by Pastor John Kim

What has been interesting to watch over the years as the Lighthouse churches have expanded is how the members of the church deal with all the changes. Some of the original members are still at their respective churches and have been faithful to continue in growing and serving the Lord. But there are also some who remain but seem to get complacent or maybe just get busy with life and their participation seems to lack passion. There are others who seem to get more critical and complain about how things are and how things were better in the past. There are still yet others who at some point get involved in significant conflicts with others and either just leave or lose heart and it shows.

Why is it that so many churches seem to start off with such vigor and enthusiasm and then see a steady downward trend where there seems to lack the kind of passion and heart that was there at the beginning? It’s almost like marriage for some people – the wedding day is the highlight and it all seems to go downhill from there.

There can be many contributing factors but there is one issue that is always at the heart of such situations. The grand purpose has been forgotten. The greatest good is no longer so great. The pursuit of the glory of God has diminished to a trickle and the pursuit of other things has replaced it.

The most tragic thing that can happen is that the glory of God has departed from a church.

During the time of the Judges in Israel, Eli, who was priest and judge over Israel, was waiting for news of the battle against the Philistines. When he was informed that the Israelites had lost, the ark of the covenant had been taken, and his two sons were killed, he fell over and broke his neck and died. His daughter-in-law gave birth upon hearing the news but she died in the process. As she was dying, she gave the name “Ichabod” to the baby, which means, “the glory has departed from Israel.”

Israel had forgotten about God. It was God who had delivered them from slavery in Egypt and brought them to the Promised Land of Canaan. It was God who sustained them to take over the land and grant them to prosper. But the Israelites were fickle people and as soon as there were times of prosperity, they would give themselves over to idols and worship false gods. The cycle of sin, judgment, and deliverance took place many times.

But this particular story really stands out because of the gravity of perspective. This was more than just the loss of a battle. It was more than the loss of a husband and son. It was even more than the loss of the ark of the covenant, which had been taken into battle almost like a good luck charm. It was the reality that the glory of God was no longer the greatest concern for the people, even for the leaders.

Our Lighthouse churches are still relatively young. It’s not like things have been so bad. But like many churches, we can allow a passive heart to grow when it comes to the pursuit of the glory of God.

If there was one thing that Jonathan Edwards pursued, it was the glory of God. Several of his resolutions reflect this devotion.

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty, and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.

4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

23. Resolved, frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God’s glory, to repute it as a breach of the 4th Resolution.

27. Resolved, never willfully to omit anything, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.

One writer comments that it is easy to reduce the principle of God’s glory to a call for moral action, which is definitely an application to be pursued. But before we focus on what man is to do, we have to ask the question, “Do we really have a God-centered view of God’s glory?”

In other words, do we see God’s glory in relation to His nature and to see it as Richard Mueller defines as “God’s glory is to be understood essentially, as one of the divine attributes but moreover, as an attribute that eminently reflects and reveals the perfection of all the attributes.”

Edward Leigh writes, “God’s glory is the infinite excellency of the Divine essence…and that God is infinitely worthy to be praised, admired, and loved of all.”

Leigh highlighted the internal aspect of God’s glory which also has an external expression as seen in creation and in the church and God’s people. The glory of God is manifested in various ways but it is always ultimately to make much of God, not the instrument of manifestation.
It is not that we add anything to God by ascribing glory to God. But what it does for us is, as Richard Muller describes, “by taking notice of His excellency, and esteeming Him accordingly, and making manifest this our high esteem of Him.”

As we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, I would like to encourage you to take a look back and consider the rich heritage we have received from those who walked before us.
While the reformers did not use such statements as the Solas at the time, we can see that their ministries and writings proclaimed a clear message, which is really captured in the phrase “Soli Deo Gloria” or to God alone be the glory.

• I want to challenge you as the Lighthouse family that we not fall prey to what happens to so many churches.
• I do not want to see a church where Ichabod reigns, where the glory of God has departed.
• I want us to be churches where the glory of God is so clearly prized and pursued that it affects all that we do because we are drawn to a great God who is worthy of praise.
• I want us to seek God in all that we do.
• I want us to worship God in all that we do.
• I want our service to be honoring God, not ourselves.
• I want our witness to proclaim the greatness of God and that seeking first His kingdom and righteousness is of the greatest priority.
• I hope that the legacy we pass on to the next generation will be such that those who follow us cannot help but notice as well as be challenged to pursue the glory of God with all our hearts, with all our souls, with all our minds.

Johann Sebastian Bach is known as one of the most famous composers of classical music of all time. What some might not know is that he was deeply devoted to God and in the process of writing his music, he had the convictions that it was only with the help of Jesus that he could glorify Him through the music he wrote. So before he would even start writing music, he would put the initials J J at the top of the page in the corner. It represented the Latin words, “Jesu Juva,” which translated means “Jesus, help me.” When he would finish the work he would write at the bottom of the page “SDG” which stood for “Soli Deo Gloria,” or “To God alone by the glory.”

My challenge to all the members of the Lighthouse churches would be this – can you follow in the footsteps of Bach by praying the same prayer before all you do, “Jesus help me!” and at the end of all you do to sign off with “Soli Deo Gloria” – to God alone be the glory. While we obviously will fall short at times and forget, it is my prayer that collectively we would be united with this kind of heart and mind, to always seek the help of Jesus and to commit all to the glory of God alone.

by Pastor Mark Chin

How often do we consider the connection between our care for new visitors at church and our holiness? In Leviticus 19:1-2, the LORD speaks to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” What follows are the LORD’s detailed commands and instructions for how the people of Israel are to “be holy” like the LORD who created and saved them. It is worth noting that the commands that follow are addressed to the entirety of the congregation or assembly. Holiness here refers not merely being separate from sin but being chosen by the LORD, being like the LORD in all our ways, and being entirely devoted to the LORD with the entirety of our heart, soul, and resources. It is a requisite given by God not simply for the priests or the elders – but for the entirety of the congregation – for the entirety of life. As we come to Leviticus 19:33-34 – we see that God’s standard of holiness includes caring for the stranger among us in the same way that He has loved and cared for His people. “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”

The temptation we all experience every Sunday is to spend the majority of our free church time with our friends. The temptation is to assume that caring for new visitors or strangers is the job of the elders or the Welcome Team. Isn’t that why churches have a Welcome Team? We’ve just spent the week slugging it out at work in a fallen world with fallen co-workers or family members. Sunday is the one day of the week we get a chance to fellowship with believing friends – to enjoy their company and their presence – to catch up on everything we’ve missed in their lives. In truth, this is one of the sweet blessings of life in our Father’s house. However – if the summation of our Sunday is spending time with or serving friends who are just like us – then we’ve fallen well short of God’s standard of holiness, His Gospel, and the way He has loved and cared for us. If we were to take a video or a series of photos of our fellowship Sunday morning, what story would the video or photos tell? Would the video or photos show collections of people who look similar – marrieds with marrieds, parents with parents, collegians with collegians, Asians with Asians, etc… – spending time with one another like any other social club?

