Last Saturday, Ps Ben spoke about the importance of having the Holy Spirit in us. I was reminded of Pastor Steven Nicaud’s message in January about the importance of the Holy Spirit. He shared that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force to be summoned or manipulated. He is a Person who is the best of friends; a friend who genuinely loves, cares for, protects, and advocates for us (John 14:16–17). How fortunate are we that the Spirit of the living God has chosen to make Hi

Last Saturday, Robbie shared the first of the three-part series on the Holy Spirit. He began by bringing us back to the concept of the Triune God, and reminded us that the Holy Spirit is not merely a force or a power but God himself. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit have the same divine nature - uncreated, eternal, and Spirit. Holy Spirit is given to us to be with us, guide us, protect us, empower us and walk

This week, RT1 studied the final two chapters of Acts and completed our study of the book. The book ends with Paul finally reaching Rome, after deeply desiring to visit them for a long time (Romans 1:11), and about two years after hearing directly from God that he would testify there (Acts 23:11). The chapter ends with this verse: “He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!” What a cliffhanger! We waited so

Paul’s journey to Rome began under Roman custody, but God was sovereignly guiding every step. Even when circumstances went from bad to worse, God’s purpose for Paul never changed. Why does God allow storms? Following God does not mean we will have a storm-free life. Paul was promised that he would stand before Caesar, but he was never promised an easy journey. Instead, God promised His presence, guidance and protection (Acts 27:23–24). Storms remind us not to depend on circum

This week in our home fellowship, we explored Acts 27 and reflected on Paul’s perilous journey to Rome, which ended in shipwreck before he reached his destination. Throughout our discussion, the themes of Elpis (ἐλπίς, hope and expectation) and Pistis (πίστις, faith and trust) continued to emerge. As we shared our own experiences, we reflected on how God uses difficult circumstances and trials to deepen our trust in Him, strengthen our faith and shape us into Christ-like lead

Last Saturday, we continued with the story of Paul’s trial in Caesarea. As governor, Festus was unable to understand the nature of the accusations brought against Paul by the Jewish leaders. Festus took the opportunity to consult King Agrippa during his visit to Caesarea, hoping that the king would help find the cause of the charges. Acts 25:13 to Acts 26:1–32 record Paul being brought out to speak before King Agrippa, give his defence and share his testimony. Paul has gone t

At last Saturday’s Home Fellowship, we looked at Acts 23. Paul was brought before the Sanhedrin, where the Sadducees and Pharisees were waiting to persecute him. The Sadducees and Pharisees represented divisions within the Jewish religious leadership. The Pharisees believed in the resurrection, angels and spirits, while the Sadducees rejected these beliefs, revealing major and fundamental theological disagreements. Despite being persecuted, and even to the extent of risking h

In Acts 21:17–22:30, we see Paul navigating misunderstanding, cultural traditions, opposition and suffering, while remaining clear about his calling to be a witness for Christ. Paul willingly joined in a purification ritual proposed by James and the elders to preserve unity among the believers. He understood that the gospel is greater than our traditions. The early church itself was wrestling with an important question: What is essential to our faith in Christ, and what belon

Last Saturday, after another busy week of global upheavals with many “things” competing for our attention, Lycia brought us back to what Jesus calls "the one necessary thing" (Luke 10:42). Amid life's busyness, she reminded us that the one thing is not another item to add to our to-do list, it is simply being present with God. Mary's life reflects this beautifully. Whether she was listening at Jesus' feet (Luke 10), grieving before Him after Lazarus' death (John 11), or pouri

It was another wonderful Saturday Home Fellowship with joyful conversations and delicious food. The Chinese Home Fellowship was blessed to have Ps Ben join us as we read Acts 20 and 21. Acts 20 records the ending of Paul’s third missionary journey. As he made his way to Jerusalem, Paul knew that this would likely be his final meeting with the Ephesians elders. His farewell to the elders was deeply personal and emotional. As Paul shares about his ministry, we see the heart of

