Sermon: On the Trinity

Text: John 1:1-2, 14, 10:22-39

Today Pastor Choi delivers a sermon on the Trinity. After telling the congregation why he chose this sermon topic during the Advent season, he explains the doctrine on the Trinity. He points out that the Son of God, being equal to God, came down in human form to save us from our sins.

Sermon: Two Lessons from Mary

Text: Luke 1:46-56

Today Pastor Choi talks about two lessons from Mary the mother of Jesus: humility and blessedness.  True humility before God means courage to embrace God’s will and plan for the believers.  As far as blessings go, we need to learn to look at blessings from God’s perspective not from that of the world.

Sermon: God’s Time Our Time

Text: Luke 1:5-25

Today Pastor Choi talks about God’s time vs. Our time.  He points out three lessons from the story of Zacharias and Elizabeth–the parents of John the Baptist.  First, the delayed answers to our prayers may have nothing to do with us but have everything to do with God’s divine purpose and plan for our lives.  Next, God’s time is different from ours.  Thirdly, we must persevere in prayer without losing heart or faith in God.

Thanksgiving Eve Message: Doing of Thanking for 20 Things

Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Pastor Choi talks about the importance of being thankful to God in all circumstances, both good and bad.  Listing the benefits of spiritual, emotional, relational, and even physical areas, he exhorts God’s people to practice “D.O.T. 20” (Doing of Thanking for 2o Things) every day.

Sermon: Thanksgiving Is a Choice

Text: Colossians 2:6-7, 3:15-16

Today Pastor Choi talks about thankfulness, that is, overflowing with gratitude, as a distinctive mark of a believer in Christ.  Taking the example of Jesus our Lord and Savior, he exhorts his congregation to make thanksgiving a mark of their lives, to begin with small things, and to thank God for the people in their lives.

Sermon: The Word of God-the Sword of the Spirit

Text: Ephesians 6:10-18

Today Pastor Choi talks about how to be victorious in our spiritual battle against the spiritual forces of wickedness.  He exhorts God’s people to get into the Word of God daily, to receive “Rema” the spoken word of God and wield it against the schemes of the devil, deception and accusation.

 

 

Sermon: Be Rich toward God

Text: Luke 12:13-21

Today Pastor Choi talks about Jesus’ warning against greed.  He also draws a distinction between two Greek words both of which are translated into the same English word “life.”   The first Greek word is ‘ζωη’ (zoe) (e.g. English name–Zoe) and the other one is ‘βιος’ (bios)—e.g. biology, biochemistry,….  Finally, he explains the meaning of being poor (and rich) in the sight of God.

Sermon: Jesus’ Second Coming (Parousia)

Text: 2 Peter 3:1-15

Today Pastor Choi talks about Jesus’ Second Coming (Parousia).  He encourages the congregation to carefully examine Peter’s explanation of the delay of Parousia threefold: The Lord is faithful to keep His promise.  The Lord is patient to give a chance to everyone to come to repentance.  The Lord expects us to stay alert in prayer, spotless and blameless while we await Jesus’ Second Coming.

Sermon: What Soil Are You? (Be the Good Soil)

Text: Mark 4:1-9, 13-20.

Today Pastor Choi talks about four types of soil where the seed is sown.  Soil represents human heart and the seed represents God’s Word, both proclaimed and read.  He explains the following four types of heart conditions: roadside (no chance), rocky (no root), thorny (no fruit), and good soil (fruitful).  He exhorts the congregation to be the good soil so that they may be fruitful by accepting God’s Word in their hearts.

Sermon: Be Imitators of God

Texts: Ephesians 5:1, Matthew 5:48

Today Pastor Choi talks about God’s universal plan for God’s children: to make us ‘perfect.’  To achieve His goal, as long as we let Him do His job, He will not rest until He exhausts every means available in His hands.  It may be painful at times, but when we trust in His good will, and work with Him, and, in the end, we will be transformed into His image (2 Corinthians 3:18).

 

Sermon: Celebrate the Coming King

Text: Psalm 24

Today’s sermon comes from John Parker, guest preacher.
Psalm 24 is called a royal Psalm because it talks about the return of the King of Glory. It begins with the creed that God is the creator of all things and everything belongs to Him. Since we belong to Him, God deserves our worship and can expect our obedience. But who is qualified to come into the presence of the King? Only those with clean hands and a pure heart. Thankfully we are washed clean by the blood of the Perfect Lamb of God. Today we understand Psalm 24 as a prophetic Psalm pointing to the the return of Jesus as the victorious Messiah. Because of His sacrifice we can now be with Him, worship Him, and give Him the glory He deserves. Praise be to God Almighty!

