Category Archives: Affinity Groups

Fireflies Nursery Ministry Update

by Brenda Hom

Dictionary.com has two definitions of the word “nursery”.

  1. A room or place set apart for young children.
  2. Any place in which something is bred, nourished, or fostered.

Here at Lighthouse Bible Church, the Fireflies Nursery Ministry seeks to apply our mission, vision, and passion statement by fusing these two definitions of the word “nursery” together. We recognize the nursery ministry as a beginning foundation where we as God’s workers can help build and foster a foundational knowledge of God’s character and Jesus Christ. This is the reason why every Sunday, the Fireflies nursery ministry focuses on teaching a five-minute truth lesson to the toddlers and babies. Each truth lesson focuses on different aspects of God’s character, such as “God is everywhere” and “God knows everything”. Although toddlers and babies cannot understand deep truths, they are able understand these simple truths about God. By teaching them simple truths about God, we seek to pass on the greatness of God to young children who may not be able to verbalize what they are thinking.

Through words, prayers, songs, and stories about God and Jesus Christ, we as nursery workers pray with our lips and hearts that one day these little children will be saved. The nursery ministry here at Lighthouse Bible Church is not just “glorified babysitting”. Our chief function is not only changing diapers but also as prayer warriors and ministers to the babies and toddlers. We take seriously our ministry of planting and building a solid foundation of God and Jesus Christ. I would like to encourage the parents of babies and toddlers to continue to be faithful in nurturing your child at home, and realize the spiritual influence you can have even before your child begins to walk or talk.

“In constructing a building, the labor of digging holes and pouring footings may look unimportant to the untrained eye, but without a sure foundation, the building will not stand the test of time and the stress of adverse conditions.” (Sally Michael, A Sure Foundation Curriculum for Infant Nursery Ministry, 2005)

We as nursery workers and parents are ministering to the souls of these little ones. However, we must remember that ultimately it is God who works in their hearts and souls, and that He is the one who saves. God is the only sure foundation for salvation.

“…therefore thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’” (Isaiah 28:16)

Grace Life Weekender with Dr. Bob Somerville

by Stephen Rodgers

The media from the recent Grace Life Weekender has been posted and is now available for listening and downloading. The speaker was Dr. Bob Somerville, who is both a teacher at TMC and a council member at BCC.

If you know the proper names for the first, second, and 4th sermon, please drop me a line.

 

EV & Your Degree – Walk & Talk (Part 1)

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Colossians 4:5-6)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

I think every time I step onto the campus of UCSD, there is a strong desire in my heart that many would come to know and hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And fortunately, I have had those opportunities come during my time in college. One thing I miss is how much free time people had in sitting down outside and conversing about matters of life and death. Yes, many were opinionated and unafraid to share their views, especially when they heard me reveal myself to be a Christian. Sometimes I was speechless at what people told me they were willing to believe, and yet did not find Christianity a plausible worldview in their eyes.

Post-college, however, if God grants you the gift of a job and allows you to form friendships with those around you, there is opportunity after opportunity that the Lord will give to those who see. With the encouragement of the local church as well as focused prayer to God for Him to open doors, many opportunities may come to speak with our co-workers about the lordship of Christ over all.

This is the kind of prayer Paul writes about in his letter to the Colossians, the church at Colossae while in prison. After instructing them in putting off the old self and putting on the new self, Paul explains practically how this looks in the community of faith and also in the home. There is a way of living and speaking that is consistent with how the Gospel changes a rebellious heart. Paul is quick to remind the Colossians that he is in prison not for committing a crime, but for being faithful to the task that God has called him—proclaiming the mystery of Christ in the Gospel (Colossians 4:3). He asks the Colossians to pray that there would be doors opened for him to bring the good news of redemption to those imprisoned for committing crimes against both God and man.

