TRAIL GUIDE: God’s Word is Our Strength
The “Trail Guide” devotional is used by our adult leaders of grade school groups in Quest as a way to prepare their hearts and minds for the topics we will be covering with the children on the weekend. We have made them available here to help our parents of grade-schoolers engage with their children around the topics we are discussing and also for anyone else that might be blessed by following along.
FREE CLIMBING, LESSON 4: Victory Over Sin
“It’s an open-book test.” Those words can indeed be beautiful to hear in the face of a difficult exam. I remember clearly the first time I heard them in a high school chemistry class. At once, my heart jumped because I had not studied well for the test. In fact, I hadn’t studied well for the whole year in that class. I thought, “This is a gift!” Sadly, my joy turned to nervous sweat as I frantically thumbed pages and scoured the index of a book I had barely cracked all semester. I quickly learned that, without a good working knowledge of the book, an open-book test isn’t much easier at all. I needed the answers now and there just wasn’t time to find them because I didn’t know where to look.
The temptations or tests that we face in our spiritual lives are “open-book” tests too. “Your Word is like a lamp that shows me the way. It is like a light that guides me.” “How can a young person keep his life pure? By living in keeping with your Word.” The psalmist says that the one who meditates on the Word day and night is “blessed.” When Jesus was tempted in the desert after forty days without food, his weapon of choice against the Devil was the Word. “It is written…” Jesus answered three times and Satan retreated. When Satan distorted the words of God, Jesus knew how to answer him. What if Jesus had, like Adam and Eve, simply listened to Satan’s lies and had no response? Rather than being hyper-vigilant and sheltering our children, we must exhort them to be prepared for what WILL come. And when they are tempted they will be able to say, “I have hidden your Word in my heart so that I won’t sin against you.” It’s an open book test. Know the book.
“How can a young person keep his life pure? By living in keeping with your word.”
“I have hidden your word in my heart so that I won’t sin against you.” (Psalm 119:9,11)
“So obey God. Stand up to the devil. He will run away from you.” -James 4:7
MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
Psalm 119:9,11
1 John 5:4-5
Matthew 6:9,13
James 4:7
Sunday Rewind | 1.19.2014
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Rock of Ages (Deuteronomy 32:3-4) – Death of Death by Charlie Hall
Christ Is Enough (2 Corinthians 12:9) – Glorious Ruins by Hillsong
Endless Light (Psalm 113:3-4) – Cornerstone by Hillsong
Alive In Us (Psalm 27:1) – God Is Able by Hillsong
TEACHING: The Ultimate Contradiction
After thousands of years of human innovation, knowledge and advancement, the human heart in its natural state remains unchanged. No matter how much we advance in our knowledge, the abuse of knowledge will always negate its benefits.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What do you hope to discuss as a group from this sermon?
- Read and discuss 1 Peter 3:13-17. What do you observe about the person of Christ from these verses? What do you see about the nature of man?
- What does it mean to be prepared “to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (v. 15, ESV). What specific instruction is found in 1 Peter 3 as to how to do this?
- Since knowledge is designed to solve problems, and knowledge is increasing at an exponential rate, problems should be decreasing. Yet, problems are not decreasing – but increasing. In what ways is this “the ultimate contradiction”? Is this observable and repeatable?
- “The abuse of knowledge will always negate its benefits.” Have you observed this to be true? Does scripture support this claim?
- Where do the arguments made in this message stand?
- How does the gospel of Jesus Christ give and sustain hope, despite the abuse of knowledge in any given arena of life?
**Thanks to everyone who submitted feedback on this message! We’ve closed the feedback form, but if you’ve got something to share, drop us a line at info@restonbible.org.
The Green Room Sessions: Christ Is Enough
This month, we’re introducing the song Christ Is Enough to our worship lineup. In this edition of the Green Room Sessions, Erik Palmer, Jesse Trask and Paul Goodnight discuss worship dynamics with youth, worshiping while leading, missional worship and the infinite help of Christ.
