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October 29, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
482. Purity Can Be Toxic
Drinking absolutely pure water can kill us. All the water we normally drink, from taps, bottles, or the garden hose, contains impurities that affect a property of water called tonicity. This is a solution's ability to draw or repel water from adjacent solutions when separated by a membrane. Hypertonic solutions gain water, while hypotonic solutions lose water. Absolutely pure water, with no impurities at all, is the most hypotonic solution. So, if we drink enough of it, our cells will start absorbing water. This disturbs the balance of electrolytes in our body. This is most seriously a problem in the brain, where water poisoning can lead to brain damage, coma and even death. If truth is like water, 100% truth will kill us. Seeking purity in all our communication is actually toxic to our relationships. Expecting laser clarity of the heart's intention to be communicated all the time is not only infeasible but also only worsens a relationship. If we spoke 100% of our intentions and what is in our hearts to the people around us every day, they would probably want to be alone for the rest of their lives. Why? Because we cannot handle 100% truth about ourselves and what people think. Though some people claim they want truth and nothing but the truth, most of us want some cushion to minimize the impact of hard truths in communication. So we need to accept that we can never be 100% clear and pure in all our communication. It is said that there are 4 different levels of communication that happen in every conversation: What I think I said What I actually said What I think others heard What others actually heard Our words cannot contain and convey all the information by design. That is why tone of voice, facial expression, and gestures fill in the gaps in our understanding. So, in every communication, we must add and allow a small bit of nuance, consideration, and intentional unclarity so that a “reasonable” amount of truth can sustain “reasonable” understanding with each other. We won't see the full picture of truth until we see Jesus as he really is (2 Cor 3:18). Then we will all know the truth in full, and it will make us live forever, instead of killing us. Only pure water that does not kill is Jesus himself, the living water. (John 4:13-14) It is because through Jesus came not just truth, but "grace" and truth. (John 1:17) Grace allows truth to be true without being cruel.
October 22, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
481. Power of Weaknesses
Continuing on last week's blog, I want to talk about another weakness. During my guest speaking engagement in Nashville, someone came up to thank me for the message and asked how I could be so precise and concise in my words and points. I'd never been asked this question in person, so I thought for a moment. I told her it is actually because of my weakness: I'm not gifted in speech, and English isn't my first language, so I have to write everything for my talk because I cannot wing it. And I don't have the Charisma or humorous presence some pastors do, so I need to be precise in my points to keep people engaged. But many people came to me during this retreat saying, "Pastor Caleb has a lot of bangers!" After almost failing OAC (Grade 13) English because of presentations, I found it delightful that God's power was most evident in my biggest weakness. We dread our weaknesses because they don't seem to have immediate merit. Weakness is a weakness no matter how you decorate it. Especially without God, it is easy to despair over our weaknesses. We find it hard to imagine how our weakness could become something good. But if we submit it to God, he can use it to turn it into strength, or to make it look like strength. Because he uses the weak to shame the strong. (1 Cor 1:27) It is not that God doesn't use our strengths. But his strengths become much more evident through our weaknesses. People find merit in embracing our weaknesses. But the Bible goes a bit further. We are not just to be open about our weaknesses; we are to "boast" about them. (2 Cor 12:9)
It doesn't mean putting all our weaknesses in CAPS on our resume boastfully. It means we believe God's greatest favour will land on our weaknesses, not our strengths, and accomplish what we never thought possible. You might not have a good family background. It could be your childhood trauma. It could be your personality or tendency. It could be your not-so-dramatic faith life. If we embrace it as part of our identity and believe in God's extra favour on it, our weaknesses don't become a blockage but a building block for God's power.
October 15, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
480. Benefit of Weaknesses
I came back last Sunday after preaching at Unity Baptist Church in Nashville. I usually preach on the theme "Abundant Life", and it has four sessions: Happiness, Identity, Purpose and Future. Interestingly, after the second session, when I preach about "Identity," which is based on our weaknesses, not strengths, people often come to me to share how they connected with my message and my weaknesses. In the session, I shared about my weaknesses, mainly my introverted personality and my speech. It seems to confirm what one leader said: "People will admire you for your strengths but connect with your weaknesses." We think of weaknesses as defects. But if we embrace them as "part" of our identity, not only do we feel authentic, but God also uses that to encourage people and connect with them. So, at one point, I began to be intentionally open about what I see as my weakness. What I shared recently was about my desire for good things (namely Apple products and Lululemon, which some people consider excessive spending), mainly because they bring "me" great joy while using them. Thankfully, many of my members appreciate that I share it openly. (I think) I used to try to be more frugal. I thought, "Why am I not as frugal as other pastors who seem to get by with very little?" I budget, and I try to manage our household finances based on biblical and sound financial principles. But I struggle to find satisfaction in using things I don't love. Some people are happy with any smartphone or computer, as long as it works. Not me. Some people are very happy with cheap, functional clothes. Not me. (By the way, not all my clothes are Lululemon!) I genuinely struggled, but I eventually embraced this as part of me. Because I sensed that God doesn't judge me for it, and He seems to joyfully satisfy me with the good things I desire, which matches what He promises. (Psalms 103:5) It doesn't mean that I now mindlessly spend money on them, but I stopped condemning myself for not being as frugal as others. Thankfully, the Bible emphasizes more about "generosity" than "frugality", which is what I try to focus on instead. In Exodus, there were two miracles in God’s provision. The first miracle was "Manna", bread God sent from heaven. The second miracle was that those who gathered a lot (because of their great appetite) had no leftovers, and those who gathered a little (those who don't eat a lot) had no deficit. (Exo 16:16-18) They all amounted to the same amount God prescribed for their collection: one "Omer" (about 2.2 L). God can satisfy both those who need a lot and those who don't. We think our weaknesses will drive away people. But they actually attract them. Only our weaknesses that are "found out" do. That said, don't compare your strength with someone else's weakness. That leads to pride. What matters is whether we receive whatever amount of God's provision with "contentment", not "comparison".
October 8, 2026 • 4 Minute Read
479. Only This Far
This post is a translation of Pastor Lee's post from SBC's website, written on 9.27. 2026. We use certain words and ways of thinking without much thought, yet they quietly diminish the potential of our spiritual lives. One of them, I believe, is the expression many Koreans often use: ‘Only this far.’ (여기까지) Some people say that this phrase accurately describes the faith of many Korean Christians today. For example, when they are asked to serve in a ministry, they set a limit for themselves and say, ‘This is as far as I can go.’ Even those who are serving as Shepherds and Shepherd’s wives sometimes draw an invisible line in their hearts and decide, ‘This is as much as I’m willing to do.’ As I heard people describe this tendency, I could not help but ask myself, “Are we any different?” As I reflected, I realized how such thinking can hinder not only the capacity God has given us but also the work He desires to accomplish through us. One lesson I have learned through ministry is that God has given us far greater capacity than we realize. Human capacity can keep growing as long as we are willing to stretch it. Someone who struggles to care for one person today may continue responding to the challenges God places before them and eventually find themselves caring for two hundred people. Mother Teresa is a good example. When my wife lived in Korea, she would become completely exhausted after preparing a meal for ten guests. Sometimes she would even get sick afterward. But while serving in a singles house church, there were times when she prepared meals for as many as forty people, attended early morning prayer the next day, and later, when our third worship service first began, she regularly helped feed 120 young adults after worship. Today, because of her severe vision loss, she can no longer do those things, but she has become someone who is no longer intimidated by large numbers of guests. God expanded her capacity far beyond what she once thought possible. The same principle applies to intellectual abilities such as memory, learning, and understanding. Human capacity grows as it is stretched. We can be used far beyond what we believe our limits are. In fact, I believe this is part of what Jesus intended to teach through the Parable of the Talents. The servant who buried what he was entrusted with and returned it unchanged was called a wicked and lazy servant. In the same way, if we keep standing before opportunities for ministry and saying, “Only this far,” drawing our own boundaries, I believe we will one day hear a similar rebuke from our Lord. This mindset not only limits our own capacity; it also limits what God can do in and through us. Peter was the only disciple who stepped out of the boat. Even if he walked on water for only a few steps, he experienced something the others never did. Had he stayed in the boat, he would not have experienced a miracle. When we step beyond our comfort zone and take a risk in faith, God works, and we get to witness His work firsthand. When circumstances seem impossible, and we choose to tithe anyway, we discover God’s surprising provision. When life seems too busy and overwhelming to become a Shepherd, yet we commit ourselves to that ministry, we encounter God’s work in our lives. When we are sick, the natural response is to visit a doctor, but sometimes, when we step forward and ask for prayer, we experience God’s healing power in a fresh way. If we act only according to what seems reasonable and safe, we leave little room for God to demonstrate His power. It is when we step beyond what appears sensible and take a step of faith that we often experience God at work. But if we keep saying, “Only this far,” we will inevitably place limits on what God desires to do. Therefore, whenever the words “Only this far” begin to come out of your mouth, stop yourself. Instead, say, “If God desires it, I am willing to go the extra mile.” As you do, may God expand your capacity and enlarge your territory, and may you experience His wonderful work in your life.
