Some more Pictures!

Christmas Banquet!

Just wanted to share some of our photo's from LC's Christmas Banquet! And to all of our readers out ther we just wanted to say a big "Merry Christmas" to you and your family!

Christmas Kickoff

Just wanted to give an update on things at Lighthouse Church, we have been praying asking for God to help us to hit our target of reaching Un-Churched and we have been spending the last year focused on this goal to see unchurched people connecting to the church and see what God would do. In the last few weeks we have made reconnect with a rehab program in our area and have begun to pickup people to bring them to our different events and our services. And then we are having our Christmas Kickoff Weekend the weekend and we had scheduled a Movie premiere of a Veggie Tales Christmas "The Joy of Giving" and we did not know how the turnout would be to this event, on top of that we had a winter weather warning out for our area and by the time the event has kickoff we had one inch of snow on the ground with more falling.

So you can believe our surprise when we had 40 come to the event and half of those that were there were unchurched. Though we didn't have an altar call we did see seed being planted in people's lives and connecting with people that matter to God.

Discouragement can come easily and the wish of having more "church people" can consume us to the point that we go after "church" folk but in reality we are not growing we are just swelling. I have said it before but if we do not push past our comfort zone and become Missional (reaching into our culture with the Good News) then we will only reach the culture that we are comfortable with (Church folks). How many times have I been guilty of inviting church people to church things so that I would feel better about our numbers when in the end I have not really done what I have been called to do. We at Lighthouse Church are not there yet but we are headed in the right direction and we are longing to become the Church that God has called us to be!

So with that said, I would have to say that last night I could barely sleep because I was so excited. You may wonder why but last night I saw our church reaching out to our culture that God has called us to and become the church. Lighthouse Church I saw you bring, welcome and love the people of our culture that God has called us to and that makes my heart overflow!

Trunk r Treat

Hey everyone just wanted to put some of our new pictures from our trunk r treat! We are moving forward and pressing toward the mark!

20/20

We are excited about kicking off 20/20 and want you to be a part
We are focusing in the month of November on accepting the challenge of Prayer.

And here is how you can get involved
1. Spend 20 days in at least 20 minutes of prayer (Mon-Fri)

2. Every Monday Night in November praying together @ Lighthouse Church @6pm

3. Praying for an Out Pouring of the Spirit of God

4. Joining fasting with our prayer
5. Making church attendance a priority (Wed. night @7pm Sun. @10am and 11am)

This is our theme for 20/20


2 Chron 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

New Pics!!!

Here are some new pictures from the last couple of weeks!

Our Bible Study around the Fire (good times)

Is anyone following you?

We have this new term (well it’s not new, in fact, it’s been around for awhile) that is being used in the new world of facebook, twitter and blogs. The term is “who’s following you on… (whatever social site your now)” and it indicates how many people are linked to your profile and follow what you are saying. And the more people that follow you on facebook, twitter or whatever, the more you experience the age old phenomenon called popularity. The problem with popularity is it will pull you in so many different directions that those that are following you will not be going anywhere but in circles. So my question to you is this “is anyone truly following you”? You are truly breaking into new ground, are you doing anything that hasn’t been doing before in your family. Now you may be thinking that I am referring to some world changing leadership technique, but what I am referring to is something but simple to grasp but difficult to execute. Are you leading your marriage into success by working past difficulties and faults to be the family that God design you to be? Are you following a career path and includes furthering your education so you can use your God-given skills to work in an area that you are passionate about? Are you leading your friends and family closer to a relationship with God? Are you leading a life that you want your kids to follow, are you comfortable with your kids being you? Are you leading a life where you learn from your mistakes, seizing the moment that you are in and planning with God-given direction for the future? Are you leading and living a life that people could truly follow you?

It’s not enough to have popularity because you will get stuck in the endless cycles of maintain the image of who you think other people what you to be, instead of breaking away from the mindless pack of Godless living and pursuing His plan for your life. Every year we make your way back home to see family and friends, and there is one guy that I worked with years ago that was so popular in our home town that his friends list include everyone from politicians to pro baseball players and they all partied at the same downtown bar and life was great from Thursday to Sunday it was one big party. Well five years have pasted and he is still at the same dead-end job going to the same bar every night trying to maintain his popularity, it’s a sad state of things. Oh, he is still the popular guy when everyone comes home for the holidays but at what price; because as each day passes he is wasting away and slowly popularity is slipping through his fingers. Everyone knows him but no one is following him!

