Blog Posts by Jason VanDorsten

Sunday Rewind | 6.8.2014

Sunday Rewind

MUSIC & SCRIPTURE

Our God Is Love (1 John 4:9-10) – A Beautiful Exchange by Hillsong

Open Up Our Eyes (Ephesians 1:18-19a) – Nothing Is Wasted by Elevation Worship

10,000 Reasons (Psalm 103:1) – Unrelenting Love by Nick Thurmond

Son of God (Psalm 145:3-4) – Beauty in the Broken by Starfield

Take My Life (2 Corinthians 5:14-15) – Hymns Ancient & Modern by Chris Tomlin (Passion)

 

TEACHING: Rooted, Part 2

Jesus is not just the Son of God, but He is also God. This truth is a marvelous keystone of the Christian faith, one that will cause either worship or rejection of Christ.

CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO

 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS

  1. What was one thing from this message that was particularly helpful or insightful? What was one thing that was difficult to understand or put into practice?
  2. What comes to mind when you think of the person of Jesus?
  3. Read and discuss Colossians 1:15-20. What do you note about the person of Christ and the characteristics of God?
  4. What are the implications for us as we regard the person of Christ in these verses?
  5. How would you explain that Jesus is God to someone who did not understand?
  6. Read and discuss Romans 8:1-4. What do you note about the person of Christ and the characteristics of God in these verses? What do they imply about the nature of man? What are the implications for us as we regard the person of Christ in these verses?
  7. What is the significance of Christ coming “in the likeness of sinful flesh” (v. 3)? Why is it important that Jesus came in flesh at all?
  8. What do these verses in Romans tell us about forgiveness? Do you have a hard time accepting forgiveness from others? Do you find it easier or more difficult to extend forgiveness?
  9. Spend some time praying through the verses in Colossians 1:15-20 and Romans 8:1-4, thanking God for sending Jesus.

 

Sunday Rewind | 6.1.2014

Sunday Rewind

MUSIC & SCRIPTURE

Exalted One (Psalm 121:1-2) – For The Honor by Elevation Worship

Alive In Us (Ephesians 2:4-5) – God Is Able by Hillsong

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (Psalm 16:11) – Original Arrangement

Lord I Need You (Hebrews 4:16) – All The People Said Amen by Matt Maher

Christ Is Enough (2 Corinthians 12:9) – Glorious Ruins by Hillsong

I Stand Amazed (2 Corinthians 8:9) – North Point Live by Candi Pearson (North Point)

 

TEACHING: Rooted, Part 1

As we begin a series of deep faith in the book of Colossians, we must be careful to not simply view Scripture through a 21st century mindset. The truths of the Word are meant to be lived out: Do not tame the Word of God. Let it loose, like a lion out of its cage.

CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO

 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS

  1. What was one thing from this message that was particularly helpful or insightful? What was one thing that was difficult to understand or put into practice?
  2. Read and discuss Colossians 1:1-14 . What might you observe about the nature of man from these verses? What do you note about the person of Christ and the characteristics of God? What themes do you note in Paul’s introductory comments to the church in Colossae?
  3. How might a “21st century mindset” dilute the depth of truth God desires to communicate through His word? Is it difficult for you to see life as Paul describes it in these verse? Why or why not?
  4. Epaphrus is noted as a “fellow servant” and a “faithful minister of Christ” (vv. 7-8). Who can you point to in your life that has been an Epaphrus? To whom can you be such an example?
  5.  What is the distinction between being “better than” someone as opposed to “better off than” someone? How do these two mindsets represent the two kingdoms mentioned in Colossians 1:13?
  6. How does the gospel make us “better off than” but not “better than” those who do not yet know Christ?
  7. “Sometimes in the West, we want to argue the truth rather than live the truth.” What does this mean? Do you find it to be true?
  8. In what ways are we tempted to tame the Word of God?
  9. Spend some time thanking God for His Word and praying through these verses in Colossians 1:1-14.

 

RBC Partnering with RightNow Media

Our church is always looking for ways to serve you as you live out your faith throughout the week. With the goal of continuing to know Christ and make Him known, RBC is partnering with a service called RightNow Media. You can think of it as the “Netflix of video Bible studies” because with RightNow Media, you will have instant access to thousands of online video sermons and teachings for kids, youth, parents, married couples and more. There are currently over 2,000 videos from many great Bible teachers.

