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.
Family Quest: Parent Introduction
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” -2 Timothy 3:16-17
Dear Quest Parents,
Welcome to a new year at Quest! This year our “Big Idea” is the biggest of them all. God, Creator of the heavens and the earth, and our eternal Father, so desires us to know Him that He purposed that a book be written and assembled in order to reveal Himself, his plans, his mighty acts, and his will to us. Understanding this Book, how it was written, how it is organized, and what it says about God, about us, and about God’s ultimate plan for redeeming His people through his Son, Jesus Christ, is of utmost importance for our students on their Quest.
Would you depart for a trip without knowing your destination, without consulting a map, without using a GPS, or without taking someone along who knows the way? Would you ignore signs that read “Wrong Way – Do not enter – Danger!” Only a very unwise person would. We need to help teach the children that this Christian life is a journey with an eternal destination and that along the way there are dangers, detours, and temptations to navigate. To make the most of this Quest we must know well our map, the Bible. The curriculum we are about to begin is based on the film The Hope, and each week we will watch a short portion of the film that we will use as the starting point for our teaching that day.
Each Sunday afternoon you will receive an email from us with a parent devotional and some discussion starters. If you’d like to watch the segment of the film we used that day you can access that at, www.thehopeproject.com.
You are your child’s first and most important spiritual leader. 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.
Blessings,
Mike Meyers & the RBC Children’s Ministry Team
Sunday Rewind | 9.6.2015
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Closer (Psalm 89:14-15) – Glorious Ruins by Hillsong Worship
Glorious (Psalm 111:2-3) – Glorious by Paul Baloche
Unending Love (Romans 8:38-39) – God is Able by Hillsong Worship
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: The Patriarchs, Part 8: Jacob’s Blessing
As Jacob discovered, even seemingly small sins can lead us far away from the Lord. Yet in His mercy, He will “wrestle” with us to break our self-reliance and point us back to His glory.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- If you could create your own tagline or summary of this message, what would it be?
- How do “small” sins send our walk with the Lord so far off course? Why will the consequences of sin always be greater than the momentary pleasure?
- Read Genesis 32:22-32. Who is the “man” that Jacob is wrestling with all night? If the man was powerful enough to be able to wound Jacob’s hip simply by touching it, why was Jacob allowed to overcome him?
- What does it mean for us to “wrestle” with God?
- Are there areas in your life where you are trying to scheme your way to your own will, rather than pray for God to bring about His will? What skill or gift or talent do you find yourself relying on instead of God’s strength? Where are you seeking your own glory instead of His?
- Can you think of a time in your life where it seemed as though God was placing an obstacle in your path to break you of your self-confidence?
- How has your view of the Patriarchs changed as a result of this series? What are some of the main lessons you’ve taken from the lives of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?
Sunday Rewind | 8.30.2015
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Unstoppable God (Luke 1:37) – Wake up the Wonder by Elevation Worship
How Great Thou Art (Psalm 145:3) – Hymns Ancient & Modern by Charlie Hall (Passion)
Forever Reign (Lamentations 5:19) – A Beautiful Exchange by Hillsong
Jesus Paid It All (Colossians 2:13-14) – North Point Live by Kristian Stanfill
How Deep the Father’s Love for Us (Galatians 6:14) – Original Arrangement
TEACHING: The Patriarchs, Part 7: Jacob’s Wives
Deception creates obstruction. And we are ourselves deceived when we seek after what we think will fulfill our hearts’ longings, rather than Christ alone.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one piece of this message that especially challenged or encouraged you?
- What does it mean that deception creates obstacles? How does deception create physical or circumstantial obstructions? How does it obstruct our walk with the Lord?
- How did Jacob’s deception create obstacles? How did Laban’s?
- Where do you see yourself in this story?
- Read Genesis 29:16-35. How does Leah represent the longings of our hearts? How does Rachel represent the ways we try to fill those longings?
- Is there a hole in your heart that you are trying to fill with something other than Jesus Christ? What are you striving after right now that you believe would fulfill you, if you achieved it?
- How is Jesus the “true Rachel”? Spend some time praying that He would help you desire Him more than anything else, and praising Him as the One worthy of our desire.
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.
Sunday Rewind | 8.16.2015
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Only King Forever (1 Timothy 1:17) – Only King Forever by Elevation Worship
Christ is Enough (2 Cor. 12:9) – Glorious Ruins by Hillsong Live
Come Thou Fount (Psalm 16:11) – Original Arrangement
Give Me Faith (Psalm 73:25-26) – Nothing Is Wasted byElevation Worship
God is Able (Eph. 3:20-21) – God is Able by Hillsong Live
TEACHING: The Thief & The Answer
The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy – but Jesus has come that we might have life.
