Beach Baptism | 10-14-17

CONVERSATIONS | with Pastor Joe Williams

Pastor Daniel talks about evangelism with his dad, Pastor Joe Williams from Calvary Chapel in Tacoma, Washington. Evangelism isn’t just something that pastors do; every Christian is called to evangelize. But what is it? And what are we supposed to do? “If you’re a Christian, you have something to say,” says Pastor Joe. “You have a testimony. Tell people what Christ has done for you. Wherever you are, you are representing Christ. People need to know what you know!” Someone told you the good news about Jesus. Now it’s your turn to tell someone else. Don’t assume that people know what the Bible says. Many people have never heard what the Bible says or read a verse. “People may not read the Bible, but they read us. The Bible does not tell them to come to us, it tells us to go to them.” The gospel is the power of God for salvation, we are told in Romans 1:16. It is the power of God at work when we share the gospel. Don’t be intimidated. Use your own personality. God will work through you. There are many ways of doing it. Just keep at it. What did Jesus do? “Jesus went where the people were. He went to the Samaritan woman at the well. (John 4) Go for the one. Win people to Christ one at a time.” These are great words of encouragement and wisdom from a man who has made it his life’s mission to share the gospel with one person every day. “Ask God to give you compassion for the lost. Look for opportunities. Pray for boldness.” Amen to that.

Let me say it again…and again…and again… by Daniel Williams

One of the common themes in the book of Philippians is REJOICING IN THE LORD. How do I know that? Because Paul mentions the word “rejoice” 7 times in this short, little letter! He uses repetition to make a point and has no problem repeating himself so that the listener would understand him. 

Phil 3:1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

Paul isn’t the only one who repeats himself in the Bible:

The apostle Peter wrote 2 letters to the church, and in the second letter he states the importance of reminding people some of the same truths they already knew and he had already written them about.

2 Peter 1:12-13 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder,

Jude writes “Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it” and in a similar way, repeats some of the same truths to his listeners. 

And even Jesus repeats certain themes and concepts over and over again as He taught people here on earth. For example, Jesus talked about money a lot and repeated this theme several different times in serval different ways to make the same point: Live for God and not money. Sixteen of the thirty-eight parables were concerned with how to handle money and possessions. 

So, what’s the deal with all this repeating? 

I think part of repeating yourself is that you want others to absorb what you are saying. We see this play out in parenting. As a parent with younger kids, you find yourself saying some of the same words and concepts over and over again because you want your children to learn. For example, you may say “NO!” 100 times a day so your toddler understands that they shouldn’t do something. Or you may repeat the word “Daddy” 100 times a day to your newborn baby. You know that repeating the word will eventually result in your baby understanding the meaning, repeating it, and ultimately identifying you as their Daddy!

When we repeat something, is shows that it is important. 

As I have been pastoring Redemption Church I have found myself repeating certain truths and sayings as well. For example, our mission is to pursue and proclaim Jesus. We say this a lot at our church :) And you know what? It is no bother for me to repeat it! Why? Because it is important to me as the leader to know that people understand it. I want us to stay focused as a community, I want to be unified in what we are doing as we gather together, and I want ever one to know our purpose as a church. So we repeat this short saying over and over again.

Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 

What are you repeating? 

You may want to pay attention to the words and sayings you are repeating because Jesus told us that out of our heart, our mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). Our words can give us insight into what we really value and what we believe. Are your words wholesome, pure, and lovely? Are there common themes that you talk about? Are the words you are repeating biblical and full of grace? 

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. -Eph 4:29

Repeat words of life!

I want to encourage you to repeat yourself. Proverbs 18:21 says “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” It is good to pray for people over and over again and you aren’t wasting your breath. It is good to memorize certain scriptures that minister to you, even if it takes saying it over and over again. It is good preaching the gospel of Jesus over and over again to a world that needs it so desperately. It is good to repeat ourselves over and over again with the things we value —things that bring us life from God’s Word. 

