Family Quest: The Hope – Love & Justice 2
GOD’S LOVE & JUSTICE INTERSECT, PART 2
“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood — to be received by faith.” – Romans 3:25a
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46).
At the cross Jesus suffered the humiliation, physical death, and most dramatically of all, the separation from the Father, spiritual death, that our sin has earned us. That is the intersection of love and justice.
BIG IDEA: God is love. God is just.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS WEEK’S VIDEO (Begin at 5:36 at watch to the end. Parents: There are some scenes in this portion of The Hope that are not appropriate for younger viewers. You may consider simply reading the account to your child from Luke 23 or skipping some sections of the video as we did in Quest.)
MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
Isaiah 53
John 3:16
Romans 6:23
2 Corinthians 5:21
SECTION VERSES:
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.’” – John 14:6-7
LESSON VERSE:
“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood — to be received by faith.” – Romans 3:25a
PRAYER:
Think about the fact that Jesus did nothing wrong, but was willing to suffer and die so we can live with God. Give thanks for God’s love.
DISCUSSION STARTERS:
- What does it mean to be just?
- According to God’s justice, what does sin deserve? (Romans 6:23a)
- If Jesus was innocent, why did Jesus die? (2 Corinthians 5:21)
- Why is Jesus’ sacrifice important to us?
LIVE IT OUT!
- Talk about what Jesus did for you. How should we respond to what we’ve learned about Jesus and what He did on the cross?
– – –
ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader. In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.
An Update on Conversations
If you’ve been around RBC for much time at all, you know that this time of year, we are usually in full swing putting together an Easter week production we call Conversations. Conversations is a winsome combination of live music, real life stories, humor and drama that is ultimately meant to lead to conversations about the beautiful good news of Jesus. Originally developed as an outreach-focused alternative to our traditional Easter Cantata, it has been a staple event in the life of our church for over a decade. Hundreds of volunteers, cast and crew have given significant amounts of time, treasure and talent to this production – and we are grateful to the Lord for every single person who has been involved in some way over the history of Conversations.
We want to let you know that the leadership of RBC has decided to not do Conversations this year, but instead provide a smaller series of teaching and worship events called A King & A Kingdom. During these evenings of worship, teaching, testimonies and prayer, Jamie Winship will encourage and challenge the RBC body to seek the King of Kings in all aspects of life.
We understand that not having Conversations is a big change in the rhythm of life at RBC. With that in mind, we wanted to provide you with some answers to some of the questions you may have regarding this change.
1. Why aren’t we having Conversations this year?
The Conversations team prays, evaluates and discusses Conversations every year to see if it is accomplishing what we want to accomplish and if it is the best thing for our congregation and community. We don’t ever desire to do events just because we have done them in the past. This year, we believe that Conversations does not best meet the needs of our congregation, as we see that there are many among us who are hurting deeply and have significant needs. We believe this year, rather than focusing outward, that it would be more effective for us to build up the body of Christ at RBC and to ask God to encourage, direct and heal His people here.
2. What is “A King & A Kingdom”?
A King and A Kingdom is an opportunity for us to come together as a body for a concentrated time of teaching, prayer, and worship, that we might grow in unity and in our individual walks with Christ.
The main sessions of A King & A Kingdom will take place 7:00-9:00pm the evenings of Wednesday, March 23 and Friday, March 25. These evenings will include worship, teaching, prayer, testimonies, and special music. Jamie Winship will be our speaker and will explore forgiveness, repentance, redemption through the lens of kingdom living. Our hope is that we will be greatly encouraged and challenged to follow the King and build into His Kingdom.
In addition to the two main evenings open to everyone, the ladies are also invited for an evening of teaching and encouragement with Donna Winship on Thursday night.
3. Will Wednesday and Friday night be the same?
The structure of Wednesday and Friday will be similar, but the content is different and will build on itself. We would encourage you to attend both evenings (but the events will stand alone if families are only able to attend one.)
4. Will the content be available after the events?
We plan to record the content and have it available for those who are interested, but unable to attend.
5. Will childcare be available?
Childcare will be available for all events, but only to those who register online in advance.
