Tried & True with Paul Cheng

“Based on all the things I've done, am I not a spiritual person?” Though Christian lives cannot be void of works, works are not the starting point. In the conclusion of his first chapter, the Apostle James cautions against the self-deception of putting trust in acts that are just that—acts. How, then, should one ascertain true spirituality versus superficial, religious practices? It must start in the heart, and then extend ou...

How can you forgive someone who has hurt you? While it may not be the obvious lesson to draw from a group of explicit Mosaic laws, we find that one of these sentences have been wildly misinterpreted (Exodus 21:23-25). Because of this, our Lord Jesus famously addressed this error in Matthew 5:38-39 by saying, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evi...

Just how powerful is the human tongue?

Although the tongue is small and seemingly harmless it can cause destruction akin to arson. What regrets have you had about the words which you have spoken? What have other people said to you that has most built up your life?

Everyone says things they regret, either immediately or eventually. Sometimes these are small slips of the tongue, sometimes they’re life-altering sentences. I...

What does the way that God cares for our property reveal about the way that He cares for us?

How valuable would it be if you could read the original Israelite laws for yourself? What would they tell you about how the Israelites lived? What would it tell you about their God? Well, did you know that God wrote a set of laws to govern crimes relating to personal property and we have those laws preserved for us in the book of Exodu...

If there’s a need for teachers, must we really be picky about who teaches?

It's no secret that teachers of God's Word are necessary, but it’s not just any kind of teacher that the church needs. What does God require in and from His teachers? How can we be sure we are meeting those standards? Why is it important for students to also be wary and know these warnings?

While the assumption may be that desire alone qua...

Does the Old Testament’s apparent works-based salvation contradict the New Testament’s faith-based salvation?

While a surface-level reading of both halves of the Bible might lead you to such a conclusion, the Apostle James makes it a point to use the examples of two Old Testament saints to prove his point. As such, true saving faith is always characterised by works, regardless of which side of the cross a person lived. Perhaps mos...

How can a loving God mandate death penalties in the Old Testament? The justice system established in the Israel of the Old Testament often seems cruel and savage. Because of this, you might be wondering at the plausibility of God being truly merciful and compassionate as the Bible claims. However, as with most apparent biblical impossibilities, this question boils down to our understanding of God’s nature and purposes. Not-so-curio...

What place does good works have in the Christian faith?

Salvation is by faith alone, not by works. But true faith always manifests as a transformed life in which good works are present.

So, what defines a “good work”? In this sermon, the Apostle James delineates 3 distinct signs of saving faith. Learn about how you can accurately use your works to ascertain your spiritual condition.

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Having just delivered the Israelites from bondage in Egypt, why did God let slavery continue?

The slavery established in the nation of Israel was unlike any other nation’s. Free from torture and fear, the Lord ensured His nation would be built upon just practices. But do these laws and passages hold relevance to us today, on this side of the cross? How should we view them as an illustration of our relationship to our own Master, J...

“Surely, when compared to other sins, partiality can’t be viewed as all that bad, right?” Wrong.

Having warned against the continued prevalence of partiality in the church, the Apostle James further explains why discrimination is much more than a “matter of preference” to be overlooked. Instead, he stresses how such favouritism is a transgression completely contradictory to the nature of the very faith believers profess. Here...

Is your church worshipping biblically? How do you know? Although most Christians might agree on what worship is, we don’t seem to agree on what it should look like and involve. With the myriad of faces of public worship and church life available to Christians today, how do we know which one is, in fact, pleases God? How do you discern which church God is leading you to worship at, or which practice to engage in or withdraw from?

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Grand strides in recent centuries to eliminate prejudice have spawned an era marked by countless social campaigns championing equality. Yet despite these movements, partiality can still rear its ugly head in the church… Though often unnoticeable to others at times, our thoughts, actions, and our hearts are all seen by God. So, what is it about a person that truly matters in God’s eyes? How should we not be “respecters of persons” a...

What’s the point of God’s laws? Are they designed to save us? Or perhaps they’re antiquated and irrelevant for our lives today? How are we supposed to respond to God’s laws when we discover them in His Word? Is there any use in knowing them if Christians are supposedly “free from the law”?

Correctly understood, God’s laws holds the key to salvation; misunderstood, they often leave us confused, frustrated or tragically deluded...

The Bible says that covetousness excludes a person from the kingdom of God. Why? Most people treat covetousness as a laughable non-issue. In the eyes of God, however, it is tantamount to idolatry. What makes this virtually invisible sin so uniquely offensive to God? How and why does it wreak havoc on the believer’s life? How can you and I overcome its subtle, twisted grip over us?

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There are only two kinds of people in the church: hearers and doers. Which one are you?

The Bible was not intended purely for our listening and reading; it was designed for our living. More than that, a godly believer, by definition, is a doer of His Word, NOT merely a peruser, critique or connoisseur. The Apostle James warns us in no unclear terms, that our appetite must be to DO the will of God - any less than that is danger...

Christians can be the most prolific liars. How so? Lying might seem like the most harmless, insignificant sin mentioned in the Ten Commandments… Why then did God suddenly strike both Ananias and Sapphira dead? What is it about lies that offends God to such an extreme degree? Why does the Apostle John consider some professing Christians liars? How can we be conduits and proponents of the truth and nothing but the truth? 📄 Follow...

Why isn’t the Bible transforming your life? What are the barriers that can prevent a person from receiving God’s Word and hinder its transformative work? Why are they so potent? Did you know that you have a responsibility in taking down your own barriers? Today’s sermon serves as a sort of guide to properly receiving the Word of God into your life. If you want to experience its unhindered power to change your life, just as it has c...

"The whole human race is a band of thieves, and if we were to hang all of them, where shall we find enough ropes to hang them all?”

For such a widely unaccepted sin as stealing, can we confidently say we are not guilty? We may be clear on what constitutes an act of theft, but our actual sin may be lying where we least expect it - in our inaction. In this message, Pastor Paul deals with everything that falls under the 8th ...

The problem isn’t the problem. The problem is you’ve forgotten God. When faced with temptations, we often place blame on something or someone else – we might even blame God. But God is never responsible for our sins. How do we know? Today’s passage from James reveals how God’s nature, far from deserving our blame, actually beckons our eternal gratitude… This is what you’ve probably forgotten about God and about yourself. 📍 Serm...