PROVERBS - Growing in Wisdom Over the Summer by Daniel Williams

I have a special challenge for our church family this Summer, and I’d love to have anyone and everyone who would like to participate to join with us as well!

I want to challenge you to GROW IN WISDOM this summer. For many of us, when we think about Summer, we think vacations and Summer break. But this Summer, I want to encourage you to seek WISDOM! And I have an excellent resource to help you do that!

You may already be familiar with the 3 MINUTE MESSAGES we put up twice each week. They are simple and short videos where we share insight into different scriptures as we read through the Bible together as a church. This Summer (starting in June), our 3 minute messages will be covering scriptures from the book of PROVERBS!

I want to challenge you to read a chapter from Proverbs each day during the Summer. This is a great habit to start because this book is full of WISDOM. There are also 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs, so whatever the date is, you simply read the Proverb for that day! If it is the 6th of the month, you read the 6th chapter that day. It also makes it easy to pick back up again if you miss a few days. You just jump back in where you are in the month. If you keep up with this habit, you will begin to become more familiar with the truths and wisdom in this book because you will be revisiting them each month! 

Beginning in June, the 3 minute message videos will be focused on practicalwisdom from various verses throughout the book of Proverbs. I am especially excited because there are a variety of people from around the country (and the world!) that helped contribute to the videos for this summer! Some of the videos include people like Jason Sanchez (missionary in Bachiniva, Mexico), Pastor Ben Courson (Applegate, Oregon), Esteban Valenzuela (missionary in Madrid, Spain), Andre and Angie Amirato (community group leaders at Redemption Church), and lots more! I think you will be very blessed and encouraged by the things that Jesus has taught THEM through the Proverbs as you are reading through the book for yourself!

Proverbs 18:9 says: “Whoever gets sense loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will discover good.”

Charles R. Swindoll said that “Wisdom is looking at life from God's point of view.” and this is exactly what reading from the book of Proverbs allows us to do. We can sit down with the book of Proverbs as an old friend and glean the advice, counsel and wisdom of God. We can hear what He has to say about living this life wisely.

Proverbs 4:7-9 says, “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

I also want to challenge you by reminding you what wisdom teaches us…it must be APPLIED. It is not just knowing these cute little statements that helps us, but putting them into practice is where the blessing is. Chuck Smith said about wisdom: “Wisdom is knowing what to do with what you know.” Another commentator of Proverbs said, “Wisdom is concerned with what one understands but also what one does with that understanding. Wisdom is about developing both discernment and character.” So this is why we must ask God for help from His Spirit to apply His Word.

So will you seek God and His wisdom with me this Summer? I am looking forward to Summer for many different reasons, and I am excited for all of the fun things that are coming up, but I am especially excited for all that Jesus wants to teach us as we study this book of WISDOM together! And when we take the time to ask God for wisdom and study His word, we will never be disappointed. 

Proverbs 3:15 “She (wisdom) is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.”

Serving Like Jesus by Daniel Williams

God has called us all to love Him and love people, and part of loving people is SERVING them. If we are going to love people well, we need to serve them. 

Part of maturing and growing in your relationship with God is doing what He says and walking in His ways. The more we get to know God, to more we will find ourselves wanting to apply His Word to our lives because we love Him. And even though we cannot expect to do this perfectly, we should be striving more and more to be like Jesus through the help of His Spirit living in us!

One way we can ask the Holy Spirit to help us grow to be more like Him is through SERVING OTHERS. And as in all things, Jesus is our example of what it looks like to truly serve as He wants us to serve one another. We are going to look at just a few things that we can learn from Jesus about serving in the story of Jesus washing His disciples feet in John 13:1-20 (READ HERE). We are Jesus’s followers, and followers of Jesus need to learn to serve like Him (our Master). And when we do, we are so blessed.

1. Jesus served when it was inconvenient

First of all, it is important to notice that the story of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet took place during the week of the Passover. This would probably have felt like a good time to just enjoy a meal with one another.  It was supposed to be a celebration and would be exciting to see everyone all together. But Jesus chose to serve others even when it wasn’t the most convenient time. He chose to use a teachable moment that could easily have been missed—because He valued the chance to serve someone more than His own comfort.

