Delray Beach - Wekend to Remember

Delray Beach, FL Top Ten Comments

September 23-25, 2016

Attendance: 389

Holy Spirit: 89

Recommit: 64

Salvations: 6

Revitalized is what I can come up with on describing this weekend.  I realize that coming here was going to help me, help us fix our marriage.  It did more than fix it, it brought our marriage back to life.

Married 6 years

I feel the weekend has definitely pressed the “pause” button on our talk of divorce.  Given us many skills to work on and tools to do it.

Married 24 years

God really uses this conference to help us realign our lives, hearts, and relationship to Christ’s bigger purpose.  As a blended family the impact is huge for us because we need to be reminded that He is for us.

Married 1 years

Prior to this weekend, my husband and I both knew our marriage needed “work” but were struggling to do it on our own.  This weekend refocused our eyes on the need for Christ to be the head of our home and we’re leaving refreshed and honestly relieved that we don’t need to do it on our own, when we’re choosing to fully trust Him, His word and His roles for us as a husband/father and wife/mother.

Married 11 years

This weekend has given us time to have deep conversations without the kids distracting us.  We have really just reinforced our desire to continue deepening our relationship.  We have gained tools to use in our every day lives.

Married 10 years

The getaway was just that – an opportunity to step away from home/work/children responsibilities and to fully focus on us and our marriage.  Possibly the greatest effect it’s created is talking points and conversations to lead to understanding and growth between us.

Married 5 years

We have been married for 34 years as of today.  We had so much to learn!  This time together learning from other couples has been such a blessing and a time for us to recommit to each other.  We believe God brought us together by His sovereign will, and the His will keep us together by His power as we trust Him.

Married 34 years

It gave us a renewed focus on our marriage, and gave us the inspiration to go home and fight harder for each other.

Married 11 months

Saving our marriage at the critical time.  Maybe it is our turning point; wait to see how our God reveals our story.

Married 29 years

I can see an eagerness in my husband to be a godly husband and a godly father.  That not only warms my heart but is so encouraging for our future.

Married 4 years    

September 2016 Prayer Letter

FamilyLife began in 1976 as a marriage preparation ministry within Cru with little vision to take it further. But God had bigger plans. In July staff and ministry friends came together to celebrate all the Lord has accomplished and HIS faithfulness through 40 years of FamilyLife! 

Though we were on sabbatical and missed the celebration we did get to watch all the key note speakers on video. Here is a sampling of what took place.

Competence is wonderful, it is not unspiritual. Dependence upon the Holy Spirit with competence is fine if it is accompanied with brokenness before the Lord. The danger comes as you learn how to execute things, you have contacts, strategies, experience, and you become self reliant. Self reliance is a terrible tendency. Just as the early church in Acts, we must be dependent upon the Holy Spirit. Only when our reliance upon God eclipses our competencies, that’s when we’re being most radically used by God. 

Crawford Loritts, Senior Pastor Fellowship Bible Church, Roswell, GA

When this ministry began in 1976 the church was far too dependent upon the culture to uphold marriage. Now the church is the one that must uphold marriage. A world is watching, a world that thinks of marriage as a domestic concentration camp, as a lifestyle expression. Marriage is actually a gospel witness created by God. 

Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

 FamilyLife is not a ministry because of what man has done, it is a ministry in spite of. It’s a ministry where God showed up and showed off and has done way beyond what we could have ever imagined. Looking forward be aware, we are in a spiritual battle. Consider what hangs in the balance for your family and your descendants. What is our part in this battle? Now, more than ever it demands our faith, courage and obedience. We’re in a battle for the next generation.

Dennis Rainey, President and co-founder of FamilyLife

 

August 2016 Prayer Letter

A Few Notes from a Good Sermon

Recently we heard a really good message regarding what we should be doing as believers. It was a discussion regarding the “great commission”.

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

It was a great reminder for us and hopefully for you too regarding how we are to engage those around us.

· As the work of Christ was completed on the cross, the work of the church was just beginning. The church has been called to continue what God started.

· Remember, your job is what you do, not who you are. Who you are is a disciple maker.

· Church should be seen as a rescue mission, not a retreat center. We are not to hide out from the world but to reach out to the world.

· The only way to have conversations with others is to stay in conversation with Him.