6. Is this an outreach?
The evenings of A King & A Kingdom are designed for followers of Christ to enrich their spiritual walks. We believe that those who do not know Christ would certainly receive value from their time here and might enjoy the events, but A King and A Kingdom is not specifically intended to be outreach opportunities.
Lastly, we want to clarify that these events are not to fill the calendar or replace Conversations, but rather as we sought the Lord regarding the needs of our congregation, we believe that He is directing us to provide opportunities to build into our church body. We encourage you to take advantage of these gatherings, and see what the Lord may have for you in them. We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you at A King & A Kingdom.
Ordination of Mike Meyers
On Sunday, February 28, our church leadership was pleased to formally ordain Mike Meyers, our Children’s Ministry Director, to the pastorate. We thank the Lord for Mike’s faithful work here at our church and beyond, and we pray for Jesus’ blessing on Mike’s continued ministry. We are grateful to now have two Pastor Mikes on staff!
A LITTLE ABOUT MIKE: Michael John Meyers is a man who loves Jesus, loves his family and has a passion for helping young people find the Way that leads to life. In pursuit of that calling, Mike left the business world over a decade ago, where he was an operations manager of a Fortune 500 company. He eventually took on the role of Director of Children’s Ministries at Reston Bible Church in Reston, Virginia. In 2005, Mike and his wife Patricia founded Open Arms Brazil and in 2006 moved to Brazil where they ministered to at-risk children. Mike and his family moved back from Brazil, and in 2013, Mike resumed his full-time position as Children’s Ministry Director at RBC. He is also the acting president of Open Arms Worldwide (OAW), an RBC-supported missions organization with the goal of mobilizing, preparing, equipping, and aiding Christians to implement transformational, faith-based outreach projects for children and youth among the world’s poor.
Mike speaks to adults, youth, and children in the United States and throughout Brazil on the church’s role in raising a generation that knows the Lord and has a Biblical worldview. Mike brings a passionate and entrepreneurial approach to children’s ministry, missions, the church and the urgent need for God’s people to stand in the gap for the next generation.
Mike frequently blogs here on the RBC site and at Last Man Standing Church. He has also written a book called Last Man Standing: Jesus & the Fight for a Generation.
Sunday Rewind | 2.28.2016
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Glorious (Psalm 111:2-3) – Everything Glorious by Chris Tomlin (Passion)
Mighty to Save (Zephaniah 3:17) – Yahweh by Hillsong Chapel
Before the Throne (Romans 8:34) – Worship Initiative, vol. 3 by Shane and Shane
God Is Able (Ephesians 3:20-21) – God is Able by Hillsong Worship
TEACHING: 2016 Amazon Pastors’ Conference Report
Pastor Mike gives an update from the annual Jungle Pastors’ Conference on the Amazon.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- Do you have any missions experience? Share with your group.
- What is one way you have been impacted by someone else’s work for the gospel?
- What is one way you have impacted someone else for the gospel?
- What does it mean to “think eternally” and live with a “biblical perspective”? Do you find this difficult here in Northern VA? Why or why not?
- How would you describe your prayer life? How can you grow in this area?
- Do you find it difficult to trust God? Why or why not?
- What is something that has deeply tested your faith?
- In what ways does the church in North America tend to operate in our own “swim lanes”? Are there ways in which this is beneficial? Are there ways in which this is detrimental?
- Spend some time in prayer for the pastors bringing the gospel of Jesus to the thousands of tribes along the Amazon. Pray for opportunities to engage personally in missions through giving, praying and/or going. If your Shepherd Group hasn’t already, consider adopting an RBC missionary.
Family Quest: The Hope – Love & Justice 1
GOD’S LOVE & JUSTICE INTERSECT, PART 1
“No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” – John 10:18
“And so it came to pass, that Jesus, whom John called the Lamb of God, went up to Jerusalem, to observe Passover…Jesus gathered His disciples to celebrate Passover. Taking the Passover bread, Jesus broke it and said, “This is my body, which is given for you.” Then He took the wine, which represented the blood of the Passover lamb, which had been placed over the entrances of the Hebrew dwellings. And He said, “This is my blood which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.” – The HOPE, Chapter 10
Jesus walked resolutely into Jerusalem at the start of the Passover week knowing full well the mission he had come to accomplish. “From that time Jesus Christ began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it.” – Matthew 16:21–25
No one was forcing his hand. “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.”
