Messages – Page 2 – バトルクリーク日本語礼拝の案内

Sure of Salvation

Message by Pastor Maki Umakoshi

September 18, 2022

1 John 5:13-21　

So the other day, I attended a pastor’s gathering in Detroit, and I was driving my car with an American friend of mine, his name is Pastor Travis, he’s the lead pastor of a local church in Michigan. That day, I happened to be the one driving and we got to this junction and I made a quick turn at the street. As soon as I made that turn, Travis called me out saying, “yo bro, you didn’t even look.”　So I said, `What are you talking about that I didn’t even look, it was a “blue light”, it was a blue light so I didn’t really have to look, I glanced and I was good to go. Then, Travis gives me this grin, that cynical grin. He says.. “What do you mean by blue light? the light is called the green light bro, what do you mean blue light?” And at that moment, I felt like I was struck by lightning, because seriously I never thought why Japanese people call a green light blue. I couldn’t believe that all throughout my life, for nearly 40 years, I’ve been calling a green light a blue light

Transplanted Trees

Message by Rev. Shunichi Miyamoto

August 28, 2022

Hello, I live in Commerce Township, MI, a town outside of Detroit, MI.　About 10,000 Japanese live in this area. I am a missionary who is evangelizing the Japanese there.

The Meaning of Prayer

Message by Pastor Samuel Kim

July 10, 2022

Passage: Matthew 7:9-11 (Heidelberg Q&A 26)

Have you ever had such a troubling experience that you could not pray? How is it possible to pray when we are flooded by pain and distress? Sixteen years ago, I was in a hospital for six months due to a serious traffic accident at a missionary site in the Philippines. I had to undergo a total of five surgeries, including three brain surgeries and one orthopedic surgery, and was in ICU for a month. I have no memory of an entire month of unconsciousness. When I regained consciousness, I found that my head, stomach and feet had surgical marks and bandages wrapped around them. The moment I saw myself in the hospital room, I was shocked. In addition, my entire right side was paralyzed, and I couldn’t move at all by my own power. Of course, my brain wasn’t perfect after brain surgery, but my very appearance was a severe tragedy. I could never understand why God gave me such pain. My heart was filled with anger, and I could not pray during this hospitalization.

“Faithful Father”

June 12, 2022

By Pastor John Kroeger

In the Bible we find many different names for God that tell us about Who is, what He has done and what He does. The bible also tells us how we can know Him and who we are.

In the bible we see that God is our creator, our helper, our comforter, our provider the one who guides us, God is a giver of good gifts, the greatest gift God gives us is salvation from our sins through His Son Jesus Christ. In the bible God is often described as a Father. As Christians we hold to the teaching of the Trinity, that there is One God who is revealed in three Persons.

Ephesians 2:4, 5:8-9 Christ’s Resurrection and We

Message by Pastor Samuel Kim

April 17, 2022

I want to introduce an item, which is a charcoal briquette. Nowadays, few people use this item. However, 30 years ago, many Koreans considered it indispensable for their families during the winter season. This is because it was able to make the room warm and therefore keep the body warm. But today we might think that a black, dirty, and ugly briquette is worthless.

God’s Got it all Under Control

Message by Pastor Bob Laning

This is life sometimes.

We will look at three Bible passages today. Isaiah 55: 8-11, Isaiah 43: 1-3, and

Romans 8:28. Each has something to say when life is difficult. And they all fit together.

Life’s Focus

人生のフォーカス

By Pastor Maki Umakoshi

While I was quarantined for several days due to Covid, I watched a TV drama. Some of you may know it. It’s called Queens Gambit. It is a story set in 1950s America about a girl who is a genius at chess and becomes a world champion. When I told my wife that this story was interesting, she said, “You’re really late getting on board.” Apparently, this drama was quite popular last year, but it motivated me to do something. I decided to start playing chess. When I told my wife, she responded, “You are really simple.” So, I’ve been playing chess almost every day for the past 3-4 weeks.

Happy New Year!

Message by Gerda VanStralen

Scripture Reading: Psalm 139:13-18

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!

Play Catch with God

Message by Pastor Bob Laning

I Peter 5:1-7

1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”