An Introduction to a Biblical Philosophy of Youth Ministry

by Josh Liu

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” (2 Timothy 4:1-2)

In my experience and observations, many church ministries, most often youth ministries, seem to be solicited with “new” and “improved” ministry models, entertainment activities, youth development insights, and/or suggestions of how to deepen connection or community with youth. These are not intrinsically evil or wrong, but they often become the driving force of ministry, by which everything else is subjected to. Granted, we ought to continually examine our ministries. Yet the standard by which we examine our ministries is Scripture–the inspired, inerrant, totally sufficient Word of God (cf. 2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:3, 16-21). God has not left it to man to decide how the goals of the church be carried out (cf. 1 Thess. 2:3-4; Titus 2:1).

According to Scripture, a priority of the Church is to glorify God by making disciples of Christ by going, baptizing, and teaching the whole counsel of God’s Word (Matt. 28:18-20; cf. Acts 14:21-23). In the spirit of that mission, Lumos youth ministry exists to glorify God in the lives of youth adults in the San Diego community by partnering with parents in the discipleship of their children, which is carried out through preaching and teaching God’s Word, and fellowship with and mentoring by older godly men and women. We do not attempt to mask Bible studies with entertaining activities, sentimental or emotion-inducing singing or setup, or prolific opportunities to get youth to “just do something” in the church. The focal point of Lumos is the preaching, teaching, and counseling through God’s Word.

Thus, this year’s Friday night youth Bible studies will be going through the Book of Romans expositionally (verse by verse). We also have been using the Navigator’s Topical Memory System list of verses with a desire to make Scripture memorization a vital spiritual discipline. Some of those verses are examples of prooftexting (interpreting and applying a verse without regard to its context and author’s intended meaning). As we memorize a verse each week, we study them in their respective context. During Sunday school hour on Sundays, we will be going through hermeneutics training and topical series (e.g. Old Testament/New Testament survey, Jesus’ parables). As you can see, we seek to preach the Word; to reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. Lumos is not defined by its activities, perceived comfort of “community,” praise band, appeasement of parents, and so on. We truly believe Scripture, that God works through His Word and the proclamation of His gospel (cf. Is. 55:11; Mark 4:14-20, 26-29; Rom. 1:16-17; 10:14-16; 2 Tim. 3:15), and that He receives most glory through the ministry His Word (cf. 1 Pet. 4:11).

Church, we encourage you to actively participate in the ministry of prayer and God’s Word toward one another, including the youth in our churches.

All They That See Me Laugh Me To Scorn…

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Psalm 22:7

Mockery was a great ingredient in our Lord’s woe. Judas mocked Him in the garden; the chief priests and scribes laughed Him to scorn; Herod set Him at nought; the servants and the soldiers jeered at Him, and brutally insulted Him; Pilate and his guards ridiculed His royalty; and on the tree all sorts of horrid jests and hideous taunts were hurled at Him. Ridicule is always hard to bear, but when we are in intense pain it is so heartless, so cruel, that it cuts us to the quick.

Imagine the Saviour crucified, racked with anguish far beyond all mortal guess, and then picture that motley multitude, all wagging their heads or thrusting out the lip in bitterest contempt of one poor suffering victim! Surely there must have been something more in the crucified One than they could see, or else such a great and mingled crowd would not unanimously have honoured Him with such contempt. Was it not evil confessing, in the very moment of its greatest apparent triumph, that after all it could do no more than mock at that victorious goodness which was then reigning on the cross?

O Jesus, ‘despised and rejected of men,’ how couldst Thou die for men who treated Thee so ill? Herein is love amazing, love divine, yea, love beyond degree. We, too, have despised Thee in the days of our unregeneracy, and even since our new birth we have set the world on high in our hearts, and yet Thou bleedest to heal our wounds, and diest to give us life. O that we could set Thee on a glorious high throne in all men’s hearts! We would ring out Thy praises over land and sea till men should as universally adore as once they did unanimously reject.

