Category Archives: Affinity Groups

Single Life Retreat

by Randy Tsuchiyama

Having been at Lighthouse for almost 9 years, I have been to many great retreats and have heard many fantastic messages. This singles retreat continued the trend. Pastor Jim Kang from Lighthouse Bible Church – East Bay titled the retreat theme, “How We’re Made.” Each message that Pastor Jim preached was from the first two chapters of Genesis.

The first message was titled “What God Reveals About Himself Through Creation.” In this sermon, Pastor Jim was able to expound on the some of the attributes of God that He reveals to us and how that ought to affect the way that we live. Having a background in science, I have always seen creation point back to the greatness of God. So this sermon resonated with me. Seeing God’s perfection through His creation and because of that perfection, I am able to trust more everyday regardless of how I may think various situations appear to be. God is worthy of all praise and this sermon helped me to render Him the praise that He is due.

The second sermon was titled “The Origin and Purpose of Man” and dealt with how God originally created us and what we were intended for as His creation. Pastor Jim was able to show us that we (mankind) have a special place in creation and have the unique privilege to rule over creation and glorify God and worship Him. The application of this sermon that Pastor Jim provided was extremely challenging and helpful. The fact that we have this special position in creation requires there to be a need for valuing the sanctity of human life, regardless of any other factors that may make us think otherwise, to be good stewards over God’s creation, and to trust God in salvation alone. I was incredibly challenged by being good stewards over His creation. By thinking I can treat creation in a way where I would selfishly obtain pleasure, I was not acknowledging or appreciating God through His creation. I am not the creator of everything around me and cannot treat it that way. I have been appointed by God to maintain it in a way that would bring glory to God.

The third sermon was about what God reveals to us about work in Genesis 1-2 in a sermon called “The Theology of Work”. Pastor Jim showed us from Scripture that work is not something that God provides in our life as a thorn in our side but something that we are predestined to do as Christians. This challenged the way that I think about work and my attitude at work. I need to think deeply about how I ought to be working knowing I am representing Christ in my workplace. Am I known to complain about everything? Am I known as a slacker? A clown? I am not working just for a check, and the way that I carry myself ought to reflect that as well.

The last sermon was titled “The Theology of Rest” and Pastor Jim laid out the biblical foundations for godly rest. When I looked at the title of the retreat, I thought Pastor Jim would talk about how we ought to rest in Christ while still doing the things in our daily lives. This was not what he preached on. Not even close. Pastor Jim explained to us that we need to understand that the ability to rest is an outpouring of God’s kindness and mercy in our lives. Pastor Jim also preached that we should understand that as Christians, our rest is different than the world. We are called to rest in Christ on Sundays by being expository listeners during the sermon and praying for the people in our church. The rest that we are called to do as Christians is different but still restful because God is kind and merciful to provide us with exactly what we need.

This is just a preview and one man’s reflections upon the sermons. I would strongly encourage you to (re)listen to the sermons if you have an opportunity. Pastor Jim does an excellent job of bringing the truth of God to the forefront of the sermon and how those truths ought to affect the way that we should live. Looking at who God intended us to be and comparing it to who we are now is an incredibly humbling, yet necessary, exercise. Praise God that we aren’t left to ourselves to change our hearts. The Holy Spirit will continue to grow us as we strive for spiritual maturity. I’m excited to see all of us as a church grow in our understanding of God’s truth and how that will be carried out in all our lives. As one slave of Christ to the other slaves of Christ, may Philippians 3:12 be our goal:

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.”

Presume Not Upon the Lord

by Hansol An

Growing up, my understanding of God’s grace was somewhat skewed. I understood that God loved me and that he sent Jesus to die for me. I understood that as a result of what he did, I was supposed to stop doing bad things and only do good things. But if I did bad things it would be okay because God would forgive me. I presumed that God would always forgive me no matter how sinfully I lived. I could live as I wanted, ask God for forgiveness later, and be assured of my salvation. In essence, what I thought I had was a license to get away with all the ‘fun stuff’ and still get into heaven! In my arrogance I presumed that God needed to forgive me since I was following the system; sin, pray for forgiveness, be forgiven, repeat. Later, I realized that this understanding of God’s grace was incongruent with the gospel message as it cheapened God’s grace and took God for granted.