The good news of the gospel is that God sent His only Son to live with and die for people who were nothing like Him – for strangers. If our only hope for love and care and time with the Lord was based on our similarities to Him – in spirituality, ethnicity, life-stage, compatibility (whatever that means), common interests – where would we be? As we consider the twelve disciples whom Jesus chose to love and shepherd, we see people who could not be more unlike our Lord and Savior. This, of course, should give each one of us great hope. As we consider our great salvation, we are reminded that Jesus died for us so that we would no longer live for ourselves, but so that we might live for Him – like Him. In fact, the test of true faith, is a life that looks like Christ in every way on every day, including Sundays. As the Apostle Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I know live, I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20).

Indeed, as Jesus pointed out in the parable of the Good Samaritan, the test of true God-like love for a neighbor is not a profession of faith or Bible knowledge or position in the church or even a passing greeting. It is the ongoing love and care for the needs of those who are our enemies. One of the saddest confessions that I have heard repeatedly is from church attendees who share that after being at a church for two to three months, they are still greeted like a new visitor. It’s not hard to tell whether the person greeting you really cares for you or whether they are saying “hi” or “welcome” because it’s the right thing to do. As the parable of the Good Samaritan points out, loving a neighbor goes well beyond saying “hi” or “welcome” to a new visitor. It is the sacrificial love that takes time from a busy schedule to learn the neighbor’s needs, to provide for the neighbor’s needs, and to make sure the neighbor and stranger is cared for until he or she is in a safe place and is restored to good health. It is an expression of God’s heart of gospel compassion. Jesus’ standard of care for strangers is a convicting one. We must ask ourselves: is this our standard? If this is the standard of true love and faith, how many of us would be considered Christians? As Sunday approaches, it is worth reading through Luke 10 and spending time in prayer with the Lord, repenting over how far we fall short of His Gospel love and compassion, praying for the strangers who He brings each Sunday to His church, and preparing our hearts by faith to love the stranger among us – even as He has loved us. Caring for strangers is the privilege of every saint, not just the Welcome Team. It is our joy to love strangers in the same way Christ has loved us. It is a testimony to the holiness of the God who has created us and saved us for His glory.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Back in October, I wrote on the benefits of small group ministries and some possible reasons small groups might not have been as helpful as they could have been for you. Especially in a growing church, small groups can provide valuable opportunities for members to cultivate strong relationships with others. But there are other benefits as well. In an age where it seems there is a greater insistence upon “organic” relationships, a strong case can be made for small groups as a beneficial program of church ministry.

How can we make the most of those times together? How can we ensure that it will be time well spent? I have heard of some small group meetings running over four hours! While I’m sure the time together was enjoyable, most people cannot realistically commit that much time to it. Below are some ways you can help make the most of your small group’s time together and some principles of how you ought to be committed to them.

1. Show up on time. This is not only a common courtesy but also a demonstration of spiritual character. Be considerate of others by coming on time. Consider it a healthy application of the Philippians 2 principle of looking after others’ interests before your own (Phil. 2:3-4). Additionally, the Bible calls Christians to be faithful to their word (cf. James 5:12). If you and your group have agreed to meet at a particular time, it is a matter of faithfulness to not make a habit of arriving late. Your small group wants to make the most of their time together, and waiting for you to show up doesn’t help the group achieve this goal.
2. Finish your assignments. It is a general truth that you will benefit from small groups proportionate to the measure that you invest in them. If you are not taking time to work on assignments or complete reading with excellence (i.e., not rushing to finish assignments 30 minutes before the group begins), you are impeding the quality of the meeting. Not only will you not benefit much from the group, but the others also will not benefit from any thoughtful and prepared contributions from you.
3. Pray for One Another. Sometimes so much time is given to sharing about each other’s lives that very little time is actually devoted to prayer. One way to correct this is to limit the time each person has to get the rest of the group caught up on their life. Try to focus the time on how the group can be praying for each other and then reserve adequate time to lift up these prayers to the Lord. Prayer is not only worship offered to God but can also be a great encouragement and blessing to each other. To further make times of prayer helpful, think through the Scriptures that apply to the things that have been shared and practice praying the Bible and echoing its principles and teaching.
4. Study God’s Word Together. While the general purpose of small groups is usually accountability and prayer, they also provide a wonderful opportunity to study God’s Word together. There are various ways to do this including walking through a verse by verse study, watching good teaching videos together, listening to helpful sermons, or reading a trustworthy Christian book. As Christians we are called to speak truth to one another in love for the benefit of the body (Eph. 4:15). There may be no better way to do this than studying God’s truth together. An added benefit of studying together in a group is getting others’ perspectives and observations from the text that you yourself may have missed. The profit comes from drawing as much as you can from God’s Word.
5. Provide Spiritual Support and Accountability. Most people become members of the church seeking greater accountability for their spiritual lives. I often tell our members that this accountability is most consistently provided through small group ministries. This is because small groups usually provide planned and periodic meeting times where members can look forward to gathering together. As various struggles and trials are shared or sins are confessed, the group can help the weaker brother by praying for him and offering helpful counsel and encouragement (cf. 1 Thess. 5:14). Since the group plans to meet regularly, follow up to any issues can be built into the small group program.
6. Enjoy Each Other’s Company. Some of the strongest relationships in the church are built through small group. One of the reasons for this is that the expressed purpose of small groups is quality spiritual fellowship and not just “hanging out.” While time together talking about nothing in particular can be relaxing and enjoyable, true Christians benefit greatly from interaction over God’s Word and spiritual conversation. Hopefully in small groups you find a band of brothers or sisters that love you and genuinely care for your soul. Hopefully you find a group of true friends who will be there for you especially when you need support and help. Have fun with one another and seek to cultivate these relationships. Oftentimes the lifelong friendships that are enjoyed in the church originate in small groups. There have been many testimonies from people who were ultimately surprised at whom in the church they became close with because of small group ministry.