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 “character”? Who is someone you know who exemplifies good character?
- Read and discuss John 8:39-47, John 10:7-11 and Ephesians 6:10-18. What does this tell us about man? What does it tell us about God?
- What do you observe about spiritual warfare and the nature of the world around us from the verses above? What does it tell us about our enemy and his tactics?
- How have you personally experienced spiritual warfare?
- Have you ever had a “bottom of the 9th” moment or season of life?
- Are there lies about yourself, others or God that you know you know are lies, yet still tend to struggle with? How does scripture address those lies? How does the gospel provide clarity, contrast and context to those lies?
- Spend some time in prayer for anything that came up during this discussion . Give thanks to God that He is good, even when we can’t see it or are believing lies about Him. Pray that He would work in you to replace lies with His great truths.
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.
Sunday Rewind | 8.9.2015
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Open Up Our Eyes (Ephesians 1:18-19a) – Nothing is Wasted by Elevation Worship
Unstoppable God (Luke 1:37) – Wake up the Wonder by Elevation Worship
In Your Presence (Deuteronomy 31:6) –Nothing is Wasted by Elevation Worship
Your Promises (2 Peter 1:3-4a) – Wake Up the Wonder by Elevation Worship
Great Things (Worth It All) (Galatians 6:14) –Wake Up the Wonder by Elevation Worship
TEACHING: The Patriarchs, Part 5: Isaac
The manipulation of man will never trump the sovereignty of God.
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 define the words “manipulation” and “sovereignty”?
- Read and discuss Genesis 27:1-36. Identify the main characters and their characteristics in this account. Who do you relate to the most, and why? What might we observe about our human nature through this account?
- “One deception leads to another – one lie leads to another.” How do you see this play out in the verses about? Have you seen this principle play out in your own life?
- How would you describe the tension between the sovereignty of God with the moral responsibility of man?
- Discuss the following statement: “Our five human senses are a blessing from God, but they are never the final determining factor in the moral realm.”Can you think of Scriptures that support this statement?
- Is there some situation or circumstance in your life or someone else’s that you are trying to manipulate? Why? How do you think it will turn out? What would it look like for you to trust God in that situation or circumstance?
- Spend some time in prayer for any situations mentioned in the previous question. Give thanks to God that He is completely trustworthy and pray that we would have the strength and faith to trust Him when we are tempted to manipulate.
Picture Imperfect: Follow-Up 3
This past Sunday, during a message entitled Picture Imperfect, we looked at how God in His sovereignty created the covenant of marriage to be an imperfect earthly picture of a perfect heavenly truth – the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At the conclusion of the message, I shared my dream of growing old together with with my bride, Bridget. I so much desire to be a couple that is blessed with 30, 40, 50 years of marriage together!
Bridget and I celebrated 16 years of marriage in June. I still have a lot to learn about being married, about Bridget, and about loving my bride. But one thing that the Lord has taught me about marriage is that we can’t do it alone. The letter to the Hebrew church instructs us to, “…encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” (Heb 3:13)
It’s so easy for me to listen to world around me, to develop a negative picture about my marriage, to start questioning Bridget’s motives – to become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. That’s why I need people by my side daily to speak encouraging truth into my life and my marriage. I stand convinced that the only way Bridget & I will be that older couple – holding hands, dancing, and enjoying life together into the later years – is by walking alongside other brothers and sisters in Christ that share that dream!
So how about you? Do you share that dream for your marriage? If so, I invite you to be a part of that adventure with other married couples that share our dream. As we strive to make RBC a beacon for marriages in Northern Virginia, there are numerous ways to connect with other couples and begin forming community. You can join us this Sunday morning at HomeFront, the RBC couples community, as we begin our next series (details below) or sign up for the upcoming Marriage Booster on Friday, September 18th.
We hope to see you there!!
HomeFront August Series: THAT’S NOT WHAT I ORDERED!
We’ve all rolled away from the drive-thru window and figured out that we didn’t get what we wanted. Either the food in the bag doesn’t quite look like the picture or they gave us something wrong entirely. Is that the way we feel about our marriage sometimes? The guy I was dating used to… When we were engaged, I loved how she… This doesn’t look like the picture at all. Or worse – did God mess up my marriage order all together? Join us at HomeFront in August as we discuss That’s Not What I Ordered!