The One After The Other

Parents' Appreciation Day has come and gone. My thanks & congratulations to all TOUCH members who were involved that day. The ushers, the food, kitchen staff, performances, speeches, games - you were all exceptional in your work. I'm proud of each and everyone of you. I also want to thank the parents for their participation & patience throughout the event. I'm especially glad to have had the opportunity to address the youths & parents together. And of course, my deepest appreciation goes to our TOUCH Core leaders, especially Jacklyn Kang.

Will recap on PAD 09 as soon as we have the video & photos ready. But now, we can finally look forward towards...

Reflecting on John 10

I did not expect preaching on this chapter could be so important for my soul. I took 2 youth services to complete John chapter 10, & on both those Saturday nights, I found myself crying myself to sleep as I reflect upon the words of Jesus. It was as if I was part of the audience, as if I was preaching to myself - only that the words sunk in hours after the service.

On a personal level, 2 things really got hold of me. Firstly, is how much Jesus values my life. In verse 3 & 4, Jesus said that He, the Good Shepherd, calls us by name & goes before us. Verse 29 & 30 paints a picture of us as a gift so precious that both The Father & The Son are united towards the efforts of ensuring that this gift is never snatched out of their hands. These verses tell me that my life, my very existence is extremely precious to Him; that we are not random accidents or the result of the Big Bang, but clearly created, chosen & called unto His purposes.

Secondly, are the many provisions He has given unto us. Verse 17 & 18 basically tells us that Jesus had the right, the authority, & the freedom to whatever He wanted to do - yet being in perfect oneness with the Father, He chose to die for our salvation & freedom. He wanted us to enjoy the abundant life so badly, that He willingly laid down His own. And through the perfect sacrifice by the perfect One, we receive our son ship, & all good things as our inheritance. He empowers us with all these things, because He wants us to unleash the potential He has placed in us - & thus fulfilling the purposes He has set for our lives.

Having these truths, how can we not view our lives differently? Trials, difficulties, circumstances of past & present - in all of it, He's there. No wonder Paul could boldly write Romans 8: 30 - 39.

³⁰ Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? ³³ Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:


“ For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

³⁷ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Parents' Appreciation Day 09

TOUCH's Parents' Appreciation Day is here again & I'm getting really excited about it. Things are starting to fall into place & at the moment, we have 22 adults confirmed to attend this event. We do hope for more parents to make it, as we have really great performances lined up to bless our parents. Yesterday while we had our final briefing, I just sense the excitement from those performing special numbers. What pleases me also is that this year we won't be re-using the songs from Mothers' Day & Fathers' Day (last year we used our Sisters' Day & Fathers' Day songs), as those songs were really unique & special, and should remain as such. There's even a possibility of yet another original song!! That would be great addition to an already wonderful event.

Do pray for me as I will once again be giving a speech as youth leader. I rarely get an opportunity to speak to an adult audience over the pulpit (so far this is my 2nd time). But I really desire to be a blessing to them through my words & also let them experience a little of TOUCH. I hope I succeed.

Daddy oh Daddy

Very privileged to have written this song with along this group - Joseph, Esther, Anna, Jacklyn, Chi Wing & Lynn Yen. All of them wrote their own parts & thus made the song extremely unique. Not forgetting also May & Ken Chung for helping to compose the initial format, chorus & melody.

I think this song will be remembered for many years to come.

The Youth Is The Church Of When?

No, no tomorrow. The youth is part of the church, along with the elderly, adults, & children. Together, we are all part of the church today. Get it straight. When you (especially the leaders of the church) think that the youth is the church of tomorrow, what do you have now & will always have? An adult church. Having such a mindset actually hinders the growth of the church. The adults will be thinking 'Ah, they're just youths, they can't do it yet'. & the youths will be thinking ' Ah, someday when I'm 40 I'll reach my God-given potential' - this causes the church to be ineffective as people with the right gifts are not placed at the right positions, as people of age & supposed maturity level assume roles out of necessity.

Why not now? Why can't a youth lead prayer meeting? Why can't they preach on Sunday or in cell service? Why aren't they nominated into the church board?? Why can't they have a say in the way church should be? Are we despising our youths? Are we letting young people despise their youth?

No matter your age, you have a purpose & a role to play in the local church. Get clear directions from God, humble & equip yourselves, rise towards your God-given potential & take your place in the Kingdom of God. Let us unite to build the church, TODAY.