LightHouse Church Missions, 4299 George Washington Memorial Highway, Hayes, VA (2026)

03/26/2024

LightHouse Devotional - Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Holy Habits: A Journey through Spiritual Gifts
Week Five: Perspective - Read Ephesians 4:1-16, 1 Peter 4:7-11

Ephesians 4:11-13 11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

These passages bring us back to the greatest hits: love, unity, the Body, etc., and for good reason; the writers of all we’ve read this week recognized that we see things one way, and God is inviting us to another perspective.

As an example, take a look at the “APEST gifts” in verse 11: Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Shepherds, Teachers. You may have specific definitions of what these are in your mind, but what if it’s less about what they do and more about how they perceive the world?

We see a “Teacher” simply as someone who teaches, but what if Scripture is talking about something deeper? What if the “Teacher” here is one whom God has given the unique ability to perceive information and truths and know how to convey them to others? It isn’t simply that you are in front of a class; it is your unique capacity to see and engage the world through knowledge.

You can carry this out with each, like the Shepherd, who has the unique ability to perceive others authentically and knows how to walk alongside them.

God has built within you a unique way of perceiving and engaging the world, but in and of yourself, you are limited in what that can accomplish. Through His foolish invitation, in unity with others, and based on love, your gifts can be used to “do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.”

Spend some time this week meditating on Ephesians 4:1-16, 1 Peter 4:7-11.

~Paul Granger
www.wheredidyouseeGod.com

03/21/2024

LightHouse Devotional - Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Holy Habits: A Journey through Spiritual Gifts
Week Four: Love - Read 1 Corinthians 13 (and then read it again!)

1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

This passage is so familiar, and the word “love” is so inundated with connotations that you were asked to read the passage twice to really focus on this important topic.

At this point, we could be excited about all the potential gifts and the great things we can do with them, but this passage could burst our bubble. Without love, the greatest gifts are noisy, distracting, and useless. In fact, we can be experts in our gifting, but without love, we are nothing.

What is love, then? You’ve probably heard verses 4-7 hundreds of times, but have you ever spent time processing what each component means (and why it is so hard for us to do?) The love God calls us to is not about our happiness or self-preservation but brings us back to the core of what God calls us to: “love God and love others.” When our gifts fail to hold to this core, our greatest efforts can mean nothing.

As we press into how God has gifted us, we must also press into love. It’s okay if love is hard to grasp because verse 11 says we will think and reason in a limited way as we mature. Yet if you are willing, God – who IS love – desires you to “know fully, even as [you] have been fully known.”

Spend some time this week meditating on I Corinthians 13.

~Paul Granger
www.wheredidyouseeGod.com

03/12/2024

LightHouse Devotional - Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Holy Habits: A Journey through Spiritual Gifts
Week Three: Unity - Read 1 Corinthians 12

1 Corinthians 12:4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.

We typically think of how our gifts set us apart; we separate out those who are gifted in different ways and see ourselves as disconnected from them. Scripture emphasizes how our gifts are meant to unify us.

Did you notice how often “one” and “same” show up in this passage? Our gifts are not about us but about us becoming a Body.

We limit the Body when we make our gifts about ourselves, whether we say we don’t need others or others don’t need us, because our gifts were designed to work in unity. Just as the foot brings something the hand can’t and the hand something the eye can’t, you bring something to the Body that the Body needs, as do those around you.

“God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.” (vs18). Today, you will have the opportunity not to use your gifts alone but to exercise your gifts as part of a Body and celebrate the gifts of others. In this, you’ll discover “abundantly more” than you would have on your own.

This is not in your own power; instead, you are “empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills” (vs11).

Spend some time this week meditating on I Corinthians 12.

~Paul Granger
www.wheredidyouseeGod.com

03/05/2024

LightHouse Devotional - Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Holy Habits: A Journey through Spiritual Gifts
Week Two: Foolishness - Read Romans 12

Romans 12:3 Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

So much around us communicates that the purpose of our gifts is to make us wealthy and famous; what God invites us to can feel like foolishness: “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice.”

