Author Archives: Stephen Rodgers

Being Part of the Local Church

by Roger Alcaraz

The new school year for College Life has officially begun and it’s while the engines are still warming up that it’s good to remember what the overall goal of the ministry is. It’s easy to do things because we did them last year but we want to be more intentional because worship requires the heart, soul, and mind. That’s why I’ve written a philosophy of ministry for College Life that will remind me of some of the fundamental values and goals we have in the ministry. Below is a section on College Life as it relates to the rest of the church body.

The Priority of the Church

The church is God’s primary vehicle for accomplishing his work in this age. As such, all believers need to identify with, function in, and submit to the leadership of a local church. Because of the emphasis that Scripture puts on this kind of involvement in the local church, College Life ministry must seek to foster in God’s people a deep love for and commitment to the church, as well as a biblical understanding of what it means to function as the church. For this reason, all leadership positions in College Life require the believer to be a member of the greater church body that College Life is a part of.

Our Mission, Vision, and Passion

The ministry of College Life exists in the greater body of Lighthouse Bible Church and should never compete against its theology and ministry. This means that Lighthouse’s Mission: to make disciples of Christ; Vision: to plant churches; and Passion: to love God and people, will be the same for College Life because the ministry of College Life itself comes out of the Mission, Vision, and Passion. Thus, everything College Life does should be done to fulfill our MVP.

The Role of Elders

All members within College Life, including its leaders, must submit to the loving rule of the church elders. As such, an elder will always be overseeing the ministry to ensure that sound teaching and biblical ministry are taking place and if there is a persistent problem, the elders have authority to make any necessary changes. This even includes removing the ministry of College Life all-together if it would serve the greater church.

Priority of Church Events

Because of the priority of the local church, if there is ever a conflict of schedule such as College Life scheduling an event at the same time as a churchwide event, College Life will reschedule or cancel theirs in order to be with the whole church body.

Location

While it seems logical to meet on a college campus, the location for the college wide Bible studies is at the church. The main reason is that we cater to multiple campuses and do not want to seem exclusive. People are welcome from all colleges to worship together. There are events that are done on campus when trying to reach out to the campus. These are mostly outreach events such as campus evangelism, tabling, seeker’s Bible studies, etc.

Summary (taken from the College Life Website)

Christ was passionate about his church. The apostles were passionate about the church. As such, we believe that every believer should have a healthy biblical perspective of the church. The Bible doesn’t prescribe “Lone Ranger” Christianity! Instead, all throughout the New Testament, you see believers incorporated into the local church. It is in the context of the local church that almost all the instruction of the New Testament is given. Since spiritual growth was intended primarily to be cultivated in the life of the church, we encourage all our collegians to be committed to the local church.

Weekly Links (10/6/2014)

by Stephen Rodgers

So we delayed the the Weekly Links from Friday until today in the hopes that more deals and free resources would appear over the weekend, but sadly that wasn’t the case. So in any event, here’s what I did manage to find (it’s not much).

  • The free book of the month from christianaudio.com is He Wins, She Wins…which seems to be a book on marriage. I don’t know how good or awful it is.
  • The free book of the month from Logos is The Crucified God by Jurgen Moltmann. I haven’t read this one, but I have a vague familiarity with Moltmann (he’s a modern experimental theologian who was famous a few years back for espousing a view of eschatology called “a theology of hope”), and what I know would cause me to be a bit skeptical and cautious about anything he puts out. So I’d probably pass on this one.
  • Finally, something I can recommend: the October edition of Tabletalk is on the topic of Biblical Dichotomies.

Like I said…slim pickings.

Pro Rege

 

Say Ye To The Righteous, That It Shall Be Well With Him

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Isaiah 3:10

It is well with the righteous ALWAYS. If it had said, ‘Say ye to the righteous, that it is well with him in his prosperity,’ we must have been thankful for so great a boon, for prosperity is an hour of peril, and it is a gift from heaven to be secured from its snares: or if it had been written, ‘It is well with him when under persecution,’ we must have been thankful for so sustaining an assurance, for persecution is hard to bear; but when no time is mentioned, all time is included. God’s ‘shalls’ must be understood always in their largest sense. From the beginning of the year to the end of the year, from the first gathering of evening shadows until the day-star shines, in all conditions and under all circumstances, it shall be well with the righteous.

It is so well with him that we could not imagine it to be better, for he is well fed, he feeds upon the flesh and blood of Jesus; he is well clothed, he wears the imputed righteousness of Christ; he is well housed, he dwells in God; he is well married, his soul is knit in bonds of marriage union to Christ; he is well provided for, for the Lord is his Shepherd; he is well endowed, for heaven is his inheritance. It is well with the righteous-well upon divine authority; the mouth of God speaks the comforting assurance.

