Comfort

I wanted to first say that I'm thankful to be a part of this group... I know that people have been and are continuing to pray for me, and that is quite encouraging the more I think about it. I've also been able to meet up with some brothers and the conversations I've had with them have impacted me in what I have to share below. Finally, I think the sermons the past month or so on the parables of Jesus have provoked a lot of reflecting lately. Here are some of my reflections:

1. His Word is true

3^(F) Blessed be the^(G) God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and^(H)4^(I) who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5For as we share abundantly in^(J) Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.^[a] 6^(K) If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you^(L) share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. [2 Cor. 1:3-7]

God makes it a point to repeat some passage or verse during different times in my life and the passage above have been emphasized numerous times in an almost annoying way the past few weeks. The concept of sharing in sufferings and comfort seemed very unreal and abstract. I thought, "What the heck does that mean? What would this look like?" When I couldn't really come up with an answer, God gave me one in the form of one of my brothers. I met up him this past week and through our sharing, I explained some of the struggles I was going through and he shared even more deeply with me a brief testimony of what God's done in his life. It caught me off-guard actually. It was weird to think that sharing in sufferings with one another gives you comfort, but it does. I know misery loves company, but I knew that "sharing in sufferings" was meant to be beyond a pity-party between people. Through his sharing I was able to connect to the suffering and comfort that he had already gone through and was still going through. For me to hear and see a living example of someone who's gone through it, still standing, was so refreshing. It wasn't pleasant to know that life would only get harder, but there was also a sense of hope that he knew that gripped me. I was both skeptical and jealous that he was being fueled and empowered by hope. This I think is a part of the comfort we can find and share with one another... as we connect with God, He connects us with others to share in the hope we have in Him. Long story short, I got the message of the passage above - a glimpse maybe, but it's a start.

2. Life is about People
I'm sure this isn't anything new, but I was reminded again that this life was meant to be lived with other people. I had this great burden on me that this difficult time was a personal one that I had to deal with God solely. To some extent, it still is. But there is also a social/communal aspect that I neglected or felt uncomfortable with. I don't think I could ever fully realize the depth of my struggle without it. More importantly, hope and comfort are things that I now have a greater understanding of and appreciation for because I am beginning to share in them with others. This might not be the best example, but I'm going to use it anyways. Tiger Woods is arguably the best golfer to ever live, and it would be awesome to experience being a champion like him. But golf is an individual sport, and I think there is an extra-special feeling about winning as a part of a team. Imagine being a part of the world cup winning team-the combination of every player going through their own individual battles and collectively persevering and ultimately reaching the summit-there is a level of fullness that I think can only be achieved with others. Take eating for another example - if you recall your favorite meals of all time, I guarantee you that the best times were when you enjoyed the food with other people. Anyway, I think that you got my point.

3. The good news about Good News
I think it's an understatement to say that our church has a long way to go, but I also think it is an understatement to say that God is going to do amazing work at GNC. He just cares and loves His people too much not to exceed even our best imaginations. Little by little, every day and in every way He's going to help us become fellowship builders that build bridges to one another, our small group and church members, and to those around us. What a privilege it is to share in this with you all!

Sorry this is so long. I had a lot on my mind and heart to get out. This might not all be linear/connected, but hopefully it makes sense. I'll see you all tomorrow at church. - Mike

transforming grace

I'm pretty sure that many of you have read Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges at some point. Last night, Tina and I decided to read it together. If you would like to read (and in some cases reread) it alongside us, let us know.

Priorities, priorities

note: Grace is in the batter's box today! Please pray for her and encourage her.


Ben - get all of work done during the week so that Sunday can be his Q-day
SY - has been keeping the Sabbath. Want to be more intentional about praying though: so twice a month will spend 1 hour praying, more specifically.
Dave Lee - wake up early for QTs.
Sungho - fasting Fridays.
Donna - As soon as get home from work - read the Bible. Before getting too tired.
Chchung - Spend more time in prayer during QTs. Wants to pray for people who aren't saved. Also more prayer for the church.
Mike - Doesn't workout consistently anymore; and this reflects spiritual discipline. So wants to lead a more disciplined life in general.
Grace Cho - Q-Day to listen to Stott's sermon. Off on Monday so will do it. Won't knit, plan, etc.
Jason Park - Wants to hear what God has to say. So will pause to listen to God. Have a listening posture.
Christina - Q nights. Instead of worrying will try to pray more.
Joe Kwalk - Wants to be consistent everyday w/ spiritual disciplines. (B/c not at GNC, feels disconnected and detached).
Dave Choi - discipline. Consistency in QT. No structure for QT.
Carms - Wake up earlier. Have some Q time 30 min before work starts in my office for prayer.
Tina - keep my QT time more structured and regular (instead of switching times / randomly opening any passage)

