CHRIST, rhymes, & Life

Link to my sermon this past Sunday from Philippians 3:1-14

" But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.   Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. " - Revelation 2:4-5 I came across this verse a couple days ago and man, it hit me hard because it relates with me and where I'm at right now. Here, Jesus is speaking to the church in Ephesus where the Gospel was pervasive and powerful in the culture following Paul's mission there. At this point, they were continuing to endure pain and fight for sound doctrine. However, as Jesus says here, they have abandoned their first love. As Ephesus grew in their understanding of doctrine, they fell away from the state they were in at first which sparked their transformation. As Matt Chandler says in The Explicit Gospel , "They had the appearance of godliness but denied the power therein to produce radical affection for Jesus, radical repentance from sin, and radical love for a lost world" (185)...

Here is a video of the spoken word Alisha Misiaita and I did at our recent Young Life banquet. The whole process of putting this together was amazing, as God worked in both of our hearts in so many ways.

" God is love " - 1 John 4:16 Today is Valentine's Day and I thought I was going to write a long blog today relating to it, but I don't think I need to say much. Everybody wants love and people search for it in so many different places. We often look to other people, activities, things that make us feel a sense of worth. We tend to believe that one special person can complete us. If just this one thing happens, everything will be fine. Our world is filled with ideas about love and how to find it. But none of these things will fill that void in our hearts. Nothing will satisfy that longing we have inside for love other than God. Because God is love. And the love He offers is infinite and perfect. I have searched for love in so many places throughout my life and messed up many times. Through all my mistakes, God's unfailing love for me remained. Once I saw it, my search was over. We don't have to spend our lives pursuing love in all kinds of places, which...

Here's a message I preached at Maranatha Middle/High School's chapel this past Wednesday, based on 1 Timothy 4:12. I had a great time with them! Props to Rob for recording. " Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. " - 1 Timothy 4:12 Speaking at Maranatha Middle/High School on Youth from Eric Trieu on Vimeo . Some of my main points: Don't let the world set the standard for young people, live according to God's standard. What the world says and what the Bible says often contradicts. We need to cling to the Bible. Find what you're passionate about or what gift God has given you, figure out how you can use it for His glory, and do it. Train in those things. Set the example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. Look to God's standard alone, not anyone you know. We need to turn to the Gospel, away from ourselves and to Jesus who did...