Sunday Rewind | 8.21.16
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Keeper of My Heart (Psalm 121:1-2) – Majestic by Kari Jobe
How Deep The Father’s Love For Us (Galatians 6:14) – Mars Hill Music by Dispatch
Your Promises (2 Peter 1:3-4a) – Wake Up the Wonder by Elevation Worship
Be Lifted High (John 3:30) –Nothing is Wasted by Elevation Worship
TEACHING: Be Anxious for Nothing
We live in a world that is morally decaying. Pastor Mike and David Shedd dialogue about viewing the world in which we live through a biblical lens.
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 Sunday?
- What makes you anxious as you observe the state of the world today?
- Read and discuss Philippians 4:4-9. What does this reveal about us? What do these verses tell us about God? What commands, encouragements or warnings are there for us to heed?
- We live in a world that is morally decaying. What opportunities do you have (or can you make) to be salt and light in the environments in which you have influence?
- How do we balance the tension between security and compassion in an uncertain world?
- What is the root of anxiety, beyond circumstances and situations? How does anxiety relate to trust?
- How does the gospel anchor us in the midst of uncertainty?
- Read and discuss 1 Peter 5:6-7. What anxieties do you need to cast upon the Lord? Spend some time in prayer about this.
Preparing for Sunday | August 21
My hope and prayer for this blog each week is that God would use it to stir your affections for Him and for His Word, and to help you prepare for and eagerly anticipate what God will do through our time gathered together on Sunday. Here’s the first Preparing for Sunday post with a more in-depth explanation of why we do this.
PREPARING FOR SUNDAY, AUGUST 21
SONGS WE’LL BE SINGING TOGETHER
Keeper Of My Heart | [listen + lyrics]
by: Chris Tomlin, Jason Ingram, Kari Jobe.
How Deep The Father’s Love For Us | [listen + lyrics]
by: Stuart Townend
Your Promises | [listen + lyrics]
by: Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Steven Furtick, Wade Joye.
Be Lifted High | [listen]
by: Mack Brock, Chris Brown, Jess Cates, Wade Joye, Jane Williams.
SERMON TEXT
Philippians 4:6-7
READ
Sunday Rewind | 8.14.2016
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Only King Forever (1 Timothy 1:17) – Only King Forever by Elevation Worship
Alive in Us (Ephesians 2:4-5) – God is Able by Hillsong Worship
Rock of Ages (Deuteronomy 32:3-4) – Death of Death by Charlie Hall
O Praise The Name (Anástasis) (Romans 5:8) Open Heaven / River Wild by Hillsong Live
Cornerstone (Psalm 18:2) – Cornerstone by Hillsong Worship
TEACHING: The Purposeful Mind
Stagnation is devastating in the life of a believer. We must set our minds to the greatest purpose of all life – to know Jesus.
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 Sunday?
- If there was one thing about you that you could snap your fingers and instantly change, what would it be?
- Read and discuss Philippians 3:10-16. What does this tell us about us? What do these verses tell us about God? What commands, encouragements or warnings are there for us to heed?
- What is the role of change in the life of a Christian? What does change indicate? Are there some things that shouldn’t change?
- In what ways are we the church in danger of “standing still” or becoming complacent?
- What is an area where you need to stop coasting?
- Why are we so easily distracted from things that really matter by things that really don’t?
- Where in your walk do you need to forget what is behind and move forward?
- How does the gospel enable us to press on, endure, persevere?
- What is one area of your walk where you need to develop discipline?
- How does the gospel encourage, propel and enable biblical change in our lives? Pray that God would be graceful to continue to know and make you like Jesus.
Preparing for Sunday | August 14
My hope and prayer for this blog each week is that God would use it to stir your affections for Him and for His Word, and to help you prepare for and eagerly anticipate what God will do through our time gathered together on Sunday. Here’s the first Preparing for Sunday post with a more in-depth explanation of why we do this.
PREPARING FOR SUNDAY, AUGUST 14
SONGS WE’LL BE SINGING TOGETHER
Only King Forever | [listen + lyrics]
by: Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Steven Furtick, Wade Joye.
Alive In Us | [listen + lyrics]
by: Reuben Morgan
Rock Of Ages | [listen + lyrics]
hymn by: Augustus M. Toplady (1776); music by: Thomas Hastings; arrangement by: Page CXVI, David Wilton.
O Praise The Name | [listen + lyrics]
by: Benjamin Hastings, Dean Ussher, Marty Sampson.
Cornerstone | [listen + lyrics]
by:Eric Liljero, Reuben Morgan, Edward Mote, Jonas Myrin.
SERMON TEXT
Philippians 3:10-16
READ
Sunday Rewind | 8.7.2016
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
YOUR PROMISES (2 Peter 1:3-4a)
Brown, Brock, Furtick, Joye | Sony/ATV Tree Publishing
ONLY KING FOREVER (1 Timothy 1:17)
Brock, Brown, Furtick, Joye | Sony/ATV Tree Publishing
COME TO ME (Matthew 11:28)
Akers, Capps, Bleecker | Bleecker Publishing
O PRAISE THE NAME (Romans 5:8)
Hastings, Ussher, Sampson | Hillsong Music Publishing
TEACHING: Following Jesus to the End
Clear minds enable clear thinking.
