross where justice and mercy could meet. He cleans the world not with a flood but with His own blood.]]> 2023-01-04 13:09:56 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2433491825 Isaiah 1:18 benjamindlee https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2434210408 2023-01-05 02:48:25 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2434210408 Genesis 4-8 megankim3 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2434219525 I was really challenged by Noah's response in Genesis 8:20-22 and how he built an altar and offered sacrifices to God. He went through EVERY animal to make sure that it was clean and to take out parts of each clean animal and offer it up to God. He took the time to praise and honor God instead of trying to settle down right away, and he only offered the best to God. This is the appropriate response to grace and the kind of response that God is pleased with. I want to grow in this kind of response because this is the kind of praise and honor that God deserves. God is our creator who didn't have to spare us from judgment. God has given me a second chance at life through the Gospel, and I want to respond as Noah did, not using this life to try and settle down and built it on my own, but offering what I have to God, taking every part of my life and offering it up to God.]]> 2023-01-05 02:59:02 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2434219525 What Are you going to do with your life? https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2434224680 In good o’fashion Baptist in-your-face style, GD Greer address college students, and makes clear his point through this 148 page read; “Don’t waste your life…only what’s done for Christ will last.” His primary source of evidence is reminding his readers of exactly what scripture says, and presenting examples after example of people who have lived a life full-send for God. Some of his verdicts: Suffering in this world is terrible, but eternal suffering is worst, so preach the gospel, stop thinking of God as your co-pilot…HE’S the one steering and you’re in the back seat, and “The only reason you and I have the gospel today is because someone crossed that uncomfortable and inconvenient cultural boundary to get it to us.” 

    Why read this? This book is THE mindset we are trying to develop as we consider our walk with Christ here on earth. Go all out for God, with full joy, knowing the mission at hand is the most important thing, along with the people God has entrusted you with, even if severe opposition comes, it’s worth it…..and it’s like really short like I said 148 pages you can skip the epilogue if you want making it even shorter, size 13 font….read it!]]>     2023-01-05 03:08:54 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2434224680     Job 1-5 megankim3 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2434227875 Through Job's response to suffering in Job 1:20-22, and how he says "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord". I was reminded of Paul's response to suffering in Philippians 4 where he talks about learning to be content in any circumstance, which ultimately comes from understanding who God is. No matter what happens in our lives, God is God, and His name is worthy of blessing, honor and praise simply because He is God and He is our creator. God doesn't promise a stable life without suffering, but I'm thankful that God is unchanging even when circumstances do. I'm reminded that no matter what happens in this life, I can always bless the name of the Lord and make Psalm 103 my anthem. I'm very challenged by Job's response and hope that can be my response to suffering in life.]]> 2023-01-05 03:14:21 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2434227875 Job 1-5 katiewong516 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2434233787 In ch. 1, we’re introduced to Job, who is blameless, upright, fears God and hates evil. With this in mind, it seems unfair that God draws Satan’s attention to Job (1:8), and even Job’s friends claim that Job’s suffering results from unrepentant sin. I once watched a sermon that covered this part of Job, and the speaker brought up “representative warfare,” giving the example of David and Goliath. In representative warfare, you send out your strongest fighter, and their fighting individually leads to collective victory. God’s highest level of trust is when He can trust us with trouble, and God knew that Job could lose everything except his commitment to the Lord. From this perspective, I'm challenged view suffering as an honor and an opportunity to uphold my commitment to God, responding in the same way as Job, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (1:21). ]]> 2023-01-05 03:24:13 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2434233787 How People Grow xunkaichen https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2434242598 What goes into personal development? What do we need for spiritual growth? “How People Grow” seeks to address these questions.
    In the first section of the book, “Paradise Lost”, the authors point out that personal growth is multi-facet and requires an accumulative model that depends on God, Son, Holy Spirit, and the church, and so much more. We cannot achieve spiritual progress purely on ourselves. We need God and others. In the second section of the book, “Master Gardener”, the authors elaborate on the separate roles of the Trinity in spiritual growth: the grace of God gives us redemption, the example of Christ calls us to follow, and the Holy Spirit finishes the tasks on behalf of us. In the next section of the book, “the best climate”, the authors reveal the necessity for us to grow within the body of Christ and how the power of acceptance and forgiveness can help us turn from our wrong ways. In the last section, “the path for growth”, the authors lay out tools that can help us grow: Bible, grief and suffering, righteousness, discipline, spiritual poverty, obedience, sin and temptation, truth and reality, the importance of activity, and time. 
    One part that really struck me is the power of acceptance and forgiveness. For me, it has always been hard to be vulnerable to everyone about my personal issues and to work them out in the context of the community. Part of me just wants to keep it private and deal with it myself. But this book points out that God’s plan A for our growth is for us to be with people, not alone. And when the community brings about acceptance and forgiveness, it will help us heal and give us the confidence to face our true selves and take action toward it. 
    Highly recommend it for anyone interested in promoting personal and spiritual growth. Many practical tips! 
    ]]>     2023-01-05 03:39:19 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2434242598     William Borden’s 3 Phrases https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2434248999 William Borden was born in 1904 to a wealthy family in Chicago. His family was so rich that he was gifted a trip around the world with a personal chaperone for his 16th birthday 🤑. But this gift turned into a pivotal moment, as the suffering and darkness he saw when traveling in the east led him to commit his life to the saving work of preaching the gospel of Christ to the Muslim people of China.

    No one was happy about this decision. Yet in the onslaught of friends and family telling him that he would be wasting his life and fortune away, he responded by writing a 2-word phrase at the back of his bible “No Reserves”

    He went on to Yale, and was a powerful presence for Christ on his campus. He was smart, and due to his education and family connections, he had MANY lucrative job offers. But he set his mind to go to Princeton Seminary and become a missionary to the east. When his father heard of this, he sternly declared that becoming a missionary would mean having no place in the family business, all would-be fortune would be forfeited. William responded by writing another 2-word phrase at that back of his bible “No Retreat”

    On Route to china as a missionary, he stopped in Egypt so he could learn Arabic to communicate with the Chinese-Muslims. Yet while there, he contracted the fatal disease spinal meningitis. There’s no happy ending, he would die in Egypt at the age 25, without ever making it to china. On his death bed, him companion asked him for final words. He responded by writing his final 2-word phrase at that back of his bible “No Regrets”  ]]>     2023-01-05 03:50:36 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2434248999     2 Chron 8-15, Psalm 72-73 - Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2434250169 Going from Solomon thru the next few generations of the kings of Judah, the summation of their years of being king is whether they were faithful at key points in their lives. That’s what it means to be a good leader in God’s eyes.
    Psalm 73 is a famous psalm that gets referenced a lot and has been something I’ve gone back to when I struggle with wanting the world and feeling like Christian life is too hard. I went into the sanctuary of God and discerned their end. Life is short. Eternity is long.]]>     2023-01-05 03:52:44 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2434250169     Genesis 5-8 HeleneHoran https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2434253588 I think it says something important that we are all here today. God thought that we were all worth continuing the human race, if you think about it. He could’ve called the human race a failed project and wipe us out completely, but He didn’t. Instead, He saved Noah and his family, and wanted us to keep going. Rather than a total reset, God saw that every person after would be worth continuing humanity, and each of us must be save-able. After all, we have a promise from God that there will never be a wipe-out of humanity like this again. That has to mean that each and every person we see can be saved; it’s never too late. It’s so powerful to think that we were loved enough before we were even born to make humanity worth keeping.]]> 2023-01-05 03:58:58 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2434253588 Genesis 4-8 katiewong516 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2434262100 I was struck by Genesis 8:20-22, where Noah presents the burnt offering, and God decides that He would never send another flood to cleanse the earth. Although the flood provided a fresh start for humanity, it didn’t address the issue of human sinfulness and the need for reconciliation. In other words, the flood only provided temporary cleansing. I think the story of Noah shows how faithful God is to His people and His word. God remembered Noah, and all that He said would happen did happen. This eventually points to God’s faithfulness in sending His Son, who would provide permanent cleansing, bringing atonement not on the basis of works but of grace.]]> 2023-01-05 04:15:55 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2434262100 Genesis 4-8; Proverbs 10 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2434271489 For DT today, we read Genesis 4-8. It is cool to see how God sees Noah and gives him all he needs not only for his own life to be saved, but so that he may work toward saving the lives of his family along all the animals, similar to how Christians are not just saved but are also called to bring others to salvation as well.

