App Resource for Scripture Memorization
We hope many of you take on Pastor Ed’s Scripture memorization challenge from last week’s sermon, Give Me Life According to Your Word. He asked that all RBCers consider memorizing 12 verses over the summer months – these are 12 verses we’ve selected from throughout Scripture that tell us about Scripture. If you didn’t get the memory verse cards passed out last Sunday, those are available by request at the Welcome Desk in the lobby.
We’re also pleased to recommend another resource for Scripture memorization called BibleMinded. BibleMinded is a free app published by the American Bible Society that allows you to select specific verses to memorize, follow along with pre-made memorization plans, or create your own customized memorization plans. It’s a great resource as we read, delight in and obey the Word of God.
BibleMinded is available on Apple, Android and Kindle Fire mobile devices. You can search for BibleMinded from within your device’s store or marketplace or visit http://biblemindedapp.com/.
The 12 verses from Pastor Ed’s memorization challenge are included in the app as a featured memorization plan. To access it, download the app, touch Add a Verse and select Plans. As one of the options, you’ll see “Delighting in God’s Word” from Reston BIble Church. You can Add This Plan and start memorizing! Many thanks to RBCer Scott Wennermark of the American Bible Society for setting this up for us.
Sunday Rewind | 5.18.2014
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
God Is Able/Christ Is Enough (Ephesians 3:20-21) – Forever Reign by Hillsong Chapel/Glorious Ruins by Hillsong
Lord I Need You (Hebrews 4:16) – All The People Said Amen by Matt Maher
Hosanna/Hallelujah (Our God Reigns) (Mark 11:9-10) – Savior King by Hillsong/Forever Reign by Hillsong Chapel
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: Give Me Life According to Your Word
Psalm 119 admonishes us to read God’s word, delight in His word, and obey His word. Revelation from God in the Bible – when understood, delighted in and obeyed – puts us on the path that leads to genuine life.
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?
- Read and discuss Psalm 119:1-8, 33-40. What do you observe about the nature of God? What is implied in these verses about the nature of man? What do these verses tell us about God’s word?
- How would you respond to Pastor Ed’s three questions – Do you (currently) read God’s word daily? Do you (currently) delight in His word, the Scriptures? Do you (currently) obey God’s word?
- What does it mean to hide God’s word in your heart (Psalm 119:11)?
- Can you think of a time when the word of God gave you comfort or ministered to you specifically during a difficult season or situation?
- How does the word of God free us from guilt & shame and show us the path to life?
- In Psalm 119:33-37, what are the five requests the psalmist makes as he approaches God’s word? How can you incorporate these into how you approach the word?
- What does it mean to delight in God’s word? What should you do if you have no delight in it?
- How might your love for God’s word be kindled or re-kindled through Scripture memorization? Discuss as a small group if you would be willing to work together this summer to memorize the Scripture memorization packet provided with this teaching (these are available at the Welcome Desk if you did not get one on 5/18.)
As You Walk Along the Way
On May 2, RBC held a Marriage Booster event featuring Mike Meyers, our Director of Children’s Ministry and the president of Open Arms Worldwide. If you missed the event or would like a refresher, you can listen to the audio here. Below is an outline from Mike from his teaching.
The greatest battle that the church family currently faces is the knock-down drag-out fight with Satan over the hearts of the next generation. Raising a generation that knows Christ and makes him known will be the greatest gift & legacy we leave for the world.
Key Verse:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Deut. 6:5-7
Considering our passage in its immediate context,
- Verse 5 – Preceded by the “greatest command”
- Verse 6 – It is a matter of the heart
Notice in Verse 7,
- Not a request – The imperative form is used. This is a command.
- “Impress them on your children” – Teach them diligently.
- Life on life discipleship
7 Principles for Walking Along the Way
Principle #1 – Don’t Freak Out – “Concern is healthy; panic kills.”
- Take the long view because God is writing a story in the life of your child. It’s a movie not a snapshot.
Principle #2 – Be Real
- Walking along the way means not being a pretender. You may fool a very young child for a little while, but they will find you out it will shake their faith to its core.
Principle #3 – More lens, less shield
- Spend more time giving our children the proper lens through which to see this world, and less time sheltering them from it. If we don’t someone else will.
Principle #4 – Enter their world – Jesus entered ours (Phil. 2:5-7)
- Make it a point to know the young person you are walking with.
Principle #5 – The target is the Savior, not behavior – Adjust your aim
- Lead them to the gospel (Romans 3:23, 6:23)
Principle #6 – Be joyful
- “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” 3 John 1:4
Principle #7 – No excuses
- Excuses may be valid, but they will be overcome when generational discipleship becomes a priority.
I hope that you found something here to challenge you and to encourage you to take seriously God’s call to generational discipleship and ask yourself the question, “What legacy are we leaving?” “Will we be mentioned in anyone’s story of faith?”
