Monthly Archives: April 2008

Pursuing a Gentle and Quiet Spirit

by Pastor John Kim

DTR2 Q&A

Question: How does one pursue developing a gentle and quiet spirit as found in 1 Peter 3:4?

Answer:

As discussed this past Sunday at the DTR2 session, I shared about various qualities one should look for in a God-honoring relationship. For the ladies, one of the first qualities that was brought up was that of a gentle and quiet spirit. What does it mean to have a gentle and quiet spirit and how does one pursue nurturing such a quality?

The word “gentle” refers to the character quality that is most marked by a humble and kind spirit that provides the basis for submission, which is the primary quality being addressed in 1 Peter 3:1, “In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husband.” Now someone might get distracted at this point and say, “I’m not a wife yet!”, but that would be to rush too quickly to judgment.

The quality of gentleness is one that stems from being filled with the Holy Spirit. In Galatians 5:22-23, the fruit of the Spirit is characterized in a nine-fold display of one who is walking in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16). So gentleness is not simply reserved for wives alone but is to be characteristic of every Christian, men included.

For those that might minimize the importance of gentleness, it was displayed in none other than our Lord Jesus Christ Himself as the Scriptures express the following:

Matthew 11:29
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matthew 21:5
Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold your King is coming to you, gentle, mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of beast of burden.”

2 Corinthians 10:1
Now I, Paul myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ – I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!

Our Lord displayed this trait of gentleness, which no doubt would lead us to consider how we might imitate Him. Consider He who is King of kings and He is exalted in being proclaimed “gentle” and even when the apostle Paul is exhorting the believers in Corinth, he appeals to them with the gentleness of Christ. It is an observation this is truly noteworthy for it uplifts this character trait from the stereotypical view of those being gentle equates to those who are weak.

Ladies, to display gentleness in your heart and spirit is not a sign of weakness or a lowering of value as the world might portray it. It is to follow in the very footsteps of Christ and it would be no small thing to display this trait, even in a dating relationship because first and foremost, you should be cultivating this quality simply because you are a Christian. But there is a special relevance as it relates to the role that you are to prepare for and that is to be a submissive wife.

Carefully consider the exhortations relating to gentleness in Scripture:

Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

Philippians 4:5
Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.

Titus 3:1-2
Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.

Ephesians 4:1-2
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Note how these passages are all relational in nature and it is not a sign of weakness but actually that of power. The gentle will inherit the earth!

I remember when growing up my mom gave me a devotion that she had heard from somewhere that gentleness was “power under control.” This is very true. It is not a sign of weakness but it actually is a sign of strength. There is nothing more difficult than to show gentleness when confronted with conflict and when someone might be making life very difficult for you and you feel justified in getting angry and upset and letting your emotions out. That is why it is impossible to be truly gentle apart from the power of the Holy Spirit in those situations.

Gentleness is also the key to all relationships, even in relation to being submissive to the governing authorities. It is also key in how we display our high calling in Christ and it is what contributes to true unity in the church.

How true then would it be for any kind of relationship to grow and flourish? Ladies, your contribution to a God-honoring relationship for the long-term will depend on your commitment to growing a gentle spirit. So how is it possible?

This is where the next word “quiet” comes in to play. The idea of being quiet is just that, to be quiet. There is an appropriate time speak and to voice your opinions but there is also a time, maybe even more so to be quiet in your demeanor and disposition. The idea of “quiet” also belies a stillness or tranquility of spirit, one that is unaffected by the emotional turmoil that often causes many to end up being obnoxious and nasty, especially in their words and attitudes toward others. The idea of a gentle heart really is found and evidenced when someone is able to show self-control and show that the peace of God reigns in their hearts.

Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Note that these two verses follow verse 5, which mentions the idea of gentleness. When there are times of anxiety, which no doubt comes up quite often in the whole issue of dating relationships, whether you are in one or not, the key here is to have a spirit that is characterized by being at peace. A quiet spirit is one that truly experiences the peace of God and it will then coincide with the display of gentleness, regardless of the circumstances but especially in light of difficult circumstances. Too many ladies are quick to discard gentleness to the wind when confronted with various situations and while it might be understandable from the world’s perspective to get upset and angry and to really run roughshod over a person, it is a far cry from one who is called to be living sacrifice before God. This is where we cannot afford to be conformed to the world but instead be transformed by the renewing of our minds with wisdom from above, which incidentally includes gentleness as being characteristic of heavenly wisdom (Jam. 3:17).

One last thing to note going back to 1 Peter 3:4. When women are challenged to exhibit a gentle and quiet spirit, you must consider that there are two significant things about it that make it important. First, it is an imperishable quality, that is, it is incorruptible and has an eternal quality about it. It is not subject to cultural revision or a changing of the times. It is a quality that when displayed in a God-honoring way is timeless. Second, it is a quality that is precious in the sight of God. It is the inner beauty of the heart that God sees as most valuable. Just as when Samuel was looking for a king out of the sons of Jesse, God admonished his short-sightedness when he thought the first-born was going to be chosen. “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7).

Ladies, if you desire to see the glory of God be displayed in your life, it will not be by focusing on the external adornment that this world so quickly turns to in order to define “beauty” but instead it is to focus on the hidden person of the heart. Beauty that is honoring before God is characterized by a gentle and quiet spirit and you cannot allow the lies of the world to convince you otherwise. Just like the serpent in the garden in Genesis 3, the world will say, “Indeed did God say?” and will get you to question the Lordship of Christ in your life.

Men, you also need to consider the priority of inner beauty as you consider your relationships with women. What do you truly value and what are you attracted to when it comes to ladies? If you do not see spiritual qualities such as a gentle and quiet spirit before you go looking, you will most likely find out, and sadly find out later that you will have wished for this quality to be present when you find yourself with someone who might be physically attractive but lacking severely in this area and you will find yourself miserable with a “beautiful” woman. It has been show time and time again – can’t you just watch the news and see the drama of our celebrity world as it is awash in glamour and appearances, only to find that it as Solomon said, “Vanity of vanities!”

So what are some practical ways to develop and practice a gentle and quiet spirit?

1. In your speech

Proverbs 15:1
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

What side will you find yourself on this verse? Gentle words or harsh words? Be careful the next time you talk with anyone, but especially those that are close to you, like family and friends. Note the tone of your voice and ask yourself if God would be glorified with harsh words or gentle words. If you are really brave, ask those that you really want to help you to hold you accountable in this area. But you really need to mean it because it will be tremendously difficult. But if anything, it will remind you to discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.

2. In correction

Galatians 6:1
Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.

When you find yourself in a position to correct someone, take a moment to remember that if you really do consider yourself to be spiritually mature, then your correction will take on a tone of gentleness, never out of anger or bitterness or resentment. Too often you can crush a person’s spirit when correcting. Consider many children who while they admittedly need correction, only have their hearts bruised and eventually hardened by the harsh tone of correction that is expressed.

Ladies, when you feel hurt or think that the guy is being insensitive or otherwise unkind to you in some way, if you presume yourself to be acting in a God-honoring fashion, a gentle and quiet spirit means that you will not allow yourself to be drawn into a judgmental attitude and then unleash on the other person harsh words that are condemning in nature. You will in fact only condemn yourself to your hypocrisy as you will no doubt find yourself in the other shoes and then you will have nothing to say because your own words will condemn you. Take time to first exercise self-control in your heart and then make sure your words are gentle and quiet. Remember that you will be held accountable for every word that you utter.

Another thing that you as ladies can do is to pursue Titus 2 relationships with older godly women who can practically walk you through what it means to have a gentle and quiet spirit. Now you will have to choose wisely because not all older women in the church necessarily display this kind of quality. But when you do find one (remember they won’t be perfect), you need to really grab a hold of that relationship and squeeze them for every ounce of wisdom you can get because it is priceless to have such influences in your life.