Thanks guys

Hi everyone,

I had the fear of Sungho maybe asking how I'm doing in front of everyone and he did. Oh well. hahaha. But I didn't really get to thank those who's been praying for me, and those who listened as I shared. So I just wanted to say thank you...
Please don't think I'm depressed all the time, because things are really good a lot of the times. hahaha. I just really tend to go up and down, from extreme to extreme... and it can even happen in one day. When things are going down the hill, I tend to get really disappointed at myself. Even when things are good, I get disappointed at myself for not being better. I keep repeating to myself that I'm not good enough - not a good enough friend, not being able to put my heart into things enough, wasting enough time... The thing is, I know that even though I excelled just ever so slightly or significantly in those areas, I would still feel like I'm not good enough. A lot of the lies that I've been dwelling on - I know they're not true. God tells me so, and His grace speaks out for me. It doesn't matter what I do and how well I think I do it. It shouldn't matter what other people think. But I keep on going back to that place over and over again, and I'm sick and tired of finding myself at that place... A friend told me to just cross that line of lies and never step back to it, just a couple days ago. And there, I found myself again, the very morning of yesterday...

But at yesterday's meeting, I was really reminded that there are people who are striving to reach for the same place - where Jesus calls us to come and find peace in Him. And I thank God for allowing me to come to that place from time to time even in the midst of struggles. Even though I feel like giving up, not do anything and just wait for God's timing, I was reminded that He is the King I'm living for, and there are steps that I can take to strive for a relationship with the one and only, "best" God in the world. So again, I thank everyone..and I thank you, Jesus.

This is a verse I've been repeating to myself since a few days ago, from Isaiah 55:8-9:

8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.

9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

...To keep eyes off of myself and know to dwell on His very Word, power and strength, that is sure and true :]

seeking respite

over the past 6 months, i had become complacent in my spiritual walk and it became evident in my lifestyle. after a rough day of working and interacting with people, i either sought the comfort of donna at the time, or friends that i could confide in, or open a bottle of wine and sift through the shows playing on tv. i was seeking rest in the wrong areas/places and as a result, my spirit became weak. i was no longer walking in Christ, and left myself exposed to the sins of this world. one day i realized, my life was no different than those of non-christians.
that was my life until i heard the john stott seminar. he spoke of his monthly routine to dedicate a day to soley spend time with God. he would spend his time soaking in nature, reflecting on His creation, reading the Word, and praying. as it is stated in Matthew 11:25, he put into practice laying his burdens on Christs' yoke. he then challenged us to do the same.
on the heels of listening to the john stott's seminar, donna and i actually took a day off to spend some quiet time with God. not surprisingly, my spirit felt stronger and i felt good to be a christian once again. no longer did i feel the burden of having to work the next day, or be afraid of rubbing shoulders with people who do not share in the same beliefs as christians. instead, i was looking forward to the next day. now, i know it may only be a matter of time before my spiritual high goes away, which is why i think it is important to repeat this practice.

i've been sharing this with sung ho in the last couple of weeks and he asked to me to post this on our blog. in addition to briefly sharing my struggles, i also thought it would be a great idea for the small group leaders to spend one saturday together as a group for a quiet time. what do you guys think?

Prayer Meeting for N Jersey

We had our first small group prayer meeting this past Friday. We have prayer time during small groups from time to time, but we devoted the entire time to prayer. It was a small group of 6 of us. I had everyone write down 1-2 prayer requests for themselves, for SG/church, and for the world. Diana brought Hyun's guitar and John played it. John, Mike, Stretch and I usually come directly from work and take the train to Glen Rock together. We ate, sang a couple of songs, shared and prayed.