    One of the things described in Proverbs 10 is how the fool is always filled with all sorts of words and babble while the wise person listens and receives reproof, instruction and commandments. 

    It is also something to note how the mouths of the righteous know "what is acceptable" while mouths of the wicked know "what is perverse". It seems that the difference here is where the focus is, such that, wherever you fix your gaze upon (whether that be what is acceptable or what is perverse) is where you will be drawn toward.]]>     2023-01-05 04:32:40 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2434271489     Genesis 9-13 - Jasper C jaspercheng https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435103587 Genesis 12 starts the story of Abraham’s journey with God and one thing that I noted this time around was that Abram was 75 years old when he set out on this journey to the unknown in faith and trust in God, and it occurred to me how this must be a hard thing after probably having experienced a lot in life already and being at an age where settling down into a peaceful predictable life must have been the norm and safest option. Maybe it’s because I’ve just spent time around my parents and grandparents who are older and feeling how so much of their life is driven around desire for security and comfort, predictability. What Abram is doing is the exact opposite of that I think, and especially illustrates a rich trust in God, despite not having been given proof that things will necessarily work out. He’s not perfect either, as in the latter part of the chapter he seems to waver in trust thru some of his actions, giving into his fears for his life and making some poor decisions to save himself in the face of the Pharoah, and in that sense it’s relatable, yet despite small failures he’s still in the overall scope of his life living faithfully in following God. That’s the kind of continued faith that I need to hold steady to, and continue to practice, not giving up just because I have moments where I feel like settling or fail to fully trust God. ]]> 2023-01-05 20:24:14 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435103587 Psalm 1 Study Notes https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435137914 2023-01-05 21:09:07 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435137914 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435163402 2023-01-05 21:59:06 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435163402 The Case for Christmas (Rey) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435188481 Read this because I never read a book from Lee Strobel (author of "The Case for Christ"), and it's is fitting for the season. It's sort of a shortened version of "The Case for Christ", going over some of the questions that one might have on the historicity of Jesus' life, ministry and death, (and, of course, since it's Christmas, addresses questions of historicity regarding Jesus' birth). The book reads in almost autobiographical style, as Strobel goes over his own previous experiences that led him on his path to discover the truth of who Jesus was, the different interviews he had with notable experts in the fields he was researching, etc. While much of the apologetic content is made with facts and reason, there was one interview where a formerly Jewish person had gone through all sorts of difficulties and found God personally through reason paired with many other experiences. This presents a pretty compelling Case for Christ and Christmas, not only because it provides good explanations for the reasonableness of Christ, but it also displays different ways people came to Christ, even including a testimony from someone who was, at one point, largely atheist. Also, it is about 1/3rd the size of "The Case for Christ", being only 100 pages (that's also makes it easy to remember, so you can track your progress through the book!), and Strobel writes in a very easy-to-understand way. Therefore, "The Case for Christmas" would not only be a good read, but a relatively easy one. For sure, this is one that you could also give to others if they have also had any questions about Christ and Christmas. Try it for yourself! It's easy points for the Winter Challenge (just trying to be fair here lol). Even if you do it for just he challenge, I am confident you will get some enjoyment outside of just the points!]]> 2023-01-05 22:59:54 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435188481 Genesis 9-13 (Rey) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435193649 Read for DT. These chapters mark the end of Noah's story and the beginning of Abraham's (with a little bit of genealogy in between). The thing that caught my attention was God's wonderfully vivid promise of making Abraham's (whose name at the time was Abram) offspring that numbers like the sand on the seashore, which he gives to Abram right after he generously allows Lot the first pick of the land while he would take whatever is left (meaning that he would most likely take second best). This is a lot like the promise in Chapter 15 where God reassures Abram —who was feeling discouraged right after taking a large step of faith and still not seeing anything yet—of this promise, this time using the stars (probably because it was dark). This brings me back to Angell Shieh's message, which talked about how God sees when, for him, we choose not to take first best (e.g., the most practical) choice. It's amazing, because the more we rely on God the way he wants us to, the more we get to see him move in ways that we couldn't see or imagine and the more we find out that second best is actually the best decision when God's involved.]]> 2023-01-05 23:14:28 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435193649 Proverbs 11-13 (Rey) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435214358 Personal reading. Pretty interesting on how Solomon describes the diligent and the slothful, such that the only difference between them is the work they put in. Both the diligent and slothful experience want, they both have the resources and they both work, but the slothful doesn't do anything with what he has and, as a result, constantly craves but doesn't get his craving satisfied (since he does not do the work to get it) and he becomes an impoverished slave who can only do what he is forced to do (not what he wants, since he cannot even force himself to do that), from which, of course, he gets nothing except, perhaps the necessities to survive, which he could not have gotten on his own (his laziness is what left him impoverished). This, of course, however, is just existing, not living.

    On the other hand, the diligent is able to gains much and finds himself soul satisfied.]]>     2023-01-06 00:17:21 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435214358     George Muller (Cindy Zhao) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435375940 George Muller was a Christian evangelist who grew up in the early 1800s and was quite rebellious. He grew up to study theology due to his father's pressure to obtain a good salary. He attended a bible study to make fun of Christians but received a revelation by John 3:16. He started his Christian journey with disregarding the Bible, but quickly realized that God's Word and studying it is important to the faith. He recognized how much closer he felt with God as he spent time studying the word and spending time in prayer, that through meditation regularly the word began to change him. He did a lot of missionary work and shared the Gospel in several impoverished communities. He recognized how important it was to first service the physical needs. He built an orphanage that still exists today. He never asked others for help, rather he would pray to God for long periods of time and waited for prayers to be answered. This was very inspiring because Muller proved how one needs to stay in the presence and will of God to achieve things of God. He did not move until he was told what to do from God. He fully trusted in God's timing and will.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ8DKz1mpa8&list=WL&index=6&ab_channel=RevelationTV]]>     2023-01-06 05:10:50 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435375940     Genesis 9-13 megankim3 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435377041 I was really touched by the relational nature of God: the way that He is a God of second chances and continues to bless man after falling away from Him and the way that He constantly reaffirms Abram of his promise. I was particularly struck by Genesis 12:7-8 where along Abram's journey of walking with God, God and Abram reaffirm their commitment to one another. I found this to be a really tender picture of God and Abram's relationship and saw Abram's response of building an altar and calling upon the name of the Lord as a child-like response to God's promises. ]]> 2023-01-06 05:14:02 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435377041 Kshama Jayaraj (Cindy Zhao) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435383310 Kshama Jayaraj is a founder of a Christian church in India, who is currently working to share the Gospel in India and Ireland with the inspiration of Amy Carmichael, an Irish missionary who spent decades helping vulnerable Indian children, building an orphanage. The attendance of church is at an all-time low and she works to try to improve it. She persists through the several religious divisions that exist in India and the UK. She is very creative in her approach in sharing the story of Jesus to attract several different age groups (i.e. adding dance to worship and puppets for younger children). What I found most inspiring was her dedication and determination to the work. She also learned along the way how it was the most effective when she took the time to build relationships with those who she is trying to reach and demonstrate how being a Christian is more than attending church. To do all this, she had to unlearn a lot of social systems and thought processes imposed on her growing up in India to love and do for others like Jesus.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dRFZdqYbg&list=WL&index=7&ab_channel=Parable-ReligiousHistoryDocumentaries]]>     2023-01-06 05:31:46 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435383310     Psalm 3-4 - Joanna https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435680888 Psalm 4: 4-5 Be angry, and do not sin;
    ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. 
    Offer right sacrifices,
    and put your trust in the LORD.

