Lighthouse Church Of God

Lighthouse Church Of God Lighthouse Church started in 1947 as a small house church. The church has been in existence for over 70 years.

06/23/2026

Tuesday — June 23, 2026

Today’s Focus: Responsibility Through Faithful Service

Scripture:
Colossians 3:23–24 (NLT) “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.”

Yesterday examined submission through obedience. Today continues the movement: obedience expressed through faithful service. It is a hard balance to manage the tension within the Bible. The position of obedience can quite quickly derail into legalism or works based salvation. That is never where I want to stray. Scripture consistently shows that obedience and submission are not attempts to earn God’s favor but responses enabled by His grace. Christians participate in God’s transforming work—not because they merit it, but because grace enables response. The Bible shows a pattern of God desiring a relationship with His people and how His people cooperate with this love and mercy.

Responsibility to God is not limited to moments we label spiritual or even label as acts of discipline. Scripture repeatedly presses believers beyond compartmentalized faith. Worship is not confined to songs, prayer, study, or church attendance—it extends into ordinary labor, unseen service, daily responsibilities, our personal behavior, and the quiet faithfulness no one applauds.

Paul reminds believers that the audience of Christian service is ultimately not human approval but Christ Himself. This is spiritual integrity, doing the right thing even when no one is watching.

This becomes a corrective to two common errors. One is performing responsibilities only when recognition follows. The other is reducing spiritual life to inward belief while neglecting outward faithfulness. Christian responsibility refuses both. Faith receives grace and learns to serve from gratitude. We remain responsible for our response to God’s grace, yet empowered by the Holy Spirit through that same grace.

Submission often appears less in dramatic moments and more in ordinary consistency. In my experience, this is the “hardest” part of Christianity…living consistently with the life Scripture calls us to. This is the sacrifice of love doing right even when it cost something.

A lifetime of formation is built less by occasional heroic acts and more by repeated acts of faithful obedience. Answering emails with integrity. Showing patience when tired. Working diligently when unnoticed. Serving family without keeping score. Carrying responsibilities without resentment.

The believer is not merely asking: “What must I do?” but “How can this responsibility become worship?”

Wesleyan theology understands grace as active and transformative. Grace does not remove responsibility—it redeems it and makes it holy. Ordinary work becomes a place where sanctification occurs. Service becomes one of the means through which God shapes holy love within the believer.

The Church of God tradition has historically emphasized practical Christianity—faith expressed visibly in everyday life. Holy living is not reserved for public ministry but demonstrated through integrity, humility, diligence, and service in daily responsibilities.

Truth becomes witness when service becomes worship.

Reflection Question:
Where in my ordinary responsibilities am I serving for recognition rather than serving as an act of worship to Christ?

Prayer:
Lord, teach me to serve faithfully whether noticed or unseen. Guard me from seeking approval more than obedience. Transform my responsibilities into opportunities for worship and formation. Let my work, service, and daily choices reflect a life submitted to You. Amen.

God bless you.
Pastor Chris

06/22/2026

June 22, 2026

Month Focus: Responsibility to God
Today’s Focus: Submission Through Obedient Living

Scripture:
James 1:22 (NLT), “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”

Picking up from last Thursday and adjusting the schedule to keep on track. Thank you for your patience as I focused on spending time with family.

One of the Christian’s responsibilities is moving from hearing to obedience. This may be a sticking point for many a Christian. We can become well versed in Scripture, but struggle to move to the obedience portion. Here we tend to lean more to the self empowering and self-serving verses to obey, but neglect those which need sacrifice of time, money, and talent.

James reminds believers that spiritual growth is not measured by exposure to truth but by response to truth. Scripture was never intended to remain information—it is meant to shape conduct, priorities, relationships, and daily living. This is a lifetime effort.

Submission is often revealed in the gap between what we know and what we do.
The Christian role is not merely to agree with God’s Word but to live under it. To be formed by it. Just as Christ, the Living Word, transforms our hearts, so too must the Revealing Word of God form our lives.

Obedience does not earn God’s love; it expresses trust in God’s wisdom. Every responsibility entrusted to us becomes an opportunity to demonstrate that faith is active, living, and surrendered.

