Company of Disciples' Recordings: Recent Episodes
Jonathan Chan
In John 14-17 we read this promise from Jesus that, as followers of him, we will do even greater things than he did! How is that possible? Jesus did amazing miracles, he healed people, walked on water, raised people from the dead, and he himself died on a cross and then rose from the dead 3 days later, and we're supposed to do even greater things than him?? What did he mean by that and how’s that possible? That’s our topic for this morning, as we look to John chapters 14-17 to understand what he meant and how that’s possible.
For the past 2 years, Covid really made us feel NOT in charge. This virus couldn’t be controlled and it still can’t be controlled. It mutates, it spreads and it seems to go wherever it wants. It doesn’t matter if you were young, healthy, old or immune compromised, it decides how hard it will hit you and it will decide if you get mild systems, harsh symptoms or just plain kill you. Governments were brought to its knees with covid. Scientists were baffled and still trying to catch up with Covid. Humanity was and still is NOT in charge. What were the general feelings? Anger. Fear. Confusion and hopelessness. Like covid, when something or someone can determine whether you live or die, let’s face it, we are not in charge of our lives. Death is the common denominator in all of us and anyone or anything who has control of death, is in charge. We’re not for we can’t control it. However, like the folks we will be exploring today in this chapter, they want to be in charge yet John reveals to his readers and us that really, they weren’t because death is not controlled by them. Let’s begin.
What’s truth? During these past couple of years of Covid, we’ve been bombarded with incoming evidence from medical and science communities, statistics from health authorities and governments and anecdotes from social media and news outlets. Recently, because of the ongoing pandemic and constant recording and testing, we now have evidence that can be labelled as facts such as: it is a fact that covid vaccines do help reduce your chance of having severe illness when you catch covid; It is a fact that wearing good masks and social distancing can prevent catching covid Etc etc. However, we also come to realize during these past years that facts do not necessarily mean they’re true. With ongoing anti-covid mandate and anti-vaccine protests throughout our country, what may be true to you may not be true for someone else. Let’s simplify. It’s fact that at this moment, our temperature in Vancouver is right now 13 degrees Celsius. That’s a fact. What’s true for me, is that this is REALLY cold weather but for someone from Winnipeg, this is actually weather for shorts and t-shirts. To them, it’s not true that it’s really cold outside. Here’s my question that I’ll be elaborating and hopefully provide an answer for you today. For the past 17 chapters, Jesus laid out all the facts to his disciples, the Jews and the crowds. Yet Pilot asked a really good question, albeit his intent was out of mockery and want to write off Jesus, but yet profound, “What is truth?” And, just to wet your appetite, here’s an appetizer: It’s really up to you. Say what? Isn’t Jesus TRUTH? Is He for you? Or is he just merely a historical fact? How do you know? Let’s begin
It’s so hard to say sorry and really mean it especially when I know that I’m right and they’re wrong. When I know that the victim was me and the perpetrator was them. When my friends, colleagues, family members and best buddies agree that I was right and they were wrong and those perpetrators should say sorry first. Do you know what’s even harder? To be the first to say sorry and to be the first to forgive AND to show generosity to them all at once. Why is it so hard to do that? Because, it’s in the name of justice and fairness right? Because that’s how the world should operate. That’s the norm. Today, as we embark on a famous story where Jesus washes his disciples’ feet. We are given one simple message from Jesus: If you claim to be His follower, eat some humble pie and follow him.
What do you really want? And if that person gives you what you want, would you trust and believe them? Clearly in the clip I showed you, the crowd did and if you’ve seen the movie, it didn’t turn out that well. We are embarking on a chapter that contains 2 popular narratives: Jesus being anointed with perfume by Mary and Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey with crowds of people waving and putting palm branches on the ground singing "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" You might say, wow, this crowd really believes and trusts Jesus. They just adore him! But, what we read in the remaining verses in this chapter, the crowds did not believe or trust Jesus. Why? Because Jesus didn’t give them what they wanted. Question for us today: If Jesus doesn’t give us what we want, do we believe Him or trust Him?
So what topped the news this past week that deserves my Christian opinion? A recent survey done by Angus Reid Institute showed that "Many Canadians now believe Catholicism, evangelical Christianity and Islam are more damaging to society than beneficial, a new survey shows, as people across the country continue to turn their backs on religion." Are we damaging? I will offer my Christian opinion tomorrow at noon!
Global News Article: https://globalnews.ca/news/8759564/canada-religion-society-perceptions/
Angus Reid Survey:https://angusreid.org/canada-religion-interfaith-holy-week/?fbclid=IwAR0GQnA6_8PJnJSQjfX__tCqBqVGs8MNoj-3hnRj2sETKccvAYbpNp1sqa8
Let’s talk about leadership. I was in corporate management for a good number of years prior to pastoring and running a non-profit and the word “leadership” had always been the topic of lunch and learns, seminars and especially, business consultants hired by companies to guilt trip us. While I was taking my project management course at UBC, almost every session had a component to talk about leadership. The question that all these courses, seminars, lunch and learns, TED talks and consultants try to answer was always this: What makes a good leader? Then, I get a common answer: a nebulous, open to interpretation, non-succinct, typical catch all phrase to substantiate the executives’ existence: Servant leadership. So many books written on servant leadership and yet every one of them sounds like the other. Today. Hopefully. As we explore chapter 10. Let’s see how Jesus defines leadership and maybe, he can provide us with a fresh look at how we, Christians, can be good leaders wherever we are.
So what topped the news this past week? SANCTIONS! And not just sanctions but the pain at the gas pump because of them. So how should Christian respond? Jonathan offers his opinion
It’s interesting in this movie clip that the reason why Lucy’s older siblings did not believe her was because of her claims were seen as illogical. Yet, the professor, rather than quickly writing off Lucy’s claims, he approached it with interest and curiosity almost giving us the impression that even though he’s an academic and well learned, he still has space to entertain things that he can’t explain logically. I sometimes see myself in Lucy’s older siblings as well. It may not be talking with children though I do catch myself being tempted to see their stories as fiction too quickly but I catch myself not taking seriously those who may not be educated in the fields I think I’m somewhat have experience in such as theology, bible, management etc. That I’m more eager to interject and correct them as opposed to intentionally listening to them and respect their opinions and ideas because in my mind, I know better. Their opinions and suggestions are illogical. Today, we see the Pharisees behaving like Lucy’s older siblings. They are convinced that they know everything about the law, the expected messiah and how sin and suffering works yet Jesus says it is because they are convinced that they know, because they made no room to explore and take interest on different views and things that may go beyond their logical mind, Jesus calls them blind. Are we blind? Let’s begin
Ambition. Good or Bad? How can we tell? Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series as they explore another 1990's X-men animated episode entitled "Family Ties". Enjoy!
Rules. In the scene I showed you, it seemed like the rules didn’t provide John Wick any freedom and these rules only benefitted someone else. Today, we will be looking at how the Jews saw the Law of Moses as rules and how Jesus upended their perception of them. Sure, according to the Psalms and many passages in the Old Testament, the Law was supposed to be the light that guided their paths. But, because of how the Jews used it, it didn’t provide light to guide to life, it was used to condemn, judge and for their benefit just like the rules John Wick faced with the High Table. Jesus upends that. How? Let’s begin
Credibility. Many of us who work understand the value of credibility, in other words, putting weight behind the words we say and the actions we take. We hold credentials such as degrees, certifications, diplomas from various schools and institutions so that when we provide financial advice, speak on the pulpit, diagnose a medical condition, provide consulting advice, perform dentistry, perform an automotive repair, or manage a project etc., that through these credentials, CPA, CFA, PMP (which I have), M.Div (which I also have), P.Eng, M.D., R.N., we tell people that we have been given the seal of approval and whatever we say and do within our expertise is credible. However, in that movie scene, Marisei Tomei did not have any credentials that people expected of her yet she spoke with authority and had credibility after she spoke shocking everyone. What she said was absolutely correct and even more but no one knew how she knew that. Today, instead of Marisei Tomei, we see Jesus’ credibility being questioned and I’m wondering if we also sometimes question Jesus’ credibility because of our expectations of him. Let’s begin.
Welcome to another IMCO with Jonathan. So what topped the news this past week on our local news channels? Stuff happening outside of Canada. Russia-Ukraine, India-Pakistan, Corruption in African Countries, China's Heavy Hand and of course, Global INFLATION! And btw: we still have Covid but that's not as romantic as the above mentioned. Question: Should we care about global events happening around the world that are not in our backyard? Jonathan offers his Christian opinion this Wednesday.. LIVE... Enjoy!
Moving to a new neighborhood and starting at a new school is never easy. Will we be accepted by the people there, or will they reject us? Jesus faced that question as he came down from heaven and entered the world as a human. Casting aside the religious traditions, Jesus invites us to a relationship with him that we can either accept or reject. John 1-2:12 gives us a snapshot of the themes and events that will happen throughout the Gospel of John. Dan Forest starts our new series on John by asking three questions of this passage: Who is Jesus, Who are We, and What Invitations are there for us today?
What does it mean to be alive? If it’s a feeling, I can definitely point to different chapters in my life that I felt really alive. When I married my wife, I felt alive. When Annabelle was born and I saw her for the first time, wow, that was definitely a moment of feeling alive. When she opened her eyes, looked at me and held my finger while she was lying on that weight scale for newborns. Oh, talk about right at the feels. Whenever I accomplished a project that I initiated, I would feel alive. When I watch movies that I can relate with and see them overcome struggles like earth’s imminent annihilation by aliens with a snap of a finger, time warps, arch nemesis etc. I feel alive. However, these feelings are temporary. They come and go in spurts. They’re not constant. So being alive should be different. Being alive is not temporary. Being alive should encompass those feelings of alive but are constant everyday no matter what circumstances we are in. How do we get that? How do we, as our passage would use as a metaphor, get living water and LIVE? Let’s begin.
So what topped the news this past week? Unfortunately, the trucker convoy at Canada's capital AGAIN! And not only at the capital but also at various parts of the country most notably along the Cdn/US border. This past week, I was bombarded with spam emails from "Christian" organizations asking pastors like myself to support the convoy because they believe we are to submit to God NOT Trudeau. Interesting... And so, let's talk about it! I will be offering you my Christian opinion on who we are to submit to this Wednesday at noon. Enjoy!
Have you ever said to yourself, “I can’t believe I completely missed it” when in hindsight it was supposed to be obvious to you? When I’m having a conversation with someone or the person is trying to explain something to me or I’m reading an email, what was supposed to be so obvious yet at that moment, I completely missed the point. What the person was trying to say to me, I completely misinterpreted it. Maybe I’m getting old so I’m losing my hearing. Or maybe I’m just thinking about something else. Or maybe I just jumped to a conclusion and because I did, whatever was said would go through that filter. Today. We encounter Jesus providing signs to the Jews, signs that point to himself as their messiah and not only messiah but God himself. Yet we see in these passages we will be exploring today, the Jews completely missed it. Signs that were supposed to be obvious to the Jews in Jesus’ day especially the well educated, they just missed it. Why? It’s because they already drew a conclusion, and that conclusion filtered and influenced how they saw Jesus’ signs. How about us? Let’s begin.
So what topped the news this past week? Unfortunately, for Canadians, it's the so-called Freedom Convoy. Though the Freedom Convoy topped the news, what was intriguing were the words used from both protestors and politicians, "Rules" and "Freedom." Can these two words ever co-exist? Because lately, they seem to be mutually exclusive. Jonathan shares his Christian opinion. Enjoy!
What does it mean to be dignified in a Christian sense? When you look up the word "dignity" there are more synonyms than an actual definition. How does one get dignity? How does one feel they have dignity? Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series by discussing another episode from the 1990's X-men Animated Series entitled "Proteus." Enjoy!
So what topped the news this past week that is worthy for Jonathan to offer his Christian opinion? The "Freedom" truck convoy where truckers who opposed the vaccine mandate (and all vaccine mandates) are still protesting in front of Canada's capital. Jonathan offers his Christian opinion on this this Wednesday at noon. Enjoy!
What would you do if you did something you weren't supposed to do? Are you going to come forward and be honest about it? Are you going to hide it and try to find ways to keep it hidden? David chose the latter and it didn't turn out that well. He was caught and though he was "a man after God's heart" he still had to face the consequences of his choices. Dan continues our Life of David series with 2 Samuel 11-12. Enjoy!
It’ll be a miracle if she reached her 70th birthday. Those were the words from medical professionals who were examining my mom’s condition when she was diagnosed with a rare brain degenerative disease when she had her fall while just doing her morning routine. Then, year after year, her motor skills degenerated, from walking with a cane, to a walking with a walker, to being pushed in a wheelchair and then bed ridden for the remaining days at a care home, she passed away on April 17th, 2021. Looking back, During those days while I helped my dad as much as I could to care for my mom, there were good days and there were absolutely horrible days. There were days when mom really tested my patience and there were days when her needs were so great that I just felt helpless. There were days when I asked God, when will this end and days where I wished I didn’t ask that question and wondered why I even did since I’m her son. Today, I want to share my reflections as I read David’s dying days. When I read 1 Kings chapter 1 along with Eugene Peterson’s reflections on this passage, I was moved to reflect on how my relationship with my mom was during her dying days. The point I want to extrapolate today is this: When caring for those we love who are dying, honour their days. Let’s begin.
Continuing their GospelX series, Jonathan and Henry discuss the 2 part episode entitled "One Man's Worth" from the 1990's X-men Animated Series. Enjoy!
So what topped the news this past week? Love vs. Accommodation. A world no.1 tennis player was deported from Australia banning him from participating in the Australian Open because he chose to be unvaccinated. Some say he got what he deserved, others say the Australian government should accommodate people's choices. Canada's Conversative party leader also endorsed accommodation. So does loving your neighbour require us to accommodate? Enjoy!
For us Christians, we talk with God in various ways. Prayer, singing, meditation, or a combination. But when we do, what do we say? What’s the content when we talk to God? Today, as we continue our series on the Life of David and Me, we encounter David talking with God for the first time. This does not mean that David never talked with God till now. No, he talked with God often. This is the first time we are given a glimpse of what he talks about with God. And here’s the point I would like to expand on today. It’s what we talk about with God that gives us an idea as to how we see God and what kind of relationship we have with God. Is it an honest relationship or a superficial one. Is it one where God is our Lord and King or is he merely a divine butler or some divine entity that leaves us to fend for ourselves? What do the lyrics of what we pray, sing, meditate with God look like? Enjoy!
Last week's news topper was the uncertainty surrounding Omicron and the public's need for certainty, absolutes and linear instructions/guidance and the authorities inability in providing the certainty. For January 12th, 2022's IMCO, Jonathan wonders if it's when humanity faces a crisis that there is no desire for debates, conversations and looking at all possibilities, rather, we desire clarity and yes/no answers. Enjoy!
In every crisis, problem or setback, there's always a different perspective available. Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series as they discuss another episode from the 1990's X-men animated series with episode "Nightcrawler". Enjoy!
In this scene from Lego Batman, Alfred tells Bruce Wayne (in the bat costume) that it’s time for him to take his role as a father for Dick Grayson who he adopted. He cannot keep avoiding this role. Avoiding our responsibilities. Some of you may know a word that describes people who avoid their responsibilities, that word is shirkers. Have you ever encountered a shirker? Or, have you ever shirked your responsibilities as an employee, a friend, a volunteer, a parent or spouse? Today, as we continue our series on the Life of David, we’re going to look at the crisis between David and his second oldest son, Absalom. I’m going to argue that it was because David shirked his God-given responsibilities that this crisis happened. We will look at what were these God-given responsibilities, how he shirked away from them, possible reasons why he shirked and what can we learn about our God-given responsibilities. Enjoy!
What is kindness? Kindness encompasses many words: Friendly, generous, and considerate are the most popular ones in the dictionary. When someone befriends you when no one else would, you would say that person was kind towards you. When someone lends a helping hand, you would say that person was kind to you. When someone gives generously, whether it be for you or for a charity, you would say this person was kind. When you are given a moment to speak your mind without any interruption, you would probably say that the person was kind. However, what is kindness in a biblical context? The Hebrew word for Kindness, Chesed, is repeated 3 times in this one chapter of only 13 verses and hence, the author is telling us that we need to make a note of it. In my opinion, I think the author is teaching us what biblical kindness is. It’s not just being friendly, generous and considerate, but more. Much more. And David, as we will see, puts it into action. Enjoy!
Because God is so loving and because Jesus is a friend of sinners, we can fall into this trap of thinking that God is safe, that God is easy-going and maybe even a pushover. But in 2 Samuel 6, we discover that God is wild and unpredictable. God is not safe, but He is good.