    Here, the Bible is so real. God knows that there will be maddening and frustrating situations in life. Here, David is being attacked by enemies. God doesn't say be zen about it, and don't be angry. It's not a sin to be angry over unjust situations. But he says, you will be angry, but do not sin. Meaning do not seek vengeance against those who do you wrong. If you've ever been deeply hurt by someone this is incredibly difficult. But it can only happen by listening to God's instructions, "ponder in your own hearts on your beds, be silent." IOW to reflect on who God is, he is the one you can put your trust in, he's the one who will bring about justice in your life. And God did this by bringing about justice through Jesus, not by punishing wrongdoers, but he took on the punishment that we all deserved. And when you ponder on this, your anger and desires for vengeance dissipates.


    ]]>     2023-01-06 14:17:34 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435680888     Spiritual conversation with my family - Joanna https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435694199 Thankful to have spiritual conversations with my mom, my brother, and my sister in law when I visited them in Portland.  

    Mom- she's an atheist and has been through some sad things with my sisters' passing 5 years ago and my dad's cancer diagnosis. I appealed to her to seriously study Xianity esp. bc life is short and she doesn't have that many years left when her mind is clear and thinking still sharp. She was reluctant at first but agreed to do C101 1x/week with me. So please pray for that time! :) 

    My brother - he's pretty closed off to xianity right now, and says he just can't believe that God exists and there's only 1 right religion. Was pretty put-off that Xians claim the truth and that all other religions are wrong.  So I'm praying that God would soften his heart and he'd be open in the future.  

    My sister in law - She's gone to church before, and learned that she does believe in the gospel. However, she's so busy with her job, being a mom of 2 young kids, that she hasn't regularly gone to church in years. Praying that she will have a personal encounter with Christ, and recommit her life again. She feels burdened for her kids though to have Christian influence, so please pray that through her kids she'll go back to church. ]]>     2023-01-06 14:29:11 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435694199     Gen 9-13 - Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435748825 Was struck by Abram's call: go and I will make you into a blessing. In some ways, it reflects my own spiritual journey. I had to leave all that was familiar in order to obey God. It's amazing Abram's faith and trust in God and how he just picked up and went totally based on God's Word. I had a hard time really leaving everything behind and God knows there's more I need to leave in order to receive God's promises of salvation and blessing and making me into a blessing.]]> 2023-01-06 15:14:00 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435748825 Psalm 3-4 - Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435756160 Ps 3:2-3 Many are saying of my soul, "There is no salvation for him in God." But you, O Lord are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head.
    I've struggled with this accusation through a lot of my Christian life. Not from actual enemies but from my own head, doubting whether God had really forgiven me but like v.3 I'm reminded that it doesn't actually depend on me, it's really about God. He is the shield. He is my glory. He is the lifter of my head. I crucified him on the cross but He chose to be crucified so that salvation belongs to our God and not to me or anyone or anything else. Praise God.]]>     2023-01-06 15:20:34 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435756160     2 Chron 16-36, Ps 74-80 - Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435948920 It's sad to go through the history of the various kings of Judah and see the ups and downs. Of all the kings very few are said to have had been faithful to God and even the ones that did, there are events that are noted that taint that faithfulness to God. But at the same time, I think it's very realistic to all of our stories, none of us are fully true and faithful to God 100%. What's reassuring is that God is faithful to His promise to David throughout the whole time.
    In the psalms, there's a theme of struggling with holding onto God while the people all around them pursued other gods and while it seemed like pursuing God didn't result in anything good. Really good psalms to go back to in the midst of increasingly secular world where Christians are more and more rare.]]>     2023-01-06 18:37:43 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435948920     Amy Carmichael (Dave Patel) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435963403 Amy Carmichael was an Irish missionary to India who was inspired and convicted to missionary work after hearing Hudson Taylor speak about missionary work at a convention. Amy suffered from neuralgia which caused her to be rejected from missionary work in China due to her unfit health. She later boarded a ship to Japan, where she shared the gospel and led the captain to Christ by the time they arrived in Japan. After a brief return home, Amy then moved to Banagalore, India where she founded the Dohnavur Fellowship that became a safe haven for many girls and young women that were forced in temple prostitution. Amy, to the distaste of other local missionaries, began to dress in traditional clothing of the Indian people and began to give Indian names to the girls she rescued. Amy was a faith filled woman who continued to trust in God even after being rejected to foreign missions work in China. She was confident that God had plans to use her life to bring the gospel to others. Amy was also very clear on discipleship, teaching the kids that God expects 100% dedication and that should be respected. When one young girl wrote to Amy asking her what missionary work was like, Amy replied "Missionary life is simply a chance to die". Amy spent most of the final 20 years of her life bedridden, unable to walk, yet in that time she was able to write 13 of the 37 books she wrote throughout her life, carrying on her legacy and the work God was able to accomplish through her.]]> 2023-01-06 18:54:12 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435963403 Boundaries [Marisa Kingston] https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435963773 Boundaries: When to Say Yes and How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life is a self-help book written by Dr. Henry Cloud, a Christian clinical psychologist. The book ties in Christian ideals and biblical and real-life examples to teach people how to set healthy boundaries in their life, both with other people and with themselves. Cloud argues that setting boundaries allows people to better manage their time, energy, and emotions, as well as show how to deal with difficult people in healthy ways. The advice given is good within itself, and explaining some of the concepts in a Christian setting is helpful and unique. However, apart from a couple sections, much of the information and advice in the book is the exact same, just regurgitated in different ways. This causes the book to feel too repetitive and boring to focus on the helpful information. This also plays into the Christian examples, as they start off fantastic, but can also feel too repetitive. This book was also written in 1992, so a couple of the information seems outdated or out of pocket currently. I do like the advice in and of itself and what the book seeks to accomplish, but would enjoy the book more if it was half the size, as I feel like much of the repeated information can be easily summarized. Overall, I would rate the book a 5/10 ]]> 2023-01-06 18:54:41 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2435963773 CT Studd - China, India, then Africa xunkaichen https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2436066944 Charles Thomas Studd, or CT Studd, was a missionary to China, India, and Africa in the late 1800s. CT grew up in a rich family where 2 other of his siblings and he are all well-known cricket players. At 18, CT was saved but backslid in his faith for the first 6 years. Yet God kept working in his life and led him eventually to China. He was one of the "Cambridge Seven" who offered themselves to Hudson Taylor for missionary service in the China Inland Mission and in February 1885, sailed for China. At 25, CT received a great inheritance from his dad and decided to give most of it away for missionary work. After he got married, his wife and CT decided to give away all their savings to support God’s work. From this moment on, they are entirely dependent on God’s provisions! So inspiring! After enduring many hardships in China, in 1894, the Studds had to move back to England due to their health decline. In 1900 the Studds sailed for India. After a couple of years, CT again felt God’s calling for him to go to Africa as he saw the dire need for pioneer mission work in central Africa, some of the most unreached places. He is determined to go despite his wife and doctor’s objections due to his poor health conditions. As a young man he staked his career, in China he staked his fortune, now he staked his life. His answer to the Committee was: “Gentlemen, God has called me to go, and I will go. I will blaze the trail, though my grave may only become a stepping stone that younger men may follow." Leaving his wife and four daughters in England, CT sailed, contrary to medical advice, for the heart of Africa in 1910, where he continued to work until his death in 1931.
    CT’s life is characterized by surrendering to the Lord over and over again as he pioneered many mission fields and initiatives. I really want to imitate his fully devoted heart. He risked everything that this world can offer and literally give everything, including his life and family, to the mission work. He demonstrated to me what it means to follow Christ without remorse, and without looking back. And finally, the most famous quote from CT, “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.” 
    ]]>     2023-01-06 21:23:20 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2436066944     Psalm 119:11 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2436183764 Ben]]> 2023-01-07 03:43:11 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2436183764 Proverbs 3:5-6 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2436184869 Ben]]> 2023-01-07 03:47:39 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2436184869 Psalm 3-4 megankim3 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2436187553 What stood out to me from today's DT was the common topic of sleep! In Psalm 3:5, David says that he can sleep and wake each day because the Lord sustains him. In Psalm 4:8, he says that he can have peace as he sleeps because he can dwell in God's safety. I was reminded of how in the small, daily aspects of my life, I can be reminded of the sustenance and peace that God provides. ]]> 2023-01-07 03:59:27 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2436187553 Samuel Morris (Cindy Zhao) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2436910430 Samuel Morris was born as Prince Kaboo, who was captured by a rival Liberian tribe at 15. He was constantly whipped and was able to escape, finding another boy on a plantation from whom he learned about God. He went to church one Sunday and heard about the light Saul saw, and Morris shared that he saw the same light and gave his life to Jesus. He was always interested in learning more about Jesus and followed other believers who pursued biblical truth and understanding. One thing that challenged me was how his life was a true example of believing in Jesus in tough times. Though he was abused by others and experienced danger, others witnessed his peace and constant prayer, which led them to also give their lives to Christ. He had a great impact on others, despite only living 20 years on this earth.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oepb7dJnxoY&t=541s&ab_channel=VisionVideo
    ]]>     2023-01-08 17:50:33 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2436910430     Psalm 1 & 2 Notes - Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2437115717 2023-01-09 01:29:12 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2437115717 Prov 1: 1-19 - Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2437119637 Thankful for the Proverbs and that God is like the father wanting to give us wisdom by giving us the Proverbs. Thankful that through a lot of the work of my leaders and God's intervention in my life, I have learned more how to fear the Lord and that has indeed changed my entire life. It is the beginning of wisdom, of understanding the world and how to live in it with obedience instead of before when I knew God's Word but refused to live it out because of fears. I feared much more other things rather than God Himself. In order to gain wisdom though I need to grow in my humility and teachability to be able to learn from every situation and gain the wisdom I need for the future.]]> 2023-01-09 01:35:09 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2437119637 Matt 1-4, Psalm 81-82 - Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2437122650 Reading the genealogy of Jesus, I'm always encouraged by the women in the genealogy. They represent the same people who throughout Matthew respond to Jesus positively, those who knew their need, those who didn't come from a religious background, those who had done despicable things in the past, but they become the blessed ones that can repent and receive the kingdom of God. I need to have that kind of perspective towards the failures of my past and the failures of my present. These don't disqualify me to receive the kingdom of God but actually become an opportunity for me to respond to Jesus' first message: repent for the kingdom of God is near. 
    This is actually echoed in Psalm 82. The weak and needy are those who will cry out to God for rescue. ]]>     2023-01-09 01:39:19 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2437122650     Psalm 5 katiewong516 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2437873392 1/9
    V. 11 “But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you”

