Sunday Rewind | 7.6.14
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
God Is Able (Ephesians 3:20-21) – God Is Able by Hillsong
God Is With Us (Psalm 46:10-11a) – Louder Than Creation by Michael Olson (North Point)
Majesty (Isaiah 53:5) – Majesty: The Worship EP by Leeland
The Lord Our God (James 1:17) – Let The Future Begin by Kristian Stanfill (Passion)
Glorious (Psalm 72:18-19) – Glorious by Paul Baloche
You Never Let Go (Psalm 23:4) – Beautiful News by Matt Redman
TEACHING: The Armor of God
The lie the enemy whispers in our ear is almost always some form of “God could never love you.” If you try to defend yourself with the armor of your own attributes, you’ll believe the lie every time – but God offers a better armor, and in Christ, the sin you cannot forget, God cannot remember.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this sermon?
- Read and discuss Ephesians 6:10-20. What do these verses tell you about man? About Satan? About God?
- How would you describe the battle mankind is engaged in, based on these verses?
- What does this spiritual battle tend to look like for you personally? What specific “flaming darts” are you currently dealing with (v. 16)?
- Do you ever feel the pressure to “hide behind a version of yourself”? Where does this pressure come from? Does the source of this pressure align with the truth of the scriptures?
- “Our greatest fear is to be known and to be rejected.” Do you find this to be true in your life? Do you find it difficult to let others know “the real you”? Why or why not?
- Do you ever find yourself defending yourself with the armor of your own attributes?
- “God could never love you.” How does the gospel address this lie?
- How does the armor of God in Ephesians 6 point us to Jesus?
- Send some time in prayer thanking God that He knows us and loves us. Pray for His redemptive perspective on any “flaming darts” you may be dealing with.
No Other Name – On Sale for a Limited Time
After the great response from our first live worship album, No Other Name, we’re excited to announce that we’d like to do another one this Fall. To make room and help fund the next album, No Other Name is on sale at the RBC Bookstore and on iTunes at the reduced price of $8 for a limited time.
No Other Name is available from the digital music vendors below. A limited number of CDs are avilable in the RBC Bookstore. You can also find No Other Name on Spotify, eMusic, Rhapsody, Rdio, and iHeartRadio. 
Sunday Rewind | 5.25.14
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Closer (Psalm 89:14-15) – Glorious Ruins by Hillsong
Rock of Ages (Deuteronomy 32:3-4) – Death of Death by Charlie Hall
The Lord Our God (James 1:17) – Let The Future Begin by Kristian Stanfill (Passion)
I Will Look Up (Deuteronomy 7:9) – Only King Forever by Elevation Worship
Give Me Faith (Psalm 73:25-26) – Nothing Is Wasted by Elevation Worship
TEACHING: Guess Who’s Coming For Dinner?
When we open up our homes to others, we shouldn’t be surprised when Jesus shows up. Chris Anderson teaches from Luke 24 on how hospitality is a window to the gospel.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing from this message that was particularly helpful or insightful? What was one thing that was difficult to understand or put into practice?
- “…I stood there staring up at the ceiling and wondering, was there really anyone one the other side, or were all our songs and prayers just bouncing back down at us?” Have you ever been able to relate to this?
- How would you define hospitality? Can you think of a time when you have been impacted by someone else’s hospitality toward you or your family?
- Read and discuss Luke 24:13-35. What might you observe about the nature of man from these verses? What do you note about the person of Christ?
- What do you observe about hospitality from these verses? What other biblical passages or stories can you think of that teach us about hospitality?
- What is the importance of hospitality from a biblical perspective?
- Do you consider hospitality a strength or a weakness for you personally?
- How is the gospel the ultimate portrayal of hospitality? How does the gospel challenge and empower us to exercise hospitality toward others?
- What is one specific way in this upcoming week that you can show hospitality toward someone else? Spend some time asking God to bless this, and thanking Him for His eternal hospitality toward us through Jesus.