Just the Music: 07:24
The Green Room Sessions are a sneak peak into the heart of the worship ministry at Reston Bible Church. We have a huge desire to communicate God’s Word through song and respond to the Spirit, freely worshiping when we’re together. Our hope is that these short videos will provide an extension of the community at RBC and supply your home, car, and office with great songs about the greatness and love of our incredibly able God. See more Green Room Sessions here: rstbl.ch/PrUkYS
TRAIL GUIDE: God is Faithful
The “Trail Guide” devotional is used by our adult leaders of grade school groups in Quest as a way to prepare their hearts and minds for the topics we will be covering with the children on the weekend. We have made them available here to help our parents of grade-schoolers engage with their children around the topics we are discussing and also for anyone else that might be blessed by following along.
FREE CLIMBING, LESSON 3: Victory Over Sin
If he could do it, it would be a personal best. 305 pounds. He had trained at slightly lighter weights and thought he could chest press that much one time, but now, looking up from the bench at all that weight, his confidence was slipping. He was about to get up from the bench and leave it for another day when a human mountain, an offensive lineman, who he had seen press this weight multiple times, stepped up to the bar and said, “Do you need a spot? Come on – you got this.”
Our faith may fail. But God’s faithfulness never will. What does it mean to say God is faithful? Is it merely the textbook definition of faithfulness in human terms? Let us hope not. Faithfulness for a finite, limited creature is still, in the end, only wishful thinking or a good intention. The fulfillment of man’s promises, even a very good man, is limited by his humanity. Faithfulness for Almighty God is not only a good intention but a FACT, a reality which can be depended upon without reservation or doubt. When God makes a promise, there is no possible situation in which He would not be able to fulfill that promise. There are no extenuating circumstances capable of keeping God from fulfilling his faithfulness. It is His character.
The reality of God’s faithfulness becomes ever so important when we are tried, tested, or tempted. God allows testing and trials in our lives, just as He allowed Job to be tested, just as He allowed Peter to be tested. This testing is often a means to our spiritual growth. Just as a muscle will atrophy if it is not used and grow when it is pushed up to the edge of what it can bear, so it is with our faith. Faith that is never tested will never grow. God knows how much you can bear and has promised to never allow you to be tested beyond that. He will be your strength to stand up under it. He is standing with you saying, “I’m here. Come on – you got this.”
But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. -2 Thessalonians 3:3
MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
2 Thessalonians 3:3
Hebrews 4:14-16
Isaiah 41:10
Luke 22:31-32
Sunday Rewind | 1.12.2014
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Revelation Song – Let The Future Begin by Kari Jobe (Passion)
Open Up Our Eyes (Ephesians 1:18-19a) – Nothing Is Wasted by Elevation Worship
The Lord Our God (James 1:17) – Let The Future Begin by Kristian Stanfill (Passion)
Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies) (Psalm 27:1) – Let The Future Begin by Christ Tomlin (Passion)
Sometimes By Step (Psalm 34:1-2) – Original Arrangement
All Creatures (Praise His Name) (Psalm 148:13) – No Other Name by Reston Bible Church
TEACHING: Philippians: A Journey Toward Humble Joy, Part 10
The eager expectation of eternity is one of the great neglected truths of our day.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What do you hope to discuss as a group from this sermon?
- Read and discuss Philippians 3:17-21. What do you observe about the person of Christ from these verses? What do you see about the leanings of man?
- Who can you think of that has been an example to you in your walk with Christ? What about them makes you want to imitate them?
- What does it mean to have citizenship in heaven (v. 20)? How does the gospel both enable and uphold your heavenly citizenship?
- Why do you think the expectation of eternity is a neglected truth of our day?
- Do feel you “eagerly await” the return of Christ? What daily, practical implications would/should this perspective have in the life of a Christ-follower?
- What role does suffering play as we look forward to eternity? How might this alter how we view pain & suffering?
- What is one area where you need to “connect eternity to the problems of life”? Spend some time in prayer together about this.