Because of these benefits and more, I generally encouraged people to be involved in small groups at Lighthouse. As often as our affinity groups offer them, I would suggest being part of them and not allowing work or school to crowd out time for them, if possible. I understand that there still may be some who don’t find small groups helpful for one reason or another, but small groups really can be wonderful contexts for discipleship and relationship building in the church.

by Pastor James Lee

12 BOOKS. 12 CATEGORIES. 12 MONTHS. Avid reader, slow reader, new reader, and everyone in between… all are welcomed! You’re invited to be excited… both to be encouraged and to encourage others as we take up this challenge together! It’s a corporate journey that we won’t regret. It will have us rejoicing along the path and at its end. As Frodo Baggins urged his friend Samwise-Gamgee in the adventure of moving forward, “And you will read things out of the Red Book, and keep alive the memory of the age that is gone, so that people will remember the Great Danger, and so love their beloved land all the more. And that will keep you as busy and as happy as anyone can be, as long as your part in the Story goes on. ‘Come now, ride with me!”

As a followup application to a past article on the “Positive Imprint of Formative Reading,” I wanted to invite anyone who might be interested, in what I believe, will be a mutually edifying exercise for cultivating our minds, feeding our souls, equipping our ministries, watering our joy, and exalting our Lord. The challenge, if you choose to accept, involves the reading of 12 books over 12 different categories over the next 12 months:

1. January – A book on the “Attributes of God”
2. February – A “Christian Biography”
3. March – A book on “Christian Living”
4. April – A book on “Prayer”
5. May – A book about a “Current Issue”
6. June – A book on “History” or “Church History”
7. July – A book on “Evangelism” or “World Missions”
8. August – A “Classic Novel”, “Detective Story”, or “Historical Fiction”
9. September – A book promoting “Local Church Life”
10. October – A book on “Apologetics”
11. November – A book on a “Biblical Counseling Issue”
12. December – A book on “Partnering with Our Pastors”

For example, it might look like the following sample list by the end of the year, whether in part or the whole, depending on each of our preferences, comfort level, and selections:

1. January – The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer
2. February – Spurgeon: A Biography by Arnold Dallimore
3. March – Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung
4. April – Prayer the Great Adventure by David Jeremiah
5. May – They Say We Are Infidels: On the Run from ISIS with Persecuted Christians in the Middle East by Mindy Belz
6. June – Sketches from Church History: An Illustrated Account of 20 Centuries of Christ’s Power by S.M. Houghton
7. July – The Gospel & Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever
8. August – Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
9. September – The Hospitality Commands by Alexander Strauch
10. October – Every Thought Captive: A Study Manual for the Defense of Christian Truth by Richard Pratt
11. November – Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave by Edward Welch
12. December –The Pastor’s Family by Brian & Cara Croft

To assist all of us in this fellowship that springs from engaging our minds and hearts, with good books, but especially The Book, our Bibles, with a view to honor Christ – Here are the guidelines for the challenge:

• Choose from the list of each month’s recommended books, one from your own research, or from the advice of others. You may read one individually, or read the same book that month along with others for more enjoyment and accountability. It can be longer, shorter, introductory, intense, etc.
• Challenge yourself, but discern what you can read. It’s OK to start out with shorter, easier works, especially if you’re not used to reading, or a more patient reader. Then only push yourself later.
• Create a realistic plan or schedule for reading, whether daily, every other day, broken into parts, or in longer sittings weekly. Think about places, times, a favorite chair, a hot cup of tea, a buddy, etc. You might consider how many pages to read, including examining the book’s layout… for example, some books have short chapters, including ones that span about 30 sections – one for each day of month?
• Commit to your reading plan! Don’t leave it to good intentions! Make a focused plan, or you won’t do it. Then keep it. And if you have to adjust along the way, do so to keep it going. Don’t give up!
• Carry On if you fall behind or don’t finish a month’s category book. It’s up to you, whether you want to finish the book as you move along, but I suggest that you move forward. It’s best to finish what you start, but better not to stop your journey. Mark your place, then you can always come back to it later.
• Commune with others about what you’re both reading and what you’re both learning, not to boast, but to bless. A Facebook Page has been set up with articles that I and others will post, and for people to make comments or encouragements, as well as a separate Facebook Group for folks to share brief quotes from their month’s reading, offer suggestions for books that were helpful and/or enjoyable, share about book sales or free books, and give encouragements, etc.
• Celebrate any progress. It’s ultimately not about perfection, but direction. If you want to add more incentive, make a goal in which you can come together at a certain interval or at the end with others in your local church, to celebrate! For Lighthouse OC members, for those who have read at least 80 pages in each kind of category by December 31, 2017, you earn a special end-of-year meal invite!

Recommendations will be shared on our Facebook page as the year progresses, but you’re invited to ask pastors and fellow church members for suggested titles, as well as visit an online bookstore for help and reviews. But to start us off – Here are some possible ideas for January – “Attributes of God”

• The Attributes of God by A.W. Pink (Baker, 128 pages)
• The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer (HarperOne, 128 pages)
• Our Awesome God by John MacArthur (Crossway, 176 pages)
• One Holy Passion: The Attributes of God by R.C. Sproul (out of print?)
• Knowing God by J.I. Packer (IVP Press, 286 pages)
• The Existence & Attributes of God by Stephen Charnock (Baker, 1152 pages)
• Specific sections of “Theology Proper” inside a Systematic Theology volume (i.e. Wayne Grudem – pp.141-225, Louis Berkhof, Robert Culver, Millard Erickson, Gregg Allison, etc.)

Finding time to read can be difficult, depending on where we are and who we are. Nevertheless, we do have the time to read. Question is whether we will prioritize it by “putting off” in order to “put on”… by saying “no” to some things, in order to say “yes” to better things. Carl Honore once wrote, “We live in a world of scarce understanding and abundance of information. We complain that we never have any time, yet we seek distraction.” We can turn off the TV, we don’t have to participate in every extracurricular activity out there, we can stop web surfing, we can renew our minds. Spurgeon said, “The way to get a mind worth having is to get one stored with things worth keeping.” Apostle Paul commanded in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”

May we stir one another up towards love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24-25), partly through a means of fellowship in sharing the blessings of reading good books in love of God and in love of people, to His joy and ours. As Dr. Albert Mohler recently encouraged, “Books are almost always read alone, but they are seldom truly enjoyed alone.” Happy reading, dear brothers and sisters.

by Pastor Mark Chin

During the past several Christmas seasons, Lexus has run their aptly named Lexus’ December to Remember commercials – with the tag line, if you’re going to wish, wish big. These commercials open with parents coaching young children, as their proxies, to ask Santa for their very big wish – their big hope for Christmas. The commercials then cut to an ecstatic family, opening their front door Christmas morning to a fat new Lexus wrapped in a red bow, sitting in their driveway. What the marketers for Lexus are well aware of, based on no shortage of research, is that in a consumer society, images of shiny new luxury items wrapped in a bow magically appearing on our doorstep presses big buttons for most of us. Honestly, how many of us find ourselves getting excited or dreaming about waking up Christmas morning to find someone else’s old run down car in our driveway – with or without a big red bow?