Don't feel bad for repeating yourself!

Just make sure that whatever you are repeating is bringing others value and is full of grace and truth. This is why I make it my goal to repeat myself as a preacher and continually point people to Jesus. There is nothing greater than pointing others to Jesus, and I have no problem repeating myself and repeating His gospel that gives life! My prayer is that, as a church family, we beat the same drum of JESUS and His gospel. I pray that we would never get tired of repeating ourselves in this way. I pray that Jesus is always on our lips, and that He is always the person we preach because we VALUE Him. Because what we we repeat is what we want our listeners to learn. So may we lift up the name of Jesus over and over and over again…it is no bother!

Kids Fest 2017 | PHOTO ESSAY

Serve Sunday | with Julie Ruse

Julie has been a part of Redemption Church since Summer of 2016 and completed her first 3-month internship at the House of Blessing Orphanage in Bachiniva, Mexico during Summer of 2017. We are excited to share that God has led Julie to return to Bachiniva to finish out the school year as a missionary serving the children and staff of the orphanage through Spring of 2018!

Take a few minutes to watch Julie share some of her journey into missions as well as how God is using her ability gifts and passion for design work at the orphanage!  

And please join us in praying for safety, health, spiritual protection and encouragement, and for the Lord to use her in wonderful ways while she is there! If you would like to contribute to Julie’s trip through financial donations, please CLICK HERE

Beach Baptism 10-14-17 | Photo Essay

We were overjoyed to share in the baptism of three people at Gulf Stream Park on Saturday morning. Gary, Lora, and MaryAnn made the decision to take this important step in their relationships with Jesus by being baptized and publicly professing their faith in Him! If you would like to be baptized, please let us know!

My Story | Andre Amirato

We are so grateful to have the Amirato family be a part of Redemption Church. Andre and Angie have been serving so faithfully for the past several years in Redemption Kids, as community group leaders, and many other areas. We are very excited to have Andre be stepping into a new role by helping to start a YOUTH GROUP for the youth at Redemption Church including a special class just for middle schoolers at our Sunday services! Be praying with us that God will continue to bring many new middle and high school students, and for Andre and Angie as they begin this new season of ministry!

7 Lessons Learned from Missions in Mexico by Julie Ruse

Julie is a missionary sent out by Redemption Church in June of 2017. Julie has been serving at the House of Blessing Orphanage in Bachiniva, Mexico and will be returning there to finish out a year-long internship. We are very encouraged and privileged to be partnering with Julie as her sending church and seeing how God is continuing to work in and through her journey on the mission field in Mexico. Take a few minutes to read and learn from some of the wonderful things Jesus has been doing in her life this Summer as she shares from her heart in the blog below:

1)  Tres Leches is NOT a Mexican dessert.

Poof- mind blown. Turns out it’s actually a Nicaraguan dish.

2)  It seems like Cinco de Mayo is celebrated more in America than in Mexico. 

Another shocker to me- be careful what you assume!

3)  Sometimes God leads us to serve, not so he can help others through us, but so he can help us through others. 

Thanks, Alesha for sharing this truth nugget so many months ago! I do feel that the summer in Mexico was a season more characterized by God ministering to me than me ministering to children. Ethel Percy Andrus articulates, “The human contribution is the essential ingredient. It is only in the giving of oneself to others that we truly live.” As Jesus himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” I thank God for having needy people in my life, recipients for me to love and serve and, therefore, to be blessed by.

4)  Feeling ‘filled up’ is not a prerequisite to serving. The act of giving out is, in itself, filling.