    I was really blessed by today’s DT passage, especially the reminder that I have permission to rejoice. I’m reminded that I can cling to joy, not because my situation is easy/perfect, but because God is good and his character is unchanging. As I reflected more on God’s character (attentive, righteous, just, gracious, and generous), I was just in awe that someone like God would care about someone like me. Yet, that is the God we serve, and because of Christ's work on the cross, his righteousness is imparted to me. This is why I’m able to come before God, and it is only through the abundance of his steadfast love (v.7). Through all of the ups and downs of life, especially uncertainty for the future, I can be certain that God remains the same, and because of that, I can rejoice. 
    ]]>     2023-01-09 14:43:38 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2437873392     Psalm 5 - Joanna https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2437956718 vv. 4-5 
    For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
    evil may not dwell with you.
    The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;
    you hate all evildoers.

    v. 7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
    will enter your house.
    I will bow down toward your holy temple
    in the fear of you.

    vv. 4-5 is pretty scary bc God is so perfectly good and holy that he hates evildoers.  Wicked people cannot dwell or even be in his presence.  
    This is bad news for us sinners, bc it makes sense because if God is indeed good, he Must hate sin. God must condemn sin and cannot compromise with it. Then this means left to ourselves we can never be in GOd's presence, we rightfully deserved to be banished from his presence. 

    But v. 7 is a relief because it says "but I" which is something every Christian has experienced. There is a big turn of events bc God has shown un his abundant steadfast love through sending Jesus to die for evil people. So it's based on Christ's sacrifice that we're able to be made righteous and can enter into God's house, and in response we gratefully worship him. 

    I'm thankful that I do not have to be righteous on my own bc looking inside there's nothing good in me. But so thankful that God took the initiative to make me righteous through his son!


