28 August 2016 - ENCS

Tonight Joy Talavera completed the Generosity Stories series

Focusing on our identity in God, for it is Him we should please

From Second Corinthians chapter nine, she did then quote

God enables us to abound in every good work, Paul wrote

Generosity is the act of being kind, Joy did appropriately say

Determined by security in our identity which we should obey

That our security comes from Jesus Christ is indeed a fact

Importantly, knowing who you are determines how you act

To make her point, from the Bible Joy used examples three

Our identity must hold no matter what circumstances may be

In tough circumstances, David maintained a positive attitude

Per First Samuel sixteen, he was omitted in an act quite rude

King Saul tried to spear him, per Second Samuel eighteen

Yet David praised God, as in Psalm thirty one is clearly seen

David focused on his calling rather than his circumstance

Very famously, he didn’t give Goliath’s size a second glance

From Luke fifteen, Joy then talked about the prodigal son

His father welcomed him back despite what he had done

Despite his good circumstance, he squandered property

For his focus was very wrong and he acted so carefree

The prodigal son’s brother was the third individual named

Upon hearing the party, “unfair" was what he proclaimed

He told his father that for years he had performed like a slave 

Taking this mentality would have burdened him until the grave

Both of the sons were raised in a very blessed circumstance

They had the wrong attitude but were given another chance

In summary, Joy said that before we ask, God knows our need

For if it matters to us, it matters to He who values us indeed

Per Romans eight, for us God treated His son as an outsider

God is Jehovah Jirah, which means that he is our provider

13 August 2016 - ENCS

On a new series Generosity Stories, Pastor Josh did emote

He said that "money is THE root of ALL evil" is a misquote

Regarding money, he took us through the biblical perspective

In other words, how with our money we should all try to live

In Genesis twelve, God told Abram to go and then be blessed

Similarly, God blesses us so we can bless others with zest

God enables us to produce wealth, per Deuteronomy eight

Money is a good tool, but as a god it really should not rate

For we cannot serve two masters, per Matthew chapter six

Clearly God is more important, for only He can our flaws fix

Who we are internally matters more than appearances external

For our priorities not our looks that determine our fates eternal

After survival and then success comes a fork, Josh then said

People and nations can become significant or selfish instead

Per Matthew seven, the gate is narrow and difficult is the way

To be significant is quite hard but doing so is to our God obey

Pastor Josh focused on First Timothy six verses six to nineteen

For in Paul’s letter to his spiritual son many core truths are seen

Godliness and contentment combined are a strong combination

Not being complacent or covetous leads to God’s commendation

We should give thanks for all that God has done, Josh did say

But striving for more in life is not a sin, in fact it is quite okay

And when we are really blessed, good stewards we should be

As falling in love with our money is not what God wants to see

The LOVE OF MONEY is A root of ALL KINDS of evil, Paul said

It turns our hearts away from God and thus leaves our faith dead

Righteousness, love, and gentleness are what we should pursue

For eternal life comes from trusting God in all that we say and do

Do good, be rich in good works, be generous, and ready to share

God will always provide for us; for our needs He will always care

Paul said to take hold of life that it truly life, that is from heaven

Jesus is the resurrection and life, Josh quoted from John eleven

7 August 2016 - ENCS

Pastor Josh said that we should all love Singapore, our nation

Whether we are citizens, residents, or just here on a vacation

Per Jeremiah twenty nine, the Israelites were in forced exile

But were told by God to pray for that city, which did them rile

Josh said that if a nation is blessed, its population will be too

To invest in Singapore is what this should encourage us to do

Christ’s Great Commission, per Matthew chapter twenty eight

Says to make disciples of all nations, no matter how they rate

Helping others follow Jesus, allowing baptism to bring new life

Obey Jesus’ commands to love God and others, avoiding strife

In First Corinthians chapter nine, Paul said not to aimlessly run

For we need a purpose to guide our action until our life is done

Our faith overcomes the world, per First John five verse four

It determines what we see and therefore believe, that’s for sure

Pastor Josh did then refer to King David and his faith so strong

Per First Samuel seventeen, Goliath’s taunts lasted all day long

But David knew that his faith and God would help him overcome

For Goliath was small relative to God, so would have to succumb

But per Second Samuel twenty one, even David did weary grow

A new sword and spearhead Ishbi-Benob the Philistine did show

David was only saved thanks to the intervention of his nephew

Whom David had trained as a youth, part of his life’s legacy too

As Solomon later wrote in Psalm one hundred and twenty seven

Children are a reward and a heritage from the Lord in heaven

Yet David’s own son Absalom conspired to take over the throne

Per Second Samuel fifteen, his devious behaviour was shown

David then fled the palace and went up the mountain to pray

His friend Hushai the Arkite finally helped him save the day

This reminds us of the value of having even one good friend

And challenges us to be such a friend for others until the end

In Psalm sixty eight, David praised God with an apt quote

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows” he wrote

Reminding us God reveals himself whenever we feel alone

For every one of us is His child, whom He will never disown

If anyone mistreats a widow or orphan, per Exodus twenty two

God will certainly hear their cry and His anger will then ensue

So we need a purpose to life and faith to guide us through

We also rely on our family, friends, and of course God too

31 July 2016 - ENCS

The 5Cs of Leadership series Pastor Josh did complete

Leaders help others at home, the office, or on the street

He summarised the confidence and connections content

Add competence and character and finally commitment

In Second Timothy chapter four, in apostle Paul's last letter

How to finish life’s journey well could not be said any better

To his spiritual son he did in verses three to five summarise

Be sober minded, endure suffering, and always evangelise

Paul was near his own life's end, having fought the good fight

He wanted to make sure Timothy kept the end goal in sight

The first of four keys is to look to heaven, Josh did say

For what echoes in eternity is what we do on earth today

Per Matthew six, our hearts will be where our treasure is

So we cannot retire from life even when we retire from biz

In Second Corinthians five, Paul advises us on how to live

Our aim is to please God, so we should love and forgive

To look to Jesus was the second point Pastor Josh did make

He is the perfecter of our faith, from Hebrews twelve we take

Using Jesus’ example, we should not be weary or faint of heart

Remembering his sacrifice on the cross can help us do our part

Per Romans twelve, we present our bodies as living sacrifices

To persevere, we must listen to God instead of our own devices

The third point raised by Pastor Josh was to look to others

For we are all one body of Christ, both sisters and brothers

We need other people as we each have a different talent

Trying to do everything by yourself is quite far from gallant

Importantly, we must think of others in order to finish well

Unlike Hezekiah, as Isaiah in chapter thirty nine did tell

The fourth and final point is to look to the next generation

Our destiny is about who we invest in, per Josh's summation

Teary received a very short mention in Genesis chapter eleven

But it was his son Abraham received a covenant from heaven

Josh concluded by referring to Proverbs thirteen twenty two

Leaving an inheritance for the future is what we should do