Mount Carmel Bible Presbyterian Church - Singapore

Last weekend, we welcomed our neighbours to join us for our I Love West Coast initiative, jointly organised with The Bible Church and Clementi Woods Kindergarten. Despite the sweltering afternoon heat, we saw 180 friends from our neighbourhood come by for a time of fun and fellowship, with catered food and refreshments, games, face-painting, the pre-loved items giveaway and other activities.

The greatest commandment that Christ gave us is to ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matthew 22:37-39)

We thank God for giving us this opportunity to show Christ’s love to our neighbours, and for seeing us through the planning and ex*****on of this event! We also thank the planning team and volunteers who worked together tirelessly to bring everything to fruition.

Over Youth Weekend, our youths had the opportunity to lead the main congregation in worship and in prayer!

As we reflect on what we have heard from Nehemiah 8, let us hunger for the Word, have a passion for worship and acknowledge our need for repentance so that we can experience the JOY that comes from a REVIVED SPIRIT 😊😊

“...Do not grieve, for the Joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

What does it mean to be truly transformed by Christ?

John Tan, an active member of the Care and Counselling Ministry and soon-to-be retiree, reflects on the life-changing experiences of the Ethiopian Eu**ch and Saul of Tarsus with God, and shares his own journey of seeking and encountering Him.

He acknowledges how God’s grace has shaped him and how he can continue to be a channel of His love even as he approaches retirement.

Read on for John’s full reflection on the ongoing journey of transformation by Christ in his current season, and see how God is working in every phase of life.

Over the weekend, the Carmel Kids honoured and celebrated all fathers, grandfathers, and father figures who embody love, strength, and guidance in their lives.

Just as God our Father loves and cares for us, fathers play a vital role in nurturing and shaping their children’s lives. They teach us about integrity, perseverance, and the power of unconditional love.

Let’s take this moment to thank God for the fathers in our community who tirelessly support and encourage us. May God continue to bless and strengthen you as you lead your families with grace and humility.

In the transformative power of Christ’s love, we find joy in the journey of learning and applying God’s Word.

It’s not merely about gaining knowledge, it’s about allowing God’s truth to pe*****te our hearts and minds, shaping our perspectives and guiding our actions.

With each encounter with the Lord through His Word, let us be reminded of the depth of His love and wisdom, and allow the Spirit to mold our worldview and influence the way we interact with the world around us.

Today, we honour the strength, love and grace of all the incredible mothers who have blessed our lives with their presence. Blessed Mother’s Day to every mother, grandmother, aunt, spiritual mentor and motherly figure in our midst. We thank God for your love that shapes us in so many beautiful ways 💐

Ever wondered how to truly embody Christ in your day-to-day life?

Jonathan Ang, a student and young adult in Carmel, shares his journey of answering this very question.

He candidly reflects on the specific moments and relationships where he has felt God’s gentle nudge to live out His love and truth, even when it meant going against societal norms.

Read on to find out how Jonathan’s story has been a testament to the transformative power of living for Christ in every aspect of our lives.

As we are saved by the grace of Christ, our lives become a testament to His redeeming love.

Every step we take becomes a proclamation of the Gospel as we radiate His love and grace in our lives.

Let’s embrace each moment as an opportunity to proclaim the Good News, shining His light brightly wherever He places us.

Embracing authenticity in Christ means stripping away the masks we tend to put on and accepting who we truly are in Him.

Our identity in Christ is the foundation of our authenticity.

His love redeems, heals and secures us, enabling us to be genuine and vulnerable before God and with one another 🫶

*Good Friday Monologues: What Hope Is There In Jesus Crucified?*

Jesus is dead. Seven individuals who had witnessed his life - and death - find themselves grappling with what they had encountered.

Produced in 2021 for Mt Carmel’s online Maundy Thursday service, the monologues draw us into the thoughts and emotions of Judas, Peter, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, Pilate, Nicodemus and the Roman centurion in the aftermath of the crucifixion. None of them had any inkling what was to happen on the third day; that out of the depths of despair, what hope would be in Jesus crucified!

Good Friday Monologues: What Hope Is There In Jesus Crucified? Jesus is dead. Seven individuals who had witnessed his life - and death - find themselves grappling with what they had encountered. None of them had any inkl...

