Team Bring It

Acts 20, 22, 24

Acts 20

Verse 35: “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard
work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus
himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ “

We must know that sometimes we are weak people that need to be helped
at times too. If you constantly give to the world is it bad to step
back and receive the love that the world is giving back to us? Or is
it better for us to reject what is being offered to us and continue to
give. And also how do you know when you are giving too much? Is there
ever a limit on how much you can give? When another person receives
sometimes they can feel burdened at how much is being given to them so
how do you know when to stop?

Acts 22

Verse 22: “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to
the Gentiles.’ “

Did the disciples never establish a strong relationship with people
they love? After they started to follow Jesus did they stop getting
close to people? How did they manage to go to far away places and not
struggle with leaving the people in their life? Did they always spread
God’s gospel and limit their distance with other people? How do you
show God’s love towards people if you have never experienced an
unconditional love with another? Or do some just know and experience
God’s love first handedly.

Prayer: To put God before others or anything else in this world.

Acts 24

Verse 16: “So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.”

Divide the right from wrong. We usually put our conscience before man
but not before God. We should always strive to put everything before
God but it’s so difficult with worldly things, people, our dreams,
future, etc. All of these things can be with God but we usually want
to separate the two. Very hard to live with God and the world.

Prayer: Harmony with God and the world.

Tina

Acts 16,18

Acts 16

Verses 16-18 talk about a spirit bring inside a slave and Paul casted
the spirit out. Question: why does it seem like the spirit is being
treated like a demon? What’s the difference?

It’s amazing how Paul can communicate so easily with God (seeing all
these visions, being spoken to by the Spirit) and goes where God wants
him to go immediately.

Prayer: That we’ll be able to have that kind of clear communication
with God and know where God wants us to be.

Acts 18

Verse 9-10: “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be
afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no
one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in
this city.”“

Encouraged and reminded me of the street evangelism we’ll be doing in
Thailand. I think everyone is a bit scared of it since we (well some
of us) have never evangelized to complete strangers and so even if it
seems scary or whatnot as long as we know that God is with us, we
don’t have to be afraid because He’ll be control.

Prayer: for us to be courageous and trust in God through all the
events we’ll go through

Tina

Acts 16, 18

Acts 16

Verses 16-18 talk about a spirit bring inside a slave and Paul casted
the spirit out. Question: why does it seem like the spirit is being
treated like a demon? What’s the difference?

It’s amazing how Paul can communicate so easily with God (seeing all
these visions, being spoken to by the Spirit) and goes where God wants
him to go immediately.

Prayer: That we’ll be able to have that kind of clear communication
with God and know where God wants us to be.

Acts 18

Verse 9-10: “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be
afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no
one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in
this city.”“

Encouraged and reminded me of the street evangelism we’ll be doing in
Thailand. I think everyone is a bit scared of it since we (well some
of us) have never evangelized to complete strangers and so even if it
seems scary or whatnot as long as we know that God is with us, we
don’t have to be afraid because He’ll be control.

Prayer: for us to be courageous and trust in God through all the
events we’ll go through

Tina

Romans 9

17“I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”^[g] 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. 24 I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people; and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one
God has a reason for everything. He has the power to direct our lives to be people we were meant to be. And on this missions trip he has planned for us to go Thailand and spread is will. Like Danny said that it is no coincidence that every QT so far has talked about love and I am more at awe know that I have realized it. Its so amazing that love is God’s mercy that we ourselves have felt and seen God’s mercy in our team and our family yesterday night. And we must do and give what our parents and friends have given us to each people we meet with our hesitation or failure. Through Christ we are God’s Mercy to the people of Thailand and Jesus is there salvation. 
Romans 13As a read this chapter, I saw that all my anguish, resentment, disrespect, generally all my sins, were futile against God. All the sins I have done up until now to gain attention were meaningless and was unnecessary as a person of christ. Being a person of God, i need to accept that i do not need to find satisfaction and content in other peoples expectations. I don’t need to rebel against God and his agents not only because it is  futile but there is no reason if i have is love to fill my heart, to heal the broken parts of my life.
Jessica

romans 3, 7, 9

Romans 3

in this chapter, paul gives answers about common arguments that mankind might hold against God. 

