Special Sunday & HOT-Adventure IV

Oct 6, 2024

Praise God for the Special Sunday ! It focused on the topic “Paris Olympics 2024 – What are the Issues?”

We started our combined service with a prayer. During the Refreshing Moments, Pastor Gavin shared on 2 Corinthians 2:11 reminding us not to live in ignorance and become insensitive. God wants to bless us while the enemy wants to take away those blessings.

Sister Lolita led the congregation to welcome each other. Brother Jun brought us to fill the air with beautiful praise and worship. Following communion and announcements, sister Sandy from Strong and Courage Group testified how God led her through difficult moments in her studies, and prepared her for a better 2024. Despite aiming to study bakery, she faced fear due to strained relationships with classmates. During a dessert-making practice, a mistake worsened these ties. To overcome this, she turned to daily prayer and worship. Eventually, she found strength in God and encountered supportive classmates after progressing to a higher level. In God, she learnt to let go of unworthy relationships and strive for higher standards in her work. She ended her testimony with Psalm 126:5-6, which told us that God can turn tears into joy despite life’s challenges.

Pastor Gavin addressed the issues seen at the Olympics 2024 from a Christian perspective. He shared the background of the Olympics and how this worldwide event had been used to propagate anti-Christian views. The depiction of the 12 disciples in “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci being replaced with people of different sexual orientations, projected the scene that sought to replace the Holy Communion with a feast of satisfying desires of flesh. The demonic images featured in the opening and closing ceremonies aimed to draw attention to pagan gods and distort the beliefs about eternal life and resurrection. These were visually appealing tactics to influence minds, promoting self-centeredness and sins. Pastor Gavin concluded by emphasizing that God is in control, encouraging us to uphold the unshakable faith, stand firm in this spiritual battle by wearing the armor of God, and to be salt and light for Him.

HOT-Adventure IV

At 3:30pm, we returned to further discuss our preaching of the morning. Sister Elaine facilitated the sharing. Brothers and sisters actively shared their thoughts and questions, such as how to have a discerning spirit, how to abstain from joining Halloween, and how to define acceptance and tolerance. Pastor Gavin reminded us of the power of prayer and God’s words, and the importance of building strong relationships with our next generation.

Then sister Penny hosted a game session. We were divided into 4 groups for 2 time-attack challenges. One required participants to spin 5 times and then hit a ball off a bottle, symbolizing how the external influences could sometimes blind us, causing spiritual instability. By focusing on Jesus Christ, we could successfully navigate through challenges. Another one involved throwing a ping pong ball into a cup held by a group member. This activity emphasized the significance of unity and collective effort in God. When we maintained focus and achieve success, the entire team rejoiced.

Afterwards, sister Pik Sai guided us to complete the Seals of Breakthrough. We were encouraged to write down key learnings on the ping pong balls regarding our reading of 2 Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah in the Bible over the past few months. These balls were thrown to stick on the wall in Hall 1 of Hope Oasis, signifying a collective journey of growth and learning through the study of the Old Testament.

Lastly, sister Janelle presented the Bible reading target for November to December, focusing on 3 books of minor prophets: Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Haggai highlighted that obedience to God’s teaching is the source of blessings and final victory; Zechariah prophesized about the future of Israel nation and the messianic kingdom; and Malachi encouraged Israelites to turn around and prophesized salvation. The event ended at 5:30pm.

Thank you Jesus for this wonderful day ! Let us stand strong and remain vigilant in Him !