See you over the Easter weekend!

At 8.30am on a Saturday morning, most people would still be in bed. Instead, I’m sitting in the passenger seat of a car bristling with monstera leaves.

Lioba and Lynette threw on thick coats as we marched into the florist shop. I soon learned why when I was attacked by a blast of cold air inside the flower retail area. They bustled around, discussing the different types of flowers. We walked out with armfuls of red and white flowers and a bundle of branches twice my height. They were to represent the crown of thorns Jesus wore on the cross.

We arrived in church at 12pm. The flowers were prepared with delicate care but also urgency. We had just a few hours before the Saturday service started. The sponges to hold the flowers were soaked in a bucket. Each stem had to be individually cut and trimmed to allow the flowers to stand. Lynette and Lioba ducked and weaved around the front of the sanctuary, gradually bringing their ideas to life.

There was a pause as we looked at the final arrangements. “Shall we pray?” Lioba asked. Even Auntie Puay Liang, a trained florist, said it was vital to pray over the arrangement.

We bowed our heads to thank God for His creation. “May the arrangements bring out something in the worshippers, that they may not just see the flowers, but that they will see You.”

May we prepare our hearts to let each part of the worship service lead us to praise God fully - from our eyes as we look at the flowers, our ears and lips as we sing hymns to Him, and our hearts that we open to the sermon to receive His Word.

Written by: Nathasha Lee
Photos by: Dawn Puah

In 1 Kings 8, King Solomon dedicated the new temple to the LORD. All the leaders and tribes of Israel were summoned to this occasion. They witnessed the priests carrying the ark and entering the temple. They saw with their eyes God's dense cloud filling up the spaces of the temple. After Solomon's prayer of dedication, he turned to bless the Israelites in a loud voice. One of the verses that stood out is verse 61, "And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time."

The highlight is that an acceptable dedication is not committing to God a physical building, possessions, wealth or our talents. As Solomon's words have revealed, the dedication is a commitment of their hearts to the Lord their God. It is a full commitment to live in obedience to God's word and will. God's covenantal commitment to Israel is a full commitment. They were slaves in Egypt. They were freed from their enemies. They were sustained in the wilderness by God's provision. They were given land flowing with milk and honey. From slaves, they became a nation. They became God's people. Were the people of Israel going to give their hearts to God completely?

Are we committing to give our hearts to God fully? I submit to you that the full commitment of your heart is realised through God's local church. By imaginative reasoning, we may attempt to point our hearts everywhere else except the local church. This is not to be. This local church here known as Mount Carmel B-P Church comes with a price. Our Lord Jesus paid the price and is the head of this church and we are his body.

1 Corinthians 12:27 reads, "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." As we pledge ourselves, we purposed to give a full committed heart is to live out the part God has assigned to me in his body - the local church. This calls for an alignment to the Vision and Mission God has given to our church. We also aspire to realise the four Core Values which shape us to be the kind of disciple God desires.

The above Core Values shape us in the way we worship, learn, witness and serve. As spiritual leaders, our clarion call is that you give your full heart to Christ Jesus by being an active part of his body here. It is for the benefit of your growth and our growth as a church. As we lift our voices together, may we lift up our hearts to the King of kings and the Lord of lords. For His glory!

Join us for Watchnight Service this year at 10pm to 12am. Let's gather to remember God's goodness as we usher in the new year together.

Missed the Christmas Play last Saturday?

Watch it here with your family and friends this Christmas via this link: https://youtu.be/zB8H4m6oBkg?si=zhrkAQ2aEoMr5gdx

What was your biggest takeaway from Rev Tan Soo Inn's sermon, “Advent Series: Jesus”?

Have you received Jesus's offer of life? What does being a child of God mean to you?

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Christmas has become one of the most celebrated holidays around the world, and is one which many look forward to; for the joys of gatherings with friends and family, gift giving, extravagant light decorations and Christmas music, among many other reasons. It is also a well-known fact that Christmas is celebrated by Christians to remember the birth of Jesus — the reason for the season. But who is Jesus? Why was He born?

To answer these questions, we must first draw up some context. Many people seem to be under the impression that Christianity is about ‘not going to hell’, that Christians have some kind of transactional agreement with God — if we follow the laws in the Bible, or convert people to Christianity, we enjoy more benefits in heaven. Perhaps some Christians do subscribe to such beliefs — but they are completely untrue.

