Paving the Wei

Background:  Many are OK in reading the Bible and worshipping God. We are also OK in listening to sermons and showing up for church. The difficulty is in prayer, where we could only do seconds or minutes, but nothing more. Scripture: Exodus 17:10-11 The story is about Moses overcoming the Amalekites. Moses was holding the staff while Joshua and the Israelites were in battle. When Moses's hand was up, Israel was winning, but when the hand is down, Israel will lose. When Moses cannot lift his hand any more, they were propped up by Aaron and Hur. Moses's hand was lifted all the way until victory was achieved.  The struggle is real. Why must we struggle in prayer even when it is difficult to do so?  Because there is... 1. Battle in the spiritual realm The spiritual realm exist , and the devil exists as well. Know that the devil is out there as a prowling lion looking for someone to devour. Thus, our struggle is not against flesh or blood but against spiritualities in heavenly...

Why social relationships? In the book, "The Good Life" written by Rober Waldinger of Harvard Medical School and Marc Shulz, psychology professor at Bryn Mawr College, the authors concluded that the key to a good life is as simple as having a relationship. They then expounded that the strength of the relationship is a good indicator of both the physical and mental health, which correlate to having a good life.   If we expand the word relationships, one can see that it consists of Marital, Parental and Social. One would think that Social (or just friendships ) would probably be the easiest one. We make friends all the way thru school (when we are young kids or during college for those who made it there). We also have opportunities to make friends at our workplaces. So, this should be easy, right? In the Strait Times published 10 Jan 2026, it was reported by the Institute of Policy Studies that 1 in 10 Singaporeans do not have close friends. Despite the advances in technology, m...

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...