The Heart Behind The Refresh Conference by Daniel Williams

I am very excited to invite you to our second REFRESH CONFERENCE in Delray Beach, Florida! It has been awesome to see the Lord bringing His Church together in unity in so many ways throughout Palm Beach County since we gathered last August. I want to take just a few minutes to share with you the HEART behind this year’s conference and give you an idea of what it’s going to look like this November.

THE THEME: GOD IS

Our conference theme for 2018 is GOD IS. Our guest speakers will be sharing from the Word and also from personal experience in ministry to remind us who GOD IS. When we have our foundation set on the character of God, we are able to live lives boldly trusting in Him in every circumstance. Our prayer is that your faith is built up and your heart is encouraged through this time as we devote ourselves to the wonderful truth of who our GOD IS.

WHY A CONFERENCE? 

Starting in 2017, the Lord put it on my heart to put on a conference for some of the LOCAL CHURCHES in our area to ENCOURAGE and EQUIP them. 

Many youth and young adults go on retreats and grow exponentially because they are taking time away to purposefully seek God and give Him that time. These are special times when many look back and say that God did something truly special in their heart or they heard something from Him that changed their life from that point on. Retreats and conferences are just awesome places to seek Jesus and let Him work in your heart! 

However, many of the people in our congregations have never been to a conference or a retreat as an adult—the cost and the time away from work make it difficult to take time away and get to some of the amazing conferences there are around the country. This is why we are bringing the conference here!

WHO IS INVITED?

This year’s Refresh Conference will be open to all adults who want to take 2 days to seek Jesus and hear from Him. Every local church in the area is welcome to participate. Many the churches that are participating are smaller, newer churches which have planted within the last 5 years. These are servants of Jesus who are working very hard to share Jesus with the lost in our area and to disciple and love those in their churches. I’m excited for this opportunity to worship and seek Jesus as ONE BODY together and bless some of these churches who, like us, do not typically have the resources to attend or host a large-scale Christian conference. I also know that when the churches in our area are all healthy and strong in the Lord, not only is it good for them, but it is good for our community. This is why the purpose of the REFRESH CONFERENCE is to encourage and equip the servants of Jesus in our area.

WHO ARE THE SPEAKERS?

Our first speaker will be David Guzik from Santa Barbara, California. David Guzik is a pastor, Bible teacher, and author of a widely used Bible commentary. Millions of people have used and been influenced by David’s online Bible commentary on sites such as Enduring Word and Blue Letter Bible. David has been in Christian service for more than 35 years, including two church plants, serving as a missionary in Germany, and as director and teacher for Calvary Chapel Bible College Germany. David’s insightful teaching will inspire and bless all who are able to come. You can learn more about him and his ministry at www.enduringword.com

We will also be welcoming Jason Sanchez from The House of Blessing Orphanage in Bachiniva, Mexico. Jason served as the youth and worship pastor at Calvary South Hill in Puyallup, Washington for several years before moving with his wife and daughter to Bachiniva, Mexico to start an orphanage for children in need in 2012. Jason's love for Jesus and His Word will be a great encouragement during our time together. You can learn more about Jason and the House of Blessing Orphanage at: www.thehouseofblessing.org

WHAT IS THE SCHEDULE AND COST?

$50 per person

Trinity Lutheran Church

The REFRESH CONFERENCE is scheduled for Friday-Saturday, November 9-10th and will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church on North Swinton Avenue in Delray Beach. We will have an evening session on Friday night, and on Saturday, there will be a continental breakfast and time for fellowship followed by one morning session and a catered lunch. We will close with a final afternoon session. The cost will be kept low at only $50 per person in order for as many people as possible to be able to participate.

HOW IS REDEMPTION CHURCH INVOLVED?

