Category Archives: Affinity Groups

Single Life Update

by Kevin Tse

Single Life finished 2012 with a Christmas party and gift exchange that saw people receive a variety of gifts including iTunes gift cards, movie tickets, and fancy headphones in addition to a number of other odds and ends. More than that, we had a chance to see our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ before breaking for the holidays, and were able to encourage one another to be bold in sharing the Gospel with whomever they see during the holidays and remembering the centrality of Christ in Christmas.

The past semester has been mostly spent in Colossians 3. Pastor Patrick preached through sermons focusing on the Biblical prescriptions for godly relationships between husband and wife, parents and children, and slaves and masters. We were refreshed continually with truth that often forced us to re-evaluate some incorrect preconceived notions, and reminded us several times of the authority of God as the giver of that truth. In particular, as singles, we focused on working as unto the Lord in our places of employment and schooling, knowing that our reward is not the approval of man but the hope of future grace from the Lord. I was personally convicted to go to work with joy and to see work as a ministry, not just a place to make money.

Our first Single Life Bible study of the year was on January 9th, 2013 when Randy Sarmiento shared about “Christian Discipline” from Hebrews 12:3-6. Randy blessed us with the reminder that the discipline we receive from the Lord is meant both for our correction as well as training in righteousness. Paralleling our comfortable lives here in San Diego, the Hebrews had to be reminded that the trials they faced paled in comparison to the scourging that Christ received when He went to the cross for our sins. Just as the Hebrews had to be reminded of the godly response they ought to have when going through trials, we too were reminded that the trials and hardships that we undergo represent discipline from the Lord, and that this discipline not only refines our faith but proves our sonship in Him.

Coming up on the schedule for Single Life Ministry are a series of events including a Broomball outing with College Life on February 1st (our second one in this academic year) and our annual Single’s Retreat from March 15-17th at Pine Valley. Also, we’ll be having a Table for 6 outing on January 19th.

Next Man Up

by Hansol An

As the football season comes to a close, I’m reminded of a phrase that became very popular over the course of the season, to the point that it almost became a cliché. The phrase “next man up” has been around for a while but it really seemed to come into vogue this year. Whenever a player went down with an injury, there was a coach or sportscaster close behind wielding this most apt and realistic solution to an unwanted situation. In football there is a real and immediate need to move on. Not only must the show go on, it must go on right now – “So who you got to replace your MVP?” There’s no sympathy from the other team that you lost your best player. The scoreboard doesn’t care that the heart and soul of your team is out for the rest of the season.

I’ve said before that in some ways, a football team is analogous to a church. As with a church, every member of the football team has an important part to play. Teamwork is critically important in football. For a team to succeed its players have to fulfill their individual roles during each and every play. One player neglecting to fulfill their role would seriously hinder the ability of the team to succeed. The same could be said for a church.

The ‘next man up’ philosophy seems to carry over to the church analogy as well. As Lighthouse Bible Church prepares for its third church plant in three years, its members are well acquainted with the idea that when someone leaves, another member has to be ready and able to takes their place. For all intents, it is expected that someone will be the next man (or woman) up. For some roles there is a person identified long before the need arises, but for many there isn’t a clear successor. But as our church has always endeavored to lead by the Word of God, the members have been taught to be servants first, and we’ve been fortunate to have many willing servants over the years.

Christ taught his disciples to emulate him as a servant (John 13:12-15). Paul reminded the Philippians to regard others as more important (Philippians 2:3-4). We all have to be reminded of our duty as a member of Christ’s church to serve one another. Sometimes in ways that are personally challenging and require self-sacrifice but if ever there was a worthy cause, it is the love of Christ. Since we know that as a church we need to do the work of spreading the Gospel, when a need arises, many should be willing to fill it.

At a smaller scale, College Life regularly has to replace servants due to graduation. Thankfully this ministry has always included heavy student involvement but that also means that most people only serve a year or two before they have to move on. The staff doesn’t take this for granted even as the students continue to raise the bar year after year. We know that service in any ministry can’t be forced, each believer should be challenged by the example of Christ to serve others the way he did: in loving sacrifice. Sometimes that means serving in unofficial ways like providing rides or encouraging a friend, going out to Campus EV, or Morning Prayer. If we all do our part, this ministry will continue to successfully fulfill our calling in this life and further the Gospel of Christ. So be ready to step in when the time comes.