Under the umbrella of prayer, Paul instructs the Colossians to walk and talk in a certain way that will show Christ is working in them, allowing Him to shine in Colossae as He was in Paul’s life. They are to walk in wisdom, not in foolishness. They are to no longer walk in an earthly manner, which he commanded them earlier to kill: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness (Colossians 3:5). This was how the believers formerly lived and what they are to withhold in their flesh. This is how those outside of the faith are currently living, which you are to distinguish yourselves from.

How you are to live among unbelievers is this: with “compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” (Colossians 3:12). Even though this verse specifically relates to other believers, there is overlap.

You also are to talk with “grace” and “salty seasoning,” which doesn’t mean you look for salty food to consume. According to Paul, your credibility means more than good deeds (which refutes the notion of “preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words” approach). Paul does not qualify this; we are to speak graciously “always,” with speech that is purposeful, loving, truthful, and thoughtful (Ephesians 4:29-31). How you speak in the office (or wherever you work) is to be “salty;” in other words, preserving or delaying corruption in other people. Indirectly, Paul is condemning the kind of speech that is common among unbelievers-which many of us are guilty of-by commanding gracious and salty speech. This is not natural for us to do. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in helping us put off ungracious speech and put on gracious speech. He ends this exhortation with the result of following this command: “that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

Speaking graciously and with a salty flavor is the way a follower of Christ ought to speak to non-Christians. You have been commanded long ago to walk in wisdom. How have you been in both areas? Would you consider your walk to be influenced by the wisdom of God at work? How does your family view your walk? Does your faith actually affect the way you walk? Our life should make Christ look attractive to them. When an opportunity comes up and you are asked to give your view on any given topic, your response should not be a garbled message if your life does not show the power of the Gospel in changing your life.

This is where the two areas come together. Not only must your walk be consistent with your talk, but your talk must be consistent with your walk. One does not supersede the other, but complement each other in a beautiful way. Walking in wisdom does not mean only letting your actions speak. To walk in wisdom makes you reliant on someone else who has spoken: God. If He lived under the philosophy of showing but not speaking, we would not know anything about Christ and salvation. One must not crowd out the other; our talk must match our walk, and our walk must not negate our talk.

How does this relate to you post-collegians? For starters, you have already been through what collegians currently go through. Do you not have wise words to impart to them about how you were able to live Christianly throughout your undergraduate studies? Aren’t some of you currently pursuing grad school, and have some growth in that area right now that would be of benefit to them? Do you know any collegians?

What convinces you that a person cares about you? When you know that someone is listening to you, and isn’t looking for an opportunity to jump in and correct you about what you just said. One way of reciprocating this to others is by showing that you are willing to listen to them, and not assume things constantly about them, or think they don’t know what they’re talking about, so you can demonstrate your superior knowledge in any given area. When you know that Christianity is true, and speak with someone who is not a Christian, the temptation to ignore or listen on a surface level to them is great. Understanding what they are actually saying or asking can make it easier to know how to answer them, when the time comes. If you have gracious speech, seasoned with salt, generally people will be more willing to say more and also to listen to what you have to say, because…you will be speaking graciously and with a salty flavor.

We need to remember that the Christian faith is more than doing good deeds, though it includes that. Our faith has within it good works, which God has created our new nature for (Ephesians 2:10). And yet, at the same time, we are not given leeway to stop short of saying something to someone about why we do anything good. If someone sees us being courteous and kind to others, they will conclude that we are good people. That is the OPPOSITE of what we want them to know. It is because of our wickedness and God’s mercy and grace that we would do ANYTHING good…because it is in honor of the One who saved us. That is what those around us need to know, and they can only know that if someone tells them. So will you?

The Proper Place of Fellowship

by Henry Shieh

The sweetness and love of fellowship is something that I am thankful for the most, whenever I’m with believers. People are constantly encouraged, comforted, loved during times of fellowship. But should fellowship be our top priority? It is biblical, but is it the only thing that sustains our faith? Sometimes I act like fellowship is the necessary and sufficient feature of my faith and if I don’t have it, I’ll be lonely and nothing else will be important. I tend to think that I’m alone, excluded, out of the loop, unloved etc…

God has blessed me with the opportunity to live with believers and non-believers on campus, but none of whom are part of Lighthouse. Many Lighthouse collegians live on another part of campus which is “further”(I use quotes because it’s actually not that far) and I don’t get the opportunity to spend as much time as I would like with them. Sometimes I play the victim, have sinful/judgmental thoughts, have a “woe is me” mentality, and say “my life is so difficult because I’m so far away from others.” I’m constantly complaining to God that I am alone.

