Hey GEEEKS!

Here’s a short update! After the week in Thailand, our dreamtrippers are back, safe and sound, all with truckloads of stories to tell! (Ask Glen about his girlfriends and Justus about the puppy and P.Top for instance!)

It’s Christmas time and we are having a party tomorrow, which is Christmas Eve by the way, at our MMC! It is called ‘A GEEKY CHRISTMAS’ for a reason; dress your geeeekiest! Winner gets a prize! If you haven’t already, please RSVP to Peter Chew.

Love,
DR

by Pastor Simon Ang, 30th Nov 2009

Habit #10: Be Content!

Exodus 20:17

¹⁷ “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

• The sin of covetousness
  …does not mean we should not have goals or strive for success. It means we need balance.
  To covet in Hebrew means to strongly desire something (like a craving) and it also means desiring for something you have no right to possess.
• The source of covetousness
  Cult of consumerism – advertisements create a dissatisfaction in us. Suddenly, we “need” things that people never needed a few years ago.
  The eye and the heart – outward attraction, followed by inward lust. We see, we desire, we take.
  Our dissatisfaction with God – this can either mean we are dissatisfied with what God has given us, or dissatisfied by the way God blesses us.
• The sorrow of covetousness
  It causes unhappiness and misery. Read their stories: Lot (Genesis 13); Achan (Joshua 7); Ahab (1 Kings 21).
• The solution?
  Contentment! Avoid covetousness, be contented, have confidence in God!

Resist from comparing with others
Rejoice in what God has given
Rely on Christ’s power
Release what you have to help others
Refocus on what’s going to last

Something to think about: How are you living with relation to your means?
Above – you spend more than you have
With – you spend all that you have; often running dry at the end of the month
Within – you spend within your means and have leftovers to save
Below – you choose to spend less than what you can afford

Which ‘tent’ are you in now? ConTENT or disconTENT?

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Announcements:

• There is no youth service this Sunday! We’ll be over at the carnival organised for Club Rainbow, together with Boscombe Life Church.
• There is also no youth service next Sunday because the majority of us will be over in Thailand! Do head down to the MMC on Saturday instead for a combined, bilingual service with our Mandarin service.
• DREAM trippers, this Monday is our final practice/briefing sesh before we meet at 5am sharp at Changi on Tuesday. Everyone of you must be present; if not you should have a very good reason.

Love,
DR

by Pastor Simon Ang, 21 Nov 2009

Lies!

Exodus 20:16

¹⁶ You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour.

Lying – speaking an untruth with an intent to deceive. The different kinds of lies: obvious lie, white lie, gossip, sinister lie, jovial lie, half lie, hypocrisy, exaggeration, face-saving lie, advertisement claims, demonic lies, slander, flattery.

Source of lies? The devil. Think about it; when was the first lie made? The garden! Where did it come from? The devil.

God hates liars. Proverbs 6:16-19; 12:22; Revelation 21:8; Psalms 5:6

Are there exceptions? Yes. Read Exodus 1:15-19; Joshua 2:4; 1 Samuel 20:28

Then there’s absolute truth and situational truth. Absolute stands regardless of situations while situational, well, is as its name suggests; is based on situation. That’s the problem some people have with Christianity; that it is absolute.

Three kinds of people:
Truth Avoiders: John 18:28-40; people who don’t want to deal with the truth.
Truth Twisters: We need discernment when listening to people; they’ll most likely tell their side of the story, which of course is for themselves.
Truth Bashers: Bash people up with the Word. Never do this. Speak truth in LOVE.

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Announcements:

• Countdown: Exactly one week before we fly to Thailand. This week is intensive preparations week! We’ll be cleaning up the skit, going through storytelling and tying up as many loose ends as we can! You guys know the dates and times so please be on time for them all. Continue praying!!!
• Friday night is OP night! All DREAM trippers are expected to attend. Prayer is power!
• There is no youth service this Sunday as we will be at the Club Rainbow carnival! Do not turn up at the MMC! Come join us for main service at Vivo!

by Pastor Simon Ang, 15th Nov 2009

Habit #8: Live Honestly; Prosper Honourably!

