After returning from the India mission trip on Monday, I immediately joined the online discipleship course hosted by Wooridle Church. It was held from 9 a.m. to late afternoon Korea time and for pastors living overseas. This meant 1 a.m. to 7 a.m. UK time so I was unsure whether I’d be able to handle it, but to my suprise, I managed better than expected. The course consists of 10 lessons, covering 2 per day over 5 weeks.
Wooridle Church is known to baptise about 500 people a year—a testimony to its spiritual vitality—and I really wanted to participate in the discipleship training at the heart of that community, even if it meant pushing myself. Though I had heard about it before, I was still moved by how openly people confessed their weaknesses, shortcomings, and sins. The group leader would respond empathetically, drawing from their own experiences, and follow up with gentle exhortation.
Even though it was just the first session, I found myself sharing my recent struggles and the leader shared a similar life story, which brought me unexpected comfort. Although people felt awkward to start off, I could sense that showing ourselves as will mean growing very close to one another by the end of the 5 weeks.
During preparatory work, you start to learn how to meditate on Scripture (otherwise known as QT – Quiet Time). We are encouraged to ask “why” and seek answers based on the Scripture itself, before drawing connections to our personal experiences. While I’m used to interpreting Scripture, applying it to my own experiences hasn’t always been something I’ve focused on with the same intent.
Personal testimony involves careful reflection and finding the subtle “planks in my own eye”—sins that we are often unaware of. Such introspection can only occur through the light of the Holy Spirit, because the sin within us acts as a con artist, skilled at hiding itself.
Looking into my sin, weakness, and brokenness is necessary for true repentance. Repentance is not regret, self-blame, or a guilty self-reflection. It happens in the hope that comes from fully trusting in the power of the cross. It is about stepping out of the darkness and into the fullness of God’s righteousness, moving toward maturity in Christ. True change means leaving behind what is unhealthy or unholy and moving to a better place—and for that, I first needed to recognise the darkness in me.
Up to now, my quiet times have often centred around biblical insights and teachings to live against worldly ways. But I now realise that I was trying to move forward without first looking inward. I was chasing spiritual growth without true repentance—seeking progress without first facing my sin.
My second realisattion through Wooridle’s QT method is that transformation must involve (even the smallest) action. If I stop at intellectual understanding or a vague desire to live better, I’m like the man who builds his house on sand, hearing Jesus’ words but not putting them into practice. Real change only comes through obedience, even if the steps are small. This, too, is part of true repentance.
Even as a pastor, even with age, I realise that learning must never stop. “Lord, please continue to teach me.”