But there is nothing new under the sun. The Bible gives plenty of examples of people presuming upon God. In Numbers 14, Israel, being distraught over a bad report from the 10 spies, decides to disobey God and not enter into the Promised Land as God had commanded. When Moses tells them of God’s judgment because of their disobedience, they “repent”. Presuming that God would honor their admittance of sin, they decide to enter the land as originally instructed. But by then, God was not with them and they were defeated by their enemies.

In Jeremiah 7, the prophet Jeremiah is warning Judah that their idolatry will be judged by God and that they need to repent in order to be saved. But they made the Temple into “a den of robbers,” a safe haven from God’s judgment no matter how sinfully they lived. Judah presumed that God’s judgment would never extend to His own Temple and so they would be safe in Jerusalem.

This type of presumption upon the Lord can also be seen in the New Testament. In Matthew 3, John the Baptist calls out the Pharisees and Sadducees for their superficial religiosity and misplaced hope in their ancestry. John explains to them that their sinful hearts were not going to be overlooked simply because they were sons of Abraham. True decedents of Abraham need to share his extraordinary faith.

Paul warns the Romans not to presume upon God’s grace in Romans 2. He tells them that judging another person’s sins, while committing the same sins, invites God’s judgment upon the one who is judging. He goes on to explain that for them to “presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience” is the opposite of what God desires: repentance.

In all four examples we see people’s presuming upon God’s grace, using it as an excuse to sin rather than a motivation for true repentance. They were living in a form of cheap grace and continual sin which Paul addresses in Romans 6. In that chapter, Paul, anticipating the arguments from the religious establishment against salvation by grace alone, unequivocally denounces the idea that one can be saved and keep on living a sinful life. In verses 1 and 2 he states, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” And again in verse 15 he says, “What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!”

The Bible is clear that we serve a loving, gracious and merciful God, but that doesn’t mean we can do whatever we want without consequence. In order to avoid the trap of presuming upon God’s grace, Christians must live a life that shows Christ to be Lord as well as Savior. Through Scripture we can know God and his will for us. Failing to show evidence of a changed heart through an obedient life will result in unwelcome consequences. Christ himself said in Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

The people in the above examples were not going to be saved by their admission of guilt, proximity to God’s house, birthright or misguided understanding of God’s kindness. True salvation comes from an accurate understanding of the cost required to save and the cost required to be saved. Those who are saved will exhibit a changed heart that loves God, which in turn results in a holy life (John 14:15).

The Joys of Youth Ministry

by Joyce Kang

Four years ago I made the decision to serve in our youth ministry not really knowing what to expect. After spending part of my summer ministering to the youth in the Czech Republic for summer missions, I desired to continue to cultivate discipleship relationships with ladies in this age group. I can hardly believe that several years have gone by since then, and as I look back at my time with the youth I can honestly say that this ministry has been one of the greatest sources of encouragement and joy during my time at Lighthouse.

Over the years I’ve come to realize that what I love most about working with the youth at our church is their incredible passion for life. Whether it’s playing games, going out for frozen yogurt, or simply chatting in the foyer, the youth are notoriously known for their excitement and high energy. One of the greatest privileges that I have as a staff member is to witness the Lord’s work in maturing these young men and women and teaching them to channel their energies in service to God and His people. It still encourages me every week to see a group of young people take seriously the preaching of God’s word and engage in meaningful discussions afterwards about how they can practically apply what they’ve learned.

Our youth understand that the wisdom of this world is vain and that true wisdom can be found in fearing God and studying His word. In the midst of their busy lives of endless studying, participating in extracurricular activities and hanging out with friends, it’s amazing to see our youth continue to make Christ a priority.

