Author Archives: Stephen Rodgers

Single Life Update

“Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:1-5)

by Kevin Tse

In Roger’s update last month he excitedly revealed that we’ll be going over Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi for the upcoming new year in Single Life. When Roger first brought up the idea of going through the book of Philippians, I could tell he was really excited to share with us how God’s Word instructs us on how to live a joyful life in Him. But I know Roger is equally excited (and I am too) to go over passages like Philippians 2 where Paul reminds the church at Philippi how they ought to treat one another.

Paul reminds the Philippians that because of their common bond in Christ, and their confession of faith in the same Gospel, they ought to love one another as Christ did (v5). Paul outlines what sacrificial love looks like, which is to regard others are more important than yourself (v3). He reminds us also that we ought not to be selfish (v2), but that we ought to look out also for the interests of others (v4). I’m sure this is a section of scripture that is very familiar to us, and many of us have probably even heard it exposited before. But the challenge is always to put what you hear into practice. After all, a change of heart is only complete once we are obediently acting on the Word of God. As it pertains to Philippians 2, the question we have to ask ourselves is: “What am I doing to think of others ahead of myself?”

The new year is going to bring with it new comers. They’ll probably get the bulk of the attention since (generally) we all like to meet new people. We especially get excited to meet those who we could see spending time with outside of church because they share some common interest(s) with us. While taking the time to get to know new comers is a potentially good application of regarding another as more important than yourself, be careful not to only seek out those with similar interests and backgrounds. In fact, if you think about it, by only spending time with those who are like you, you have really done nothing sacrificial at all. You’ve merely found another way to love yourself, by surrounding yourself only with people who like the things you already like to do anyway.

This might sound like a harsh rebuke, and well….it is. We (myself included) all enjoy spending time with those who are similar to us. Ethnic churches, in large part, exist because people have a hard time relating to people who are different than them. Cliques often exist for the same reason, whether intentionally or not, and are a means of keeping others out of our exclusive club. If Christ loved even His enemies, we cannot claim to be living Christ-like lives if all we end up doing is loving others whom we find easiest to love.

True sacrificial love, which looks to the interest of others ahead of ourselves, is when we go out of our way to get to know somebody who is very different than us. They might look and dress kind of funny, smell a little nasty, or act with very awkward mannerisms. And yet, if they are in Christ, they have a common testimony of faith in the same saving Gospel. We need to love them as Christ has loved us (and we all know how unlovable we were before God saved us).

As we go through the book of Philippians, in addition to learning about how to be joyful in the Lord, I challenge us all to reach out to those whom we don’t know very well. This includes the new comers, but also the old timers. People who have been around at the church for a while who you still do not know (or choose not to hang out with because they’re different) are just as blessed by your sacrificial love as any new comer. Look to the interests of others ahead of yourself, and step out of your comfort zone, and go show love to somebody at church who you really don’t know well. Christ did this by humbling Himself, taking on the form of a man, and ultimately going to the cross to die for His enemies.

If we can all reach out to at least one person who we don’t know well this year, just think of how much encouragement we can spread through the Single Life ministry, and maybe even to the rest of the church.

“The Gospel Wins;” let’s show the world why it wins.

Theology and Practice of Corporate Worship (Part 4)

by Pastor Jim Kang

The fundamental reason churches exist is to glorify God. And one of the ways churches can glorify God is through corporate worship. However, how should the church worship? What should be done in worship? Even more fundamentally, what is worship? What is corporate worship? What should drive the corporate worship?

These are important questions that churches cannot afford to ignore. Hence, the purpose in this series of posts is to bring some clarity by raising simple journalistic questions, namely, who, why, when, where, what, and how in regards to worship. So far in the series, in addition to the introduction, two questions were answered:

In this post the question of when is addressed.

When to Worship Corporately?

Certainly, individuals can worship God by praying, singing, reading, or listening to God’s word on their own at any time. But there is a time when individuals of God’s redeemed come together corporately to worship their creator and redeemer. And that takes place on the first day of the week, which God’s people have affectionately called historically the Lord’s Day.

The reason Christians congregate corporately to worship God on the first day of the week is Jesus Christ was resurrected from his grave on the first day of the week (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1). The resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to Christian faith. Hence, it is central to Christian worship. So when Christians gather to worship, it is to remember and celebrate in light of that glorious event in God’s redemptive history.

