Introducing RBC Cares
The Deacons are launching a new initiative called “RBC Cares,” whose goal is to connect those who desire to share their gifts (material or services), with the needy in our congregation, who are under the care of the Deacons.
RBC Cares will assist the Deacons in meeting the needs of RBC families, while tapping into the talents of the congregation.
The first step is to create a central repository of donors, which enables the Deacons to match needs with gifts. To do this we need your help. First, we need to know who is willing to help (free of charge) and how you’re gifted.
Here are a few examples of ways to serve:
- Opening your home to a displaced widow/family
- Offering legal advice
- Offering tax advice or financial guidance
- Offering real estate advice
- Assisting with job searches
- Providing child care
- Doing home repair
- Giving rides to church
Here’s how it works:
- Let us know you’re willing to serve by registering at the link below (donors will be kept anonymous).
- Tell us how you would like to serve.
- If a need arises within your area of giftedness, we will communicate the need and if you’re willing and able, you can elect to serve. If not, we will keep you on the list for the next opportunity within your area. There’s no time commitment or obligation.
- You can serve as little or as much as you prefer, as needs arise within your area of giftedness.
Sunday Rewind | 9.13.2015
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Endless Light (Psalm 113:3-4) – Cornerstone by Hillsong
Keeper of My Heart (Psalm 121:1-2) – Majestic by Kari Jobe
Be Thou My Vision (2 Corinthians 3:17-18) – Cathedral by Heartsong
Great Things (Worth It All) (Galatians 6:14) –Wake Up the Wonder by Elevation Worship
Be Lifted High (John 3:30) –Nothing is Wasted by Elevation Worship
TEACHING: James – Living Out Our Faith, Part 1
The world’s currency is pleasure. God’s currency is pain. In His grace, God leverages pain for our good and His glory.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this sermon?
- Why do you think God allows pain and suffering?
- Read and discuss James 1:1-8. What do these verses tell us about man? About God? What do we learn about the nature of trials, pain and wisdom?
- What are your thoughts on this quote from C.S. Lewis? “Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”
- In what ways does God leverage pain to…
- …remove impurities in our lives?
- …drive us to His Word?
- …make us long for glory?
- …help us see the brevity of life?
- …drive us to grace?
- …build eternal relationships?
- Read and discuss 2 Corinthians 4:8-18. Why does the author call our troubles “light” and “momentary” (v.17)? Why is it difficult to live in light of this truth? How does affliction prepare us for an “eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (v.17)?
- What are you going through now that you need to “count as joy” (James 1:2), even though the situation itself is not joyful?
- Spend some time praying together for the things you’ve discussed.
Sunday Rewind | 8.23.2015
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Your Love Never Fails (Romans 8:28) – Your Love Never Fails by Jesus Culture
Blessed Be Your Name (Job 1:21) – Blessed Be Your Name: The Songs of Matt Redman, Vol. 1
Lord of All (Psalm 97:5-6) – Attention by Kristian Stanfill
It is Well (Isaiah 66:12) – Public Domain (additional chorus by Hillsong Chapel)
I Stand Amazed (2 Corinthians 8:9) – North Point Live by Candi Shelton (North Point)
TEACHING: The Patriarchs, Part 6: Jacob’s Personality
Present decisions determine future consequences. Living for the present will destroy your future.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this sermon?
- How would you describe your personality? Have you ever taken a personality test? Was it accurate? Do you find your personality changed through the years? How so?
- Read and discuss Genesis 25:19-34. Who are the main characters in this account? What do you observe about them in this text? What are their main personality traits based on this account?
- How did Esau despise his birthright? What modern parallels of this do we see? What personal parallels do you see?
- How did Jacob “force the hand of God”? Have you ever done this? What happened?
- How do present passions blur the future? What decisions currently lie before you where you need to trust the goodness and sovereignty of God?
- How does the gospel enable God’s morality to flow through our personality? How does the gospel direct our morality?
