As we start the new year with a fundraising campaign to renovate our new building, let’s reflect on our church’s biblical identity. Before we expand our space, let’s make sure we understand our place in God’s mission.Oleh Houston Chinese Church

People know how to prepare for Christmas to remember Christ’s birth. They set up a nativity scene at home. They hang ornaments of angels on their tree. They read an advent book together. But people may not know how to prepare for Christ’s return. How do we prepare ourselves and others for the return of Christ?…

During this season of Christmas cheer, we rarely consider the cosmic battle that took place during our Savior’s birth. We ignore the blood that was shed and the cries of agony that pierced the silence of those fateful nights. It does a soul good to meditate on these grim realities.Oleh Houston Chinese Church

People search for Jesus for different reasons. Some governments search for any mention of Jesus to erase it so that they can eliminate his influence on their societies. Some search for Jesus out of curiosity. Who is this Jesus that we celebrate during Christmas? Some search for Jesus to learn about his teachings. But what is the biblical reason to …

In the first part of chapter one, Matthew places Jesus, the messiah God’s people have been waiting for, in the context of redemptive history. Matthew now turns to the human beginnings of Jesus. From Matthew’s story about the birth of Jesus, we get a glimpse of who this Messiah is. His identity. His names. The names given to Him by God. Son of David…

Every Christian goes through spiritual winters of the soul where we are forced to ask ourselves, “Has God stopped working in my life?” Advent is his timeless answer to this unsettling question.Oleh Houston Chinese Church

In John’s Gospel, there are seven famous I AM statements where Jesus discloses his true identity. By saying, “I AM the True Vine,” Jesus is claiming to be the True Israel who is capable of doing what God's people in the Old Testament failed to do – to be fruitful as a blessing to the nations. If New Testament believers abide in Jesus like branches …

In John’s Gospel, there are seven famous I AM statements where Jesus discloses his true identity. In saying, “I AM the way and the truth and the life,” Jesus makes an exclusive claim that flies in the face of prevailing opinion – that all faiths are equally valid (or equally wrong).Oleh Houston Chinese Church

We are surrounded by dead people. Classmates. Co-workers. Fellow Shoppers. Other parents. Their deadness prevents them from understanding spiritual truth. The gospel puzzles them. People will eventually experience physical death. Those who do not believe in the gospel will experience spiritual death – separation from God. How does Jesus help people…

In John’s Gospel, there are seven famous I AM statements where Jesus discloses his true identity. In claiming, "I AM the Good Shepherd," Jesus is revealing how he views his followers and how he sees himself in relation to them. We can take comfort in knowing how good our Shepherd is and how much he loves his sheep.…

In John’s Gospel, there are seven famous I AM statements where Jesus discloses his true identity as God in the flesh. In claiming, "I AM the Door of the Sheep," Jesus is inviting anyone – who wants to access the sheepfold of God and enjoy the abundance of life therein – to enter through him and him alone.…

Oleh Houston Chinese Church

The second I AM statement that we will explore today is Jesus declaring that He is the Light of the World. What does He mean when He says this? What does Jesus being the light of the world mean for us? Just as light is meant to shine in the dark places, Jesus came to be the light in a dark world. Through our passage today, we’ll see how Jesus is th…

In the Gospel of John, there are seven famous I AM statements where Jesus discloses his true identity as Yahweh (the LORD God) in the flesh. In claiming, "I AM the Bread of Life," Jesus is challenging anyone who treats him as a materialistic Savior. He calls us to follow him – not because he’s useful to get what we need – but because he himself is …

Many of us are workaholics who find it hard to rest from our labor. Exhortations to observe a Sabbath rest come across as impractical or even irresponsible. But we are worse off when we ignore the 6+1 rhythm of life ingrained in us, as creatures made in the image of God – a God who rested.Oleh Houston Chinese Church

Difficult bosses suck the joy out of work. They make the workplace miserable. You always feel like you’re walking on eggshells around them. The mood at work feels dark and cloudy because your boss could lash out at any moment. What should we do when we work for a difficult boss?Oleh Houston Chinese Church

As we begin a new phase of our legacy building project, we want to focus on the mission of our church – to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Which means our primary aim is to intentionally do spiritual good to others in a highly relational context. So our whole approach to building new facilities is to help facilitate new disciple-making opportunitie…

