Lunar New Year Sunday Service

Feb 2, 2025

Glory be to God ! From the minute we entered Hope Oasis, all the way in, the atmosphere filled with love and joy, with lots of banners of blessings along the walls. Everyone blessed each other.

Pastor Gavin wished all of us well and shared “A new you and a new life” in the Refreshing Moment from 2 Corinthians 5:17. Jesus came not only to make us better but to make us new. Understanding this truth will change our life journey. Drawing near to the Lord and abiding in His words is the way to start a new life in our Lord.

Chairman brother Wai Hong greeted everyone with blessings, and we exchanged blessings with each other too. During Praise and Worship session, sister Nicole filled the air with many songs of God’s blessings. A promotion was performed by brothers Jacky and Philip for the upcoming Alpha course and church’s Annual Camp. They also engaged the congregation in a game of passing balloons to spread blessings and joy amongst all of us.

Sister Phoebe from the Joyful Group shared a powerful testimony of God’s blessings during her Christmas trip to Taiwan, where she lost and found her youngest son in the night market. She also testified how God miraculously secured her son’s admission to their family’s top-priority school. She concluded the testimony by sharing Psalm 28:7: “The Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.”

Pastor Arlene declared that we are abundantly blessed and preached “Embrace Blessings 擁抱祝福” from Psalm 86:5, stressing that God’s blessings are given by Him, not earned by our efforts, and guiding us to share our blessings with others. She reminded us that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross secured forgiveness of our sins, urging us to hold onto Him tightly for His complete blessings in every aspect of our lives, including:

Spiritual Blessings (屬靈的祝福 ~ 穿上救恩與公義的新衣) – We put on the garments of salvation and a robe of righteousness through Christ, as stated in Isaiah 61:10;
Supply from God (供應 ~ 生命的糧，活水泉源) – We are fulfilled and satisfied as Jesus is the Bread of Life, as mentioned in John 6:35;
Strength from God (如鷹展翅上騰) – We can rise like eagles and draw closer to God to gain strength, as described in Isaiah 40:31;
Eternal Blessings (永恆的祝福 ~ 活潑的盼望與產業) – We can focus on everlasting hope and not be short-sighted, according to 1 Peter 1:3-4.

She concluded with a couplet: “Heavenly Father’s grace overflows from the beginning of the year; Christ’s boundless love endures until the end of the year (天父賜恩自歲首福杯滿溢；基督厚愛至年終永不止息).” And she ended the sermon by a closing prayer.

After the service, snacks, Lunar New Year goodies, and cakes were prepared for everyone.

May God bless you abundantly with great holistic health and in all you do.