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| Sunday November 25th Today’s Passage: Luke 10:38-42 Sermon Synopsis There are many things in life which are good. But then there are those things in life which are better. After today, I want us to be able to recognize those things in our lives which are good. But more importantly, I want us to be able to recognize and do those things in life which are better. Turn with me if you would to the book of Luke 10:38-42 38As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" 41"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." In our passage a woman named Martha is up to her head in busyness with preparations. And in the midst of this busyness, we see that she is doing many good things—she is hospitable, she is kind, she is generous, she is serving, and she is culturally a good woman (women were expected to clean, cook, and take care of domestic matters.) But there’s another character in this story named Mary. On the outside it looks like Mary isn’t doing anything. Compared to her sister Martha, she looks downright lazy. Indeed, Martha is doing many good things. But surprisingly, as Jesus tells us, what Mary is doing the better thing. What is it that Mary is doing that makes her actions better than Martha’s? Look at verse 39. She was sitting at the Lord’s feet listening to what he was saying. Mary was listening to the Word of the Lord. Mary was at the Lord’s feet. Mary was hearing the Lord’s voice. Martha on the other hand was doing work and was busy. Now, don’t get me wrong. Work is good. Being busy is good. Serving is good. But what we have to understand is sometimes those things can distract us. The narrator tells us in verse 40 that Martha “was distracted by all the preparations.” Sometimes our work, our school, our busyness can distract us from the “better” thing—from hearing the Word of God. For example, school is good. School is something we should excel at. But if we’re so into school that we haven’t gone to church in a month, then what is good has distracted us from what is better. Studying is good but if we’re so into studying that we haven’t done our devotion in 2 weeks, then the good has distracted us from what is better. I know this has often been the case with me. How much better would it be to sacrifice an hour or a half-hour of studying to listen to the Lord through our devotions and through reading His Word? I want to encourage you to continue doing the good things in your life—school, work, projects, relationships, etc. But don’t let those good things take away from your relationship with the Lord. Don’t let the good things distract you from sitting at the Lord’s feet and listening to His Word! Don’t let the good distract you from the better! | | |
| Sunday October 28th "Actions Speak Louder Than Words" When we truly, genuinely, and passionately love someone or something, then it shows. I love to fish. And when you look at my life, it shows. I think about fishing, dream about fishing, study fishing, and most importantly I go fishing. All of these things prove and validate that fishing truly is a love in my life. The same is true of our love for God. When we truly, genuinely, and passionately love the Lord, then it shows. And there are certain signs, proofs, and evidences that our love for God is real and genuine. What are those signs of our love for God? How do I know if I truly do love the Lord? Today I want to look at the Bible to see what God’s word has to say about what a true love for Him looks like in our lives. "If you love me, you will obey what I command.” ~ John 14:15 The first sign from the Scriptures of our true love for God is our obedience to Him. It doesn’t get more simple than that. This means that you prove your love for God when you obey what the Scriptures teach. For example, a person who loves the Lord will be honest because the scriptures command us to live a life of honesty and integrity. Thus, a person who loves the Lord will not tell their parents that they’re going to go study with their friends when they’re really planning to go to Knott’s Scary Farm Halloween haunt. A person who loves the Lord will not steal, or cheat, or lie, or slander, or indulge in sis of sexual perversion. “If anyone says, "I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.” ~ 1 John 4:20 The second sign of our genuine love for God is our love for other people. This is what the apostle John tells us in his first epistle. That a love for the Lord will show itself in a love for our brothers. Put in another way, John is saying if you don’t love your brother, then you don’t love God. It’s impossible John says. And so what that means is that if you do love God, then that will express itself in a love towards other people. To love other people means to put them first and to make them more important than you. There was one man who had a great love for the Lord. He loved God. His name was Jason Ray and everyone knew he was truly a man who loved the Lord. Jason Ray went to church and he led Bible Studies at the college that we went to. But that’s not how people knew he loved God. People knew he truly loved the lord not because he said so, not because he went to church, not because he led bible studies but because he loved other people. His love for God showed itself in how he treated those around him. Every morning at 8:00 am in the morning, Jason would wake up and meet two of his roommates before they went to class so he could pray with them. Jason hated the morning. He hated waking up early. He didn’t have class till 1:00 pm and there was nothing he loved more than sleeping in. But 8:00 in the morning was the only time his roommates had time to pray. And so even though he hated getting up, because he loved his roommates and he wanted to pray with them, he got up. And that’s the kind of life he lived, putting other people ahead of himself, ahead of his own comfort, his own desires. And that’s how people knew he truly did love the Lord. Many of you have heard the saying, “actions speak louder than words.” And when it comes to God, nothing could be more truthful than that. It’s not about what you say that matters but it’s about how you prove what you say with your actions. I can say I love God, but unless I obey Him and love others as he has commanded me, then I need to think twice about whether my love is as real and as genuine as it could be. God loves us to no ends. He loves us more than we could ever understand. And he proved it by sending his one and only son to die on the cross for us. The question for us is this: do we love Him? If we truly say we do, then let’s prove it!