    ]]>     2023-01-09 15:28:39 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2437956718     What does the Bible say about the death penalty? (Cindy Zhao) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2438633899 God created the death penalty because God values life (Genesis 9:5-7). If one takes a human life unjustly, they forfeit their right to life. The death penalty is a necessary and moral consequence for murder. God made this the consequence because it will deter many from committing murder due to fear of the consequence (Romans 13:4). God knows how sinful people can all be, especially if we can get away with all the bad we can do. There may be flaws in the governing authority, but when the death penalty is applied appropriately and justly, God approves of it.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkKtD711KuM&list=WL&index=2&ab_channel=GenerationChurch
    ]]>     2023-01-10 01:39:56 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2438633899     What does the Bible say about cremation? (Cindy Zhao) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2438634403 Cremation is becoming more popular in the Western world, which can be due to it being more economical than burials and that funerals are becoming more secular. Burial was the usual procedure for a dead body in the Bible. It was usually done the day someone died to prevent the spread of disease. There were very few instances of cremation in the biblical world. The Greeks would cremate a decimated body and bury the bones. However, there is no direct command on what to do with the body after physical death. We should just lead with love and practice the second commandment. Some Christians may argue that the body still needs to be shown respect after death as the spirit resides in the material and immaterial body. However, what matters is that the life and funeral of the individual is Christ-centered and testifies in every aspect to the truth and hope of the Gospel.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLzOVtd7y6o&list=WL&index=2&ab_channel=Spirit%26Truth
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMLdmoRASYo&list=WL&index=2&ab_channel=LeMarsBibleChurch
    ]]>     2023-01-10 01:40:43 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2438634403     Are deathbed conversions legitimate? (Cindy Zhao) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2438634936 The short answer is yes, it can be. Hank Hanegraaff answers this question briefly by bringing up the criminal being crucified with Jesus who repents and is promised eternity in paradise. However, Hanegraaff says that what we do now matters and that everyday we should participate in the kingdom because we are storing up treasures in heaven. Though one can be saved in the last moments of their life, the degree of reward in heaven is not as high. It is foolish and a mockery to know about God and believe in Jesus and choose to live for ourselves and wait until the end of our lives to make Jesus Lord. Many people, even Christians, are deluded in believing that they are promised eternity in heaven with God when they repent at the last moments because it is a "good deal" without allowing Jesus and truth to rule their lives now, which is the wrong reason to seek salvation. That is to say, we never know when we will die, so it is wise for people to believe now and repent for their sins and make Jesus Lord and Savior in their lives.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecTh62AUl5o&list=WL&index=1&ab_channel=BibleAnswerMan
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CzjBkBoKl8&list=WL&index=2&ab_channel=JusttheBible
    ]]>     2023-01-10 01:41:30 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2438634936     What does the Bible say about justice? (Cindy Zhao) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2438635255 Humans care so much about justice because we are made set apart from other beings in this world. We are all made equal in God's eyes, but sin causes people to preserve self and take advantage of others, rather than treating them with the dignity they deserve. Everyone is guilty of injustice. Christians need to live for restorative justice- seeking out vulnerable people and helping them, not manipulating them- and creating systems that promote justice, which is only possible if we live radically selfless life, which is God's will for us (Jeremiah 22:3; Psalm 146:7-9; Micah 6:8; James 2:14-18). 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A14THPoc4-4&list=WL&index=1&ab_channel=BibleProject
    ]]>     2023-01-10 01:41:58 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2438635255     What does the Bible say about social media? (Cindy Zhao) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2438635746 The Bible does not speak directly about social media, but it gives us insight to how to behave when using it. The way we act on social media should not be different from our actual selves. We should not use social media as a platform to complain and settle disputes within the church like how the Corinthian church brought their disputes to public court to be settled by nonbelievers. This is because there are many nonbelievers who do not have the same interest and it gives them a skewed impression of the church. We should not let our emotions get the best of us, despite how emotionally charging social media can be. We should also not let the secular, worldly desires take a hold on us and affect our desires and act in ways that continue to feed our flesh. Instead, we should use social media (if we choose to) as a tool to edify our speech to be encouraging and kind. Even if we may post something controversial to the world as it represents the truth of God, our response to any disagreement should be gracious because our words are powerful.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9n3ZvwqkZwU&list=WL&index=2&ab_channel=oneminutepreacher
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYCpS8yVfn0&list=WL&index=2&ab_channel=AbundantGraceChurch
    ]]>     2023-01-10 01:42:30 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2438635746     What is the difference between Biblical love and worldly love? (Cindy Zhao) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2438636190 A listener asked on a podcast "Why do I have such a hard time loving others?" and "Why does it seem like people who do not believe in God seem to be capable of loving others?" Hank Hanegraaff says that one cannot genuinely love without the understanding of the biblical concept of love. Love requires commitment- commitment to God first- and the feeling is the fruit. We as Christians strive for the standard of loving our neighbor as ourselves, though we may sometimes fail. Worldly love is more akin to lust and it cannot be as great of a standard than biblical love, which is patient, kind, does not envy and boast, etc. In Christ, we die to self and strive to love like Jesus.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31X2XZ6B3lk&list=WL&index=7&ab_channel=BibleAnswerMan
    ]]>     2023-01-10 01:43:12 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2438636190     Psalm 5 - Esther https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2438639894 v. 3 O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch

    In the commentary/footnotes, the phrase "I prepare a sacrifice for you" can also be read with "I direct my prayer to you". This posture of David lifting up a prayer to God in the morning really stood out to me. Starting the day off with God is something that I want to imitate, especially this year. 

    v. 11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.

    I had to look up what exult meant and when we exult in something we feel/show triumphant elation or jubilation. This is a great word to describe how we should feel as God's children! There's no need for me to fall into despair due to certain situations or drown in self-pity because God has given me the gift of eternal life and given me a purpose to live this life!]]>     2023-01-10 01:48:24 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2438639894     If God, Why Evil? by Dr. Sean McDowell - [Stanley] https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2438702452 What is evil?
    "My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust, but how had I gotten this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?" -C.S. Lewis
    Evil is a corruption of what is Good

    The problem of Evil
    1) If God is all powerful, he can stop evil
    2) If God is good, he would want to stop evil
    3) Evil exists
    4) Therefore God does not exist

    A) God cannot make Free beings and prevent them from doing evil. God cannot make a square circle.

    B) God allows evil and suffering wakes people up to think about eternity and trust him.

    C) God understands our suffering because Jesus suffered and died. And then he conquered the grave which gives us confidence to trust God in the midst of our suffering.]]>     2023-01-10 03:14:35 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2438702452     Should Christians Support Gay Marriage? by J.D. Greear - [Stanley] https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2440036056 A) Bible has at least six very clear passages prohibiting or condemning homosexual relationships.

    B) But can’t we believe that it is wrong and still allow marriage? Christians don’t think every wrong thing should be illegal.
    Should we apply that to gay marriage? No, marriage is such a building block. 

    The differences between genders is necessary in the home where love is demonstrated. Homosexuality in the home distorts a child’s understanding of his/her sexuality. 
    When this breaks down–whether through same-sex marriages or polygamy or whatever–the family breaks down, society breaks down]]>     2023-01-10 21:50:38 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2440036056     The Case for Life: A Scientific and Philosophical Defense of the Unborn by Dr. Sean McDowell - [Stanley] https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2440171517 1) The unborn is alive
      - Mom, dad, sperm, egg => All alive

    2) The unborn is separate from the mother
      - Unique DNA, distinct organism
      - ~6 weeks heartbeat
      - Bodily autonomy argument => We don't always have the right to do whatever we want with our bodies. Example: When it harms others.

    3) Human but not Person? What are the differences between born and unborn?
      - Size
      - Level of development
      - Environment
      - Dependent
    Intrinsic value and right to life don't come from any of these things. If we deny any of these, we'd also discriminate against other people groups.



    ]]>     2023-01-11 01:28:57 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2440171517     lesson learned: you really can share your testimony with literally anyone. [Minah] https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2441272194 I had been going to the same hairdresser ("Mr. H") for quite some now, but I didn't think I would be sharing my testimony with him. He saw me working on my DT that I didn't get to finish in the morning and asked if I was doing QT ("quiet time"), and understood immediately what DT was when I explained it to him.

    I got to tell Mr. H all about Gracepoint, how I started coming out, and how I felt burdened for my parents who don't go to church, to which he responded, "What a good thing, that God has given you the privilege of leading them to salvation!" I felt so encouraged in that moment that I wanted to call my parents right then and there (maybe I should have 🤔).

    But the story doesn't end there! Mr. H started to share about the church that he himself attends; their elementary through middle school students come regularly and have no trouble making friends because there are many of them. On the other hand, high school students seldom come or don't seem to want anything to do with the messages or praise. College students are a rare sight overall - very few of them continue to attend church in school, and even fewer come back to their home church during break. It was easy to tell that Mr. H really wanted more for these students and for them to cling into their faith, no matter how small it was. 

    I began to feel burdened and told him that I knew exactly what he was saying because I had seen it firsthand and experienced similar things. I shared a little bit more on how I had no intention of finding a church in college, but God still managed to lead me back to Him.

    Mr. H seemed more hopeful for the kids in his church after hearing my story. I will continue editing and updating this post since I am still waiting for the first part of my hair to be done :')

    I'm so thankful for God guiding me through this conversation and giving me a temporary but powerful boost of courage to share my story :) Cheers!]]>     2023-01-11 18:30:01 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2441272194     Psalms 3-5; Genesis 14-22; Proverbs 6-9 & 11-12 (Rey) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2441644984 Previous DTs and Personal Study

    For the Psalms, on interesting thing in Psalm 4:4-5 is how anger is not necessarily sinful. Therefore, the question is when anger actually becomes sinful and how to prevent it. For King David, the key to not sinning as a result of your anger is through "pondering" it in your hearts and being "silent". Rather than just pondering on what made you angry, what is more likely is the pondering of the whole event objectively (with the idea of "being silent" being to prevent you from injecting your own narrative in it so that it looks worse than it actually is. This seems to refer, then to the process of reflection, where you put down all things objectively so as to right size the events and the emotions associated with them. 