Thy creatures wrong Thee, O Thou sovereign Good!
Thou art not loved, because not understood:
This grieves me most, that vain pursuits beguile
Ungrateful men, regardless of Thy smile.

4.14a

Weekly Links (9/26/2014)

Nothing renders us so like unto God as our love unto Jesus Christ, for he is the principle object of his love; in him doth his soul rest, in him he is always well pleased. (John Owen, quoted in Show Them Jesus by Jack Klumpenhower, Kindle Locations 380-382)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! The weekend is fast approaching, so let’s jump right in!

  • Can men and women be friends? You would think that the answer would be obvious, but apparently not. Jen Wilkin writes about the necessity of men and women being friends, especially at church. I’d invite you to read and consider your current circle of friends: does it include both genders, or just one?
  • If you’ve ever been interested in learning New Testament Greek, this post lists a couple suggestions that are available for free, and may actually help you in your pursuit of knowing Christ more by studying the language in which the New Testament was written. (FYI, this may require you to purchase David Alan Black’s Learning to Read New Testament Greek, which is one of the required readings in New Testament Greek at The Master’s Seminary).
  • How come our evangelism doesn’t work? Jonathan Dodson gives two very big reasons, which I hope we all would heed. Leon Brown gives a corollary post that emphasizes wearing Christianity on your sleeve.
  • Though this was back in June, the Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship held a conference addressing how to deal with your past. One message that was highlighted this week was Pastor Steve Viars’ message “Handling Evangelism Opportunities in Counseling.” Make sure you check out the first link to find the handout that accompanied this message, as well as the other messages for your benefit.
  • R.C. Sproul gives some necessary words of wisdom that was generally assumed a generation ago as he answers the question, “Is Marriage ‘Just a Piece of Paper’?”
  • I would consider this the highlight article of the week: a biblical perspective on encouragement. Have you used that word recently (in conversation, in an email, in a text)? Read this article to test your understanding and learn some practical ways of encouraging the church. Hoping to see an overabundance of notes in the encouragement box this coming Sunday. =)
  • Robert Kellemen reminds us that growth in grace is done through the church, not apart from it.

That’s all for this week! Looking forward to learning more about finances this weekend from Jim Rickard! Hope to see you all there!

Soli Deo Gloria

2014 CZ Missions Report

by Stephen Rodgers

If you had an opportunity to come to one of the three Missions Report Nights that were recently held, the 2014 CZ Team wanted to thank you for your support. And while we hope that you enjoyed hearing about how God’s working in the Czech Republic, we realize that a single presentation might not answer all your questions.

So, we’ve put together a booklet to help describe in even more detail the events of the 2014 trip, as well as the thoughts and reactions of various team members. We hope that you’ll enjoy it, and thank you once more for all your love and support.

And He Shall Put His Hand Upon The Head Of The Burnt-Offering…

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Leviticus 1:4

Our Lord’s being made ‘sin for us’ is set forth here by the very significant transfer of sin to the bullock, which was made by the elders of the people. The laying of the hand was not a mere touch of contact, for in some other places of Scripture the original word has the meaning of leaning heavily, as in the expression, ‘Thy wrath lieth hard upon me’ (Psalm 88:7). Surely this is the very essence and nature of faith, which doth not only bring us into contact with the great Substitute, but teaches us to lean upon Him with all the burden of our guilt. Jehovah made to meet upon the head of the Substitute all the offences of His covenant people, but each one of the chosen is brought personally to ratify this solemn covenant act, when by grace he is enabled by faith to lay his hand upon the head of the ‘Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world.’

