Weekly Links (6/26/2015)

In a world without God, there are still many questions that need answering: how do we define good and bad; what is the basis for morality; what is the meaning of our lives; how do we deal with suffering, etc? Everyone thinks about these questions at some level. So you don’t have to speak with an atheist for very long to discover that there is a wide range of doctrines and beliefs to which most of them subscribe— even though they may hotly deny it! (David Robertson, Engaging with Atheists: Understanding their world; sharing good news)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! It’s been a busy week, to say the least, so I hope this week’s links will be a means to re-calibrate our commitments to Christ and His church!

  • Jay Adams makes a simple, but overlooked, observation, that the church must fight against error creeping in. Why? Well, it’s a theme that’s present in every New Testament book.
  • When discussing the issue of so-called gay marriage, Christians need to learn to engage the conversation seasoned with salt, but how can we do that? Christopher Yuan, professor at Moody Bible Institute, who knows the struggle of same-sex attraction firsthand, was recently interviewed. He has been a faithful and compassionate evangelical voice on this issue in the past few years, and we would do well to heed his advice.
  • If you have recently seen the new Pixar film Inside Out or plan on watching it, have you considered it an opportunity to discuss the role of emotions with your kids? If you’re not sure where to start, TGC gives some pointers, as does Ken Sande, author of The Peacemaker. Dan DeWitt, however, gets the worldview correct, which isn’t as positive as you may think. If you’re hoping to continue to have conversations with your kids, or would want to bring a Christian perspective to the movies your family, friends, and/or co-workers watch, you’ll want to bookmark this post.
  • When asked if so-called gay marriage hurts anyone, there are at least 15 reasons to consider. Denny Burk, who thinks, as do many, that the Supreme Court will legalize so-called gay marriage, points to a new-ish resource, which has been newly revised by ERLC and ADF, on how churches can protect themselves from lawsuits for their stand on marriage. Are you prepared for what’s to come?
  • Over at Dr. Greg Harris’ blog, a call to remove the battle lines between stay-at-home moms and working moms has been sounded. Will we listen to that call?
  • In honoring the life of Elisabeth Elliot, Ligonier Ministries has now made available her video series, Suffering is Not for Nothing. This looks to be a very valuable resource at the best price available: free!
  • With the upcoming missions trip to the Czech Republic (please remember to pray for the team!), opportunities to speak truth in love to unbelievers and believers will abound. It’s helpful to be reminded of the fact that Scripture gives counsel sufficient for every person in every culture. What a gracious God we serve!
  • In line with the Czech trip, one of the biggest religious groups in the Czech Republic are Catholics. As a resource for the team, as well as those who have regular interaction with Catholics, how do we tell them the Gospel faithfully? Recently, Chris Castaldo was interviewed about his new book on the subject. Don’t miss out on Gregg Allison’s interview, linked in the same post, on an evangelical assessment of Roman Catholic theology.

That’s all for this week! Please pray for the joint Bible study with three out of the four affinity groups tonight, as well as the finishing of VBS, and the Czech sendoff next week! See you all on Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria

SWOT Analysis

Editor’s Note: This article highlights the main points of Roger’s last sermon as the College Life coordinator. You can listen to the full message here. 

by Roger Alcaraz

The end of the school year presents us an opportunity to consider this past year as it relates to College Life and evaluate what we did well or not well and then to consider the years ahead of us. To do so, I’ll be using SWOT analysis, which stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. And while I could see myself writing endlessly, I’ve chosen only to highlight one area from each category. This evaluation will be of the ministry as a whole, so don’t be upset if you feel like it doesn’t describe you as an individual.

Strength: A Deep Love for God and People

Now this is the part of the article where I just brag about you, so just sit back and get ready to have your ears tickled as I shower you with praise. In short, I am glad that if there is any strength in this ministry, it’s in the area of love because it follows the two greatest commands in scripture.

If you’re a member here you should be able to guess where I’m turning for this one, but in Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus teaches that every command in Scripture falls under the umbrellas of loving God or loving your neighbor as yourself. Furthermore, one verb connects the two commands: to love. If all of the commands we’ve been given came down to one word, that word would be “Love!”

We have a Facebook group that I get excited about because what was originally intended to be a place where people socialize, College Life has redeemed it into a place where people volunteer to serve others. There are people offering others rides. People cooking for others. When new people post that they want to get to know others, they get 10 responses immediately. I remember one time I posted that my wife and I would be on campus and asked if anyone would be willing to buy us dinner. I was so confident that someone was going to buy us dinner that we left our house before even getting a response. And not to our surprise, we were fed that night by a generous collegian.

