Category Archives: Lighthouse News

Defining the Relationship

by Steven Hong

Recent Sunday nights at Lighthouse Bible Church havebeen packed, as a sizeable crowd has been in attendance for the current DTR series. DTR is an acronym for “defining the relationship”, the term du jour for that conversation when a girl and a guy first explore the possibility of moving from friendship to romance, or some variation thereof. This second sermon series on the same subject has come with great anticipation, as Pastor John has been dropping tidbits of it in recent sermons. In a church where the majority of membership is comprised of non-married people, the often confusing and nebulous subject of dating and courtship is a popular conversation topic. However, amidst the discussion, there is unfortunately not a shortage of bad counsel, ranging from unwise to unbiblical. This series is, in part, a response to such advice and confusion floating around.

Entertaining skits and informative interviews have certainly been highlights of these nights, but the main entrees have been our times spent in the Word of God. In the first few sessions, Pastor John’s aim was to lay a strong biblical framework to understand dating. As we entered Reformation Month, he unconventionally, but appropriately, recounted the Five Solas of the Reformation and tied them to dating. After challenging attendees to deconstruct their worldview, which can be subtly but powerfully tainted by secular movies, magazines, and well-meaning but misguided friends, he taught that the Word of God should be the primary source of our principles in approaching romantic relationships. In promoting the sufficiency of Christ (Solus Christus), he so poignantly asked, “The preeminence and centrality of Christ must always be the focus. Is Christ really the most important thing in the relationship?”

In further deconstructing skewed worldviews, Pastor John challenged listeners to reconsider their pursuit of “the magic” that we often find depicted on television or in the movies. The Bible, though not addressing the subject of dating specifically, has much to say about marriage and what a God-honoring marriage is based on and looks like. A successful marriage is not a union based on ephemeralß emotions, but grounded on the firm foundation of God’s truths.

Upcoming sessions promise to be just as provocative, as Pastor John plans to tackle specific subjects such as buliding proper accountability, God-honoring break-ups, sexual purity and working with parents.

In regards to the response thus far, Pastor John has been encouraged. “I think the interviews with the couples as well as the ongoing skits have been wellreceived as they help to provide a different angle in addressing the topic,” he explains. “I hope that people are being challenged and willing to consider how their worldview needs to be adjusted so that they would have the right foundation to build on regarding the issue of not only dating and rlationships, but everything else in life.” It is obvious that the leadership’s ultimate aim, in this and other studies, is to point members to Christ and Christ-centered thinking in every facet of our lives.

If you are interested in supplementing these sessions withadditionalreading, check out theses suggestions from Pastor John:

Suggested Reading

    1. Holding Hands, Holding Hearts by Richard D. Phillips and Sharon L. Phillips.

    2. 5 Paths to the Love of Your Life edited by Alex Chediak

    3. With One Voice by Alex Chediak

    4. Losing That Loving Feeling by Lou Priolo

In the Line of Fire

by Pastor John Kim

It was four years ago almost to the week that we faced the fires that hit San Diego pretty hard. I remember driving through the 15 freeway heading south to the church office (off of Convoy at the time) on my way to teach a baptism class when I drove right through a firewall, which had to be one of the more scary moments of my life as everything turned pitch black and the heat was pretty intense. After what seemed like forever, I saw daylight and drove through and it was an eerie feeling. We had to move our church service that day to someone’s home and looking off into the distance, it was pretty strange to think that fires could do so much to change the course of how we look at life.

This morning I was awakened to find that we had to evacuate our home and after packing some things, we moved over to Scripps Ranch, only to find that we had to evacuate from there as well. Moving to the coast in La Jolla, the day has been pretty much filled with trying to coordinate the church members in finding homes for all the people who have had to evacuate.

Though it is pretty hectic considering all that is going on, I can’t help but thank God for His grace and goodness in how the church family is responding with every effort being made to help provide shelter and care for one another. It really is great, even those who are new to the church are jumping in and offering their homes.

