Celebrating Generosity: Youth Winter Retreat
Here’s a quick update from Pastor Aaron Osborne on this year’s Youth Winter Retreat and how your generosity is impacting the lives of students for the glory of God. Thank you for being a generous church.
From the Field: Cambodia
Cambodia is one of the world’s poorest countries and heavily dependent on foreign aid. Years of war and genocide followed by a corrupt government has hindered the development of this country and kept most of the population poor. Thirty-eight percent of the population lives below the poverty line.
After the Vietnam War, the Marxist Khmer Rouge was in command (1975), and Cambodia endured one of the most savage slaughters in the 20th century. Almost all former military personnel, civil servants, doctors, educated people and wealthy people and their families were killed, and the nation was turned into a vast labor camp. The Vietnamese army ousted the Khmer Rouge in 1979.
Buddhism is the national religion. The Khmer Rouge sought to eradicate all religions and 90% of Buddhist monks and most all Christians perished. Since 1979 there have been periods of tolerance and since 1990 Christians have been allowed to worship openly but some limitations on mission activity has been legislated.
The great sufferings of the people in the past cause them to now be open and responsive to the gospel. From only a few thousand Christians surviving into the 90’s, believers now make up 3.5% of the population. This growth is almost entirely through church planting and multiplication done by indigenous church planters and evangelists.
Barnabas is one of these church planters and evangelists. As a native of Cambodia, Barnabas is one of only 200 Christians to survive the Killing Fields of Pol Pot. He joined Ambassadors for Christ International (AFCI) in 2001 to develop the ministry in Cambodia.
Barnabas joined the Communist party as a teenager and was converted to Christ while spying on a Christian evangelistic meeting in the early 1970’s. He was later arrested and sent to the Killing Fields where he spent four years in captivity. After his release, Barnabas was forced to flee the country where he spent another eight years in a refugee camp in Thailand. After returning to Cambodia, Barnabas helped rebuild the church in his native land, and 500 churches have been planted since 1998. Barnabas’ faithfulness to the gospel is an amazing story of that Moody Publishers has published in the book Church Behind the Wire.
Barnabas will be at RBC on Sunday, March 26, 2017 to share his story and encourage us in the area of missions. His book will be available for donation by cash or check only in the lobby after each service. All proceeds of the book sales will directly to Barnabas’s ministry in Cambodia.
Annual Report 2016
“I will remember the deeds of the LORD… I will ponder all Your work and meditate on Your mighty deeds.” – Psalm 77:11-12
As 2016 comes to a close, we hope you’ll take some time to remember, reflect and give thanks for many things our God has done in and through the body here at RBC over the past year. Our annual report is a way of doing just that. It is not a list to highlight our accomplishments, but a way of “remembering the deeds of the LORD…”
In the annual report, you’ll find brief overviews of many things God has done as we sought to know Christ and to make Him known in 2016. Of course, He has done far more over the past year than we can put here – “Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” (John 21:25) But our prayer is that this report will give you a brief glimpse of some of His mighty deeds, a taste of what He has done. Taste and see that the Lord is good! (Psalm 34:8)
As you read through and remember the goodness of God, we pray that you would rejoice in the glory of His grace and give thanks for the beauty of His gospel as it goes forth in so many ways in Northern Virginia and around the world.
Celebrating Generosity: Guilford Thanksgiving
Over Thanksgiving, RBC partnered with the staff of Guilford Elementary School to host a Thanksgiving dinner for the students and their families. Over 700 people enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving meal, many for the first time. Every person left full, happy, and grateful. We are so thankful for your generosity and your faithfulness. The staff at Guilford sends their thanks for your continued amazing support! Thank you for being a generous church.
The Marriage You Want
The Bible starts with a marriage and ends with a marriage. We are God’s image bearers – male and female – we were designed to become one. Even though the culture has changed, God’s design has not.
Michael Easley
Maybe you’d like to turn a good marriage into a great marriage. Or maybe you’re in a struggling marriage and need help, hope and direction. Or perhaps you’re just about to begin the journey of marriage and want to set out in the right direction.
Wherever you are in the journey of marriage, we invite you to join us the weekend of January 27-28, 2017 for our annual marriage conference. Author and speaker Dr. Michael Easley will help us review the biblical basis of God’s specific design for marriage and share how we can re-align our expectations toward His ideas. Michael is husband to Cindy, dad to four, pastor to Fellowship Bible Church in Nashville, and host of the podcast, Michael Easley inContext.