We would love to provide anyone who considers RBC their church home with a free account to the RightNow Media video library.

If you are in myRBC, our online church database, you should have already received an “invitation email” from Pastor Tony Pedroni on behalf of RightNow Media. That email will include instructions on activating your RightNow Media profile so you have free access to this online library. Simply find the email (check your spam folder if you can’t find it in your inbox), click on the link, put in your name and a password and you’re all set.

We hope you will find this resource helpful as you seek to grow in Christ. If you have any questions, can’t find the invitation email or need help setting up your RightNow Media login, please send us an email at info@restonbible.org.

App Resource for Scripture Memorization

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photoWe hope many of you take on Pastor Ed’s Scripture memorization challenge from last week’s sermon, Give Me Life According to Your Word. He asked that all RBCers consider memorizing 12 verses over the summer months – these are 12 verses we’ve selected from throughout Scripture that tell us about Scripture. If you didn’t get the memory verse cards passed out last Sunday, those are available by request at the Welcome Desk in the lobby.

We’re also pleased to recommend another resource for Scripture memorization called BibleMinded. BibleMinded is a free app published by the American Bible Society that allows you to select specific verses to memorize, follow along with pre-made memorization plans, or create your own customized memorization plans. It’s a great resource as we read, delight in and obey the Word of God.

BibleMinded is available on Apple, Android and Kindle Fire mobile devices. You can search for BibleMinded from within your device’s store or marketplace or visit http://biblemindedapp.com/.

The 12 verses from Pastor Ed’s memorization challenge are included in the app as a featured memorization plan. To access it, download the app, touch Add a Verse and select Plans. As one of the options, you’ll see “Delighting in God’s Word” from Reston BIble Church. You can Add This Plan and start memorizing! Many thanks to RBCer Scott Wennermark of the American Bible Society for setting this up for us.

Sunday Rewind | 5.18.2014

Sunday Rewind

MUSIC & SCRIPTURE

God Is Able/Christ Is Enough (Ephesians 3:20-21) – Forever Reign by Hillsong Chapel/Glorious Ruins by Hillsong

Lord I Need You (Hebrews 4:16) – All The People Said Amen by Matt Maher

Hosanna/Hallelujah (Our God Reigns) (Mark 11:9-10) – Savior King by Hillsong/Forever Reign by Hillsong Chapel

In Christ Alone (Galatians 2:20) – Let The Future Begin by Kristian Stanfill (Passion)

Always (Psalm 121:1-2) – Here For You by Kristian Stanfill (Passion)

 

TEACHING: Give Me Life According to Your Word

Psalm 119 admonishes us to read God’s word, delight in His word, and obey His word. Revelation from God in the Bible – when understood, delighted in and obeyed – puts us on the path that leads to genuine life.

CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO

 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS

  1. What was one thing from this message that was particularly helpful or insightful? What was one thing that was difficult to understand or put into practice?
  2. Read and discuss Psalm 119:1-8, 33-40. What do you observe about the nature of God? What is implied in these verses about the nature of man? What do these verses tell us about God’s word?
  3. How would you respond to Pastor Ed’s three questions – Do you (currently) read God’s word daily? Do you (currently) delight in His word, the Scriptures? Do you (currently) obey God’s word?
  4. What does it mean to hide God’s word in your heart (Psalm 119:11)?
  5. Can you think of a time when the word of God gave you comfort or ministered to you specifically during a difficult season or situation?
  6. How does the word of God free us from guilt & shame and show us the path to life?
  7. In Psalm 119:33-37, what are the five requests the psalmist makes as he approaches God’s word? How can you incorporate these into how you approach the word?
  8. What does it mean to delight in God’s word? What should you do if you have no delight in it?
  9. How might your love for God’s word be kindled or re-kindled through Scripture memorization? Discuss as a small group if you would be willing to work together this summer to memorize the Scripture memorization packet provided with this teaching (these are available at the Welcome Desk if you did not get one on 5/18.)

 

As You Walk Along the Way

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On May 2, RBC held a Marriage Booster event featuring Mike Meyers, our Director of Children’s Ministry and the president of Open Arms Worldwide.  If you missed the event or would like a refresher, you can listen to the audio here. Below is an outline from Mike from his teaching.