Sermon: Be Christ’s Disciple

Text: Luke 9:23-27

Today Pastor Choi talks about the meaning of discipleship in three ways: reality check, the nature of discipleship, and the marks of Christ’s disciple.  He concludes his message with Christ’s own reminder: Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter (Matthew 7:21, New American Standard Bible).

Sermon: On Fathers

Text: Ephesians 6:4

Today Pastor Choi talks about God’s command for fathers: do not provoke your children to anger (Ephesians 6:4).  Pointing out the reality in America, he exhorts both children and fathers to reconcile with each other not by feelings but by will.  He recommends a two step reconciliation process: Be determined to forgive.  Be proactive in Love.

Sermon: Advice for Young Believers

Text: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Summary: Pastor Choi gives three pieces of advice to young believers (confirmands) in Christ.  If they practice his advice, they will lay out the foundation of their faith in Christ and harvest and enjoy the fruit thereof.  1. Take God’s Word seriously:  Read God’s Word daily.  2. Keep the Sabbath holy: Worship the Lord weekly.  3. Do tithing: Give tithing to the Lord monthly.  And, they will be secure and content in the Lord.

Sermon: Creation Care

Texts: Genesis 1:28, Romans 8:19-22

Pastor Choi talks about Creation care.  He points out that sin of the inhabitants of land causes the whole creation to groan and suffer.  The creation waits eagerly for the children of God who would take good care of them as God would.  By being faithful to God, merciful and forgiving to each other, we can be a true steward of God’s creation.

 

Sermon: He Is Risen!

Text: Luke 24:1-12

Today, talking about Christ’s physical resurrection, Pastor Choi points out that God provides no other means but His angels and human witnesses for us to proclaim and believe in it.  We believe in His resurrection because of the witnesses’ accounts based on their integrity.  We believe in Jesus’ physical resurrection because of Jesus’ own integrity.  We also believe in Christ’s body resurrection because it withstood the fiery trials for centuries sealed with the blood of martyrs. He is risen!  He is risen indeed!

Sermon: Christ the Servant King

Text: Mark 11:1-11

Today Pastor Choi talks about the meaning of Palm Sunday: two thousand years ago another prophecy on Messiah was fulfilled in Jesus as He entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey.  He showed the true quality of Messiah—humility.  We also await His second coming as the Judge of the world.

Sermon: Prayer Is a Request

Today’s text: Philippians 4:6-7

Today Pastor Choi continues his sermon series on prayer: Prayer Is a Request (an act of asking).

First of all, asking for God’s favor is a command, not a suggestion: Ask, and it will be given (Matthew 7:7).   Next, we must practice with requests over and over again.  Learn from mistakes and ask again.  Ask, Learn, and Repeat.  Finally, there are five ways to ask: a. Ask in Jesus’ name (John 14:14). b. Ask with faith (Mark 11:24). c. Ask without worries (Philippians 4:6). d. Ask with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6). e. Ask with persistence (Luke 18:1).

Sermon: Prayer Is a Rescue

Text: Matthew 14:22-33 (Jesus Walks on the Water)

Today Pastor Choi talks about another nature of prayer: it is God’s response to our heart-cry for help in times of need.  Most of the time, we pray in silence or in a soft voice, yet, sometimes, we ought to cry aloud onto God for His deliverance (Jeremiah 33:3).  Pastor Choi urges the parents of children who are under the bondage of addiction, sin, and death to keep crying out onto the Lord.

 

Sermon: Why We Can Trust the Bible

Today, Pastor Choi explains three reasons why we can trust the Bible as truth: 1. It stands stronger than ever after three millennia of fires and persecutions.  Only truth can last forever.  2. We can trust the Bible because of the integrity of authors and witnesses.  3. We trust in the Bible because it calls a spade a spade.

 

Sermon: On Temptation

Using Genesis 3:1-7, Pastor Choi expounds on the nature of temptation and considers ways to ward off temptations in life.  The tempter: he is a deceiver; his motive is never for us, rather for his own gain; he is also a liar.

The tempted (the one who is tempted): beware of the attack that always comes upon the weakest link in your life.

Ways to ward off temptations: 1. The fear of the Lord 2. God’s Word in heart  3. Knowing your boundaries  4. Learn to be content.

Sermon: 2018-The Year of the Bible

Today Pastor Choi designates 2018 to be the Year of the Bible encouraging all the members of congregation to get into God’s Word for the following three reasons:  1. God’s Word is indispensable for salvation.  2.  It is indispensable for life’s journey.  3.  It is also indispensable for sanctification.