For those who have heard me share about them before, Fred and Mary Barshaw were an older couple at Grace Community Church that really impacted my marriage with Angela. Both were such kind and gentle spirits that every time we would talk with them, they would exude the kind of examples that we really cherished and valued. I can’t help but notice that there are too few of these kind of examples these days. If there is anything that would be worthwhile to pursue, it would be to have the kind of gentle and quiet spirit that really reflects spiritual strength, stability, and maturity that will then bode well for a relationship in any context, but especially a dating relationship that will hopefully one day lead to marriage.

Well, a long answer to question #1. Hope that helps.

Jonathan Edwards Resolution #45

by Pastor John Kim

Greetings to the LBC family and friends!

Jonathan Edwards Resolution #45
Resolved, never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance relating to it, but what helps religion. (Jan. 12 and 13, 1723)

This resolution builds on the previous resolution in that Edwards now includes the emotional aspects of religion to be brought into view. If you have read Edwards, you will know that he did not diminish the significance of emotions in the life of a person but that emotions be in submission to the glory of God. This is essentially when he is getting at here. All our emotions, whether pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, or any affection or degree of affection be in submission to how it might glorify God and promote His kingdom.

We all too often allow our emotions to dictate how we act and we often will regret words or actions that are spoken out of emotion, whether out of anger or out of zeal. Sometimes we get too excited and we’ll make rash promises or statements that we end up having to retract or go back on because they were borne out of zeal without a basis in reality. The other end would be to speak out of anger or sorrow and because of the negative bent on our perspective, we might say or do hurtful things toward others that would detract from bringing Christ honor.

We are to submit every part of our lives to seeking first the kingdom of God. We cannot allow our wavering emotions to set the tone as to the ultimate purpose for which we live. When we ask the question, “How should we live?”, every word, every thought, every heart motive and intention, and every action needs to be evaluated as to whether it promotes the glory of God or our own self-centeredness.

Our religion is not just a list of do’s and don’ts. Neither it is to be whimsical or subject to emotional flip-flopping. We do not reduce our Christian faith to a cold religiosity devoid of emotions but neither do we allow our emotions to dictate how we will live. We submit every aspect of our lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and so we do not make excuses but strive to the utmost to seek first His kingdom. We seek to follow Christ fully, just as Caleb did (Deuteronomy 1:36) by denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following hard after Jesus.

Life is too short to just cry about how hard it is or how we can’t handle life. As Christians, we have been given the grace of God, which is more than sufficient for us and we must stand in that grace daily and exercise all the resources that have been granted to us in living out the Christian life. We have not been left ourselves. We have the power of the Holy Spirit residing within us and as we are filled with the Spirit and walk in the Spirit, we will truly have the kind of spirit that will be resilient and rugged, that will not be flimsy and wishy-washy like our southern Californian culture but really be resolved to live out our lives as living sacrifices to the glory of God.

Chew on that for a few moments. Then we’ll see you this Sunday!

In His grace,
Pastor John

Jonathan Edwards Resolution #44

by Pastor John Kim

Greetings to the LBC family and friends!

Jonathan Edwards Resolution #44
Resolved, that no other end but religion, shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it. (January 12, 1723)

The idea of religion to Jonathan Edwards means a lot more than what it means today. For many, the very term “religion” is not something that is seen in a positive light. In fact, for many it is nothing but a moralistic system based on some sort of beliefs that a group will claim makes them distinct from others. For Edwards, religion was more than just a bunch of rules. It was the very heart and soul of what he defined as the Christian faith, which to him was the full embodiment of both principle and practice, of truth and life, of the great end to which God created the world, that is for His glory.

As many of his writings make clear, Edwards was so concerned about the glory of God that there truly was no other influence in his life on all of his life. Every action in every part of his life, no matter how small it was, was carried out in light of its ultimate purpose. 1 Corinthians 10:31 was the defining verse of his philosophy of life, that even in his eating and drinking (as seen in his resolutions) were to be to the glory of God.

There is no other end, no other ultimate purpose or goal that should influence our lives than our Christian faith. Our worldview should have God as the centerpoint, defining all things in relation to His character and His purposes. This should have ramifications on every part of life, so much so that every moment we live should be seen as an act of worship to bring God glory.