One of my favorite memories as youth staff is being able to witness my former and current youth girls take ownership of their faith and make active steps to follow Christ in the midst of various trials. Being a teenager in today’s society is no easy task, and yet I am always amazed by the boldness of our youth in actively sharing their faith and being a witness to their friends. In fact, their countless attempts to invite a friend out to Bible study or to share the Gospel with a classmate has often served as a gentle rebuke to my own pride and laziness in evangelism.

Unfortunately youthfulness is often associated with ignorance and can often stand in the way of being taken seriously, but as we look to Paul’s advice given to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12, one should not be looked down upon because of their age. And believe it or not, there is still a lot that we can learn from those younger than us. So the next time you happen to bump into a youth member at church, I would encourage you to take a few minutes to get to know them. Chances are you will walk away from that conversation surprisingly encouraged and challenged to live and love like they do.

Where will the Wind Blow this Sunday?

by Abram Kim

Children’s Ministry, like any other ministry, can have those moments when you, as a staff volunteer, can feel burned out. The wear and tear during the year can be draining physically and emotionally. The repetitive and sometimes mundane tasks of service can quench the excitement that was there at the start of the year. The prayers become rehearsed and rote. The songs are stale and dry. The lessons are familiar and contemptible. Our Christian life takes us through valleys like these, and when they do, our service suffers and Christ’s glory dulls in our lives.

What is the solution? Athletes go back to the fundamentals when they are in slumps. The Christian must also return to the fundamentals of the faith. We must remember the kindness of God to give us another day to live, a kindness that ought to lead us to repentance for taking His grace for granted (Romans 2:4). We must recall the MVP of Lighthouse Bible Church and discover once again the great purpose of our lives.

The 2013 Shepherds’ Conference once again featured powerful and timely plenary and seminar messages for my soul, even though I did not physically attend the event. Of particular impact this year were John MacArthur’s first message on John 3 and the seminar session on Children’s Ministry by Grace Community Church’s Children’s Ministry pastor, Matt White. The fundamental concept from these messages that strengthened me was that the ultimate goal of ministry, and our purpose in this world as Christians, is evangelism, yet at the same time the work of salvation is not under our control and we can add nothing to contribute to it.

The supreme purpose of the Christian is to make disciples of Christ in the context of the local church in obedience to the Scriptures out of a love for God and others (MVP of Lighthouse). This is in one sense an impossible goal. No one on our staff is capable of turning a heart of stone to a heart of flesh. No one can raise the spiritually dead, or give sight to the spiritually blind. This is a supernatural work. This is a re-creative work. This is a work that God alone can perform.

Nicodemus and the religious leaders of Jesus’ day did not understand this. Nicodemus came to Jesus and was curious at what he would say to him. He knew Jesus was from God, “for no one can do these signs that [He did] unless God is with him.” (John 3:2) Jesus, knowing what was in the heart of man and the key question that Nicodemus had on his mind (John 2:24-25), addressed the issue of salvation from sin to be a part of the Kingdom of God.

The world of the Pharisees was founded on the idea that religion earns merit in God’s economy. But Jesus shattered that notion with his earthly analogy of birth. No baby contributes to their own birth. What did you contribute to your own birth? Did you give the doctor or your mother a helping hand or an encouraging word? If anything, perhaps you complicated your mother’s labor and there were risks of injury or death. Nicodemus, the preeminent teacher of the day, understood Jesus’ analogy well, for he too taught in analogies to help people understand the truths of God’s Word. But Jesus’ analogy on how to be saved, well, this lesson undermined the core of his philosophy. There was absolutely nothing he could do to contribute or secure his own salvation in God’s Kingdom. “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” (John 3:4) Isn’t there anything you can do to contribute to your spiritual birth? There has to be something you can do, isn’t there? The answer from Scripture is clear. There is no hidden knowledge to acquire or religious action to perform to gain favor with God. Just as we contribute nothing to our physical birth, we contribute nothing to our spiritual birth. It is an act of God from beginning to end.

