Daniel Im

Pastor + Author

Church Multiplication

Dangerous Worship

By

Worship is not about a powerless people coming together to sing. Worship is dangerous because it is the children of God coming together, in the name of Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to proclaim the praises of the high king of the universe. As a result, when individuals worship, they are submitting themselves completely to God. It is not to gain anything or to coerce God to give them something. However, while humans relinquish their agenda, their will, and their power, they actually exchange that for the heart of God and the power of God. Thus, the power of God is proclaimed and unleashed into this universe (spiritual and physical) through the words, prayers, and actions of the worshiper. As a result, worship is not just humans singing, but it’s spiritual warfare.


What is your definition of worship?

Life in Korea: Priorities

By

Upon arriving to Korea a few months ago, life has been hectic, and it’s been quite the struggle to find an opportunity to blog.  I love blogging, but life has just been overwhelming.

One of the blessings of being here and serving at Onnuri Community Church is that I get to learn from Pastor Eddie Byun.  I first met Eddie when he was my youth pastor at the Philadelphia Church of Vancouver (he was in seminary at the time).  I never thought that I would ever see or partner with him again, so it’s amazing to be here in Korea and have the opportunity to learn from him.

About a month ago, I asked him what sort of disciplines I should develop in my life if I want to grow as a Pastor.  He told me that one thing he does is to focus on a different subject each day, and to focus on learning about that subject on that given day.  Now this exercise isn’t reserved for pastors alone, but it’s useful for all people.

Here is how I’m organizing my week, and the books that I have chosen to read on the subject.

Monday: Prayer/Fasting
– Too Busy Not to Pray: Bill Hybels
– A Hunger for God: John Piper

Tuesday: Leadership
– Axiom: Bill Hybels
– Reformed Pastor: Richard Baxter
– Leading from the Second Chair: Bonem and Patterson
– An Unstoppable Force: Erwin McManus
– Envisioning an Apostolic Church: Yong-Jo Ha (The Senior Pastor of Onnuri Community Church)

Wednesday: Preaching
– Speaking to Teenagers: Fields and Robbins
– The Supremacy of God in Preaching: John Piper
– Biblical Preaching: Haddon Robinson
– The Art and Craft of Biblical Preaching: Edited by Robinson and Larson

Thursday: Spiritual Warfare
– Spiritual Warfare for Every Christian: Dean Sherman
– Screwtape Letters: C.S. Lewis
– Powers of Darkness

Friday: Culture
– Third Culture Kids: Pollock and Van Reken
– Korea Unmasked: Rhie
– American/Korean Contrasts: Susan Oak

Saturday: Marriage
– Marriage Spirituality: R. Paul Stevens
– Sacred Marriage: Gary Thomas
– Every Man’s Marriage: Arterburn and Stoeker (This one I’m going to reread because I’m married now…I read the book while I was dating)

Let’s see how this goes. I’ve already done a week, I missed a few days, but on the days I did stick with the schedule, it’s been great.

I can’t wait to finish all the books on my list and add new ones.

Until next time…

Ministry and Life Transitions

By

3 days remain.

I only have 3 more days in Canada.

There are only 3 more days until my wife and I begin our new life in Seoul, Korea.

How did it get this way? How did we end up leaving our ministry and our life in Montreal to move to the other side of the world?  How were we so sure that this is where God was calling us? How did we know that this was God’s will for our lives?

[Read more…] about Ministry and Life Transitions

the full story – Michael Guglielmucci’s Deception

By

Almost a month ago, Michael Guglielmucci, a pastor in Australia who had written and sung “Healer” on the latest Hillsong album, came out and confessed that he had been living a life of deception.  For the past two years, he had deceived everyone, his wife and parents included, and told them that he had terminal cancer.

When I first heard what had happened, I went into absolute shock and I began grieving.  I couldn’t understand how he could do such a thing – especially as a pastor and a follower of Christ.  And how could he lie like that to his wife and to his parents? However, I resisted the urge to blog about it and tell everyone until I heard the full story.

Here is the full story and statement of confession.

Here is also an exclusive interview (video) where Guglielmucci came out and made a public statement,

[Read more…] about the full story – Michael Guglielmucci’s Deception

how to memorize scripture…

By

While listening to a sermon by John Piper, I was encouraged by the way he explained how he meditated on scripture.  For in Psalm 19:14 it says, “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my redeemer.”  And it also says in Psalm 119:11, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

As a result, when he would spend his daily time with God – reading scripture and praying – he would always strive to pick a verse that he could meditate on throughout the day.  He would do that through memorizing the verse, repeating it, and praying through it in the course of the day.

I started doing it yesterday and it has been a great encouragement.

Yesterday I memorized Galatians 1:10 – “Am I now trying to win human approval or God’s approval?  Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

And today I memorized Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Lord, grant me the perseverance to continue this discipline so that I may meditate on your word always and hide your word in my heart.