But it’s more than caring for each other’s spiritual needs: you care for one another’s souls. I love hearing of all the events that the students organize on their own to have a time of prayer and accountability with one another, and how there’s a real intention to build each other up whenever possible. This is something I hope continues and maybe it’ll take on different forms but I hope the heart behind it stays the same.

Weakness: Integration with the Rest of the Church

Titus 2 talks about older men and older women of the church and how they are to lead by example and instruct those who are younger. I got to wondering, what was the age gap between these old men and women and the young ones?

We can’t say with absolute precision, but the word use for older men and women is presbetes which literally means “one who is advanced in years.” So these aren’t just men and women who are older, but these are people who are innately old, apart from any reference point. Thus, these are presumably men and women who are much older, especially since the “young women” in verse 4 are said to have a husband and children. I don’t think I (as a 27 year-old) would have been lumped into the older men category.

Yet the paradigm for ministry in the church is that older, and presumably more mature, teaches the younger. It’s not enough to learn from someone who is ahead in the race by a few steps. You need to learn from the one who’s laps ahead of you.

Collegians always have questions about dating and you get the opinion of other collegians, but why not talk to people who’ve been through it, and have already considered the necessary principles, and can also tell you of the trials and temptations that lie ahead of you? I know it’s your desire to be integrated with the rest of the church because every time we have an event where an opportunity arises to go to another member’s home, you jump at the chance. But what I don’t want to see is you needing an organized program in order to get you to do it.

What I want to see is you building relationships with those older in the church so that you could learn from them and also be able to serve them. Even if you don’t know them yet, get to know them. Some ways to do this may be taking them out for a meal, spending an afternoon with them, or conversing with them after church service.

Opportunity: Newcomers

In Romans 16:1-2, Paul writes about someone who was transferring to the church of Rome and gives instruction concerning this newcomer. The first is that they welcome her in a way worthy of the saints. This means as newcomers arrive, you ought to receive them as you would your own brother or sister so that they can instantly feel loved.

And not only that, Paul instructed the church to help this newcomer in whatever need they had. What we don’t see is a waiting period in the church for a fellow believer to be included and cared for. This is something I see you all doing well which is why it’s in the opportunity section. But it’s something that you’re going to have to keep doing because there will always be someone new to extend love to.

Even if they’re not a believer, love still has to be extended. If there is one primary reason why people stop coming to church, I would say it’s because they don’t feel loved when they come in. And some of the blame might be on them if they avoid people and don’t give others much of a chance to love them. But all the more, you need to be watchful over that because that is an opportunity to help someone be part of the flock of God.

Threat: People Falling through the Cracks

It used to be that if there were someone missing from College Life, it was easily noticeable. It’s gotten a lot harder since then because the group is bigger than ever. And I suspect the problem will only get worse.

I remember one time I came to Bible study late. This was while I was in college and I thought nobody would notice. After all, what’s one guy missing? I snuck in after Bible study, but then someone noticed I wasn’t there the whole time and asked me, “Where were you?”

The truth was that I didn’t want to be at church. Even as a believer, there were times when I was deeply grieved by my own sin and circumstances, and I didn’t feel like faking a smile.

There can be a sense that if you attend Lighthouse, you have to be doing well, otherwise you’re in the wrong place. And so people put up walls, and they put on a face to make it look like everything’s okay. For some people, they leave Lighthouse because they’re hurting, and when they come to church, the pain only worsens because they feel they have to hide their struggles. Instead of feeling like church is a like a hospital for the broken, they see church as wax museum of happy faces.

The danger for us is that College Life will be a place where the broken and hurting feel they don’t belong. As the ministry grows, it’s going to be harder to detect who’s hurting. My final encouragement to you is to be intentional in your relationships so that no one falls through the cracks.

The Paradox of Trials and Testing

by Pastor Mark Chin

Sometime during the latter half of the first century AD, decades after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote a letter to encourage and advise Christians who were suffering increasing persecution for their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. That letter is the Epistle of 1 Peter and it has much to say about testing and trials.

In the opening section of this letter, Peter presents one of the great realities of the Christian life. Contrary to the heresy of many alleged Christians and prosperity gospel proponents who sell the lie that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the ticket to your best life now, the Apostle Peter affirms the reality that the new life in Christ is frequently (one might add characteristically) beset by trials, tests, and suffering in this world.

