Emmaus Heartburn: A Christ-Centered Journey

Over the past two months, I have been working with Pastor John Sittema of Uptown Church (where I am currently serving as the adult education intern) to develop a weekly Bible reading program for 2021 based on the mobile app Read Scripture. The above is a sample of the weekly encouragement video to "entice" church members to be diligent in reading through all of Scripture as we allow Jesus to explain to us all things concerning himself in all the Scriptures (Luke 24:27). It is our goal that our hearts will burn within us just like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus as we read of Christ from every page of Scripture. Check out the blog on a weekly basis if you are interested to journey along with us - https://emmausheartburn.blogspot.com/

This winter season here in Charlotte has been cold and wet, with the coronavirus cases for North Carolina reaching about 674,000 cases. Vaccination is now being rolled out for those who are at least 65 years old. Do pray for the US as not only are we going through a health crisis but the political situation is not improving either - with the upcoming presidential inauguration on Jan 20th, security alert is at an all-time high for potential domestic terrorism and violence. Health-wise, all of us are keeping well (appreciate my wife for building into us the habit of consuming daily supplements!) and we are utilizing this winter break to ready ourselves for the upcoming spring semester starting next month. Had quality catch-up time with Eliza when she was with us last month and Eunice is still with us before heading back to Union University end of January.

Here are the subjects I will be taking for spring semester (Feb-May 2021).

1. Personal Sanctification
2. Pauline Epistles
3. Poets 
4. Christology, Soteriology, Eschatology
5. Christ, Culture, and Contextualization
6. Preaching Lab 1

Debra will be taking all of the above classes as well (except Preaching Lab 1) as an audit student - we are truly appreciative to RTS for offering the opportunity for couples to attend classes together! As of now, classes will still be held in-person and we pray that the situation will continue to be so. Being in a "live class" (with social distancing measures) certainly makes a lot of difference! Praise God for His grace in bringing us through three semester thus far and I am starting to enjoy the studying process (after an initial tough first semester when we first landed here in July of 2019). Have to constantly remind myself to be in conversation with the God of the Word as I study the Word of God. My main area of struggle is studying Greek and Hebrew - one of my new year resolution is to be comfortable in utilizing more software tools towards this end. 

I am thankful that for the past three months, there has been an uptake of online corporate coaching and workshops - this has been a timely financial relief for us. Do continue to pray that there will be continuous client interests for the year of 2021. For Debra and myself, pray that we will continue to be in a listening-mode with the Lord - we find that the further along we travel on the path of discipleship, we begin to plan less because we need to make more leeway for the Spirit to direct our steps (Prov 16:9, Gal 5:25).

Do let us know how we can pray for you and your family.

Thanks for partnering with us in this journey of joy.

Joseph, Debra, Eliza & Eunice Tan.