EMBRACING THE PAIN - In the Waiting Room Part 2

December 15, 2014

It's week 2 in our latest series, IN THE WAITING ROOM, and we're still trying to answer the question: what do you do when there's nothing you can do?

We all know someone who's done it - someone who's made it through the waiting room (those unchangeable/unalterable circumstances of life) and come out stronger than when they entered. How do they do it? What's their secret? What am I doing or not doing that stops me from reaching that point of peace/trust in my waiting room?

It all comes down to one decision - one choice that you can make in your waiting room - that will unleash God's power and grace/ in your waiting room in extraordinary ways.

Sanctify Ye A Fast

December 12, 2014

One spiritual discipline that I have encountered the most difficulty in maintaining during medical school has been FASTING. With the Fast of the Nativity upon us, I thought it an opportune time to share how medical school has affected my fasting.

Why do I fast on Wednesdays and Fridays?

In The Waiting Room - Part 1

December 8, 2014

What do you do when there's nothing you can do?

When you're waiting for solutions that don't seem to be coming? When the problems just won't seem to get any better? When the more you try to fix them, the worse they get? What do you do when there's nothing you can do?

That's goal of our newest series at The Well called IN THE WAITING ROOM. What do you do when you're in the "waiting room" seasons of life - waiting for an answer that doesn't seem to be coming?

If you (or someone you know) is going through one of those waiting room seasons of life, check out the video above. I won't say that it'll solve all your problems; but hopefully it will help you find hope within them.

Hot and Humid on Christmas?

December 5, 2014

For most of you, the journey to Christmas will be a cold one. I’ve been reading that parts of the USA have been received immense amounts of snow, much earlier than usual. Also, throughout Europe, it’s been a cold and wet winter so far as well.

But that isn’t a problem for me. That’s because I live in Sydney, Australia. And especially with the "climate change" that everyone’s talking about, it’s even hotter this year than usual. So all we can do is dream of having a “white Christmas.”

But here’s the thing: even though it doesn’t look like Christmas or feel like Christmas, it’s still Christmas.

Going Beyond the Motions

December 3, 2014

Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is officially here! Over the next few weeks I plan to blog/speak/think a lot about what God is giving us during this season (His Incarnation into the world) and then in response what we are going to give Him back.

But before we focus on WHAT we should give Him, we need to first understand HOW we should give it. As you'll see from the post below - originally written 2 years ago - HOW is more important than WHAT.

THE PATH TO PERFECTION - God's Ethics Part 5

November 24, 2014

“Therefore you shall be PERFECT, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
Matthew 5:48

Perfect? YEAH RIGHT! Are you kidding me? Is that even possible? That's the question that we discussed yesterday in the Week 5 series finale of God's Ethics: Realigning Your Moral Compass.

The key is in understanding what the word "perfect" really means. If you define it as "sinless" or "without any blemish", then you're going to feel frustrated and discouraged. But is that how Jesus meant it?

I say NO! And I invite you to check out the message above to see for yourself. You'll discover that perfection isn't at all what you think it is and that actually, it's a lot more within your reach than you realize.

God Who Heals

November 21, 2014

Do you ever get tired of waking up tired? Sounds like a silly question right? Well, about two months ago I decided that I was tired of waking up feeling like life was somehow too hard. I know in my head that, as a follower of Jesus, my life SHOULD look different, feel different, and make a difference, right?

But instead, I felt tired, distracted, and very broken. Where was the joy? The strength? The healing? I felt like I was missing something important, and that even though I might have had it once… I lost it, whatever IT was.

I struggled to pray, to read my Bible, or to serve othes in any capacity. In the brief moments I actually tried to pray, I had nothing to say. All I could muster up was someting along the lines of: “Lord, I need healing – I don’t know why I feel so defeated, like life is too hard and I’m too broken to do anything about it…I need to be healed.”

That single prayer carried me for what seemed like forever.

The Art of Loving Confrontation

November 19, 2014

Recently I spoke about the issue of conflict resolution in marriage. I spoke about how the goal is not to AVOID conflict, but rather to RESOLVE conflict. But the question for today is how? Practically? What are some tips or strategies we can implement to help us really resolve conflict and remove any bad feelings/bitterness within us?

As I mentioned yesterday, the starting point is setting the right goal. The goal isn’t conflict-free living; the goal is what’s best for the oneness in the relationship (obviously I am referring to a marriage relationship here, but the same principles can be applied to any relationship).

So if the goal is oneness and depth and intimacy, then compromise won’t get it done. Neither will avoidance. Those strategies only yield short term results and in the long term will lead to resentment and relational distance. Instead we need LOVING CONFRONTATION.

WATCH YOUR MOUTH! - God's Ethics Part 4

November 17, 2014

“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:36-37

Week 4 in the God's Ethics: Realigning Your Moral Compassseries and this week's message might be the toughest to swallow of them all.

That's because the message focuses on the SINS OF THE TONGUE - not something we usually think about or pay much attention to. What's the big deal about a little gossip here or there? Or a dirty joke? Or a curse/swear? Or an exaggeration of the truth? We don't usually put these "little sins" into the same class as the big ones.

But guess what? GOD DOES!

BREAKING FREE FROM ANGER - God's Ethics Part 3

November 10, 2014

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment.” Matthew 5:21-22

Week 3 in our latest series at The Well, God's Ethics: Realigning Your Moral Compass and this week's topic is a MUST LISTEN for every single person (and I don't say that often).

