Posts by Tim Kim

Beloved LifeWay family, I pray and hope God has been near to you through his word and by his comforting Spirit. By his grace, I have been comforted by the steadfast presence of God through his word and his people, especially this week. I was at a short conference with 100 other pastors in the PNW. We sat under the Word, prayed for one another, and we were refreshed by God’s presence through his word. My prayer is that this…

I have the privilege this Sunday to bring a message out of Revelation 12:7-12. We continue in our sermon series called Creation to New Creation. This week we see the heavenly and spiritual reality behind our personal experience in the “already but not yet” kingdom. Why does the Bible talk about the defeat of Satan in a decisive and real sense, yet on the other hand still portray him as powerful? Put another way, why is Satan in one sense…

There are many Christian concepts that have great overlap in meaning. Kindness and love. Hope and faith. Grace and mercy. If a person is kind, then the person is usually loving, too. But what is the difference? Is there a difference? If one has hope, does she also have faith? What’s the similarity? If God is gracious and merciful, are these mere synonyms or not? This week, the Christian concept we will meditate on is mercy. The dictionary definition of…

He is risen! (Slightly early, but I couldn’t wait.) What a celebration Easter Sunday is and has been for the Christian Church. Have any of you continued to have a small question hopping in your mind every time Easter comes around? Why is a pagan, German bunny always tied to a historic Christian celebration of Easter? Without wasting much of your time, yes, the birth of the bunny (or hare) connected to Easter is likely from a bit of German…

“Long live the king!” “Hail Hitler!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” Throughout time there have been shouts of acclamation to kings, leaders, and authorities. But as you can see, not all shouts of praise are equal in quality.  So, what gives worship its quality? Well, at least two things: 1) the character of the one who is praised,…

Paul the Apostle is arguably one of the most influential people for the Christian faith (obviously after Christ!) He had a momentous conversion. He was planting numerous churches. He gave bold witness to individuals, communities, and governments! In short, he was a powerful instrument in the hands of God. But where did this power come from? Do you remember what God said to Ananias regarding Paul’s faith and ministry?  “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry…

“Hell is unfair!” “There is no way a loving God can morally send a person to Hell for eternity.” “If the God of the Bible allows Hell, I would rather be away from him forever.” The outrage against Hell is real. The truth of Hell is one of the most challenging topics in Christianity. It is one of the most common obstacles for the skeptic. But not only for the skeptic, for the sincere Christian, too. Even if a Christian…

Last week we heard about Heaven being that future world of love where God is. This week we will be learning about the present kingdom of heaven here and now. So, we might say that last week, we focused on heaven as the place where God dwells. This week, we will focus on heaven as the space that God fills. In our understanding of “kingdom” in human terms, we tend to see it as a physical empire, a government, or…

I am eagerly longing to gather with you all again to worship our loving God. I have heard it said that “heaven is where God is.” But God is everywhere, isn’t he? God is omnipresent. He is then “present” in your home, the workplace, the mountains where you hike, the grocery store, the highways where you drive, your schools, sports teams, and sleepovers… But to say God is everywhere, it doesn’t mean he is present in the same way everywhere.…

Often in my time in Turkey I was asked a single set of questions by many Turks (mostly taxi drivers). “Where are you from?” To which I would answer, “I am Korean. My father and mother emigrated from Korean to the States in the 80s.” Without fail, the next question was. “North or South?” Some would also then ask, “Do you know Kim Jong Un?” On my best days, I engaged with humor. When cultural stressors were higher, I used…

We are moving into the third week of Advent this Sunday. The theme is on joy. What is joy? Joy is a deep and very good emotion. So, we read in many places in the Bible: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found a covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Mt. 13:44) “And you will have joy and gladness, and…

Hello beloved LifeWay family, Happy Advent to you all! Why is the sermon theme this Advent season on Sin and the Fall? What a damper on a joyous and happy season…Why not just happy carols, frosted cookies, and joyful choruses? Christ has come! But is life really like that? I was told once by a friend overseas that when Western missionaries leave the homes of indigenous peoples/groups/tribes, these once smiling people return to their lament and sadness. The Western presence…

“Where’s Papa going with that ax?” said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast. “Out to the hoghouse,” replied Mrs. Arable. “Some pigs were born last night.” “I don’t see why he needs an ax,” continued Fern, who was only eight. “Well,” said her mother, “one of the pigs is a runt. It’s very small and weak, and it will never amount to anything. So your father has decided to do away with it.” “Do…

What is God like? There are many good answers to this question. God is holy. God is love. God is just. God is joy. These are all true. Actually, these are our sermon topics for the next 3-4 weeks. This Sunday, we will center on the love of God. Christ said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” Furthermore, John writes in his first letter, “God is love.” What a marvelous reality!…

“I don’t worship. You Christians and religious people worship. I love nature. I believe in science. I only accept that which can be proved.” We all have heard this or some form of this. But is it true that the non-believer, the atheist, or the naturalist does not worship?  The truth of the matter is that we all worship. The question is not if we worship, but who or what we worship? Worship comes from the Old English words “worth” and “ship.” Whatever or whomever we give…

Christians fail. Christians sin. Christians doubt. Christians suffer. This is a reality. But how do we respond in the face of it all? Oftentimes, as humans we are prone to wander. We are inclined to passivity. Some are inclined to self-confident effort. We are all tempted to be prayerless. But how does Christ respond to us when we are overwhelmed and overcome by the trials and tribulations of the world? Thank God, we know. Christ’s words have been written down…