Lexus, like many things in our world – be it our education, jobs, relationships, or politicians, is selling us on a piece of the American Dream, something most Americans are enamored with – the hope of something new, something better, something improved, something superior. Who doesn’t prefer the new model, with all its upgrades, free of all the problems of the tired old model? Sadly, however, what is true of our cars is also true of our jobs, our relationships, our spouses, our churches, our talents, our abilities, our achievements and, quite frankly, most of the things we frequently place our hopes in.

What is new quickly becomes old. The new car becomes the old car with all its expenses and repairs. The amazing new job becomes the old job with its familiar challenges. The new relationship becomes the old relationship where new conflicts become old conflicts, and the exciting new church becomes the boring old church struggling with the same old issues. And so our hearts drift from one thing to the next, searching for the next new thing, looking for the next new breath of hope, often overlooking an even sadder truth. All these new things may enable us to forget about the sin and sadness of our world for a minute or a moment – but they can’t make it go away. The truth of the matter is that the hope these things offer is temporary & limited – something we all know deep down inside. Many of these things fit the category of what God, through Jeremiah, referred to as broken cisterns in contrast to Him, the fountain of living waters.

As we come to God’s Word, specifically His accounts of the advent – the arrival, the coming, and the presence – of His Son Jesus Christ found in Matthew and Luke’s Gospel, God Himself offers us a hope that far exceeds the hopes of many of things we hope for at Christmas. It is a hope that is quite literally, out of this world – a hope that sustains the child of God in the darkest of times, even when friends, jobs, pastors, spouses, churches, and everything else in this world comes up short. It is the hope of new life in His Son Jesus Christ. Unlike a Lexus or a job, this new life never gets old. The best this world can offer is a new lifestyle. What God offers to all sinners in and through His Son, Jesus Christ, is a new life – one that transforms us completely from the inside out, beginning with our sinful hearts. And unlike Lexus, He doesn’t charge a dime for it because in love He has picked up the tab at great cost to Himself. This is not only the testimony of the Christmas story – this is the testimony of the entirety of Jesus ministry here on earth. To the woman at the well, Jesus in John 4:13,14 says, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” In John 10:10 Jesus says, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” And to Martha in John 11:25,26, He says, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

The Apostle Paul believed this – and hoped in it with the entirety of his life. It is this hope that sustained him through shipwreck, beatings, prison, rejection, and the betrayal of many professing believers. It is a hope that became a reality for Paul with the new birth that Paul himself had experienced first hand on the road to Damascus. When Paul declared in 2 Cor. 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come,” he was not merely affirming a theological truth promised throughout the Scriptures, he was affirming a biblical truth that he was living first hand by faith in Christ as Savior and Lord. In Christ, Paul received not only the forgiveness of His sin, he received a new heart and a new life that was no longer bound by sin or the things of this world. Paul’s hope – his certain expectation that all things would work together for good – was anchored in the reality of who Jesus is and who Paul was in Christ. Christ’s very real presence in Paul’s life, by faith, gave Paul God’s living and eternal hope – the hope of new life in Christ. What are you hoping for this Christmas?

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Many people consider Christmas their favorite holiday for various reasons. For some, it provides a special occasion for family and loved ones to gather together. For others, it is a “holly jolly” time of festivity, music, and celebration. Some people simply love the excuse to splurge on gifts and good food. For the Christian, of course, Christmas has a deeper relevance. It serves as a reminder that God sent His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). The significance of Christmas and the reason to celebrate center on Christ, the Son of God who took on flesh to be the Savior of the world.

Christmas, then, is really about the gospel. The Lord provided a way for sinful men to be reconciled to holy God. Through the incarnation, Jesus became like us so that He could adequately stand in our place. And still, He never relinquished His deity so that He could completely and perfectly pay for the sins of all who would believe in Him. This gospel message is the foundation for the Christian’s hope and peace. We have hope because a God who never lies has promised salvation for those who deserve condemnation and wrath. We have hope because Jesus said that the work of salvation was finished on the cross. Likewise, we have peace because having been made right with God, we no longer stand in enmity with Him. We are no longer His enemies, but by placing our faith in Christ, we are adopted into His family and brought into the glorious promises of a future inheritance.

Not only do Christians have profound hope and perfect peace in Christ, but we also have true joy. The dictionary would define joy as a good and happy feeling one has resulting from favorable circumstances. While this definition may be helpful, the Christian’s joy is not primarily based on circumstances. It is ultimately founded on a Person. We have joy because we have Jesus. All the benefits of our salvation that we get to enjoy are because we know Him and live for Him. Jesus is the reason for our joy.

In Luke 2:10-11, when the angel appears to a group of shepherds at night, he proclaims, “I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people.” The message of joy was that a Savior was born in the city of David. Jesus came to bring joy for all people. This is one of the purposes of the gospel, to fill people who were dead in their sins and had no real reason for joy with joy inexpressible (cf. 1 Pet. 1:8).

Christians, of all people, should be joyful. We have the greatest reason to rejoice, and so we are commanded to rejoice always (Phil. 4:4). Our joy does not mean that we parade around with frivolity or are constant giddy without a care in the world. It means that we have a deep and meaningful relationship with the God of creation who saved us despite our sinfulness and rebellion against Him. Because we have this relationship, even though we might face extremely difficult trials and circumstances, we can trust in Him and rejoice in knowing that God is infinitely greater and better than we are, He knows our trouble, and He cares for us.