I felt like our prayer time was genuine to where we are right now. For a lot of us, it had been a long time since we had engaged in more than 1-2 hours in corporate prayer. It was a tad bit awkward but in a cute "getting to know you" kind of way. We struggled with the words of a song John picked because some of us didn't know the words... we didn't exactly know how we wanted to structure the time. And we didn't even get to the third topic because it took us nearly 2 hours to cover the first two. We chuckled a little bit at funny remarks and added commentary and asked questions when we wanted to probe a little bit. I really appreciated people's honesty and their desire for this time of prayer to become a truly blessing time.

It's funny how as we started praying, I thought of a million other things we could pray for, and it was great to be praying side by side with brothers and sisters... and to be prayed for. I loved it ;)

We have small group tomorrow, and I want to suggest that we meet 1x a month since small group meets for bible study 2x a month. The limiting factor is me - I travel about 50% (and I host), but I hope it works out. Please pray for us as we conclude the praying book. Because I'll be in California, Toronto, then home for a day before flying to Korea on a 2 week vacation, we'll have a 3 week break. I just hope we don't lose momentum....

(What did we eat?: Chicken Teriyaki from the Japanese place at Garden State Plaza)

I want to share some pictures of our small group too! This is the latest picture we took at Sang's birthday dinner. Taken after we sang an embarrassingly out of tune "Happy Birthday" song to Sang.

Woodbridge SG is back!

we're really excited. ha. actually, it's been a long time since we got together, and i've heard different members express to me how they've been looking forward to the group getting back together. with the addition of caroline, and timothy the baby, we're really starting to grow.

this thursday will be our first meeting since before the summer. please pray that people would come with a willingness to be open and to share...and a hunger for community. i also haven't seen aaron for awhile, and am looking forward to seeing him come to sg. he's been very vocal about wanting to form a community, and was a little sad when we decided to break for the summer.

we're going to keep in casual - a snack potluck, praise, sharing and prayer. we're also going to be deciding which book to cover this year. we're currently choosing between tim keller's two most recent books - the reason for God and the prodigal God. katerina's english has really improved and i see her as really standing to benefit from this year's discussions.

it'll also be interesting to see the dynamic with a baby in our midst! i'm sure it'll provide a new set of joys as well as challenges, but pray that we'd all be able to roll with the new situation and be gracious in a new set of circumstances. i'm excited for the new small group year, but i also want to remember to give God the reins and the glory over all the joys and trials that will come our way this year.

this week

i thought ben did a good job leading this week. we decided to take turns leading but still contribute to the group conversation. sam lee had more questions than usual, which was a good thing for discussion. we also got into pairs and shared/prayed for one another. my hope is that the small group can be an extension of one of the aspects of the local church, in terms of accountability/discipline. it's somewhat easy to share vaguely without getting too personal. but i think that we can foster an environment to be vulnerable and deeper. i like the analogy that sam got from someone that church should be like a hospital for the sick. if we are scared to share our symptoms, then we'll only get worse. also, not to be cynical, but i feel like small group is almost preaching to the choir. the ones who consistently come out are the ones who are already pretty committed.

Pastrami Sandwiches

Yesterday, Sang bought us Pastrami sandwiches on rye bread and cole slaw from a Kosher deli. It was the best pastrami I've ever had. I always have to intro with what we ate since that is so important to our small group :)

For most of you who have finished the Prayer book a long time ago might not remember what Chapter 8 was about.... Joining In - corporate prayer. I was really encouraged today because our small group committed to meeting up on a non-small group day to have a mini prayer meeting on our own. What was great was that I wanted to mention it, but others mentioned it first. I can't play guitar and wanted a short time of worship, so someone volunteered to play but can't bring a guitar, so someone else going to bring a guitar. We'll probably meet sometime next week to devote time to prayer. (We usually meet every other week, so this is great that people want to come out on an off-week).

After small group, a small group member told me that setting aside time to pray in a group like this was on his heart and wanted to even talk to me about it before even coming to small group. He didn't know that this chapter was going to be about corporate prayer until he got to small group (what a coincidence) and was really encouraged that we've committed to a prayer time. We both agreed that this was divine. It was cool to see how God moves in hearts individually and then manifests things in a group.

