“How Do I Know If He Is from God?”

I wrote this issue of "From the Pastor's Desk" for several New Life single women who have come up to me and asked me, "Pastor Eric, how do I know that he is from God and is the right one for me?" Ten questions to ask a man who approaches you and tells you, "You are the One!": 1. Are you willing to fast and pray for 40 days to seek God's will before you pursue this relationship? Of course we are not talking about fasting three meals a day for 40 days but one consistent meal each day whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner. However, it will be important that this meal ...

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An Idea To Solve Our Space Problems

The suggestion has been made that, in an effort to deal with our space problems, we start another church rather than acquiring land for more church buildings. Some churches do this when their attendance reaches a certain number. Some of the church members and leaders move to a new location and start a church with a new pastor. The revival I led in Korea last year was sponsored by four churches that followed this pattern. They were all church plants from one mother church. Churches that adopt this policy usually do so in reaction to mega-churches and their imperial ...

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Supporting Our Own Missionaries

It truly is amazing to see the zeal and passion for missions and evangelism in New Life these days! People are steadily coming to know Christ through our house church ministry and other special events, and once again, more than fifty of us have either gone on or will be going on short-term mission trips this year. All of you are doing a great job of praying for and reaching out to your unbelieving friends so they could come to know Christ and begin their personal relationship with him. And you have also given very generously to fund and support all our short-term ...

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Suggestions Regarding Missions

For the last 10 years we have focused on saving nonbelievers in Houston through house churches. We have also supported foreign missionaries through the house churches and are now supporting more than 100 missionary families. I sense that God now wants our church to have a greater focus on foreign missions for the next 10 years. As we have prayed for and financially supported missionaries our attention has naturally moved towards foreign mission fields. As we have worked to save nonbelievers in Houston our attention has also naturally moved towards unsaved souls through...

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An Opportunity to Store Up Treasures in Heaven

When I came to pastor Seoul Baptist Church, one of the first things I said was, "I will not build!" I didn't like the idea of using offering money for buildings instead of soul winning. However, since then, I've already been involved in two building projects. I changed my mind because worship and education space is sometimes essential for soul winning. As you know, we have discouraged believers from joining our church members and tried to focus on winning unbelievers. God has honored this and made our church grow. As a result, we now lack space. Our sanctuary is filled ...

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A Beautiful Poem

Besides preaching God's word and praying for New Life, my responsibility as a pastor is to equip you so you could become mature followers of Christ, serving at the right places of ministry. To do this, I often help you discover your spiritual gifts, provide ways to develop them, and then deploy you in the right places of ministry where you can fully express who God made you to be. I have known Jennifer Griffin for the past several years and have noticed that God has gifted her with the ability to express herself through writing. I have encouraged her to pursue it ...

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How to Make a House Church Grow

I don't expect all house churches to grow at the same pace. Shepherds have different talents and gifts and their house churches each have different circumstances. I cannot expect each of them to have the same results. So I don't pressure them to grow their house churches quickly. I just congratulate those whose houses churches are growing and encourage those whose house churches are not. Happily, even in those house churches that aren't growing, people are still coming to know Jesus now and then. As long as that happens, I think their shepherds are all right. Although ...

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