Views From the Hilton

As Christians in the United States, we are living in a time of transition. Everything around us seems to be changing. The Church, once the center of the culture, has now been pushed and continues to be pushed, to the margins. We once assumed that the wider culture held to a certain set of beliefs and values, that even if you didn’t attend church you believed in “God” and that most people were “good.” Times, as they say, are a-changing. What should we do as Christians in this changing landscape? I have given much thought to this over the last few years and would like to make a few suggestions.  1. Stop Whining  God is in control. The culture you currently live in does not surprise him. Don’t despair and please stop whining. Things are changing, we get it, but whining about it helps no one. How do you think the world view us when, at one point we say, “God is in control and we trust in Him” and out of the other side of our mouths we are whining and liv...

A few weeks ago, I celebrated 10 years of student ministry at my current Church. Spending 10 years in one spot brings a certain perspective to life and ministry. Over the next few days, I want to share 10 lessons I've learned. If I could go back to my younger self, 10 years ago, here are some of the things I would tell myself: 1. Relationships trump everything    You know what students remember? Not your sermon. Not your cool illustration. Not the nights you got the lights or the music just right. They remember when you were present. They remember when you showed up. They remember when you have fun with them. Above all else, build relationships. A few of my leaders (Who were middle school students when I began 10 years ago) put together a short video for me to celebrate 10 years. You know what they talked about most? I wish I could say it was my sermon or that really spiritual moment that one time, but they didn't talk much about those moments. They talked more a...

In Ephesians 3 the Apostle Paul writes a beautiful prayer for his readers regarding their spiritual growth. It is one of my favorite passages in all of Paul's writings. I am struck as much by what isn't here as what is here. In our western, "Do it yourself" "Work hard" culture, one often gets the idea that if you want to grow you've got to put your hand to the plow and make it happen. Paul though doesn't pray that the Ephesians will be better church attendees, better Bible readers, or more powerful prayer warriors.  Instead of praying for them to BE or DO better, Paul prays that they would SEE and UNDERSTAND better.  Ephesians 3:14-21 (NLT) 14  When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,  15  the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.   16  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.   17  Then Christ will make his home in your...

A few weeks ago, I celebrated 10 years of student ministry at my current Church. Spending 10 years in one spot brings a certain perspective to life and ministry. Over the next few days, I want to share 10 lessons I've learned. If I could go back to my younger self, 10 years ago, here are some of the things I would tell myself: 5. You can't do it alone  In ministry, we can be tempted to think that the world revolves around us. We begin to think that if we aren't physically present all the time, things will fall apart. This has a way of feeding our ego and making us feel "important" and "needed." We think we have to do everything. Our mantra becomes, "If you want it done right, you've got to do it yourself." I've been there before and it's a horrible place to be. The better way? Realize you need a team. The effort it takes to build a team is worth it in the long run. If you try and do everything yourself your impact will be li...

A few weeks ago, I celebrated 10 years of student ministry at my current Church. Spending 10 years in one spot brings a certain perspective to life and ministry. Over the next few days, I want to share 10 lessons I've learned. If I could go back to my younger self, 10 years ago, here are some of the things I would tell myself: 4. My Senior Pastor is (almost) always right I work for one of the greatest senior pastors in the world. Seriously. We don't always see eye-to-eye on everything, and I think that's very healthy. What help would I be to him if I didn't bring a different perspective to the table? He has taught me a great deal about how to be patient and pray about things rather than rushing in to save the day. He has saved me from great heartache on numerous occasions because of his wisdom, wit, and prayer. Over the last ten years of working with him, I've learned to see things from his perspective. I often find myself asking the question, "Wha...

In this message, Pastor Hilton lays talks about how  The world doesn’t need more perfect pictures. It needs more stories of God’s grace and redemption. Let God use your mess! "My Picture Perfect Family" - 5/14/17 AM Service from New Life Assembly of God on Vimeo .