Moreover, historically, the Protestant churches have always valued the importance of corporate worship on the Lord’s Day. For instance, according to Question 103 of the Heidelberg Catechism (written in 1563) asks: What does God require in the fourth commandment? The replied answer states:

In the first place, God wills that the ministry of the Gospel and schools be maintained, and that I, especially on the day of rest, diligently attend church to learn the Word of God, to use the Holy Sacraments, to call publicly upon the Lord, and to give Christian alms. In the second place, that all the days of my life I rest from my evil works, allow the Lord to work in me by His Spirit, and thus begin in this life the everlasting Sabbath.

Also, the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) written in 1646 states:

As it is of the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God; so, in his Word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all men in all ages, he hath particularly appointed one day in seven for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto him: which, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week; and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week, which in Scripture is called the Lord’s Day, and is to be continued to the end of the world as the Christian Sabbath (21.7).

The Baptists were no different. According to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith (LBCF) states:

As it is of the law of nature, that, in general a proportion of time, by God’s appointment, be set apart for the worship of God, so by his Word, in a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all men in all ages, he hath particularly appointed one day in seven for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto him: which, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week; and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week, which in Scripture is called the Lord’s Day, and is to be continued to the end of the world as the Christian Sabbath, the observation of the last day of the week being abolished (22.7).

That particular confession of LBCF is almost identical to WCF, but the Baptists have inclusions at the end that states explicitly that the old covenant Sabbath has been abolished – i.e., “the observation of the last day of the week being abolished.”

Some Applications

Worshiping God requires giving our best, not our leftovers. That implies priority and preparation. One writer suggests the following:

We need to plan ahead. We know the importance of planning ahead because we do this regularly for the other days of the week. If we want a successful holiday outing with friends, we will often have to think about it in advance. If we want to be ready for a meeting with an important client, we will need to order some events ahead of time.

We often need to give thought to the next day if it is to run smoothly, and this is no less true for the day when, in a special way, we meet with each other and with the Lord. We need to prepare our hearts, reminding ourselves why we need and want to worship the Lord. Furthermore, we need to order our many tasks. For it is a known fact in the Christian community that if we do not carefully attend to our work on six days of the week, we will not easily find rest on the remaining day.

To put it negatively, if we neglect proper preparation, instead of finding rest in Christ, and refreshment in the fellowship of God’s people, we will find ourselves taking our work to church. But if we have focused on our work, and if we have taken the time to take stock of our week, then we will find our minds much more free on Sunday morning, afternoon, or evening. We will be less likely to be reviewing our own words and thoughts in the middle of the worship service, and more likely to focus on God’s Word, thinking his thoughts after him. Rest is principally defined as non-work in the Decalogue and elsewhere, but work and rest need to be tied together in our thinking, just as they are in the Scriptures.[1]

[1= Chad Van Dixhoorn, Confessing the Faith (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth, 2014), 293-294.

Jesus Saith Unto Him, Rise, Take Up Thy Bed, And Walk

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

John 5:8

Like many others, the impotent man had been waiting for a wonder to be wrought, and a sign to be given. Wearily did he watch the I pool, but no angel came, or came not for him; yet, thinking it to be his only chance, he waited still, and knew not that there was One near him whose word could heal him in a moment. Many are in the same plight: they are waiting for some singular emotion, remarkable impression, or celestial vision; they wait in vain and watch for nought. Even supposing that, in a few cases, remarkable signs are seen, yet these are rare, and no man has a right to look for them in his own case; no man especially who feels his impotency to avail himself of the moving of the water even if it came. It is a very sad reflection that tens of thousands are now waiting in the use of means, and ordinances, and vows, and resolutions, and have so waited time out of mind, in vain, utterly in vain. Meanwhile these poor souls forget the present Saviour, who bids them look unto Him and be saved. He could heal them at once, but they prefer to wait for an angel and a wonder. To trust Him is the sure way to every blessing, and He is worthy of the most implicit confidence; but unbelief makes them prefer the cold porches of Bethesda to the warm bosom of His love. O that the Lord may turn His eye upon the multitudes who are in this case to-night; may He forgive the slights which they put upon His divine power, and call them by that sweet constraining voice, to rise from the bed of despair, and in the energy of faith take up their bed and walk. O Lord, hear our prayer for all such at this calm hour of sunset, and ere the day breaketh may they look and live.

Courteous reader, is there anything in this portion for you?

