by Pastor Patrick Cho

The practice of church discipline in its specifics will probably differ some from church to church. The leadership of each church needs to determine the exact process by which a member who falls into unrepentant sin is removed from fellowship in accordance with biblical guidelines. Many object to the practice of church discipline because they see it as unloving or cruel, but the Bible offers the exact opposite description. Church discipline is a necessary practice if a church truly loves and cares for its members, and seeks to uphold the name of Christ and the purity of the church.

Jesus gives some basic instructions in Matthew 18:15-17. Before looking at the passage, it is worth noting that this is the second mention of the church in the book of Matthew. The first was in Matthew 16:18, where Jesus tells Peter that He would build His church. There He announces the coming birth of the church, and the very next mention of the church in chapter 18 has to do with the greatest threat to the church, which is sin. Jesus knew the danger of people falling into unrepentant sin. He not only proclaimed the establishment of the church, but also provided instructions for the protection of the church.

Going back to the text of Matthew 18, the first step in dealing with an erring brother is private, personal confrontation (v. 15). Jesus says that if you see your brother in sin, you go and confront him alone. The text is emphatic that you are not to bring in anyone else. If you have seen the fault, you go and make it known – between you and him alone. You do not go and talk to the pastor. You don’t consult your friends. You talk to them alone. One reason for this private confrontation is that there might have been a misunderstanding. It would be unwise to involve other people and bring undue shame upon an individual if the accusations were false. If the brother has committed some sin, you are to go and plead with him to repent and turn back to Christ.

The second step in dealing with the brother in sin is to take one or two witnesses with you (v. 16). If you have done all you can to correct an erring brother and he still refuses to repent, it is necessary to bring in others to assist you. These others help not only by serving as witnesses “that every charge may be established,” but also to aid in the pleading for repentance. This is why the next verse indicates, “if he refuses to listen to them.” The small group appeals to the sinning brother to see his wickedness before God and repent. The witnesses also serve to confirm the accusations to prove that it isn’t just a misunderstanding or a false accusation.

The third step is to take it to the church (v. 17). This comes after the previous attempts to win this brother over. If you feel like your personal confrontation is not getting anywhere, you bring in one or two witnesses to help in the appeal. If they do all they can but still have the brother refuses to repent, you then take the matter to the final authority, which is the church. The church then becomes the last line of defense for the individual, and seeks to call the brother to repentance. In all three stages, this is obviously a loving appeal, but one can see how the pressure increases with each stage as more and more are brought into the situation.

It is essential to see that the goal of this process is restoration and reconciliation. The goal is not to kick the brother out of fellowship, but to win him back and help him turn from his sin. The motivation behind it all is love! If you really care about a brother who has fallen into sin, you wouldn’t want him to continue in that sin. His sin does damage to his relationship with God and others, and you want those relationships to be good. You wouldn’t want his life to be offensive to God, but pleasing. This is why you go through this process. It isn’t just to show someone how lame they are or to get back at them for hurting you. The motivation is love.

Next time, we’ll take a look at what happens if they persist in their sin, how this process was exemplified in the early church, and how specifically we apply this at LBC.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

I can understand why so many people would object to and cringe at the idea of church discipline. At first glance, it seems so mean, and besides, isn’t “excommunication” a Catholic thing? Churches in antiquity might have disciplined its members, but we would prefer to love people today. It is this last point that stumbles most people when they hear that we practice church discipline at Lighthouse: “How can LBC be a loving church if it disciplines its members?”

In this article and the next, I want to discuss both the reasons for church discipline and the practice of it. While it is easy to formulate a personal opinion on church discipline, as with any other issue, the believer must be careful to consider what the Bible has to say before coming to firm conclusions. It is important to consider whether or not church discipline is something the church should be practicing, and how to practice it if it is indeed biblical.

The Bible offers at least five reasons why church discipline is something a church should not only practice, but also embrace! They can be summed up with the words: 1) Obedience, 2) Worship, 3) Holiness, 4) Testimony, and 5) Love.