Check Out a Weekend to Remember

We hope you will check out familylife.com to see the complete fall schedule for all of our Weekend to Remember events. If you have not been, or have not been recently, we hope you will attend one of these events soon. Even though the material may be similar to the last time you attended, you are at a different place in your marriage. You will be surprised how new and different the content hits you. We know you will enjoy a weekend away with your spouse. Remember, you don’t discuss your marriage with anyone. You just listen to great speakers, work on projects together, and truly have a “Weekend to Remember”!

July 2016 Prayer Letter

Houston WTR Events

             In spite of all the rain and severe flooding we had good turn outs for our Houston events in June. We were devastated to see how widespread the flooding was when we drove from San Antonio to Houston and drove over the Brazos river. Though the freeway was open, many of the off ramps were underwater. The river had spread across several miles in some places. 

             Everyone seemed to know someone who had been affected by the floods. Even the head of banquet staff we worked with at the hotel in the Woodlands had his parents living with him. Their home was flooded with 3 feet of water and it was going to be weeks before they could even return to assess the damage.

We were encouraged to see many still turned out for the Weekend to Remember events. There were 22 salvation decisions indicated. Here are a couple of comments. The first from the Woodlands and the second from Sugar Land.

We’ve been separated for close to 4 months.  We’ve been seeking counsel since the separation but are still unable to communicate.  It wasn’t until the middle of the second day that we broke through our walls.  There’s still much work to be done.  But this was close to ending.  There is a feeling of new life again.  Wanting to build a new marriage more suited to God’s plan for oneness.  Thank you.

Husband, Married 3 years

It was life-giving, encouraging, difficult, and challenging at the same time.  The fear I experienced going into the first session – that I would be blindsided by all that I do wrong – quickly vanished as hope crept back into my heart and mind.  Very well done, FamilyLife team! Husband, married 13.5 years

Understand that God is using you to help draw people to Himself and restore marriages!

June 2016 Prayer Letter

Update from Dallas (Frisco) Weekend to Remember

              We had 554 guests attend the event. 19 of them became Christ followers during the weekend! Here are just a few of the comments we received.

              This is my fourth WTR, and I thought I already knew it all. I came with a bad attitude and arrogantly assumed I didn’t need any help. I was dead wrong. I may have had the head knowledge, but my heart needed rejuvenation and re-focus to love my wife in a Christ-like manner, follow God, and be a man of integrity. I strongly encourage coming to the WTR well over and over again. Husband, Marital Health 5 to 9

We came here hopeless, discussing divorcing, not knowing how our marriage could be restored. Through the grace of God and this ministry we have committed to God and one another to make it work. And we now have the tools to equip us. Wife, Married 14 years, Marital Health 1 to 8

The effect was amazing. Being high school sweethearts we’ve always struggled. We renewed our vows in 2013 due to us going outside our marriage, looking for companionship (not sex). Two weeks ago my husband came to me telling me he wants out of this marriage; he had developed feelings for someone else. We both agreed to attend the WTR. Friday night after the first meeting, my husband woke up in tears. He said, “God visited me, said ‘No more.’” My husband woke up a different man, a new man, better than the man I married a second time. He asked sincerely for forgiveness. The weekend getaway will be forever a weekend to remember. He told me once again that he’s falling in love with me. I know he has just by the way he looked at me. Thank you!! Wife, Marital Health 2 to 9

A final word about the book “A Praying Life” by David Powlison. Yes, my friend and I are still working through the book. Please don’t judge, we’re older now and read slower-ha!

              We all have times when we feel the Lord has abandoned us. Sometimes He seems so distant, often when we are going through trials.

David maintains that God is weaving a story in our lives. To live in the Father’s story we need to remember these three things. (The following is a direct excerpt from his book.)

1. Don’t demand that the story go your way. (In other words, surrender completely.)

2. Look for the Storyteller. Look for his hand, and then pray in light of what you are seeing. (In other words, develop and eye for Jesus.)

3. Stay in the story. Don’t shut down when it goes the wrong way.

Sometimes when we say “God is silent,” what’s really going on is that he hasn’t told the story the way we wanted it told. He will be silent when we want him to fill in the blanks of the story we are creating. But with his own stories, the ones we live in, he is seldom silent.

We do carry this book at Familylife. If you would like a copy, please let us know. We would love to send you one at no cost. It is one way we can thank you for your prayers and support.