2. Jesus served in everyday life

John tells us Jesus “loved them to the end.” Many times when I think of Jesus’s love for me I think about the cross…it was the great display of love. “No greater love has one than this: that he lay his life down for his friend.” But Jesus didn’t just serve His disciples once on the crossHe was serving and demonstrating His love for them over and over again. Many times we think we will serve God and others with these huge actions, but it is important we serve others in the little things as well. Jesus loved his disciples until the end…in both the small things and the little things. At this time, Jesus had not yet gone to the cross, but John knew he was loved by Jesus. You could almost say that the little acts of service prepared Jesus to step into the big acts of service. 

3. Jesus served imperfect people

It must be said…the disciples weren't perfect! Nathanael questioned where Jesus came from,  James & John fought for power, Peter rebuked Jesus, the disciples rebuked the little children and would continually not understand Jesus’s teaching, and Judas was a betrayer! These guys weren’t perfect, BUT Jesus had loved them in their everyday life and served them anyway. If we want to serve like Jesus, we need to be consistently showing love by serving imperfect people—not only those who deserve it. 

4. Jesus served when it was uncomfortable. 

Serving Jesus can be a lot of fun and very rewarding, but other times it can just be hard. Washing feet was a degrading job and not a fun thing to do. In their culture, seeing the bottom of people’s feet was offensive and the job of washing feet was saved for only the lowest of servants. I am sure that raising the dead or healing was very fun, feeding the five thousand people with a few loaves of bread was fun, BUT not all of that Jesus did was fun. He didn't serve for the fun experience but rather to obey and love the Father. This required Him being uncomfortable at times and doing hard things that didn't just please Him.

5. Jesus served with initiative

Jesus washing His disciples’ feet shows us that He saw a need and did something about it. Jesus and the disciples didn’t have any servants to wash their feet, and their feet were dirty. This is refreshing because most people see a problem and just complain. But I have found that if we see a need, it is probably because God wants us to do something about it! We are gifted in a certain way to identify certain needs and serve others in that way. What needs do you see in your family? Your community? Your church? Can you do anything about it? What can you do about it? How can you serve?

6. Jesus served with humility

The text tells us that Jesus knowing His identity allowed Him to serve others.  “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God…” Jesus knew that His identity wasn’t in what He did but whose He was. This enabled Him to humble Himself and serve His disciples because He was concerned with pleasing God over man. He was able to do this because He already recognized that He was God’s servant! If God wanted Him to serve people, it was the best thing for Him. Humility is having a right recognition of one’s self, and if we truly realize we are servants of God Almighty, it will help us serve others. I have found that when I am walking in humility before God, experiencing and receiving God’s love and grace, it helps me to serve others! And ministry becomes more enjoyable because I am doing it for God and not others. 

7. Jesus served to set an example

Jesus wanted the disciples to know what just happened…He wanted them to follow His ways! He told them, “For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” Jesus commanded his disciples to do the same as he had done. I love that Jesus not only gives us words to live by, but lived those same words out so we can see them. He doesn’t leave us in the dark to figure it all out, but He lived His life openly for us to see and understand what it looks like to serve. When we serve as Jesus serves, many people will be able to follow our example as well. 

Remember, Jesus not only gave us a great example of how to serve, but He enables us to serve others by the power of His Spirit. So, may we walk in the ways of Jesus and apply these lessons of serving to our own life! When we do, we will be blessed just as Jesus told His disciples in verse 17: “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them!” 

EASTER | A Gateway For The Gospel of Jesus by Daniel Williams

Easter is a pretty big deal. And not just for Christians!

Easter is an extremely popular holiday around the world—I recently read an article from CNN called “Easter By The Numbers” which talked about how Easter has become such a big deal specifically in the United States. In 2015, Americans planned to purchase 180 million eggs for dying and decorating and planned to spend approximately $16.4 billion dollars on the holiday. The same article stated that 50.8% of Americans planned to attend an Easter Service over the holiday weekend that same year. It is easy to see that Easter is a big deal not only in our country, but all around the word—and I want to remind you that this a good thing!

Easter provides Christians a unique opportunity.

Some people criticize this national holiday and say it is too commercialized and has become a tradition without substance and meaning. The idea that people relate Easter to the Easter bunny instead of Jesus causes some to write it off completely as a pagan holiday. And while I agree it has become a secular tradition for many, I still consider Easter to be a wonderful and important holiday because the message of JESUS has the power to save!