October 2, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
478. Under Authority
These days, it's easy to find people who don't want to work for anyone. They want to be their own boss because they hate being told what to do. It is natural for humans to want independence, but if we are not careful, we might end up with no authority above us. It happens a lot as we get older, but it can also happen to young people once they reach adulthood because they now have a choice. But having no authority above us is not only impossible but dangerous. I heard someone say the most dangerous person is someone with no one above him. Some people might reach the top of the corporate ladder and have no official boss. But being under authority isn't just about having someone to report to; it's about seeking their counsel. That is why wise CEOs seek counsel and look for mentors with more experience than they do. Many people like the idea of humility but hate being under authority. But the best way to keep ourselves from becoming proud is to submit to someone ahead of us. I have Pastor Kwack as my authority, and I submit under his leadership. I submit to a leadership team on big ministry decisions (though we also submit to each other) and seek their counsel. I have many pastors in the house church network who have no official title above me, but I also submit to their authority because of the ministry journey they took ahead of me. I ask them questions before launching something big. The most tangible way to measure our humility is to ask this simple question: Do I have leaders whose advice I seek before making a big decision? If we don't, we might be spiritually in a dangerous place. I’m not talking about leaders or influencers we follow on Instagram, authors of books we read, or podcast hosts we listen to. I’m talking about real people around us who are ahead of us (other than our parents). When no one is involved in the important decisions of our lives, we might have people with titles of leaders, but we are not under real leadership. Under the right authority, we will always recognize what we lack and seek help. If we have one, we will appreciate feedback and be thankful for it. If we don’t, we will be offended when truth is spoken over us, because we won't see the need for it. We always have to be under someone. Some might say, “I’m under God’s authority!" That is a clear example of loophole-Christianity. Even the Son of God submitted to the Father God. It's a spiritual-sounding way of saying they don't like being under authority and want to stay proud.
September 24, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
477. How I Use AI
During the HC pastors' conference, as we ate breakfast, one of the pastors brought up the issue of "AI-generated worship songs" playing in some churches. So the discussion began, focused on "how much is too much." It was an interesting but also thought-provoking conversation. AI is the hottest topic wherever we go, and no one can doubt how prevalent it is these days. Even many seniors who are not tech-savvy regularly use and rely on AI. Many church members also use AI to get faith-related advice. So it is not hard to guess that many people are also curious about how pastors use AI and "how much." I can't speak for other pastors, so I will be transparent about how I use it. The first time I used AI extensively wasn't for my work, but for travel planning during my Japan Trip in 2024. I realized how much time it saved, as it gave me popular routes instantly without me having to compare different reviews and social media content. Then I thought about how I could use it more in my ministry. I tested it by asking it to give me exegesis of a certain passage to see if it says anything weird, but surprisingly, its output was pretty sound. So I started incorporating it into my sermon research for more modern implications. But AI is "one" of the resources I use. I usually study 3 commentaries, so it became my 4th resource. These days, I am trying to use it more to search my own work. I have my past sermons, blog posts, and new ideas all in a deposit of text files. The amount is quite large, and searching them manually has limitations. Now, I can ask AI to search my past work for a specific theme or words and use it to build a starting block for a related talk or message (usually for guest preaching). I find it useful because it can dig through my own work and synthesize a new creative direction. AI is also very handy for grammar checks. As English is not my first language, I try to make sure my main points are grammatically error-free. Sometimes they can be too wordy, unclear or potentially misleading, so I ask AI for correct expressions. But I do not ask AI to generate my main point. Whether AI is a net positive is hotly debated, even among experts. I am also in the middle of researching and experimenting. Meanwhile, what I can do now, at least, is maintain my "agency", not allowing it to "do" my work but to "assist" me. One thing I am sure of is that preserving our own agency will remain the greatest challenge when it comes to AI usage.
September 10, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
475. My Family Update
It's been almost a month since I wrote my last blog post, so I'd like to share some updates about my family. We visited my aunt and uncle in Indonesia last month. They got to see my kids for the first time, and we spent a good amount of time together. They've been serving as missionaries for a long time, but I heard their ministry stories for the first time. Hearing their ministry fruit, hurt, and challenges helped me to get to know them better and pray more specifically. God gave them favour through a businessman who owns the mountain, who helped them build a nice house on top of a mountain. So our stay was very comfortable, and we enjoyed the nice view. Our time in Bali was great. August is hurricane season in Mexico, but it is the driest season in Bali, so we enjoyed continuous sunlight throughout our stay. Our kids liked Indonesian food (though limited to a few options), so we had a good time eating and resting. On our way back home, we had a 24-hour layover in Taipei (Taiwan). So we ventured out to stroll around Taipei 101, which is famously known for pro climber Alex Honnold climbing it without any safety gear. It was very urban and felt like we were in Korea. A bunch of us caught some colds during this time. After arriving home, we had a rough week battling jet lag and cold symptoms. But thankfully we are pretty much recovered now. We bought a used 2011 Honda Pilot in 2014. For the last 12 years, it served our family well, and we also used it extensively for ministry. (It was a non-official church van) But it had been acting up lately, and all the tires (including snow tires) were due for a change. Given its age and upcoming large expenses, we concluded it was time for a new car. We still need a 7-seater and cargo space for ministry, so we decided to buy another Pilot. We signed the deal on Wednesday (I'm writing this post on Thursday) and will pick it up on Saturday. The most exciting part for me is finally having Apple CarPlay and a power tailgate. Every time I go on a family vacation, I'm reminded that family is a wonderful gift from God. Just being present with my family gave me a great sense of joy and fulfillment. I reflected that this is why God wants to create a spiritual "family" through his church, because it is his heart: To dwell among his people forever. (Rev 21:3)
August 14, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
474. Slowly but Surely
There are many things in my ministry that felt like a distant dream years ago, but are now a reality. One of them is having multiple people in a preaching rotation besides me. Though I wasn't actively trying to make it happen, I now recognize that God has been "slowly but surely" raising up communicators in the church. First it was pastor Anthony, and then shepherds (and spouses). Years ago, one of my mentors who used to be a church consultant visited our church to speak. After the service, he gave me a couple of pieces of good feedback, and one of them was the need to raise up multiple communicators in the church. Back then, I was busy improving my own preaching, so that didn't stick with me. But I did agree with his point that the church needs multiple communicators, so even if something happens to me on a given Sunday, someone else can preach. It didn't resonate with me then, but now I see its beauty and necessity. We have already seen its benefits. During my sabbatical last year, in addition to Pastor Anthony, shepherds (and spouses) rotated in preaching during my two-month absence. I heard great feedback after I came back. So I have asked our shepherds to volunteer if they want to do it again this year, on the Sundays when I am not present. A few shepherds signed up to preach, and they will speak for the next two Sundays. Though I remain as the main communicator, I love that I get to empower other communicators. I feel so blessed that not only do we have a second strong communicator in Pastor Anthony, but also many shepherds who can be part of the preaching rotation. I shared before that shepherds' preaching will not be exegetical but testimonial. Pastors have enough time to study the text and consult many resources to make it the main focus, but lay leaders don't have enough time to do so. They will choose a theme they feel convicted about during this season and use the text as supporting evidence to make their point. And as they must rely on their real-life examples to make their point, their preaching will be relatable and could be more impactful. As shepherds function as lay-pastors for their house churches, I believe they already live a very pastoral life and have what it takes to speak into our lives.