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| Sunday October 21st Today’s Passage: Mark 12:41-44 (The Cheerful Giver) Sermon SynopsisOften times we hear people say it’s not the gift itself, but the thought that counts. When it comes to our giving to God, that exactly what happens. It’s not about what we give, but it’s all about the heart with which we give it. If you have your Bible why don’t we turn together to the book of Mark 12:41-43. 41Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. 43Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. In this passage we see two kinds of givers. First we have the rich people putting in large amounts of money. Then we have one poor widow who puts in only two small copper coins. The NIV tells us that these two small coins was a mere fraction of a penny, only a booger compared to how the rich people gave to the temple treasury. But when Jesus sees what this woman gave, he makes a startling declaration. He says this poor widow actually gave more than anyone else! And it’s at this point that we realize that when Jesus says she gave more, he’s not talking about the amount that she gave. He’s not talking about the dollar figures or the number of coins. But rather, he’s talking about the heart. He’s talking about the sacrifice. He’s talking about the price that was paid. He says in verse 44: They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on." The difference between what the rich people gave and what the poor widow gave was the heart. It was the kind of sacrifice that was made, it was the true price that was paid. The rich people gave huge amounts but it didn’t cost them much—they gave out of their wealth. The poor widow gave just a small amount but the cost to her was great—she gave out of her poverty. In fact it was “all she had to live on.” And the same lesson is true for you and me today. When it comes to our giving, God doesn’t care about the amount that you give. God doesn’t need our money. God doesn’t want our money. He already owns it anyways. But what he wants is our hearts. He wants us to make that sacrifice for Him. He wants us to be willing to give up any and everything for him. What kind of giver are you? Are you a reluctant giver? Do you give only when you have extra money left over? Do you only volunteer your time when you have extra time? Do you only help out when it’s easy for you? Or are you a cheerful giver? Do you give your offering even if you don’t have that much in your wallet? Do you help people even when it’s inconvenient? Do you give your time to God even when you’re busy? That’s the kind of giver that God delights in. And that’s what it means to put in everything for God—to give all that we have to live on! Discussion QuestionsWhat do you think motivated the two different kinds of givers to give what they did? How does this relate to the “greatest command” that we learned about last week? What examples can we learn from the woman’s giving? | | |
| Sunday October 14th Today’s Passage: Mark 12:28-34 (The Greatest Commandment) Sermon SynopsisThere are a lot of rules in life (fashion rules, school rules, praise team rules, house rules, etc.) So too, there are a lot of rules in the Bible and a lot of rules that we have to live by as Christians. But Jesus makes it very simple for us. He narrows down all the rules of the Bible into one major commandment: To Love—love God and love one another. This is the greatest commandment.
This means that all of the rules, laws, regulations that we obey are centered in love. If we look at the first 4 commandments, they are all based on our love for God. If we look at the last 6, they are all based on our love for other people. The motivation and heart of the way we live our lives is based on love. If we have love in our hearts, then the commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5.)
It is easy to lose focus of why we live as Christians but we must always remember to have JOY in our lives (Jesus first, then Others, and lastly You – JOY.) Let us be people who delight the lord with joy as we live our lives in love. Discussion Questions: What was the teacher of the law’s question to Jesus? Why do you think he asked this? What was Jesus’ two responses to the teacher of the law’s question? How are these two commandments related? How do these commandments relate to the other ten commandments? What does this tell us about our lives as Christians? Why do we obey the commandments? Why do we treat people the way we do? What are some things we can do to keep a life of love? | | |
| Philip Na 1988 - 2007 
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" ~ John 11:25-26 (NIV) Please Keep the Na Family in your prayers.... Phil's Baptism (2006) 
Phil with Mike before going to meet the LORD (2006) 
LWMC Youth Prayer and Candlelight Memorial Service In Memory of Philip Na Friday March, 23rd 7:30 pm Vision Land, LWMC Philip Na Memorial Service Saturday March 24th 5:00 pm Rose Hill Chapel (Sky Chapel) 3888 South Workman Mill Road
Whittier, Ca 90601 "But now, Lord, what do I look for?
My hope is in you. " ~ Psalm 39:7
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