If the gospel can give dignity and purpose to the work of a first-century slave, then there is definitely hope for yours. Whether you’re the one giving orders or the one taking them, the gospel has the power to reorient your attitude and motivation to do good work at work.Oleh Houston Chinese Church

Just as we’re prone to idolize work, we're prone to grow idle at work. Both errors stem from a failure to recognize and respect the God-ordained purpose behind our respective vocations. The propensity towards idleness is best addressed by a recovery of a strong Christian work ethic that connects our work with our discipleship to Christ.…

Our view of work might fall into one of two categories: live to work or work to live. If we live to work, then we fall into the temptation of idolizing our work. We often think of idols as statues that primitive people worship or inspirational people. But idols represent anything in creation that we love and serve rather than God. Examples of idols…

Some people live to work. Their work is their life passion. Others work to live. They view work as a means to facilitate their real passions in life. Which is it for Christians? How should we view our God-given vocations? Is there meaning and purpose in the work itself? But where do you draw the line, so that your work doesn’t end up defining you?…

Paul concludes this letter to the Galatians with a final appeal to reject the false gospel they’ve been entertaining and to invest deeply in gospel-centered ministers and ministries in the church. That’s the same response expected of those who have died to a slavish dependence on the world’s praise and acceptance. Those who know they are already lo…

The idea of walking by the Spirit (or keeping in step with him) is meant to be conducted communally. Imagine a group hike. Not a solo race. And what characterizes a Spirit-led community will be a mutual concern for each other – not an atmosphere of competition or conceit.Oleh Houston Chinese Church

Freedom in Christ doesn’t give you permission to indulge your flesh and do whatever you want without judgment. To be free in Christ means you’re now free to resist your fleshly desires and to walk by the Spirit. To bear his fruit – both in your life and your life together as the church.Oleh Houston Chinese Church

Some of us believe that our sins can never be overcome. We cannot escape sexual addiction. Struggle with self-image persists. Self-pity overwhelms us. We’ve tried self-help counsel. But it doesn’t work. Some of us have waved the white flag. It only makes us feel worse. The only way to overcome sin is the embrace of Christian freedom.…

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The religious and the irreligious may live vastly different lives on the surface. But dig deep enough and you’ll discover a common bedrock of legalism. Which explains Paul’s concern that Gentile Galatians are on the verge of turning back to their former idolatry – by being more devoted to God’s Law! Today’s text draws a distinction between mere hum…

As I look back at my 40 years of service at HCC, the most important lessons that God has taught me is to be an “I am Second” kind of a person. This is a person known to be a humble faithful servant of God. There are three biblical heroes that I have learned from that exemplified these qualities, namely, John the Baptist, Barnabas, and the faithful …

Today’s passage gets to the heart of the gospel Paul preaches. It addresses the Christian’s core identity as adopted sons of God. Until we have a clear grasp of our identity in Christ, we will struggle to comprehend our relationship with God and with fellow man. We will also fail to enjoy the freedom of life under the gospel. So how would you descr…

The main point Paul has been driving home in Galatians is that the gospel is good news for all. New spiritual life and right standing before God was made available to Gentiles through fain in Christ – without expecting them to adopt Jewish law and customs. But that message prompted accusations of playing fast and loose with Scripture, ignoring comm…

Don’t be deceived by lies. Hold onto the truth. There are many excellent arguments that show that we are not justified or declared righteous by the Law, but we are justified by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul argues that to supplement the work of Christ is to supplant it. There is only one way to be saved and that is by faith in Christ al…

An embrace of legalism causes us to walk out of step with the gospel. We feel tempted to embrace legalism sometimes, so that we can fit in with the crowd. Legalism can be both spiritual and secular. We memorize Scripture because everyone else does it, but not because it will help me grow in my relationship with God. We purchase certain brands so th…

People have certain ideas about the gospel. Some believe that good works will result in a relationship with God. Others think that Jesus is a moral exemplar to be imitated rather than our savior. These erroneous ideas reveal a deficient understanding of the gospel. If one believes in such error, it results in an impure gospel. What should we do the…

The most powerful stories ever told are often testimonies of God's grace in converting people. The Apostle Paul's conversion on the Damascus Road is one of the best known. His retelling of it in Galatians 1 has its own polemic purpose in the course of the letter, but his testimony also demonstrates important realities regarding the Christian gospel…

