Tinney Chapel Today: November 2013

Sunday, November 24, 2013

A "ThanksLiving" Sermon Preached Here 11-24-13

Based on 1 Peter 2:4-12 and a challenge to live out the message of the national season of Thanksgiving:

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

To view a video of Rev. Jim Hilton's sermon on "ThanksLiving" click on the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBuV632V-qA

1 Peter 2:4-12

New International Version (NIV)

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

⁴As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— ⁵you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house^[a] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶For in Scripture it 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.”^[b]

⁷Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”^[c]

⁸and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”^[d]

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

⁹But 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. ¹⁰Once 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.

Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society

¹¹Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. ¹²Live 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.

Footnotes:

1 Peter 2:5 Or into a temple of the Spirit
1 Peter 2:6 Isaiah 28:16
1 Peter 2:7 Psalm 118:22
1 Peter 2:8 Isaiah 8:14

Labels: 1 Peter 2:4-12, Rev. Jim Hilton, Thanksgiving, ThanksLiving, the quintessential country church, Tinney Chapel UMC

# posted by Joe Dan Boyd @ 11/24/2013

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

What Pastor Jim Actually Said Sunday, Nov. 17, 2013

In case you were not at Tinney Chapel worship this past Sunday, Nov. 17, and/or have not accessed the video of Pastor Jim Hilton's sermon, the following is a very brief capsule summary of the essence of his 30-minute sermon. You might still want to access the video, but if you just want to know the bare essence, what he said about church growth and, especially, what he did not say, read the short essay below:

TINNEY TALK (11-19-13)

Observations by Joe Dan Boyd

‘DATING THE CHURCH,” was the sermon title listed in the church bulletin at Tinney Chapel UMC this past Sunday, Nov. 17, 2013, and the Scriptural basis was listed as Ephesians 2:11-13, 19-22. Despite the printed title, the sermon topic was Church Growth, and during his delivery, our Pastor, Rev. Jim Hilton, said the title of his sermon should have been “Do You Really Want To Grow?”

The Pastor spent some time reviewing lessons that many of us recalled from Tinney Chapel’s landmark Vision & Values Workshop of September 8-10, 2000, conducted by consultants Don F. Renshaw, D. Min. and Richard B. Hearne who later became Lay Leader of the North Texas Conference. Some of you will also recall that this Workshop was in the form of a scholarship (a gift) to Tinney Chapel from the District and Conference because of our church’s potential as then viewed by our District Superintendent and NTC Bishop.

“The service at Tinney Chapel UMC seemed crowded to the Consultants and initially we could not find a place to sit,” was one of the conclusions on page 17 of the Consultants’ printed report on our church, titled Achieving Excellence In Ministry. “The sanctuary will seat approximately 100 persons. Applying the 80% rule, the church will ‘feel’ crowded at approximately 80. It has been the Consultants experience that in rural settings the rule is more like 70%...Therefore...Tinney Chapel is at maximum capacity and the church can expect little growth with the present facilities.”

This past Sunday, Nov. 17, our current Pastor, Rev. Hilton made the same point and emphasized that Tinney Chapel appears to have three options available. The first two options are available if our church decides it wants to grow: (1) Expand the current sanctuary via a new building program, or (2) Meet for worship in our 8,000-square-foot, fully paid-for Family Life Center. The third option is available if our church is content with its present size and does not decide to grow significantly. (3) Make no changes and continue to worship in our present sanctuary.

Our Pastor made no recommendation to our church on which option to choose. Instead he simply asked us: Do you really want to grow? Are we ready to make that decision?

# posted by Joe Dan Boyd @ 11/19/2013

Sunday, November 17, 2013

"Do You Really Want To Grow?" preached at Tinney Chapel 11-17-13

Originally titled "Dating The Church," based on Ephesians 2:11-13, 19-22, and being Pastor Jim Hilton's challenge to this congregation about growing the church:

Click on any photo to enlarge it

Click on the link below to view a video of Rev. Jim Hilton's sermon: Do You Really Want To Grow (Dating The Church):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfoGw6FKyVc

# posted by Joe Dan Boyd @ 11/17/2013

Sunday, November 03, 2013

"Our Wellness Exam" Preached Today

By Rev. Jim Hilton, Pastor, Tinney Chapel UMC, 11-03-13.

Based on Acts 2:42-47

Once on the Internet, click on any photo to enlarge it.

To view a video of Pastor Jim Hilton's entire sermon and beginning of Holy Communion service, click on the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTY2gvS0Oe8&feature=youtu.be

RESOURCE:

Acts 2:42-47

New International Version (NIV)

The Fellowship of the Believers

⁴²They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Link to resource page:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=aCTS%202:42-47&version=NIV

Labels: Acts 2:42-47, Angela Wylie, David Stanton, Holy Communion Service, Our Wellness Exam, Rev. Jim Hilton, the quintessential country church, Tinney Chapel UMC

# posted by Joe Dan Boyd @ 11/03/2013

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