July 17, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
473. God Did It
Praise team and I came back safely last Sunday, after serving in the Shepherd Conference and NLF Sunday service. During the conference, I heard so much positive feedback from the participants, including pastors. One pastor told me this: "Your team not just plays songs, but leads worship." I believe that is the utmost compliment a praise team could hear, and I was so proud of our team. During one morning session, the main speaker said he rarely cries in response to praise, but he did. (Funny thing is, I cried during that session in the middle of a fast song!) There was an undeniable presence of God during each praise session. My sermon at the NLF Sunday service was well-received as well. As I was preparing for the message, I prayed that I would not preach to impress but to benefit. After the service, many came to me personally to share how the message encouraged them, so I was glad they found it beneficial. All our shepherds and spouses who attended the conference shared that it was really helpful to them. I was very happy to see them connecting, interacting with shepherds from other churches, building wonderful friendships within the universal Church and learning from each other. Leading up to the conference, I wasn't sure what this would lead to, but after the conference, it was clear that God would use our church more to bless other churches in the HC ministry network. I saw it as an answered prayer to the prayer we make every week to become a resource church. Though we might be small, I was reminded that God used a shepherd boy to strike down a giant. He can use 5 loaves and 2 fish to feed the thousands. As we were about to leave NLF, a verse on the wall caught my eye. It said, "The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." (1 Th 5:24 NIV) I felt like this wonderfully summed up our trip: God, who called us, enabled us.
Jesus said, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be required". I didn't know how much we had, but through this trip, I realized how much God has given us. If God is increasing our capacity to serve, we just adjust accordingly, trusting that God will give us the ability and resources to do so.
July 3, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
472. God Who Calls also Enables
Many of you already know, but our praise team is invited to lead praise time at the Shepherd's Conference next week. It is an annual conference that happens for shepherds and spouses in North America, and about 200 people attend. This year, all our shepherds and spouses are attending as well. Though the conference starts on Thursday, the praise team will fly out with me early on Tuesday to practice. They were also asked to lead praise time during Sunday service at NLF (New Life Fellowship), the host church, so they will return on Sunday evening. (I will also be preaching there on Sunday) Last year, when Pastor Eric came to speak at our members' retreat, he noticed something about our praise team. After the first praise session, he openly invited our team in the middle of his first sermon at the retreat. We were all surprised, and some thought he was making a joke. But when the official invitation came, we knew he was serious. I believe there is a special favour of God on our praise team, and his favor is always for the greater good of His people. So, I think God has called our praise team not to showcase their talent but to bless the greater body of Christ, particularly within the house church ministry network. Also, we believe it is our privilege to serve back the church that hosts HC lay leader seminar, pastor's seminar, and Shepherd conference every year. Just as we were blessed through their service, I believe God is giving us the opportunity to show appreciation through this. Our praise team has been practicing multiple times a week for the last 6 months. Even with such preparation, it is sometimes easy to doubt ourselves: "Are we good enough?" This is the type of doubt I wrestle with when I am invited to guest speak as well. But one thing I have learned over the years is this: **God who calls also enables.** God wants our success more than anyone else. He never calls us to fail. He sets us up to succeed. And when he gives us an assignment, he also gives us the ability to fulfill it. I am confident that this trip will be a great blessing not only to the participants but also to our praise team. Please pray for safe travel for the praise team and all who are attending.
June 26, 2026 • 4 Minute Read
471. My Testimony - Pastor Mitchell Perez
God's love found me at 16 years old while in my bedroom. I cried out to God to save me and use me. I repented of my hypocritical life. One way with my peers at school. Another way with my peers at church. Soon after, I made it my aim to live for God's Kingdom. I was consumed with letting Him do a great work through me. So I evangelized peers. Taught Bible studies. Served my church. My life was marked with passion. Boldness. Risk-taking. I would go on to Bible College and become a youth pastor at a large church at the age of 20 years old. But what began to happen beneath-the-surface was a brewing problem. See God, in His grace, brought fruit to many of these endeavors. People were getting baptized and growing under my leadership. Ministries grew by multiple metrics. I received much affirmation from leaders. But I didn't just receive it, I reveled in it. I'm not even sure I was aware of this at the time. Over time, I began to judge fellow Christians who struggled with doubt or those who didn't have the "passion" like me. I rebuked fellow Pastors that weren't as "biblical" or who weren't willing to sacrifice and work like me. I became the "older brother" in the Parable. But I was blind to see this. So then... God because He really really loves me... began to do a great work in me. He gave me the gift of sending me to plant a church that didn't result in explosive numerical growth like I wanted. If it had grown like I wanted - perhaps I would be yet another pastor scandal. Another leader that didn't have the character to handle the weight of such a ministry. Along with this gift - a Christian leader I looked up to, whom I longed to be affirmed by, crushed me with his words: "You're an unfaithful Pastor and if the Holy Spirit was truly anointing your ministry there would be fruit - your church hasn't even grown passed 30 people..." To be clear - He was wrong to say these words and they certainly weren't based in biblical teaching. But His words - sinful as they were - became a gift from God. In my brokenness, I believed these words from this leader. My shattered heart turned to God with anger. I considered leaving Christianity altogether. I willfully opened the door to pornography as a way to spite God. Though my actions were sinful. It revealed something profoundly important: "Mitchell, you're not as strong of a Christian as you thought were..." My God loved me so much, He broke me. And this was His great work in me. Bible scholars call this "sanctification". The lifelong process of becoming more like Jesus Because - as it turns out - God wants to reach the lost in the world. But He also wants to reach the "lost" in His children's hearts. We have a great mission for Jesus - Matthew 28 But the Spirit has a great mission for us - Romans 8 The Spirit wants to conform my character to Christ... I'm 38 years old now. And I'm so grateful for His great work through me. It's a privilege to be a pastor. A high honor. But I'm now so so so grateful for His great work in me. I've come to see that spiritual maturity is not: Learning more Bible Doing more good works Accumulating Church titles Spiritual maturity is when more and more of my pride is broken and I become increasingly controlled and content in the Holy Spirit. I hope my testimony blessed you. Thanks for reading.
June 19, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
470. Easy or Excellent
Last Sunday, we had to gather online only as the school we rent had an annual event for that weekend. We were notified only a few weeks beforehand, so I quickly searched for potential places to rent, but either the location was too far, or the rate didn't make financial sense. So we settled on an online service, which was actually our last resort. So I had an option. Either use Zoom (which we did last time) or do a livestream. The easy way was to use Zoom. I already have all the settings prepared for the "thought of the week" video recording, which I use every week. Camera and lighting are already set up, and I just have to turn on the computer. But since Zoom cannot reliably stream live music, after talking with Jen, we decided to do a YouTube livestream instead, just like we did in the pandemic. And since I wasn't preaching that Sunday, I felt I had enough time to just work on the livestream. And we decided to set it up in our living room, and also asked the special praise team and the prayer person to attend in person. But the work was much more than expected. We had to move the sofas, bring all the sound gear up from the basement, and set up the livestream gear. Thankfully, my house church members helped a lot with the setup. But trying to refresh my memory and learning about livestreaming all over again took longer than expected. My mind was on it all week, and at one point I found myself asking, "Why am I doing it the hard way?" "Did I make a mistake when I could've easily chosen an easy path?" But that's when I remembered King David's confession. King David made a mistake by performing a census when God didn't instruct it, which caused plague to spread in Israel. Prophet Gad asked him to set up an altar to God at the field of a guy named Arauna and offer a sacrifice there to stop it. When David arrived, Arauna offered to provide everything for the sacrifice. But David refused the offer and said, "I will not offer to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." (2 Sam 24:24). He paid for the field and oxen required for the sacrifice, and God was receptive to his sacrifice, and the plague stopped. We can sometimes choose the easy path. But there are certain things, at certain times, that we must be willing to pay the price. Choosing what is easy is not always rewarding. But choosing excellence always feels rewarding. And excellence demands cost. As all who joined online already know, there was an issue with sound, and things didn't go that smoothly as I expected. But my heart was still joyful afterward because we chose the difficult but rewarding path. And I believe God was pleased with what we offered to him. And I found it amusing that the sermon was also about excellence. Regardless of our experience, what is important in our worship is that God is honoured, and I believe he was.