Beyond all this, we also need to remember the countless others around us, both loved ones and strangers, who do not know true joy because they do not know Jesus. People need to hear the message of joy and we are the ones who have been given the responsibility to tell it. The Christmas season also proves to be a unique time of the year where people tend to be more open about attending a church service and perhaps even hearing the message of the gospel. We can not only bear witness to the gospel, but also let the light of our testimony shine before men so that they can see our wonderful joy and be drawn to it.

by Pastor James Lee

Phillips Brooks, a preacher in Boston during the 1800s, more famously known for writing the Christmas hymn “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and for personally introducing Helen Keller to both Christianity and a woman named Anne Sullivan, was well-known for his cool, calm demeanor. So it was very surprising to his friends, when one day, they found him uncharacteristically pacing up and down the floor of his church office like a caged lion. One of his concerned friends asked him, “What’s troubling you, Dr. Brooks?” He abruptly responded, “The trouble, the trouble, is that I am in a hurry, but God isn’t!” Isn’t that, if honest, how we ourselves have felt and thought many times?

One writer poignantly describes and confronts us in those moments, “There are times when we feel as if heaven’s clock is off by a few days, months, or even years. God seems to be taking His time in answering that prayer, meeting that need, changing that circumstance or bringing justice. We sit in the waiting room unattended and anxious. When we feel this way, guess whose clock needs to be reset?”

Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” And lately, as I’ve come to this present place in my own life, as I contemplate who I was before I came to Christ, as I meditate on His goodness and grace in allowing us to be a part of each other’s lives, in such a time as this, as a part of His holy and perfect purposes, I’m filled with such overwhelming thanksgiving in all who Christ is for us!

Our eternal Lord is always on time, always in control, always working even in our waiting, sitting upon His throne forever, standing beyond time, yet nevertheless, paying the closest attention to us in it, so that our lives are sovereignly and securely in His hands, as David affectionately expressed in Psalm 31:15, “My times are in Your hand.” So is my life, so is yours, so is His church. We believe it, but often functionally we don’t.

1. His Goodness Displayed in Our Past: Let Us See That He Has Made Everything Beautiful in His Time – What We Now Are in Christ Is Incomparably Amazing in Relation to Who We Once Were

Sitting as I read the Bible, spending time with the Lord, in a period of past pain and depression, I remember the providence of sun rays pouring through like happy lasers into my room, and a gentle breeze wafting through my window. I was pouring over His promises, remembering His faithfulness, His great salvation, yet anxious and wondering when and how God would answer my prayers and lift me out of darkness. He did, in His time, in ways that I didn’t anticipate. I’m grateful for the ways He has humbled me, and corrected me, and shaped me, and held me, and loved me. I can see what a wonderful life He has given me, an adorable wife, precious children, privileged responsibility in a precious church family. But most of all, through the perspective of the cross, that I’ve been forgiven, reconciled, adopted, saved from His wrath, and made an altogether new creation. Anything beyond my salvation is sheer grace! I am what I am by the grace of God, and by it, I can have full courage like Paul confessed in Philippians 1:20, “according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I shall not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ shall even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” And even though there is so much to work on, lots of remaining filth in my heart, He has already done the miraculous and merciful for me, in Christ! I can’t ask for more than that, and I can’t be absolutely thrilled and joyful. God has explicitly revealed His perfect wisdom. Consider just a few examples:

• Galatians 4:4 “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son.”
• Ephesians 2:1-7, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

I got my own Bible, and how many people over millennia could ever claim that? And I have several! God took this shy backward Gentile kid, voted shyest student in his school, and amazingly I’m able to stand in front of more than two people and say more than a few syllables. I think about godly friends, timely interventions, answered prayers, His help in trial and temptation, sanctifying experiences, rich encouragements, people saved, and numerous places where I’ve seen the Lord do the humanly impossible. I know we’re looking forward to more as individuals and as churches, in more than one way. I know we’re looking forward to being absent from the body and present with the Lord. But there is so very much, to now see that He has already done, fulfilled, accomplished, set apart, enabled, called, preserved, used, protected, and blessed! We would and are greatly amiss to fail to acknowledge, appreciate, and announce that, to His glory!

2. God’s Goodness Displayed in Our Present: Let Us Trust He Is Making Everything Beautiful in His Time – What We Do for God in Ministry is Infinitely Inferior to What He is Doing in Us for Himself

God’s sanctifying work doesn’t always feel pleasant in the moment, but we can consider it all joy for the fruit and the result and the praise it brings in our lives and to others. God’s hand is not always apparent to our perception, so that we waver in faith. But God glorifies Himself and sovereignly draws us to Himself and causes all things to work together for good to His people. Meditate on such truths as these:

• James 1:2-4, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
• Romans 5:3-5, “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
• 1 Timothy 1:16, “Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.”
• 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

Life and spiritual growth might not work according to our timing and wishes, but the One who has perfect wisdom is right now accomplishing in us over time what we could never plan or do for ourselves. We tend to see what is not happening than what is being done. The “little” things add up: character testing, faith, endurance, equipping, prayer, loving others, trusting God, our labor in the Lord, they are never in vain. He’s working now. It took Moses 40 years before God used him, really his entire lifetime. We have to be patient. We have to be faithful. We have to be thankful for what He has already done and is now doing… even if we in our finiteness and fallenness fail to presently see and understand what He’s accomplishing! To do less is to dishonor Him! Not only has He made beautiful, He is, right now, presently making beautiful!

3. God’s Goodness Displayed in Our Future: Let Us Rejoice That He Will Make Everything Beautiful in His Time – What He Is Doing in Us Today is Preparing Us for More Glorious Things Through Us Tomorrow

Dwelling on His work, His promises, and their meaning for us and others:

• John 9:2-3, “And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was in order that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
• 2 Corinthians 4:5-7, “For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.”
• Philippians 1:6, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
• 2 Timothy 4:6-8, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
• Revelation 21:5, “And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.“
• 1 John 3:2, “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is.”
• 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

God is not in a hurry, He knows what He is doing in us and for us. God is God, and we are not. He deserves our trust and requires our patience! He’s orchestrating and actively at work in our lives, regardless of whether we know how or where. When Abraham’s servant was on the road for weeks to search for Isaac’s wife, she came at the exact time he arrived at a well. When Joseph and Mary were compelled to go back to Bethlehem due to the census under Caesar Augustus, Jesus was born at the right time and right place as prophesied according to marvelously verifiable providence!