Please please pray that this prayer meeting will actually happen and that the time of prayer will be GOOD. I can think of so many ways we could cover each other in prayer as well as pray for larger things.

nyc sg: update

last thursday, the nyc small group finishing j.i. packer's praying. it looks like we'll be joining the rest of the new brunswick groups and starting joshua harris's stop dating the church. since our books won't be here by our meeting time this week, we're going to get together for prayer and dinner.

our group is literally a small group. five of us--me, david, daniel, gina, and rebecca--meet every other week (emily moved back to nj so she's going to join one of the central jersey groups) at my apartment. i think our dynamics have been ok considering the size and it's nice to have familar faces but i worry sometimes about where this group will end up. rebecca is on a temporary "sabbatical" from goodnews and she is considering moving to brooklyn so that might leave our group with me, my husband, my brother-in-law, and gina. this works ok with me, but i think the other members wish our fellowship circle was a bit broader.

the challenge for me has been to reclaim some of the excitement of being a small group leader. preparing the studies in a way that is relevant and meaningful has been a lot harder than i remember from my college days. i think partly it's due to the fact that i've lost a lot of the zeal i once had for God's Word. please pray for me that i would have a bigger heart for these things.

Agenda for Next meeting

Hey guys,

Just emailing to let you know what will be happening on November 22!

The reason why we meet every month is to become more effective fellowship builders who build up a fellowship marked by sharing-in, sharing-out, and sharing-with.

Through our meetings, I want all of us to become more effective agents of change. In order for this to happen, the most vital need that I see for our team is each one of us having a strong, thriving relationship with God. There are other skills needed to become a good fellowship builder, but having a thriving personal relationship with God is foundational.

In order to overflow unto others, we need to know God and grow in grace ourselves! Know. Grow. Overflow.

I want all of us to become more spiritually vibrant. Our heart condition affects our church. So these days, I'm thinking how can we become fellowship builders who are constantly growing and thriving? What needs to be taught? What needs to change in our lives?

So for the Nov meeting, I want to focus on the topic of repentance.
I just heard a great sermon on repentance, and I want all of us to reflect on it.

Please begin praying for the Nov meeting. Let's pray that as we meet, we'll take another step forward!

Love in Christ,
SH

North Jersey SG tonight

hi all,

Today our small group will be having dinner for sangs bday. No bible study today. We are meeting next week for bible study. I don't want to share too much in detail about what people are going through individually but our small group is pretty open with sharing and I hope we can be diligent in praying and supporting each other through hard times. I really want us to be a family. So please pray that even over burgers and cake we can encourage one anoher and those who aren't able to make it. I am stuck on a runway in Toronto and I hope I'll make it home in time for small group. Like I shared during out last meeting, I want to use this quiet time on the plane fruitfully to think of sg, you guys and the church. My computer battery died, as did my blackberry and soon I won't be able to use my phone. God is telling me to be quiet! :)

Let's not forget Mike and Tina

Hello!

During our last meeting, Mike and Tina graciously shared with us some of their struggles as sg leaders. Feeling burnt-out and being stuck in a spiritual rut were some of the things that they shared.

I think that what they did was brave and mature - it was definitely a positive step for our team because I believe they helped to set the tone for our team. It's not easy to share our weaknesses, but God promises in the bible: when we pray for our brothers and sisters, God, through our prayers, comforts and revitalizes the brothers and sisters whom we're praying for.

It takes great humility to share our weaknesses, but as Paul says, we're strong in our weakness for his power is made manifest in our weakness.

Let's not forget to pray for Mike and Tina!

We ALL share in the same struggles. We're ALL running the same race, and beset with same spiritual obstacles. As leaders, we're all under attack. Let's not be ashamed to share our weaknesses and struggles.

Remember God's promise to us:

- "If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life." (1 John 5:16)
- "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for 3 years and 6 months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit" (James 5:16-18).

study guide

for the new brunswick small groups studying joshua harris's stop dating the church, there is a free online study guide that the author developed. i don't know how good it is or if you already know about it, but could be a good reference:

http://www.joshharris.com/stop_dating_the_church.php

Your Conviction of the Month from Stott's Leadership Seminar

Post your conviction under "comments" please!

Let's pray for our SGs!

Thanks, leaders, for the update!

