Author Archives: Stephen Rodgers

Homeless Ministry

by Kevin Au

Though we all have our struggles, many of which we feel are very pressing, very few of us, if any, have ever experienced the anxiety of knowing there is no soft bed or warm home waiting for you at the end of the day, or wondering what kind stranger will provide your next meal, or how you can possibly get throughout the next day without relying on the influence of alcohol or substances. Most of us cannot relate with these struggles. For those who go out to the Hillcrest ministry, these struggles and the people who face them are not simply statistics, nameless unfortunates only read about in the paper, or people who are far removed from normal everyday life in San Diego. On Tuesday nights, suddenly the term “homeless” has a face, a personality, a story, and most importantly, an eternal soul attached to it.

Every Tuesday night, a group of LBCers, together with some people from Chinese Evengelical Church and Harvest, meet together for prayer, then head over to the streets of Hillcrest, to care for the physical and spiritual needs of the homeless there.

When asked to describe the ministry, there is a consensus that it is a ministry centered on the sharing of the gospel of Jesus Christ in truth and in love. There is an understanding that the greatest need of the people in Hillcrest is a saving knowledge of Christ, but there is also the sobering realization that the physical circumstances around many of the homeless and the results of those circumstances have made it particularly difficult to embrace faith and life in Christ. So that these things might become less of a hindrance, meeting physical needs by passing out care packages and blankets, buying them dinner, or getting them connected with shelters and drug recovery programs are common practices.

The ministry has its share of discouragement. Many have found that even among those who can coherently understand the gospel, there are few who are teachable and willing to repent and change their way of thinking and their way of life. Inability to understand or even follow a conversation and prideful stubbornness seem to be the primary obstacles in seeing more people follow Christ on the streets.

“I’ve had mixed experiences,” says a regular attendee. “I’ve encountered some people who were intelligent, willing to listen, and kind-hearted. I’ve encountered others who were hostile, and really had to be left alone. I’ve encountered others who were mentally or physically impaired, as well as those who struggled with addictions.”

Despite the discouragement and what many might consider limited success, the group continually strives to be witness of Christ in Hillcrest every week, seeing benefits, even in their own spiritual walks.

“I’ve learned the value of the Gospel in my own life,” says one person. “Just by sharing, God has taught me how much more precious the Gospel is.”

Another one shares “I often find myself re-evaluating my own sin through these experiences, though it may not be as evident as in the homeless that we see have addictions and more blatant sin, it is easy to become Pharisee-like and become jaded by pride, and to keep this in mind.”

Another attendee adds to this sentiment, “We are always reminded that we were no better off than most of the people we talk to. We were just as enslaved to the power of sin. That makes the gospel seem much more real to myself, even in the midst of sharing it.”

The streets of Hillcrest are a dark place. But through this ministry and its effort to be a light in the community, some have come to know Christ, some have thrown off encumbering sins, and many have been given a supporting hand to stand under the consequences of past sins and personal circumstances. Regardless of all the discouragement that comes, eyes have been directed towards Christ, for the homeless, as well as those who serve in the ministry.

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

by Moon Choi

Though I’m a newer member, my past year and a half with Lighthouse has been nothing short of amazing. When I learned that the church had started seven years ago with only a handful of people at its inaugural service on May 2, 1999, I was blown away by the fact that there were about two hundred and fifty regular attendees, with about a hundred of them being members. LBC’s eighth anniversary is rolling around and now we have just under three hundred people attending Sunday service regularly and about a hundred and eighty members. More are expected within the next year! God has blessed LBC tremendously.

Though I am still relatively new to this church and am just getting into the swing of things, I see the increasing dedication of the leadership and the members. I have never seen a church that cares so much for its members, whether it is the leadership praying individually for the members or the members being devoted to each other in true Romans 12:10 fashion. This is something that I not only observe but something that I have been a recipient of, challenging me to also devote myself to LBC and its members, pointing to our theme this year of building the body.

We have seen a few changes within the past year, with the most prominent one being the transition to two services to accomodate the increasing number of attendees. Lord willing, we will be moving into a new, larger building by September. Affinity groups are also back, taking the place of flocks, and are already well integrated into LBC. Into its eighth year, Lighthouse has made many changes to fit the needs of the members but, as always, has remained steadfast in its devotion to the Word.

Hansol and Angela

by Grace Wu

On a Friday night in Solis Hall at UCSD, there is a pregnant woman sitting among a lecture hall full of loud, boisterous college students. She is Angella An, one of LBC’s mothers-to-be. She serves on College Life with Hansol, her husband of two years, in leading small groups.

