Sunday Rewind | 3.16.2014
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Glorious (Psalm 111:2-3) – Everything Glorious by Chris Tomlin (Passion)
Closer (Psalm 89:14-15) – Glorious Ruins by Hillsong
The Solid Rock (Psalm 18:2) – Original Arrangement
Hosanna (Mark 11:9-10) – All of the Above by Hillsong
I Will Look Up (Deuteronomy 7:9) – Only King Forever by Elevation Worship
TEACHING: Philippians – A Journey Toward Humble Joy, Part 15
Greed shrivels the soul. The remedy is generosity for the cause of Christ.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- If you had to give a one-sentence synopsis of this message, what would you say?
- What is generosity? Do you consider yourself a generous person?
- Read and discuss Philippians 4:14-23. What do you observe about the partnership between Paul and the church in Philippi?
- Are you “dieting” in the area of generosity? Does generosity come easily for you? Why or why not?
- How does generosity build deep relationships and nourish the soul?
- In what ways does generosity reflect and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ? How does the gospel push us toward great generosity?
- What do you think your specific role is regarding generosity and the advancement of the gospel?
- Is there someone you can thank for their generosity toward you? Take some time this week to thank them.
- How can you grow in the grace of strategic, consistent, sacrificial giving? Spend some time thanking God for His generosity toward us and ask Him for creativity in growing in our own generosity in gospel-centric ways.
Sunday Rewind | 3.9.2014
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
As It Is In Heaven (Psalm 96:1-3) – Overflow by Matt Maher
Rock of Ages (Deuteronomy 32:3-4) – Death of Death by Charlie Hall
I Will Look Up (Deuteronomy 7:9) – Only King Forever by Elevation Worship
Be Thou My Vision (2 Corinthians 3:17-18) – Cathedral by HEARTSONG
Glorious (Psalm 72:18-19) – Glorious by Paul Baloche
Beautiful Lord (Ephesians 2:4-5) – Sound of Melodies by Leeland
TEACHING: Philippians – A Journey Toward Humble Joy, Part 14
We will battle for contentment all throughout our lives.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was something from this message that you found particularly helpful, insightful or difficult to grasp?
- How would you define “contentment”? What makes you content?
- Read and discuss Philippians 4:10-13. What is your initial reaction to these verses? What do you note about the character of Paul? What do you observe about contentment in this section of verses?
- What are the blessings of contentment? By contrast, what comes from discontentment?
- Where does the major battle rage for contentment in your own life?
- Why don’t negative comparisons work in pushing us toward contentment?
- “In the light of spiritual riches, other things begin to dim.” Have you observed this to be true? In what ways? What are “spiritual riches”?
- How does the gospel of Jesus Christ enable us find contentment in any situation? Is there a situation or circumstance you are currently dealing with where you are finding it difficult to remain content? Spend some time in prayer about this.
The Green Room Sessions: I Will Look Up
We’re introducing the song “I Will Look Up” in our worship services. In this edition of the Green Room Sessions, Paul, Erik & Melody discuss how Melody lost her keyboard, band dynamics, dealing with criticism, and the past, present & future faithfulness of God.
Just the Music: 08:23
The Green Room Sessions are a sneak peak into the heart of the worship ministry at Reston Bible Church. We have a huge desire to communicate God’s Word through song and respond to the Spirit, freely worshiping when we’re together. Our hope is that these short videos will provide an extension of the community at RBC and supply your home, car, and office with great songs about the greatness and love of our incredibly able God. See more Green Room Sessions here: rstbl.ch/PrUkYS
TRAIL GUIDE: Imitate God
The “Trail Guide” devotional is used by our adult leaders of grade school groups in Quest as a way to prepare their hearts and minds for the topics we will be covering with the children on the weekend. We have made them available here to help our parents of grade-schoolers engage with their children around the topics we are discussing and also for anyone else that might be blessed by following along.
SPOTTER, LESSON 3: God is Faithful to Forgive
“Be imitators of GOD, therefore, as dearly loved children” Ephesians 5:1 (emphasis added) The Bible makes plain that, when we are reborn in Christ, we are called to be “imitators of GOD,” that is, imitators of his communicable character attributes, those attributes GOD “shares” with his adopted children. We can know the character of our GOD because it is clearly revealed in scripture. Among his many qualities we find that God is loving, patient, kind, good, joyful, faithful, righteous, generous, courageous, creative, and, not least of all, forgiving. These are traits we should strive to imitate.
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32) Forgiveness is sweet and grace is a great virtue when we are on the receiving end. It is something to rejoice over. But how things change when we are the “offended” party. Suddenly justice takes center stage and we begin to entertain thoughts about whether the offender “deserves” our forgiveness. We focus on our wounds and wallow in our injuries. We think that the kind of forgiveness Jesus offered his enemies on the cross, “Forgive them for they know not what they do,” is impossible for us to imitate. After all He is God. But this excuse falls apart when we look a few pages further on into the book of Acts and we see Stephen imitating his Lord in the face of a brutal death by stoning. “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Can we hope to attain to this level of forgiveness? I’ll let Jesus answer that one. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” With God’s indwelling Holy Spirit all things are possible.
