TRAIL GUIDE: A Solemn Declaration
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.
ON BELAY, LESSON 2: Jesus saves and no one can take you from Him
What is the purpose of testimony? Testimony is the solemn declaration usually made orally or in writing by a witness either in a courtroom under oath or elsewhere. Its purpose is to provide information on which to base a decision. Our memory verse, 1 John 5:11-2, begins with these words, “And this is the testimony…” Whose testimony? God Almighty’s testimony. His testimony, or solemn declaration, is that eternal life can only be found in his Son and be had only through his Son. We have already established that God is trustworthy so we know that the testimony is true. What decision then must be made based upon this information? Why did God give us this testimony?
“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31)
This is the good news! God’s testimony is that we are sinners, separated from Him (Isaiah 59:2), that we can in no way work our way to Him but can only be reconciled to Him by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9), that He made this possible through the sacrificial and substitutionary death of his Son (1 Peter 1:8), and that because his Son was raised from the dead we can be part of God’s family by receiving Jesus Christ as our Savior (John 1:12). This is God’s solemn declaration and the foundation for life eternal.
But these are written that you may believe… -John 20:31
MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
John 20:31
Isaiah 59:2
Ephesians 2:8-9
1 Peter 1:8
John 1:12
Bike Project Update
On Sunday, September 15, RBC accepted bike donations to benefit an orphanage in Nicaragua. Through our SACS Thrift Store partnership, we are working with Verbo Ministries, a church-planting and disciple-making ministry working with the Casa Bernabe Orphanage. Verbo has partnered wtih the orphanage to develop a thriving bicycle shop, where orphans are discipled as they learn bike repair, sales and customer service. Nicaragua is the second poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, where 60 percent are underemployed or unemployed. The training they recieve in the bike shop serves the orphans well when they enter the job market.
We are thankful to God for the generosity of so many here at RBC. On Sunday, we collected 175 bikes!
Here is part of an email we received from one of the project coordinators:
We’ve been collecting for several years from a bunch of churches. I think the most we ever got from a church collection was 58. Talk about shattering a record. You nearly tripled it!
I met some really great people today. What a blessing. We are very, very grateful. And, the quality of the bikes was excellent. This is a huge help to the ministry. Thank you for the remarkable work you did to make this happen.
Please extend our sincerest gratitude. This will make a difference in Nicaragua.
Thank you to all who donated bikes. Please keep the Casa Bernabe orphanage and those who minister the gospel there in your prayers.
Sunday Rewind | 9.15.2013
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Alive In Us (Ephesians 2:4-5) – God Is Able by Hillsong
Let Your Kingdom Come (Psalm 59:16-17) – Valley of Vision by Sovereign Grace Music
Your Love Never Fails (Romans 8:28) – Your Love Never Fails by Jesus Culture
The Lord Our God (James 1:17) – Let The Future Begin by Kristian Stanfill (Passion)
Forever Reign (Lamentations 5:19) – A Beautiful Exchange by Hillsong
TEACHING: Getting to Know Scripture, Part 3
While we gain knowledge through study and insight through meditation, application is the practical implementation of Biblical precepts into our everyday lives. “Little” violations of the Word of God today will have major implications and consequences later in life. Where do we need to recalculate?
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO/VIDEO
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The booklet Pastor Mike references & reads from in this sermon is a short booklet he wrote called Moral Discernment. It is available for free on iTunes – click here to download it.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- In last week’s questions, groups were encouraged to pick a portion of Scripture to meditate on. Take some time to share any below-the-surface insights with each other.
- If you were to give a one-sentence synopsis of this message, what would it be?
- Are you where you thought you’d be in life? Can you identify any key decisions you made that brought you to where you are today?
- Read and discuss James 1:19-25. What do these verses tell us about the nature of man? What do you observe about the nature of God? What encouragements or warnings do you see here in terms of obeying/applying the Word of God?