Just so i can make sense of things…

God’s wrath is just because all have sinned. No “one” is greater than the “others.” It is through the law that we become conscious of our sin. The law is set, not so that people can declares themselves to be righteous for following the law but so that people might be able to see what their short comings are.

paul also mentions that mindless slander leads to condemnation….so let us not mindlessly slander to avoid condemnation. cheers

Romans 7

Sin is personified. it is an entity that is raging a war with good. 

no law = no sin, at least we wouldn’t be able to recognize it. Sin is somethign that turns something good (such as the law) into an opportunity, an opportunity to produce in mankind an evil desire.

Alot of stuff about sin nature vs. spiritual nature and how when we as people want to do good, evil will always be there pulling us back. 

Romans 9

This passage reminds us that God is just massive and powerful beyond measure. 

Note: it’s going to be hard to fathom how big God really is without going out to see the things that he’s compared too (such as mountains and oceans…)

This passage always makes me feel uneasy, espeically the part about where it talks about how God shows mercy to only some people. And i think it’s because the answer to why that is the case is usually because God has sovereignty, yet at the same time, i know i should be thankful for

John

Roamns 1,3,7

Romans 1:8 First I thank my God through Jesus Christ For all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world

Question: Why did God enhance the people’s sinful desires, instead of showing them directing his love? Didn’t he create more sinful ways in the world by 

doing so?

When I read this verse, I was happy. Because I thought of the time we would be spending in Thailand and the people who would be watching us and learning from us. They would be see God’s love and our faith in God. During the months we have been training, I have no doubt in my mind that we see God and Jesus Christ as our savior. Sure, we have questions and are uncertain at times, but that is a step, process to becoming a strong Christian in christ. When our questions and are thoughts are answered and explained, its that much more satisfying and understandable. And we come to appreciate the complex yet amazing ways God works through us. I am proud, happy, and thankful to have a united team of friendships and brother and sisterhoods. Knowing that I am confident that the people of thailand will come to see and know Christ

Romans 3

God’s path is never easy. I realized in the earlier parts of my walk with God that I had a lot of questions that were left unanswered. As a result, I began to lose faith and sight of God quickly. I became a cynic at one point, making smart butt remarks in retaliate of people’s faith in God and God himself. I felt that this chapter hypothetical conversation with man and God. Man continues to ask questions seeking to find truth, but when God plainly answers truthfully, all man can do is deny the truth with more unnecessary questions and witty yet insulting replies. Essentially, this chapter became a reminder of all the times where I made my walk with God so complicated by refusing to accept the truth that I am a sinner and I am not righteous. I am not truly entitled to anything

Romans 7:15-20

I do not understand what i do for what i want to do i do not do but what i hate i do. And if I do what i do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is It is no longer myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For i know that good itself does not dwell in me that is in my sinful nature. For I Have the desire to do what is Good, but i cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do but the evil i do not want to do -this I keep doing now if I don what I do not Want to do It is no longer I who do it but it is sin living in me that does it

I think this is by far my favorite passage, because it is so true. This is the epitome of what we struggle as humans of the world and children of God. It’s amazing that people from hundreds of years ago experience the same conflicting sides and emotions when attempting to faithfully follow God. We are torn apart between the Good of god and the law and the bad of the word. When we go through this process it seems at that moment that everything complicated, complex, but we have to remember that God’s love is simple.

Prayer Request: We work hard with God’s love and strength with us.

Jessica

Romans 13

13:8-10 

8Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. ⁹The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,”^[a] and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”^[b] 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

These words hit me pretty hard because recently, it’s been very difficult to love my neighbor.. my brothers and my sisters. The beginning of the chapter spoke about our submission to the authority of God and the authorities established by God. I can do that. I have learned to submit to authority and to follow the authority but this loving thing that God says is so important is so simple yet so difficult for me. 

