Lighthouse Baptist Church — Attraction in Lemon Grove

This is an 'Independent Fundamental Baptist' dispensational/free grace theology church. They teach that salvation is free, you don't have to do anything to be 'saved' other than accept Jesus Christ as your savior. This is accomplished primarily through their strong emphasis on 'soul winning' which means they have you go door to door knocking and asking people 'can I show you in 5 minutes how you can be sure you will go to heaven when you die? They will recite 5 bible verses from 'the Romans road, have you repeat a prayer for 'salvation' and tell you 'you are now saved', and once saved always saved and that you are guaranteed entry into heaven NO MATTER WHAT. If you choose not to take up your cross and obey God, then all you lose is rewards and maybe God will chastise you, but you cannot lose your salvation because its 'free', no commitment required.

This is in sharp contrast to Covenant theology and Lordship salvation.

Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Their interpretation is that you acknowledge Jesus is Lord, not that He must be the Lord of your life for salvation, but that He is Lord ... well the devils believe this and tremble but don't obey God. The word 'believe in thine heart' also implies obedience and abiding in Christ.

They never explain to you they are a dispensational church and barely mention it in their bible institute which uses the Scofield reference bible as their text and teaches a dual covenant in place, one with the Jews that is yet future to be fulfilled and another one with the 'church' which is merely a parenthesis and one of God's seven dispensations.

This is in sharp contrast to Covenant theology that teaches that the church and Christ have superseded the old covenant with the Jews and that you can only come to God through Jesus, there is no other way.

In Lordship salvation, you surrender your life to God which requires true and ongoing repentance. You are called to carry your cross daily, to deny yourself, to crucify your flesh, to seek to walk in the spirit of God and become His disciple and to persevere to the end, through the trial of your faith by fire, which is what I believe the Bible teaches, but this doctrine is condemned by them. They claim Christ can be your savior without having to be your Lord.

There is a cult of personality and authoritarianism in IFB churches, including this one. While the Bible specifically tells us the pastor is to be an example to the flock and not Lord over them, there is a continual emphasis on blindly obeying the 'anointed man of God' as a Moses figure. They don't teach you how to think about the Bible or consider other historical biblical points of view. Instead, they spoon feed you the doctrines they want you to believe and brow beat you if you don't follow suit. This happens in their bible institutes and colleges as well, which takes in mostly teenagers and turns them into clones, they all teach the same doctrines and think the same way if they are to have any success within fundamentalism.

There is a strong emphasis on Statism, they have a 'God and country day' and promote right wing Trumptard republicanism. the Bible talks about mystery babylon and a false church married to the state, a woman rides the beast.

There is a very strong controversy with the David Gibbs lawyers who frequent this church and the massive cover up of sexually abused children by IFB pastors all over the US that are shuffled around and protected in court by these lawyers to the tune of hundreds of cases.

Yelp continually deletes or puts on the non recommended section at the bottom of the page reviews that are in any way critical of this church, such as ones I have posted before.

There is a complete lack of accountability with the 'leadership' of this church. No one oversees the pastor(s) and what they say goes so the weightier matters of justice, mercy and faith get tossed out the window, the rest of my...

I have been attending Lighthouse for the past eight months, and I can truly say that it has been an incredible blessing in my life. From the moment I stepped through the doors, I was welcomed with warmth and kindness, and I quickly felt at home.

One of the greatest blessings has been the preaching. Pastor Hetzer's strong foundation in God's Word and his ability to communicate truth with clarity and conviction have challenged and encouraged me in my walk with the Lord. Each message is grounded in Scripture, and I always leave feeling strengthened in my faith.

The music ministry at Lighthouse is also a tremendous encouragement. Whether it's the powerful choir, the uplifting orchestra, the beautiful specials and offertories, or the heartfelt congregational singing, every aspect of the music points to Christ and brings a spirit of worship to the services. The songs are deeply meaningful, drawing hearts closer to God and providing a time of reflection, praise, and gratitude.

What truly sets Lighthouse’s music ministry apart is its unwavering commitment to God-honoring music. Every song is chosen with care, ensuring that the music aligns with biblical truth and lifts up the name of Christ.

One of the most special aspects of Lighthouse is the people. The members are incredibly warm and welcoming, always ready to encourage and uplift one another. Some of them I’ve had the privilege of knowing from past connections, and their kindness and friendship have been an extra blessing in my journey.

Having been a Christian for over 40 years, I am thankful to be part of a church that prioritizes God’s Word, supports a Christ-centered community, and upholds a strong commitment to biblical truth. Lighthouse is a place where faith grows, hearts are uplifted, and God is glorified. I am deeply grateful to be part of this church family and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a place to worship and grow...

I had the incredible pleasure and honor of attending a church service here recently for the first time. The service was absolutely outstanding in every conceivable way. The Pastor teaches the pure truth from the Bible, the sacred Word of our Creator. I was blessed beyond words to have the incredible privilege and honor of being there.

I noticed that someone wrote a negative review apparently criticizing the church for being anti-gay. Criticizing a church for being anti-gay is like criticizing a church for being anti-adultery. The church is simply accurately and truthfully conveying the teachings of our Creator.

The Bible is the greatest gift this world has to offer. To quote the King James Bible translators, "God's sacred Word...is that inestimable treasure that excelleth all the riches of the earth." So true.

I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for the Lord; none of us would. The Bible provides us with desperately needed answers. The words of the Bible are the words of our Creator speaking to us.

As our loving Creator, the Lord has a perspective we can never perceive. He always knows which behaviors and actions are truly in our best interest. Anyone can very easily choose to abide by biblical teachings and be very warmly welcomed, not only by human beings, but by our incredibly loving,...