From the Pastor’s Desk (282) On this last Sunday of the year, I regret that I won’t be able to worship and share God’s Word with you. I will be in Carson, CA, worshiping at Podowon Church, where the senior pastor will lead his final service with his congregation before retiring. This pastor has faithfully served as the senior pastor for 24 years and 11 months and has been doing house church ministry for about 20 years. He is truly one of our brothers in Christ and a part of House Church Ministry International. A few years ago, during the pandemic, the ...

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From the Pastor’s Desk (281) We will hold the 2025 Missions Rally from January 31 to February 2, with Dr. and Mrs. Taeho Ko as our speakers. Dr. Ko moved to the U.S. in his teenage years, and Mrs. Ko, after spending a few years in Paraguay, also came to the U.S. as a teenager. They grew up in New York City, attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), earned degrees, and met each other there before getting married. After working for several years on the East Coast as engineers, they relocated to Houston for work. The Kos and I have mutual acquaintances. Before ...

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From the Pastor’s Desk (280) Last October, when the team leaders and the house church seminar and conference-related leaders met with me to set the calendar for this year, we realized it was going to be fuller than ever before. However, the thought that came to my mind wasn’t, “Will we be able to do all this?” but rather, “What will it feel like to do all this?” No matter how daunting and insurmountable the task that God calls us to do may seem, we know that He never tells us to do anything to hurt, break, or make us miserable. Instead, He calls us to make ...

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From the Pastor’s Desk (279) My wife has been teaching ESL at a local university where there are tons of Muslims from various nations. She loves to share Jesus and house church whomever she meets and builds relationship with. Last year, she invited several of her students to our Game Night. I think about four students came and enjoyed the evening. When she asked if they wanted to visit a house church, three accepted the invitation and came. She also invited other students and connected them to another house church. They also came and visited. About a year later, ...

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From the Pastor’s Desk (278) (The following is what I sent to your shepherds on Monday. I want you to do the same that I am asking your shepherds to do.) Shepherds and wives, Good morning! I am calling all of you to Early Morning Prayer in the church sanctuary! "Without prayer we will slowly but surely die!" If prayer is a declaration of dependence on God and sign of humility before Him, then prayerlessness is a declaration of independence from God and sign of pride before Him. A life that is independent of God will end up in disaster. You have ...

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From the Pastor’s Desk (277) We are having lots of babies these days, and it is an exciting thing. And God told us to be fruitful and multiply, so we are also doing the right thing. I love seeing babies being born in our church. However, raising children in this day and age is not an easy matter. In fact, it is a daunting task to raise our children based on biblical principles because the world is getting increasingly more evil and there is so much opposition against Christian faith. Therefore, we need all the help we can get in raising our children. In order ...

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From the Pastor’s Desk (276) Last Sunday, New Life hosted another blood drive. Before we began to host it regularly in our fellowship hall, I had given blood multiple times, especially when there were specific needs from those whom I knew personally. I honestly am not fond of giving blood because I am fearful of a big needle going through my veins. However, I do it because it is a loving thing to do. Love always requires sacrifice doing the things that we don’t want to do. I would like to share with you a few thoughts I have on giving blood. First, I truly ...

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