Jesus offers Nicodemus one more earthly analogy to help him understand the heavenly realities he pondered in his heart. The salvation of a soul is like the wind. We can hear it and see its effects, but we have no control over where it comes from or where it goes; the wind will blow where it wishes. Nicodemus’ understanding of spiritual realities is crumbling from its foundations, and all he can say is, “How can these things be?” (John 3:9) He is silent for the remainder of the conversation as Jesus continues to expound on the love of God for sending a Savior to save sinners in this wind-like manner. The task for the sinner is to believe Jesus is the Christ and the only way to be saved. But this belief (faith) will not happen unless the wind blows, until the Spirit breathes spiritual life to the spiritually dead.

The earthly analogies Jesus taught Nicodemus are helpful in understanding how we should evangelize the lost. As parents and as the church, we all must be diligent to teach the full counsel of the Word of God and to preach and model the gospel to the children in our care. But this is our duty and responsibility in obedience to Christ and the Scriptures, as ones alive in the Spirit. Knowing Scripture and the gospel will not raise the dead or direct the wind of salvation. Salvation is God’s work alone, and He alone will receive the glory for the salvation of a soul. This can certainly happen to a 5-year old, and we praise God for that, but the salvation of a soul is not and never will be dependent on the quality of a Children’s Ministry curriculum or the skills of the staff.

This of course doesn’t negate our responsibility as a church and parents to be faithful to our calling to diligently and prayerfully instruct and disciple the ways of God, as written in the Word of God. Our work is in obedience to our Lord. All the more, our work must have at its core time on our knees before the throne of grace in prayer for the wind to blow in the direction of the little ones we love and care for. And this is the chief goal of our ministry. At the same time, we must continually remind ourselves to have the perspective that salvation is not our work, lest we find ourselves as Nicodemus did at the end of his conversation with Jesus, confused and dumbfounded by our inability to contribute to salvation.

Each week as we gather, there is an opportunity for the wind to blow. Let us earnestly and eagerly pray that the wind blows today for someone we love, young or old. “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)

Raising Our Children Together

by Pastor Patrick Cho

One of the great joys we experience at Lighthouse is the number of babies that are born into our church family. It seems almost customary now that I would announce some pregnancy before the sermon on Sunday morning. As a body, we are able to experience this joy together, and some are even able to track their history at the church by the life of a little one. These gifts from God are a reminder of His amazing grace to our families and to the church.

Pastor Chris Mueller once pointed out the importance of raising your family in the church. Since no one person possesses every spiritual gift, a single parent is incapable of demonstrating fully what it means to represent Christ in this world. In a real way, parents need the members of the church to show what is lacking in their presentation of Christ to their kids. Only together can our children see what it really means to love one another, serve one another, and be committed to one another. As our children mature physically, hopefully they are able to witness the church maturing spiritually.

This has been one of the chief focuses of the children’s ministries at LBC. We are constantly thinking through how we can come alongside parents and encourage them in the great responsibility to raise their children in the Lord. In this way, Grace Life and the various children’s ministries will always be vitally connected. The church is not an adequate substitute for godly parenting but can serve as a tremendous help to our families.

When we have our parent/child dedication services, the point is not only for the parents to dedicate their children to the Lord or even to pray for the children; it also includes the church’s commitment and involvement in the lives of the babies. The church holds the parents accountable to their responsibility to be godly parents, but a mutual agreement is also understood that there is a church-wide responsibility to show Christ to the next generation.

When we gather together in corporate worship or enjoy some fellowship activity, we need to remember that at any given moment, two little eyes might be studying our actions, speech, and behavior. Any parent can tell you how scary it is that their children pick up on their mannerisms and adopt their speech. Our children are watching you and want to follow you. They look up to you and admire you. All the more, it should emphasize the importance of living godly lives and serving as examples to the rest of the flock. Let’s demonstrate godliness and not worldliness, and let’s be sure to show our children what an amazing thing it is to live for Jesus.

