The Lighthouse

06/09/2026

Happy Father’s Day!
We support Mission Aviation Fellowship ( New Zealand) who have been running a "buy a jerry can for Dad" fundraiser ahead of Father's Day.
They say:
“Thank you to everyone who has supported our Fuel for Father’s Day campaign. You have made a real difference in the lives of those most isolated. We are grateful for you.”
“Be on your guard; stand firm in faith; be courageous; be strong” – 1 Corinthians 16:13

If you haven’t already, you can get a jerrycan card for your dad by visiting maf.org.nz/f4fd

03/09/2026

“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So, his father went out and pleaded with him” (Luke 15:28).

The parable of the prodigal son most often focuses on the younger son, hence the name of the parable. Yet there are two sons in the story.

The older brother is the “responsible” son in the parable, who approaches the father with entitlement and self-righteousness.

Jesus told this parable, not only to call wayward people back to God, but also as a way of rebuking the Pharisees for their coldness toward sinners, and perhaps it is the self-righteous attitude of the older brother that reveals the reason for his lack of compassion toward his younger sibling.

This same pharisaical attitude may prevent any of us from sharing the Gospel with others - because we don’t think they deserve it!

I admit to struggling with this attitude from time to time, yet God has called me and all believers to show compassion to unbelievers, not because they deserve it, but because “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us“ (Rom 5:8).

We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

Blessings!
Andrew Woodbridge
[email protected]

03/09/2026

Jesus died on the cross, not only for those who came after him, but also together with us for the faithful who came before him. 1 Pet 3:19 speaks about the offer of salvation to the people in Noah's day that was retrospectively made possible by the death of Christ.

03/09/2026

Do you need some office space?
At The Lighthouse Church we may have the solution.
We have a number of spacious offices available for lease from October at 23 Intermediate St, Masterton. Make an appointment to view - contact us at [email protected]

03/09/2026

Our latest newsletter is out now!

Please contact the church office for more information about our Life Groups that meet during the week. The profiles of the groups that meet regularly are up on the website.

27/08/2026

"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me’” (Exo 8:1).

There are many reasons why God is not worshiped, but only one reason for the freedom we are given in Christ – that is to worship Him! Yet, some of us will use our God-given freedom to worship other things, and God will take a back seat to many of our weekly endeavours.

That is why Sunday serves as a reset for many Christians; it is a time to once again turn our eyes upon Jesus, to repent of our sin, make Him the centre of our lives, and worship Him.

As it was in the days of Moses, the Lord desires that we leave those places of distraction and slavery to the things that hinder us, and make Him the centre of all that we are and do.

Singing songs of worship, prayer, reading and engaging with God’s word, and fellowshipping with one another on Sundays helps us to bring our wandering hearts back to a place of safety where God is worshiped and we are least likely to stray.

However, while Sundays can be useful in this regard, the Lord nevertheless desires that we keep our focus on Him throughout the week. Why not then make it your daily habit to accomplish this through the same things that help you on Sundays – worship, prayer, Bible study, and fellowship.

Blessings
Andrew Woodbridge
[email protected]

27/08/2026

Read all about it! Our latest Lighthouse newsletter is out.

Please contact the church office for more information about our Life Groups that meet during the week. The profiles of the groups that meet regularly are up on the website.

27/08/2026

We support the work of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) which brings the Good News and lifesaving transportation to isolated parts of the world. This Father's Day, why not donate a can of fuel to MAF as your tribute to Dad?
To learn more, go to www.maf.org.nz

26/08/2026

In Gen 9, God makes a covenant with Noah and his family that he will preserve the current creation, and he places a rainbow in the sky as a sure sign of His grace and mercy.
Under the new covenant, we too have been given a symbol of the redeeming grace of God in the form of the bread and the w**e, symbolizing the body and blood of Christ – A promise that the righteous in Christ will one day be brought into the eternal blessing and enjoyment of a new creation in the presence of God.

In Gen 9, God makes a covenant with Noah and his family that he wil...

20/08/2026

The story of Cain and Abel - the first murder recorded in the Bible - has much to teach us about what God expects from us. Both men presented an offering to God, but only Abel's was accepted. In jealousy, Cain kills Abel. In his continuing series on Types and Shadows in the Bible, Andrew unpacks why Abel and others were considered righteous - and what it means for us.
You'll find the full message on our YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6ZZwrcmXaY&t=824s