Finance & Stewardship Classes at RBC
I want start off by wishing you a happy new year. I also want to tell you about some new classes you might be interested in.
First, Dave Ramsey has come out with a new teen version of FPU known as Generation Change, which is an all-new suite of Bible studies designed to lead teens to a better understanding of God, themselves and their money—and how it all works together. In the three different teaching series, students are equipped with biblical principles to BE who God created them to be, DO more with their money, and GO out into the world ready to write their story. Lesson videos with Dave Ramsey and his daughter, Rachel Cruze, along with engaging hands-on activities, will bring new biblical and financial truths to this generation.
The class will be held concurrently with the normal version of FPU starting next Sunday (January 12). Both will be held in the Youth Building from 4:30-6:30 pm. Due to the room used for the class, it is limited to 20 participants. Click here for more information, including a short video, and click here to register your teen for the class. Cost is $30.
Next, if you would like to attend FPU again as a refresher, you are invited to attend the class starting next Sunday. Remember, as an alumnus you can attend at no charge. Click here to register.
Finally, some of you have expressed interest in taking a Crown Financial Biblical Study class. This course is an in-depth Bible study for those who want to spend 3-4 hours a week deep in the Word to learn more about biblical stewardship. This class will be held during the first service (9:00-10:45 am) in Room 220 starting next Sunday, January 12. It runs for 11 weeks. Click here for more information, including a short video, and click here to register for the class. Cost is $45 and scholarships are available.
I hope your new year is off to a great start and that you will prayerfully consider taking advantage of one or more of these excellent training opportunities. Please contact me if you have any questions. Have a very blessed new year.
Remembering God, Part 6: In Traditions
At the start of this series, I began by laying out four things we risk when we do not remember who God is and all that He has done. These were:
- Falling into idolatry/trusting ourselves or our possessions (Deut. 8:13-14)
- Never growing in trust of/faith in God (Isa. 40:20-21)
- Stumbling into sin and suffering the Father’s discipline (Deut. 8:19)
- Forfeiting a generation to the enemy (Judges 2:10-11)
So how do we, as parents, make sure that our family is all about remembering God? So far we’ve looked at remembering Himin the Word, in song, and in prayer and in fellowship. This post, I’d like us to look at how the people of God remember him in our traditions and memorials.
In the modern Bible church movement there has, in my estimation, been an almost complete purge of tradition, ceremony, and memorial from church life. In our defense, I think that this has largely been a reaction to “traditionalism.” This I will define as the elevation of a tradition, or memorial, to the point where the original meaning and intent are lost. It is often replaced by the wholesale worship of the tradition itself. A rejection of such idolatry is just and right. I am afraid, however, that we have thrown the baby out with the bath water, so to speak.
Wouldn’t a more conservative approach be to recapture the true meaning and purpose of tradition and memorial in our lives? To answer this question we must first understand the answer to two other questions. First, where did we get our traditions, memorials, or ceremonies? The second is why did we get them? Let’s look to scripture as our guide.
“Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”
(Joshua 4:4-7)
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19)
These are only two of many, many examples you can find in both the Old and New Testaments, but I think they answer our two questions. Tradition and memorial are gifts to us, ordained, and in many cases commanded, by God. God intended their use as a tool for helping us to remember who He is and all that He has done for us throughout history.
Tradition and memorial are gifts to us, ordained – and in many cases, commanded – by God.
Does this mean that the only traditions or memorials that are okay are the ones explicit in Scripture? I would say no. You can also find places in scripture where a memorial or altar is erected, without direct instructions from God, in order to worship Him and remember something specific He had done.
Two RBC families come to mind when I think of creating tradition and memorial. The first family told me a story of their “Memorial Shelf.” This is a prominent shelf where they display items that remind them of something specific God did on their behalf in answer to prayer. To most people it might look like a shelf full of junk. But they always ask, “what is the story with all that stuff?” and then this faithful family can tell them the stories of God’s grace and mercy in their lives.
The second family created their own tradition at Christmas. It involves the dad doing a dramatic reading of the Luke account of the birth of Jesus. As they get to each new character in the account the children must go out and find that figure for the nativity. When they find it is always sitting with a pile of gifts, one for each person in the family, and they open those gifts before moving on in the story. They’ve told me this can take all day but the emphasis on the true gift of God in Jesus is rich in this family tradition and is never lost.