The Lord, our Lord, sovereignly has made, is making, and will surely make all things beautiful for His people in His time! May we trust in the Lord with all our heart and not lean on our own understanding, but living obediently and affectionately by faith, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

by Pastor Mark Chin

As long as I can remember, I’ve always struggled with distractions and losing sight of key priorities. It’s an issue that would come up repeatedly at parent teacher sessions – especially at the Christian school I attended for elementary and middle school. Had I grown up in the 90’s, I probably would have been diagnosed with ADHD and I would have been a prime candidate for Ritalin or Adderall. I recall one concerned Christian teacher inquiring about the sugar content of my breakfasts (drugs and stimulants aren’t the only substances that we look to for answers). Looking back, I can say it worked in my favor that there were fewer choices, whether it be entertainment, diagnoses, or medication, for an easily distracted and hyperactive child growing up in the late 60’s and early 70’s (I was born in ’67 – which means by Lighthouse standards, I am prehistoric for most of your experiences).

Time, however, never stands still. And now, as a husband, father, and pastor living in 2016, I have no shortage of choices and distractions to battle, not just for me but for my family and the church as well. Keeping first things first and not losing sight of key priorities are mighty and exhausting battles that must be fought each day – battles where small losses have huge consequences not just for me, but for those I love dearly. One of the most insidious challenges in these battles is the distraction brought by an abundance of good choices and good things that press hard for a prime place of real estate in our hearts and minds. As a pastor, there is no shortage of good things or needs demanding my time and attention. Frequently, the discouragement is not having the time or capacity to address them all well. If Satan can keep me away from the best by keeping me distracted by the good, he’s winning. Not losing sight of key priorities is no easy task. It is something for which we finite and frail humans need an abundance of mercy and grace from the Lord. The good news, however, is that we have a God who is more than able and willing to give the mercy and grace we need and He does so through Christ and through His Word. His priorities are clear, even if ours frequently seem all mixed up.

Two portions of Scripture that I need to go back to repeatedly, especially when many good things are beginning to distract me from the most important things, are the Sermon on the Mount and 1 Timothy. I can never hear enough of Christ’s command to seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, as well as His command to not worry about things God has already taken care of for me. And as I consider the challenges of Timothy’s ministry, I see that the Lord makes clear through the Apostle Paul many of the Trojan horse distractions that wage war on our feeble pastoral attempts to honor Christ’s commands. They include distractions we are to avoid like the endless discussions or debates about secondary or speculative concerns, the demands of those without genuine needs, or worldly criticism of a spiritual ministry.

It is so helpful to hear Paul’s exhortations to Timothy, who probably felt like he was breaking under the pressure of a besieged ministry and was likely suffering from stress-induced stomach ailments. For Paul, like his Lord and Savior, the priorities of life and ministry are clear. The Gospel of our Lord and Savior – the Gospel that saved us – is to be the first priority of God’s servant even as it is God’s primary provision for every aspect of our lives. Clearly, the primary threat to believers and the body of Christ is anything that distracts from the Gospel, especially those within the church who teach and live a different doctrine from the Gospel of our Lord and Savior. In the face of such opposition and distraction, Paul, in 1 Timothy 2, exhorts Timothy and the men of the church to make the practice of prayer a top priority. “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, … I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling …” (1 Tim 2:1-8).

The need for prayer to be a first priority and practice in our lives should come as no surprise. If prayer is a humble dependency upon the will and Word of God, it is the natural expression and beat of a heart that has been transformed by the Good News of Christ. If sin is our primary problem and God’s desire is that all people, including our leaders, might be saved from sin and come to the knowledge of the truth, it should be obvious to us that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings should be made for all people as a primary and prevailing practice among the people of God. If there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, then to Him we must go first in the pursuit of all our needs, most especially the need to be bold for the proclamation of the Gospel and the need for salvation from sin. If men were created and redeemed to glorify God through leading their families, their churches, and their world to Christ, then it should be no surprise that men have been created and redeemed to lead the way in prayer. What is God’s remedy for a distracted life? It’s the sound doctrine of the Gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, that drives us to our knees in prayer, to receive as first importance the mercy and grace we, and the world, so desperately need. May His priorities be our primary provision to live for Him.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Many passages of Scripture address the theme of thanksgiving. Since all that we have is ultimately from the Lord, it is appropriate to give Him thanks and praise His name. Psalm 100, though brief, contains significant truth about the reasons believers should give thanks. As the Thanksgiving holiday is once again upon us, I thought this was a helpful theme to meditate on.

The psalm begins with a general call to worship in vv. 1-2. The three commands in these verses walk us through the believer’s expression of thanks. First, there is the call to “shout joyfully.” This is a term that is repeated throughout the Psalms and Isaiah (Ps. 66:1; 81:1; 95:1-2; 98:4, 6; 145:7; Isa. 44:23; 52:8-9; 65:14). It can refer to giving a shout for joy or blowing a loud sound through a horn.

Second, the psalmist commands God’s people to “serve the Lord with gladness.” Service to the Lord is a form of worship unto Him. Here, the psalmist’s thought is that any service offered to the Lord should be done in gladness. In Deuteronomy 28, God warns Israel against disobedience and tells her that if judgment comes upon her, it is because she did not serve Him with a glad heart (Deut. 28:47).

Third, the psalmist says that the people should come before God “with joyful singing.” This is a term that refers to a ringing cry, rather than a shout of triumph. Along with the other two terms, this also conveys a theme of joyfulness and gladness. The idea is that the one who trusts in God has every reason to rejoice, and that joy should be expressed to the Lord in worship of Him and in giving thanks.

The psalmist moves in v. 3 to speak of three reasons the believer has to be thankful. First, the believer can give thanks because of who God is. He writes, “Know that the Lord Himself is God.” As followers of Christ, we do not only praise Him for what He has done for us (though that is appropriate). We ought to give thanks also for who He is. The very fact that He is God and we are not warrants praise to Him. He is infinitely greater and better than we are. We praise Him and give thanks to Him because He alone is worthy of our praise.

A second reason is given in the phrase, “It is He who made us, and not we ourselves.” One of the proofs that He alone is God is that He is the giver of life. For all of eternity, God is set apart as Creator. Even though man is created in the image of God, we will never attain equality with God. There will always be a Creator/creature distinction. But we have reason to give thanks because He made us and gave us life. The fact that we live and move and have our being is because He created us and sustains us (cf. Acts 17:28).

The final reason the psalmist gives is that “we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” In other words, just as a shepherd cares for his flock, so our God cares for us. This is because He brings us into relationship with Him by His grace. Though in our sin we were enemies of God, Jesus Christ reconciled us to the Father by His atoning work on the cross. Though we were once enemies, now we are the people of God, brought into right relationship with Him. We celebrate this relationship when we give thanks to God. He not only brings us into relationship with Him, but He also sustains and cares for us as a demonstration of His deep love for us. For these reasons, the psalmist says we should express thanks to God.