¹⁵ “You shall not steal.

Exodus 20:15

Another interesting/interactive session! Read on and you’ll find out why.

Ephesians 4:28 – He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

First thing we must know: God wants us to prosper. But His plans for us to prosper does not include crooked or corrupted ways; theft. Theft is taking wrongfully from another, something that’s not yours.

3 types of theft:

1. Direct theft
   Stealing aggressively or mailciously – this includes embezzlement, kidnapping, robbery, burglary.
2. Cheating, fraud
   Here’s where it got kind of exciting! Pastor posed a question: What about downloading/sharing music? Or skipping classes and getting other to help us mark our attendance? It was a rather defensive time of sharing, as we tried to justify our actions with reasons. Obviously that’s stealing too!
3. Religious Robbery aka “Sanctified stealing”
   Not paying our tithes. We pay our tithes and give our offerings.

So what do we do?

• Restitution
  Read: Exodus 22:1-9; Luke 19:8-10
• Transformation
  Steal no more!

Prospering honourably involves:

• Integrity
  God will provide all we need if we go after prosperity with integrity.
  Read: 1 Chronicles 29:17; Psalm 15:1-5
• Industry
  Work hard! Don’t steal; but work has so that you can give to others!
  Luke 10:30-37 – 3 attitudes: What’s yours is mine (robber), what’s mine is mine (priest and levite), what’s mine is yours! (good Samaritan)
  Also, make money work for you! Matthew 25:20-21

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Announcement:

• There is DREAM prep as per normal this Sunday, 4.30-6.30. Let’s continue praying for the trip as it gets closer! Just 18 days away!

Love,
DR

O’s are Over! Time to party!

Once, you’re done with the celebration (hey, ask me out too okay!), it’s time to get thinking. What should be my next step? JC or Poly; which course, what subjects…?

It is important that you do your research, whether it is asking people who have been there done that, or gathering information of different courses and comparing them – it is important that you make an informed decision! (Not flip a coin or eenymeenyminymo!) Of course, God must be in your decision-making too! Ultimately, it is in His hands remember? (James’ sharing)

As promised, here’s the other article.

Don’t Rush After your ‘O’ Levels.
From Mechatronics to Mass Communications!

by Yang H.Y.

I did not decide wisely after my ‘O’ levels; I took up a course in Mechatronics and it was neither productive nor rewarding. I realized that handling wires, doing hands on work in the lab, and having to do mathematics again was not my cup of tea. I have never been a math lover, so going through the same subject I thought I had left behind was quite frustrating. Furthermore, I had no interest in the course I was studying in, which left me struggling there for a year. I decided to quit and pursue what really interested me, something different from wires and breadboards.

I was not sure what was available so I went to career fairs to do some research on what courses private institutions offered. This served as a good place to start as bountiful information was available at one place, and I could easily compare and contrast the options available to me. I considered doing casino management as I though it would be a promising prospect for me in the future as the integrated resort will be launched in Singapore in a couple of years time. I also thought it sounded really cool and fun to work in a casino and watch all the action happen. However, I did not enroll in that course because I thought the institution was not very recognized and was afraid that after graduation, my certificate might not be accepted in Singapore, so I decided to look for other options.