As we close out this section on forgiveness, we should seek to help the children understand that on this side of heaven, we are striving to imitate Christ, knowing we will stumble and fall, trusting in his forgiveness when we do, and letting Him pick us up and urge us on to continue the climb He has called us to.
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Phil.3-12-14
“Help me now to do the impossible:
Forgiveness.” -Matthew WestMEDITATING ON THE WORD:
Ephesians 4:32, 5:1
Matthew 6:8-14
Matthew 18: 21-35
Phil.3-12-14
Sunday Rewind | 3.2.14
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Endless Light (Psalm 113:3-4) – Cornerstone by Hillsong
Awesome Is The Lord Most High (Psalm 47:1-2) – See The Morning by Chris Tomlin
The Lord Our God (James 1:17) – Let The Future Begin by Kristian Stanfill (Passion)
Unending Love (Romans 8:38-39) – God Is Able by Hillsong
Give Me Faith (Psalm 73:25-26) – Nothing Is Wasted by Elevation Worship
TEACHING: Not What I Expected
Where is God during moments – or seasons – of disappointment? He lovingly uses the disappointments of life to remind us that this is not our home and to push us closer to Christ.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was something from this message that you found particularly helpful, insightful or difficult to grasp?
- “The line between expectation and reality is disappointment.” Have you found this to be true in your life? Why or why not?
- Why do you think God allows disappointment?
- Read Luke 24:13-24. How does the theme of disappointment come out in this passage?
- How does disappointment remind us that this earth is not our home (Philippians 3:20)?
- How can disappointment push us to depend on Christ? Do you have examples of this from your own disappointments?
- How does Romans 8:31-39 provide a context for suffering, difficulty and disappointment in life? Is there a situation or circumstance you are currently dealing with that needs to be viewed through the lens of those verses? Spend some time in prayer about this.
TRAIL GUIDE: Paid In Full
The “Trail Guide” devotional is used by our adult leaders of grade school groups in Quest as a way to prepare their hearts and minds for the topics we will be covering with the children on the weekend. We have made them available here to help our parents of grade-schoolers engage with their children around the topics we are discussing and also for anyone else that might be blessed by following along.
SPOTTER, LESSON 3: God is Faithful to Forgive
Propitiation (Greek – hilasmos, meaning an offering to appease an offended party.)
How can a God who hates sin so much just let it go unpunished? When He looks at His creation and sees how scarred and polluted sin has made it, He is greatly offended. How can He not pour out his anger on the guilty? How can God let wrongdoers go free? It doesn’t seem fair. Unless, of course, I am the wrongdoer and then my math changes dramatically, and forgiveness seems a rather wonderful thing. But the questions are still valid. How is it just to leave sin unpunished?
The short answer is, it wouldn’t be just, if that is what God actually did. But sin has been punished. The sins of God’s people going all the way back to Adam accumulated and accumulated. All the while God in his great mercy withheld punishment, looking forward to a day when One would pay for it all and wipe out the debt once and for all for those who believed in his coming. “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished.” (Romans 3:25)
The best news is that, not only did Jesus receive the just wages of the sins of all who went before Him, He also made available that credit of righteousness to all who would believe and receive Him in faith in the future. He became our Passover Lamb. The Lamb was slain, that work is done. It is a historical fact that happened completely outside of us and was purely an act of God. The only question that matters now is have you, by faith, applied the blood of the Lamb to the doorposts of your life? Have your students?
“Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow”
(Elvina Hall, Jesus Paid It All)
“What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” -Robery Lowry, Nothing But the Blood
MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
Romans 3
Psalm 86:5
Ephesians 1:7
Hebrews 10:12, 17
Why Do We Sing?
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. (Matthew 26:26-30)
What an incredible picture: our Savior singing praises alongside his disciples. That’s a passage I have passed by many times and never really thought about. But it’s absolutely magnificent.
Why did Christ and his disciples sing? Why do we sing? Singing together tends to bind us together. It enables us to spend extended periods of time expressing the same thoughts and the same passions. Singing can help us use words to demonstrate and express our unity – our unity as believers, our unity as a church.
Scripture doesn’t only speak about congregational singing–but it is clear that a dominant theme of Scripture is believers singing together (2 Samuel 6:1-23, Psalm 95:1-2, 100:1-2, Acts 16:25, Romans 15:9, Hebrews 2:12, Hebrews 13:15). We are called to sing together. The question is not, “Do you have a voice?” The question is, “Do you have a song?” If you are redeemed by Christ’s cross then you do have a song.