Why are we hesitant in making changes? Why are people unsupportive of making changes or follow your lead? Henry and Jonathan continue their GospelX series by exploring these questions as they discuss another X-men animated episode. Enjoy!
Have you ever told someone “you owe me a favour.” Or, have you thought about it? Hoping that the person you helped would remember your act of benevolence towards them and be nice enough or “Christian” enough to return the favour when you need help? I did and even now I catch myself doing it from time to time. I volunteered my time, energy and even money to help others not because I wanted a favour returned but, you know, when I need help, I hope that the other person would at least be kind enough to remember the favour I did and be nice enough to help me when I need it to show that they appreciated what I did right? But rarely does this happen especially in the non-profit world. We expect it but rarely the favour is returned in kind. We say to ourselves, what a prick! I did so much for you yet when I need help, you offer none. The same goes with parenting right? As parents, we invest so much time, energy, money and our very being for our children but we cannot expect our children to return the favour in kind. In fact, many parents I see continue to spend time, energy, money and very being on their grandchildren and yet still, we cannot expect our children to return the favour in kind. Why? Because it’s not love when we expect a return. And.. Out of love, we want to see our kids have every opportunity to flourish and fulfill their God-given purpose. We are merely an agents fulfilling our God given roles because we love God and our fellow human beings. If we expect anything in return, that’s not love and definitely not the right motive. Today, as we continue our journey on the life of David, we see God giving David a lesson on this very principal. Enjoy!
Who am I? Have you asked this question lately? I have. Wait, what? Jon, you’re such a confident person, a person who knows himself and knows what he’s capable and not capable, why would you ask this question? Shouldn’t that question be for those who are not confident, self-conscious or low in self-esteem? No. I think this question should be asked from time to time by everyone especially as we approach Christmas. It’s a good question to pause, reflect, recap, see what’s present and culminate everything to see what God has in store for each of us in the future and how Jesus’ arrival informs that future. I ask this question to myself from time to time along with prayer because I believe if we are living organisms i.e. we continue to grow (upward, outward, sideways), we adapt, we evolve. We don’t stay the same. We’re not the same year after year and if you’re like me who is getting older, it’s noticeable.
Each year, there’s an additional area in my body that aches, I have one additional allergy, a few dozen whiter hairs or for some of you, less hair, my deepest condolences. I have hair growing where I don’t want like inside my ears and nose. What I’m saying is that we are always growing, evolving, mentally, physically and hopefully, Spiritually i.e. growing closer to God. And by asking this question of “who am I” helps us to recap, reflect and culminate where we’ve been and evaluate how much we’ve grown or not. Today, as we look at chapter 5 of 2 Samuel, how did David “Realize” that he was growing? i.e. in verse 10, David “realized” he’s growing strength upon strength and how he in verse 12 “realized that the LORD had confirmed him as king over Israel and had blessed his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel”. As we celebrate another Christmas, have you grown in 2021 since the last Christmas in 2020? How do you know? Enjoy!
Misinformation! Have you ever been accused of being misinformed? With Covid still around, the word "misinformation" has been a hot topic of late because of how much misinformation about Covid has been spreading on social media. Jonathan has been accused of being misinformed so to conclude 2021 with one final IMCO, he'll talk about it. Enjoy!
Ever had a boneheaded moment where it was sort of a good idea for the first minute or so but rather it was a really dumb idea? Or, have you ever encountered boneheads? I have. Most of the boneheads I encounter while driving. People just make boneheaded decisions that make us wonder “what in the world were you thinking!?” The answer? They weren’t. So, let’s face it. We encounter boneheads and we ourselves have done some boneheaded things. What’s one of the common denominators of all boneheaded actions and decisions? It’s when we are rushed or impatient. Today, the author of 2 Samuel spends 3 chapters talking about boneheads. The author’s purpose: to warn us that impatience leads to boneheaded actions and our boneheaded actions hurt people. Jonathan continues his Life of David & Me series with 2 Samuel chs 2 - 4. Enjoy!
Be sure to visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com
In the bible, approximately one third of the Psalms are laments and of course, there’s an entire book in the bible called Lamentations which contains all laments. Jeremiah is a book of weeping and laments. So, what is a lament? Well, let’s start with what it is not. It’s not just crying, sobbing or mourning. It’s also not just feeling sad or depressed. It’s also not just about venting, whining and complaining. All of these are expressions, symptoms and visual illustrations of laments but in themselves alone, are not. When we dig deeper into Laments, they are journeys through pain and loss with a specific purpose and goal in mind. There’s a point to the journey of a lament. Jonathan continues his Life of David & Me series with 2 Samuel 1. Enjoy!
Visit our website to learn more about who we are and what we do! www.companyofdisciples.com
David has been on the run from King Saul for 10 years in the wilderness, and he’s done everything he can to survive, which has involved some very questionable things. Over that time, he’s put together his own A-Team of 600 men, but these aren’t the best and the brightest, they’re the ones in distress, in debt, and discontent. Why does God allow David and his A-Team to continue with their unethical actions and what did this say about us and Jesus’ church today?
Merriam Webster defines free rider as this: A person who obtains a benefit at another's expense or without the usual cost or effort. How should a Christian respond to a possible Free Rider? Or should a Christian even use the term free rider on anyone? That’s what we’ll be talking about today as we continue our Life of David & Me series with Chapter 30 of 1 Samuel. Enjoy!
When anger consumes me, when fire rages through my core and my whole entire brain takes a back seat, when I allow my temper to take control of me, my actions make me look like a fool. Foolish not just because I look stupid, but because if I call myself a Christian, all the work I’ve tried to do to help people, being a good neighbour, being generous, all that work goes out the window due to that one 2-3 minute act of rage. A deep regret due to my actions where I am ashamed of my actions in front of people and especially in front of God. When we give in to our temper, we are fools. Continuing our series on the Life of David and Me, we encounter 2 angry men. One will look like a fool while the other won't. Enjoy!
Be sure to visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com
Do you have voices in your head that you have conversations with? Voices that tell you whether what you’re doing is right or wrong, worthwhile or not, good or bad etc.? Voices that help you quickly rationalize and navigate through decisions that need immediate responses or actions? According to Stan in Southpark, he sums up all these voices and identifies them as intuition or some would say, “gut feeling.” Today, as we continue our Journey with the Life of David and Me with chapters 23 and 24, we will see what’s the difference between intuition and godly intuition. We all have intuition i.e. voices that we have conversations with ourselves, but not all of us have godly intuition. What is godly intuition and how do we get it if we want it? Today, we see several examples of intuition. Let’s see which one was godly.
Do you have voices in your head that you have conversations with? Voices that tell you whether what you’re doing is right or wrong, worthwhile or not, good or bad etc.? Voices that help you quickly rationalize and navigate through decisions that need immediate responses or actions? According to Stan in Southpark, he sums up all these voices and identifies them as intuition or some would say, “gut feeling.” Today, as we continue our Journey with the Life of David and Me with chapters 23 and 24, we will see what’s the difference between intuition and godly intuition. We all have intuition i.e. voices that we have conversations with ourselves, but not all of us have godly intuition. What is godly intuition and how do we get it if we want it? Today, we see several examples of intuition. Let’s see which one was godly. Enjoy!
Humans do weird things when they’re afraid. Whether it’s a phobia such as enclosed spaces, spiders, public speaking, death, snakes, clowns and snake clowns or fears of losing what they have such as their job, pride, self-esteem, identity, money, family, etc. There’s also the fear of the unknown future, the unknown consequences, the fear of being pushed to do something that might be wrong but no one knows hence the fear of making decisions and commitment. The fear of not having absolutes and definite answers. Covid brought out the fear of running out of toilet paper, buffets brought out the fear of running out of all you can eat prawns, and rising house prices brought out the fear of missing out. Regardless of what we are afraid of, fear causes us to do things that are irrational, illogical, questionable and in David and Saul’s case, immoral, unethical and ungodly. Jonathan continues his Life of David & Me series with 1 Samuel 21 - 22 Enjoy!
www.companyofdisciples.com
When faced a crisis what do we do first? Well, let’s just be honest, naturally, our stress level goes up, blood pressure rises, some anxiety if not a lot of anxiety kicks in and if you’re like me, I quickly double check if my old spice deodorant is still working. How I check I’ll leave it up to your imagination. Time tends to speed up as well even though it has been constant. Whenever some crisis happens, it feels like we have less time. When crisis hits, our amygdala kicks in our primitive survival instincts. Just look at squirrels when an oncoming car approaches. They’re stressed.
But what happens next is what separates us from the animals. It’s when our frontal cortex takes over or what’s left of it if you’re doing drugs. This is where decisions need to be made, weighing in on the pros and cons, cost and benefits, acquiring knowledge and trying to rationalize the best approach to the crisis at hand. This is where discussions, negotiations and political maneuvering happens. Whether to collaborate and reach a consensus or make compromises. This is the time to see what you have at your disposal to address the crisis and try to think ahead of every possible consequence of each possible decision that is available to you. All this needs to happen within a finite amount of time because hey, you’re faced with a crisis.
I came from that world and you know what? Although it was stressful at that moment, looking back, it was fun. I loved the pace, the interesting nuances that happen and how these crisis situations kick my brain into high gear. However, I also realized during those moments that I could’ve done it better if only I slowed down just a bit to make room for one crucial step after my amygdala did its thing and before my frontal cortex kicks in. What is that crucial step? Prayer and worship. Jonathan continues his series on the life of David with part 3. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about what we do, who we are, why we exist and where we are going.
What does it mean to be anointed? Eugene Peterson says this about anointing "In our biblical texts being anointed means being given a job by God. It means employment. We’re told, in effect, that there’s a job to be done and that we’re assigned to do it – and that we can do it. Anointing connects our work with God’s work. Anointing is the sacramental connection linking God’s work with our work. God is a worker, a maker. God does things. He is, of course, but also acts. And it’s in his acts that we know who he is." What does God's work look like and how does it look like to connect God's work with ours? As Jonathan continues his series of "Life of David Part 2" with 1 Samuel 16:14-23 he will explore what that is. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy the production? Visit our website to learn more about who we are, what we do, why we exist and where we are headed at www.companyofdisciples.com
Do you believe you're just a "Dish-Washa?" We heard about how having an "inferiority complex" is detrimental to our well being but does it also hurt our spiritual well being and our relationship with Jesus? As we kick off our series on the "Life of David and Me," Jonathan starts us off with the story of Saul, David's predecessor. Because if was Saul's inferiority complex that led to David's story. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website to learn more about what we do, who we are and where we're heading! www.companyofdisciples.com
Since 9/11, America is still having difficulties understanding and relating to the Muslim faith. When we hear the word Muslim or Islam we tend to think of Arabs, terrorists, the conflict in the middle East, what's happening now in Afghanistan, but these are bad assumptions. Arab is a race while Islam is a religion. Not all Arabs are Muslim and most Muslims are actually not Arab. Arabs make up about 13% of the Muslim population worldwide. And the majority of Muslims do not want war, they want peace on Earth. So what does Islam teach and how can we as Christians relate to it? Dan Forest unpacks this and more in Episode 5 of our series, Choose Your Religion.
What is Sikhism? How similar is it with Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity? Jonathan explores Sikhism by seeing how Sikhism responds to the following questions: What is the problem with the world today and Why? Is there a metaphysical narrative? Where are we headed without Sikhism? Where SHOULD we be going? How do we get there? Are there guides? Is there life after death? Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our podcast? Visit www.companyofdisciples.com and learn more about how we serve the business community.
BC was the second province to unveil plans to introduce vaccine cards. This documentation will be required to access some events, services, and businesses from September 13 until at least January 31, 2022, and subject to extension.To kick off his IMCO's from a long summer break, Jonathan will be discussing vaccine cards, the debates that surround them and offer his Christian opinion. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our podcast? Visit www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more on how we serve the business community.
Since Protestants rejected the Catholic faith 500 years ago, there has still been residual skepticism and animosity between these two branches of Christianity. But Evangelicals would be surprised to learn they have a lot more in common with the Catholics than they realize, especially since the Catholic Church has undergone its own reformation since the Protestants left. Sure, there are still differences in practice and theology, but there is a lot Evangelicals could glean from the Catholic faith. Dan continues our Choose Your Religion series by looking at Catholicism. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our podcast? Visit www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about who we are and how we serve the business professional community!
Who are the Evangelicals? Some of them have been on the news for the wrong reasons of late. The Anit-vaxxers, Anti-maskers and those who consume questionable remedies to fight Covid like using horse de-wormers. There are also those who believe in conspiracy theories, thinking the vaccine is part of Satan's agenda. Are they REALLY evangelicals? Because there are many Evangelicals, including yours truly, who aren't Republican, who believes in evolution, who thinks Noah's ark is just a story to prove a point, who is more middle in political and sociological views, stand for LGBTQ and Feminist rights and still love Jesus. So who are the Evangelicals? Jonathan continues our Choose Your Religion series with a discussion on Evangelicalism. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about what we do for business professionals.
Are you looking for a church? Try Crucible Church. email community@cruciblechurch.com or visit their website at www.cruciblechurch.com for more information.
"You can't kill a Hindu!" Jonathan continues his "Choose your religion" series with part 2: Hinduism. Hinduism is the 3rd largest religion in the world. How does this religion respond to questions such as: "What is wrong with the world today?" "Why is it happening?" "Where should we be going?" and "How do we get there?" Join Jonathan as he provides a brief overview of Hinduism and explores how Hinduism responds to the above questions. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our recording? How about check us out at www.companyofdisciples.com and learn more about what we do for business professionals!
Are you church shopping? Try Crucible Church in Richmond, B.C. Email community@cruciblechurch.com for more info or visit www.cruciblechurch.com
What is going on with the world today? Why is it happening? Is humanity part of a grand story? If yes, where is this story headed and when will it end? If not, what is humanity supposed to do today? If there is a goal, what is it and how do we get there? Are there any guides to help us? Is there life after death? If yes, what is it and how should we live now because of it? If no, how should we live now because of it? These are some of the many questions religions desire. From what's going on in the world today to what's going on with you and I as individuals. Today, Jonathan will be exploring Buddhism and how Buddhism responds to the above questions. Enjoy!
Questions? Comments? Disagreements? Visit www.companyofdisciples.com and send us a message using our contact form. Want to know more about what we do for business professionals? Check us out!
Check out one of our church partners at www.cruciblechurch.com
Paul’s hope for the church in Rome is a growing and mutually encouraging community united by their faith in Christ, so his final pleas in Romans 14-16 are for love, acceptance, and unity. But if you’ve been a part of any type of community, you know how quickly conflict and different opinions can cause things to escalate quickly. How does Paul encourage us to be united even when we disagree? Join Dan Forest as he concludes our Romans series with chs 14 -16. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Learn more about what we do for business professionals at www.companyofdisciples.com
Looking for a church? Try Crucible Church at www.cruciblechurch.com
Dan and Jonathan go head to head as they discuss and debate Romans chapters 9-12. Their topic of focus today, "Election." What is it and what are their thoughts about it in light of these chapters in Romans. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about how we serve the business professional community
Looking for a church? Try Crucible Church! Visit www.cruciblechurch.com to learn more or email community@cruciblechurch.com for more information.
What do Power Rangers have in common with church folk other than owning Dinozords? Dan Forest continues our series on Romans with chapter 12. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about what we do for business professionals!
Are you looking for a church? Try Crucible by visiting their website at www.cruciblechurch.com or email community@cruciblechurch.com for details as to when and where their next worship service will be.
They’re watching us, always watching. Christianity, regardless whether it’s Catholic, Anglican, Evangelical or Orthodox, it’s taking a beating lately especially during Covid and especially now with the ongoing findings of unmarked graves of indigenous children under former residentials schools that were run by a partnership between Christians and the government. During Covid, majority of the anti-maskers, anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists were self-identified as evangelical Christians. Those who propagated that the vaccines have 5G chips in them or claim that vaccines were the mark of the beast were Christians. Even before Covid, we had anti-SOGI, Anti-LGBTQ, Anti-Abortion, majority of them were self-identified as Christian. I remember one Christian parent wearing a t-shirt that said “Anti-everything!”
So, I ask you, how’s our reputation lately? Would you dare to say that you’re a Christian in your workplace? School? Or even mention you’re a Christian during a job interview? Look, throughout history, the world already carried suspicions and stigma towards Christianity. From Paul’s day till now, the world can’t trust Christians. How can they especially when Christians’ loyalty is to their ultimate KING and LORD, JESUS. But what’s worse was how it’s not so much about our loyalty to Jesus that the world is suspicious, it’s our history of blemishes that preceded it. Some notables: Christians who supported the Nazi regime, Christians who supported the Korean and Vietnam wars, Christians who supported a questionable president for the past 4 years, Christians who stormed the White House ready to murder governing officials.