Wesleyan theology emphasizes that grace is transformative. Faith is not passive belief but active trust expressed through obedience. God’s grace enables believers to respond faithfully and participate in His ongoing work of sanctification. Submission means allowing God’s truth to move beyond understanding and into action.

The Church of God movement has historically emphasized practical Christianity and holy living. Believers are called not merely to profess faith but to embody it. Christian responsibility means allowing Scripture to shape everyday life—at home, work, church, and in service to others.

Truth becomes witness when it is lived.

Reflection Question:
What truth from God’s Word do I already know but need to actively obey today?

Prayer:
Lord, protect me from becoming satisfied with hearing while resisting obedience. Give me the courage to submit my choices, responsibilities, and actions to Your Word. Let my faith become visible through faithful living and joyful obedience. Amen.

God bless you.
Pastor Chris

06/18/2026

June 18, 2026
Today’s Focus: Submission in Leadership and Example

Scripture:
1 Timothy 4:12 (NLT) “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”

Every Christian carries the responsibility of influence. I would add for good or for ill. We are all image bearers of God by way of Creation, but believers are added the extra clarity to this image through Christ. How we live, speak, work, serve, and treat others matters greatly. Each of us also carries a uniqueness to the message or Good News. Paul was a teacher and preacher, therefore he lived it out, preached it, and wrote it in his letters to the church. John was different by nature of his character and experience and you can feel it in his writings. Each of us are called to be the reformed version of who we are. The caregiver remains the caregiver, the servant the servant. Do not diminish your part in this witness.

Paul’s instruction to Timothy reminds believers that leadership begins long before position or title. Influence is exercised daily through speech, conduct, love, faith, and character.
Submission in the Christian life means allowing Christ to shape not only what we do but who we become.

Whether your role is parent, spouse, coworker, teacher, volunteer, ministry leader, or faithful servant behind the scenes, people are learning from the way you live.
Christian responsibility is not simply accomplishing tasks—it is becoming an example that points others toward Christ. Do not let that slip by you here. POINTS OTHERS TOWARD CHRIST. It is having a correct perspective on the roles of Christ and His followers. The bridegroom over the bridesman. As John the Baptist taught his disciples “He must become greater and greater and I must become lesser and lesser.” This is the right order, not that we become invisible, but that our visibility is witness to Christ and point others to Him.

Leadership in God’s Kingdom begins with surrendered living.

Wesleyan theology teaches that grace transforms both the heart and outward life.
Holiness is not private spirituality disconnected from behavior. As believers submit to God’s work, their words, attitudes, and actions increasingly reflect Christ.
The Christian role is not perfection—it is faithful obedience shaped by grace.

The Church of God movement has historically emphasized that every believer is called to holy living and active witness.

Influence is not reserved for pastors or public leaders. The church is strengthened when ordinary believers embrace their responsibilities with integrity and Christlike character.
Submission to Christ makes our lives part of the message.

Reflection Question:
What does my current role teach others about Christ through the way I speak, serve, and live?

Prayer
Lord, help me submit my influence to You today. Shape my words, attitudes, and actions so that I lead through faithful example rather than position. Let my responsibilities reflect Your character and point others toward Christ. Amen.

God bless you.
Pastor Chris

06/17/2026

June 17, 2026

A Life of Faith Through Submission

Today’s Focus: Submission in My Responsibility to Others

Scripture:
Galatians 6:2 (NLT) “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.”

One of the greatest distinctions of Christianity and separates us from the rest of the world is love. God’s love for usOur love for God, our love for each other, and our love for others. This is the center of a Judeo-Christian beliefs. God creates everything in love, the entire Bible is a story of His love for us, and the central message of Christ is love. God’s love is displayed on every page of this great book of special revelation (yes, even those hard parts).

Love is at the heart of today’s verse. It is less about works or obligation, but we should love so deeply and so greatly that we want or desire to lift each other up. Sharing of each other’s burdens is a manifestation of that transforming love within us and that God has for us. God lifted the burden of sin from us, and it is only right for us to do the same for each other as God has exampled in Christ and in our provision.