“After one year of being in singles’ ministry [after graduating from college], I started getting adjusted to it, but Hansol wanted to serve on College Life. We were going to get married then, so I wanted to be where he was,” Angella said.

For Hansol, serving on College Life is something near and dear to his heart. During Hansol’s college days at SDSU, he lived with several of the LBC “veteran” guys. Although he was already committed to another church during his freshman year, Hansol’s dedication died down to the point where he started sleeping in on Sunday mornings and skipping church altogether. However, Hansol’s church attendance completely changed when Steve invited him to LBC, which, at the time, started at 1 p.m. precluding his using sleep as an excuse.

“When I went to LBC, I had never been taught so much truth up-front. Everyone there was a good example to me. After that, there was no reason to leave,” Hansol said.

Attending LBC was a major reason why Hansol had a very memorable college experience. The older Lighthouse members set a godly example for him, inspiring him to emulate them.

“I wanted to do the same for the collegians. I didn’t want others to have unqualified small group leaders like I did in the past,” Hansol said.

Previously in the Flocks format, Hansol’s small group was composed of all single adult men. This made it difficult for both male collegians and Hansol to know each other outside the context of Sunday services. With the change from Flocks to affinity groups, Hansol was presented the perfect opportunity to be an active part of the lives of many collegians.

“This is what I wanted—a consistent college group. It allows me to be more involved and know more [collegians],” Hansol said.

For Angella, her commitment to LBC fluctuated in her freshman year of college. She went back and forth between her home church and LBC until her sophomore year, which was when Angella finally became consistent in her attendance at LBC.

When Angella compares LBC’s current collegians to her collegiate self from over six years ago, she is encouraged at what she sees.

“A lot of the collegians are more ahead in their Christian walk than when I was in college. They challenge me too in being convicted and seeing change in their lives,” Angella said.

“The collegians try to apply what they learn, more so than the older people. You can see people’s lives changing quarter to quarter,” Hansol said.

Outside of the college ministry, Hansol and Angella still find fellowship with the married couples outside of Family Flock time.

“We call it the ‘Fellowship of the Rings’,” Angella joked.

This cleverly named fellowship group is actually an informal married couples’ book club at LBC. They are currently reading over The Excellent Wife and The Exemplary Husband, though the book club has recently been on hiatus.

“It’s because everyone’s been getting pregnant,” Angella laughed.

This includes the Ans. They also have an important ministry outside of collegians and other married couples—their future family. With their first child being born very soon, the Ans have a lot to think about for the future for themselves and their son. Angella, in planning for her family, is watching the other moms at church to learn about the joys, stresses, and blessings of motherhood. While Hansol isn’t exactly rushing back to be on Nursery again as the only male worker there, he is still doing his part in readying himself for fatherhood. As of late, his thoughts about fatherhood have been centered on discipline, raising his son with godliness, and especially his son’s salvation.

“I’m at peace with knowing that I can’t save my child. I’ll leave it up to God but I’ll do my part,” Hansol said.

Light from Old Times – A Glance at Martin Luther

by Steven Hong

On October 31, 1517, a small, unassuming monk walked down a busy road to Castle Church at Wittenberg and nailed a pamphlet upon its doors. Five centuries later, this unceremonious event would be celebrated by Christians worldwide as Reformation Day.

The Build-Up

Many historians might consider the moment that Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door at Castle Church in Wittenberg, as the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. But like any significant event in history, there were forces at work long before Luther’s lifetime.

“Pre-Reformation” figures, such as John Wycliffe and Jan Hus laid the foundation, condemning indulgences and encouraging dramatic reform. Hus was eventually burned at the stake for not recanting his criticisms of the Roman Catholic Church, but not before declaring in 1415 that, “within a hundred years, God would raise up a man whose calls for reform cannot be suppressed.” Hus was off by two years.

Luther’s Life

From a very young age, Luther felt the heavy weight of his own sinfulness bearing down on him. As a child, he would have sleepless nights haunted by nightmares of a wrathful God. In July of 1505, as young Martin was walking to school, all this came to a head, when he was caught in a violent thunderstorm. When a lightning bolt nearly struck him, Luther made a vow to enter the monastery if God would only spare his life.

True to his word, Luther turned away from a life of studying law and entered the Augistinian order two weeks later. There, he would continue to wrestle with his sinfulness, constantly seeking absolution. He would flog himself, give alms, and do everything in his power to mortify his own flesh.

Luther, ever the diligent scholar, would eventually become a well-respected lecturer of the Bible. This was significant because the Bible was only limited to the clergy and even then, only those who understood Latin, since the Bible had not yet been translated into the German vernacular.

