Sunday Rewind | 4.7.2013
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Holy, Holy, Holy (Psalm 99:5) – Original Arrangement
How Great Thou Art (Psalm 145:3) – Original Arrangement
Your Love Never Fails (Romans 8:28) – Your Love Never Fails by Jesus Culture
Give Me Faith (Psalm 73:25-26) – For The Honor by Elevation 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: A Word to the Wise – Part 4
Everyone has some amount of strength, intellect and wealth. The natural pull of the human heart will be to glory in any of these and pit our human wisdom against against God’s wisdom.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO/VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- As you reflect back on this week’s sermon, what one principle or insight, what one principle stands out as being particularly helpful, insightful or difficult to grasp?
- In what ways do people tend to pit human intelligence against God’s wisdom? What does this tend to look like in your life?
- Read and discuss Jeremiah 9:23-24 and Psalm 73. What do you see about the nature of man in these verses? What do you observe about the nature of God?
- Strength, riches, intellect: which do you tend to lean on at the expense of trusting God?
- How does the Gospel remedy our tendency toward trusting in these finite things?
- “Are you currently scheming to ‘bury an Egyptian’?” Ask God to reveal any areas where you may be pitting your human wisdom against His sovereign wisdom, and spend some time in prayer with your small group about this.
Conversations 2013 Recap
Last week, the RBC Sanctuary was transformed into Fast Eddie’s, a funky old diner, for the annual production of Conversations.
At Fast Eddie’s, families came on their way to the “best Spring Break trip of their lives,” infomercials from the infamous Kevin Winthrop, memories of lives spent together, and a community college study group. We were serenaded by the music of Philip Phillips, Coldplay, Gabe Dixon, The Beatles and more… But most importantly, we heard stories of God’s grace in real lives.
It was a wonderful week, made possible by the more than 300 volunteers, who provided food, served in the Coffee Shop, ushered, baked cookies, etc. We are so grateful for everyone who served, whether on stage, in the lobby or behind the scenes. More than 3,000 people attended Conversations this year, many of whom are friends, family, and neighbors of our regular attendees. Many people were able to come, relax, and hear the truth of the Gospel message through this production! We’ve been encouraged by the many stories of how God enabled people to attend, is softening hearts, furthering the conversation, and working in our community as a result of this production and the faithfulness of our body to invite their friends.
Just before our final performance, we received an email from someone who first attended Conversations two years ago. They wrote, “I have attended Conversations each year since (including last night). I really wanted you to know that you do have an impact on people. I don’t know if you hear from many people who you have been involved helping start a relationship with Christ, or wonder if you have reached people – You have! I’m living proof.”
We give thanks to our gracious God for what He has done – and may do still – through this production. Do you have a story to tell from your experience at Conversations? We’d love to hear it – drop us a line at stories@restonbible.org.
Remember the elevator scene from Conversations 2012? Conversations 2013 saw the return of the infamous Kevin Winthrop.
Thanks to Mike Kelly for the photos above. You can check out more shots from Conversations by Mike here.
Sunday Rewind | 3.31.2013
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Alive In Us (Ephesians 2:4-5) – God Is Able by Hillsong
Endless Light (Psalm 113:3-4) – Cornerstone by Hillsong
Majesty (Isaiah 53:5) – Majesty: The Worship EP by Leeland
Forever Reign (Lamentations 5:19) – A Beautiful Exchange by Hillsong
Crown Him With Many Crowns (1 Peter 1:3)
TEACHING: He Is Risen
The two thieves hung with Jesus at His crucifixion show the beautiful simplicity of the Gospel. These thieves represent two paths – one leading to death, the other leading to life. Which path have you chosen?
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO/VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What is one thing from this sermon you hope to discuss as a group?
- What Easter traditions do you and your family have?
- Read and discuss Luke 23:32-43. What do you see about the nature of man in these verses? What do you observe about the nature of Christ?
- Compare and contrast the two thieves. How are they similar? How are they different?
- In what way does the one thief represent death? In what way does the other represent life?
- In the context of Pastor Mike’s sermon, what does it mean to “pass through the cross”?
- Spend some time in prayer with your small group giving thanks for our risen Savior, Jesus.
Sunday Rewind | 3.25.2013
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Open Up Our Eyes (Ephesians 1:18-19a) – Nothing Is Wasted by Elevation Worship
Endless Light (Psalm 113:3-4) – Cornerstone by Hillsong
Our King Has Come (Romans 5:1-2) – For The Honor by Elevation Worship
Hosanna (Mark 11:9-10) – All Of The Above by Hillsong United
God Is Able (Ephesians 3:20-21) – God Is Able by Hillsong
I Lift My Hands (Psalm 46:10) – And If Our God Is For Us… by Chris Tomlin
TEACHING: A Word to the Wise – Part 3
“It’s just me and God” is not a biblical mindset. Rather, scripture shows us that there is great wisdom in close relationships. Don’t let pride keep you from experiencing the joy of deep friendship in your pilgrimage.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO/VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- Per last week’s message & discussion, were you able to intentionally impact in a positive way last week though the power of your words?
