Tim Liston

Alvin Campus Sneak Peek (Great CoMission Update #6)

Here's a sneak peek inside the Alvin Campus building. I'm not a prophet, but I'm believing that God will fill this building up with people hungry for Jesus! (Thanks Pastor Chris for the video and for your work on this project!!) We will totally remake this building - and it will be awesome. (Thank you, Great CoMission givers!!!!!) Consider this a "before" video. Enjoy!

 

Great CoMission Update #5: Digging Trenches in a Dry Land...

 

Pastor Caleb from Haiti posted this on Facebook today: "If you think your house is too small to asking people come to stay with you its ok. But Heaven is Large! Ask theme to come with you!!!"

 

How right he is!! Heaven is big - and what God wants to do for us and through us is usually bigger than we're thinking as well! That's why our church hires, builds, expands, starts new campuses, and why we DREAM BIG!!! If you've been around our church lately, you know God is up to something. Even at this moment, I hear the sound of construction going on at the 288 Campus. Our East Campus recently smashed all previous records with an event held for our Krush students. There is an excitement in Alvin like I've never seen before as we move toward the renovation of our building/campus there. And our efforts in Haiti may have had a breakthrough recently!! (I'll let you know. Keep praying.) WE ARE GETTING READY! Here's an excerpt from a Charles Spurgeon sermon from the 1850's. It reminds us to be ready for what the Lord wants to do. Enjoy...

 

"And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches. For thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye and your cattle, and your beasts." -2 Kings 3:16-17

 

"The armies of the three kings were famishing for want of water: God was about to send it, and in these words the prophet announced the coming blessing. Here was a case of human helplessness: not a drop of water could all the valiant men procure from the skies or find in the wells of earth. Thus often the people of the Lord are at their wits' end; they see the vanity of the creature, and learn experimentally where their help is to be found. Still the people were to make a believing preparation for the divine blessing; they were to dig the trenches in which the precious liquid would be held. The church must by her varied agencies, efforts, and prayers, make herself ready to be blessed; she must make the pools, and the Lord will fill them. This must be done in faith, in the full assurance that the blessing is about to descend. By-and-by there was a singular bestowal of the needed boon. Not as in Elijah's case did the shower pour from the clouds, but in a silent and mysterious manner the pools were filled. The Lord has his own sovereign modes of action: he is not tied to manner and time as we are, but doeth as he pleases among the sons of men. It is ours thankfully to receive from him, and not to dictate to him. We must also notice the remarkable abundance of the supply--there was enough for the need of all. And so it is in the gospel blessing; all the wants of the congregation and of the entire church shall be met by the divine power in answer to prayer; and above all this, victory shall be speedily given to the armies of the Lord. What am I doing for Jesus? What trenches am I digging? O Lord, make me ready to receive the blessing which thou art so willing to bestow."

 

Charles Spurgeon

 

 

 

I stand amazed...

Easter weekend is always busy at church. This year was no exception. We had 9,371 people worship with us. (That alone is amazing!) However, I was blown away by the number of people who made commitments! In EVERY single one of the 12 services people went public with their decision for Christ. And every time I thought I was going to lose it! I've heard some great stories of family members/friends who came to church by invitation and left church a new creation! Thank you, volunteers!! Thank you, staff!!! And most of all, thank you, Lord Jesus for what you did for us!

 

 

 

Great CoMission Update #4: Walls on the ground, on paper, and in dreams...

 

288 Campus: The walls of the 288 Campus expansion have been poured! There will be a week or two wait now as the walls cure and the steel is shipped. Then the walls will be lifted into position.

 

Alvin Campus: Last week we had a meeting about the Alvin Campus and I was  very encouraged! Yes, we have a building. But all of the needed changes are still being worked out on paper. But it's fun watching a dream becoming a reality!

East Campus: We are about to begin the design of the East Campus build out! We've been told this shouldn't be a difficult process because the area is already under roof and everything has been removed.

Haiti Campus: As you heard in the service two weeks ago from Marc Davis, Haiti is a challenge! We knew it would be. We've got our eyes on a piece of land, but are moving forward with caution. It's risky, but the potential for making an impact for Jesus Christ is so great, we are going to keep pressing ahead in faith. Prayers please!!

Thanks again to every faith filled, fully devoted, commited and crazy New Hoper who is giving toward these projects! You are the GREATEST! Much love!!!

 

 

 

 

Teaching for Life Change...