The greatest battle that the church family currently faces is the knock-down drag-out fight with Satan over the hearts of the next generation. Raising a generation that knows Christ and makes him known will be the greatest gift & legacy we leave for the world.

 

Key Verse:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Deut. 6:5-7

Considering our passage in its immediate context,

  1. Verse 5 – Preceded by the “greatest command”
  2. Verse 6 – It is a matter of the heart

Notice in Verse 7,

  1. Not a request – The imperative form is used. This is a command.
  2. “Impress them on your children” – Teach them diligently.
  3. Life on life discipleship

 

7 Principles for Walking Along the Way

Principle #1 – Don’t Freak Out – “Concern is healthy; panic kills.”

  • Take the long view because God is writing a story in the life of your child. It’s a movie not a snapshot.

Principle #2 – Be Real

  • Walking along the way means not being a pretender. You may fool a very young child for a little while, but they will find you out it will shake their faith to its core.

Principle #3 – More lens, less shield

  • Spend more time giving our children the proper lens through which to see this world, and less time sheltering them from it. If we don’t someone else will.

Principle #4 – Enter their world – Jesus entered ours (Phil. 2:5-7)

  • Make it a point to know the young person you are walking with.

Principle #5 – The target is the Savior, not behavior – Adjust your aim

  • Lead them to the gospel (Romans 3:23, 6:23)

Principle #6 – Be joyful

  • “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” 3 John 1:4

Principle #7 – No excuses

  • Excuses may be valid, but they will be overcome when generational discipleship becomes a priority.

I hope that you found something here to challenge you and to encourage you to take seriously God’s call to generational discipleship and ask yourself the question, “What legacy are we leaving?” “Will we be mentioned in anyone’s story of faith?”

 

Questions for further discussion:

  1. If I could be remembered by my children or grandchildren for only one thing it would be…
  1. If you looked back at your life using Mike’s metaphor of the “snapshot” what period of your life might have given the adults around you reason to despair? How has God used that time period in the broader narrative of your life?
  2. Have you ever thought about your relationship with the children in your life as one of teacher-disciple? Why/why not? How might this perspective change the way you parent or engage with young people close to you?
  3. Did you ever view your relationship with your parents as one of disciple to teacher?  Why or why not?
  4. In what ways does the teacher-disciple relationship change as children grow up and in what ways does it stay the same?
  5. How are you, or could you be, living out God’s command to “walk along the way” with the next generation?

Sunday Rewind | 4.27.2014

Sunday Rewind

MUSIC & SCRIPTURE

All Because of Jesus (Romans 8:10) – Louder Than Creation by Steve Fee (North Point)

The Lord Our God (James 1:17) – Let The Future Begin by Kristian Stanfill (Passion)

With Us (Psalm 46:10-11a) – God Is Able by Hillsong

Your Love Never Fails (Romans 8:28) – Your Love Never Fails by Jesus Culture

I Lift My Hands (Psalm 46:10) – And If Our God Is For Us… by Chris Tomlin

 

TEACHING: Revolutionary Love, Part 2

People all around us are in desperate need of redemption. Who do you know in life that you need to “be neighbor to”? If we took this mindset seriously, nothing would stop us from sharing & showing the revolutionary love of the Gospel.

CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO

 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS

  1. What was one thing from this message that was particularly helpful or insightful? What was one thing that was difficult to understand or put into practice?
  2. “Everybody, deep down, wants redemption.” Have you found this to be true? Why or why not?
  3. Read and discuss Mark 12:28-34. What does this tell you about the nature of man? What does it tell you about God?
  4. What does it mean to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (v. 30)? What does it mean to “‘Love your neighbor as yourself” (v. 31)? How are these two laws connected?
  5. Read and discuss Luke 10:25-37. Why does Jesus tell this story? Identify the characters in this story – who do you relate to most?
  6. What is the difference between asking “Who is my neighbor?” and “Who can I be neighbor to?”
  7. Can you think of a difficult person God has put in your life? What makes that relationship so difficult?
  8. How could you practically show love to that person this week? What would it look like to “be neighbor to” them? Spend some time in prayer about this.

