Congrats to the lovely couple and welcome Lennard to the sunnydale + friends family. Fishing trip soon
Lennard & Liza (sunnydale) wedding collage
Sunnydale Hanwen & gf See Mun collage
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Lennard & Liza
Lennard and Liza's wedding, some shots. Poolside wedding at Hotel Equatorial, Melaka Malaysia.
Congrats to the lovely couple and welcome Lennard to the sunnydale + friends family. Fishing trip soon
Lennard & Liza (sunnydale) wedding collage
Sunnydale Hanwen & gf See Mun collage
Congrats to the lovely couple and welcome Lennard to the sunnydale + friends family. Fishing trip soon
Lennard & Liza (sunnydale) wedding collage
Sunnydale Hanwen & gf See Mun collage
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Prayer Snares: christianity today
Take note all you "GO" facilitators...
Common habits and practices that can dull our conversations with God.
by Wayne Jacobsen
Though the exercise of prayer offers comfort for the moment, many prayer requests treat God like a genie in a bottle. Here are some prayer requests that reflect our human desires more than the desires of God. Do these sound familiar?
The Trivial Prayer
"I pray I can get over this cold," or "Give us a rain-free day for the church picnic."
Our comfort and our plans are important to us, but could God have something larger in mind? Might the farmers around us desperately need the rain? Our requests need to reflect things we truly expect God to do, not just our hopes and whims. We don't want our requests to trivialize the awesome gift of prayer.
The Self-Motivated Prayer
"My brother's unit just got called up to go to Iraq. Let's pray he won't have to go."
Though we can understand the emotion behind the request, it is still misplaced. If he's in the military, why shouldn't he go? God's purposes frequently include hardship and risk. Should we ask him to trump his purposes for our convenience?
The Controlling Prayer
We're spitting into the wind if we ask God to make other people act according to our will. He doesn't force people to adhere to his will. Why should he make them act according to ours?
The Manipulative Prayer
We're usually more diplomatic than four-year-old Charissa, who knew what she wanted: "Jesus, would you help Bob and Laurie learn how to spank their children, so their kids won't hit me when I visit them?" It worked for Charissa, but I don't think prayer is supposed to send subtle (or not so subtle) messages to the faithful.
The Blaming Prayer
One group was praying for an infertile woman. Some thought she wasn't getting pregnant because her husband wouldn't be a good father, so they asked God to change him. The wife tried to manipulate the husband to change, and before long, she was incredibly frustrated. The group had missed the point. None of us qualify for God's gifts. If God waited until everyone was ready to have a baby, no one would ever give birth.
The Mass-Produced Prayer
Why do we think prayers are more likely to get answered if more people are in on it? God's answers to prayer are not based on a tally sheet. Prayer was designed for two or three faithful believers, not large numbers of uninvolved people.
Wayne Jacobsen is director of Lifestream Ministries in Oxnard, California.
fr http://www.christianitytoday.com/smallgroups/articles/prayersnares.html
Common habits and practices that can dull our conversations with God.
by Wayne Jacobsen
Though the exercise of prayer offers comfort for the moment, many prayer requests treat God like a genie in a bottle. Here are some prayer requests that reflect our human desires more than the desires of God. Do these sound familiar?
The Trivial Prayer
"I pray I can get over this cold," or "Give us a rain-free day for the church picnic."
Our comfort and our plans are important to us, but could God have something larger in mind? Might the farmers around us desperately need the rain? Our requests need to reflect things we truly expect God to do, not just our hopes and whims. We don't want our requests to trivialize the awesome gift of prayer.
The Self-Motivated Prayer
"My brother's unit just got called up to go to Iraq. Let's pray he won't have to go."
Though we can understand the emotion behind the request, it is still misplaced. If he's in the military, why shouldn't he go? God's purposes frequently include hardship and risk. Should we ask him to trump his purposes for our convenience?
The Controlling Prayer
We're spitting into the wind if we ask God to make other people act according to our will. He doesn't force people to adhere to his will. Why should he make them act according to ours?
The Manipulative Prayer
We're usually more diplomatic than four-year-old Charissa, who knew what she wanted: "Jesus, would you help Bob and Laurie learn how to spank their children, so their kids won't hit me when I visit them?" It worked for Charissa, but I don't think prayer is supposed to send subtle (or not so subtle) messages to the faithful.
The Blaming Prayer
One group was praying for an infertile woman. Some thought she wasn't getting pregnant because her husband wouldn't be a good father, so they asked God to change him. The wife tried to manipulate the husband to change, and before long, she was incredibly frustrated. The group had missed the point. None of us qualify for God's gifts. If God waited until everyone was ready to have a baby, no one would ever give birth.
The Mass-Produced Prayer
Why do we think prayers are more likely to get answered if more people are in on it? God's answers to prayer are not based on a tally sheet. Prayer was designed for two or three faithful believers, not large numbers of uninvolved people.
Wayne Jacobsen is director of Lifestream Ministries in Oxnard, California.
fr http://www.christianitytoday.com/smallgroups/articles/prayersnares.html
Saturday, October 20, 2007
1st Mimosa Walkers Cell - 2 Oct 2007
Top L-R: Charis, Zel, TresnoBottom L-R: Frank, Kenneth, Kenny
Not in pic: Edlyn
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
a Light* sharing: "New Challenges", Oct 07
"New Challenges 1" – A Friend like Andrew
When you're down and troubled
and you need a helping hand
and nothing whoa nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me
and soon I will be there
to brighten up even your darkest nights.
You just call out my name
and you know whereever I am
I'll come running oh yeah baby
to see you again.
Winter spring summer or fall
all you have to do is call
and I'll be there yeah yeah yeah.
You've got a friend.