So why do we sing? One simple reason: God deserves our praise. This is good, this is right, and this is true. But worshiping the Lord is something that we each must decide to do for ourselves. We choose to sing. And yet, by our actions, we often decide that He should not receive something that He declares He wants. But we must not withhold from the Lord the glory that is due to Him.
We sing together to shift the allegiance of our hearts from the kingdom of self to the Kingdom of God. We sing together to realize there’s something more important in life than our own plan and our own pleasure: The glory of God.
That’s why we sing. May we sing loudly. May we sing freely. May we sing together.
Foster Care “Fill-a-Bag” Update
When children come into foster care, they are often removed from their homes in an emotional and chaotic scene.
Their biological families pack their belongings in whatever bags they may have handy, including garbage bags. Sometimes, families don’t have any large bags to give children to carry their things, as many of these children come from low income families. Many times children come into foster care with nothing that first night. To have a bag of their own, filled with items that are just for them as they enter a world that is not their own, can offer a small but powerful comfort.
This was the challenge that we presented to our body back in January. Let us be the hands and feet of Christ by providing shiny new duffel bags filled with the necessities that a child whose world has just been turned upside down would need, plus some extra goodies so they would feel valued and loved. We can’t measure the effect that holding a teddy bear that will be theirs to keep would have on a child that first night away from the only home they have every known.
We are grateful to God that our people are a generous people and embraced this opportunity to love a child they will probably never meet. We had over 200 bags donated, which filled two 15-passenger vans. The bags will be distributed to several local foster care agencies and will meet a tremendous need.
Sunday Rewind | 2.23.2014
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Relentless – Zion Acoustic Sessions by Hillsong United
In Your Presence (Deuteronomy 31:6) – Nothing Is Wasted by Elevation Worship
Open Up Our Eyes (Ephesians 1:18-19a) – Nothing Is Wasted by Elevation Worship
Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies) (Psalm 27:1) – Let The Future Begin by Chris Tomlin (Passion)
Christ Is Enough (2 Corinthians 12:9) – Glorious Ruins by Hillsong
Your Love Never Fails (Romans 8:28) – Your Love Never Fails by Jesus Culture
TEACHING: Philippians – A Journey Toward Humble Joy, Part 13
When we believe a lie, we will perpetuate that lie. We need the “therapy” of the Word of God to renew our minds to right thinking.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- If you had to give a one-sentence synopsis of this message, what would you say?
- Read and discuss Philippians 4:8-9. Why do you think Paul includes this section in his letter to the Philippians?
- Paul says to “think on these things.” What specifically is he calling us to think upon? Do you naturally tend to think on these things? Why or why not?
- What opposition do you find to putting your mind to the things Paul prescribes?
- Read Romans 12:1-2 and John 8:31-32. How does truth set free? What does it mean to have a renewed mind? How are they connected? What role does the Word of God have in renewing our minds?
- Pastor Mike gave three examples of “incomplete truths” the world presents in defining certain words – success, genius, and looks (or beauty). How does the world system tend to define these terms? Is there a contrast between how scripture defines those words?
- What other words does the world system define in ways that are incomplete or contradictory to the scriptures? What are the implications or consequences of buying into a faulty definition of these terms?
- How is the gospel of Christ “therapy” for our minds? Spend some time in prayer thanking God for the blessing and provision of the gospel.
Update: Daddy-Daughter Dance
It’s a very special night, the Daddy Daughter Valentine’s Dance. RBC is transformed into a magical place where little girls and their Daddies create lifelong memories. For the past five years, I have helped my daughter prepare for this much-anticipated event. We shop for dresses, try on shoes, curl hair and paint nails. She comes down the staircase and joins her Daddy for a quick photo shoot, and then off they go. This year, however, my daughter was past the age of being able to attend so she asked if she could serve. As we left for the dance, my husband said goodbye in a difficult moment where we gave each other that “she’s-growing-up-too-fast” look.
The theme of this year’s dance was Enchantment Under the Sea. A treasure map led Dads and Daughters through an undersea world with something special to encounter at every turn, including seafaring crafts, treats, and decorations and plenty of dancing.But the most wonderful thing about the evening was watching the interactions. I did not see Dads absorbed in conversations with one other or checking their phones or watches. Rather, I saw dapper Dads proudly hoisting their girls into their laps for a picture. I saw Dads elbow-deep in glitter creating pretty crafts. I saw Dads enjoying ice cream sundaes and clam cookies complete with a candy “pearl.” I saw a sea of Dads on the dance floor clapping to the chicken dance and cradling their girls in their arms to songs that remind them how precious and short the time is. It was a beautiful night.
Amid the enchantment, I saw little girls whose self-esteem soared. Little girls who felt so loved as their Dad fully engaged with them and entered into their world. Little girls who looked up to their Dads proudly. Bravo to all of you Dads who came and gave the gift of making your daughters feel like the most special little girls on the earth (or under the sea.)
– Vickie Wennemark, Family Ministry Assistant