    Just sharing from this most recent DT (Genesis 22), this marks the third time (note that it is the third number here, which usually symbolizes the "completeness" of something) that God states his promise to multiply Abraham's offspring. This only happens after Abraham prepares to sacrifice Isaac, his one and only son. This says something about the nature of sacrifice to God, since the only times when he pronounced this to Abraham was when Abraham gave up something in faith to God, even when anything and everything else would've told him to do otherwise (the first time with Lot, where he gave up the first choice of the land, the second time  with the King of Sodom, where he gave up riches, and this final time where he gave up Isaac). For God, these acts of sacrifice, which came/would've come at a strongly personal cost for Abraham, were something that he treasured greatly. My thought is that it is because it shows genuine, pure, unadulterated faith in him. Perhaps it is best seen in a marriage or in any super close relationship, where the person on the other side of the relationship shows you that, though they are imperfect, they take you at your word and are faithful to you, even if it costs them something great. Surely as well, these acts of sacrifice also are reminiscent of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for us. Because of these things, the sacrifices would be considered beautiful. I'm pretty sure God sees it like that too.

    In Proverbs 11, what struck me were verses 23-26. These, similar to the story of Abraham, show that it is the one who is blessed in their giving, and not the one who acts for the sake of self-preservation, who is blessed. For those who give, although they might not get back what they had given in the first place, they will get something greater than what they had first given. Meanwhile, the one who holds back continues to suffer from want and ends up with the experience of being cursed (perhaps because a self-preservation mindset constantly has the feeling that they need more, something that is never satisfied, while the giving mindset comes from a person that finds that they don't need more, meaning that they feel secure in some way, whether it be in that area or in some related area that affects it).

    ]]>     2023-01-12 01:52:13 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2441644984     2 Timothy 1+2 HeleneHoran https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2441772043 There are so many verses in this chapter that are quoted frequently by Christians, and it’s a very important chapter to remember on the winter Vision trip in addition to my everyday life. I know I need to apply things such as not being ashamed or scared to share Christianity to my daily life much more often, so I am very glad for the studying we have done on this chapter already at Vision. I’ve learned that God views the soldiers that keep marching on despite trials as good, and that I am already fully equipped for evangelism. All I need are the power, love, and sound mind that God has already equipped me with.]]> 2023-01-12 04:45:01 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2441772043 2 Timothy 3+4 HeleneHoran https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2442279736 These chapters reassure us God’s word is THE word; the only truth. Humans will pursue other learning, but they will never find the truth if they don’t read the Bible. These chapters also reassure us that persecution is a normal part of the Christian experience, and this encourages us to keep going. Plus, by reading this, we know we are not alone in this good fight; every person that lives godly in Jesus is persecuted. The Lord will deliver us from evil, so there’s nothing to fear.]]> 2023-01-12 13:50:07 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2442279736 Psalm 5 - Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2442946326 "But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you."
    I love this verse. It is truly out of God's steadfast love. This is what defines the righteous and the wicked. It's that I have turned from my wickedness and thrown myself upon God's steadfast love. And what's the reward? God's house, worship in his holy temple. The church, the body of Christ, corporate worship. This is the rich abundant life God wants for all of us.]]>     2023-01-12 23:14:02 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2442946326     Gen 14-26 - Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2442951855 Gen 15:6 And he believed the Lord and he counted it to him as righteousness.
    This verse is really important and is referenced by Paul in Romans. God gets to count Abraham's faith as righteousness. It's like a gift, counting Abraham as such though not inherently so. And it's not moral uprightness but faith and that becomes righteousness. That's really good news and the hope for all of us that just by faith I'm saved and deemed, counted as righteous in God's eyes.

    Gen 19:16 But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. This is another referenced verse. I was also struck that Lot lingered and the angels had to pull him out of Sodom out of God's mercy. Even though they both knew very clearly that it was all going to destruction, still they had given their hearts to Sodom. They had built a life there, invested, grew in status there so that Lot even sat at the gate. So much so that even when it was getting destroyed, they couldn't let it go. Don't I know as well that this life is temporary and that it will all be destroyed, then why am I tempted by the call of comfort and settling down? I must take heed.]]>     2023-01-12 23:26:48 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2442951855     Gen 14-26 - Joanna https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2443092944 Genesis 15: 1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”

    This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. It's actually the verse that helped me be at peace about working full time for church. At first I was scared to let go of me and Michael's careers and devote our whole lives to serving the church without contingency plans. But I remember at a team retreat hearing a message on how Abraham felt so vulnerable after turning down a huge amount of plunder and offending the King of Sodom. God saw that Abraham did that to show trust and devotion to God, so he came to him and used the metaphor of God being his "shield" which is exactly what Abraham desires at that point, someone to cover him, protect him, and that's what God did for him in that moment. That's what this story did for me in my time of feeling very frightened to depend fully on God. I experienced God being my shield, and ever since I made that decision God has always provided for us! PTL! ]]>     2023-01-13 03:06:04 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2443092944     Deuteronomy 6-12 - Joanna https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2443095607 Deuteronomy 8:2 And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. 

    I was reminded how much God desires us to remember our past history with him, through all the thick and thin. God wants a personal relationship and part of that is acknowledging the past, so that we can go with God towards the future with humility and gratitude. ]]>     2023-01-13 03:09:51 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2443095607     Shared my Testimony at Vision HeleneHoran https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2443115682 We wrote testimony boards and I shared mine with the group at Vision. From practicing sharing among friends, I feel prepared to share my story with new people. Plus, I got to really think about my testimony, as I’ve never written it out like this before. I now have identified the key points in my journey towards faith, so that I’m better equipped to share and relate with others.]]> 2023-01-13 03:38:15 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2443115682 Psalm 46:10 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2444172676 2023-01-14 03:09:09 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2444172676 Psalm 6 - Mike Ho https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2444176214 What a wonderful blessing it is that we can turn to God when we are languishing, when our bodies are wearied, when our souls are troubled. As I get older, I thank God that he is someone I can turn to for deliverance whether it's a physical ailment or some emotional burden. And I thank God that he hears our plea and accepts our prayers. Such desperate moments are God-given opportunities to depend on God.]]> 2023-01-14 03:21:55 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2444176214 Lehigh University (30m from Riverlodge!) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2444192387 https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1zwdNCwmAouG1nGD0yboTRu18IYipbhNFUhgxllXU_hc/edit?pli=1#slide=id.g1c7909ddc99_0_45]]> 2023-01-14 04:35:42 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2444192387 Psalm 6 - MaryKim https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2444193088 I was very blessed by today's Psalm and was challenged by David's humility towards God in asking for His mercy, even though he knows that what he deserves is rebuke and discipline. In the commentary that I read, it said that when we are rebuked / disciplined by God, it is less of a marker of God's anger and is a true marker of our adoption - for only a father would discipline their sons or daughters. In the end, David is reassured that God hears his prayers and that He is indeed a God of mercy therefore he can turn in victory over his sins and enemies.]]> 2023-01-14 04:39:18 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2444193088 Joy to the World HeleneHoran https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2444202884 I did some Dining Hall Outreach for the first time and I shared the gospel with the girl I talked to. She didn’t seem all that receptive (although only God can tell how she really felt about it), especially because she recently experienced a traumatic event. I tried my best to show sympathy and explain why evil exists, because she was curious. I invited her to more of our Vision events and I hope that she comes; God works in so many interesting ways. Please keep her in your prayers 💕.]]> 2023-01-14 05:31:08 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2444202884 There’s More to Life HeleneHoran https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2444204078 I have a non-Christian friend that I texted, asking if I could pray for her, as she’s really struggling being stuck at home for winter break with her parents (with whom she has a very broken relationship). She agreed, and I sent her my prayer for her, and she seemed very thankful. I was also greatly encouraged when she asked me about my own personal struggles and said that she would pray for me as well. I’ve been praying to God daily for a spiritual breakthrough with her and Vision has really encouraged me to put myself out there a bit more. I’m just so glad to know that we have THE God who listens.]]> 2023-01-14 05:37:15 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2444204078 2 Timothy 1 and 2 HeleneHoran https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2444205010 (This is a reread, and it was for yesterday)