Two weeks ago I mentioned the Bereans who received Paul's teaching with eagerness then went home to check what they had learned against Scripture. That one line in Acts gives us insight not only into the Bereans lives, but also into Paul's teaching. Let me explain by telling you about two types of Bible study...

• A "deductive" Bible study begins from a point that a teacher is making, and then uses a number of scripture verses and examples to support that conclusion. Many sermons and Bible studies are conducted this way.
• An "inductive" Bible study begins with the raw text of scripture. The student (or in our context, the teacher) takes the time to observe what is happening in the text, the “who, what, when, where and why.” The teacher asks questions which help him to understand what is going on, what is being said, and how. Then he moves on to determining the application based on the observation and interpretation.

 

 

I like the inductive approach in study because of the more precise interpretation of the text and, therefore, the correct application that it brings. It is why I went to Bible College. There I went through years of “inductive” Bible study. However, the inductive method in teaching has its limitations. When standing in front of people it is time consuming and laborious to get to the point using the inductive approach. What works in Bible College with students who are committed to years of training in the classroom and are paying to get an education, does not work with people in a service that lasts one hour each week. When people come to church they don’t need to watch the pastor "study" the text on the stage. They need to know the results of the study they are trusting him to do.

 

When you have only about 30 minutes to stand in front of people, it’s important to get to the point quickly. It’s not good stewardship of people’s time to spend 27 minutes “observing” and “interpreting” while only spending the final 3 minutes applying. What people really need when they are receiving the Word is a brief explanation of how you arrived at the specific conclusion and then what to do with it, or how to apply it. They don’t need to sit and watch you observe and interpret. People want and need to know what God wants from them. The pastor/teacher is supposed to deliver the goods, not put on a show of intellect. 

  
However, the inductive method done from the stage is preferred by many Christians who consider the historical and cultural information as “meat” and the application of the text as “milk.” In fact, I've often seen new Bible College students with a semester or two under their belt (i.e. just enough Bible knowledge to make them dangerous) scorn teaching that doesn't sound like one of their classes. They think they are chewing meat when in reality they are crunching back story facts. Hebrews tells us that meat of the word (or solid food) is the application of the Scriptural text in a way that helps us to discern what we should and should not do (Hebrews 5:13-14). In a word, meat is “applicable” Bible teaching, not the details and the minutiae of the back story.

 

James 1:22 actually says that we can listen to the word and be deceived. How? Be not applying it. In Matthew 7:26 Jesus tells us that when we hear His word and don't apply it we're like the foolish man who built his house on the sand. The emphasis of Scripture is on "doing."

 

As always, at New Hope we try to do things in such a way in our services that we do not alienate the people God has called us to reach. Paul encouraged the church at Corinth to do things in their gatherings in such a way as to not alienate the people who were outside of the faith (1 Corinthians 14:23). Therefore, effective teaching that can hold the attention of a wide audience will feel like a deductive study – but is really inductive. The inductive part is done in the privacy of the pastor’s office. The lesson is then put into a form that gets to the application quickly. The Apostle Paul obviously used this method in his teaching. I say this because the Bereans listened to him teach, but then went home and checked the Scriptures to see if what he had said was true (Acts 17:11). The observation and interpretation often found in public in the inductive method was missing from Paul’s sermon(s) – but was obviously done in private because of the purity found in his teaching. 

 

Information without application leads to frustration.

Information with application leads to transformation.

 

And at New Hope we want transformed lives!

 

 

 

 

Great CoMission Update #3: We just bought a bank...

Guess what your church just did: Bought an old bank building in Alvin to start a brand new New Hope Church Campus! We closed on the building last Thursday. As we continue to receive money, we'll do the renovation. Then we'll have a Campus right in the heart of Alvin. I'm so excited I can hardly wait! Thank you faithful Great CoMission givers!!!

That is all.

Oh wait. One more thing: God is amazing!

 

 

Fellowship of the Unashamed...

I read this in church this past weekend. It's something that I wrote in the back of my Bible when I was 18. It's not original with me, and I'm not even sure who the author is. But it described how I felt at the time. Amazingly enough, many years later I still feel the exact same way. After the service I started getting requests for a copy. I posted it on Facebook, but decided to include it on my blog as well. Enjoy...

 

I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power. The dye has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I’m a disciple of His. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, “chincy” giving, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by presence, lean by faith, walk by patience, lift by prayer and labor by power. My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me – my colors will be clear.