We waited 22 years for our baby.

Pastors Shane and Susan Comiskey thought that getting married and having kids was the most natural thing in the world. They never gave conceiving much thought after witnessing friends get pregnant with such little effort.

Their first few years were fun and they worked hard together as missionaries but soon got a sense that starting a family may not have been as easy as they once thought.

Days stretched into months, months into years, then decades…

They never gave up expecting. Even after a devastating miscarriage and Susan’s pregnancy-killing battle with thyroid cancer, they continued to hold onto hope for that miracle baby.

Watch this story of never-ending hope.

#BelieveInLife

If you know of anyone who is struggling to find support with a pregnancy, please contact Safe Place at 6265-6522 or email them at safeplace@lakeside.org.sg.

The post Believe In Life first appeared on 3:16 Church.

This Mother’s Day, we’re celebrating our #MiracleMums! For fighting for us when we couldn’t fight for ourselves. For conquering your fears so that we can conquer ours, thank you Mum!

After 2 heartbreaking miscarriages, Doctors told the Reyes that their 3rd pregnancy only had 50% chance of survival. Their baby had holes in his heart and fluid in his brain, lungs and kidney…

If you’re someone or know of someone who’s struggling with a pregnancy, find hope in this miraculous story of overcoming love.

#BelieveInLife

If you know of anyone who is struggling to find support with their pregnancy, please contact Safe Place at 6265-6522 or email them at safeplace@lakeside.org.sg.

The post Caleb The Conquerer first appeared on 3:16 Church.

We started our pre-service prayer and I asked if he wanted to help Pastor Joel on stage. Without blinking an eye, he gave an affirmative yes. I nodded in the direction of the stairs and without hesitation, he proceeded to march confidently up the stage. He was a boy on a mission. Nothing could have stopped him.

Then before a crowd of the most amazing leaders and volunteers, he started hosting the presence of God. Yet to him, there seemed like there was little special about it. After all, He’s done this countless times at home when it was just him and the Holy Spirit. Maybe.

I wonder what the Holy Spirit told him. Because Pastor Joel wasn’t singing. But Josh was. He went… “Open up our eyes surround us with your light your love endures forever.” And at that moment, Angela prayed for the God of angel armies to surround us. That we might open up our eyes to see the light and love that surrounds us by His Spirit and angels.

One of the sayings that we have in our church family is that we don’t just believe in the potential of our children, we believe that they can make an impact today. As Josh played on his modern day harp, there was an elevation in the atmosphere, a shift in the spiritual temperature. The Psalmist wrote “Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.” It was amazing. And I’m not just saying this because he’s my son. Ok that is why I’m saying this. But still, it was so awesome and you should have been there.

As I look back at what unfolded, my heart is full knowing that we are known and loved by God who sees our hopes and dreams. I am thankful for a church family who does not belittle the gifts and the passion of the little children. I am grateful for a people who is humble to let a 3 year old lead them into the presence of God.

Most of all, I’m excited for our next praise practice that happens in his little room with Woody and Buzz Lightyear.

Pastor Norman Ng
Assistant Pastor, 3:16 Church

The post Joshua The Brave first appeared on 3:16 Church.

After such a powerful Christmas worship session, Pastor Ian and myself tag teamed to reveal the Scandal of Christmas.

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. – Matthew 1:18-19

Don’t miss the scandal. Because the greatest love can be found within our deepest shame. But don’t let the scandal be your story. If you stop at the scene of the scandal, you might just miss the significance of your story.

Jospeh didn’t stop at the scandal. He wasn’t ashamed to take Mary home. He didn’t let what people said or what people thought stop him and he got to father the son of God.

You might not get to father the son of God. But you’re a very important person to someone. Your son, your daughter. Your wife, your husband. Your parent, your friend. Don’t underestimate what you mean to someone. Today, you get to make the same decision that Joseph made. Are you going to stop at the Scandal? Or are you going to let God continue writing your story.

Have a great week and see you on Vision Sunday! It’s going to be another day of celebration and salvation. Invite someone! That more and more people can know what being in God’s family feels like.

Pastor Norman Ng
Assistant Pastor, 3:16 Church

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The post The Scandal Of Christmas first appeared on 3:16 Church.

As we grew out of Shunfu, we moved into 50 MacPherson Road through a series of divine appointments. For almost 3 years, this was home. We found our footing and grew together. We started friendships and became a family. When our time here abruptly came to a close, we transited to Paya Lebar. There, an office space was transformed into a worship hall every Sunday.

When we had to move again, God led us to Victory Family Centre (VFC), who readily and willingly housed us in their state-of-the-art auditorium. Words fail to express how grateful we are to the leaders of VFC, who were kingdom-minded and lion-hearted in every way. In turn, we are determined to model such generosity: that these moments of grace become a movement to overflow God’s great love.