Oh, if only the world was suspicious of us just for the reason of being loyal to Jesus, that would be great. But that’s not the case now. Instead, they’re suspicious of us because of our blemishes, moral lapses, conflicts among ourselves, scandals, abuse of power, tax evasion, spreading conspiracies and false information and being judgemental to the point of violence towards our fellow human beings. Or even worse, just plain ignorant, complacent and uninvolved with the issues and needs in their communities but rather, just live with an attitude of “not in my backyard.” Evangelism is in trouble if this keeps going. That’s what Paul is addressing at the start of Chapter 12 and he continues with chapter 13 which we will explore today. But first, let’s start with my point today: Our reputation is our evangelism. So what is your reputation? Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about what we do for business professionals.
Looking for a church? Try out Crucible Church at www.cruciblechurch.com . Contact community@cruciblechurch.com for more details as to when and where their worship services are held
All day long. Every day, God patiently waits, God patiently orchestrates opportunities for Jews and for humanity place their trust and have faith in Jesus. To join His family. To be His children so that He can love them, pour His grace and blessing on them and enjoy their company in His presence. Waiting. Orchestrating. And as a good father, always there when we cry out to him no matter how long we’ve been rejecting him, he’s there. Jonathan’s point today as he continues his series on Romans is this: Will God ever give up on the Jews? Of course not. Will God ever give up on humanity? Of course not. The question is, will we continually reject Him until it’s too late. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com for more information on what we do for business professionals!
Are you looking for a church? Visit www.cruciblechurch.com and contact them for more information!
Why did the Jews resisted God’s grace during Jesus’ ministry and Paul’s? How do we know if we are resisting God’s grace? Jonathan continues his series on Romans as he discusses 9:30 to 10:21. He argues that there are three reasons why the Jews resisted God’s grace and Paul is now warning the Jewish Christians to not fall into the same trap. Are we prone to fall into the same trap as well? Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com for more information on what we do in the business professionals’ community.
Looking for a church? Try out Cruicible Church. Email community@cruciblechurch.com for information or visit their website at www.cruciblechurch.com
So what topped the news this past week? CANCEL CANADA DAY! In light of the tragic discovery of 215 bodies of indigenous school children underneath a former Kamloops Residential School, "Organizers and activists are calling on the City of Vancouver to “cancel Canada Day” this year" following the footsteps of Victoria cancelling their Canada Day festivities. Here's the link to one of the articles from NEWS 1130 :
https://www.citynews1130.com/.../cancel-canada-day.../
The word "Cancel" has been THE word of 2021 and you may have heard of the phrase "Cancel Culture." Is this another example of cancel culture? Or is this completely different? This Wednesday, Jonathan LK Chan offers his Christian opinion on the subject of Cancel Culture AND if cancelling Canada Day is related or not.
Want to know more about Company of Disciples? Visit us at www.companyofdisciples.com and learn more about what we do!
Disagree? Agree? Vehemently Opposed? Have your opinion? Want to join Jonathan LK Chan on an IMCO? Message us through our website. Would love to hear from you! (but be nice)
Image above is from CTV News 's article https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/could-the-london-ont-vehicle-attack-suspect-face-terror-charges-what-we-know-1.5461456
So what topped the news this past week? Tragedy. A family of was going for a walk in London, Ontario when suddenly a driver drove his pickup truck into the family killing 4 members and leaving a 9 year old in critical condition leaving the 9 year old without a family. Why? Preliminary investigations say it was a hate crime. The driver hated Muslims and therefore, his intent was motivated by hate.
Here is one of many articles from CTV News https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/could-the-london-ont-vehicle-attack-suspect-face-terror-charges-what-we-know-1.5461456
So how should a Christian respond? Jonathan LK Chan will once again provide his Christian opinion this Wednesday at Noon!
Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about what we do for business professionals. Questsion? Comments? Would love to hear from you! Use our contact form to connect with us.
Does God make any mistakes or create any accidents? Do some things happen out of happenstance and God didn’t know about it or He wasn’t aware of the residual effects of his actions? Romans 9 is an elaboration of Romans 3 where Paul addressed the question with regards to ethnic Jews. What about them? Did God make a mistake in choosing the ethnic Jews as his chosen people? How did he keep His promise even though ethnic Israel kept on breaking theirs i.e. The promise that He will use Israel to be the Light to the nations and spread the word about who God is? Today, the point I would like to make is simple but sometimes difficult to believe: When it comes to God, there are no mistakes and no accidents. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit www.companyofdisciples.com to know more about what we do for business professionals
Are you looking for a church? Email community@cruciblechurch.com for more information or visit www.cruciblechurch.com
Now that Jesus has forgiven our sins and guaranteed our salvation, does that mean we can go back to sinning without any consequences? Check out Dan Forest’s sermon on Romans 6 to find out!
Image above is a screenshot of videoclip from CTV News https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/tiny-shoes-and-lowered-flags-memorials-spread-for-215-first-nations-children-found-buried-in-mass-grave-in-b-c-1.5448699
What topped the news this past week? Deep sadness and mourning of the recent horrific discovery of 215 bodies of indigenous schoolchildren buried underneath a residential school in Kamloops. There were many news articles across Canada written about it and social media posts showing solidarity and sharing the grief and mourning on this news.
One article stuck out for me in particular and it was on iPolitics. Here's the link: https://ipolitics.ca/2021/05/28/the-catholic-church-must-atone-for-its-role-in-residential-schools/
The author writes how the Catholic Church, who was responsible for this residential school, has refused (unlike other denominations of the Christian faith) to fully acknowledge their horrific treatment towards indigenous children and offer a substantial apology which was recommended by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Here's a quote:
"(Pope) Francis has said that he takes the issue “seriously,” but that “after carefully considering the request and extensive dialogue with the bishops of Canada, he felt that he could not personally respond.” In 1991, the Canadian Bishops said, “We are sorry and deeply regret the pain, suffering and alienation that so many experienced” at the residential schools, and two years later added that “various types of abuse experienced at some residential schools have moved us to a profound examination of conscience as a Church.” But that’s it, and it’s just not enough."
The article interestingly was entitled with the word "atone." Atonement is a popular Christian word and in this IMCO, Jonathan offers his Christian opinion on this word atonement in light of the horrific news that topped this past week this Wednesday, noon. LIVE
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about what we do for business professionals.
How should we love those who experienced trauma or are currently experiencing trauma? Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series as they discuss another episode from the 1990's X-men animated series entitled "Courage." Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com for more information on how we serve the business community.
So now what? If we indeed are God’s covenant people i.e. justified by our faith and faithfulness in Jesus, what does life look like for the each of us? How can we tell? Well guess what, that’s exactly how Paul begins in today’s chapter we will be exploring. Today, I want to propose to you it’s a life that is reframed by the Spirit. Life that is different, drastic, unique, weird and odd to the world and those around us. Our reframed lives are also life giving and sensitive to the suffering going around us, not only human suffering but also creation. A reframed life cultivated, empowered and controlled by the Holy Spirit. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about how we serve the business community
image above from CTV News article https://bc.ctvnews.ca/fraser-health-looks-to-boost-young-adult-covid-19-vaccination-with-fomo-campaign-1.5439489
So what topped the news this past week other than Covid numbers, vaccinations and shootings (though they're important but what else was there?) How to encourage young peoples to get vaccinated and here's a quote from the CTV News article over the weekend:
"The Fraser Health authority is leveraging the fear of missing out -- or 'FOMO' -- in its campaign aimed at convincing young adults to get vaccinated against COVID-19...The promotion asks people to picture an immunized world, showing people dancing a music festival, thousands attending a concert and families in a movie theatre."
Does this tactic sound a bit like bribery? Maybe. But if you were a "young person" who these promotions are targeting, do you feel patronized? This Wednesday's IMCO Jonathan LK Chan will chat LIVE on FB about this and offer his Christian opinion on patronizing someone. Do Christians do it?
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com for more information on what we do for business professionals.
"Ask yourself whether you are happy and you cease to be so" – John Stuart Mill
"Why would God give us His commandments? Doesn't He want us to be happy?" "If He wants us to be happy, why is His covenant so constraining? Maybe His covenant isn't really that good...Maybe it's His way of enslaving us and keeping us from reaching our fullest potential and freedom!"
Throughout our journey through Romans thus far, Paul has been alluding to the stories in Genesis, specifically, the beginnings of humanity (for Jews, that would be Adam and Eve) and God's covenant with Abraham. There was nothing wrong with the Torah or God's covenants but because humanity questioned God's integrity and questioned whether God had their best interests, humanity ended up on the wrong side of the covenant i.e. ultimate death. It's like a fish not believing that the ocean has its best interest so it decides to go on dry land. What happens? Imminent death. Jonathan continues our journey through Romans with chapter 7. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com and learn more about what we do for business professionals.
Looking for a church? Why not try Crucible Church by emailing them at community@cruciblechurch.com for information.
Image above taken from Global News's article https://globalnews.ca/news/7769432/english-beach-party-sunday-night-covid/
So what topped the news this past week that is worthy of Jonathan offering his Christian opinion? Contrary to the picture above, it's not about the "irresponsible" crowds at English Bay who threw their beer bottles at police officers. Nope. Rather, it's these recurring events that spawned a podcast found in the link below that asked a poignant question (or questions.) Here's an interesting quote from the podcast (link found here: https://thebigstorypodcast.ca/2021/05/12/why-public-health-communications-are-an-utter-disaster/
"Why can't politicians and doctors give us hope, or at least a few carrots mixed in with the constant sticks? Do they not trust us with optimism? Worry we'll start breaking the rules early? Or is treating Canadians like obedient robots doing more harm than good?" - Jordan Heath Rawling
Entrusting the public with optimism. Can we be entrusted with optimism in light of the recurring events such as the crowds at English Bay? And what's a Christian opinion on this? Join Jonathan this Wednesday LIVE for another IMCO.
Did you enjoy our production? Visit us at www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about what we do for business professionals.
Image taken from CTV News article https://bc.ctvnews.ca/data-shows-vancouver-had-highest-number-of-anti-asian-hate-crimes-in-north-america-in-2020-1.5419915
So what topped the news this past week? The rise in racial hate towards Asians. Recently, there was an article in CTV News revealing the results of a study. Below is a quote from the article:
"A new report from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University San Bernadino shows Vancouver saw more reported anti-Asian hate crimes in 2020 than any other city in North America."
The news of this report went viral throughout the social media realm and news outlets. But one interesting quote was near the end of the article referenced above.
"Leong and Ngo are encouraging others to share their stories publicly and with the police if they face any sort of hate crime.
“We need to normalize stories around racial trauma, rather than minimizing it or saying, ‘Oh well, it’s not happening to me right now, so I don’t really want to talk about it,’” Leong told CTV News. “The more we keep these stories hidden, the more everyone else thinks, ‘Maybe it’s not that bad. Maybe we’re past this racism issue.’ The reality is that we’re not.”"
This week's LIVE IMCO, Jonathan will explore further on the cost of minimizing and offer his Christian opinion. ENJOY!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about what we do for business professionals
There’s a phrase in the Christian world that goes like this: “already but not yet.” So what is happening now is happening now AND we also believe that what will happen in the future is also happening now as well but not yet fully revealed in plain sight until Jesus comes and takes his place as judge i.e. when will then be now? Soon! It’s a weird concept and it’s often difficult to understand. But because God is eternal and beyond space and time, it does exist through the pisteuo in Jesus. Throughout Chapters 1 to 4, Paul, writing to both Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians who are quarreling who’s right, provided both the now and the future that is happening now that applies to both of them. Today, in Chapter 5, Paul elaborates this further. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about what we do for business professionals.
Are you church hunting? Check out Crucible Church by emailing community@cruciblechurch.com for zoom details on our next Sunday service.
Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series by exploring the episode entitled "Xavier Remembers," from the 1990's animated series called X-Men Animated.
What did Xavier mean when he said that the Shadow King gave him a gift? That in light of all the chaos, suffering and threatening Xavier's life, the Shadow King's actions were a gift? Jonathan and Henry discuss this. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about what we do for business professionals.
Are you church hunting? Try Crucible Church by emailing community@cruciblechurch.com for zoom details on our next Sunday worship service.
Image above was taken from CTV News https://bc.ctvnews.ca/13-arrests-in-2-days-as-climate-activists-stage-spring-rebellion-1.5411016
So what topped the news this past week aside from shootings, rising Covid cases and further clarifications on the elusive vaccinations? PROTESTS against EXTINCTION! Yes, your children along with the wolves are going extinct due to our poor non-environmental friendly allegiances. The sun is shining, weather is warmer and we all know this is the season of protests. Here's an excerpt from CTV News article that raised my eyebrows:
Photos of Saturday's event show a several-metre-long boat placed in the intersection. It is painted pink, with the words "tell the truth" painted in black along the side. The words reference one of the group’s principal demands, which is for governments to convey the urgent need for change by telling “the truth” and “declaring a climate and ecological emergency.”
So what is the truth they want? What is the truth they want us to know and the government is hiding from us? And how should a Christian respond? I will embark on this lovely adventure this Wednesday on our next IMCO and share my Christian opinion. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? visit www.companyofdisciples.com and learn more about what we do for business professionals.
Church hunting? Try Crucible Church by emailing community@cruciblechurch.com or visit Crucible Church 's FB page for their live worship services.
Like Billy Batson’s foster family with a mishmash of people from all backgrounds, God’s family consists of a mishmash of all sorts of people. Group all the churches together around the world, God’s family, His people consist of a wide array of diversity. However, no matter how diverse God’s family is, there is one common thread that unites them all: the Pisteuo, the faith and faithfulness in Jesus. In the chapters that we will be exploring today, Paul explains what this family is, how to get into God’s family and why this Pisteuo grants people this access and privilege to be in this family. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about what we do for business professionals.
Church hunting? Try out Crucible Church. Email community@cruciblechurch.com for zoom details on our next Sunday service or visit our facebook page to watch it live at www.facebook.com/crucible.church
When you hear about the police doing bad things, whether it be corruption like in the movie L.A. Confidential, or use of excessive force, discriminatory tactics, militarization, racism, sex scandals or sexual abuse, what goes on in your mind? If you’re like me, whenever I encounter news like this I would be shocked in disbelief, angry and, even betrayed. Why betrayed? Because not only did I entrusted our local law enforcement to uphold the law but also expected those who enforce the law would also obey the law themselves or how else can you trust them? Should they not be held even more accountable since they should know better since they swore an oath to uphold and protect the citizens according to the law? They made a promise to society and to the governing authorities that they would. Or, not saying that they are, I’m just using an example here, are they just flashing their badges and police cars just to take advantage of the privileges and entitlements that come with it? Maybe meal discounts and the privilege to race through red lights when they flash their sirens. Again, I’m just using a hypothetical example, in which Paul does too in the start of our passage today. I’m not saying that the law authorities are doing that, but that’s what comes to mind when we hear about police caught doing bad things right? We would conclude that the police badge means nothing if the police do not live according to what the badge stands for. Agree? So what’s my point for today?
The same goes for Christianity. What are our badges? I can name three off the top of my head. Baptism, Communion and Worship on Sundays i.e. Sabbath. These mean nothing if we do not live according to what these badges stand for. And unfortunately, there are MANY times we fall short in living according to what these badges stand for. The Jews, they too have badges, Circumcision, Sabbath and the Torah. Those mean NOTHING if they do not live according to what those badges stand for. So everyone, Paul says, whether you’re a Jew, a Jewish Christian, or a Gentile Christian, ALL of us have fallen short many times in living according to what our badges expect from us and therefore, Thanks to God’s righteousness. Because of His faithfulness to the promise he made regardless of our countless failures, he sent Jesus to provide us a way to fulfill the expectations of our badges by faith and not only that, but through our faithfulness in Jesus, we are empowered and given the power through His Spirit to strive and live according to our badge’s expectations. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about what we do for business professionals.
Are you church hunting? Try out Crucible Church by emailing community@cruciblechurch.com for zoom details of our next Sunday worship service.
How can a loving God also be a God of wrath? In this sermon, Dan Forest discusses what God’s wrath and judgment looks like in Paul’s letter to the Romans, and how we should treat those who have turned away from God.
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com and learn more about what we do for business professionals.
Are you hunting for a church? Try Crucible Church by emailing community@cruciblechurch.com for zoom details on our next Sunday service.
