Posts by Ryan Seow (Page 7)

Genesis 12:1-3: “Get yourself up and go…and be a blessing.” December is upon us again! For me, December seems to come around faster and faster every year. I think I notice how quickly time is passing when I browse through photos over the past years. Looking at photos of myself from two years ago, I barely see any change. It feels like the last few years have flown by and I’m more or less the same. On the other hand,…

2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” Earlier this month, I had a chance to share at Life-Spring about what God has been teaching me over the past few weeks. Much of what I’ve been learning is around a new opportunity that I’ve taken up this fall. I had a chance to teach a course at Tyndale Seminary this fall semester for the first time.…

Over the past few months, one of the areas where God has been speaking to me is about humility. As important as humility is for our journey as Christians, it can be difficult to understand what genuine humility is and how it’s different from pride. I’d like to share a few things I’ve learned about humility–two of them are about what I call false humility, and two of them are about genuine humility. The part of scripture that illustrates this…

As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. Matthew 9:9 This week during our pastoral meeting, we were talking about some of the plans and purposes God has been putting on our hearts for the future. In the midst of that, we also had a chance to look back on the journey God has taken us on as…

“For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 14:11 Last week in our pastoral meeting we had a good conversation about pride and humility. In some ways, humility can feel like a moving target. The moment we think we’ve mastered humility, is probably when we’re falling into pride! Growing in humility is a journey we’re all on, and one that never really ends. But it helps to have some pointers…

Phil 2:3-4: “Don’t do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves. Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others.” Last weekend, I was driving through the Parkdale area in Toronto. For many years Life-Spring sent teams down to Parkdale to serve the community there. Being in Parkdale brought back fond memories of visiting International Christian Centre (ICC) all those years. I remember pulling…

Matthew 4:19, “And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’” During a discipleship meeting with my life group recently, some of us were sharing how busy life had become over the past few months. Whether it was new tasks at work, packed schedules, or preparing for some kind of change, it seemed like many of our plates were full to the brim. I, for one, was definitely feeling the challenge of change in…

Look! I’m doing a new thing;now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it?I’m making a way in the desert,paths in the wilderness. Isaiah 43:19 Back when Life-Spring was using the church house as our office, we had a little space in the entryway with a dining table and some chairs. Up on the walls, we hung a bunch of Bible verses that were significant for our church over the years. This verse from Isaiah 43:19 was one of them. The…

Hebrews 12:1-2 ” And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” It was great to have Uncle Perry speak to us on Sunday! I certainly felt affirmed, encouraged, and inspired by his sharing. There was one part of his message that especially caught my attention and got me thinking. Uncle Perry shared a verse with us that he heard from God many years ago. In…

For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. isaiah 41:13 Over the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking about Pastor Alvin’s message about moving forward in challenging times. One line that Pastor Alvin shared in his devotion especially stuck out to me. He said, “God’s word is always instructing us to move forward and not stay stuck and worse still, look back.” I…

“Jesus traveled among all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, announcing the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were troubled and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The size of the harvest is bigger than you can imagine, but there are few workers. Therefore, plead with the Lord of the harvest to send…

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Isaiah 55:6 I’ve really enjoyed the messages that have been shared over this past month at Life-Spring. Gabe, Donna, and Mae-Tuin all spoke into different aspects of our journey as a church. Gabe spoke on the topic of faith, Donna on identity and the armor of God, and Mae-Tuin shared her testimony of seeking and finding God in community in the midst of trials. Something…