1. OBEDIENCE – The most obvious reason why church discipline should be practiced is because it is commanded in Scripture. Not only did Jesus instruct His followers about how to deal with a brother that falls into sin (Matt. 18:15-17), but the Apostles also followed this instruction and removed members from fellowship (1 Cor. 5:1-2; 2 Thess. 3:6-15; Eph. 5:7). As with any other biblical mandate, we bring glory to God in our adherence to the truth.
2. WORSHIP – The Bible tells us that the church is the bride of Christ (Eph. 5:24-33). As such, the church should not be stained with sin. Church discipline is worship because it upholds the holiness of Christ and vindicates His righteousness. Paul teaches that as members of the church we are also members of Christ, and as such, we should not join Christ with sin (1 Cor. 6:15-17). Christians are to be holy as the Lord is holy (1 Pet. 1:15-16). Treating Christ as holy by walking in holiness ourselves is worship unto the Lord.
3. PROTECTION – Church discipline also maintains the purity of the church and protects it from sin. If the church allowed sin to continue amongst its members without consequence, it would only encourage more and more sin. Paul speaks of the “leaven” of sin in 1 Corinthians 5. Leaven in Scripture is an analogy for influence. Just as a little leaven leavens the entire lump of dough, so a little sin left alone can eventually permeate the entire church. The practice of church discipline keeps members from falling into sin because the dismissed member serves as an example to the body (1 Tim. 5:20). Besides all this, but the Bible indicates that if a church tolerates sin, Christ will stand against it just as He did with Pergamum and Thyatira (Rev. 2:12-29). Certainly a church would not want to be opposed to Christ and so should deal with sinful members to protect against His judgment.
4. TESTIMONY – Another reason for church discipline is that the world is watching. It is sad when we hear of high profile Christian leaders falling into sexual sin and disqualifying themselves from ministry. Such sin makes the gospel seem powerless. If the people in the church act just like those in the world, how would the world view the faith? Paul rebuked the Corinthians for tolerating a sin that was not even tolerated by unbelievers (1 Cor. 5:1)! By living in holiness, and treating sin seriously, believers serve as a powerful testimony for the gospel (1 Pet. 2:12).
5. LOVE – It is interesting that in most passages dealing with church discipline, the goal is to serve the one being disciplined. Even in one of the sterner passages, Paul says he practiced church discipline so that Hymenaeus and Alexander would “learn not to blaspheme” (1 Tim. 1:19-20). In 1 Corinthians 5, with the incestuous man at Corinth, Paul says that by removing him from fellowship it might result in the salvation of his spirit (1 Cor. 5:5). This is really the goal of Matthew 18:15-17 as well. The hope is that by confronting someone who has fallen into sin, they would listen and be restored (cf. Gal. 6:1). All this supports the truth that church discipline is really a loving practice. For the person who falls into deliberate, continual, unrepentant sin, it is the most loving thing you could do. It is completely unloving to treat someone who is in sin as though nothing is wrong. It is unloving to allow them to continue in sin and to let their lives be an offense to God. By confronting their sin and helping them come to repentance, you serve them and show them faithful love.

What growing Christian would not want to be associated with the words Obedience, Worship, Protection, Testimony, and Love? Biblically, this is what church discipline is all about. It comes down to doing ministry God’s way and trusting that He knows better than we do. Essentially, when we say we disagree with the practice of church discipline, we are saying that we think we know better than Christ. Christ is the one who is committed to building His church (Matt. 16:18). We should trust that in the instructions He gave, He left us with the best way possible to accomplish this.

Many people say that they commit to Lighthouse because they want to be held accountable in their Christian walk. I’m so happy to hear this because all believers should desire this accountability provided by the church. Stated plainly, a church that does not practice discipline falls short in its provision of accountability for its members. This is why I tell young Christians that when choosing a church, one of the things they should look for is to see if it practices church discipline. This is one of the true signs that a church loves its members and seeks the healthy growth of the body.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Over the years, we have been able to address some fairly controversial issues at Lighthouse. There is no way of avoiding this if we are committed to preaching verse by verse through the Bible. It’s not like we could just skip the passages that are more difficult or might offend someone. We’ve dealt with the cessation of miraculous sign gifts, biblical masculinity and femininity, believer’s baptism, lordship salvation, and many of issues that have been debated in Christian circles. What is baffling to me is that the topic that stirred the most response and opposition is the importance of church membership.

A few years ago, Pastor John addressed the topic of church membership from the pulpit and many people found it to be offensive. Some wrongfully accused John of telling people to quit their jobs and drop out of school in order to be more committed to the church. Others just dismissed the teaching as unbiblical and unnecessary. It was just confusing because we had previously addressed what I thought were much more “controversial” issues with very little response. Why would a call to church membership cause such a commotion?

I think one reason why people are so opposed to church membership is that they simply haven’t been taught properly about it. They might think it’s a cultish sort of commitment with secret ceremonies complete with dark robes and candles. Or maybe they grew up in church and knew that membership was something their parents got involved with because their family had numbered offering envelopes. Without an understanding of the biblical reasons for membership, I can imagine how some of these negative ideas might have been conjured up.

Another reason why people might be opposed to church membership is that they have had some negative church experience in the past. Perhaps they grew up in a church that eventually experienced an ugly conflict and split. Maybe they were part of a church that didn’t practice biblical love, but instead was backbiting and gossipy. It is true that some people have been significantly hurt by their previous churches, and that is not something I would quickly dismiss.