From Newtown to LBCSD’s Children’s Ministry: Lessons of Hope Amidst Tragedy

by Abram Kim

The start of a new year provides opportunities to reflect on the previous year. Of all the events of 2012, from my perspective, the single-most tragic event of the year came near the end of the year, on December 14 when 20 children and six adults were tragically killed and two more wounded at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Very few people knew of this small town before December 14, 2012, but now all of America and the world are familiar with the town. School shootings are always tragic, but the fact that this was an elementary school and that so many children lost their lives magnifies this tragedy.

I would have imagined that during the ensuing weekend, most of the churches across America held services and vigils to pray for the victims and their families at Newtown. LBCSD was no different. The day after the Newtown tragedy was LBCSD’s annual Christmas Concert, and the message from Elder Mike Chon related to the tragic events in Newtown and the hope we have in Christ. The next day, our church gathered that Sunday morning and Pastor Patrick Cho addressed the tragedy again, reminding us of the brevity of life and the hope that can only come from Christ. The news of Newtown was obviously on the hearts and minds of the leaders at LBCSD and it needed to be addressed to give our church proper biblical perspective. Pastor Patrick shared with LBCSD five reasons that Christians should speak up in the midst of tragedy like the one in Newtown. I wanted to use his outline to consider how parents and children’s ministry leaders can teach children to understand tragedies like Newtown.

1. Newtown reminds us that the real problem is our radical depravity.

What happened at Newtown is sad and very tragic. That goes without saying. But consider the gravity of the tragedy. Imagine in a moment’s notice the terror of that violence and rage from a complete stranger. Imagine not being able to play with your best friends because they are no longer with you. We need to explain the magnitude of this tragedy because it brings us closer to understanding the gravity of our sinfulness to the perfectly holy God.

Most of us may not experience in our personal lives or first-hand such wickedness. But regardless of what secular society may preach about man’s inherent good, the potential for this kind of wickedness, including its magnitude, resides in us all. It isn’t even that we are mostly good people that have sinned some and need a Savior to clean up the little mess in our lives, as some Christians may preach. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). It is only by God’s grace that tragedies like Newtown don’t occur more often. Newtown provided a sober look into the all-encompassing problem in this world and in man, our radical and wicked depravity.

2. Newtown reminds us that the gospel is the only solution to the real problem.

The immense gravity of wickedness can only be cancelled by an immense amount of righteousness. Of course none of us have any righteousness of our own to begin with. So who can save us? Of course, Christ alone! When we reflect on the depths of our own sins, we turn to the gospel of Jesus Christ and revel in the glorious depths of His grace. The greatest problem in this world we can emphasize to our young ones is sin, and the only solution is Jesus Christ. He is the only way, truth, and life (John 14:6).

3. Newtown reminds us that life is short and our opportunities are limited.

With all the advances in medicine today, the simple fact remains that no one can be certain of their last day on earth (even in some cases of attempted suicide). My mom would say that we may all have an order coming into the world, but there is no order leaving this world. Accidental deaths happen all the time. Homicides seem more tragic because they have the appearance of being preventable. But the fact remains that death is not far for any of us.

Consider the millions of babies in the womb that never get to hear the gospel because they are aborted before full term. As infants and toddlers, children may not fully grasp the concepts of holiness and sin, but we ought to teach them diligently. We believe God bestows special grace to those souls before the age of accountability. But no one can be certain what that age might be, and it might be different for every child. Every opportunity ought to be taken advantage of to teach the whole counsel of God’s Word, the character of God, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Every Sunday School hour and LKC evening must count. Every little moment in the home and discipline opportunity must count. We must diligently be ready to teach and disciple and counsel and love and point toward our Maker, Savior, and Lord. So teach us to number our days, that we gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12).

4. Newtown reminds us to look to God because He is in control.

God is not the source of evil (James 1:13), but God is still in control over all the evil that happens in the world, and in the mystery of providence brings it all together for His glory (Genesis 50:20, Romans 8:28). We must be reminded that God is in control, even over the small and big evils in this world. When the world around you comes crumbling down, or your understanding of the world is shaken at its core, it is natural to seek someone or something to confide in. And we must teach our young ones that God is the most dependable one we can turn to, for He is always faithful. God was and is fully in control, and will continue to always be fully in control throughout all time. Tragedies in life ought to prompt us to repent of our sins and turn to the God who is in control (Luke 13:1-5).

