Sunday Rewind | 3.31.2013
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Alive In Us (Ephesians 2:4-5) – God Is Able by Hillsong
Endless Light (Psalm 113:3-4) – Cornerstone by Hillsong
Majesty (Isaiah 53:5) – Majesty: The Worship EP by Leeland
Forever Reign (Lamentations 5:19) – A Beautiful Exchange by Hillsong
Crown Him With Many Crowns (1 Peter 1:3)
TEACHING: He Is Risen
The two thieves hung with Jesus at His crucifixion show the beautiful simplicity of the Gospel. These thieves represent two paths – one leading to death, the other leading to life. Which path have you chosen?
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO/VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What is one thing from this sermon you hope to discuss as a group?
- What Easter traditions do you and your family have?
- Read and discuss Luke 23:32-43. What do you see about the nature of man in these verses? What do you observe about the nature of Christ?
- Compare and contrast the two thieves. How are they similar? How are they different?
- In what way does the one thief represent death? In what way does the other represent life?
- In the context of Pastor Mike’s sermon, what does it mean to “pass through the cross”?
- Spend some time in prayer with your small group giving thanks for our risen Savior, Jesus.
Sunday Rewind | 3.25.2013
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Open Up Our Eyes (Ephesians 1:18-19a) – Nothing Is Wasted by Elevation Worship
Endless Light (Psalm 113:3-4) – Cornerstone by Hillsong
Our King Has Come (Romans 5:1-2) – For The Honor by Elevation Worship
Hosanna (Mark 11:9-10) – All Of The Above by Hillsong United
God Is Able (Ephesians 3:20-21) – God Is Able by Hillsong
I Lift My Hands (Psalm 46:10) – And If Our God Is For Us… by Chris Tomlin
TEACHING: A Word to the Wise – Part 3
“It’s just me and God” is not a biblical mindset. Rather, scripture shows us that there is great wisdom in close relationships. Don’t let pride keep you from experiencing the joy of deep friendship in your pilgrimage.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO/VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- Per last week’s message & discussion, were you able to intentionally impact in a positive way last week though the power of your words?
- What is one thing from this sermon that you hope to discuss as a group?
- Read and discuss 1 Samuel 23:15-18. What characteristics of a great relationship do you observe between David and Jonathan? Where else in scripture can we see the value and wisdom of close relationships?
- What are the hallmarks of a great friendship? How have you personally seen or experienced the value of wisdom in terms of relationship?
- Do you have any “Level 5” friendships? How have those impacted your life?
- Why do we tend to pull back from deep relationships?
- How does the Gospel push us away from pride to see the wisdom in close relationship with others?
- Are there specific relationships you feel God is asking you to pursue to greater depth? Spend some time in prayer with your small group about this.
Guilford Updates: Bingo Night & Book Fair
BINGO NIGHT: RBC helped sponsor a Bingo Night at Guilford Elementary last Friday evening. The event is one of the school’s biggest community events with 300-400 families attending. The Guilford staff and PTA were so thankful for the RBC volunteers and the financial support we were blessed to be able to provide.
Here’s an excerpt from a note we received from Alex Collier of the Guilford PTA:
“The volunteers really made the evening run smoothly. They were up for helping with anything we needed, and added a definite air of excitement to the night! Katie VanDorsten and her son were the best 50/50 raffle hawkers we’ve ever had! Together they raised almost $100! Julie and Micah Loesch worked the popcorn and cookie concessions like pros, and Tyler Preast and his friends did a spectacular job manning the bingo sales table, selling cards and daubers with confidence and pizazz!”
BOOK DRIVE: We are thankful to God for all who donated books and time for yesterday’s Guilford Elementary Book Fair. We were able to give out over 1500 books! Each child was able to take home 3 books of their own, and the librarians and resource teachers were able to restock their dwindling supply of books and resource items. The principal and entire faculty were so thankful to RBC. Many of these children have never owned a book and were joyfully overwhelmed to be able to take three books home. RBC is sharing the love of Christ to children in need in our community, and we are grateful for the many who invested your time (and books!) in serving them.
VIDEO: Youth Winter Retreat Slideshow
Last month, RBC hosted our annual Youth Winter Retreat. We spent the weekend with the kids teaching them and hearing about how we should live as Christians as Biblical men and women. The gospel was also shared and several of the youth indicated they had prayed to receive Christ! On our activity day, the youth did either indoor activities which included bowling, roller skating, laser tag, or an outdoor activity where the kids went skiing and snowboarding at Elk Mountain. It was a blast and it was great to see God work in our youth and speak to them that weekend.