We invite you to join Michael and his wife Cindy on this journey of The Marriage you Have vs. the Marriage you Want! Renew, realign and re-calibrate your relationship into a new set of expectations that are both realistic and biblical. In addition to the conference itself, we would also like to encourage you to take the opportunity to stay overnight at the beautiful Hilton Doubletree at our discounted rate. You can choose to stay in-between the Friday night and Saturday morning conference sessions or for the entire weekend. It’s a great opportunity to disconnect and relax without the travel.
The cost of the Marriage Conference is only $45 per couple. Register here by Christmas Day to receive a $10 discount. Hotel accommodations for one or both nights can be made through this Conference Registration as well. We hope to see you there!
– RBC Marriage Ministry Team
Celebrating Generosity: First Fruits
Because of the generosity of over 800 volunteers who did 150 jobs, our First Fruits project raised over $41,000! Food and gift cards were personally delivered to 35 families and another 35 will receive food cards in the next few days. Excess funds will be used to provide several scholarships to local high school students and bless the staff of several area high schools. Thanks to all who donated directly, provided jobs and participated that day to bring joy (and food) to many hurting families in our community. Thank you for being a generous church!
Celebrating Generosity: Solid Ground
Because of your generosity, Reston Bible Church can host classes like Solid Ground, where many can explore the firm foundations of the Christian faith. Thank you for being a generous church.
VIDEO: Post-Election Considerations
Here are some post-election considerations from Pastor Mike as we interact on social media. As you interact with those around you – even (or especially) those with whom you disagree – consider how you might live out these these words from Colossians 3.
Colossians 3:1-17
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
(From the English Standard Version, emphasis added)
Sunday Rewind | 10.23.2016
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
YOUR LOVE NEVER FAILS (Romans 8:28)
Skinner, McClarney | Thankyou Music
FOREVER REIGN (Lamentations 5:19)
Ingram, Morgan | Hillsong Music Publishing
IN YOUR PRESENCE (Deuteronomy 31:6)
Brown, Williams, Gatch, Brock, Furtick, Joye | Elevation Worship Publishing
HOSANNA (Mark 11:9-10)
Ligertwood (Fraser) | Hillsong Music Publishing
CORNERSTONE (Psalm 18:2)
Mote, Morgan | Hillsong Music Publishing
TEACHING: The Hard Truth, Part 4
Spiritual food is greater than physical food. Learn, love and live the Word of God to reap the fruits thereof.
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 important would you rate the Bible in the life of a Christ-follower?
- Read and discuss Matthew 4:1-11, Hebrews 4:12, and Psalm 119:1-24. What do these verses tell us about us? What do these verses tell us about God? What do you observe about the Scriptures from these verses? What other verses can you think of that directly teach us about the Word of God?
- Would you say you have an appetite for God and his Word? How does one develop or acquire this appetite?
- How is the Word of God a light for our path (Psalm 119:105)?
- How can we know the voice of God?
- What is one verse that has shaped your life in a profound way?
- How does the Holy Spirit and the Word of God work in tandem?
- Spend some time in prayer thanking God for the goodness of His Word. Ask Him to help you learn, love and live His Word.
Sunday Rewind | 10.16.2016
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
GREAT THINGS (Isaiah 12:5)
Cartee, Furtick | Elevation Worship Publishing
UNSTOPPABLE GOD (Matthew 17:20)
Brown, Furtick, Joye | Sony/ATV Tree Publishing
BE THOU MY VISION (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)
Norsworthy, Hull, Byrne | Heartsong Music
BUT GOD (Ephesians 2:4-5)
Bleecker, Hall, Chandler | Bleecker Publishing
OUR GOD IS LOVE (1 John 4:9-10)
Houston, Ligertwood | Integrity Music
TEACHING: The Hard Truth, Part 3
Naked and ashamed, we are far more broken that we are willing to admit. Shame sculpts the soul and gives birth to fear. Only the gospel paves the way back.
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?
- Would you consider yourself a vulnerable person? Is it easy for you to open up to others? Why or why not?
- Read and discuss Genesis 2:25-3:13. What do these verses tell us about us? What do these verses tell us about God? What do you observe about shame from these verses?
- Share a time when you were ashamed. How does shame drive us away from vulnerability?
- How does shame “sculpt the soul” and give birth to fear? What does fear lead us to do? What kind of people does fear lead us to be?
- How do we hide from God, others and ourselves?
- In what ways do we tend to cover our brokenness? What are your go-to “fig leaves”?
- How does scripture provide us with a reference point through which to view ourselves, others, and the world?
- How does the gospel of Jesus call us out of shame, fear and self-atonement?
- Read and discuss Hebrews 12:1-2. What shame in your life do you need to despise? Where do you need to be vulnerable and honest with someone else? With yourself? With God? What is one step toward vulnerability that you can take in each of these areas? Spend some time in prayer in prayer about this and ask the members of your group to help you be accountable to take those steps.