Refuge Church Orlando - Sermons

This week, Pastor Ryan preached the second part of the story of the healing of the blind man. We were reminded that no one remains unchanged by Jesus; He either gives sight to the blind or reveals the blindness of those who think they see.

In this week's passage, Jesus heals the blind man, giving us a picture of our spiritual blindness and His power to bring us spiritual sight. Pastor Ryan reminded us that Jesus is the Light of the world, who has come to open blind eyes and restore sight.

This week, Pastor Ryan preached on Christ’s declaration that He is greater than Abraham and that He is the “I Am.” We were reminded that because Jesus is the I Am, for those who trust in Him, death no longer has the final word.

Elder Scott Reavis preached on the invitation of Jesus that we would know the truth and that He who is the truth, would set us free. We also were reminded that the voice we hear reveals the father we follow.

Pastor Ryan preaches from John 8:21-30 as Jesus continues to confront the Jews at the temple, and declares to them that the only way to know the Father is through the Son.

This week, Pastor Josh Conover preached on Jesus’ declaration, “I am the light of the world.” We were reminded that Christ alone leads us out of darkness and into true life.

This Easter Sunday, Pastor Ryan preached on Jesus’ encounter with the woman caught in adultery. We reflected on His declaration over her: “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” We were reminded that only those who know they are great sinners, will see their need for a great Savior.

Pastor Ryan preached on the invitation of Jesus Christ at the temple: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” We were reminded that our response to His invitation reveals whether we truly know Him.

Cristian Maldonado reflected on the sober warning Jesus gave to the crowds in Jerusalem: that to truly know God, they must believe in the Son while He may be found. A time would come when they would seek Him and not find Him, because it would be too late. We were reminded that every warning Jesus gives is also an invitation: to seek Him, to come to Him, and to find in Him life and the forgiveness of sins.

Pastor Ryan preaches on the response of the Jewish religious elites to the controversial Christ, as they question His authority to heal and teach. In this passage, we see that Jesus has authority over all human authorities, yet He lives in perfect submission to the Father.

This week, Pastor Ryan concluded chapter 6 of John, where Peter declares that only Christ has the words of eternal life. We were reminded that the Gospel of Jesus Christ does more than communicate a message; it brings forth new life.

This past week, Pastor Ryan preached on Jesus’ conversation with the Jews who grumbled at His claim to be the Bread of Life. We were reminded that with every invitation Jesus extends, there is also a warning. In this passage, Jesus teaches us that only those who feed on Him have eternal life.

This past week, Cristian Maldonado preached through the first of seven "I Am" statements made by Jesus Christ in the Gospel of John. We reflected on the reality that because Jesus is the Bread of Life, He alone can satisfy the hunger of our souls.

Pastor Ryan preached through the story of Jesus' miracle of walking on water. We were reminded that it is only with Christ’s presence amid life’s storms that we truly realize our moment-by-moment need.

As we jump back into the Gospel of John, Pastor Ryan preached on the miracle of the Feeding of the Five Thousand. We were reminded that Jesus came to a hungry humanity, that was unaware of its hunger, and offered to give them true food.

During our Vision Sunday, Pastor Ryan preached through Psalm 46, encouraging us with the truth that God is our safe refuge and strength. We were reminded that if God is the only refuge in the world, then He is the only refuge for the world. We also heard testimonies of God's faithfulness through our church, pointing people to refuge in Jesus Christ.

This past Sunday, Pastor Ryan wrapped up our Habakkuk series by preaching from chapter 3:1–19. We examined the idea that where we look in hardship determines how we live through hardship. The book of Habakkuk calls us to move from doubt to devotion, ceasing to focus on our difficulties and instead looking to God as our sure footing and strength.

This past Sunday, Pastor Ryan preached the third sermon in our Habakkuk Series. We looked at the contrast between the way of the righteous and the woes of the wicked. We were reminded that there are only two ways to live: by faith in God or by trusting in yourself.