Please be in prayer for our youth from winter retreat:
1. Pray that those who accepted Christ would continue to walk and seek to grow in their new-found faith in Jesus Christ.
2. Pray that the teen guys would take to heart the teaching on authentic manhood and would seek to no longer live passively or in laziness, but that they would become strong Godly leaders and initiators.
3. Pray that the teen girls would take to heart the teaching on biblical womanhood and would seek to live a God-centered life as daughters of the Most High King, living a humble life in His unfailing Love.
4. Pray that all our teens would remember and live from the fact that God created them for a specific purpose.
Sunday Rewind | 3.17.2013
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
O Worship The King (Psalm 145:9-10) – Hymns Ancient & Modern by Chris Tomlin (Passion)
Sing, Sing, Sing (Psalm 47:6-7) – Hello Love by Chris Tomlin
The Solid Rock (Psalm 18:2) – Original Arrangement
Beautiful Jesus (Romans 1:20) – Attention by Kristian Stanfill
Unending Love (Romans 8:38-39) – God Is Able by Hillsong
TEACHING: A Word to the Wise – Part 2
Proverbs 18:21 teaches us that the power of life and death is in the tongue. Words are a signature of the soul, and the weight and power our words carry is directly proportional to the relationship you have with that person. Do you use your words wisely?
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO/VIDEO
ARTICLES
Here are links to Pastor Mike’s articles on encouragement, which he referenced during this week’s sermon.
- Why We Need to Encourage & Be Encouraged: http://bit.ly/dBcx0o
- How to Encourage: http://bit.ly/bEOP78
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What principle, insight or idea struck you as particularly helpful, insightful or difficult to grasp?
- What verses in Scripture can you think of that deal with the power of words? What do these verses tell you the nature of man? What do you see about the nature of God? Do you observe anything in these verses regarding characteristics of wisdom?
- How have you personally seen or experienced the power of words and speech in a positive way? In a negative way?
- “Words are the signature of the soul.” Can you think of any examples where you’ve observed this?
- How can intellect and wisdom be at odds regarding how we use our words?
- How does the Gospel help us grow in wisdom in how we use our words?
- Who is someone you can impact in a positive way this week though the power of your words? Share with your small group and plan to follow up on this the next time you meet.
From the Field: Flowers Estate, Brazil
Marcelo and Holly minister with Open Arms Worldwide in Assis, Brazil. In 2012 they felt the call to change their ministry and move north to Belem, Brazil to work alongside RBC-supported missionaries Lynne McLeavy and Bete Cordosa in the Creative Hands ministry. This ministry focuses on the men, women and children that live the Flowers Estate, which is actually an area near the dump. In late January, Marcelo and Holly traveled 5 days north with all their belongings and arrived at Bairro dos Flores, or the Flowers Estate They were able to look at a house to live in the day they arrived and thankfully they were able to purchase the house and move in 2 weeks later. Owning their own home will communicate to the people that they are there for the long term. This will be huge in developing relationships with the people of Flower Estates. It will also offer a safe place to store ministry supplies and it is large enough that they will be able to host short-term missions teams that come to help minister throughout the year thus reducing the team cost.
Marcelo will be caring for the church that will officially started the first Sunday of March. This is the first time this area will have a church. The people from the dump are shunned from other local churches as outcasts. As they prayerfully consider the needs of those who frequent the services, Marcelo and Holly will look to develop additional facets of ministry that will best meet the needs of the church attendees.
Marcelo will also be starting a soccer school which will operate throughout the week for boys, teens, and men. They are prayerful that the school will be a vehicle to specifically minister to the boys and men of the community, sharing the gospel and developing discipling relationships. Marcelo and Holly will assist in the Saturday Bible Clubs, where children and teens gather weekly to participate in group activities and hear from the Word. Holly will be helping in the half day preschool that functions from Tuesday to Friday.
Holly is also excited to be the liaison between their ministry and Word of Life—a local Christian school—where 15 children from Bairro dos Flores are attending, having been sponsored by faithful brothers and sisters from the States. Holly will also be working with a teen servant group called BOPE. Their prayer is through every activity, they point others to Christ.
The longer they are there and the more they get to know people, the more thrilled they are about the opportunity of being there. They hope and pray that wherever the Lord leads them in life, they never lose the excitement of hopeful anticipation that they have knowing they serve a God who has the power to transform lives.
Though your sacrificial giving to RBC, the Missions Committee was able to significantly help in the moving expenses and with the cost of purchasing their home. The Missions Committee was also able to increase the monthly support of Marcelo and Holly. We pray that God will greatly bless their vital ministry as the gospel of Jesus is lived out in Bairro dos Flores. Please pray with us for them.
Call for Volunteers: Conversations
Conversations is an evening of music, humor, drama, and moving real-life stories. This year, nightly shows will begin the week of March 25-29. If you’re unfamiliar with Conversations, you can get more info here.
