After-School Learning Programs

According to a Korean pastor who visited our church, the fees for after-school learning programs and private tutoring in Korea are astronomical. It is common for households to spend half their total income these things. Even elementary students have a very busy schedule, learning art, music, P.E., English, essay writing, speech, etc., returning home each day at 11 PM. Consequently, children feel extreme pressure and stress, finding outlets by watching TV and immersing themselves in computer games. As I listened to what he said, I could not help but feel sorry for their ...

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Integrity for Sale: $1

I read an article recently on the subject of employees regularly pilfering (stealing in small amounts) office supplies for personal use. About 25% of working adults ages 18 to 29 have admitted to doing it. On top of that, most of those who openly admit to doing it say they feel fine about it, as if these “free” office supplies are some kind of unofficial benefit of working at a company. And it doesn’t come without consequences: the estimated cost to U.S. businesses for the disappearance of office supplies is about $52 billion per year! Many of us may not be ...

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Sermon Preparation – Soo Kwan Lee

I have often heard that a preacher must frequently listen to other preachers' sermons. While I try to do this as much as I can, it's hard to find time, so I do it while I work out, listening to sermons over the internet while I exercise. Recently I was listening to a sermon by a famous preacher in Korea and was astounded by what I heard. "I don't teach the Bible in my sermons," he said. He then shared how he usually begins writing his sermons at 3 AM on Sunday morning. He generally finishes it up by 7 AM, has breakfast, and then goes to preach. I was totally flabbergas...

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Over the hEdge

Have you seen the movie, “Over the Hedge”? In it, we get an interesting look at humanity from the perspective of a small family of animals that has recently lost its natural habitat to a new subdivision. The animals, who lived on the little they could find, were amazed at not only how much food humans ate, but also how much food was wasted. Indeed, we eat way, way, way too much – and still, we find ways of wasting tons of food. You see, most of us don’t even know when we’re full – we simply eat until the food in front of us is gone. This is why Chinese ...

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Pre-Marital Class – Soo Kwan Lee

Many singles in our church are at an age appropriate for marriage. Because I know that for many of them, their long term prayer request is to meet their life partner, I am elated whenever I hear that a couple has gotten engaged. However, I cannot help but feel nervous at the same time. I always wonder how well they know each other, if they are prepared both emotionally and financially, etc. I think my concerns stem from the current divorce rate being over 40%. It's easy to think you want to marry someone based on initial impressions. If the other person is a believer, it ...

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A Banner To Hold And Wave – Soo Kwan Lee

This past week from Monday through Thursday I attended the 24th House Church Conference for Pastors at a church in New Jersey. The House Church Conference is a forum for pastors who have previously attended our House Church Seminars and are currently leading or preparing to start house churches to gather and encourage one another, present case studies, and learn about our Life Series Bible studies. This was the first time I attended. I clearly saw the passion in each participant and felt that the house church is becoming an inevitable force for the future. For me, the ...

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Pull My Finger

Gina and I had a good, hearty laugh the other night. While I was brushing my teeth, I remembered that I had to get something from the laundry room so I went over there, where Gina was pulling clothes out of the dryer. Because I had my toothbrush in my mouth, I couldn’t say anything so I simply pointed to what I needed. When Gina saw me pointing, she instinctively pulled my finger, which caught me off guard. You see, I wanted her to simply hand me the mop but she thought I wanted her to pull my finger. You have to understand that whenever I made this gesture before, ...

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