It really hurts me to say but it is so hard for me to love and to remain in Love the thailand team. I don’t exactly know how to explain or even what it is but I think i’m too focused on what i want. Even though i’m trying to submit to LOVE and do what Love wants me to do… I keep thinking I need to be glorified or satisfied by it too.

I write this letter.

Dear my neighbor

I’m sorry to have hated you and to have resented you. I cannot control my feelings at times and I build up these feelings towards you. I am confused as to why it is so hard for me to accept you for who you are. God’s creation and God’s love as I am. 

I ask for your forgiveness at this time. 

I want to approach you with a clean slate again. 

Let us build our relationship with a strong foundation.

In Christ’s Love,

Davy

Romans 6,8,10

Romans 6

Thoughts: We die to sin yet we are sinners.. so basically this chapter is stating that I can either offer myself to sin or offer my life to God. For sin I get death, for God I get eternal life. Sinning is pretty easy isn’t it…

Application: Learn to offer myself, then do it.

Romans 8

Thoughts: Do we believe in 2 entities: body and spirit? Verse 18: I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Let’s keep that in mind and not complain. Verse 30 states that we sometimes don’t know how to pray, and that the spirit intercedes with groans and stuff… I want to experience that..

The last part of the text states no one will be separated from God’s love. What about hell? I guess God can barge in whenever but at the moment he isn’t.

Application: I don’t really know how to pray. I’d rather not during team meetings and stuff because it feels insincere… I guess it would be nice to catch a glimpse of a true conversation with God. I will search for that.

Romans 10

Thoughts: Verse 9 sums up how we can believe. Random question: Does it mean that if your not supposed to say that you are going to heaven? Verse 12 emphasis there is not difference between Jew and Gentile because they have the same God. So verse 18 alludes to a previous verse that proclaims the Christians have spread there word to the ends of the earth. Does that mean the unreached (ones who never even heard of God) are being punished throughout their generations because their ancestors in the “ends of the earth” heard but rejected God? Or have they just not heard and we don’t know what happens… hopefully they live with love. but without Jesus its worthless.

Application: We are Israelites. Let’s not be so blind and dishonorable.

Sungmin

Acts 14

²² strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. 

Reminded me of Pastor Esther’s message yesterday. I wasn’t there to listen to the whole message but I managed to catch the end of it. She talked about joy. How we must rejoice in, not the temporary joys in life, but in the everlasting eternal joy: God. Even if the temporary joys may bring us happiness in the moment and leave us sad when they are gone, we must turn and run toward the one joy that will always be there. The hardships that we go through in life makes it worth it in the end. If we were to not work hard for something or not suffer, the reward in the end isn’t that great. But pain and suffering pulls through and that is when we rejoice in the end. Life isn’t perfect and so we should accept the pain we endure.  

Prayer Request: A lot of people, important people, in my life are leaving. I just pray that God will protect them and that the distance will make us stronger, weaker.

-Christina 

Acts 27

I have these two friends, who have been best friends for years. And naturally there have been great moments between them when they were kids. However, being a teenager and young adult things change as your childish perspective drastically transforms and change, and one can’t help to recognize the negative aspects of life.Right now, their relationship is turbulent and my friend wants to give up on the friendship because of the betrayal, the constant dependency that her friends has on her, the burdens of holding on the secrets. In a short time compared to the years they have spent together, she has lost complete faith in her friend, she lost the courage and strength to continue their friendship like we have periodically lost faith in God and how the men momentarily lost faith in God and courage. All of us were at risk of losing something so precious, meaningful, and potentially amazing because of lack of conviction to see something through. So much can be ignored and lost be not talking and completely resolving the matter within yourself and with your friend or God.

Jessica

Acts 9, 20

31 Living in the feat of The Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, It increase in numbers.

I will never forget what Davy said at the QT about fear and love that our fear towards God is responded with his love towards us. And in this chapter is another testament to God’s spreading love. Here it begins with Saul, then to the people of Damascus and other regions, and slowly but surely people came to fear and witness Gods’ Love. And I realize that the fear that I have for other things makes me less attentive towards God and slowly God is not something to be feared but forgotten completely. He becomes lost in my abundant fears of how my family looks at me or how my appearance does not meet to my expectations. And even  during missions training my fear is not directed towards God, but towards the lack of preparation for Thailand. Occasionally, I lose sight of the true purpose and intentions of VBS and English lession, our basis of going to Thailand. 