I am very excited to be coordinating this conference for the churches in our area, and I am praying that our church can get excited with me about serving and helping make this happen! Trinity Lutheran has agreed to allow us to use their building for the conference which is awesome because their facility has a larger sanctuary as well as a dining hall we can use for our lunch and fellowship times! We will definitely be needing volunteers to help with things like greeting and registration, some administrative help, and various other areas. We are not offering childcare because we really want all of our Redemption Kids volunteers  to be able to attend the conference themselves! So, be sure to arrange childcare for your own children soon. Remember, the heart of this conference is to encourage and equip the servants of Jesus in our area—this includes us! So, plan to ATTEND and SERVE in whatever ways the Lord has equipped you!

Please begin praying with me that Jesus will continue to direct us as we plan out the details of this conference, that many people will participate, and that God is glorified through all of our efforts. I am really praying that it is a blessing to the churches and believers in our area.

Register now at www.redemptiondb.com/conference

Be blessed,

Pastor Daniel

May's Baptism (8-18-18)

Off To Mexico!

Redemption Church has had an ongoing relationship with the House of Blessing Orphanage in Bachiniva, Mexico since it was founded in 2012. We have been privileged to take several missions trips to visit and serve the children and staff there as well as having orphanage director, Jason Sanchez, come to visit and share with our church community here in Florida. Last Summer, we sent our first Intern to serve for a 9 month internship at the House of Blessing, and we are very excited to let you know that another member of our church--Bryan Schrager--will be leaving for a 2 month mission trip to the orphanage in September! 

Please take the time to read his letter below to learn more about his upcoming trip and how God is leading him. We are very encouraged to see Jesus at work in this ministry, and we would love to have you join us in praying for Bryan and the House of Blessing Orphanage.

---

A LETTER FROM BRYAN

Dear family and friends,

Sometimes in our lives, in order to grow we have to take steps of faith. I am very thankful to say that God has been working faithfully in my life throughout the last year by having me take many of these steps! I am writing to share with you a little bit about what God has been doing in my life and where He is leading me next.

Last year, I was able to take on the position of Volunteer Coordinator for my home church, Redemption Church Delray Beach. This means I have been responsible for scheduling all the volunteers who serve at our church services on Sundays as well as various other events throughout the week. I have grown a lot as God has used me in this way to serve my church family. 

I was also very privileged to go to Bachiniva, Mexico with my Pastor on a week long missions trip last February. We went to visit and serve at the House of Blessing Orphanage which serves and provides for children in need in the small mountain town of Bachiniva. It was on this trip that the Lord put a desire in my heart to return there and serve for a more extended time. 

I am planning on serving for a 2 month Internship through the months of September and October. I will be helping to care for the 17 children currently living in the orphanage as well as providing support for the staff and volunteers. The House of Blessing Orphanage is a very special place as it provides not only a safe home for these children, but also allows us to provide consistent schooling and supplies, health care, and most importantly a real and authentic opportunity to show them the love of Jesus! You can read more about the orphanage at www.thehouseofblessing.org

At this time, I am asking for people to join me in praying for this time as I leave to serve in Mexico. I am also hoping to raise $1500 to help with the costs of travel as well as my stay in Mexico. If you would like to be a part of what God is doing in my life and in this special ministry, you can go to www.redemptiondb.com/give If you choose to donate online, please e-mail sue@redemptiondb.com to let us know that the donation is going toward my Internship. Checks (with my name in the memo) can also be mailed to:

Redemption Church Delray Beach

P.O. Box 832039 

335 East Linton Blvd.

Delray Beach, FL 33483

Thank you so much for all of the ways that you have invested in my life and been a part of my journey in following Jesus. I am excited to keep you up to date on how God works through the coming months. I will remain active on facebook throughout my trip and will be available by phone and e-mail as well. God bless you!

