“Embracing Grief and Loss”
(Psalm 42:1-3)

All people on this earth suffer loss, and it's a part of normal life. And God will not waste our sufferings and pains. In the midst of suffering and sorrow, God matures us, purifies us, strengthens us and builds us up. If we give up and run away, we will have just suffered, and our suffering will be wasted. There is no way we can erase suffering and pain, and no way to ignore them as if they never existed. For God to bring good from suffering and pain, we must receive them and remain in them.
              We can do that because we believe God is with us. And we are surrounded by the witnesses who have been embracing grief and loss, and who experienced God’s mercy and compassion, and who encountered God griefs.
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For LifeNet groups and personal reflection:
1) Briefly share one loss you have experienced in the last one year. How has this loss impacted you?
2) How do you tend to react to loss or painful incidents? Where did you learn it?
3) How can grief be where we can meet God? How important is it for our spiritual maturity?
4) “The wounds of Jesus are a part of his identity. They tell us who he is. (John 20:27)” What kind of message may our experiences of loss, pain, grief speak to others?

NLIF is an international church in Yangon. Come and join our English Sunday worship service!

Hebrews 12:1-12; 1 Peter 4:12-13
Audio (MP3)
 
Living on Purpose means:

• to live a life that God intends for us,
• to live for a purpose that God has called us to,
• to live with great intentionality,

And, it certainly results in experiencing radical joy.
 
Our purpose for remaining & our approach to this life – TO KNOW GOD & TO MAKE HIM KNOWN
 
How to know God?
1. Learn to believe Him (Heb. 11:1-2).
2. Share in His suffering (Heb. 12:1-2; 1 Pet. 4:12-13); Phil. 3:7-10).
Experiencing pain
#  magnifies our experience of joy; and
#  connects us to our Lord.
So, know God better, and experience joy better (1 Cor. 1:3-5).
 
Know God equips us to make Him known.
#  Prayer: "How would You have me pray, Lord?"
#  "Good that God considers us worthy to suffer for Him."
 
God has entrusted us this ministry to be "messengers of reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5:18-20).
It means to be "Life-givers" (1 Cor. 3:6-9).
 
Our Approach:
#  Radical belief and radical life flow out of radical relationship with God.
#  Living out in the open – as salt and light (Matt. 5:13): Darkness means the absence of light; to drive out darkness means you just shine your light.
#  Extend radical love (which you cannot make up) (1 Cor. 13; 1 John 4:19)
#  "It makes me cross-cultural in my home culture."
#  Ministry at work – Be a living letter of Christ; Be an open letter, NOT a sealed one (2 Cor. 3:2-3; Rom. 11:36; 12:1).
#  Here as international community members, come experience together to be equipped in order to shine out there.
 
Come join us at our English service of the International Church in Yangon!

Luke 13:18-20; Matthew 9:35-38
 (MP3)

The kingdom seed is to be planted in us, to grow and expand.
God calls us, few responded. God transforms and uses them for His purpose. They become like Him, think like Him, live like Him, and love like Him.
 
1. God is looking for someone to help build His Kingdom (Matthew 22:14).
2. Kingdom builders are committed to the great purpose.
> They submitted themselves to the call (Mark 1:16).
3. Kingdom builders motivate themselves by love (Matthew 9:35-38).
4. Kingdom builder live a generous life (2 Corinthians 8:1).
5. Kingdom builders are good at recruiting people (Mark 1:16).
6. The Kingdom builders fight to get people free (1 Timothy 6:11).
7. Kingdom builders have the courage to stand alone (1 Samuel 30:6).
 
Jesus called the Twelve, empowered them and sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick (Luke 9:1-2).
"Therefore, since we are receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear." (Hebrew 12:28)
 
 
Come join us at our English service of the International Church in Yangon!

​“Living Your Calling”
(2 Cor 2:14-15)

There are three aspects of calling. One is the general call. It’s for everybody, at any time as Jesus followers. The second is the specific personal call. God created each one of us unique. He gave us different life. He uses us differently. The third is the immediate responsibility. God leads us into a situation and wants to use us in a specific way in that moment. We must respond to all three calls. Let’s look at them one by one.
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For LifeNet groups and personal reflection:
1) Read Matt. 5:9-16, and take time to meditate on it. What kind of picture do you get? What does God speak to you? Is there any particular thing God is guiding or challenging you?
2) We have multiple demands we face every day. Do you have any struggle to do any of them? or feel unconformable to do? What is it? Why do you feel so? How does it help you if you look at it through the perspective of calling (1st sense)?
3) How would you describe yourself? What makes you unique? What ability and talent do you have? What desire can you see in you? And how would you develop yourself? What help do you need to do so? Whom would you ask for it?
 
NLIF is an international church in Yangon. Come and join our English Sunday worship service!