O beloved, if God declares that all is well, ten thousand devils may declare it to be ill, but we laugh them all to scorn. Blessed be God for a faith which enables us to believe God when the creatures contradict Him. It is, says the Word, at all times well with thee, thou righteous one; then, beloved, if thou canst not see it, let God’s word stand thee in stead of sight; yea, believe it on divine authority more confidently than if thine eyes and thy feelings told it to thee. Whom God blesses is blest indeed, and what His lip declares is truth most sure and steadfast.

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LBC Weekly SPARK – October 3, 2014

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear LBC family and friends!

I hope this week has been good for you all as you remember who you are in Christ and what He has done for you. Whether your week has been good or challenging, it is always amazing to consider what undeserved grace we have received and continue to receive from the God of all grace. He not only has saved us from our sins, but continues to walk with us, causing us to grow up in Him. There is certainly great benefit for the one who places his faith in Jesus Christ. We have much more than we could have possibly hoped for because of our God who seeks us out and takes us in to be His own.

Praise God for the glorious grace we receive in Christ!

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are some of the upcoming opportunities to get involved at LBC San Diego!

  1. Midweek Bible Studies. Don’t forget that our midweek Bible studies are all back up and running. Check out the church calendar on the website as well as the various ministry webpages to find out more information about Kids’ Club, Lumos Youth Ministry, College Life, Single Life, and Grace Life Family Ministry.
  2. All Church Retreat. Our annual all-church retreat is coming up on October 24-26. The theme for this year is “The Cup and the Glory: Suffering and the Glory of God.” We are pleased to have Dr. Greg Harris of The Master’s Seminary as our speaker. The cost is $150/adult and $75/child (ages 3-12; $450 max/family). Space is limited so you’ll want to sign up soon. The last day to sign up for the retreat will be October 12.
  3. Flocks. Each month or so, we take a break from our regularly scheduled midweek Bible studies to break up into regional flock groups. We are currently taking flocks sign ups in the foyer on Sunday mornings. Find Cesar Vigil-Ruiz to sign up! If you are interested in opening up your home to host a flock this year, please contact Pastor Patrick.
  4. Membership Class. Our next two-part membership class will be on Saturday, October 18, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, and on Sunday, October 19, from 2:00 to 5:00 pm. Attendance at both classes is required. If you’re interested in applying for membership, please contact Pastor Patrick for an application.
  5. LBCOC Inaugural Service. LBC Orange County will be having their official inaugural service on Sunday, October 12, at 4:30 pm. Since Pastor James Lee needs to have an approximate headcount of those planning to attend, we will be taking a rough count on Sunday morning during the announcements.
  6. Fall Festival. Fall Festival is our annual Halloween alternative event for our children. It has been one of the highlights of each year for our kids (and a lot of fun for grownups as well!). We need some help planning. If you are interested in helping, out please contact Josh Liu as soon as possible! There will be a planning meeting this Sunday, October 5, at 1:30 pm.
  7. Sunday School. Our adult Sunday school classes will begin this weekend! This time around, we will be offering two classes, which will both meet in the main sanctuary during second hour.

FOF (Instructors: Min Kim and Ryan Short). As usual, we will be offering Fundamentals of the Faith. This is a great class for anyone desiring to learn more about the basics of the Christian faith. It is also a required class for anyone pursuing membership at Lighthouse.

Answers to Common Questions (Instructor: Peter Lim). Elder Peter Lim has compiled a list of questions that are commonly asked by people at Lighthouse about various theological issues. This is a great introductory class to find out a little bit about why Lighthouse holds to some of the views that it does.

An Introduction to a Biblical Philosophy of Youth Ministry

by Josh Liu

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” (2 Timothy 4:1-2)

In my experience and observations, many church ministries, most often youth ministries, seem to be solicited with “new” and “improved” ministry models, entertainment activities, youth development insights, and/or suggestions of how to deepen connection or community with youth. These are not intrinsically evil or wrong, but they often become the driving force of ministry, by which everything else is subjected to. Granted, we ought to continually examine our ministries. Yet the standard by which we examine our ministries is Scripture–the inspired, inerrant, totally sufficient Word of God (cf. 2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:3, 16-21). God has not left it to man to decide how the goals of the church be carried out (cf. 1 Thess. 2:3-4; Titus 2:1).