Our first performance is less than two weeks away, and we are in critical need of at least 60 more bakers and at least 40 more Children’s Ministry workers. There is also a less-critical need for ushers, parking attendants, prayer warriors, and make up artists. To volunteer for any of these positions, please click here.
We also need volunteers to provide food for the cast and crew prior to each performance (March 25-29). Each night during our Conversations outreach we will be feeding more than 100 people involved with the production. Please consider signing up to provide one or more items of food. To help with these meals, please click here.
For more information on any of these needs, please contact Barb Ruffner or sign-up online. And don’t forget to pick up invitation cards from the Welcome Desk and other tables throughout the RBC lobby the next time you’re here! We hope you’ll prayerfully invite many friends, coworkers and neighbors to this great event.Thanks.
Dale Peak
Administrator
VIDEO: Women’s Retreat 2013
Join us Friday, April 19, through Sunday, April 21, for the 2013 Reston Bible Church Women’s Retreat.
The Women’s Retreat is for all women, college age and above, who desire to step aside from their daily routine and focus their hearts and minds on our Lord Jesus Christ for an entire weekend. The retreat will include wonderful Biblical teaching, Christ centered worship, and small group discussion. Saturday afternoon is whatever you want it to be. You can attend a workshop, participate in a service project, spend time with friends, join other women in a planned activity, read a book, or just take a nap.
The retreat is a unique opportunity to gather with other women of RBC. It’s a time to deepen existing Christ-centered friendships and develop new ones; a time to connect with women in your stage of life; a time to meet women across the generations. It is a great opportunity to find community. We hope to see you there!
Sunday Rewind | 3.10.2013
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Let Your Kingdom Come (Psalm 59:16-17) – Valley Of Vision by Sovereign Grace Music
Open Up Our Eyes (Ephesians 1:18-19a) – Nothing Is Wasted by Elevation Worship
Your Love Oh Lord (Psalm 36:7) – Offerings by Third Day
I Stand Amazed (2 Corinthians 8:9) – North Point Live by Candi Pearson Shelton (North Point)
Lord Of All (Psalm 97:5-6) – Attention by Kristian Stanfill
TEACHING: A Word to the Wise – Part 1
Intellect does not always equal wisdom. Wisdom is a skill for living, the proper application of knowledge. Wisdom dictates that we see life as it really is, and the only way to do this is through the lens of God’s word.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO/VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What principle, insight or idea struck you as particularly helpful, insightful or difficult to grasp?
- How would you define wisdom? How is this different from intelligence?
- Read and discuss Proverbs 1. What do these verses tell you the nature of man? What do you see about the nature of God? What do you observe about the characteristics of wisdom?
- Have you ever done or said something that seemed smart at the time, but was not wise?
- “Wisdom does not guarantee that you won’t have problems in life. But it will guarantee you won’t be the cause of those problems.” Can you think of any examples where you’ve observed this?
- Read and discuss 1 Corinthians 1:18-25. How does the Gospel of Jesus Christ lead us to the ultimate wisdom?
- Can you think of a situation in your life right now where it is difficult to distinguish between the letter of the law (intellect) and the spirit of the law (wisdom)? Spend some time in prayer with your small group about this.
Men’s Ministry News – March 2013
Men of RBC: The Men’s Ministry would like to invite you to some upcoming activities that have been designed to positively and encouragingly impact your walk with the Lord and in turn your spheres of influence.
WEEKLY DISCIPLESHIP CLASSES
Men’s Ministry weekly discipleship classes are a great way to get connected and increase your knowledge of the word and provide you with some mid-week encouragement. No previous experience or Bible knowledge is required; all you need is a willingness to grow and be challenged. For a course listing and full details, please visit www.restonbible.org/men.
- FUEL—Men of Action: The Role of Authentic Men in the Next Generation Church. Join us on this journey to Authentic Manhood. Tuesdays 6:25-7:30 AM – Sr. High Bldg.
- Training Faithful Men-Great Doctrines of the Faith. No registration required. For questions, call or email Ray Shoaff (703-625-5595, ray@shoaff.com). Wednesday 6:00-7:00 AM – Sr. High Bldg.
- Exemplary Husband – Wednesday 7:00-9:00 PM- New class starts 3/6, Room 250A. For questions, call James Roberts at 703-309-0303.
FAITH & REASONING 101
When: Monday, March 11, 2013, 7:00 PM-8:30 PM
Where: RBC, Room 238
Topic: “The Case for Easter”
RSVP: wgaines@firstphc.com
Of all the major religions in the world, only one claims that its founder returned from the grave. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very cornerstone of Christianity. However, skeptics claim Jesus’ resurrection is a superstitious myth. But is that really where the evidence points? Come join us on Monday, March 11th, as we will examine the evidence for the resurrection and “The Case For Easter”.