The tradition of remembering and proclaiming the death and burial of the resurrection of Jesus is a good thing for our nation whether they want to accept it or not. And the gospel of Jesus is not only good for those who have never heard this wonderful message, but for those who have already believed and are following Jesus. The Apostle Peter said in 2 Peter 1:12 “Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.” We should be remembering and proclaiming the gospel in our churches all year long, but God has also granted to us a national holiday to celebrate Jesus being alive! 

If we have a chance to remember and proclaim the gospel of Jesus to people who may attend our churches because it is Easter, this is good news! This holiday gives us an opportunity where more people are open and interested in attending a church service where the focus is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus! What a wonderful opportunity to share how Jesus gives hope, life and joy to everyone who believes and follows Him. This gospel message has the power to save everyone who calls upon Jesus as Savior and Lord, including those who may not understand the full significance of the Easter Holiday! And we have the opportunity to tell them!

Romans 10:9 “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

People need to hear that Jesus is ALIVE!

Because Jesus is alive, we can trust His word. For He proclaimed many times that He would die and rise again (Mark 8:31; 9:30-32; 10:33-34) proving to us that what He says is truthful and all His promises are for sure. Because Jesus is alive, we know that our sins are truly forgiven by the work on the cross, that the Holy Spirit dwells with us and that God has the power to raise us up as well. (Romans 8:11; 1 Cor 15:49)

I like what theologian Leon Morris said about the resurrection of Jesus, “The cross is the victory, the resurrection is the triumph…The resurrection is the public display of the victory, the triumph of the crucified one.” The resurrection was to be the sign that demonstrated Jesus as the one whom He claimed to be and proves to us that He conquered sin and death (Matt 12:39-40; 1 Cor 15:55-56). So because Jesus is alive now we can know that He is God, we can have life in Him and know that He worthy of our praise!

So, let’s celebrate our RISEN Savior!

We don’t need a national holiday to remember that Jesus rose again, but what a wonderful opportunity to celebrate! Remember, that many people around us still have never heard the Gospel preached, so let’s take every opportunity we can to be inviting people to our Easter services and proclaim this wonderful news to everyone we know. Let’s not miss out on the wonderful holiday that we get to remember and profess that Jesus is alive. And because Jesus is alive, He is able to saves us from our sin and makes us spiritually alive! Praise God! We can all find hope, satisfaction and joy as we worship Jesus as our God. This national holiday is an important one to celebrate. So let’s enjoy Easter and remember and proclaim that Jesus is alive!

-Pastor Daniel

Why Technology? by Daniel Williams

Redemption Church Family,

It is my honor to be your pastor. 

One of the roles of being your pastor is to train and equip you to do the ministry God has prepared for you to do. 

Eph 4:11-12a “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry.”

That’s right! God wants to use YOU to bring Him glory and advance His Kingdom. And He wants me to help YOU make disciples.

This is why I have made it a priority to faithfully teach you God’s Word on a continual basisbecause as 2 Tim 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 

Although I can’t meet with all of you daily over coffee to discuss God’s Word, I can equip you through other means. With the power of technology I can help train and teach more people about Jesus than ever…and so can YOU! This is why we are so passionate about proclaiming Jesus through the vehicle of technology and use our website to equip and train people. It is a great way to spread the Word of God and proclaim Jesus.

We, as a church, have many resources to help you grow on our website, and we work hard to keep it updated frequently! These would include our Sunday morning messages, our 3 Minute Messages for you as you read through the Bible, relevant blog posts and much more. Check them out at https://redemptiondb.com/resources and let me know what you think. 

I also want to encourage you to share these resources with others! I want these resources to not only help YOU but to also help others. And when you find yourself encouraged by a video, podcast, or a blog post, take the time to share it with others. It is very easy to share these resources on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and we want as many people hearing about Jesus as possible. So pass these resources on to others!

My prayer is that through all of these resources going out through our website they would help your walk with Jesus and help equip you to pursue and proclaim Jesus. 

Let’s continue to use technology and all that we have to advance God’s Kingdom and bring glory to God. 

Praying for you all!

Pastor Daniel

Holiday Dates To Remember

Dear Redemption Family,

The Christmas season is s special one to remember how our Savior, Jesus, was born and came to display His love toward us. We are blessed to spend some of this special season with you. We have planned a few events of worship and fellowship to help steer our hearts towards Jesus during this busy holiday. May God bless you with a great sense of joy and peace throughout Christmas and the New Year. 

