The Most Valuable Treasure (Sunday, January 4, 2026)

Greetings, church. This morning, my prayer is that we catch a fresh revelation of who the Lord is and how His presence can truly change us. We began with the parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price in Matthew 13:44–45, reminding us that the Kingdom of Heaven is worth giving up everything we own. This is the heart behind our meditation today: finding that one thing that is more valuable than any earthly pursuit.

The Journey of the Presence

For many years, the Ark of the Covenant—which symbolized the very presence of God—was missing from Israel. It eventually sat in the house of Abinadab, while the official tabernacle stood empty and devoid of glory. When King David finally attempted to bring the Ark to Jerusalem, he did not inquire of God's proper order and tried to move it on a cart. After the tragic death of Uzzah, a fearful David left the Ark at the house of a man named Obed-Edom the Gittite.

Key Points

• The Symbolism of the Ark (1 Chronicles 13:6): The Ark pointed to Jesus Christ; its acacia wood and gold spoke of His humanity and divinity, while the manna, Aaron's rod, and the commandments inside showed Him as the fulfillment of all things.

• God’s Presence Brings Total Blessing (1 Chronicles 13:14): When Obed-Edom opened his house to the Ark, the Lord blessed his household and everything he owned in just three months.

• A Hunger for the Presence Over Possessions (1 Chronicles 15:17–18): After tasting God’s glory, Obed-Edom was no longer satisfied with his old life; he left his house, farms, and local influence to follow the Ark to Jerusalem.

• The Humility of a Gatekeeper (1 Chronicles 15:18): He was willing to start at the bottom, choosing to be a gatekeeper just to stay near the source of blessing.

• The Danger of a Casual Attitude (1 Chronicles 15:13): We learn from David’s failure that we cannot be casual about God; we must consult Him about the "proper order" of handling His presence.

• Deepening the Desire to Minister (1 Chronicles 15:21): Obed-Edom was not satisfied staying at the gate; he learned to play musical instruments to get closer to the Ark and celebrate the Lord.

• A Personal Pursuit Beyond Lineage (1 Chronicles 15:18): Though he was a "Gittite"—likely of Philistine origin—his heart was perfect before the Lord, proving God’s presence is for anyone who desires it.

• A Permanent Legacy of Devotion (1 Chronicles 16:38): His commitment was so contagious that he brought 68 of his relatives into the ministry to serve alongside him.

• The Presence vs. The Past (1 Chronicles 16:39–40): We must not be content "sacrificing in Gibeon" where the Ark is absent; we need a new, manifest revelation of God in our lives today.

• A Permanent Inheritance (1 Chronicles 26:4–5, 15): Because he valued the presence of God, Obed-Edom received a permanent place in the history of Israel and a lasting inheritance for his sons.

• The Stamp of Devotion (2 Chronicles 25:24): Even 220 years later, the house of God was still associated with his name, showing that a life lived for God's glory leaves a permanent mark.

Closing Thoughts

I urge you this year: do not be satisfied with religious traditions where the presence of God is missing. Like Obed-Edom, let us seek the Lord's closeness above all earthly comforts, entertainment, or leisure. One thing have we desired of the Lord, and that will we seek after: to behold His beauty and inquire in His temple. If you truly seek Him, you will find a treasure more valuable and permanent than anything this world can offer.

The Hope of THE Christian (Sunday, Dec 28, 2025)

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Please turn with me to 1 Corinthians 13:13:

“And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

This is a very familiar verse to all of us. Today, I am not going to speak about love. But before we go any further, let us bow our hearts and ask the Lord to bless His Word.

Faith, Hope, and Love

Scripture tells us that three things remain: faith, hope, and love.

If I were to ask which of these we hear preached about the most, many of us would say faith. Others would say love. But very few would say hope.

And that is why I want to speak today about hope.

Hope Mentioned Alongside Faith and Love

Let us turn to 1 Thessalonians 1:3:

“Constantly bearing in mind your work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of God our Father.”

Once again, we see faith, love, and hope together.

