Youth Zone

6th Synod Youth Games Day!!

2010-01-17T00:06:00.000+08:00

yz camp afterglow

2009-12-14T09:30:00.004+08:00

hey people!

the yz camp 09 afterglow video can be found here =D

<3,
Wilson

YZ Camp 2009!!

2009-10-18T17:25:00.002+08:00

YZ Camp 2009
Step Up[ ]

Friday, December 4, 2009 at 9:00am to
Monday, December 7, 2009 at 12:30pm

Dairyfarm Adventure Camp
30 Dairy Farm Road Singapore 679058

Registration opens 25th October

!! Designing of the camp-shirt is open to all YZers!!
Come up with any design linking to the theme.
Submission datelind is 8th November ^^

Apologetics - Dinosaurs & The Bible

2009-07-23T20:58:00.001+08:00

Dinosaurs and the Bible

by Ken Ham

November 5, 1999

Layman

Keywords

An aura of mystery surrounds the dinosaurs. Where did they come from? Did they evolve? Did they really live millions of years ago? What happened to them? Are there any living today? Has any human being ever seen a live dinosaur?

Children and adults alike are absolutely fascinated by these mysterious monsters. Numerous books and movies have been produced to satisfy a seemingly insatiable hunger for information on these puzzling creatures. The truth of the matter, however, is that there are no real mysteries at all, once you have key information that is not generally known and is withheld from the public.

Come with me as we take a walk through history and uncover some amazing facts that will answer many of your questions about these “terrible lizards.”

Did Dinosaurs Really Exist?

Dinosaurs certainly did roam the Earth in the ancient past! Fossils of dinosaurs have been found all over the world, and their bones are displayed in museums for all to see. Scientists have been able to reconstruct many of their skeletons, so we know much about how they may have looked.

When Were Dinosaurs Found?

The story of their discovery began back in the 1820s, when Gideon Mantell, an English doctor, found some unusual teeth and bones in a quarry. Dr Mantell realized there was something very different about these animal remains, and believed that he had found an entirely new group of reptiles. By 1841, about nine types of these different reptiles had been uncovered, including two called Megalosaurus and Iguanodon.

At this time, a famous British scientist (and creationist), Dr Richard Owen, coined the name “Dinosauria,” meaning “terrible lizard,” for this is what the huge bones made him think of.

What Makes Dinosaurs Different?

Other than the huge size of some dinosaurs, the major feature that really distinguishes dinosaurs from other reptiles (such as crocodiles) is the position of their limbs. Dinosaurs had posture that was fully erect, similar to that in mammals. Most other reptiles have limbs in a sprawling position. For instance, compare the way a crocodile “walks” with that of, say, a cow. Dinosaurs would have moved like a cow, with the limbs supporting the body from beneath. Crocodiles “waddle,” as their limbs project sideways from their body.

How Big Were Dinosaurs?

Some were as small as chickens, and others were even smaller. Of course, some dinosaurs were very large, weighing in at an estimated 80 tons and standing 40 feet high! The average size of a dinosaur, however, was probably about that of a small horse.

When Did Dinosaurs Live?

The story we have all heard from movies, television, newspapers, and most magazines and textbooks is that dinosaurs lived millions of years ago. According to evolutionists, the dinosaurs “ruled the Earth” for 140 million years, dying out about 65 million years ago. However, scientists do not dig up anything labeled with those ages. They only uncover dead dinosaurs (i.e., their bones), and their bones do not have labels attached telling how old they are. The idea of millions of years of evolution is just the evolutionists’ story about the past. No scientist was there to see the dinosaurs live through this supposed dinosaur age. In fact, there is no proof whatsoever that the world and its fossil layers are millions of years old. No scientist observed dinosaurs die. Scientists only find the bones in the here and now, and because many of them are evolutionists, they try to fit the story of the dinosaurs into their view.

Other scientists, called creation scientists, have a different idea about when dinosaurs lived. They believe they can solve any of the supposed dinosaur mysteries and show how the evidence fits wonderfully with their ideas about the past, beliefs that come from the Bible.

The Bible, God’s very special book (or collection of books, really), claims that each writer was supernaturally inspired to write exactly what the Creator of all things wanted him to write down for us so that we can know where we (and dinosaurs) came from, why we are here, and what our future will be. The first book in the Bible—Genesis—teaches us many things about how the universe and life came into existence. Genesis tells us that God created everything—the Earth, stars, sun, moon, plants, animals, and the first two people.

Although the Bible does not tell us exactly how long ago it was that God made the world and its creatures, we can make a good estimate of the date of creation by reading through the Bible and noting some interesting passages:

God made everything in six days. He did this, by the way, to set a pattern for mankind, which has become our seven day week (as described in Exodus 20:11). God worked for six days and rested for one, as a model for us. Furthermore, Bible scholars will tell you that the Hebrew word for day used in Genesis 1, can only mean an ordinary day in this context.
We are told God created the first man and woman—Adam and Eve—on Day Six. Many facts about when their children and their children’s children were born are given in Genesis. These genealogies are recorded throughout the Old Testament, up until the time of Christ. They certainly were not chronologies lasting millions of years.

As you add up all of the dates, and accepting that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to Earth almost 2000 years ago, we come to the conclusion that the creation of the Earth and animals (including the dinosaurs) occurred only thousands of years ago (perhaps only 6000!), not millions of years. Thus, if the Bible is right (and it is!), dinosaurs must have lived within the past thousands of years.

Where Did Dinosaurs Come From?

Evolutionists claim that dinosaurs evolved over millions of years. They imagine that one kind of animal slowly changed over long periods of time to become a different kind of animal. For instance, they believe that amphibians changed into reptiles (including dinosaurs) by this gradual process. This would mean, of course, that there would have been millions of creatures during that time that would be “in between,” as amphibians evolved into reptiles. Evidence of these “transitional forms,” as they are called, should be abundant. However, many fossil experts admit that not one unquestionable transitional form between any group of creatures and another has been found anywhere. If dinosaurs evolved from amphibians, there should be, for example, fossil evidence of animals that are part dinosaur and part something else. However, there is no proof of this anywhere. In fact, if you go into any museum you will see fossils of dinosaurs that are 100% dinosaur, not something in between. There are no 25%, 50%, 75%, or even 99% dinosaurs—they are all 100% dinosaur!

The Bible tells us that God created all of the land animals on the sixth day of creation. As dinosaurs were land animals, they must have been made on this day, alongside Adam and Eve, who were also created on Day Six (Genesis 1:24–31). If God designed and created dinosaurs, they would have been fully functional, designed to do what they were created for, and would have been 100% dinosaur. This fits exactly with the evidence from the fossil record.

Evolutionists declare that no man ever lived alongside dinosaurs. The Bible, however, makes it plain that dinosaurs and people must have lived together. Actually, as we will soon see, there is a lot of evidence for this.

What Did Dinosaurs Eat?

The Bible teaches (in Genesis 1:29–30) that the original animals (and the first humans) were commanded to be vegetarian. There were no meat eaters in the original creation. Furthermore, there was no death. It was an unblemished world, with Adam and Eve and animals (including dinosaurs) living in perfect harmony, eating only plants.

Sadly, it did not stay this way for very long. Adam rebelled against his Creator, bringing sin into the world (Genesis 3:1–7; Romans 5:12). Because of this rebellion, Adam, and thus all of his descendants (you and me), gave up the right to live with a Holy (sinless) and just God. God therefore judged sin with death.

The Bible plainly teaches from Genesis to Revelation that there was no death of animals or humans before Adam sinned. (Consider just a few of the many passages, such as: Romans 5:12; Genesis 2:17; Genesis 1:29–30; Romans 8:20–22; Acts 3:21; Hebrews 9:22; 1 Corinthians 15; Revelation 21:1–4; Revelation 22:3.) This means there could not have been any animal fossils (and no dinosaur bones) before sin.

After Adam’s sin, animals and people started to die. It was now a different world, one of death and strife. A world that was once beautiful now suffered under the curse placed upon it by the Creator (Genesis 3:14–19). But a promise was given (Genesis 3:15) that God would provide a way for the penalty of sin to be paid so there would be a way for man to come back to God.

Why Do We Find Dinosaur Fossils?

In Genesis 6, we read that all flesh (man and animals) had “corrupted his way upon the Earth” (Genesis 6:12). Perhaps people and animals were killing each other; maybe dinosaurs had started killing other animals and humans. In any case, the Bible describes the world as “wicked.”

Because of this wickedness, God warned a godly man named Noah that He was going to destroy the world with a Flood (Genesis 6:13). God therefore commanded him to build a great ship (the Ark) so that all the kinds of land animals (which must have included dinosaurs) and Noah’s family could survive on board while the Flood destroyed the entire Earth (Genesis 6:14–20).

Some people think that dinosaurs were too big, or there were too many of them, to go on this Ark. However, there were not very many different kinds of dinosaurs. There are certainly hundreds of dinosaur names, but many of these were given to just a bit of bone or skeletons of the same dinosaur found in other countries. It is also reasonable to assume that different sizes, varieties, and sexes of the same kind of dinosaur have ended up with different names. For example, look at the many different varieties and sizes of dogs, but they are all the same kind—the dog kind! In reality, there may have been fewer than 50 kinds of dinosaurs.

God sent two of every (seven of some) land animal into the Ark (Genesis 7:2–3; 7:8–9)—there were no exceptions. Therefore, dinosaurs must have been on the Ark. Even though there was ample room in the huge ship for large animals, perhaps God sent young adults into the Ark that still had plenty of room for them to grow.

Well, what happened to all the land animals that did not go on the Ark? Very simply, they drowned. Many would have been covered with tons of mud as the rampaging water covered the land (Genesis 7:11–12,19). Because of this quick burial, many of the animals would have been preserved as fossils. If this happened, you would expect to find evidence of billions of dead things buried in rock layers (formed from this mud) all over the Earth. This is exactly what you do find.

By the way, the Flood of Noah’s day probably occurred just over 4,500 years ago. Creationists believe that this event formed many of the fossil layers around the Earth. (Additional fossil layers were formed by other floods as the Earth settled down after the great Flood.) Thus, the dinosaur fossils which were formed as a result of this Flood were probably formed about 4,500 years ago, not millions of years ago.

Have Dinosaurs Lived in Recent Times?

If the different kinds of dinosaurs survived the Flood, then they must have come off the Ark and lived in the post-Flood world.

In the Bible, in Job 40:15–24, God describes to Job (who lived after the Flood) a great beast with which Job was familiar. This great animal, called “behemoth,” is described as “the chief of the ways of God,” perhaps the biggest land animal God had created. Impressively, he moved his tail like a cedar tree! Although some Bible commentaries say this may have been an elephant or hippopotamus, the description actually fits that of a dinosaur like Brachiosaurus. Elephants and hippos certainly do not have tails like cedar trees!

Actually, very few animals are singled out in the Bible for such a detailed description. Contrary to what many may think, what we know now as dinosaurs get more mention in the Scriptures than most animals! So dinosaurs—all the different kinds—must have lived alongside of people after the Flood.

Are Dinosaurs Mentioned in Ancient Literature?

Interestingly, the word “dragon” is used a number of times in the Old Testament. In most instances, the word dinosaur could substitute for dragon and it would fit very nicely. Creation scientists believe that dinosaurs were called dragons before the word dinosaur was invented in the 1800s. We would not expect to find the word dinosaur in Bibles like the Authorized Version (1611), as it was translated well before the word dinosaur was ever used.

Also, there are many very old history books in various libraries around the world that have detailed records of dragons and their encounters with people. Surprisingly (or not so surprisingly for creationists), many of these descriptions of dragons fit with how modern scientists would describe dinosaurs, even Tyrannosaurus. Unfortunately, this evidence is not considered valid by evolutionists. Why? Only because their belief is that man and dinosaurs did not live at the same time!

However, the more we research the historical literature, the more we realize there is overwhelming evidence that dragons were real beasts, much like our modern reconstructions of dinosaurs, and that their existence has been recorded by many different people, even just hundreds of years ago.

What Happened to Dinosaurs?

Evolutionists use their imagination in a big way in answering this question. Because of their belief that dinosaurs “ruled” the world for millions of years, and then disappeared millions of years before man allegedly evolved, they have had to come up with all sorts of guesses to explain this “mysterious” disappearance.

When reading evolutionist literature, you will be astonished at the range of ideas concerning their supposed extinction. The following is just a small list of theories:

Dinosaurs starved to death; they died from overeating; they were poisoned; they became blind from cataracts and could not reproduce; mammals ate their eggs. Other causes include volcanic dust, poisonous gases, comets, sunspots, meteorites, mass suicide, constipation, parasites, shrinking brain (and greater stupidity), slipped discs, changes in the composition of air, etc.

It is obvious that evolutionists don’t know what happened and are grasping at straws. In a recent evolutionary book on dinosaurs, “A New Look At the Dinosaurs,” the author made the statement:

Now comes the important question. What caused all these extinctions at one particular point in time, approximately 65 million years ago? Dozens of reasons have been suggested, some serious and sensible, others quite crazy, and yet others merely as a joke. Every year people come up with new theories on this thorny problem. The trouble is that if we are to find just one reason to account for them all, it would have to explain the death, all at the same time, of animals living on land and of animals living in the sea; but, in both cases, of only some of those animals, for many of the land dwellers and many of the sea-dwellers went on living quite happily into the following period. Alas, no such one explanation exists (Alan Charig, p. 150).

But, one such explanation does exist. If you remove the evolutionary framework, get rid of the millions of years, and then take the Bible seriously, you will find an explanation that fits the facts and makes perfect sense:

At the time of the Flood, many of the sea creatures died, but some survived. In addition, all of the land creatures outside the Ark died, but the representatives of all the kinds that survived on the Ark lived in the new world after the Flood. Those land animals (including dinosaurs) found the new world to be much different than the one before the Flood. Due to (1) competition for food that was no longer in abundance, (2) other catastrophes, (3) man killing for food (and perhaps for fun), and (4) the destruction of habitats, etc., many species of animals eventually died out. The group of animals we now call dinosaurs just happened to die out too. In fact, quite a number of animals become extinct each year. Extinction seems to be the rule in Earth history (not the formation of new types of animals as you would expect from evolution).

