A living room is a wonderful, warm and welcoming room where community happens. We were designed to live in community and we find the perfect kind of community when it’s centred around Christ. Kingdom communities were not meant just for our enjoyment and good times, but also as a witness for the glory of God. Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
Authentic Community. It sounds good. It sounds like something everyone wants. It is one of Island ECC’s core values. Authenticity is one of those words that gets thrown around a lot. But what does it mean? What does God have to say about it? In this message, we will explore what it means to be authentic and how we can be authentic. Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
The bathroom always has a mirror. It’s there so you can get a glimpse of what you look like. But beyond your physical appearance, do you like who you are? This message examines how our faith in God enhances our core identity. Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
The bedroom is essentially where we rest our bodies at night in order to restore energy for the next day. We all need restoration in various aspects of our life. This message focuses on Psalm 43 and our need to continually recharge our spiritual intimacy with God. God desires to provide all our needs for restoration. Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
What you think about God will impact the quality of your life. If you are amazed by God, your life will be amazing. If you are confused by God, your life will be confusing. So… be amazed. It’s the only appropriate response. Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
Unlike many world religions, Christianity demands a thoughtful, mindful engagement. Skeptics point to apparent contradictions in the Bible, and as reasonable believers, we need to be able to defend our faith with gentleness and respect. Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
The basis of our faith in the Word of God is the eyewitness accounts of people who recorded events as they remembered them. Do the authors of Scripture have the same credibility as any courtroom witness today, and can we trust their testimony? Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
Preparing for today’s sermon has reinforced the reliability of Scripture to me, and has made me appreciate the miracle that we have in the Bible. The Bible is trustworthy evidence of God, His love for humanity and the way to know Him. Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
We have a tendency to forget the spiritual wealth that is ours. We live like we’re homeless, when in reality, we are wealthy. Learn to act rich, because you actually are. Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
Love is in the air! Today is Valentine’s Day. Restaurants will be packed, flowers will be bought and chocolates will be shared among many couples. Many people are also beginning the Year of the Monkey in hopes that love will be found in 2016. Everyone wants to experience love, but sometimes our search is misguided. Today we will be looking at many passages that explore what defines love and we can find the riches of God’s true love. Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/mess...
As Jesus engages with the woman at the well, he promises her "a well of water springing up". Hmmmm. What exactly does that mean, and practically what does it look like in our lives? Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
Doubt is a common experience to us all. Sometimes it’s a healthy experience, leading to an eventual greater faith, but sometimes it can be the beginning of a spiritual disaster. Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
This message is the first of a two-part series that deal with our salvation in Christ. Is salvation in Christ permanent? Can we make sure that we will spend eternity with God? Is a person’s eternity secure when they place their faith in Christ? Can you be assured that you are heavenly bound? Find out the answers and check out other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
As we become Christians and God becomes more and more of a priority in our lives, we need to ask ourselves how it is that we should re-organize our lives. What does it mean to put God first? Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
A new year almost always brings some level of reflection and refocus. Along with your goals to read more, lose weight, drink more water, and save more money, this sermon will help you think more biblically in the coming year. Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
Supposedly, as the famous Christmas carol "Joy to the World" tells us, Christmas is about joy. Yet sometimes joy seems so far away. If we want joy then we must receive the King—we must focus on Jesus again. If we want joy then we must prepare room in our hearts for Jesus this Christmas season. Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
Christmas manger scenes portray a story of peace. Perfect sky, doting parents, adoring magi. But the reality of the birth of Christ meant massive chaos, inconvenience, and even infant deaths. So… how is peace brought about in the midst of life’s curveballs? Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
Elisabeth and Zacharias are the first to hear from God after 400 years of silence. Their "pre-Christmas" story reveals much about the heart of God for the family. Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
Grateful people are perpetually energised because gratitude is the recognition that we have a God who is engaged in our lives. Gratitude, however, must be expressed in order for it to come into its own and this is why it is also a discipline that we must cultivate. I hope that today you are able to deepen your sense of expressed gratitude, both to God and to others. Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
The world is seemingly more chaotic and unsafe now than in many years. Daily news articles inform us of terrorism, natural disasters, and other forms of uncontrolled violence. And though Hong Kong is largely exempt from such horror, we still feel the anxiety of a world that is a mess. But beyond feeling safe, do you feel secure? Do you feel a sense of confidence? Today, we’ll examine the longing we all have to live a life of peace, a life based on an unchanging security. Watch this and other mes...
Who doesn’t want to be happy all the time? But a recent study showed the happiness level in Hong Kong is among the lowest in Asia. Jesus gives some straight-up advice about how to develop a happier life. Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
Today, we will sing about contentment, we will be inspired by stories of contentment, and lastly we will hear what God has to say about the secret to contentment. Let’s journey as a church to live out this secret of contentment. Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
This is the first of five messages on emotions. It uses the Pixar movie, Inside Out, to dive into the way emotions can control our behaviour and what God’s Word says about this. It applies the rich theological truths found in 1 Peter 2:3-8 to speak to this theme. Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
Tabernacles, temples, and churches. All are buildings for God. As we launch our Bold Faith building campaign, we want to make sure our understanding of God’s design for buildings is what drives our plans. Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
Generosity is the antidote to materialism, and therefore a key in our Christian life. But how do we increase our "cheer factor" in giving? If God loves a cheerful giver, how can I learn to enjoy it more? Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
Joshua took 12 stones and built a memorial so that generations forever would remember the power of God. This annual report, tucked inside a biblical look at Joshua 4, helps build our sense of awe as well as increase our expectation for a God-filled future. Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
You reap what you sow. Plain and simple. And these principles apply to every category of your life: relationships, character development, careers, finances... This survey of scriptural truths on reaping a harvest in your life will help you understand your circumstances better, as well as create your future blessings. Watch this and other messages in video at www.islandecc.hk/messages .
Have you seen any miracles lately? Would you like to? What would a miracle look like in your life? I firmly believe that God is willing and able to perform miracles in our lives. I’m not talking about your televangelist variety of miracle, but genuine, undeniable, only-God-could-do-that kind of miracle. A look at perhaps Jesus’ most famous miracle, the feeding of the 5,000, provides the backdrop for us to discover how we too can prepare for a miracle. Watch this message at www.islandecc.hk/messa...
How would you describe your faith? Or perhaps a better question: How would God describe your faith? Only once in Scripture does Jesus commend stand-out faith. This message examines what it takes to grow a confidence in God through a life of action.
We’re finishing our Back to School series today with a topic that can get a little messy. Temptations. Every human in the world struggles with temptations. And we’re going to see today that even Jesus encountered a very trying time with temptations. It’s a passage of scripture that we can look to for guidance, instruction, but most importantly, encouragement. Watch this message where Pastor Tim LaTour gets down and dirty in an illustration at www.islandecc.hk/messages ....