September 18, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
476. Parents Conference is now Parents Connect
During the early years of launching youth house church there were changes that needed to happen before it could be implemented effectively. One of those changes was partnership with parents. Parents conference was created out of a necessity to fill the gap and bring parents and youth shepherds to work together towards the same goal—youth house church. I have witnessed the culture shift over these ten years. Parents are fully onboard with home gathering and actively communicate with the youth shepherds to coordinate and rotate homes. So now, the emphasis has shifted from “bringing parents onboard” to “continuing to build and maintain good ministry relationships with parents.” Hence, starting this year the youth ministry team felt it appropriate to rename parents conference to parents connect. Back then “conference” was definitely the right word. However, with the current stage of ministry partnership we are in, conference feels too heavy and distant. “Connect” communicates more of what we are trying to achieve in that session and our current relationship with our youth parents. Although much of the structure remains the same, there is an additional emphasis to discuss with parents how they can practically help youth house church through home gathering. By strategizing together, I believe we can come up with greater ways to support each other and the mission of Jesus at our church. The reason I am sharing is simply this—God has been faithful. I’m so grateful for how God has taken the small step the youth ministry team took towards parents partnership and grew it abundantly. I believe we are now at the next level of partnership in our church culture. Connecting once a year isn’t much, but when done over 10 years, it can completely shift the culture and dynamic of a ministry. Witnessing it with my own eyes builds my faith that God can take our small initiatives of obedience and faith and turn it into something amazing. It just takes a bit of time.
June 12, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
469. Evangelism through lifestyle, not knowledge transfer - Anthony
Recently I joined Caleb, Jen, and the grade twelve graduates for graduation dinner, during which the graduates shared one thing they took away from youth ministry. Of course as the youth pastor, I leaned in to listen to their answer. None of them mentioned my sermons. Both of them replied (paraphrased), “I learned how to love and serve people through watching my youth shepherds.” If they were placed in a situation where they had to love and serve others, they said they felt like they could, because of what they experienced in their youth house church. Some of them also received Jesus because of those very experiences. The more we do house church ministry I’m convinced what changes a heart to open up to living by faith isn’t simply through knowledge transfer of “Christian teachings” but the modelling of Christian life through church community. The feeling, “maybe I can do that too,” was instilled in the youth because of what they could see; namely, an adult leader, a couple years ahead of them, trying their best to live out a Christian life. The impact we leave to the next generation is not how perfectly teach Jesus, but the visible effort we made to follow Jesus, even imperfectly, and their proximity to it. In house church, we can all be part of someone’s finding of Jesus, not because we transferred our knowledge, but because we showed them who Jesus is through our service and actions. So if you truly want to bring someone to Jesus, instead of agonizing over your next potential argument (knowledge transfer), focus on inviting them to come see the community of Jesus (Christian life modelling). As a pastor, my temptation is to believe knowledge transfer is always the answer to the gap between someone not growing in faith. But through youth ministry, I’ve learned many times the gap is filled organically through spending time with them and modelling love, care, and service. There is definitely a place for knowledge and learning. However, I’ve come to accept my main evangelistic channel is living the Christian life, to the best of my ability, and to allow others into my life that they may see Christ through me, despite my imperfections, just like the youth shepherds. What blesses people is invitations into our lives, not invitations into our minds. So even if you’re not a Bible scholar, you have a lot to offer others in their journey of faith if you do life together in house church ministry.
April 1, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
459. Why I Don’t Sanitize Sunday Messages For The Youth - Anthony
There are topics inappropriate to discuss with children because of their life stage. However for youth, there is no need to censor or hide anything when it comes to the Bible. Often well-meaning Christians try to omit difficult passages for others to experience. I agree that we should highlight first in the Bible what is clear and let newer and younger Christians digest that material first, we should not bring about a culture of Biblical censorship. The Bible is not just writings about God. The Bible is writings about God in history. Therefore, it includes all the descriptions of what happened throughout that history, good and bad. There are descriptions of violence, sexual violence, slavery, war, betrayal, crime, and exploitation not because God condones it, but because these things really happened. This is the fallen world we live in, and the Bible is not shy to tell us so. Yet, often people worry that youth cannot handle such content so they censor it. However, youth are in public environments, such as school, where difficult topics are already brought up all the time. Sex, money, politics, violence, and crime to name a few. They understand and discuss the challenges and brokenness of the world. However, if in their church and Bible all that’s presented is a sanitized view of life, it will turn them off from accepting it as the truth. The irony of sanitizing Christianity from sin is that it ends up having the opposite effect on youth. This is because youth already understand the world is messed up and they are messed up. They are looking for the best worldview that explains why and how to overcome it—the truth that works. When interfacing with youth I try not to be afraid to share the truth and get vulnerable. We are not protecting them by censorship. Youth seek authentic voices, people willing to say the truth even when its difficult. They don’t like facades. I’ve found youth start to really listen and engage, when we explain God’s faithfulness in the midst of our failures, not when we say feel good messages. They don’t need censored self-esteem boosters. They need the courage to admit they are sinful, which comes from someone else first acknowledging how broken they are. When we view the youth as emerging adults, it becomes clear. We need to treat and trust them as people soon to bear adult responsibilities. So, I don’t tone down the messages to a youth-level hoping adults understand. I preach to adults, and hope youth are able to understand. Even for youth retreats, I set the content level of my preaching to young adults or grade twelve. And when the temptation comes to avoid a topic or avoid a passage in the Bible, instead of explaining it away that, “they are too young for this,” I challenge myself to think, “I don’t have enough courage or wisdom to explain this.” And I turn to God for help.
November 27, 2025 • 3 Minute Read
446. Learning at Church is not only through Sermons
One truth about living in community is this: your life is transparent. Just like in a family, your life is visible to others, because they know you and care. Transparency is a blessing because, only when people know the real you, can you feel real love and trust. Transparency allows us to feel known and loved, but it also comes with responsibility—to live rightly.
When working at a cancer research lab, my professor taught me to follow proper protocols like wearing gloves and masks to reduce the chance of contaminating the results. However, he himself rarely wore gloves and masks. He would just grab equipment and mix solutions, with no mask and no gloves. Eventually, I found myself doing the same; conducting research with no mask and no gloves. However, I got scolded by one of the other PhD students. In the middle of me getting scolded, guess how I responded? “But, professor does it!”
My professor always taught me: wear gloves and masks. But what I caught from him was a different lesson: it’s okay not to wear gloves and masks. This experience is often the same in church. As Ralph Neighbour Jr. emphasized Christianity is caught, not taught. This is not to undermine the importance of teaching, but to highlight the reality that most people get their cues from the people around them, especially their leaders.
Therefore, as people living in community we should be mindful of how our decisions impact the next generation. Because again Christianity is not taught, but caught. We can tell our students listen to wholesome music, but if they get in our car and we’re listening to explicit music, that becomes their learned standard. We can advise our students on wise dating, but if they don’t see it modelled from us, they will struggle to believe it and apply it.
