“In these trying times, with much uncertainty and the end of the pandemic still far from sight, it is important that we do not lose faith in an immovable and faithful God. While fear and stress are part of our everyday lives, we must not allow ourselves to be overwhelmed, and we must hold on to faith that God will work in mighty ways to see us through.”

Online audiences received encouragement such as these statements from Ptr. Willy Chua, speaker of CSM’s first webinar in 2021,“Treasures Within Reach” via Zoom and Facebook Live last March 19. While not discounting the negative effects of the pandemic such as joblessness and business losses, Pastor Chua shared inspiring stories from people he personally knew as well as his own life experiences about overcoming worry and a sense of powerlessness. “Yes, it is alright to feel sad and worried; that is only natural. But we cannot stay in these feelings forever. We need to stand up and do our part, and trust that God will do His part and provide,” he added.

Chua also cited people’s tendency to focus on the glitter side of “treasure.” He explained, “When we think of treasure, we often think it is material riches and abundance. But in the Bible, we see how God is using everyday objects—a staff, a jar of oil, a basket of bread and fish—to bless people. A treasure is anything in our hands that we allow God to use for His glory.”

“Treasures Within Reach” is Ptr. Chua’s third webinar for CSM and is based on his book of the same title. His previous webinars, “Harvesting in Times of Famine” and “Thanks-Living,” were also based on his two other books.

Another webinar to look forward to is “Feeding the Shepherds: A Holistic Approach to Caring for Pastors and Leaders,” on April 24, 2021, Saturday, 9am to 11:30am via Zoom. Registration fee is only P200. To register, visit https://csm-publishing.com/events.

Pastor Willy Chua, author of Treasures Within Reach

Ptr. Chua explains the principle of “The value of a tool increases in the hand of the one who can use it proficiently” illustrated by several stories in the Bible

Some of the participants via Zoom with CSM Training Officer Ptr. Reuel Alfonso (green inset) and webinar speaker Pastor Willy Chua (red inset)