Will We Ever See a Live Dinosaur?

The answer is probably not … but, then again? There are some scientists who believe a few dinosaurs may have survived in remote jungles. We are still discovering new species of animals and plants today in areas that have been too difficult to explore until now. Even natives in some countries describe beasts that fit with what might be a dinosaur.

Creationists, of course, would not be surprised if someone found a living dinosaur. However, evolutionists would then have to explain why they made dogmatic statements that man and dinosaur never lived at the same time. I suspect they would say something to the effect that this dinosaur somehow survived because it was trapped in a remote area that has not changed for millions of years. You see, no matter what is found, or how embarrassing it is to evolutionists’ ideas, they will always be able to concoct an “answer” because evolution is a belief. It is not science—it is not fact!

What Lessons Can We Learn From the Dinosaur?

When we see the bones of dinosaurs, we can be reminded that death was not a part of the original creation. Death is actually an intruder, entering when the first man disobeyed God. The Bible tells us that because we are all descendants of Adam, we too have sinned: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12); “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We need to recognize that the wickedness in the world is because of sin, because man rebelled against God.

We can also be reminded that God, who made all things, including the dinosaurs, is also a judge of His creation. He judged Adam’s rebellion by cursing the world with death. Adam was warned about what would happen if he disobeyed God’s instruction not to eat the fruit of one particular tree. “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17).

Dinosaurs can also remind us that God judged the rebellion in Noah’s day by destroying the wicked world with water, resulting in the death of millions of creatures. The Bible teaches us that He will again judge the world, but next time by fire: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the Earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10).

We can also be reminded that after this judgment by fire, God will make a new heaven and Earth: “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new Earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). And what will it be like in this new Earth? “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

But we are also warned that many will not be allowed into this new Earth but will suffer for eternity: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).

Humans, who are all sinful from conception (Psalm 51:5), cannot live with a Holy God, but are condemned to separation from God. But, God provided a wonderful means of deliverance from sin. The Bible teaches that God offered the perfect sacrifice needed to pay the penalty for man’s sin. God’s own Son, the one who in fact created the world (Colossians 1:16), came to Earth as a man, as a descendant of Adam, to suffer the death penalty for sin. “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:20–22).

The Lord Jesus Christ died on a cross, but on the third day, rose again, conquering death, so that anyone who believes in Him and accepts Him into his or her life, is able to come back to God and live for eternity with the Creator. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16); “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

For those who do not accept by faith what Christ has done for them and do not recognize their sinful nature and need for redemption, the Bible warns that such people will live forever, but will be separated from God in a place of torment that the Bible calls Hell. But for those who commit their lives to the Lord—what a wonderful message! What a wonderful Savior! What a wonderful salvation in Christ the Creator!

movie marathon

2009-07-10T01:25:00.002+08:00

Movie Marathon 2009
Hey YZers! there will be a movie marathon coming up!

Time: 7.30 p.m. on 07/08/09 to 8 a.m. 08/08/09
Venue: MPH
Charge: $3

Movie List:
Evelyn
Ocean's Eleven
Meet the Robinsons
Who framed Roger Rabbit

There will be food for supper and games between each movie.

This event is evangelistic in nature, so YZers, do bring your friends.
*Ps Neiville Tan (the Iron Man) will be making a guest appearance to wrap up after we watch a video clip on his life.

If suffering and pain exist, a loving God cannot!

2009-06-25T19:28:00.004+08:00

If suffering and pain exist, a loving God cannot!

People ask: “If God is powerful and loving, how come he cannot stop suffering?”

Our Christian response: “God is all-powerful and all-loving yet he allows suffering to persist.”

Reason:God is all-powerful but he cannot self-contradict so there are two things he CANNOT do.

1. He creates us and gives us the freedom to choose so he CANNOT make us choose ONLY to do good. Otherwise, we will be like robots with no freedom of choice. With real choice comes the possibility that people can choose to do evil.
2. God gives us freedom of choice so for ‘choice’ to be meaningful he CANNOT miraculously remove the consequences of our evil choices.

Suffering, pain and even death is a result of the consequences of the evil choices we make, i.e. consequences of sin. The consequences do not just affect the one who makes the evil choices but also those around him because we are interdependent beings. Our actions do have an impact on the lives of other people.

God is all-loving. He gives us a free will and He does not intervene to remove the consequences of our choices yet He can still bring about something beautiful out of those consequences. Therein lies his love and power.

If you have any doubt, look at the cross. Death of God on the cross is the ultimate evil (and God did not stop it) but it resulted in the ultimate good – the salvation of man! (God is always able to turn things around to achieve his good, perfect and pleasing will.)

God’s answer to the problem of suffering is that he came right down into it, i.e. he came to dwell amongst us. He himself bore the pain of this world. Every tear shed becomes his tear. Which god can be said doing the same thing?

2009-05-31T01:05:00.003+08:00

Hello everyone!

This is the list of prayer items that we can all be praying for during this last week before Starry Starry Night takes place! The core and DGLs have already started praying earlier this week. Please join us for synchronized prayer at 10pm every night. Just as all involved are working hard, we need to commit this musical to God as well!

Cast, Band, Dancers
1. Good health
2. Perform with excellence for God's glory and guard against self glorification
3. Good coordination with each other
4. Will not loose steam even as they practice over and over again
5. Good time management for those who are working or having exams
6. Good memory (for cast and dancers) to remember whatever they need for SSN

PA and Logistics
1. Good health
2. Good coordination with each other
3. Gerald will be able to exchange his duty on the 6th June
4. No feedback on actual performance
5. 3 PA systems won't crash

People who might come
1. God will prepare the hearts of all who are coming
2. The hearts of the audience will be receptive to the Gospel preached through the musical and through Charles
3. For people who have yet to be invited, pray that they will be willing to come.
4. Tuition Ministry has been given postcards to give to the children. Pray that the teachers will take the owership to invite the children to come.
5. Nan Hua BB boys have also been invited. Pray that as Jonathan (a teacher in charge of BB there) invites them, they will be willing to come.

Charles
1. His wrap-up will be clear for pre-believers to understand the Gospel.
2. As he prepares his wrap-up, he will continue to search God and listen to His guidance and wisdom.
3. He will take whatever is in the musical and use as a platform to share the Gospel to the audience.

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him" 1 John 5:14-15

2009-05-24T20:40:00.001+08:00

Using the Sword of the Spirit to fight off temptations of all sorts:

2009-05-17T05:28:00.004+08:00

Using the Sword of the Spirit to fight off temptations:

Anger

Matthew 5:21-22
21“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment…”

Ephesians 4:25-27
26"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold.

Anxiety and frustration

Matthew 6:25-34
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life…27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Jeremiah 29:11
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Philippians 4:6-7
6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Disobeying parents

Ephesians 6:1-3
1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2"Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."

Romans 1:29-32
29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32…those who do such things deserve death…

Discontentment

1Timothy 6:6-7
6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

Psalm 139:13, 16
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
(“God has made us the way we are because that is how we can best fulfil His plan for our lives. Whatever our circumstances, and however difficult they may be, the truth is that they are ordained by God for us as part of His overall plan for our lives. God allows nothing without a purpose and His purposes are always for His glory and our ultimate good.” Jerry Bridges)

Envy and jealousy

Romans 1:29-32
29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice…

Galatians 5:19-21
19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Gossip and slander

Proverbs 20:19
19A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.

Romans 1:29-32
29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32…those who do such things deserve death…

Matthew 12:35-36
35The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.

Hatred

Ephesians 4:31-32
31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Colossians 3:13
13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Impatience and irritability

Galatians 5:22-23
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Ephesians 4:1-2
1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Colossians 3:12
12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Judgmentalism

Matthew 7:1-5
1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

James 4:11-13
11Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

Lying

Ephesians 4:25
25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.

Proverbs 6:16-18
16 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil,

Lust & pornography

Matthew 5:27-28
27"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Philippians 4:8
8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Pride

1 John 2:15-16
15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.

1 Peter 5:5-6
5Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

Sexual immorality

Galatians 5:19-21
19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10
9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Selfishness

Philippians 2:3-5
3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

1 John 3:17
17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?

2 Timothy 3:1-5
1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

Shoddy/sloppy work

1 Corinthians 10:31
31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Colossians 3:17
17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Unthankfulness

Ephesians 5:19-20
19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Vulgarity

Ephesians 4:29
29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Ephesians 5:4
4Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

2009-04-25T22:54:00.001+08:00

Hi Everyone!

I came across this as I was doing my QT and thought I would share it with all of you. I hope this testimony and application would help us truly believe that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

-dora

24 Apr, 2009

Faith

"Where the Rubber Meets the Road"

In January we shared the story of Debbie Shelton, a marathon runner from Indiana, who has run a marathon in all 50 states. After that DailyBide, e-mails came in sharing that we needed to hear more of Debbie’s story. Well, we were able to connect with Debbie in person. So, Debbie’s Story, with her permission, is Today’s Story …

We were raised in the Catholic church. My parents, my three sisters, and I attended Mass together every week. When I was in High School, my family stopped attending church together. Did we stop going to church because of difficulties, or did we start having difficulties because we stopped going to church?

When we graduated from High School, my twin sister, Deddie, and I started college classes in the summer and we got our first jobs. We didn’t see nearly as much of one another as we’d liked and one thing we did was start meeting at church each Sunday morning. We’d each drive there and then head to work after Mass. It was sometimes the only quality time we had together.

She got married and moved to Germany and I went away to school. Our parents divorced, I moved away to work, she came home and divorced. She remarried and we lived at least 500 miles apart from then on. This was back in the days before the internet and when making a long distance phone call was pretty expensive on a tight budget. We wrote a lot of letters back and forth.

In the late 90’s we took up running. In 2000 we met in Chicago and ran our first marathon, together. I didn’t think it was very much fun, in fact I swore I’d never do it again. But in 2002 I tried it again and this time, it wasn’t so bad. In the summer of 2003 Deddie and I and our husbands went to running camp at Lake Tahoe. We met a lot of really sweet and crazy runners. We learned of a club of people who ran a marathon in every state called the 50 States Marathon Club. We were pretty crazy ourselves and we thought we’d give it a try.

It was great. Every month or so Deddie and I would meet somewhere, visit, and run a marathon. Running literally brought us together.

At one race I found Team 413. It was based on Philippians verse 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” We bought the shirts and started wearing them for all of our marathons. In every race at least two or three people would say things like “I’ve been following you for miles – your shirt inspired me to finish.’ Or ‘that’s my favorite verse, too!’ For us at the time, we used it for strength to finish the tough mental and physical requirements of finishing a long distance run.

But were these just words or did we really believe them? Did we live them?

In 2007 we had 12 marathons to go with a schedule planned to finish our 50^th State in October at, where else, the Twin Cities marathon in Minnesota. In January Deddie and I met in AZ for a marathon and sisters weekend. We had fun, but Deddie wasn’t feeling well. The next week they found a tumor on her liver about the size of a baseball. They told her it wasn’t cancer. We rejoiced. On February 23 she had surgery to have the tumor removed. She was found to have stage IV (the final stage) biliary cancer and it was spread extensively throughout her abdomen. This cancer is very rare, and it was bad, but we kept the faith and believed she would recover.

Our family became Team 413. My husband got us all shirts and we wore them to both of Deddie’s chemo treatments. She spent a lot of time in the hospital and when she was there, her Team 413 shirt hung on the wall, directly in her line of vision. We prayed together every day, usually saying the Divine Mercy Chaplet or the Rosary.

In mid-June we were told she didn’t have but a couple of weeks left with us. I told her that there were so many things I was sorry for that I couldn’t name them all and I asked her to forgive me, she said the same, although I couldn’t think of a single thing she needed my forgiveness for. We said the words each needed to hear ‘I forgive you.’ Giving a blanket of forgiveness to each other, and we told each other to remember how much we loved one another.

It lasted only minutes, but I think that was one of the most important talks we had in her final days. I can’t tell you all what knowing I had her forgiveness has meant to me. Losing her was so difficult for me. I feel so guilty. But I can’t change anything I’ve done in the past. I can only take the precious gift of her forgiveness and try to do better next time. We have that same gift from Jesus, too, if we just ask for it. We must seek forgiveness of our sins and try to do better. And when we start to beat ourselves up, we have to remember that He has forgiveness us. He died for our sins.

Looking back the thing I marvel at the most was how at peace Deddie was. She knew it was a matter of days, yet she didn’t complain at all. How I wished that I would have stopped to talk to her about it. Reflecting on it all, I realize that she showed us so much grace.

She left this world peacefully at 4:20 am on July 8, 2007 with her husband and I holding her hands, one of our younger sisters at her feet, and my husband nearby, as Jesus carried her away. She set a real example of faith for us all. We’d seen her live her faith. She could do all things through Christ who had strengthened her to make her journey home to Him.

The next 15 months or so were filled with such intense pain that I could barely breath. I didn’t want to get out of bed, my mind and my soul were in torment, I was crying out to God all the time - I was so lost. Each day was a struggle, and yes there were days I’d pull into the garage and think about how easy it would be just to shut the garage door and go to sleep. I’d call upon the strength of Jesus to turn off the motor and get out of the car.

I’d pretty much stopped running through Deddie’s illness.

Now I had a decision to make – how was I going to live? Was I really going to follow her example? I wore a shirt proclaiming that I could do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I had a lot of people watching me and praying for me. Was I willing to test that faith and hand this over to God, too? I had to…I was so week that I couldn’t do the simplest thing myself. I was calling upon the Lord for the least of things. I prayed like I’d never prayed before, I read, I started listening exclusively to Christian radio, I sought out my faith-filled family and friends.

His strength got us through the toughest part of my life. I needed to show everyone that the writing on the backs of our shirts weren’t just words, but our FAITH.