Sunday Rewind | 5.11.14
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
God Is With Us (Philippians 4:9) – Louder Than Creation by Michael Olson (North Point)
Open Up Our Eyes (Ephesians 1:18-19a) – Nothing Is Wasted by Elevation Worship
Majesty (Isaiah 53:5) – Majesty: The Worship EP by Leeland
Lord I Need You (Hebrews 4:16) – All The People Said Amen by Matt Maher
Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies) (Deuteronomy 31:6) – Let The Future Begin by Chris Tomlin (Passion)
TEACHING: Revolutionary Love, Part 4
Love is always on mission, but prejudice interrupts that mission. You cannot love anyone fully if there is any prejudice in your heart toward them for any reason.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing from this message that was particularly helpful or insightful? What was one thing that was difficult to understand or put into practice?
- “Love is always on a mission.” Do you find this to be true? Why or why not? What is the mission of love?
- Read and discuss Jonah 4. What do you observe about the nature of God? What might Jonah tell us about the nature of man? What is the point of this chapter?
- Have you ever been angry with God? What happened? How has it been resolved?
- What comes to mind when you think of the word “prejudice”? How would you define it? What forms of prejudice do you observe in our culture? What forms do you observe in our church?
- Have you ever been on the receiving end of someone else’s prejudice? How did you deal with it?
- Is there a particular people, group or affiliation that you feel a level of prejudice toward?
- How does the gospel of Jesus Christ address prejudice? How does the gospel lead and empower us away from prejudice and toward love?
- What have you learned about love through this series? What practical take-aways have you been able to implement in your walk with Jesus? Spend some time in prayer thanking God for His great love and asking Him to help us put into practice what we know and what we have learned.
Sunday Rewind | 5.4.14
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Be Lifted High (John 3:30) – Nothing Is Wasted by Elevation Worship
Endless Light (Psalm 113:3-4) – Cornerstone by Hillsong
10,000 Reasons (Psalm 103:1) – Unrelenting Love by Nick Thurmond
Jesus Paid It All (Colossians 2:13-14) – North Point Live by Kristian Stanfill
In Your Presence (Deuteronomy 31:6) – Nothing Is Wasted by Elevation Worship
TEACHING: Revolutionary Love, Part 3
Love heals us horizontally and vertically.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- From last week’s “homework assignment,” were you able to show practical love to a difficult person last week? What happened?
- What was one thing from this message that was particularly helpful or insightful? What was one thing that was difficult to understand or put into practice?
- Read and discuss 1 Corinthians 12:14-13:13. What do you observe about the nature of God? What do you see about the nature of man? What do you observe about the people of God in the context of the church? How does 1 Corinthians 12 set the context for 1 Corinthians 13?
- What do you observe about love from 1 Corinthians 13? Which of these are strong points for you? Which are weak points?
- Do you think 1 Corinthians 13 is an achievable standard for loving others? Why or why not?
- Why do you think Paul highlights faith, hope & love (1 Cor. 13:13)? Why is the greatest of them love?
- What does it mean to “empty yourself of yourself”? How does this show love to others? Is there a relational situation you can think of in which you need to empty yourself of yourself? Spend some time in prayer about this.
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.
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.
No Other Name – Live Worship Album
We’re so thrilled to introduce our first live album, No Other Name. And we’re hopeful that it’s the first of many. There was very little discussion over what the vision for this particular project would be. We simply wanted to produce an album that puts great worship music into the hands of our people – but ultimately is filled with songs that have become the heartbeat of who we are as worshipers and how we desire to see God work in our church, both now and in the future.
The album title, No Other Name, comes from the lyrics of the song Forever Reign – a song that has resonated with so many of our people over the past year. We hold to a firm belief that God desires our worship and He empowers us to worship Him through the power of the Holy Spirit. It should be the desire of our hearts to praise no other name but the name of Jesus. As a church, when we gather together, worship together, and experience the love and mercy of our God together, we are reminded of how nothing can ever compare to the embrace of our Savior.