5. Newtown reminds us that God is judge, and He will avenge.

Some may feel that Lanza’s suicide somehow cheated our society from exacting justice on him for his wicked deeds, and cheated the families involved from experiencing justice in this world. Yet no human court could come up with the penalty due such evil. Vengeance is the Lord’s (Romans 12:19). God is the perfect Judge and Executioner. Evil will be dealt with justly, for God is the Great Judge. No one can hide, no one can escape.

For those who are in Christ, Jesus bore the great wrath of God that we deserved upon Himself on the cross. The punishment was immense because our sins were immense. It required an infinite sacrifice to atone for our infinite sinfulness. When will the time be when God consummates the world and brings final judgment to those that are still in their sins? God isn’t slow to fulfill His promise of justice, but rather is patient so that more will be saved in Christ (2 Peter 3:1-10). And may God be gracious to grant us the opportunities to share the gospel with those around us, especially our children, that they may be saved by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Marriage Is Hard Work!

by Pastor Patrick Cho

When I was engaged to Christine, we used to discuss what to expect in marriage with the older married couples of the church. Surprisingly and without fail, every couple warned us about the hardships and strains that come with marriage. We received almost no positive feedback or encouragement. Instead, the consistent report was that marriage was difficult. I remember growing a little disillusioned and even embittered by this at the time. I wondered, “Why did you get married at all if it’s so bad? Maybe it’s better to stay single since that’s so much easier!” I remember telling Christine that if other engaged couples talked to us about marriage, we were only going to speak positively to affirm how wonderful it is. They could get the discouraging news from everyone else!

Now that I have been married for over seven years, I understand better where those other couples were coming from and I agree with them that marriage is hard work. That isn’t all it is (it is wonderful, too!), but it certainly is that. I can see that those couples were lovingly trying to prepare us for the worst trials and experiences so that we would not be unnecessarily caught off guard or unprepared. The truth is that marriage is hard and it requires intense devotion, constant vigilance, and self-sacrifice. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that wives are to submit to their husbands, and husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church (Eph. 5:22, 25). These are not easy instructions! They are extremely difficult and even impossible apart from Christ.

There is a romantic tendency in many engaged Christian couples to think it won’t be as difficult for them. They reason, “We will never fight, and even if we do, we will reconcile quickly” or “Think about how great we get along! After all, how could marriage be all that different than dating?” Older, more experienced couples sometimes smile (scoff?) at the naivete and foolishness of young love. It is essential that young couples be prepared for the difficulties that come with marriage while still believing that it is a wonderful institution created by God for our good.

Does it have to be difficult? It depends on what you mean by “difficult.” Does it have to be exasperating and frustrating? I suppose not. But does it have to require hard work? Absolutely. This is because we are not naturally inclined to pursue God’s glory with our lives and relationships. We are not naturally inclined to love Him and others. Our sin stands in the way of our having ideal marriages, and unfortunately we deal with our sin (not to mention the sin of our spouses) every day. Too often we struggle with self-centeredness, pride, anger, jealousy, and discontentment. We struggle because our natural bent is merely to care for ourselves and satisfy our own desires.

Many marriages struggle today in particular because couples have failed at putting in the work to make their relationships strong and successful. Couples don’t spend quality time together but instead allow precious time to go wasted. Hundreds of opportunities to have meaningful conversations are averted. Too often the only times families pray together is before meals. Husbands come home from work with a sense of entitlement to rest and relaxation instead of investing in their marriages. TVs, computers, and gaming systems are flipped on and wives are neglected because of the desire to satisfy “me time.” I am particularly calling out husbands because the Bible teaches that the burden of responsibility to lead spiritually in the home rests on them.

Whose interests are most important in the home? Is it the interests of the husband who provides the leadership and direction? Is it the interests of the wife whom the husband serves and loves sacrificially? The answer is neither. Ultimately, both husband and wife need to think about God’s interests for their lives. The husband needs to consider what kind of man God wants him to be, and the wife needs to consider what kind of woman God wants her to be. It is ultimately about having a relationship that is honoring and glorifying to Him. But again, this takes work. It isn’t simply going to happen because both husband and wife are Christian. Spiritual health doesn’t just occur in a vacuum. They need to work at it in faith by being obedient to Scriptures commands and principles in full dependence on the Lord.

