The Word of the sermon is Christ...

"The Word of the sermon is Christ accepting and bearing human nature. It is not a new incarnation, but the Incarnation. One who bears the sins of the world. The Word of the sermon seeks to accept men, no more." 
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." 1 Corinthians 1:23-24

Think of the other world

"If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this."　

C.S. Lewis

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." Colossians 3:1-2

Christmas

Please pray for the Abundant Life Church as we will have our Christmas Sunday- worship and lunch- on the 23rd. I will be speaking from Luke 2. 

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."  Luke 2:11

Jeremy Lin and Pride

"I struggle with pride everyday, but the one thing I try to remind myself everyday is that I'm a sinner no matter how many point/assists/win I get on the court. God's grace and the death/resurrection of his son Jesus Christ has given me salvation even though I'm not worthy of it.' 
Jeremy Lin, Jeremy Lin Talks Jesus, Faith and Prayer in Q&A Session After Surgery

"Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Romans 7:25-26

Movie: Jeremy Lin 'Linsanity' Movie? Film Documenting Jeremy Lin's Rise to Stardom To Debut At Sundance Film Festival 2013 : Sports : Latinos Post

Jeremy's website: Jeremy Lin's Official Website

To love at all is to be vulnerable...

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable."

C.S. Lewis

"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." 

I John 4:4:10-11

Naho

Naho, my wife, preparing for Sunday School.... We'll go on our weekly date this morning. Today to Gusto. Can't wait!

She's also on Facebook and does our Matsumoto Abundant Life Church | Facebook.　Check-it-out!

Without affection

"He that has doctrinal knowledge and speculation only, without affection, never is engaged in the business of religion." 

Jonathan Edwards

One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 

Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner." 

And Jesus answering said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he answered, "Say it, Teacher."  "A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?" Simon answered, "The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt." And he said to him, "You have judged rightly." 

Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven--for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." 

And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this, who even forgives sins?" And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." 

Luke 7:36-50