Sincerely,

Bryan Schrager

My Story | Jason Sanchez

My Story | Jason Sanchez on Closed Doors

Jason Sanchez, Director of House of Blessing Orphanage in Bachiniva, Mexico, shares how God radically changed his view of closed doors in his life. Experiencing many years of being unable to have children of their own, Jason and his wife Jackie went through the grief and disappointment of God closing that door in their life. What happened as a result is the amazing and beautiful story of God working through these circumstances to open their hearts to seek the adoption of their daughter from Ethiopia and starting an orphanage in Mexico. “As I began to look at the things in my life, I realized that God closing doors is for a very specific purpose. And not only for a purpose, but it’s for something even better and greater that He wants to do.” It is only after going through it that you can see, it makes perfect sense what God was doing. “When you take a step back in your life and you look at things through that lens and through His word and through His promises, it will make you kind of excited for closed doors…Learn to embrace closed doors and watch the greater things that God will do in the midst of difficulties and hardships, knowing that God loves you.” Catch up with Jason at www.houseofblessing.org.

Knowing Jesus by Laura Williams

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t believe in Jesus. I grew up knowing and loving Him. By the time I was an adult, I knew that following Jesus was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I married a man who wanted to serve in ministry, and this has been the course of our lives together. Throughout the ups and downs of marriage, children, finances, family…our hope is in Jesus and His goodness. He is our anchor. 

Please understand that things have not been perfect. There have still been times when I’ve doubted. Times when I’ve chosen my own path over the one He laid out for me. I am far from perfect. No matter how long you may have been a Christian, we are so prone to wander. But I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit who continually works to convict, teach, and comfort us in this process. And He has kept us close to Him as we’ve earnestly spent our lives getting to know and trust Him.

Since we began our married life together, our life has certainly taken surprising turns—as I’m sure you can relate! Our lives always look so much different than what we expected. I NEVER imagined God calling us to leave our home in Washington to move all the way to South Florida and start a church! 

That was over 7 years ago now, but people still tell us how incredible that seems—how they could never take such a crazy step of faith. But I can honestly tell you that, at the time, it was not very difficult at all. And that is NOT because we were some kind of “super-Christians.” It’s just because we knew Jesus well enough to TRUST Him.

I want you to understand that when you KNOW Jesus—you TRUST Him. This is why our personal relationship with Jesus is the most important thing in our lives! Spending time in prayer, in the Bible—these are the things that bring closeness and trust in who He is! When you are allowing the Holy Spirit to wash you daily in His Word as you read it, the relationship you have with Christ becomes not only a part of your life—it becomes the foundation. 

It is very easy for me to forget this. I think it’s easy for all of us. We get comfortable in the routine of church, kids, work, school…and our relationship with Jesus begins to slip to the bottom of our priorities. We get busy! We go to church, hear the Bible taught to us, and we feel like we can make it a few days without spending time with Jesus ourselves. There’s just so much else we have to do!

When this happens, life can start to become much more difficult to navigate. We begin to lose hope, to see situations from a human perspective rather than through the hope and promises of Jesus! We become anxious. Short-tempered. Proud. Selfish. And before long, we’re questioning whether Jesus is good! Is He trustworthy? This is evidence that we have not been spending our time truly KNOWING Him for ourselves.

This is not a new struggle! There is a story about exactly this problem in the gospel of Luke:

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”  -Luke 10:38-42

We need to make our time with Jesus what is NEEDED just like Mary did. This takes effort. It takes faith! Like Martha, we allow ourselves to become worried and troubled—trying just to stay on top of all that needs to be done. But setting those things aside means truly believing that KNOWING Jesus is the most important thing. And when we do this, we enter into a relationship with Him that allows us to TRUST Him no matter what direction our lives may take.

We are going to be starting a Bible Study for the women at Redemption Church in September where we will be exploring intimacy with Jesus in the book, “Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World.” I have been convicted and encouraged by this book, and I am excited to share it with other women who are wanting to slow down and know Jesus better for themselves too. 

I pray that as we continue in life and faith, that we better understand the importance of KNOWNG Jesus. Take time today to spend at His feet. Remember the goodness and faithfulness of our God, and allow His Spirit to work in your heart to desire more of Jesus in your life.

What Is It About The Psalms? by Kristan Torres

Is there someone you love who now hates you? You know, without a doubt, that they want to see your demise. They want to see you torn down, destroyed or heartbroken. You’re not alone.