While it is obviously something that no one accomplishes perfectly in this life, it does not mean that we should not strive to pursue this kind of resolution in everything that we do. So whether in our studies or in the workplace, whether at home or with friends, whether at church or in the marketplace, with Christians or non-Christians, we should always have this question in mind – “How will God truly be glorified in this situation?” We must not think that this is unreasonable, especially if we would say that we are Christians. We have been bought with a price. We are called to glorify God with our very bodies (1 Corinthians 6:20).

It is a sad reality that too many Christians show a tremendous lack of appreciation for the transcendence of the glory of God to permeate every part of their life. We create the sacred versus the secular distinctions that really don’t exist for the Christian because all of life is a sacred opportunity to bring God glory. Do not exchange the glory of God for the mudpies of this world. Life is a precious moment by moment opportunity to have the glory of God be at stake – it is truly an exhilirating way to look at life. We are not to be bound by the mundane agendas of this world that are so temporary. We have been freed to experience the superabounding grace of God which is new each day.

Don’t let other short-sighted and ultimately failing agendas of the world prevail over your life. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). Fulfill the Great Commandment to love God and people (Matthew 22:37-40). Pursue the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) and see life in a whole different way. You won’t regret it.

In His grace,
Pastor John

What’s the Problem with Dating?

by Pastor John Kim

It seems to me that the issue of dating is one that will never go away because we obviously have many singles (both college and post) who are hopeful (or maybe feeling hopeless) in finding that special someone that they hope will one day become their spouse.

The frustration that I have with this issue is that no matter how often we address it at a teaching level, there is the inevitable reaction against principles brought up or maybe even more disconcerting is the obvious lack of attention given to the teaching, resulting in a total oblivious attitude that is seen in the continuation of a worldly mindset that does not reflect wisdom from above as found in Scripture.

There are still those who would insist that it is fine to date a non-Christian, even though there have been very clear statements made regarding this issue. It really should be a non-issue because as a Christian, you should have in common the most important thing in your life, and that is Christ. If you have some misguided notion that through your dating you will be able to bring that unbelieving person to Christ, you really need to be honest with your heart motives and allow the Holy Spirit to pierce you with the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12). It is really a result of a compromise that has often been fostered by even so-called “Christian” parents who really do not prioritize the importance of a genuine faith in Christ. Going to church is often enough for someone to justify that it is okay to date a non-Christian and all too often the relationship starts to move in to areas that really are not glorifying to God. The sad conclusion to this kind of situation is that marriage will often take place and then there is a life-long conflict put into place that no doubt is the source of many conflicts and the greater likelihood of divorce (can you see that the issue of “irreconcilable differences” would actually be coming into play here?).

But I would venture to say that there is hopefully a better understanding about this particular issue at Lighthouse, at least for those who have attended the DTR sessions that we have had (one in fall 2005 and the other in fall 2007, which will continue starting April 13).

I would like to give a reminder to those who attended the first session of DTR2 in October of 2007 with the Reformation principles that provide the foundations for what I believe would be a God-honoring worldview that can then work through the issue of dating. I would concur with others that there are different ways for the idea of “dating” to work toward marriage. But where I would disagree is that if someone were to replace Biblical principles with worldly wisdom (note that I wrote replace), then this directly flies in the face of Romans 12:2, where we should not be in conformity to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

So a few questions to remind you (in light of this past Sunday’s message on Romans 15):

1. Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)
Is the inspired, inerrant, infallible Word of God sufficient to provide the final authority to govern all aspects of life, including dating? Or do you seek other sources of “wisdom” to follow?

2. Sola Gratia (Grace Alone)
Are you in agreement that except for the grace of God extended to you that you have absolutely no hope in any aspect of life, including dating? Or do you act in a way that reveals you think you are entitled to something that you think you deserve, especially in SOMEONE you think you deserve?

3. Sola Fide (Faith Alone)
Do you truly trust in the Lord with ALL your heart instead of leaning on your own understanding? Or do you try to manipulate people and circumstances to force your own agenda?