MINISTRY IN THE WORKPLACE COURSE
An 11 Week Journey to Connect Faith and Work
When: March 4-May 20, 2013 7:00-9:00 PM
Where: Youth Building, Senior High Rm.
Sign-up: https://www.restonbible.org/
Does your work have significance? Join us for a first-of-its-kind, collaborative program to help you see your job—and company—in a whole new way. Whether you have a desk job, you work in the field, you’re a manager, or you’re the CEO, this course will be an 11-week journey, designed with you in mind. It’s packed with deep content and challenging insights to connect faith and business. RBC has a large community of men and women in the workforce. Our heart is to help you connect and learn with others what it means to really live out your faith—ALL WEEK LONG!
Please Register Now. Our first session is free and will set the tone for the entire series. We’ll explore the topic, “Why Work?” it will challenge the way you view your job and your career!!! If you have any questions, contact Brad Hill at 703-517-9941. You can register on line for the free session or for the entire 11 sessions of $55. Scholarships available.
EXEMPLARY HUSBAND CLASS
When: Wednesday, March 13, 2013 * NEW START DATE
Where: Room 250A
RSVP: James Roberts at 703-309-0303
The home is the most important area of ministry for husbands. It can also be the most difficult, and it is often the most neglected. The characteristics of a Christian husband do not come naturally, nor are they taught in school. We need help.
So, come out and join other men weekly on Wednesday evenings as we explore how to become an Exemplary Husband. It will be a time of encouragement and our basis for the study will be The Exemplary Husband by Stuart Scott and with reviews like “If I wrote a book on being a godly husband this would be it” (from John MacArthur), there is sure to be something for all men in the study.
Upcoming activities are scheduled in April and beyond – mark your calendars.
DADS & DONUTS
When: April 20, 2013, 8:30-11:30 AM
Where: RBC Clubhouse
Sigh-up: www.restonbible.org
While the women are at retreat, Jason Goetz will direct the Annual Dads and Donuts event on Saturday, April 20, 8:30-11:30. It will be a low key event that includes breakfast, a short family devotional/skit, activities similar to AWANA games, board games, and crafts. Childcare will be provided for infants/toddlers in the Nursery if Dads have multiple children
SACRED RELATIONSHIP WEEKEND
When: May 2-4, 2013
Where: RBC Sanctuary
Speaker: Gary Thomas
Sign-up: www.restonbible.org/sacred
Sacred Search – May 2 – Singles
Join us as Gary Thomas explores love, dating, and how to find a spectacular marital match in his new book, The Sacred Search.
Sacred Marriage – May 3-4-Engaged/Married Couples
What if God designed marriage to make us holy instead of happy? Scores of books have been written that offer guidance for building the marriage of your dreams. Yet, what if God’s primary intent for your marriage isn’t to make you happy…but holy? And, what if your relationship isn’t as much about you and your spouse as it is about you and God?
Based on Gary’s bestselling book, the Sacred Marriage seminar helps couples uncover how marriage can become a doorway to a closer walk with God and each other. Learn more about Gary at www.garythomas.com. Further information and website registration will be available soon.
THE SUMMIT
When: Monday, May 20, 2013
Where: RBC Sanctuary
Speaker: Larry Moody
Sign-up: www.restonbible.org/summit
EMF Director Larry Moody is President of Search Ministries, and since 1981, Moody also has served as the Bible study leader for the Professional Golf Association (PGA) Tour.
DAD & KIDS CAMPOUT
When: June 7-9, 2012
Where: Pohick Bay Regional Park, Lorton
Registration available soon
Dads, bring your kids and come on out to Pohick Bay Regional Park (near the Mason Neck Wildlife Refuge) in the Lorton area for a weekend of bonfires, sleeping under the stars and just plain fun! We’re going have a blast with group games, bonfires, campfire-songs, marshmallow roast, and Sunday morning worship. Special opportunities to create life-long memories with your kids and get connected with other dads
RBC MEN’S RETREAT – SAVE THE DATE
When: September 20-21, 2013
Speaker: Dr. Richard Blackaby
SERVICE OPPORTUNITY – EVENT LOGISTICS & PHOTOS
Men’s Ministry is looking for a few good men to help with our event logistics and to take photos of our events. No special skills needed—just a servant heart. Events are The Summit, Marriage Conference, Boosters, and special men’s events. We plan to have teams that can alternate events. If interested, please contact Brad Hummel at mensministry@restonbible.org.
As always, the Men’s Ministry is here to be an encouragement in your walk with the Lord. Contact us at mensministry@restonbible.org if you have any questions or concerns.
God Bless,
The Men’s Ministry Leadership Team