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 Sunday?
- Read and discuss 2 Peter chapter 3. What does this tell us about us? What do these verses tell us about God? What commands, encouragements or warnings are there for us to heed?
- What is “wholesome thinking” or “a pure mind” (v. 1)? Why is this important?
- What causes us to forget God? What sort of “interference” do you tend to deal with?
- What does it mean to be deliberately ignorant of something (v. 5)? What are the results of this? How can we avoid doing this ourselves?
- What present-day scoffers have you seen or encountered?
- Why do we so easily buy into things without checking them out? What examples can you think of?
- What does it mean to redeem something? How does this relate to the gospel? How does it relate to our daily life?
- As we look at the world stage today, what comfort is there in knowing that God is in control and He redeems? What patterns of though or action in your life do you need to reevaluate in light of this?
- In light of all this, knowing what will come to pass, what kind of people ought we be? How can we lean into the gospel and look forward to the coming kingdom of God?
Preparing for Sunday | August 7
As Christians, we aren’t just individuals but a family (Ephesians 2:19-22), a people (1 Peter 2:9), and a body saved by Jesus (1 Corinthians 12:27), united to one another by our faith in Jesus Christ. That means that we are the church, God’s people, who worship Jesus together because He died for our sins and made us His.
The Bible describes several things that Christians are to do when they come together. We pray together (Acts 2:42), we sing together (Ephesians 5:19), we hear God’s Word preached together (2 Timothy 3:16), we take the Lord’s Supper together (1 Corinthians 11:26), and we celebrate baptisms together (Matthew 28:19).
“Preparing for Sunday” will focus on two of these aspects specifically — singing together and sitting under the preached Word together.
The aim of this blog is two-fold:
- To help us prepare for the time we gather together each Sunday.
- To encourage our worship of God throughout the week.
Each week we will send out the songs we will be singing together for the upcoming Sunday. It will include the song title/arrangement and links to the song and lyrics whenever possible. This will help us become more familiar with the songs we will sing together each week. And it will help us to learn any new songs or arrangements we will introduce. The point of our worship through song is to sing praises to God, to sing and encourage one another in the gospel, and to proclaim to a dying world that Jesus is the only hope.
Along with posting the songs, we will include the Scripture or topic for each week. The desire here is to encourage reading God’s Word and to spend time studying and meditating on the Scripture/topic prior to the sermon each week.
Here are several easy ways you could incorporate this prep into your weekly routines:
Listening to the songs:
- On your commute to and from work.
- To and from church each week.
- During work (if you are allowed and able).
- While folding laundry.
- During your family worship time.
- Cooking dinner.
- Cleaning up around the house.
Reading the text for each week:
- On your commute to and from work (if you don’t have to drive!).
- During work breaks/lunch breaks.
- During your family worship time.
- When you spend time in the Word each day.
My hope and prayer for this blog each week is that God would use it to stir your affections for Him and for His Word, and to help you prepare for and eagerly anticipate what God will do through our time gathered together on Sunday.
PREPARING FOR SUNDAY, AUGUST 7
SONGS WE’LL BE SINGING TOGETHER
Your Promises
by Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Steven Furtick, Wade Joye
WATCH AND LISTEN | LYRICS
Only King Forever
by Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Steven Furtick, Wade Joye
WATCH AND LISTEN | LYRICS
Come To Me
by Lizzie Akers (1902); additional lyrics: Jeff Capps, Michael Bleecker, Hunter Pecunia
WATCH AND LISTEN
O Praise The Name
by Benjamin Hastings, Dean Ussher, Marty Sampson
WATCH AND LISTEN (WITH LYRICS)
SERMON TEXT
2 Peter 3
READ
Sunday Rewind | 7.31.2016
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
UNSTOPPABLE GOD (Matthew 17:20)
Brown, Furtick, Joye | Sony/ATV Tree Publishing
ALWAYS (Psalm 121:1-2
Ingram, Stanfill | EMI Christian Music Publishing
MAJESTY( 1 Chronicles 29:11)
Smith, Gerrard | Curious? Music UK
THIS I BELIEVE (THE CREED) (Romans 1:16)
Fielding, Crocker | Hillsong Music Publishing
FOREVER REIGN (Lamentations 5:19)
Ingram, Morgan | Hillsong Music Publishing
TEACHING: The Gospel & Relationships
Love, humility, sacrifice and grace – these four pillars of the gospel of Jesus Christ have the power to change the direction of a nation.
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 Sunday?
- How would you explain justification and sanctification to someone who do not know what these words mean? Why are these important in the life of a believer?
- Read and discuss Philippians 2:1-11. What does this tell us about us? What do these verses tell us about God? What commands, encouragements or warnings are there for us to heed?
- In the text above, where do you see the four pillars of the gospel Pastor Mike mentions – love, humility, sacrifice and grace? What other scriptures can you think of that instruct us on each of these pillars?
- What are the opposite of those pillars that we should be careful to avoid as Christ-followers?
