Jesus is King: The Heart Behind the MetroNext Lock-in

As the sun rose over the Atlantic Ocean, 12 MetroNext students bundled up and watched the sky in awe, filling the crisp February air with laughter. The youth had arrived at a house in Ocean City the night before, excited for a packed weekend of fellowship, fun activities, and gospel lessons.

Acoustic notes and voices resounded as both the students and teachers led worship on piano and guitar. The time in worship was unique as the smaller atmosphere invited a warmer ambience. They sang songs including “He Will Be” and “King of Kings,” proclaiming God’s character.

"Jesus is Lord" was the theme of the weekend, preached by Pastor Andrew Pae in the intimate setting of the living room. The passage chosen was from Matthew 14:22-32, where Jesus calms the storm. The youth spent time writing in their journals after the sermon, also reflecting on Psalm 110:1, which spoke of God’s position of supreme honor, authority, and power.

“One thing I will always remember from the MetroNext retreat is that the Lord should have dominion over every aspect of our lives, not just in church. I think it’s very easy to separate our spiritual life from our social or work life, but the Bible says we should honor Him in all that we do, and not just specific parts that we pick and choose,” said eleventh grader Collin Lu. “From what I understand, an applicable way to integrate the Lord into other parts of our lives is by taking time to intentionally have spiritual rest, in which we find contentment in our work and acknowledge His presence in our lives. It was very encouraging to connect with brothers and sisters in Christ who share the same worries and concerns, and growing in our spiritual walk together is something I will never forget.”

The youth also had the opportunity to discuss in small groups, sharing their struggles and exploring how they could apply the lessons learned from this weekend.

“In small groups, we were studying how when we sin against Him and go against our intended design, we will fall apart, and there’s an intended punishment that will show His wrath over our disobedience. However, God is also merciful and sent His one and only Son to die for us so that we can dwell in His house forever. He loves us even more than we could imagine, and we can respond by obeying His commands, loving Him fully, and recognizing Him as Lord over our lives,” said ninth grader Audrey Paek.

In between these formative lessons and other activities, MetroNext enjoyed quite a feast. Waffle fries, spam musubi, and ramen stretched the length of the table as students worked together to prepare food. Groups of four, supported by MetroNext leaders, took turns cooking for the house throughout the weekend. The friendly cooking competition was judged by Joshua Kim and Pastor Andrew, who declared the breakfast banquet (including homemade whipped cream!) the winner. Needless to say, everyone ate to their hearts’ content.

Valentine’s Day weekend meant that the girls were in for a surprise: friendly roses and paper hearts from the boys were waiting for them downstairs. Assistant Teacher Minsoo Jeon and MetroNext Youth Director Donald Han led this to encourage the boys to work together, be creative, and have a heart to prepare a meal for others.

Minsoo elaborated, “The heart behind surprising the girls was to demonstrate love and service for the women. Specifically, we wanted to give the boys an opportunity to show love (platonic, not romantic!) for their sisters and to really use their hands and feet. We thought it would be a great teaching moment for the boys and also a great way to ensure our girls felt cherished and loved!”

The ladies’ faces were priceless as they took in the sight of a full table of pasta and garlic bread, Lindor chocolates, and sparkling cider.

“From the MetroNext Lock-in 2026, I learned many impactful lessons about the Christian faith, but the most important thing was about God’s character. He is truly all-powerful. I got to learn more deeply about Him, and I now see Him as not only a friend, but as Lord over my life. He is the Creator of the world and Ruler over everything, who at the same time is perfectly loving and gracious. From Pastor Andrew’s sermons, I saw how God can calm the storm, walk on water, and make our enemies like footstools under our feet. Even from the sunrise we saw, I was reminded of God’s beauty in all His creations, including us,” said Audrey.

“My hope for our group is that our students will grow in their love and own personal relationship with Christ. Our students are part of a generation that is the most anxious and exposed to so many things at such a young age. Through their personal relationship with Christ, I hope that they see the beauty of the cross and that it will give them reassurance and hope,” said Donald.