4. Solus Christus (Christ Alone)
Is Christ your first love? Or have you compromised this with the priority of self-love to the point where you want someone to join you in loving yourself instead of Christ?

5. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)
Is it your greatest desire to glorify God in all areas of your life (1 Corinthians 10:31)? Do you truly seek to be a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1)? Or have you exchanged the glory of God for the excrement of this world and the pursuit of self-glory?

Your attitude toward dating will reveal a lot about you as to the reality of these five principles in your life. What is evident through the fall out of those who do not heed God’s Word is a clear rejection and rebellion against the wisdom of God and instead the foolish pursuit of worldly thinking.

There are some who need to be confronted. There are others that need to be encouraged. There are the marrieds who need to set an example to the singles. There are youth and children that are watching to see what those who are in this stage will do. So everyone is affected and no one has an excuse to turn a blind eye to this issue.

See you April 13 at 6pm as we resume DTR2.

Pray.

Jonathan Edwards Resolution #43

by Pastor John Kim

To the LBC family and friends!

Jonathan Edwards Resolution #43
Resolved, never, henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God’s; agreeable to what is to be found in Saturday, January 12, 1723.

Life is not about you. Jonathan Edwards already knew that at an early age and as you consider the whole of his life (read the biography by George Marsden or Iain Murray – both are great), you can see that he carried out the resolutions he wrote with the same spirit in which he wrote them, with a resolved heart and spirit.

Resolved, determined, committed, and with utmost conviction, to never, never, never, no never, until the day I die (because that’s when I will not have to wrestle with the sin which still entangles me, which will be cast away for eternity as I will receive the culmination of my salvation gift, the glorification of my being into perfect and eternal righteousness before God), will I act, behave, think, speak, conduct, or in any other way live as if my life belonged to me, but in having cast my life before the cross, having denied myself, have now become God’s through the redemption by which I was bought with the precious blood of Christ so that I would be forgiven of my sin and be reconciled to my Creator so that I might now be a slave to His lordship, that I no longer live for myself but for the one who died and rose again on my behalf so that I might be a living sacrifice that is holy and acceptable before God, committing every act, thought, word, and deed to the glory of God. I am resolved to the end by which I understand that it is only by the grace and mercy of God extended to me daily so that He might be the source of strength by which I might carry out my resolutions, knowing that on my own I will only fail with the utmost futility but by the empowering Spirit of God that resides within me, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me and fills me so that I might enjoy the blessings that have been bestowed on me from the heavenly places and so then carry out His good and acceptable and perfect will as richly communicated through the Scriptures so that the majesty and honor and glory of God would be displayed to all.

May God grant us the heart’s desire to live in such a resolute way.

In His grace,
Pastor John

Dedication of Our New Facilities

by Pastor John Kim

God has graciously given our church a new facility and it really is amazing to think that after almost nine years at our previous site we now have a place of our own (to rent still but that’s okay). As we have been putting in many hours to get the various aspects of the building ready for use, it really has been a blessing to see so many people willing to give of their time and energy to literally build up the church building. Not only that, as we have various needs arise, such as the need for a cleaning ministry, we have had almost 30 people signup to help with that and so it truly is encouraging to see our church family step up.

Not that I want to get too intense about it, but as I think about how much effort and energy went into building the tabernacle during the time of Moses, or the building of the temple by Solomon, a lot went into the building of a facility that was meant to facilitate corporate worship. But what eventually happened to both? They would lose their meaning as many forgot that worship is not about a building but about the hearts of people congregating to worship God together. It’s not just about a ceremonial service or following a liturgy but that every aspect of our lives, whether the singing, the sermon, the fellowship, or even the eating and drinking, that all of it would be done to the glory of God together.

I believe that we in San Diego know little of the tests of adversity but we are tested more with the tests of prosperity. We have so much and yet we often do so little with what we have been given. So I want to really challenge all of our church family members to consider carefully that we have been given a great stewardship. We have a larger sanctuary not just so that we could increase our attendance for having larger numbers but for increasing the corporate worship of God. That will only happen if we are truly setting our eyes on Christ and that He alone would be the focal point of our devotion. That must then be consistently upheld throughout the week in our individual lives wherever we go.

