“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!

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.

“If you want to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 7:32)

by Obadiah Lee

As new academic term begins with College Life returning to the daily grind of lectures, books, and late nights studying; career/postgraduates also begin a new term in the ministry of Single Life. Over that past year we studied through the book of Colossians, diving deep into chapter 3 we examined the love and dependence we must have in our perfect Savior. We were challenged to survey our lives before the perfection and holiness of the Scriptures and to practically love and live for Christ as career/postgraduate Christians. As single men and women, we fall into an interesting demographic when it comes to Christians among the Church population. When I have had the opportunity to speak with other brothers and sisters from other churches, the majority of the career adult ministries are female dominated (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing), non-existent or struggle to stay afloat. Lighthouse Bible Church has been extremely blessed with a committed pastor who preaches the Word through thorough exegesis and clear exposition. There is truly a uniqueness to the ministry of Single Life, as single men and women many of us have great opportunities to serve the church with our time unlike any other affinity group. We typically have more flexibility in our resources and time.

1 Corinthians 7:32-35 provides for us a clear and biblical explanation for those of us in the single stage of life. As many of us desire to be married if God wills, Scripture tells us that our interests will be divided between the worries of the world (our spouse) and how to please the Lord. Now let me acknowledge and make clear that being married does not diminish our desire or ability to please the Lord, but we must understand Paul’s desire for us to recognize the gift of being content in singleness (vv.6-7). As single adults we have a gift before us to use our singleness to the glory of God. Marriage is a beautiful thing and Scripture reveals the profound beauty that is the picture of Christ and the Church. As God provides and wills for each of us to be wed, we as singles have a weighty responsibility to steward God’s provision over us for His glory and to serve the church.

As the new term begins there are numerous things to look forward to; ministries, retreats, fellowship, and many other things. As an individual who attends Single Life, we meet on Wednesday nights at church at 6:30 with dinner served, here are three major highlights of the year that I look forward to.

1. Each year there are new faces that come to the Singles Life ministry, some have heard about Lighthouse from friends or siblings, others found us online. Whatever the means in which they find Lighthouse, I look forward to meeting people who come not knowing Christ as their Savior but desiring to know more and those seeking a community that loves God’s and the Word.
2. I eagerly anticipate the Bible teaching that will be preached each week. Pastor Patrick is our gifted pastor who loves God’s Word and desires the transforming power of the Word through the lives of the men and women in Single Life. During the course of the year we also have many events that our “Fun Staff” plans and organizes. Our very own Minister of Music, Eugene Park is the fearless leader of the “Fun Staff”. There are plenty of exciting events coming up so if you’re in the singles demographic, you definitely do not want to miss out.
3. Lastly, I look forward to small groups. As someone who has the privilege to lead small groups, I am often and regularly humbled by those I find accountability. As a single guy, I have a special opportunity to minister and use my time to serve, encourage, and challenge brothers in the capacity God allows me. In small groups I’ll have the year to meet with other men and share my life with them. As the year progresses, I hope that the bond would grow and these would be men that God has taught me much from. I look forward to the accountability, fellowship, and brotherhood that can be found in small groups. (The women also have small groups as well.)

The gift of being a single adult in the life of the church is an immense blessing. As we read in God’s word, we know that singleness frees us from anxieties and allows us to serve and please the Lord with a unique capacity. As singles our interests can remain focused on the work of the Lord, my hope for the Single Life ministry is that we can seek the Lord for wisdom, as marriage is not the only distraction that we may have. Many other things hinder our devotion to God and we need to be seeking the things of Lord so that we can be on guard and examine our hearts regularly. If you’re in the single stage of life and looking for a church or community, Lighthouse Bible Church would welcome and love for you join us!

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Author’s note: This series is going to be a lot shorter than I anticipated, but I hope God can use it for some good. I am moving from the singles to youth, and so this will be my last article for the Singles Ministry (as far as I know).

We first looked at a specific area in our evangelism approach relating our speech with our walk in the faith to encourage younger believers, as well as commend Christ to our unbelieving coworkers. Yet how this looks at the actual workplace is a different monster to tackle. At our church, we have many professions represented, from engineer to teacher to doctor to physical therapist to shuttle driver, and so on. How can we possibly cover the range of situations and experiences that are involved in these professions? How should a Christian view work in general, and how is Christ shown at your respective job?

First, let’s deal with what work is, according to Scripture. As early as the creation of Adam and Eve, work has been mandated as God’s way of subduing the earth pre-Fall (Genesis 1:28), and has only worsened since the Fall (Genesis 3:17-19). Proverbs 6:6-11 gives a beautiful picture of how hard-working an ant is, without needing to be supervised in order to do its part. From creation on, work is a command of God to dominate and exhaust the resources God has placed within it.

Work is also God’s gift to mankind to provide for what are the essentials of life (food, shelter), as well as being the support for the establishing of stable family life and ministry. In 2 Thessalonians 3:10-15, Paul is calling out those who would not put in their part to work, either from mistaking the return of the Lord to be soon (probably not), or those who were taking advantage of wealthier believers. He sees it as an issue of sin to refuse to work and depend on others for the work they have put in. Paul also sees work as an area where worship can be fostered (Romans 12:1), and a way to glorify the Lord (1 Corinthians 10:31).