For most people, though, I feel as though it comes down to a fear of commitment and accountability. They don’t want to become members because they like the freedom to be able to up and leave whenever they feel it would be best. Perhaps they are ignorant of just how self-serving this attitude really is. Church is not about how they might be a blessing to others, but it is simply about what suits them and what is most comfortable to them. Especially when the leaders of the church might one day address some sin issue in their life, rather than go through the difficulties of that, they would rather hang on to their ability to find a new church that wouldn’t be as invasive.

As good or bad as these reasons might be, they still do not address the major concern that God desires His people to be committed to the church. In our membership packet, we list ten reasons why church membership is biblical and should be pursued (and desired!). Certainly, you will not find a specific Bible verse commanding church membership. There is no verse that reads, “Thou shalt become a church member.” Still, the general principles laid throughout the New Testament make a strong case for church membership. Of course, aside from the responsibility of each member to be committed to a local church, there should also be a strong desire to live a life that is in conformity with God’s will that is motivated by a genuine love for Him. Here are those reasons for considering church membership:

1. One of the responsibilities of the local church is to hold its members accountable in their spiritual walks. If someone is serious about personal holiness then they will become a member at a church (Matt. 18:15-20).
2. Most, if not all, of the commands in the New Testament are found in the context of the local church and are to find their application primarily in the local church (e.g. the “one another” commands).
3. The New Testament indicates that when individuals are saved, they are baptized into the church (Acts 2:41; Rom. 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 12:12-13).
4. Scripture calls believers to submit to the authority of the leaders of the church (Heb. 13:17). This can realistically only be practiced in the context of a commitment to the local church especially since there are no longer any leaders of the universal church.
5. The instructions about spiritual giftedness imply church membership. In order for the body to function properly, each member must fulfill its part (1 Cor. 12; Eph. 4). God has gifted each member for loving service in His church (1 Cor. 12-14).
6. Commitment to the church is an obedience issue and obedience brings glory to God (Heb. 10:23-25).
7. The early church practiced a form of membership in that they kept a record of those who were part of their local assemblies (Acts 2; Rom. 16:1).
8. Christ Himself keeps a list of true believers (Rev. 20:12-15).
9. Paul uses specific metaphors to describe the church, such as a body or a building (cf. 1 Cor. 3:9; Eph. 2:21; and 1 Cor. 12:12-27). The metaphors used to describe the church only make sense in the context of church membership.
10. Christ was committed to building His church (Matt. 16:18). Church membership shows true commitment to that which Christ was committed.

Though we would not teach that failure to become a member is necessarily a sin, we recognize that the reasons that people give against membership are oftentimes sinful and self-centered. Many people do not want to commit to the local church because they do not want to be held accountable in their walk of faith. Again, for these people, church is all about them. As soon as things got uncomfortable, they would leave and find someplace else to worship. They would make excuses like, “It’s just time to move on,” or “We just didn’t think this was a good fit,” or “We’re looking for something that would suit us better.” When there is no commitment to the church, poor excuses for leaving a church family are expected.

This is particularly sad because people would gladly and proudly show their allegiance to other less important things like local sports teams and favorite pastimes. It is unfortunate that many Christians would be willing to sign up for membership to a gym or video store but not to church. Some of these other forms of membership even charge membership fees and enforce strict contracts! Even if someone is afraid of church membership because of some bad past experience, if a church strives to operate under biblical principles and for God’s glory, there is no reason why a believer should not commit to it.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Throughout life, you’re going to be making lots of significant decisions. A couple years ago, Christine and I decided to buy a car. We needed to carefully evaluate not only our ability to afford the car, but also the cost of maintaining it, the cost of insurance, the condition of the car, etc. A lot of thought went into making that purchase because we didn’t want to end up with a lemon or with a car we couldn’t afford. As important as that decision was for us, it pales in comparison to the decision we all have to make in what church we want to attend. Unfortunately for many, though, much less thought and consideration is put into that decision.

It’s the beginning of another school year, and as expected, we have had an influx of collegians and new visitors. ‘Tis the season for “church hopping” and “church shopping” when people who are new to the area decide where they will commit themselves. Since this is the case, I thought it would be helpful to offer some general principles to help make this very important decision.

I suppose it would be good to start with how NOT to choose your church. I’m only listing these because they are actual reasons that actual people I know have made in the past. Some of them sound obvious, but as I said, these are reasons people have told me.