Single Life Update

by Chris Tang

For many people this year, Valentine’s Day was a very painful day, reminding them of past relational failures and bringing to surface countless thoughts of unhappiness, inadequacy, and loneliness. Thoughts like, “I would be perfectly happy, if only…

  • If only a certain person noticed me.
  • If only I had a girlfriend or boyfriend.
  • If only I had done things differently.
  • If only we were still together.
  • If only I was married by now.
  • If only my spouse tried harder this year.
  • If only I had someone to love.

If only then I could be happy. God is powerful. He could make it happen! Why not? Maybe next year…”

Others experienced a lot of happiness, whether it was in the form of chocolate and flowers from a boyfriend, having a special dinner with someone, or having time away from the kids with the spouse. Being treated in a special way on a special day fulfills a desire in us to know that somebody cares. The gifts aren’t very important, except they mean something: I am valuable. Somebody loves me.

February 13th happened to fall on the day of one of our Single Life Bible studies. Pastor Patrick took a break from our study of Colossians and took this opportunity to speak on love from Matthew 22:37-40, where Jesus discusses the two greatest commandments. I was very thankful for this message, especially since it looked to God’s word to define what love is. After all, God is love (1 John 4:7-8), so He is the foremost authority on love, and He is the one who defines what it is. Through His word we can know the true love which comes only from God (Romans 10:17). It is only through a genuine, saving knowledge of God that we can be equipped to love people. As Peter writes, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3). If Scripture was not sufficient to teach everything about love, we would be hopelessly struggling in the futility of human wisdom to figure out what love is. Thankfully, God shows us what it means, and teaches us how to love in every situation, whether in friendship, dating, marriage, parenthood, when it is easy and when it is hard.

The first part of Pastor Patrick’s message was spent on how we are to obey the greatest commandment: to love God. If there is any question as to why the teaching at Lighthouse places such a great emphasis on doctrine, it is because we desire everyone to be true worshipers of God, who worship God in truth (John 4:23). How to love God is the single fundamental question which defines everything we do as Christians, including how we love others, so this was a very important point. Pastor Patrick started in the place where all behavior begins: in the heart. Philippians 4:8 makes it clear that even the very smallest of our thoughts are to be pleasing to God, for it is in the heart that sin is conceived (Mark 7:21-23, James 1:14-15) . This means that loving God does not involve a list of external behaviors, of things to do or to not do. Jesus himself warns against the dangers of this kind of moralism in Matthew 12:43-45. Without God as Lord, attempts to put one’s own heart “in order” can only make things worse. It’s scary to think that our efforts at self-improvement could make us more abhorrent in the eyes of God. Instead we must first be committed in our hearts to God, clothed in the righteousness of Christ, and only then can we begin to do anything good. Without salvation, all of our “good” deeds are like polluted garments before God (Isaiah 64:6). On the other hand, our new life after repentance should bring about a corresponding transformation in the way we think (Romans 12:2). This was a good reminder for me to examine my own “thought life” (not a phrase that thrills me) and examine what I dwell on.

  • Are these thoughts pleasing to God, or do they reveal idols in my heart?
  • Am I stressed at work out of fear of my boss?
  • Is my enjoyment of fellowship due to a desire to be accepted, or thankfulness to God for giving me a body of like-minded believers?
  • What is the real reason that I am happy about that promotion?
  • Should I be spending so much time reading about new gadgets?
  • What am I excited to talk about?
  • What fills my mind each hour of the day?

That is what I love, and it is depressingly rare that it is God.

If you read the first two paragraphs of this article again, you’ll notice how selfish and man-centered each of those scenarios is. Even a “good” Valentine’s Day can reveal the selfishness and idolatry in our hearts. For those who know God it is a comforting truth that His love has been poured out abundantly upon us in spite of our depravity (Romans 5:5, 8). Some days it may not feel like it, but truly the love of God is better than any Valentine’s Day celebration, either real or hoped for. It is more precious than life itself (Psalm 63:3). It is my sincere hope that we would all strive and fight to grow in our love for God. I barely scratched the surface of Pastor Patrick’s message, so if you have any questions about how these Biblical truths might apply to your existing relationship with God or with people, there are plenty of people at Lighthouse who would love to answer your questions. Thank God for His gracious love for us, and thank you Pastor Patrick for your very timely reminder of what true love is.