TRAIL GUIDE: Anatomy of Temptation
The “Trail Guide” devotional is used by our adult leaders of grade school groups in Quest as a way to prepare their hearts and minds for the topics we will be covering with the children on the weekend. We have made them available here to help our parents of grade-schoolers engage with their children around the topics we are discussing and also for anyone else that might be blessed by following along.
FREE CLIMBING, LESSON 2: Victory Over Sin
Helping our children understand the nature of temptation is an important step toward demystifying it and overcoming it using Biblical principles empowered by God’s Spirit. When preparing to face an opponent, whether in athletic endeavors, war, or any other arena, we should study their tactics. From which direction will they come? A close study of scripture reveals to us the sources of temptation.
Temptation begins with a carnal thought pattern. “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.” (James 1:13-14)
Then, it is stoked by a world-system that is in opposition to the will of God. “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.” (1 John 2:15)
Finally, it is grasped by Satan, the great tempter, to bring it to fruition by questioning God’s truthfulness, making the sin appear attractive and filling the heart with desire. “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1) “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.” (Genesis 3:6)
“All the great temptations appear first in the region of the mind and can be fought and conquered there. We have been given the power to close the door of the mind. We can lose this power through disuse or increase it by use, by the daily discipline of the inner man in things which seem small and by reliance upon the word of the Spirit of truth.” – Amy Carmichael
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” -James 1:13
MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
James 1:13-14
1 John 2:15
Genesis 3
1 Peter 5
Introducing Courage Quest
According to data collected in 2009, one out of every five households in the United States has at least one child with special healthcare needs. These needs may include physical, cognitive, communicative, and behavioral challenges. This represents a significant segment of the nation’s population and the numbers seem to be trending upward. This same trend is reflected in our church family and that is why I am so excited to share with you the realization of a dream that we have had for RBC Children’s Ministry for many years. It is our desire that EVERY CHILD be able to engage with the timeless truths of the Bible and grow in a joyful relationship with Jesus Christ, not the least of these are our children with special needs.
Courage Quest, or CQ, is a new special needs initiative within the Children’s Ministry of Reston Bible Church. CQ exists to aide and empower all of our children to actively and significantly participate in all aspects of the Children’s Ministry and to provide appropriate support and accommodations when necessary. CQ accomplishes this goal by providing RBC Children’s Ministry volunteers with appropriate tools,resources and instructions to carry out their calling to minister to all children including those with special needs and disabilities.
On January 26th, we will be holding a special training for current Children’s Ministry Volunteers and people interested in learning more about becoming a Courage Quest Volunteer. This training is essential for all, as it will…
• Introduce the Courage Quest team members and their roles.
• Explain how Quest/Awana volunteers can, with and without direct CQ help, better minister to children with a variety of special needs including behavioral, developmental, and physical.
• Introduce new resources to help all Children’s Ministry volunteers know how to respond when issues arise with any child.
Please consider joining us for this important training. By helping a child engage with the Savior you are inviting the presence of Christ into your life. “And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” Matthew 18:5
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE FOR THE JANUARY 26 COURAGE QUEST TRAINING EVENT.
When: 1/26/14 – Right after the second service from 1:00 to 3:00pm.
Where: Quest Clubhouse
What: Lunch and free childcare will be provided. (If your children cannot eat pizza, please provide a bag lunch for them.)
I look forward to seeing you there.
Blessings,
Mike Meyers, for the RBC Children’s Ministry Staff
Annual Report 2013
If you missed last month’s announcement, we’ve released our 2013 Annual Report. The Annual Report is designed to provide you with a broad overview of what God has done in and through Reston Bible Church over the last year. Our prayer is that this year-in-review is an encouragement to you as we reflect on what God has done in and through His people for His glory. This report is not a compilation of our accomplishments, but those of our great and glorious God. It is a joy to look back on what He has accomplished and look ahead with joyful anticipation at what we trust He will do this upcoming year. We hope this report is an occasion to give thanks together as we continue seeking to know Christ and to make Him known here in Northern Virginia and beyond.