The truth of the Christian faith may be better explained as such: That God has made us right with Him (that is, our wrongs have been forgiven), but not by our own merit; for nothing we do will ever be able to make up for the wrongs we commit through the course of our entire lives. Even the kindest people have their moments of shortcoming: How many times today have you thought judgmentally of someone? Or gotten impatient? Or thought you were better than someone else? The Bible points out that such thoughts, even when kept to ourselves, are wrong as they some of them will eventually lead to action against others. With the infinite wrongs we commit against God’s will, it is only due to God’s grace that he chose to forgive us, as is also often the case when we forgive people who wrong us.

This forgiveness and justification by grace is only possible because of God’s authority as judge over the wrongs (sins) of the world - something we ought to be thankful for - yet, this is not even the highest privilege God offers us. John 1:12 states we are given the right to become children of God. Pardon can be shown to a criminal on the basis of the law, but adoption into the family of God is on the basis of love. It is not a judicial relation we share with our Creator God, but the most intimate familial one, the type of relationship we all deeply crave — if only we wish to receive it.

It is with the same love a parent has for their child, that God justified us. He created us to be relational, social beings, and thus He came to earth to be one of us, in the form of a man named Jesus, on the very first Christmas more than 2000 years ago. Now, back to our question: Who is Jesus? He is God as a man, who left the comforts of heaven to live and experience the pains of living on earth. This is one of the ways God displays His compassion; by going through human life as we know it, experiencing the same joys and tears of friendship and family, Jesus too wept for the losses of loved ones in His time on earth.

To summarise thus far, the reason for the Christmas season is the life and personal relationship we can have with God Himself as His children, which we can only have because Jesus came to earth as a man. What exactly then, does adoption into God’s family mean for us? Romans 8:17 tells us that we are heirs of God, and co-heirs with Christ. As children, we would inherit from our heavenly Father, and while this does include the glory of eternal life in heaven, it also includes the suffering that Jesus experienced in His time on earth. Indeed, the Christian life is not meant to be smooth-sailing at all, but full of persecution and ridicule from the world.

Why then, would we subject ourselves to such a lifestyle? First, the promise of perfect fatherly love we receive from Him. Second, the joy and growth we experience from knowing and loving God as our Father, and finally, the confidence we have in Him to protect and provide for us as a loving Father would in the face of trouble. This leaves us with no reason to fear anything of the world, for He is greater and stronger than our greatest fears.

How then, do we become part of this perfect and eternal family? The beauty of God’s gospel also lies in its simplicity — that Jesus came and died for all, and whoever accepts this truth is invited to join. Let us take some time this Christmas season to consider what this Christmas story means for us personally. Blessed Christmas all!

What was your biggest takeaway from Pastor Peter Teo’s sermon, “Advent Series: Balaam”?

When the Magi saw the "star" stopping where the child was, they responded positively to Jesus (Matthew 2:9-12). When you see the "star" this Christmas, how will you respond to Jesus Christ?

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Did you know that December 25 was the date of the winter solstice in the ancient Roman calendar? The winter solstice was known as the coldest, darkest day of the year. God used this bleak midwinter to magnify the brightness of His light through Jesus' birth.

As Pastor Peter elaborated in his sermon on Balaam, Jesus was foretold to be "a star shall come out of Jacob" (Numbers 24:17). Indeed, after he was born, a star appeared to the Magi to mark where he stayed (Matthew 2:1-9). This symbolism tells us of Jesus' purpose as a light to the darkness of the world.

Sometimes, Christmas feels far from festive. Hearing "have a holly jolly Christmas..." over the shopping mall PA system rings hollow if you have found yourself battling illness, grieving a loved one's death, or wrestling with broken relationships.

Are you struggling through darkness this holiday season? Take heart. "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:5) Jesus was born for you as God's undying light. He was born to free us from the shadow of death (Luke 1:79) and He's inviting you to walk with Him on the path of peace.

What was your biggest takeaway from Elder Lai Pak Wah’s sermon, “Three Perspectives on Joseph, The Father of Jesus”?