As Luther delved into the book of Romans, he began to understand that salvation was a product of grace, not works. His notion of salvation was slowly and radically transformed. He soon came to see that all his good deeds were worthless. This also meant that the indulgences that the church was selling were spiritually impotent, and Luther began to raise his voice in concern. However, the corruption brought about by indulgences in the church only grew. As Johann Tetzel, the most charismatic proponent and seller of these indulgences, drew nearer to Luther’s Wittenberg home, Luther penned his 95 Theses and walked up to that door at Castle Church…

Legacy

Luther’s teachings against the Roman Catholic practice of indulgences became more than a nuisance, and soon he was summoned by the Emperor to stand trial before an official council. Under the threat of death, Luther was called to recant his writings and teachings against the Roman Catholic Church. Luther famously declared, “My conscience must submit to the Word of God: to act against conscience is unholy and dangerous; and therefore I cannot and will not retract. So help me God…Here I stand. I can do nought else. God help me. Amen.”

The courage of a single monk sparked a nationwide flame of reformation. That flame would eventually spread across the continent, to Geneva, England and even across the Atlantic. He liberated many souls from the prison of a works-based salvation, and even translated the Bible into the common language, so that people could draw life from the fountain itself, rather than having the church hold it captive for sordid gain.

Obadiah Lee

by Pastor Patrick Cho

I had the privilege of interviewing one of our more recent members at Lighthouse Bible Church: Obadiah Lee. Most people call him Oby (not “Obi” like the Jedi and not “Obie” like the dog in Garfield except with a “b” instead of a “d”). Oby is a 5th year senior at San Diego State University, which made him my choice for this member interview, since we don’t have too many SDSU students at LBC. He is 23 years old and became a member in February 2007.

What is your major at SDSU?

I am a Psychology Major and a Spanish Minor.

You speak Spanish?

Poquito.

You should go to Argentina! What are some of the things you like to do for fun?

Fun… I like to sing. I like to draw. I like to sleep. I like to watch movies. I like to hang out with friends.

Can you sing something now?

What would you like me to sing?

I don’t know. Tell us a little bit about your family.

I am from Sacramento, California. I was raised in a Christian home. My mom brought us to church mainly. My dad stopped going to church when I was a little kid.

What is your favorite food?

Lately I have been loving Korean food.

Are you Korean?

No, I am Chinese.

OK. What about something interesting about you that no one else would know except for the people who are really close to you?

Let’s see… If I don’t have to do anything, a lot of times I only shower a couple times a week.

That’s gross. So, how did you come to know the Lord?

Every summer at home we had a youth camp, and I came to know the Lord in 6th grade. I talked to a counselor and he shared the gospel with me.

And how did you come to find Lighthouse?

I was in San Diego for two years already and was part of Mission Bowl so I knew about Lighthouse. I never came to check it out, but I came to check it out during a transition from my old church.

In what ministries are you serving in at Lighthouse?

Currently, I am just involved in college group and I am being discipled by Pastor Steve.

And who is your favorite pastor at Lighthouse?

Who’s my favorite pastor? Hmmm… (with a touch of unappreciated sarcasm) Pastor Pat is my favorite pastor at Lighthouse.

You heard it here, folks! What are your ambitions for life? What do you want to do after college?

Currently, me and my roommates run a business, but ultimately I have a passion for the mission field.

What business?

Whoblinked.com. We print out photos.

You print photos? That’s cool. Anybody else at the church involved with that?

John Lai. The tall guy.

The tall guy. John Lai the tall guy. OK. If you could be the topping of a pizza, which topping would you be, and why?

I would be sausage because they’re yummy and juicy.

I won’t interpret that. So, what is one thing you have appreciated about being a member at Lighthouse?

I think I really appreciate the atmosphere of community and also the accountability I can have here.

Editor's Note: June 2007

by Steven Hong

In correspondence with our eight-year anniversary service, we are very excited to release (or re-release, if you’ve been here long enough) the official newsletter for Lighthouse Bible Church. A handful of members have gathered together with the aim of providing up-to-date news and notes on Lighthouse church life, reporting on broader current events and writing about other miscellaneous subjects, all filtered-God-willing-through a biblical worldview. Our prayer is that this newsletter will not only help keep a growing church connected, but above all, point members and visitors to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Mother’s Day