What am I getting at? God gave us tradition as a tool to help us and our children and their children, to remember. We must not forget and we must not allow the next generation to forget either. Don’t let traditionalism rob you of this God ordained tool. Embrace the historic traditions, make up your own, set up memorials, but don’t ever lose the reason behind the tool.
It is my prayer that, as you’ve read through this series of devotions on remembering God, you have discovered new ways for you and your family to make remembrance a vital part of your spiritual lives. In song, in prayer, in the Word, in fellowship, and in tradition – being careful, “so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” (Deuteronomy 4:9)
May your Christmas be one of blessed memories,
Mike Meyers, Director of Children’s Ministry
Sunday Rewind | 12.15.2013
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Closer (Psalm 89:14-15) – Glorious Ruins by Hillsong
O Come All Ye Faithful (Luke 2:15-16) – Christ Is Come by Big Daddy Weave
Lord of All (Psalm 97:5-6) – North Point Live by Kristian Stanfill (North Point)
Our King Has Come (Romans 5:1-2) – For The Honor by Elevation Worship
Joy To The World (Luke 2:10) – Original Arrangement
TEACHING: Philippians: A Journey Toward Humble Joy, Part 7
Good relationships are built on who you are, not what you can do. Integrity is the glue that holds relationships together.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What is one thing that stood out from this sermon that you found particularly insightful, helpful, or difficult to grasp?
- Who is someone you have a “level 5” relationship with? What is the glue that holds that relationship together?
- Read and discuss Philippians 2:19-29. What does this tell you about the person and nature of God? What do you see about the nature of man? What do you observe about the integrity and character of the men Paul mentions?
- What is the difference between integrity and honesty? What role does character play in the life of a Christ-follower?
- “Much of life is measured by relationships…” Have you found this to be true? What is the purpose and value of good relationships?
- How does the gospel affect or direct your relationships?
- Can you think of someone who desires your success above their own? Are you that person for someone else?
- Can you think of someone you can push toward success in kingdom living? Spend some time in prayer for them and ask God how He might have you reach out to them this week.
Remembering God, Part 5: In Fellowship
In our introduction I began by laying out four things we risk when we do not remember who God is and all that He has done. These were:
- Falling into idolatry/trusting ourselves or our possessions (Deut. 8:13-14)
- Never growing in trust of/faith in God (Isa. 40:20-21)
- Stumbling into sin and suffering the Father’s discipline (Deut. 8:19)
- Forfeiting a generation to the enemy (Judges 2:10-11)
So how do we, as parents, make sure that our family is all about remembering God? So far we’ve looked at remembering Himin the Word, in song, and in prayer. This week, I’d like us to look at how the people of God remember him in their fellowship.
What comes to mind when we think of fellowship? Is it Christian friends gathered around a game of monopoly and a bowl of chips and salsa, having little more than small talk?
Please don’t misunderstand. There is nothing wrong with monopoly and salsa, of course. In fact, I think salsa is one of the greatest inventions in history. However, that is not the kind of fellowship that the Scriptures are speaking of. So what is and how can Biblical fellowship serve to help us remember God? Let’s look at what Biblical fellowship consists of and I think we’ll find our answer.
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:3)
What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. (1 Corinthians 14:26)
When Paul and John spoke of the fellowship of believers, I think they envisioned the kind of fellowship shared by Jesus’ closest friends. A group of the faithful gathered around the person of Jesus. They shared with one another what God had done (1 John 1:3), prayed together, worshiped together, and broke bread in communion together. If you are host to this kind of fellowship in your home then you are blessing your children more than you know. If you are not then I strongly encourage you to seek it out like a thirsty man seeks water. Like the ancients before us, gathered round the campfire telling the stories of our great God in action, we need to remember, together in fellowship, everything that God is and has done.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
As Christmas approaches, next time we’ll look at remembering God through our traditions and memorials.
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.
Sunday Rewind | 12.8.2013
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Our God Is Love (1 John 4:9-10) – A Beautiful Exchange by Hillsong
Glorious (Psalm 111:2-3) – Everything Glorious by Chris Tomlin (Passion)
Always (Psalm 121:1-2) – Here For You by Kristian Stanfill (Passion)
In Christ Alone (Galatians 2:20) – Let The Future Begin by Kristian Stanfill (Passion)
TEACHING: The Handiwork of God
General revelation prepares the heart for the specific revelation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What is one thing that stood out from this sermon that you found particularly insightful, helpful, or difficult to grasp?