What sacrifices have you made while trying to be faithful to Christ? What compelled you to do so? Is God calling you to go beyond your comfort zone to take steps of faith for Him?

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Today's sermon was about the faithfulness of Joseph, the father of Jesus, in his walk with God. I had two reflection points from listening to the sermon:

1. What it means being Christian. When we identify ourselves as Christians, it means being a follower of Christ, or follower of the Way (John 14:6). It also means radically obeying God and in certain circumstances, suffering for Christ.

2. In God's call to marry Mary and to escape with Mary and Jesus to Egypt, Joseph didn't know what was "the end" that God was calling him and his family to. But he stepped out in faith to a world that would judge his actions and compromised his reputation, and obeyed the call to become refugees in Egypt.

Today's sermon showed me that while God called Joseph to step out in bold faith, God's hand was always over their lives as he spoke clearly and gave Joseph clear instructions. We could also see God fulfilling his promise of the coming saviour, Jesus, through Joseph and Mary's obedience. As Mary and Joseph obeyed God, they were also fulfilling God's promise in Genesis 3:15 where the woman's offspring will bruise the head of the serpent.

God calls each one of us in different ways. Are we then taking up God's call boldly and faithfully, like Joseph when called to difficult places, choices or circumstances?

What was your biggest takeaway from Janelle Ong’s sermon, “Advent Series: Elizabeth”?

In what area do you need to trust God’s timing? Do you need to confess any frustrations or anger you have towards God for not answering according to your plan? Will you allow yourself to surrender your disappointments to God, letting Him grow you and show you true comfort and joy?
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As the year slowly comes to an end, the hyper-contemplative part of me has started to make its annual visit, marking time with yet another reflective year-end journal entry. Looking back, 2023 has seen me up in the mountains celebrating life’s great achievements, but it has also witnessed me falling deep into the pit of despondency as I wrestled with the countless disappointments that inevitably come with being human.

Just like Elizabeth, it felt like God was not answering my prayers despite “doing everything right” – I diligently read God’s word in the mornings, but why are my nights filled with restless sleep? I cheerfully give my tithes and offerings every Sunday, but why do I start crying when I enter the office on Mondays? I serve faithfully week in and week out in various ministries, but why do I find myself going in and out of the hospital every other day?

Needless to say, it was a very challenging year filled with lethargy, frustration and anxiety because it seemed like nothing was going according to plan. And to be honest, there were many moments where it was tempting to simply blame God and throw Him the “why?”

However, in God’s grace, His Spirit never left me. It was in those very trying moments where the Lord granted me just enough strength to cling on to His promises and to trust in who God says He is. In every difficult circumstance, I began to see and understand God better – He is a God who answers when we call out to Him, He is a God who knows what’s best for us because He is sovereign over all, and He is a God who is never late for He is always right on time.

If not for the trials of life, would I have known all these about God? Maybe I would have… in my head. But my heart would never have really caught up to these truths about God if I hadn’t experienced who He is for myself.

Indeed, disappointment is the furnace in which our faith is forged. God uses our disappointments to prune and grow us for His glory. These disappointments in life do not go in vain, God takes all our broken pieces and shapes us into who we were created to be. In Him, we are able to turn our disappointed “whys” into glorifying “for what’s”.

God’s plan never really looks like our plan. But His plan is where we find true joy and fulfilment if we are willing to surrender our lives to Him. So as I pen down my final lines for my last journal entry of the year, may it not state “2023, a year of disappointments” but instead conclude “2023, a year of growth in the Lord”.

What was your biggest takeaway from Elder Bruce Lockhart’s sermon, “From an Offering to a Covenant”?

What can we do, in replacement of ‘burnt offerings’, as acts of praise for God?
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A covenant is a relationship between two partners who make binding promises to each other and work together to reach a common goal. One key thing to note is that, what differentiates this definition of obligations and commitments from a contract is the relational and personal nature of a covenant. Through the Old Testament, God makes covenants with His people and people make covenants with each other — from the first covenant God made with Noah in Genesis, to the covenants made between David and Jonathan in 1 Samuel, to the covenant made between kings Hiram and Solomon in 1 Kings 5.

