Let's Study by Pastor Daniel Williams

Pastor Daniel talks about the importance of studying God’s word, following the example of the Bereans in Acts 17:1, who…received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. The practice of studying God’s word is essential in growing as a disciple of Jesus. Daniel shares a Bible study tool from Greg Laurie’s book, Start to Follow. It is the 3 Rs: Read: What does God’s word say?; Reflect: What does this teach me about God?;  Respond: What will I do with what I just learned? Teaching people to read the Bible is no small matter in a culture where the vast majority of people do not read a book after finishing high school or college. It needs to be taken seriously. If you don’t like to read, ask God to change your heart. Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. Psalm 119:18. A practical message and a great encouragement!

QUOTES

“We are to be in God’s word, under God’s authority, men and women of the word.” -Daniel Williams

“People who want to know God need to learn how to study the Bible, to build their faith.” -Daniel Williams

‘We can go to God’s word and know who He is, and know God’s heart.” -Daniel Williams

“The discipline of reading has been lost, but it’s important for us as Christians to know that it’s part of our faith. It’s part of our education to learn what God has said.” -Daniel Williams

“The Bible is a supernatural book.” -Daniel Williams

“God’s word is the final authority.” -Daniel Williams

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. (2 Timothy 3:16,17)

Partnering with Other Churches

Pastor Daniel talks about partnering with other churches and what that has looked like recently with Redemption Church, where he pastors in Delray Beach, Florida. With intention and purpose for advancing God’s kingdom, developing relationships among the community of churches where we serve has produced cooperation and fruitful ministry. This results in a greater impact than we could ever have alone. He shares six principles which will help you as reach out and partner with others.

QUOTES: 

“It’s going to take not just one church or ministry team, but a lot of teams and churches to reach our city.” -Daniel Williams

“We have this group text of about 8 to 10 pastors in our area…that text one another every Sunday morning and give encouraging words—I’m praying for you…Here’s a verse for today…Be encouraged—and it feels like we’re doing ministry together.” -Daniel Williams

“Have a posture of humility. It’s not about me. It’s about God and His kingdom. You may be established in your community, but you still have to have a humble spirit.” -Daniel Williams

“We have to make time to invest in relationships. This is not easy. It’s going to take some time and some scheduling.” -Daniel Williams

“As ministry leaders, we need to embrace wisdom through other people and make the time to learn. You can do this, because the benefits will be tremendous in your life as you build relationships.” -Daniel Williams

The Blessings of Unity by Pastor Daniel Williams

Pastor Daniel talks about the blessings of unity among God’s people. David wrote of this blessing in Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! (Psalm 133:1) Verses two and three of this psalm describe God’s blessing on those who practice unity. We may come from many different backgrounds and tribes like David and the 12 tribes of Israel, but God wants us to walk together in unity as one people—the body of Christ, the Church. Unity is extremely precious and valuable. Seeing the power of God work through the unity of His people is a great witness to the world of who God is. It brings glory to Him. Daniel shares some ways that local churches in Delray Beach. FL are working together in unity. How can we practice this unity that pleases God today?

QUOTES: 

“If you walk in unity with other brothers and sisters in Christ, you’re going to walk in strength.” -Daniel Williams

“Walking in unity helps us walk in God’s ways.” -Daniel Williams 

“When you walk in good works and you’re doing this together, it makes a powerful statement. People see that strength and they glorify God the Father.” -Daniel Williams

“Unity brings life and nutrition to your soul.” -Daniel Williams

“Unity does not mean uniformity. We can have our own unique heritage, but we are one in Christ.” -Daniel Williams

“Be eager to maintain unity in the body of Christ. Let us learn from one another. Let us grow and develop and serve the Lord with other believers.” -Daniel Williams

The Weapon of Prayer by Pastor Daniel Williams

Leadership Lesson | Pastor Daniel Williams

Pastor Daniel gets excitied, encouraging everyone to pray! Understand this: prayer is a spiritual weapon. “You are in spiritual battle. If you are ignorant or ignore that fact, you probably aren’t winning the battle.” (David Guzik) The Apostle Peter describes this reality in 1 Peter 5:8: Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. No amount of studying or skill can overcome a lack of prayer. God’s power is activated through prayer. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. (1 John 5:14-15) We all need this reminder of the amazing access to God’s strength and power through prayer.  