    I realized from rereading 2 Timothy 1:9 just how powerful it is that God knew we would be sinners before the world even began, and He still loved us enough to create us. It’s a beautiful relationship we have with Him, that He was willing to create us knowing that THE price would have to be paid as a result. I feel as though I overlooked this verse the first time, but I like that I noticed it more during this reread.]]>     2023-01-14 05:43:01 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2444205010     First time doing dining hall outreach [Katie Wong] https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2444335001 Thursday (1/12) was our first day at Dartmouth! We had two options for lunch: going to the student center (not for outreach) or going to the dining hall to meet students. Dining hall outreach has always seemed somewhat intimidating, but after reflecting on the life of D.L. Moody + others just the day before, I felt like God was nudging me to be bold, so I opted for the dining hall. To my surprise, I was more excited than nervous! Once we got to Dartmouth, I teamed up with one of the staff + another student but decided that I’d go solo if I saw a student sitting alone. This is when the nervousness kicked in, but I decided that I was going to follow through with the commitment I had just made. IMMEDIATELY as I walked into the seating area, I noticed a girl sitting there by herself. I prayed that God would give me courage and asked if I could sit w/ her. I learned her name (Yasmine) and asked about school + her life, found out that she’s a freshman, and then asked about her spiritual background. She replied saying that she’s muslim. I wanted to try and dive into deeper spiritual conversation, so I mentioned how often times identity+purpose are deeply intertwined with faith, and asked how that played out in her life. She took a while to respond, eventually saying that she didn’t know, but it seemed like she had never really considered those Q’s before. I forget the exact follow-up questions I asked, but Yasmine seemed somewhat uninterested, so I decided just to ask more about her life, family, and how she ended up at Dartmouth. Our conversation got cut short because she had to run off to class, but I ended by encouraging her to think about those questions because they greatly impact how you orient your life — what your priorities are, how you’re going to live your life, and whether you know if you’re living for the right thing. We ended on a good note, and she wished me good luck for my last semester. I was somewhat disappointed when she headed out because I was left eating alone at this two-seater table when I was supposed to be there talking to students. I was thankful that Isaiah had covered 2 Timothy 3 during the previous night’s plenary and that he encouraged us to just show up — even if you don’t feel like you have a lot to give, the least you can do is show up. That’s how I felt coming out of this experience because I didn’t have a huge breakthrough with Yasmine, but I realized this could be my sacrifice to God, just making myself available to be used in whatever capacity God chooses. I ended up finishing my food alone and prayed for Yasmine. I’m really grateful that I came out of this experience with greater burden for students who do not have the gospel, and I’m excited to go out again, initiating spiritual conversations + sharing the love of Christ with those at Dartmouth :) ]]> 2023-01-14 13:54:59 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2444335001 Day 2 dining hall outreach [Katie Wong] https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2444345930 Yesterday was our second day at Dartmouth, which meant more dining hall outreach :) I was feeling really encouraged going through 2 Timothy 1-2 again for DT and witnessing other vision students going out of their comfort zones to be bold in their faith. It was significantly more crowded in the DH than the day before, and I felt really intimidated by the large crowds, but I decided that I was going to follow through with it. I ended up sitting with a girl named Zoe, a freshman studying law/politics. I asked her about her interest in law, and we ended up talking about how power often motivates people’s actions. I mentioned how we see that a lot in today’s world and how being motivated by power often leads to hurt and a lot of the issues we see in society, to which she agreed. Then I asked, “Since you’re interested in law, if there’s something you could change about our world, what would it be?” She mentioned how she would change the fact that people often fail to take the feelings of others into consideration. I asked about her experience with friends/if there was something that led her to that conclusion, to which she said no, but I could almost tell there was something from the look in her eye. I didn’t want to pry, so I shared a bit of my testimony, being hurt by friends many times during high school and feeling discarded once they no longer needed me. We talked about the problem of viewing relationships as transactional and how it’s hurtful because this view fails to recognize that every human has value. I shared G of the GOSPEL acrostic, explaining how God values every human being, and I asked if she had any religious background. I found out that she grew up Christian, but isn’t actively seeking Christian community on campus. I sensed some discomfort when I started asking about her spiritual background, and I could tell that she wasn’t at a place to share. I ended up telling her about the Happiness talk and Sunday service, and we talked a bit about how people often turn to the wrong things for happiness — trying to fill the void with things that are not able to satisfy. She ended up having to leave for class, but I’m praying that God will continue to stir her heart and that she would experience God’s love in new ways + see that the gospel is still relevant to her! ]]> 2023-01-14 14:25:45 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2444345930 Proverbs 1 - Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2444476056 "How long O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?"
    Although Wisdom calls out in the streets and in the markets, she makes it plain for anybody to find and hear and respond, yet the human condition is that we don't want wisdom. We want to be simple, we hate knowledge, we delight in our scoffing and rejection of God. We are the way we are because it benefits us in some way, even the unhealthy patterns in our lives and there because they give us some other kind of benefit. Wisdom's call is described as reproof. So the response is repentance. I hope that can grow in my humility to receive truth and knowledge in whatever shape or form it comes and be able to repent, turn around, have metanoia about the ways I'm foolish so that I can grow in wisdom and discernment.]]>     2023-01-14 20:29:38 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2444476056     2 Timothy 3+4 Reread HeleneHoran https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2444522058 Upon rereading 2 Timothy 3+4, I’ve found that I can relate more, and 2 Timothy 4:16-17 has been very comforting during Vision. Paul experienced times when he preached and wasn’t welcome, but he prayed for help and God delivered him “out of the mouth of the lion.” This text is so rich for evangelism, and it’s encouraged and inspired me through this trip.]]> 2023-01-15 00:04:03 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2444522058 Genesis 9-13 HeleneHoran https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2445179390 What really resonated with me in these chapters was Chapter 12. Abram tried lying for convenience, which is something that I often do, and it turned out horribly. Plus, the manner in which he lied implies that he didn’t trust God to deliver him from danger and evil. From now on I will do my best to remember Abram and the unnecessary plagues upon Egypt when I want to tell a lie.]]> 2023-01-16 04:34:22 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2445179390 Psalms 3-4 HeleneHoran https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2445790140 David is such an amazing example of faith. This week at Vision I’ve learned not to be scared to share my faith through reading 2 Timothy, and this cements the idea. David had thousands of people who hated him for his faith, so why should I fear one or two? True happiness that lasts comes only from the Lord, not from the approval of people I don’t know. I will remember David’s trust and joy that the Lord would deliver him from anything, and I will not fear those that are pursuing worldly matters.]]> 2023-01-16 15:26:23 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2445790140 Proverbs 1:1-19 HeleneHoran https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2445794245 I have seen just how accurate these verses are during my time at Vision. Surrounding myself with Christian friends has grown my faith exponentially in just one week; imagine what a lifetime of that could be like! This semester I will be inspired by Proverbs 1:7, 15, and 16, as they show that my priorities should lie in the knowledge of the Lord and in the relationships I have with others following His path. ]]> 2023-01-16 15:30:33 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2445794245 Psalm 7 - Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2445816719 "O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge;
    save me from all my pursuers and deliver me"
    In the context of this Psalm where David is hurt by the words of this Benjaminite, it's challenging that the first words that comes out of his mouth is trust in God. All kinds of words can come out when we're hurt, words of anger towards God for why it's happening to me, words of self-pity, words of insecurity and withdrawal. I myself tend towards these things so it's challenging to see David's trust in God and at the end his confidence and trust in God so that even though nothing has changed in his situation, he can praise God in the midst of his pain.