To me, a recognized certificate is very important, as I do not want to waste my time studying a course and later find out that the piece of paper will not help me further my studies or get me a job. After looking through many advertisements of courses available from the newspapers and going to seminars to find out what the various institutions was all about, a friend of mine who was previously from MDIS suggested I look it up. I was a little skeptical about it at first but was convinced after he told me all the benefits about that school. It was more cost effective, was recognized by the private sector in Singapore, and I could get an advanced diploma in a year and a half. I decided to enroll in that school and my choice was Mass Communications as I thought it would be fun and interesting to learn about it and can give me a deeper understanding about the media industry, since I wanted a career in a media related environment. Most importantly, with an advanced diploma certificate from MDIS, I would be able to continue my studies in a local university and pursue a degree if I wanted to. I am already mid-way through my course and am very glad I chose Mass Communications in MDIS. It was a struggle for me before but now going to lessons is a joy and everyday provides a good learning experience.

- contributed by HY Yang, he is now 19 yrs old (September 2006).

Announcements:

• Christmas, Christmas time is here! Time for the Christmas tree to be up in the MMC! We’ll need some help, especially from all the macho boys, so holler at Janine if you’re availing your muscles!

Love,
DR

Let’s talk about sex!

¹⁴ “You shall not commit adultery.

Exodus 20:14

For all who were not present on Sunday’s youth service to experience this, you missed out on a very interesting and fun sermon. Well, it was more interactive and we kinda had small groups simultaneously.

First, “how far will you go with your bf/gf?” was discussed, and it was concluded that most, if not all, guys leave it to the girls to decide and set the boundaries. That is being non-committal!

There are 3 different views of sex:

• Playboy view
  Human beings are evolved animals; our sexual appetite should be gratified as long as it doesn’t cause harm to anyone.
• Victorian (Puritan) view
  Sex is dirty; you can’t talk about sex. It is an invention of the devil. Even within marriage it is a sin!
• Biblical view
  Gen 1:27
  Sex is good; it was created for pleasure, but the world corrupted it. Read the below verses for more details.
  Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:26-27; Hebrews 13:4

Physical beauty should not be the only basis of our choice; what happens when you age and lose hair, and teeth and get more wrinkles?

Lust :: Adultery begins in the mind. Read 2 Samuel 11, see how David committed adultery. He was not where he was supposed to be; he kept his gaze on Bathsheba; he proceeded to inquire about her and even planned and arranged for Uriah to get killed. Boundaries were violated.

So… what’s the game plan then?

• Accept that God’s plan is perfect!
  For singles: remain sexually pure.
  For married couples: have a fulfilling sex life.
• Establish limits now!
  Do not wait until situations arise before you start to think, it will be too late!
• Guard your heart and mind.
• Flee temptation!
  Don’t put yourself in situations where you allow yourself to get tempted. Hang out in crowded areas!
• Avoid dangerous liaisons
• Be accountable
  Let someone who is spiritual more mature than you (like Pastor) in on your relationships.

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Announcements:

• There is a talk on menopause this Friday night at 7.30pm in our MMC. Though it may not be relevant now for most of us, you might want to consider attending this talk to help you in future. We all have mothers and either will have to go through it or have wives who will go through it. So…

Love,
DR

Whether or not you are taking O’s now, next year or the year after that, I’m sure this question is somewhere in the back of your mind – what next? JC or Poly? (And if it’s not you should start giving some thoughts to it!)

Polytechnics used to be the dumping ground, for all those who can’t get into JC, but today it’s not the same anymore! More and more people who get good grades are not even considering the JC route; they go straight into a course they are interested in in one of the 5 polytechnics.

Then again, this post is not to tell you which path is better, cos there is no ‘better’ path – it all depends on whether you know what you want to do, and you’re learning style; are you the kind who can mug really really well, or you need to get out and get your hands dirty to learn.

In hope that it will help you with your eventual decision-making process, here’s a first article for you to read and gain some insights on studying in a JC. It’s written by a JC student.

JC – The Best Choice?

When I first got into the JC of my choice I was thrilled – I had wanted to go there for almost 2 years. I was convinced I wanted to go to THAT JC, even though my reasons were somewhat superficial. The people there would be ‘similar’ to me and after spending 4 years in a neighborhood school I wanted a change of scene. I wanted to know what it was like on the other side so I made sure I got into WJC.