So this Sunday as we look forward to being blessed by the preaching of some wonderful friends of our church – Andy Snider and Chris Mueller, let us remember that it is not the building that makes a church – it is the body of Christ, those who are truly following Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior that make up the church and we must rise up and fulfill the mandate that we have been given:

Mission – to make disciples of Christ (Matthew 28:18-20 *note the addition of verse 18)

Vision – to plant churches (Acts 1:8)

Passion – to love God and people (Matthew 22:37-40)

Bring your family and friends this Sunday to either or both services (9am and 6pm) as we thank God for His grace to us.

Let’s get together and shine the light brightly for our God!

Reflections from the 2008 Shepherds Conference

by Pastor Patrick Cho

This year, eleven men from Lighthouse attended the 2008 Shepherds’Conference. The conference, which was held on March 5-7 at Grace Community Church, was a tremendous blessing because of the amount of teaching we were able to take in. Spiritually, it provided a time for rejuvenation and refreshing. It also promoted wonderful fellowship as there were many opportunities to converse about the seminars and messages.

The Shepherds’ Conference this year did not feature some of the same big name speakers as in previous years. Although John MacArthur and Al Mohler were there, past conferences also included speakers like John Piper and R. C. Sproul. Though there might have initially been some disappointment from not being able to hear some of the more popular pastors, in many ways this conference proved to be more encouraging and edifying than those of previous years. Those who attended the conference agreed that this year’s messages were among the best of all the previous conferences combined.

Tom Pennington offered a wonderful exposition about fruitful Christian living from Psalm 1, Rick Holland delivered a challenging message from Leviticus 9 about the dangers of casual familiarity with God, Phil Johnson spoke on the counter-cultural approach of Paul’s preaching in Athens from Acts 17, Al Mohler addressed the theology of exposition from Deuteronomy 4, and Steve Lawson enlivened everyone at the conference with a sermon about the invincible weapon that the preacher wields from Hebrews 4:12. But the highlight messages of the week came from John MacArthur.

MacArthur spoke the most frequently giving three of the general session sermons as well as a Q&A. His first message on Wednesday morning was about the church in the Book of Acts and how important it is to maintain a biblical ecclesiology. He addressed some of the recent church growth trends and explained that the church today is unfortunately moving farther and farther away from the prescribed and lucid instructions from God’s Word. Instead of adopting church growth methodologies that simply cater to sinners’ wants, the church should stick to the strategies of the early church: focusing on the Word of God, raising a believing and sanctified congregation, and appointing qualified and godly leaders.

That evening, MacArthur presented a masterful exposition of the account of the widow’s offering in Luke 20:45-21:6, but the message that seemed to make the biggest impact on all in attendance was the final sermon of the conference. He prefaced the sermon by explaining that it contained the material for the rewritten first chapter of the 20th anniversary edition of his book, The Gospel according to Jesus. In this message, he carefully examined the master/slave motif of the New Testament and outlined how the Bible calls all believers of Christ to be His slaves. The premise of the sermon was if Christ is to be Lord and Master (cf. Jude 1:4), then His followers are to be His slaves. This is how the Apostles identified themselves and this is how the Lord regards His followers even unto eternity future (cf. Rev. 22:3). MacArthur was careful to explain that though all true believers are slaves of Christ, Christ is ever the gracious and wonderful Master because, though we are slaves, He treats us as friends (cf. John 15:14-15).

The fellowship at the conference was encouraging. Seeing the servant hearts of the members at Grace Community Church throughout the entire week was humbling. The gifts, food, and free books provided at the conference were blessings. But the real highlight was the clear exposition of God’s Word, which was delivered again and again. In many ways, it was like drinking from a fire hydrant trying to take in that much teaching in such a short time. All in all, the conference lifted our spirits and challenged us to lead in the church the way God intends. It was surely a weekend that will remain in our hearts for a long time.

