Monica Macer has the enviable job of working on hit shows like “24” and “Lost.”   Hear Monica’s fascinating story in this episode of “Faith, Power & Influence.

Pastor George Chavanikamannil was called to spread the gospel to the millions of unreached people in Northern India.  India is a complex country, with thousands of different languages and ethnic groups.  Jesus is worshiped along with 300 million gods and goddesses in the Hindu religion alone.  Despite the odds, Pastor George has served the Indian people for 30 years through his ministry, Good News For India.  In this special episode of "Upper Room," Pastor George shares how God has allowed Good News For India to plant hundreds of churches, train disciples at its seminary schools, translate the bible in different languages, and take in and educate poor children.

Faith based singer/songwriter V Reyes delivers deep and introspective songs with a soul, folk, and gospel feel. After overcoming depression, addiction, and abuse, she now lives to share the hope and healing she has found through her music and testimony.

 A recent winner of Kollaboration Acoustic, Dawen has performed for Grammy Award-winning artist Macy Gray and has shared the stage with artists such as Marié Digby, slam poets Beau Sia and Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai, and actor James Kyson-Lee from TV’s Heroes. See why he's one of the most talked about Asian American musicians.

Cliff Cheng was a sensitive and inquisitive kid growing up.  He thought deeply about things, which led him to question God and the purpose of life.  Often, his thoughts would lead to feelings of depression and cause him to withdraw.  But the love of family and friends prevailed over the darkness.  Today, Cliff has a personal ministry in which he helps people express their thoughts and emotions by helping them to write songs.  In addition to being a singer-songwriter, Cliff is a dancer who performs throughout LA and the O.C.

Rabbi Jason Sobel grew up in a traditional Jewish household, but his desire to experience more of God led him to Eastern Religion.  He says he became "a Jew-Bu(ddhist)."  Along the way, he hung with friends who were gang members and became a DJ in the club scene.  It wasn't until he had an out-of-body encounter that he met and accepted Jesus.  He is now a Messianic Jew with a thriving ministry in Southern California that strives to unite Jews and Gentiles alike.

CHRIST IN ME...

It had been one of the most challenging times of my life, where my spirit and my willingness to let myself be molded, collided into a pile of mush, a sticky, gooey, intolerable matter of existence, that has become a great and stupendous, very hard lesson to learn.

Perhaps, it is also the way I imitate my parents in their dedication to being authentic. Authenticity in a manner which simply shows, do you utmost, for whatever task you are put into, and in every manner which compels you to live your life.  It is a impossible task. To be perfectly able, capable, and worthwhile, to follow orders that are impossible to fill. It is only now that I see, there is no way to fill that tall order of perfection.

I fall incredibly short, of that. I am not perfect. But inside, I feel there is a great desire to comply to what I think and know to be the path paved for me to walk upon. We all have a path that God gave, and to try to have every step be in perfect order, is quite impossible. The only steps that complete such a task can be only done through the life and death of Christ.  Looking at myself,  I will always have steps that are not straight back to back, one infront of another type of imprinting which comes upon my walk with Christ. And even through this time, while I sit here contemplating, blabbering about my inmost thoughts, I am so filled with thanksgiving, that I must praise God, for revealing another thing about myself, that I am coming to see more clearly.

Loving yourself,even  letting go of yourself, in the midst of finding out who you really are, how you hold true to yourself, in the manner of experiencing your likes, dislikes, loves, qualms, etc etc, all within the context of Jesus experiencing you, and loving you, has been a really eye opening adventure.  I expect, my journey with loving and experiencing Christ, will become even more radocally as I grow with him. ...

The one thing I want to share is this. I pray that God will remain a constant hope for you. That He will open your eyes and pierce your heart, that the Holy Spirit will take hold of your life, mold you in a new and creative way that you have never experienced, that this year, will be unlike any other year in your life. God in all his awesomeness, has a perfect plan for you, a plan that has been well formed since the dawn of time, and even through every pain, and every joy, and every mundane moment that interupts your walk, God sees you, hears you, loves you, cherishes you, just as much as your parents love and cherish each of you today. And that love, through the death of his beloved son, Jesus Christ, compels me to write these few lofty words of insight. For me it is found in the knowing that  christ died for mysake, because he first loved, and because it was the only way to save us, from an eternity of being apart.

How selfish am I, how arrogant am I then, if I take this day, for granted, and splurge in the knowing, that I have a right to this or that? For all things are granted for a greater purpose than our own meaningless reasoning, and that our aim should always try to be, to please and delight the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Being still, is understanding, that even in this awkward, uneasy moment of silence, taking in all that God has shouted unto us, revelations about ourselves, about God himself, and a higher purpose, and plan not yet displayed for our acquiring.

I pray for you beloved. That God will continue to mold you, hold you, take shape of you in every possible way. So that His will be done, through every step and every fall, and every rise of knowing, God loves, reveals, and conceals, at a perfect time, in a perfect way to express the magnitude of his love unto us.

Be blessed my friends, today, tomorrow and always. Until tomorrow's time.... May God bless you and keep you, and his face shine always on you until we meet again.

In His grace,

ME

Sam Kim was on track to make millions while living a fast-paced west coast life, but he left it all behind when he was called by God into full-time ministry. Hear how Sam Kim went from stockbroker to pastor in this episode of “Faith, Power & Influence."

Positive thinking isn't just about improving your everyday life, its also a crucial component in your walk with Christ. Find out more as Pastor RIchard Brown illustrates the power of positive thinking and how you can improve not only your mind, but your spirit as well.