Let's not forget these prayer topics, but remember to lift them up!

woodbridge sg update

[from mina via email]

Woodbridge Small Group

Meets Thursdays @ 7pm chez David and Katerina Pirek (Will resume Nov.
13)

Members:
David and Katerina Pirek (and Timothy, too!)
Aaron Jaggard
Sungho Lee
Caroline Sung
Mina Kim

We took a break all summer because David and Katerina were hosting
guests, and then they had their baby on Oct. 2. We'll be picking back
up starting November 13. Caroline hosted a potluck dinner on Thurs,
Oct. 9 after Aaron suggested we get together for dinner.


Prayer requests:
1. Because our group took a very long break this summer, it feels very
fragmented right now. Pray that we'd be able to pick up again in
November with renewed fervor and excitement to meet and be a part of a
community.
2. Pray for our material...we'll be discussing what we want to do this
coming year.
3. Pray for our host family and their newest member - Timothy David!
It'll add a new dimension to have a baby as a sg member!

Thanks!

nb women's sg (christine & tina) update

[from christina via email]

Tina Lee and I are coleading the Central Jersey Tuesday Women's Small Group. Small group begins at 8.

We've met at 4H the past two weeks, but will begin to meet at Busch (I believe Sunhee's dorm) from now on. Our sg gals include:

Jennifer Bang

Gina Chang

Sunhee Sul

Mijin Yeom

Hannah Yook

Hanna Chang
Lydia Moon

So far, our bible studies have been going out very well... particularly our last one. This past week, Jason, Tina, and I worked together to form a study aimed at fostering a lot of group discussion and applying what we learned about "church dating" from our first meeting. We included questions based on Harris' book, relevant scripture, and P. John's sermon. I'm encouraged by this sg because I feel like they're very open to sharing and so sweet! We pretty much have the froshies and sophomores coming out consistently.

Here's some prayer requests I'd like to request:

* Gina Chang has been very vocal about her family struggles. Please pray for Tina and I to be as supportive and encouraging to her.

* Even though our sg has been going out well, I am personally struggling. Please pray that God will fill my heart with conviction and a greater sense of purpose in sg leading and loving this church.

nb women's sg (carmina & christine) update

[from christine via email]

Hello all!

Central Jersey Women (led by Carmina and Christine Chung)

Monday 8:30 pm

Catherine Kim
Esther Kim
Lydia Moon
Clare Jang
Justine Kim
Tina Kim
Liz Lee
Jessica Kim
Jennica Kim
Jenna Lee
Jennifer Ju(??)

I wasn't at the meeting this saturday, but so far our small group is going pretty nicely. dynamics are good too, which i wasn't expecting. carmina and I struggled with preparing for the first small group from the book, but we talked to sungho and bounced some ideas with him. this led to some creative and collaborative discussion and also gave us some clarity about our role as leaders and teachers.

north jersey small group update

[from sooyoung via email]

Hi guys,

I thought I'd open the lines of communication and discussion (per our mtg) by giving an update about our small group.

The People: Hyun, Diana, Mike, Sam (Stretchy), Dave Choi, John Choi, Sang Bang, Jime (in Korea), Charles and Danny Kim. Danny is the newest to join our small group and has come out twice. Since Dave Choi moved to central Jersey, he might be leaving our small group after we're done with our book.
When we meet: Every other week. Our schedule is irregular because I have a weird event/travel schedule. Generally, we meet every other week and try to grab meals as a small group at least once a month.

Where we meet: My house in Glen Rock. Some of us commute home together on the train.

What we're studying: Prayer.... We just did chapter 8 on "Hanging On" about perservering through prayer. We're the slowpokes! We haven't finished this book yet and have

Our upcoming schedule:
- 10/21 - Tuesday - We're probably going to do dinner for Sang's Birthday
- 10/29 - Wednesday
- 11/12 - Wednesday
- BREAK since I'll be on vacation for 2 weeks

A few prayer requests...
* I'd love prayer on thinking about what our small group will study next. I wanted to go back and forth between reading a book and studying the word. I have a study on the Sermon on the Mount that I'd like for our small group to go through. Please pray for me as I prepare and pray about what we will study next.
* John and Danny are new to our small group and I pray that we can make them feel like a part of our family.
* Our small group has really started to open up to one another, and I hope we can be diligent in keeping each other accountable, praying for one another, encouraging each other in discipline, and showing a lot of love.

testing

1, 2, 3.