- What is one profound way you have been the recipient of love? What is one area of your life where you need to extend gospel-centric love?
- How is humility emphasized in these verses? What examples of humility have impacted you in your life? Where is an area where you need to grow in gospel-centric humility?
- How have you seen sacrifice modeled? Is there an area of life where God is asking you to make a gospel-centric sacrifice that might point others to Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice?
- How would you define grace? How have you seen grace in action? What relationship you need to apply gospel-centric grace?
- Spend some time praying for our nation, and asking God how you can move forth in your circles of influence with the power of the gospel of Jesus.
Sunday Rewind | 7.24.2016
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Our God Is Love (1 John 4:9-10) – A Beautiful Exchange by Hillsong Worship
Good Good Father (2 Thessalonians 2:16) – The EP by Zealand Worship
With Us (Psalm 46:10-11a) – God Is Able by Hillsong Worship
Come To Me (Matthew 11:28-30) – Look and See by Village Church feat. Lauren Chandler
Rock of Ages (Deuteronomy 32:3-4) – HYMNS II by PAGE CXVI
TEACHING: Between a Rock and a Hard God
Moses struck a rock in the wilderness in order to bring water to a thirsty people. Jesus, the true Rock, was struck so that lost people might drink the living water and never thirst again.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was something in this message that encouraged or challenged you? What was something that you hadn’t thought of before?
- What does it mean that Israel was “putting God on trial” in the wilderness? Who was really on trial?
- Do you ever find yourself doubting God that way? How does the Spirit convict you or comfort you in those times? What passages in Scripture help you?
- Read Exodus 7:1-7. How does this narrative foreshadow the Gospel? What do the rock, the staff, and the water point to?
- Tim Keller has said: “If there were no ultimate judge, what hope would there be for the world? But if there is an ultimate judge, what hope would there be for you and me?” What does this mean? How does the Gospel reconcile this tension?
- At the beginning of this message, Chris quoted an atheist who questioned God’s goodness and claimed that his life was better without God in it. How might you respond to him?
- Spend some time in prayer seeking God’s help in trusting Him more, and thanking Him for placing upon Christ the judgment that we all deserve.
Sunday Rewind | 7.17.2016
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Be Lifted High (John 3:30) –Nothing is Wasted by Elevation Worship
Nothing But the Blood – Already Not Yet by Citizens and Saints
I Will Look Up (Deuteronomy 7:9) –Only King Forever by Elevation Worship
Jesus Is Better (Mark 9:24) – King of Love by Austin Stone Worship
Your Love Never Fails (Romans 8:28) – Your Love Never Fails by Jesus Culture
TEACHING: The Heart of Leadership
Integrity is the heart of leadership, and the church must stand firm in integrity. The church is the only hope for the world because the church carries the message of the gospel.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing from this message that encouraged your faith? What was one thing that challenged your thinking?
- What does it mean that men and nations suppress God’s truth? Why do they do it? What are some of the consequences that can result?
- Pastor Mike noted how the culture tends to use words that soften the seriousness of sin — like exchanging “choice” for abortion and “cohabitation” for fornication. Can you think of any others? Why are the terms we use important?
- How does seeing ourselves, and each other, as being made in the image of God affect our understanding of human life?
- How might understanding that all men come through the line of Adam change our view of race?
- Read Psalm 15. How does this kind of integrity set God’s people apart from the world? Who are some people in Scripture who exemplify this passage? Do the verses of this chapter reveal any areas where you feel a need to grow?
- If God brought revival to our nation, what might it look like? Pray that believers would come together and cling to the truth of Scriptures, starting with the members of your group, that the world may know that God sent His Son as a payment for sin.
Sunday Rewind | 7.10.2016
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Your Great Name (Philippians 2:10-11) – Love Revolution by Natalie Grant
Come To Me (Matthew 11:28-30) – Look and See by Village Church feat. Lauren Chandler
O Praise the Name (Romans 5:8) – Open Heaven/River Wild by Hillsong Live
Unstoppable God (Matthew 17:20) – Wake up the Wonder by Elevation Worship
TEACHING: From the Field – The Will of the Father
For security reasons, we aren’t able to share this week’s message online.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was something that encouraged, challenged, or convicted you about this message?
- How have the recent events in our nation affected the way you pray?
- What are some weaknesses you see in your prayer life? Do you find it difficult to truly pray “not my will but Thy will be done”?
- Read Luke 22:31. What is your main desire or prayer when it feels like you are being sifted like wheat? To be safe or to be faithful? How could Jesus’ words in this passage speak to you during those times?
- Do you find yourself surprised by the evil in the world? How can we encourage each other to love and good deeds in the midst of evil?
- Read Hebrews 12:1-3. Why did Christ go to the cross, according to this passage? How do the truths of these verses help us as we walk through a fallen world?
- What does it look like to pray “in the Spirit”?
- Spend some time praying for God’s will to be done in America and around the world. Pray for the work of RBC missionaries, and pray that the Lord would show you how he wants to use the members of your group. Pray to ask God what He would have you do, in His will, and then be willing to sit quietly and wait on the answer.