There’s a giant problem with that complaint; who am I really putting my trust in? Am I truly with my whole heart putting my trust in God? Or man?

Don’t get me wrong, having fellowship with one another is important, but relying on fellowship is not the same as trusting on God. One could say, “Of course I’m trusting in God, but I need fellowship!”

Oh really?

We’re called to put our faith in God and not man. I’m not saying you cannot trust in man, I am saying that you must trust God with everything you’ve got because He is the greatest source of comfort, and He can bear all of the burdens. God is the rock that we must build our house on. He can withstand everything. If we trust man, we are like the foolish man who builds his house upon the sand. Just one storm and the foundation is a goner.

This sense of loneliness is just the result of pitying one’s self and is not true! Feeling lonely and that no one loves you is just a result of a selfish heart. Why must everyone in the whole world flock to my needs? I hope this encourages those who feel lonely because the fact of the matter is, you aren’t. God is sufficient and He is all that you need. What you need is different from what you want.

Whenever you feel that you’re alone and that there is no love in your life, I challenge you to ask yourself this: who are you putting your trust in? Is it in God who is faithful and unchanging, and who  has/is/always will love you?

Or is it man?

Putting the “You” in “Youth”

by Roger Alcaraz

One of my sayings (not that I have many) is “You can’t spell youth without you.” Literally, it takes y-o-u to spell youth but the play on words is really meant to encourage church members to invest in the young adults of the church in some way. Already I’ve seen great efforts by older men and women who take an interest in these vibrant lives. Whether it is through sleepovers, sharing a meal, or taking an outing together, these are vehicles through which one can impart the gospel and their life.

It may seem strange to think that your average church member can have a great impact on church youth. After all, they have Christian parents, hear several sermons per week, and have leaders caring over them. But let me share with you a story one parent told me. The family was making plans to carpool up to San Jose but the daughter didn’t like the idea and could not be convinced even after several attempts. One of the youth staff caught ear of this and told the daughter it was a good plan, to the daughter’s reply, “Really? Okay!” And just like that, the daughter was in agreement.

Poor mom. She was right all along but needed someone else to tell her daughter the same thing. That’s because counsel from a friend is received differently than counsel from a parent. There has always been a nature in people not to listen to authority. Parents are one of the most authoritative figures in a youth’s life and their counsel can often be ignored. Youth leaders help shepherd the youth, but their words can also fall on deaf ears because we, too, are an authority figure and can be seen coming from a biased perspective. Sometimes the wisdom they willingly receive best comes from someone who has no obligation to them, but simply wants to help them.

This is where the average church member can play a vital role in helping a young person grow in their faith. Each member has an opportunity to come along-side the youth and walk with them as a friend, teaching and being an example of godly character to them. It doesn’t have to be in an organized event. A simple meal or study time could be used to share in each other’s lives (Though, please get parental permission before doing so). Sunday mornings are also a great way to introduce yourself to them. This principle of knowing one another applies not only towards the youth but to the whole church. There should be no part of the church that feels left out or neglected. Thankfully, our youth have been truly blessed by everyone’s effort to reach out to them, so this isn’t a rebuke but an encouragement to keep investing in them and you will see the fruit of your efforts. And if you’re a stranger to them, then remember that the youth need y-o-u.

Sonlight’s Spring 2012 Outings

by Abram Kim

On May 20, 2012, some of the Sonlight boys and girls experienced the first of hopefully many more fellowship outings. The staff’s goal for these outings is to further develop relationships with the children and parents we serve outside the classroom setting. We pray this will be the first of many such outings.

