2017 Philadelphia Team will be partnering with Center for Student Missions (csm.org)
If you’re interested in applying, please see Team Captains Elliott Youn or David Canlas
The Blog
David Canlas Testimony
I was born into a Christian family with both my mother and father being Southern Baptist. I was very passionate in my faith when I was younger, but I started to fall. I started thinking that church was mundane, God wasn’t really helpful, and that the Bible was just a boring book. Through the grace of God everything just started to click with me, and I started to understand how much God means to me and how much I mean to him. A year later, Nathan Cho invited me to Risen Sun’s youth retreat and I agreed to go. This introduced me to Risen Sun and encouraged me to come out to their Bible studies and sometimes even church services. Without God telling Nathan to ask me to come to that one retreat, I don’t know where I would be right now spiritually. Recently, I decided to leave my home church of Fil-Am Community Church to go to Risen Sun Presbyterian Church. This move was hard for me to do because I grew up in that church and my parents still go there, but this is a decision that I have prayed about for two years. I really feel that God called me to this church so I can grow and mature spiritually.
Meditations on the Word: 1 Peter 2:16
Some thoughts on 1 Peter 2:16.
Many of us think of Jesus like a hippie/yippie/hipster freedom fighter to stick it to the man (usually an established church organization) and free us from all that religious mumbo jumbo (partly true, especially in light of Reformation against R. Catholic Church). Rather, Christ’s freedom fight (and victory) was over our bondage to the self-worship and self glory. His freedom fight was to cut our ties to self/idol worship and recreate us into God worshippers.
freedom in Christ
Announcements
1. Senior Banquet is Friday July 1st.
2. Retreat registration is due this Sunday July 3rd!!! RSPC Retreat StReg
3. Our regular Friday night meetings are suspended during summer break. Johnny Nguyen will be leading an informal gathering in its stead.
4. There will be no Genesis intensive due to lack of interest.
Announcement!
communion
The Session (Elders) of our church has approved our request to hold monthly (final Sunday of every month) Communion services! This is exciting news indeed. Here are 3 reasons why:
1. We get to regularly participate in a crucial sacrament Jesus gave to the Church for our benefit and encouragement. Here’s an excerpt from the Book of Church Order (Ch. 58) of the PCA: “That it is to be observed in remembrance of Christ, to show forth His death till He come; that it is of inestimable benefit, to strengthen His people against sin; to support them under troubles; to encourage and quicken them in duty; to inspire them with love and zeal; to increase their faith, and holy resolution; and to beget peace of conscience, and comfortable hopes of eternal life.”
Here’s the Westminster Shorter Catechism’s definition: “The Lord’s Supper is a sacrament, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to Christ’s appointment, his death is showed forth; and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of his body and blood, with all his benefits, to their spiritual nourishment, and growth in grace.”
2. We get to witness to unbelievers or those who are yet unsure about Christ the benefits of faith and the bonds of love and fellowship which binds all believers to one another, but more importantly to Christ – who is the head of the Church
“It is required of them that receive the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, that, during the time of the administration of it, with all holy reverence and attention they wait upon God in that ordinance, diligently observe the sacramental elements and actions, heedfully discern the Lord’s body, and affectionately meditate on his death and sufferings, and thereby stir up themselves to a vigorous exercise of their graces; in judging themselves, and sorrowing for sin; in earnest hungering and thirsting after Christ, feeding on him by faith, receiving of his fullness, trusting in his merits, rejoicing in his love, giving thanks for his grace; in renewing of their covenant with God, and love to all the saints.” Westminster Larger Catechism Q. 174
3. We are not saved because we participate in it. Rather we participate in it because we are saved and our salvation is made sure.
“The grace which is exhibited in or by the sacraments rightly used, is not conferred by any power in them; neither does the efficacy of a sacrament depend upon the piety or intention of him that does administer it: but upon the work of the Spirit, and the word of institution, which contains, together with a precept authorizing the use thereof, a promise of benefit to worthy receivers.” Westminster Confession of Faith 27.3