5.7p

Be Like God

by Josh Liu

By the title of this article, you most likely drew one of two initial conclusions: (1) Blasphemy! There is one God and no man can be God! Or, (2) yes, how can we be more like Christ?

In a way, both responses can be valid. Pastors preach against opposing the King of kings, as well as preach the need to pursue Christ-likeness. However, our actions and attitudes often betray what we preach. Allow me to offer several clarifying principles.

Principle one: Man’s desire, pursuit, and activity of being God (or “playing God”) is wicked and evil. To believe in humanity’s divine nature (deification) or potential is blasphemy. Man sought to be God (Gen. 3:1-6); Satan sought to be God (Is. 14:13-14; Ezek. 28:17); and others acted in a way befitting only for God (acting like God): the friends judging Job (Job 42:7) and King Nebuchadnezzar ascribing himself glory (Dan. 4:1-37) – all of whom were judged by God.

Principle two: The Creator-creature distinction is a permanent distinction. It should always remind us of the evil of attempting to be God, act like God, or make something as God. Angelic beings, though holy and incredibly powerful, are still creatures and should not be worshipped or deified (cf. Rev. 19:10; Ps. 103:20; Heb. 1:5-7). Also, inanimate objects are never to be worshiped as God (cf. Ex. 32:1ff; Is. 44:9-17; Rom. 1:21-23).

Principle three: Man, who was created to be in relationship with God, needs the righteousness of God in order to dwell with God. Man is utterly unrighteous and sinful, which will not be tolerated in the holy, righteous presence of God (cf. Ex. 3:4-6; Ps. 15:1-5; Is. 6:5-7). Thus, for man to be with God, he must be holy as God is holy (cf. Lev. 19:2). The command is not to be God.

Principle four: God grants His righteousness to man so that their relationship may be restored (cf. Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:22-27). The gift of God’s righteousness is part of God’s redemptive plans (cf. Eph. 1:4).

Principle five: As a result, Christians demonstrate that inner, spiritual reality through an outward life consistent with the holiness of God (cf. 1 Pet. 1:14-16). The righteous life that God expects was exemplified in the incarnate Son of God. So, we pursue to be like Christ (cf. John 13:12-16; Phil. 2:5ff; Rom. 15:2-3; Eph. 5:1-2, 22-32).

Principle six: God has declared that by the power and work of the Holy Spirit, believers are being renewed into the image of Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 15:49; 2 Cor. 3:18; Rom. 8:29; Phil 3:21). God has declared that we will rule with Christ (cf. Rom. 8:17; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 3:21; 20:4).

In response to the above principles, consider what you say, do, and think that may be communicating being, acting, or making something to be God. How might you be demonstrating an attitude of “if I were God…”?

Ask yourself the following God-checks:

  • Are you more concerned about man’s opinions about you than God’s?
  • Do you often lie or try to manipulate others?
  • Are there attributes of God that you struggle to believe, depend on, or rejoice in?
  • Are you more concerned with pleasing others than pleasing God?
  • Do you always give thanks to God for who He is and what He’s done?
  • Are there things you hate about yourself and would change if given the opportunity (e.g. physical appearance)?
  • If you had a time machine, would you go back in time to change events?
  • What do you value most in life? What do you spend most of your thought, resources, and time on?
  • What would bring you greatest happiness and satisfaction?

LBCSD SPARK – October 7, 2015

by Pastor Patrick

Hello LBCSD family and friends!

I hope you are well and walking in the Lord! Fall is here! That means a lot is happening at the church. Bible studies are up and running, flocks are meeting again, Sunday School classes are being offered. It is a great time to get plugged in and involved in the life of the church. Please read through the ministry opportunities below to find out more about how you can be involved. Let’s keep participating in the service of the church and being a blessing to one another.

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are some ministry opportunities for your consideration! PLEASE READ THROUGH ALL OF IT