Nate Kwak

by Kevin Au

There’s a good chance you may know Nate Kwak, as you can often seeing him making his rounds, greeting almost everybody at church on any given Sunday. We may not be seeing as much of him in the near future, as he will be graduating UCSD this June, and heading home to La Palma, California to be a part of his home church and family. But before that time comes, I got the chance to pull Nate aside, and find out some things you may not know.

“I was a troublemaker growing up,” admits Nate. “A lot of the older people in the church had known me as ‘the demon child.’” But with Taekwondo as an outlet, some of that energy was funneled elsewhere, and by the time he reached 4th or 5th grade, Nate fit the “quiet and obedient kid” mold better.

Though he grew up in a Christian household, with an older sister who persistently pushed him to examine himself beyond his outward personality, Nate did not come to understand the gospel or acknowledge Christ as Lord until the summer before he came to college. “I’d say my experience of college was my experience of the Christian life,” says Nate. “I didn’t hear the gospel in its entirety until I transitioned out of youth group.”

After this, Nate found himself in San Diego, coming to LBC on Sundays as Ju-im faithfully called him and picked up the collegians. He has been coming ever since. “I really have been influenced a lot by Pastor John,” says Nate, when asked who has influenced his faith. “His unwavering example, boldness, and his messages spoken with the authority of Scripture have changed the way that I share the gospel. I struggled a lot with making sure people felt comfortable, but by coming to LBC, I’ve really learned the importance of the Bible, and whatever the Bible says is what matters. It has changed my perspective on where authority comes from, and I’m not as swayed by men as I was before.”

Nate will be finishing up his Urban Studies and Planning major this year, having switched to it from Structural Engineering his first two years. “I’m hoping to do something with housing and development, hopefully something that can help immigrant families find housing.”

As he looks back on his college career, several moments stand out in particular: “My second year,” Nate reminisces, “Andy Shin, Chris Katsura, Paul Molina and I were playing with fire with a lighter and an aerosol can. We lit it and the fire started coming back up towards the can. I jerked my head back in reaction, but at the same time Andy put his head forward. The back of my head collided with his and I blacked out for about 10 seconds. When I came back, I remember that the last thing I heard was a crack, so I thought I had broken Andy’s glasses. I looked up and his glasses were fine, but he was holding his nose, saying ‘This isn’t good, guys.’ I had broken his nose…that memory stands out the most.”

Nate’s words of wisdom to the younger collegians: “Talk to everyone you can. Wherever you are, just talk to people. Encourage Christians, evangelize to non-Christians. For the guys, talk to the older guys at church, don’t spend all your conversation on video games and sports, talk about God…and don’t make it a weird thing to pray with others. Pray honestly. Pray genuinely.”

“I love LBC,” Nate concludes, “I’m going to miss it a lot, but God can use His children wherever they go, and right now, I think its time to go. Don’t be afraid to go and do.”

Jin and Grace Lee

by Moon Choi

There are more couples at Lighthouse that have been set up than one would think – Jin and Grace Lee are an example of it. A good friend of theirs, a former member of Lighthouse, set up a blind date for the two of them when Grace was in the OC. After four and a half months of dating, they got engaged.

At church, I had to pull them away as soon as second service ended because I knew that they’d get caught up chatting with other people. As I approached them, Grace said, “You caught me in the middle of Jin abusing me!” My puzzled expression must’ve prompted Grace to explain the situation: she had given away their box of Samoas. And Jin loves Samoas. Sitting in the back corner of the sanctuary of the old building, I asked them what the challenges and blessings of their marriage were. They both responded that they feel very blessed to be married. This is something that kept on coming up throughout their interview – they would just look at each other before responding to the question. However, they were quick to say that there are still struggles because they are not perfect. Grace said, “Really, it’s still two sinners coming together.” Jin quickly chimed in, “But it’s still joyful. It’s like – 95% joys.” He added that the things that they argue over stem from being selfish over small, silly things (“Like Samoas,” he said), and that though their marriage isn’t perfect, the joys and blessings far outweighed the struggles and challenges. “We’re always reminded that marriage is a gift,” said Grace.