1. Food. Please do not choose to attend a church simply because they serve good food. This is a sad reason for committing to a church, but I suppose a popular enough one that a local magazine critiques the food that churches serve.
2. Girls. Of course this one works the other way around, too, but I haven’t heard it from gals. But I have heard of guys who have committed to a church because there were pretty girls there. Don’t let this be the reason you choose a church. I suppose it goes without saying that this could be a heart desire that you never admit, but dude, God is not fooled.
3. Welcoming. A lot of churches go out of their way to welcome new collegians and visitors. They will plan all sorts of different events to woo the masses. There is nothing wrong with doing this, but it should not be the sole reason why a person commits to a church.
4. Entertainment. Many choose to commit to a church because the pastor is entertaining or the music is really good. The church’s job is not to entertain you. Its job is to help you know the Lord Jesus Christ and grow in Him.
5. Friends. Some people will only commit to a church because their friends go there. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having friends at church. In fact, I’ve never understood the reason some have given me that they would not attend a particular church because all their friends are there. Still, just because your friends are there doesn’t mean they carefully considered why they are attending that church.
6. Convenience. Church is not about you. Often, however, the attitude expressed in picking a church is, “What’s in it for me?” or “Will it make things easier for me?” Finding the closest church should not be your greatest priority. Finding the one with the best service time also should not weigh much into the decision. I remember back in the early days of Lighthouse and we were meeting in the afternoons on Sunday. Many students came because of the late start time so they could sleep in. Honestly, this was and is a lousy excuse for choosing a church. It’s not about the church that has the best children’s program, or the church that doesn’t require you to do too much. You need to attend a church that will challenge you and help you understand that ministry is often inconvenient and requires a bit of self-sacrifice.

I’m sure there are plenty of other bad reasons for choosing a church, but let’s focus a bit on the good reasons. The following ARE some things that you should consider carefully before committing to a particular church.

1. Biblical, Expository Preaching. The preaching of God’s Word is the central part of the worship service. As a result of listening to a sermon, you should walk away understanding a passage more than before you listened to it. The pastor should help bring out the meaning of the text instead of going on and on about his own opinions and anecdotes. Not only that, but you should be challenged to change – to repent of sins, to think more biblically, to walk more excellently, etc.
2. Sound Theology. Sometimes people will tell me they are deciding between Lighthouse and some other church in the area. This is fine except that many times that other church adheres to a completely different theological system. It’s like choosing between apples and oranges. A church should be committed to sound biblical theology. Find out where they stand on important biblical issues like creation, the gospel, baptism, etc. If you don’t necessarily know what theology you adhere to, you should study the Bible more, but in the meantime, you can lean more on the quality of the preaching to decide.
3. Opportunities for Fellowship and Service. A church is a family, and good families get together and serve each other in order to stay healthy (Heb. 10:23-25). There should be ample opportunities to minister to others in a church because the church is the primary place where the “one another” commands of Scripture should be exercised.
4. Commitment to the Gospel. God sent His Son Jesus to pay the penalty for sin by dying on the cross and rising again on the third day. This is the hope of all sinners and is what defines Christians and sets them apart from the world. A church should be committed to teaching the whole gospel. This shows itself in application as a church remains gospel-centered in ministry, evangelism, and missions. Every church should have as its goal to glorify God and to make disciples to the ends of the earth (1 Cor. 10:31; Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8).
5. Church Membership and Discipline. Most people tell me that they want to commit to Lighthouse because of the accountability they receive here. Biblically, the accountability a church provides comes mostly through the practice of church membership and discipline (Matt. 15:18-20). By having membership and discipline in place, a church can clearly define who is in and who is out, who they are committed to and who is committed to them.
6. Biblical Leadership. The Bible calls the church to be led by godly men and women (1 Tim. 3:1-13). The emphasis is on spiritual character and not on giftedness or ability. A church should have leaders who are exemplary in life. It is as if you could drop yourself next to them at any point of the day, and in whatever they are doing, they are an example worth following. Since the Bible calls believers to submit to their church leaders, you should consider carefully who is leading the church (Heb. 13:17).

Yes, the reasons given probably deserve several books written about each of them, but this was only meant to provide a short overview. When it comes to choosing the church to attend, we need to consider biblical criteria and prayerfully think through the decision. Keep in mind that even the best churches may have an off week, so try not to come to a decision based on only one visit. Also, some helpful books you might want to read are: Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, by Mark Dever; and The Master’s Plan for the Church, by John MacArthur.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

In order to keep up with the alliteration, I decided to title this post “Discipleship Is Led.” In a previous entry I wrote how all of our interactions are opportunities for us to invest in others; that discipleship is life. We are constantly placed in situations where we might be called upon to give advice or help someone in a difficult spot. When these opportunities arise, a choice has to be made: Will we give counsel that merely sounds good to us, or will we really seek to give counsel that is in accordance with the will of God? This is what I mean by “Discipleship Is Led.” Our discipleship needs to be governed by the truth of God.

One thing to realize is how easy it is to deviate from this. Maybe someone comes to you for advice and so you tell them the first thing that comes to mind. There might not be any wrong intention. You are genuinely trying to help. And besides, what you tell them makes sense. The problem with this is that without giving consideration to what God’s Word says about the situation, you may actually be directing that person in a different direction than God wants. In your sincere attempt to help, you may be very unhelpful.