Ask yourself these questions to help gauge the spiritual quality of your marriage. Do you and your spouse regularly pray for and with one another? Do you and your spouse regularly talk about spiritual issues and concerns? Do you and your spouse read and study God’s Word together? Do you and your spouse actively love and serve others in the church? These are spiritual investments that will reap tremendous spiritual benefits for your marriage. But more so, working at spiritually strengthening your marriage will bring glory to God.

Besides focusing on spiritual concerns, practical steps can be taken to further strengthen the marriage bond. Do you and your spouse regularly and frequently affirm each other emotionally and physically? Do you make time for one another to have meaningful conversations? Do you have fun together and cultivate your friendship? Do you listen to each other’s requests, desires, and opinions? Do you endeavor to further learn about each other and deepen your relationship?

If you are solely focused on satisfying personal desires, if you believe you rightfully deserve “me time” at the expense of working at marriage, you shouldn’t be surprised that your marriage lacks the strength God intends it to have. Too many couples seek counseling when their relationship is all falling apart knowing that they haven’t done much to build up and sharpen each other (cf. Prov. 27:17). Sadly, most couples have some sense of what they need to do, but they simply don’t do it. This is one vital area where good intentions fall short and talk is cheap. Especially in prayer and dependence upon the Spirit of God, let’s work to build strong marriages for the glory of God.

Single Life Update

“Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.” (Colossians 3:20-22)

by Joseph Ho

The single life kicked off the fall quarter with a bonfire night filled with food, fun, and fellowship! In our regular Wednesday night Bible studies, Pastor Patrick continued in the book of Colossians. In the past four studies, we dived into Colossians 3:20-22, learning about the instruction regarding the relationship between parents and children and the relationship between slaves and masters.

First, regarding the relationship between parents and children, we learned that the Greek word for “children” in Colossians 3:20 can mean both little children and adult children. We are reminded that as adult children, we are called to continue to honor our parents through our acts of love and acts of obedience (1 Timothy 5:8; Exodus 20:12). This is definitely an area of struggle for most of us because as adult children, we desire independence. But God calls us to obey our parents so that we can benefit from the wise counsel that comes from their years of life experience (Proverbs 6:20-23, 23:22). Certainly with exceptions, there may be times where our parents command us to sin, then we are to obey God and not men (Acts 5:29). During the Q&A time, Patrick addressed some specific situations including dating, career choices, and our faith in Christ, where our desire may be in conflict with our parents’ desire. While our parents may not always be right and ready to offer biblical advice, we learned that as believers, we can glorify God in resolving these conflicts by being Christ-like in our words and attitudes (Proverbs 15:1; Colossians 4:6).

Next, regarding the relationship between slaves and masters, how do we apply these instructions in today’s world? While that particular slave/master relationship was only unique to the homes in the first century Roman society, we can certainly apply the principles behind the passage towards our relationship with our employers at work. We learn that in all things lawful, we are to pursue diligence and excellence in our work because ultimately we report to God. For most of us at work, we all have experienced the temptation where we are a little too liberal with our break time or just simply wasting time surfing the internet instead of working. It is certainly a good reminder for us that while our earthly boss may not be watching us, God is watching us all the time. It matters not whether we are a teacher, an engineer, a doctor, a lawyer, or a soldier, we need to develop a healthy fear towards God and a singleness of focus to earn His approval and reward.

Now as we are getting ready to enter the last chapter of Colossians, I just realized that we have been studying Colossians for over two years! I am grateful to Pastor Patrick for slowly unpacking the truths in this book for us. I pray that as singles, we will continue to implant these truths in our hearts so that we may shine as lights in our workplace and in our homes.

Our annual Christmas party is coming up next. I look forward to some friendly fun as we play the white elephant gift exchange!

Live for the Line, Not the Dot

by Hansol An

Pastor John Kim once illustrated the importance of having a big picture view of life and the decisions that we make. On a white board he drew a horizontal line with arrows pointing out at each end. “This is all of time,” he proclaimed as he gestured back and forth along the line. Then, in the middle of the line, he drew a small dot and said, “This is your life.” He went on to explain that God wants us to have an eternal perspective of life since our lives on earth are so short in the grand scheme of eternity. He went on to say that our decision making process should take eternal ramifications into consideration. “Live for the line, not the dot,” he said. That was such a simple but profound principle that stuck with me ever since, changing the way I approached every decision I made.

Colossians 3:1-3 says, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Paul understood that having a heavenly perspective in life is part and parcel with being a Christian. It’s fundamental, not optional. If we fulfill the criteria he set forth in the beginning and ending of those verses (died and raised with Christ), then this applies to us. As Christians this is a command that God fully expects us to carry out.