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“If you are strangers to prayer, you are strangers to power.” - Billy Sunday

“Many people devote themselves to studying God’s word and preparation but not necessarily prayer.” -Daniel Williams

“We must be aware of the fact that we are in a battle. And we must know how to fight as men and women of God.” -Daniel Williams

“As soon as you pray, God is on the move.” -Daniel Williams

“There is a huge impact on our world when we are men and women of prayer, trusting in God, depending on Him.” -Daniel William

Recruiting & Retaining Volunteers by Pastor Daniel Williams

Leadership Lesson | Pastor Daniel Williams

Pastor Daniel talks about how leaders can encourage people to become actively involved in serving God through serving others. Jesus demonstrated this active service by washing His disciples’ feet. “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” (John 13:14-15) The idea of encouraging others to serve is a natural part of leadership. From Jesus’ example in Mark 1:16-18, Daniel shares practical ways to help us in recruiting and retaining people for ministry. Have the right attitude. Ask people personally. Give clear instructions. Lead by example. Explain the why of what we do. Be real. This is hard work. People need encouragement. Give them the word of God. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58) Show appreciation to your volunteers. Rely on God. “What we’re doing is impossible without the Holy Spirit. It is God working through us.” We have to be able to choose people and then depend on God to do the work. Pray and ask for the Lord to do it, for His kingdom and His glory.

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“We have to work together to get great things done.” -Daniel Williams

“We want to encourage and persuade people to serve God by serving others.” -Daniel Williams

“Serving is a part of our faith. It’s how we grow. And we should want to recruit people to mature and to grow in the body and to serve one another.” -Daniel Williams

“It is an incredible privilege to serve Jesus. People follow passion. They follow conviction. If you have the right attitude that says it is worth it, people will follow that.” -Daniel Williams

Spiritual Disciplines by Pastor Daniel Williams

Leadership Lesson | Pastor Daniel Williams

Pastor Daniel talks about ways to cultivate our faith through the practice of  spiritual disciplines and why these disciplines are so vital. In his book, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald Whitney says, “In my own pastoral and personal Christian experience, I can say that I have never known a man or a woman who came to spiritual maturity except through discipline. Godliness comes through discipline.” In 1 Timothy 4:7-8, Paul instructs Timothy to undertake this training: Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. Spiritual disciplines do not need to be complicated. It is more about seeking to be in the presence of God and using spiritual disciplines as a way to get to know Him and trust Him. Making the word of God your first priority, worshipping God through singing, fasting and praying, practicing a Sabbath day of rest, giving thanks to God, having fellowship/community with other believers, serving others—these are just some examples of spiritual disciplines that will draw you closer to Jesus. How are you seeking God’s presence through spiritual disciplines? What is the next step for you? “From faith to faith. Step by step. There is profit in godliness. The way that we become godly is by being with God.”

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“To have spiritual disciplines cultivates our faith, it takes work, it takes time, it takes effort—but it is definitely worth it.” -Daniel Williams

“So many times in our life, we don’t want to do things that make us uncomfortable, that are hard—even the word discipline, that you practice this effort—but the Bible says if we are going to grow in our faith we need to practice spiritual discipline.” -Daniel Williams

“We want to do things that help our faith grow, to trust in Jesus more. In any good relationship, there’s work.” -Daniel Williams

“We can actually limit God in our lives because we lack faith and trust in Him. We don’t do what He says because we don’t believe what He says.” -Daniel Williams

“The best thing for you as a ministry leader is this—to be in the presence of the Lord. This is how I view spiritual disciplines. We get to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, and we get to seek Him. That should be your top priority. And that should be my top priority.” -Daniel Williams

“Knowing the living God—Jesus, the King—changes everything. Out of that intimacy flows ministry.” -Daniel William

From Faith To Faith by Pastor Daniel Williams

Leadership Lesson | Pastor Daniel Williams

Pastor Daniel talks about having faith in different seasons of life and ministry, how important it is for us as church leaders to trust God no matter what is going on at any given time. “It is from faith to faith that we are to live, to walk by faith and not by sight.” This type of faith is cultivated. It grows and changes. What may have taken a huge step of faith in our life three years ago may not be the same today. God grows our faith step by step. What is faith and why is it important for us as ministry leaders? “Faith is trust in someone or something. Our salvation comes by faith. We are saved by grace through faith. We trust that God has the power to do this.” In Chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews, we are given great examples of faith and this definition: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) One of the temptations of having the gift of leadership is to begin to trust in our own abilities rather than trusting in God. But we need to constantly remind ourselves, through prayer and intentional reliance upon Him, that God Himself is the source of our plans and any success we may have. Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (Galatians 3:3) How can you cultivate your faith today? What is God telling you to do that requires faith? Daniel gives four reasons why faith is important in this and every season of life. You don’t want to miss it.