Now turn with me to Colossians 1:3–5:

“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love you have for all the saints—the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven.”

This verse deeply struck me.

It tells us that faith and love spring from hope.

That means:

• Our faith in Christ Jesus

• Our love for all the saints

originate from the hope laid up for us in heaven.

Hope is not secondary. It is foundational.

Who Are the Saints?

Paul speaks of love “for all the saints.”

If you are washed by the blood of Jesus Christ, you are a saint.

You are set apart.
You are holy brethren.
This is not reserved for a select few.

This is something we ought to rejoice in every day.

What Is Biblical Hope?

In everyday language, the word hope is used casually:

• “I hope it rains.”

• “I hope things get better.”

• “I hope so.”

That kind of hope is often nothing more than a wish.

But biblical hope is not wishful thinking.

Biblical hope is:

• A confident expectation

• A settled assurance

• A firm conviction rooted in God’s promises

What Biblical Hope Is Not

Biblical hope is not:

• A promise of an easier life

• A guarantee of material success

• A way to get more things from God

Christian hope is not centered on better circumstances in this world.

What Biblical Hope Truly Is

Biblical hope is centered on:

• The finished work of Christ

• The resurrection of Jesus

• The return of the Lord

• The eternal future of the believer

It is the deep conviction that:

This world, with all its pleasures and all its problems, is passing away—and a greater reality awaits us.

An Illustration of Eternity

Think of a child in the womb.

The child knows only that environment and assumes that is all there is. But the real world comes after birth.

In the same way:

• This life is temporary

• Eternity is our true home

That is the perspective of Christian hope.

Our Citizenship Is in Heaven

Scripture tells us that our citizenship is in heaven.

We belong first to the Kingdom of God.

Salvation means:

• We stop living for ourselves

• We begin living under God’s rule

• His desires become our desires

A Living Hope Through the Resurrection

Turn to 1 Peter 1:3–4:

“According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you.”

Our hope is living because Christ is alive.

The Glory That Is to Be Revealed

Romans 8:18 says:

“I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us.”

This glory includes the redemption of our bodies.

Scripture repeatedly teaches that:

• The corruptible will put on the incorruptible

• Mortality will be swallowed up by life

Romans 8:23–25 reminds us that we eagerly wait for:

• Adoption as sons and daughters

• The redemption of our bodies

We are waiting for the redemption of our bodies. This is part of our hope.

And when he appears, we shall be like Him.

1 John 3:2 declares:

“When He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

This is the blessed hope of the church.

The Holy Spirit as Our Guarantee

2 Corinthians 5:1–5 tells us:

• Our earthly body is a tent

• God has prepared a heavenly dwelling

• The Holy Spirit is the pledge—the guarantee

We are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

We belong to God.

Think of climbing a mountain.

• Faith is believing you can make the climb

• Hope is knowing the view at the top is worth the effort

The mountaintop is the return of Christ.

How Hope Is Formed

Romans 5:3–4 teaches us:

Tribulation produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope.

Hope is formed through endurance and obedience.

Two Practical Applications

1. Speak to Your Soul

Psalm 42:5:

“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Hope in God.”

Remind yourself of who God is.

2. Stay Anchored in the Word

Romans 15:4:

“Through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.”

The Word of God sustains hope.

Conclusion

Our hope:

• Is secured by the resurrection of Jesus

• Will be fulfilled at His return

• Shapes how we live today

Let us enjoy what God gives us in this life, but let our ultimate hope remain fixed on Christ and eternity.

Closing Prayer

Father in heaven, we thank You for reminding us that the Christian hope is secured in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and will be fulfilled at His return. Help us to live with steadfast hope, so that our faith toward You and our love toward all the saints may flow from the hope laid up for us in heaven. Fix our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

From Stranger to LORD of All - Peter's Relationship With Jesus (Sunday, Dec 14 2025)

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Below is the same spoken content, no new ideas added, no interpretations introduced.
I have only added headings and structure and lightly adjusted wording for flow and readability while preserving sequence, illustrations, and emphasis exactly as spoken.