  1. Midweek Bible Studies. Lumos Youth, College Life, and Single Life all continue this week! Single Life meets on Wednesdays at 6:30pm. Lumos and College Life meet on Fridays at 7pm. Come out for a great time of teaching and fellowship!
  2. Grace Life. On Thursday, we will be having our Grace Life Orientation Night. Although we normally start at 6:30pm, this week we will get things started at 6pm for dinner. We will also have food for the LKC kids and staff. If you are planning to be part of Grace Life this year, please come out and learn more.
  3. Lighthouse Kids Club. If you would still like to register your child for LKC, please come on Thursday! The staff will have extra registration forms handy. The cost for LKC for the year is $50 ($40 for each additional child in the same immediate family).
  4. Mission Bowl. Mission Bowl practices begin this weekend for both the men’s and women’s flag football teams. If you would like to join the team, please contact Randy Tsuchiyama. This is a great way to get to know others in the church.
  5. Sunday School. Sunday School classes continue this Sunday during second hour. The classes being offered are: Biblical Counseling (Instructor: Josh Liu): Come learn about the basics of biblical counseling. Learn what the Bible says about our hearts. This is a ministry that all believers need to learn and participate in. Evangelism (Instructor: Roger Alcaraz): Learn to tell others about your faith! What is the gospel? How can we faithfully proclaim it to others? How you put your faith on display through your actions and speech is a good gauge of your own spiritual health. Fundamentals of the Faith (Min Kim and Peter Lim): This is our ongoing thirteen week class that walks through the basics of the Christian faith. Learn about basic theology and the principles that all believers should know and be committed to.
  6. All-Church Photo. We will be taking an all-church photo on Sunday, October 18, between the first and second hours at church. The picture will be taken in the parking lot in front of the church. We may ask some families to move their cars prior to taking the picture.
  7. Members Meeting. We will be having a members meeting on Sunday, October 18, from 4:45-8:15pm. All members are strongly encouraged to attend. As always, dinner will be served.
  8. Flocks. Don’t forget that Flocks signups are being taken in the foyer on Sundays. Flocks week will be on October 21-24. During that week, all our regularly scheduled midweek activities will be put on hold so that the church can gather in homes throughout the community for fellowship.
  9. Women’s Ministry Table for 6. The women will be having a Table for 6 fellowship event on Saturday, October 24, from 9am-12:30pm. Please RSVP with Mrs. Grace Lee by Friday, October 16. Please indicate your affinity group (i.e., Grace Life, Single Life, College Life, Lumos) with your RSVP.
  10. Fall Festival. Fall Festival is our Halloween alternative event for our kids. It will be on October 31 at 5pm. If you would like to help plan our annual Fall Festival to make it AWESOME for our kids, please come to a brief planning meeting this Sunday, October 11, immediately after the Sunday School classes.
  11. All-Church Retreat. Our all-church retreat will focus on the theme “Knowing Christ.” Our speaker is Pastor Peter Kim from Berean Community Church. The retreat will be on November 6-8 at Pine Valley Bible Conference Center. More information about registration will be in the foyer on Sunday.
  12. LBC Pastors Summit. This week, the Lighthouse Alliance pastors will be meeting up in Los Angeles. Please be in prayer for us as we meet! There is a lot to think through, talk about, and plan. Thank you!

The Measure of a Successful Ministry

by Pastor Mark Chin

How exactly are we to measure the success of our church, our ministry, our pastor, our careers, our families, our parenting, or our lives? How are we to know whether a given ministry is on the right track? In 2013, the then chief financial officer of Apple, Peter Oppenheimer used the metric of the iPhone’s market share in the Japan smartphone market to herald the global success of Apple.[1] The success of Apple’s leadership, direction, investment, and path had been validated by its # 1 ranking in sales and market share in a market traditionally resistant to non-Japanese consumer products.

For the past two thousand years – Christendom has frequently used similar metrics to gauge the health and success of a given church or ministry. For years, the Billy Graham Crusades were heralded as a success by virtue of the number of people who walked down the aisles in response to the invitation to accept Jesus into their hearts. The Shepherd’s Conference, a conference for pastors hosted by Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, CA, recently boasted of having over 5500 men from around the world in attendance. In the history of the church there has rarely been an era where visible size, name recognition, or sphere of influence in the world was not a measure of success – a measurable and objective affirmation that someone must be doing something right. Such trends beg the question – how do we measure the success of our church, our ministries, our marriages, our families, or our relationships? On a given Sunday or in a given ministry, how do we determine whether the outcome of our service has been successful? How did men like William Carey or Hudson Taylor measure the success of their ministries, especially during the difficult early years where resistance was high and converts were few? The sad pattern of Christendom in the West has been its alternation between using the metrics of the world or defensively appealing to the argument that there is no objective measurement for success in the Kingdom.