    ]]>     2023-01-16 15:54:04 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2445816719     Case for Resurrection Part 1 & 2 - Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2445822293 Part 1 establishes the historical facts surrounding the death and resurrection of Jesus: the empty tomb, the post-burial appearances, the disciples claim that Jesus rose from the dead.
    https://youtu.be/4qhQRMhUK1o
    Part 2 goes through the different possible theories for what could've happened and evaluates them based on the historical facts and finds that in each one of them, they're lacking. Only the theory of the resurrection holds all of the historical facts to be true. 
    https://youtu.be/6SbJ4p6WiZE]]>     2023-01-16 15:59:50 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2445822293     Can you be good without God? https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2447270476 I chose this topic because I think that there are many people who believe that they can be good without God or without believing in God. In this apologetics video, it explains this question. If there is no God, what objective is there for moral good or bad? Without an objective reference point, then there is no way to measure actions or standards and all that we're left with is one person's viewpoint. God's nature provides the objective reference point for us to determine what is good and bad. We know from our experience that when someone steals from us, that it is a felt injustice - it was "wrong" for them to do so. Therefore the moral argument ends like this, "If God does not exist, objective moral values and duties do not exist. But objective values and duties DO exist, therefore God exists." ]]> 2023-01-17 18:04:08 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2447270476 Shared my testimony at All Nations Retreat https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2447284056 I had the chance to share my testimony with one of the youth at the All Nations Retreat. After John Cai's message on Lordship, I asked her if she had ever heard Lordship explained in that way before and she said no. She explained a little bit of her background and I told her that Lordship was a new concept for me too when I started to seek God. I had the chance to weave in my testimony and said that even if we made a similar decision in the past, that as a Christian we are always finding new slices of the pie to surrender under God's Lordship and that I've had to do that many times in my life! So thankful that she was able to make a decision at the end of the retreat! ]]> 2023-01-17 18:13:49 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2447284056 Amy Carmichael https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2447318964 Amy Carmichael was a missionary in India, who was inspired after hearing Hudson Taylor speak at the Keswick Convention of 1887 of the great need in that country. Even though she suffered from neuralgia, a disease that made her whole body weak/achy/bedridden, she still followed her calling to go. She served in India for 56 years of her life without ever returning back to her homeland serving orphans in the southernmost region of India. In 1901 she rescued what was called a Temple Child, as she found out that many young girls were dedicated to the gods and forced into prostitution to earn money for their priests, and started an orphanage to care for these girls known as the Dohnavur Fellowship. This exploitation of young girls, as young as 8 years old is called the Devadasi system, where they are offered up to the temples as a way for their families to sustain a means of income. Carmichael's impact reached thousands of children, including young boys born to the temple girls and eventually in 1948 India outlawed temple prostitution. The Dohnavur Fellowship continues to this day, supporting 500 people with additional nurseries and hospitals built in over the years. So thankful for Carmichael's faithfulness and heart for these children, that she was able to fight for their physical and spiritual freedom in Christ!]]> 2023-01-17 18:35:56 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2447318964 Dartmouth College - Based on my experiences from Vision HeleneHoran https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2447701568 2023-01-18 01:54:57 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2447701568 Psalms 5 HeleneHoran https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2447707292 Those that follow God and worship Him while fearing His wrath are the smartest and happiest. He protects those that follow Him, as Psalm 5:11 states. The concentration of this chapter seems to be words, and it would be in our best interest to use our words to follow and worship God rather than evil. I will take verse 5:3 to heart and use it as a reminder to pray more often.]]> 2023-01-18 02:00:38 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2447707292 Genesis 32-33 (MaryKim) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2448403049 In Genesis, we see Jacob preparing to meet his brother face to face for the first time in 20 years. Despite his accumulation of wealth, family and blessing that he desired in his youth, no amount of possession could cover up the guilt of wronging his brother. In this season of his life, he is fully convinced of his wrongdoing and tries to come up with away to appease his brother by offering gifts to prepare his way, but at the end of Ch 32 we see Jacob left all alone as he sends off the people he cherished the most. In his state of utter vulnerability and helplessness, he meets an angel and is given the opportunity to wrestle. Here I was challenged to see Jacob's humility and hope to continue wrestling until he prevails and is blessed. I can imagine someone giving into the hopelessness at the coming judgement with the possibility of losing all that he loved, but here I see Jacob full of hope and someone continuing to desire the blessing of God. I'm inspired by that picture because despite my sins or my regrets, one redeeming quality I can hold onto is the hope in God's promise or blessing for my life. Even after sending forth all his flock, his servants, his posessios, his wives and children, the one thing Jacob does not want to let go is the blessing of God and that is something that I want to imitate in my life as well.]]> 2023-01-18 14:23:51 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2448403049 Matt 5-18, Psalm 83-89 https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2449265849 Something I appreciated again as Jesus meets people of all backgrounds and situations and personalities and positions is that his approach to each person was different. He loves them each in their own way in the way they need to be loved. John the Baptist, the syrophonecian woman, the disciples, the Pharisees. Hope that I can grow to become more like that too.
    Also got the chance to appreciate the fact that Jesus uses the term Son of Man for the first time.]]>     2023-01-19 03:52:29 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2449265849     Gen 31-34 - Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2449268237 The story of Jacob wrestling at the River Jabbock with God is a personal story for me, a prayer that P. Steve and Eunice had for me, that I would struggle with God and persevere in my struggles as Jacob did, telling him my name, who I really was and receiving a new name, a new identity. So thankful for this story and for God who is a God though He is sovereign and Creator and Alpha and Omega, still struggles with us. What a privilege.]]> 2023-01-19 03:56:01 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2449268237 Apologetics videos (Cindy Zhao) https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2449313084 Through watching several apologetics videos, I have been recommended several different apologetics YouTube channels. One of them being "christsforgiveness". This channel features Pastor David Lynn, who goes out in public and tries to preach Biblical truth and have several apologetics conversations with people. These conversations are very insightful and he does a decent job at being respectful to have conversations with non-believers and try to defend the Gospel and the Bible in terms of many controversial topics (i.e. LGBTQ+, abortions, etc.). He is bold in defending the faith, though I feel that sometimes he can lack some compassion. However, he makes some great points that we can take when approaching and answering questions on some of these controversial topics. This channel covers several different topics, so feel free to check it out!
    https://www.youtube.com/@christsforgiveness
    ]]>     2023-01-19 05:06:13 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2449313084     Gen 35-38, Psalm 8 - Grace https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2451173410 "Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger."
    The psalmist praises God for his majesty and one of the reasons is that out of the mouth of babies and infants, God establishes strength and stills the enemy. God is that majestic that he can still enemies with the words out of the mouths of babies and infants, i.e. the weak and vulnerable, the not-strong. Perhaps babies and infants, the weak and vulnerable, are actually better vehicles of God's strength because it's clear who the strength is coming from, from God. I think it speaks to how we're, myself included, often hoping to be better in this and that way and in that way glorify God, but when what's better is to be clear how you're weak and vulnerable so that all the glory goes to God. Treasure in jars of clay showing the surpassing power belongs to God - 2 Cor 4.
    Thinking about Jacob's life reminds me of my own, grasping and struggling to get my own way, until finally I came to a point where I was afraid and more humble and could wrestle with God. He asked me for my name, who am I really, and then gave me a new name. Though it was difficult and felt hopeless at times, I somehow persevered and didn't let God go and in the end finally could appreciate and experience God's blessings as blessings. And now Jacob as he comes back to the land of his forefathers could be the kind of person to continue God's promise and blessing into the next generation. May that be true of my life as well.]]>     2023-01-20 15:08:57 UTC https://padlet.com/xunkaichen/37dn0qflrvmf3rpw/wish/2451173410