Introduction

Praise the Lord, everyone. I want to thank God for allowing me to be here with you today. It is truly a blessing to be with you. We have been traveling and doing many things, so it is especially good to see all of you and spend this time together.

I want to share a few thoughts that God placed on my heart, and I hope they will be a blessing to you as well.

The Parable of the Sower

Let us turn to Matthew chapter 13, verses 1 to 8.

The same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then He told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

The disciples later asked Jesus why He spoke in parables, and He replied that the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven had been given to them.

Understanding the Soil

What I love about this passage is that it talks about different types of soil. The farmer scatters the seed broadly, and it falls in many places: on the path, on rocky ground, among thorns, and on good soil.

If you grew up in India, this example becomes very real. When I was growing up with my grandparents, we had a paddy field where we planted rice. The farmer would scatter seed, hoping most of it would land on good soil, but knowing some would fall along pathways and edges.

In this parable, the seed represents the Word of God. Some of it is trampled. Some falls on rocky ground. Some falls among thorns. But the hope is that it falls on good soil and produces fruit.

What I love about this story is that every field has the potential to become good soil.

A Picture of Transformation

Think about the terraced paddy fields in the mountains, such as those in Vietnam. These fields are layered upon layered, holding water so crops can grow. They did not form naturally. They required removing debris, clearing thorns, reshaping pathways, and careful planning.

What was once a mountain became fertile ground.

This is how God works with the human heart.

Peter’s Story Begins

To understand this transformation more deeply, let us look at the life of Peter, found in Luke chapter 5, verses 1 to 11.

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around Him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat.

This moment was not accidental. Jesus could have arrived at any time, any place, or any boat. But He showed up exactly where Simon was.

A Carefully Orchestrated Moment

Jesus asked Simon to pull the boat slightly away from shore. Boats in those days had no anchors. Without someone actively rowing, the boat would drift.

This meant Simon could not walk away. He could not fall asleep. He had to stay alert. He had to stay present. He had to listen.

Everything about this moment was designed to capture Peter’s attention. Every word Jesus spoke to the crowd was also being spoken to Peter.

When God intends to reach someone, He orchestrates the exact scenario they need.

Obedience Before Understanding

After Jesus finished teaching, He turned to Simon and said, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

Simon responded:

“Master, we have worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets.”

Something had already changed in Peter. Jesus was no longer just a stranger. Peter called Him “Master.”

If anyone else had said this, Peter would have refused. But something about what Jesus spoke had already begun to penetrate his heart.

The Miracle and the Revelation

When Peter let down the nets, the catch was overwhelming. The nets began to tear. The boats began to sink. Other fishermen rushed to help.

This could have been the greatest financial breakthrough of Peter’s life. But Peter was not impressed by the miracle itself.

Instead, he fell at Jesus’ feet and said:

“Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man.”

Peter was not transformed by the miracle. He was transformed by who Jesus was.

Conviction and Calling

Whenever there is a true encounter with God, there is conviction. Peter recognized his sinfulness immediately.

Yet heaven’s response was not rejection.

Jesus said:

“Don’t be afraid. From now on you will fish for people.”

At the moment Peter felt most unworthy, God gave him purpose, calling, and destiny.

Leaving Everything Behind

The passage ends by saying that Peter and the others pulled their boats onto shore, left everything, and followed Jesus.

They left behind financial breakthrough, skill, craft, and livelihood. They laid everything aside to run after Him.

This is what God desires—a heart that surrenders completely.

Peter’s Growing Revelation of Jesus

Peter’s understanding of Jesus unfolds step by step:

• First, Jesus is a stranger

• Then, a teacher

• Then, a master

• Then, Lord

Finally, in Matthew 16, Peter declares:

“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

This is the completion of his transformation.

Conclusion

God asks us to trust Him with the impossible, to be obedient even when it does not make sense, and to allow His Word to soften our hearts into good soil.

When God captures a heart, He gives it purpose, direction, and destiny.

This is what God does—slowly removing stones, clearing thorns, and transforming hearts until they are ready to bear fruit.