- Read and discuss Psalm 19. What does this tell you about the person and nature of God? What do you see about the nature of man?
- What is the difference between general revelation and specific revelation of God? Where do you see general & specific revelation in Psalm 19?
- In what ways does general revelation prepare the heart for the specific revelation of the gospel?
- How have you seen or experienced the handiwork of God in a general sense? How have you seen or experienced the handiwork of God in a specific, personal sense?
- What role does the fear of the Lord have in the Christian’s life?
- Does God regularly reveal Himself to you? What might be blocking the voice of God in your life? Spend some time in prayer thanking Him for His revelation, and praying that He would reveal anything that may be blocking His voice in your life.
Remembering God, Part 4: In Prayer
In our introduction I began by laying out four things we risk when we do not remember who God is and all that He has done. These were:
- Falling into idolatry/trusting ourselves or our possessions (Deut. 8:13-14)
- Never growing in trust of/faith in God (Isa. 40:20-21)
- Stumbling into sin and suffering the Father’s discipline (Deut. 8:19)
- Forfeiting a generation to the enemy (Judges 2:10-11)
So how do we, as parents, make sure that our family is all about remembering God? So far we’ve looked at remembering Him in the Word and remembering God in song. This post, I’d like us to look at how the people of God remember him in prayer.
How do we teach our children to pray? I know that all too often I fall into the pattern of thanking God for the day’s blessings, asking forgiveness, and making requests. These are all biblical and worthy topics for prayer. But when it comes to remembering God for who He is and all He has done, we want to have something more than short-term memory.
In the book of Nehemiah we find a beautiful example of prayer that truly remembers God in all His glory. In the ninth chapter of Nehemiah the priestly Levites are leading a gathering of the people in worship after the wall has been rebuilt and many of the remnant of Israel have returned. In verse five, they call on the people to stand. Then there begins a rather lengthy prayer.
I think that in this prayer we can find a model for remembering God. First God is recognized for who He is. “Blessed be your glorious name,” they begin. “You alone are Lord.” Many of God’s attributes are then declared in prayer. He is praised as the creator of all things seen and unseen. Immediately following this they begin recounting to God the history of His interaction with them beginning with Abraham. Miracle by miracle, grace by grace, blessing by blessing, they revisit God’s hand at work among them and their own failings throughout the relationship. Wow! It is based on this detailed memory that they are able to cry out to God in the end and say, we know we have failed, we have sinned, but You are compassionate and forgiving and we are turning back to You. How sad it would be if no one present could remember any of it? Where would that have left them?
When it comes to remembering God for who he is and all he has done we want to have something more than short-term memory.
So how might our family emulate this example of memorable prayer? Here are two ideas for you to consider.
- Sit down as a family and record your family’s spiritual history. Include when people were saved, God provided in a different or special way, answers to prayer, etc. Go back as far as you can. Hearing about how grandpa or grandma came to Christ is exciting and interesting for your children. Include the failings as well, where age appropriate, but focus on how God worked through and in these struggles.
- Pick a time when the family can gather for prayer and worship. During your prayer time pray through your recorded history to God. Remember back to Him, as the priests in Nehemiah, who He is, all that He has done in your relationship, and acknowledge Him. Try to do this with some regularity, whether it’s once a month thing or something you do at a specific time of year. You will also need to keep the story updated as God continues to work in and through your family.
Tune in next time when we talk about remembering God through fellowship.
Deacon Commissioning
Today’s culture presents its own unique problems and challenges in fulfilling all the responsibilities and duties articulated by scripture for the church body to carry out. As a partial response, the elders of Reston Bible Church this year established the position of deacons and delegated to them the task of addressing the material needs of those that would call RBC their church home. Following a year-long review, selected individuals from the church body presented to the elders a proposed manual for a deacon ministry at RBC. The elders approved the manual and solicited deacon nominations from the congregation.
On November 24, nine deacons were publicly commissioned before the congregation and have begun serving as an extension of the church body’s love and care for widows and widowers, and a channel to direct the generosity of the body of believers at RBC to those with financial or material needs within the congregation. Please be in prayer for our deacons and this ministry.