by Pastor John Kim

The role of a mother is easily appreciated on one hand but not considered to be so significant on the other. How does this kind of contradicting treatment come about? It reveals how conflicted we are as a society. When it comes to emotional support, everyone (well almost everyone) instinctively turns to their mothers. From the little child to the NFL linebacker on television, “Mom” is easily the number one choice. But when it comes to understanding the significance of motherhood, society is quick to take away with one hand what it gave with the other. Motherhood is disparaged to be a role that is altogether useless when it comes to self-fulfillment. There are no promotions in motherhood (other than adding another kid?). There are no raises. The macaroni pencil cups and crayon colored cards on Mother’s Day are poor substitutes for plaques and corporate recognition. Who wants to stay stuck at home with a crying baby who throws up and makes a mess of the place when you could have your own corner office and accolades of your peers ringing in your ears instead of the baby monitor? But after the workday is over, when Friday comes, what seems lasting in life? As the years go by, the investment of time and energy going into all kinds of pursuits, how does it add up? As Solomon the Wise said so long ago, “Vanity of vanities!” It’s so easy to think you are doing something “significant” with your life but in the end, you could have wasted your life chasing the wind.

I think motherhood can be appreciated in several ways.

1) Appreciate your own mother. While they might not have been perfect and some might have outright failed their children, God gave you your mother to honor and appreciate. Show the love of Christ to your mother this Mother’s Day.

2) For ladies who are mothers, thank God that He gifted you with motherhood. Don’t take for granted that you were blessed with children. There are many who wish they could be mothers but for one reason or another, God has chosen not to grant children to them. It is not something you can treat lightly. Children are indeed a blessing from the Lord and should be treated as such. While Mother’s Day might seem to be a day where mothers expect to be treated well, use Mother’s Day as an opportunity to thank God that you were given such a stewardship. This stewardship was not meant for you to build trophies for yourself but to invest the love and truth of God into your children so that they might be offered to God. While only God can provide salvation, parents, and mothers in particular play a vital role in planting the seeds and in modeling the character of Christ (i.e. consider the example of Timothy and the investment by his mother Eunice and grandmother Lois).

3. For ladies who are not biological mothers, remember that God is always faithful and while you might not have your own biological children, you still have the opportunity to share the love of Christ in the way of a “mother” for many who don’t have a “mother” to care for them. This could start even at the church, as there are many who do not have very close relationships with their own mothers, or possibly have unbelieving mothers who were not able to invest in them spiritually. Prayerfully consider how you might invest your life and give of yourself. You could go as far as even considering adopting a child, whether locally or internationally. But just because you are not a biological mother doesn’t mean that you can’t provide a mothering relationship to others.

4. For the men, never disparage the role of motherhood. We live in a day where the roles of men and women are turned upside down and unfortunately there are those who have denigrated the role of women in both the home and the church and it doesn’t help the ladies when the men don’t do their part to support the ladies in their roles. So please affirm the ladies as they would prayerfully move forward in their lives. Never joke around about “wearing slippers and a bathrobe all day” and that their job is just to have babies. That would be insulting both to them and to God, who is the one who designed women to do what is so special and unique in contributing to society.

5. For the church, let us not just celebrate another Hallmark occasion with a token day given to mothers but let’s appreciate the mothers in our midst and see the hard work and toil that they give as their spiritual service of worship (Romans 12:1). Let’s come alongside them and encourage them through our ministries at the church and give them assistance by teaching their children the truth of God and in affirming the things that truly matter in life.

As this coming Sunday is Mother’s Day, let’s make the most of it to glorify God.

Do You Love Being A Member at LBC?

by Pastor John Kim

After our meeting last night for the members of Lighthouse, I had a chance to read over the self-evaluations that I had asked everyone to fill out and it was both encouraging as well as a bit sad in seeing how many shared about where they stood in relation to their membership at LBC. It was tremendously encouraging to see that there are many who are growing and striving to seek after Christ, in being faithful in their spiritual disciplines and prayer life, and continually moving upward in their commitment to serve at Lighthouse. There are those who just wrote simply, “I love Lighthouse!” and in reflecting on their participation and attitude, I could heartily affirm that there are many who do indeed love Lighthouse and show it through their passion and excitement.

There were those who shared that they were challenged to really step up their participation, whether it was through prayer, giving, or serving. I know that I gave some pretty strong challenges at the meeting, as did elder Mike Chon. I know that it’s not always easy hearing words of exhortation or admonishment, but the one thing that I am really thankful for is that many of you take it to heart and know that it’s not simply to make you feel guilty or bad, but to earnestly challenge you to excel still more for the sake of Christ and His church.

