From the Desk of Pastor Peter

One practice that Christians should be engaged in, week in and week out, is the practice of coming to their church’s Sunday service to hear the Word of God. In a recent Sunday sermon, we looked at a passage where Jesus spoke about hearing and doing all that Jesus commanded--not just to hear, but also to do. However, many of us (myself included) have probably experienced how easy it is to hear a sermon and then forget what the sermon was about, even the very next hour.

In this month of June, we are having guest speakers throughout the whole month and I will join all of you in practicing the discipline of listening to sermons in the best way possible:

“…with a soul that is prepared, a mind that is alert, a Bible that is open, a heart that is receptive, and a life that is ready to spring into action.” 

I encourage you to read some of the links below and be prepared for a wonderful month of sermons from guest speakers. (A good place to start would be link #1, an article by the President of Wheaton College, Philip Ryken, from which the quote above is taken.)

1)      http://www.reformation21.org/articles/how-to-listen-to-a-sermon.php

2)      https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/7-ways-to-become-a-better-sermon-listener/ for a more advanced approach.

3)      https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/how-to-listen-to-a-sermon/ for additional resources.

Here are the guest speakers who will bring us God’s Word during the month of June:

June 9 - Vern Poythress
June 16 - Peter Wang
June 23 - Ken McAlpin
June 30 - Peter Brown

5 Questions With...Lungile Mkhonta

1. How did you first get involved with Friendship Presbyterian?  I am from the Kingdom of Eswatini [a.k.a., Swaziland], pursuing an MSc in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at National Taipei University of Technology. A colleague, Sakhile Dlamini, referred me to FPC because he was a regular attendee at the time. I attended Sunday services, and later on I joined G2C and Bible study by John.

2. What do you do Monday through Saturday?  School work!

3. What is something people might be surprised to know about you?  I am allergic to seafood, and my friends say I'm missing out on most of the Taiwanese cuisine. Ha-ha-ha!

4. What do you find most challenging about being a Christian today?  There are lots of false prophets nowadays who are all out with different interpretations of the gospel. As Christians we need to know the one true God and follow Him in order to survive. We also need the Holy Spirit to guide us in the Christian walk (John 16:13). 

5. What is one of your favorite books of the Bible?  The Gospel of John. To me, it is the basis of the gospel, and God's plan for our redemption through Jesus Christ. In John 15, Jesus Christ is proclaimed as the true vine. Jesus Christ encouraged us to remain in Him. The high priestly prayer in John 17 reveals that, in this world, we will go through tough times, but we need to hold on because Jesus Christ prayed for us.

5 Questions With...Samuel Tsai

1. How did you first get involved with Friendship Presbyterian? My first time visiting the FPC English service was back in November of 2013. I was invited by my good friend Yolanda Chang. Although this sounds like I have been attending for six years, in reality, I was traveling in and out of the country during my earlier years at FPC. I had not really committed yet, and I even spent sixteen months living in Vietnam before moving back in January of 2019. Not until a few months ago have I felt that God called me to FPC as my church in Taipei, and I have now become a member. I truly feel our church's doctrine and teachings resonate with my own beliefs about Christianity.

2. What do you do Monday through Saturday?  I am a project manager in charge of sales and project development for Formosa Ha Tinh Steel in Vietnam, which is one of the primary limestone contractor/suppliers. Their parent company in Taiwan is Formosa Plastics Group, which accounts for 70% of investment. They are building the biggest steel plant in South East Asia.

I don't work on Saturday, only Monday through Friday (9am-6pm) and no overtime. 

3. What is something people might be surprised to know about you?  I still keep a 1996-97 Upper Deck Kobe Bryant rookie card. Yes, I am an avid sports fan and a die-hard supporter of the Lakers, Dodgers, Rams, and UCLA. I was raised in Torrance, CA, which is located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles. I have an Evangelical background. My mother church in Torrance is called EFC of South Bay, which stands for Evangelical Formosan Church (it belongs to a Taiwanese Evangelical denomination in America). Three of my mom’s older brothers are pastors. 

4. What do you find most challenging about being a Christian today?  As a Christian conservative, I am in line with traditional morality and gospel-centered values. This brings me up against distinct social pressures in the Taiwan of 2019, where liberal and progressive politics seem to be ascendant. I strive to reach out to my LGBT neighbors with the love of Christ, so Taiwan’s recent decision to become the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage is very distressing. It reminds me that Christ’s kingdom is “not of this world” (John 18:36).

5. What is one of your favorite books of the Bible?  The Book of Psalms and the Book of Proverbs. I enjoy the Psalms, because it is a collection of prayers, hymns, and praises of our Lord. Much credit to King David as a brilliant poet! Also, Proverbs has been known as one of the Books of Wisdom. I find it fascinating. I believe David’s son, King Solomon, wrote most of it. My favorite verse is Proverbs 3:5-6.