If the sky above you
should turn dark and full of clouds
and that old north wind should begin to blow
Keep your head together and call my name out loud
and soon I will be knocking upon your door.
You just call out my name and you know where ever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer or fall
all you got to do is call
and I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Hey, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend?
People can be so cold.
They'll hurt you and desert you.
Well they'll take your soul if you let them.
Oh yeah, but don't you let them.
You just call out my name and you know wherever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Oh babe, don't you know that,
Winter spring summer or fall,
Hey now, all you've got to do is call.
Lord, I'll be there, yes I will.
You've got a friend.
You've got a friend.
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.
You've got a friend
Your definition of 'friend': ______________________________________
WANTED: A Friend like Andrew!
John 1: 40-42. Did you notice the first thing Andrew did? He searched and found his brother and told him about Jesus! When we see Andrew in the Gospel of John, he is always bringing others to Jesus. Shouldn't you be an Andrew, too? Who is someone with whom you would like to share Jesus? Why not begin to pray daily that the Lord will open their heart and help you see the opportunity to share your faith and Jesus' grace!
SHARE:
How you have brought someone to know more about God this year.
What does being a friend mean to you and how has God spoken to you about it recently.
Why do you think bringing your friends to Jesus/Trinity/cell group is important?
Who do you want to bring to Jesus before 2007 ends?
i. Pre-believers with physical and emotional needs:___________
ii. Believers who need to come back to the Lord: ___________________________
iii. Pre-believers who need to witness the power of God & be saved: ___________
PRAY: Loving and righteous Father, please bless me as I seek to share Jesus with... Give me wisdom to see your work in their lives, to know the right time for them to hear about Christ, and to have courage to share my faith and your salvation with them. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
TAKE HOME MESSAGE: (fill in your own, here)
==============================================
"New Challenges 2"
Passionately in Love?
No one knows a broken heart like God does.
– John Ortberg, "Love Beyond Reason."
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God — for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. ( 1 John 4:7-13 )
God will look to every soul like its first love because He is its first love." – CS Lewis
SHARE:
How do you know that God loves you? Share some instances in which you have known His love.
What is your 'passion level' (on a scale of 1 – 10) for God? Are you passionately in love?
Last week, we shared about how we can be a friend like Andrew. Knowing God's love for us, what are the ways which we can show God's love to our friends whom we want to bring to God?
Do I really know God or just know about God? What commitment can I make to know Him better?
Take Home message: Know how much God loves you and live in His purpose for your life. Make a commitment to get to know God better.
PRAY: Dear God, I believe that you have loved me with an everlasting love. Help me to love others and see others the way you see them. I pray that I will always love You, and I want Your love for my life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
-shared by spiritedly, first part of Oct, 2007, Light* cell.
When you're down and troubled
and you need a helping hand
and nothing whoa nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me
and soon I will be there
to brighten up even your darkest nights.
You just call out my name
and you know whereever I am
I'll come running oh yeah baby
to see you again.
Winter spring summer or fall
all you have to do is call
and I'll be there yeah yeah yeah.
You've got a friend.
If the sky above you
should turn dark and full of clouds
and that old north wind should begin to blow
Keep your head together and call my name out loud
and soon I will be knocking upon your door.
You just call out my name and you know where ever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer or fall
all you got to do is call
and I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Hey, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend?
People can be so cold.
They'll hurt you and desert you.
Well they'll take your soul if you let them.
Oh yeah, but don't you let them.
You just call out my name and you know wherever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Oh babe, don't you know that,
Winter spring summer or fall,
Hey now, all you've got to do is call.
Lord, I'll be there, yes I will.
You've got a friend.
You've got a friend.
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.
You've got a friend
Your definition of 'friend': ______________________________________
WANTED: A Friend like Andrew!
John 1: 40-42. Did you notice the first thing Andrew did? He searched and found his brother and told him about Jesus! When we see Andrew in the Gospel of John, he is always bringing others to Jesus. Shouldn't you be an Andrew, too? Who is someone with whom you would like to share Jesus? Why not begin to pray daily that the Lord will open their heart and help you see the opportunity to share your faith and Jesus' grace!
SHARE:
How you have brought someone to know more about God this year.
What does being a friend mean to you and how has God spoken to you about it recently.
Why do you think bringing your friends to Jesus/Trinity/cell group is important?
Who do you want to bring to Jesus before 2007 ends?
i. Pre-believers with physical and emotional needs:___________
ii. Believers who need to come back to the Lord: ___________________________
iii. Pre-believers who need to witness the power of God & be saved: ___________
PRAY: Loving and righteous Father, please bless me as I seek to share Jesus with... Give me wisdom to see your work in their lives, to know the right time for them to hear about Christ, and to have courage to share my faith and your salvation with them. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
TAKE HOME MESSAGE: (fill in your own, here)
==============================================
"New Challenges 2"
Passionately in Love?
No one knows a broken heart like God does.
– John Ortberg, "Love Beyond Reason."
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God — for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. ( 1 John 4:7-13 )
God will look to every soul like its first love because He is its first love." – CS Lewis
SHARE:
How do you know that God loves you? Share some instances in which you have known His love.
What is your 'passion level' (on a scale of 1 – 10) for God? Are you passionately in love?
Last week, we shared about how we can be a friend like Andrew. Knowing God's love for us, what are the ways which we can show God's love to our friends whom we want to bring to God?
Do I really know God or just know about God? What commitment can I make to know Him better?
Take Home message: Know how much God loves you and live in His purpose for your life. Make a commitment to get to know God better.
PRAY: Dear God, I believe that you have loved me with an everlasting love. Help me to love others and see others the way you see them. I pray that I will always love You, and I want Your love for my life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
-shared by spiritedly, first part of Oct, 2007, Light* cell.
Monday, October 08, 2007
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