23 I Only know that in every city the holy spirit Warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me- the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace

By living life we know that there are always problems, obstacles, struggles. With every good moment an unpleasant event follows. And we know that life is not easy. What is life without hardships, what is a human without emotions and flaws, what is Christian life without mistakes, loss of faith, and frustration, but what is a christian life with out love and support. With me, when it comes to problems I try to ignore and conceal them as much as possible. In doing so the problems become paramount, uncontrollable, burdening, and overwhelming. All I want to do is run away, but I find my self making unnecessary excuses that I can not neither defend nor justify. we see excuses as a way around a problem, but the excuses themselves are problems. We make excuses to try to erase all the problems in our lives, leaving what seems like a worthy life filled with fun and acceptance. However, making excuses for ourselves and others is more work than excepting the struggles and pain of reality and God’s Path. We all have a race and a task the Lord has given us, but it is up to us whether we should simply offer our lives or tell excuse after excuses and creating a wall of problems.

-Jessica

Romans 9

9:18

¹⁸ Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

We are chosen to go through the struggles in our lives. it is an honor worship God through the struggles and pains in our lives. Jesus once took the cross and went through immense amount of pain for us so we must do the same for him right?

This missions trip will be full of struggles physical and spiritual. It will be full of troubles which will delay us and bring us fatigue but in the midst of all that we must find peace in his Love and Grace.

Davy

Romans 7

7:25

²⁵ Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Honestly, the whole passage went by very quickly but the passage was very confusing. I felt like I was reading on of the philosophy articles. But anyways, this verse brings out the critical point which we forget so often. Through the sins we commit and the sinful nature we live in, we get depressed and just keep putting ourselves down and down. We make ourselves worth nothing and think that Satan as won the battle against us. But we must realized that Jesus as won the war for us. There is a God who sent His only Son to die for sinners so that we may feel and grow in His Love.

Let us thank God everyday and every time we are tempted to sin.

Prayer Request:

I do feel that we got closer as a team through the lock-in but it’s very easy for us to fall back apart and just forget about it but I want to pray that we acknowledge that Love that God gives us to love each other and share with each other.

-Davy

Romans 2, 4

Romans 2

Thoughts: Verse 15 speaks about the conscience but people think differently in various parts of the world…

Also, verses 17-20 show how someone may boast in their knowledge but not in God. Let’s just be humble and speak wisely. 

What’s the dealio about circumcision? Verse 29 i guess sorta explains how its more of the symbolic thing…

Application: Like verse 13 states, it is not only about knowing the law that gets God’s approval. I need to stop ONLY piling in information and start giving myself piece by piece to this God. Please pray that he is true… and that I can find him whenever he plans me to…

Romans 4

Verse 14 is interesting. God doesn’t speak, so how does he SAY that Abraham will have lotsa kids (v. 18).

Application: I feel like i subconsciously equate “good works” with my “faith” in God. Honestly ima fail right now yet I can’t really grasp it. I’m a living contradiction. I pray for integrity.

Sungmin

Romans 3

3:23

²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 

I think this is a very important verse for us. Andy told us today that there will no longer be bash sessions. I think this verse reminds us that everyone, in the end falls short of the glory of God and is nothing. No one should be “something” enough to feel that they are uncomfortable or violated because we don’t deserve even life. this might be harsh but I htink many of us, as in all Christians, think of ourselves as this “something” that deserves to live and has rights. Who says? God only offers us these freedom because He loves us. What if God was not this wonderful and loving God? We would be burning in Hell. So let us keep away from complaining and feeling that we should be at our most comfortable level.

Prayer Request:

Work. It’s hard to adjust to the first job and come out to training at the same time. I’m trying my best to set my schedule as much out of the way as i can but there are limits. I want to go through this without complaining. I pray that my boss understands my situation for she is an involved member of kcpc.

Davy