In John 15, it is worth noting that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ is most explicit that God has a very objective metric for measuring success in ministry. The context of John 15 is the night of Judas’ betrayal. Jesus has just finished celebrating the Passover Feast with His eleven remaining disciples. Judas has already departed to arrange His arrest by the soldiers of the High Priest – the Temple Guard. Soon He will be arrested, tortured, and crucified. Yet the primary focus of Jesus, the Good Shepherd who gives His life for His sheep, is not Himself – His comfort or His pain – but rather His beloved disciples. Having washed their feet, having fed them, He now prepares them for the future ministry of the Gospel. One of the ways He does so is by pointing out how God will measure the success of their lives and their ministry as His disciples. “ I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit” John 15:1,2.

As Jesus instructs them on the source and measure of success in ministry, He shows them that it is ultimately the Word of God and NOT the opinion/experience of man that provides the true measure of success for any Gospel ministry. The specific objective metric of success provided by God’s Word is NOT market share, customer satisfaction, or profitability – but rather it is the metric of biblical fruitfulness. A ministry or life that is successful in the eyes of God is a ministry or life that is fruitful in the same way the life and ministry of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’s was, is, and continues to be fruitful. “By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples,” John 15:8.

This, of course, begs the question: In what way was the life and ministry of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, fruitful? Was it fruitful by virtue of how many people attended His sermons or how much market share the Gospel could claim in the market place of world religions? It helps to see that Jesus’ use of the fruit metaphor in John 15 was not something that Jesus pulled out of thin air. Rather it is an image that Jesus, the Living Word of God, had used repeatedly throughout Scripture, beginning in the very first chapter of Genesis. “And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth’” Gen 1:28.

Frequently, the command, “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth …” is interpreted primarily as biological procreation – filling the earth with children. However, such an interpretation is grossly reductionist and modern, failing to honor and account for the God and the context of the first divine command and mandate given to man. The God of Genesis 1 is the sovereign Creator of the universe who has created all things for His glory – the visible manifestation of His infinite goodness and greatness. The context of Genesis 1:28 is the account of God creating man, male and female, in the image of His glory and the account of His blessing man for that purpose, doing so by the authority and power of His inerrant, sufficient, and living Word. Fruit and fruitfulness is the product of God’s will, God’s Word, God’s creative work and His gift of new life, God’s blessing, and God’s command. The fruit that is yielded from God’s blessing and command in our lives is the gift of God that multiplies and fills the earth with the gift of His life and the image of His glory. When we are shown the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, in contrast to the deeds of the flesh, we are shown objective evidences of the presence of Christ’s Spirit and new life in Christ that bears the image of God’s glory. This is the fruit of the cross that God commands us to fill the world with, by virtue of faith in Christ and the new life He alone can give to sinners dying in their sin. It is a fruit that blesses and gives life to others and that, in time, provides the seed for more fruit.

How exactly are we to measure the success of our church, our ministry, our pastor, our careers, our families, our parenting, or our lives? God’s objective measure is the fruit of the cross, the fruit of His Spirit, the fruit of faith and faithfulness that are the gift and blessing of His infinite grace and mercy to sinners like us. This of course, begs the question, what is the fruit of our lives, our marriages, our families, our ministries, and our church?

[1] http://www.cnet.com/news/a-measure-of-apples-success-oppenheimer-cites-japan/ downloaded March 11,2015.

Great Multitudes Followed Him, And He Healed Them All

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Matthew 12:15

What a mass of hideous sickness must have thrust itself under the eye of Jesus! Yet we read not that He was disgusted, but patiently waited on every case. What a singular variety of evils must have met at His feet! What sickening ulcers and putrefying sores! Yet He was ready for every new shape of the monster evil, and was victor over it in every form. Let the arrow fly from what quarter it might, He quenched its fiery power. The heat of fever, or the cold of dropsy; the lethargy of palsy, or the rage of madness; the filth of leprosy, or the darkness of ophthalmia-all knew the power of His word, and fled at His command. In every corner of the field He was triumphant over evil, and received the homage of delivered captives. He came, He saw, He conquered everywhere. It is even so this morning. Whatever my own case may be, the beloved Physician can heal me; and whatever may be the state of others whom I may remember at this moment in prayer, I may have hope in Jesus that He will be able to heal them of their sins. My child, my friend, my dearest one, I can have hope for each, for all, when I remember the healing power of my Lord; and on my own account, however severe my struggle with sins and infirmities, I may yet be of good cheer. He who on earth walked the hospitals, still dispenses His grace, and works wonders among the sons of men: let me go to Him at once in right earnest.