So what about you, if we could fast-forward your life will you be popular or will you have someone following your lead? The Apostle Paul said follow me as I follow Christ (1 Cor 11:1) so I ask again “is anyone following you”?

Today!

Today is the day that was created by God for you. Today is the day that you have a choice as to how you will respond to the advisories that are trying to shake you down for your lunch money. Today is the day that you will not be intimated. Today is the day that you will make a decision that you will take responsibility and control of the direction that your life is headed. The choices that you make today will lead to the direction that you will take. Today is the day that you will grab a hold of the reigns of the desires of your heart and will pull with all of your might to turn towards the pursuit of God and His righteousness.

Today is the day that you will make the most out of the time that you are given. Today is the day that you get real with God, your family and your calling to become authentic. You will face your fear, you will shake off the past, and press forward to the abundant life that God has for you. “Choose you this Day….”

The Gift of a Bible

Here is a video that I heard about from Penn Jillette who is know as a Magician (of the Penn and Teller act seen in many formats), Illusionist, Writer, Actor, and an Atheist.

Listen to what he (an Atheist) has to say about receiving a bible from a believer and what he says about sharing our faith with love.

Penn is clearly moved by this experience and what a powerful statement he makes of sharing the Gospel, the Good News!

Take "Rest" Serious

For some reason we have made rest overrated and it is very underrated! In scripture there is a precedence set by God look at Genesis 2:2"...God had finished his work of creation, so he rested"(NLT) Here we find a principle that cannot be ignored, Rest is a Divine process of recharging to continue the task that is before you. This was so important to God that in the original guidelines that God give to his people (aka the Ten Commandments) He included Honoring a day of Rest (the Sabbath) and to protect it (His words were "Keep it Holy"). Seems to me that it was pretty important to the process of the things to live by that God give to His people (we're talking people being executed for breaking this commandment). Yet for some reason we, who have begun or who have been followers of Christ, have not seem or stressed the important of the basic principle of the Kingdom. There must be rest included in the life of followers of Christ, like in danger of not be a follower of His if you are not finding a Sabbath in your life. And for all you lazy people all you see is "here is a pastor telling me that I need to stay home from church because I need to rest up from LSU football last night" and my response to you, God stresses rest you should hear what he says about laziness. If rest is good enough for God in the work of Creation you better believe that it is important for me to continue that work that He called me to(which included providing for my family and being the light and salt that He called me to be)
How many times have I missed opportunities to be the hands and feet of God because I was so tired that I couldn't even think straight let alone be kind and loving to someone in need. And how many times on a weekly bases are we in this condition. Spiritually and physically the sides of no rest are very destructive even deadly. I am guilty of not taking rest seriously and am telling you that I am at my God-given best whenever I have found a Sabbath. So I am asking you where is your Sabbath, this week when have you gotten to a place of rest (not in front of the TV or the computer that's not rest). Find Rest and you will find a Divine process of Recharging, Refocusing, and Refreshing. See Heb. 4:1-11
Respond with Ideas the You have or Use to have a Quiet Time with God! I will post some of those here!

Friends and Family Day!

Here are some pictures from our friends and family day @LC we had a great time together and looking forward to what God is doing!

Jason Bue preaching the Word, we enjoyed having the Bue family they did a great job!

Our Kids Choir Good stuff!

A "get to know ya" crowbreaker very funny!


Sis Bennie, always willing to jump in there and be a part, she is so young at heart!
We are blessed to have some awesome Elders!

What a great day of connecting to one another! You Matter to God, You Matter to Us!

New Sign!

Hey everyone (or all two of you) just wanted to give you a sneak peek of the new LC sign!

Just want to thank all the giving for the LC crew, because of you LC is putting our best foot forward!

Just some New Pics from this week!

Macy Seeking after God on Wednesday Bible Study. Jen and I were leading worship and look down and there was Macy on the front row hands in the air tears rolling down her face hungry for God. Needless to say we didn't have much Bible Study that night! Make my heart Glad!