I invite you to look at Psalm 3 (which was written over 3,000 years ago by the way). Regardless of their age, the Psalms are still singing to us today. Psalms, after all, are songs, Hebrew poetry, that was meant to be sung.

As a therapist, I am so encouraged by this incredible book from the Bible that gives voice to so much of the human experience.

Realizing that our God-given story is woven within His grander story of all of creation, is so much of what we work to help people realize and formulate in the therapeutic process. Talking about our feelings and our experiences is important. Your story is a valuable part of the tapestry God is weaving. And if you forget this – look at the Psalms.

I’d like to talk about a passage from just one Psalm right now, Psalm 3:1-6 ESV (listed below in italics). Let’s take a look:

1 Lord, how many are my foes!

How many rise up against me!

2 Many are saying of me,

“God will not deliver him.”

King David, the author here, is acknowledging having enemies; and don’t miss this, because this is personal. These aren’t just any enemies – David here is speaking of his own son, Absalom, and the people in the land who Absalom had turned against David.

They were out to kill David, and they were scoffing at him for his faith in God for deliverance. Do you relate?

Let’s continue.

3 But you, Lord, are a shield around me,

my glory, the One who lifts my head high.

4 I call out to the Lord,

and he answers me from his holy mountain.

David then acknowledges the power and protection of the Lord which is all around him, and the lifting up in honor, after removing our shame.  We may be attacked for a time, but we will eventually feel relief and victory.  Although sometimes it’s not the victory we thought we were going to have.  

David then goes on to speak of God’s faithfulness - God does not have to answer, after all, He is holy, but he does answer.

5 I lie down and sleep;

I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.

6 I will not fear though tens of thousands

assail me on every side.

David then shares that he can sleep, despite the attacks; he can rest and wake up again to face another day because God is sustaining him. Again, from the perspective of a therapist, this is so good to see in the Psalms – we need rest and sleep, particularly when going through stressful times, and God will provide this to us. He will sustain us when we trust Him for it. God is practical.

What’s interesting is that David doesn’t say that his trouble has gone away, in fact, he describes his trouble as worsening, but his fear has gone away because he acknowledges who God is. This is powerful. It’s when we put things in their proper order, we are able to have peace.

In the clearest possible language – God is bigger and more powerful than our enemies or any trouble that can come upon us. Sometimes we miss this because we have our perspective wrong; things are out of order and we are seeing our enemies as bigger than God. This is not true though – He is still bigger.

Can you relate to this passage?

I know that I can. How encouraging is it to read this and be reminded of people, like King David, who came before us, who felt as we sometimes do, and who have experienced the faithfulness, the protection, and the sustaining of God?

So – what is it about the Psalms? They’re beautiful, they’re real and they apply to our lives even today, and tomorrow too.

The Psalms show us that it’s okay to feel ambivalent (aka, having mixed emotions). They are authentic in their display of trials and human emotion; nothing is ‘sugar coated’ in the Psalms. They show us we can struggle, plead, and cry out to God but then we see the Psalmists ultimately praise God; and praising God is good for us.

Let's BLESS People by Daniel Williams

I love the summer! Kids are out of school which means we are all sleeping in (praise God!) and the only regular thing about our routine is the sun coming out and it being HOT. So even though we don’t really have typical seasons in Florida, it feels like a different season. And during this summer season as a church, we have had encouragement from the Lord to focus on Evangelism and Outreach…we want to proclaim Jesus to people and for our church family to be a blessing to our community. Even though we didn’t know the specific details of what that would look like for us as a church at first, it has been encouraging to see God lead us with some pretty cool events. 

This summer as a group we have passed out door hangers in a new neighborhood, participated and helped lead in the very first Love Delray (an event where we had 105 people serve in very practical ways with 4 different organizations in our community), we have seen a church planter and his wife join our church to be discipled and sent out by Redemption Church (Lord willing in 2019), and we passed out hundreds of water bottles and invites at a city booth on the Fourth of July…and the summer isn’t over! But before we move on and continue focus on other big events we have planned to reach people, I wanted to make sure you don’t miss out. 