Getting back to running was very difficult. We each had 11 States left to go. My Brother-in-law, a non-runner, told my sister he was going to finish her states. And I thought Deddie would be really disappointed in me if I didn’t finish. So we started training. We made signs to wear on our backs in Deddie’s memory. I finished my 50^th State on September 21, 2008 and my brother-in-law has just three to go. We’re planning to wrap those up this year.

Now I run for the Glory of God and in Deddie’s memory, often using the time for prayer and praise.

I thought that running marathons was hard, but I’m living through something I never believed I could – my life without my twin, sister, best friend, confidant, running partner, and role model for living the faith. He never said it would be easy, but through His Grace, God is showing me that He is here. Always. I only hope that by sharing my faith story with you today I am showing you that I, we, Can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

Phillipians 4:12-13 (ESV)

I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Think of the most difficult situation that you have experienced.
Take some time to thank God for the lessons you learned (or are still learning) from that experience.
Are you going through a difficult season of life right now? Ask God to be your strength.
Is there an activity (e.g. running) in which you are involved that you to do for the glory of God?

Share Debbie's story with a friend going through a difficult season.
Ask that friend if allowing God to strengthen them ever crosses their mind.
Invite your friend to go to church with you this weekend to meet others who trust God to be their strength.
Pray with your friend.
Pray for your friend each day this week.

yz anniversary

2009-03-29T00:46:00.001+08:00

To all current YZers, past YZers and people who have contributed to YZ over the years,

Join us for an evening of remembering and celebrating God's faithfulness to YZ through the past ten years! Expect good food, fun and fellowship.

Come dressed to the theme "Old School"
(e.g. 1980s preppy school uniforms, over-sized glasses, etc.) Prizes will be given to the BEST DRESSED DG!

Date: 4 April 2009, Saturday
Time: 7.30pm - 10pm
Venue: True Way Presbyterian Multi-Purpose Hall

For further queries, contact Yi En at 8182 4924.

We look forward to seeing you there! :)

Starry Starry

2009-03-23T18:58:00.001+08:00

hello everyone!

Its 2 months time to...
Starry Starry Night - The Musical!!! (2009, 23 May)
It will be an exciting night, seeing our own talents
taking the stage in this original production.
Hope to see you there!~

For more information visit:
Starry Starry Night - the Musical

Worship in spirit and in truth

2009-03-01T23:06:00.002+08:00

Hey YZers,

let's be thankful to God for the YZ community. We do not need to follow how others worship. We can have our own style and God loves variety. God has gifted many people in YZ with music abilities (singing or playing an instrument). We have spiritually mature leaders. We are all spiritually alive (as long as we have invited Jesus into our lives) and so by His grace and power, we are definitely able to worship God in spirit and in truth.

Remember that worshipping God in spirit is not just with words or thoughts but with one’s innermost self, one’s heart. There’s a yearning/thirsting/longing from within for God, a great desire to praise and adore him, giving him our undivided attention, listening intently to him, and in turn our hearts maybe stirred. Worshipping God in truth is the worship that is based on the truth of God as revealed in the Bible, i.e. biblically sound.

It is my prayer that each time we gather for worship, we will become so aware of the presence of God that we will offer our whole self to Him, both heart and mind. Eric Liddell said, "When I run, I feel God's pleasure." Can we say the same, "When I worship God, I can feel His pleasure!"

Ps kienseng

2009-02-05T01:31:00.002+08:00

thankyou everyone for all your wellwishes before i leave. it is difficult for me, even as i go over to australia for studies. to be leaving my family and friends, going alone to a foreign land. nonetheless, i thank God for this opportunity of an overseas study. it'll provide me with a whole new experience, and will teach me to really trust and obey our Lord Jesus.

it has been a very wonderful experience during my 7 years in yz. it was where i grew, where i started serving, where i experience God. may it also be a place where you yzers not only have fun, but also grow together as a family of Christ, growing deeper and stronger in our God, serving Him in humility and learning to trust in Him.

keep me in prayers. i'll need quite a while to adjust to a new environment, and meeting new people.

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:37-39

love,
yiling

The 4th Synod Youth Leadership Camp (20-21 Feb 2009)

2009-01-30T18:42:00.003+08:00

The 4th Synod Youth Leadership Camp (20-21 Feb 2009)

ALL DGL's and core group members are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to attend the 4th Synod Youth Leadership Camp 20-21 Feb 2009 （Fri-Sat）at the Bethel Presbyterian Church. In this camp, Rev. Jimmy of Bethel Presbyterian Church will share on the camp’s theme： Spiritual Leader’s Competency and also round up the three-years cycle of leadership trainings: calling, character and competency. In addition, Rev. Dr. Danny Goh (Dean of School of Counseling, Singapore Bible College) will train on “People Helping Skills”-a most wanted to learn topic which our youths feedback in 2008 camp.
The details of the camp are as follows:

Main Theme: The Competency of a Spiritual Leader
Speaker: Rev. Jimmy Tan (Associate Minister, Bethel Presbyterian Church)
Sub-Theme: People Helping Skills
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Danny Goh (Dean of School of Counseling, Singapore Bible College)
Date: 20-21 Feb 2009 (Fri, 6:30pm – Sat, 6pm)
Venue: Bethel Presbyterian Church
Address: 12, Jalan Lateh, Singapore 359110.
Cost: $15 per person (inclusive of food and accommodation)
Age: 16 - 25 years old

Retraction

2009-01-04T19:35:00.009+08:00

Re: Auditions

Hi guys,

First of all, my bad, i put 4th of Jan instead of 11th Jan because wrote it wrongly on my own calendar. Dancers who are interested to perform for the musical please meet me after YZ on 11th January. Announcement will be made.

Secondly, musicians do remember your auditions for this coming Sunday. I know its a short short time, but we really need to get the band together quick. I wish you guys all the best! Practice, practice, practice! 2pm, YZ room.

Lastly, we have decided to open the singing auditions to everyone in YZ. Audtions are on 18th of january. The venue will be confirmed again. Announcements will be made in YZ also.

Let me share the summary of the story with you guys.

Four best friends who find out they each have their own individual problems that they’ve never faced before, finding something to fill their hearts with or to forget the pain. Lynn who is a Christian tries to bring them to Christ and to let them see the God is the only one who can truly fill that hole in their hearts. She sets an example and Christ’s goodness is portrayed through her.

Cast

Lynn:loves God a lot and she wants to bring her 3 bestfriends to christ. At the same time she battles with an illness and through her, christs' goodness is portrayed.
Daniel: Lynn's cousin who got back from the states, hangs out with the clique for a little.Also a christian, a big brother figure.
May Lin: Re taking her o'levels and feels very pressurized by her parents. Lynn's illness and her other best friends' problems drove her to the corner. Thinking she has no one to turn to, she turns to drugs. The most cynical about christ.
Sarah: Parent's break up due to her father's compulsive gambling wrecked her emotional being. She hurts herself with the penknife.
Sonia:Sarah's sister

Janice:Her boyfriend (Jake,whom she depended on a lot for happiness) is a play boy who cheated on her just in time for her to see it for herself. Ends up drinking her sorrows.

Jake:the playboy

Cindy:the cheerleader girl who Jake flirted with

girl 1 & girl 2:the two girls who follows Cindy around

The parts and songs to prepare and audition for:

Daniel-lynn's cousin: stop crying your heart out by oasis and patience OST dreamgirls

Janice: no one by alicia keys, it ends tonight by the all american rejects

Sarah: Boston by Augustana
Sarah's sister(one scene) :Boston
May Lin: who knew by Pink

Jake:I’m yours by Jason Mraz

Lynn: zombie by the cranberries and patience OST dreamgirls

*and yes you do have to audition for all the songs listed depending on which character you choose.So If you are auditioning for e.g Janice, you'd have to audition for no one and it ends tonight.

Please remember, try for the role that you think you fit & not because you like the song. You may be asked to sing another song listed to try for another part that we think is more suitable for you, so prepare more songs.

Please don't be discouraged if you are not chosen, you are all welcomed to serve in other parts of the productions such as dance, publicity, props and design, logistics, administrative work or even emcees.

See You guys at auditions!

love Rach.

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T20:19:00.011+08:00

Happy New Year guys! New year, new blog skin. May YZ see us grow in love for God and love for each other in the year 2009!

Oh! and do read, practice and sign up for auditions! details below~

Wi|

*watchnight service/ old sanctuary vacating service

AUDTITIONX :D

2009-01-01T14:18:00.008+08:00

Hey guys, sorry i took so longz to put this post up, i kinda forgot about it cos i was in thailand for a week. Fret not! I'm bacck!! Hope you guys are all as excited as me for this yz production! Here are the references!

Combination of I’m Yours by Jason Mraz & No one by Alicia Keys (both guitarists)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWgsSgHubsM

Patience OST Dreamgirls (Pianists)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLvjbihiUFw

Zombie by the Cranberries (Drummers, bassists & lead guitarists)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZJHZLFCwjE

seasons of love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py_HRW-zg6k

Things to take note:
1) Hotel california is no longer used
2) Some of the songs are not put up but you guys are resourceful right? :)
3) back up singers can audition any song
4) there will be no auditions for main characters unfortunately:(

DANCERSSS!
Yes we do need dancers, if you are interested, there is no need for auditons.
Please meet me Sunday 4th January after YZ!

Production TEAM!
Anyone interested to be part of the production team, feel free to come to me or any or the core group members!

SEE YOU ON 11 JANUARY! Have fun practicing!

Acting!
There are 3 more female non-singing roles to fill! (Girls have to mean kind)

add me up @ lulukhia_36@hotmail.com for more infoz!
love,rach.

Delighting in God's Word

2008-12-18T18:08:00.001+08:00

Hi YZers,

Since Charles reminded us of the importance of God’s Word last week – joy giver, sword and sanctifier, I would like to outline for you how we can do QT meaningfully. Do pray for yourself and ask God to give you the desire to want to know His Word and through His Word, know Him. For QT to be meaningful, you really need to set aside time for it. It cannot be the leftover time but priority time. It need not be long but it has to be deliberate – rain or shine. Begin with a word of prayer and ask God to speak His Word powerfully into your heart.

READ – Read the passage through once for general comprehension. Then read it again, this time deliberately much slower. As you read the passage a second time, let a word or phrase or line capture your attention, stir your heart, maybe even make you feel uncomfortable. Look out for something that will resonate with you. If nothing surfaces, don’t worry. Don’t need to feel guilty and don’t be discouraged. That happens to me too. I would encourage you to read the passage a few more times. Don’t be in a hurry. Enjoy reading the Word even though nothing seems to catch your eye. Remember God’s Word should bring delight to our hearts.

REVIEW – If you are journaling (and I encourage you to do so), this is the part where you write down that word, phrase, or line that has captured your attention. I believe it is the Spirit of God that will speak to me and surface that word or phrase or line when I learn to listen as I read God’s Word. Some people focus on those parts of the passage which they don’t understand. Somehow the unknown seem to be more appealing. I would rather you focus on what you understand. What you don’t understand can be for another time.

REFLECT – This is the component where you reflect and meditate on the word, phrase or line that has stirred your heart. Ask God what He wants to speak to you through that word – is it a sin you need to confess and repent from; a command that He wants you to obey; something that you can give thanks to God for; someone you can encourage using the same word. Let God speak His Word into your life. Reflect on that word, phrase or line is relevant to your life right now. If you are journaling, your reflections can be recorded down.

RESPOND – This can be a prayer which you write down as a response to what God has spoken to you about. It can also be a verbal prayer that you utter to the Lord.

So these are the 4 Rs which I do when I have my QT and I have found the process helpful. You see, you don’t need to depend on the articles in the ODJ. You just need a Bible passage to meditate on. Of course after you have completed the whole process, you can read that day’s article in the ODJ but don’t be surprised that the lesson inside that article is different from what the Lord has impressed upon your heart.

Regarding Bible Study, it will be good if you can belong to a DG. It is always good to study the Bible in a group. This is the platform where you can clarify your doubts. So if there is something you don’t understand from your QT, DG time can be a time when you clear your questions. It is not that you cannot study the Bible alone but it is good to have someone more mature to guide you in it. I do recommend NIV Study Bible if you want to do some serious Bible Study on your own. It can be bought from SKS and if you ask your parents to buy it for your birthday, I am pretty confident that they will not refuse you!

Have fun reading and studying the Bible!

Ps Kien Seng

YZ Camp 2008 Afterglow Video

2008-12-15T08:55:00.004+08:00

YZ Camp 2008 Afterglow Video

CAUTION! - HIGHLY FLAMMABLE

2008-12-01T16:56:00.004+08:00

CAUTION! - HIGHLY FLAMMABLE

YZ 2008 Campers,

Take Note!

General Details-
Camp Registration
Time: 1100 (am)
Date: 5 December 2008, Friday
Venue: True Way Presbyterian Church (most probably at Level 2 Cozy Corner)

We understand that some have asked whether you can meet us at PHS itself. The answer is No. Please come down to church to register and we will head down together!
For those who have yet to pay or even given the registration form, please bring the S$30 and form on Friday as well(:

Things to Bring-
1. At least 5 shirts (not excluding sleepwear) Girls, please bring dark-coloured shirts!!
2. Enough pants / shorts to last you throughout the camp. Note that you may be wet!
3. Socks! Please make sure you bring enough for yourself and at least ensure that you have one pair of CLEAN SOCKS in addition to the socks which you plan to bring!
4. Toiletries - Tooth brush, tooth paste, shampoo, soap, contact lens solution ...etc
5. Please bring writing materials so that you can write down the things that God would impress on you during the messages, worship, and even games in the camp booklet!
6. Personal Medication. Especially those who are asthmatic, please bring along your inhaler!
7. Most importantly!- Bible
8. Sleeping Bag
9. Cup/Water Bottle
10. Towel
11. Sports Shoes
12. Slippers/Sandals
* Please do not bring anything valuable (such as MP3...). It'll be at your own risk if you bring them.
~bring a rag, some newspapers, and colouring materials such as colour pen, markers etc if you have

Please be punctual for registration. Looking forward to an exciting time together in Camp!