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“Seasons were given to us by God. They’re for a reason. Without change, without seasons, we can become stagnant and just take for granted the season we are in.” -Daniel Williams

“We need to cultivate our faith. We need to exercise our faith to get stronger like a muscle, and we need to continue to put on more weight and to continue to walk by faith, one step after another.” -Daniel Williams

“As Christians our faith is based on God’s word, based on what He is telling us. He asks us to listen to His voice, to understand who He is, and to base our lives off of who He says He is and the promises that He tells us to walk in.” -Daniel Williams

“We will be blessed when we trust in Jesus and His word.” -Daniel Williams

“You are the mission of Jesus…He puts us in situations to build our faith. He is sovereign. He is good.” -Daniel Williams

The Importance of Prayer by Pastor Daniel Williams

Leadership Lesson | Pastor Daniel Williams

Pastor Daniel talks about the overarching importance of prayer in leadership. Prayer comes first. Everything we do must be surrendered to God in prayer. A simple definition of prayer is talking and listening to God. “We need to be men and women of prayer who prioritize talking and walking with God, and relying on His strength, His will, His power.” Jesus taught us that when we pray we ought to be asking for God’s will to be done, not our own. Daniel shares his own story of how he grew in this area of prayer through the experience of church planting In Delray Beach, Florida, and being totally dependent upon God. “We really saw God direct us over and over and over again through prayer.” Asking God for opportunities, not knowing anyone in the city, then going out and sharing the gospel with people wherever they went—and people responded to the power of God’s grace. “We got to see God do His greatest miracle—saving a soul.” All of these things happened as a result of God’s response to prayer. When we ask, He moves. Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. (Colossians 4:2). Jesus modeled this for us in His ministry and taught His disciples to pray. Not if you pray, but when you pray. We need to see prayer as a great privilege and to grasp that it is God’s desire to know us and for us to know Him. Prayer should be an integral part of every area of ministry. Seeing God work through prayer builds confidence and trust in Him so that we know whether He says yes or no or not yet, He knows what we need and when we need it. Ultimately prayer changes us. We were made to worship and just as Moses was changed by being in the presence of God, so, too, as we worship Him we reflect Him to the people. Daniel discusses practical ways to build the habit of prayer in your life. For more information and great resources on prayer go to redemptiondb.com/30for30prayer. 

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“As His servants, serving His church, it is important to be in communion with Him, to listen to our Master. And when we pray, we actually align our hearts up with His will.” -Daniel Williams

“We prayed and asked God, “Would you give us opportunities to just preach Your name, preach your good news that you’re a God that loves, that saves sinners, that we’re saved by grace.” -Daniel Williams

“I think it is so important that we testify of the importance of prayer and how as leaders we see God work.” -Daniel Williams

“God expects His people to pray.” -Daniel Williams

“Jesus wants you to see the blessing in prayer. God wants to have a relationship with you.” -Daniel Williams

10 Principles To Plan Great Events by Pastor Daniel Williams

Leadership Lesson | Pastor Daniel Williams

In this week’s Leadership Lesson, Pastor Daniel shares from his own experiences in event planning. An event is any time we gather together as a group. We want these events to be beneficial. “I’ve had my share of epic failures, but I want to learn from my mistakes, to get better, to improve.” Here are 10 principles for event planning. 1)Pray. Ask God for wisdom and vision. (James 1:5). 2)Have a goal/define success. What is the point of this event? (Proverbs 29:18) 3)Get others involved. Let people help. There are great benefits in working as a team. (1 Corinthians 12:21) 4)Listen. Ask for input. Brainstorm. (Ecclesiastes 4:9) 5)Traditions are great, but be creative. Try new things. (1 Corinthians 12:5-6) 6)Make the event worth the time and money. Communicate the why and how it can bring value to their life. 7)Pray for the people coming to the event, that they will be blessed. It’s easy to get so busy planning that you forget this step. 8)Communicate well. Make sure to communicate the details. Tell people what to expect.(Ecclesiastes 12:9-10) 9)Be flexible/adjust. “We want to act calmly when our plan doesn’t go the way we think it should.” Chuck Smith always said, “Blessed are the flexible, for they will not break.” 10)Follow up/evaluate after the event. Ask questions. What could we change to make it better? Do it while your team’s memory is fresh.God gives the grace to have a great event. “It’s a sweet privilege to be used by God in this way, to plan events and to bless people.” So those are the 10 principles of event planning. Now you take them and apply them in your own way in your own ministry, by the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s been a blessing to share them with you.