Questions for further discussion:
- If I could be remembered by my children or grandchildren for only one thing it would be…
- If you looked back at your life using Mike’s metaphor of the “snapshot” what period of your life might have given the adults around you reason to despair? How has God used that time period in the broader narrative of your life?
- Have you ever thought about your relationship with the children in your life as one of teacher-disciple? Why/why not? How might this perspective change the way you parent or engage with young people close to you?
- Did you ever view your relationship with your parents as one of disciple to teacher? Why or why not?
- In what ways does the teacher-disciple relationship change as children grow up and in what ways does it stay the same?
- How are you, or could you be, living out God’s command to “walk along the way” with the next generation?
Sunday Rewind | 4.27.2014
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
All Because of Jesus (Romans 8:10) – Louder Than Creation by Steve Fee (North Point)
The Lord Our God (James 1:17) – Let The Future Begin by Kristian Stanfill (Passion)
With Us (Psalm 46:10-11a) – God Is Able by Hillsong
Your Love Never Fails (Romans 8:28) – Your Love Never Fails by Jesus Culture
I Lift My Hands (Psalm 46:10) – And If Our God Is For Us… by Chris Tomlin
TEACHING: Revolutionary Love, Part 2
People all around us are in desperate need of redemption. Who do you know in life that you need to “be neighbor to”? If we took this mindset seriously, nothing would stop us from sharing & showing the revolutionary love of 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?
- “Everybody, deep down, wants redemption.” Have you found this to be true? Why or why not?
- Read and discuss Mark 12:28-34. What does this tell you about the nature of man? What does it tell you about God?
- What does it mean to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (v. 30)? What does it mean to “‘Love your neighbor as yourself” (v. 31)? How are these two laws connected?
- Read and discuss Luke 10:25-37. Why does Jesus tell this story? Identify the characters in this story – who do you relate to most?
- What is the difference between asking “Who is my neighbor?” and “Who can I be neighbor to?”
- Can you think of a difficult person God has put in your life? What makes that relationship so difficult?
- How could you practically show love to that person this week? What would it look like to “be neighbor to” them? Spend some time in prayer about this.
Sunday Rewind | 4.20.2014
TEACHING: Revolutionary Love, Part 1
As Pastor Mike begins a new series on the revolutionary love of God, we look at the roles of logic, science and faith when considering the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
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?
- What does Easter mean to you? What Easter traditions do you and your family have?
- Read and discuss 1 Corinthians 15:12-28. What does this tell you about the nature of man? What does it tell you about God? How do you respond to the hard statements Paul makes in these verses?
- In what way(s) does the Christian faith hinge on the resurrection?
- What do these verses tell us about the importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
- How would you define faith? How does one grow in faith in something?
- What are the roles of logic, science and faith when considering the resurrection?
- How does the resurrection show God’s love?
- How does the full narrative of the Bible point to the resurrection?
- What personal impact does the resurrection have for you? Spend some time in prayer thanking God for His revolutionary love expressed through the power of the resurrection.
Prayer Resources at RBC
E-MAIL PRAYER CHAIN
To join our email prayer chain: Send an email to: prayerchainatrbc@gmail.com and put the word “Join” in the subject line. You will then be added to our email distribution list to received regular updates of prayer requests.
Prayer requests should be for attendees, their families, and upcoming ministry needs. Please indicate if your prayer requests are confidential. Confidential requests will be distributed to the staff and elders only. All other prayer requests will be complied and distributed periodically to the members of the RBC prayer chain.
To submit a prayer request: Send an email to prayerchainatrbc@gmail.com with “Prayer Request” in the subject line. If it is a confidential request, please indicate so in the subject line (confidential prayer requests are sent to staff and pastors only). Urgent prayer requests can be phoned in to the church office at 703-404-5010.
THRONE OF GRACE
In addition, there is an attachment to our weekly e-newsletter called Throne of Grace. Throne of Grace is a compilation of current prayer requests divided into the following categories: Praises (including new births), Health Concerns, Ongoing Needs, Family Needs, Condolences, Upcoming Events (RBC), along with occasional staff-designated categories such as Featured Ministry, Featured Area of Prayer (such as people in the military, marriages in the church, etc.).
The purpose of Throne of Grace is not just to inform the body, but to give you the opportunity to minister to the body through love, prayer, encouragement and meeting each others needs. If you do not receive our weekly e-newsletter, please email Dale Peak.
We pray that Reston Bible Church will become a church of prayer and glorify God in all that we do.
Sunday Rewind | 4.13.2014
TEACHING: Before the Throne, Part 4
Why does all hell break loose when we try to enter into prayer? Because prayer is war, and the lack of prayer is nothing less than a declaration of independence from God.
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?
- Read and discuss Matthew 26:36-46. What do you see about the nature of man? What do these verses tell you about the nature & person of Jesus? What do you observe about prayer in these verses?
- “Prayer is war.” What does this mean? Have you found this to be true?