According to Scripture, a priority of the Church is to glorify God by making disciples of Christ by going, baptizing, and teaching the whole counsel of God’s Word (Matt. 28:18-20; cf. Acts 14:21-23). In the spirit of that mission, Lumos youth ministry exists to glorify God in the lives of youth adults in the San Diego community by partnering with parents in the discipleship of their children, which is carried out through preaching and teaching God’s Word, and fellowship with and mentoring by older godly men and women. We do not attempt to mask Bible studies with entertaining activities, sentimental or emotion-inducing singing or setup, or prolific opportunities to get youth to “just do something” in the church. The focal point of Lumos is the preaching, teaching, and counseling through God’s Word.

Thus, this year’s Friday night youth Bible studies will be going through the Book of Romans expositionally (verse by verse). We also have been using the Navigator’s Topical Memory System list of verses with a desire to make Scripture memorization a vital spiritual discipline. Some of those verses are examples of prooftexting (interpreting and applying a verse without regard to its context and author’s intended meaning). As we memorize a verse each week, we study them in their respective context. During Sunday school hour on Sundays, we will be going through hermeneutics training and topical series (e.g. Old Testament/New Testament survey, Jesus’ parables). As you can see, we seek to preach the Word; to reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. Lumos is not defined by its activities, perceived comfort of “community,” praise band, appeasement of parents, and so on. We truly believe Scripture, that God works through His Word and the proclamation of His gospel (cf. Is. 55:11; Mark 4:14-20, 26-29; Rom. 1:16-17; 10:14-16; 2 Tim. 3:15), and that He receives most glory through the ministry His Word (cf. 1 Pet. 4:11).

Church, we encourage you to actively participate in the ministry of prayer and God’s Word toward one another, including the youth in our churches.

All They That See Me Laugh Me To Scorn…

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Psalm 22:7

Mockery was a great ingredient in our Lord’s woe. Judas mocked Him in the garden; the chief priests and scribes laughed Him to scorn; Herod set Him at nought; the servants and the soldiers jeered at Him, and brutally insulted Him; Pilate and his guards ridiculed His royalty; and on the tree all sorts of horrid jests and hideous taunts were hurled at Him. Ridicule is always hard to bear, but when we are in intense pain it is so heartless, so cruel, that it cuts us to the quick.

Imagine the Saviour crucified, racked with anguish far beyond all mortal guess, and then picture that motley multitude, all wagging their heads or thrusting out the lip in bitterest contempt of one poor suffering victim! Surely there must have been something more in the crucified One than they could see, or else such a great and mingled crowd would not unanimously have honoured Him with such contempt. Was it not evil confessing, in the very moment of its greatest apparent triumph, that after all it could do no more than mock at that victorious goodness which was then reigning on the cross?

O Jesus, ‘despised and rejected of men,’ how couldst Thou die for men who treated Thee so ill? Herein is love amazing, love divine, yea, love beyond degree. We, too, have despised Thee in the days of our unregeneracy, and even since our new birth we have set the world on high in our hearts, and yet Thou bleedest to heal our wounds, and diest to give us life. O that we could set Thee on a glorious high throne in all men’s hearts! We would ring out Thy praises over land and sea till men should as universally adore as once they did unanimously reject.

Thy creatures wrong Thee, O Thou sovereign Good!
Thou art not loved, because not understood:
This grieves me most, that vain pursuits beguile
Ungrateful men, regardless of Thy smile.

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2014 CZ Missions Report

by Stephen Rodgers

If you had an opportunity to come to one of the three Missions Report Nights that were recently held, the 2014 CZ Team wanted to thank you for your support. And while we hope that you enjoyed hearing about how God’s working in the Czech Republic, we realize that a single presentation might not answer all your questions.

So, we’ve put together a booklet to help describe in even more detail the events of the 2014 trip, as well as the thoughts and reactions of various team members. We hope that you’ll enjoy it, and thank you once more for all your love and support.

And He Shall Put His Hand Upon The Head Of The Burnt-Offering…

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Leviticus 1:4

Our Lord’s being made ‘sin for us’ is set forth here by the very significant transfer of sin to the bullock, which was made by the elders of the people. The laying of the hand was not a mere touch of contact, for in some other places of Scripture the original word has the meaning of leaning heavily, as in the expression, ‘Thy wrath lieth hard upon me’ (Psalm 88:7). Surely this is the very essence and nature of faith, which doth not only bring us into contact with the great Substitute, but teaches us to lean upon Him with all the burden of our guilt. Jehovah made to meet upon the head of the Substitute all the offences of His covenant people, but each one of the chosen is brought personally to ratify this solemn covenant act, when by grace he is enabled by faith to lay his hand upon the head of the ‘Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world.’