This invitation is deeply counter-cultural: we aren’t supposed to think highly of ourselves (vs3); we aren’t meant to be individually focused (vs4). We aren’t able to make ourselves “more gifted” (vs6, “according to the grace given us.”) Instead of self-advancement, we can choose to sacrifice ourselves.

In other words, our gifts aren’t for us and our advancement but an opportunity to “love God and love others.”

It’s understandable if this seems risky and intimidating, which is why we are invited to “not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” The world may say you aren’t gifted; it may coach you on what gifts are valuable, how you get them, and how you use them. Meanwhile, Paul says we don’t have to think like that.

The invitation is to allow God to renew our minds - embrace the foolishness - and discover that life may work in a very different, exciting way.

Spend some time this week meditating on Romans 12.

~Paul Granger
www.wheredidyouseeGod.com

02/27/2024

LightHouse Devotional - Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Holy Habits: A Journey through Spiritual Gifts
Week One: Invitation – Read 2 Timothy 1

2 Timothy 1:14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

You were intentionally created by a God who loves you, and whether through design or the work of the Spirit (vs14), He has given you gifts.

If that feels unlikely to you, you’re not alone; it can be easy for us to believe that we have little to offer, particularly when we compare ourselves to those who seem more gifted.

I like to make fire pits, and they always begin in the same way: a tiny spark. The spark appears insignificant; it is so small, easily extinguished, and provides so little heat and light. However, the tiny flame can become a roaring fire when I fan, feed, and focus on it.

Timothy was young and may have thought he had little to offer, so Paul reminds him “to fan into flame the gift of God.” This wasn’t a gift he had to create himself but was entrusted to him by God, with the invitation to fan, feed, and focus on it.

You have that same invitation: this week, no matter how small you think your spark is, you are invited to see the gifts God has placed in you go from spark to flame to fire. Paul saw this potential in Timothy, and we see it in you because you are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Spend some time this week meditating on 2 Timothy 1.

~Paul Granger
www.wheredidyouseeGod.com

12/19/2023

LightHouse Devotional - Tuesday, December 19, 2023

Luke 2:11-12 “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

The wait is over! Jesus is here! But… not in the way that people thought he would come.

He did not descend from the clouds wrapped in shining silver armor. Wait what? He did not shake the earth when He came into the world. Not very entertaining, am I right? He was not over twenty years old and super strong, and women did not rush to his side fawning over how heroic he looked. Not even a six-pack? Nope, not even close. He was just a baby who came from a virgin teenager named Mary who served God with all her heart.

Jesus was born and placed in a manger surrounded by livestock and two underqualified yet very loving parents who did not know the first thing about raising a King. A little underwhelming, right? A bit ordinary, don’t you think? God works in the ordinary and makes it shine like a diamond. He takes a rock and builds His church. Jesus was perfect and innocent but knew the struggles of this world. He was born into poverty with nothing to his name except for a few pieces of gold, a box of frankincense, and some myrrh, most likely used to help Joseph build his carpentry business that Jesus took over when he was older.

God did not give us who we wanted to see; he gave us who we deserved to know, love, and follow. He gave us a savior who was fully God and fully man. A man who knew what it was like to have few and knew what it was like to have plenty. God gave us an example to follow, proving that we don’t need to be royalty to go into heaven, nor do we need all the money or fame in the world to be “qualified” for His love. We need to believe and follow His son’s example so that we may live life fully and then, once Jesus returns, live eternally with God in heaven with everyone who believes.

