Category Archives: Church Blog
New Place, Old Path: A Pastor’s Reflection on ZCRC and Church Growth
By Rev. Lance Filio It happened again. By God’s providence, ZCRC(Imus) is moving to a new and more spacious place. This is the third move since its establishment and so far, the church experiences modest increase in membership. What contributed to the growth? Moving forward, what are the plans to sustain it? Since the planting […]
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Biblical Qualifications for Men in Office (Deuteronomy 17:14-20 and 1 Tim 3:1-7) – Part 1
By Rev. Lance Filio Introduction I remember being asked years ago what it means to be “biblical”. The term has been tossed haphazardly nowadays and much confusion arises. Is the mere mention of a word makes it biblical? Who determines if its qualities? Well simply put, it is the Word of God as a whole […]
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Biblical Qualifications for Men in Office (Deuteronomy 17:14-20 and 1 Tim 3:1-7) – Part 2
by Rev. Lance Filio Introduction Nobody wants to receive discipline. I remember growing up, whenever we are being disciplined by older people in the church, I find correcting appalling. Considering I saw myself to be a well-behaved child, I did not want to receive reprove. Growing up to be an adult did not change my […]
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Pursuing Sexual Purity and Finding a Godly Spouse
By Rev. Lance Filio Introduction Pursuing Sexual Purity and Finding a Godly Spouse are two topics when combined point to a larger theme of Wisdom. Wisdom, often associated with age, is perhaps the reason the organizing committee assigned this topic. It is their way of saying, “Pastor, you’re old so teach this topic!” So rather than […]
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Our Great Salvation (Psalms 8 and Hebrews 2)
By Rev. Lance Filio Introduction There is an old game in the newspaper magazine I’ve enjoyed playing when I was young. A popular cartoonist named Larry Alcala made them. Larry created a cartoon segment in The Sunday Times called Slice of Life. In his comics segment, he illustrates the busy everyday life in the Philippines. […]
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Christ is the Lord of Sabbath (Exodus 31:12-18 at Hebrews 4:1-11; Mark 2:23-28)
By Rev. Lance Filio The Sign of Rest When summer comes, the change in season is most welcome. The summer heat prompts us to happily visit the latest and most exotic beaches and resort. For most people, it has become a sign of rest and recreation. A time of a long vacation […]
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Christ is Better (Psalms 110 and Hebrews 1:1-2)
By Rev. Lance Filio Introduction Growing up, my parents restricted my lifestyle. So I learned to live within the means. Because of our small family budget, we adjusted and spent only on essentials. I have no complaints. When I was young, I never wanted more, so I settled with what we have. Yet as I […]
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Growing An Ordinary Church (Isaiah 28:14-16 at Matthew 16:13-25)
By Rev. Lance Filio Introduction The story is not mine to tell. But it fits well to illustrate our theme this afternoon so I will use it. Two months ago, I received a message from Deacon Clark Añora asking for help with his car crisis. As you might all know, Clark recently bought a new […]
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Know Why We Believe in Christianity Alone (Isaiah 45:5-6 and John 14:6-7)
By Rev. Lance Filio Introduction Religious talk in group discussion makes people nervous. I remember eating dinner with colleagues when a debate about religion ensued. Suddenly, it becomes a hot topic. It created tension and ended unpleasantly. Immediately, it goes from bad to worst. It will not surprise me if the verbal sword-fighting ends with a […]
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Know Why We Believe in Jesus (Psalms 24:7-10 and Revelation 5:11-14)
By Rev. Lance Filio Introduction We have come now to the most crucial question in the Christian belief system and it is the identity of our central figure – Jesus Christ. In order for us to list down the reasons for believing in him, we need to determine first what we believe about Him. Every generation […]
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