Furthermore, those trials, tests, and suffering bring genuine distress, grief, and pain even as noted in 1:6 “you have been distressed by various trials …”

Yet how often are we shocked or disappointed when a believer we know suffers under trial, openly expressing grief and distress? How often are we surprised or upset when the test God has sovereignly placed in our lives is hard? How often do the questions rush through our head, “Why is this happening to me?” “Why is this so hard?”

The lies we battle with, of course, are that somehow if I’m a good Christian or have enough faith, I should be exempt from suffering, pain, loneliness, and adversity. And if trials do come, somehow the Gospel should allow me to float through those trials as if I was numbed out on Valium or Percocet – not having to feel any distress, grief, or pain.

Peter, in his letter, offers no such lies to those Christians who are suffering increasing persecution in the early church. What he does is put our trials and distress in a Gospel perspective. Though trials and distress are real, even as they were for Christ on the cross, they are temporary, not eternal. They are part of God’s sovereign plan of love for our lives. Unlike the trials and distress of unbelievers, for the child of God, trials are accompanied by a supernatural joy. I do not say replaced – but accompanied. This is the paradox of the cross – the paradox of the Christian life – sorrow accompanied by joy.

What is the source of that joy? It is the revelation of God’s gift of grace – genuine faith. Peter in 1:7 informs us that testing by God reveals in the true child of God undeniable proof of genuine faith – a faith more precious than gold, a faith which will result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Loneliness, pain, discomfort, hardship – no one wants or longs for these things. But as people begin to see evidence of a love for Christ and the fruit of the Spirit in the face of such things – the proof and assurance of a genuine faith in Christ will bring us joy and will cause all those who are watching to marvel at the grace of God in our lives.

I Pray Not That Thou Shouldst Take Them Out Of The World

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

John 17:15

It is a sweet and blessed event which will occur to all believers in God’s own time-the going home to be with Jesus. In a few more years the Lord’s soldiers, who are now fighting ‘the good fight of faith’ will have done with conflict, and have entered into the joy of their Lord. But although Christ prays that His people may eventually be with Him where He is, He does not ask that they may be taken at once away from this world to heaven. He wishes them to stay here.

Yet how frequently does the wearied pilgrim put up the prayer, ‘O that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away and be at rest;’ but Christ does not pray like that, He leaves us in His Father’s hands, until, like shocks of corn fully ripe, we shall each be gathered into our Master’s garner. Jesus does not plead for our instant removal by death, for to abide in the flesh is needful for others if not profitable for ourselves. He asks that we may be kept from evil, but He never asks for us to be admitted to the inheritance in glory till we are of full age. Christians often want to die when they have any trouble. Ask them why, and they tell you, ‘Because we would be with the Lord.’ We fear it is not so much because they are longing to be with the Lord, as because they desire to get rid of their troubles; else they would feel the same wish to die at other times when not under the pressure of trial. They want to go home, not so much for the Saviour’s company, as to be at rest.

Now it is quite right to desire to depart if we can do it in the same spirit that Paul did, because to be with Christ is far better, but the wish to escape from trouble is a selfish one. Rather let your care and wish be to glorify God by your life here as long as He pleases, even though it be in the midst of toil, and conflict, and suffering, and leave Him to say when ‘it is enough.’

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Weekly Links (6/19/2015)

But it is always possible to be thankful for what is given rather than to complain about what is not given. One or the other becomes a habit of life. (Elisabeth Elliot)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! Links abound, so get ready to do some major clicking!

That’s all for this week! Please be in prayer for the graduating youth and their families as we celebrate their transitions into the next stage of life, and look forward to seeing you on Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria

Lumos Update: New Ministry Coordinator – Johnny Kim

by Josh Liu

There are some major changes taking place at Lighthouse. We hope that these prospective transitions will further improve our effectiveness and faithfulness in ministry. One such transition is that Johnny Kim will become the Lumos youth ministry coordinator. I am personally excited for Johnny to lead Lumos. I have asked him to answer a few questions so that you can get a head start on getting to know him!

Describe yourself and your family (e.g. occupation, ministry, etc.).