Throughout Hebrew history, God reiterated His promise to send a Deliverer who would one day free humankind from Satan, sin and death; who would one day secure the promised blessing for all nations. Jesus was now saying that the road to that blessing was charted through unthinkable suffering and loss.
BIG IDEA: Jesus chose to lay down His life.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS WEEK’S VIDEO (Start at the beginning and watch until 5:36.) Parents: There are some scenes in this portion of The Hope that are not appropriate for younger viewers. You may consider simply reading the account to your child from Luke 23 or skipping some sections of the video as we did in Quest.)
MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
John 1:3 Isaiah 43:25 Colossians 1:16-17
Mark 14:61-62 John 8:58 Isaiah 43:10-11
John 5:17-18 Mark 2:5-7
SECTION VERSES:
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.’” – John 14:6-7
LESSON VERSE:
“No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” – John 10:18
PRAYER:
Thank God for his great love for us. That while we were still sinners His Son would die in our place.
DISCUSSION STARTERS:
- Why did Jesus enter Jerusalem that day?
- Why did people celebrate Jesus’ arrival into Jerusalem?
- What does Hosanna mean?
- How did Jesus control events?
LIVE IT OUT!
- Jesus chose to give His life for us. What are some small ways we can give our lives (our time, our energy, our love) to others this week?
– – –
ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader. In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.
Baptisms | 2.21.2016
Last Sunday, we were privileged to witness the baptisms of four individuals within our congregation. Here at RBC, we believe that baptism is a public declaration of faith and allegiance to Jesus Christ. Though baptism is not required for salvation, it is an outward expression of an inward spiritual reality – it’s a visible picture of what Jesus has done for those who place their faith in Him as Lord and Savior. Baptism illustrates for us His death & resurrection, the washing away of our sin, and the new life we have in Christ.
What an honor to rejoice with Bella, Corey, Jack and Karen as they proclaimed their allegiance to Jesus through baptism last Sunday! If you are interested in learning more about baptism or being baptized at RBC, click here.
Sunday Rewind | 2.21.16
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
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
How Deep The Father’s Love For Us (Galatians 6:14) – Love Displayed by Liberty Campus Band
TEACHING: From the Field – Love, Passion and Missions
The last days of Jesus point us to His priority for missions.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was something in this message that was new or surprising to you?
- What is something you are passionate about? Why? How are passion and love related?
- Read and discuss the account of Jesus’ last days in Luke 24. What do you note about Jesus from this account? How does what He says here point us to missions?
- Thinking through Luke 24, what are some priorities of Jesus you can identify? What other scriptures show us Jesus’ priorities?
- How can you respond to the priorities of Jesus with passion and love?
- “Jesus does not relate to us according to what we deserve, but according to what we need.” How does this statement relate to missions?
- How does the gospel compel and propel us to a missionary mindset? How do you need to grow in this area?
- Pray for opportunities to engage personally in missions through giving, praying and/or going. If your Shepherd Group hasn’t already, consider adopting an RBC missionary.
Family Quest: The Hope – Divine Claims
“Jesus answered, ‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” – John 14:9
“He began asking His disciples, saying, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Simon Peter answered and said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 16:13–17
In the past two lessons we talked about how Jesus, as God’s anointed One, was a great teacher and a powerful prophet. These statements are true, but Jesus did not leave room for us, or the people of 1st century Israel, to leave it at that. In his famous interaction with the Jewish leaders during the Feast of Dedication (John 10:22-39) Jesus says, “I and the Father are one.” Those who heard him understood exactly what that meant, “The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” His statement was so unambiguous that they sought to kill him right then and there for claiming to be God. All that the Law and the Prophets pointed to in the coming Messiah; Great High Priest to restore the priesthood, King of kings to restore David’s rule, and a prophet “like Moses,” could only be fulfilled by God in sinless human flesh. All other’s had fallen short even as their lives foreshadowed the perfect which was coming, Jesus. Jesus is our All in All.
BIG IDEA: Jesus is God.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS WEEK’S VIDEO
MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
John 1:3 Isaiah 43:25 Colossians 1:16-17
Mark 14:61-62 John 8:58 Isaiah 43:10-11
John 5:17-18 Mark 2:5-7
SECTION VERSES:
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.’” – John 14:6-7
LESSON VERSE:
“Jesus answered, ‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” – John 14:9
PRAYER:
Thank God that Jesus left no room for debate about who he said he was; God himself.