We need to be led in our relationships and conversations with one another. The Bible teaches us how we ought to communicate. It teaches us how we should encourage (cf. Heb. 3:13), what the content of our conversations should be (cf. Eph. 4:29), and what things we ought to avoid saying (cf. Col. 3:8-9). The word gives us wisdom also about the power of speech and what can be accomplished by it (cf. Prov. 15:1). Because of this instruction we need to be discerning about how we counsel others. Our words can both build up (cf. 1 Thess. 5:11) and destroy (cf. James 3:6).

It is not always helpful to share the first thing that comes to mind or what simply seems right to us. Our hearts are deceptive and wicked (cf. Jer. 17:9; Gen. 6:5), but God’s truth is what will produce holiness (cf. John 17:17). We need to make sure that what we share is consistent with what God wants a person to hear.

Unfortunately, this means that sometimes we will need to share things with others that they do not want to hear. We may need to even lovingly wound their heart in order to help expose their sin (cf. Prov. 27:6). Giving biblical counsel sometimes means communicating something that will be difficult to hear or guiding someone down a path that will be more difficult to follow. This too is a commitment of love. It is saying, “I love you enough to risk how you feel about me in order to get you to think, speak, and live to God’s glory.” Certainly, this also requires us to be judicious to say the right things in the right manner.

Every Christian disciples others. It is just a matter of how well we go about doing that. We can either really encourage and build up others with our speech and counsel, or we can mislead and even destroy. Our discipleship needs to be led by the Spirit of God working through His Word. In this sense, we can be the instruments God uses to accomplish His purposes in those around us.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Last time I wrote about how I was reminded of the important principle that discipleship is life on life. It is not reduced to a program in the church, but instead, every time you interact with someone else it becomes an opportunity to help them in the faith. Even in your casual conversations, you can encourage, teach, help, or counsel others. It is just a matter of whether you choose to take advantage of those opportunities or not.

Since then I have had a few conversations with different people about how difficult it is to make the commitment to someone else to walk through trials with them. This reminded me of another principle regarding discipleship that is just as important to remember: discipleship is love. Paul writes in Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” The idea behind the word “burden” is weight. When someone else has a great load to carry, it makes it much easier when another comes to help bear it. This is part of how we fulfill Christ’s command to love one another. But this is hard, and it requires a commitment of love. It is telling your brother or sister, “It doesn’t matter how deep of a pit you are in. We will climb out together no matter how long it takes.”

This principle is also expressed in 1 Thessalonians 5:14 where Paul writes, “And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.” The idea behind the word “help” is literally to tie yourself to another. It is like when a tree is too frail to straighten on its own and so you tie it to a stake for support. To help a brother or sister is to tie yourself to them until they have the strength to stand.

Sometimes growth is slow and so it requires time. Often other’s trials require patient and wise counseling from the Word. It is rarely easy. People are too often slow learners and growth can be painfully slow. This is why it is tremendously loving to say, “I will walk with you. We’ll do this together.” Discipleship is love.

Now here’s the thing for the believer: love is not an option. Christ does not leave it to us to decide whether we will love others or not. It is commanded of all believers that we commit to one another in love, just as Christ has loved us. If you are in Christ, you should be seeking out opportunities to love in this way. This is that agape love that serves others (cf. 1 Cor. 13:4-7) and is more than just a feeling or a thought (cf. 1 John 3:18). If we at LBC are going to pursue being a loving church, we need to make these kinds of commitments to one another in love.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

I recently attended the Men Discipling Men Conference at The Master’s College and it was a tremendous blessing. The speakers delivered really good messages, the seminars were challenging and helpful for ministry, and the fellowship with the Lighthouse guys who went was refreshing. But one of the most memorable moments of the weekend actually wasn’t at the conference but at our host home.

We had a chance to stay with one of the elders from Immanuel Bible Church and his family. This wasn’t anything new since they are gracious to host our guys for the MDM Conference and Shepherds’ Conferences every year. Most years, they have even tried to invite all the guys from LBC over for a late night meal! They truly are a wonderfully hospitable family. As good as the chili spaghetti was this year, my highlight was when Andrew (that elder from IBC) invited all of us to share about how we had been learning and growing recently.

Up until this point in the evening, we were all enjoying random conversations with each other. Some of them were very profitable and spiritual; others were less. We were all just sitting around enjoying really good food, but Andrew took the initiative to bring us together and have a time of mutual encouragement and edification.

This reminded me of a helpful principle that is often neglected in the church: Discipleship is life. Discipleship is not just when one person decides to meet up with another person on a weekly basis to share prayer requests and have a time of accountability. We should not limit discipleship to a program. Discipleship can and should happen whenever two believers come together, because discipleship is life on life ministry.

Marriage is discipleship. Parenting is discipleship. Friendship is discipleship. Even sitting around a living room with a group of conference attendees eating chili spaghetti can be discipleship. It all comes down to whether we choose to make the most of the opportunity or not. Unfortunately, most of the time, we allow the opportunities to pass us by. Instead of making use of a chance to encourage someone, pray for them, teach them, or witness to them, we choose instead to talk about things that are not profitable or spiritual.

