Getting to Know You, Getting to Know All About You …

The Member Musings section of our blog is written by church members in the hope of encouraging you to see all of life through the lens of the gospel. Today we hear from Pastor Jason Ho as he reflects on lessons from our All-Church Retreat.


When you read an author, you get a sense of his intellect and knowledge, his command of the language, his understanding of the topic. But it is not until you meet the writer that you get a sense of his heart. This past weekend, I got to experience first-hand the heart of a great theologian. I had read works by Dr. Bruce Ware and was amazed at his insights and ability to explain difficult theological truths. But getting to know him at our All-Church Retreat revealed a man in love with the Lord.

Here are three things we can learn from him:

  1. Know the Word. Here is a brother who clearly has studied Scripture. Compatibilism, transcendence, immanence, why seraphim have six wings, what becomes of Israel, where does evil come from? Just another day at the office for this professor. Do you know the Word, do you know it precisely? We must have an accurate picture of God and his ways in order to follow him and trust him rightly.
  1. Love the Word. What you don’t necessarily get from reading is a sense of the author’s passion. Clearly, Dr. Ware had great passion for what he preaches. The marvelousness of God’s redemptive love, the majesty of his holiness, the comfort of his sovereignty were all on display as Dr. Ware entreated and pleaded for us to truly know the greatness of our Father. Is our Bible intake perfunctory and merely for knowledge’s sake? Or, is there a joy and a hope and a grateful sense of awe as you come to the Word and see the heart of a Father who loves you and lavishes his grace upon you?
  1. Live the Word. Beyond reading and hearing, you really get to know someone when you spend time with them.  And oh how the Lighthouse family was blessed in fellowshipping with Dr. Ware and his wife, Jodi! Their love for the Lord and others (despite the jet lag!) was so evident in their care, concern, and encouragement to all those they talked with and shared a meal with. Are the truths of Scripture, God’s gracious love, seen in the way you live and in how you love others?

As people get to know you, what do they see? Hopefully they see the Word, Jesus, shining brightly in your life!


jason-hoJason Ho serves as an elder in our worship ministries at Lighthouse. Both he and his wife Amy are originally from the East Coast, but they and their two children now live in Redondo Beach where Jason works as an urgent care physician. In addition to his counseling studies, he enjoys hitting the links, the slopes, a volleyball, the buffet line, or his pillow!