Special Sunday and Discipleship Training – Salt and Light II                 

Jul 5 , 2026

Praise the Lord for guiding us to a special Sunday service with the theme “The Core of Salt and Light” !

The service began with Pastor Gavin’s heartfelt prayer at 11:00am, interpreted by brother Jun, inviting the presence of God to guide our hearts. We then entered into the Refreshing Moment, reflecting on the Beatitudes from Matthew 5:1-10. These 8 blessings were presented not as tasks to accomplish but as the essence of discipleship. Jesus did not command us to strive to become salt and light, but declared that we already are.

Led by sister Gloria, we lifted our voices in praise and worship, filling the house of God with songs of thanksgiving and surrender. Communion followed, uniting us in remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice. Then came a powerful testimony from sister Fan, who shared her perseverance in seeking promotion to a police sergeant after 5 attempts. Though faced with discouragement and ridicule, she chose to focus on God’s faithfulness. Through the church’s 3-year journey of Joshua crossing the River Jordan, she learned to fully submit to God, breaking herself down to zero and relying on His strength. On her fifth attempt, she succeeded, amazingly ranking seventh in both the interview and the final score, manifesting God’s presence. Her testimony bore witness that God’s promises never fail and that perseverance in Christ brings victory. She concluded by quoting Isaiah 40:31 and Joshua 21:45 to express her gratitude towards God for giving her strength to overcome the challenges.

Pastor Gavin continued the sermon, connecting the call to be salt and light with the Beatitudes from Matthew 5:11-16. He explained that the Beatitudes are not separate virtues but seeds of one core. To be poor in spirit is to receive everything from God rather than building pride. To mourn is to stay sensitive to sin and brokenness rather than numbing ourselves with entertainment or busyness. To be meek is to let God reign over our strength instead of pursuing aggression or self-promotion. To hunger for righteousness is to seek God’s desire above all else, not worldly pleasure or possession. Mercy absorbs debt instead of demanding repayment. Purity of heart is a singleness of focus on God rather than fractured identities. Peacemakers reconcile instead of dividing. And the persecuted align with Christ, standing firm even when faith is challenged. Pastor Gavin concluded that God builds our inner life, softens our hearts to care for others, and equips us to live outwardly as salt to preserve society from moral and spiritual decay, and as light to illuminate the world, pointing others back to Him.

After lunch, we began the training workshop at 3:00pm with a prayer led by sister Elaine. Brothers and sisters shared reflections from the sermon. In general, we were reminded of the importance of guarding our hearts, as Proverbs 4:23 teaches, and cautioned against being like a beautiful apple with decaying seeds inside. Following this, several brothers and sisters shared the blessings and testimonies of spiritual growth within their care groups through the New Testament Bible-reading journey. They reflected on God’s generosity in Matthew 20:1-16, recognized true family in Christ through Mark 3, and were challenged by the fig tree in Mark 11 to pursue genuine faith rather than outward appearances. A study of Mark 9 deepened our understanding of specific verses, encouraging us to trust Him beyond our own expectations.

The workshop concluded with Pastor Gavin’s encouragement to remain steadfast in prayer and daily reading of God’s Word to grow as disciples, even if the journey takes years. It ended with a closing prayer, sealing the day with thanksgiving and joy.

Thanks be to God for His unfailing love ! Let us continue to follow Jesus’ teaching, living our lives as the salt on the earth and the light of the world !