- Are you involved in anything right now that you know could destroy your future? Spend some time praying with your small group and discussing an accountability plan for those situations.
Bill Hurley Memorial Service
We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of prayers and sympathy from so many who knew and loved our dear friend and co-laborer, Bill Hurley. A memorial service to celebrate his life was held at Reston Bible Church on Tuesday, August 18 at 10:30am EDT.
For our extended missionary staff, friends and missions agencies here in the U.S. and around the globe who are not able to attend the service, we provided a live video stream of Bill’s memorial service on this page. We will archive that video here for those who were unable to attend.
In lieu of flowers, condolences to the family may be made in the form of donations to the Reston Bible Church Missions Fund (To give online, click here to go to our secure online giving page – Select “Missions Fund” in the Choose Designation dropdown menu). Letters of sympathy and encouragement to the family may be sent to:
The Hurley Family
c/o Reston Bible Church
45650 Oakbrook Court
Dulles, VA 20166
TRIBUTE TO WILLARD JEREMIAH HURLEY
Impact—yes, that’s the word, though many other words could be chosen to pay tribute to Bill. I think impact is most appropriate. Webster says it means to come into forcible contact with another object. Bill was the force, and those around him were the objects. Impact is usually accompanied by noise and commotion. But with Bill it was different. It was a quiet force with a penetrating edge. It was more surgical and came with carefully-measured truth. Be assured it was direct, and you never had to second-guess what Bill was getting at – after all, he had been a police officer for thirty years. The truth was often sprinkled with humor, but it was never ambiguous, and as the years unfolded, his words became truth mixed with ever-increasing grace.
I think we call that wisdom—yes, that’s the word, though many others could be chosen. Webster says it is the gathering of knowledge and insight. I think wisdom is the proper application of knowledge, which in turn has impact on the lives of those who receive it. Bill was a great dispenser of wisdom. Many of us inquired of Bill when difficult times would come or when confusion reigned. He was often the go-to guy when we needed clear thinking untainted with bias. Remember, Bill saw life through a black and white lens. He didn’t let political correctness get in his way. He let truth be his navigator, and grey was not his favorite color. You did the right thing even if it was hard.
I think we call that integrity—yes, that’s the word, though many others could be chosen. Webster says it means sound or incorruptible. I have often seen the word as encompassing the whole character of a person. This was Bill every step of the way. He was honest, humble, courageous, humorous and godly. He kept a clear conscience and always admitted when he was wrong. Bill’s integrity has helped landscape the lives of his great family and those he called his friends. You couldn’t be around him long before you realized he was a man of uncompromising character. He could hardly talk about the difficult times missionaries were going through without getting choked up. He was tough, but tender.
I think we call that compassion—yes that’s the word, though many others could be chosen. Compassion is to feel what others feel. It is the ability to step into their shoes. Bill did that better than anyone I know. He would drive long distances to surprise a young candidate going through their first day of missionary training. Why? Because he had compassion and wanted to encourage them to stay the course. For thirty-five years he lead our missions committee in the distribution of over forty million dollars to places many of us have never even heard of. Talk about leadership.
Leadership—yes that’s the word, though many others could be chosen. Leadership is that quality that encourages others to follow. Those of us that knew Bill wanted to follow him. He had a unique way of looking at life and could see what most of us were blinded to. I loved this man as all of us did. I will miss him dearly because he had such an impact on all of us, yes that’s the word… Impact.
Pastor Mike Minter
on behalf of
the Police Fraternity,
the body of Reston Bible Church,
& our Missionary Families
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…
– Philippians 3:20
Update on Bill Hurley
Dear RBC Family,
We have some very difficult news to share with you. As most of you likely know, Bill Hurley, our Missions Director here at RBC, unexpectedly disappeared about a month ago. It was discovered yesterday that Bill died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound while apparently on his way back to Virginia. We have no idea what drove Bill to do this, and we don’t have any other details at this time.