This past Sunday, Pastor Ryan preached through Habakkuk 1:12-2:1 on the prophet's prayer and wrestlings about God's sovereignty and rule over the world, while God's people were experiencing oppression at the hands of the wicked. We were reminded that because our God is sovereign, we can trust Him even when His purposes are hidden from us.

This Sunday, Pastor Ryan kicked off our series on Habakkuk. As we looked at the backdrop of this book, we were reminded that in the midst of hardship, God is not absent; He is at work in ways we cannot yet see. And that often, it is through the dark night of the soul that God does His deepest forming work in us and in the world around us.

Pastor Miguel Medina of CrossPointe Español preached from Revelation 22:12-16 for our End of Year Combined Service. We were reminded that we are called to live courageously in the midst of a broken world, because Jesus Christ, the Alpha and the Omega has promised He will bring about final restoration and renewal at the end of time.

Pastor Ryan wraps up our Advent Series with the final name of Christ, who Isaiah describes as our Prince of Peace. We were reminded that true and lasting peace can only found through God’s promised Son.

In our second Advent series sermon, we examined Isaiah 40:9-11 where we saw God described as both the Sovereign King who comes in victory as well as the Shepherd who tenderly cares for His sheep. Pastor Ryan reminded us that as our Mighty God, Jesus Christ has the power to save and as our Everlasting Father, He intimately cares.

In the first of our three Advent sermons in the Book of Isaiah, Pastor Ryan guided us through Isaiah 9:1–7, where we considered the backdrop of unbelief into which a remarkable birth announcement was spoken; one ultimately fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Christ, our Wonderful Counselor. We were reminded that because Jesus is the promised Wonderful Counselor, we must follow His wisdom.

This past Sunday, Cristian Maldonado wrapped up the first section of our Gospel of John Series for 2025. We saw the epic conclusion of Jesus' confrontation with the Jews, where He revealed that their unbelief was rooted in nothing less than their bondage to self-worship. We learned that along with that indictment Jesus was also inviting them to come to Him and to experience true freedom and lasting rest.

This past Sunday, Pastor Ryan preached on Jesus’ confrontation with the Jewish religious leaders after they questioned His healing of a man on the Sabbath. This message reminded us that because Jesus alone has the authority to judge, He alone has the authority to give and raise life.

This past Sunday, Bobby Hegedish preached on the story of Jesus' healing of the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda. We learned that it is not enough to desire to be healed, but to be whole. And we were reminded that a relationship with Jesus is what heals us from dead religion.

This past Sunday, Pastor Ryan preached on the story of Jesus healing the nobleman’s son. Jesus simply spoke the word and the man’s son was healed instantly. We were reminded that all of our needs ultimately reveal our greatest need, which is that of believing in the Word. 

This past Sunday, Cristian Maldonado preached on the second part of Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob. We looked at the disciples' puzzlement and the woman's proclamation, and learned that Jesus calls His disciples to hunger and thirst for a spiritual harvest of belief, in the places where we least expect it.

This past Sunday, Pastor Scott Reavis preached on the story of Jesus’ meeting the woman at the Well of Jacob. We were reminded that God’s love seeks, that His grace satisfies, and that His Holy Spirit is the One that transforms.

This past Sunday, Pastor Ryan led us through John 3:22–36, where John the Baptist proclaims that Christ must increase, and he must decrease. Using the beautiful imagery of a wedding, John describes himself as the friend of the bridegroom (the “best man”) who rejoices to step aside as the True Bridegroom arrives. We were reminded that when Jesus is greatest and we are least, our joy will only increase.

This past Sunday, Pastor Josh taught from one of the most well-known verses in Scripture—John 3:16. He led us to reflect on the profound ways God reveals His love to all humanity, and the particular ways He pours out His covenant love on His people. We were reminded that it is God's love that leads Him to offer eternal life to the whole world.

