Sunday service (s)

today was a great day at church. I miss church.

I know.... confusing right? Well, I went to Life Connection. For everybody's understanding, it shall now be referred to as TLC. And it was SO good... Kathy went with me, and the worship and the message were great. But more... so much much more than that... the presence of the Holy Spirit was there, and it lingered, and fell down, and blanketed the congregation, leaving a sweet, restful, but yearning sensation on our hearts.

But i missed church back home. Bukit Arang (BA for short). I looked down at the bulletin i had stuck in my bible, the one that my wonderfully talented boyfriend had designed... and I felt a pang of sadness wash over me.

anyway. church attendance matters aside... i learnt 2 very important things.
1) How to disciple. That was kinda what the sermon was about, and it was very good... and very simple. Many of us think discipleship is a class, some even think its about going through a beginners class. It's true... discipleship is an introduction... but it's not an introductory course in the sense of a classroom setting with books and teachers... it's an introductory course in life. Being a disciple is about learning to live... and we make disciples, not by going through a routine book, but by
1) sharing our life with them
2) giving them tools, or gear to live
3) helping or teaching them to use those tools.
I won't say it's not difficult. Investing and engaging others with life is probably more difficult than reading from a book and getting them to repeat the four spiritual laws, in correct order! But it's what Jesus did... and it's how we should make disciples too.

2) There's a BIG difference between guilt and conviction.
I have not figured out the intricacies of this statement... but I know that i succumb to feelings of guilt easily. But guilt... that feeling is really not from God. Guilt is a feeling that Satan gives us... when we or others judge ourselves. It helps us feel inadequate, feel worthless and unredeemable... but it most make me feel like I did something wrong, that God wont forgive me, and I must fix it all by myself. ALL WRONG. On the other hand, conviction is a word from God. It's a judgement from Him alone that avoids the condemnation and the "you are pure evil" feeling, and instead says "this action... not your being, but this action is wrong, and you and I (God) can fix it. You give it up, and I take it away."

Both are things not easy to deal with, and one is easily mistaken for the other. But with guilt only comes a series of more guilt because humanly... we can never repair our mistakes. But with conviction (which requires an open heart), come repentance, forgiven, redemption and peace.


I wonder what you learnt at church today...