Pastor Mike and Kay have been ministering to his wife, Cheryl, and the family. Many of you who love Bill and his family may wonder what you can do to help at this time. Here are some ideas of what you can do for now:
WEEP: Sorrow in itself is not sin. Though he was perfectly sinless, Jesus wept and felt sorrow and grief. Paul wrote in Romans 12:15 that we should “rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” Weeping and feeling the sorrow of such tragic events aligns our hearts with all who feel the sting of this loss. More importantly, our weeping should ultimately align us with the heart of God, who is the “Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).
PRAY: Sorrow in this world is meant to push us into the arms of our Savior, and prayer is one of the greatest means we have of experiencing His embrace. Let our grief lead us to our great Comforter, “that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Here are some specific ways you can pray: Please pray for Cheryl and their children as they grieve – pray that God would be their refuge and fortress in time of need. Please pray for our local staff and missions committee, as we are hit hard by the loss of someone we worked with and loved very much. Please pray also for our extended staff, hundreds of missionaries all around the globe, many of whom have worked side-by-side with Bill and Cheryl over the past thirty years.
REJOICE: What a strange command from scripture, that in trials and sorrow we should also rejoice: “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, as was necessary, you have been grieved by various trials” (1 Peter 1:6). We can rejoice because Jesus is our “living hope” (1 Peter 1:3), and because of Him, we do not grieve as those “who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). To rejoice in sorrow as a Christ-follower is not insanity or denial of the reality around us. Rather, as we “rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2), we look forward to that day when Jesus will wipe every tear from our eyes and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain (Revelation 21:4). We rejoice because our God is greater than our sorrow, anger or confusion. We rejoice because He is good, and He will set all things right at His appointed time.
Bill was a dear friend and a co-laborer in the Gospel – we know his absence will be felt keenly by many. Please pray for Pastor Mike as he ministers to the family and for our services this weekend, that they would glorify God and honor Bill’s memory. We will let you know when Bill’s memorial service will be held as soon as those plans are made. Until then, weep, pray and rejoice.
UPDATE: Memorial Service Information
We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of prayers and sympathy from so many who knew and loved Bill. A memorial service to celebrate the life of Bill Hurley will be held at Reston Bible Church on Tuesday, August 18 at 10:30am EDT. A reception will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, condolences to the family may be made in the form of donations to the Reston Bible Church Missions Fund. Letters of sympathy and encouragement to the family may be sent to:
The Hurley Family
c/o Reston Bible Church
45650 Oakbrook Court
Dulles, VA 20166
**For our extended missionary staff as well as friends and missions agencies in the U.S. and around the globe who are not able to attend, we will provide live streaming video of Bill’s memorial service here.
UPDATED: Prayer for Bill Hurley
Dear RBC Family,
We want to let you know that our Missions Director, Bill Hurley, unexpectedly disappeared on July 19. We know very little about the circumstances of his disappearance. Below is a recent statement from his son, Billy Hurley III:
Last Sunday, nine days ago, my dad took some clothes, he took some cash, he got in his truck and drove away and no one has heard from him since. So he’s been gone about nine days, I guess. No one really knows why. It’s complete speculation as to why he left.
He’s been married to my mom for 30-plus years. You know, they still live in the house that I grew up in in Leesburg and I’m just hoping that there’s a story – that maybe he goes to pgatour.com to check my tee time or check my score and sees this and understands that dad, we love you and we want you to come home.
We would ask you to please be in prayer for Bill’s safe return and for his family as they await news of his whereabouts. We will post any updates here as they become available.
– – –
7/28 – Here is a missing persons bulletin from the Leesburg Police Department asking for public assistance in locating Bill.
7/31 – According to the LCPD and other reports, Bill was located safe and sound this afternoon in Texas after someone recognized him and contacted local authorities, who confirmed his identity. We are thankful to God that Bill is safe, but we do not have any further details at this time. We would ask that you avoid speculation and please continue to be in prayer for him and his family.