Though similar to the previous point, I have Angie to thank for this revelation. Isn’t it wonderful how God speaks to us through his body, the church? I definitely experienced that in Mexico- shoutout to the Redemption Church family! Anyway, brace yourselves because this is about to get personal. A couple months before the orphanage internship, my boyfriend ended our relationship. This rocked my world. I wondered how I was going to minister to others when I felt empty, like I had nothing to give. I wondered how ministry was possible when I didn’t have a stockpile of joy, wisdom, hope and faith, at the moment, to draw from. This experience really fleshed out God’s promise found in 2 Corinthians, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”

5)  Hard ≠ Bad

My stance on suffering is continuing to evolve. The lessons learned in that area would require a whole other blog (stay tuned), but in brief, our suffering is not meaningless. Paul confides that the ‘thorn in my flesh’ kept him humble. Solomon (wisest man ever) remarked that sadness is sanctifying (Ecc 7:3). In the sermon on the mount Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn…” The brokenhearted get to experience a special nearness to God (Psalm 34:18). And listen to this from the book of Job: “But by means of their suffering, he [God] rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity.” That one hit me. Naturally, we humans attempt to avoid pain, but is pain a problem? We know it’s a promise (John 16:33). 1 Peter 4:1 says, “So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too…” Do we expect God to protect us from pain? Do we doubt his goodness or his existence when he doesn’t? Listen to the second part of the verse, “For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.” Is it worth it to you? Does the surpassing joy of knowing Christ outweigh every loss?

6)  Purity is a process.

My imperfections can be overwhelming at times, and then the devil likes to ride through on the shame train (don’t jump on that train).  But battle after battle, issue after issue, God is perfecting me. Oh sweet victory; I’m becoming more and more free! Philippians 1:6 says, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” This nods back to the #4 point- don’t wait until you’re perfect to serve because that won’t happen until the end of the world! God spoke to me about the PROCESS of sanctification through Deuteronomy 7:22-32a which says, “The Lord your God will drive those nations out ahead of you little by little. You will not clear them away all at once, otherwise the wild animals would multiply too quickly for you. But the Lord your God will hand them over to you.” So rest assured that God’s got you and he knows what’s up. He knows you completely and is still in love with you. He’s in the process of making you holy, but until that work is complete, his grace covers you. Jesus is your righteousness. Rest in him.

7)  God is the Dream Giver and Dream Fulfiller. 

I heard the phrase ‘Dream Giver’ while watching Disney’s Pocahontas, not gonna lie, and thought there was something beautifully poetic about that title. Then I came to realize that that’s who my God is, both in biblical accounts and in my own life. God knows us better than we know ourselves. I was blown away in Mexico watching the Dream Giver fulfill dreams he’d planted in my heart long ago. I was reading through old journals and came across an entry where I had articulated my life goals in two statements: 1) Impact lives through design and 2) Minister to orphans/ children in need. I had forgotten I’d written these and never imagined how God would weave both dreams into one beautiful design. For those who don’t know, I’ll be staying on at the orphanage to do graphic design/ marketing stuff and admin support. Be encouraged that we serve a big God who is able and active. I’ll close with Ephesians 3:20-21. “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”

CONVERSATIONS | with Pastor Casey Cleveland

Pastor Daniel talks with his friend and fellow local pastor Casey Cleveland from The Avenue Church in Delray Beach, sharing what it means to serve and love the city of Delray Beach and the encouragement they are to each other as they plough and labor together with their church communities to impact the city for Jesus. Casey describes his approach in the words of another Christian leader, Dr. Paul Tripp: “Love, Know, Speak, Do.” These are the four key steps in reaching the people where God has sent you. “What are the hopes and the hurts and the wishes of your city?” Loving your community begins by being a faithful presence in good times and bad, getting to know personally who these people are, sharing the gospel in a way that is relevant to them and inviting them to be a part of God’s family. Why is it important to love the city where you live? What does it look like and how do we take practical steps to make this a part of our lives? Take a listen.

Speak Life by Laura Williams

There have been many people who have spoken things into my life that have shaped and influenced who I am and how I see God and the world around me. The funny thing is that when I look back and remember the conversations that have really impacted me, they didn’t stand out as significant at all at the time. They were all in the context of regular life, ordinary circumstance, and friendship. We have all been inspired by great authors or dynamic speakers, but I am so deeply thankful for the people that God has used in my life to share a simple truth or insight that became a part of who He was forming me to be.

