<![CDATA[GOSPEL LIGHTHOUSE CHURCH & ACADEMY - Lightkeepers]]>Tue, 20 Jan 2026 15:20:09 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Just Beyond the Cross]]>Mon, 19 Jan 2026 22:34:02 GMThttp://www.floydslighthouse.com/lightkeepers/just-beyond-the-crossThen Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” — Matthew 16:24

We’ve all faced moments when the weight of suffering felt unbearable. Who among us hasn’t experienced the grief of losing a loved one or watched cherished dreams shatter into pieces?

The crosses we carry should always remind us of Jesus and the Cross He bore. He walked a road marked with betrayal, pain, and sorrow. He was kissed by a traitor, nailed to a tree, and laid in a borrowed tomb. From the outside, it looked like complete defeat. But His story wasn’t over because God was writing another ending. Just beyond the Cross, in that garden tomb, angels were waiting for Day Three. When the stone rolled away, hope broke through the darkness. Death was defeated, and life triumphed. What looked like loss became the greatest victory the world has ever known.

This truth applies to the crosses we carry as well. Every one of us faces struggles. It may be a health crisis, the sting of betrayal, financial hardship, or hidden battles no one else can see. These crosses can feel crushing. They leave scars and whisper lies that nothing will ever change, that joy will never return.

But the message of the Gospel is this: there is victory just beyond the cross. The psalmist declared, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). What feels like the end of the story is often the beginning of a new chapter God is writing. The grave was the darkest place imaginable, but it became the very stage for resurrection.

When we trust Jesus with our crosses, we begin to see that love is stronger than hate, forgiveness is greater than bitterness, and life has the final word over death. Paul reminds us, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17). What we see now is temporary, but what God is working is eternal.

I don’t know what cross you’re carrying today, but I do know this: your story isn’t finished. Just beyond your suffering, God is preparing resurrection hope. Just beyond your tears, He is writing joy. Just beyond your loss, He is shaping victory. The road may be hard, and the cross heavy, but Christ has already walked ahead of you. Because of Him, love makes the journey worth the cost.

So let fresh faith rise in your heart. Lift your eyes from the shadows of Calvary to the light of the empty tomb. What looks like loss, God will redeem. Because just beyond the cross, life is waiting.]]><![CDATA[Borrowed Faith]]>Mon, 19 Jan 2026 22:30:00 GMThttp://www.floydslighthouse.com/lightkeepers/borrowed-faithWhen Jesus saw their faith, He said to the sick man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:5)

Do you remember your mother or grandmother borrowing a cup of sugar, some flour, or a few eggs from a neighbor when you were young? I do. As a kid, I was grateful when our neighbors had what we lacked, because it meant supper could still be made or cookies could still be baked. Those moments taught me that sometimes, what you need most is just a little help from someone willing to share.

Looking back, I realize those simple “borrowing moments” weren’t just about a few missing ingredients. They were lessons in community and generosity. When someone shared what they had, it reminded me that we weren’t alone. We belonged to a neighborhood where people looked out for one another. Just as a borrowed cup of sugar made a meal possible, “borrowed faith” can make hope possible. When our own faith runs low and our strength is nearly gone, God often uses someone else’s prayers, encouragement, or testimony to refill our empty cup.  

The Bible tells the story of a paralyzed man whose friends were so determined to bring him to Jesus that they tore a hole in the roof and lowered him right in front of the Lord. The amazing part is this: Scripture says, “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the man, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’” (Mark 2:5) Jesus responded to the faith of the friends. That’s what I mean by “borrowed faith.” It’s when someone else’s trust and faith in God becomes a bridge for another person’s breakthrough.

Throughout Scripture, we see this same pattern. The centurion’s servant was healed because his master believed. (Matthew 8:5-13) Jairus’ daughter lived because her father refused to give up hope. (Mark 5:21-43) The Canaanite woman’s daughter was delivered because her mother persisted in faith. (Matthew 15:21-28) Again and again, God honored the faith of one person on behalf of another. God knows there will be times when life is hard and our faith is weak, so He surrounds us with people who will stand in the gap and believe for us.

If your faith feels fragile today, don’t be ashamed. Borrow some. Lean on the prayers of a friend, the encouragement of your church family, or the promises written in God’s Word. Faith can be as contagious as chicken pox. When we hear the testimonies of others, our broken hearts begin to beat and believe again. And someday, when someone else’s faith is faltering, you’ll have the joy of lending yours and believing for them in the storm they face.