Successful Ministry

by Justin Li

What is “successful” ministry? Is it running a VBS with well-behaved children, going out to campus evangelism with a conversion resulting every time, and reading our Bibles every day? All those examples above are good but not necessarily how God would define success. The world evaluates success and worth by what they have or say they can accomplish. Even as Christians this type of thinking is pervasive. As we delve in God’s Word we see this type of thinking stems from a lack of fear of God and His Word.

“Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:7-8)

Joshua lived a life of obedience, faith and dependence on God proving that a life of obedience to God and His Word bears great rewards and blessings. Of the 12 spies sent to Canaan, only Joshua and Caleb trusted God, returned and were the only two to enter the promised land. Furthermore, Joshua served as a faithful aide to Moses for 40 years and he was the one to ultimately lead the Israelites to the promised land, not Moses. Joshua trusted in the strength and promises of God despite the uncertainty of the challenging paths to come. But no more clearly do we see Joshua’s faithfulness than at the end of the book where he urges the people to forsake their idols and remain faithful in the covenant that God made with them at Sinai, saying, “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods of your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

We see from the example of Joshua that God’s definition of success is not necessarily defined by the direct fruits that you see from your work, but in our FAITHFULNESS in what we have been called to do.

Oftentimes we focus on how well we measure up to the world’s standards of success and forget to concern ourselves with our ability to stay faithful to God’s Word in everything that we do, regardless of the outcome. In The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) we see that both the man that was given five talents and the man with two received exactly the same reward, indicating that the master’s grading system is based on faithfulness and NOT results (v23). However, we see that the unfaithful servant was dealt with harshly and called wicked and slothful. This means as students it does not matter whether we have a 2.0 or a 4.0 GPA if we were faithful in the stewardship of what we have been called to do. What good is the slothful student with a 4.0 to God if he spent the entire time studying while ignoring his quiet times with God and church events, while constantly being anxious the entire time? Rather, God is pleased with the faithful student who truly values what the Word of God has to say. The world demands results. What God demands is faithfulness. Whose grading system will you use today?

This flows into every other area in our life as well. For campus evangelism, what matters is our faithfulness in proclaiming the power of the Gospel boldly, not conversion (Romans 1:16). For parenting, what matters is faithfully teaching our children the Word of God every opportunity that you get, not necessarily salvation. For the upcoming Mission Bowl tournament, what matters is faithfully being ambassadors of Christ on the football field. Like the Hebrew midwives who feared God, what God has to say should take precedence over whatever anyone else says (Exodus 1). God looks at the one who trembles at His Word (Isaiah 66:2-3).

“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecc 1:13-14)

At the end of the day, what are we most concerned with? Take some time to think about it. We see God defines success in our faithfulness in what we have been called to do. I can’t wait until the day when we can see Him as he is and hope to hear “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.”

We can do no more. We must do no less.

Lumos and Chocolate Chip Cookies

by Kristen Lim

Recently I have embarked on the quest to find the perfect chocolate chip recipe. Chocolate chip cookies are a classic and have been around for quite some time now, but I was surprised to find so many variations and websites that claimed to have the BEST recipe. As I did more research about the different types of chocolate chip cookies there were, the main categories were soft, Keebler style cookies, others a crispy-on-the-outside-chewy-in-the-middle texture, and yet others with special ingredients to enhance the flavor. But all in all, the recipes were generally the same with minor adjustments of ingredient ratios, and they all produced the same end result: a chocolate chip cookie. What does all of this have to with the Lumos Youth Ministry, you may ask? Read on to find out!

I am privileged and blessed to have been shepherded by the Lumos staff since I moved to San Diego, a total of 5 years. Back then the youth group was very small with just myself and four other youth, and the staff-to-youth ratio was at one point 1:1! My memories of high school are mostly filled with the times I spent at church on Friday nights during Bible study, Sunday school, the crazy events the staff planned for us, and most importantly the biblical sermons delivered by faithful men. Since graduating from Lumos about two years ago, I joined the Lumos staff at the end of this past summer and am humbled and overjoyed to take part in continuing this ministry of passing down God’s greatness to the current youth.