- What is one thing from this sermon that you hope to discuss as a group?
- Read and discuss 1 Samuel 23:15-18. What characteristics of a great relationship do you observe between David and Jonathan? Where else in scripture can we see the value and wisdom of close relationships?
- What are the hallmarks of a great friendship? How have you personally seen or experienced the value of wisdom in terms of relationship?
- Do you have any “Level 5” friendships? How have those impacted your life?
- Why do we tend to pull back from deep relationships?
- How does the Gospel push us away from pride to see the wisdom in close relationship with others?
- Are there specific relationships you feel God is asking you to pursue to greater depth? Spend some time in prayer with your small group about this.
Guilford Updates: Bingo Night & Book Fair
BINGO NIGHT: RBC helped sponsor a Bingo Night at Guilford Elementary last Friday evening. The event is one of the school’s biggest community events with 300-400 families attending. The Guilford staff and PTA were so thankful for the RBC volunteers and the financial support we were blessed to be able to provide.
Here’s an excerpt from a note we received from Alex Collier of the Guilford PTA:
“The volunteers really made the evening run smoothly. They were up for helping with anything we needed, and added a definite air of excitement to the night! Katie VanDorsten and her son were the best 50/50 raffle hawkers we’ve ever had! Together they raised almost $100! Julie and Micah Loesch worked the popcorn and cookie concessions like pros, and Tyler Preast and his friends did a spectacular job manning the bingo sales table, selling cards and daubers with confidence and pizazz!”
BOOK DRIVE: We are thankful to God for all who donated books and time for yesterday’s Guilford Elementary Book Fair. We were able to give out over 1500 books! Each child was able to take home 3 books of their own, and the librarians and resource teachers were able to restock their dwindling supply of books and resource items. The principal and entire faculty were so thankful to RBC. Many of these children have never owned a book and were joyfully overwhelmed to be able to take three books home. RBC is sharing the love of Christ to children in need in our community, and we are grateful for the many who invested your time (and books!) in serving them.
VIDEO: Youth Winter Retreat Slideshow
Last month, RBC hosted our annual Youth Winter Retreat. We spent the weekend with the kids teaching them and hearing about how we should live as Christians as Biblical men and women. The gospel was also shared and several of the youth indicated they had prayed to receive Christ! On our activity day, the youth did either indoor activities which included bowling, roller skating, laser tag, or an outdoor activity where the kids went skiing and snowboarding at Elk Mountain. It was a blast and it was great to see God work in our youth and speak to them that weekend.
Please be in prayer for our youth from winter retreat:
1. Pray that those who accepted Christ would continue to walk and seek to grow in their new-found faith in Jesus Christ.
2. Pray that the teen guys would take to heart the teaching on authentic manhood and would seek to no longer live passively or in laziness, but that they would become strong Godly leaders and initiators.
3. Pray that the teen girls would take to heart the teaching on biblical womanhood and would seek to live a God-centered life as daughters of the Most High King, living a humble life in His unfailing Love.
4. Pray that all our teens would remember and live from the fact that God created them for a specific purpose.
Sunday Rewind | 3.17.2013
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
O Worship The King (Psalm 145:9-10) – Hymns Ancient & Modern by Chris Tomlin (Passion)
Sing, Sing, Sing (Psalm 47:6-7) – Hello Love by Chris Tomlin
The Solid Rock (Psalm 18:2) – Original Arrangement
Beautiful Jesus (Romans 1:20) – Attention by Kristian Stanfill
Unending Love (Romans 8:38-39) – God Is Able by Hillsong
TEACHING: A Word to the Wise – Part 2
Proverbs 18:21 teaches us that the power of life and death is in the tongue. Words are a signature of the soul, and the weight and power our words carry is directly proportional to the relationship you have with that person. Do you use your words wisely?
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO/VIDEO
ARTICLES
Here are links to Pastor Mike’s articles on encouragement, which he referenced during this week’s sermon.
- Why We Need to Encourage & Be Encouraged: http://bit.ly/dBcx0o
- How to Encourage: http://bit.ly/bEOP78
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What principle, insight or idea struck you as particularly helpful, insightful or difficult to grasp?
- What verses in Scripture can you think of that deal with the power of words? What do these verses tell you the nature of man? What do you see about the nature of God? Do you observe anything in these verses regarding characteristics of wisdom?
- How have you personally seen or experienced the power of words and speech in a positive way? In a negative way?