What is referred to as the Old Covenant (the Sinaitic, or Mosaic Covenant) is the covenant made between God and Israel where the law was given and formalised with blood. This was the covenant that was followed up till the formation of the New Covenant, which differs from the old in that it is sealed with the blood of Christ, and based on faith instead of obedience to laws; obedience to God is instead a result of God’s grace given with the New Covenant. Just as God is a personal God who knows and cares for us individually, the New Covenant is an individual covenant, unlike the past collective ones made with entire nations. It is a covenant that is made, for anyone who wants to receive it — how wonderful it is that we can have this New Covenant which brings us forgiveness and grace, that we will receive as long as we ask! Our response to this grace should then be nothing less than a heart and posture of gratitude — let us live our lives to worship and glorify Him.

What was your biggest takeaway from Mr Darren Sim’s sermon, “Re-establishing The World”?

Are you struggling with any particular trouble or suffering? Have you ever felt forgotten by God? How does the fact that God remembers us make a difference in your trouble and suffering?
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Imagine being Noah on the ark for 365 days. Inside the ark is dark, claustrophobic and noisy with the cries of various animals. Outside, water and only water as far as the eye can see.

How would you have felt? Would you have lost sleep counting the number of days that you're still in the ark? Cursed God for putting you in this situation? Given up thinking He cared?

As hard as it must have been, Noah continued trusting God despite what looked like a miserable situation. God remembered him. In His sovereignty He ended the flood (Genesis 8:13-14) and made an everlasting covenant with Noah and his descendants (Genesis 9:8-17).

Sometimes we may feel that God has left us alone, trapped on a boat out at sea. Yet Noah's story reminds us that we can be assured God always watches over us. He sees us and will hold us fast, even in the highest heights or the deepest depths of the sea (Psalm 139).

Do you struggle to trust God when you can't see Him acting in our life right now? Our God is mighty enough to be in control of the heavens and the earth, yet counts our restless tossing and keeps our tears in His bottle (Psalm 56:8). In His embrace we will always have a safe harbour.

What was your biggest takeaway from Rev Oh Boon Leong’s sermon, “Favour in the Flood”?

What can we learn from Noah’s faith and obedience as well as God’s favour upon his life in the face of life’s challenges?
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Have you ever wondered what brings joy to God? God delights in walking and talking and invites us into a relationship with Him. Just as Pastor Boon Leong shared, it's a fascinating thought that God desires us as walking partners.

The Christian journey is often compared to a walk, where not only companionship but also delight and intimacy are found. It's in this walk with the Lord that we enter into a dimension where God reveals His character because we have this relationship with Him.

God initiated a relationship with Noah. Likewise, God extends this very invitation to each of us. As we continue to walk with the Lord, my hope is that our hearts remain attuned to His guidance, obeying His every word. Through every season of life, may the Lord grant us the strength to persevere in walking with Him, no matter how uncomfortable or tiring the walk may be.

Let’s be intentional about taking care of our walk with God, and allow Him to oversee the work designated for us. In the floods of our lives, may we consciously choose God as our companion through it all. Even amidst disasters, diseases, or even the sting of death, may we recognise the favour of God in our lives.

The battles may rage fiercely, but the victory is won. In His abundance, God supplies all that we could ever need. In every step we take with God, may we find the strength and the assurance of His unwavering presence.

What was your greatest takeaway from Darren Sim’s sermon, “Wickedness in the World”?

Where does a wicked world find hope? How can we play a part in directing people to true hope?

What was your biggest takeaway from Rev Oh Boon Leong’s sermon, “Brothers”?

God rejected Cain’s offering but accepted Abel’s. What does this say about our faith and our heart of worship? How can we apply the lessons of repentance and God’s mercy in our lives?
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Cain's envy and discontentment led to the first murder in history, reminding us of the destructive power of envy within our closest relationships. However, even in the midst of this tragedy, we see God's boundless mercy being extended in the form of grace to Cain where God spared his life and protected him from any potential harm.

On this side of the cross, we are thankful that the Gospel stands as the ultimate source of gratitude and contentment, a reminder of God's unwavering love demonstrated through Christ's sacrificial atonement for our sins. When we fully grasp His profound mercy, it fills us with thankfulness, enabling us to combat envy and discontentment. As a result, our hearts are reshaped to focus on our worship of God in spirit and truth.

What was your biggest takeaway from Rev Vernon Quek's sermon, “God's Healthy Household”?