- What does it mean to take inventory of your life? Why is that important?
- Consider the most important relationships in your life. When was the last time you took inventory? What do you need to do to check the inventory of those relationships?
- Consider your entertainment habits. When did you last take inventory in this area? What changes might you need to implement?
- Are there any “mundane” areas of your life where you have heard but not applied the Word of God? How do “little” violations of God’s Law add up over time?
- Are there any other areas of your life that need “recalculating” – practical application of the biblical principles you are already aware of? Spend some time in prayer for this with your small group.
TRAIL GUIDE: Daddy’s Got You
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.
ON BELAY, LESSON 1: Jesus saves and no one can take you from Him
To live a truly eternal life, eternal both in quality (in God’s eternal presence and with His eternal purpose) and in duration (we will never perish), we must understand and place our confidence in God’s assurances to us. An assurance is God’s pledge, His guarantee for His children born of the Spirit through Christ. While there are experiential or subjective ways for us to get a clue as to our salvation and place in God’s family, our love for the church and the things of God (1 John 2:15, 3:14), and the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) among them, it is only God’s “testimony,” His solemn declaration through His Word, that stands as our objective proof of the assurance we have that, when we have believed and received His gift of eternal life through Christ Jesus, we are secure in his hands.
Why is it so important to know we are firmly held in the Father’s hands? From our childhood most of us can remember hearing these words, “Come on, Daddy’s got you.” If you are like me you probably associate those words with an experience like standing on the edge of a swimming pool that seemed like a bottomless sea or sitting at the top of a slide that seemed like Mount Everest. As we looked down at those outstretched arms we did some very quick calculations. What has my experience been with this person up to now? Can I trust him? If our father was a trustworthy and loving father who had shown himself to have powerful arms (at least compared to ourselves) capable of catching us, we most likely took a deep breath and jumped. Experience shows us that over time our confidence level in this person grows and makes each subsequent jump easier until finally we are flinging ourselves, carefree into his arms. When Jesus says of the Father, “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand,” He is saying, “This is my Father and, through me, your Father as well and He won’t let you fall. Jump. Daddy’s got you.” All of our other assurances in God are built upon this cornerstone. Confidence in God’s faithfulness begins here.
No one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. -John 10:29b
MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
John 10:28-30
1 John 5:11-12
Psalm 145:13
Hebrews 10:23
Psalm 18:2, 62:2,6-7
Sunday Rewind | 9.8.2013
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Endless Light (Psalm 113:3-4) – Cornerstone by Hillsong
The Lord Our God (James 1:17) – Let The Future Begin by Kristian Stanfill (Passion)
Come Thou Fount (Psalm 16:11) – Original Arrangement
I Stand Amazed (2 Corinthians 8:9) – North Point Live by Candi Pearson (North Point)
God Is Able (Ephesians 3:20-21) – Forever Reign by Hillsong Chapel
Agnus Dei (Revelation 5:20-21) – Original Arrangement
TEACHING: Getting to Know Scripture, Part 2
Meditating on Scriptures helps us move the precepts of the Bible from head to heart. Meditation is seeking the richness of God’s Word by being still as we reflect on the greater possibilities of meaning and application without violating the intended meaning of the text.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO/VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing from this sermon you found particularly insightful, helpful or difficult to grasp?
- What tends to come to mind when you think of “meditation”? How is that similar or different to meditation from a biblical perspective?
- Read and discuss Psalm 1. What does this chapter tell or infer about the nature of man? What do you observe about who God is? What does Psalm 1 tell us about mediation and the Word of God?
- What are some benefits of meditating on Scripture? How have you personally experienced some of those benefits?
What is the difference between studying Scripture and meditating on Scripture? Are both necessary? Why or why not? - Pastor Mike defines mediation as “seeking the richness of God’s Word by being still as you reflect on the greater possibilities of meaning and application without violating the intended meaning of the text.” What does it mean to violate the intended meaning of a text? How can we avoid that?