One of the Christian’s responsibilities is to carry more than personal concerns. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it is more than a responsibility but a necessity for the believer to look outward and upward vice inward. The moment our focus shifts to the self, we begin to stray from the path. Paul teaches that believers are called to live with open eyes and willing hearts toward one another. Christian roles are never merely individual nor isolated. We are brothers and sisters, encouragers, servants, listeners, helpers, and witnesses.

Submission is often revealed in how we respond to the needs of others. It is easy to focus on our own assignments, schedules, and responsibilities. Yet Christ calls believers to willingly enter the burdens of others—not to control them or replace them, but to walk beside them in love.

Carrying another person’s burden is not interruption from ministry. It is ministry.

Wesleyan theology emphasizes that grace produces holy love. Holiness is not isolated spirituality; it moves outward into compassion, service, and practical care. Submission to God results in greater attentiveness to people. It is empathy and the action that it inspires.

The believer cooperates with God’s transforming grace by choosing love expressed through action.

The Church of God movement has historically emphasized the shared life of believers and practical expressions of holiness.

Christian responsibility includes encouraging, supporting, praying for, and serving others. The church becomes visible not simply through gatherings but through believers living sacrificially together.

Submission to Christ transform us from self-centeredness and produces responsibility toward His people.

Reflection Question:
Who might God be inviting me to serve, encourage, or walk beside today as an act of faithful submission?

Prayer:
Lord, help me not become so focused on my own responsibilities that I overlook the burdens of others. Teach me to serve with compassion, submit my time and priorities to You, and reflect Christ through faithful care and encouragement today. In Jesus Name. Amen.

God bless you.
Pastor Chris

06/16/2026

A preface if you will allow. Returning to this devotion on “A life of faith through submission” I am excited and renewed. The preaching clinic and camp meeting has refilled my cup to overflowing. To worship and fellowship with hundreds of pastors and family in Christ is medicine to my soul. I did not realize how dimly my fire had grown and how empty my cup was.

That’s the good news. The bad news, I ask that you bear with me as I wrestle to limit this renewed fire to keep these to one page articles. I may have failed on today’s but I think it worth the read.

Sorry for my tardiness, but I wanted to ensure quality in delivering what has become my love letters to God and to each of you. Please accept my humble offering.

Monday, June 15, 2026

Christian Roles & Responsibilities

Theme: A Life of Faith Through Submission
Month Focus: Responsibility to God
Submission Focus: Submission in my role before God

Scripture:
Romans 12:1 (NLT) “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.”

Devotional Reflection:

Christian responsibility begins with surrender. Not a word the modern person likes very much, especially in the culture of American individualism. To many it is viewed as weakness or a reflection of one’s failings in sufficiency. But we all surrender whether we care to admit it or not. The drunk surrenders to the booze, the fornicator the lust, the violent to rage, and more. So, why then should we not surrender to the One who truly and perfectly has our best interest at heart?

Paul does not call believers to earn God’s favor through effort. He points first to God’s mercy— “because of all he has done for you.” That is the great misunderstanding in the modern context. This skewed version of surrender, to earn God’s favor, can lead to legalism and a Pharisaical, legalistic worship. Loving surrender in response to the love and grace given us by God, now that is the true reward. The Christian life is always a response to grace.

When Paul says to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, he is inviting believers into more than occasional acts of devotion. He describes a life placed daily, I would say and every moment in between, in God’s hands—our work, decisions, relationships, responsibilities, and attitudes.

Worship is not confined to moments in church. Nor is it confined to the three or four musical praise and worship on Sunday morning. Worship becomes visible when ordinary responsibilities are offered back to God. Worship is offering ourselves to God through, not just singing, but reading of the Word, study, and prayer. It is living out lives that reflect Christ which displays the fruit of our transformed heart. It is the works of our hands. It is a kind word spoken or encouragement offered to others. It is in our mourning and our celebrations. In everything we do with a heart to God is worship.