Dropping by the church, I couldn’t help but look at all my books and realize that they would go up pretty fast in a fire. I took a few to prepare for the next coming weeks so that I would at least have a few resources but it was a bit sad looking at everything, realizing that a lifetime of collecting books could go away in a moment. But having studied Ecclesiastes these past few months, it has been sobering to understand that everything in this life is really passing in nature and without God, there would be no point to it. A life filled with plenty would be an empty life without God but a life filled with God though with little would make me a pretty rich man. These are thoughts that are not so easy to consider when one realizes that there is a very good chance you could lose your home and all your possessions, but when you realize that you’re going to leave it all behind one day anyway, it doesn’t seem so important after all.

What is all the more important is seeing that the love of God moves us to care for one another in time of need and I really am so thankful to have a church family that will stand in the line of fire (literally) and apply the kind of family love that we have talked about in Romans 12:10 and has been generous and hospitable and considerate in considering the needs of others.

Who knows what the next few days will bring but one thing for sure, I know that they will bring the grace of God through the love and care of our church family.

All-Church Retreat 2007

The All-Church Retreat promises to be a wonderful time of teaching, fellowship, and growth! Describing the benefit of attending an All-Church Retreat, Pastor John says, “In regards to getting to know one another, one retreat together is better than a year’s worth of Sunday services.” Come out and be encouraged as we open up God’s Word together! Private and shared lodges are available for families with small children.

This year’s All-Church Retreat features Dr. Andy Snider of The Master’s Seminary in Sun Valley, California. Dr. Snider is a professor of Theology and has also taught classes on Hermeneutics and Prayer. He has been teaching full-time since 2002. He specializes in the doctrines of God and salvation. His wife Pamela is an amazing pianist and was featured on the Todd Beamer Foundation CD, “Let’s Roll!”

Elders Retreat

by Pastor Patrick Cho

To all you faithful “Shine the Light” readers (yes, all four of you!), please be in prayer for the church leadership this next week as the elders take some time on a planning retreat to think through some significant issues regarding the church ministry. We all appreciate LBC’s love and commitment to the ministry here in San Diego, and we are especially thankful to those who faithfully and regularly pray for the leadership. I love Lighthouse!

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

by Moon Choi

Though I’m a newer member, my past year and a half with Lighthouse has been nothing short of amazing. When I learned that the church had started seven years ago with only a handful of people at its inaugural service on May 2, 1999, I was blown away by the fact that there were about two hundred and fifty regular attendees, with about a hundred of them being members. LBC’s eighth anniversary is rolling around and now we have just under three hundred people attending Sunday service regularly and about a hundred and eighty members. More are expected within the next year! God has blessed LBC tremendously.

Though I am still relatively new to this church and am just getting into the swing of things, I see the increasing dedication of the leadership and the members. I have never seen a church that cares so much for its members, whether it is the leadership praying individually for the members or the members being devoted to each other in true Romans 12:10 fashion. This is something that I not only observe but something that I have been a recipient of, challenging me to also devote myself to LBC and its members, pointing to our theme this year of building the body.

We have seen a few changes within the past year, with the most prominent one being the transition to two services to accomodate the increasing number of attendees. Lord willing, we will be moving into a new, larger building by September. Affinity groups are also back, taking the place of flocks, and are already well integrated into LBC. Into its eighth year, Lighthouse has made many changes to fit the needs of the members but, as always, has remained steadfast in its devotion to the Word.

Reflections from Shepherds Conference

by Pastor John Kim

While some might see it as just jumping on the bandwagon, I do not take for granted what I have been privileged to receive over the years through the ministry of Grace Community Church. Growing up since 8th grade at Grace, I was privileged to be under the preaching ministry of John MacArthur. Listening to him twice every Sunday, once in the morning service and then again in the evening service, I was given a rich foundation upon which I have been able to build not only my personal spiritual growth, but also the pastoral ministry that God has graciously granted me over the years.