In this sense, you don’t need to go about looking to form a “discipleship relationship.” If you have relationships with fellow believers, you can be a blessing to them just as they can be to you. Say an encouraging word, share what you have been reading in Scripture, ask for or offer prayer support, or just bring everyone together to share how they have been growing or what they have been learning. Discipleship is life and we should never forget this.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

The leaders at Lighthouse have always seen the importance of having a college ministry so that the collegians could be involved in the life of the church and maintain their identity as college students. One of the goals of College Life has been to establish an on-campus presence so that the gospel could be more effectively preached to other students and faculty. In the past twelve years at LBC, the collegians have always added refreshing excitement and youthful zeal to the life of the church. It has been a great joy seeing collegians that love the Lord and want to grow in their knowledge of Him. Many of these collegians maximized their efforts to make use of every opportunity to be equipped and trained in the faith. This is why it has been such a great privilege and joy shepherding the college ministry all these years.

One of the transitions at Lighthouse with the upcoming church plant is that I will be stepping out of college ministry. It was a great privilege being able to serve as the college pastor for the past ten years. Some of my best memories have come from the context of College Life. Back in 2005, we had a car rally event with a Harry Potter theme. I’ll never forget having the collegians drive all around town looking for the “Golden Snitch” (a.k.a. Beverly Chan, nee Kang) while “bludgers” (a.k.a. College Life staff) hunted them down to steal away their points. A year later, we had another car rally, but this time with the theme of Pirates of the Caribbean, where the collegians needed to unearth a buried treasure somewhere in San Diego by deciphering cryptic clues. Some complained that it was too difficult and even tried to head home early in defeat, but the winning team naturally boasted that the difficulty level was just right.

The retreats for College Life have also been a huge highlight. In 2004, we actually took the entire college group up to Fresno. Virl Tait, who was a good friend from seminary, graciously agreed to come along with us to be our retreat speaker. He covered the theme of “What’s Your Direction?” and discussed the importance of living a life of purpose. During this trip, we tried to visit Yosemite, but came to find that the roads were closed due to the snow. Still it was a great trip and a wonderful time having the staff and collegians all in Fresno. Throughout the years, we have been fortunate to have some really great speakers for our retreats. In 2005, we had Pastor Nam Park from Immanuel Bible Church. In 2008, Pastor Peter Kim from Berean Community Church was our speaker. And 2009 was memorable because Pastor Chris Mueller came and addressed the topic of dating.

In all the years of College Life, I was only able to teach through two books of the Bible (and didn’t complete either of them!). I started off teaching through 1 Corinthians with the collegians, and this was a hugely helpful study. But this eventually became a Sunday morning series because I felt as though the church in general could benefit from the lessons within. This led me to start a series in the book of Mark. Studying the life of Christ is always going to be a great blessing, and certainly it was wonderful opening Mark with the collegians. But unfortunately, since I’ll be stepping out of College Life, we won’t be able to finish. This is going to become a GraceLife study instead, and I’m hoping to actually make it to the end with the married couples and parents. It is the shortest of the Gospels after all!

As I am thankful for all the collegians and the wonderful memories we have had together, I am also very thankful for the staff I’ve been able to work with. Some of them have been serving in college ministry for a long time. We’ve seen collegian student staff become senior staff members, we’ve seen single adult staff get married, and we’ve seen married couples on staff have children. It really has been a remarkable journey together. I know it isn’t like everything is coming to a close. We’re still serving in the same church and will still enjoy great fellowship and ministry together. But I wanted to appreciate the staff for all the hard work, dedication, and love they have shown in College Life. As I step out, they will continue the work on the campuses and I have all the confidence in the world that they’ll do a fantastic job!

If there was one message that I tried to consistently convey to the collegians, it’s to not be collegians. I know it sounds unfair, but it is a valuable lesson to learn. The message is simple. Don’t use your collegian status as an excuse to be immature and irresponsible. The typical collegian is undependable, lazy, a time waster, silly, etc. Biblically, there is no warrant for it. The Bible doesn’t tell us that while we are students we can live foolish lives. Actually, the Bible treats college-aged individuals as adults, so my exhortation to the collegians has been and will continue to be: Be adult in your thinking, living, and speech. Again, I know it doesn’t sound fair, but don’t be “collegians” even though you are in college. All around you, you will see collegians acting like collegians. You ought not to do the same.