The topic is anger and where it comes from and how we should deal with it. But realize that when Jesus speaks about anger, He isn't speaking only about losing your temper and going crazy. He's speaking about anger of the heart... the kind of anger that we often justify and excuse... bitterness, resentment, grudges, hatred.

Trust me, there isn't a person out there who isn't struggling with this kind of anger in some way and until we learn to deal with it, we are doing nothing except enslaving ourselves to a life of misery.

Why Have Faith?

November 7, 2014

How would you answer that question? That's not an easy one.

What's the purpose of having faith in God? What does it do for my life? Does faith mean that life will be easy and without challenges? Why have faith when my life continues to be difficult and full of obstacles?

When I got sick and spent time in the ICU, I felt my faith shake. I wondered how God could allow someone with faith to nearly die from an eating disorder. I remember asking the nurses and doctors why I wasn't getting any better, but no one had an answer. I remember asking my family and church community why my condition was so hopeless, and they told me that God had a plan. But what plan? I had faith in God all my life, so why wasn't He intervening?!

ADULTERY OF THE HEART - God's Ethics Part 2

November 3, 2014

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:27-28

What is God's standard for sexuality? How does He view sex? Is sex bad/wrong as many of us were brought up to believe? Or is it "no big deal" as society around us seems to suggest? Is it really possible to live in 2014 and beyond with the kind of a standard that Jesus speaks about above?

There is no area in life where God's standards and the world's standards seem to conflict MORE than when it comes to sex and our sexuality. It's time for us - the children of God - to return to a proper understanding of sex and a godly standard for our sexuality.

Find out how by watching this week's message, "Adultery of the Heart" - Part 2 in our latest series at The Well, God's Ethics: Realigning Your Moral Compass.

Finding Joy in the Desert

October 31, 2014

When you’ve tasted the sweetness of the living water, there’s nothing more unbearable than the dryness of the desert.

I work harder, pleading for His presence, trying to push myself to find some sort of emotional connection to the words I have read over and over in my Bible. Somehow, I still leave feeling empty and unfulfilled. I feel like saying with Isaiah the prophet, “My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens” (Isaiah 38:14).

I guess it’s because somewhere along the way, I’ve slipped into thinking that when I can’t feel God, He has abandoned me. In other words, I equate God’s silence with God’s absence.

But is that really the case?

ETHICS VS OBEDIENCE - God's Ethics Part 1

October 27, 2014

“There are two ways, one of life and one of death;
but a great difference between the two ways.”
Didache 1:1

ETHICS VS OBEDIENCE. One is how we look at right vs wrong; the other is how God does. One is relative and ever changing; the other is fixed. One focuses solely on actions and behavior; the other focuses on a mindset. One talks about sin as a line you can't cross; the other looks at sin as a slope you shouldn't mess with.

Most importantly, one leads to life; the other leads to death.

Which one are you using as you walk through life???

Check out Part 1 in our newest series at The Well called GOD'S ETHICS: REALIGNING YOUR MORAL COMPASS to help you see the difference and answer this extremely important question for yourself.

Seriously Disturbed, Joyfully Content

October 24, 2014

A typical Saturday morning in our house includes my two young boys (incapable of sleeping past 7 am) fighting over who gets to do something first, who plays with what toy, who gets the blue plate at breakfast, or something like that… I admittedly started tuning them out. Meanwhile, in my room, I’m washing my face and making frown-y faces in the mirror remembering what I looked like in the “good ole days” (in actuality, I was unhappy with the way I looked back then too). My husband is similarly groaning at the fact that it’s so early … on a Saturday.

I volunteer in the children’s program at my church where we have been discussing contentment this month, so the topic has been at the forefront of my mind. Specifically, what’s robbing us of our contentment?

Laying Hold of God's Promise [video]

October 20, 2014

Too often, it seems like there's a disconnect between God's promise and our possession. In other words, we hear/read many great things that God promises to His children (peace, joy, power, victory, etc.) but we seldom find any of those things in our possession. Why is that? Check out yesterday's message from The Well - LAYING HOLD OF GOD'S PROMISE - and you'll see why.

The problem isn't that God doesn't fulfill His promises; the problem is that we aren't looking for the right thing.

We're looking for trees, but God is giving out seeds.

A "Not Applicable" Promise

October 17, 2014

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." (Psalm 34:18)

That's the promise God gave me at the start of 2014. And to be honest, I spent most of this year confused by it.

We’ve heard quite a bit about the encouraging promises of God on this blog, but when I looked at my promise on January 1, I was a little disappointed. Others were given promises of hope, of victory, and of slicing through bronze while I was given a promise that was seemingly "not applicable" to me. I had no idea what to expect in 2014.

Update on Offer to Purchase Building

October 15, 2014

“What happened with the building? Did we get it or no? TELL US!!!” Here’s the update you’ve all been waiting for – the latest on our attempt to purchase a building for God’s sanctuary in Arlington.

1) We officially made an offer (YAY...EXCITING!!!!!).

BEYOND THE KINGDOM - Build Your Kingdom Part 5

October 14, 2014

Get ready for a celebration! It's the final week in the Build Your Kingdom campaign and yesterday's message answered the question: "WHAT'S NEXT?" Check out the video above to see what I mean.

And keep laying those BRICKS! The Sunday series may be complete, but the campaign to build the Kingdom in Arlington is NOT! I'll post an update tomorrow. But in the meantime, KEEP ON BUILDING!!!