I was born and raised in San Diego by Christian parents and attended church my entire life. I went to college in Arizona where I graduated with an aerospace engineering degree, then came back to San Diego where I have been ever since. I am married to my lovely wife Mimi and together we have two boys, Matthew and Philip. By day, I work as an aerospace engineer, but in the evenings and on the weekends, I spend my time ministering to my family and to the church. I currently serve as an elder in the church and most recently had the privilege of leading the Single Life Ministry. I became a member at Lighthouse in 2007 and ever since then, I have been continually blessed to be part of a God-fearing, Bible-believing church family.

How did God save you?

God saved me through a gradual process by which He revealed to me the truth of the Gospel through faithful Christian parents and through the church. While growing up, I had plenty of opportunities to witness my parents demonstrate what it meant to live a Christian life by the way they sacrificed for one another, our family, and by the way they served the church. In church, I had the opportunity to learn more about God and His Word through Sunday School and later on in youth group. After several youth group messages, bible studies, and retreats, it was sometime in early high school that I realized that the Holy Spirit was gradually changing my heart to desire to live for Christ. One day I just realized that I had an overwhelming desire to submit my entire life to Him. While I can’t pinpoint an exact time or moment for my conversion, it was during my time in youth group that I remember being able to feel and know the assurance and certainty of my salvation.

How did you meet Mimi?

Mimi attended the same church that I attended prior to coming to Lighthouse. Long story short, we started dating when she started college in 2005. Four years later, she received a diploma from her school and an engagement ring from me and we were married in the Fall. Today, I am constantly reminded of God’s grace through a forgiving, understanding, and sacrificial wife in Mimi. I am extremely grateful and blessed to have found a partner and best friend in her for life and for ministry.

What are your favorite hobbies?

My favorite hobbies include spending time with people, pretending to like playing sports, and eating the cheapest and most filling food I can get my hands on.

If you could have any super power, what would it be and why?

Initially, I am tempted to say that I would want the power to fly. But upon further consideration, I realize that would probably be a waste. In 20 years or so, flying cars could very well become mainstream and then I would look like a fool, flying around with my super power while everyone else around me is flying around in the comfort of their flying cars. Kind of like if you saw someone today running down the middle of the freeway in the midst of speeding cars. Anyway, I would probably just give up flying and just give in and eventually buy myself a flying car so I could finally fly around with air conditioning, heating, and cupholders. And whenever I get stuck in sky traffic, I’m sure I’ll be daydreaming and wishing I had the super power of teleportation. So yeah, never mind about flying. I would want to have the super power of teleportation.

Describe your youth ministry serving experience.

After I graduated high school and left for college, I had the opportunity during summer breaks to come back and help serve on staff for the youth ministry at my previous church. Even though it was just for the summer, I enjoyed spending the short time investing in youth and being a source of encouragement and guidance for them. After I graduated college, I was finally able to join the youth staff year round. As a single working adult with time and now money, serving in the youth ministry seemed to be a perfect fit. I enjoyed simply spending time with youth, treating them to meals, and listening to the things going on in their life. It was rewarding being able to witness youth turning their lives over to Christ and also humbling to be used by God to help them understand what it meant to submit to Christ’s lordship. In the end, it was a joy to be able to serve the same youth ministry that had been such an important instrument that God used for my own life.

What was your favorite memory/experience from your own youth group?

My favorite memory/experience from when I was in youth group were the times when I would spend all day at church together with my youth group friends. There were many Saturdays and Sundays, and even some weekdays during the summer, when we would just hang out at church from morning until evening. It seemed at the time that it really didn’t matter for us what there was to do or what event was going on at church so long as we were together. The close relationships that we shared made for much more meaningful experiences when we would hear the Gospel together, learn the Bible together, and serve on missions together.

What are you most excited for in serving in Lumos?

I am most excited to be able to come alongside parents to help shepherd and disciple their youth age children. I am excited at the prospect that I might have the chance to see up close their hearts turning away from the world and toward Christ. I am also excited to be playing even the smallest role in helping to establish and strengthen a youth ministry that God-willing my own children will be a part of someday!

LBC SPARK – June 17, 2015

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear LBC family and friends,

It’s been a little while since the last SPARK, and much has happened in the life of the church! Our students have finished another year of school and we recently celebrated with our middle school, high school, college, and grad school graduates! Lots of babies are being born (so many that it has been difficult to keep up)! On Sundays, we finally wrapped up chapter 1 of Titus! With summer coming around, the affinity groups are slowly winding down, Sunday school classes are taking a break, flocks have ended, and the summer missions team is getting ready to depart. It is an exciting time of the year and there is much to communicate, so please read through the opportunities for ministry below carefully.