We can sometimes can focus so much on these “bigger” community events that we forget to be personal. It is so important that each of us makes a simple commitment to personally evangelizing and reaching out to the community God places us in. God wants to use YOU this summer to reach people for Him, and He doesn’t need an event to do so. We will and are continuing to plan out opportunities to evangelize as a church, BUT you don’t have to wait until our next event…and you shouldn’t! My heart for you is to be reaching people for Jesus EVERYWHERE you go, to be inviting people personally to our church gatherings, and to be sharing the gospel on a daily basis wherever and with whomever God would have you. 

So, HOW do we practically do this? 

I want to share a simple tool that I recently came across to make this season of Evangelism and Outreach more personal for you. It is called the BLESS tool. It is a simple acronym for you to practice and try to do every day with people. And although it may be a new acronym for you, these are already familiar things that are biblical that we as a church have been doing. 

BLESS stands for: 

B - BEGIN WITH PRAYER (I will pray for the people in my life and the places that I’m in.)

L - LISTEN (I will listen to and discover the needs of others and the places where God is at work)

E - EAT (I will share meals and spend time with people in my life)

S - SERVE (I will respond to the needs of others and help them in practical & impactful ways)

S - STORY (I will share the story of Jesus and what He is doing in my life with others. 

You can follow the link below to download more on BLESS and simple ways for you to implement it.

This is just another way to have this season of Evangelism & Outreach be personal to you. No tool is perfect, but hopefully it can be a reminder that we do need to keep it simple and not just have “big” events for this season. God wants to use ALL of us to make disciples, and this is a great tool to help with that.  So read through the download document, and let me know what you think. Share the stories with one another as you try some of these things with people. And let’s remember that more than just an event or a season, we want PROCLAIMING JESUS to be a lifestyle.  

Praying you BLESS many people as you proclaim Jesus.

-Pastor Daniel

CONVERSATIONS | with Pastor Esteban Valenzuela

CONVERSATIONS | Church Planter Esteban Valenzuela - Madrid, Spain

In 2010, God called Esteban and his wife Tifiny to plant a church in Madrid, Spain. It would be five years before they would embark on their mission. The years of preparation were difficult ones, but their vision did not waiver. In 2015, they left for Spain. The vision is that “in time, God will plant a church that will be like a hub, a place where other leaders and pastors get trained and equipped and launched out to plant churches in other places.” What does it look like to be on mission? For the most part, the normal activities of daily life are the same as for any family. Being on mission is a heart issue. “If the scope and the scale of God’s word is real, then eternity is hanging in the balance for everyone around us.” Having a heart to engage people with the gospel and building bridges to connect with your community is what being on mission is all about. How do you know the calling God has for you in your life? We are all called as believers to serve God with our lives. As you step out by faith to serve Him and focus on Him, to really love others, He will lead you in the way He wants you to go. Some practical steps to take in doing what God has called us to do: trust God to provide for your needs, come to Him in submission and surrender—out of faith. Ask Him: What do you have for me, God? Then stay focused on that through the encouragement and accountability of likeminded people who are serving God as well. Stay in God’s word. Let Him reveal Himself and your own heart to you. The role of the Holy Spirit is essential in being on mission. There is no other way to do it. It is God’s work, both in our hearts and in the world around us. We need His Spirit to feed our souls, to empower us. The benefit of living a surrendered life is in knowing you are where God wants you to be, doing what God wants you to do. There is nothing else like it. “When you step out in faith, God meets you there. He sustains you…Jesus in the prize. If we’re focused on Jesus, our source of joy is going to be sure. Let the gaze of your heart be set upon the Savior.” Stay connected with the Valenzuelas at vtribe4jesus.com. Let them know you’re praying for them. They’d love to hear that.