The blessing in recent years has been to take various leaders and members of Lighthouse to the Shepherds’ Conference and show them what it is like to get a veritable wealth of teaching through such faithful preachers as John MacArthur, R. C. Sproul, Al Mohler, Mark Dever, J. Ligon Duncan, John Piper, Eric Alexander, Jerry Vines, C. J. Mahaney, as well as the Grace Church pastoral team and the faculty of The Master’s Seminary. I can’t think of a better conference to attend where not only is the teaching rich, but the fellowship is warm, the singing is incredible, the music is enriching, and the service of the members of Grace Church is exemplary. I know there is no perfect church and having been a pastoral intern at Grace, I was able to see some of the inner workings that showed its frailties and weaknesses. Nevertheless, I would have to say that for a church as big as it is and as long as it has been around, there has been a legacy of faithfulness that has been carried which I know is hard to find.

Why do I share this? Because my hope is that Lighthouse could be such a church where a legacy of faithfulness to a high view of God and the sufficiency of His Word would be carried on for generations. I hope to see my children and my grandchildren be able to grow and be ministered to as well as minister in continuation of a family commitment to serve the Lord. Just as Joshua proclaimed boldly, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” it is my hope that my family will be able to carry on from one generation to the next the greatness of God (Psalm 145:4). I will also hope to be more faithful to share my thoughts and bring encouragement and exhortation to those who would make the time to read such humble offerings in light of the other high level entries that one can find elsewhere.

New Building Preview

by Kevin Au

Though it hasn’t exactly been at the forefront of everyone’s minds, the new building project has been a subject of anticipation for nearly two years. As we are nearing our final days in our current facility, we look forward to the transition to the new building and all the changes it may bring to the life of our church. Naturally, church is not about the facilities, but a change in venue does allow for some changes to how ministry might look.
“There will definitely be more flexibility in terms of when we can meet. Currently we share the school building with the school and other churches. That really limits when we can hold events and activities at the church,” says Peter Lim.
Though the actual square footage remains roughly the same, the new facilities will have a roomier feel, as it is spread over one floor, and the space is more allocated for our purposes. In addition to the main sanctuary and not including the kitchenette, there will be five rooms:three large rooms and two small ones. The most prominent feature, however, will be the larger main sanctuary, which would enable us to merge into one service again. “Given the current rate of growth in our church and the capacity of the new sanctuary, I’d say it would be about 2 ½ – 3 years before we had to think about two services again,” says Peter. The main sanctuary might have the option of converting into two more adult Sunday school rooms, pending the construction of room dividers.
The transition might come sooner than many might think. As all the ministries continue and the pace of things at church has not slowed, the anticipated move in date might sneak up on some. The only real hurdle standing before the move in date is the timing of fire inspections. It may be possible to even see a move in date of mid- February, though early March is a more realistic target. The date depends on whether we can get an over-thecounter certificate.
With the new building transition come many opportunities to serve. Simply being available to help with different aspects of the move would be greatly appreciated. There are also miscellaneous construction projects that aren’t covered by the landlord, including the stage, decorations, furnishings, and room dividers. Another area to consider is ongoing maintenance of the new building, which is easy to overlook since maintenance and custodial costs are currently covered by the school.
There are few other things to keep in mind. With a transition comes a lot of excitement, but we must remember to even see a building as it truly is: nothing more than a place to facilitate ministry. It is something that God has provided that we might be good stewards of it and use it for His kingdom. With that let’s strive to remember this year’s theme: even use of the new facilities should be for Christ alone.

Though it hasn’t exactly been at the forefront of everyone’s minds, the new building project has been a subject of anticipation for nearly two years. As we are nearing our final days in our current facility, we look forward to the transition to the new building and all the changes it may bring to the life of our church. Naturally, church is not about the facilities, but a change in venue does allow for some changes to how ministry might look.