Unlike other, more tangible imperatives, this requires more from us than just an outward action. This requires a wholesale change in the way we think. We are to “seek the things that are above” or those things that are eternal and not the “things that are on earth” or temporal. When we evaluate anything in life, we need to look at it from God’s point of view. We don’t have the benefit of omniscience, like God, but that’s why He gave us the Bible. Obviously, explicit detail is not given for every situation that we’ll face but the foundational instructions given to us through Scripture provides the principles we need for every situation, event or decision. The Word of God is all we need (Psalm 19:7-9).

When we forget to view things from God’s perspective, we tend to get shortsighted and temporal in our thinking. The world we live in seeks immediate gratification instead of the future fruits of prudence today. This results in limiting our consideration to the immediate benefits and consequences, when in reality there may be ramifications for years to come.

One area where this is exhibited over and over again is dating. Guys will often say that they “like” a girl and that they are going to ask her out. But when probed about why they like that particular girl, the answers usually reveal that thought has only been given to what she is like now. She serves in this ministry and that ministry. She’s kind, fun and smells good. She doesn’t run away when I come into the room. All are good reasons but rarely is there consideration for what all that means in the long run. Her service in ministry might reveal a heart that puts others before herself. Her kindness might exhibit the unselfish love necessary for a godly wife. Her fun attitude might show that she truly is joyful always. Her ability to maintain good hygiene would be desirable for wife and mom. The fact that she can stand your presence might show mercy. These are biblical attributes that are desirable for a godly wife. If dating is for marriage, shouldn’t every potential girlfriend be evaluated on her potential to be a god-honoring wife and mother? This is one example and there is so much more to consider even within this one example but the issue remains whether or not we have a temporal or eternal perspective.

There are many benefits to living for the line and not the dot but perhaps the most important one is that we don’t focus on the immediate rewards and consequences but also consider the long term, even eternal implications. One way to challenge our perspective is to ask and consider, “How does my decision affect the Great Commission?” Because what we believe is determined not by what we say but rather by what we do, everything we do reveals what we truly believe (James 1:22-25). What you do now has implications for years to come – live for the line, not the dot so that God would be glorified through every decision you make.

Editor’s Note: The original “live for the line, not the dot” quote should be attributed to Randy Alcorn (from his book The Treasure Principle).

The Blessings of Youth Ministry

by Josh Liu

In light of the recent Thanksgiving holiday, I’ll take a moment to reflect back on this past year for Lumos: I began serving at the beginning of August; met with the staff on numerous occasions to plan, coordinate, and bond; Lumos hosted a few events for the staff and youth to fellowship; resumed Friday night Bible studies in September; hosted its first Gospel and game nights in October; and launched the first of hopefully many Saturday seminars in November. Simply amazing! God has been gracious in pouring out many blessings! I’ll mention some:

The blessing of a faithful, servant-hearted, like-minded staff. As I shared in my last post, the staff is passionate about ministering to the youth. It has been an incredible blessing to serve along side with them. They humbly serve and patiently follow my leadership; they are very willing to sacrifice much for the youth. All of this stems from their genuine love and passion for God and the youth. I believe their counsel is God-exalting and biblically founded. I trust them very much. They contribute much joy in serving.

The blessing of Bible study. In my limited experience, it appears that many other youth ministries do not focus on preaching the whole counsel of God’s Word in their discipleship programs. It is an enormous blessing to have our youth nights center on God’s Word; and it is an enormous blessing to see the youth enjoy it! Fellowshipping over the study of God’s Word guides us to retain a Christ-centered and gospel-centered youth ministry.

The blessing of special events. Even though we may take breaks from our normal Bible studies, our special events provide other opportunities to present or reflect on the gospel and to deepen relationships. A gospel night, which is a night devoted to reflection on the gospel, directly reminds us of God’s good news. Like Israel in the Old Testament, we are prone to forget God and His righteous deeds. Setting aside time to reflect on Christ’s life, death, and resurrection and man’s sinful condition refocuses our hearts on eternal things, confronts us with challenging introspection concerning salvation, and encourages us to witness to others. Gospel nights provide youthies with the opportunity to actively reach out to their friends and family. Another opportunity for youthies to invite their friends and family to church is our game nights. A game night helps build camaraderie within the youth group and novel, and perhaps unorthodox ways (e.g. Jeopardy), to interact with God’s Word.