The Bible talks about the power we have in our words, and we are told to use our speech to encourage others, speak truth in love, admonish and teach, and build up those around us. I want to share a few of the simple truths I have learned from others through ordinary conversations. These are particularly special to me because God has used them time and time again, not only in my own life, but by allowing me to pass them along to others. I hope you are encouraged and reminded that God can use you in even the most ordinary of circumstances to build someone up or speak a life-giving truth that may impact them in ways you might never see!

One conversation like this was with a woman I honestly didn’t know very well from my church up in Washington. We had known each other for years, but never really spent a lot of time together. I mentioned to her that I was wanting to plant my first flower garden, and she offered to help me pick out some plants at the local nursery. We were back at my apartment, and setting the plants out where they were going to be in the flower bed, and I remember clearly sharing with her that I was struggling with anxiety. It was a new struggle for me then, and she listened as I shared my fears of what the future held. She said, “You are invincible until God decides otherwise.” This impacted my thought life from that point on. In other words, NOTHING can harm me unless and until my loving Heavenly Father allows it. Her words were so natural. And I am sure she probably wouldn’t remember saying them. Today, I still struggle with anxiety, but God has continued to use her words to bring me peace and hope!

Another conversation that stands out in my memory was with a piano student of mine. She was a friend who was preparing to leave for the mission field a few months later. I think we probably spent as much time talking and laughing together as we did doing real piano lessons. During one of her lesson times, I remember her telling me that God could use our time learning piano to change the world! I was kind of reluctant about this because it was really just a means of income, not a ministry. She corrected this by telling me that no matter what we are doing, if we are asking God to use it, He can use the simplest parts of our lives to bring Him glory. He could use her lessons with me to give her the ability to play a simple song on the piano. That could open a door for a conversation years down the road that might lead to a friendship that might even lead a person to Jesus! We have no idea the REAL impact our simple obedience has on the world, and we should never underestimate what we are doing and the power of God to use us! That has helped me through many seasons of life where I didn’t FEEL all that useful or impactful, but I remembered that I really have no idea how God wants to use the simplest things in my life in ways I may never see! The simplest parts of our lives matter in ways we may never even know!

One last woman who greatly impacted me with her words was an older mom in our church. Not a friend really, just a lady I knew and would say hello to in passing. One Sunday morning, I was really having a hard time with our son who was a defiant toddler at the time. Those days are so hard, and I felt defeated and overwhelmed. I was trying to drag my little boy through the parking lot to our car after church (he had decided to let his legs go limp and lie down in the middle of the sidewalk), and this sweet lady was walking by. She took my arm and said, “Remember, God CHOSE him to be your son, and you to be his mom. You are the right mom for that little boy.” Oh my goodness, did I need that to be spoken out loud that very moment! I go back to that very truth often! It reassured me to be reminded that God picked me to parent my son because that was HIS plan, and those feelings of inadequacy that I was feeling in that moment was not grounded in truth! I pass this along to every mama I can because it is so comforting to know that no matter what season of parenting you are in, no matter who your children may be, God still chose YOU to be their parent! I should also mention, that in other conversations that followed with this woman in the weeks and years following, I learned that she had experienced a very difficult time with her son around the same age, and God had walked with her through it. She was passing along the lessons she had learned through her own struggles, and I even learned that from her as well! Our struggles are not unique, and we are designed to walk others through the same. 

There are countless conversations we have all had that have changed our view of ourselves, God, or the world around us. These three are especially precious to me because it was the voice of Jesus speaking through them that truly spoke to my heart. When the Holy Spirit lives inside of us, He is able to speak through us. It is a wonderful and beautiful part of relationship. I pray that as we follow Jesus together, that He continues to open doors for each of us to speak life giving truth in love to those God has put in our lives. And I pray that as He speaks to our hearts through those around us that we listen and recognize His voice!