- Look over the account of David & Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. As Pastor Mike shared from his own meditations, what insights were fresh for you from this well-known account? How is this account pointing us to Jesus?
- What practical steps can you take to incorporate meditation as a regular discipline in your walk?
- Pick a portion of Scripture to meditate on as a group. Spend the next week meditating on those verses. Take some time to share any below-the-surface insights with each other the next time your group meets.
Stephen Chiang Memorial
Stephen Chiang, who had attended RBC for many years and faithfully served the congregation he loved so dearly went home to be with his Lord last weekend. The service for Stephen will be on Saturday at 11:00 am at Money & King Funeral Home, 171 Maple Ave W, Vienna, VA. They will be hosting family visitation at 10:00am, and will follow the memorial with a short graveside service. The family would love to have anyone who knew Stephen attend the service.
Stephen served the RBC body by volunteering every chance he could, including at the Welcome Desk and with the Media Ministry in the sound booth. He was also a dedicated blood donor and member of the ForWord young adults ministry.
Please be in prayer for Stephen’s family during this difficult time. Also please pray for Pastor Wayne Johnson as he shares the hope of the gospel that only Christ can offer, and the assurance that Stephen had through his salvation.
If you know of anyone who might like to attend, please feel free to share the service details with them.
The Green Room Sessions: The Lord Our God
This Sunday, we’ll introduce the song The Lord Our God. In the latest edition of the Green Room Sessions, Erik Palmer and Paul Goodnight discuss healthy food options for the band, cultivating a culture of worship, songwriting, and the personal impact this song had with Erik’s family.
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: http://rstbl.ch/PrUkYS
Children’s Ministry at RBC: Raise the Bar
As we begin the new school year and look at our schedules and our priorities, I would like to propose a challenge for you to consider.
NEW QUEST LOGO: It’s almost Fall, and change is in the air. You’ll notice that we have updated our logo for Quest. We did this because we feel the new design more closely reflects the heart of the ministry. As Christians, we are called to always SEEK after God. There is no “I’ve arrived” this side of glory. David was a man AFTER God’s own heart. He sought God diligently right up until the end. This is the Quest we want our children to embark on for the rest of their lives as well and the idea behind our new logo. We hope you’ll appreciate the other “adventurey” tweaks we’ve made to the Children’s Ministry space as well.
Foreign language training, math tutors, sport specific training, piano lessons, science camp… sound like the line-up for a sophomore in college? It’s actually a small sampling of the academic and sporting pursuits common amongst elementary school age children here in Northern Virginia. So many of the experts say it: “children have an amazing capability to learn at a very early age.” Very few of us would disagree.
Why is it, then, that so many parents are satisfied if their children can do little more than recite some basic facts about Noah and the flood, the birth of Jesus Christ, or the account of Daniel in the lion’s den – but can tell us nothing of what we learn about our God or our relationship to him through these accounts? Why are not more parents alarmed that many of our children can’t explain, in simple terms, the gospel of salvation beyond repeating back the lingo they’ve grown up hearing? Ask a child what they mean by “having Jesus in your heart” and you may be shocked by their response (or lack thereof.)
During my years in ministry I have had my eyes opened to an astonishing fact: children have an amazing capacity to learn the deeper things of God, to serve Him, and to have a vibrant spiritual life. In many ways, they are better equipped to bear fruit (Matthew 18:2-4) than we adults are. They are far less inhibited by personal baggage, held back by self-consciousness, or plagued with doubt than the average adult. The Holy Spirit is not age-limited in His work. Sadly, many Christian adults do not expect as much from their children in the spiritual arena as they do in the academic or athletic. Let this not be said about us at Reston Bible Church. Raise the bar! Help your child, no matter how young, begin to learn the basic doctrines of the faith. Help them live out their faith by taking them along while you live out yours. Serve with them, share your faith with them. “Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 11:19)
As new things begin to happen in Children’s Ministry at RBC, it will be helpful for parents and volunteers alike to have a context within which to place them. With that in mind, I would like to invite you, whether you are parent of young children or not, to take a moment and look over the Vision, Mission, and Guiding Lights of Children’s Ministry at RBC. Click here to download a PDF of our ministry vision, mission and guiding lights statement.