So, let’s think for a minute: Jesus is coming back; who do you think he’ll take with him? Well, we already made it clear that your title means nothing, and the amount of money that you have is worthless to our King. So, what will he be looking for? He will look for ordinary people who believe in an extraordinary God and follow Jesus, even if that walk is full of plenty or few. That’s it. Do you think you’re those things? Do you believe in Jesus and follow his example even if your walk is rough and you often trip and fall? Well then, honey, you’re on the fast track to eternity. Don’t give up now! And for those just getting started, enjoy the journey because it’s worth it!

~Kimberly Bundy

12/15/2023

LightHouse Devotional - Friday, December 15, 2023

Isaiah 9:6 - For to us, a child is born; to us, a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The second advent candle (The Bethlehem Candle) represents peace. Peace is a central theme of the Advent season and the main focus of the second week of Advent. Peace is one of those words that people often use in certain conversations or prayers, but it is not always explained very well in context. Jesus talked about peace on several occasions in the Bible. Depending on the translation, the word peace can be found over two hundred times in the Bible. At the Last Supper, Jesus told his disciples that he would leave them soon and provided comfort to them, saying, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” Clearly, the peace that Jesus provides is different.

Our world is filled with chaos and uncertainty, and the narrative of peace at the time of Advent encourages us to find peace not in the absence of turmoil but in the presence of the One who calms the storm. As we navigate the challenges of our daily lives, the peace that surpasses all understanding becomes our guiding light.

I am currently in South Carolina with a childhood friend who recently lost her husband to su***de. As you can imagine, she and their three children are in a storm. While I’m here hoping to encourage her and love her and her family, it has been difficult for me to articulate meaningful conversations of comfort and peace with each of them. I’ve been praying every night that He provides me with the right words and encouraging actions to help them all through this extremely difficult time. I am believing that my presence is helpful and that they are comforted by the extending love and support of a friend.

As we reflect on the theme of peace this week, let us consider practical ways to apply it to our lives and to share it with others. Peace can be found in acts of kindness, moments of stillness, and during intentional times of prayer. May you all experience the type of peace that comes only from the Prince of Peace this season.

-Kristie Milby

12/12/2023

LightHouse Devotional - Tuesday, December 12, 2023

A Journey through I Peter 2 Final – Part Six

Are you willing to live differently? Read 1 Peter 2:1-12, then focus on v. 11-12
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

Reflection: This isn’t just about what we believe but how we are willing to shape our lives around those beliefs. We sometimes treat scripture as a book of information on how to live, but like the stones (vs. 4), God’s word is “living and active.” If nothing changes after this week, we may be missing the invitation.

These verses, though, can feel intimidating, especially if we are prone to unhealthy decisions. However, this isn’t entirely our fault. A war rages against our souls, and we can be too weak to resist on our own. Peter later addresses this ongoing threat in 5:8: “Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion. He prowls around, looking for someone to swallow up.”

We have been given an exceedingly generous invitation, but are we willing to live differently? To live as God invites can seem far beyond us, and in a way, it is, but we must remember that we were not called to live on our own. Scripture says, “Love God and love others,” meaning we are called to live in a relationship with God and others. In other words, your ability to “abstain from sinful desires” and “live such good lives” isn’t solely on you to accomplish, but with the help of the Spirit and support of your fellow “living stones.” The result will not simply be a better life for you, but others will “see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us!”

Ways to engage: How does it make you feel when you think of “abstaining from sinful desires” and “living good lives?” How have you tried to do this on your own? How could God and others help you?
How has this devotional equipped you to be a “living stone” like Jesus?

Take a moment to pray about your responses. “Dear God, thank you for what you’ve done through this devotional, whether I’ve seen it or not. If there is anything you want me to marinate in longer, keep it on my mind, and if there are ways you are inviting me to respond, give me the eyes and strength to do so. I want to be a ‘living stone’... not for my glory, but yours, and alongside all the other living stones you call your children.”

What now? You just did something incredible: you spent intentional time with God through His Word. Maybe you didn’t always want to, sometimes you got distracted, and maybe you have more questions than you started with, and that’s okay. This wasn’t about fixing yourself or finding answers but taking small steps toward God. Now, here’s the important thing: you can keep stepping!

