A Steadfast Heart in the Midst of Suffering

❖ Video ❖ Audio A Steadfast Heart in the Midst of Suffering Psalm 108 Andy Nagahara 0 A song. A psalm of David.1 My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul.2 Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.3 I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.4 For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth. 6 Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love…

The Mystery of God’s Choice (Part 1)

❖ Video ❖ Audio The Mystery of God’s Choice (Part 1) Romans 9:1-13 Mari Ikeda A. The reality that the people chosen by God are rejecting God (1-5, Deuteronomy 7:6-8) 1 I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, 4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship…

Let Us Heed These Things

❖ Video ❖ Audio Let Us Heed These Things Psalm 107:33-43 Andy Nagahara A. Reasons for withering and flourishing (33-38) He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs; there he brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle. They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest; he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and he did not let their herds diminish. For the people of Israel and the surrounding areas at that time, water was so precious that it is completely unimaginable to those of us who live in Japan where water is abundant.…

The Irreplaceable Love of God

❖ Video ❖ Audio The Irreplaceable Love of God Romans 8:31-39 Mari Ikeda We’ve been reading Romans from the beginning of this year, and now we have finally got to the halfway point today. Today’s part  – Chap 8 verse 31-39 is the praise to God as a closing of the first half of Romans. We will hear Paul’s words of excitement to God repeatedly. Verse 31-34 talks about how God loves us so much, and 35-39 talks about how we can never go astray from God now that we know His such love for us. We will read the scriptures little by little as usual. Let’s start with 31-32. …

Crying Out to the Lord in Distress

❖ Video ❖ Audio Crying Out to the Lord in Distress Psalms 107:1-32 Andy Nagahara I will divide Psalm 107 into two parts. Today we will go through verse 33. Here, the people of Israel were redeemed from various hardships and brought together, which is appropriate for us as we have just resumed our on-site worship service this month! The first three verses describe the gratitude and joy of being redeemed and called together. After that, four different kinds of hardships are recorded. Each of us, as a people who have been freed from various hardships and called to this place, should listen carefully to the message of Jesus as…