Leading

September 26, 2026

Strength training is an essential part of training for endurance races, such as marathons and triathlons. However, I have always struggled to enjoy strength training. Whenever I hit the gym to do weights, I don’t think I really enjoy it. Some months ago, I found this class at the YMCA called Les Mills Body Pump. This is a full-body, high-repetition weight-training workout where you follow the instructor and exercise as a group. I have been enjoying this exercise and try to attend at least once a week.

The instructor was really good at leading the class, and I have greatly benefited throughout the months. A few weeks ago, we had a substitute instructor, and I learned that a different person can lead to a completely different experience. This instructor made sure you hit all the same muscle groups as the original instructor, but she had a different routine and a different leading voice. It turned out that our original instructor couldn’t teach for several weeks, so we had two more substitutes. During this time, I experienced four different instructors. All of them had different routines and styles, and

I enjoyed them all. While they all had different leadership styles and methods, they shared the same goal: to make sure the class got the necessary workout and hit all the muscle groups.

When Jesus returned to heaven, He sent us the Holy Spirit. To this, Jesus said, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.” John 16:7. I am sure the disciples were uncertain when they realized Jesus would return to heaven, but Jesus didn’t leave them by themselves. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit, He said, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority,but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” John 16:13. Jesus and the Holy Spirit (and the Father) had the same objective: to lead us into all truth. I am thankful for the Holy Spirit and we can truly seek Him and depend on Him.

Respect

September 19, 2026

“And the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.” 1 Kings 6:7.

This week, my wife was doing her devotionals early in the morning, and she came across this verse. She turned to me and asked excitedly, “Do you know how the temple was built?”

“Yes…..?” I gave an unsure answer because I didn’t understand her intentions. Then she showed me this verse from 1 Kings 6:7. It was a powerful verse about the reverence that the builders had in building the sacred house of God. They made parts of the building far from the temple site, then brought them in and assembled them, like building Lego houses, all in silence. This showed how sacred and holy the house of God is, and how the builders gave it their utmost respect.

This is the attitude we must show in the presence of God, our mighty Creator. Paul also declares in 1 Corinthians 6:19: our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. We should have the same respect for ourselves, for we are not only God’s created beings, but also serving as the temple of the Holy Spirit. Living a healthy lifestyle includes good sleep, a balanced diet, exercise, and, most importantly, constant worship of God for who He is.

As His children and disciples, we represent Christ.

Learn

September 12, 2026

“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn

in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above

measure.” 2 Corinthians 12:7

Some years ago, Hyemi and I were on our way to visit. The changing colors of the trees

were just absolutely beautiful and amazing. Suddenly, Hyemi asked, “Do you know why

the leaves fall?” I had no idea. Then she told me, “It’s because of ethylene. They are

hormones in plants, and that’s what makes the leaves fall.” Of course, that’s how she

would explain! She’s a scientist! For the next couple of minutes, she explained to me how

ethylene works and the process by which leaves fall. I had no idea what she was saying. It

was like a foreign language to me. Bottom line: leaves fall because of ethylene.

Hyemi told me she could never forget the word ‘ethylene.’ She was taking her exam in

college. She was well prepared and ready to ace it. She studied hard. But she couldn’t get

a perfect score. She wrote down all the answers except for one: ethylene. Funny, she

couldn’t remember that word for her exam, but because of that experience, she will

never forget it.

I feel like that is how God lets us make mistakes so we can learn a great deal from them.

We assume that the thorn Paul mentions in the verse above is about his bad eyesight

due to the blindness he had on his way to persecute Christians. But because of that

experience, he met Jesus. Every time Paul thinks about his poor eyesight, he does not

complain, but remembers that Jesus has saved him.

No, we shouldn’t make mistakes. But even if we do, let’s remember God. The scars you

may have from the past, the mistakes you might have made, and the times when you

might have drifted from God should become a way to search for God. And we should

remember God for the goodness He has done to us!