He concludes once again with a call to worship, that as we come into the presence of God, we should do so first and foremost with a voice and attitude of thankfulness (v. 4). We have no place to come with a complaint or accusation. Because of God’s rich love for His people, we ought to bless His name. We do this because He is good, His lovingkindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness to all generations (v. 5).

by Pastor James Lee

This past summer, an SD brother asked me a thoughtful question, “Which is your favorite book outside of the Bible?” I responded that I have so many books I’m fond of, that it would be difficult for me to narrow them down to just one. Maybe that’s a “cop out” answer, but that’s genuinely how I feel. And this is coming from someone who throughout his pre-college days was greatly devoted to NOT reading. Reading for pleasure is not something that I understood. I only read when I had to for school – and even now I don’t remember much except a few parts of The Merchant of Venice and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The rest is a big blur, or found in those yellow Cliff Notes. My parents would buy me books each summer in the off chance that I might actually read them, only to realize the futility of their project. It wasn’t until I was an undergraduate being challenged with great questions from peers I evangelized on campus along with a new hunger for serving the Lord did I actually truly begin to read. And read I did. The summer between my freshman and sophomore years, I read about 30 Christian books. Mom and dad were witnessing something miraculous. Even today, when they visit my church study, my mom will say in Korean, “There is a God!”

Now I love to read, but now have less time to do so. I enjoy reading books of all kinds, not just Christian works, especially history. One that I recently read and recommend would be Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy… really, it’s good stuff! But prior to that, the only reading that I actually enjoyed was the Calvin & Hobbes comic strip, and C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series. Picking one favorite book back in the day would have been difficult for a different reason than today… I had none! Today, I would have favorites in certain subjects. And since then, I would have favorites at certain times in my life. But to choose one, and only one, I’d have to think a lot about that, and even then, I would be hard pressed to have a finalist. So instead, I offered to write a Beacon article to answer his question, but in the format of an autobiographical timeline of the impact of certain books. I hope it encourages each of us to read for our own edification, equipping, and encouragement, however it might specifically and uniquely take form. So dear brother, who will remain unnamed, I apologize for the tardiness of my article.

And let me add, as a quick caveat, that I’m thankful that there was a qualifier of “outside the Bible” because of the singular primacy of commitment we all share to The Book, to which everything else ought to be a distant second. It is a misguided practice to read a lot of Christian books, blogs, and biographies, but neglect a daily reading, meditation, and application of the Scriptures. This article I hope would promote a lot more direct Bible reading. I could not emphasize that enough. First, we need our daily bread. Jesus replied to Satan’s temptation in Matthew 4:4, “MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’” That too has to be our conviction. The original context of what Jesus quoted is found in Deuteronomy 8:3 when the Israelites are being addressed after 40 years in the wilderness, “He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.” God intentionally humbled them. God intentionally let them be hungry. Such mercy. Such love. Likewise, we need God’s Word like we need food, and our prayerful dependence on Him is like our need for oxygen. Being in the Word is like eating, and praying is like breathing. The apostles in Acts 6:4 demonstrated that priority to the “Word and prayer.”

Second, if one hasn’t read the entire Bible in its breadth from Genesis to Revelation, or isn’t still seeking to maintain that spiritual discipline, I would counsel one to start or restart there, or at least to do so concurrently. As David directed to the chief musician to lead our life’s singing in Psalm 19:10, “They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.” As Paul urged his young protégé in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” and 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Nevertheless, there is an immense value to the reading of solid Christian books insofar as they help us to more accurately understand the Word, thoughtfully apply the Word, and affectionately be equipped by the Word for worship and service. The old adage is that “leaders are readers”, and that should be evident among local church shepherds. But that aim and desire should, to varying degrees, also characterize our corporate pursuit of godliness. So I will share a list of books that have impacted me personally at various points in my life. I want to qualify my list though in a few ways:

• The list is not an authoritative list of the best books available. It is only kind of an autobiographical list of what I’ve read and how they are like sign posts along my discipleship – as a new believer, as an excited husband-to-be, as an anxious father, as a struggling pastor…
• The list tries to limit authors to once, or at most twice as well as subjects as much as possible – I like certain authors more, and I’m tempted to list certain subjects more, so this is my effort at curtailing repetition in both categories.
• The list does not reflect what I now view, or others might view as the best book on a subject – I think that is something you can ask others about, which is what I’m always trying to ask as well. I have opinions on that question, but with new books (even if just unread) always on the horizon, I’ll resist.
• This list doesn’t commend everything the author or book teaches as there has been theological development in my life – books are listed for their personal impact at certain times in my life.
• This list is probably missing something – I’m just eyeing my library and making quick assessments, and even then, it’s mild torture to have to leave off so many favorites.
• This list leans a bit heavy towards my pastoral ministry – I would suggest other titles depending on each person’s needs and where they are at, so it’s wise to get counsel from others.
• This list has a variety – some are simple and short, others long and weighty, but I have my own strange reasons for including or not including some books… I may plead the 5th when asked.

