Celebrating Generosity: Annual Report 2017
Like everything else we do at Reston Bible Church, our giving is about worship, about declaring God’s worth, about knowing Christ, and about making Him known.
Again this year in our Annual Report, we are celebrating generosity. We celebrate the generosity of the RBC body, who give of their resources so faithfully each week, allowing us to do ministry that reaches hearts and lives in Northern Virginia and every corner of the globe. Even more so, we celebrate the generosity of a Father who gave His Son to make sinners His treasure, and who uses our treasures to make His Son known.
God loves a cheerful giver, and God is a cheerful Giver. That’s worth celebrating.
Watch the video above for a brief glance at how God used your generosity throughout 2017 and check out annualreport.restonbible.org for a more stories of how the Lord worked within and beyond our walls.
Preparing for Christmas Eve
SONGS WE’LL BE SINGING TOGETHER
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel | [listen + lyrics]
by: John Mason Neale, Henry Sloane Coffin, Andy Melvin
Isaiah 7:14
O Little Town Of Bethlehem | [listen]
by: Phillips Brooks
Micah 5:2-3
All Creation Sing (Joy To The World) | [listen]
by: Isaac Watts (1719), Steve Fee
Luke 2:10
Noel | [listen + lyrics]
Michael Guy Chislett, Ben Tan
Isaiah 6:9
Newborn King | [listen]
Bryan Brown, Jeff Pardo
Luke 2:14
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing | [listen]
Charles Wesley, Michael Gleason, Eddie Kirkland
Luke 2:14
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus | [listen + lyrics]
Charles Wesley
Silent Night | [listen]
Joseph Mohr, Franz Gruber, John Freeman Young
Luke 2:9
SERMON TEXT
John 1:1-12
A Tribute to Dr. R.C. Sproul
For those of you unfamiliar with the world of theology, allow me to introduce you to the greatest theological mind in the last century – Dr. R.C. Sproul. In a culture awash with theological liberalism, Dr. Sproul has been one of the greatest defenders of the faith in our lifetime.
On December 14, he went home to meet the Savior he has faithfully preached about for the last fifty years of his life. “Well done, thou good and faithful servant!” were no doubt the first words he heard upon entering his eternal home and walking into the presence of his Lord.
God gifted Dr. Sproul with a mind that was far beyond that of the greatest of scholars. A scholar himself in numerous fields, he was a superb philosopher, an accomplished linguist, a master logician and a theologian beyond compare. What he casually knew about various disciplines often exceeded the knowledge of scholars dedicated to those fields. To challenge R.C. to a debate was to face sure defeat even before the first words were spoken. His mind was a true gift from God and a true gift to Christianity – a gift well-stewarded in advancing the Kingdom.
When Dr. R.C. Sproul left this world, I am quite certain 90% of its intelligence left with him. But our great loss is overshadowed by his great legacy. May God bless Dr. Spoul’s legacy, and may it continue to bear gospel fruit for generations to come.
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. -Philippians 1:21
Celebrating Generosity: Hurricane Relief
After the devastation left by several hurricanes this year, Reston Bible Church engaged in relief efforts in Texas and Puerto Rico, providing manpower and supplies. Here’s a brief update from two trips. If you’re interested in future relief trips, please contact Dale Peak.
Preparing for Sunday | December 17
ADVENT – WEEK 3
This is the third Sunday of the Advent season. Advent is a season of waiting, and its intention is to cultivate our awareness of what God has done – in the past, present, and future.
During Advent we listen to the prophecies of the Messiah’s coming as addressed to you and me – people who wait for the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Throughout this season we heighten our anticipation for the ultimate fulfillment of all the Old Testament promises, when death is swallowed up in victory and all tears are wiped away.
In our times gathered together this month, we will seek to build a sense of tension and expectation where we recognize that Christ has come but not all things have been accomplished yet. We remember Israel’s waiting and hoping, we give thanks for the birth of Jesus, and we anticipate His second and final return.
We will use both songs and visuals to aid our reflection. Both the stage lights and the colors on the screen will be deep blue, which is one of the historical colors for Advent. And each week we light a candle to help us worship with hope and anticipation.
I look forward to gathering this week and singing songs of hope, anticipation, and longing for our Savior, Jesus Christ to come again once and for all.
SONGS WE’LL BE SINGING TOGETHER
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing | [listen]
Charles Wesley, Michael Gleason, Eddie Kirkland
Luke 2:14
Silent Night | [listen]
Joseph Mohr, Franz Gruber, John Freeman Young
Luke 2:9
O Come All Ye Faithful | [listen]
by: John F. Wade (1743)
Luke 2:15-16
O Praise The Name | [listen + lyrics]
by Benjamin Hastings, Dean Ussher, Marty Sampson
Romans 5:8
SERMON TEXT
Luke 2:25-35
Preparing for Sunday | December 10
SONGS WE’LL BE SINGING TOGETHER:
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing | [listen]
Charles Wesley, Michael Gleason, Eddie Kirkland
Luke 2:14
Noel | [listen + lyrics]
Michael Guy Chislett, Ben Tan
Isaiah 6:9
Silent Night | [listen]
Joseph Mohr, Franz Gruber, John Freeman Young
Luke 2:9
Newborn King | [listen]
Bryan Brown, Jeff Pardo
Luke 2:14
O Come to the Altar | [listen + lyrics]
Wade Joye, Mack Brock, Steven Furtick, Christopher Brown
1 Peter 1:19
SERMON TEXT
Isaiah 9
Saving Christmas
The following is the introduction to the book “Saving Christmas: How God Kept His Promise Through the Generations,” written by Pastor Mike and Travis McSherley. You can purchase the book in the RBC Bookstore, or order it online and have it shipped to you using the link below. We hope it will be a blessing to all of you.