The boys, dads, and male Sonlight staff went to the Padres/Angels game at Petco Park in downtown San Diego. It was a nice San Diego afternoon at the ballpark. Our seats were at the upper decks, right behind home plate. It was shaded until about the 7th inning so it wasn’t too hot. The ballgame was tied 2-2 after the 9th inning, so the game went into extra innings. We tried to stay to the end, but it was getting to be long and with no end in sight, we left after the start of the 12th inning (the game finally ended in the 13th inning, with the Padres winning it). The game was a great informal way to just be in each other’s presence.

Here is some reaction from some of the boys.

Matthew

  • Matthew, are you having fun? Yes.
  • What’s been fun about this outing? Food.
  • Are you glad you came out with Sonlight guys? Yeah.
  • What’s something encouraging to say to your Sonlight staff? Thank you.
  • Thank you for what? For teaching us.
  • Teaching you what? About God.
  • What about God have you learned this year? I learned to be like Jesus.

Caleb

  • Caleb, did you have fun today? Yea.
  • What was the funnest part? (seeing that I was holding a recorder) Dadadada gonawana tadagana woganana. Turn it off, turn it off, turn it turn it off.
  • Alright (hiding recorder), what was the funnest part? Us winning [the Padres].

The girls, moms, and female Sonlight staff held a tea party in the courtyard at church after a time of devotion and crafts in the Sonlight room. Stephanie McAdams led the devotion, speaking of true beauty out of Proverbs 31:30. The girls then got to decorate picture frames to reflect on what they learned. Then all the ladies went out to the courtyard where the tea party would be held, with the works (sandwiches, baked goods, fruit, tea and juice).

Here is some reaction from some of the girls.

Ellie and Megan

  • We like the desserts. We’ve been looking forward to this day.

Dana

  • I like the food.
  • I am looking forward [to this event] because I want to have some fun with everybody.

Mia

  • We learned about what is real beauty. I like what we learned because … I don’t know.

Melody

  • We got to learn about the heart being pretty and beautiful.

Kasey

  • We got to do Bible study together with the girls. And the boys did other things. We had a tea party.

2012 Singles’ Retreat

by Joyce Kang

Discontentment. We have all experienced it to one degree or another. When life doesn’t go according to our plans we often justify our dissatisfaction by blaming our circumstances, other people, or perhaps even God. At our recent retreat, Pastor John Kim preached a series of sermons addressing the root of discontentment and the hope believers have in cultivating true joy in Christ.

The first message challenged me to consider the seriousness of a complaining attitude and how it is rooted in a deeper heart issue. Like cancer a discontented heart is destructive in nature, a sickness that spreads quickly through the whole of your spiritual life, while infecting others and robbing God of His glory. Proverbs 3:5-6 commands us to trust in the Lord with all our heart, lean not on our own understanding and acknowledge Him in all our ways. When we complain, we do the exact opposite and reveal a lack of trust and submission to God’s will for our lives. In our arrogance we claim to know better than Him, and by doing so our actions show that we despise our Creator and reject His leading in our lives.

In the following two sessions Pastor John exhorted us to hope in Christ and have the Gospel as the driving force in cultivating true joy. Jesus Christ has already met our greatest need on the cross. We were dead in our trespasses and sins, but God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, made us alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:1, 4-5). Once deserving of nothing but eternal condemnation, Christ’s saving work on the cross granted us forgiveness of sins and adoption into His family. Ephesians 1:3 also tells us that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing through Christ. He has given us all that we will ever need to be truly content in this lifetime and that truth should humble us daily. While it is impossible for a sinful heart to cultivate contentment on its own, with Christ as the object of our affections we can be freed from the enslavement of discontentment. Paul understood this incredible gift of grace and, as a result, learned the secret to rejoicing in every circumstance (Philippians 4:10). Like the Apostle Paul, true contentment must be nurtured and can only begin with a proper understanding of the Gospel.