Then when asked why they wanted to serve in College Life, they said that it was because they had always wanted to serve Christ together as a couple and that the collegians were a group that they wanted to minister to because “it’s such an impactful time,” Grace said. Jin joked, saying that they had no choice but to serve in College Life because the Single Life ministry already had enough people serving in it. Still, they said that it’s been great and that they’ve constantly been learning a lot through serving in the ministry.
“I was thinking about that!” Jin exclaimed, when Grace said that Jin dances for her. They couldn’t quite pinpoint a single favorite quirk about each other. “She laughs at my stupid jokes – and she has a cute laugh,” Jin said with a smile, looking at Grace. Then turning back to look at me, she said, “And I love his silliness. He reminds me to just have fun.”

“Well, anything else that you’d like to add?” I asked them as the interview neared its end.

Jin reiterated that though their marriage is great and it’s such a big blessing, there are still challenges. Grace, too, reiterated that it is two sinners coming together. “But I think that we’re still in our honeymoon stage,” Jin said. Grace added that it is so crucial to put Christ as the center of their marriage and that they end the day in prayer together. “You really need to love and nurture.”

Chris Lim

by Grace Wu

Chris Lim first set foot in Lighthouse just nine months ago. Most would not be able to tell how new of a member he is by seeing his service in LBC. He is a part of the choir, the weekly running ministry, Care Ministry, and was recently selected to be a part of the Czech 2008 missions team.

The transition into LBC was not a difficult one for Chris. Many things helped him get adjusted: knowing Rob Lockwood and Jenny Chang from a previous small group, seeing what he saw as the genuineness of people in a church body, and having a small group leader who called in every week just to check in with him. Knowing that it was important to settle down and to be able to grow at a church, Chris did not think that his swift transition into the life of the church body was a hasty decision.

He got his first taste of a major LBC ministry project when he got the idea to put together four scrapbooks for the LBC elders in February. The idea came after his first members meeting in January, which was a somber experience for him. He saw the emotional fatigue of the leadership, perhaps from much criticism and discouragement.

However, instead of being disheartened by the experience, he decided to turn it into an opportunity to encourage and support LBC’s leadership at a much-needed time. “For leaders, criticism is always hard when you’re trying to do what’s right and you’re trying to fear God. Since words are powerful, they can be used to criticize and they can be used to build up,” Chris said.

It was then that the scrapby book idea blossomed into a church-wide effort in which the family ministry, single adults’ ministry, and collegians were able to all participate. Not only was coordinating a church-wide effort to encourage the elders a difficult task, but keeping it a secret was an even harder task. Even when the idea was brought before the rest of the elders as a way to encourage Pastor John, the rest of the elders thought it was exclusively for Pastor John. Ultimately, the scrapbooks turned out to be a surprise for the elders and their wives.

Chris is originally from New Jersey and spent his earlier years on the East Coast. He attended Boston University for his undergraduate education and majored in economics with a minor in business. After taking a year off, he went back to BU for graduate school. After several years of working on the East Coast, he decided to go West, mainly because his best friend from graduate school was from San Diego and he would visit out here on occasion to enjoy the sunny weather.

“I came to San Diego on my own volition. I got tired of heading back to the cold East Coast,” Chris said.

Chris, who now works as a financial planner in Mission Valley, was raised by faithful Christian parents.

“One of things I really appreciate about my parents—they’re Chinese but my parents didn’t bring us up in a very Chinese kind of household. It was more of a Christian household. They loved us equally but treated us differently in terms of our strengths,” Chris said. After Chris moved to San Diego from living on the East Coast, his parents followed him out West to live in Carlsbad. Even though his parents are now retired, they still consistently go on missions
in China.

The missions mindset of his parents certainly had some influence in Chris’ life as well. His college years were filled with missions trips to Poland, China, Korea, Daytona Beach, and Williamsport in Pennsylvania. Even though Chris has been out of college for over ten years now, his passion to serve the Lord did not leave him when he left the college scene. Instead, the same fervor to fulfill the Great Commission is still clearly present, whether in serving in LBC domestically or internationally on missions.