DISCUSSION STARTERS:
- What did the religious leaders not like about Jesus?
- How did Jesus say that he is God?
LIVE IT OUT!
- How can we show God the Father to others? Brainstorm some ideas and post them on your fridge or bathroom mirror.
– – –
ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader. In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.
Sunday Rewind | 2.7.2016
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Open Up the Heavens (Psalm 108:4-5) – Worth It All by Meredith Andrews
Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies) (Psalm 27:1) – Let The Future Begin by Chris Tomlin (Passion)
Hosanna (Mark 11:9-10) – Savior King by Hillsong Worship
The Solid Rock (Psalm 18:2) – Original Arrangement
The Wonderful Cross (Romans 8:38-39) – The Worship Initiative, Vol. 5 by Shane and Shane
TEACHING: James – Living Out Our Faith, Part 10
You believe only what you act on. All the rest is just religious talk.
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?
- Would you say that you tend toward being a “faith” person or a “works” person?
- Read and discuss James 2:14-26. What does this tell us about us? What does it tell us about God? What encouragements, warnings or commands are here for us to heed? What tension do you see in these verses?
- How does the whole of Scripture help us interpret these verses? What are some misinterpretations of these verses?
- What is the role of faith and works in the life of a follower of Christ?
- What is the difference between justification and sanctification?
- How does the gospel of Jesus provide context for both faith and works?
- Where do you need to grow in living out your faith?
- Spend some time in prayer thanking God the salvation He freely offers through Jesus Christ. Pray that He would give you the grace to live a life consistent with the gospel.
Family Quest: The Hope – Heavenly Mission
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him…” – John 3:17
“Jesus expressed His compassion and proved His authority with miracles. He was reported to have calmed storms and walked on the sea. On two occasions, He took just a few loaves of bread and a handful of fish and multiplied them to feed thousands of people. Jesus gave sight to the blind, caused the lame to walk, and healed people of horrible diseases. He cast demons out of people, and He even raised people from the dead. For thirty years, Jesus had lived in obscurity. But now, He was demonstrating His power over the physical and the spiritual world, over life and death.” – The HOPE, Chapter 9
In the Bible, there are four words (two Hebrew and two Greek) that are translated as the word “miracle.” In each case, these words describe an intervention by God in which the ordinary course of nature is overruled, suspended, or modified.
The Bible records 35 miracles performed by Jesus during His three years of public ministry. These miracles range from walking on water to raising people from the dead. A primary purpose (if not the primary purpose) of the miracles recorded in the Bible was as a sign that confirmed the presence or revelation of God. This is true of the miracles of God in the Old Testament as well as the miracles of Jesus. The miracles of Exodus 7–11 confirmed that Moses was speaking for God. In the New Testament, Jesus said that His miracles proved who He was and that God the Father sent Him (John 5:36). Jesus performed miracles so that people might believe He was who He said He was.
In his miracles Jesus demonstrated his power over all of creation (spiritual and physical) as well as his fulfillment of the Isaiah 61 prophecy which he read in the synagogue (61:1-2 and Luke 4:16-20). He was indeed a powerful prophet of God, the Ultimate Prophet that God foretold in Deuteronomy 18:15,
“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.”
BIG IDEA: Jesus is a powerful prophet.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS WEEK’S VIDEO
MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
Deuteronomy 18:15
Isaiah 61
Psalm 78:24
Luke 4:17-19
SECTION VERSES:
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.’” – John 14:6-7
LESSON VERSE:
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him,” – John 3:17
PRAYER:
Thank God for sending Jesus as the greatest Prophet, powerful over all creation, who proved He is God himself.
DISCUSSION STARTERS:
- Read Isaiah 61:1-2 and Luke 4:16-20. Why do you think Jesus stopped reading the passage in Isaiah where he did?
- How did Jesus demonstrate his power?
- Why did Jesus demonstrate his power?
LIVE IT OUT!
- Think of some ways that your actions can show that God’s love is truly in you. Now do them!
– – –
ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader. In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.