Pastor Jessica Chen

How do we encourage others on their mission for Jesus? We can follow the example of Barnabas: we do this by seeing them as Jesus sees them, by pointing them to Jesus, and by looking for ways to go together! Fulfilling the Great Commission was never meant to be solo ...

From as early as I can remember, I learned that Jesus loved me and that I wanted to love Him with my whole heart. But despite my best efforts, I would find myself in negative thought patterns, having moments of anger, being tempted to hide the truth, feeling shame or ...

At Christmas, we often sing the song, "Joy to the World", a song that announces the good news about the birth of Jesus, who is Lord and King over all the world. A key lyric in the song includes this: "Let every heart prepare Him room and Heaven and nature ...

Sometimes the hardest people group to pray for is family, because there may be a lot of history, years of unresolved issues, or perhaps despite your best efforts, it’s unclear how they will ever make the decision to surrender their lives to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Not ...

With God, there is always hope! He really does see the upper story of our lives and He can be trusted! God wants us to look to Him, just as He wanted the people of Israel to look to Him and to seek Him with all their heart. No matter ...

The greatest gift we can give kids is our faith in Jesus, a biblical worldview, a stable home where God's love is central, and our engaged selves. As my sister put it, raising a child is like raising a soldier for God - not necessarily for a physical battle, but ...

Christians all over the world recently celebrated Good Friday and Easter Sunday. They remembered that Jesus died on the cross for the sins of humanity and rose again on the third the day, proving He really is the Son of God, confirming that all He had said is true, conquering ...

The church is God's family, it's God's remedy for loneliness, and it's God's strategy for bringing His Kingdom on earth. No matter your family situation or marital status, this is good news for all of us who follow Jesus! We never walk alone. God has given us His family all ...

Whether you have clear goals or maybe you are still figuring out what this year will look like. Let's be sure to remember these three essentials: Love the Lord your God, Obey His Voice, and Cling to Him. Just like the people of Israel who were entering into a new ...

The power of thanksgiving cannot be underestimated, as it is a key factor in our daily happiness (or contentment). If so much of the world pursues it, wouldn't it make sense to pay attention to what determines it? As followers of Jesus, we have the benefit of knowing the God ...

I suppose this topic is not just for kids or parents, but for anyone who has ever felt scared or is feeling scared about something even now as you are reading this. The key to prayer against feelings of fear, is to first know the One you are praying to, ...

When we read the story of the Prodigal Son, and look throughout scripture, we discover that how we view God and how we think He views us can be very different from who God actually is and what He actually thinks of us. What we need to remember, no matter ...

Jesus is our King, who came to bring peace for our mind, our body, our spirit and our relationships. He would do this by giving up His life for us through His death on the cross, forever dealing with the sin in our lives that brings all types of discord. ...

Throughout the Bible we see God calling unlikely people to do big things for Him. A significant reason for this is because if they could do it on their own, then there would be no need for God to help them, and instead of bringing glory to God, the credit ...

The truth is, being busy is often rewarded in our world, because it somehow translates to being productive, successful, and better. And while this may be true at times, it's not always the case. Busyness can lead to making mistakes, being unsafe, or missing good opportunities. In Pastor Dave and ...

Giving thanks is not only being conscious of and acknowledging the good things that we have received, but also being genuinely appreciative of them. How can we be continually appreciative of the blessings in our lives? I propose we first get to know the Giver of blessings, that we practice ...

What unites a family beyond genetics, could be faith, culture, hardship, hobbies, or a physical home. But one thing that is always true without fail, is how different every family member is. As every one gets older, the things that united the family, may not seem as significant anymore and ...

Having a friend who struggles with their mental health can feel daunting at times, because though we may care, we just don't know how to help. Here are 4 key things we can do to be a supportive friend when someone in our lives is struggling with their mental health.

A few years back my family and I went white water rafting together as part of our family vacation. We figured it would be a great opportunity for team building and family bonding - and it certainly was! Thankfully we had a guide to navigate and direct us on the boat. When the ...

Love is a very common word we use in the English language today. It's the topic of many songs and it’s the highest aim that the world longs for. We love chocolate, we love fries, we love hiking, we love our dogs, we love our family, we love the colour ...

Anyone who has ever been a part of a family business knows that you can never just see things the way customers or clients do - you see so much more. Your eyes become attuned to what’s missing, what’s working, what’s not working, what could be better, what needs cleaning, ...

"It’ll all work out”, people often say, or “it’s all for the best”, or “everything happens for a reason”. While all these sayings may be true or have some truth in them, I’m sure we have asked ourselves one time or another, how can I know that for sure? The ...

As with our walk with God, King Solomon encourages us in Proverbs 3:5 to trust in the Lord, not with all our mind, but with all our heart, which requires faith. Pastor Dave explained the word faith for us in the sermon this past weekend entitled, “A Hope to Have ...

When Jesus said, He is the vine and we are the branches, and that we ought to remain in Him in order to be alive and fruitful, He was talking about our spiritual health. For a branch to remain connected to the vine, daily tending, protection and care are vital. ...

How do we live our best life? We do this by first recognizing who holds all things and is the source of everything we need. When we put our trust in Him, seeing Him as our source, our best friend, and our ultimate destination, there is a peace and joy ...

So, Praise the Lord, my soul! All my being, praise his holy name! Praise the Lord, my soul, and do not forget how kind he is. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.He keeps me from the grave and blesses me with love and mercy. He fills ...

We were reminded this past weekend through Pastor Dave’s sermon entitled, “I Can Only Imagine”, of Jesus’ mission statement above in the book of Luke. Incredible! Amazing! How true! And yet, we might also wonder within — if that’s true, then what about now? What about me? Does God see ...

“God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.” (Ephesians 1:22)One Spring evening, I was jogging home alone along my street when all of a sudden, an owl grabbed my hair bun and disappeared. To my shock and dismay, ...

"We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.” (Colossians 1:3)This week we embark on 24/7 prayer for our Good Friday and Easter Sunday services. Prayer - something we know is a necessity for every Christian and sadly many of us feel ...

On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me. — Psalm 63:6-8 Growing up, I had a lot of fear in my ...