Merry Christmas,
Pastor Daniel

Holiday Dates to Remember:

Saturday, Dec 10th - 11am-1pm | Ladies Christmas Tea Party 

Sunday, Dec 11th - 11am-12:30pm | Service at Carver: The King Is Born (pt1)

Sunday, Dec 18th - 11am-12:30pm | Service at Carver: The King Is Born (pt2)

Wednesday, Dec 21st - 7pm-9pm | Volunteer Christmas Party 

Saturday, Dec 24th - 6:30pm - 8:30pm | Christmas Eve at Old School Square Amphitheater

Sunday, Dec 25th | Merry Christmas! (SERVICE CANCELLED)

Sunday, Jan 1st - 11am-12:30pm | 4 Year Celebration of Redemption Church at Carver

*Community groups will continue to meet throughout the month of December

One Piece of Advice by Daniel Williams

As a pastor I get to spend time talking with people with many different backgrounds, personalities, and life stories. I love people, and I love hearing their stories and learning about their lives. It is humbling and sobering sometimes to be the person that people come to for advice. My wife and I have counseled with many different people during our years in ministry. And as reflect on the conversations we have had, I find that there is one piece of advice that I have given to just about every person I have counseled. 

It is something that applies to people who have been walking with Jesus for 30 years or 3 days. It has helped atheists, those who call themselves spiritual, and those who are far from God. I have shared this with friends that are married, single, bisexuals or homosexuals. It has even helped people who are super wealthy, unemployed, or homeless. I could go on, but you get my point…this piece of advice is for everyone—even YOU!

So, are you ready to get to it and find out what it is?

It is very simple. READ THE BIBLE.

I know this sounds simple…because it is! I believe there is nothing better for people to do than to read the Bible. To know the thoughts and will of God by reading His Word, studying His Word and applying His Word. It is one of the greatest investments we can make. This is because the Word of God doesn’t return void! This means that it will always change us. It doesn’t enter our minds and go back out again without having an effect on who we are!  Reading the Bible is always profitable for our lives. Listen to what the prophet Isaiah says about God’s Word: 

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” -Isa 55:9-11

God gives us His Word for a reason! His Word is inspired by His Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21), it is profitable for our lives (2 Tim 3:16-17), it washes us of impurity (Eph 5:26 ), it revives our souls (Psalm 19 ), it builds our faith (Rom 10:17 ), it proves itself to be true and guards us (Prov 30:5; John 17:17), It brings us peace (Phil 4:8-9; Psalm 18:30 ), it gives us wisdom (Psalm 119:105), it gives us hope (Rom 15:4), it helps us mature in our faith (1 Peter 2:2), it brings life (John 6:63) it points us to Jesus (John 5:39), Jesus’ disciples should abide in it (John 8:31), it is to be desired more than gold (Psalm 19:10-11), it is to be mediated on day and night (Psalm 1:1-2), it is to be studied (2 Tim 2:15) it is to be obeyed (John 13:17; Joshua 1:7-8), and it will never pass away (Matt 24:35; Isaiah 40:8).

Not only does the Bible declare itself to be powerful, but many people have been changed by reading it and seen God work in their lives because of it! I have been changed by reading the Bible, and as I continue to do this, I can see why so many godly men and women have said similar things…

"Nobody ever outgrows Scriptures;  the Book widens and deepens with our years” -Charles H Spurgeon

“Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.” -A. W. Tozer

“Christians cannot live victoriously when disconnected from the Word of God” - Brian Brodersen

”The bible is a mine that can never be exhausted of all of it's treasures." - Levi Lusko

"The BIBLE is the Constitution of Christianity” -Billy Graham

“A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.” -Theodore Roosevelt

The word of God has changed my life and has blessed me. I believe so strongly in the value of God’s Word that I have made my life about studying and teaching it. Remember, God’s Word won’t return void, so you won’t regret reading it. Even if there doesn’t seem to be an instant change or impact on us, we can know that it will bring forth fruit and point us to Jesus. So yes, I give this simple piece advice all the time: READ THE BIBLE! And I will continue to do so. I want everyone I know to experience the joy of reading, studying and obeying God’s Word. 

My prayer is that you would make this a daily practice too, and see all that God wants to do in and through you! Even if you’ve never read the Bible before, it is not too late to start. God always speaks through His Word. You can CLICK HERE for some tips on HOW to study the Bible, whether it is brand new to you or not! So, quit reading this blog, and go pick up your Bible! You’ll be glad you did.

