Posts from 2023 (Page 3)

As I was reading Acts 13, verse 22 struck a chord in my heart. Acts 13:22 (NIV) 22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ Many of us are familiar with God’s words concerning David as being a man after His own heart, and willing to do everything He wanted him to do.…

It seems obvious, but to really dive into Kingdom Parenting, we need to look at the parents. To truly grow in this call, I believe the secret is found in the greatest commandment. Matthew 22:36-39 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself The Kingdom secret is subtle here: the measure in…

A common piece you might find in a Finnish home is a “räsymatto”, or “rag rug”. They take on a striped pattern as they are, essentially, handwoven assorted fabrics. There are modern versions of these rugs and they can be as neutrally coloured or bright and colourful as you’d like. But, originally, these räsymattos were created from old clothing or linens that were no longer able to be used in the home. Rather than throwing them away or having an…

I heard so many gems from Dr. Siang Yang’s sermon and leadership training on Sunday. One line that really jumped out at me from the leadership training was “Don’t try to do great things for God. When you try to do great things for God, the emphasis is on the great things. It’s not about God, it’s about how great you are and the great things you do. Do things simply for a Great God.” He was spot on. If…

The Lifespring family is indeed blessed. Dr. Siang Yang Tan has published 17 books, been a pastor since 1983, and was even in charge of Fuller Seminary’s counselling department. With such a resume, any church would be happy to have him minister to them. Yet, even with a resume like his – the greatest gift Siang-Yang brings to the family of Lifespring is friendship, fellowship, and genuine care for Lifespring. He genuinely cares for this family.  As Siang-Yang was speaking,…

It was wonderful to have Donna speak at our Sunday Celebration last weekend. Whenever Donna visits, I feel like there are so many gems in her message that always encourage me and get me thinking. One gem that she mentioned was, “to go higher, you need to go deeper.” When Theresa and I were living in the US, we had a chance to visit Sequoia National Park in California. The size of these Sequoia trees was absolutely amazing. We stood among a…

“It’s not WHAT you know, it’s WHO you know.” This should be the mission statement for the Christian journey.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in situations where I had no idea what to do but God spoke to me and what He said was exactly what was needed. I’m sure you’ve heard of this quote in the context of employment, where knowing the right people was more advantageous than knowing the right things to say. Sometimes…

It was another incredible Sunday having Donna Parachin come and speak to the Lifespring family. As always, she released so much – please, if you missed it, watch the sermon here: https://www.youtube.com/live/9uybzxWnqlY?si=2MSmn4J7V0j9Nd67 Numbers 13 Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites… Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” But the men who had gone up…

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  Romans 15:13 With Thanksgiving weekend just behind us Canadians, and Orange Shirt Day honoured just one weekend before that, giving thanks for and appreciating the people in our lives, children especially, is strong on my mind.  We are hearing and seeing horrific reports coming in from Israel and from Gaza. …

My family invited some friends over for dinner the other day, and one of my friends told me “Your house is full of treasure!” It really got me thinking, “What are the things in our lives that we don’t generally think of as treasures?” It’s usually the little things that slip through the “things I am grateful for” cracks.  For instance, my friend was mainly referring to my mom’s cooking and kimchi. I’ve heard many people say that growing up…

Dear LifeSpring Family, One of the several verses that we memorized as a church family is the Jewish prayer called The Shema from Deuteronomy 6:4-9: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. It reminds and challenges us to teach and pass down our faith in Christ to our children. What are you modeling in your faith in Christ to your children? 1. Model a faith in Christ that fears the Lord. 2. Model a faith in Christ…

Matthew 7:13-14“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Does anyone remember the song “Refiner’s Fire” by Brian Doerksen? For those who have been Christian for some time, there are certain songs from our early days in faith that we never…