Order “Saving Christmas” from Amazon Download the Scripture Reading Guide
This book tells the story of the war on Christmas.
We know what you might be thinking: Hasn’t enough already been written about how everybody says “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” these days?
It’s true that we tend to use the phrase “war on Christmas” to refer to our cultural reluctance to attribute any spiritual significance to December 25. Though that may be an unfortunate trend, it is not what this book is about. And it is certainly not what the Bible is about. The real war on Christmas has much greater stakes—universal stakes, eternal stakes. It is a war that takes place on the grandest of scales between the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. And it is a war that has already been fought—and won—by God Almighty Himself.
And where can you find the story of Christmas in the Bible?
To answer that question, your mind might go to Matthew 1 or Luke 2. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:11).
Maybe you would point to the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Or Isaiah 9:6, which says that “to us a child is born, to us a son is given.”
No doubt about it—those are wonderful and precious passages of Scripture on which to reflect when we think about the coming of the Lord. But what about Genesis 3? Joshua 2? Micah 5? The books of Ruth or Esther?
What if we told you that the entire Old Testament is telling the story of Christmas? That Christmas shows up on nearly every page? That each of the narratives is a link in a chain that reaches from Eden to Bethlehem? That the focus of Old Testament history was a war fought because somebody had to save Christmas?
This book provides an overview of that war, from beginning to glorious end, and the good, bad, and ugly people whom God used along the way. Over the span of thousands of years, God employed the most unlikely individuals and the most improbable circumstances to ensure that a baby would be born to a virgin in Bethlehem one holy night. He called murderers, liars, harlots, kings, queens, peasants, Jews, and Gentiles into His service—all sinners, you might notice. He made use of dreams, famines, plagues, and even governments. He used faithful people and faithless people. Because somebody had to save Christmas.
That’s what we celebrate during this season—not just the birth of the Messiah, our Savior, “God with us,” but also ultimate victory in the greatest war ever fought and the fulfillment of God’s promise to redeem His people from the shackles of sin, death, and hell.
If you are a follower of Christ, we hope that this book will inspire you to worship the one and only King as you see how His sovereign hand has worked in every detail of every story to provide the way for salvation and eternal life. If you don’t yet believe in Jesus, our prayer is that your spirit will be stirred as you learn about the incredible and dramatic events that led to Jesus’ birth.
And may all of us be amazed by God’s power and love as we consider the price that was paid to save Christmas.
Preparing for Sunday | December 3
ADVENT – WEEK 1
This is the first Sunday of the Advent season. Advent is a season of waiting, and its intention is to cultivate our awareness of what God has done – in the past, present, and future.
During Advent we listen to the prophecies of the Messiah’s coming as addressed to you and me – people who wait for the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Throughout this season we heighten our anticipation for the ultimate fulfillment of all the Old Testament promises, when death is swallowed up in victory and all tears are wiped away.
In our times gathered together this month, we will seek to build a sense of tension and expectation where we recognize that Christ has come but not all things have been accomplished yet. We remember Israel’s waiting and hoping, we give thanks for the birth of Jesus, and we anticipate His second and final return.
We will use both songs and visuals to aid our reflection. Both the stage lights and the colors on the screen will be deep blue, which is one of the historical colors for Advent. And each week we’ll light a candle to help us worship with hope and anticipation.
I look forward to gathering this week and singing songs of hope, anticipation, and longing for our Savior, Jesus Christ to come again once and for all.
SONGS WE’LL BE SINGING TOGETHER
All Creation Sing (Joy To The World) | [listen]
Isaac Watts (1719), Steve Fee
Psalm 96:11-12
Newborn King | [listen]
Bryan Brown, Jeff Pardo
Luke 2:14
Noel | [listen + lyrics]
Michael Guy Chislett, Ben Tan
Isaiah 6:9
Come to Me | [listen]
Elizabeth Akers, Jeff Capps, Michael Bleecker
Matthew 11:28-30
SERMON TEXT
Philippians 2
Ephesians 5
Romans 15
Preparing for Sunday | November 26
SONGS WE’LL BE SINGING TOGETHER
Jesus Is Better | [listen]
Aaron Ivey, Brett Land
Mark 9:24
Only King Forever | [listen]
Mack Brock, Chris Brown, Steven Furtick, Wade Joye
1 Timothy 1:17
O Come to the Altar | [listen + lyrics]
Wade Joye, Mack Brock, Steven Furtick, Christopher Brown
In Christ Alone | [listen + lyrics]
by: Keith Getty, Stuart Townend
Galatians 2:20
SERMON TEXT
2 Peter 3
Preparing for Sunday | November 19
SONGS WE’LL BE SINGING TOGETHER
Alive in Us | [listen]
Ingram, Morgan | Hillsong Music
Ephesians 2:4-5
All Creatures of Our God and King | [listen]
by: Francis of Assisi
Psalm 69:34
I Will Look Up | [listen]
Mack Brock, Chris Brown, Wade Joye, Matt Redman
Psalm 121:1
O Come to the Altar | [listen + lyrics]
Wade Joye, Mack Brock, Steven Furtick, Christopher Brown
Your Promises| [listen]
Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Steven Furtick, Wade Joye
2 Peter 1:3-4a
SERMON TEXT
2 Corinthians 10:12