City Harvest Church Weekend Sermons

In Matthew 11:28, Jesus promises the weary and burdened that He will give them rest. Serving the Lord should be a joyful experience, because His burden is easy and His yoke is light. In this message, Pastor Kong Hee explains what the easy yoke really is: it is having the right reason and attitude to serving. It is when we have wrong motives for serving that serving becomes hard. Don’t serve to prove you are good enough, don’t serve to get something out of God. Don’t serve God out of debt, not love. Don’t serve to impress other people, or to belong to a group. Don’t serve because you think Jesus needs you to do this or everything will fall apart, and don’t serve without a need for Jesus. If any of these reasons apply, it is likely serving will be a burden. Instead, serve because you have a relationship with Jesus, and because you love him, you want to serve Him. That is when the yoke feels easy and the joy returns. Listen to this message and be encouraged.

In this powerful message, special speaker Prof Doug Petersen teaches that God intervenes in the routine of daily life and uses the ordinary to do the impossible. A believer can experience the intervention of God in three ways: through divine guidance, often a little thing that is the leading of the Lord; through divine coincidence, when two things happen that don’t seem related, but are; and finally, through divine silence, when the believer encounters challenges and tragedies that cannot be understood, yet holds fast to the  sovereignty of God which extends over every circumstance. Using engaging examples from his life in ministry, Prof Petersen brings the listener back to the place of giving our all to the God who gives us His all. Prof Douglas Peterson is the Margaret S Smith Distinguished Professor of World Missions and Intercultural Studies at Vanguard University. He is also the founder of ChildHope (previously Latin America ChildCare) which has over 300 schools in 20 cities, and supports 100,000 children daily. 

Are you facing a giant—financial troubles? Health issues? Relationship problems?—in your life right now? Listen to this message and be encouraged. Teaching from the familiar story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, special speaker Prof Doug Petersen dissects the story to highlight details spelled out in the Bible that reveal exactly how a shepherd boy with a slingshot successfully destroyed the giant warrior of the Philistines, and why Goliath really didn’t stand a chance. Transposing this teaching to his own experience when his first school in Latin America was about to be shut down, Prof Petersen powerfully demonstrates the truth that is “the battle belongs to the Lord” (1 Sam 17:47). Prof Douglas Peterson is the Margaret S Smith Distinguished Professor of World Missions and Intercultural Studies at Vanguard University. He is also the founder of ChildHope (previously Latin America ChildCare) which has over 300 schools in 20 cities, and supports 100,000 children daily.

“I’m over 40 and not in a relationship—am I meant to be single?” “How much sex should a married couple have?” “Can a married person have a best friend of the opposite sex?” “What if my child becomes rebellious and leaves home?” Listen to this second CFAM Conference Q&A session with Pastors Kong Hee and Sun Ho to find out what honest, Bible-based answers they offer.

“What is the appropriate level of intimacy before marriage?” “What does Matthew 5:31 mean where it says, ‘Whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery?’” “Should there only be one disciplinarian in the family?” In this first Q&A session for CHC’s inaugural CityFamilies (CFAM) Conference with Pastors Kong Hee and Sun Ho, these and other questions are answered truthfully in love. 

What makes for a happy, thriving family? God Himself models for us the cycle of elements that a Christian family is meant to enter. In this sermon, Pastor Kong Hee takes us through these four elements, starting with covenant love. Just as God’s love for us is covenantal and not transactional, family members enter a covenant to love one another, even if their needs are not met. Two, grace is the atmosphere that must fill a family, mercy and forgiveness must triumph over law. Three, empowerment of your family members to grow up and grow strong. And ultimately, intimacy—to know and be known by your family, to be fearlessly vulnerable with one another. Listen to this important message and learn to build a happy and healthy family.

Does it feel like God is taking a really long time to fulfil the promise He has given you? Be encouraged by this sermon by Pastor Lin Jun Xian. Some of God’s promises come to pass immediately, most take longer than we like—there is a process in the promise. When we go through this challenge of waiting, the evil one tries to break our relationship with God and His promises. Pastor Jun Xian shares three ways to hold on to God while we wait. One, release our past to God. The past has to pass before the future God has in store can come. Two, rebuild our present in God by returning to the ways of God. Finally, rejoice in the timing of God. Continue praising Him even through hard times, knowing our God will never lose sight of us. Listen to the testimonies and be reminded that God’s heart is always for you.

Koinonia means communion, partnership or joint participation. In this sermon, Pastor Bobby Chaw unpacks what koinonia or fellowship in the Holy Spirit is: it is having everything in common with the Holy Spirit and the body of the Church. Where there is koinonia, there is unity and peace. Pastor Bobby teaches there are three things that we share as believers: one, we have a common inheritance and that is Jesus Himself. It is crucial not to lose our fellowship with God, but to participate in what He is doing and celebrate when God blesses a fellow believer. Two, we have a common ministry, and that is to preach the Gospel to all the world and experience the joy Jesus felt seeing sinners saved and redeemed. Finally, we have a common duty which is to receive and give to one another, to remain in the house of God and in cell group, to gather and build one another up. Let this message encourage you to enter into koinonia with the Holy Spirit and your church family.

Faith may take you far in your quest with God, but love is what sustains you in your journey with Him. In this sermon, Pastor Aries Zulkarnain teaches us that as we mature in our walk, we may have to endure tests of love, just as Abraham did when God instructed him to sacrifice his son Isaac. God never gave a reason why, but Abraham reasoned that the Lord could raise his son from the dead. How can a Christian reach that level of trust in God? Pastor Aries spells out two things that are necessary: one, we must be fully convinced of God's love, even when He is silent. Jesus' death on the cross speaks of God's love louder than words can. Two, we must be awakened by God's love, even when He seems to be asleep. We may understand with our mind that our suffering is not a sign God doesn't love us, but our hearts may still hurt. In such times, only a genuine encounter with the love of God can turn head knowledge into a revelation of the heart.

What does it mean to be on fire for God? An on-fire Christian is one who is consumed with zeal for God and His house. Fire spreads and sets everything it touches ablaze. In this message, Pastor Wu Yuzhuang teaches two ways to catch the fire of God. One, stay close to the fire. Having time alone with God is important, but it is equally crucial to be in the body of Christ to stay on fire. Two, watch out for wood that is wet. We cannot be on fire for God if our hearts as "wet" with a sinful lifestyle or unforgiveness. Furthermore, fire naturally dies out if it is left unattended. Three ways to keep the fire burning are to feed the fire with prayer, worship and Word; to fan the fire even when you don't feel like it; and to guard the fire against busyness and distractions. Let us remember all that God has done for us, and set up our altar so that He will set us ablaze once more.