At Houston, my hosting shepherd told that because they love their house church members, him and his fiancé committed never take overnight trips together before marriage. He explained, “even if we got separate rooms, I wouldn’t do it. I’d rather wait until marriage than risk any misunderstanding and be a reason for my house church members to stumble.” I was truly impressed. His awareness of the impact of his decision in community and his intentional decision to model it, tangibly showed how much he loved his brothers and sisters around him.
Christianity has a built-in self-humbling apparatus. As I continue to youth ministry, I am constantly humbled. Preaching better does not make me a greater blessing to the next generation. Instead, only when I more humbly, more intentionally follow Christ and become a real life example for those younger than me in the faith, am I becoming a real blessing. My hope and prayer is that The Seed does not delegate the job of “training the next generation in righteousness” to the Sunday sermons, but takes upon themselves the responsibility of modelling godliness for the next generation. Make the mission personal.
September 25, 2025 • 3 Minute Read
437. A different kind of teaching- Stories
Beginning this Sunday youth will have opportunity once a month to hear a Bible story. It might seem like it’s just church-y way to pass time, but I believe there is a lot of value in learning Bible stories. Stories help us think through situations and teachings much deeper than the teaching itself both in our youth and adult lives. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” might sound like just a creation story, but it’s imparting accessible Theology. That God created ex nihilo, he created something from nothing. When students hear God loves them as a concept, it doesn’t land as hard as when they read the story of the the shepherd leaving the 99 to go after the one. I think stories are effective and sticks because it engages our emotion and imagination, both are gifts from God. Personally, I have found stories that I carry with me evolve with me and keep me engaged in my reflection of God. For example, in the parable of the prodigal son, the Son asked for his inheritance early and ran away. I used to relate to him when I first read the story. Later in my life I started to think more about the heart of the Father, what it must of felt like to have your own son leave and the heartbreak. These days I find myself thinking about the older brother, who was upset at the younger brother’s return and acceptance. It made me reflect on my heart, do I have any trace of the older brother in myself? My hope that the new monthly Bible Story initiative will help our youth grow in their theological reflection of God. It won’t be a sermon where I’m trying to teach them a big truth, but simply present the story. I trust in the sufficiency of scripture and the Holy Spirit to reveal to our youth what the stories mean over time. Although Bible Story is for youth only, as adults we also benefit a lot from stories. In our own quiet time or devotional we can be so quick to try and “find the meaning and application,” of the passage. But I encourage you, as I have been trying while preparing Bible Story, to just try and sit with the story. Digest it. And just allow it to linger in the back of your mind. Sometimes greater insight and revelation comes when we don’t force it but allow our minds to wander and ponder the story.
June 12, 2025 • 2 Minute Read
426. The reason I post youth ministry-related announcements for Sunday
Youth ministry (and Children’s ministry) are often easy to view in a silo. Simply because they are isolated, separate ministries that operate independently of adult ministries, it can be easy to think what happens in youth ministry is independent of adult ministry. However, youth ministry impacts the entire church because of two key components: graduation and youth shepherds. Graduation means that youth of The Seed will become adults of the The Seed. So successes in youth ministry directly translate over to successes in adult ministry, since all the success stories of youth ministry are moving in towards adult ministry. Youth Shepherds, through youth ministry, become strong adult members who trust in God and have a shepherd heart. Many team leaders in our church, are youth shepherds or former youth shepherds. In many ways, youth ministry has impacted and shaped the core leaders of adult ministry today. I used to not put youth ministry only announcements for Sunday announcements, since I too, once believed youth ministry was it’s own bubble. But now, I am very willing to inform church members, even about youth ministry announcements on Sunday service. This is because I believe youth ministry and adult ministry are linked and dependent on one another. And specifically, I believe youth ministry blessings, become direct blessings to adult ministry as well. There will be an upcoming graduation service. This is not just a routine thing we do every year for students moving on from high school, but also an acknowledgement of members from youth house church transitioning into adult house church. There will also be an upcoming youth shepherd appreciation as new youth shepherd appointment ceremony. Again, these are not just youth ministry staffing changes that made it’s way into Sunday service, but highlights and celebrates adult members who have caught our mission to restore the new testament church. These adult members return to their house churches as stronger house church members, because they understand the shepherd’s heart. So when you see a youth ministry announcement don’t dismiss it as irrelevant information, but rejoice for we are one church, one body, with many parts (1 Cor 12:12). And when you see a youth ministry budget increase, don’t think “youth ministry is taking all our money.” Think “that is a great investment for our entire church.” Because successes in youth ministry always flow in the direction of adult ministry.
August 9, 2026 • 8 Minute Read
Living Life Testimony (19) - Janice Goh
Hi everyone, for those of you who don’t know me, my name is Janice. I first came to this church because of my best friend, Esther Kim. After accepting Christ, I was really excited to begin this new journey of faith, but if I'm being honest, I also felt completely lost. I had so many questions about the Bible, about Christianity, and even about who God really is. One day Esther came to me and said, "Why don't we take Living Life together? Then you can ask all the questions you've been wanting to ask." We actually tried to join during the winter, but because we were studying in Guelph and Living Life wasn’t offered online, we couldn’t attend. Looking back now, I’m actually glad we waited because I realized how important it was to experience this class in person. When registration opened again for the summer, Esther immediately messaged me and said, "Let's do it this time! You can stay at my house every week and I can see you more often this summer." I really wanted to say yes, but there was one problem. Summer was my co-op semester. As an international student, my co-op was really important because it helped support my living expenses and prepare me financially for the next semester. But I still hadn’t found a job, and if I couldn’t secure one soon, I had to drop my co-op. At the same time, saying “yes” to Living Life meant: travelling every Wednesday after work from Guelph to Richmond Hill which takes about 3 hours, staying until Sunday for church, and then returning home. My mind was full of worries. "What if I don't get a job?" "What if I'm making the wrong decision?" I tried to solve everything myself. I kept thinking, "I'll find a job first, and then I'll decide if I can take Living Life." But as the Living Life sign up deadline got closer, I still didn't have a job. That was when I finally stopped trying to figure everything out on my own and started praying. One day, almost out of nowhere, I texted Esther, "Let's take Living Life together. I'm going to trust God. I'll sign up first, and I'll leave the rest to Him." Looking back now, I think that was the first time I truly chose faith over certainty. When Living Life began, I enjoyed every class. Every Wednesday I learned more about who God is, but God wasn’t only teaching me through the classes. Every week, He also gave me opportunities to actually practise what I was learning, especially how to trust Him more and more. During one of my prayers, I made a promise to God. I said, "God, if You provide me with a co-op job and help me complete every Living Life class, I'll share my testimony so people will know the great things You have done for me." Near the end of May, during the last week of co-op recruitment, I had almost given up. I remember deciding that the next morning I would print my résumé and hand it out at shopping malls to look for a part-time job instead. But before I even got out of bed in that morning, my phone rang. It was my previous co-op employer. Two months earlier, I had emailed them asking if they were hiring, and they told me they weren't. But this time, they called me and offered me a hybrid co-op position. At that moment I knew this wasn't just coincidence or luck. God had already prepared a way before I could even see it. Even my work schedule worked perfectly. I worked from home three days a week and went into the Kitchener office two days a week. Every Wednesday, after work, I travelled straight from Kitchener to Richmond Hill for Living Life. Looking back, I often told people that attending Living Life felt like a reward every week. Not because travelling was easy. But because every Wednesday became another opportunity to experience God's faithfulness. He gave me energy after a full day of work. He provided enough financially for all my transportation. He helped me stay awake and focused during class after hours of