Catholics, Protestants, Anglicans, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Reformed, Hipsters, Frozen-Chosen, Transubstantiation, consubstantiation, Creationists, Evolutionists, Complementarians, Egalitarians etc etc. We now begin our journey into Paul's letter to the Christians in Rome. Something happened among the Christians in Rome that prompted Paul to write a letter, a LONG letter. Was it the drums on the stage? Was it too much Chris Tomlin music? Was it skinny ball crushing jeans or yoga pants? Or was it their new "Holy Grounds" coffee cafe installed in the foyer? Jonathan kicks us off with his exploration of Romans 1:1-17. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy the video or podcast or both? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com for more information as to who we are, what we do, and why the heck we exist. BTW: we need volunteer drivers to deliver lunches to special needs kids, so please consider volunteering :)
Are you church shopping? Try Crucible Church. They're on zoom every Sunday from 11am to 12:30pm. Email community@cruciblechurch.com for z-etails.
Background photo from Global News article. Link: https://globalnews.ca/news/7736479/federico-fuoco-indoor-dining-ban-protest-covid-19/
So what topped the news this past week? Well, two Vancouver restaurants decided to defy health orders of not having dine in patrons inside their restaurants. Over the weekend when health officials and a liquor license representative went into one of the restaurants, patrons bullied and harassed them and chanted “Get Out.” The restaurant owner, when interviewed by CTV News, had this to say:
“"I feel that as a mature person, you can make your own decision," he said of his clientele. "They’re free to come and dine. If they feel safe to come at dine at my place, they can. If not, no one’s forcing them."” (from https://bc.ctvnews.ca/vancouver-suspends-licences-of-2-restaurants-that-defied-b-c-s-public-health-orders-1.5375253)
Interesting that he used the word “mature” and made the correlation with the freedom to do what one believes is good for themselves. Is that maturity? What is maturity in a Christian sense? In today’s IMCO, Jonathan explores the restaurant owner’s take on maturity and offer his Christian opinion on the whole definition of maturity LIVE Wednesday at Noon.
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website to learn more about what we do for business professionals at www.companyofdisciples.com
In life, there are times we need to go around the leaf i.e. break from conventionalism to progress and move forward. When what we used to do and/or familiar with no longer works, we are required to evolve and make changes or do complete overhauls. I think of Covid-19. Let’s face it, Covid has become an impetus in demanding all of us to break from some of our conventions. Restaurants had to break from conventional practices to stay alive, businesses had to quickly adapt new technologies such as zoom in order to keep moving their business forward, our elderly needed to adapt to new technologies to connect with their beloved grandchildren and yes, even though some churches can’t seem to realize it, many churches in general like Crucible needed to break from convention to continue their Sunday worship services virtually.
I believe God also does things unconventionally when He deems it necessary. He even defines things unconventionally as well because hey, He’s God. Recall in one sermon that I said “defining good” is God’s business not ours? The way God defined good was completely unconventional. What He deems as good may not be how we define as good right? And today, in the final chapters of Genesis, we see God working in unconventional ways again for His purpose. In fact, Throughout the entire book of Genesis we saw how God worked through individuals unconventionally. So here’s my point that I would like to elaborate on today. God will decide who He will bless, how He will bless and the kind of blessing the individual will receive i.e. Blessings is God’s business and is unconventional. We now at our final Genesis episode. Enjoy! - Jonathan
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com for more information on how we serve business professionals
Are you looking for a church? email community@cruciblechurch.com for zoom details on our next Sunday worship service or watch live on Facebook at www.facebook.com/crucible.church
Ever wondered if your actions, even those you may think are insignicant or "won't hurt anyone," have global consequences whether they'd be good or bad? We often say to ourselves that our actions "won't hurt anyone," but is that true? Jonathan continues his Genesis series with the 2nd to last episode as he explores chapters 46 and 47. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy this production? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com for more info on what we do for business professionals.
Are you looking for a church to attend? email Crucible Church at community@cruciblechurch.com for zoom details of our next Sunday service.
In the movie, Frozen, Elsa accidentally blasts her sister Anna in the heart with a blast of ice. They later learn that “only an act of true love will thaw a frozen heart.” In this video we look at Genesis 42-45, the story of Joseph reuniting with his brothers in Egypt. There are lots of frozen hearts in this story as these brothers face off again years after they sold Joseph into slavery. Will love thaw the hearts of Joseph and his brothers or will they remain in bitterness, jealousy, and anger? And how does this story connect with the ultimate story of Jesus this Easter? Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website to learn more about what we do for business professionals at www.companyofdisciples.com
Are you looking for a church? Try out Crucible Church by emailing community@cruciblechurch.com
We've all heard about the news surrounding GameStop, Robinhood and short selling, and so, let's discuss this over lunch! Is this an ongoing trend where social media will become a dominant player in the investment world? What are the ethical dilemmas in all this? We will be joined by Moses Yeung and Kevin Wong who will provide some insights on the investment side and Ruben Ugarte who will provide insights from the social media side while Jonathan provide his ethical perspective.
Did you enjoy this production? Visit our website to learn more about what we do at www.companyofdisciples.com
So what does it take to be a good leader? Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series as they take on a two part episode entitled "Sanctuary" from the 1990's X-men animated series. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Learn more about what we do for business professionals by visiting our website at www.companyofdisciples.com
Do good and good will follow. Is it true? We’ve journeyed with Joseph and thus far, no matter how good of a worker he was, no matter how successful his employer was reaping the rewards from him, he was still paid nothing because he was a slave and now he’s a prisoner awaiting his trial. The guy is suffering even though he’s doing good. So, “Do good and good will follow.” Is that true? Does that happen?
I’m sure you may have some stories of doing good and good followed such as recognition or being rewarded for what you’ve done etc. But have you ever had moments when you do good and you receive nothing in return or worse, ridicule and suffering like Billy Batson in the scene that I just showed you? That regardless of all the good he did, he’s still an unwanted orphan, living in a youth hostel on his own, no family and no parents? Yet, he still remains faithful to doing good to others expecting good will come. Will it ever come? Or is it just a fleeting belief?
I had those moments as well. You get a lot of those moments especially if you volunteer as much as I have and trying to do my best in showing my faith through my work in the workplace. Serving on non-profit boards and strata councils and doing what’s right behind the scenes at work, it’s a thankless job and constantly you are needed to do “good.” But many times, I personally don’t see good coming my way in return. But then again, what is the “good,” am I expecting? Or am I, like Billy Batson, am defining “good” the wrong way and that in fact, good has come my way without me noticing it? That’s what we’ll be talking about today as we embark on chapters 40 and 41.
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about what we do for business professionals.
Are you looking for a church to join worship virtually? email community@cruciblechurch.com and join Crucible's Sunday worship service.
"'Particularly concerning' that young adults with 'FOMO' trust social media for investment advice, say regulators"
What topped the news this past week? FOMO! The acronym for "Fear of missing out." The headline above was from the CTV News article which I included the link below:
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/particularly-concerning-that-young-adults-with-fomo-trust-social-media-for-investment-advice-say-regulators-1.5337349
More people trust social media over sound financial advisors for financial advice because they fear they will be "FOMO'd". Jonathan discusses this and offers his own Christian opinion this Wednesday. LIVE at noon.
Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about what we do for business professionals!
There are folks who, out of love, identify your character flaws and suggest ways to improve. We also have folks who identify our sin just because they really desire us to be in a right relationship with God. They’re not obligated to invest their time and energy into us, they could’ve walked away and avoid getting lashed out or accused of being judgemental by us. But because they see something in us, seeing our God-given potential and God-given vision, because they know how awesome it is to pursue God’s given vision and how important it is to live a life of trust and obedience to God, they invest their time and energy in us while risk getting ridiculed and rejected by us. They identify our sin because they know that if we continue, not only will we lose sight of God’s vision and stray away from God, but we will also likely get ourselves hurt and hurt others as well. Sometimes, they even go to great lengths and take drastic measures to do it. Like Miracle Max’s wife, pointing out her husband’s insecurities and flaws because she knew her husband is not fulfilling his purpose and potential. Similar to giving us Labans to mature our faith, God provides us with folks to put a mirror in front of us.
Today, we will be looking at Genesis 38. Tamar, a Canaanite woman, a foreigner, had no reason to stay with this screwed up family. She was rejected, abused, exploited and violated. Yet, she remained faithful not to the family but to their God, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. She was faithful to YHWH and Judah declared her as righteous and because of her faithfulness, she became part of the redemptive story as her descendent was not just King David but most importantly, Jesus. So what happened to Tamar, why was she declared righteous by Judah? Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about what we do for business professionals!
When poop hits the fan what do we do? Point fingers? Become defensive? Avoid it hoping that it would go away? Dan Forest continues our series in Genesis with chapter 37. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com for more information on what we do for business professionals.
Are you looking for a Sunday service online? Consider Crucible Church! Email community@cruciblechurch.com for the zoom details on their next Sunday service
(Image above from CTV News article. Link in below description.) (intro and closing music by wataboi from pixabay.com)
So what topped the local news this past week? Here's an excerpt from the February 27th CTV News article:
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/it-s-insulting-jewish-community-reacts-to-yellow-star-used-by-b-c-anti-vaxxer-on-t-shirt-1.5327514
"Members of Vancouver’s Jewish community are reacting to a t-shirt created by a local woman comparing the COVID-19 vaccine rollout to the Holocaust. Susan Standfield is anti-mask and anti-vaccination. Her Instagram account features numerous videos and photos of her taking part in “Freedom Rallies” in Vancouver and criticizing provincial and federal governments for implementing COVID-19 restriction."
Most of us know that the yellow star was used by the Nazis to identify and persecute Jews. So it was not surprising that today's Jewish community reacted the way they did. Comparing COVID-19 restrictions with the persecution's and sufferings that the Jews faced during holocaust is absolutely wrong. Yet, during the CTV interview with Dr. Michael Elterman, a member of Vancouver’s Jewish community, he made a concluding comment that made this interesting:
“It’s irrational, it makes no sense.” Elterman says he would like Standfield to remove the shirts, but acknowledges, “she has a right to be wrong.”
What's a Christian opinion on this statement? Do we really have the right to be wrong? Jonathan provides his Christian opinion this Wednesday, LIVE at noon. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy this production? visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com and find out what else we do for business professionals.
Sometimes, it's hard to find good partners, teammates or colleagues to work with. You have a goal that you need to reach yet you need good help, help from someone who shares the same goal. What happens if you can't find one? Should you compromise? Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series with another episode as they explore episode 21 of season 4 entitled "Dealing with the Devil" from the 1990's X-men animated series. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website to learn more about what we do at www.companyofdisciples.com
(Photo above from CTV News article. Link to article below)
What topped the news this past week? 2 notables.
One was the backlash the BC Government received after they tweeted from their account a "self-care Bingo" chart recommending "safe and affordable" self care for mental health. It didn't take long for a plethora of readers to quickly criticize the post as "inappropriate, condescending, insulting etc." Here's the link to one of the articles from Global News.
https://globalnews.ca/news/7653245/bc-coronavirus-self-care-bingo/
The other was (unfortunately) another anti-mask, anti-vaccine, anti-covid protocol rally in Downtown Vancouver. However, this time the rally invited 2 nurses and a doctor from Ontario to guest speak against the Covid restrictions. Here's one of many news articles for your reference from CTV News
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/protesters-gather-in-downtown-vancouver-for-rally-against-covid-19-restrictions-1.5317487
One quote that stood out was from one of the former nurses who said this during the rally which encapsulates Jonathan's IMCO for this Wednesday:
"We create our own reality. We create our rules. We create our future,” she told the largely unmasked crowd, which was packed shoulder-to-shoulder."
Do we create our own reality? This Wednesday's LIVE IMCO Jonathan explores this question. Enjoy!
Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about what we do!
So... There's been quite a bit of news about reputable Christian leaders falling from grace or just being a headline because of their association with various conspiracy theories. From the firing of former pastor of Hillsong, Carl Lentz, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene believing that forest fires are caused by lasers from spaceships, Paula White equating God with Trump, Franklin Graham telling his followers that there was election fraud and most recently, sexual abuses of the late Ravi Zacharias. How should a Christian make all of this? Jonathan provides his Christian opinion this Wednesday. Questions? Comments? Disagreements? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com and send us a message! Church hunting? Why not try Crucible Church? Contact community@cruciblechurch.com and we'll send you zoom details for our next LIVE Zoom Sunday Worship.
We've been hearing and watching self proclaimed Christian evangelicals stinking up their Christian reputation. From Franklin Graham, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the firing of Carl Lentz from Hillsong Church and most recently, the late Ravi Zacharias' sexual abuse on women. However, even the everyday Christian cannot truthfully say that they did not stink up their Christian reputation in some way. So how do we "unstink" our Christian reputation? Jonathan continues his Genesis series with chapters 35-36 and explores 4 principles that we can use from Jacob on how we can unstink our Christian reputation. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website and learn more about what we do for business professionals at www.companyofdisciples.com
Do you want to join a LIVE Zoom worship service on Sunday? email Crucible Church at community@cruciblechurch.com for zoom coordinates.
We all know what wrestling is whether it be real or staged. So why does God want to wrestle with us? Or are we talking about the same kind of wrestling? When Jacob wrestled with God, it sure seemed like it and his new name also had "wrestling" in it. Dan Forest continues our Genesis series with chapters 32 and 34. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about what we do, browse through our podcasts and videos, and join in on our weekly FB Livestreams.
Are you interested in joining a Sunday worship service on Zoom? How about giving Crucible Church a try? It's 1 hour from 11am to Noon. Email community@cruciblechurch.com for the Zoom coordinates.
Forgiveness. Is it a choice or a command? Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series with the episode entitled "Juggernaut Returns" from the 1990's X-men animated series. Can Christians choose to forgive or are we commanded to forgive? Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Please visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about what we do for business professionals.
Are you church browsing? Have you checked out Crucible Church? Join a zoom worship service by emailing community@cruciblechurch.com for the zoom coordinates.
Are you a stock investor like Jonathan? What topped the local news this week might've caught your eye. Prior to Covid, Gamestop was already suffering from slow sales due to online gaming and when Covid hit, that was almost the final proverbial nail to its coffin. So it was not surprising that some hedge fund managers thought it was a sure “bet” to short the stock. However, the tables turned on them when a chat group on reddit took it personally and started buying the stock boosting the price by almost 600% at one point. Hedge fund managers who went short lost 100% (and possibly more to this day) of their money. Obviously, news outlets went viral on this story. The case of David vs. Goliath, justice from the mob as per this news article from CTV News
https://www.ctvnews.ca/.../fight-the-man-what-gamestop-s...
However, this also brings up the age old question about the fine line between investing and gambling. In an interesting podcast from NEWS 1130 , senior business editor Mike Eppel said that investing in stocks IS gambling in his podcast below:
https://thebigstorypodcast.ca/.../what-the-heck-just.../
In this week’s live IMCO, Jonathan provides his Christian opinion on investing in stocks since he too invests in stocks. Is it gambling? Is it just another way of being good stewards? Or is it just another practical way to save for retirement and a rainy day?
Want to know more about us? visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com . There you will find all our projects, videos and podcasts
We all have wants but do we calculate the costs of those wants? Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series as they discuss another episode of the 1990's X-men animated series. This episode is entitled "Love in Vain." Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com to learn more about what we do for business professionals.
The scene was from Spiderman. Peter Parker, with super strength and powers, lets a thief go by him which he then learns that the same thief killed his uncle on the same night. It’s a dramatic consequence of a very common attitude we have when we see something that is wrong i.e. bystanding. When we see injustice or advocacy groups protest against the injustice, more often we, the everyday Christian, sit on the sidelines and become bystanders as opposed to further understand what’s going on and be part of the solution. Because hey, we have our lives to deal with, kids to look after, jobs to do, fun activities that we want to enjoy so we don’t have time right now. Let’s just wait till retirement. And besides, those protests and rallies are really annoying and getting in the way of my life’s norms!
This is the point today. In the movie, Spiderman, this phrase has become the staple throughout Spiderman’s life i.e. “With great power comes great responsibility.” Christians, when we receive Jesus as our Lord and Saviour and become saved ones in Christ, WE, like Jacob, have a great responsibility and have God-given capacities i.e. the Holy Spirit, to fulfill it. Jonathan argues that if we do not fulfill our God-given responsibility and leave the world to fend for themselves, there will always be a zero sum. In fact, historically, when Christians were bystanding while the world tried to deal with the injustice, things didn’t turn out well. Chaos ensues. Globally, look at the Arab Spring and locally, we still haven’t figured out how to reconcile with our indigenous neighbours without a zero sum. My point is this: Following Jesus comes God-given responsibility, if we shirk it we become like Jacob, a stink.