Please inform your parents, if there is anything, they can call Uncle Kien Seng (98152589), Samuel (90077333) or Yi Ling (92719210).

Camp Comm '08

2008-11-19T12:19:00.007+08:00

Hello YZERS!

This is a note of CAUTION from Camp Committee '08. We are CAUTIONing those who have not signed up for CAUTION: Highly Flammable to do so immediately!!! Do not miss the HOTTEST thing in the year!

What do you have to do?
1. Right-click on the pictures and save them into your computer!
2. Print them out!
3. Fill them in!
4. Pass them to Chelsea or any Camp Comm member!
5. Tada! Yay! Now you can go pack for camp!

See you on the 5th to 8th of December!
CAUTION: It'll be a really fun time together!

Camp Comm '08

2008-10-13T11:53:00.004+08:00

YZ CAMP PUBLICITY VID 1

Time with God

2008-09-24T09:47:00.003+08:00

Hi YZers, came across this article on spending time with God. Do take some time to read...

In his most recent Friday Evening newsletter, Tom Barnard wrote: "Author Fay Angus tells the story of attending a weekend retreat at a Christian conference center in Southern California. At the registration desk, she was given a small, glass container wrapped in decorative paper. She was told to unwrap the package and read the directions taped to the item. When she opened it, she discovered it was a small baby-food jar containing a walnut surrounded and filled to the brim with grains of rice. The directions read as follows:

The walnut in this jar represents the time we spend with God. The rice represents the time we spend doing other things. If you pour the rice into the empty jar first, then try to insert the walnut, it will not fit. The rice takes up too much space. If you put the walnut into the empty jar first, then pour the rice around it, there is sufficient room for everything. Likewise, if we spend time doing other things first, we never will find time to spend with God. If we spend time with God first, there always will be time for everything else.

Jesus was quite clear on the subject of walnuts and jars. He said, "Set your mind on God's kingdom and his justice before everything else, and all the rest will come to you as well" (Matt. 6:33, NEB).

God's holiness

2008-09-09T16:31:00.002+08:00

Dear YZers,

I am thinking about what Shawn shared with us last Sunday. He spoke on God's holiness and draw our attention to God's majesty and God's purity as conveyed through Isaiah's vision. I am thinking- if we really understand what God's majesty is about, I think we have to relook at how we worship Him. Shawn shared with us about the queen. If we find ourselves in the queen's presence, we will definitely be giving her all our attention when we are in her presence. If we do that with the queen, how much more when it comes to the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is really my prayer that each Sunday when we come to church to worship God, we will come with a passionate desire to give him our fullest attention that is worthy of his majesty....

With regards to God's purity, let us remember that God is set apart from sin. To be holy literally means to be set apart and he has commanded us to be holy, which means that he has commanded us to be set apart from sin and from the world. Shawn has already given us some areas to start thinking about. I thought a good litmus test is this: when we are in the company of those who do not know the Lord, how comfortable are we? Even if we are good friends with them, there ought to be times when we feel uncomfortable about some of the things they say and do. If we are very comfortable, then we are likely not very different from them. Then our setting apart is in BIG QUESTION!!!

Chew on it.

PKS

Ubin Trip

2008-08-27T12:31:00.004+08:00

Hello all!

The Ubin trip is just round the corner and we have prepared an indemnity form and a letter for your parents to sign. Remember to download them below, get them signed and bring them on sat so that your parents will now where you are. Here are some things to note:

1. Please meet us at Changi Jetty at 8.45am. You can get there by taking 29 from Tampines Interchange. It will alight you at the Changi bus interchange, alight there, turn to your left and you should see the jetty.

2. Please bring at least $15 for the trip for the rental of the bike and the ferry fee.

3. For lunch, we'll be having a picnic! So I strongly urge all of you to bring food to share with everyone. Some items can be chips, bread, canned tuna, fruits, nuggets, sandwiches or other finger food which are easy to carry around. Do bring water along with you so that you don't get dehydrated.

4. Those who are scared of mosquitoes, remember to bring repellents!

Here is a map of Changi Jetty.

Letter to Parents:

Indemnity form:

We'll see you there on Saturday!

-dora

Time of Sharing

2008-08-27T11:20:00.002+08:00

Dear YZers,

we have come to the end of the month and we will be having our time of sharing. Please do come prepared to share with one another what you have leant in your quiet time with the Lord. Ask the Lord to use you as a channel of blessing as you share from his Word and how his Word has been relevant in your life. Imagine when each of us can bring something to the table to share with each other, we will all be well fed! We can make that happen, with the help of the Holy Spirit of course!

See you this Sunday.

Well. see you this Saturday, for those who are going to Ubin. For those who cannot go, do pray for us, that the weather will be good and we will have a splendid time together.

Uncle Seng

Today's Worship

2008-08-24T16:33:00.003+08:00

Hi YZers, really appreciate Charles for leading us in worship today, reminding us that Jesus is the Lion of Judah. Those piercing eyes of the lion remind us that we cannot hide anything from God. He has access into the deepest most parts of our lives, the darkest secrets of our hearts. Let us fear God and not take him lightly. Imagine you come face to face with a lion. I'm sure you won't take the lion lightly, right?

Judah was the tribe where Israel's greatest king came from - king David and Jesus is from the line of David and therefore he is also from the tribe of Judah. Jesus is not only from the line of the greatest king, he himself is the King of kings. No wonder he is called the Lion of Judah, lion representing kingship and royalty.

Question: Is Jesus the King of our lives or are we the king? Many of us live our lives as if we are the king.

It is my prayer that we will learn to worship Jesus as our King. When we come together as a community of youths to worship him, I pray that we will give him our undivided attention, forget about ourselves and really worship the Lion of Judah. As I stood behind this morning, it really saddened my heart to see that some of you were not interested in worshipping the Lord and though your body was in the room, your mind and heart were somewhere else. If it saddens my heart to see you behaving like this, I just wonder how the Lord feels when he looks at us with those piercing eyes of the lion. Will it not shatter his heart even more?

uncle kien seng

hello yzers..

2008-08-14T17:04:00.004+08:00

please note that there is no YZ this sunday as all the DGLs will be away for the Leaders Retreat. do go for the 0830am or 1100am main service.

Church Camp Video

2008-08-07T23:33:00.002+08:00

Hey YZers,

Do take note that the church camp video footage will be screend this sunday at the MPH. The schedule of the screeing is as follows:

1. 1:00 to 1:30pm (30 min)
- Misc (about 20 min on the water games and 10 min on the rest of the camp)

2. 1:30 to 3:00pm (1 hr 30 min)
- Fun Night (the entire Fun Night program from beginning to end)

if you have some spare time after YZ on sunday, do make a trip down to the MPH. it will be a good time of fun and laughter.

Care to Contribute?

2008-06-02T01:30:00.000+08:00

this blog HAS been rather dead for quite some time. i wonder where everyone disappeared too.

anywayz my intention of blogging is to (somewhat) "revive" this blog. i dont think we can keep up continually posting on an almost weekly basis given our schedules, so perhaps some of the YZ bloggers would like to help out?

if you would like to be a contributor to the YZ blog, just leave your name and email on the tagboard and i'll add you as a contributor when i see it. please do note that this blog strictly serves 2 purposes:

1) to encourage our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to grow through our experiences, encounters or quiet time with God
2) for us to notify the YZ community of announcements and updates

hence, anyone who contributes to the blog should keep the first point in mind. anything that is controversial (you know..stuff that's not supposed to be here) will be removed. lets use this blog as a platform for communication and sharing(=

*on a side note, is anyone proficient at creating or editing blog templates? since its the hols now, for those of us who aren't having exams, maybe you could try your hand at customising our blog template to make it unique to YZ. and we've never managed to get a working photo album on the blog since day one. anyone care to lend a hand?

Gentle Reminder

2008-05-17T11:39:00.000+08:00

Hey guys

Just a gentle reminder. There's YZ tomorrow after combine service. Do come and be trained to share the gospel with your friends when they come for Starry Starry Night next week. :)

2008-05-15T14:41:00.002+08:00

for those interested to learn the guitar or keyboard over the hols, you may be interested in these courses:

the courses are certified and tested already, so dont worry about going and not being able to play after the courses. if you're interested just drop me an email at youthz_aflame@yahoo.com

Upcoming Events

2008-05-07T15:49:00.004+08:00

Hi all

There are a couple of upcoming events that will stir excitement in all of you! These are really great and awesome opportunities for you to invite your friends to come to church to join you all.

STARRY STARRY NIGHT - 24 May 2008

I hope that all of you are excited for Starry Starry Night that is coming up real soon! Remember to invite your friends for this event or it will be really funny to have an evangelistic event where there will be no non-Christians for us to share Christ's love to.

Date: 24 May 2008
Time: 6.30pm to 9.30pm
Venue: TWPC MPH

SYNOD YOUTH GAMES DAY - 31 May 2008

On top of that, if you are up for a challenge this holiday, then I urge all of you to sign up for the SYNOD Youth Games on 31 May 2008! It;s going to be a day of fun, running around and using the latest and coolest technologies to get the answers. Best of all, you will get to make new friends and work in the largest groups you've ever been in to complete the amazing race!

Date: 31 May 2008
Time: 10am to 6pm
Venue: Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Secondary School
& all around Singapore

If you're interested in the above activity, stay tuned for more information!

YZ 9th ANNIVERSARY(:

2008-03-31T23:05:00.004+08:00

Hello YZers!

As you all know we'll be having our 9th anniversary at changi chalet.
Here are some of the things that you have to take note of:

Date: 4th-5th April 2008, Fri-Sat

Time:5pm ,7pm sharp actual function starts

Venue: Aloha Changi, Fairy Point Chalet 3 (catterick road)

Map of Changi Chalets:
http://www.aloharesorts.com.sg/templates/maps/Changi.htm

(also can be found at the back of your consent forms)

how to get there:
-Take the east bound train to Tampines MRT station. Transfer to Bus no. 29.
-Stop at the 11th stop -Cranwell Rd (the interchange as the first stop)
-Walk all the way upwards (looking from the map)

to make your lives easier, do stop by the bustop by either 5.15pm or 6.15pm so that we can take you there. If you really need us to wait for awhile more,please do give us a call.

Things to REMEMBER TO DO:
-Bring the consent form if you have not submitted your forms.
(COMPULSORY FOR THOSE UNDER 18)
-Bring Bottle of drinks and chips to share around on that day
-DGLs please do confirm the attendance by Tuesday (1st April 2008)
-Bring at least two sets of clothes
-Tell us that you are leaving with your parents if you are.

Anything else, or if your parents need to speak to us contact me @ lulukhia_36@hotmail.com, if you need to call me, the number is on the invites to your parents (which i hope you gave them)

See you guys then:) <3 Rachy

2008-03-15T11:18:00.002+08:00

hello people, just 2 reminders:

1) everyone is reminded to come in their white YZ t-shirt for Youth Sunday Service tomorrow.

2) for all CSI agents, please be reminded that CSI meeting is not on 29/03 anymore. it has been shifted forward to 22/03.

2008-03-05T23:29:00.002+08:00

Hey people! Time has flown by and it's coming to the end of Roy's term at SYFC. I am sure he has a lot to share with us in terms of his experience going for the mission trips as well as preparing for the different events that he was involved in. He has kindly given us some photos of his time with his peers at PArts.

to all guest bands, yo!

2008-02-02T15:49:00.000+08:00

CALLING ALL GUEST BANDSSSS!!! (sorry this took so long ><)

We (the starrystarrynight people) are holding an audition for any guest bands who are interested to play for this evangelistic event!! However, there are some criteria and instructions:

1. ALL band members must be believers, for obvious reasons.
2. each band must prepare 2 songs that they feel are appropriate to be played at the event!
3. the songs cannot contain vulgarities, profanities, sexual connotations, suggestive lyrics, innuendos, and basically shouldnt be of the heavy metal genre. (think, LOUNGE!)

We will be providing the following instruments:
one electric guitar,
one bass,
a drum set,
and one classical piano.

If any band member is more comfortable with using their own instruments, go ahead and bring them. (just try not to bring a synthi lah)

AUDITIONS START AT TWO P.M AFTER YZ (03/01/2008). FIRST COME FIRST SERVE!

We hope to see you there!!

xoxo,
Ming, representing Mingkylala!

rach is in the houuuse!

2008-01-20T23:25:00.000+08:00

okay do not mind the title.haha.

I'm here to remind ALL of you to pay $7.50 to your DGL by THIS SUNDAY(27th Jan).
Please remember okay! no money=no t-shirt! Thank You...
Our T-shirt will be White with black printing f.y.i.
Those of You who have not given your size to your DGL please inform them!
Co-operate with me and i guarantee you to get your T-shirts around one week after Chinese New Year okokokokok?!

Im so sorry, i found out that the pictures were all blur. My friend's camera is really lousy you see(or maybe its just me) This is the best picture i could get.......
anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL JANUARY BABIES!!

2008-01-13T22:39:00.000+08:00

Attention all Mariah Carey and Michael Jacksons!? (Ekks..)

As said in YZ today, we're gonna have our very first Garage Band Outreach Event! I guess it'll be only right if we make this first garage band a successful one. Just to reiterate what i mentioned today.

Event: Starry Starry Night
Venue: TWPC carpark (Tentage will be set up)
Date: TO BE CONFIRMED
Time: 6.30pm - 9.30pm

So obviously, we would have to have auditions since this would be a pretty large scale event. Again, if i did not explain it clearly today, would like to apologise if i made it sound candid. This is an official event ya. Ok. The following are the details of the audition.