So my prayer is that you would really just love Christ all the more, and out of that love strive to just love being His bride, the church. Submission to Him would be more of a joy if it was out of love than duty and I hope that your service to the Head of the church is not just something you feel obligated to do. Being the bride really is to rejoice in our high calling – can you believe that we belong to Christ? Can you believe that we have been called to be the object of His grace and love? We are so undeserving! We, in our sinfulness, have absolutely nothing to offer and yet He takes the tattered, dirty, sin-stricken souls and pulls us out of the miry clay to give us a new song that we might sing boldly to a dark world that needs to hear the light of the gospel of Christ.

So let’s relish being His bride. Let Lighthouse, through our collective membership, really shine bright and bring much glory and honor to our Savior!

DTR2 Preview – Part 3

by Pastor John Kim

Dating is typically a farce of two people pretending to be someone that they really aren’t to get something that they want that they don’t have with the least amount of investment and the greatest amount of return in the shortest amount of time. Even for those who say that they are Christians, it tends to be the same deal. At the heart of this farce is the self-serving agenda that sees the other person as a means to my own ends and if it doesn’t work out, then out they go.

Relationships are not about you!! If you truly know the love of God, you will then understand that the love you have been given is a love TO be given. Too many people start and end with the expectation of “What do I get out of this?” and if the other person is found to be dissatisfying in any way or form, there is the quick out.

For the Christian that truly desires to glorify God, a dating relationship is an opportunity to display the love of God in the way that God intended, a display of His glory. Does the love of God characterize your life? Read 1 Corinthians 13. Read the whole chapter. Do you love the way God defines love to be? Notice that the point isn’t about you. Love is not about you. Love is about you serving someone else. YOU are called to be patient, YOU are called to be kind, and on the list goes. But subtly, or maybe not so subtly, we twist this whole idea and place the expectation on the other person to be patient with ME, on the other person to be kind to ME, and the object of all the actions is ME! It’s no wonder so many couples are ill-prepared for marriage, because after a lifelong pursuit of self, you can’t help but transfer that self-centeredness into a relationship and all you are revealing is how much you are in love with yourself.

I would like to challenge you, especially if you are already in a dating relationship, to really ask yourself if you are preparing to love like 1 Corinthians 13 calls you to. Or if you are honest, are you just looking for your own self-interests to be served? True love is a love that is pure between two people, that is grounded in the cross of Christ and hopeful in light of the resurrection of Christ. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. This is the kind of love that will not fail you, not during the dating stage, the engagement stage, and throughout the marriage stage. But if you fail to really grasp this kind of love, you are in for a miserable journey that you probably didn’t anticipate, but didn’t prepare for either.

Love is not about you!

Contributing to the Needs of the Saints

by Pastor John Kim

This past weekend was a rollercoaster ride! I can’t help but be affected by collisions with the Korean culture that really cause me to wonder, “Why?” Why must culture come in front of people? When did culture become god? I understand the reality of culture and that there are distinctives between each culture but when you come to know Christ, there is no longer Jew or Gentile (or Korean or American for that matter). It is Christ that we identify with, not that Christ identifies with our cultural identity. For those who know me, you will understand that after a couple of decades of frustration, I have become quite pessimistic now about any kind of redeeming value to be found in Korean churches.

I know that that is too much of a categorical statement but I have found the number of sound, God-honoring, biblical churches to be miniscule, especially when you consider the inordinate amount of churches for such a small immigrant community. Don’t get me wrong. I love my heritage. I love Korean food. I love the fact that I have some unique history in my background that I can appreciate and share with others. But these things are all superseded by the Kingdom of God. I am no longer a citizen of this world but an alien, a stranger. The family of God, the church, those who have been called to be saints, these are the ones that I now identify with in identifying with Christ.

Romans 12:13 has been lived out by a generation that many in the first generation have called “selfish, stingy, spoiled, self-serving, unappreciative, and disrespectful.” I have found those who make up Lighthouse to be selfless, generous, giving servants who have shown tremendous love and care through their kindness and mercy through prayers, notes, and food. They even offer to help drive the kids, take care of the kids, and be helpful in any way possible. I cannot help but think how ironic it is that a generation that has been accused of giving so little is now starting to respond to the call to be not only receivers but contributers to the needs of the saints.

Thank you! I just have to say thanks to the many who have brought tremendous encouragement through your thoughtfulness, your willingness to serve, your hearts of compassion, and your continued faithfulness to display the love of Christ in such visible ways. Angela and I are so blessed, as are our children, who are overwhelmingly loved by you.

I praise God that you are simply obeying Him out of a genuine love for Him. This is revealed in your love for the saints. By this the world can see that you are followers of Jesus, that you are disciples of the One who lived and died and rose again, so that we might no longer live for ourselves but for Him.

May your contributions continue to flow generously to all!!