Currently the youth ministry is walking through the books of 1 John and Romans on Friday nights, and during our monthly Saturday seminars we address different topics that would be helpful in their stage of life. In previous seminars we have covered worldviews, modesty, hermeneutics, and will be starting a series on the Bible. Interspersed, Lumos has Gospel nights once a quarter, retreats, game nights, and random hangouts. As the staff plans these events, we are prayerful that these activities and times of instruction would be profitable for their souls, that we would have the same mindset as Paul in Colossians 1:28, which states, “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.” Our goal is not merely just entertainment, but to be intentional in the limited time we get to teach the youth about Christ both in our words and deeds, praying to God that He would soften their hearts to submit to Him as Lord and Savior, and all the while knowing that God is the one who causes the growth and we are just called to be faithful. I hope and pray that Lumos would never deviate from this mission.

From my perspective, I’ve seen the dynamics of Lumos change over the years, from staffers joining and leaving, new youth coming and others graduating, and the logistics of how the ministry was structured based on who the leader was at that particular time. Truly, ministry is about the people and not the program. During our last staff meeting, Josh reminded us about the analogy of the trellis and the vine and how the purpose of the trellis (youth programs) was to support the vine (the youth). It didn’t matter if we had an intricate and ornate trellis if the vine was dying. Since ministry involves people, it makes sense that the details and programs could change based on the needs of the current people. That’s why it’s so imperative to be flexible and ready to make adjustments, not in theology or foundations of faith, but in how we minister to them.

Now, going back to my chocolate chip cookie illustration: just as there are many different textures and variations of chocolate chip cookies, essentially they are all the same at the core. Youth group has undergone many “textures” and “variations” throughout the years, yet I’m so thankful to say that the core of the Lumos ministry has remained constant: to glorify God through teaching young men and women about our glorious savior, Jesus Christ, and to disciple them to be bright lights in this dark world. May the youth group, as well as the church body, seek to be faithful chocolate chip cookies, whether it be soft or crispy!

Sparklers Update

by Danica Chu

Ever since I was in high school, God gave me a heart for kids of all ages. When I first started going to LBC, I wanted to serve in the children’s ministry because I wanted to serve in an area where I could meet families of the church. I prayed and asked God to place me where He saw fit for my life and where I would grow the most. I kept looking out for opportunities to serve, knowing that wherever I am placed, it is where God wanted me to be and that was His plan for my life. When I saw that there were opportunities available in the Sparklers’ ministry, I prayed and asked God if this was where He wanted me to be. After much praying and consideration, I went ahead and filled out the application and sent it in to Mike Hasegawa.

During the application and observation process, I noticed that whoever was in the classroom, they really took time to prepare their lessons and made sure that God’s Word was being preached every week. I noticed how all the teachers were gentle with the kids, caring for them and loving them the way God had loved the staff. One thing that really stood out to me was how the lesson was presented. At the end of each lesson, the conclusion always came back to the Gospel. Even at such a young age, the teachers were trying to instill in each Sparkler what Jesus Christ has done for them on the cross, dying for their sins.

Each lesson taught is divided into three parts: the hook, the actual lesson and the conclusion. The hook is an attention getter for the kids. It usually involves one of the staff or an everyday illustration, something that they can relate to. The actual lesson is the part when the teacher teaches from a passage of Scripture. We (the Sparklers’ staff) know when we are teaching and what passage of Scripture we are teaching from. Therefore, we are able to study and prepare it in advance. This is because we want to make sure that we are handling God’s truth accurately and not adding or removing anything from it. The last part of the lesson is the conclusion. The conclusion is when the teacher tells the Sparklers’ what the main point of the lesson is, how it ties into the hook and the lesson itself and we try to present the Gospel to them as well. Usually, we try to repeat what our main point is throughout the entire lesson. I think preparing and studying for the lesson take the most time because of how much time is being spent on reading the passage, meditating on it and studying it.