Believer, do you remember that rapturous day when you first realized pardon through Jesus the sin-bearer? Can you not make glad confession, and join with the writer in saying, ‘My soul recalls her day of deliverance with delight. Laden with guilt and full of fears, I saw my Saviour as my Substitute, and I laid my hand upon Him; oh! how timidly at first, but courage grew and confidence was confirmed until I leaned my soul entirely upon Him; and now it is my unceasing joy to know that my sins are no longer imputed to me, but laid on Him, and like the debts of the wounded traveller, Jesus, like the good Samaritan, has said of all my future sinfulness, ‘Set that to My account.” Blessed discovery! Eternal solace of a grateful heart!

‘My numerous sins transferr’d to Him,
Shall never more be found,
Lost in His blood’s atoning stream,
Where every crime is drown’d!’

4.13p

Weekly Links (9/19/2014)

Truly biblical friendship is embodied in the Trinity, empowered by Jesus Christ, and intended as a spiritual discipline among God’s people for the purpose of glorifying him. This is the heart of the matter— not hobbies and horticulture, sports and scrapbooking, but Jesus Christ. (Jonathan Holmes, The Company We Keep: In Search of Biblical Friendship, pp. 41-42)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! This one is biblical counseling heavy, so let’s get pumped!

That’ll do it for this week! Please pray that the Czech Missions Report Night this coming Saturday will be honoring to our Lord in showing how He’s working over there, and that on Sunday the preaching of the Word will enter our hearts to motivate us to change, all to His glory!

Soli Deo Gloria

Reflections on Premarital Counseling

by Joseph and Lynn Ho

By God’s grace, we have been happily married for over two weeks now. Yes, you can say that the two of us are enjoying the honeymoon phase of our marriage (and we love every moment of it!), but even in the short time we’ve been married, we come to understand that marriage is something that requires active nurturing with a humble heart towards God and one another. We are blessed to be in a church that has a high view of God and His Word and be taught the biblical view of marriage. And so, in this short reflection, we would like to share a bit about how the biblical teachings of our premarital counseling has prepared us for our union and helped us build our marriage daily.

First, the premarital class prepared us to think about marriage Biblically. In today’s society, people generally approach marriage with a self-centered view that the wedding must be everything they have dreamed of and that marriage is about making them happy. Even during our engagement, it was easy to become overwhelmed by the joyful anticipation of marriage and consumed by the daunting task of planning all the details of the wedding and reception. But planning a Christ-centered wedding means that from the decorations, to the attire, to the food and entertainment, every detail is to proclaim the boldness and purity of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We learned in Ephesians 5:22-33 that a wife is to learn to submit to the leadership of her husband just like the Church submits herself to Christ, and a husband is to learn to love and cherish his wife and lead her to holiness just like Christ loves his Church and purifies her from sin by dying for her on the cross. Marriage, ultimately then, is to not to make us happy, but to reflect the perfect love relationship between Christ and His Church.

Second, the premarital class taught us the importance of humility. This truth takes center stage in regards to understanding men and women’s role as God has designed it. The Bible reminds us that even though we are created equal before God, God has given us different roles and purposes. The husband is to learn to provide for the home both physically and spiritually and help his wife reach her full potential in the Lord (1Timothy 3:4-5; 1 Peter 3:7), while the wife is to learn to devote her energy and time in the home so that the word of God will not be reviled (Titus 2:3-5). Without humility, even in these acts of service towards each other, we could grow discontent and harbor attitudes of bitterness. Pastor Patrick reminds us that as a couple, we are always on the same team, and that we must always work together to display the greatness of God.

We are glad that we went through premarital! We’d say dedicating time to the premarital is as important as planning for the wedding. We highly recommend every engaged couple to go through the class thoughtfully and slowly. It will prepare you for the ever-continual pursuit of becoming the exemplary husband and excellent wife that God intends you to be.

A Bundle Of Myrrh Is My Well-Beloved Unto Me

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Song of Solomon 1:13

Myrrh may well be chosen as the type of Jesus on account of its preciousness, its perfume, its pleasantness, its healing, preserving, disinfecting qualities, and its connection with sacrifice. But why is He compared to ‘a bundle of myrrh’?