This is the stage in life where you will be making some of the most important decisions in your life. It is therefore vital that you make those decisions from a position of spiritual strength. I know what a blessing your college years can be. They are some of the best years of your life. Make sure your main purpose and goal will be to come away from college having grown closer to the Lord than ever before, deeper in your devotion, having sweeter times in the Word and in prayer, and having enjoyed God-honoring, encouraging, soul-satisfying, biblical fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ. This will make your years in college memorable in a way that truly matters.

by Pastor John Kim

To my dear Lighthouse family,

I truly thank God in my every remembrance of you (Philippians 1:3) and it truly is because we share in the work of the gospel ministry. These past twelve years in San Diego have been such a blessing as God has introduced new brothers and sisters in Christ to join our church family. Through all the joys and even trials, God has used you all to encourage me, challenge me, sharpen me, stretch me, and point me to trust in God more and more. I have to admit that there have been so many times where I really felt like I could not go on and wanted to quit but God provided timely encouragements that would help me refocus my heart and my mind on the Savior. There have been times when things were difficult and even some heartaches but overall God has shown Himself to be faithful and has not only sustained our church family but has increased our tribe to share in the work of the Kingdom. So I want to just give some specific words of encouragement to the different affinity groups in hopes that you will all know my heart for you.

To Grace Life

Thank you for being joint heirs in the grace of life as we have shared the growing of our families over the years. Thank you for your partnership in the ministry as well as allowing me the privilege of being a part of your families. It was a joy to be a part of seeing many of you get engaged, go through premarital, and have the honor of officiating at your weddings. Seeing the birth and growth of many of your children has been one of the biggest blessings and I have been blessed to enjoy their greetings and smiles. Please continue to pursue the Savior with all your heart, soul, and mind and pass on the greatest of God to the next generation, not only to your own children, but even to the rest of the church family that God has brought to us.

To Single Life

These past few years have been a wonderful experience in shepherding you through the challenges of the single life. I have marveled at how God has transformed many of you to not fall to the status quo of the pursuit of the comfortable life but have seen you embrace the way of the cross and seek to grow and seek first God’s kingdom. This past year during our Friday Night Light Bible studies has shown a progressively growing trajectory in becoming more Christ-centered and Biblically thinking in addressing life issues and I have been given so many reasons to rejoice. I pray that you will continue to strive in your relationship with Christ, that you would mature and deepen in your walks with God. I will be praying that you truly love one another as brothers and sisters in Christ and that one day it would lead to marriages that will reflect the majesty and glory of Christ.

To College Life

This past year was probably the most encouraging year for me to observe the collegians at our church. To see the efforts that so many of you made to show your commitment to Christ, to the church, and even to one another was really incredible to behold. I was amazed to see how many freshmen not only stayed throughout the year, but even became members and participated in the life of the church. There are so many colorful characters and personalities that have also been added by the SDSU bunch and I can’t be more thrilled to know that there is a great future ahead because of all of you. I pray that you grow in grace, that you would seek godly counsel and discipling to prepare you to do the same for those who are following you. Keep bringing the enthusiasm and energy!

To the Youth of Lumos

There will always be a special place in my heart for youth as I was involved in youth ministry for over 15 years and since Jenna and Kara were in the youth ministry these past few years, there was always a sense where I was vitally interested in what was going on. The past couple of years has been awesome to see how the staff and stuff have worked together to bring a spark and verve to the church through your eagerness to grow and learn God’s Word as well as be a light to the community. I hope that the momentum will not stop but will continue to move forward and reach out to the young people in San Diego and set God-glorifying goals for your future.

To the Children of Sonlight, Sparklers, and Fireflies

It is such a wonder to see all of you, many of you from birth and now to see you grow up – it truly is one of God’s greatest blessings to me to be your pastor. Not to play favorites (but I guess I am), but to hear a little “Pastor John!” calling me in the hallway was one of the things I looked forward to each Sunday. I hope and pray that you will come to truly understand the gospel and repent of your sins and confess Christ as your Lord and Savior at an early age so that you might give the best years of your life in service to Him. For those of you blessed with parents who really love Jesus more than you, they will show you what it means not to just live a comfortable life but a consecrated life to God, just like Romans 12:1-2 says. Remember “first time obedience” from the heart and honor your parents in the way you would want to honor Jesus. I hope you won’t forget me!!

To the Lighthouse Family

Thank you for being my church family. It truly has felt like a family because you have become such a dear part of our family’s life over the past decade. So many of you invested in our children’s lives from nursery to preschool to elementary and to youth. Many of you have come alongside us in our joys and sorrows. Your generosity has reminded us of the grace of God time and time again and I marvel that God would pour out such abundant grace to an undeserving pastor. You have been patient with my long sermons, my outbursts and over the top statements. You have been merciful in not getting rid of me sooner and you have endured over the years with much longsuffering. Thank you for loving our family so much – we have truly felt it and experienced it. I remember when we went through the ordeal of Angela going through three consecutive miscarriages over less than two years and I really learned at that time what it meant to be ministered to by you. During some of the dark times where I was so overwhelmed with discouragement and despair, you patiently waited for me to recover and allowed me time to get away and heal. The elders have been more than gracious to support me and to take care of our family’s needs. God has truly blessed me with the most wonderful church family that would actually step out in faith and both support as well as for some to even partner in this church plant to San Jose. It is an amazing testimony of the Holy Spirit’s work, that there would actually be the willingness to act on the MVP. I hope and pray that God would sustain both the San Diego congregation and the fledgling San Jose church to shine the light of the gospel brightly to the glory of God. Praise God for His faithfulness and for bringing to fruition Ephesians 3:20-21. May we continue to build on what God has already done and look forward to what He will accomplish both in and through us to His praise and honor!