Wesleyan theology teaches that grace not only forgives—it transforms. God’s grace invites a willing response of obedience and love. Surrender is not passive resignation; it is active cooperation with God’s work within us. It is a loving response to the love we are given. Wesley’s center of his worship and theology is love. God is love, therefore everything Wesley saw in his studies was viewed through the lens of love. One of his central ideas that helps me understand “faith by submission” is found in Wesley’s writings, “We must love God before we can be holy at all, this being the root of holiness. Now we cannot love God, till we know He loves us.” Which is the message in 1 John 4:19, “We love Him, because He first loved us.” This is the lens through which can understand the worship of surrender.

Holiness begins when believers stop asking, “What must I do?” and begin asking, “Lord, how may I belong more fully to You?”

The Church of God movement has historically emphasized practical holiness—faith expressed through daily living. Romans 12:1 reminds believers that worship is not limited to gatherings or ceremonies. Every responsibility becomes sacred when carried out for Christ. Faithfulness in ordinary places becomes a testimony of God’s work in us. This is not religion but relationship. Only then do works profit us any and that is as a means of loving God in return and for no other reason.

Reflection Question:
What responsibility am I carrying today that God may be inviting me to turn into worship?

Prayer:
Lord, today I offer You my plans, responsibilities, decisions, and attitudes. Teach me to live as a living sacrifice—not out of obligation, but from gratitude for Your grace. Let my ordinary responsibilities become worship and my daily life reflect Christ. Amen.

God bless you.
Pastor Chris

06/15/2026

Thank you for your patience and understanding. I will restart the devotional articles today, but will be late today. I’m still making adjustments to get it back on track for the plan. Thank you

06/02/2026

Greetings to my friends and family on FB.

I am currently on a spiritual “retreat” at Anderson University in Indiana. I am attending the James Earl Massey Preaching Clinic, National Camp Meeting, and General Assembly. I have decided if you have not noticed to put my daily articles on hold to allow me to focus on refilling my cup while here. I intend to restart upon my return from where I previously left off and just to extend this series out into the next year.

I thank you for your patience and understanding.

God bless you.
Pastor Chris

05/28/2026

The Conundrum of a Christian Death

Paul wrote a profound message on Christian death in Philippians 1:20-23 “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is by far better.” (NKJV). The home coming of a loved one in Christ is never easy for those of us left behind. We all want to be with the Lord, but verse 24 tells us that it is necessary for us to remain at work a while longer. Individually we understand this dichotomy, but struggle when it is someone else who makes the journey before us.

We find our hearts divided between celebrating a believer's victory at the completion of their journey, yet we mourn the loss they leave in our lives (even if it is temporary). We are human beings that currently live in this fleshly body and all the emotions that come with it. Grief is real and so too is the heartache that comes with the loss of someone we love. The question is can we experience and express both the joy we have for our departed loved one who has passed from this broken world and is now in the presence of Christ in all His glory while at the same time mourn them being temporarily (we are eternal beings) removed from our lives? The short answer is, yes, we can…and we should.

We can celebrate the lives they shared with us. We can celebrate that they are perfectly healed and given a new body that will never know pain and suffering. We rejoice because they have heard “well done, my good and faithful servant” from the lips of Christ our King. Be glad in heart because the brief descriptions of Heaven are beautiful and good and they are now enjoying eternity.

However, we must cry for ourselves. We must mourn the hole left in our lives. Lament over the realization that we can no longer hug them, speak with them, or share the rest of our lives with them. We mourn the loss of all that they brought into our lives and our worlds. We need to grieve and mourn for it is an expression of our love continuing beyond the physical world.

Beloved church, let us both celebrate the life of Val (a.k.a Sarge) for all that she lived out and what she meant to each of us as a mother, sister, grandmother, friend, neighbor, and fellow believer. But also celebrate and rejoice for her. She fought the good fight and ran the good race and has crossed the finish line victorious. In the days ahead let us cry and mourn with each other. Let us experience the stages of grief as we experience them. Let us pray together for each other that are suffering through the pain of loss. But also let us remember this wonderful woman who meant so much to each of us individually and collectively. Let us share the stories of her life and cling to the precious memories.
I hope these words and the following prayer offer a little comfort in a sorrowful time.