On a completely different note, don’t forget that this Sunday is Father’s Day! If possible, please take some time to appreciate your father this weekend by writing a note of encouragement or making a phone call. Also, don’t forget about all the dads (physical or spiritual) in the church that care for our souls!

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

  1. Midweek Bible Studies. Grace Life, College Life, Lumos and LKC are done for this term, but the singles Bible study will meet on Wednesday at 6:30pm tomorrow (6/17) and next week (6/24).
  2. Youth/College/Singles Bible Study. Beginning on Friday, June 26, the youth, college, and singles will have a combined Bible study for the summer on Fridays at 7pm.
  3. VBS. Please pray for our upcoming Vacation Bible School! This is going to be a great time of fun and learning for our kids. VBS dates are June 22-26.
  4. Lumos Grad Night. Please come out this Saturday, June 20, at 5:30pm for our youth ministry’s grad night. The entire church is invited to celebrate the lives of our youth and recognize those who have completed middle and high school. Let’s show our youth our support and love them by fellowshipping with them. The cost is only $5/person (children 0-12 are free). You can RSVP with Cesar Vigil-Ruiz.
  5. Czech Missions. Our summer missions team will be heading to the Czech Republic from July 1-18. Please be in prayer for the team as they finish up preparations and fund raising. If you are planning to give to the team, please make checks out to “Lighthouse Bible Church” and submit payments by this weekend if possible. We are trying to finalize plans and it would be greatly helpful to have all our support in by then.
  6. Pastors Fellowship. On June 23-26, the pastors of LBCOC and LBCLA and their families will be coming to San Diego for a time of fellowship and refreshment. It is difficult to explain how much of a toll ministry can take on a pastor and his family and so times like this are extremely helpful. I know that besides regular giving, we are also currently raising funds for missions, but if you would like to help sponsor this time for these pastors and their families, our desire is to make it an encouraging and enjoyable time for their families. If you want to know how you might be able to help out, please contact Pastor Patrick.
  7. Grace Life Parenting Conference. “Teach Them Diligently” is the theme for this year’s Grace Life weekend conference and it will center on the theme of parenting. The dates for the conference are July 31 to August 2. Our speakers are Dr. Ernie Baker and his wife Rose. Dr. Baker serves on the staff of The Master’s College and is also a certified biblical counselor and part of Peacemaker Ministries. He and Rose have six children so they are quite experienced when it comes to raising children! The cost for the weekend is $75/person or $150/couple. This cost includes a delicious lunch and dinner on Saturday, August 1. Signups will begin this Sunday! This is a great opportunity to grow in your understanding of biblical parenting. You won’t want to miss out! Please also invite your friends from other churches to join us for this time!

I Am The Rose Of Sharon

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Song of Solomon 2:1

Whatever there may be of beauty in the material world, Jesus Christ possesses all that in the spiritual world in a tenfold degree. Amongst flowers the rose is deemed the sweetest, but Jesus is infinitely more beautiful in the garden of the soul than the rose can in the gardens of earth. He takes the first place as the fairest among ten thousand. He is the sun, and all others are the stars; the heavens and the day are dark in comparison with Him, for the King in His beauty transcends all.

  • ‘I am the rose of Sharon.’ This was the best and rarest of roses. Jesus is not ‘the rose’ alone, He is ‘the rose of Sharon,’ just as He calls His righteousness ‘gold,’ and then adds, ‘the gold of Ophir’-the best of the best. He is positively lovely, and superlatively the loveliest.
  • There is variety in His charms. The rose is delightful to the eye, and its scent is pleasant and refreshing; so each of the senses of the soul, whether it be the taste or feeling, the hearing, the sight, or the spiritual smell, finds appropriate gratification in Jesus.
  • Even the recollection of His love is sweet. Take the rose of Sharon, and pull it leaf from leaf, and lay by the leaves in the jar of memory, and you shall find each leaf fragrant long afterwards, filling the house with perfume.
  • Christ satisfies the highest taste of the most educated spirit to the very full. The greatest amateur in perfumes is quite satisfied with the rose: and when the soul has arrived at her highest pitch of true taste, she shall still be content with Christ, nay, she shall be the better able to appreciate Him. Heaven itself possesses nothing which excels the rose of Sharon.

What emblem can fully set forth His beauty? Human speech and earth-born things fail to tell of Him. Earth’s choicest charms commingled, feebly picture His abounding preciousness. Blessed rose, bloom in my heart for ever!

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