The blessing of Saturday seminars. We are privileged with opportunities to host special training and workshops. Cesar started us off with an introduction to the foundations of the Christian worldview – quite important! It is encouraging seeing the youth excited for these workshops and sacrifice a part of their Saturday to be at the church! These Saturday seminars allow us to continue teaching the whole counsel of God’s Word on very specific and relatable topics.

Those are just a few ways we have seen God pour out His blessings to the youth ministry. We continue to depend on God to grow what has been planted, to save souls, and to raise up a generation that will stand as His witnesses. I give thanks to God because He is good, not necessarily because of the good things He has blessed us with. To borrow C.J. Mahaney’s words, we’re doing better than we deserve, for all we deserve is God’s wrath for our sins. Yet because of Christ’s death and resurrection, we can have forgiveness of sins and eternal life with God – the greatest blessing; anything more is grace upon grace.

Fireflies Update: From the Heart of a New Mom

by Mabel Tse

I’ve had the privilege of serving in the Fireflies’ Ministry since 2005.  For the past seven years, the Fireflies’ Ministry has gone through many changes and it’s been so neat watching God shape this ministry.  I initially joined nursery because I love children of all ages and wanted to practice sharing the gospel with infants and toddlers.  It’s been such a humbling experience, to say the least.  At times, I found myself focusing too much on how cute the babies were and how I just wanted to have fun with them, rather than seeing them as lost souls in need of hearing God’s truth.  It’s so easy to get caught up in the external behavior rather than addressing the heart issues.

Since having Abigail, I’m thankful to have another perspective towards nursery… the perspective of a parent dropping their child off into the care of others.  It is difficult letting go and trusting someone else with someone so precious to you.  One of the things I love about nursery is that we have ladies from all walks of life… from collegians to singles, from married ladies without children to married ladies with children.  Recently there have been a lot of ladies who have stepped down from staff but God has provided many more ladies who’ve joined.  I can understand how with so many new faces, it might make it more difficult letting go of your child.  But the thing that reassures me is knowing the commitment that the Fireflies’ staff has to sharing the Gospel to our little ones and focusing on addressing the heart.

I’m thankful that Fireflies provides opportunities for infants and toddlers to learn about God.  It’s also wonderful seeing the ladies on our staff encourage one another and learn from one another.  This ministry is not only an opportunity to teach infants and toddlers but also an informal discipleship ministry between the ladies on staff.  Within our staff, I’ve witnessed many conversations where collegians will ask singles and married ladies questions on how to be a godly woman.  I’ve seen how the older women took on Titus 2:3-5 roles and made the most of opportunities to teach the younger women how to love children.  Likewise, I’ve heard from many singles and married ladies about how encouraged they are after talking with the collegians and experiencing their zeal and passion for God.

God continues to bless the Fireflies’ Ministry with more children…by the end of this year, there will be twenty new babies!! Despite all the new changes, the goal of Fireflies staff remains the same…planting seeds of truth in the hearts of the little ones and ultimately praying that God will bless them with salvation.  Let us continue to pray for the Fireflies’ Ministry to pass on God’s Word to the youngest members of our congregation and pray for the salvation of these souls!

Single Life Bonfire

by Tim Paik

The Single Life Ministry has a special event every month to promote fellowship and encourage the body. Last month, we kicked off our first event of the school year, the Single Life Bonfire. The Bonfire is an annual event, held on the shores of Mission Bay.

Our night started, as many things as Lighthouse do, with food. The menu consisted of Tijuana-style hot dogs and various sides. Tijuana-style hot dogs are hot links wrapped in bacon and covered in grilled peppers and onions. Personally, I love the idea of anything wrapped in bacon, but healthier alternatives were available for the pork-averse. Regardless of our dietary choices, we all talked and ate. Some played with the various sporting equipment that we had brought.

As the sky darkened, our conversations naturally gravitated toward the fire. Eugene led us in a time of singing praises to God, and Pastor Patrick shared a devotional on Genesis 1. Afterward, we hung around the fire, cooking and eating delicious s’mores.

Looking back, I was blessed by the chance to fellowship and spend time with friends, new and old alike. We are a diverse group of people, but it is good to know that our common bond in Christ knits us together. Likewise, sometimes, it is just good to go outside and enjoy God’s creation. I look forward to continuing to meet with the Single Life ministry and sharing our lives together.