From the Pastor’s Desk (302) (This is a letter I wrote to all the participants of the House Church Pastors Conference on Friday night.) “Whenever I traveled to lead a revival meeting or attend a conference, I used to head straight home like clockwork as soon as the schedule ended. The reason was simple: I couldn’t justify staying an extra day or two for sightseeing after the work was done, and I always had duties waiting for me starting Monday. In addition, when attending non-House Church conferences where accommodations were not pre-arranged by the hosting ...

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From the Pastor’s Desk (300) Choosing a gift that truly brings joy to another person’s heart is no easy task. To do so, we must know what that person desires and what brings delight to the depths of their heart. Yet we cannot fully know one another’s hearts. That is why, at times, cash becomes the safest gift—it allows the recipient to choose what they truly want. But God is different. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He understands even our weaknesses, longings, and needs that we cannot fully express in words. Therefore, God prepared for ...

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From the Pastor’s Desk (299) Every once in a while, I hear about some frustrating things that certain members of New Life do, and I feel the need to address them clearly and directly. If I don’t, the DNA of New Life could be altered—and I am not about to let that happen. There are certain things here at New Life that every member does—without exception. Why? Because the church is the family of God, which means New Life is God’s family. And in any family, there are things that every family member does without exception. If you have a family where only a few ...

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From the Pastor’s Desk (298) We just completed our Fall Retreat with about 800 adults, college and youth students, and children attending at Camp Allen, which is probably the most beautiful retreat center in Texas. Everything went so smoothly, and everyone was blessed in so many ways. This is what happens when Christ’s church functions the way it was intended, according to the Bible—with everyone doing his or her part joyfully, gratefully, and skillfully in response to the grace shown to us through Christ and His finished work on the cross. When everyone contri...

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From the Pastor’s Desk (297) I’m writing to you because there has been some confusion regarding this topic. I’ve heard the following statements from various people: “As long as you commit to eventually work your way up to tithing, you can sign the Class 201 covenant and graduate.” “You don’t have to tithe from your gross income—you can tithe from your net income and still graduate from Class 201.” Because of this confusion, I’ve had interns who came to my home for the shepherds' orientation—right before their house church was about to ...

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From the Pastor’s Desk (296) We are hosting another House Church Seminar for Lay Leaders. This past Friday morning, our House Church Seminar Team prepared pho for participants who had arrived early for the seminar. I also enjoyed a bowl myself. This was possible because we have a significant number of Vietnamese brothers and sisters in our English-speaking congregation. While enjoying that bowl of pho, Pastor Young G. Chai naturally came to mind. Almost 30 years ago, when I started New Life Fellowship, I felt a strong conviction and desire, based on Matthew 28, to ...

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