“There will definitely be more flexibility in terms of when we can meet. Currently we share the school building with the school and other churches. That really limits when we can hold events and activities at the church,” says Peter Lim.

Though the actual square footage remains roughly the same, the new facilities will have a roomier feel, as it is spread over one floor, and the space is more allocated for our purposes. In addition to the main sanctuary and not including the kitchenette, there will be five rooms:three large rooms and two small ones. The most prominent feature, however, will be the larger main sanctuary, which would enable us to merge into one service again. “Given the current rate of growth in our church and the capacity of the new sanctuary, I’d say it would be about 2 ½ – 3 years before we had to think about two services again,” says Peter. The main sanctuary might have the option of converting into two more adult Sunday school rooms, pending the construction of room dividers.

The transition might come sooner than many might think. As all the ministries continue and the pace of things at church has not slowed, the anticipated move in date might sneak up on some. The only real hurdle standing before the move in date is the timing of fire inspections. It may be possible to even see a move in date of mid- February, though early March is a more realistic target. The date depends on whether we can get an over-thecounter certificate.

With the new building transition come many opportunities to serve. Simply being available to help with different aspects of the move would be greatly appreciated. There are also miscellaneous construction projects that aren’t covered by the landlord, including the stage, decorations, furnishings, and room dividers. Another area to consider is ongoing maintenance of the new building, which is easy to overlook since maintenance and custodial costs are currently covered by the school.

There are few other things to keep in mind. With a transition comes a lot of excitement, but we must remember to even see a building as it truly is: nothing more than a place to facilitate ministry. It is something that God has provided that we might be good stewards of it and use it for His kingdom. With that let’s strive to remember this year’s theme: even use of the new facilities should be for Christ alone.

Retreat Recap: The Truth that Dares

by Steven Hong

Last month, the singles ministry held its annual Single Life retreat. The theme of the weekend getaway was “Truth that Dares.” Single Lifers drove an hour east to the Pine Valley Retreat site, and there, our very own Pastor John and Pastor Patrick taught from a variety of books, challenging attendees to be gripped by several basic Christian truths. From the very first evening, Pastor John set a compelling tone by asking attendees to answer to simple, but profound questions in their small groups: Are you a Christian? Do you follow Christ?

In subsequent sessions, we explored the subjects of respectable sins — sins that are seemingly more tolerated by Christians; the joy of fearing God — the paradoxical relationship between joy and fear; and the nature of true Christian love according to Jonathan Edwards and his book, Charity and Its Fruits. As mentioned earlier, each message was followed by provocative discussion questions for the small group times. Overall, it was a challenging time in the Word.

The retreat was not without ample opportunity to fellowship and have fun. Kent Hong, Romi Hong and Brenda Hom led the retreat in a rousing rendition of Moofa Poofa — adapted from their game times during their Argentina Missions trip. One of the highlights of the time was hearing the creative cheers of each team, as one team even used cheers they had learned in Argentina. Additionally, Single Lifers took full advantage of the gameroom. Chris Tou and Pastor John were winners of the Ping Pong tournament and foosball tournament, respectively.

Of course, no Lighthouse retreat is complete without a talent showcase. The Single Life Bonanza comprised of great singing, an impromptu skit and good ol’ fashioned break-dancing. It was certainly an entertaining show.

As always, the retreat was a great opportunity to slow down, evaluate the state of our hearts and fellowship with fellow believers. If you are interested in hearing the sermons, please talk to the audio ministry. Liveblogging notes are also available on the Single Life website.