​Borrowed faith reminds us that we were never meant to walk alone. God designed His family so that when one heart trembles, another stands firm. If you’re struggling today, take courage—someone is praying, believing, and holding you up. And before long, the faith you borrowed will become the faith you lend to someone who is hurting.]]><![CDATA[The Manger Became a Table]]>Mon, 19 Jan 2026 22:24:04 GMThttp://www.floydslighthouse.com/lightkeepers/the-manger-became-a-tableIt’s amazing how quickly Thanksgiving comes and goes, and suddenly we’re stepping into the Christmas season once more. I always find myself marveling at how time seems to speed up each year—maybe you feel that way too. The holidays have a way of sneaking up on us, filling our calendars before we even realize it. Before things get too busy, let’s pause together, take a deep breath, and remember to turn our hearts toward the One who was born in that humble stable in Bethlehem to save us.

Christmas calls us to receive God’s greatest gift. The prophet Isaiah declared centuries before Jesus was born, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” (Isaiah 9:2) And that Light entered the world in the most unexpected way.

Luke tells us that when Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem, “there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7) It seemed like a closed door…an inconvenience…a disappointment. Yet God was opening a different door—one no one saw coming.

​And here’s the wonder of it all: The manger was simply a feeding trough, a place where animals ate, but God turned it into a table that held the Bread of Life so the whole world could be fed.

Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry.” (John 6:35)

The stable and the manger whisper to us that God does His greatest work in humble places… in places we would never choose… in moments that don’t look glamorous or “put together.” The Apostle Paul reminds us, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise… the weak things… to shame the strong.” (1 Corinthians 1:27)

As we begin this season, may we carry two things with us:

• A thankful heart — “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.” (Psalm 136:1)

• A hopeful heart — “For unto us a Child is born… and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

Slow down. Breathe deep. Look for Jesus in the everyday moments. He still comes into ordinary places with extraordinary grace.

​Blessings to you and your family as we journey toward Christmas.]]><![CDATA[The MESSiah and the Mess]]>Mon, 19 Jan 2026 22:13:21 GMThttp://www.floydslighthouse.com/lightkeepers/the-messiah-and-the-messAfter more than four decades of full-time ministry, my husband and I can testify to
this truth: ministry can be messy. No doubt about it. But seeing the precious ways
Jesus moves in the hearts and lives of people makes it worth it all.
As a child, I came from a home that desperately needed the church. Thankfully,
my grandparents loved Jesus and stepped in to fill that role whenever they could.
They made sure my two older brothers and I were at church every time the doors
were open. For that, I am eternally grateful.

Years later, after Paul and I accepted the call to serve the congregation of the
Gospel Lighthouse, an older couple visited the church. As we talked, they began
connecting the dots and realized we knew some of the same people. Eventually,
they admitted that many years earlier they had heard about the urgent needs in
my childhood family—but had chosen not to get involved because it was “too
messy.”

The Bible is full of examples showing how we should—and shouldn’t—respond
when we see a need. As we enter this new year, let’s choose to respond in the
right way. Let’s be for Jesus what we once needed someone to be for us.

1. Cain: When Cain asked, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:1-9) He
was really saying, “Am I responsible for my brother?” Clearly, this was not
the right response.

2. Jonah: When Jonah fled God’s call to go to Nineveh, he was saying, “I
don’t want to get involved with those people.” (Jonah 1:1-3) Wrong again.

3. The Good Samaritan: When the priest and the Levite passed by the
wounded man on the road to Jericho, they chose not to get involved. You
can almost hear their excuses—too busy, too important, too burdened.
(Luke 10:30-37) But the Good Samaritan responded the right way. He
acted.

4. The Christmas story: When Jesus stepped into the mess of humanity, it
cost Him His life. He could have refused to get involved with us. Instead,
He became Emmanuel—God with us. (Matthew 1:23) Where would we be
without His beautiful, sacrificial response?

Christian involvement costs us time, money, effort—even blood, sweat, and
tears. Christian leadership is “bleed”-ership. There’s no way around it. But as
believers, we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus—light and salt in this
broken world.

Even at Calvary, as Jesus hung on the cross, He was still seeing and meeting
needs while He was dying. He thought of His mother and who would care for her:
“Woman, here is your son.” He thought of the thief beside Him: “Today you will be
with Me in paradise.” He thought of the soldiers: “Father, forgive them, for they
know not what they do.” And He looked ahead in time and thought of us.

Let’s be more like Jesus—and experience the blessing of being involved in
others’ lives, no matter how messy or costly it may be. The truth is simple: I’m a
mess. You’re a mess. We’re all a mess. That’s why God sent the MESSiah.

Sybil Leonard Armes captured it beautifully in this timeless poem:

We cannot stay on the mountain
While hearts in the lowlands bleed;
Always there rises before us
The valley’s bitter need.