Let's Keep Praying by Daniel Williams

Can you believe that 2016 is more than halfway done already? It is crazy how quickly time flies. Since the start of this year, Jesus has done so many amazing things in our church and community, and God has answered so many of our prayers. As a church, we have been so blessed to see Him do so many wonderful things this year already, and I want us to remember that it all started with us praying…

We started this year doing a series on Prayer at our Sunday services and learning together about what God has to say about prayer. (Listen HERE) Our church family joined together in our 30for30 challenge to spend 30 minutes in prayer for 30 days. This was a tremendous time of growth and unity for us as a church body. It was also at this time that we began to fast and pray every first Wednesday of the month. And God worked in our hearts and prayers were answered!

But as time goes on, it becomes easy to forget and lose passion. We tend to forget that the blessing we are experiencing now are because of the spiritual discipline we applied earlier. And I don’t want that to happen. I want us to finish our year in a season of prayer! I want us to continue to pray and encourage all of us to keep going to God in prayer. 

I am sharing a few ideas for you to consider as you seek Jesus through prayer. In order to keep our prayer life from growing stale, it can be helpful to keep things fresh by praying in new spaces and ways. This is, of course, not a comprehensive list, but I am hoping that you can implement a few of these to reignite your prayer life right now. Let’s remember to practice this important spiritual discipline of prayer as we finish out 2016 together!

Pray Out Loud

Remembering that we are talking to a real person in prayer is important. So, I sometimes pray out loud to make sure I understand I am talking with a person. Speaking my words out loud also allows me to hear the thoughts of my heart which can be helpful. 

Pray With A Plan

Schedule times to pray in your calendar so it doesn’t get forgotten! This is one part of planning to pray. Another way to do this is to pray for things strategically. Make certain categories to cover in your prayer time. Create a prayer journal where you can write down specific prayer requests and ideas that you want to cover. This also can be encouraging when you see your prayers answered over time. 

Pray With A Pen & Paper

Often times, I get side tracked with ideas that pop in my mind as I pray, so having a pen and paper by my side can help me from being distracted. As the idea comes I can write it down quickly and continue to pray.

Pray While You Walk

I am all for kneeling while praying, but I don’t think it is the only way to pray. I find it helpful to pray while walking so my mind and body are active and I don’t fall asleep while talking to God. 

Pray With Scripture

Scripture points me to Jesus, gives me great truth about God and softens my heart towards God. Reading and praying through Scripture can give us inspiration and direction, and it also allows us to align our prayers with God’s will.

Pray & Fast

Take extra time to pray. We all seem to be busy, so a great way to make some extra time to pray is skipping a meal. Use this time that you would be eating to fast and come before God in prayer.

Pray In Tongues

God gives a supernatural gift to some of us to be able to pray to Him in a different language. We are able to ask God for this gift, and if He decides to impart this to us we can cry out to Him in a very special way. If you have this gift, don’t neglect it!

Pray With A Pure Heart

So many times we allow our sin to get in the way of praying to God. The Bible tells us that we are able to repent and ask God for forgiveness. Repenting and having this pure heart before the Lord helps us to commune with Him. 

Pray Where You Are Inspired

Being in certain environments that inspire you can really help you. Whether that be in nature, in a really cool space, or a special corner of your house where you won’t be distracted. For example, I love the ocean and it is very help for me to pray at the beach because it makes me more aware of God’s power and might. 

Pray With Praise

Having worship music playing on in the background can create a great atmosphere and can even help you sing to God during your prayer times!

Overcoming Evil With Good by Daniel Williams

Evil has become overwhelming….

I don’t like to watch the news anymore because it is everywhere….EVIL. It seems like every week now in the national news there is something to be discouraged about in this broken world. So I tend to want to ignore it all, run away from it all and just turn off the tv, but evil still affects me and my life. We all know that evil and sin doesn’t just express itself in the national news but also in our own communities and personal lives. It causes us pain even when we try to run and ignore it. It seems like we can’t escape evil, and it has become overwhelming. 

And I don’t think that I am alone in struggling with all of this pain in the world. As I talk with people in my community, I get the sense that evil has become overwhelming to all of us, and many are losing hope. We all are dealing with sin, pain, suffering and evil every day whether we want to or not. But there is something we can do about it…turn to Jesus! We don’t have to hide or ignore the pain we are going through. We can turn to the God of comfort and receive His grace, peace, love and hope. 