So if work is mandated by God and is also a gift of God, how then are we take that perspective when evangelizing our lost coworkers? Here are some guidelines*:

1. God is the Boss of all bosses.

As has been covered in our study of Colossians, you may have a boss that you report to and speak with on a regular basis, but God supersedes the authority of your employer. We see this in Colossians 3:23-24: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” We must never forget that God has appointed those in authority over us by His sovereign will, and should not see any problems as things God was not aware of when putting them there. No, God knew what would happen, and has you there to see how faithful you will be as a steward of His gift (1 Corinthians 10:13).

2. Honor and serve your earthly boss.

Peter commands us: “Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust” (1 Peter 2:18). There is no qualification: every boss who has authority over every Christian should be the recipient of the utmost respect. He even goes a step further and teaches that we are to patiently endure unjust conduct from those over us: “For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God” (v.20). God favors those who endure this kind of suffering. The only exception to disobey is when called to disobey God’s Word and authority.

3. Honor Christ as an example.

If you talk with anyone with a job past a few months, you will find that there are probably those who are not known for their hard work ethic. They become infamous for their ability to keep their job and yet not put in the necessary effort to appropriately earn a paycheck. As a follower of Christ, you are not called to laziness; you are called to work, and to do it unto the Lord (see point #1). What you say of Christ will be overshadowed by your example if it is not commending Christ, but condemning Christ in the eyes of your coworkers. This is why Paul writes, “Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled” (1 Timothy 6:1). The influence of your witness directly corresponds with your consistent example, and our mindset must be to gain a hearing with those who don’t believe, that they may put weight in the things we say when we do. Most marvel at the one who works hard, and does not grudgingly condemn those who do not put in as much effort. A skilled man is noticed by those high in authority, calling for us to always be excellent in whatever we do (Proverbs 22:29).

4. Have tact in finding gospel opportunities.

This could be a post, sermon, or book all on its own. Christ, in preparing to send out His disciples to the world to bring the message of Christ, tells them: “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16). How we communicate the gospel at work must be done in an appropriate time and manner (the last post addressed this very issue). How one does this includes asking many questions of your coworkers that draws out information about their lives, as well as their way of thinking about the issues of ultimate reality. Taking an interest in the things they find interest in speaks to them that you are serious in getting to know them. Discerning when to bring the Word of God to bear in your conversations will involve a deeper familiarity with the Word, as well as a deeper seriousness coming from the one you’re speaking with. They may have never had a conversation with a believer who was more willing to listen to them than speak to them, and that always speaks volumes to them.

5. Always be above approach at work.

Not only are we to be shrewd, but we are also to be innocent, or undefiled. We must never share the Gospel in a way where Christ’s name could be dragged through the mud because we didn’t represent Him well. We are ambassadors of Christ (2 Corinthians 5) 24/7, and that includes the workplace. As much as you possibly can, do your work in such a way that Christ can never be blamed for your laziness, but credited for your excellence and skill. As we do all for the glory of God, we will have those opportunities spring up, for God will want our faithfulness to be tested and shine brightly in the darkness, that the glory of Christ will continually lead to the opening of blind eyes (2 Corinthians 4:6).

*I have been greatly helped here by the Grace Evangelism workbook for this post. Other resources I would recommend for further study include:

• “Christians in the Workplace” (one of CHBC’s many Core Seminars)
• Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper (especially chapter 8, “Making Much of Christ from 8 to 5”)
• God at Work by Gene Edward Veith, Jr.
• Ready to Restore by Jay Adams (especially chapter 5, “What About Unbelievers?”)

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?

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.

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.

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Every year, LBC’s Singles Ministry has a special event marked for our Singles group, though specific to each gender. Going back to 2004, this tradition has been one that is of special delight to both the guys and gals of our church. MAN stands for “Men’s Appreciation Night,” which was the first event that began at Lighthouse, followed up the following year with LAN or “Ladies’ Appreciation Night.” Since being part of this church since late 2006, I’ve enjoyed many fruitful times of fellowship with the ladies of our church and seeing their hearts to serve the men. We also have had opportunities to serve the ladies specifically during LAN. This year finds us being blessed by the ladies once again by their hard work and dedication to show forth Christian love to the men in Singles.

Last night, we experienced again the joy it is to know and serve alongside ladies after God’s own heart, showing and exemplifying in their growing character the character of Christ in His love for His people. This year’s theme had a camp feel to it, called “Fishers of Men,” with decorations ranging from ‘logs’ on each table, to a large fish and a real fishing pole for pictures, to real tents across the sanctuary. The night began with food, which the ladies know is one of the best ways to a man’s heart (or so I’ve heard). Interspersed with the ladies, we got to catch up with them and enjoy each other in fellowship and friendship. Following that came an encouragement video, emphasizing the joy of being served by our ‘muscles’ and chivalry towards them, as well as the hilarious emceeing of Vicky Williams and Ally Liu throughout the entire night. There was music sung by our talented sisters, including a rendition of ‘Isn’t He Lovely’ redone with Christian content as well as a beautiful combination of some of our favorite songs.