travelling. Even preparing snacks became another reminder of His care. (For Living Life, we would rotate providing snacks for the classes) Even something as small as preparing snacks for class became another reminder of His care. Since I travelled directly from work, I didn’t know how I would prepare them when it was my turn. But the first time, Esther’s mom prepared everything for me, and another time, my shepherd Joy helped provide them. It reminded me that sometimes God provides through the people He places around us. One Wednesday especially reminded me of that. Because of a misunderstanding, I thought there wasn't going to be a class that week, so I accepted a nail appointment after work. (PSA: I work as a nail tech as a side hustle.) While I was working, I saw Esther messaged the group to confirm there was no class that day. But the next message was Pastor Caleb replying that we do have class. Immediately, I started panicking. I hadn't packed anything. I had a client. I still had work to finish. And somehow I needed to get to Richmond Hill. Normally, I would've tried to solve everything myself. But this time, the very first thing I did was pray. Right there at my desk, I folded my hands and prayed, "God, I really want to go to class today. I don't care how You do it, but please make a way." After that prayer, one thing after another fell into place. My manager kindly let me leave early, I rushed home to pack, managed to rearrange my nail appointment, and somehow still caught my bus to Richmond Hill. When I arrived in Richmond Hill, I accidentally got on the wrong bus and ended up one stop away from church. Walking would have taken another thirty minutes. Then I looked at my phone. It had only 1% battery left. I was able to quickly book an Uber before my phone died. When I finally got into the car, it started pouring rain. I remember sitting there thinking, "God... You really didn't want me walking in the rain today." It wasn't a huge miracle, but it reminded me once again that God cared about every detail of my journey. Another lesson that deeply impacted me was during the class on our identity in Christ. Around that time, people kept asking why I was travelling to Richmond Hill every single week just for a Bible class. Some people looked at me as if I was wasting my time. Others questioned whether it was worth it. Eventually I started questioning myself. Am I being weird? Am I making the wrong decision? Then during class, Pastor Caleb said something that felt like God was speaking directly to me. He said that Christians should expect to look "weird" to the world because we are called to live differently. He also reminded us not to fear because God protects His children. I remember tearing up during that lesson and even marking it in my notebook because I didn't want to forget it. He ended by teaching that God allows trials only within what we are able to bear and that He always provides a way for us to endure them. That truth has stayed with me ever since.Before Living Life, whenever I faced difficulties, I would immediately think, "How am I going to solve this?" Now, my first response is becoming, "God, how are You going to lead me through this?" Living Life didn't remove my challenges. I still had work. I still had long journeys. I still had stress. But it completely changed how I walked through them. My favourite verse from Living Life is Revelation 3:20: "See, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." Before taking this class, I thought trusting God meant waiting until I had everything figured out. Now I realise that God wasn't asking me to have all the answers. He was simply asking me to open the door and trust Him one step at a time. Looking back, I realize the greatest miracle wasn't just getting a co-op job. It wasn't making it to class every Wednesday. It wasn't even the many little ways God provided throughout the journey. The greatest miracle was that God was changing my heart. Living Life taught me that God isn't only interested in giving us answers. He wants us to know Him, trust Him, and walk with Him. Today, I still don't know what challenges tomorrow will bring. But now I know I don't have to face them alone. Before I end, I also want to thank Pastor Caleb for these 13 weeks and for always patiently answering all of my many questions. Thank you to my amazing classmates, my shepherd Joy, Esther and her family for always taking care of me and giving me a place to stay, and everyone else who has encouraged and supported me throughout this journey. Thank you.
July 19, 2026 • 5 Minute Read
Growing Life Testimony - Philip Kim
Hi everyone. My name is Phil, and I am currently serving as the Shepherd's Husband for PNG House Church. Today, I want to share how God used the Growing Life Bible Study and the Shepherd's Conference in Houston to transform my heart. Before taking the Growing Life class, I want to honestly share where I was spiritually. For quite some time, I had been struggling with apathy and burnout. My quiet time and prayer life became something I did only occasionally, and even then, it often felt like I was simply checking off a box because it was something I "should" do as a Christian rather than something I genuinely desired. In ministry, I truly love my house church members, but serving often felt heavy. There would be many nights where I would work, get into stressful and difficult situations at work, come home at 6am, wake up, set up and do house church. I would wonder to myself, "when will this become easier? When will serving start to feel normal?" Some weeks I felt energized and joyful in ministry. Other weeks I felt exhausted and discouraged. Looking back, I realized my spiritual foundation wasn't firm. My walk with God was constantly fluctuating depending on how I felt. That was where I was before taking Growing Life. Ironically, I didn't sign up because I was eager to take the class. The men in my house church wanted to take it, so I took it for their sake. But God knew I needed it far more than I realized. There were two lessons God used to begin restoring my relationship with Him. The first was learning what quiet time and prayer truly meant. As a Christian, I always knew QT stood for "Quiet Time," but I had never really stopped to think about what that meant. Quiet time means personal time with God in solace. Quiet time isn't simply reading through a chapter of Scripture and moving on. It's intentionally spending personal, undistracted time with God. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus regularly withdrew to lonely places to pray. He sought solitude to be with His Father. One of the practical things I learned was that sometimes it is better to slowly meditate on one verse than to rush through an entire chapter. Instead of asking, "What do I want God to say to me today?" I learned to sit quietly, reflect on His Word, and ask, "God, what do You want to say to me?" I honestly can't remember the last time I had simply sat in silence before God, listening instead of speaking. The second lesson was learning that ministry is a marathon, not a sprint. Somehow, I had convinced myself that if ministry felt difficult, something must be wrong. But Growing Life reminded me that serving God isn't supposed to be easy. It's supposed to stretch us. Like training a muscle, spiritual endurance develops over time. The struggle itself isn't failure. God uses that struggle to mature us and to help us see the joy of salvation in serving others. Those two lessons answered the questions I had been carrying in my heart. I realized my apathy wasn't simply because I was tired—it came from a distant relationship with God. My frustration with ministry wasn't because ministry was the problem—it was because I had been looking at it through my own limited vision instead of God's vision for His Church. Over those seven weeks with Caleb, God slowly replaced frustration with peace. And through that peace, He gave me confidence. For a long time I wondered whether I was ready to step into greater responsibility. Today, I believe God is calling me to serve as the Shepherd of PNG House Church. I don't say that because I feel capable. I say it because I believe God is calling me, and I want to obey Him. That leads to my experience at the Shepherd's Conference in Houston. I feel like the conference reaffirmed God’s promises, not only to me, but to our church as well. I can speak for all the shepherds and shepherd’s wives that attended, God prepared a table for us to eat, rest, and be refreshed. I also want to give a special thank you to our praise team, who led worship during the conference at New Life Fellowship. I'm normally not someone who raises my hands during worship. But standing there with around two hundred believers singing together, I couldn't help it. Without even thinking, my hands reached out toward God. It wasn't because of emotion alone. It was because I was overwhelmed by His faithfulness. The sermons and testimonies also reminded me how blessed we are. Listening to the pastors throughout the conference made me realize how much wisdom and stacked we are in this ministry. Become a shepherd or a marry a shepherd, just to attend this conference. its worth it. It also reminded me that our church isn't serving alone. The work we are doing through house churches and youth house churches is part of something much bigger than ourselves. God is moving through churches around the world. I want to finish with the verse that God impressed on my heart through the conference. Psalm 23:1 says, "The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing." Before Growing Life, I often focused on what I lacked—more energy, more passion, more strength, more motivation. But God reminded me that if He is truly my Shepherd, then I already have everything I need to follow Him faithfully. And because of that, I can trust Him to lead me, to sustain me, and to use me for His glory. Thank you.