Jesus tells us in John 16:33, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” We can trust that Jesus will make every wrong right and has conquered sin and death on the cross! His grace is available to bring hope to all who receive Him as Lord and Savior. “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” -1 John 5:4. Many people are asking what am I to do with all of this evil around me? The answer is have faith in Jesus! To receive His grace and love. Not to ignore evil but overcome it with good.

A verse that has been encouraging me during this season of tragedies throughout the world has been Romans 12:21 which says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

I have been reminded that even during the darkest hours of this world, I can actually do something that will make a difference in my life and in the lives of others. I can put my hope in Jesus and have His Spirit help me bring hope to this world by doing good. The Bible reminds us that we can do something in these evil times…we can LOVE. We can love God and love others.

We are told as followers of Jesus not to run away from darkness but to do good and be His light. Jesus prayed for us to make a difference in the world and told us do good works. He told us as we to do good works before men that they will glorify our Father in Heaven (Matt 5:16). Jesus doesn’t want us to be overwhelmed with evil or just simply to ignore the evil in the world but to face it head on with love. Jesus taught us to love all people, all the time…and this love really does make a difference.

So what good can we practically do today when we are overwhelmed by all of the pain and tragedy around us? I think the answer is to LOVE. Love is the good work we are to do as followers of Jesus (1 Cor 13:1-3). 

So, ask God how you can love others around you right where you are. Who can you be praying for? One of the greatest ways we can impact those we love and those we struggle to love is through prayer. We need to be on our knees interceding for people daily, allowing the love of Jesus to change our hearts and move in our world. Remember to be sharing the Gospel with those around you! More than ever, people are searching for HOPE, and as followers of Jesus, we can share His love by spreading the victory He gives us in a broken world and the love He has for the lost and hurting. And search for opportunities to love people practically by serving them. No matter who you are or where you live, there are people around you in need of someone to show them the love of Jesus by serving them. We have the opportunity to BE the hands and feet of Jesus to people in a very distressing time.

As evil increases throughout the world, our practice of simply loving God and people will shine brighter than ever. Don’t underestimate these simple ways to express love to people. May we be sensitive to listening to Jesus as He guides and directs us. May we love God and one another well and not become overwhelmed because we know the One who OVERCOMES. 

Practical Ways To Share Your Faith by Daniel Williams

I know a lot of people that struggle with knowing HOW to share the gospel and their faith with others. I think we all go through this from time to time, but I want to encourage you and let you know that this can be a lot easier then you think! Below, you can read through 3 simple things that will make sharing your faith a more natural part of your life.

Love Jesus

The things that bring us satisfaction and joy are the easiest to share. When I find an amazing restaurant, I want to let people know about. I want my friends to experience the joy and delight of having a great experience and incredible food. I may even go so far to take them out to that restaurant with me and buy their dinner just so we both can experience it together. So as you are enjoying Jesus in your relationship with Him, it can actually become easier to share Him and your experience with Him with others…it is a natural overflow because you want that same experience for others. This is why love is a key component in sharing our faith. When we are pursuing Jesus and in love with Him, it is easier to proclaim Him and His gospel. 

-What would your life look like if you were completely in love with Jesus? How would this allow you to proclaim Jesus and His gospel differently?

Walk In Wisdom

Although proclaiming Jesus and gospel should be an overflow of our hearts, we should still have wisdom in how we share the gospel. Col 4:5-6 says, “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

There is only one gospel, but it is important for us to understand that everyone is different and people respond to different approaches. This is where it takes wisdom and guidance from the Holy Spirit to share the gospel with each person as He leads us. The great evangelist, Greg Laurie, says, “When we go fishing for men, we need to realize that what works for one does not necessarily work for another.”  So, there are many approaches and ways to share our faith, and we need to ask God for wisdom in doing so. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

Learn From Others

One of the ways we can gain wisdom is by learning from others. Are there people in your life that you can learn from? Wouldn’t it be wise to ask them to teach you how to evangelize? Another great way we can learn from others is by reading books people have written about this subject. There are so many great books on evangelism and I would suggest that you invest your time and resources in buying a few books to grow in this area. I have gained so much insight on this subject and many others in the Christian faith by simply reading great books from others.  Here are a two suggestions for you that are easy reads and very practical: 

-G3/Tactical Guide (click here) 

-Passion for the Gospel Practical Help on How to Share Your Faith by Greg & Chuck Swindoll Laurie (click here) 

Proclaim Jesus This Week

One of the best ways to learn how to share your faith is by actually doing it! Take some time this week to pray and ask God to open some doors for you to share the gospel and proclaim Jesus. You may not know everything about the Christian faith, but that is ok…the simple truths of the gospel are enough for it has the power to save! (Rom 1:16-17) Be all about proclaiming Jesus to others, and don’t get side tracked or scared with all the other things you don’t know right now. Jesus is more then enough for people! Just as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:1-2, “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” 

May we continue to pursue and proclaim Jesus!

