Joanna Ng Reflects on God’s Design for “Kingdom Productive” Lives
On March 13, Cornerstone University welcomed Joanna Ng as this month’s distinguished chapel speaker for Community Chapel. Her message, “Living Life to the Full,” reflected on milestone moments from her transformational faith journey, including formative experiences growing up as a daughter in a Chinese family and the process of discerning her vocational calling. Ng previously headlined as a panelist for Cornerstone’s March 2023 Wisdom Conversations event titled “Being Human and Artificial Intelligence,” during which she implored attendees to embody the cultural mandate in the field of technology and as image bearers of God.
Ng worked for IBM and held a seven-year tenure as the head of research and director of Center for Advanced Studies for IBM Canada. With 49 patents granted to her name, Ng attained the title of IBM Master Inventor. She pivoted to become an entrepreneurial start-up founder, focusing on augmented cognition assistance. Currently, Ng serves as founder and CEO of Devarim Design and mentors undergraduate students who are committed to a future of Christ-centered cultural influence as a national fellow in the President’s Fellows program at Cornerstone.
Defining the characteristics of a full life promised to followers of Jesus Christ, Ng reflected on John 10:10. She defined the character of God and His divine design in creation, referencing passages such as Psalm 139:13-16, Ephesians 2:10, and John 17:4.
“Time is kind of like water going through our fingers,” Ng said. “It’s hard to grasp. … So live your days according to how He ordained you.”
Ng outlined four stages on the pathway of the spiritual journey toward bold freedom in Jesus Christ. She described the marks of each season: rebirth, growth, stewardship, and fulfillment — or life to the full. Encouraging students, staff, and faculty toward bold faith for His glory, Ng invited attendees to consider key questions when discovering their God-given vocational calling:
- Do I know what good works God has prepared in advance for me to do?
- Am I doing the good works He prepared for me?
- What is in my hands today?
“It’s one thing to know who He is,” Ng closed. “It’s another thing to know that I can entrust everything to Him.”
Ng published her first book, “Being Christian 2.0: Instead of Losing Heart, Let’s Start Over,” in October 2022. In July 2024, KOE Series also will release her second book, “Debugging Discipleship: Democratizing Priesthood for Work Ministry of Eternal Significance.”
Watch a video recording of the Community Chapel with Joanna Ng from March 13, 2024. To listen to more chapel messages and receive notifications of new teachings, follow Cornerstone University Chapel on Spotify and CornerstoneU on YouTube.