May 24, 2026 • 7 Minute Read
Baptism Testimony - Youngshin Kim
I was born into a typical Confucian and Buddhist culture in Korea. We had lots of ancestor ceremonies every year, and I didn’t know anyone in my family — even distant relatives — who went to church at that time. But when I became an adult, I started wondering: “Who is the real me? Why was I born? What is the purpose of life? What is love? Is there a God?” I met my husband, and he was a good and caring person. We had two beautiful daughters, but somehow I was still unhappy, lonely, and gloomy. That made me carry so much guilt inside me, and it made me think I wasn’t a good mom. I felt like I was carrying a huge stone inside me. So I started searching for answers. I did counseling and joined some group counseling here in Canada, and it has been such an important support group for the past 9 years. We read a lot of philosophy and psychology books and shared our emotions openly. That helped lighten my guilt a lot. But I was still lonely and gloomy. At the beginning of last year, I concluded that there was no God. I was tired of searching for answers, and I thought, “If there is a God, why is the world like thi” Then a few months later, our family went through a huge suffering. It was such a massive challenge and we had to battle every single day. My husband and I agreed it was the hardest thing we had ever faced in our lives. I was scared it would never end and that we would have to live like that forever. But after four months, we could finally see it was ending. It almost felt like a miracle. I felt so much gratitude then, but I didn’t know where that gratitude should go… to me? To my husband? To the hospital staff? We all did our best, but the gratitude I felt was so much bigger than just us. So I thought, maybe I should go to church and find out. I called Sharon, who I had known her for about 7 years, and she knew about our situation. She had been praying for us. I went to Mokmin Church last October, and that was my first official church visit. I had gone one time when I was 10 years old, but after that I never wanted to go to church again. I felt so awkward, and the gospel song lyrics sounded cheesy and weird to me back then. So guess what my biggest concern was on the day I went to Mokmin Church? The gospel songs. But luckily, I was okay. I even related some of the lyrics to myself and my suffering, and a few times I teared up a little. But I wiped my tears away very quickly because I didn’t want the “church people” to see me crying. I still had my guard up really high back then. After visiting the Korean church a few times, Sharon suggested that I also visit “The Seed” church to experience something different. It was nice. Then one day, after a few visits, our praise team— thank you for playing that song — sang Holy Forever. Maybe because I had watched The Passion of the Christ the week before, when the lyrics started: “Your name is the highest,
Your name is the greatest,
Your name stands above them all…” from that moment, I started crying so much. Really, so much. I was thinking about Jesus, not myself. Just like the lyrics said, I truly hoped Jesus could hear us singing for Him. He is worthy. And I felt so sorry that He died for us and went through all that suffering. That became a huge turning point in my journey, and after that I became much more open to church, to people, to gospel songs — to everything. Recently I joined the Daniel Fast, and it was so helpful. I had some amazing experiences. My days became filled with the Bible, testimonies, and gospel songs instead of TV dramas or news. After one week, suddenly I had an idea. Since I felt like I was almost becoming a Christian, I prayed: “God, can You please appear in my dream the way You sometimes do for other people? I’m so curious what kind of figure You would be in my dream.” Then I went to bed. The next morning, I woke up at 6 a.m. as usual and started making my kids’ lunches. You know that feeling when you have a really good dream or a really bad dream, and the feeling stays with you after you wake up? That morning, I felt so happy, and my heart felt so warm. I kept thinking about the dream. Then after about 30 minutes, suddenly I was in shock. “Wait… wait a second… really? Was that Jes? Really? Did He listen to my prayer?” So… this was my dream. In the dream, I was staying for one week at my grand-uncle’s house. In Korea, we call older male relatives “할아버지.” I was calling him 할아버지. We spent time together all day long in his yard. He didn’t say much, but I knew he loved me so much. The whole atmosphere was filled with warmth and love. Of course, I loved him too. We were just facing each other, and I talked to him all day long. Then after one week, I had to go back to my mom’s house. So I told him I had to leave. And he said… “Visit me twice a day.” And I answered, “Yes. Yes, I will.” I was so happy because I could see him again every day, twice a day. Then I woke up. So… if that 할아버지 was Jesus, I thought, how do I visit Him twice a day? Ah… I can pray twice a day. And I’ve been doing that ever since, with joy. Jesus wants to see me and wants me to visit Him. Of course I will. I don’t know if that dream came from my unconscious mind or not, but honestly, I don’t really care what it was. Through that dream, I experienced what Jesus’ love could feel like. At some point, I realized I don’t ask those lifelong questions anymore:
“How can I be happy?”
“Why am I still lonely?”
“Why was I born?”
“What is the purpose of life?”
“What is love?” I’m happier now, and I’m filled with a little more joy. But that little joy and happiness have made a huge difference in me. I’m kinder to my neighbors and greet them with genuine happiness. I’m kinder to my husband and my kids too, and I hope they can feel that. I’m so happy to be baptized today! I am so thankful to all the members of this church who have been so welcoming to me. I want to give a special thanks to my house church members and my shepperds, Sharon & Edward. The encouragement and support of both my shepperds and the house church members are one of the main reasons why I am here today. I also wanted to thank my Friday counselling group and my family, who have been so supportive and happy for me. Lastly, THANK YOU to our praise team for playing Holy Forever. Thank you.
April 22, 2026 • 1 Minute Read
Living Life (19) Completion
Congratulations to Jeesu Sohn, Lisa Ahn, Janice Goh, Esther Kim, Zhiyong Ye on successfully completing Living Life! May you continue to grow into a mature follower of Jesus!
April 5, 2026 • 7 Minute Read
Growing Life Testimony - Sean Ahn
Hi everyone, my name is Sean and this is my Growing Life testimony. The reason why I took Growing Life, well I don’t know. I’m not entirely sure why I decided to take it. I don’t remember what I was hoping to get out of Growing Life. If I’m honest, this is how my life looked ever since I joined this church. Take New Family Class, GPS, pick Housechurch, go on mission, join a team ministry and so on. At first, I thought it was because I wanted to do it, but no. I don’t wanna do missions, I don’t wanna dance and perform in front of strangers, I wish I could do more University club stuff instead of doing church, and so on. All of these, I just did, because someone told me to do it and maybe out of fear that I can’t stay here if I don’t do these things. Growing Life was the next step after Living life, so I took it. Growing Life taught me to do Quiet Time, so just like every other thing I’ve done, I did it. I won’t deny it was helpful. During my QT, I experienced healing. I had two chest pains ever since Grade 9, one in the middle of my chest, a feeling of tightness and burden, and another was on my heart, a sharp pain that attacked my nerves from my heart to my fourth finger in my right hand. One QT night, it was gone. Ever since I was young I asked for healing and look, it happened. I’m very thankful that God healed me. But even after all of this, something felt wrong. I think that’s why the last couple of months were very difficult, I couldn’t just do it anymore. I needed some sort of a breakthrough, a goal as to why I’m doing all this. I was getting tired and close to getting a burnout from trying not to be overwhelmed. I didn’t let myself be overwhelmed, “You are not doing a lot, you should be doing more, you shouldn’t be tired.” I was saved, my assurance in salvation has never been this solid and Growing life strengthened my belief further. But it was still there. Despite everything, I kept doing my Quiet Time. I asked for help, and God brought me back all the way to the start, when I didn’t know who God was. At first, I remember being so thankful to Jesus who took on my sin and resurrected with glory. In one sense, amazing! I’m all set for life now, right? But the more I do bible study, the more I serve, the more I spend time with God, a part of me was scared. I had no understanding or context for why Jesus did what he did. Of course, it’s because he loves us all, but what is that? What is love that God would go through hell? So when other people showed any form of love or care to me, I was scared. Why are you so nice to me? I sin and I hurt people, that's all I do. I don’t deserve any of this. At one time I truly believed these. The more I struggled the more I suffered, because now I know enough to deny these thoughts. But the feelings are still there and I can’t just stop feeling. So I fell into a cycle of feeling stress and adding more stress because it felt like I shouldn’t be feeling stress. Growing Life did prove me wrong. One thing I was taught is that God strengthened me to have a choice. If I accept that Jesus is Lord and I am a container, he gives me strength to overcome this war between choosing my old nature, sin, or the new nature, Jesus. Once I let go of the pride that tells me “you shouldn’t ask for help” Jesus comes into my life. In all my prayers, I end with “Let your will be done” and thanksgiving. I don’t understand how God will work through all I’m going through right now, but I can still choose to trust him. Even if my feelings say no to God, I can still choose to say yes to God. Every time I went to God, whether I blamed him or I was angry at him, he was always there. There was a day this week where I couldn’t get out of this suffering and grief that I was physically sick. It felt like something was crawling inside of my chest with fire. I cried out to God, why did I ever do anything just to suffer even more? Why did you heal me and give me something worse? But I still came to him, and he comforted me. I was worried that now that I blamed God knowing that I was wrong to blame him. But God didn’t hate me for being angry or sad, he simply stayed with me. Soon, I prayed, “God, I don’t understand why I have to go through all this, why I have to come to you in such overwhelming fear and grief, in anger and suffering, but I trust you.” Once I gave this prayer, I was healed. and he reminded me why I started this path, it was to chase after Jesus with all that I am because I experienced his love and I wanted to know how to love like him. Now I strive for his love with everything that I am. Already God is showing me why I went through such struggle and pain. Lisa was crying, and she shared that she was overwhelmed, feeling like she needs to do more to be perfect, but she isn’t enough. I also went through this struggle and I overcame through the teachings in sermons and my prayer with God. Then I realized I could comfort her. I thought it was impossible for me to be a help and a comfort to someone, but God did. Now, I’m joyful and thankful that I went through it all. Knowing this, I am excited for what the future holds for me. I may not see or understand why I have to go through certain things, but if it ends up bringing glory to God, I can move forward. For my feelings, I just need to pray to God and ask for help when I feel overwhelmed. When I felt like I didn’t want to pray, I praised God. When I praise God, whether I feel the lyrics or not, just singing them helps, Christ be magnified is a great song. I mean the bridge is so epic, I won't bow to idols, I'll stand strong and worship You
And if it puts me in the fire, I'll rejoice 'cause You're there too
I won't be formed by feelings, I hold fast to what is true
If the cross brings transformation then I'll be crucified with You Amazing song. To conclude, I am very thankful for everything I went through. There are a lot of things I don’t understand, but Growing Life taught me how to trust God despite everything. I was equipped with many tools when I am under these situations again. I want to thank Anthony. He was so patient with me during Growing Life and he taught me so many things. And above all, I want to praise and thank God who is exactly who he says he is, faithful, good, merciful and above all, love.