“After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel” (Judges 2:10). May God forbid these words be uttered about our legacy.
Raise the bar. Leave a legacy that will last.
To learn more about Quest and Children’s Ministry at Reston Bible Church, visit www.restonbible.org/kids or email Mike Meyers, Director of Children’s Ministry at RBC.
Nicaragua Bike Project
A couple weekends ago, we announced that through our SACS Thrift Store partnership, we are planning to send bicycles to the Casa Bernabe Orphanage in Nicaragua. We will do this through Verbo Ministries, a church-planting and disciple-making ministry who have partnered with the orphanage to develop a thriving bicycle shop, where orphans are discipled as they learn bike repair, sales and customer service. Nicaragua is the second poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, where 60 percent are underemployed or unemployed. The training they receive in the bike shop serves the orphans well when they enter the job market.
Here’s a sample email we received in response:
Betsy,
I totally get it. We have spent a lot of time in Uganda serving at orphanages and we have 2 boys from Uganda. Empowering people with knowledge and a sense of self worth is an invaluable asset in overcoming poverty. This ministry is a perfect fit. I love it through and through. My husband Mike had to keep telling me to be quiet during service last week when i was reading the flyer, he said my excitement was a distraction to others 🙂 I have already gotten one bike delivered! I am going to spend the afternoon making room in the garage for more. I believe that God is going to bring many more!
On Sunday, September 15, we will be accepting bike donations for the orphanage. Bicycles can be any size, in any condition. Please bring your bike donations to the rear of the main RBC building anytime between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. that day. Look for the cones near the Food Pantry storage shed, where a volunteer can help you unload your bike(s). Donation receipts for tax purposes will be available.
If you have three or more bikes to donate, but can’t bring them to the church, please contact Betsy Madden at betsymadden@restonbible.org or (703) 404-5034 to arrange pick-up at your home.
Sunday Rewind | 9.1.2013
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Sing, Sing, Sing (Psalm 47:6-7) – Hello Love by Chris Tomlin
Blessed Be Your Name (Job 1:21) – Sacred Revolution by Matt Redman (Passion)
By Faith (Psalm 145:13) – Awaken the Dawn by Keith & Kristyn Getty
As It Is In Heaven (Psalm 149:1) – Overflow by Matt Maher
I Lift My Hands (Psalm 46:10) – And If Our God is For Us… by Chris Tomlin
TEACHING: Getting to Know Scripture, Part 1
After His resurrection, Jesus rebuked two of His disciples for disbelief and “interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” (Luke 24:27). The Old Testament is full of prophecy, foreshadowing, and models that point to the Messiah who was to come, all of which should build our faith in Him and the Bible that speaks of Him.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO/VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- Did this message encourage your faith in the Scripture? How so?
- Pastor Mike mentioned the narratives of Noah and the ark (Genesis 6-8), Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 17,21-22), Joseph (Genesis 37,39-49), Jonah, the Passover (Exodus 12), and the tabernacle (Exodus 25-26). Take one or two of these and discuss some of the ways in which they foreshadow Christ. Are there any other models or types of Christ in the Old Testament that come to mind?
- Why do you think the disciples on the Road to Emmaus failed to recognize Jesus as He talked to them?
- Read Luke 24:13-25 and Acts 8:26-39. What seems to be the response when someone “gets to know” the Old Testament? Is your response the same?
- How would you answer someone (or how have you answered) who tells you that the Bible is just a bunch of stories written “around a campfire”?
- Are there areas where you feel your understanding of Scripture is lacking? Spend some time as a group talking about and praying over ways you can grow in those areas.