The night easily demonstrated the love our sisters have for the men, and at least for me, was a great reminder for the guys to never tire of serving our sisters not just for their sake, but out of grateful and thankful hearts for what God did in sending Jesus Christ to serve by dying for our sakes. MAN again gives sisters an opportunity to show their appreciation to the God who saves and changes His boys to be men and grow to serve one another in all humility to show forth the humility that Christ demonstrated perfectly 2000 years ago.

It’s nights like these that always puts things in perspective: our call to be men of character, as well as the example that Christ has always been for us to follow. Self-denial for the sake of others is always our duty that must be done in joy for the one who has done more than we could ever ask or think. MAN, as well as LAN, has always been a tradition done not just for the sake of tradition, but a helpful and loving reminder to “outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10). This night perfectly captured what Paul encouraged the Christians in Rome to do: “[W]elcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God” (Romans 15:7). I pray we never tire of serving one another for the glory of God, and continually thank Him for the honor of serving with sisters that desire to please God with their lives of integrity and faithfulness to serve at the feet of Jesus.

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Every year, our church has had the opportunity of throwing a Christmas party for the Singles Group, and every year has been a great chance of fellowshipping with brothers and sisters before some head out of town to spend time with their families. This is never done for the sake of tradition, but to provide a night of encouragement, as well as good food, good times, and hilarious gift exchange.

This last Christmas party included a time from the Word by Pastor Patrick, where we could always remember why we celebrate together: the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on this earth. The reason we can celebrate anything, especially Christmas, is because the God of the universe acted in real time and real history to provide a way of salvation from sin by sending His eternal Son to take on flesh and dwell among His own creation. God initiated His own plan of saving sinners from being judged by His own holiness in judging His Son for our sins placed on Him.

Being reminded of this truth always helps set the stage for enjoying a night together with brothers and sisters of our church. We started off with food and a time hanging out together. We were asked to come wearing an ugly sweater, and the creativity of some obviously came out that night. There was a prize for the one with the ugliest sweater for both genders. There was also the usual gift exchange with a food theme. Gifts ranged from special teas and snacks to a pizookie-maker to an Italian cookbook (at least, I thought that was a creative gift). The rule was whatever gift you chose (or accidentally touched first), you could have. Whoever follows can either pick another gift from the pile of gifts in the middle of our seating circle or ‘steal’ another person’s gift. The one who would lose that gift has the same option, but during that round, a gift can be stolen one time, and never by another, until finally all the gifts are taken. Of course, hilarious moments come from this great game. My favorite gift happened to be things I would typically be found eating (of course, I will not repeat what they were, and that was the intention of the gift).

This night will always be a time where our church family can get together and be reminded that our union is in Christ and there is always a reason to celebrate in this side of heaven, because our greatest gift came wrapped in a Person, and He can never be stolen by anyone, but is always offered to anyone who will turn from their sins and follow the One who can save them from all their sins. Thank God we can always come with our ugliest sweaters, or our filthy rags, and be clothed in His righteousness alone when we come to Him trusting in His perfect life and work. May our thoughts never strive to give thanks that Jesus Christ is the greatest gift that anyone could ever possibly give to anyone else.

by Jonathan Eng

The 2012 LBC Single Life Car Rally was truly a memorable one…due to an emphasis on being “green” and a de-emphasis on the “car.” This year’s car rally was not so much of a car rally as much as it was a walk/run rally. Despite all of the healthy (and heavy) amounts of exercise everyone got, it was still fun (and more tiring than usual). This year, we had seven groups of singles participate. As usual, we also each had themes for each group for the members to dress up as. We had a sports group, a preppy group, tourists, superheroes, a 80s group, cowboys and cowgirls, and nerds.

We started off at church and we each got snack bags filled with goodies and our first clue that came in the form of part of a puzzle that we had to put together as a group utilizing teamwork, we found that we were to go to the trolley station in Old Town. From there, we were to go to the Santa Fe Depot via the trolley. Once we got off, we spent the day in the downtown area. Our journey took us from the USS Midway to a lunch break, a flash mobbing session, and a search for a lobster at Seaport Village. From there, we ran to the Chinese History Museum as well as the kids’ museum. After that, we ran to the convention center and literally had to run up flights of stairs. From there, we went to Petco Park for some pretend action with baseball poses. The plan after that was to take the trolley from Petco Park back to Old Town and drive back home to church.

Overall, the experience was a four and a half hour wild event where by the time we all finished, we were exhausted. It was a great time of fellowship getting to know those within our group and hearing the testimonies of how we came to know Christ. Encouraging one another through sharing our favorite bible passages as well as engaging each other through our common love of Disney movies and other forms of entertainment that we have a common bond over provided plenty of laughs and memories. While we await the results of the car rally to see which group one, we are ecstatic and looking forward to next year’s car rally.