Here are 40 books that impacted me to keep trusting Him who is trustworthy…

1. More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell – one of the first little books that I read as a new believer
2. Trusting God by Jerry Bridges – one of my all-time favorites, and this one I’ve read again and again
3. Harvest by Chuck Smith – these testimonies gave me hope as a shy man that God could use even me
4. The Gospel According to Jesus by John MacArthur – I read this that incredible summer of reading based on the recommendation of my small group leader – it affirmed truths for me like few have
5. Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Roland Bainton – this was an assignment in my college history class that affected me deeply, and once more as an assignment in seminary!
6. Competent to Counsel by Jay Adams – this book by the “Martin Luther” of the biblical counseling reformation was pivotal in grounding my commitment to the sufficiency of Scripture
7. Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret by Taylors – I was forever exhorted to missions during my college years by this and it has stood as a convicting testimony behind every mission trip I’ve been on
8. The Lost Art of Disciplemaking by Leroy Eims – as I was being mentored to mentor younger believers with the Navigators during college, I found practical encouragement here at the time
9. Power Through Prayer by E.M. Bounds – encouraged me to a thoughtful prayer life that I struggled to consistently have
10. Knowing God by J.I. Packer – started and struggled to get through this book in college, but it threw the doors off at the beginning of seminary
11. Essential Truths of the Christian Faith by R.C. Sproul – I don’t agree with everything, but I always find his explanations concise, cogent, and careful, and this book of short chapters lit a fire in my soul
12. Found: God’s Will by John MacArthur – I read this little paperback in my school library while I was struggling terribly with the very question, but left feeling freed to live joyfully for God’s glory
13. Tell the Truth by Will Metzger – still to me is the best, not shortest, book on personal evangelism
14. Selling Out the Church: The Dangers of Church Marketing by Philip Kenneson & James Street – this helped me stay the course while many of my friends went to the seeker sensitive model in the 90s
15. Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders – a classic work that is on this list because it was my first
16. Always Ready by Greg Bahnsen – as Van Til was difficult for me, this helped me navigate presuppositional apologetics when most of my training was from an evidentialist perspective
17. Life in the Father’s House by Wayne Mack & David Swavely – there might be better titles on the matter of church membership, but this was nostalgically the first one in a happy line of them for me
18. Thoughts for Young Men by J.C. Ryle – after I read this little book as a single man, I remember buying a few dozen copies and giving them out to all the brothers in my church
19. Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper – there might be more important titles of his I read, but I chose this for the way it challenged me and convicted me as a young churchplanter almost 15 years ago
20. Liberating Ministry From the Success Syndrome by Kent Hughes – this remains equal encouragement to remain faithful and equal admonition against pastoral envy – I needed this at a ministry low point
21. When People Are Big and God is Small by Edward Welch – I struggled growing up with a painful shyness and still struggle with a self-focus fearing man and caring too much what people think. This book helped me in tremendously in that struggle.
22. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney – with so many great titles on Christian living, this was one that helped bear more fruit in my life than many others
23. The Peacemaker by Ken Sande – my biblical counseling mentor George Scipione urged me to read this as I was taking nouthetic counseling classes with him just after graduating seminary, and it became the first bible study I ever led in my first full-time pastorate influencing my ministry ever since
24. The Godly Man’s Picture by Thomas Watson – probably my favorite Puritan writer and title, but reading him launched me into a growing appreciation and reading of other Puritans
25. The Supremacy of God in Preaching by John Piper – there are many books in this category, but when I see this in my library, it makes me both want to preach and to preach to the glory of God
26. Lectures to My Students by Charles Spurgeon – raw, eloquent, and immensely practical lessons from the “prince of preachers” himself to someone who still has so much to learn
27. Leading With Love by Alexander Strauch – one of my all-time favorite books, the one I tend to give to every young man I meet about to enter seminary or just starting out in ministry
28. Revival & Revivalism by Ian Murray – I try to read as many books of Murray as I can, as I love reading history in general, but this was the one that started me on that journey with him
29. Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp – when I was still a single senior pastor, I read this to equip myself to serve new parents in the church, then I reread it when Sandy was pregnant with Toby
30. The Complete Husband by Lou Priolo – there are so many wonderful marriage books I’ve read and yet to read, but this left me in tears of repentance and with a renewed desire to love my wife
31. Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor by D.A. Carson – the story of a famous son’s less well-known father hit home deeply with me, lifted my spirits in a discouraging time, and shaped a more biblical perspective
32. Sinners in the Hands of a Good God by David Clotfelter – when John MacArthur said get it at Shepherds Conference, I read it and been giving it to every Arminian brother or sister ever since
33. Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller – this confronted the many idols of my heart and gave me hope
34. Church Planting is For Wimps by Mike McKinley – this book fit me to a tee and still does
35. A Gospel Primer for Christians by Milton Vincent – love this book so much that it’s required reading for our FOF class (no, he’s not one of those Puritan paperback authors)
36. Adopted for Life by Russell Moore – when Sandy and I were getting serious in our dating relationship, I asked her if she was open to adopting a child. This book not only encouraged us to fulfill that shared desire, it gave us a deeper appreciation of the gospel and our own amazing status as His children
37. William Tyndale: A Biography by David Daniell – I have done a biographical teaching around every Reformation Day for the last several years, this was one of the most powerful lives I read
38. Thoughts on Family Worship by J.W. Alexander – the older works of centuries ago still prove to be the best. Even when the newest and greatest have come on the scene, this is one of them for me
39. The Hole in Our Holiness by Kevin DeYoung – I appreciated this loving and thoughtful response to the dangers of the hyper-grace movement, just as J.C. Ryle had to similarly respond to in the past
40. Dangerous Calling by Paul David Tripp – convicting and challenging then, and one I think would be both needful and helpful for me to reread

I apologize for not limiting myself enough, but I hope all of the above would encourage you to read or continue to read. I left off many books that I would recommend over what I listed, but they reflect the titles which were significant at certain times in my life. If the circumstances were different, the list would probably be different. How about you? Which books would you list? Why? I invite you to share with and ask others.

When Paul was in a Roman dungeon expecting eventual execution, he instructed in 2 Timothy 4:13, “When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.” If I was Paul, I might ask for some decent food, or to pull some strings and get me out of here!” But Paul asks him for warm clothing and to bring him… books! When a guy is on death row, he wants his soul fed!

If I had to answer one of those cliché questions about which 5 books I would want on a desert island, I might answer (1) MacArthur Study Bible (2) Sound Systematic Theology (3) A Christian Directory by Richard Baxter because it’s great biblical counseling material and really long (4) A Hymnal, and let’s be practical (5) a book on surviving on a desert island! But the real challenge is that we don’t have all this time to sit on the beach to read. For me, I’m preparing sermons, Bible studies, counseling, visiting the hospital, fixing the printer, etc. Then at home, I’m fixing the broken faucet, going to the kids’ school play, trying to have a date night with my wife. And your own life is really no different, and the last thing we think we have time to do is read, right?

Dave Harvey exhorts us:

When we read and study, it expresses our commitment to godly discipleship. One of the first things I remember learning as a new believer was that the Greek word for ‘disciple’ (mathetes) literally means ‘learner’. To be called to Christ is to be called to learn, grow, and develop, so that we may learn to live in a manner worthy of the gospel (Ephesians 4:1)… We don’t merely read good books, we befriend them. We open our mind to them and grant the gift of influence. As friends, books feed us. It’s what makes them potent. It’s what’s makes them valuable. Just like they were for Paul… I can’t begin to recount how much reading good books has affected me. It’s not possible to quantify how my companionship with the messages of Charles Spurgeon has lifted me in dark moments of discouragement, or how Thomas Watson has armed me to fight for contentment, or how John Piper has pushed me to treasure God until my last dying breath. As good companions, books feed the soul and expand the mind. They help prevent ministry-lite, which is leadership based upon impulses, impressions, intuitions, and instincts.

Dear fellow disciples, let’s read!