~Paul Granger, visit: www.wheredidyouseegod.com

12/05/2023

LightHouse Devotional - Tuesday, December 5, 2023

A Journey through I Peter 2 – Part Five

Are you willing to journey with others? Read 1 Peter 2:1-12, then focus on v. 9-10.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Reflection: This isn’t about you, but you. That makes no sense in English because we tend to take “you” as singular, even though that second “you” was intended to be plural. We apply this same thinking to scripture; when we see “you,” we read it as talking to us individually, while it is often directed at a body. Scripture is saturated with invitations for us to function as an intentional community, and these verses make it clear.

Perhaps we weren’t unified, but now we “are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.” Everything we have been reading has not existed to make us better individuals, but for all of us together to live into God’s generous invitation, that we may declare His praises.

This spiritual unity is something the writers of scripture knew would bring fullness: “Make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.” (Philippians 2:2)

They knew it was great that we individually connect with God, but far better when we do so as one body. If you feel encouraged by your own relationship with God, it can’t compare with the joy you’ll feel drawing near to Him alongside others.

Ways to engage: In what ways do you find yourself going solo or isolating from others? Why do you think you sometimes resist unity with others? Unity with others is not easy, but 1 Corinthians 12 clarifies that we are called to be a Body even if the eye is different from the hand. How can you promote unity with those different than you? What might it mean to be “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation” today with those around you?

Take a moment to pray about your responses. It can feel easier to go it alone, but we were not designed to reach the destination that way. You can pray something like this: “Dear God, I admit it can be hard to seek unity, especially with certain people or groups. Yet I know you have called me to journey with others. Help me to pursue unity with those around me.”

~Paul Granger, visit: www.wheredidyouseegod.com

11/28/2023

LightHouse Devotional - Tuesday, November 28, 2023

A Journey through I Peter 2 – Part Four

Are you willing to own your perception? Read I Peter 2:1-12, then focus on v. 6-8
Scripture says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” Now, to you who believe this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

Reflection: We can all see the same thing yet have different perceptions. Take Stonehenge, for example; this megalithic circle of massive stones in Southern England has perplexed generations of observers. Perceptions vary wildly: a remnant of a Roman temple, an alien landing site, a musical instrument, something built by giants and transported by Merlin. They are all seeing the same thing yet perceiving something different.

Many perceived Jesus in different ways while he lived and even now; the verses above give us a clue as to why perceptions vary. On the one hand, you have “the one who trusts in him.” The result of their faith is that they are never put to shame, and they know the “stone is precious.” On the other hand, you have “those who do not believe,” those who reject him, and those who “disobey the message.” Their resistance results in stumbling and falling.

“Oh no… I’ve had moments of doubt and disobedience…what does that mean?” The good news is the Apostle Paul also had struggles: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” (Romans 7:15). While this isn’t an invitation to do whatever, it is a reminder that where we fall short, Christ does not, and when we put our trust in him, we “will never be put to shame.”

Ways to engage: How do you typically perceive Jesus? Which ways demonstrate trust, and which rejection? What is encouraging about “the one who trusts in him” is that you can choose to trust even if you have questions and concerns. What’s a simple way you can choose to trust Jesus today?
Have you ever stumbled and fallen spiritually? Talk to God about that experience.

Take a moment to pray about your responses. Even if your perception feels off, the good news is you can invite God to change how you perceive it. You can pray something like this: “Dear God, I recognize that what I think and understand isn’t always accurate. Give me eyes to see you, your son, and the Spirit rightly so that shame isn’t a part of my story, and I know how precious the living Stone is.”