Let me praise Him, this morning, as I remember how He wrought His spiritual cures, which bring Him most renown. It was by taking upon Himself our sicknesses. ‘By His stripes we are healed.’ The Church on earth is full of souls healed by our beloved Physician; and the inhabitants of heaven itself confess that ‘He healed them all.’ Come, then, my soul, publish abroad the virtue of His grace, and let it be ‘to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign which shall not be cut off.’

5.7a

Weekly Links (10/2/2015)

“It shall greatly helpe ye to understande Scripture, if thou mark not only what is spoken or wrytten,

  • But of whom,
  • And to whom,
  • With what words,
  • At what time,
  • Where,
  • To what intent,
  • With what circumstances,
  • Considering what goeth before,
  • And what followeth.” (John Wycliffe or Miles Coverdale)

by Stephen Rodgers

Alright, it’s the first Friday of the month, which means you get me instead of Cesar, and you get FREE STUFF. Because that’s how I roll.

That’s pretty much it. Enjoy the free stuff, and see you Sunday!

Pro Rege

Back To School

by Elder Johnny Kim

With summer coming to a close, the new school year is now underway and the various affinity group ministries in the church are starting back up. For myself, the start of this particular school year has me feeling a bit like I am a new kid at a new school. Starting this year, I have the privilege of leading the Lumos Youth Ministry and it’s definitely a big change from leading the Single Life Ministry. Yet for all the changes that might make me anxious, I can’t help but to be excited for the year ahead and for all that God has in store for Lumos! Some of the excitement also happens to stem from my own personal experiences of when I was in youth group myself. Preparing my heart for leading Lumos this year has definitely brought about refreshing reminders of the joys that I experienced during that particular stage of my life. After all, it was during that time that I grew exponentially in my knowledge of God’s Word, became saved in Christ, and deepened in my desire to submit to His lordship.

It’s in between the time I’ve spent planning for Lumos and taking trips down my own memory lane that I’ve come to realize how I’ve gained additional perspectives toward youth group and youth ministry; perspectives that certainly weren’t on my radar back when I was in youth (when I was skinny and awkward, but only one of those descriptions “fits” me now). Perhaps through a combination of years later becoming a father, being a more spiritually mature believer (than when I was in youth group), and serving the church as an elder, some of these perspectives now can’t help but shape my heart and desires for youth ministry.

As a father, I’ve gained perspective and have come to realize more and more the importance of the duty and calling of Christian parents. And particularly as a father, passages in Psalm 78, Proverbs 4, and Ephesians 6 remind me that I am the one who is primarily responsible and accountable for the spiritual instruction of my children. But as incomplete of a representation of Christ-likeness and Christ-like living that I am even at my least sinful, I’m definitely thankful for God’s grace in providing a church with her ministries and her older men and women who can train, equip, help, and support me to fulfill my responsibility. Likewise, my desire then is that Lumos would fulfill its role in serving as a sort of “para-ministry ministry”; to come alongside parents and to help and support them in the main ministry that is them teaching and raising up their children in the Lord. Lumos will never aim to be a perfect substitute for or better option in lieu of parents faithfully heeding God’s call to be the primary disciplers of their children. Rather, my desire is that Lumos will seek to partner with parents in order that together, we might care for and love their children, pray for their souls, and teach and preach to them God’s truth and in doing so, reinforce what’s already been taught them in the home.

Secondly, as I’ve become more spiritually mature as compared to the days of my youth, I’ve come to understand the importance of holiness and living in light of the Gospel that not only saves, but sanctifies. It’s not enough just to know biblical principles. It’s not enough to simply know and understand sound theology and doctrine. In Ephesians 4:1, the Apostle Paul urges believers to live in a manner consistent with their calling in Christ; a common urging he implores in many of his other epistles. Christians ought to live consistently with what the Bible teaches, including the youngest of believers. Sound doctrine and theology is important and certainly serves to lay a solid foundation. But as in Matthew 7:24-27, the “house” is only complete and able to withstand God’s righteous judgment when one acts on the words of the Lord. Accordingly, this perspective gives way to my hope that Lumos wouldn’t merely aim to have youth who simply know biblical truths and principles, but would rather make the ultimate aim having a ministry full of fruit-bearing youth who by their obedient lives prove the genuineness of their faith. A faith that would never falter or prove false years and decades after their youth years.