  • First, for plenty. He is not a drop of it, He is a casket full. He is not a sprig or flower of it, but a whole bundle. There is enough in Christ for all my necessities; let me not be slow to avail myself of Him.
  • Our well-beloved is compared to a ‘bundle’ again, for variety: for there is in Christ not only the one thing needful, but in ‘Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,’ everything needful is in Him. Take Jesus in His different characters, and you will see a marvellous variety-Prophet, Priest, King, Husband, Friend, Shepherd. Consider Him in His life, death, resurrection, ascension, second advent; view Him in His virtue, gentleness, courage, self-denial, love, faithfulness, truth, righteousness-everywhere He is a bundle of preciousness.
  • He is a ‘bundle of myrrh’ for preservation-not loose myrrh tied up, myrrh to be stored in a casket. We must value Him as our best treasure; we must prize His words and His ordinances; and we must keep our thoughts of Him and knowledge of Him as under lock and key, lest the devil should steal anything from us.
  • Moreover, Jesus is a ‘bundle of myrrh’ for speciality. The emblem suggests the idea of distinguishing, discriminating grace. From before the foundation of the world, He was set apart for His people; and He gives forth His perfume only to those who understand how to enter into communion with Him, to have close dealings with Him.

Oh! blessed people whom the Lord hath admitted into His secrets, and for whom He sets Himself apart. Oh! choice and happy who are thus made to say, ‘A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me.’

4.13a

Weekly Links (9/12/2014)

“While it is fitting and good God grants believers the privilege of prayer, we must continually evaluate what we desire of Jesus at the core level. When I look back over the bulk of my prayers in previous years, frequently I omitted eternal elements and desires. It was not what I prayed for was wrong; it was merely superficial, especially while simultaneously giving lip service to wanting a deeper walk with Jesus. Suffering was one means God used to bring me to examine the sum and substance of what I asked. What transpired was not so much that I purposely changed my prayers as much as the severity of the circumstances changed them for me.” (Greg Harris, The Cup and the Glory, pp. 21-22)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! Here are this week’s links! Enjoy!

  • As advocates of biblical counseling (which you can tell from the CCEF booklets LBC sell in the foyer), we recognize there has been limited interaction between those who would advocate Christian psychology as biblical and those who advocate biblical counseling. Recently, criticism came from a journalist concerning biblical counseling, which led Christian psychologist Philip Monroe to provide some helpful questions and preliminary analysis for both sides to consider when interacting with this article and discussing biblical counseling. In anticipation of the upcoming ACBC Conference on Mental Illness, Grace to You has begun a series of blog articles on the insufficiency of psychology and the sufficiency of Scripture to care for the soul.  Here’s the first part. As believers in Christ, who is the truth, we must be eager to pursue truth in the oft overlooked step in understanding the opposing side, especially when the other side are believers as well. I hope and pray that the grace of God and the growth of the Word in our hearts will develop within us the maturity to listen to the other side and give a measured, not reactionary, response.
  • What does Christlike leadership look like practically for the husband? Owen Strachan provides 10 ways for men to emulate godly character in their marriages. There is much I need to learn.
  • Recently, schools in the CSU system have decided to oust InterVarsity from their campuses, due to the 2012 school policy of calling all campus organizations to allow any student to serve as leader, regardless of beliefs. Ironic that discrimination is being enforced to remove a campus org on the basis of discrimination to allow for non-discrimination orgs to flourish. Al Mohler has some wise analysis on the matter.
  • Clint Archer gives some wise (and humorous) advice to single guys who wonder if they should marry gals because of their looks.
  • John Piper has 12 questions to ask regarding how to decide your next job.
  • Stephen Altrogge has written a thoughtful post on what he plans on telling his daughters about modesty that addresses more than the issue of dress. May our church exemplify this kind of thoughtfulness.
  • Young ladies, how can you find an older godly woman to mentor you? Look no further. If you doubt you are in need of a mentor (and this includes guys), look no further.
  • Jesse Johnson over at The Cripplegate has written an accessible and clear post providing a case against same-sex marriage. Not sure I’ve seen a post as concise and yet thorough like this before.