- “Words are the signature of the soul.” Can you think of any examples where you’ve observed this?
- How can intellect and wisdom be at odds regarding how we use our words?
- How does the Gospel help us grow in wisdom in how we use our words?
- Who is someone you can impact in a positive way this week though the power of your words? Share with your small group and plan to follow up on this the next time you meet.
From the Field: Flowers Estate, Brazil
This picture was taken in January 2012 – a little over a year ago – when our staff and pastors were blessed to spend some time praying for Marcelo and Holly. We are thankful to God for where he is leading them now.
Marcelo and Holly minister with Open Arms Worldwide in Assis, Brazil. In 2012 they felt the call to change their ministry and move north to Belem, Brazil to work alongside RBC-supported missionaries Lynne McLeavy and Bete Cordosa in the Creative Hands ministry. This ministry focuses on the men, women and children that live the Flowers Estate, which is actually an area near the dump. In late January, Marcelo and Holly traveled 5 days north with all their belongings and arrived at Bairro dos Flores, or the Flowers Estate They were able to look at a house to live in the day they arrived and thankfully they were able to purchase the house and move in 2 weeks later. Owning their own home will communicate to the people that they are there for the long term. This will be huge in developing relationships with the people of Flower Estates. It will also offer a safe place to store ministry supplies and it is large enough that they will be able to host short-term missions teams that come to help minister throughout the year thus reducing the team cost.
Marcelo will be caring for the church that will officially started the first Sunday of March. This is the first time this area will have a church. The people from the dump are shunned from other local churches as outcasts. As they prayerfully consider the needs of those who frequent the services, Marcelo and Holly will look to develop additional facets of ministry that will best meet the needs of the church attendees.
Marcelo will also be starting a soccer school which will operate throughout the week for boys, teens, and men. They are prayerful that the school will be a vehicle to specifically minister to the boys and men of the community, sharing the gospel and developing discipling relationships. Marcelo and Holly will assist in the Saturday Bible Clubs, where children and teens gather weekly to participate in group activities and hear from the Word. Holly will be helping in the half day preschool that functions from Tuesday to Friday.
Holly is also excited to be the liaison between their ministry and Word of Life—a local Christian school—where 15 children from Bairro dos Flores are attending, having been sponsored by faithful brothers and sisters from the States. Holly will also be working with a teen servant group called BOPE. Their prayer is through every activity, they point others to Christ.
The longer they are there and the more they get to know people, the more thrilled they are about the opportunity of being there. They hope and pray that wherever the Lord leads them in life, they never lose the excitement of hopeful anticipation that they have knowing they serve a God who has the power to transform lives.
Though your sacrificial giving to RBC, the Missions Committee was able to significantly help in the moving expenses and with the cost of purchasing their home. The Missions Committee was also able to increase the monthly support of Marcelo and Holly. We pray that God will greatly bless their vital ministry as the gospel of Jesus is lived out in Bairro dos Flores. Please pray with us for them.
Call for Volunteers: Conversations
Conversations is an evening of music, humor, drama, and moving real-life stories. This year, nightly shows will begin the week of March 25-29. If you’re unfamiliar with Conversations, you can get more info here.
Our first performance is less than two weeks away, and we are in critical need of at least 60 more bakers and at least 40 more Children’s Ministry workers. There is also a less-critical need for ushers, parking attendants, prayer warriors, and make up artists. To volunteer for any of these positions, please click here.
We also need volunteers to provide food for the cast and crew prior to each performance (March 25-29). Each night during our Conversations outreach we will be feeding more than 100 people involved with the production. Please consider signing up to provide one or more items of food. To help with these meals, please click here.
For more information on any of these needs, please contact Barb Ruffner or sign-up online. And don’t forget to pick up invitation cards from the Welcome Desk and other tables throughout the RBC lobby the next time you’re here! We hope you’ll prayerfully invite many friends, coworkers and neighbors to this great event.Thanks.
Dale Peak
Administrator
VIDEO: Women’s Retreat 2013
Join us Friday, April 19, through Sunday, April 21, for the 2013 Reston Bible Church Women’s Retreat.
The Women’s Retreat is for all women, college age and above, who desire to step aside from their daily routine and focus their hearts and minds on our Lord Jesus Christ for an entire weekend. The retreat will include wonderful Biblical teaching, Christ centered worship, and small group discussion. Saturday afternoon is whatever you want it to be. You can attend a workshop, participate in a service project, spend time with friends, join other women in a planned activity, read a book, or just take a nap.
The retreat is a unique opportunity to gather with other women of RBC. It’s a time to deepen existing Christ-centered friendships and develop new ones; a time to connect with women in your stage of life; a time to meet women across the generations. It is a great opportunity to find community. We hope to see you there!