Choose To Remember by Daniel Williams

My wife and I have been in the process of church-planting for about 5 years. We didn’t officially open the doors for Sunday services until much later, but the process of planting began much earlier. We still look back to those first days of when God told us to get ready to leave, the morning I heard His voice tell me where to plant, the visions He gave in the early days, the first person we shared Jesus with in our new city, the families who have come and gone, all those we’ve been so blessed to baptize… miracle after miracle of God’s provision, His goodness, His unexpected favor, His comfort, and His presence. It is these precious stories and moments of God working that remind us of Who God is and why we are here. And we all need that. We need to remember Who our God is and why we are doing what we are doing. God knows that, and that is why over and over again He tells us in His Word to REMEMBER.

WHY REMEMBER?

Why is it that we need to be told to remember such incredible things in our lives? The nation of Israel had to be told again and again not to forget the work of God. They were even told not to forget God Himself! Throughout the Old Testament, we see men building alters from piles of rocks as a place to worship and commemorate an encounter with God. It is almost funny that in order to remember a work of God, they would build a physical structure that people would have to walk around or literally trip on to force them to remember something special that God had done. 

Even in the New Testament, the Apostle Peter wrote about the importance of remembering. He said that he was writing to REMIND them of things they already knew (2 Peter 1:12-15). We need that! You know God is good. You know He has called you. Yet, we all need to be reminded of what God has done so that we do not forget! This has become one of the most important things about our church planting journey—choosing to look back and remember. Creating these alters of stones reminding us of the faithfulness of Jesus.

WHAT IS IMPORTANT?

It is very easy to get so caught up in the business of what planting a church involves, that we can forget what God is doing and has done. There is certainly much practical work to be done, and it is not unimportant, but the practice of looking back at all God has accomplished ALREADY will strengthen and spur you on in those moments where it does get tough! The urgency of this moment’s tasks will always be there, but the spiritual importance of creating this habit is immeasurable. You know the God stories you tend to tell over and over again? The people who you’ve seen God save and transform? As time goes on, you will forget these precious stones that God has given you to pile up for yourself to REMEMBER. We do not choose to forget these things, but we MUST choose to remember them. 

As we do look back and see the faithfulness of Jesus over and over, our hearts become full again of worship and trust in our Savior. Alters were not just a place of remembering, but a place of worship to God. And this makes so much sense when you’ve experienced God’s goodness and provision. The memories of all He has done creates such a sweet sense of true praise in our hearts. And as a church planter, this MUST be who we are! Before door hangers and connection cards, before worship sets and strategies, we need to have our hearts full of love and worship for our God for all the good things He has done for us. 

HOW TO DO IT

Making this a priority in your life does take time. It takes discipline. Building an alter from heavy rock was hard work! But once completed, it was a testimony to what God had done. This is also something that can become a habit for you as you do it more and more. You can get creative in the ways you choose to record and remember God’s work in your life and your church planting journey. 

One of the things I see working best is keeping a written journal of God stories as you go. Remember, the things you think you’ll never forget will be forgotten if you don’t write them down! Write down the person you saw come to church for the first time and get saved. Write down the money that came in at the last second when God provided. Write down the scripture that God gave you when you first felt Him calling you. 

Another great way to remember is to make it visual. Pictures and videos are an incredible gift from God that allow us to literally look and see the people and places God has moved. I started making short baptism videos ( http://www.redemptionindelraybeach.com/baptism) of each person we’ve baptized from the beginning, and though it seemed silly at first, I am so thankful now to have these to look back on and watch life after life that God has redeemed here again and again. It’s beautiful and moving to have these things that stir us so deeply when we remember them.

READY, GO!

Whether you are just beginning your journey to plant a church or are simply in the midst of daily life with Jesus, today is always the best time to start remembering the goodness of God. It is never too late to write down something unexpected that God did for you or a miracle when it happens. I hope you will experience the joy that comes from looking back at these things months and years from now and will rejoice and find comfort in the faithfulness of our God.

Be blessed,

Pastor Daniel