 

Sunday Rewind | 4.20.2014

Sunday Rewind

 

TEACHING: Revolutionary Love, Part 1

As Pastor Mike begins a new series on the revolutionary love of God, we look at the roles of logic, science and faith when considering the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO

 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS

  1. What was one thing from this message that was particularly helpful or insightful? What was one thing that was difficult to understand or put into practice?
  2. What does Easter mean to you? What Easter traditions do you and your family have?
  3. Read and discuss 1 Corinthians 15:12-28. What does this tell you about the nature of man? What does it tell you about God? How do you respond to the hard statements Paul makes in these verses?
  4. In what way(s) does the Christian faith hinge on the resurrection?
  5. What do these verses tell us about the importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
  6. How would you define faith? How does one grow in faith in something?
  7. What are the roles of logic, science and faith when considering the resurrection?
  8. How does the resurrection show God’s love?
  9. How does the full narrative of the Bible point to the resurrection?
  10. What personal impact does the resurrection have for you? Spend some time in prayer thanking God for His revolutionary love expressed through the power of the resurrection.

 

Prayer Resources at RBC

Before the Throne - title
In light of Pastor Mike’s recent series on prayer, Before the Throne, we wanted to highlight some prayer resources here at RBC. We believe that God responds to the earnest prayers of His people. Prayer expresses our faith in God and is a means by which our dependence on Him is made known and our trust in Him can increase. We are looking for prayer warriors who are willing to storm the gates of heaven on behalf of the body and ministries of Reston Bible Church.

E-MAIL PRAYER CHAIN

To join our email prayer chain: Send an email to: prayerchainatrbc@gmail.com and put the word “Join” in the subject line. You will then be added to our email distribution list to received regular updates of prayer requests.

Prayer requests should be for attendees, their families, and upcoming ministry needs. Please indicate if your prayer requests are confidential. Confidential requests will be distributed to the staff and elders only. All other prayer requests will be complied and distributed periodically to the members of the RBC prayer chain.

To submit a prayer request: Send an email to prayerchainatrbc@gmail.com with “Prayer Request” in the subject line. If it is a confidential request, please indicate so in the subject line (confidential prayer requests are sent to staff and pastors only). Urgent prayer requests can be phoned in to the church office at 703-404-5010.

THRONE OF GRACE

In addition, there is an attachment to our weekly e-newsletter called Throne of Grace. Throne of Grace is a compilation of current prayer requests divided into the following categories: Praises (including new births), Health Concerns, Ongoing Needs, Family Needs, Condolences, Upcoming Events (RBC), along with occasional staff-designated categories such as Featured Ministry, Featured Area of Prayer (such as people in the military, marriages in the church, etc.).

The purpose of Throne of Grace is not just to inform the body, but to give you the opportunity to minister to the body through love, prayer, encouragement and meeting each others needs. If you do not receive our weekly e-newsletter, please email Dale Peak.

We pray that Reston Bible Church will become a church of prayer and glorify God in all that we do.

Sunday Rewind | 4.13.2014

Sunday Rewind

 

TEACHING: Before the Throne, Part 4

Why does all hell break loose when we try to enter into prayer? Because prayer is war, and the lack of prayer is nothing less than a declaration of independence from God.

CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO

 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS

  1. What was one thing from this message that was particularly helpful or insightful? What was one thing that was difficult to understand or put into practice?
  2. Read and discuss Matthew 26:36-46.  What do you see about the nature of man? What do these verses tell you about the nature & person of Jesus? What do you observe about prayer in these verses?
  3. “Prayer is war.” What does this mean? Have you found this to be true?
  4. Pastor Mike highlights several other hindrances to entering in to prayer: “Prayer is too hard.” “I rarely get what I ask for.” “I can’t find the time.” “Prayer is boring.” “I get distracted.” “I can’t see the Person I’m talking to.” “I can’t hear a response.” “I don’t need to pray about ____. That will never happen to me – I’ve got this under control.” Which of those hindrances do you struggle with?
  5. What other hindrances to prayer can you think of?
  6. How does being strategically specific help us engage in prayer?
  7. Can you think of a prayer that God did not answer, then discovered later it was for the best?
  8. Through this series, what have you learned about the importance & benefits of prayer? By contrast, what are the detriments of not praying?
  9. How do you feel you need to grow in the area of prayer? What will you do to pursue this – what’s your plan? Spend some time in prayer asking God to make you a person of consistent prayer, and our church a church of constant prayer.