During our young adults’ discussion on Acts 18 – 19:22, we were reminded of how relevant the early church’s experiences remain today. As we followed the story of Paul’s continued missionary journey to Corinth and Ephesus, two key cities in the Roman empire, it became clear that the gospel did not flourish in these places because the cities were receptive, but because God was at work even in the midst of cultures marked by pagan idolatry, sexual immorality, and occultism. Inde

We started our session (facilitated by Ps Angela) with a moment of silence to invite the Holy spirit into our presence. It prepared our hearts to receive His Word. This week we read Acts 18, continuing Paul's missionary journey. Paul arrives in Corinth and meets Aquila and Priscilla, fellow tentmakers. Christian tentmaking is an impactful approach to ministry, where believers engage in secular employment while actively participating in evangelism and discipleship. We truly ap

Last week was a special one for Talent Beacon as we celebrated our 9th anniversary, and for the first time (for me at least!), the story behind our church name was revealed. Ps Ben opened his sermon with a story of where the inspiration for our name came from. It all started at Amber Beacon, East Coast Park, where Ps Ben baptised a friend on 16 April 2017. Teaching from Matthew 25:14-30, the Parable of the Talents, Ps Ben shared our church's belief that God has given each of

Through our study of the Book of Acts, Peter, Paul and the other disciples continuously wrestle with a question that we still ask today: “How can we effectively grow and nurture the Church?” The study of Acts seems to suggest that growing the church is simpler than we think. When we let God move, there is nothing that He and the Holy Spirit cannot do. The death of Stephen in Acts 7 fragmented the believers; his martyrdom led to the persecution of the church in Jerusalem and

Going on this trip, I kept my expectations open, as the itinerary was curated to engage our youths and young adults. What unfolded over the next few days was a beautiful testament to a living and active faith. Vibrant and Soulful Worship The spiritual atmosphere in Pontianak has such vitality and I witnessed a vibrant, energy-packed, and deeply soulful approach to prayer, praise, and worship. The youths did not just participate; they poured their hearts out to God. This passi

Last Saturday, we explored a powerful passage from the apostles’ journey where Paul and Barnabas experienced disagreement, God redirected Paul’s plans, and Paul and Silas worshipped in prison. The session was rich not just in teaching, but in the testimonies we shared: real stories of how God worked through conflict, closed doors, and even suffering in our lives. Key Teaching Points & Our Testimonies 1. Conflict – Dealing with Disagreement with Grace Our passage begins

Last Saturday, RT1 studied Acts 15:1-35. This passage recounts a pivotal incident that brought Jews and Gentiles together, abolishing the need for circumcision and following the law of Moses as prerequisites to salvation. Through belief in the sacrifice and lordship of Jesus, all have access to salvation. We discussed what were the red flags to discern wrong teaching, and also what good teaching/teachers looked like. Even today, we are bombarded with wrong teaching packaged i

As I reflected on Acts 15:1–35, I was struck by how relevant this passage remains for the church today. The early believers were facing a difficult and potentially divisive issue: must Gentile believers follow Jewish customs in order to be saved? What impressed me was not just the decision they eventually reached, but the process they went through to get there. Acts 15 shows us that the journey of discernment begins with honest conversation (Acts 15:1–5), grows through humili

Last night, the young adults discussed Acts 11:19-30 as well as Acts 12. Acts 11:19-30 spotlights the Antioch church, which was born through the scattering of the believers when Stephen was martyred. It was in Antioch that the church was called 'Christians'. Interestingly, this label was meant to be derogatory. It was meant to describe a people who appeared strange in their excessive devotion to the person of Jesus Christ. The name 'Christians' translated to something like 't

On Tuesday, our weekly Love Letters was held onsite at YMCA. We are still reading about the King of Israel but last week, we took a detour to look at prophet Hosea, prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel during its final decades of decline. Hosea had a unique and painful mission. He was commanded by God to marry an unfaithful woman, who symbolised Israel’s spiritual adultery and abandonment of God. But Hosea’s story is also one of God’s divine love, grace and mercy - despi