8/2 – Our Executive Pastor, Ed Nalle, gave a brief update on Bill to our congregation and we spent some time in prayer together for Bill and his family. If you missed services this weekend, you can watch the update and prayer below.
8/7 – Pastor Mike is releasing the following video in hopes that Bill will watch it and come home.
8/13 – We have some very difficult news to share with you. As most of you likely know, Bill Hurley, our Missions Director here at RBC, unexpectedly disappeared about a month ago. It was discovered yesterday that Bill died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound while apparently on his way back to Virginia. You can read more here.
8/14 – We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of prayers and sympathy from so many who knew and loved Bill. A memorial service to celebrate the life of Bill Hurley will be held at Reston Bible Church on Tuesday, August 18 at 10:30am EDT. A reception will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, condolences to the family may be made in the form of donations to the Reston Bible Church Missions Fund. Letters of sympathy and encouragement to the family may be sent to:
The Hurley Family
c/o Reston Bible Church
45650 Oakbrook Court
Dulles, VA 20166
For those who cannot attend, we will livestream Bill’s service.
TRAIL GUIDE: Reproducing Disciples
The “Trail Guide” devotional is used by our adult leaders of grade school groups in Quest as a way to prepare their hearts and minds for the topics we will be covering with the children on the weekend. We have made them available here to help our parents of grade-schoolers engage with their children around the topics we are discussing and also for anyone else that might be blessed by following along.
EXTREME MAKEOVER, Unit 3, Section 4, Lesson 3: Are You a Reproducing Disciple?
Jesus had the twelve disciples. Paul had Timothy and Silas and Luke. Barnabas had Mark. The master had grasshopper, and Yoda had Luke Skywalker. Seriously though. Who are you pouring your life into? Are you passing along all that He commanded you?
When Jesus said, “teach them,” He did not, I think, have in mind a classroom setting, or a man standing in a pulpit. That was not His primary method after all. Jesus made disciples by walk- ing with them, where they lived, teaching them lessons about the Kingdom based on their earthly life experiences. He set an example for them, ate with them, healed them, comforted them, laughed with them, mourned with them, prayed with them and for them, cried in front of them, gave them sound doctrine about this life and the next, called them friend, challenged them, and then laid down His life for them. A close examination of Paul’s disciple making and church planting ministry looked much the same. Barnabas as well.
This is not a New Testament command either. Deuteronomy 4:9 tells us to teach the things of God to our children and their children after them. In Genesis, God tells Abraham, “In you all families of the earth will be blessed,” and He called Israel a light to the nations that they might bring His salvation to the earth.Nor was this a command for a select few disciples. Most scholars agree, there were as many as 500 disciples gathered in Galilee for this commissioning. If you are a disciple then this is a command for you. Don’t pass up the blessing of disciple making. Don’t lose sight of your mission.
Bring glory to the Father by making disciples.
“We’re not to wait for the world to come to us. Rather, we’re to go to the world. “Go ye” could be better translated “having gone.” It isn’t a command; it’s an assumption.” – John MacArthur
THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD IS OUR TEACHER. “He will teach you all things and bring all things to your memory.” – John 14:26
MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
John 17:28 | Acts 20:27
Duet 4:9 | 1 Tim 1:18; 4:6-16
2 Tim 1:1-14 | John 17:6-26
Sunday Rewind | 7.26.2015
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Closer (Psalm 89:14-15) – Glorious Ruins by Hillsong Worship
Our God Is Love (1 John 4:9-10) – A Beautiful Exchange by Hillsong
10,000 Reasons (Psalm 103:1) – Unrelenting Love by Nick Thurmond
Your Great Name (Philippians 2:10-11) – Love Revolution by Natalie Grant
I Will Look Up (Deuteronomy 7:9) –Only King Forever by Elevation Worship
Endless Light (Psalm 113:3-4) – Cornerstone by Hillsong
TEACHING: Seeing is Believing
We take for granted that we see the world around us accurately, but that is not always true. What we see – or don’t see – can make all the difference in the world. Is seeing really believing?