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website to learn more about what we do at www.companyofdisciples.com
Would you like to join Crucible Church LIVE on ZOOM for Sunday Worship? email community@cruciblechurch.com for the Zoom coordinates
So what topped the news this past week? Here's a brief snippet from an article on CTV News 's website which I have included the link below.
"A Vancouver housing advocate says a police program aimed at trespass-prevention unfairly targets those who are homeless. Karen Ward shared an image of the program on Twitter, calling it “horrible.” The Vancouver Police Department says the Trespass Prevention Program started as a pilot back in August. VPD spokesperson Const. Tania Visintin told CTV News in an email that the sign (pictured above) gives police “visual confirmation that a building is participating and allows them to clear door and entrance ways.”“Our patrol officers also connect people with housing resources should those people want it,” she added.
Thoughts? This Wednesday, Jonathan provides his Christian opinion on the BC Trespass Act, private property and homelessness LIVE here on Facebook at noon.
CTV News Article found here:
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/vancouver-police-program-targets-homeless-people-housing-advocate-says-1.5280433
Did you enjoy our production? Visit us at www.companyofdisciples.com and learn more about what we do for business professionals
Have you played favourites with anyone? Maybe with your coworkers, friends, relatives, teammates or children? Why do we do it when we know it hurts others? What can be done to fix it after we do it? Dan Forest continues our Genesis series with chapters 25 and 27 as he explores with us how God uses a screwed up family who played favourites. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Learn more about what we do at www.companyofdisciples.com
Want to join Crucible Church's LIVE Zoom worship service? email community@cruciblechurch.com for details
What does the Christian scripture say about drugs? Not much actually. Scripture didn't say what is allowed and what is not allowed. However, scripture did address indulgences, addictions and "dunkedness," i.e. overdose. Therefore, Jonathan argues that the way Christians approach any addictions should be the same approach to drug addiction: proven methods in providing love, care, safety and harm reduction without any stigmas of fear. That's why Jonathan believes Christians should support safe consumption sites because they provide all of the above. A social network, counselling, safety and a community that can journey with people with drug addictions towards freedom. Enjoy!
Comments, Questions? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com and use our contact form. Or peruse through our site to learn more about what we do.
In world war 2, historians agreed that the turning point, the watershed moment, was the battle of Stalingrad between 1942 to 1943. The Nazi army suffered immense casualties and was already severely weakened. This was the turning point and the start of the Nazi defeat in the war. However, we showed you a scene from Saving Private Ryan re-enacting a scene in 1944, a year after Stalingrad. Did this look anything like sunshine and rainbows?
Last year, near the end of 2020, the news about vaccines was a watershed moment for us and the world. But did that mean everything will be sunshine and rainbows from then on? No. Covid is still spreading, even faster, and more people are infected and dying. Yet, there is an end to Covid in sight. It’s just going to be a long arduous journey to get there.
Here's the point: Like Jacob, when we accept Jesus as our Lord and saviour, when we are now called “saved ones in Jesus” it does not mean life will be sunshine and rainbows from that point on. We still have a lot of our old selves that God will purge and prune i.e .growing up. Before we received Jesus, we may be habitually selfish, liars, procrastinators, dishonest, angry, impatient etc. And now, we desire that God would transform us to be the opposite. However, it’s not immediate is it? We're sure you agree that we all still have our old selves that need purging. How does God do it? Jonathan continues his Genesis series with chapters 29-31. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com for more information on who we are!
Visit our Facebook Page at Facebook.com/companyofdisciples . There you can also make a tax receiptable donation
Join Crucible Church's Sunday worship service LIVE on Zoom. Email community@cruciblechurch.com for details
Do we sometimes project ourselves onto others and are severely disappointed when those who we project ourselves to, do not meet our expectations? "Why do you do that?" "How on earth did you think it was the right thing to do?" "Why didn't you see it coming?" Phrases like these are evidence that we're project ourselves onto others because they don't behave the same way as we do. Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series as they discuss another episode entitled "Oprhan's End" from the 1990's X-men Animated series. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com and learn about what else we do for the business community.
Check out our Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/companyofdisciples. You can find all our videos, livestreams etc. AND make a tax receiptable donation!
Want to join Crucible Church for a live Zoom worship? email community@cruciblechurch.com for details
After Twitter, Facebook and Instagram removed various individual accounts and chat groups there's now a debate as to whether the social media giants are censoring and preventing various freedoms of speech and expression. Are we on a "slippery slope" as some critics argued? Jonathan offers his Christian opinion on how Christian defines freedom (again.)
Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com for more information about us!
If your goal was to live a healthy active lifestyle, would you, using a bible term, yoke yourself with someone who does not share the same goal? Someone who would rather sleep in, eat crap and watch YouTube all day? If you want someone to join you so that you can share the load, find encouragement, have someone you can lean on each other, you can’t be yoked with a person who is not on the same page. That’s yoking. To be able to lean on each other to achieve the same goal. When two oxen are yoked together to plough a field, they have to have the same goal, same purpose, same mindset to fulfill their purpose i.e. plough the field. If one doesn’t, then you ain’t ploughing the field buddy, you’re going in circles. As we continue our series on Genesis with chapter 24, Jonathan explains why it's important to find people who are on the same page as you especially if your goal is to acheive your God-given vision. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Support us with a tax receiptable donation at www.companyofdisciples.com/donate or click DONATE on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/companyofdisciples
Want to know what else we do for business professionals? Visit www.companyofdisciples.com and click on "current projects." Or, shoot us an email using our contact form
Want to join a church service virtually? Consider our partner church: Crucible Church's Sunday worship service LIVE on Zoom by emailing community@cruciblechurch.com for zoom coordinates
So, what questions are going through your mind right now after Dan’s sermon on those chapters of the screwed-up family? Before you start thinking about those questions, you have to put yourself in the shoes of the Israelites because they were the author’s intended audience when he wrote Genesis. God’s chosen people, the people God made a covenant with Abraham who He will use to usher nations upon nations of peoples far and wide to God Himself and into His presence. The Israelites were God’s chosen agents to bring in God’s redemption into this world. Genesis, therefore, was their origin story. Genesis was their history. So, if you were a Jewish student attending a class in a tent during the Exodus, being told this story for the first time, what would be going on in your mind? What questions would you have for Rabbi Aaron? Other than when you will get your new Rabbi Lebron Nike Sandals?!?
Well, if I were the student, I would ask this, “can this family still be able to bring forth God’s covenant amidst all their screwups, imperfections and autonomy?” and “If we screw up as bad as they did, is God able to bring about his covenant with us that He made on Mount Sinai through Moses?” In other words, will God still keep His covenant and is He able to move the covenant using His people in the midst of His people’s constant screwups. OR, will there be one gigantic screwup that would break the camel’s back and all this will go in the shitter? In other words, after Dan’s sermon, things looked really bad and we are wondering, will there be a turning point? A watershed moment? Jonathan continues our Genesis series with chapter 28. Enjoy! (He also provided his own hip-hop rendition "A Screwed Up Family")
Did you enjoy our production? Visit us at www.companyofdisciples.com and learn more about what we do for business professionals
Support us with a tax receiptable donation using our DONATE button on our FB page or use our website
Want to join Crucible Church on Sunday for LIVE ZOOM WORSHIP? email community@cruciblechurch.com for details
Fealty. What is it? Faithfulness, loyalty, devotion and duty. Like Abraham, all of us who call ourselves Christians made an oath that God has our fealty. But, is our fealty legit? For John Wick, the elder wanted him to prove it, “I want to see, show me.” Does God have your fealty? Then God wants you to prove it to Him, He demands you to cut your finger. No just kidding, I’m very sure that God does not demand us to cut one of our limbs to prove our faithfulness and loyalty to Him. Yet, there is a call for all of us to authenticate our fealty to God in other ways, meaning, is there evidence that the Holy Spirit is truly in you, working and moulding you to be more like Jesus? The Holy Spirit is the ONLY person who can enable us to remain faithful to God so the question is, is He in You? Now, It’s not like God doesn’t know whether our fealty is legit or not, it’s more for us to know for ourselves. Jonathan continues his Genesis series with chapters 22 and 23. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit us at www.companyofdisciples.com and learn more about what we do for business professionals.
Support us with a tax receiptable donation at www.companyofdisciples.com/donate
Don't forget to subscribe to our channel! We have lots of videos. 1-2 vids per week!
Do you want to join Crucible Church for a LIVE ZOOM worship service? email community@cruciblechurch.com for details
Dan ushers us into 2021 with his sermon on Genesis 20 & 21. Have you ever had déjà vu, the feeling that you've experienced the same moment before? As we go through these chapters in Genesis you’re going to experience some déjà vu as you see the same story play out again and again in multiple occasions. Are you experiencing déjà vu with your bad habits, or stuck in a cycle of repeated failures? Check out this sermon to hear what the Bible has to say to you today!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our webpage to learn more on what we do at www.companyofdisciples.com
Support us with a tax receiptable donation via PayPal Giving Fund at paypal.com/ca/fundraiser/charity/3419370
When does the sacrifice of one for the many morally justified? Jonathan and Henry conclude their Dark Phoenix Saga series from the 1990's X-men animated series. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website to learn more about what else we do for business professionals at www.companyofdisciples.com
Support us with a tax receiptable donation at www.companyofdisciples.com/donate
So what topped the local news this week here in Vancouver, BC? More Covid news of course! And unfortunately, more news connected to Chilliwack in response to the public firing of former Canucks singer Mark Donnelly who attended, performed and endorsed an anti-mask/restrictions and conspiracy theories rally over the weekend. Jonathan responds with his Christian opinion on what lessons can Christians learn about "which mountain is worth dying on." Hope you can watch, discuss and engage with him live this Wednesday! (or not and just watch the video after when you have time) Here's the link to the news article from CTV News https://bc.ctvnews.ca/chilliwack-school-trustee-under... Photo above was from the article above and credits go to CTV News.
With the Covid-19 vaccine in the horizon, Jonathan wonders if we would be tempted to go back to our routines, original dreams and plans and forget about the opportunities that were all along in front of us even before Covid-19? Addressing homelessness, racism, food security, poverty and domestic violence to name a few. That because we were so attached, so invested in our pre-covid routines, pre-covid life, pre-covid plans and dreams, that we would rather invest our time and effort on retrieving what was left behind than see the God-given opportunities that have always been in front of us. Covid-19 forced us to see these opportunities that were always there. Would we be tempted to go back to what was left behind, trying to pick up all the pieces, or would we move forward and grab hold of the opportunities that are in front of us? Today, we will be exploring Genesis chapters 18 and 19. Two stories of two individuals, Abraham and Lot. Both stories were similar but the biggest difference between them was that Abraham looked forward to what lay ahead while Lot looked back to what was left behind and because he did, there were consequences. Enjoy!
Intro and end music credits go to wataboi from Pixabay.com
Did you enjoy our production? Visit us at www.companyofdisciples.com and learn about how we help business professionals become exemplary leaders by living exemplary lives
Support us with a tax receptacle donation at www.companyofdisciples.com/donate
Want to join a LIVE ZOOM Worship service with Crucible Church? Email community@cruciblechurch.com for details
Jonathan continues his short 2 part series within his Genesis series entitled "Vision Driven" with part 2. Would anything jeopardize your God-given vision? Would anything jeopardize God's vision for all of creation and humanity? Jonathan explores chapter 15 of Genesis and responds to these questions. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our production? Visit our website to learn more about what we do for business professionals at www.companyofdisciples.com
Do you want to join a Sunday morning LIVE worship on Zoom? Contact Crucible Church at community@cruciblechurch.com for the Zoom coordinates!
Continuing their GospelX series, Jon and Henry discuss part 3 of the Dark Phoenix Saga from the 1990's X-Men animated series. People's behaviour does not necessarily tell the whole story of who they truly are. In fact, most of the time, they don't due to circumstances. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy the podcast? Visit our website at www.companyofdisciples.com to know more of what we do!
So what topped the news this week on NEWS 1130 other than Covid-19. There were two related ones with regards to MAiD (medical assistance in dying.) Below are the two links to the stories from News1130. The first is about the long haul effect of Covid and how they can reduce people with no choice but to proceed with MAiD and the other is how Bill C-7 is giving mixed messages on suicide to indigenous youth. Both have a common message and Jonathan will provide his reflection.
https://www.citynews1130.com/.../vancouver-woman-me.../ https://www.citynews1130.com/.../assisted-death-bill.../
Did you enjoy our production? Support us with a tax receiptable donation at www.companyofdisciples.com/donate
Want to know more about us? visit www.companyofdisciples.com
What is your life's God-given vision? What do you want to see your life culminated into when God calls you home? When you pass away, breathe your last breathe, in the presence of God, what do you want the culmination of your life look like? We all know that life is an ongoing journey, but where are you going? Vision drives us. Vision moves us. Vision continues to kick us in the butt and tell us to stop procrastinating, stop dreaming and go. So... what is it? Jonathan continues his Genesis series with chapters 13 and 14. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy the video? Support us with a tax receiptable donation at www.companyofdisciples.com/donate
Want to know more of what we do? visit www.companyofdisciples.com
Want to join Crucible Church on Sunday for their LIVE ZOOM worship service at 11am? email community@cruciblechurch.com
So what topped @News1130 today? Not just Covid and its affects on local businesses but, just this morning, a Chilliwack School Trustee's controversial comments on his Twitter account. Jonathan discusses both and here's the video recording. Feel free to comment below or send us an email via our website at www.companyofdisciples.com.
What is true freedom? Jonathan and Henry continue their series with episode 2 of the Dark Phoenix Saga of the 1990's X-men animated series. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our podcast? Support us with a tax receiptable donation at www.companyofdisciples.com/donate
Who the heck are we? visit www.companyofdisciples.com for more information on how we serve business professionals
Have you ever experienced a wake-up call? Usually, when we get a wake-up call, it spurns us to make life changes such as eating habits, exercise or moral convictions. For Bob (in this movie clip,) the wake-up call made him realize what was truly important in his life: his passion. Abram had a wake-up call too and Jonathan explains in this episode of our Genesis series. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our podcast? Support us with a tax receiptable donation at www.companyofdisciples.com/donate
Want to know more of what we do? visit www.companyofdisciples.com or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/companyofdisciples
Want to join Crucible's LIVE Zoom worship? email community@cruciblechurch.com
wondering why we are helping Crucible Church with sermons? Because that's one of the things we do, we help churches*
Many times we think the story of Noah's Ark was about God's wrath on humanity. Jonathan begs to differ. In this episode, Jonathan argues that Noah's Ark was a story was the author's intent to contrast existing Ancient Near East flood stories that he knew about. After experiencing his God's love for him and his fellow Israelites, how can THIS God do what those gods did in those flood stories? Not possible. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy this video? Subscribe by clicking on the subscribe button and hit the bell to get notified for weekly video postings.
Do you want to support our work? Make a tax receiptable donation at www.companyofdisciples.com/donate or drop us a message at www.companyofdisciples.com
Do you want to join Crucible Church for LIVE worship service on Zoom? contact community@cruciblechurch.com for zoom details
Jonathan continues his series on Genesis with chapter 4-5 entitled "Patient Love." What does patient love have to do with the famous story of Cain and Abel? Have a listen. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our recording? Support us with a tax receiptable donation at www.companyofdisciples.com/donate
Why do some well intentioned good people go awry? We hear about stalwart, morally upright and righteous Christian leaders (men in particular) commit horrible crimes and we wonder what the heck went wrong? How would an upright person spiral out of control? Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series with episode one of the Dark Phoenix Saga of the 1990's X-men animated series as they argue, not only righteous leaders but we also have our moments of going sideways. Enjoy!
Is work really just for the sake of earning means for survival or something more? Is it something to fuel your own passion, calling or something to build our self esteem, social status or validate our existence? Jonathan continues our series on Genesis with chapter 2. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our podcast? Support us with a tax receiptable donation at www.companyofdisciples.com/donate
Do you want to join Crucible Church for Sunday Worship Service live on Zoom? email community@cruciblechurch.com
We are now embarking on the first book of the Bible - Genesis. Jonathan will kick us off with Genesis chapter 1. Are we just a momentary speck in an indifferent universe? Whatever you may believe how the world came to be, there is a reason for you to be here. What is it? Enjoy!
Finally! We're done! The final espiode of the Alphabet Psalm 119. Dan Forest culminates our series with the final two letters Sin/Shin and Taw. Enjoy!
Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series with episode entitled "Cold Comfort" from the 1990's X-men animated series. Enjoy!
Did you like our podcast? Support us with a tax receiptable donation at www.companyofdisciples.com/donate
This week's IMCO in 5 mins Jonathan provides his Christian opinion on what topped the news this past week which was "Homelessness." In particular, the Strathcona Park Tent City and the protests that occurred yesterday morning. Enjoy!
