“A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.”

                                                                                                            Proverbs 29:11 NIV

I saw a story today about an incident in Ohio, where a woman flies into an absolute rage and attacks the drive-up clerk at a McDonald’s restaurant because she couldn’t get an order of Chicken McNuggets. The situation got so out of control that the woman ends up smashing the drive-up window with a beer bottle before she’s arrested. As an excuse for her conduct, the woman initially claims that she suffers from panic attacks, but as it turns out later she was just drunk.

I realize that panic disorders are very real phenomena and that approximately 6 million Americans have been diagnosed as suffering from these emotional maladies. Also that alcaholism is an ever growing problem in our country. However at what point do we quit accepting excuses for just plain, unrestrained, explosive, out of control conduct towards other people and begin holding people responsible for their actions. Self restraint is the highest form of wisdom, it doesn’t mean that anger is bad, but anger has no mind of its own, it simply rages in order to satisfy itself. We claim all the time how much we hate being controlled, yet we willingly give ourselves over to the will of feral rage to seek a fleeting moment of satisfaction, rather than experiencing the lasting contentment of waiting on God’s perfect timing to satisfy our deepest needs, and it lasts a long, long, long time.

-Pastor Craig

Have you ever thought about the fact that Jesus and his disciples were a Community Group? It’s true! Let’s look at the growth and chronology of the small order that would someday become the church.

Jesus entered the ministry phase of his life and formed a small core group with Peter, Andrew, James and John. As the group grows, they become closer and more intimate. Soon there are some ladies who join the band as well, Mary, Susanna and Joanna and others. Jesus would bring the group together for a time of teaching and study prior to sending them out to teach others. They would come together for service projects like feeding the hungry or giving medical aid to the sick. They would break bread together and pray with one another, holding each other accountable when they stepped off the mark. Jesus would proclaim them as friends and even though the friends might disagree from time to time, they would come back together under a common bond of faith. Their group consisted of a diverse montage of personalities that would help make up the dynamic of the group as a whole. They had a banker, a skeptic, one with a temper and another with compassion. They had a risk taker a scoundrel and a couple of providers and others. When their leader stepped down (or I should say up) another took his place. And as they grew, more and more groups would form, and meet, and teach, and serve, and spread. Until we have what’s called the CHURCH. All joined under a common vision, with a common faith in one spirit as one body for the purpose of glorifying one God. Kind of cool, huh?

If you would like to be a part of a Community Group here and Lighthouse, just give me a buzz and we’ll get you plugged in.

-Pastor Craig

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus…”                                                                                                                                     Philippians 2:3-5

Paul’s admonishment is to encourage his Christian family to watch out for their fellow human beings. We seem to be metamorphicly accelerating into becoming very fragile creatures. We want the life we live to come faster, cleaner, in abundance, without interference from others; and we forget what happens when we’re moving at 100 mph and someone sticks a wall in front of us. The cry of whining response to the restriction of our self-indulgence is so cacophonous that it drowns out the legitimate report of those around us who may really be in need of help. I recall a story of a woman by the name of Catherine Genovese, of New York. Twenty eight year old Kitty, as she was known, was coming home from work in the early morning of March 14, 1964, when she was attacked only 100 feet from her apartment and repeatedly stabbed for more than an hour. During the attack 38 people were witness to it from their apartment windows and doorways. The assailant was scared away twice during the assault, only to return and continue his brutal violation…and no one called the police, no one came out, no one helped. When asked later by police why all spectators were reluctant to lend aid, their replies were varied in detail, but common in theme: self preservation. Though I understand the caution that should be employed when facing dangerous situations, I can’t reconcile the fact of no one notifying authorities. Police say that it’s very likely “Kitty” would still be alive had someone called when the attack first started, but one man claimed that when he realized what was happening, that because he was tired, he went back to bed.

Jesus calls us to a higher standard of altruism towards our fellow man. It baffles me that in an age when virtually nothing can go undetected by someone, that a crime of this magnitude and duration can occur without any involvement by those in witness, and not realize that something is drastically wrong with us. I don’t think this is the “attitude” Paul is referring to in his letter, which by the way, he’s writing while imprisoned, to encourage his brothers who are also suffering persecution.

-Pastor Craig

One of my most favorite passages in all of Scripture is found in Psalm 37, in the 4^th verse. It says that if we delight ourselves in the Lord that he will give us the desires of our heart. Some people think this is a lie, because they misinterpret the promise to mean that if we devote ourselves to God that he’s going to give us what we want and because they haven’t received their wants yet, then it must not be true. But for those of you who may be disappointed in God for not fulfilling his promises, I do have something for you to chew on; that is, try looking at the passage from the focus of where your delights lie, as opposed to what your wants are. Jesus said that where your treasure is, that this is where your heart is going to be found as well (Luke 12:34). If God is not providing the desires of your heart, maybe it’s because your desires are found in your wants instead of the Lord, who pours out his love into our hearts by his Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). For those whose craving is for the love of God, that want will always be met and satisfied. 

-Craig

Hey LCC,

A new quarter of "Souled-Out" begins February 14th. Class information and registration sheets are located in the church foyer, and we'll begin selling books on January 31st. We have some really great courses to offer and I know there'll be something for everyone. If you have any questions, please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or check out the table in the foyer.

-Pastor Craig

You know, we as Christians spend a lot of time talking about compassion and kindness, as we should, but seem to fall short when placing Ephesians 4:32 into practice. The word “kindness” in this passage actually means “to be useful” and this is what our Lighthouse Community Groups are venturing towards this winter. Mission minded is the mantra for our groups this quarter and they are off to a great start. Several of the groups are digging deep and providing an entire Christmas for some of our struggling families, others are providing a Thanksgiving dinner, while still some are working at several charities for our underprivileged neighbors. They’re not just thinking about it, they’re doing it. James impels us to take our faith into the streets and be “useful” and this is what our LCC adult ministries are doing this holiday season.