Mike always told us that we should give ourselves plenty of time to study, read and meditate on it. It’s something that I have been learning and attempting to do in my own devotionals. Instead of just glancing over the passage and checking the box to show that I did my reading for the day, I learned that I need to slow down and take it all in. Read the passage slowly, make notes, question things that I don’t understand and research it. This is what God has called us to do as believers, to meditate on God’s Word and search for ways to apply it to our daily lives. I started to apply this process to my own quiet times. I’ll admit, I’m not perfect. This isn’t the easiest process for me to do. But I ask God everyday to give me the discipline to sit down and study God’s Word, the way I normally would study God’s Word to teach the lesson. This should be an integral part of our daily routine as believers, to study God’s Word, meditate on it and always refer to it.

Ever since joining Sparklers, I’ve learned a lot from just sitting in and listening to the lessons being taught. I’m always reminded of one of God’s characteristics: His humility that led Him to the cross, His continual faithfulness from the Old Testament to the New Testament and many more of His characteristics. I have learned so much from serving in the Sparklers’ Ministry, for my own spiritual growth, seeing where I fall short in my walk with God. God has been so faithful to the Sparkers’ Ministry in providing faithful men and women who have a willing heart to serve one of the youngest affinity groups at LBC. I’m excited to see where God takes the Sparklers Ministry next!

Grace Life Family Ministry Update

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Grace Life took a break for the winter holidays and is now up and running again. It has been tremendously encouraging to see all the people come out to Bible study on Thursday nights. I’m sure the midweek meeting is still difficult for some of our families, but having LKC meet on the same evening makes things much more manageable. It has also been a blessing to see the families getting more involved even in little ways like bringing refreshments or helping with nursery care. All these acts of service continue to strengthen the group and make for an enjoyable time.

We are still in the middle of our series entitled “What Do You Think?” It has been a helpful series exploring a simple but biblical theology of the mind. So far, hopefully the families haven’t been too discouraged as we have almost exclusively focused on the bad news. Through our first five lessons, we have studied the creation and fall of man, as well as the consequences of sin on the mind. The Bible teaches that as sinners we are of a depraved mind and that we are completely blind to spiritual truth. Without God, we are incapable of interpreting the world around us in the right way. Sin affects our minds so that we are even oblivious to this incapacity.

God speaks particularly through Apostle Paul in Romans 1 to describe sin’s impact on the human mind. Because of our sinful minds, we suppress the truth of God even though it stares us blatantly in the face (vv. 18-20). Sin has rendered our thinking futile and foolish even though we think ourselves to be wise (v. 21-22). Sin causes us to reject the true God of the universe and to worship other lesser things instead – most of all, I should say, ourselves (v. 23-25). Because of our sinful hearts, we would rather willingly believe a lie than accept the truth of God (v. 25). Because of our hateful, sinful minds toward God, we take what God intended for our good and completely violate it and rebel against it. For instance, in our rebellion against God, we pervert the order and natural relations He ordained for us in creation. Paul teaches that this is ultimately rooted in our inherent hatred toward God. We don’t trust that God is good, nor that His plans for us are good. Our sinful minds, thus, bring forth sinful actions (v. 26-32).

This isn’t a very pleasant or optimistic picture the Apostle paints of mankind. It certainly isn’t the popular message of contemporary culture that continues to insist upon our inherent worth and inner beauty. Instead, Paul describes the human heart as wicked, depraved, lost, and desperate. He exposes the human heart for what it truly is in the eyes of God. (Praise God for His grace to save, without which we would have no hope!).

In the coming weeks, we are going to examine how through the gospel, God shines a light in our hearts and causes our blind eyes to see. Because of what Christ did for us on the cross, our minds can be renewed, so that we can interpret God, the world, ourselves, and our circumstances rightly. It should be an eye-opening and helpful study filled with principles for practical application. Even though the bad news is depressingly bad, the good news that follows is gloriously good!