Old Sign Down and New coming this week!

Jen and Tiffany at the Section 2 Youth Rally (Tiffany had just received the Holy Ghost)




Our first official church trip (We are a crew)

Everyday Out Reach

Here are some good ideas for Everyday Out Reach! Sharing the Love of Christ to open doors!

CHECK HERE

http://www.christianitytoday.com/outreach/special/10ideas_everyday.pdf

Or Read Here!

Ten Ideas for Everyday OutreachNo elaborate planning necessary.

1. Pay attention to the people around you in your neighborhoodor at work. Send up an arrow prayer as you walk by them.

2. Be mindful of those who serve you—bank tellers, grocerystore clerks, fast food workers. Look them in the eye andtell them you appreciate their service.

3. Leave a note of encouragement on a coworker’s desk or onthe windshield of their car.

4. When you walk past a piece of trash on the ground, pick it up and throwit in a garbage can.

5. When someone says they’re having a bad day, stop and ask if you canpray for them right there.

6. At the drive-thru, pay for the meal of the personbehind you.

7. Stop and talk with a homeless person. Find outtheir story.

8. Before leaving a restaurant, jot a thank you noteto your server and leave it on the table or call themanager over and explain how much you enjoyedthe service.

9. Go out of your way to be friendly to a prickly person.

10. When you’re talking with someone, give themthe gift of your full attention.


©2009 Christianity Today International

Some New Pics!

Had the Richardson's (missionaries to Madagascar) with us this weekend! Great People they blessed our church and we pray our church blessed them!

Macy getting Baptized, Awesome Moment for a Dad!

The Strength of the Herd

Strength of the Herd

(Highlights for Sunday)

Heb 10:25
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Just wanted to give a little recap of the message from Sunday's Friends and Family Day

• We are not called to be spiritual Lone Rangers
• We are made in the image of God and we are not meant to be alone.

Gen 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

Understanding Our Enemy

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

(THIS VIDEO FIRES ME UP)

Understanding the Strength of the Herd
This is not a perfect place, but we are in this together

1 Cor 12:26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

I may not completely understand your burden but I will help you carry your burden
Our Strengthen is in our numbers


Eccl 4:9-12 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? 12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

God brought us together, some we are better and stronger together

Matt 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

And the greatest benefit is that God shows up when we are together!

Blessing You Matter to God, You Matter to Us!

Block Party Pics

For "Real"

I just read a very interesting concept (for Bill Hybels’ book Axiom) dealing with two very different communities that can exist in every Church and organization (and possibly every relationship). One the one hand you have a goal or model community and that is the genuine or “real” community in which people serves, loves, and truly cares for one another even through burdens, hardships and inconvenient truths. And on the other hand you have the least desirable but actual and ever present pseudo or “fake” community and in this community there are good individuals but they will stop short of going the extra mile in relationships, they are not quite telling each other the full truth, they are just accommodating each other just tolerating each other.

Now as bad as the latter community sounds, unfortunately this pseudo “fake” community is one that most know and operate in from day to day, and even worse a church community can become a simulation or artificial for the “real” community. Even though we understand “fake” community is not the goal and the model that we desire, how many of us are still operating in “fake” communities.

Do something with me out of five of your current relationship that you are in (which are a part of a community), out of those five how many of those relationships are you just tolerating, not going to deep, not telling the whole truth, not dealing with the “elephants in the room”. I am not saying that we should open ourselves up for every people that temporally pass through, but I am calling on you, in your community to be real.

The Apostle Paul wrote “Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” (Gal 6:2) Burdens are never convenient, they are also dirty, heavy and very inconvenient. But in scripture there is a deep call to move beyond the “fake” where we ignore the burdens that are killing our neighbors because we don’t want to get too involved, to the place of authentic and real community where we let Christ use us to become His hands and feet, where we face the fear of rejection and pain to enter into the community and ministry Christ intended for us, and where we move for “fake” to “real”. I believe that God will give you the courage and the wisdom to make to move, I believe in what you can do through Christ.

You Matter to God you Matter to Us!
Pastor Matt

New Pics