How has these passages in context changed your view of Christian households and what it means to disciple children well?

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The passages in Ephesians provide Christian guidance on family relationships, emphasising obedience and honour towards parents as a reflection of obedience to the Lord. Parents are urged to offer guidance in a manner consistent with God's love. Children's Day, within this Christian context, celebrates childhood as a divine gift and prompts reflection on parental responsibilities and the inherent potential in each child as Go’s creation. It also plays a crucial role in building a healthy household by reminding believers of their duty to protect and nurture the spiritual and emotional development of children.

By advocating for children's rights and well-being, this day reinforces the importance of a God-centreed environment where children can grow in faith, love, and obedience to their parents and to God. It serves as a powerful reminder of the Christian commitment to foster a nurturing home environment that aligns with God's plan, ensuring that children flourish in a setting infused with faith, love, and spiritual guidance.

What was your biggest takeaway from Deacon Benjamin Koh’s sermon, “Getting the Right Diagnosis”?

Are you hiding from God? Genesis 3 makes clear that sin has real consequences. Does your life show you really believe that?

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Just as Adam and Eve sought to conceal themselves after eating the fruit from the tree that God had explicitly commanded them not to partake of, we often find ourselves instinctively wanting to evade God's presence when we've sinned against Him. Inevitably, when our guilt becomes undeniable and we can no longer hide, we tend to point fingers at everyone else rather than accepting responsibility ourselves.

So, what does hiding from God look like in our lives? It often manifests as our avoidance of having challenging conversations with fellow Christians that serve to hold us accountable for our relationship with the Lord. We can engage in a myriad of various topics, yet we conveniently skirt discussions about how a sermon has convicted us.

However, when you really think about it, it's rather silly. Why are we attempting to hide from an all-powerful and all-knowing God? He's the very creator of our hearts, and knows exactly what we have done. And instead of condemning us, He grants us opportunity after opportunity to acknowledge our mistakes and seek forgiveness.

God is incredibly gracious and kind. Through His boundless grace and mercy, God provides a cure for our sins. On this side of the cross, we can look up and thank God for the love and forgiveness we find in Jesus Christ our Lord.

What was your greatest takeaway from Rev Oh Boon Leong’s sermon, “The Temptation and The Fall”?

How can we be on guard against falling into temptation? Reflect on the ways we can equip ourselves to deal with temptations.

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Temptation — for most Christians, the word is associated with negative connotations and is something preferably to be avoided. It might come as a surprise to many of us then, that temptation is actually a morally neutral test of our faith, neither good nor bad; if we are to pass the test, our faith grows and is strengthened. It thus follows that the closer we walk with God, the more temptations we will be subject to, and it is important to remember that the hardships that are often associated with temptation are not outside of God’s will — after all, Jesus too went through hardships and temptation as a man.

Many of the things that we humans are attracted to are inherently good — given that everything was created by God in the beginning and was declared to be good. However, as we reach for them in the wrong ways, for the wrong purpose, and at the wrong time, using them for our nefarious purposes, these good objects of God’s creation are corrupted. Once any object becomes more desirable than God in our eyes, we doubt and reject his perfect will, choosing sin instead of the blessings we have in life. At this point, we are willing to forsake and forget God in order to have the object of our desire, falling for the devil’s lie that it will be able to satisfy us.

We are constantly subject to temptation — in fact, life itself is a series of tests as we respond to our circumstances in life; it is often a continuous process of tripping and falling as we are filled with pride at what we have and covet what we do not, forgetting to give thanks and claiming God’s good work as our own success. Every circumstance we face in life is hence a test of our character and a chance for us to live for His glory, but our succumbing to temptation puts distance between us and God.

Yet, all is not lost, because God’s grace dwells within us who have accepted his gift of grace and salvation. While we will still fail to depend on God completely, we are reminded by Paul to look forward and strive towards Christ, for neither failure nor success is permanent and those who believe have joy in the confidence we have in God’s power which is victorious over temptation. With our new lives we can be renewed, transformed and set free each day if only we are willing to depend on His strength and be steadfast in His word, not falling for the devil’s twisted lies. Afterall, overcoming temptation is not something that can be done in a single moment but takes place over a period of time, repeatedly revealing what is already in us — the grace and power of God.