Paving the Wei

Sermon by Ps Eugene Tan at the Faith Community Baptist Church @ 31 Jan 2026.  Scripture: Matthew 5:13-16 talks about believers to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, that we can shine so that people can praise God. Being the salt and light is to bring transformation to the world. When we think of people who can make an impact, we think these consist of mostly politicians, superstars, athletes but not me.  But who is Jesus referring to when he calls them to be the salt and light?  Note: the apostles were ordinary and common people - they have weaknesses, failures just like all of us. The good news is that we are not to do this alone - Jesus is addressing not a single person but a mandate to all. Every disciple is called to bring influence and make an impact.  Salt can influence and change the status. When there is light, it reveals good and expose evil and what is wrong. God calls us to make an impact by doing these... 1. So that Others can see God We...

Sermon by Ps Guanghan at the Faith Commounity Baptist Church on 24 Jan 2026.  James 1:8 says that a distracted person is double minded and is unstable in all his ways.  The verse reminds us that when our souls are costantly pulled in different directions, we start to lose clarity and focus on what is really important.  Scripture:  Luke 10:38-42 tells the story of Mary and Martha. Martha was busy hosting,  preparing the food and cleaning. Thsi is because a rabbi (Jesus) is visiting and it is considered an hnoro to be hosting Jesus. while Mary was at the feet of Jesus, listening to his every word. Martha got angry because Mary was not helping her.  How do we overcome a distracted soul? 1. Grow in solitude Mary sat at the feet of Jesus. This is atypical as women are supposed to serve and only men are allowed to sit at the Rabbi's feet. Jesus became the first priority for Mary. Solitude is about finding God in the midst of the noise Jesus withdrew to quiet plac...

This is Part 2 of the best practices for mariages   4. Maintain individuality Encourage personal growth and hobbies Just because one is married does not mean that we should lose ourself Why this is Important:  A healthy marriage supports independance and togetherness One key aspect of a lasting marriage is that each have a "life".  There is a saying way back in college, that those who study all the time has no "life". This may be applied to the marriage as well, as per Rebecca Williams who is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT).  She is answering query from a Reddit post which complained of a husband who is very engaged in his gaming pastime. According to Rebecca, many couples holds unrealistic expectations that the "soulmate" should meet the needs at all times.  She mentioned that embracing hobbies allow partners to maintain their individuality and bring more richness and fulfillment into the realtionship. It is prefectly normal - and healthy ...

The previous post talks about the pitfalls. Obviously, the next question to ask if there is any of the good stuff. The answer is "yes, there is" and by focussing on the best practices, we can make the marriage stronger and happier, hopefully for a long time.  We must make it a point that the marriage is not just about avoiding divorce or to hang in there because of the kids. We should make it such where both the husband and wife are genuinely happy with each other's company and want to stay together " for better or for worse, through rich and poorer, 'til death do us part ".  Best Practices for a Strong, Happy Marriage  1. Talk openfully and respectfully  Practise active listening and "I" statement to avoid blame Why this is Important:  healthy communication reduces misunderstanding Healthy communications means engaging in open, healthy and empathetic dialogue with active listening, respect with clear expression of needs. In the day and age of mobi...

This excellent paper was the winner of the 2025 best paper award in the Project Management Journal as chosen by the editors and sub-editors of the Project Management Institute -  Abolish, Accept, Apply: Coping with Ignorance in Project Ecologies . Video of the webinar is available  here  (PMI membership required) as presented by the author Jonas Soderland and Joachim Thiel.   For those who do not have access, here is a summary... While the Sydney Opera House is an iconic building known to many as the symbol of Australia (other than the kangaroo), this building is also known as a planning disaster (the Australians are not shy about it). While the scope was met, the budget was exceeded (original budget was $7 million, final cost was $102 million) and schedule was overrun (original was 4 years, and actual completion took 14 years) with 10,000 construction workers (yikes!). According to most project managers, if the original sponsors knew what they had known, the S...

Let's be honest...when we first started our journey after saying "I do", it was more that we are just going through the motions of the marriage ceremony than anything. Sure, we have found a great partner that we are willing to spend time together. But to put into practice the part where it says "for better or worse, through richer and poorer" is seriously easier said than done.  By the grace of God and I say this intently that it is really the undeserved mercy from God, that allow us to be still happily married after all these years. We shall be celebrating our 25th anniversary (silver anniversary) in 2026, with 2 kids who still are talking to us and here is to the many more years to come. So I thought that it will be good that I spend some time going through some of the lessons experienced (good and bad) over the years and hopefully, guide couples as they begin and continue their lives together.... Here are some of the common pitfalls to avoid, and best practi...