Believer, do you remember that rapturous day when you first realized pardon through Jesus the sin-bearer? Can you not make glad confession, and join with the writer in saying, ‘My soul recalls her day of deliverance with delight. Laden with guilt and full of fears, I saw my Saviour as my Substitute, and I laid my hand upon Him; oh! how timidly at first, but courage grew and confidence was confirmed until I leaned my soul entirely upon Him; and now it is my unceasing joy to know that my sins are no longer imputed to me, but laid on Him, and like the debts of the wounded traveller, Jesus, like the good Samaritan, has said of all my future sinfulness, ‘Set that to My account.” Blessed discovery! Eternal solace of a grateful heart!

‘My numerous sins transferr’d to Him,
Shall never more be found,
Lost in His blood’s atoning stream,
Where every crime is drown’d!’

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Reflections on Premarital Counseling

by Joseph and Lynn Ho

By God’s grace, we have been happily married for over two weeks now. Yes, you can say that the two of us are enjoying the honeymoon phase of our marriage (and we love every moment of it!), but even in the short time we’ve been married, we come to understand that marriage is something that requires active nurturing with a humble heart towards God and one another. We are blessed to be in a church that has a high view of God and His Word and be taught the biblical view of marriage. And so, in this short reflection, we would like to share a bit about how the biblical teachings of our premarital counseling has prepared us for our union and helped us build our marriage daily.

First, the premarital class prepared us to think about marriage Biblically. In today’s society, people generally approach marriage with a self-centered view that the wedding must be everything they have dreamed of and that marriage is about making them happy. Even during our engagement, it was easy to become overwhelmed by the joyful anticipation of marriage and consumed by the daunting task of planning all the details of the wedding and reception. But planning a Christ-centered wedding means that from the decorations, to the attire, to the food and entertainment, every detail is to proclaim the boldness and purity of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We learned in Ephesians 5:22-33 that a wife is to learn to submit to the leadership of her husband just like the Church submits herself to Christ, and a husband is to learn to love and cherish his wife and lead her to holiness just like Christ loves his Church and purifies her from sin by dying for her on the cross. Marriage, ultimately then, is to not to make us happy, but to reflect the perfect love relationship between Christ and His Church.

Second, the premarital class taught us the importance of humility. This truth takes center stage in regards to understanding men and women’s role as God has designed it. The Bible reminds us that even though we are created equal before God, God has given us different roles and purposes. The husband is to learn to provide for the home both physically and spiritually and help his wife reach her full potential in the Lord (1Timothy 3:4-5; 1 Peter 3:7), while the wife is to learn to devote her energy and time in the home so that the word of God will not be reviled (Titus 2:3-5). Without humility, even in these acts of service towards each other, we could grow discontent and harbor attitudes of bitterness. Pastor Patrick reminds us that as a couple, we are always on the same team, and that we must always work together to display the greatness of God.

We are glad that we went through premarital! We’d say dedicating time to the premarital is as important as planning for the wedding. We highly recommend every engaged couple to go through the class thoughtfully and slowly. It will prepare you for the ever-continual pursuit of becoming the exemplary husband and excellent wife that God intends you to be.

A Bundle Of Myrrh Is My Well-Beloved Unto Me

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Song of Solomon 1:13

Myrrh may well be chosen as the type of Jesus on account of its preciousness, its perfume, its pleasantness, its healing, preserving, disinfecting qualities, and its connection with sacrifice. But why is He compared to ‘a bundle of myrrh’?

  • First, for plenty. He is not a drop of it, He is a casket full. He is not a sprig or flower of it, but a whole bundle. There is enough in Christ for all my necessities; let me not be slow to avail myself of Him.
  • Our well-beloved is compared to a ‘bundle’ again, for variety: for there is in Christ not only the one thing needful, but in ‘Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,’ everything needful is in Him. Take Jesus in His different characters, and you will see a marvellous variety-Prophet, Priest, King, Husband, Friend, Shepherd. Consider Him in His life, death, resurrection, ascension, second advent; view Him in His virtue, gentleness, courage, self-denial, love, faithfulness, truth, righteousness-everywhere He is a bundle of preciousness.
  • He is a ‘bundle of myrrh’ for preservation-not loose myrrh tied up, myrrh to be stored in a casket. We must value Him as our best treasure; we must prize His words and His ordinances; and we must keep our thoughts of Him and knowledge of Him as under lock and key, lest the devil should steal anything from us.
  • Moreover, Jesus is a ‘bundle of myrrh’ for speciality. The emblem suggests the idea of distinguishing, discriminating grace. From before the foundation of the world, He was set apart for His people; and He gives forth His perfume only to those who understand how to enter into communion with Him, to have close dealings with Him.

Oh! blessed people whom the Lord hath admitted into His secrets, and for whom He sets Himself apart. Oh! choice and happy who are thus made to say, ‘A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me.’

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