[New Philly] The Cure for Confusion by Pastor Marcus Corpening

Date: October 26, 2014

Scripture: 1 Cor 2: 9-16

Title: The Cure for Confusion
Speaker:  Pastor Marcus Corpening

Message: 

definition of confusion by Merriam-Webster

• : a situation in which people are uncertain about what to do or are unable to understand something clearly
• : the feeling that you have when you do not understand what is happening, what is expected, etc.
• : a state or situation in which many things are happening in a way that is not controlled or orderly

God wants me to live a life of clarity. 

• todo: ask for the H.S.; walk by the Spirit if I want clarity; constantly be in connection with Him. 

Why are we finding us to be confused? Examples in the Bible

• 1. Natural man (v.14): constantly seeks for intellect, trying harder with his own strengths (this was me)
• Eph 4:17-20
• 2. Spiritual Christian (v.15-16): discerns all things, led by the Spirit, walking in wisdom, having clarity of future and the mind of Christ 
• The H.S. helps me to be in sync with the Lord God
• todo: ask the H.S. open up my eyes to discover His way when making a decision 
• 3. Fleshly/worldly Christian (1 Cor 3): knows all the right things but seeks something else, constantly living in confusion (this was me)

I don't remember the title for the following but prolly things I need to avoid?

• 1. Gratifying the desire of the flesh (Gal 5:16-26)
• 2. Grieving the Spirit (Eph 4:30 "Do not grieve the H.S. of God...")
• If I hold bitterness, the action makes hard to hear from the Spirit.
• 3. Quenching the Spirit
• 1 Thes 5:19 e.g. through holding onto fear, we quench the Spirit

Do the following to check my status with the Holy Spirit:

• ask how my time has been with the Word and prayer; when I do, how are those times? What's the quality of my heart in it?
• If I want true intimacy, I need to deal with the issues with heart. 
• ask "Am I right with You, God?" "Search me, oh, God, if I'm grieving Your Spirit." 

My Takeaway: 
I haven't let the Holy Spirit involve in my decision-making process in life in general. I have a strong tendency not to take time to pray but think through with logic. Lord, please use this opportunity to awaken me and start having you in my decision making. Amen.

[book] "구글은 SKY를 모른다" (translation: Google doesn't know Seoul National Uni., KAIST/Korea Uni., and Yonsei Uni.) by Junyoung Lee

Reading Duration: July 18, 2014~ October 22, 2014 (96 days)
Book Form: paperback 
My Takeaway: 

1. think of yourself as a lego (p.130)
2. finish difficult tasks first or do it in the morning (p.139)
3. try code.org/code academy/scratch (from MIT)
4. Betsy Winkler (p.176)
1. avoid unnecessary conflict with coworkers
2. share goal and progress
3. don't give up
5. one thing at a time
6. take actions on it 
1. "hesitating to make a decision is worse than making a bad decision" Udi Manber (p.191)
2. "1 ounce of actions = 1 ton of theory" Ralph Waldo Emerson
7. "when issues are found, tackle on problems which can be solved from current standpoint and incrementally make it better" (p.208)
8. "I tried to think how I can make my team happy when team members are working on a project, instead of how I can make this project successful. I have attempted that my team members view me as a buddy with a different function instead of their boss." (p.217)

[New Philly] Wisdom with Fitness by Pastor Christian Lee

Date: October 19, 2014

Scripture: 1 Cor 6:19-20

Title: Wisdom with Fitness
Speaker: Pastor Christian Lee

My Takeaway: 

1. My body and spirit are one and by bringing my body to an optimal state I can glorify God.

[3 John 2] our physical body needs to prosper as well along with spiritual body

2. I will add self-control to my faith. 

[2 Peter 1:5-7] make every effort to add self-control to my faith 

[1 Peter 5:8] self-control because enemy roars like lions

self-control is the fruit of the Spirit

[1 Cor 9] athletes run for prize and they keep control of themselves 

3. I will have "one more" attitude towards holiness.

[Hebrews 12:1] run with perseverance: fitness is useful because it teaches perseverance.

 e.g. In wrestling, endurance minimizes mistakes.

I will apply the philosophy of "one more" and will be unstoppable! 

[1 Thessalonians 4:3-8] God doesn't want my body in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God but instead He wants me to learn how to control my own body to be holy and honorable. 

Additional: 

listen to Pastor JM's "Stop Listening to Your Heart."

[New Philly] The Power of Agreement by Pastor Marcus Corpening

Date: October 12, 2014

Scripture: Matthew 18:18-20

Title: The Power of Agreement
Speaker: Pastor Marcus Corpening

Message: 

Ask whether I'm in agreement with God; ask whether I'm disobeying Him because of my disagreement with Him.

3 areas to agree with Him

1. who God says that we are (i.e. our identity)

• lesson: how I view myself determines how I live my life
• negative example: Saul in 1 Samuel 19
• my challenge: I haven't been seeing myself the way He sees me.
• e.g. #1
• my old belief: I believed that my sins are bigger than Jesus and I'm unsavable. 
• my new belief: Jesus' blood is greater than my sins.
• e.g. #2
• my old belief: I haven't been able to lead well
• my new belief: I am a mighty man of God leading nations to His direction

2. what God says I need 

• lesson: receive things from Him as gifts instead of trying to achieve the things by myself
• negative example: Abraham in Genesis 16
• my challenge: e.g. 
• my old self: try to find wife and seek physical intimacy in my own ways
• my new self: look to Him for those gifts
• Pastor Marcus's testimony e.g. 
• 1. God's grace on his finance when taking up pastor position
• 2. all credit card debt paid in full
• 3. flowed-in 2 mill KRW

3. what God has been calling us to do

• lesson: this comes after agreeing with #1 and #2 above
• my challenge: e.g. 
• my old self: He won't open any doors for me
• my new self: I will agree with Him in terms of my identity in Him and receive freely for my full-time position and wife; I will trust in Him by seeing the agreement in faith. 

My Takeaway: 

• Get back to fasting social media for supernatural restoration, breakthrough, healing, etc.
• I will reject all the lies I have been holding onto and start believing the truth (i.e. Jesus Christ and His promises).