With the world of micro-blogging (a.k.a Twitter), it has been harder to write some of my thoughts down on my blog. Some people have said it is harder to write your thoughts with only 140 characters, but for some reason I find it easier. Maybe the thoughts are not as deep or profound, but […]
How Do You Help People to Change?
Photo on ctcm.co.za Someone recently asked me, “Pastor Seth, do you enjoy counseling people?” I responded in a very un-pastoral way by saying, “No, I hate it. In fact, it drains me.” I think they were taken a back from my response, so they followed up with another comment (more like […]
Reflections from Singapore 3.22.10
I think adjusting from my time in the States and trying to engage with what was happening in S.E. Asia was not as easy as I thought. The change in time zone and the long trans-Pacific flight made the adjustment hard, but there was no time for rest as I had back to back […]
Reflections from Chicago 3.18.10
Chicago is definitely a home away from home. I have lived in Chicago for close to 22 years before I moved out to Ann Arbor. It always brings back good memories of my younger years. This is why having a HMCC church in Chicago is encouraging to me. I was blessed to see the […]
Reflections from Ann Arbor 3.15.10
When I arrived in Ann Arbor, I shared with some people that I experienced something that I never felt before. Back in November, when I first landed in Ann Arbor, I felt as if I came back “home.” It was a great feeling. But for some reason, this time around, when we were driving […]
Reflections from Austin 3.14.10
In my last two trips to the States, Austin has always been my first stop for ministry. I really enjoyed my time down there, not only because the weather is warmer and the food is incredible, but more importantly because I am able to reconnect with Pastor Ben and his family. Pastor Ben was […]
Back and Forth Travels
Photo on neonlite.ca It has already been two days so far here in the United States and I feel like I have been here for a week. I don’t know if that is a good thing or a bad thing, but all I know is that my heart is more convinced […]
Trip Back to the States Part 2
Time has flown by so quickly. It just seems like yesterday that I was heading back to the States to make my first visit to all the HMCC churches. But for some reason, this time around it definitely feels different. The first time back to the States in November 2009, I went with a […]
Leadership Lesson: The Leader is the Thermostat
Photo from scu.edu George Barna in his book, Evangelism that Works, wrote, “It occurred to me that in our work with secular organizations, the leader shapes the heart and passion of the corporate entity. In our work with non-profit organizations, we have found the same principle to be operative. When it […]
Why I Will Continue to Reach Out to College Students
Photo on zimbio.com In the recent news of California’s $1 billion budget cuts to their state’s university system, it triggered protests by students in various California school, from Berkeley to UC-Davis. This then set off more protests in other universities and colleges nationwide. As updates are coming out, I am reading […]
The Hunt
I find it interesting that the Apostle Peter used the metaphor of a lion waiting for its prey to describe how Satan waits around for Christ-followers to devour. In 1 Peter 5:8 it says, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” The Message Bible translation says, […]
Lessons from Singapore
I headed out to Singapore this past Sunday through Monday to meet up with the group of people who are the core group of the new church plant that we want to launch soon. Even though our time is short, I try to lay down the foundation of this church plant by studying the […]
Do They See Jesus in Me
Christina and I went to Karissa’s school assembly in the morning. All the first graders were participating as they did various presentations. One part really got to me. The school has been trying to teach the young kids about reaching out to people and having a compassionate heart. They did a specific project, where […]
Leaders Love Challenges
Photo from wanderhotels I realized that there is something comforting about being safe and secure. It is a basic human need that we all seek after (and desire gets stronger, as we get older). But with a lot of things in life, when something goes to the extreme, it might not […]