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“As leaders we want our gatherings to serve a purpose, to align with our mission and vision, but really to bless people. We want those events to be beneficial.” -Daniel Williams

“Don’t be afraid to use someone else’s ideas.” -Daniel Williams

"From time to time you should change up the format. I love being able to bring in guest speakers. It creates a bit of freshness to be creative.” -Daniel Williams

“We need to make sure we’re bringing value to our gatherings by doing the little things. Little things can bring a lot of value.” -Daniel Williams

“God’s sovereignty is much better than our plans.” -Daniel Williams

“We want to be good planners and plan great events, but God wants us to grow and exercise faith.” -Daniel Williams

The Importance of Planning Your Schedule by Pastor Daniel Williams

Leadership Lessons | Pastor Daniel Williams

In this jam-packed episode, Daniel talks about the importance of planning your schedule. Good planning is part of good stewardship, of managing your time wisely. But you can’t do that unless you know what you’re supposed to be doing. That starts with understanding the will of God for your life. Ask God to show you that. Seek it out. Hebrews 12:1 talks about the sins that “easily entangle” us. We need to be vigilant; we don’t want to be held back or tripped up by Satan’s schemes. “If God has told you to go left and you’re going right, that is not a very wise thing.” Then, based on what God has called you to do, what He says is valuable for you to do, plan your schedule. Implementing the plan is essential. Daniel shares a helpful tool for prioritizing your schedule by using four categories: 1)Important; 2)Unimportant; 3)Urgent; 4)Non-urgent. You will hear how he does it and how it can help you with your planning. God repeatedly reminds us in His word to make His priorities ours. Have an eternal perspective. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.(Colossians 3:2) Learn to say NO. This keeps you focused and productive. Go to God daily and set your schedule before Him. Then trust Him when things don’t go according to your plan. Be flexible, but schedule it. “What gets scheduled gets done.” (Michael Hyatt) Daniel walks you through his schedule to get an idea of what this looks like for him, including how to block your time and the invaluable practice of taking a sabbath day. And always remember Who your focus is; Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. (Proverbs 12:21) “He knows the direction that you need to go, that is best for your development.”

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Quotes:

“As a leader, as a Christian man, I want to be able to be a good steward and faithful to God and worship God with my time…and so I want to be aware of how I’m spending my time and I want to invest my time wisely." --Daniel Williams

“Just because we’re busy does not mean we’re effective. We need to make sure we understand that. You can be busy but not be fruitful. Are you busy doing the right things and are you busy doing it in God’s strength, through His Spirit?" -Daniel Williams

“So we want to schedule our time, we want to plan according to the word of God and what He tells us that we should be valuing, what He tells us is important and unimportant.” -Daniel Williams

“God is a planner. Before the foundations of the earth He planned to come and save us. He is an amazing planner!” -Daniel Williams

“Planning has changed my life dramatically because it’s allowed me to say the simple word: NO.  Because when I know the things God has called me to do, I can say yes to those things and no to other things.” -Daniel Williams

Know Your Calling by Pastor Daniel Williams

Leadership Lesson | Pastor Daniel Williams

Pastor Daniel begins with a question to ask yourself: Am I doing the things God has called me to do? and offering practical advice on how we can hear and discern God’s calling for our lives. What does calling mean? In his book Leaders Who Last, David Kraft describes calling as “the God of the universe speaking into your life and circumstances, expressing His will.” Your calling is something specific. Ephesians 2:10: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. We all want to know what God wants us to do. We want to be fruitful. Knowing your calling helps you to stay focused, to endure hardship and pain when it comes. Jesus said to count the cost (Luke 14:28). The call to leadership will cost you. It is a life of sacrificial service. Knowing your calling starts with seeking God and knowing Him through His word and through prayer. You can’t know your calling without knowing God.

Pastor Daniel gives four key areas to pursue this question of calling: 1)Character—Does your daily life and choices testify to your being a godly leader? 2)Competency—Do you have the skills and gifts to do the job? Are you currently using your gifts and skills to glorify God?. 3)Community—What does your community say about your calling? Seek the advice and counsel of your spouse and other godly people in your life. Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. (Proverbs 19:20) Is your community confirming your calling or saying you’re not ready yet? 4)Circumstances—What doors has God opened and shut for you in your life? Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. (Revelation 3:8) God knows His plans and purpose for our lives and He will accomplish that in order to expand His kingdom and bring Himself glory. Are your circumstances confirming your calling or telling you no or not yet? Closed doors may disappoint us, but we need to trust God. This is a long process and there are many layers of calling. But remember: You are the mission of Jesus. He loves you. Stay dependent on Him. Abide in Him. 

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Quotes:

“I believe there is nothing greater than doing what God has called us to do.” -Daniel Williams

“You can go to God’s word and get direction. He will speak to you.” -Daniel Williams

“You will have the good, the bad and the ugly in church leadership. We are imperfect people dealing with imperfect people.” -Daniel Williams