Did you like our podcast? Support us with a tax receiptable donation at www.companyofdisciples.com/donate
We are nearing the end of our Alphabet Psalm 119 series. What is prayer? Why do we pray? Why should we pray? How do we pray? To WHOM do we pray to? Jonathan continues his Alphabet Psalm series with Qoph and Resh and hopefully, he will address these questions for us. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our video? Support us with a tax receiptable donation at www.companyofdisciples.com/donate
Do you want to join Crucible Church on Sunday for a live worship service? email community@cruciblechurch.com for details
Today. Jonathan addresses the top two local news stories in Vancouver, British Columbia. First, the death threats our chief medical doctor, Dr. Bonnie Henry, faced over the weekend and second, yes, we too have an election coming up on October 24th so VOTE! Enjoy!
Ever caved into pressure? We cave into pressure when we are held hostage, blackmailed or extorted. Most of the time, the pressure is when the perpetrator is withholding something we want or threatening us and we can't get it or escape from it unless we succumb to the pressure. How do we face pressure according to the Psalmist? Are we utter failures if we do cave in? Jonathan continues his series on the Alphabet Psalms with Pe & Tsadhe. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our video today? Support us with a tax receiptable donation by going to www.companyofdisciples.com/donate
Want to join Crucible on Sunday for a Live Zoom Worship service? email community@cruciblechurch.com for details
How do you gain trust from someone? Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series as they apply Christian principles with each episode of the 1990's X-men Animated series. This week, the episode is entitled "Longshot." Enjoy!
Did you enjoy the audio podcast? Support us with a tax receiptable donation at www.companyofdisciples.com
Last Sunday, there were 700+ protesters "marching to unmasking." There were anti-maskers, anti-vaxxers and anti-5g'ers. We are sure there are other anti-ers somewhere. Jonathan provides his Christian opinion. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy the podcast? Support us with a tax receiptable donation at companyofdisciples.com/donate
Want to join Jonathan LIVE on his next IMCO? Visit our Facebook page at /companyofdisciples
What is a calling? Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series discussing the 1990's X-Men Animated episode entitled "No Mutant Is An Island" and use Cyclops as an example of a person who misplaced his calling. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our video today? Support us with a tax receiptable donation by going to www.companyofdisciples.com/donate
Want to join Crucible on Sunday for a Live Zoom Worship service? email community@cruciblechurch.com for details
Jonathan reflects on what his daughter's school did that helped calm his nerves. Enjoy!
What is the difference between knowledge and wisdom? The rule of thumb has always been the more knowledge we acquire, the more wise we are. Is that true? Jonathan continues his Alphabet Psalms series with the next two segments of Psalm 119 with Mem and Nun. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our video? Please support us with a tax receiptable donation by going to www.companyofdisciples.com/donate
Are you tired of waiting for a Covid-19 vaccine? We've been following safety protocols, wearing masks, distancing ourselves from large crowds and foregoing events and parties yet Covid seems to be winning! When will this all end? When will we be back to normal? How long can we wait? Jonny Cage continues his Alphabet Psalm 119 with Kaph and Lamedh. Enjoy!
Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series with this week's episode entitled, "We Are Obsessed." Arch Angel's obsession to destroy Apocalyse endangered not only himself but the livelihoods of others. Do we see obsession today? We become so obsessed in an ideology, a movement, a point of view or an opinion that we neglect the livelihoods and well being of others? Initially, most intentions are good. But once they're embroiled with emotion, then it becomes a hazard. Jonathan and Henry discuss. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy this episode? Support us with a tax receiptable donation at www.companyofdisciples.com/donate
Dan Forest continues our series on the Alphabet Psalms 119 with Teth and Yodh. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our podcast? Support us by making a tax receiptable donation at www.companyofdisciples.com/donate
Have you ever been mocked because of what you stood for or believed in? How can you respond in the most loving way possible without looking like a moron? Or... does it matter? Jonny Cage continues his series on the Alphabet Psalms with Zayin and Heth. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our podcast? Send a tax receiptable donation to support us at www.companyofdisciples.com/donate
Want to join our live worship service on Sundays via Zoom? Email us at iamnew@cruciblechurch.com for zoom coordinates
We all feel restrained sometimes especially when someone hurts us. Why can't we lash out or exploit our superiority or self-perceived superiority on them and gain the upper hand? Don't we have the right to utilize our own superiority to acquire justice? Jonny Cage and King Henry continue their Gospelx series as they explore the two part episode entitled "Savage Lands: Savage Hearts" from the 1990's X-men Animated Series. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our podcast? Support us through a tax receiptable donation by visiting www.companyofdisciples.com/donate
Hello Everyone! Welcome to another episode of the Alphabet Psalms where Super Dan and Jonny Cage covers two letters each Sunday of Psalms 119. This week, Super Dan is covering letters He & Vav. Are you the type of person who loves rule and order? Or are you the type of person who cringe at the bible because it's full of rules and orders? This is for you! Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our podcast? Support us with a tax receiptable donation by visiting our website at www.companyofdisciples.com/donate
Want to join our Crucible Church worship service LIVE on Zoom? email us at iamnew@cruciblechurch.com for the zoom coordinates
When you believe and desire to live a life that is different from the rest of the world, it can get really tough. There are social pressures, temptations to give up and just cave in. Christians believe that this world is only a temporary stay, they are sojourners here because their true home is in God's kingdom and awaits Jesus' return. So how do they continue to persevere and remain faithful to the sojourn life? Enjoy!
Did you enjoy this video? Support us and make a tax receiptable donation at www.companyofdisciples.com
Want to join Crucible Church's live worship on Zoom? Contact us by emailing iamnew@cruciblechurch.com
Are Christians boring and mundane? They appear to be. With so many rules to follow by a God that seems to want to hold them down. We want to be free, spread our wings and allow our heart's passions and desires be the wind beneath them. Is God taking our freedoms away by imposing rules on us? Taking away our freedom to be who we want to be? Welcome to Psalm 119 as Jonny will explore its first two segments: Aleph and Beth (the first two letters of the Hebrew Alphabet.) Enjoy!
Did you enjoy our video? Support our work by making a tax receiptable donation at www.companyofdisciples.com
Want to join our Crucible Church Sunday worship service? Get more details by contacting us through www.cruciblechurch.com using the contact form.
We are now on the final episode of our "Heroes, Villains and Redemption" series. We hope you've enjoyed our series. If you've missed any of our episodes, feel free to subscribe to our channel and watch the other episodes. We started in April with The Hulk then followed with Superman, Magneto, Wolverine, Wonder Woman, Captain America, Iron Man, Joker, Thor, Flash, Poison Ivy, Spiderman, Nightwing, The Thing, Black Widow, Batman and now..Nightcrawler!
How do you forgive someone if they're not sorry for what they've done to us? Worse yet, how do you forgive someone if they are repeat offenders AND not sorry about it? Should you forgive? If yes, WHY? Jonathan concludes our series with Nightcrawler and explores this whole idea about forgiveness and compare some of the popular religions' views on forgiveness. Enjoy!
Do you like our work? Then partner with us with a tax receiptable donation at www.companyofdisciples.com
You can also visit our church at www.cruciblechurch.com. Every Sunday we have Sunday Worship Service on Zoom LIVE! 10am is children's Sunday school and 11am is the worship service. Shoot us a message through the website and we'll give you the z-etails.
Dan Forest continues our "Heroes, Villains and Redemption" series with Batman. How do we face our fears? Do we avoid situations that may cause them? Do we ignore them? How does the Gospel redeem us i.e. free us from our fears? Enjoy!
Do you have people in your life who you are convinced they exist just to make your life miserable? What can we do if leaving is not an option? e.g. you're living in a condo and you have a very difficult neighbour? Jonny and Henry continue their GospelX series as they explore Season 3 Episode 7 of the 1990's X-Men Animated Cartoon series. Enjoy!
Jonathan continues his "Heroes, Villains and Redemption" series with "Black Widow." If someone asks you to give an elevator pitch on what redemption means, would you be able to do it? Or, would you rather take the stairs and avoid the person from here on after? Jonathan first provides an elevator pitch assuming that your building is only 3 floors while provides the story of redemption, i.e. a summary of the Christian bible and how it relates to Black Widow in 25 minutes. Enjoy!
It's easier to accuse someone of hypocrisy and failing to live up to standards of honor when the situation is favorable. But, when flipped around, it's a different story. Jonny Cage and King Henry continue their GospelX series discussing Season 3 Episode 6 of the 1990's X-Men Animated series. Enjoy!
Dick Grayson's constant struggle was to break the dreaded glass ceiling i.e. to be seen by his peers as a mature adult. Do you have a similar glass ceiling? Do your friends, family, parents, colleagues or employers constantly see you as immature? How does the Gospel provide redemption for Dick and those of us who share similar challenges? Jonathan Chan continues his "Heroes, Villains and Redemption" series with Nightwing. Enjoy!
For audio podcasts, previous videos and other things about us, visit www.companyofdisciples.com
Like our stuff? Support us with a tax receiptable donation at www.companyofdisciples.com/donate
Peter Parker experienced a burden of guilt when his uncle was murdered. He blamed himself because he thought he could've stopped the murderer when he had the chance but he didn't. How does the Gospel provide redemption for Spiderman? Dan Forest continues our series with Spiderman. Enjoy! Do you enjoy these podcasts? Support us by making a tax receiptable donation to www.companyofdisciples.com/donate THANKYOU for your support!
Self perceived power is dangerous. Coupled with affirmation from others is more dangerous. It makes us appear invincible and immune to even the most basic human and moral constraints. We saw it in action during the recent violence by police in the U.S.. Continuing their GospelX series, Jonathan and Henry discusses the Juggernaut Syndrome. Enjoy!
Do you have a fear of abandonment or avoid relationships because you were hurt or abandoned by someone previously? Jonathan continues his "Heroes, Villains and Redemption" series with Poison Ivy. Enjoy!
When Trump used the military and police to shoot rubber pellets and tear gas at peaceful protestors and remove clergy and parishioners who were praying with the protesters to have a photo oppportunity in fron of a closed church with a bible in his hand, what was he thinking? In light of Covid, racism both here in Vancouver BC and abroad, the horror in Minneapolis where a police officer murdered a black man, the actions of the American President and other events, Jonathan argues that this is a God given opportunity for Christians to re-evaluate what it truly means to be Christian. Is it merely being a Sunday Church goer who is a law abiding middle to upper class citizen or is it something more? Enjoy!
This week Jonathan continues his "Heroes, Villains and Redemption" series with The Flash. In the video clip taken from the Warner Bros./DCAU movie "The Flashpoint Paradox," Barry Allen's mom quoted a verse from a prayer called the "Serenity Prayer." When we look at our past and the consequences we're experiencing today due to our choices that we made, I'm sure many of us probably would like a do-over or a mulligan. Now faced with a possible opportunity to change our circumstances, should we? Are we lazy if we just accept it? Enjoy!
This week Jonathan continues his "Heroes, Villains and Redemption" series with "Thor." How do you define worthiness? In the ancient Greek, the New Testament used two words to describe worthiness: Hekanos and Hazios. Two words, same translation but completely different meanings. Enjoy!
Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series exploring Season 3 Episode 4 entitled "The Dark Shroud." Previously, Cyclops trusted Xavier to go on a mission. But after a near death experience, his trust was shaken. Why? Enjoy!
How can the Gospel redeem an individual like the Joker? As we continue our series "Heroes, Villains and Redemption" Dan Forest will respond to this question. We may not be chaotic or erratic as the Joker, but deep down, some of us may have wounds like the Joker that need healing. Enjoy!
Jonathan continues his series "Heroes, Villains and Redemption" with Iron Man. How can we embrace suffering to find comfort? Many times, especially during this Covid-19 pandemic, we would like suffering to end, eradicated or if possible, we avoid it as much as we can. But suffering is always there. How do we find comfort by embracing it? Enjoy!
How much trust does a person need to earn from you in order for you to do what they tell you to do despite the lack of information, clarity, assurance of outcome in the end and overall purpose? How much trust is needed to do what you're told without any doubt or question? Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series by discussing Episode 3 of the 3rd Season of X-Men Animated Series. Enjoy!
As mother's day is approaching, it's interesting that the traditional gender roles of mom and dad have changed in light of Covid-19. I find myself doing more "mom" stuff while my wife finds herself doing more "dad" stuff. As if, the traditional gender roles are now obsolete.
How do we live out the Gospel in this complex world while remaining rooted in our Christian faith? The Bible seems to be simple in determining what's right and wrong yet today in the 21st Century, there are issues that we find the Bible has nothing to say. What to do? Jonathan continues his series "Heroes, Villains and Redemption" with Captain America. Enjoy!
Jonathan continues his "Heroes, Villains and Redemption" series with Wonder Woman. Is it better to be right or true? Is there a difference? Enjoy!
Jonathan and Henry continues their GospelX series with Episodes 1 and 2, Season 3 of the X-men Animated Series. Enjoy!
How can the Gospel redeem someone like Wolverine? Jonathan continues his series entitled "Heroes, Villains and Redemption" with a look at Wolverine! Enjoy!
Continuing our "Heroes, Villains and Redemption" series, Dan Forest takes us into a journey into Magneto and how the Gospel can redeem him. Enjoy!
"The world does not need a saviour Superman!" - Lois Lane. Today, Jonathan continues his series entitled "Heroes, Villains and Redemption" where he will tackle Superman. He argues that how we define salvation determines what we are looking for in a saviour. Enjoy!
We begin our new series entitled "Heroes, Villains and Redemption" where we will explore one comic book character each week and see how The Gospel can redeem them. Our first character this week is The Hulk! Enjoy!
We are very blessed to have Dan Forest conclude our Luke series with chapter 24 entitled "How Can This Be Happening?" Enjoy!
Jonathan continues his series on Luke with chapter 23 providing his reflections from his Lectio Divina approach to the chapter. Enjoy!
What's the Judas Effect? It happens to the best of us. What is it and what are the consequences? Jonathan continues his series on Luke with Chapter 22. Enjoy!
How you define value greatly influences how you see people, situations and yes, even your faith. Enjoy!
As we near the end of Luke, Jonathan continues his series with chapter 19 entitled "Fair Warning." Jesus doesn't sugar coat any part of his message in this chapter. He's quite blunt and the teaching is harsh. Why? Enjoy!
Jesus mentions seeing, understanding and perceiving quite often in this chapter. Why? What's his point? Jonathan continues his Luke series with chapter 18 entitled "Do You See?" Enjoy!
There are blessings and curses when we get old. What is the biggest curse that Jesus addresses in chapter 17? Hint: it's the one that he keeps harping about throughout the entire gospel. Enjoy!
What's redemption? Does it always start with forgiveness or is there a more preliminary crucial step? Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series as they discuss Episode 12 and 13 of X-Men Animater Series' Season 2. Enjoy!
What does it mean to be a good steward? Jesus continues his rant against money, why? Enjoy!
Lost sheep, coin and son, what do these three famous parables have in common? All have to do with responding to the Pharisees' and Lawyers' question to Jesus as to why he's dining with sinner. They're not worth your time, or are they? Enjoy!
When Jesus tells us to make sacrifices, what does he mean? Why would he say that and what does this have to do with our faith in him? Enjoy!
When Jesus says to repent, what does he mean? What outcomes does he expect from us when we do? And... why did he mention fruitfulness in the same breath? Jonathan continues his series on Luke with chapter 13 entitled "True Repentance." Enjoy!
What do the Lord's Prayer, the Woes and Spring Cleaning have in common in chapter 11? Jonathan continued his series on Luke this past Sunday with chapter 11 entitled "Misdirection." Enjoy!
What does the Good Samaritan and the encounter between Jesus and the two sisters (Mary and Martha) have in common? Jonathan continues his Luke series with chapter 10 entitled "The Good People We Hate." Enjoy!
What does Jesus sending out his disciples not once but twice, feeding of the five thousand, his transfiguration, the disciples' inability to cast out the demon and the disciples' argument of who's the greatest and their desire to blast the Samaritans with lightning have in common? Jonathan continues his Luke series with chapter 8 entitled "Greatness." Enjoy!
Let's admit it, everything, whether it be the news, stuff we read, scientific evidence that is presented and even facts, we see it through a lens of expectations. Jonathan continues our series on Luke with Chapter 8 entitled "Soiled Expectations." He argues that our expectations also influence the way we see God. Enjoy!