We hope that when you listen to these twelve songs, you’re reminded of how blessed we are to praise Him with our voices every week… from the bottom of our souls to the top of our lungs.
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No Other Name is available from the digital music vendors below. A limited number of CDs will be available soon in the RBC Bookstore. You can also find No Other Name on Spotify, eMusic, Rhapsody, Rdio, and iHeartRadio. 
RBC Worship in Brazil
This Sunday evening, members of the RBC worship band will leave for Brazil to headline the third annual Voz e Vida (Voice & Life) Concert to raise awareness and support for Open Arms Brazil (www.openarmsworldwide.org). This will be our second time there and we’re so excited to have the opportunity and to have the incredible support of our church. Many of you have given financially to our trip and we are so thankful for your generosity. I don’t know who gave what or how much – but I know that we’ve reached 88% of our goal – which is GREAT! So thank you. Many of you have asked how you can pray for us as we spend our week there… and as we experience South American SUPERSTARDOM.
1. Travel: We’ll fly all night through to Sao Paolo and then take a six hour bus ride to Assis (Note: it’s the nicest bus I’ve ever been on. Not joking. WiFi, A/C, fully-reclining seats, the WORKS). And our flight is direct, so there’s not a huge fear of losing anything. But we have six guitars and a couple cases of gear to bring along. Please pray for that.
2. Our promotional time: We’ll spend the first few days promoting the concert on TV and radio. We’ll play some acoustic shows at some of the area high schools and colleges, encouraging people to join us for the big concert on Thursday night. We will have opportunities to share our faith in Christ and minister to the people we meet. Please pray for that.
3. The concert: We headline the concert – covering about 70 minutes of music. We’ll be playing some of our favorite and best worship songs throughout the night – displaying lyrics in Portuguese for the people to follow along with what we’re singing about. There will be many, many believers there worshiping with us… totally free in their worship. It’s an incredible environment. And there will be many, many unbelievers there as well. Watching. Listening. And hearing the Gospel. Please pray for that.
4. The follow-up: The work that Open Arms does in Brazil is amazing. Based on last year’s event, there will be an influx of people wanting to give money, volunteer, or do anything to help. And Lord willing, there will be many who will trust Christ as their Savior. Please pray for that.
We are so thankful that God has provided a chance for us to use music to reach people for Christ, make Him known throughout the world, and partner with an awesome organization like Open Arms. God is working in amazing ways. We can’t wait to see it firsthand.
Thank you for your prayers and support. God bless.
Sunday Rewind | 10.13.13
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Our God Is Love (1 Iohn 4:9-10) – A Beautiful Exchange by Hillsong
Rock of Ages (Deuteronomy 32:3-4) – Death of Death by Charlie Hall
Beautiful Lord (Ephesians 2:4-5) – Sound of Melodies by Leeland
Always (Psalm 121:1-2) – Let The Future Begin by Krsitian Stanfill (Passion)
Lord of All (Psalm 97:5-6) – Attention by Kristian Stanfill
TEACHING: Philippians: A Journey Toward Humble Joy, Part 1
Joy is an inner spiritual confidence that God will see us through our earthly pilgrimage. In this message, Pastor Mike begins a series that will walk through the book of Philippians on a journey toward humble joy.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO/VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- If you had to give an abbreviated version of this sermon, what one or two points would you make sure to include?
- What comes to mind when you think of the word “joy”? How is joy distinct from fun? What makes you joyful?
- Read and discuss Philippians 1:1-8. What themes do you see in these verses?
- What does Paul mean by “partnership” or “fellowship” in the gospel (v. 5)?
- As a part of a local church, how are you partnering in the gospel?
- What is fellowship? Why is fellowship important?
- What are some general ways you can fellowship with others? Can you think of a specific person you could reach out to in fellowship? Reach out to them this week and bring a report of what happened to your group next week.