Audition Details
Date: 20th Jan 2008 (Coming Sun)
Venue: MPH (Tentative)
Time: 2pm to 6pm
You can audition as:

Lead Vocalist
Backup Vocalist
Keyboardist
Lead Guitarist
Rythmic Guitarist
Bassist
Drummer

Requirement:
Vocalists
- Present 2 songs. (Feel free to bring down the key to a comfortable one if orignal is too high)
- 1st song - your own choice of song (doesnt have to link back to the gospel)
- 2nd song - judges will select a song from the list of 3 for u to sing
- Chinese songs are allowed
- You've got a Friend (Lyrics)
- If we hold on together (Lyrics)
- The Reason (Lyrics)

Instrumentalist
- Present 2 songs. (Play the song in the orginal key/beat)
- The 2 songs will be picked at random from the list of 3
- Try to do a replication of it (listen out to the different instruments)
- All other instrumentalist audition will be accompanied by a piano except for the keyboardist (solo)
- For all you've done - Hillsongs
- Indescribable - Chris Tomlin
- Glory to the Lord - Don Moen

I've linked up all the songs already so u can access it just by 'clicking' on the title of the song/or the lyrics. Musicians, sadly, u'll have to go find your own tabs/chords/scores.

We will have another audition for those who have bands outside who wanna perform as guest bands for Starry Starry Night.

Things to note:
1) There will be 4 people assessing your performance.
2) The auditions are only for YZers.
3) It'll be a First Come First Serve Basis.

Let us not forget the main purpose of this garage band. It's an outreach event, to win the souls of our non-christian friends for our Lord. We're not looking for the best vocals or musicians and we dont expect u to be able to sing exactly like Celine Dion etc. As long as the heart is willing, and by God's grace, He'll make everyone sing beautifully. So dont be nervous, there really is no harm trying. As we have heard about this year's theme, let this be an opportunity for all of us to plunge out and serve God with the gifts He has given us. Use this opportunity to share God's love through music with those you love.

If u still have any enquiries. Feel free to contact me. silverdragon759@hotmail.com or through my hp. Go ask around for my no. or something. Not very safe to post it here. Lastly, SEE YA'LL AT THE AUDITIONS!

- lance -

2008-01-09T20:43:00.000+08:00

Hello Everyone.

As some of you might know, Roy is now serving for Youth For Christ (YFC) while he waits for his 'o' level results and is serving under the Performing Arts (PArts) for the organisation.

He had chosen to serve after being approached by his mentor as well as his DGL, who further encouraged him to take up this challenge and make full use of this time while he is waiting for his results.

Over the span of these two years, he had been exposed to mission trips as well as camps, learning more about his walk with God. In turn, he has chosen to honour God by serving Him in this capacity.

Do keep Roy in prayer as he serves in YFC. He has mentioned that this tomorrow and Saturday he would be attending an event at a school and will be a facilitator. Please pray for wisdom that he would know how to facilitate the group that he would be leading as well as for sensitivity as he interacts with the group to know their needs.

2008-01-08T22:46:00.000+08:00

Hey YZers!

SYNOD Youth Games Fellowship is coming! Adding on to the previous post, please remember to bring your water bottle, some cash and yourself. We'll be chartering a bus to bring you all to Kuo Chuan Presbyterian, so transportation is covered BUT it is a one way transport only. We'll be leaving straight after YZ for Kuo Chuan. We'll "ta pau" lunch for those going also.

For those playing soccer, do remember to bring your soccer gear as it will not be provided. Lastly, do take this opportunity to make friends with the youths from other churches ya. Don't worry, i'm pretty sure they won't bite. Other than that, have fun and enjoy the fellowship people!

-lance-

2008-01-06T22:15:00.000+08:00

hello!

Welcome to 2008! Anyway as posted back in 2007, we will be having games with some youths from the other Presbyterian churches. Here are the details:

Date: 13 January 2008
Time: 2.30pm to 6.30pm
Venue: Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Schools

It's still not too late to sign up with me for soccer or captains ball! Do let me know by 9 January if you want to come so that we can make the necessary arrangements! More details will be posted along the way!

-dora

2007-12-30T18:21:00.000+08:00

A friend had sent me this article and I think that there is some food for thought here. It's an abstract from one of Joshua Harris' books.

If boys would be men, would girls be ladies?

Let's Be Men.

First, I want to talk to the men. Men, we have our work cut out for us, and we need to take it very seriously. What business do we have pursuing a relationship with a girl when we still haven't figured out what it means to be a man? We owe it to the women in our lives, our future wives, and to God to figure this out.

Elisabeth Elliot, a woman I deeply respect, wrote to her nephew Pete, 'The world cries for men who are strong -- strong in conviction, strong to lead, to stand, to suffer. I pray that you will be that kind of man -- glad that God made you a man, glad to shoulder the burden of manliness in a time when to do so will often bring contempt.'

I want to be that kind of man. I have a long way to go. I fail more often than I succeed. I let my sin, my fear, and my laziness get the best of me. But I want to change. I know that God has made me a man for a reason. No matter what culture says, or even what some women say, I want to gladly 'shoulder the burden of manliness.'

It's not the easiest path. Earlier I told you a book that encouraged men to be passive in relationships. According to the author, the only alternative to passivity is being aggressive and overbearing. Sadly, these are the two courses many men take. But God wants us to reject both of them. Biblical masculinity is neither passive nor rudely aggressive.

God calls us to be servant initiators--firm, but gentle; masculine, yet caring; leaders, yet servants. We're called to be protectors, not seducers.

Here are four practical ways you can do these things in your relationships with women.

1. Assume the responsibility of leading and initiating in your relationships with women.

Leading is a form of serving. When you provide direction, suggest ideas, and initiate conversation or activities, you're serving your sisters.

This does not mean that you treat women as if you were their husband and the one to lead them in important life decisions. Even during the season of courtship, this isn't your place. Until you're a woman's husband, she is under no obligation to submit to your leadership. If she has a Christian father, that protection and oversight should come from him. But while you shouldn't overstep your bounds, you can serve a woman (and win her trust for the future) by leading and initiating in small ways.

For example, you can serve your sisters by being the one to plan times together. This applies to a courtship as well as friendships with women. My single friends Jacob and Ryan frequently plan get-together at their apartment. They do the work of organizing activities and inviting other guys and girls to participate.

One woman told me what a burden it is when her male friends sit around waiting for women to plan everything. 'I don't like it when a man sits there asking, 'So what do you want to do?'' she said, 'I want them to make a decision!'

The same principle applies in your courtship (or friendships). Do you initiate conversations? Do you carefully plan your dates? Are you thinking ahead and directing the course of the courtship? It's your job to make sure that it's continuing to grow at a healthy rate. It's your responsibility to make sure you're both guarding your hearts.

As you can see, servant leadership requires work. It means sacrifice. It means going out on a limb and proposing ideas, setting direction, and inviting others to follow. It means listening, taking others' interests and needs into account, and adjusting as necessary. It means deferring to others at times. Leadership isn't tyranny; it’s service rendered. It's difficult, but it's a big part of what it means a man.

2. Be a spiritual leader in your relationships with women.

Men, we should set the spiritual pace in our relationships with women.

We should be the ones to make sure our relationships aren't merely, superficial and entertainment oriented, but deep, God focused, and characterized by biblical fellowship.

The first important step is to make your own personal growth in godliness a priority. Don't be content to be spiritually lukewarm-strive to set an example of passive for God.

My friend Joseph sets a terrific example in this area. When he's with a group of friends, at some point in the conversation he'll ask a question like 'So what did you think of the sermon on Sunday?' or 'Can I share something God is showing me?' or 'What's the area God is helping you to grow in?'

Do you know what is Joseph doing? He's initiating biblical fellowship. He's asking questions that help him and his friends share the new life they have because of Jesus. He's leading them in talking about reality of God in their lives.

Joseph isn't a spiritual show-off. That should never be our motive. His goal is to serve his friends and enrich his own life. He knows how easy it is to let a whole night go by without having a serious a serious, God-focus conversation. He knows that in fellowships he and his friends are truly growing closer.

Men, in marriage we'll be called to be spiritual leaders of our homes. Before marriage, let's practice leading in biblical fellowship with friends and during courtship. Then we'll be that much more prepared to do so with our wives and children.

3. Do Little Things In Your Relationships With Women That Communicate

Your Care, Respect, and Desire to protect.

This doesn't have to be complicated. Simply be a gentleman to the women in your life. Your goal is to show through your actions that their status as a woman is a noble one.

Let them feel your concern and respect in as many ways as you possibly can. You can do this through small actions: open the door for them, pull out their chair, and escort them to their car (or house) at the end of the night. If you need more guidance, ask a few Christian women for pointers. You'll be amazed how willing they'll help educate you!

In your courtship, remember that you're not doing these things merely to impress or to win a woman's heart. You are doing these things for God's glory. You do them to serve a sister in Christ and honor her as a woman.

(A brief aside to women: If you're just friends with a man, and he's trying to treat you like a lady, don't assume he has a romantic interest in you. One of the fastest ways to derail a man's attempts to practice servant leadership is to interpret his actions as romantic overtures. As my friend Jen put it, 'Girls should assume that until a guy expresses interest, they're just friends')

4. Encourage Women to Embrace Godly Femininity.

Look for ways to encourage your sisters in godly femininity. When they make room for you to practice leadership, thank them. When they're humble and gentle, encourage them. Femininity is not weakness. It requires great strength of character for a woman to be gentle in an age that screams for her to do otherwise.

When you see woman going against the grain of culture by cultivating a skill that will serve her family someday, compliment her. When a girl is pursuing a demanding career, but it is still being feminine, let her know you notice. Let her know you respect her.

Men should be the biggest encouragers and prayer warriors for women who are seeking to glorify God by practicing godly femininity.

A Challenge to the Girls: Be Godly Ladies

I think I can understand how you feel. I'm sure that you can think of ways these biblical truths have been misused and misapplied by domineering and chauvinistic men. I'm sorry that has been the case. Please know that there are many men today who want to spend their lives proving that that's not what biblical masculininity is about.

Don't give up on us. We need your support. We need your prayers. We need you to fix your eyes on God-not on the men who have misrepresented His plan-and live your life in response to His commands for you as a woman.

Here are the four ways you can be sisters to the men in you life and practice mature femininity.

1. In Your Relationship with Godly Men, Encourage and Make Room for Them to Practice Servant Leadership.

If a man's biggest temptation is to be passive, a woman's biggest temptation is to take control. The man isn't setting a course, so the woman grabs the steering wheel. It might fix things in the short term, but in the long run it only discourages men from playing their God-given role as initiators.

You can encourage men to be men by refusing to do the work of leading for them. What you want to avoid is developing a habit initiating your relationships with men. This doesn't mean you never do so, but that it's not the normal pattern in your life. Neither does this mean that when you're single, you're supposed to submit to every man you meet. God asks a woman to submit to her husband. But a single woman can, with men whose character warrants it, encourage servant leadership and respond to their initiative.

So if you're in a courtship, make room for him to lead. Step back and let him be one to take charge. How else will he learn to lead? How else can you practice for the time when you will follow a husband?

Sylvia, who is in her thirties, gave me one example of how women can let men lead. 'We ladies can be too quick to fill the silence in a conversation.' she said. 'We're like, 'Oh no, he's not talking! I need to say something.' But I think it's important for us to let there be awkward moments of silence so the men can step up and lead the conversation.'

2. Be a Sister to the Man in Your Life.

What are the categories you have for Christian men in your life-potential boyfriend, potential husband, no potential whatsoever? I encourage you to drop these categories. The first way you should view a Christian guy is as a brother.

Be a sister to the men in your life. Pray for them. Be yourself. Don't put up a front. Be a friend.

And remember, encourage men to lead and to initiate doesn't mean that girls never start a conversation or have ideas for activities. My coworker Dawn and her three roommates make a practice of inviting a group of guys over for dinner every two weeks. They use these times to reach out to new people in their singles ministry and to develop friendships. Dawn and her roommates are being sisters to their brothers in the Lord.

3. Cultivate the Attitude that Motherhood is a Noble and Fulfilling Calling.

Today many people scorn motherhood and the skills associated with managing a home. In our culture children are viewed as a nuisance, and motherhood is considered a waste of a woman's talents. A college counselor once told me that majority of the female students she worked with secretly longed to get married and have kids, but they were too ashamed to admit it. What a tragedy!

Please don't believe our culture's lies about motherhood. If God has placed that desire in your heart, don't be embarrassed about it. The Bible encourages younger women to learn homemaking skills from older women. Learning to keep a home and love husband and children is part of God's plan for the complete training of younger women (see Titus 2:3). Don't hesitate to learn the practical skills that will one day allow you to serve a family. Search out godly mothers in your local church from whom you can learn.

You can possess biblical femininity without being married or having children. As a single woman, you can express your femininity by practicing hospitality and by caring for and nurturing the people in your life. But you can also honor God's plan for womanhood by agreeing that motherhood is a high and noble calling.

4. Cultivate Godliness and Inward Beauty in Your Life

A girl once wrote to tell me how God had used Proverbs 7:5 to convict her of being like the wayward woman who led men astray. 'I don't want to be a seductress like her,' she wrote. 'I don't want flirtatiousness or immodest clothing to keep guys from seeing me as a sister in Christ.'

If you want godly men to respect and cherish you as a woman, refuse to buy in to our culture's obsession with being physically beautiful and sexually alluring. This is an attitude that springs from the motives of your heart and extends to the way you dress and act around men.

Is your wardrobe an expression of your love for God? Shannon often says to women, 'There's a big difference between dressing attractively and dressing to attract.' What's your motive? Have you ever asked your father or another Christian woman to honestly evaluate your clothing? Are you willing to sacrifice fashion to be obedient to God?

During out courtship, Shannon honored me by always acting and dressing modestly. A few times that meant getting rid of outfits that she didn't think would cause a problem (Ladies, you'll never know just how differently we're wired until you get married!'. Once when I told her that a particular pair of shorts were a little too short and were causing me to struggle, she quickly replaces them.

In Scripture, Peter tells Christian women that their beauty should be that of their inner selves -'the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight' (1 Peter 3:4).

2007-12-23T23:02:00.000+08:00

Hi all

It's the season to be jolly as Christmas is around the corner. In fact, it's Christmas Eve tomorrow! Anyway, we have an exciting activity coming up on 13 January 2008!!