We are awake. In recent days we've been bombarded with the term "Woke." Woke in racism, woke in climate change, woke in poverty, woke in gender inequality and woke in the LGBTQ+. Yet, what are we to do about it? Are we just going to be "woke" and continue our self-indulgence or are we going to do something about it? Continuing their GospelX series, Jonathan and Henry discuss episode 11 season 2 of the X-Men Animated series. Enjoy!
Continuing our series entitled "Gospel According to a Christian Executive." Brian Ho, director of Flowmarq Creative, spoke on how we need to keep "Human Flourishing" as our focal point when we approach work, our clients, our colleagues, our life. Enjoy!
What relevance does two famous tax collectors have with today's Christian executive who happens to be in the marketing industry? Kicking off our Gospel Executive Series, Braden Douglas, founding partner of Crew Marketing Partners, told us! Enjoy!
How can hatred or any emotion affect our way of seeing and interpreting facts? What are the negative consequences? Jonathan and Henry continue their Gospel X series discussing the X-Men Animated Series' episode 10 ssn 2 and what we can learn from it. Enjoy!
Discipleship requires faith, great faith. What does that type of faith look like? Our guest speaker, Helen Muuo, continues our Luke series with chapter 7 entitled "Discipleship Calls for Great Faith." Enjoy!
When Jesus arrived into the scene He challenged everyone to blow up their boxes. Whether it be their religious boxes, goal boxes etc. How did He do it? Why did He do it? And what's up with wineskins??? Enjoy!
Graham McCarthy continues our series on Luke with Chapter 4 entitled "Indiscriminate Love." Enjoy!
Jonathan and Henry return with another episode of GospelX entitled "Time Can't Heal." How do you start the healing process when we're wounded by guilt? Enjoy!
Who do you want Jesus to be? A divine butler who does whatever we ask and desire or your savior King? Mary and Joseph wanted Jesus to follow them home, have we ever asked ourselves if we expect Jesus to follow us or are we to follow Him? Jonathan continues his series on Luke with chapter 2. Enjoy!
Has anyone given you the silent treatment? When they do, do you feel anxious, burdened, angry or you start talking to yourself wondering if you did something wrong to jeopardize the relationship? Has God ever given you the silent treatment? Jonathan begins his series on Luke with Chapter 1 entitled "Breaking Silence". Enjoy!
Ever feel like giving up on pursuing your calling or vision? Giving up on changing someone's mindset, entrenched family habits or your company's culture? How about giving up this whole Christian endeavour in following Jesus? Jonathan continued his short series on Acts with part 3 entitled "Running Unjaded." Enjoy!
Continuing our short series on Acts, Patrick Hsu discusses chapters 8-12. Nothing can stop the Holy Spirit, He wills and acts on his own, opens and moves the hearts of those He wishes to encounter. "Who can't be saved then?" Enjoy!
Christians have been pondering for centuries what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Jonathan explores this question as we delve into Acts chapters 1-7. Enjoy!
Our fears cripple us from doing what we ought to do. How do we overcome them? This past Sunday Jonathan continued his series of reflections on "Soul Care" a book by Rob Reimer with part 6 entitled "Overcoming Fear" Enjoy!
We are commanded to forgive. Why? Because not only are we've been forgiven but it's also good for the soul. Jonathan explains as he continues his series of reflections on the book "Soul Care" by Dr. Rob Reimer
Ever been told by someone that you remind them of your parents? Maybe there are some personality traits that you have that are similar or even the same as your parents that you didn't want to be associated with? Well, those traits may be manifestations of what's really hidden deep within us that is preventing us from giving space for the Holy Spirit to transform us. This past Sunday, Jonathan continued his reflections on the book Soul Care by Dr. Rob Reimer with part 3 entitled "DNA" Enjoy!
Do the ends always justify the means? What happens if our ends differ from other people's ends? Who's means are more justifiable? Jonathan and Henry continue their Gospel X Series exploring how a Christian should view the statement "The end justifies the means." They argue that we are to focus more on the means and just leave the end with God. Enjoy!
“You are only as sick as the secrets that you keep.” Jonathan continues his series as he provides his personal reflections on the book Soul Care with part 2 entitled "Freedom." Last Sunday we looked at how lies can prevent us from having transformation and a deeper intimate relationship with God. This past Sunday Jonathan addressed another barrier that prevents us from accessing the Light of God. Enjoy!
Why is it that no matter how many bible studies we submit ourselves to, no matter how many times we attend Sunday worship service, no matter how many times we learn to "know" God more, that we feel we aren't transformed by the truths that have just been revealed to us? That we're not different from the person we were before? Jonathan begins his series on sharing his reflections on the book entitled "Soul Care" by Rob Reimer with part 1 entitled "The True You." Where part of the reason why we do not feel transformed or experience the presence of God when the truths are revealed to us is because of the lies that our identity is rooted in. Enjoy!
"You can't give what you don't have." Do you have trust issues? Can't trust anyone? Could it be that you may not be trustworthy yourself? Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series entitled "Trust". Enjoy!
Are there any regrets? Have you ever made any bad decisions in your life that you wished you could do a "do-over"? Do you wish that you can find freedom from the past, past burdens or even past "curses" from your family? As Jonathan nears the end of his Deuteronomy series, in this chapter, he compares Moses' blessing to the 12 tribes vs Jacob's blessings and how being in God's covenant there is freedom and new life. Enjoy!
National Anthems evoke and eulogizes history, suffrage, culture and spirit of a nation's people. Most importantly, national anthems unit its nation's peoples. Jonathan wonders if Christians have an anthem as he continues his Deuteronomy series with part 21 entitled "Our Anthem." Enjoy!
Have you ever put time and investment into a person to help them with their career or just to help them to be a better person and then later, they betray you? What should you do? How should you treat this person? Jonathan and Henry continue their Gospel X series entitled "Vindication" as they discuss the x-men episode entitled "Repo Man." Enjoy!
God offers a deal of a lifetime and it's called His Covenant. However, what's the difference between His Covenant and a typical deal today? Jonathan continues his Deuteronomy series with "Bargain". Enjoy!
Every felt degraded or shamed by someone else? If we know it hurts, how do we intentionally or unintentionally degrade others especially the latter? Jonathan continues his series on Deuteronomy with Part 16 entitled "Degraded." In light of Easter Sunday, how do we degrade others and at the same time degrade God? Enjoy!
Being Asian, Jonathan is quite familiar with the term "saving face." As he was growing up, he encountered many situations where he was told to make sure to do things that will "save face." What is "saving face?" And why does Jonathan say it "flies in the face of the Gospel?" Enjoy!
Recently 250 residents who live in the Marpole area protested against a proposed project by the City of Vancouver to build modular housing for the homeless. The message from residents who gathered at West 57th and Heather Street was they support more housing and services for homeless people but not at that location, which is within a couple blocks of Sir Wilfred Laurier elementary school, Sir Winston Churchill secondary and Churchill’s Ideal Mini School. They claim that because the homeless consist predominantly of drug addicts and the mentally ill, the safety of their children would be at risk. How should a Christian respond if something similar was to be built beside them or near where their children go to school? Jonathan responds in this IMCO. Enjoy!
What's sacred? It's quite easy to identify what's sacred when we read texts like Deuteronomy because sacredness is attached to a geographical location. But how about today? Is there anything that is sacred? Is it only confined within the church building or is it something more? Jonathan continues his series on Deuteronomy with part 14 entitled "What's Sacred?" Enjoy!
Whether it is people or ideology, why do we have the inclination to follow them? Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series with this episode entitled "Why Follow?" Is this inclination by nature? God-given? If it is, why do we have it? Enjoy!
What is Christian justice? We hear the word justice quite often nowadays and most of the time, justice is used in the context where the perpetrator deserves to be punished "Justice must be served!" However, is that Christian justice? i.e. is that Higher Justice? Jonathan continues his series on Deuteronomy with part 12 entitled "Higher Justice." Enjoy!
What's a messenger? Do we have messengers today? How can we determine what they say is legit? Jonathan continues his series on Deuteronomy with Part 11 entitled "Messenger".
Sometimes it's quite easy to believe that we can help others during their times of suffering especially when we've gone through something similar ourselves. We are able to empathize and believe that we can provide a solution because hey, it worked for us it has to work for them. But, is that helpful? Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series with this episode entitled "Invited". Enjoy!
Who are Christians REALLY following? Is it Jesus or someone's interpretation of who Jesus is? Humans have a tendency to follow anyone who appears to have characteristics of authority: charisma, intellect, influence or a well-tailored suit. But is what they say Christian or just their own interpretation? Jonathan argues that if we don't test their claims and just lazily follow what they say, we can do the world more harm than good. Enjoy! (Note: There is a sound bite from the March 8th, 2019 airing of the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.)
What is a leader? Many of us have probably been bombarded with various definitions of what a leader should be. Sometimes we are led to believe that these qualities are either obtained through birth or through hard work and training. But are these qualities what a Godly leader should have? Jonathan continues his series on Deuteronomy with part 10 "Responsive Leadership" Enjoy!
CBC recently published an article where a church provided drive-through Ash Wednesday services to kick off the season of Lent. In this IMCO, Jonathan wonders if Ash Wednesday and Lent have become merely a feel-good spiritual ritual for personal piety that no longer deserves intentional self-sacrifice of time and emotional investment i.e. just like Valentine's Day. Enjoy!
What's your mission(s)? Like Ethan Hunt, each of us have a different mission or even many different missions depending on the situation and circumstance we find ourselves in. However, our vision is what unites us all. What is that vision? Why is it so important to have a vision that drives our missions? Jonathan continues his series on The Deuts: Deuteronomy According to an Alien" with part 9 entitled "Your Mission" Enjoy!
Henry and Jonathan continue their GospelX series with Season 2 Episode 1 and 2 entitled "Scapegoat." What happens if we continue to blame others for our problems or misfortune? Why do we blame others when things don't go our way and who do we usually blame? Enjoy! (Note: First minute you will hear a snippet of the episode)
Fritz continues our series entitled "The Deuts: Deuteronomy According to an Alien" with part 8 entitled "Other Gods." So what are today's other gods? For those of us who live and work here in the Lower Mainland, we encounter diverse cultures, values and beliefs. What are some that Christians cannot engage with? Fritz elaborates as to what they are and why. Enjoy!
What is worship? Is it a place? If it is, where is it and what does it look like? Jonathan continues his series on Deuteronomy with part 7 entitled "Place." Enjoy!
In life, we are frequently faced with choices. We choose our careers, spouses, hobbies, food and yes, even emotional ones i.e. we choose how we are to respond to a situation. Jonathan continues his series on Deuteronomy with Part 6 entitled "Life of Choices." He argues that choosing Jesus is the best choice you will ever make in your life, yes, even better than a life partner! Enjoy! NOTE: For the first 2 minutes you will hear sounds of a scene from Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade by Paramount Pictures.
In this IMCO episode (slightly longer than 5mins), Jonathan provides his opinion on a book he recently read entitled "How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us about Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression and Transcendence (Published in May 2018) written by Michael Pollan." Polan argues that in order for us to be healed (or at least ameliorate) from addiction, depression, anxiety, chronic pain, or have a different life perspective towards pain and illness, we need to "dispense our ego." And, in order to do that, LSD and mushrooms can help thereby qualifying their usage. How should Christians view this? We are called daily to lose ourselves and give up our control to Jesus but it's far easier said than done. Could LSD and Mushrooms be the solution? Enjoy!
Are we just playing the dude i.e. playing Christian but not really living a Christian life? What are we missing out? What are the practical ways of living a Christian life? God gives us many opportunities, what are some of them? Jonathan continues his series with part 5 entitled "Playing the Dude." Enjoy! (NOTE: first 2 minutes you will hear a scene from "Tropic Thunder" by Dreamworks Pictures.)
They're back! After a long December break, Jonathan and Henry are back for another GospelX. We are finally on the final episode of season 1. So how do you change people's minds? Contrary to what's happening today, is there anything we can learn from this episode that may be helpful for us? And... is it Christian? Enjoy! NOTE: The first two minutes is a clip from season 1 episode 13's "Final Decision"
Jonathan continues his series on Deuteronomy with part 3 entitled "Biting the Hand." How do we bite the hand of God? What does it mean to bite the hand of God? Enjoy! NOTE: this was recorded live so you will hear 2 mins of a scene from Madagascar by Dreamworks Pictures.
"This might sound crazy, but even though I'm behind bars, I have freedom." What is true freedom? Is it really about the freedom to do whatever makes us happy? Is it about having endless choices? Jonathan continues his series "The Deuts: Deuteronomy According to an Alien" with Part 2 entitled "Leaving Our Egypt." He argues that unless we leave our Egypt, we can never experience true freedom. Enjoy! (NOTE: This was a live recording, for the first 2 minutes you will hear a scene from the movie "Flight" by Paramount Pictures.)
When we face obstacles in life, do we have a tendency to become "myopic?" i.e. short sighted? Do we focus so much on the obstacles that they become bigger than what they are? Our short sightedness convinces us that instead of facing them head on, we exaggerate their power over us and would rather run away and say to ourselves "there's no other choice!" Jonathan provides a solution for our mypoia and argues that if we endure, there's a life waiting for us that will blow our minds! NOTE: this was recorded live, for the first 2 minutes you will hear a scene from "How to Train Your Dragon" by Dreamworks Pictures
Why are some of us not finding joy when we hear about Jesus' birth? In his short Christmas series entitled "Disturbing Entrance," Jonathan explored Jesus' birth story through the eyes of Herod, Zechariah and Elizabeth and the Dragon (Satan.) Now, to conclude his series, he explores the Angels' point of view and what we can learn to either unleash unbridled joy for the first time or revitalize it. Enjoy!
Technology disrupts culture and disturbs status quo. It changes our mindsets, the way we live and interact with people. Sometimes, it turns our worlds upside down and inside out. Revealing things to the public unintentionally. Whether for the better or worse, technology disrupts. How about Jesus? When he arrived into the world, did he disrupt anything? In the eyes of the Dragon, he definitely did. In fact, Jesus' arrival caused the Dragon to hurl down (and still hurling!) Jonathan explains. Enjoy!
Pastor Fritz continues our Christmas sermon series with part 2 entitled "Disturbing Peace," A look at the second popular Jesus' birth story found in Luke through Zechariah and Elizabeth's POV, Enjoy!
Jesus' birth story is a popular one. Matthew has the 3 wise men while Luke had the sheep and the shepherd. But have we ever wondered why King Herod and his cronies became so "disturbed" when they heard the news that the King of Israel has been born? Jonathan Chan explores Herod's point of view of Jesus' birth and asks, "Just as Jesus entered Herod's world, does Jesus enter our world in a similar manner? Does Jesus make a disturbing entry into our lives? Enjoy!
Continuing our GospelX series, Henry and Jonathan discuss season 1's episode 11 and 12 entitled "Days of Future Past." As Christians, it is often difficult to not "conform to the patterns of the world." How are we to do it? Are we to go against culture with hostility and resentment, hide from culture and huddle in our own closed groups or go along with culture and pretend nothing is wrong? Henry and Jonathan offer another alternative. Enjoy!
Culminating our "Gospel According to a Christian Executive" series, David Bentall speaks on how to practice the presence of God at work and in life. In particular, how do we practice the presence of God during our worries, our hurries and the times we are critical of other people. Enjoy!
Why is it important to practice daily consecration to remain content? How does daily consecration play a role in career discernment? Continuing our "Gospel According to a Christian Executive Series," we were blessed to have Phebe Chan speak and share about the importance of contentment and most importantly, daily consecration. Enjoy!
Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series entitled "A Way Our of Self Absoprtion". They discussed season 1 episode 10 of the 1994 X-men Animated series and how we can spiral out of control when we focus too much on ourselves and our weaknesses, suffering and pain. They also offer a solution to break out of the spiral. Enjoy!
Continuing our "Gospel According to a Christian Executive" series, we are blessed to have David Jennings come and speak to us this Sunday. His talk is entitled "Remembering Our Vocation." Whether you are fired, laid off, retired or still working, one thing remains constant is our vocation. What is it? Come find out this Sunday! Here's a brief bio of who David is below. Hope to see you all Sunday! Have a blessed week!
As one of the founding members of IWJ Law firm and having previously been an associate and partner at leading law firms in Vancouver, David has almost a quarter century of experience in providing a combination of legal and business advice to a largely entrepreneurial clientele.