However, I didn’t make it for the first three months as I got posted to XJC. My teachers there were excellent and the lectures were really good. All the lessons seemed very well prepared and all the teachers knew what they were talking about, but I wasn’t satisfied. I felt that the grass was greener on the other side, and getting into W was a must. I didn’t know what kind of teachers I was going to have or what I was going to learn. Being in the arts stream gave schools the flexibility to choose from a list of choices what they wanted to teach in the school. Blindly I went over, thinking it was only the people that mattered, not realizing how important it was to really like what you will be taught.

As a result, I began to struggle, aggravated not only by the people but also especially because of my CCA. I thought I knew my work, but for some reason I wasn’t scoring. My teachers all told me to analyze and evaluate my commitments, yet when I tried it was all in vain. I couldn’t catch up with my work, and even though I took time out to study, I just could not catch up. I did manage to pass my end of year exams though and thankfully moved on to the second year.

3 months into my JC 2 year and I started to question myself – Is JC really the best choice for me? My grades weren’t fantastic; in fact they were downright lousy. The best part was I really thought I would be able to do pretty well in my exams, or at least pass them. I did not understand why I wasn’t able to do well.

I didn’t make an informed choice when I was in secondary school; I just made my decision based on what people told me. I did not do research on the syllabus and assumed that JC will be the best choice for me. I brushed poly aside because I thought there was no course that I would find interesting. Anyway, I thought if i want to go to university the best choice would be to take the JC route. JC people were supposed to be smarter and have a higher chance of getting into university, but right now, at the point just before my prelims, I think there is no point in going to JC if I can’t get into university. I may or may not do well, but if I can’t get into a university, I can’t do anything with my A level certificate. If I had gone to poly I might have done better, or if I didn’t, at least I would have a diploma to back me up.

Being in JC is not as easy as being in secondary school. It may seem like an extension but really it is a lot more work and definitely is the hardest time a student can ever go through. If you do not have the discipline or the interest to go to a JC, you shouldn’t force yourself to and in fact not let anyone force you to; the most important point is to make sure you have the interest, the right reasons and do the necessary research before making a decision.

Celine (not her real name) is in a popular JC currently in year 2 busy preparing for her prelims (August 06).

Another article written from a different perspective will be up soon. Watch this space!

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Announcements:

• See you in MMC tomorrow for OP Night!

Love,
DR

Announcements

• Outpouring (OP) Night is on this Friday! See you at 8 in our MMC!

Love,
DR

John 3:1-13 NIV
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”

Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven – the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

Nicodemus was an educated man; a powerful man; a Pharisee – that group of men that Jesus was constantly calling hypocrites. He was a member of the Sanhedrin, the most powerful body of men in the Hebrew world. But Nicodemus was also a seeker of truth.

With all his power and influence, Nicodemus could easily have sent one of his assistants to talk to Jesus, but he didn’t. Instead, he went to Jesus himself. Yes, he did it secretly at night – probably because he didn’t want to be seen talking to Jesus, but he did go, and he did listen, and he did believe. On that night, he learned several things. One of them was that God doesn’t have any grandchildren. He only has children… children who are adopted into His family through faith in His Son, Jesus.

Just because your parents are believers, it doesn’t mean you automatically become one. Believing in Jesus is a personal choice that you have to make yourself. It’s not a cultural thing, not a racial thing, it’s not even a religious thing. Even if your parents are the bestest best Christians (if there’s such a thing), you still have to go one-on-one with Jesus. He’s not going to ask you if your parents prayed or your parents did their quiet time or if your parents shared about the gospel with their friends. He is going to ask you about YOU.

Have you gone one-on-one with Jesus? Are you an adopted child of God, born again through your faith in Jesus? No one else can do it for you. Remember, it’s personal – because God doesn’t have any grandchildren.

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Announcements:

• There are no new announcements! See you on Sunday!

Love,
DR