Over the last 222 Sundays, we have had front row seats to see God move. As we step foot into our new home at Eunos, we are wholly excited to see how He continues to write His story through us. The 3:16 Story is first a story about people finding hope and meaning in the grace of God. It’s about strangers and enemies becoming friends and family.

Mark 3 presents one of the most significant moments in the history of humanity, when Jesus announced a new family concept to the world.

31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.” 33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. 34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” – Mark 3

In that moment, no longer would a relationship with God be based on kinship with Abraham or the 12 tribes of Israel. No longer would God’s family be based on biological relations. Instead, it would be based on whoever would be with Jesus and do His will. Jesus looked at those seated in a circle around him and named them his mother, and his brothers. Jesus’ invitation is still extended today. He asks, “Will you take a seat and be part of my family?”

To the 3:16 family: in this new season, don’t be guests in your own home. Take a seat. But I don’t simply mean, please be seated. We are not just called to be with Him. We are also sent out by Him. Take a seat.

When Jesus asked, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”, He was not putting his immediate family down. At first glance, it may seem sad that those supposedly closest to Jesus were left standing outside the circle. Yet He was only elevating the status of anyone whose heart is open to him. He does not want anyone to perish, but for everyone – both Gentiles and Jews – to come to repentance. He sends out those seated in a circle to serve a broken world, so that there will be no one left on the sidelines. 

I believe that His mother and brothers eventually took their seats around Jesus. In fact, one of His brothers, James, was so convinced that Jesus was the Son of God that he became a leader in the early church as seen in Acts 15, and went on to write the book of James. I believe that as we step outside our comfort circles to love, pray for, and speak to our friends and family, they will eventually take their seats on the inside.

So take a seat. Put your hands to the plow, get your hands dirty and serve one another. Take a seat so that someone can find the presence of God. Let’s believe that fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers who may not know Him will take a seat around Jesus. Let’s believe that prodigal children are coming home. Let’s believe that friends who have mocked God before will know His love and be baptised.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. – Hebrews 11:1

There might be no one seated there right now. By faith, it will be filled. Each empty seat in your hands is the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Don’t stop believing.

Pastor Norman Ng
Assistant Pastor, 3:16 Church

The post Take A Seat first appeared on 3:16 Church.

The greek word diókó means to “persecute”. It can also mean to “pursue” with intent. Paul used the same greek word to describe 2 sides of his zeal. But while previously, his zeal drove Saul to persecute Christ, now his passion compels Paul to pursue Christ. Paul diókó Christ.

One word, 2 opposite destinies. The opposite of our biggest shame can show us what is the one thing that is being stolen away from us. What’s the opposite of your shame? Let the Spirit take your pain and turn it into a passion for God’s name.

The one thing that Paul does to pursue Christ is to reach for Him. We experience God in new ways as we challenge our faith. As we reach for something that we cannot do on our own except by the power of God. If we don’t stretch our faith, our perspective of God might be limited to only our past experiences. Old relationships grow with new experiences. That comes in the stretch.

Let’s get used to the discomfort zone. For it is in the discomfort that we experience the comforter. So keep reaching. The knowing is in the reaching, the feeling is in the straining and the experience is in the stretching.

God says my own hands stretched out the heavens; Moses stretched out his staff and the seas parted. The Lord delivered Israel with his mighty hand and outstretched arm. David reached into his bag and took out a stone, that hit Goliath. One time Jesus reached out his hand and healed a leper. Another time Jesus said to a man with a shrivelled hand. “Stretch out your hand.” And it was completely restored. When Peter sank into the waters, Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.

And on calvary, the son of God stretched out His hands for us on a cross. Then He told Thomas as he tells us, reach your hand into my side and believe. That we may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, we may attain to the resurrection from the dead. The way to win is to just keep reaching.

Pastor Norman Ng
Assistant Pastor, 3:16 Church

The post Just Keep Reaching first appeared on 3:16 Church.

It doesn’t take faith to see a situation as it is. You could look at what Alisa went through and say that it’s depressing, and you might not be wrong.

Because it might actually be depressing to lose your father in a freak accident when you’re 8, when you have to deal with bulimia, when your mother leaves you or when the one who loves you the most passes away. It’s depressing when you have to live with the weight of your suicide attempt for the rest of your life.

So you can see the situation for what it is and you will always remember it as what it was. Or, like Alisa, you can redeem it. Redeem death for life. Redeem bitterness for gratitude. Redeem suicide for strength. In your kingly influence, you have the right to redeem.

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. – Genesis 50:20

Pastor Norman Ng
Assistant Pastor, 3:16 Church

The post The 3:16 Stories: Alisa first appeared on 3:16 Church.