Job 1:21, “Naked I have come out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there: The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name o the LORD.”

Heavenly Father,
We give thanks to You for your tender mercies and Your enveloping arms of comfort in our time of grief.

We ask that you be nearer to Val’s entire family as they reel from the loss of someone so dear. Be with us as we also mourn along side them and with them.

You have promised to never leave nor forsake us and we lean into that promise tightly as we grieve. But You, O Lord, are our Comfort.

Help us to remember to celebrate her victorious homecoming and the eternal joy she is now experiencing in Your very presence.

Let us not grow bitter in our grief but remind us again of Your great love and the reunion that lies ahead for us.
We lean now on Your everlasting arms.
In Jesus name we pray
Amen

God bless you.
Chris

05/27/2026

Friday, May 22, 2026
Week 19 Theme: Courageous Witnesses — Submitting Fear
Central Thread: A life of faith through submission
Theological Lens: Church of God (Anderson, IN) / Wesleyan

Role: Courageous Witness
Submission Focus: Trusting God With the Outcome of Obedience

Scripture (NLT):
Isaiah 55:11, “It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to.”

Devotional Reflection:

Please note that this is Friday May 22nd’s article. I am playing catch up once again. I worry that this might be the way for this week and next as I travel to get some more ministerial training and meet some national obligations.

Right behind prayer, the Great Commission is the most neglected form of worship by the modern believer. We will find every excuse to make ourselves exempt from sharing the good news of Jesus Christ to our friends, families, and neighbors. It comes done the most common denominator fear.

One of the deepest fears connected to witnessing is the fear that our obedience will not matter. We wonder:

What if they reject it?
What if nothing changes?
What if I say the wrong thing?
What if my efforts make no difference at all?

Yet through the prophet Isaiah, God reminds His people of a powerful truth: the effectiveness of God’s Word does not depend solely on human ability. God Himself promises that what He sends out will accomplish His purpose.

In Wesleyan theology, this reflects a vital understanding of grace and human responsibility. Believers are called to faithful obedience, but transformation itself belongs to God. John Wesley often emphasized that Christians are responsible for sowing faithfully while trusting God for the increase. Fear grows when believers begin measuring success by visible results instead of obedient faithfulness. I’ve heard it said that Jesus called Simon and Andrew (and today us) to be “fishers of men” not catchers of men. If you fish regularly, you learn that you cast much more than you catch. In short, it is our job to share our testimony and tell of Christ. It is God’s job through the Holy Spirit to save them.

The Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) tradition has long emphasized simple obedience over outward impressiveness. Early believers often ministered in difficult places with little immediate visible fruit, yet they trusted that God was still working beneath the surface. Their confidence rested not in personal persuasion, but in the power of God’s Spirit. I have lived this out in my personal walk. I have been sharing Christ for over 20 years, and I know of only two people that I have received acknowledgement of any influence regarding them coming to Christ.

Submission today means releasing control over outcomes. Witness becomes exhausting when believers feel responsible for changing hearts. But Scripture never calls us to carry that burden. We are called to speak truth, live faithfully, love consistently, and trust God with what happens afterward. It is not my burden or reward to lead people directly to Christ; it is my role to make the introduction through my witness and testimony. I pray that there are many more that I will not know about until we talk in paradise.

This frees believers from fear-driven performance. The goal is not flawless presentation—it is faithful representation. God’s Word can work through imperfect conversations, quiet acts of obedience, hesitant prayers, and simple moments of faithfulness.

Today, remember this: obedience is your responsibility; results belong to God. Faith through submission trusts that God is working even when fruit is not immediately visible.

Reflection Question:
Where am I measuring faithfulness by visible results instead of trusting God with the outcome?

Prayer of Submission:

Faithful Father,
Your Word never returns empty.
Today I submit my fear of failure, rejection, and unseen results to You.
Help me to obey faithfully, speak truth lovingly, and trust You completely with the outcome.
Teach me to rest not in visible success, but in faithful obedience to Your calling.
In Jesus name.
Amen.

God bless you.
Pastor Chris

Address

910 Cavalry Road
Carlisle, PA
17013

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