This week, Pastor Ryan preached on the first portion of Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus. We were reminded that true Christianity requires a new birth, evidenced by a transformed life and produced solely by a sovereign work of the Spirit.

This past Sunday, Pastor Ryan preached on the cleansing of the temple from John 2:13–25, where Jesus reveals that He is the new and greater temple. This account also highlights His mission to restore His people as zealous worshipers for the glory of God the Father.

This past Sunday, Pastor Ryan preached through John 2:1-12 on Jesus' miracle of turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana. We were reminded that Jesus is the true Bridegroom who, through His signs, demonstrates that He is making preparations for His bride, the Church.

This past Sunday, Pastor Ryan taught on the call of Jesus’ first disciples. From John and Andrew’s response, to Simon’s renaming as Cephas, to the calling of Philip and Nathanael, we saw how Jesus met each of these men right where they were, while also inviting them to trust Him with a long obedience in the same direction.

This past Sunday, Cristian Maldonado preached on the testimony of John the Baptist, who bore witness that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. We were also reminded that, like John, we too are called to be voices in the wilderness, pointing away from ourselves and towards Jesus Christ.

This past Sunday, Pastor Ryan preached through the end of the prologue in the Gospel of John, chapter 1 verses 14-18, unpacking the deep mystery of the incarnation, best summed by this week's Big Idea borrowed from C.H. Spurgeon: "He who made man, was made a man."

This past Sunday, Pastor Ryan introduced us to John the Baptist, who in the context of this story, is the lesser whose purpose is to make the Greater known in a world that cannot see Him. We reflected on the message of John, who was a witness to the True Light which came into the world in the person of Jesus Christ.

This past Sunday, Pastor Ryan Walker kicked off our fall sermon series on The Gospel of John titled "Light Revealed." We looked at John 1:1-5 and were reminded that the Word is God’s message to humanity in Jesus Christ to find life in Him.

This past Sunday, Elder Josh Conover gave a compelling conclusion to our series on the Ten Commandments, by reminding us of the true purpose of God's law as well as by pointing us to God's invitation away from coveting and into abundance of life in Him.

Deacon Whit Jackson gave us a profound reflection on what it means to bear false witness; but beyond that, he reminded us that amidst our deep brokenness and sin, God has provided freedom, identify and a Savior in the person of Jesus Christ.

This past Sunday, Pastor Ryan Walker gave us a powerful reminder of the supremacy and preeminence of Christ as revealed in the first chapter of the letter to the Colossians!

This past Sunday, guest pastor Josiah Ravish walked us through the 7th Commandment: “Do Not Commit Adultery” (Exodus 20:14). He gave us a powerful word on purity, covenant and redemption in Christ.

This past Sunday, Kyle Pizzuto walked us through the 6th Commandment: “Do Not Murder” (Exodus 20:13). He reminded us that all of us in various ways fail to properly honor life, but that in spite of that Jesus Christ offers us redemption and hope.

This past Sunday, Pastor Ryan walked us through the 5th Commandment: “Honor your Father & Mother” (Exodus 20:12). He reminded us that to honor our father and mother is to honor the Lord and to trust in his care.

This past Sunday, Jeremy Clay walked us through the Fourth Commandment: “Remember the Sabbath” (Exodus 20:8-11). He helped us understand the difference between taking a self-focused “Holiday” during the week vs what the true sabbath was created for.. a “Holy Day”.

This past Sunday, Staff Ministry Director Cristian Maldonado preached on the Third Commandment: “Do not take the Lord’s name in Vain.” We were reminded that to truly obey this commandment, we must be filled with passionate reverence for God’s name.

This past Sunday Pastor Ryan preached from Exodus 20:4-6 on the 2nd commandment: “You Shall Not Make Idols”. We were reminded not just to worship God alone, but to worship Him in the right way!

Our Ten Commandments Series continued in Exodus 20:1-3 this past weekend as Elder Scott Reavis preached on what it truly means to have no other gods.