↓ Audio link to the sermon: (If you can’t listen on your iPhone, please update your iOS) Today, my message is not a traditional Christmas sermon that focuses on the birth of Jesus and the theme of joy. Instead, it is the continuation of our series on Mark’s gospel. Our passage today is actually about a heavy topic about the cost of discipleship. It is easy to talk about the blessings that Jesus brings to those who believe in him. But the life of a disciple of Jesus is also challenging. We need the full picture of what to expect: both the joy and the hardship. I believe this topic
“Bread, Yeast, and Blindness” (Mark 8:1-26)
↓Audio link to the sermon: (If you can’t listen on your iPhone, please update your iOS) Today’s message is titled “Bread, Yeast, and Blindness.” In the passage we will read, there is yet another story about bread. In fact, it’s the second time in Mark when Jesus feeds a large crowd with just few loaves of bread. When the Bible repeats something, it’s probably important, so we should pay attention to what is repeated. After the feeding of the crowd, Jesus heals a blind man. So let’s see how these stories connect to important themes in the Bible. Before I start, let us pray. [Read Mark 8:1-26] 5 Lessons on
“Even the Dogs Will Be Shown Mercy” (Mark 7:24-37)
↓Audio link to the sermon: (1st worship service recording) (If you can’t listen on your iPhone, please update your iOS) Personally, I don’t know many dog owners in Japan but I imagine they treat their dogs very well and feed them nutritious pet food. I read that, in the past, Japanese people used to feed their dogs leftover rice with miso soup. Many Malaysians still do that; they give leftover rice and other food. Another interesting fact about dogs in Malaysia is that they are considered unclean by the majority of Malaysia’s population, who are Muslim. If a dog’s saliva touches a Muslim person, they should cleanse themselves using a
“What Makes You Clean?” (Mark 7:1-23)
↓ Audio link to the sermon (1st worship service recording): (If you can’t listen on your iPhone, please update your iOS) During my time at a Christian university in Texas, I encountered an interesting policy—no dancing was allowed at school events, except for cultural dances from other countries. The intent was to discourage unhealthy sexual behavior. While the university eventually relaxed this rule, it may still seem overly conservative to many, including Christians. This memory resonates with today’s sermon. In our quest to please God, we can sometimes veer to extremes, as seen in the Pharisees’ misguided approach. Their misinterpretation of God and the Bible led their religious devotion astray.
“Mystery, Healing, Salvation” (Mark 6:45-56)
↓Audio link to the sermon: (1st worship recording) (If you can’t listen on your iPhone, please update your iOS) After watching a cartoon, my daughter asked, “Are ghosts real? I’m scared of ghosts.” In today’s Bible passage, Jesus’ disciples see him walk on water and freak out because they think he’s a ghost. I mean, humans don’t walk on water, right? Unless they’re Japanese ninjas! Anyway, through this supernatural incident, Jesus shows that he is indeed no ordinary person. Let us pray and then read the story. [Read Mark 6:45-55] Another boat story One of my sermons this year was about a similar story: in Mark chapter 4, Jesus’ disciples
“The Shepherd and the Three Feasts” (Mark 6:30-44)
↓Audio link to the sermon: (1st worship service recording) (If you can’t listen on your iPhone, please update your iOS) I have fond memories of my wedding dinner 9 years ago. It was a joy to see so many relatives and friends come together in one place. There were about 100 or 150 guests, which is a normal size for a Malaysian wedding dinner. While the food was prepared by a restaurant, we still had to do the work of deciding who to invite and where they should sit. Most of you have heard the story of Jesus feeding a crowd of 5,000. I can’t imagine organizing 5,000 people, much
“The Witness of John the Baptist: Faithful but Suffering” (Mark 6:7-32)
↓Audio link to the sermon: (If you can’t listen on your iPhone, please update your iOS) The Witness of John the Baptist: Faithful but Suffering Corrie Ten Boom was a well-known Dutch Christian writer. During World War II, she and her family protected Jews by hiding them in their house from the Nazis. They were all caught eventually. Her father died in prison, while her sister died in a concentration camp. Corrie herself was almost sent to the gas chambers. But one week before the execution scheduled for Corrie and all other young women her age, she was suddenly released from the camp, due to an error in paperwork. Unfortunately,