Learn more about deacons at RBC at www.restonbible.org/deacons.
Sunday Rewind | 12.1.2013
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Alive In Us (Ephesians 2:4-5) – God Is Able by Hillsong
Rock of Ages (Deuteronomy 32:3-4) – Death of Death by Charlie Hall
Closer (Psalm 89:14-15) – Glorious Ruins by Hillsong
Unending Love (Romans 8:38-39) – God Is Able by Hillsong
Glorious (Psalm 111:2-3) – Glorious by Paul Baloche
TEACHING: Philippians: A Journey Toward Humble Joy, Part 6
Evil is far more than outward behavior – it comes from within. The only remedy is the truth of gospel of Jesus Christ.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- If you were to give a one-sentence synopsis of this message, what would it be?
- What comes to mind when you think of the words “evil” and “depravity”?
- Read and discuss Philippians 2:12-18. What does this tell you about the person and nature of God? What do you see about the nature of man?
- Read and discuss Mark 7:14-23 and consider the statement, “The basic makeup of the human heart is capable of committing any sin at any time given the right circumstance.” How do you react to this?
- How does the gospel remedy the “evils [that] come from inside” (Mark 7:23)?
- What does it mean to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12)?
- Is there an area of your life you feel God is calling you to “be poured out like a drink offering” (Phil. 2:17)?
- Pastor Mike uses the analogy of a “humanist wall” and a “gospel wall” – which wall is your ladder leaning against?
Remembering God, Part 3: In Song
In our introduction I began by laying out four things we risk when we do not remember who God is and all that He has done. These were:
- Falling into idolatry/trusting ourselves or our possessions (Deut. 8:13-14)
- Never growing in trust of/faith in God (Isa. 40:20-21)
- Stumbling into sin and suffering the Father’s discipline (Deut. 8:19)
- Forfeiting a generation to the enemy (Judges 2:10-11)
So how do we, as parents, make sure that our family is all about remembering God? So far we’ve looked at remembering Him in the Word. This week I’d like us to look at the how and why of remembering God in song.
We learn in the book of Job that God our Maker “gives songs in the night.” The Psalmist reminds us over and over that God IS our song. In Nehemiah we see that choirs were assigned to sing at the dedication of the wall around Jerusalem. In Ephesians we are commanded to speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. As the Israelites came up from the Red Sea their first response was to sing. So the evidence is overwhelming. We are to remember God in song. But why? Why not just the written or spoken word? Here are a few thoughts on why the Lord gave us music.
How many of you still sing your ABC’s? Who among us can recite the states and their capitals only in song? How many of us can easily recall a favorite song from our youth, word for word? If you are answering “no” to all of these then I’d like to know what planet you’ve been living on. Our Maker knows that music helps us remember. Imagine that.
Music goes beyond just a simple memory tool. It does something to us. It affects the way we respond to words.
If I were to read to you the lyrics of The Star Spangled Banner, it would probably not illicit much in the way of a physical or emotional response. Imagine now that I played for you a recording of Whitney Houston singing it at the Super Bowl. Goose bumps, teary eyes, and an overwhelming patriotic feeling, anyone? How about these lyrics from the song “Amazing Love” – ‘amazing love how can it be that you my King would die for me?’ When I read that, my mind understands the words but my heart is not engaged fully. Add music and a couple of hundred of us singing on a Sunday morning and I can’t get through the first verse without being choked up with awe and gratitude. Of course our Creator knows us perfectly and He knows that music has the unique ability to connect our minds to our spirits. For this reason music is a powerful way to meditate with ones whole being on the greatness of our God, His deeds, our salvation, His promises, and so much more. I encourage you to help your children take the example of the Apostle Paul when he said, “I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.”
Here are two practical ideas for helping your family remember God in song:
- When you are singing along to your favorite song, praise chorus, or hymn in the car or at home, take a minute to ask your children what they think the song means and where in scripture the words or ideas came from? Don’t let a teachable moment get away.
- Search out music that teaches, that recalls the greatness of God and the joy that we have in Him, that sings scripture, and fill your lives with it. The songs they learn now they will carry with them for their lifetime. Let it be a lifetime of remembering God in song.
Tune in next time when we talk about remembering God in our prayers.