The final session focused on discovering the secret of contentment in the midst of our suffering. As we examined Paul’s response to his hardship in 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, I was reminded of my need to trust in the unchanging character of God and rely on the sufficiency of His grace to sustain me in my times of weakness. My trials, as overwhelming as they may seem to me at times, are not arbitrarily given to me by a cold and distant God. Instead each hardship has been carefully orchestrated to expose the hidden sins of my heart, wean me from the false securities of this world, and draw me into sweeter fellowship with Christ.

Overall the messages helped me to realize that in the grand scheme of things, my circumstances are really not about me but are opportunities to bring glory to God and encouragement to others. God has entrusted each of us with unique trials to use for His kingdom purposes, so the next time we are tempted to grumble we ought to remember that there are greater things at stake than our own comfort. In fact every opportunity is a chance for us to make much of Christ and to make His glory known. The providence of God will always lead us to exactly where He desires us to be, and as a believer we have the security of knowing that He will work all things for His glory and our benefit (Romans 8:28). And as we continue to submit ourselves to the loving guidance of our Father, we will learn to walk through life with a joyful, steadfast spirit.

Real Value & The Marketplace of Ideas

by Hansol An

The world wants you to think that you need a lot of things. In fact, that’s the point of advertising – to get you to think you need what you didn’t know previously existed. Advertisers want you to believe you need what they’re selling. In the US alone, companies spent $165 billion last year to get you to buy stuff, most of which you don’t need. But it goes beyond material possessions. Philosophies and ideas are constantly being promoted to you as necessities. The world will tell you that you need much more than some ancient religious book and its antiquated scribblings. And if you insist on taking any of it to heart, you should at least supplement it with modern science or new interpretations or insight from today’s great minds.

But that’s not what God intended or teaches us through His revelation. We find our confidence in the one who was and is and is to come, and in the book He gave us. In the beginning was God. In the beginning was God’s word. It became flesh and dwelt among us. These are profound truths that deserve deep examination beyond the brief discussion in this article. But even those of us who profess to know the depths of these truths can sometimes find it difficult to rely on them alone. We are so easily influenced by the weakness of our flesh and find confidence in the lies of the world that we lose sight of God’s steadfastness.

There are those who say they follow Christ and assume the mantle of teacher in churches, but don’t teach what has been revealed in scripture. Is it easy to stay true to the orthodox doctrine of the Bible? Of course not. God told us as much in 2 Timothy 4:3. We should expect that people will come to promote their own agendas and pander to the emerging trends in society. There are so many popular teachers and ideas out there that people gather for themselves. People will anoint those that tell them what they want to hear.

As Christians, we are called to be different; to find confidence, not in ourselves or the opinions of men, but in the One true God. He gave us everything we need to persevere, including His Spirit. The Holy Spirit brought us to saving faith and continues to save us. He gave us the thoughts and desires of our Lord through the inspired pages of the Bible so that we could be sure about what God wants us to know. He gave us His Word so that we can test every idea, philosophy and human wisdom against it. If some new remarkable idea doesn’t measure up to what scripture says, then we know it’s not that remarkable.

This is where we find our confidence. And ultimately, this is why we have assurance. Because we know that the God we worship is trustworthy, and thus, so is His word. Not only that, He gave us the Holy Spirit to give us the strength we need to endure in this life.

1 John 2:26-27 says, “But the anointing that you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in Him.”

Everything we need, He has already provided.

Lessons from Sparklers Ministry

by Caroline Shin

  • Obey the first time. 
  • Be kind to everyone. 
  • Do your best work. 
  • Have fun!