The youths from the SYNOD Youth Camp had enjoyed themselves so much that they have specially planned an activity for us on the 13th of January where we can have a fun time of fellowship by playing soccer and captain's ball! We are looking to form two teams, one for captain's ball (mixed group) and one for soccer.

Here are the details of the event:

Date: 13 January 2008
Time: 2pm to 6pm
Venue: TO BE CONFIRMED

Do let us know if you are interested in coming for the event! We do need to inform the faithful servants organizing the activity ASAP if we are coming down! We can always take the opportunity to invite our friends as well and have a good time playing with the other youths from the other presbyterian churches should we not be able to form a full team!

Yep, please contact me, Dora!

2007-11-16T01:31:00.000+08:00

hello YZERs. the pictures on the right are the synod youth camp registration forms, so download them and fill them out if you havent done so already. alternatively, you could fill in a word document all the essential information on the form and email us. you can email us your queries and questions to this (severely underused) email:

yz.core@gmail.com

and yes some of you have been asking about the t-shirts. we promise they will be out by next year, along with the banner which will be placed outside church.

so please sign up for camp if:
1) you havent done so
2) you have nothing better to do during the holidays

and just to leave you with some comfort from pastor kien seng regarding camp: "it will not be very different from our YZ camp in that we will be in the same group for discussion and we can sit together for the main messages. we will only get to interact with youths from other churches during workshops depending on which one we have selected and games. and what's wrong with meeting new people? it is in line with our theme for this year- looking out! "

more info about synod youth camp (as well as a publicity video) can be found @ http://www.synodym.blogspot.com

2007-10-30T18:34:00.000+08:00

What Equals 100%?
What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?
Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%?
We have all been in situations where someone wants you to

GIVE OVER 100%.

How about ACHIEVING 101%?

What equals 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help answer these questions:

If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

If:
H-A-R-D-W-O-R- K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

And:

K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

And:
A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

Now im sure all of you at this point will be going like "chey, i've seen this before.."

BUT, look how far the love of God will take you:
L-O-V-E-O-F-G-O-D
12+15+22+5+15+6+7+15+4 = 101%

While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, It's the Love of God that will put you over the top!

2007-10-05T21:00:00.000+08:00

Hello.

I'm here once again to talk about SYNOD Youth Camp. This year, YZ has chosen the theme, STOP!LOOK!GO! to emphasize on our horizontal and vertical relationship, with our peers and of course, God. The theme was chosen based on last year's camp, Look up, Look out, where in the camp, we were all encouraged to build up relationships with brothers and sisters in this community, looking to the example set by God.

Hence, this year, we want to encourage all of you to attend the SYNOD Youth Camp, Plug in, to exercise what have been taught in the program this year. It will be a good opportunity for all of you meet with youths from other churches, to come out of our comfort zones to get to know them. Most importantly, this is a good opportunity for you to learn more about God in a camp, worshipping with others from the same big family.

As mentioned, we are trying to gather the names of those of you who are interested in going for the camp. The registration forms are out already and will be made available for you. Please let your DGLs know of your interest and we will work from there. I sincerely hope to see of you attending the camp.

Date: 5 - 8 December 2007
Venue: Kuo Chuan Presbyterian School
Age Group: 13 - 18
Cost: $30 (before 21 October), $40 (after 21 October)

2007-09-30T23:30:00.000+08:00

Hello People of YZ

I hope today's sharing session did not deter any of you from wanting to do your QT or feel like you're not adequate enough even though you have been spending time with God. Let's be a caring community, encouraging each other in this race to know God more and more.

Pray for one another as all of you prepare to move forward into the examination period. Words of encouragement serves as a tool for us to spur one another on. I know that it can be very difficult to write encouragement cards/notes to people that you do not really know but rely on the wisdom and love of God to write words to spur one another on.

Remember, God is a Sovereign God who should take the first priority in our lives and not be relegated to the back seat in times of exams. Let HIM be the God of your lives.

Love,
Dora

2007-09-22T01:36:00.001+08:00

I just realised that this is the point in time where most of you are preparing for your exams and hence would not be able to come online. However, I hope that most of you are still spending time with God in the midst of your busy schedules.

I remember the time when I was back in school, exams and tests would always take the priority because of this paper chase that we have here in Singapore. These would de-throne God as the Lord of my life and take priority, even though I still attended church and DG. However, my mind was never with God. Till this day, it is a constant struggle whenever I am this busy with school.

However, God never fails and never walks away even when we choose to walk away from Him. This is a characteristic of God that will never change. Yet, we always take this for granted when we shouldn't to because God is our Sovereign Lord and we should never take Him for granted.

I know that it isn't easy but I strongly encourage all of you to take some time everyday be it just 5 or 10 minutes. Putting God as a priority is something that we all should learn to do and let's encourage each other to do so.

All the best for your exams! =)

-dora

emmanuel

2007-08-31T22:01:00.001+08:00

The Bronze Snake, Numbers 21

6 Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people.
8 The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.

Are we like the people complaining to God, Friends give thanks in good times and bad times!

2007-08-27T00:22:00.001+08:00

Bearing One Another's Burden
"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2)

When God places people in your life who are in need, He is aware if what they lack, and He knows He has given you the resources to meet those needs. You know God does nothing by accident. When a need surfaces around you, immediately go to the Father and say, "You put me here for a reason. You knew this was going to happen. What did You intend to do through me that would help this person become closer to You?"

Recognizing a need in someone's life can be one of the greatest invitations from God you will ever expereince. It's easy to become frustrated by the problems of others. They can overwhelm you as you become aware of need after need. Rather than looking at each new problem as one more drain on your time, energy or finances, ask God why He has placed you in that situation. Allow God to help you see beyond the obvious need of others to the things He wants to accomplish in their lives. Don't miss God's activity because you're reluctant to carry the load of others.

Is God blessing you materially? It may be He is developing a "supply depot" in your life through which He can provide for others. Has God granted you a strong, healthy family life? It may be that He requires such a home to minister to hurting families all around you. Has God released you from sinful habits. Has God's peace comforted you in a great time of sorrow? Has God miraculously provided for your needs? It may be that He has been purposefully building things into your life so that you can now be the kind of person whol will carry the burdens of others.

[Experiencing God Daily Devotionals - June 29]

as the exams draw nearer, more and more people seem to become more "emo", perhaps due to work stress and exam stress. and even as i think of ways to comfort my fellow brothers and sisters, while flipping through my devotions book, this short devotional caught my eye. indeed its true God never does anything by accident, and the people he has put around us is not by accident either. as a family in the body of Christ, its my prayer for everyone that we can always be there for each other to provide support and reassurance, to be encouragers in love.

there are so many people in our life who are bleeding inside, crying out, but masquerading, their pain hidden. this week, let ask God to impress upon your heart a person in your life who is feeling low, and pray for ways in which you can make an impact on this person. be sensitive and wait on the Lord, allowing Him to work through you to touch others. even as we are not meeting in YZ next week, let that not hinder us from dropping an encouraging sms to check in on our brothers and sisters in Christ.

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Ephesians 4:2,3

daryl

2007-08-27T00:00:00.000+08:00

The Resume of Jesus Christ

Hello. My name is Jesus -The Christ. Many call me Lord! I've sent you
my resume because I'm seeking the top management position in your
heart. Please consider my accomplishments as set forth in my resume.

Qualifications:
I founded the earth and established the heavens, (See Proverbs 3:19)
I formed man from the dust of the ground, (See Genesis 2:7)
I breathed into man the breath of life, (See Genesis 2:7)
I redeemed man from the curse of the law, (See Galatians 3:13)
The blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant comes upon your life through
me, (See Galatians 3:14)

Occupational Background:
I've only had one employer, (See Luke 2:49).
I've never been tardy, absent, disobedient, slothful or
My employer has nothing but rave reviews for me, (See Matthew 3:15-
17)

Skills / Work Experiences:
Some of my skills and work experiences include: empowering the poor,
to be poor no more, healing the brokenhearted, setting the captives
free,healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind and setting at
liberty them that are bruised, (See Luke 4:18).
I am a Wonderful Counselor, (See Isaiah 9:6).
People who listen to me shall dwell safely and shall not fear evil,
(See Proverbs 1:33).
Most importantly, I have the authority, ability and power to cleanse
you of your sins, (See I John 1:7-9)

Educational Background:
I encompass the entire breadth and length of knowledge, wisdom and
understanding, (See Proverbs 2:6).
In me are hid all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, (See
Colossians 2:3).
My Word is so powerful; it has been described as being a lamp unto
your feet and a lamp unto your path, (See Psalms 119:105).
I can even tell you all of the secrets of your heart, (See Psalms
44:21).

Major Accomplishments:
I was an active participant in the greatest Summit Meeting of all
times, (See Genesis 1:26).
I laid down my life so that you may live, (See II Corinthians 5:15).
I defeated the archenemy of God and mankind and made a show of them
openly, (See Colossians 2:15).
I've miraculously fed the poor, healed the sick and raised the dead!

There are many more major accomplishments, too many to mention here.
You can read them on my website, which is located at: www dot - the
BIBLE.
You don't need an Internet connection or computer to access my
website.

References:
Believers and followers worldwide will testify to my divine healings,
salvation, deliverance, miracles, restoration and supernatural
guidance

In Summation
Now that you've read my resume, I'm confident that I'm the only
candidate uniquely qualified to fill this vital position in your
heart. I will properly direct your paths, (See Proverbs 3:5-6), and
lead you into everlasting life, (See John 6:47).
When can I start? Time is of the essence, (See Hebrews 3:15).

2007-08-07T11:56:00.001+08:00

Hi People!

Just a little reminder about tomorrow's season of life. Registration is still open. SO PLEASE KEEP YOUR FORMS COMING IN. On another note, please remember to bring the following:

Water bottle
Torch Light
A full set of change of clothes
Some money

Please remember to keep all your belongings properly as we travel from place to place too. See all of you tomorrow. If you need to contact anyone, please look for Yi En, Lance, Uncle KS or me (Eudora).

-dora

2007-07-28T09:47:00.001+08:00

Hi people. As you know, we will be having an EP missions conference coming up in August. The dates are 16-18 August and we are strongly encouraging all of you to go for the last session which is on Saturday evening. More details will be posted up here on the blog. Do keep in view the date, 18 August and come for the session. We strongly encourage you to attend.

2007-07-24T22:48:00.000+08:00

Registration form

Publicity Flyer

Hello people!

Seasons of Life is fast approaching and here are the new publicity poster and the registration forms. Do click on the images to get a bigger one and print them out of your friends. If you need more information, do call Yien, Lance or me (Eudora) for them.

2007-07-10T22:10:00.000+08:00

If you are interested in this seminar, please inform Daryl by this Thursday 12 July 2007! The speaker was Uncle Kien Seng's lecturer in theological college and as according to him, she is a captivating speaker. No doubt I believe you guys would learn and benefit a lot from this course. Okies, think about it and let Daryl know!

2007-06-28T23:10:00.000+08:00

Ello people.

This is a reminder going out to all choir members that there's choir prac this coming sat at 4pm to 6pm.

See ya there ya!

Lance

2007-06-23T09:14:00.000+08:00

Dear YZ

Another month has passed and God has indeed been very gracious in providing for my needs and sustaining me

in times of difficulties and struggles during this 6-month term of Project Serve.

Service to God is never smooth-sailing; there are times when I faced with much struggles and difficulties.
I still struggle with doing street evangelism (St E). The rejection by the students is almost as discouraging as the
time when I first started sharing the gospel to the people on the streets a few years ago. But I thank God for
reminding me that the work of sharing gospel must continue. There are people who will reject the gospel,
but there are also people who are lost and seeking. If the Christians do not share the gospel, who will?
Please pray for me that I will always focus on God and the work rather than on my own discouragements.

I want to thank God for helping me as I met my students for their mid- year exams revision.
Thank God for giving me the discipline to sit down to revise my work properly. I am very thankful that I am
able to spend fruitful time with my students. By God’s grace, I managed to share the gospel to one of my
students when I met up with her to assist in her revision. After sharing with her, she expressed interest to
know more about God. I was very thankful for her keenness to meet up for bible study even though she may
face parental objection. Please pray for this student that God will sustain her interest for the gospel. 

On the 26^th and 31st May, we had our evangelistic event called “Charity STILL not enough”. The objective
of this event is to encourage the Christians students to do their part in showing love to the less fortunate people
in the society and using charity as a platform to share with the non- Christians students that charity is not enough
to save us from the punishment of sin. We have more than 80 Christian and non- Christian students who attended
this event. Thank God for this opportunity that we can share the gospel with the young people once again through
this charity event. By God’s grace, I have 4 non-Christians contacts who expressed interest to find out more about God.
Pray that they will continue to be keen in knowing God and that I will be faithful in following up with them.

In June, we have the Teengames sports outreach event, organized by Singapore Youth for Christ (SYFC) annually.
I was involved as a team manager for one Ultimate Frisbee team and one Basketball team. My role was to handle
the administration matters for the teams, taking care of them and ultimately sharing gospel to them. I
t was quite a challenge for me as this was my first time serving as a team manager.  However, I was really excited about it.
Being able to come in contact with young people with the same interest and sharing the gospel relevantly to them
are things worth thanking God for. Thank God for the two teams whom I was able to build rapport with before
and during the games. I managed to share the gospel to the two groups of people. Though their responses towards
the gospel were not very positive, I still thank God for the friendship that I have with the students.
Pray that I will be able to talk to them more about the gospel in future.

 I am going to meet up with my non- Christians contacts who are interested to know more about God.
Please pray that God will grant me the wisdom to deliver each lesson to them relevantly and that God will keep them interested to know more about the gospel.
Pray that they will come to believe in God and acknowledge Christ as their savior and Lord according to God’s perfect plan and timing

Finally, I want to thank you for your prayer and financial support thus far in my term of project serve.
As I enter my last month of this term of Project Serve, please pray that I will continue to trust God for his provision and to learn to serve Him in humility.
Please also consider to support me financially this last month as I still need to raise allowance for my daily expenses and a love gift for my parents.