- Pastor Mike highlights several other hindrances to entering in to prayer: “Prayer is too hard.” “I rarely get what I ask for.” “I can’t find the time.” “Prayer is boring.” “I get distracted.” “I can’t see the Person I’m talking to.” “I can’t hear a response.” “I don’t need to pray about ____. That will never happen to me – I’ve got this under control.” Which of those hindrances do you struggle with?
- What other hindrances to prayer can you think of?
- How does being strategically specific help us engage in prayer?
- Can you think of a prayer that God did not answer, then discovered later it was for the best?
- Through this series, what have you learned about the importance & benefits of prayer? By contrast, what are the detriments of not praying?
- How do you feel you need to grow in the area of prayer? What will you do to pursue this – what’s your plan? Spend some time in prayer asking God to make you a person of consistent prayer, and our church a church of constant prayer.
Sunday Rewind | 4.6.2014
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
God Is Able (Ephesians 3:20-21) – God Is Able by Hillsong
Endless Light (Psalm 113:3-4) – Cornerstone by Hillsong
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (Psalm 16:11) – Original Arrangement
Mighty To Save (Zephaniah 3:17) – Yahweh by Hillsong Chapel
Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies) (Psalm 27:1) – Let The Future Begin by Chris Tomlin (Passion)
TEACHING: Before the Throne, Part 3
What happens when we pray?
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- If you had to give a one-sentence synopsis of this message, what would you say?
- Read and discuss Acts 10:1-43. What do you see about the nature of man? What do these verses tell you about the nature & person of God? How would you compare & contrast Peter & Cornelius? What do you observe about prayer and how God uses or responds to prayer?
- What is the difference between “descriptive” and “prescriptive” in regards to Scripture?
- In the verses from Acts 10, what can you identify as descriptive and what can you identify as prescriptive?
- Are there dangers in “hearing from God”? How can we know if we are actually hearing from God?
- Have you ever heard from God as a direct answer to a specific prayer? What happened?
- Are you currently waiting to hear from God on something specific? How do you want Him to respond? As best you can discern, what are your motivations in this? Spend some time together in prayer asking God to align your motives to His.
Sunday Rewind | 3.30.2014
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Alive In Us (Ephesians 2:4-5) – God Is Able by Hillsong
I Will Look Up (Deuteronomy 7:9) – Only King Forever by Elevation Worship
Nothing But The Blood (Ephesians 1:7-8a) – Facedown by Matt Redman
Always (Psalm 121:1-2) – Here For You by Kristian Stanfill (Passion)
Forever Reign (Lamentations 5:19) – A Beautiful Exchange by Hillsong
10,000 Reasons (Psalm 103:1) – Unrelenting Love by Nick Thurmond
TEACHING: Before the Throne, Part 2
We tend to let cultural fears direct our prayers, which can lead to disillusionment and a lack of depth in our prayer life. May we instead be driven to deep prayer by the glorious greatness of Christ.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing from this sermon you found particularly helpful, insightful or difficult to understand?
- Read and discuss Ephesians 1:15-20. What do you see about the nature of man? What do these verses tell you about the nature & person of God?
- From these verses, what do you observe about Paul? What is he showing us about prayer?
- How does our culture affect how we pray? Are there ways in which this is good, bad or neutral?
- What is the “fuel” that drives you to pray? What do you pray most often about?
- Have you ever felt disillusioned because of prayer? What happened?
- Can you identify a particular fear that tends to dominate your thoughts or prayer life?
- How does understanding “the glorious greatness of Christ and the hope of His glory” affect how we pray?
- Spend some time in prayer together asking God to enlighten the eyes of your heart (Eph. 1:18) and deepen your desire and ability in the area of prayer.
Sunday Rewind | 3.23.2014
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Sing, Sing, Sing (Psalm 47:6-7) – Hello Love by Chris Tomlin
With Us (Psalm 46:10-11a) – God Is Able by Hillsong
Be Lifted High (John 3:30) – Nothing Is Wasted by Elevation Worship
Our God Is Love (1 John 4:9-10) – A Beautiful Exchange by Hillsong
Christ Is Enough (2 Corinthians 12:9) – Glorious Ruins by Hillsong
In Your Presence (Deuteronomy 31:6) – Nothing Is Wasted by Elevation Worship
TEACHING: Before the Throne, Part 1
Through Christ, we can approach the throne of grace with confidence. Prayer is not about the result, but about the One in whom we trust – it is seeking the face of God, not just His hand.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing from this sermon you found particularly helpful, insightful or difficult to understand?
- What is prayer? How would you describe/define prayer to someone who doesn’t know what it is?
- Read and discuss Hebrews 4:14-16 and Psalm 46. What do you see about the nature of man? Of God? What does these verses tell us about how we can relate to God? What do you observe about prayer?
- What are other Scriptures you can think of that instruct us on the topic of prayer?
- What is the purpose of prayer? Why should we pray?
- On a scale from 1-10 (1 = non-existent, 10 = constantly in prayer), how would you rate your prayer life? Why?
- What do you find keeps you from prayer? What pushes toward prayer?
- How can you grow in the discipline of prayer? Spend some time in prayer about this.