These are our four rules that the Sparklers and staffers go over every Sunday. We (staffers) remind the preschool children that it’s important that they follow these rules every week. It’s humbling when I have to talk to address a sparkler’s sin if he/she is not obeying for the 7th time or is shoving another child away from them. It reminds me that I am no better. I look at my own life and have to ask myself,

  • How long does it take me to obey one of God’s commands? [Usually a long time] 
  • Am I impartial in the way I love people, or am I showing favoritism and only showing kindness to those that are easy to love? [No. I definitely show favoritism] 
  • Am I doing things with excellence unto the Lord? [So many things are done without a heart that desires to honor God] 
  • Do I enjoy and praise God for the blessings and grace He showers me with? [No. I complain an awful lot]

The staffers and I teach these rules to the Sparklers because we want them to learn that everything that we do is to glorify God. God’s been using these rules to teach me to apply them to myself as well. As a fairly recent full time employee, I am tested everyday to follow through with obeying God the first time, show kindness to everyone, do my best work, and to have fun at work. I’m in the Sparklers ministry not because I need to tell the children about morality or what’s right from wrong. I’m challenged to faithfully teach them the Bible and to be there to lead by example. It’s definitely not an easy thing to do. I fail in my flesh daily, but it allows me to be fully depend on the Lord for strength and to show grace to the Sparklers.

The biggest thing God has taught me while serving in this ministry is to prioritize my relationship with Him. An ongoing struggle of mine is to be Martha-minded (Luke 10:38-42): focusing on the busyness of life and getting caught up with my acts of service. That’s not what pleases God. God says those who sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to His teaching have chosen the good portion. The best way I can prepare and minister to these preschool children is to make sure I am prioritizing my time with the Lord through prayer and the reading of His word.

Having served in the Sparklers ministry just shy of four months, I am privileged to be with this particular age group. God doesn’t need me or my service, but it’s a tremendous blessing to 1) be with a staff of men & women who truly desire to teach God’s word and present the gospel to children, and 2) witness 3-5 year olds’ growth in their understanding of who God is and why He is worthy to be praised.

EV & Your Degree – Introduction

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

When the issue of evangelism comes up at our church, typically it relates to the setting of a university campus, and the participants involved are typically both students: usually a believer and an unbeliever. The interest often arises from either a discouraging incident when that young believer gets flooded with questions by the unbeliever, or when there seems to be a disinterest in the things of God when conversing with that non-Christian. Many stories can be told by Christian collegians about the time they sought to reach out to another student with the Gospel, only to be shut down by simple assertions of superiority, or a sudden high (and often arbitrary) standard of proof. This may come up when students devote specific time on the campus walking around and engaging other students concerning truth and spiritual issues. Other times may include an informal Bible study reading through one of the Gospels, or discussing a book about the fundamental truths of Christianity.

College is filled with opportunities for students of Christ, who for a brief period of time are university students, to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord to those who are perishing. There are stories that can be told where a Christian, who knows their Bible, boldly sets forth the claims of Christ and draw people to see the glory of God in their witness of how He can change a wicked heart.

We have a fairly clear picture of how evangelism looks in the college setting, but what does it look like post-college? Once a Christian student graduates with his or her degree, what happens now? How does one remain faithful after they move out of the university setting, and no longer have as many opportunities as seemed easier to see? Can there still be a fervor for evangelism when one joins the workforce, or is it a new period in life where sharing Christ with others becomes one of deeds more than words?

The singles ministry at our church is not a monolithic group. There are those who have continued to study for a graduate program, or for a specific career. There are also some who have begun work, whether related to their field of study or unrelated; and then, there are those who are in the process of finding work, in transition. Unlike college, not everyone is on the same four-year track, differentiated only by how far they have progressed. The age range is considerably more than four years between oldest and youngest in this group. This is a reminder for me to not be simplistic in how I want to address this issue.

However, how one evangelizes may look slightly different when it comes to the collegian and the post-collegian (or the non-collegian as the case may be). No matter the case, there are some considerations that would be helpful for us as singles to consider in proclaiming Christ. Of course, there is overlap; many principles relating to evangelism transcend the stage in life you are in. However, your affinity group does not determine the importance of evangelism nor should the message be altered to relate to whom you are sharing Christ with.

Hopefully, we can flesh some of these ideas out in the months to come. My goal is to look to the Scriptures to gain a better understanding of what it looks like to be a faithful witness when you have finished college and are still called to be an ambassador of Christ in this postmodern and ‘tolerant’ nation. I pray we all have that mindset in whatever circle we have been providentially placed in by God.