December 21, 2025 • 1 Minute Read
New Family Class (45) Completion
Congratulations to Lisa Ahn on successfully completing the New Family Class (NFC)! May God empower you to serve Jesus and his church with joy and passion.
December 18, 2025 • 1 Minute Read
New Life (5) Completion
Congratulations to Sarah Cho, Angela Kang, Ryan Kang, Esther Byun, Jennifer Kang on successfully completing New Life! May you continue to grow into mature followers of Jesus!
December 17, 2025 • 1 Minute Read
Living Life (18) Completion
Congratulations to Joyce Kwack, Sophia Sung, Estelle Kim on successfully completing Living Life! May you continue to grow into a mature follower of Jesus!
November 16, 2025 • 1 Minute Read
New Family Class (44) Completion
Congratulations to Joseph Son on successfully completing the New Family Class (NFC)! May God empower you to serve Jesus and his church with joy and passion.
October 19, 2025 • 1 Minute Read
New Family Class (43) Completion
Congratulations to Boran Lee, Estelle Kim, Nathan Kim on successfully completing the New Family Class (NFC)! May God empower you to serve Jesus and his church with joy and passion.
September 21, 2025 • 1 Minute Read
New Family Class (42) Completion
Congratulations to Eunjin Kim, Eric Byun on successfully completing the New Family Class (NFC)! May God empower you to serve Jesus and his church with joy and passion.
September 14, 2025 • 6 Minute Read
HC Lay-leader Seminar Testimony - Sarah Cho
Hi, everyone. My name is Sarah, and today I will be sharing my testimony about my experience at the House Church Lay Leader Seminar in Houston I attended along with Jeesu and Chan. To give some context about how I felt about house church before attending the seminar, we need to take a short trip down memory lane. Many years ago, I served as a youth shepherd here at The Seed, and at that time, I felt that my end goal would be to become an adult shepherd – specifically, a shepherd’s wife, but for now we’ll just leave it as adult shepherd. I was young, energetic, and had a passion and fire for house church ministry. And then I entered adulthood, which was a whole lot of trials and suffering. Life became extremely difficult, and instead of turning to God, I tried doing everything my own way. Because I had so little of God’s love in me, I had so little love to give to others at house church. Selfishly, I only served out of obligation, or only when it wasn’t an inconvenience to me. I also watched the shepherds around me – my parents, my older brother, my own shepherd – and saw how difficult and sacrificial the role was. It looked too hard. The passion and fire I had for house church ministry died down, and I pretended I never felt God’s push to become a shepherd. I remained in this rut until the beginning of this year when Pastor Chai came to our church for the KSC Revival Meeting. At this point, I had run so far from the idea of possibly becoming a shepherd that I had forgotten about it, but I was also very tired of being in a spiritual rut, so I attended the very last session. At this session, Pastor Chai said that the most unique joy we as Christians could experience is celebrating a VIP coming to Christ with our house church. He also said that one of the most honourable things we can do for God is to serve as a shepherd and live the life of sacrifice to bring the lost to Christ. When I heard this, something in my head clicked. The reasons I found house church to be difficult were because of my own selfishness and how I had lost sight of our church’s mission: to create a church where unchurched people love to belong. I was challenged to repent, and I once again felt God’s push to pray and prepare to become a shepherd – only this time, the push felt much stronger. That night, I decided to turn to God, start actively praying for the heart and means to become a shepherd at The Seed, and to attend the next Lay Leader Seminar. Through Pastor Eric’s lectures during the seminar, God helped me to develop two new perspectives about house church and shepherding. The first is about prayer. I always knew it was important, but I further learned that it is not just important – it is crucial. House church ministry cannot happen without prayer. If there is no prayer, there is no power. If there is little prayer, there is little power. If there is much prayer, there is much power. Choosing not to pray is a declaration of independence from God. When we pray, God speaks to us. When God speaks to us, we obey. So, we are to pray and do house church ministry exactly how God tells us to do it, and this way, we will be able to enjoy the ministry without being burnt out. The second perspective I learned is that house church doesn’t have to be perfect. In Luke Chapter 10, Mary and Martha hosted Jesus in their home. While Martha was preoccupied and stressed about the house preparations, Mary chose to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to him. Both Mary and Martha served, but Mary chose what is most important. Pastor Eric told us to not be Martha when serving, but to be present. During the house church visitation at Houston, I saw how much of a Martha I was, and how much of a Mary the shepherd, Esther Kwack, was. There was a VIP visiting for the third time that night. I said hello to him, introduced myself, then turned to the kitchen to ask the host if there was anything I can help with. While others talked with the VIP, I tossed the salad. During dinner, the shepherd sat with the VIP and talked with him the whole time. I, on the other hand, was worried about how loud the two dogs were barking, and how one member was so preoccupied with her young child that she wasn’t able to eat and talk with the others. During sharing time, I often thought, “Wow, the conversations are getting sidetracked. They should really stick to the sharing structure.” I would often look at the shepherd to see if she was also as stressed as I was, but, like Mary, she was calm and present. She didn’t try to control the flow of house church. She didn’t stop conversations that were off topic. She led with a peaceful and graceful heart. I know that the things I was concerned about weren’t inherently wrong. It’s good for house church to run smoothly. But if we focus on making everything perfect, we lose sight of why we do house church. Through this experience, God revealed to me the condition of my heart and my need for control. I went to the seminar with a lot of doubts and fears. I lack leadership skills. I’m not a great decision-maker. I’m a closed-off person. Cooking is very stressful for me. There are a handful of other reasons I think I’m not cut out for the role. To be completely transparent, these doubts and fears still remain, but I was able to leave Houston with the promise from God that He will provide, pave the way, and prepare me during this season of my life. Through this, I was able to make the concrete decision that when God calls me in His time, I will obey with a grateful heart and not delay in taking the next step. I would like to thank Pastor Caleb, my shepherds Joy and Phil, and my house church for all the prayers and encouragement I received throughout this process. Thank you so much for listening to my testimony!