Thank you for reading the letter.

In Him

Chen Liqun (North Area)

2007-06-19T22:30:00.000+08:00

Hi all.

Please take note that this saturday's choir practice is still on as agreed upon last week. It will be at Rm 206. 1pm till 4pm. Do take note. An email and SMS has been sent to those involved in the choir also. Do acknowledge upon receipt. Thanks!

Lance

2007-06-15T02:40:00.000+08:00

hey guys,

i realised that yahoo has been having some problems with receiving emails, so for all CSI agents who has not yet read or checked your mail, refer to dora's post below regarding our Youth Sunday item AND revert attendance to lance by friday, 15 june, 2100h!

i have removed the links to our picture gallery, coz for starters, no one can place pictures in there. so i'll try to get it sorted and when its done, i will relink it back up. in the meantime, it has been replaced by the links to our YZ Annual Challenge video and the scores to "I Will Follow Him".

*rooms for sat prac will be posted here when it is confirmed.

daryl

2007-06-13T22:02:00.000+08:00

Hi people!

It's been a long long while since we updated this YZ blog. Please please be reminded that there is YZ this Sunday and we have invited the speaker, Kay Huat to speak to us on God's will. Think it would definitely be an interesting topic to think about especially since we always ask, how do we know that it's God's will for us to allow certain things to happen etc.

Another BIG BIG event to look out for would be our upcoming Youth Sunday on 1st July! This time around, we've decided to show off our musical talent by putting up a song item! We will be singing 'I Will Follow Him'. For those of you who are familiar with the song, it was sang in 'The Sister Act' led by Whoopi Goldberg and the choir. Anyway, WE ARE CALLING OUT FOR SINGERS!!! For those of you who are interested to sing, please contact your DGLs by this FRIDAY, 15 June 8pm! We will be having our first practice this SATURDAY, 16 JUNE at 1pm. Details are as follow:

Date of Practice: 16 June, Saturday
Time: 1pm

Take note of who will be leading the different sections as well:

Soprano - Lynn
Altos - Kyna
Tenor - Lance
Bass - Uncle Cjin Pheow/Lance (Depends)

Please note that this is a voluntary thing. We're not forcing you but encouraging you to use your talent for God. If you need more info, like want to see the scores and all, please e-mail Lance or me, Eudora for them. In fact, you can even ask your DGLs. So we hope to hear from all of you soon!

Love, dora

2007-05-27T16:33:00.000+08:00

Hello people!!!

Yesterday was our SYNOD Youth Games Day and well, I hope that all of you who went down had a lot a lot of fun even though we did not come back with any prizes. I wonder what was going through all of your minds as you were out there playing the games and facing your opponents. Even more so as you were playing and your opponents seemed to be so much stronger than all of you.

Well, some of us would have felt pretty discouraged by the scores that reflected in all the matches that we played. Some of us would have also been discouraged when we felt that no one seemed to be cheering for us. However, I want to let all of you know that we are proud of all of you for displaying wonderful sportsmanship!! You all have shown great maturity in handling all your loses well. For that, I really want to commend all of you. =)

Anyway, I hope that all of us would continue to come down for our monthly games in church even as this games day is over. REMEMBER THERE ARE MANY MORE SYNOD YOUTH GAMES DAY TO COME!!! HAHAHA. I hope that all of us would be there next year and we will be there either to play or to spur one another on. Let us be a community that seeks to love on another. Even if we cannot win any trophies back, by living in love as a community would definitely be much much better than winning a physical prize.

love,
dora =)

2007-05-19T22:38:00.000+08:00

hey people,

i guess our first ever YZ Annual Challenge is finally over!! (and many of us exhale sighs of reliefs..) nonetheless, i hope you guys enjoyed yourselves today as much as i did whacking some of you with powdered pillows(:

and while we did enjoy ourselves, let us not forget too the people who helped make this whole event possible. an extremely big thank you to mingbao, linus and rachel for planning this entire event! and for all the other people who helped out in one way or another, people like lance who so "willingly" placed aside his self-image to do the advertisements for us to enjoy, xionghai and jianhorng for helping out with the logistics, dora for catering, the team and station marshalls and many many others who sacrificed their time to contribute to this event. A VERY VERY BIG THANK YOU(:

so YZers, if perchance you see them tml during YZ, do rmb to thank them k?

and just a gentle reminder for people who signed up for the SYnod Youth Games Day. it will be held at kuo chuan presbyterian school NEXT WEEK, so set that dat aside and pls be present by 1300h. dora will provide the list of those who are playing on that day soon, and even if you're not playing, you could always come down to support your friends and cheer them on. cheers(:

daryl

2007-05-02T20:51:00.000+08:00

Dear YZ

Greetings! Thank you for your support for the past few months. The few months in project serve have indeed been a fruitful time for me. I have learnt many things during this time of full time project serve. There were occasions when I got corrected and rebuked for not doing something well or correctly but I thank God for those times. It helped to remind me of my sinful nature and has caused me to be humble when I received feedback or comments. Once again it dawn on me the need to serve God in humility. It is only when we humble ourselves to serve God; we would be willing to let God use us in whatever way He pleases. Pray for me that I will continue to learn to be humble not just during project serve but also in future.

In the first week of April, we had our Good Friday event. Thank God for all the Christian and non-Christian students who turned up for the event. I managed to share to 1 non-Christian student during the event. Thank God that she is actually very interested to know more about God and is willing to meet up for bible study. I have met up with her for twice in April and for each time we meet, she showed keenness to learn and I thank God for that. Pray that as I continue to meet up with her, God’s grace may cause her to see the need to repent and turn back to God. Pray also that she will respond positively to God’s word.

I have also taken up the challenge to help some students with their school work during their exams. Why do I take that as a challenge? That is because it has been a long time since I last studied or read my notes so it may take a little more effort for me to recall things that I have learnt in secondary school. Besides being able to help them in their school work, I see this as a great opportunity to catch up with some of the students that I met on the streets previously and hopefully through the meeting I will be able to share the gospel with some of them. Pray for me that I will have the discipline to revise my work and will be of help to the students.

During one the staff meetings that I attended, we learned from Mark 13 about the end times. It was a lesson that has encouraged me tremendously. It actually talks about Jesus giving advice to the disciples of how they should respond to the situations during end times. The three main points are to stand firm, trust God and keep watch. To stand firm is to not be alarmed by things that happens during end times and not to be misled by other versions of Christ that people may preach to us. To trust God that He will protect His people and deliver His people in difficult times. To keep watch is to anticipate the return of Christ by remaining faithful in doing God’s work. The part which encourages me the most would be the promise that difficult times are never endless and that God will deliver His people. Sharing gospel may seems very difficult nowadays when many refuse to listen or are hostile towards the gospel but God promised that difficult times will end when Christ returns. One application I have for myself is to remain faithful and continue to share the gospel wherever I may be. I hope that you will pray along side me that by God’s grace that I would be able to share the gospel wherever I go. I too, pray for you that you will remain faithful in doing God’s work.

I have decided to extend my project serve term till the end of June; I hope that you will continue to pray for me as I devote this coming two months to serve the Lord full time in project serve. Pray that I will continue to serve with a humble and teachable heart. Pray for me also that I will trust God for the plans He has for me as I await my application results for the different universities.

Lastly, I want to thank God for His provision this few months, though there are times when it seems that I could not raise enough allowance but according to His own timing provided for me. It is a great encouragement to me to know that there are people supporting the work in prayer and even giving to the work financially. Please continue to support the work by praying and/or financially.

Thank you for reading this letter.

In Him
Chen Liqun (North Area)

-.The YZ Challenge.-

2007-04-23T11:06:00.000+08:00

Date: 19th May 2007 (sat)
Time: 3.30 - 6pm (registration and games)
Dinner: 6pm onwards
Venue: True way presbyterian church MPH
cost: $6
10 people per team
sign up/collect registration forms: Mingbao/Rachel Lu

C'MON YZERS! FORM YOUR TEAMS SOON. We really hope each on of you bring at least one non christian friend to form your teams. Send this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF01wKsQCvo to your friends to tell them all about this YZ CHALLENGE:) Remember our target to tear the wall behind in the YZ room? ITS TIME TO ACT NOW!! SO HURRY AND SIGN UP!! :)

love,Rachy

thanks to ming bao for the video:)

2007-04-18T22:19:00.000+08:00

Hi All.

I hope all of you had fun at YZ's 8 Anniversary. Anyway, I wonder if any of you remembered the singer, Deb Fung? She came to our church last year to sing during service and I recalled that many of you bought her cds. Good news! She's back in Singapore and this time would be performing at the Esplanade. Here are the details:

Heartwarming and heartfelt, the acoustic pop ballads of Australian-born Chinese singer-songwriter Deb Fung express her love for life, lulling her listeners into moments of reflection, rest and release.

Sydney-based Deb was the winner of the 2003 National Gospel Award for Best New Gospel Artist in Australia, was recognised nationally for her songwriting through the Australian Songwriters Association in 2006, and has just released her third album Whoever You Are with world class musicians such as New York jazz bassist Christian McBride, Australian drummer Damian Rogers (Delta Goodrem, Guy Sebastian, Christine Anu) and guitarist Mark Cullen (Parachute Band, Darlene Zschech). Her stylistic influences include Jewel, Sarah McLachlan, Switchfoot, Bethany Dillon and Corrinne May.

Be uplifted as Deb performs several of her own compositions – together with local musicians, Ruth Ling (keyboards), Audrey Tang (drums) and Leonard Cheong (bass) – in this concert of inspirational music.

Dates: 27 & 28 Apr 07, Fri & Sat, 9.30pm, Recital Studio

Tickets are available from Sistic (www.sistic.com) and are priced at $25 each.

In addition to this concert, YZ Games Time is coming up this saturday! Do form your teams and sign up with us this week so that we can submit your teams for SYNOD Youth Games Day. As noted from the tags that Uncle Kien Seng has left, the games day has been pushed forward to 26 May 2007 which would mean that we have 1 more month!!! People, let's be supportive of this event and better still the organiser, Uncle Kien Seng. Let us also look out for other people in God's community.

Details of this games day:

Date:21 April 2007
Time: 3.45pm
Things to bring:water bottle, extra clothes to change
Meet at the first floor lift foyer in church.

2007-04-03T20:19:00.000+08:00

Hello People.

Please take note that this week there's no YZ because it's Easter Sunday and there's combine service at 8.30am. I strongly encourage all of you to attend service and since it's also our baptism service, all the more I would like you to be there to witness the baptism and confirmation of many of our youths. Show them the support that they would need as they make this bold step of faith.

An update about YZ's 8th Anniversary. The theme of this year's celebrations is WHITE PARTY and all of you are encouraged to participate in the theme by wearing WHITE to the party - any part of your outfit to be WHITE. =) Well you are asked to be sitted by 6.30pm and we will start promptly. So please do not be late. Your parents has since been invited and they are kindly requested to RSVP to Rachel and me by this Saturday.

Do remember that there's an easter convention this week held in church on Wednesday and Thursday evening at 7.30pm and a Good Friday service at Expo Hall 2 at 10am.

2007-03-29T22:27:00.000+08:00

Hello people. Good Friday is coming and I wonder what are the thoughts running through your head. What is good friday to you? You know this is one of the most powerful testimonies that we can share with our friends. Good friday is a time where it has the most powerful message of forgiveness and redemption of our sins. The best work of reconciliation that we can ever tell off. We have many opportunities to invite our friends to church with the many activities that we try to plan.

Remember the little skit that the Core group had put up when we were launching the theme of the year? The one where we had hammers in our hands telling you of our vision to double the number of people in YZ so that we can knock down the wall making the current YZ room bigger. I hope you guys haven't forgotten. Well, it may be hard to find invite our friends to church because we fear their rejection but yet, it is said in the bible that as followers of Christ, the best thing we can do is to share of our faith to those who have yet to believe.

If you realise, there are many opportunities to invite your friends to church (ie. games time, gospel sunday, youth sunday etc). I really pray that each of us be serious in thinking of the person we really hope to bring into the Kingdom of God. Let us share this good news to all of them.

One event that you can bring them to would be the upcoming easter convention held from next wednesday to friday. There are services in our church at 7.30pm on Wednesday and Thursday evening. On Good Friday, the service will be held at Singapore Expo Hall 2 at 10am. Do come down and join us at the services. =)

BTW! YZ 8 Anniversary is coming up on April 14. We are having our thanksgiving in church at 6.30pm. Do avail yourself as we celebrate God's goodness to this ministry. Your parents have been invited as well. Do ask them to RSVP to either Rachel or me, Eudora soon. Look out here for more details of the thanksgiving!

eudora

2007-03-22T20:55:00.000+08:00

Hi People! Here's some details for this Saturday's games time.

Meeting Time: 3.45pm
Meeting Place: The lift foyer at the first level
Attire: Sports Wear
What to bring: badminton racquets(if you wanna play badminton)
your waterbottle

You are strongly encouraged to bring your friends along for this great time of fellowship. We will also be playing soccer and captain's ball so as to build our bonds for the upcoming Synod Youth Games Day. I hope you guys have already formed your teams.

dora

2007-03-20T09:16:00.000+08:00

Hello people!!

Finally Youth Sunday is over and I thank God for the positive responses that I recieved. Indeed it was an exciting experience when I saw that there were people in the congregation sitting there, worshiping the Lord, in Spirit and in truth. When I saw you guys out there, it added even more encouragement. =) I hope that you guys have learnt a lot from the sermon that day because indeed, when there is sin in our lives, we cannot function as best as we can as Christians.

I was browsing through the new paper the other day and I came across this very interesting article about this group of christians in the fashion industry choosing to meet up with each other to share of their struggles to stick to their moral principles as best as they can. As you all might know, the fashion industry is one where sometimes principles can be compromised and worse, you can be mocked for standing up to your principles.