Some have no heights to remember;
Out of their bondage they sigh.
How shall we stay on the mountain,
Deaf to the valley’s cry?
​
We cannot stay on the mountain,
Who have seen the lonely town;
The cry of the valley has lifted—
Let us arise and go down.]]><![CDATA[Simple devotions written by Pastor Paul & Dixie]]>Sat, 13 Jul 2024 01:24:55 GMThttp://www.floydslighthouse.com/lightkeepers/welcome-to-the-kings-tableA Lesson from Naaman


The king of Syria had high admiration for Naaman, the commander-in-chief of his army, for he had led his troops to many glorious victories. So he was a great hero, but he was a leper.
​2 Kings 5:1


Naaman was a powerful Assyrian leader with a fatal flaw. He had leprosy, a disease that did not discriminate. Even though he was a man in a position of military power and influence, he was susceptible to a common man's illness.

Naaman’s army had captured a young Hebrew girl, who was given to Naaman’s wife as a servant. This girl never forgot what she had learned among the Hebrews about God’s power and faithfulness. When she learned about Naaman’s disease, she had the courage to share about the miracles the prophet Elisha had done in the Lord’s name. She was convinced if Naaman could meet Elisha, he would be cured of his disease.

Permission was granted for Naaman to travel to Israel to meet with the prophet, but when he arrived at Elisha’s house, he was shocked and insulted that the prophet didn’t come out to talk with him. Instead, Elisha sent instructions to Naaman to go wash seven times in the muddy Jordan River. Naaman was offended. He felt he was too important to bathe in the dirty Jordan River.

Naaman’s servants loved him. They approached him and said, “If the prophet had told you to do something mighty and difficult, wouldn’t you do it? Why don’t you just go ahead and do the simple task he is asking.”

Naaman humbled himself and obeyed the prophet’s instructions. He dipped himself in the Jordan River exactly as he was instructed—seven times. When he came up out of those waters, he was completely healed.

Many of God’s children feel they are called to serve Him, but when lowly acts of service are presented, they respond like Naaman. "I refuse to dip into the muddy Jordan. This is not what I expected serving the Lord and His kingdom to look like. I am capable of so much more.”

But then the Holy Spirit reminds us, "If I had told you to do some great and mighty thing, you would have done it. Can you do this humble service for Me?"

Sometimes people say, "God has big plans for my life." But when the Lord opens a humble door of service they are discouraged because it wasn’t the “big plans” they were expecting. They would rather do nothing than something they feel is “beneath” them.

Oh, how God needs “little” leaders. Those who aren’t too big to serve in small ways.

Begin serving where you are. Don't let what appears to be lowly service stop you from being a blessing. Kingdom principles are radically different than our self-serving society: the way up is down. If you want to be great, serve. Making Jesus known is more important than promoting a selfish agenda.

What a valuable lesson of obedience we can learn from Naaman’s story. There is no service too small. Whatever the Lord needs us to do, let us do it with all our heart.

Work at everything you do with all your heart. Colossians 3:23



Saul’s son Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth, who was crippled as a child. He was five years old when the report came from Jezreel that Saul and Jonathan had been killed in battle. When the child’s nurse heard the news, she picked him up and fled. But as she hurried away, she dropped him, and he became crippled. (2 Samuel 4:4 NLT)


The Old Testament has many types and shadows of Jesus hidden in its pages. One great example is the story of King David and Mephibosheth.

King Saul had a crippled grandson named Mephibosheth. He was Jonathan’s son. Jonathan and David were best friends growing up. David was very sad when King Saul and Jonathan died. One day after David became king, he was reminiscing about the special friendship he shared with Jonathan and asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (2 Samuel 9:1)

A loyal servant spoke up and told King David about Mephibosheth. Kings usually eliminate any former king’s bloodline, but not King David. He had other plans for Mephibosheth. He invited him to come to the palace. A frightened Mephibosheth arrived and King David did his best to welcome him.

“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”

Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?” (2 Samuel 9:7-8)

Many of us are like Mephibosheth—crippled in some way. Someone who should have taken care of us has disappointed us. Maybe we have had a painful childhood, riddled with abuse or neglect. Possibly the adults in our lives “dropped” us. We might feel “crippled” by our upbringing, wishing we had been given the opportunities others have had. Painful experiences like these can cause us to “limp” through life. These negative circumstances can make our heart bitter and hard, but because of the grace and kindness of a humble King named Jesus, broken hearts can beat again with hope. He is quick to let us know that if we accept His invitation and place our lives in His hands, our sad beginning can have a very happy ending. He never leaves us stranded in the dark abyss of hopelessness. He is our King and He requests our presence at His table. It’s true. He invites beggars to banquets and cripples to dance.

If you feel “crippled” by your circumstances, lift up your head. The King’s invitation has arrived. You might ask, “Where is my invitation?” If you look, you will find it nailed to a tree—the Cross of Jesus. The Bible teaches that whosoever will may come. “Whosoever” means you. From this moment on and for all eternity, you are a special guest at King Jesus’ table.

And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table. ( 2 Samuel 9:13 NIV)

The Angel said to me, “Write this: ‘Blessed are those invited to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.’” (Revelation 19:9 MSG)



Welcome to the King’s Table

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