~Paul Granger, visit: www.wheredidyouseegod.com

11/21/2023

LightHouse Devotional - Tuesday, November 21, 2023

A Journey through I Peter 2 – Part Three

Are you willing to become like him? Read I Peter 2:1-12, then focus on v. 4-5
As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Reflection: We want to be like Jesus in enjoyable ways but do not want to “share in his sufferings.” If we want to become like him, we must embrace both the difficult and the amazing. Jesus was simultaneously rejected and chosen, reviled and precious; he invites us to the same, knowing that the eternal reward is worth every moment.

What Jesus knows that we miss is that God is actively building a “spiritual house.” Rather than the tents and temples of scripture, God desires to reside in us as a living temple, and He began construction with Jesus as the living cornerstone. As Psalm 118:22 puts it, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” A builder chooses or rejects materials for reasons that aren’t always right. The “builders” that rejected Jesus wanted their own plans and saw Jesus as too weak or misshapen to be reliable. God knew His Son was stronger than they could grasp and was perfect for what He was building.

He could have made Jesus the whole “spiritual house,” instead, He wants us to be where He resides. This is an honor we could never have earned! He is inviting us to become like Jesus: living stones. Unlike static stones, we embody full life, carrying the strength of rock and the creative capacity of man. Joined together, we can become a “spiritual house” that can accomplish more than we could have ever imagined.

Ways to engage: In what ways do you like being like Jesus? In what ways do you feel resistance? What does being a “living stone” mean to you? How do you feel about being built up alongside other living stones? The end goal isn’t simply that we would be a house but “a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices.” What are your thoughts on this?

Take a moment to pray about your responses. We can easily miss a vital part of this passage: “through Jesus Christ.” You are not expected to do this on your own but through Jesus. You can pray something like this: “Dear God, I confess there are parts of what Jesus is inviting me to that I don’t want and that, in my own power, I may keep avoiding; through Jesus Christ, help me to come to you and embrace the invitation to be a living stone alongside others.”

~Paul Granger, visit: www.wheredidyouseegod.com

11/14/2023

LightHouse Devotional - Tuesday, November 14, 2023

A Journey through I Peter 2 – Part Two – Verse 1 to 3

Are you willing to be vulnerable? Read I Peter 2:1-12, then focus on v. 1-3
“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

Reflection:
Malice. Deceit. Hypocrisy. Envy. Slander. All these stem from self-preservation, a desire to protect ourselves at all costs. Meanwhile, Peter invites us to be vulnerable; if we’re honest, we’re scared to go there. Vulnerability puts us at risk, can make us look bad, and can cost us. So why does Peter tell us to drop our defenses and become weak babies?

Jesus says this about vulnerability: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3). Jesus knows that when our defense systems are up, they don’t differentiate, anything that could cause harm will be blocked.

Do you know what causes harm? Following Jesus. He is honest that following him comes at a cost. We better pay attention: unless we “become like little children,” we will fight against Jesus’s work in our lives. At our most defensive, we will resort to malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander to protect ourselves.

If you want to experience God this week, it will require vulnerability, trusting that the “spiritual milk” He offers will be healthier for you than anything you could cook up. Simply “tasting that the Lord is good” is not enough to spur us toward him; this week, we will practice what it means to “rid” ourselves of what blocks us and “crave” what God offers, no matter how vulnerable we must become, “so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.”

Ways to engage:
Verse 1 invites us to rid ourselves of things that could keep us from stepping towards God; are there things God is bringing to mind that could be on that list for you?

How does “vulnerability” make you feel? If you feel resistance, why is that?
This passage was not written to an individual but a body of people; this means that you could press into vulnerability alongside others. With whom could you feel safe taking this journey?

Take a moment to pray about your responses. Vulnerability is difficult, but the Spirit can give us strength when we are weak; you can pray something like this: “Dear God, I admit that my gut reaction is to protect myself, and vulnerability is something I avoid. Help me to trust that if I come to you as “a little child,” you will care for me as a loving Father. Thank you.”

~Paul Granger, visit: www.wheredidyouseegod.com

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