A few weeks ago, I celebrated 10 years of student ministry at my current Church. Spending 10 years in one spot brings a certain perspective to life and ministry. Over the next few days, I want to share 10 lessons I've learned. If I could go back to my younger self, 10 years ago, here are some of the things I would tell myself: 3. Students need to be given something to do Many times I think we fail the people we minister to because we give them too much information and not enough application. For many, when they think of discipleship, they think of a classroom. But this isn't the way Jesus interacted with or taught his disciples. He took his disciples with Him to actually do ministry and taught on the job. What if the way we have been doing discipleship is actually keeping us from making disciples? I'm not arguing we should do away with classes completely, but if our discipleship strategy doesn't give students something to do with what they've learned, we...

A few weeks ago, I celebrated 10 years of student ministry at my current Church. Spending 10 years in one spot brings a certain perspective to life and ministry. Over the next few days, I want to share 10 lessons I've learned. If I could go back to my younger self, 10 years ago, here are some of the things I would tell myself: 2. Sometimes it takes a long time to see results     Several years ago we had a girl in our youth group who was always in trouble. She graduated high school by the skin of her teeth. She walked away from her faith, cursed me, and the church. Last week we had a deep conversation about her faith. She's not where she should be, but by building a relationship over time and being present, here we sit five years later talking about her faith. IT TOOK FIVE YEARS. Life isn't like a TV sitcom. If you want to see real results, sometimes you have to stick around for a while. In ministry, this means sometimes you ignore the high schooler who hates your...

In this message, Pastor Hilton looks at the Book of Jeremiah and reminds us not be afraid or manipulated by the false gods of our culture. "Don't Be Afraid of the Scarecrow" - 5/7/17 AM Service from New Life Assembly of God on Vimeo .

What does it take to have a meaningful life? Pastor Hilton explores the book of Ecclesiastes to find out what the Bible has to say about our search for meaning. "A Meaningful Life" - 5/7/17 PM Service from New Life Assembly of God on Vimeo .

A few weeks ago, I celebrated 10 years of student ministry at my current Church. Spending 10 years in one spot brings a certain perspective to life and ministry. Over the next few days, I want to share 10 lessons I've learned. If I could go back to my younger self, 10 years ago, here are some of the things I would tell myself: 1. Remember that relationships trump everything    You know what students remember? Not your sermon. Not your cool illustration. Not the nights you got the lights or the music just right. They remember when you were present. They remember when you showed up. They remember when you have fun with them. Above all else, build relationships. A few of my leaders (Who were middle school students when I began 10 years ago) put together a short video for me to celebrate 10 years. You know what they talked about most? I wish I could say it was my sermon or that really spiritual moment that one time, but they didn't talk much about those moments. They ta...

One of my favorite preachers tells a story of a young, Christian college student sitting in a classroom with a very antagonistic professor. The professor, hoping to challenge the young student's faith, asks a question - "Can God do everything?" The young student, not realizing that the question was merely bait,  zealously replies, "Yes! He is all-powerful. He can do everything!" The professor, in response, asks the age-old philosophical question, "Can God make a rock that God cannot pick up?" The preacher telling this story went on to teach that the correct answer to the professors question is, "No, God can't do everything." While many Christians may find themselves shocked at that statement, the truth is, God, though He is all-powerful, is limited by two things: 1. His Nature - He cannot be anything other than who He is. 2. His Word - He will not go against His own word. If one takes a moment to really reflect on this, it is a...

When I was younger my family used to travel and take vacations in the mountains. I remember as a child being fascinated with the idea that construction crews used explosives to blow holes through many of the mountains in order to create a path for my family to drive through. Driving through the middle of them was much easier than going up and over them. Those explosive devices were used to help me and my family get from point A to point B more quickly and effectively, but the same ingredients are often used around the world to bring devastation and destruction.  To me, this is a perfect picture of anger. I once heard anger referred to as "Love in action." Anger brings about a passion to protect the things and people we love. Indeed, when we love the right things, anger can be a good thing. It's good to be mad about injustice and poverty and abuse. It's good to be mad all the brokenness, corruption, and wrongdoings in the world. The Bible bears out that Go...