The Christian gospel is not a pliable message that can be molded into something new to fit changing times. It has a fixed content that the Church is called to proclaim, protect, and pass down to future generations. But there will always be pressure to amend or adjust the gospel. Either by subtraction or addition. By denying/downplaying central trut…

Many of us have experienced God’s faithfulness. He provides for us a spouse. He enables us to escape debt. He allows us to enter the school of our choice. These things remind us that God is with us. Yet we find ourselves lapsing over time into sin. Anger. Greed. Grumbling. How do we cultivate a lasting faithfulness after experiencing God’s faithful…

God’s people celebrated and dedicated the wall of Jerusalem by worshiping the Lord. To be a people set apart for God, they purified themselves. To demonstrate their love for God, they gave generously. To be consecrated before the Lord, they responded to God’s Word by repenting and turning back to the Lord.…

With its walls rebuilt and gates restored, Jerusalem was habitable again. But it was far from desirable. In contrast to the preexilic heyday of Israel, it was more appealing to live in neighboring towns than to settle in the burnt ruins of Jerusalem. But the people of God were challenged back then – just as we are today – to commit, through sacrifi…

Naturally, as a follow-up to the people returning to God in repentance, the people enter into a curse and oath to walk in God’s law and to do all that he has commanded his people to do. In their covenant renewal they focus on three areas where the people of God have most prominently failed to do: Mix marriages, observing the sabbath, and giving sup…

After God's word has been read, the Israelites humbly repent in response to that word. However, true repentance is rare in our day because we often harbor too small a view of God, which trivializes our sin. Through this remarkable prayer, we learn how to enlarge our vision of God through repentance. Along with Nehemiah and his people, we discover h…

On that first Easter morning, the three women at Jesus’s tomb were not anticipating a resurrection. They were coping with the loss of their beloved master and merely hoping to honor him with a proper burial. But what they encountered instead aroused a mix of trembling fear and great joy – transforming these women into history’s first evangelists.…

The attention has shifted from rebuilding physical walls to rebuilding spiritual lives. Nehemiah and Ezra now work together to ensure that God’s Word is foundational to the reconstituted covenant community. This is achieved by conducting a massive worship service where Scripture is read and studied for hours. It results in mournful weeping due to t…

Completion of the wall was only the first step in the process of reestablishing Jerusalem as a spiritual center for God. Nehemiah chapter 7 is a transitional chapter, where the focus has shifted from the project to the people. The city's physical structure was rebuilt. Now the people’s spiritual lives needed to be rebuilt. They must embrace their i…

Once again, opposition to the restoration of the wall, and to God’s city, is faced with opposition from the same adversaries we have encountered throughout Nehemiah. This time, their attacks are focused on Nehemiah himself. In these chapters we see their failed attempts to make Nehemiah stop the good work of God by trying to make him afraid. We’ll …

Oleh Houston Chinese Church

In Nehemiah 4, the builders of Jerusalem’s walls experience unremitting opposition. Enough to demoralize and deter the best of them. But they’re exhorted to remember the Lord. Because when you remember that the Lord fights for you – that your ultimate battle is not against flesh and blood – you can focus on the task at hand. You can remain vigilant…

Nehemiah 3 is a chapter we typically gloss over. It’s like reading a genealogy. It’s filled with unfamiliar names and monotonous repetition. But if all Scripture is profitable for teaching, then there must be helpful, edifying truths that we can glean from this ancient record of who worked on what section of the ruined gates and walls of post-exili…

Prayer and planning complement each other in working out God’s will. While we depend on God’s power and sovereign rule, we carefully organize plans that can further his purposes; while we wait, we prepare. God supplies his people with what they need to accomplish his purposes.Oleh Houston Chinese Church

The book of Nehemiah is about the rebuilding of the walls and gates of Jerusalem after the people’s return from exile. But walls and gates aren’t the only things being rebuilt in this story. On a grander scale, they were rebuilding their ruined identity as the covenant people of God and restoring their ruined mission as his representatives. And wha…

God stirs us up by showing us work that needs to be done. He often uses our concerns to stir us up. We feel concerned that our congregation fails to welcome newcomers well. Work needs to be done in welcoming others. We feel concerned that believers struggle to think biblically. Work needs to be done in helping believers think biblically. What shoul…