What encouraged me when I was reading this article was that these people stood firm to their convictions, to be a good christian even though they could have lost certain jobs. How many of us are willing to give up jobs that could be high paying or friends that would mock you for standing up for God? I don't believe many of us would because friends are very important to us especially during this time when we are all growing up. We tend to confide in our friends more than we confide in our parents.

I do have my own experience to share. I recently had to give up this internship position because I would have to compromise on my christian convictions and almost give up coming to church for the next six months. It wasn't easy to make that decision because the offer that they had given me was so attractive that as an intern I would actually undertake a project that I can call my own. But well, I gave it up anyway. =)

It's not easy to stick up for God but when you do so, God honours you in ways that you cannot imagine. God honoured me and I got a good internship somewhere else.

Anyway this saturday is GAMES TIME again! It starts at 4pm and we should end by 6.30pm. If you can, we can all go out for dinner together after the games. Yep. Look at this place for more information!

loadz of love, eudora

2007-03-12T21:27:00.000+08:00

links for our gallery is finally up, so do check it out. but as always, i dont "cam-whore" as much as many people do, so i suppose our gallery does depend on contributions from all of you out there(:

when you're viewing an album in the gallery, there's a link at the side which says "Add Images".
click on that link. before you can post any images, you'll have to sign up with imagestation, so just create an ad-hoc account lor. doesnt take much time since you only need to fill in 5 fields. after that you'll be free to just add images into the relevant albums, though it wont appear immediately cause it'll have to be approved.

so, do contribute towards the gallery, especially if you take lots of photos at all the YZ events. the correspondign albums will be set up after each event, so add your images to the right albums. all sorts of releveant images (including quirky shots of your friends) are welcome! will add a miscellaneous album for all the candid shots of YZers.

and fyi, the song is "Mighty to Save" by Hillsongs, the last song that julia sang for worship.

cheers, daryl

2007-03-07T11:01:00.000+08:00

I realised that this blog has been left stagnant for a while. Well I presume that most of you are in your last week of term one and therefore, most of you are recieving your term grades and well for the sec 4 students, probably having your first meet-the-parents session of the year. I wonder how are all of you are feeling right now.

Going through the first term of school may not have been the easiest transition for most of you especially if you're a sec 1 student, sec 3 student or even JC 1 student. Thrown into new environments, trying to handle the new subjects and new demands of almost everything. Yet, many lessons can be learnt just within these 10 weeks of school alone.

As expected, adjusting back to school is difficult. Making new friends, feeling like all else is futile because you are not doing well in school. But I want to encourage all of you, God is ever present with you. He is your friend when you feel you are friendless, He is always there to catch you when you feel like you are falling from the sky because you aren't doing well in school. He understands when you feel misunderstood and well, corrects you when He knows you need to.

Sometimes, He may do things that we do not understand but when we look back, we see the good that God has planned for us. You see, as humans and more less teenagers, we tend to be a little more headstrong especially pushing for the things we want. We sometimes turn our backs on God's calling for us because it's not the way that we want to go but you know, it's just like the story of the prodigal son. God is like the father waiting for his son to return home. It's never too late.

We tend to stray away from God when things get tough but trials come our way so that we can be strengthen in our faith. Satan will try means and ways to get us away from God. My encouragement to you guys is really to stick close to God. He is the one who gets us through the hard and tough times. He is our encourager when we lack encouragement.

Take heart. Press on.

- dora

YZ GAMES DAY

2007-02-21T22:23:00.000+08:00

hello people, here are the details of this coming games day:

date: 24th february 07
time: 4 - 6pm
venue: field besides block 184 Stirling Road (5 mins walk from TWPC)

being our first games day, this will be more of a free and easy event, so you can just come down to relax and enjoy yourselves. we will be playing games as those listed below:

a) badminton (open air court, pls bring own racket)
b) captain's ball
c) soccer
d) frisbees

we will be meeting at the venue itself, so there is no need to go down to church on that day. do bring along an extra set of clothes and towels if you need a change and stuff. other than that, just bring along yourselves =)

see you there!

daryl

2007-02-16T14:40:00.000+08:00

Hi my lovelies:)

Thank you guys for voting!! But guys, one problem, we have almost a hundred people in YZ and we need more people to vote, please also encourage your other friends who are in the same DG group or sth to vote okay?

So anyway, ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE WEEK. Since today’s Friday and everything.. hahaha. As you all know that I just got my O’level results. I got average marks that I never would deserve! I reckon that I had to retake(so I was like preserving my books from last year.) But absolutely not! God was gracious. I left everything into His hands. He answered my prayers, and IT WAS FAB. I’d never expect that! I thank God for everything.

But what about you man? Are you struggling and in doubt of what God has in plan for you? Well, I suggest that you leave everything in God’s hands. Cos’ He knows what to do with your life, you just have to have faith in Him. The all famous verse to guide you,lol, Prverbs 3:5,6 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.”
And somewhere in the bible(I forgot) it says “Be still and know that I AM God.” Be still and know that He is God and how Great He is that He can make changes in your life if you just have faith in Him.

Right now, I will have faith in Him on where he is going to place me in poly.

LOVE,Rachylu

(please look at archive for missing designs)

2007-02-16T00:55:00.000+08:00

Hey guys!
I’m really glad that u all are voting and visiting this blog!!! It shows that YZers aren’t dead people. Hahaha. The designs sent it are terrific. They’re really really nice! So anyway, as u guys vote I want you all to take note of some stuff or actually think about before u vote.
- Would the shirt look nice with that particular design?
- What does the design mean to you?
- Does the design show YZ as what we all want it to become? (a family, a community of God)
- DON’T JUST FOLLOW THE CROWD!!!
If the designs aren’t chosen, we will figure something out and use if for something else. For example, our blog, notice board. So I ask of you to please choose wisely ya!!!

yi en

2007-02-13T23:03:00.000+08:00

hello people,

glad to know there are at least people visiting this blog at long last(: just put up some new stuff on the template, the birthdays and links of YZers who have blogs (its not very clear, but there's a slight dark-grey tone; will try to change it sometime soon). for people who want to have their links up on this blog, please do tag yours on the tagboard and i will link you in. likewise if there are any mistakes. if you have any prayer requests or feedback, you can drop the core an email at:

yz.core@gmail.com

check back time to time for announcements and updates on this blog ya. have a blessed week!

daryl

2007-02-13T20:27:00.000+08:00

FOR DESIGN NO 6, TYPE 6 TO CAST YOUR VOTES

2007-02-13T20:24:00.000+08:00

FOR DESIGN NO 5, TYPE 5 TO CAST YOUR VOTES

2007-02-13T20:16:00.000+08:00

FOR DESIGN NO 4, TYPE 4 To CAST YOUR VOTES.

2007-02-13T20:14:00.000+08:00

FOR DESIGN NO 3, TYPE 3 TO CAST YOUR VOTES.

2007-02-13T20:12:00.000+08:00

FOR DESIGN NO 2, TYPE 2 TO CAST YOUR VOTES

2007-02-13T20:05:00.000+08:00

OKIES. IT"S TIME FOR VOTING! PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTES ON THE TAGBOARD OR E-MAIL YOUR VOTES TO YZ.CORE@GMAIL.COM. =)

FOR DESIGN NO 1, TYPE 1 ON THE TAGBOARD.

2007-02-12T21:28:00.000+08:00

Hi People!

I'm glad to see that some of you have taken the liberty to come here to blog and leaving your marks here by tagging on the tagboard. =) Well, let's remember that this tagboard is used for all of us to communicate and that we should be loving in our words. Let's not hurt anyone with the words that we type.

Anyway, I'm sure that most of you who have taken the O lvl exams are thankful for the results that God has showered upon you. PRAISE THE LORD! For all of you who have done a good job, continue to work hard. Let's be thankful to God in all circumstances, just like how Job was. It may not be easy to praise God in times of adversities, but when we do praise God, we see the brighter side of things too.

Hmms, here are some prayer requests that have come about today:

Thank God for the good results that He has showered to those who took their O lvl exams
Pray for Rachel's father who went for an eye surgery, pray for speedy recovery.
Pray for Joshua Ang's grandfather who went for an operation

Will try to upload the designs soon for all of you to vote.

- dora

2007-01-30T20:15:00.000+08:00

Our very first DG time was on Sunday. I hope that all of you had fun in whatever activities that had been planned for all of you. As the year wears on, there will be more of such activities.

Being a teenager isn't easy when we have to deal with school and our friends. Yet I want to encourage all of you that God is always there for you when things seem to go all wrong. I know that it's not easy to believe that but God is really there for you.

God always send angels to us to help us along when we are down. Let me share with you what has happened recently. I thank God for friends that He have provided when I'm down. Recently, things in school has not been so great but I still manage to find comfort in God's words and the people around me who are always willing to listen to me.

God hears us and will always answer our prayers. Pray for willingness in your hearts that you'll follow His leading and not doubt whenever He gives His answers. Take heart for it is said in Psalms 121:5-8 "The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your shade at your right hand;the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm - He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."

-dora

Tree Top Trail

2007-01-21T22:39:00.000+08:00

I believe all of us must have been exhuasted from the trek today. It was a tiring journey, trying our very best not to slip with the slopes being so slippery due to the rain yesterday. Yet, the Lord has been gracious to this group, choosing to open every door to make this event possible.

Prior to today's hike, Daryl, Charles and Uncle Kien Seng went up to do a recce only to be told we had to apply one month in advance to use the bridge for the Tree Top Trail because of the number of people that were going.BUT THE EVENT WAS THIS SUNDAY! We went ahead to submit the application and immediately, we as a core team prayed that the application would be approved. PRAISE THE LORD! The application was approved and we were allowed to use the bridge.

With the many days of heavy rain and all, we were worried that the weather would be horrible too today. When I woke up to overcast skies, I was worried but started to pray hard that God will hold back the rain until we finished today's activity. Indeed God was faithful and held back the rain till we were on our back to church.

Many times, when we pray, we feel that God wouldn't answer us because it seems like the results will never be immediate. Yet, it is not in our timetable that prayers are answered but in God's timetable. Moreover, I was reminded of that today as well.

During the trail, one thing kept recurring to me - this walk with God will never be easy. It's will always be forward moving unless you decide to stay where you are or slowly slip away from God. In this walk, there will also be signs that will always direct our eyes to God. Be it the WORD or our fellow brothers/sisters in christ.

Most importanly, what I saw today marked the beginning of a new chapter of YZ. As my group was walking, one of the group members slipped and fell. Instead of laughing at her, people immediately rushed to her aid and even held her hand during the rest of the trail so that she would not slip again. Even on our way back to the bus, we made sure that each and every one of us were safe before walking ahead. Keep up the good work!

Above all, let's remember to take time to spend time with the Lord, to stop and marvel at what God has done for us. Look to Him in our christian walk with Him being our only goal and aim. Looing out for each other in this walk too.

-dora

Welcome!

2007-01-15T11:43:00.000+08:00

Hello people of YZ and fellow readers!

Welcome to our very first YZ blog. Look out for this space as we post our reflections on events that has passed, our thoughts and aspiration. More importantly, how God has touched our lives.

I hope that all of you had a good time yesterday as we shared our vision for the year 2007. Let us all be encouraged to bring our friends so that we can knock down that wall!! It's really exciting! Do pray for our friends as we think about who we would want to bring to church at any Sunday.

Keep your eyes open for more exciting activities!!!!

-dora

Youth Zone

2007-01-14T16:47:00.000+08:00

Testing

Youth Zone

6th Synod Youth Games Day!!

yz camp afterglow

YZ Camp 2009!!

Apologetics - Dinosaurs & The Bible

Dinosaurs and the Bible

by Ken Ham

November 5, 1999

Keywords

Did Dinosaurs Really Exist?

When Were Dinosaurs Found?

What Makes Dinosaurs Different?

How Big Were Dinosaurs?

When Did Dinosaurs Live?

Where Did Dinosaurs Come From?

What Did Dinosaurs Eat?

Why Do We Find Dinosaur Fossils?

Have Dinosaurs Lived in Recent Times?

Are Dinosaurs Mentioned in Ancient Literature?

What Happened to Dinosaurs?

Will We Ever See a Live Dinosaur?

What Lessons Can We Learn From the Dinosaur?

movie marathon

If suffering and pain exist, a loving God cannot!

Using the Sword of the Spirit to fight off temptations of all sorts:

Hi Everyone!I came across this as I was doing my QT and thought I would share it with all of you. I hope this testimony and application would help us truly believe that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.-dora

24 Apr, 2009

Faith

yz anniversary

Starry Starry

Worship in spirit and in truth

The 4th Synod Youth Leadership Camp (20-21 Feb 2009)

Retraction

Happy New Year

AUDTITIONX :D

Delighting in God's Word

YZ Camp 2008 Afterglow Video

CAUTION! - HIGHLY FLAMMABLE

Time with God

God's holiness

Ubin Trip

Time of Sharing

Today's Worship

hello yzers..

Church Camp Video

Care to Contribute?

Gentle Reminder

Upcoming Events

YZ 9th ANNIVERSARY(:

to all guest bands, yo!

rach is in the houuuse!

If boys would be men, would girls be ladies?

Let's Be Men.

1. Assume the responsibility of leading and initiating in your relationships with women.

2. Be a spiritual leader in your relationships with women.

3. Do Little Things In Your Relationships With Women That Communicate

4. Encourage Women to Embrace Godly Femininity.

A Challenge to the Girls: Be Godly Ladies

1. In Your Relationship with Godly Men, Encourage and Make Room for Them to Practice Servant Leadership.

2. Be a Sister to the Man in Your Life.

3. Cultivate the Attitude that Motherhood is a Noble and Fulfilling Calling.

4. Cultivate Godliness and Inward Beauty in Your Life

emmanuel

-.The YZ Challenge.-

YZ GAMES DAY

Tree Top Trail

Welcome!

Youth Zone

Hi Everyone!

I came across this as I was doing my QT and thought I would share it with all of you. I hope this testimony and application would help us truly believe that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

-dora