David has served since the mid 1990’s as a director for numerous public and private companies. David also spends a significant amount of time serving on national and local charitable boards. He has written articles, edited publications and regularly lectures for the Canadian Venture Capital Association, the B.C. Continuing Legal Education Society, the Canadian Bar Association and the Law Society Professional Legal Training Course regarding corporate, securities and venture capital financing law. (more info at http://www.iwjlaw.com)
A few days ago, well known Toronto rapper went into a casino in Vancouver and apparently the casino barred him from gambling. He then posted a message on Instagram that he was racially profiled by the casino which then triggered a firestorm of hate messages and bad reviews toward the casino by his followers and fans. Couple of days later, CTV News investigated that it wasn't racial profiling that barred him from gambling but he merely experienced the due diligence of the casino in following British Columbia's new anti-money-laundering laws. And this is where my story on "triggering" begins... What can we learn from this? Click below to access our podcast listings page. Enjoy!
Tom Chin, CEO and President of Organika, kicked off our November series entitled "The Gospel According to a Christian Executive." His talk was entitled "Powerful Communicators." Enjoy!
While I was preparing for my upcoming Christmas sermon series, I was doing some research on sheep and here's an interesting fact that I would like to share with you:
Sheep's Reputation: Sheep are stupid, defenseless and harmless creatures that mope about on hillsides doing not very much. They are good for two things: being eaten and producing wool.
Reality: Sheep are actually surprisingly intelligent, with impressive memory and recognition skills. They build friendships, stick up for one another in fights, and feel sad when their friends are sent to slaughter. They are also one of the most destructive creatures on the planet.
So that's sheep! They're not dumb at all! They don't just follow whoever's hand that feeds them and they're quite smart. So why in this referendum about electoral reform happening in British Columbia are some of us living up to the stereotype?
Should Christians ever join a labour strike? This question came my way when the Canadian Union of Postal Workers began their rotating strikes this past week and again, like many questions I've encountered from working professionals, the answer is quite often not clearly given in the bible i.e. One cannot find a chapter or verse on labour union strikes. I personally have many friends who belong to a union, and therefore, there is always a probability of them being called to participate in a labour strike. So how should they respond? Should they participate?
Jonathan concludes his "Where is God When it Hurts?" series with his final talk entitled "Where is Jesus?" How do we know if Jesus is with us? Can we sense him? Enjoy! NOTE: This was a live recording and therefore the first 2 mins are audio from a scene in The Dark Knight Rises.
Unless you were out of town hiding away and disconnected from all forms of media, this past Wednesday you may have heard that recreational marijuana is now legalized in Canada. So how should a Christian approach this news? Can we get high now? Jonathan argues that it's not about the "can" and "cannot" but more about how recreational marijuana or anything we use or do for that matter affects our Christian vocation i.e. our "Imago Dei." Enjoy!
Jonathan continues his "Where is God When it Hurts?" series with part 10 entitled "Mourn with Those Who Mourn" as he explains what Paul meant in Romans 12 that we cannot conform to the pattern of this world when caring for someone who is in pain. Enjoy! NOTE: This was a live recording and therefore, the first 2 mins was a video clip from Return of the King,
Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX series as they discuss v1 ep 9 entitled "The Cure." What do we mean when someone needs to be cured? Do they really need a cure or we need to change our perspective? Is it more about them or really about us? "Our society arbitrarily defines health as the capacity for work and the capacity for enjoyment, but "true health" is something quite different. True health is the strength to live, the strength to suffer and the strength to die. Health is not a condition of my body; it is the power of my soul to cope with the varying condition of that body." - Jurgen Moltmann. Enjoy!
What's your greatest fear? Fear hinders our recovery from our pain, how do we disarm it so that we can continue our path to recovery? Jonathan continues our series on "Where is God When it Hurts" with Part 10 entitled "Fear of Fears".
I received a booklet providing brief writeups on each candidate running for each of the offices in Burnaby: Mayor, school trustees etc. As I was reading through the candidate profiles who are running for school trustee specifically, each candidate gave her/his bio of who they were. Some of the writeups were elaborate filling up the space quota yet one stood out among all of them. Here's his writeup: "A dad of a 3 years old boy who is very concerned with sex education in school." Full stop. That's it. Nothing more. My story begins...Enjoy!
Are we too quick to blame someone who we do not agree with or who may appear "sketchy" and make us uncomfortable? Jonathan and Henry continue their Gospel X series entitled "Too Quick To Blame" where they will discuss a scene from episode 8 of the 90's X-men Animated series entitled "The Rise of the Juggernaut." Enjoy! Note: first 3 mins are audio from the episode. For more info, or the video clip, go to www.companyofdisciples.com
If discipleship's definition is so abstract, individualized and elusive, maybe we, Christians, should put something else as our calling card and identity. Something else that would characterize us as Christians universally. Something that makes people respond with a positive response saying "Wow, I had a funny feeling you were a Christian" vs. "Really, you're a Christian?" Something that we , by definition, should have the corner market in. This is where my story begins
If God is omniscient, why does He allow us to make dumb choices when He already knows the consequences we will experience? Why can't He program our brains or prevent us from making dumb choices? Jonathan continues his "Where is God When it Hurts?" series with Part 6 entitled "Free to Make Dumb Choices." He explains there are two reasons: Who we are and Why we are here. Enjoy! NOTE: This was a live recording so you will hear audio of a scene from "Coming to America" before Jonathan's talk.
When bad things happen to me, is God punishing me for sins that I've committed? If it is, is God loving? If it's not, WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? Note: This is an audio recording from a public talk therefore, the first 2 minutes is an audio recording of a scene from Dead Man's Chest. Enjoy! Visit www.companyofdisciples.com for the video recording of the talk
Disasters, Shootings, Murders, Tragic Accidents, Violence.. Why is the world looking like it's spinning into chaos and out of our control? How should we respond? Jonathan Chan returns to continue our series with part 4 of "Where is God When it Hurts?" entitled "Groaning in Chaos." (He will also explain why the Joker)
Jonathan Chan begins his new series entitled "Where is God When it Hurts?" with part 1 "Gift of Pain." Is it a blessing to have no experience of pain? Enjoy!
There are many reasons why God would lead us through our darkest valleys using his rod and staff. As Jonathan Chan concludes his series on 2 Corinthians entitled "In Time of Weakness," he explains one of those reasons using Bruce Wayne in TDKR as an example. Enjoy!
Living according to the pattern of life that Jesus gave can be tough especially when this pattern is commonly seen as silly or foolish because it prevents us from fulfilling our wants and desires. Jonathan continues his series on 2 Corinthians with chapters 11 and 12 entitled "Marked as a Fool." Why did Paul allude to Genesis 3? What could've been Paul's "thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me?" How does it all connect? Enjoy!
Have you ever been compared with someone? "Why can't you be like so and so?" Paul was being compared too and experienced the pain of being compared. How did he find comfort in God when being compared and what can we do to find comfort in God? Jonathan Chan continues his series on 2 Corinthians with part 9 chapter 10 entitled "Pain in Comparison." Enjoy!
Jonathan continues his series on 2 Corinthians with Part 8 Chapters 8-9. Christians know that they are to be content in every circumstance. However, we constantly fall into the trap of complaining that we don't have enough. How do we authentically be content in every circumstance if we have faith in Jesus? Enjoy!
How do we find comfort in God when we are enduring chronic pain? What gospel foundations did Paul lean on to build his comfort in God when it seems like there is no hope of healing. Paul's chronic pain did not go away, how can we find comfort in God in the midst of our ongoing physical or mental pain? Jonathan Chan takes us through one of three chapters that address chronic pain. Enjoy!
Anthony Bourdain took his own life this past week. One of his famous quotes was "Certainty is my enemy." What did he mean by that? Is certainty our enemy as well? Jonathan explains in this week's IMCO in 5 mins. Enjoy!
Jonathan Chan continues his sermon series on 2 Corinthians with part 4 chapter 4 entitled "That Clay Jar Feeling." Ever felt irrelevant or insignificant? Ever felt that people ignored your opinions because you didn't appear to look charismatic? Paul experienced it too and he had to lean on one of the most crucial foundations to find comfort in God. Enjoy!
Fritz Baylen continues our series on 2 Corinthians with Chapter 3 entitled "Out with the Old". Enjoy!
Jonathan participated in a KAIROS Blanket Exercise facilitated by one of the elders of the Musqueam tribe and reflects on how we can walk with someone who is suffering by allowing them to articulate their story in a cohesive and tangible experience. Enjoy!
After reminding himself of the 3 Gospel foundations in finding comfort in God, Paul now turns to the shit storm that's been happening. How did he depend on 1 of the foundations in addressing the person who wronged him and find comfort not only in God but also reconciliation with the poop-etrator? Enjoy!
Jonathan begins his new series on 2 Corinthians with part 1 chapter 1 entitled "Finding Comfort". Comfort is mentioned 10x in the first 5 verses 2 Corinthians chapter 1. Therefore, it is important. Before we find comfort in God in light of our suffering, what foundational truths are we to have so that we can build ourselves up from them? Enjoy!
The Vancouver School Board encountered a little kerfuffle this past week. A group of Windermere high school students went on a field trip to visit the pipeline protest site in Burnaby near Forest Grove Elementary, also known as "The Watch House and Camp Cloud." In this IMCO, Jonathan explains why he agrees with one of the political commentators' statements. Enjoy!
Jonathan concludes his 1 Corinthians series with Chapter 16 entitled "3D Giving." When we give to a cause or to an organization, what also happens during the transaction? Jonathan expounds the 3 dimensions of giving. Enjoy!
Jonathan and Henry continue their GospelX:The Gospel According to the X-Men series discussing X-men's animated series season 1 episode 6 entitled "Cold Vengeance." Are we searching for peace? How do we get it? Enjoy!
Do our feathers get ruffled only on issues that affect our bank account? In this IMCO, Jonathan discusses how the recent protest at Point Grey against the school tax may be an example that when our money and lifestyle are affected, an issue becomes our issue while we disregard making informed conclusions. Enjoy!
Wah, Wah, I WANT THAT NOW! I WANT WHAT THAT PERSON HAS! I want to enjoy stuff NOW NOW NOW! What is love? Love is synonymous with maturity, Why? Pastor Jonathan explains as he continues his series on 1 Corinthians with part 12 chs 13 and 14. Enjoy!
What's the difference between a community and a mob? In this IMCO, Jonathan identifies and discusses a "shadow" of community that if it is not acknowledged and addressed, a community with good intentions can become a mob. Enjoy!
Jonathan Chan continues his series on 1 Corinthians with Part 10 Chapter 11 entitled "Selfless Freedom." What does freedom in Christ look like when Christians are called to live in the culture, not being influenced by culture and against culture? Enjoy!
For, against, with me against me, I'm right you're wrong, anti, pro. In this IMCO, Jonathan wonders if it's time that we should do some self-reflection as individuals and revisit the practice called via media i.e. finding the middle way. That maybe through this process of via media, we can take ourselves out of this dichotomy and hopefully find unity not only within our own circles but it may also help resolve the hotly debated topics that we see today
Jonathan Chan continues his series on 1 Corinthians with Part 9 Chapter 9 entitled "Qualified." Was it really about Paul's apostleship? Was it really about whether pastors should be paid or not? Or.. was it about something similar to The Godfather? Enjoy!
Jonathan and Henry continue their Gospel X series discussing volume 1 episode 5 of the X-men Animated series. What is leadership? How does Storm's leadership run contrary to what we expect good leaders to be? Is Storm's leadership more in line with Christian values i.e. Christ-like? Enjoy!
In this IMCO episode, Jonathan reflects on whether Christianity and all religions are treated merely as a "click and agree" like what we do with software license agreements. Enjoy!
Jonathan Chan continues his series on 1 Corinthians with Part 8 entitled "Idols." What are the 21st century idols? How are we tempted to worship them? How do we worship them and what is the best defense and offense against these temptations? Enjoy!
Jonathan Chan continues his series on 1 Corinthians with part 7 chapter 7 entitled "Greener Grass?" Is this chapter really talking about divorce, marriage, and singleness or is there more? Something even deeper? Enjoy!
Jonathan Chan continues his series on 1 Corinthians with part 6 chapter 6 entitled "Sex Rights." Paul says in this chapter that "everything may be permissible by law but not everything that is permissible is beneficial." What did he mean? What about sex? What about taking people to court? Listen and enjoy!
In this episode of Gospel X, Jonathan and Henry discuss the 4th episode of the X-Men when Xavier encounters Magneto and how Xavier desired to journey into Magneto's past to help him reconcile with it. How does this apply to us? Enjoy!
Fritz Baylen continues our series on 1 Corinthians with part 4 entitled "Judging Jesus' Way".
In today's IMCO in 5mins, while reflecting back at the choices (and mistakes) he made in his 15 years in the corporate world, Jonathan provides a brief response as to why he recommends staying in one's current company for at least 5 years and a "three-legged stool" test on when it is time to move on.
Jonathan Chan continues his series on 1 Corinthians with part 4 entitled "Role Models." He discussed 1 Corinthians chapter 4 where the central point was this: "If we are to imitate Jesus, who should our role model be?"
Today's IMCO in 5mins will have Jonathan's friend, Nelson Huang, CPA, CMA, CA, offer his opinion on how a Christian, who owns a business, should respond to these tax increases in the recent #BCBudget2018. Check out more on what we do at www.companyofdisciples.com
In this latest episode of Gospel X entitled "Guarding Culture or Gospel?" Henry and Jonathan discuss the dialogue between Beast and Magneto. Henry and Jonathan went further and wondered if this could apply to Christianity today. When we are threatened by people who may not live the way we agree with, is the Gospel at stake or is it just our culture? Enjoy!
Jonathan Chan continues his series on 1 Corinthians with part 3 entitled "Buildings that Last" 1 Corinthians 2:16 - 3:23
Today's IMCO will have Jonathan's friend, a pastor who is also an American, share his reflection on the shooting that happened this past Ash Wednesday at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Jonathan Chan continues his series on 1 Corinthians with Part 2 entitled "Karma". 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:16
In this episode of IMCO in 5mins, Jonathan discusses if a Christian is a hypocrite if they use oil e.g. drive a car or use a smart phone
In this final seminar of Managing Money A Christian Way, Rosanna Chan went over a few savings and investing instruments while providing an overall Christian narrative of how Christians should view savings and investing.
Our fist installment of 1 Corinthians' series entitled "Growing Pains." Pastor Fritz kicks us off with chapter 1.
Enjoy!
In this Gospel X episode, Jonathan and Henry discusses the second episode of X-Men season 1 where the question of the greater good was brought forward when Cyclops and Wolverine were at odds on what was deemed "good." Should Cyclops have left Beast and Morph behind to save the others? To skip the intros go to the 4 minute mark. Enjoy!
In this IMCO episode. Jonathan Chan provides a Christian opinion on the legalization of marijuana that is happening in Canada.
Jonathan concludes the Hearing God series with chapter 9 of Dallas Willard's book of the same title. Jonathan uses a passage in Ezra to elaborate on how God decides not to speak to us because He trusts us to make the right decisions because of our Christian instinct. How do we get it and nurture it? Listen! Enjoy!
In this 5 min IMCO episode Jonathan will be discussing the recent allegations made against comedian Aziz Ansari and propose that maybe the #metoo movement is telling us to revisit the definition of sex using an ancient woman's perspective back in 900BC
Jonathan Chan continues his series on Hearing God with Chapter 8 of Dallas Willard's book with the same title. He uses the Samaritan Woman at the Well story to elaborate on the 4 lights of how God speaks to us and how we can tell if He is. Enjoy!
Welcome to Gospel X: The Gospel According to the X-Men.
Henry and Jonathan kick off this audio series with volume 1 episode 1 of the 1992 X-Men Animated series and discuss civil disobedience. Should we, as Christians, participate in civil disobedience? Enjoy!
In this 5 min IMCO Jonathan tackles housing affordability in Vancouver, British Columbia from the perspective of a homeowner who happens to be Christian
Continuing our series on Hearing God, We are now embarking on Chapter 7 where Jonathan Chan uses John 15 to elaborate on Dallas Willard's points made in this chapter. He entitled his talk "Fruifulness." What does it mean to remain in Jesus?
In this 5 min IMCO, Jonathan tackles the debate on minimum wage increases happening in Canadian provinces
The continuation of our Hearing God series with Chapter 6 entitled "God in My Reality" by Fritz Baylen
Crucible Church Sermon Series: Hearing God "Open the Eyes of My Heart" by Jonathan Chan November 26th, 2017
Crucible Church Sermon Series: Hearing God Chapter 3 "Dancing with the Spirit" by Jonathan Chan November 19th, 2017
Crucible Church Sermon Series: Hearing God November 12th, 2017 "The Necessity of Being in the Wilderness" by Jonathan Chan
Crucible Church Sermon December 3rd, 2017 Pastor Jonathan Chan continues the "Hearing God" series with chapter 5 entitled "Search Me: Psalm 139:23-24