News > Europe

Let Us Love God

Key verse: Deuteronomy 6:5 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

When 2014 started I took 2 Timothy 4:2 as my key verse which was the word of the year for the European Director’s Conference in Poland. “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” Based on this word we visited the campus actively and prayed earnestly to invite students to our house church through our relationship with them.

1. The work of  the Word of God

God helped us to study the gospel of John this year and start Deuteronomy in November. Until April, I prepared the sermon in English to serve our Sunday worship service. Yet, because no sheep came to service on Sunday despite our effort and because my wife doesn’t understand English well, I started to preach in Korean from May. Through the gospel of John we received the calling to be fishers of men as disciples of Jesus despite our inadequacy. The book of Deuteronomy has opened our eyes to see that we have started to assimilate our lives in a materially rich country, Finland. We repented of our comfortable life and decided to live by God’s Word.

2. Life of faith

On weekdays I had to take care of our two children and could not prepare the sermon for Sundays because of my work. On Saturdays, however, I stayed up all night to prepare the message. I was worried about my tiredness but I was filled with the Spirit through God’s Word which is why I could serve the worship service actively. My wife, M. Esther, started Bible study through Skype with Sh. Deborah Park from Kwangju UBF in February. My wife had not been spiritually satisfied even though we studied the Bible together. Yet, through Bible study with Sh. Deborah she was content and positive and thus overcame her negative feelings. Her heart was restored to be a shepherd heart for the souls in Finland and she became a woman of prayer.

3. The ministry in our house church

On May 1 our second child Jisoo was born. Due to cultural differences M. Esther had some difficulties during the delivery but she was encouraged by the dear nurses and doctors and had a safe delivery. When we arrived in Finland it was just the two of us but now we can hold the worship service together with our children.

When my parents-in-law came to Finland to help my wife after the delivery, God allowed me to share the gospel with them and have worship service together with them even though they did not believe in God. After their departure back to Korea the baby had to undergo a 'duplication cyst' surgery in her third month. At first the surgery seemed shocking and scary for us but God provided the best doctors. Ever since Jisoo has had a few problems still but by the support of M. Grace Joo in Sweden and the shepherds in Kyungsung UBF she is growing steadily. In August we visited Korea for an academic seminar and we used the opportunity to rest spiritually and physically.

4. Prayer topics

Our key verse for 2015 is Deuteronomy 6:5 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” In the past year we received God’s abundant blessings in so many ways. However, I think that instead of looking to God we sought other things more. I pray that we may love God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength. I also pray that we can listen to God’s Word and obey it.

One Word: Let us love only God.

Prayer Topics for 2015

1. That we may love only God with all our heart, all our soul and with all our strength
2. For Daily  Bread and prayer early in the morning
3. Invite students to worship service
4. Good health for Juchan and Jisoo
5. Extension of contract after August 2015