by Pastor JR Cuevas

Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
~Joshua 1:9

As one might expect, the verses that mean most to me are those verses that strike the very core of my greatest struggles. The biblical texts over which I find myself journaling the longest in daily quiet times with the Lord are the passages that both expose my greatest weaknesses as well as inspire me to wage war against them. In all honestly, courage has never been the strongest asset for me. My walk with the Lord and attempt to run the race of faith has often been beset by a lack of confidence in Him and thus riddled with pessimism. Often have I found myself handcuffed in ministry – and in life in general – because I have often allowed my fears to control me. Though I have done much work on my part to fight it, in light of an up-coming church pland and an up-coming birth of our first child I had recently found myself again wallowing in pessimism. Too many transitions, too many unknowns. Simply put, my lack of trust in God mixed with a number of up-coming transitions has produced a not-so-encouraging attitude to those around me. Resolved I was to fix this, I decided to study the book of Joshua, for the Spirit of God has much to say to those who call themselves followers of God yet do not have confidence in Him.

I realize that far am I from being alone in this struggle. It’s everywhere. It exists in so many good people, and in so many good churches. Many Christians are simply afraid – afraid to lose their comfort, afraid to lose their security, afraid to lose their children, afraid to lose their families, afraid to lose the approval of peers, afraid to lose their lives. The more tragic part is that many have given into these fears. The responses along the lines of, “it’s too difficult,” and “it’s too dangerous” have been so prevalent amongst many whom the Lord has called to do do ministry, and their belief in these responses has prevented many from investing in the kingdom of God. Many would rather flee than fight – they’d rather run away than race. Safety and comfort are premiums in our society, while riskiness and agonizing labor are not.

I can only think that perhaps Joshua was tempted to flee as well, upon God’s commissioning him to lead the Israelites across the Jordan to possess the land that God had promised them. Their great leader – Moses – was dead, and God has chosen Joshua to mobilize the nation to participate in what would be perhaps the most significant battles of their history. A humble man in his own right, Joshua could not have possibly seen himself as the one who would be most fit for the task. And so the Lord commissioned him with these words in Joshua 1:9: “Be strong and courageous!” Anyone who reads Joshua slowly will find that this is a thematic command from the God to Joshua – to be strong and courageous upon faithfully running the course that God had set before him. And in the end, Joshua did what Moses was not able to do – lead the people across the Jordan to possess the land that God had promised them.

Learning from Joshua’s courage is not only inspiring; it is instructive. From him, we see that courage is not oblivious or ignorant over-confidence. Neither is it bravado nor boastful arrogance. Neither is it blind faith nor self-confidence. Rather, courage is the quality of pressing forward towards God and being faithful to His will in the midst of jeopardizing circumstances. It is not the lack of initial fear, but rather having the resolve to both face it and fight fear for the glory of God. Courage is that very virtue that undergirds faith. It is what strengthens the feet of a believer to take the step of faith. Talk to every great champion in any sport, and they’ll tell you that they’re not exempt from fear and pressure – especially if they persevere. But ask any of their competitors, and they’ll tell you that what makes those athletes champions is their unflinching resolve amidst the pressure. The same is true for Christian warriors. While the reality remains that Satan and the world are dangerous opponents, the courageous Christian does not flinch or flee before them. Rather, by the strength and knowledge of God, he valiantly proceeds and fights.

How does one then develop courage? It does not happen over night, but rather is developed over time. All who struggle with fear ought to be disciplined, then, both realization and resolution. Realization – the awareness that God will not forsake His children, nor will He fail them. Courage can never be separated from a knowledge of God – both objectively and subjectively. The most courageous people are those who are aware – aware of God’s power and God’s faithfulness to His people. Courage starts the realization of God’s ability to overcome any and all circumstances and opponents, and continues with the realization of God’s promise to fight for those whom He has chosen. After realization, then, comes resolution – the resolution to step forward and participate in the fight of faith. There is no “secret,” in this sense. One must simply believe, and do. It’s simple – hard, but simple. As I have continued reading through the book of Joshua, I have realized two recurring themes – God’s constant reminding of Joshua that He is with him, and Joshua’s direct obedience of all of God’s commands. May it be the same with me, you, and the church. Let us be aware of God, believe in God, and obey Him in running this rocky yet rewarding race of faith.