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.
Sunday Rewind | 1.31.2016
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Be Lifted High (John 3:30) –Nothing is Wasted by Elevation Worship
How Great Thou Art (Psalm 145:3) – Hymns Ancient & Modern by Charlie Hall (Passion)
Great Things (Worth It All) (Galatians 6:14) –Wake Up the Wonder by Elevation Worship
Cornerstone (Psalm 18:2) – Cornerstone by Hillsong Worship
God Is Able (Ephesians 3:20-21) – God is Able by Hillsong Worship
TEACHING: Redemption
Even in the most difficult of times, God is doing wondrous works of redemption. “Our bad things turn out for good. Our good things can never be lost. And the best things are yet to come.”
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?
- What does it mean to “redeem” something? What does it mean that God is “a God of redemption”?
- Read and discuss Psalm 107. What does this tell us about redemption? How is redemption tied to the love of God?
- What examples of God’s redeeming hand do you see in Scripture?
- Tell your story – how did God redeem you to salvation? What are some difficult situations in your life He has redeemed after you put your faith in Christ?
- Discuss this quote by Jonathan Edwards: “Our bad things turn out for good. Our good things can never be lost. And the best things are yet to come.” How does this eternal perspective challenge or encourage you in this season of life?
- How does the gospel of Jesus show us the redemptive hand of God? What hope does the gospel give you when you walk through trials, suffering and difficulty?
- Spend some time in prayer thanking God for redeeming you in Jesus Christ. Pray for our church in a season of difficulty, that we would trust God’s redeeming hand in the process. Pray for situations in your life that you long to see redeemed by the Lord.
Family Quest: The Hope – Jesus Calling
“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” – John 10:10
Throughout the ages since Jesus walked the earth, many non-believers have tried to dismiss Jesus by saying such things as, “He was a teacher,” or “He was a powerful prophet.” Their goal in making these statements is usually to deny the central claim of Christianity, namely that Jesus is God. But we shouldn’t shy away from these statements because they are in fact true. Jesus was a great teacher. The greatest teacher ever. A typical pastor preaches for 40 minutes today, but Jesus’ most famous sermon on the mount takes only about 15 minutes from beginning to end and is so profound that books have been written just about these few verses. Jesus wasn’t just a lecturer either. He was a “walk-along-the-way” teacher, a disciple-maker.
“And walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And they immediately left the nets, and followed Him.”
It has often been said that you aren’t really a leader unless people are following you, and you aren’t really a teacher unless your students are learning. Jesus called and the disciples followed. As master teacher and disciple maker, Jesus would transform these simple men into men of spiritual power who would turn the world upside down.
BIG IDEA: Jesus is a great teacher.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS WEEK’S VIDEO
MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
Matthew 4:18-22
Luke 5:1-11
Acts 4:13
Matthew 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:
“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” – John 10:10
PRAYER:
Thank God for what He teaches us about ourselves, Himself, and how we can be with Him forever and live for Him.
DISCUSSION STARTERS:
- What is a disciple?
- How did Jesus teach? (Deut. 11:19)
- What did Jesus teach?
- Why did Jesus call the disciples?
LIVE IT OUT!
- Read the greatest commands (Mark 12:30-31)
- Come up with some ways you can obey them and write them down.
– – –
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.
Services Cancelled | Sunday, January 24
I wanted to let you know that all services and activities for tomorrow (Sunday, January 24, 2016) have been cancelled, including evening activities such as Awana, FPU and the Sr. High Dodgeball Tournament.
Since you’re snowed in this weekend, here are some ideas to take advantage of this time to draw close to the Lord, especially tomorrow since we cannot worship corporately.
- Search our sermon archives and listen to one of your favorite messages from the past, or perhaps one you haven’t heard.
- Explore the 10,000+ inspirational and educational videos available from rightnow.org. You can instantly stream biblical teaching from over 150 leading Christian publishers and ministries. Their extensive library has Bible studies, conference sessions and a huge array of kid’s videos including Veggie Tales, 3-2-1 Penguins, Adventures in Odyssey and many others. For more information, please click here. If you don’t currently have a login for this incredible resource, request one here. Operators (Jason VanDorsten) are standing by to take your request!
Finally, as you can imagine, your church still incurs operational expenses regardless of the weather. If you are not already giving online, why not take this opportunity to see how easy it is to support the ministries of RBC. You can give from within myRBC if you’re already logged in, or simply click here to be taken to our secure online giving page.
That’s all for now. Stay safe and warm and drive carefully when you do venture out. Have a blessed weekend.
Dale Peak
Administrator
Sunday Rewind | 1.17.16
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Awesome Is The Lord Most High (Psalm 47:1-2) – See The Morning by Chris Tomlin
Alive in Us (Ephesians 2:4-5) – God is Able by Hillsong Live
Blessed Be Your Name (Job 1:21) – The Songs of Matt Redman (vol. 1) by Matt Redman
Give Me Faith (Psalm 73:25-26) – Nothing Is Wasted byElevation Worship
Lord I Need You (Hebrews 4:16) – All The People Said Amen by Matt Maher
TEACHING
Due to the sensitive nature of yesterday’s sermon, we are not posting Sunday’s sermon online.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What scriptures can you think of that deal with the topics of sin, confession, forgiveness, repentance and restoration? What warnings and/or admonishments does scripture provide on each of these topics?
- What are the distinctions between forgiveness, repentance and restoration?
- Read and discuss Hebrews 3:12-13. How is sin deceitful? What are some practical ways can you exhort or encourage each other in your small group?
- Share a time when you forgave someone. What happened? Why did you forgive them?
- Share a time when you received forgiveness. What happened? Why did they forgiven you?
- How does the gospel give us the power to repent of our own sin and forgive others of theirs? How does the gospel give us a lens through which to properly view sin, repentance and restoration?
- What dark area of your life needs to be brought out into the light?
- Is there someone in your life now to whom you need to extend forgiveness? Is there someone from whom you need to ask for forgiveness? Spend some time in prayer with your small group and ask them to hold you accountable for this.