Finally, being an elder in the church has given me the perspective to desire that Lumos would be a youth ministry that would take part in the greater work of the church in making disciples of Christ. My desire for us staff is that as we serve in Lumos, we might get to experience the privilege and blessing of being able to witness youth being saved and submitting their lives completely to Christ. I hope that God would use Lumos as His instrument to play even the smallest part in saving youth at an early age; not only to secure their eternal life, but to save them from sinning more and sparing them from the consequences of the sins that ensnare the youth and collegians of this world. I hope that the urgency of the Convalescent Home Ministry would always be the urgency of the Lumos Youth Ministry considering James 4:14 and the fact that even for youth seemingly with their whole lives ahead of them, tomorrow is never a guarantee.

Please pray for the Lumos Youth Ministry as we start our year! Please especially pray for me, that in light of these perspectives and desires for Lumos, I would be able to lead the ministry so that in all that we do, God would be glorified and Christ magnified through the lives of our youth!

Putting the Devotion Back in Devotional

by Pastor Patrick Cho

When a young child reads through the Bible or learns the accounts of Scripture from their parents or in Sunday School, oftentimes unfortunately the lessons do not venture beyond understanding the basic facts of a narrative. What happened? Who was involved? When and where did this take place? But most of the time when reading through Scripture, the real “meaty” goodness of devotional quality comes from asking deeper questions. How did things unfold? Why did it happen? How could things have ended differently?

There are many Christians who are exposed to solid biblical teaching regularly, and yet they struggle to find real meaning in anything they read on their own. Perhaps this comes from far too great a dependence on others to provide instruction. They will only derive devotional quality if it is spoon fed to them in easy to swallow morsels. This should not be so. The Scriptures clearly teach us that the same Spirit of God grants understanding of His Word (1 Cor. 2:12-13). Studying the Bible is not reserved exclusively for the “experts.” Any believer should be able to have a deep and satisfying time in the Word.

How can we get more from the Bible? There are many beneficial principles to consider, but perhaps the most helpful is the principle of meditation. One huge, glaring problem is the lack of time spent to really think through what we are reading. The more I think about what has helped me in my study of God’s Word (and my devotion to God) the more I come back to the idea of meditation and realize that it involves a factor of time. Think about how often the psalmist recollects the time he spends meditating on the Word of God. From the NASB translation, eight times in Psalm 119 the psalmist employs the verb “to meditate” (vv. 15, 23, 27, 48, 78, 97, 99, 148). The one who maximizes his time in the Word is the one who spends time thinking on what he has read. He meditates day and night (Ps. 1:2). He meditates on his bed (Ps. 4:4). He even meditates through the night (Ps. 63:6). It is his meditation all day long (Ps. 119:97).

This is consistent with the commandment of God to His people, “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deut. 6:6-9). In order to make sure you don’t lose sight of who God is, what He is like, and what He requires of you, you need to spend time meditating on His Word so that it is “on your heart.” Going back to the analogy of spiritual morsels, the diligent student of the Word allows time to chew on each thought and to slowly digest them until they become a part of himself and incorporated into his life.

Here are fifteen questions to consider as you read in order to help you get the most out of God’s Word:

  1. What does the passage reveal about God? What is He like and how does He act?
  2. In what ways do you appreciate and esteem God more because of what you read? How might you pray these thoughts back to God in worship?
  3. Why does God act the way that He does? In your opinion, how could God have responded differently? Why didn’t He respond that way? What does this say about the difference between God and you?
  4. What does the passage teach regarding right and wrong, good and evil, obedience and sin?
  5. What are some things the passage reveals about man?
  6. From what you read, how do you need to grow? What does God want from you?
  7. What areas in your life need the most improvement based on what you read? What are some things you tend to do that need to change?
  8. How can you think differently based on what you read? In what ways are you prone to think differently than what the passage reveals?
  9. What sins need to be confessed to the Lord in response to what you read? Be specific.
  10. How does this passage challenge your beliefs? Do you find it easy or difficult to trust what the passage says? Why?
  11. What, if anything, does the passage explicitly command? Is the command intended as a general call for obedience or was it intended for a particular audience in that day?
  12. In what other ways might the passage apply in your life specifically? How can you implement the application of this passage today? Again, be specific.
  13. If you read about a person in Scripture, in what ways does that person serve as an example of faith or a warning regarding disobedience?
  14. What did you learn from the passage that you did not know before? If it is a passage you have read before, is there something you noticed this time that you did not notice before?
  15. How might you encourage someone else and be a blessing to others from what you read today?