That’s all for this week! Looking forward to celebrating the resurrection of Christ and the glory of God together this weekend! If any of you are looking for a church to attend this weekend in San Diego, I would highly encourage you to visit Lighthouse! We hope to see you there!

Soli Deo Gloria

 

A New Outlook on Life

by David Lee

When one becomes a Christian, change occurs in one’s life. As Paul writes in Galatians, the Christian proclaims that “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me…” Personally, my life saw many changes when I became a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ a number of years ago. As someone who was enslaved to sin, I joyfully heeded the call to my slavery to righteousness. My then newfound vigor to submit to my Lord (kupios) as his slave (doulous) brought me great comfort in understanding my life to be in His sole ownership. Moreover, I aligned my perspective of people as well as of Christ himself to one that is consistent with a biblical worldview. I began to view Christ as my Lord and Savior, and to view people with an understanding of their spiritual needs. Alas, here I am now, sitting six years past from the moment the God of the universe grasped me in His grip of salvation. As Roger Alcaraz preached on the eve of a recent midsummer bible study, he posed a challenge to me: Am I viewing Christ and people the way I should be?

In a sermon titled “A New Outlook on Life,” Roger expounded upon 2 Corinthians 5:16-17. His first point reminded us that Christ’s death should change our perspective on people. We see that in verse 16, Paul writes that as believers, “we regard no one according to the flesh.” Before one becomes a believer, the lens through which one views people is, sadly, primarily based on external judgment and under a worldly standard. A further assessment of the unbeliever’s view of people demonstrates that it is most often associated with self-centered motives. “What can this person do for me?” “ I’ve just met this person, but I don’t know how I feel about him/her. Does he/she make me feel good about myself?” These are often thoughts that most people don’t readily admit to have running through their heads. Even as believers, we struggle with these very thoughts. But as those who claim to follow Christ, how exactly should we be viewing people? 1 Samuel 16:7 tells us that “…the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks upon the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” Clearly, we humans are not capable of looking on each other’s hearts, but the challenge posed here should be rather striking to us. Rather than regarding someone according to the flesh, we should be glancing over the simple outward appearance of man to avert our gaze with deep intention to consider the needs of the soul. Indeed, the cliché “It’s what’s on the inside that counts” comes to mind. But consider this, Christian: our perspective on the family, friends, and strangers around us who are in desperate need of the gospel should serve as an impetus for our desire to share His Word.

Furthermore, we believers have a new perspective on Christ. In Acts 26:9-11, Paul writes of his former hatred for Christians. Verse 11 reads, “And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities.” How marvelous is Paul’s conversion, that he once heavily persecuted Christians himself, but upon his conversion to saving faith, only grew to love God more and more! As I reflect upon my own testimony, I am reminded by this passage of my need to actualize my profession of belief with the manner in which I live my life. I pray that my appreciation for Christ’s death and resurrection would invigorate my zeal for the gospel, flowing from my soul in an outward demonstration of loving others more. As the passage in 2 Corinthians continues, Paul states that we are a new creation. “The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (v. 17). As I consider the stark contrast between Paul’s life before and after his conversion, I wonder and present myself with this question: Am I portraying a similar transformation from my “former self”? Am I indeed an entirely new creation in Christ and not simply an “updated version”? Roger’s message challenged me to also evaluate how well I am living out the Passion of LBC’s MVP. As a Christian, my perspective on Christ and people should cause me to love God and people more, for it is because God first loved us by sending His son to die on our behalf that I can subsequently love those around me (1 John 4:19). My prayer is that our outlook on life may be one that cherishes our identity in Christ as a new creation and heeds the calling to honor our Almighty Father not only with our reverence of Him, but with our love for all people.