Father's Day Video

7 More Lessons Learned by Julie Ruse

Julie was a missionary sent out by Redemption Church in June of 2017. Julie served at the House of Blessing Orphanage in Bachiniva, Mexico and finish out a year-long internship. We were very encouraged and privileged to have partnered with Julie as her sending church.  Take a few minutes to read and learn from some of the wonderful things Jesus did in her life through this process:

1) THE CHRISTMAS TRADITION OF DECORATING WITH POINSETTIAS ORIGINATED IN MEXICO!

This past Christmas was the first one that I spent away from family. Very different, but very wonderful, complete with hot tamales, soccer, and Mexican hot chocolate.

2) WATER CAN BE CONSERVED.

There were multiple occasions when I experienced running out of running water. So on a practical note, there are ways we can change how we wash our hands, shower, and do dishes that can conserve water and make a difference. 

3)   AWARENESS OF BLESSINGS TRUMPS AMOUNT OF BLESSINGS ON THE HAPPINESS METER. 

I know this sounds like the cliché mission trip answer when someone has spent any amount of time in a third world country. It’s often noted that people with less possessions seem happier. And I truly got to experience the relief of traveling light. On Christmas day, I was profoundly grateful for things like running water, let alone hot running water! For brilliant stars in the night sky, for the loyalty of a dog, for the kindness of a friend. For cough drops stilling throat tickles, for the ability to run and the ability to ease others’ pain. 

4)   THERE IS SUCH A THING AS A GOOD STRUGGLE. 

Just because we’re promised victory doesn’t mean we’re exempt from the fight. This reminds me of the movie ‘Alice in Wonderland’ in which it is prophesied that Alice will slay the Jabberwocky. But that only came to fruition after an epic battle. Don’t assume that life being hard means that you’re doing something wrong or being punished. Get out there and do hard things! 

5) STOP COMPARING AND START CARING.

Living and working with the same few people 24/7 can present a little interpersonal friction at times. In any sort of partnership (business, ministry or marital), it’s so easy to subconsciously ask, “Is my partner working as hard as me?” I call this the ‘Martha Complex’ (Luke 10). But I’m learning to replace that question with these: “Am I about God’s business?”, “Am I doing the work He wants me to do?”, “Am I loving the people He wants me to love?”  That change of perspective is hugely beneficial. Jesus addressed this issue another time (in addition to the situation with Mary and Martha). In John 21, Peter and Jesus have an intimate moment of relationship restoration and a sobering moment of prophesy regarding Peter’s calling and future, ending with Jesus’ statement, “Follow me.” Peter’s immediate reaction is, “What about him, Lord?” (referring to another disciple named John). To this Jesus responds, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.”

6)   GOD INSTITUTED A DAY OF REST FOR A REASON.

Through my previous life experiences, I was accustom to working a salary job M-F, and then on the weekends tackling my personal to-do lists including meal prep, cleaning and laundry. So that didn’t always leave a lot of time for ‘rest’. I mean, in such a fast-paced, capitalistic society, what does it mean to rest anyway? Well after continuously working 14-hour days, 6 days a week, ‘day of rest’ took on a whole new meaning. I learned to detach myself from lists and go climb a tree or hike a mountain with God… to sleep, journal, watch a movie, or call a friend. And you know, when I let one whole day be truly restful, then that one day off was enough. #GoodPlanGod

7)   GOD IS MY ADVOCATE AND I DON’T NEED THE APPROVAL OF MEN.

Phewee, this was a hard one to work through, but what a blessing to realize and to witness specific examples of in my life! Knowing that God stands up for me means that I don’t have to balance the books or zero out the scales. I don’t need to look for verbal ‘payment’ or rewards for the efforts I expend. It means I can actively love people who act unloveable (which is not as easy as one might think). It means you can resolve, “I’m going to treat this person as my friend because I’m choosing to call them ‘friend’, regardless of what I get from them in return.” This might sound like a lot of self-sacrifice, but just remember that God isn’t asking us to do for others anything that He hasn’t already done for us.

Romans 8:33-34

“Who dares accuse us who Christ has chosen for His own? No one- for God Himself has given us right standing with Himself. Who then will condemn us? No one- for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.”