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this sermon?
- How do we see themes of light and dark reflected in the stories of our culture?
- Read and discuss John 1:1-18, Genesis 1:1-5, John 3:16-21, Genesis 3:1-7 and John 8:12. What do these verses tell us about man? What do you see about Christ? What do these verses tell us about darkness & light, seeing & not seeing?
- How do these verses speak to the theme of redemption?
- How does the exodus and the Festival of Tabernacles provide context to Jesus’ claim about being the light of the world (John 8:12)?
- Discuss the following statement: “The essence of sin is not doing bad things. The essence of sin is believing a lie about God, that He can’t be trusted, that He isn’t good…” How does believing lies about God keep us from seeing the world as it really is? What are the practical implications of this as we live out our lives?
- How does the gospel of Jesus Christ show us God’s gift of light in the midst of darkness? What lies about God does the gospel dispel?
- Give thanks in prayer to God that Jesus was cast into darkness on our behalf, to demonstrate His great love for us. Pray for those people you know who are still hidden in darkness, that they would come to know the marvelous light of Jesus.
From the Field: “Let Me Translate My Tears”
Sherife, a Mwinika believer who worked to translate the Bible to his native language.
We recently received this update from New Tribes Mission regarding one of our supported missionaries working as a Bible translator in Zimbabwe.
Sherife was more than just a Mwinika tribesman to Bible translator & RBC-supported missionary, P. He was a fellow believer, one of the first Mwinika Bible teachers, and a Bible translation helper. He was also a friend. And now P. sat by Sherife as he lay on his deathbed. P. remembered another time when Sherife lay critically ill in bed – before he was saved, before Bible teaching even began in the Mwinika village. But this time it was different. Sherife was a believer in Jesus. Still, it was hard to watch as tears filled Sherife’s eyes, spilling down his cheeks.
“Let me translate my tears,” Sherife said to P. “I am crying because of my unsaved family members… I know where I am going, but I am worried about them. I didn’t know God until you came and told me about Him. Now I know Him. Now I am going to be with Him. Thank you for coming. Thank you beyond thanking. Thank you.” About a week later, Sherife was ushered into the presence of his Savior.
Of greater importance to Sherife than “translating his tears” was translating God’s Word into the Mwinika language. He was one of several Bible translation helpers that worked tirelessly alongside P. to see this translation come to fruition. But as of his death, the project was not yet done.
Please pray for our missionary P. and the other Mwinika men as they continue translating, looking to the day when the Mwinika Bible translation is complete.
Sunday Rewind | 7.19.2015
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Hosanna (Mark 11:9-10) – Savior King by Hillsong
Always (Psalm 121:1-2) – Here For You by Kristian Stanfill (Passion)
Unstoppable God (Matthew 17:20) – Wake up the Wonder by Elevation Worship
With Us (Psalm 46:10-11a) – God Is Able by Hillsong Worship
Be Thou My Vision (2 Corinthians 3:17-18) – Cathedral by Heartsong
In Christ Alone (Galatians 2:20) – Let The Future Begin by Kristian Stanfill (Passion)
TEACHING: The Patriarchs, Part 4 – Abraham’s Faith
Our view of eternity guides our life of uncertainty. Faith in Christ requires us to live counter-culturally. If you do not feel the pull of the cultural current against you, then you’re simply drifting along with the world.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this sermon?
- Read and discuss Hebrews 11:8-16. What do you note about Abraham and his faith? In what ways should our lives parallel Abraham’s?
- What does it mean to walk by faith? What is one significant step of faith you’ve taken?
- “We don’t know where we are going, but God does.” Do you find this mainly comforting or frightening?
- Why is it so difficult to be “in but not of” this world?
- Do you feel like a pilgrim and a stranger in this world? Why or why not? How does faith play into this?
- How does our view of eternity guide us through the uncertain times in life?
- How does the gospel instruct us in balancing life in this world with yearning for the next?
- Spend some time in prayer for the things you’ve discussed.