Reminders

Since coming back from Japan where it was such a spiritually intense environment while on mission, where it was really a God given opportunity to focus on my relationship with Him while being able to talk to other people about Him. Coming back, I have to admit that I suffered from reverse-culture shock, finding it hard to get used to coming 'home' without the customs of Japan (people don't bow here, or sort out their rubbish, or have sound boxes in the toilets, gasp!) and ultimately being in a spiritual low, always finding reasons to be distracted from God and resting in an ungodly way - I watched a whole drama in about 4 days and became quite obsessed with it.

As a new year of ministry starts, my church held a training day for leaders training and equipping us for ministry this year.  It was really by God's grace that I was reminded of why He placed me to serve at Extreme at the training day - to lead the youth to love Christ, love each other and the city/world by teaching, modeling and praying the bible into their lives. Coming back to my church back in Sydney... I really feel so thankful for the leader's training we've been provided and the older women who are constantly looking out for me spiritually and physically - and I know especially now not to take it for granted. 

I was really reminded of this bible passage when I was reading the other night (before I totally conked out from exhaustion):

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (New International Version, ©2011)

 ¹⁰ By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. ¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³ their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. ¹⁴ If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. 

It's really sobering, isn't it? Are we encouraging each other to grow in their love for Christ with cheap materials,  or good materials  - the bible, prayer and discipleship and godly modeling? I have to confess that I'm not confident in the least when it comes to discipleship, especially with 1 to 1... but please pray that God will continue growing His people in their churches towards full maturity in Christ as we run the race together! :) 

It's really hot, so I'm going to go. Happy Birthday Harrylam!  :D

PS. It made me sad that the songs on GDandTOP's album are quite nice and quite catchy, but the lyrics are really quite inappropriate. :(