Last month, the singles ministry held its annual Single Life retreat. The theme of the weekend getaway was “Truth that Dares.” Single Lifers drove an hour east to the Pine Valley Retreat site, and there, our very own Pastor John and Pastor Patrick taught from a variety of books, challenging attendees to be gripped by several basic Christian truths. From the very first evening, Pastor John set a compelling tone by asking attendees to answer to simple, but profound questions in their small groups: Are you a Christian? Do you follow Christ?
In subsequent sessions, we explored the subjects of respectable sins — sins that are seemingly more tolerated by Christians; the joy of fearing God — the paradoxical relationship between joy and fear; and the nature of true Christian love according to Jonathan Edwards and his book, Charity and Its Fruits. As mentioned earlier, each message was followed by provocative discussion questions for the small group times. Overall, it was a challenging time in the Word.
The retreat was not without ample opportunity to fellowship and have fun. Kent Hong, Romi Hong and Brenda Hom led the retreat in a rousing rendition of Moofa Poofa — adapted from their game times during their Argentina Missions trip. One of the highlights of the time was hearing the creative cheers of each team, as one team even used cheers they had learned in Argentina. Additionally, Single Lifers took full advantage of the gameroom. Chris Tou and Pastor John were winners of the Ping Pong tournament and foosball tournament, respectively.
Of course, no Lighthouse retreat is complete without a talent showcase. The Single Life Bonanza comprised of great singing, an impromptu skit and good ol’ fashioned break-dancing. It was certainly an entertaining show.
As always, the retreat was a great opportunity to slow down, evaluate the state of our hearts and fellowship with fellow believers. If you are interested in hearing the sermons, please talk to the audio ministry. Liveblogging notes are also available on the Single Life website.

Philippines Scouting Trip

by Jennifer Shin

Our church’s mission statement to make disciples of Christ comes directly from Matthew 28:18-20. As followers of Christ, we are called to not just go but to make disciples of Christ whether we are here in San Diego or in another part of the world. Each summer, we send out mission teams to the Czech Republic and to Argentina to work with churches there in proclaiming the gospel. This past December, we sent two of our own members, J.R. Cuevas and Tim Yu, to the Philippines on a scouting trip for possible future ministry there.

J.R. and Tim visited the city of Alabang, a suburb of Manila, to meet up with a contact, Pastor Marvin Adolfo. In the summer of 2006, J.R. went on a mission trip to the Philippines and visited a seminary during his stay there. He met Pastor Marvin who was a student at the seminary and has kept in contact with him ever since. Since that summer, Pastor Marvin started a church in Alabang. J.R. later brought up the idea to the leaders of possible opportunities in working with that church.

Alabang Baptist Church is fairly young and has only been around for half a year, consisting of about 15-20 single adults. But they still fellowship and worship passionately. Tim and J.R. stated that it was encouraging to see – that not much is needed to worship God. For Alabang Baptist Church, it isn’t about the elaborateness of their worship services. Rather, they are content with what they have and aren’t afraid to sing loudly during praise. Tim also said, “They were really hospitable. You could feel the love there. As the outsider (I’m not Filipino), they took me in and made me really feel at home, like part of the body.” J.R. stated that though the church is young, they desire to serve and worship God in the right way.

Much of their time consisted of spending time with Pastor Marvin and the church, where J.R. taught from the Word, preaching during a Sunday service for the first time (ironically back at home), and Tim shared his testimony of how he came to know Christ. During their time in Alabang, they were able to see the church’s needs and how our own church could work alongside them. Tim and J.R. shared that they were able to see the church’s philosophy in ministry and Pastor Marvin’s heart as well. For J.R., he wasn’t sure of how things would turn out, but through much prayer, he was able to see God’s faithfulness in making everything happen and run smoothly. The church in Alabang has expressed their desire for our church members to return and partner with them in ministry.

Though future ministry in the Philippines is still up in the air, we, as a church body can still bepraying for our brothers and sisters in Alabang – that God would continue to sustain Pastor Marvin in ministry (who is still in seminary and commuting far to be and serve at the church) and for the growth of the church members there.