To read through the 2013 RBC Annual Report online, visit www.restonbible.org/annualreport. Printed copies are available at the welcome desk in the lobby. If you are out of the area and would like a copy mailed to you, please make a request to info@restonbible.org.
TRAIL GUIDE: Victory Over Sin
The “Trail Guide” devotional is used by our adult leaders of grade school groups in Quest as a way to prepare their hearts and minds for the topics we will be covering with the children on the weekend. We have made them available here to help our parents of grade-schoolers engage with their children around the topics we are discussing and also for anyone else that might be blessed by following along.
FREE CLIMBING, LESSON 1: Victory Over Sin
“The temptations in our high-tech culture are so much worse than our parents had to deal with.” This is in a sense true, but in another very important sense, it is not. While the Internet, a permissive culture, and a lot of other factors certainly facilitate sinful behavior, they have not created “new” temptations. “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). The temptations or enticements themselves are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. The selfish desire for riches, power, physical pleasure, and fame are still the “sticky” places in our flesh that Satan uses to hook us into sin just as he has for millennia. The good news is that, just as the temptations are the same, the Bible’s answer to them continues to be effective.
Before we were saved and found “in” Christ, we were “dead in our sins.” We were essentially slaves to our sinful or fallen nature. We operated within a closed system where sin had dominion. The Bible teaches us that something changed the day the light of Christ shined on us. We were freed from the rule of sin over our lives. “For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin” (Romans 6:6). If we are freed from sin are we sin free or temptation free? Clearly not, but it does mean that we are no longer trapped in the closed circuit. We are free to choose the right path. Free to resist temptation. Free to pursue holiness in Christ. For the believer this makes life more complicated. Before Christ we sinned because that was our nature through and through. Once we were “rescued from the kingdom of darkness and brought into the kingdom of the Son” we became a “new creation” called to be holy as God is holy. That can be a scary thought given that we are still living in mortal flesh, but God has given us his word that we will not be tempted beyond what we can bear, according to the grace given to us, and that when we are tempted He will always provide an escape route for us to take.
In the coming weeks we will be walking our young people through God’s promise to give us victory over sin in our lives because Christ defeated its power over us. There is great hope to be found in this truth. Christ, our great High Priest, does not command us to do that which He hasn’t already done and equipped us to do. Unencumbered by the sin that entangles us we are free to climb the peaks God has called us to in Christ.
Jesus was “tempted in every way, just as we are – yet, He did not sin.” -Hebrews 4:15b
MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
Ecclesiastes 1
Romans 6
Colossians 1
1 Corinthians 10:13
Hebrews 4:13-15
Matthew 4:1-11
Sunday Rewind | 1.5.2014
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Exalted One (Psalm 121:1-2) – For The Honor by Elevation Worship
Closer (Psalm 89:14-15) – Glorious Ruins by Hillsong
Beautiful Lord (Ephesians 2:4-5) – Sound of Melodies by Leeland
Forever Reign (Lamentations 5:19) – A Beautiful Exchange by Hillsong
Give Me Faith (Psalm 73:25-26) – For The Honor by Elevation Worship
TEACHING: Philippians: A Journey Toward Humble Joy, Part 9
The apostle Paul encourages us to press on toward maturity in Christ, not as a means of earning our salvation, but as a means of experiencing the riches we have in Jesus.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What is something that stood out as particularly helpful, insightful, or difficult to grasp from this message?
- What is the difference between knowing someone and knowing about someone? What are the implications of this for the Christ-follower?
- Read and discuss Philippians 3:7-16. What do you observe about the person of Christ from these verses? What is Paul saying about the topic of pressing on to maturity in Christ?
- Are there any tensions to you observe in this text? Are they resolvable?
- What are some things in your life that tend to distract or deter you from pressing on toward deeper maturity?
- How can assets become liabilities in the life of a believer? How does the Gospel call us and empower us to keep first things first?
- What is “one thing” you need to do today to press forward to deeper maturity in Christ? Spend some time in prayer about this with your small group.