Sunday Service on Feb. 8, 2026

Triangle Family Church Sunday Service on Feb. 8, 2026

Music Offering

Sermon: Must We Suffer?

The pastor presents a heartfelt sermon reflecting on the nature of faith, suffering, and joy within the context of a religious movement. The speaker opens by addressing the challenges of maintaining community engagement during winter storms, mentioning the use of Zoom meetings as a future strategy. The core theme revolves around the question: “Must we suffer?” The answer is a nuanced one—suffering is an inherent part of the spiritual journey, intertwined with love, growth, and ultimately joy. Drawing on biblical events such as the disciples’ despair after Jesus’s crucifixion and their subsequent joy at Pentecost, the speaker illustrates that suffering precedes spiritual breakthroughs. The sermon then shifts to historical examples within the faith community, focusing on the lives of True Parents—Holy Mother Han and True Father. Holy Mother Han’s early years were marked by extreme hardship, which she viewed as essential for appreciating the kingdom of heaven and sensing God’s grace. True Father’s missionary work in Pyongyang, North Korea, was similarly fraught with suffering, rejection, and persecution, yet sustained by prayer and spiritual conviction. The speaker shares personal testimony from his early years in the movement, including joyous times studying divine principles and the harsh realities of fundraising in Chicago during a brutal winter. Despite hardships and internal pressures, he emphasizes perseverance, faithfulness, and the importance of enduring suffering to achieve spiritual growth and community restoration. The sermon concludes with a hopeful vision for the future—a vibrant, joyful community where faith is celebrated openly. Yet, it acknowledges that for now, the path involves sacrifice and suffering, echoing the commitment of True Parents and the early followers who endured persecution for the sake of the movement. The message closes with a prayer expressing dedication to this path of restoration, peace, and ultimate joy. Highlights - Faith’s path involves suffering but also leads to joy and love. - The disciples’ despair after the crucifixion turned to joy at Pentecost, exemplifying faith’s journey through suffering. - Holy Mother Han’s suffering was essential to deeply appreciate God’s grace and the kingdom of heaven. - True Father’s witnessing in Pyongyang was met with rejection but sustained by prayer and spiritual conviction. - Personal testimony: enduring harsh fundraising conditions strengthened faith and perseverance. - Like Jesus’s journey to the cross, spiritual leaders receive a taste of heaven before enduring suffering. - Commitment to the path of restoration involves sacrifice, unwavering faith, and hope for a joyful future community.

Testimony

The speaker features a reflective and heartfelt discussion about the challenging spiritual journey of becoming a “Chumbo couple,” a significant status within the speaker’s religious community. The term “Chumbo” translates roughly to “Treasures of Heaven,” and achieving this status involves liberating and blessing 430 generations of ancestors both vertically and horizontally, as well as witnessing to 430 couples. The speaker candidly shares initial feelings of resentment and overwhelm, having been part of the church for nearly 50 years and facing complex internal church dynamics and expectations. The process is described as demanding and multifaceted, requiring spiritual children to inherit blessings if one’s own bloodline does not participate. The speaker highlights the importance of spiritual lineage and relationships, recounting personal testimonies of individuals who have contributed to this spiritual inheritance through witnessing and blessing others in various communities. These testimonies emphasize the interconnectedness and cumulative nature of spiritual work. Beyond the numerical goal, the journey is framed as a profound process of heart training, sacrifice, and service aimed at establishing a foundation for God’s presence in the physical realm. The speaker stresses that the endeavor is not about competition, status, or outward symbols but about genuine love, truth, and bringing God’s heart into the world through authentic relationships. The video closes with a hopeful tone, encouraging perseverance and a focus on spiritual growth rather than external validation. Highlights - Introduction to the concept of “Chumbo couple” meaning “Treasures of Heaven” and its spiritual significance. - Initial feelings of resentment and challenges faced within the church community regarding the Chumbo couple process. - Explanation of the spiritual structure: blessing 430 generations vertically and horizontally, and the roles of achievers and victors. - Importance of spiritual children in inheriting blessings and expanding the spiritual tribe beyond blood lineage. - Personal testimonies of spiritual lineage and witnessing through church members like Virginia Riggs and Todd Swersonson. - Anecdote of grassroots witnessing activities in a grocery store parking lot, illustrating practical efforts in the mission. - Emphasis on the spiritual purpose of the effort: bringing God’s heart into the physical world through love and truth, not status or numbers.

Sunday school: Bible study - Parable of Lost Sheep