Our church’s mission statement to make disciples of Christ comes directly from Matthew 28:18-20. As followers of Christ, we are called to not just go but to make disciples of Christ whether we are here in San Diego or in another part of the world. Each summer, we send out mission teams to the Czech Republic and to Argentina to work with churches there in proclaiming the gospel. This past December, we sent two of our own members, J.R. Cuevas and Tim Yu, to the Philippines on a scouting trip for possible future ministry there.
J.R. and Tim visited the city of Alabang, a suburb of Manila, to meet up with a contact, Pastor Marvin Adolfo. In the summer of 2006, J.R. went on a mission trip to the Philippines and visited a seminary during his stay there. He met Pastor Marvin who was a student at the seminary and has kept in contact with him ever since. Since that summer, Pastor Marvin started a church in Alabang. J.R. later brought up the idea to the leaders of possible opportunities in working with that church.
Alabang Baptist Church is fairly young and has only been around for half a year, consisting of about 15-20 single adults. But they still fellowship and worship passionately. Tim and J.R. stated that it was encouraging to see – that not much is needed to worship God. For Alabang Baptist Church, it isn’t about the elaborateness of their worship services. Rather, they are content with what they have and aren’t afraid to sing loudly during praise. Tim also said, “They were really hospitable. You could feel the love there. As the outsider (I’m not Filipino), they took me in and made me really feel at home, like part of the body.” J.R. stated that though the church is young, they desire to serve and worship God in the right way.
Much of their time consisted of spending time with Pastor Marvin and the church, where J.R. taught from the Word, preaching during a Sunday service for the first time (ironically back at home), and Tim shared his testimony of how he came to know Christ. During their time in Alabang, they were able to see the church’s needs and how our own church could work alongside them. Tim and J.R. shared that they were able to see the church’s philosophy in ministry and Pastor Marvin’s heart as well. For J.R., he wasn’t sure of how things would turn out, but through much prayer, he was able to see God’s faithfulness in making everything happen and run smoothly. The church in Alabang has expressed their desire for our church members to return and partner with them in ministry.
Though future ministry in the Philippines is still up in the air, we, as a church body can still bepraying for our brothers and sisters in Alabang – that God would continue to sustain Pastor Marvin in ministry (who is still in seminary and commuting far to be and serve at the church) and for the growth of the church members there.

The Winds of Change

by Pastor Patrick Cho

It is exciting to be a part of the church particularly during times of transition. With the change at LBC from regional flocks to affinity groups, it will be good to see how the members adjust to the changes and participate in the life of the body. This isn’t a first time of major transition for the church. In the past, I may have been wary about how the church would respond to change, but now I can simply look to the pattern that has already been set. One thing that really stands out about this little congregation is their commitment to ministry and each other regardless of the structure and their trust in the leadership’s guidance during the church’s growing years.

There is some room for concern, though, that as the years have progressed the excitement for ministry has diminished. We no longer have that first year church plant feel and sometimes the ministry can feel like a week to week grind. It’s in light of this that I really appreciate Pastor Steve’s New Year’s Eve message about the one resolution to not forget our first love (cf. Rev. 2:4), as well as Pastor John’s exhortations for us to consider our love for Christ in the midst of service. Do you love Jesus? Is He the true reason why you come to church? Why you serve? Why you fellowship?

We must be careful not to allow a spirit of laziness or apathy to pervade the church. There are many Christians who feel as though church is peripheral. It is not as important as family, work, or school. There are many who feel as though commitment to the church is too burdensome, or that ministry should only be done when it is convenient. There are many who would stay up late nights to study for school. There are many who would put in overtime at work. There are many who would drive long hours to visit family. But the same are reluctant to give the same way to Christ’s church.

Remember that ministry is not always easy, though at times it is. Sometimes it really will challenge us to remember why we serve in the first place. If we do these things according to our own strength, we are guaranteed to fail (cf. John 15:5). If we trust in the Lord finding strength in Him, we are promised not to grow weary or faint (cf. Isa. 40:31).

Perhaps this time of transition for LBC is a good time for all the members to examine your hearts. Do you love Jesus? Do you find joy in living for Him and being a part of His body? Where do you find your strength? In whom do you rely? How will you continue to love one another and serve one another, and do this with willing and joyful hearts?