We are all aware of accelerating natural disasters and growing tensions in international relations around the world, and we think this is about physical danger and geopolitical instability. This lulls us into thinking that we are blessed to be living in relative safety and security. We retreat into spiritual napping and wait for the bad news to subside. In so doing, we miss what the bible warns us about such events – that they are actually signaling the approach of biblical end times.

Believers can be stuck in past events and traumas for several reasons. They may find it hard to move forward due to an absence of support, a fear of change or a lack of healthy coping mechanisms. At the same time, they may downplay the gaping hole in their lives and habitually dodge conversations with people who can help them. Perhaps we have been that person for a while. We are active members of different communities but few people really know us. We uphold a normalcy bias that leads us to believe that life is good as long as it continues to be the way it has always been, disregarding the hole in our lives.

Many will agree that life’s most valuable lessons do not come from time-bound structured programmes with well-defined goals and outcomes. Instead, the school where we learn the best lessons about God is often a little messy and chaotic, with little predictability about what we will get at the end. In fact, we often find faith when we take the plunge and dive into uncertain and unfamiliar situations that life presents, and when we give God’s Word greater territory in our mind over human reasoning.

Put together a piece of written work organized by a main title and other subtitles, chapters and topics, an author and a publisher, and you get a book that indulges the reader's literary appetite. Combine raw ingredients, condiments, the right cooking techniques and a recipe and you get a delectable dish created to satisfy. Arrange words of praise to God, musical notes, instruments and a voice, and we have some of the greatest worship songs ever!

Browse through any supermarket lanes, and you will find names for all kinds of products organized in different aisles to make it easy for shoppers to find what they need. All products have labels that fulfill unique roles – brand labels tell us who made the products, food labels describe what’s in the product and product safety, and promotional labels entice us to buy a larger volume than we need at a discounted price.

Researchers conduct studies to understand the likelihood of an outcome as a result of something happening or present. Risk assessment methodologies also rate risks based on the likelihood of a negative situation occurring after mitigating steps are put in place.

IMAGINE you are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps into you, causing you to spill coffee that can potentially stain all surfaces it touches. Why did you spill the coffee?

Many restaurants offer diners the choice of still or sparkling water. Whether bottled or straight from the tap, we know that reservoirs are the source of drinking water everywhere and we are well-informed about the benefits of drinking water for good health and proper functioning of our bodily systems.

Sticking to what works involves much less risks than switching to a different way of doing things. Does this sound familiar? Something that once worked to get us out of a sticky situation now becomes the normative way for us to get out of any new situation that makes us uncomfortable. In the process, we miss out on the adventure, learning and growth that comes from experiencing life with greater spontaneity.

There is a new word in town and it is ‘infodemic’. We are inundated with fake news, misinformation and disinformation not because of artificial intelligence but because of the insatiable human appetite for deception and half-truths. We even create cakes made to look like normal everyday objects to get a kick out of tricking people’s perception of what’s real and what’s not real.

People who embrace utilitarian thinking tend to avoid any action that causes harm and displeasure as their highest moral code. They protect themselves from everything unpleasant and seem almost obsessed with eliminating setbacks in their lives.

When threatened or faced with uncertainties, humans intuitively and subconsciously lean on something or someone for security in very subtle ways. Parents often offer their children security blankets to provide them a sense of comfort in times of stress, emotional distress, and anxiety.

We all need healthy relationships where there is honest conversations and vulnerability, and consistent mutual effort put into uplifting each other in prayer, showing respect, integrity, and gratefulness. The rewards permeate every aspect of our lives. The same can be said about our relationship with God.

THERE IS A SILENT COUNTDOWN happening in our lives every night. These are the moments before midnight that usually slip out quietly to make way for a new day to arrive. It is a change of order that we are more aware of, especially on the eve of a birthday and New Year’s Day. We want to capture those moments with significant others as we cross over to a new chapter; although chronologically speaking, it is just another hour.

Around Father’s Day, the media, and even the church, commonly spread a fetishism about fathers, upholding them as superheroes. In over-glorifying all fathers, all who are irresponsible, absent or who behave badly are forgotten and replaced by images of the perfect father who should be rewarded with gifts and special promotions.

This week, our guest speaker, Pastor Joyce Lim from Praxeis Church, asked the group, ‘Who is God?’. It is a simple enough question. Older believers might launch an impressive spiel with Bible citations about God with little effort.

HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU WITH YOUR LIFE? These days, a lot has been written about the rising trends in job dissatisfaction and quiet quitting, marital unhappiness and silver divorce, the shrinking supply of affordable housing in cities, the loneliness and depression in the digital age, and the list goes on.

Singapore is well-known for its queuing culture. In fact, some even say that queuing is a national pastime for Singaporeans, and the longer the waiting lines, the better are the deals ahead!

THINK OF THE PEOPLE who have made a profound and positive difference in your life. How did their presence change the way you experienced a difficult situation? In all likelihood, these were not people in your usual Christian circles.

Three biblical characters left us indelible stories about honour. First, there was Joseph. From palace to prison to public office, Joseph honoured all whom he served. When he could finally give his brothers what they deserved for putting him through decades of misery, he decided instead to honour them before Pharoah (Genesis 45:8-11, 16-18).