From the Field: Mozambique
After an extended furlough to take care of their daughter’s educational needs, the H. family has returned to the bush in Mozambique where they seek to make Christ known to the Mwinika tribe. When they left, many people in the village were convinced that the H.’s would never come back, so the Mwinika villagers were pleasantly surprised when they actually DID return! As is part of the culture, the villagers came with a little something to welcome them back home, and as soon as they arrived, there were LOTS of children to greet them. The Mwinikan boys were anxious to play soccer, but the soccer field had been overgrown with weeds and thorns in the H.’s absence. The morning after they returned, they woke up to find a whole crew of boys out in the field working away to clear up the field so that they could play. While in the U.S., the H.’s had received a bag full of clothes for the children in their area, and they were able to give each boy who helped a new shirt!
It was a great encouragement to their hearts to be back and to see the different groups of Mwinikan believers meeting together. Some are stronger than others in their faith, but the interest in spiritual things is still there. One young couple was recently sent out from the main village to teach literacy and Bible lessons in a village far away from where they live. This was an incredible step of faith for them. As well, many Mwinika ladies tell the H.’s they are ready to start learning to read and write and to study God’s word together! It is amazing to see God’s provision in these ways.
The H. family spent a profitable two-week time in the village, settling back into life there – unpacking, reconnecting with friends, getting reacquainted with the language, and retaking their home back from the bugs. But now they find themselves back on the road again. The H.’s schedule for the next few weeks is very busy. This next week will be spent in Kenya where they will be dropping their daughter off at Rift Valley Academy for the upcoming school year, followed by a number of ministry meetings in South Africa.
Here are a few praises and prayer request from the H. family. Please take a moment now to pray for them and give thanks to God for all He is doing there.
- Praise the Lord for His strength over the past few weeks and for the many things they were able to accomplish in such a short time.
- Praise Him also for the work He is doing in hearts and lives of the Mwinika people. Pray that their interest in the Lord will continue to grow and that the believers there will become more grounded in their faith.
- Pray for the H.’s as they say goodbye to their daughter and for her as she settles into school in Kenya.
- Upon return from Kenya, they will be traveling on to South Africa for several days of ministry meetings. Pray for safety as they travel and for good and profitable results from the meetings.
Sunday Rewind | 8.31.2015
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Endless Light (Psalm 113:3-4) – Cornerstone by Hillsong
Always (Psalm 121:1-2) – Here For You by Kristian Stanfill (Passion)
Open Up The Heavens (Psalm 108:4-5) – Worth It All by Meredith Andrews
The Lord Our God (James 1:17) – Let The Future Begin by Kristian Stanfill (Passion)
Cornerstone (Psalm 18:2) – Cornerstone by Hillsong
I Will Look Up (Deuteronomy 7:9) – Only King Forever by Elevation Worship
TEACHING: Do Something, Part 3
Salvation is not earned by the good things you do, but there are good things that have been prepared for you to enjoy if you are in Christ. Knowledge without action robs you of true joy in your walk with Him.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this sermon?
- How would you describe joy? What is something you find joy in?
- Read and discuss Matthew 4:18-20 and Matthew 19:21-22. Compare and contrast these verses. What themes do you see? How are these accounts similar? How are they different? What do you note about the person of Christ? What might these sections show us about the nature of man?
- “Knowledge without action robs you of true joy.” Have you found this to be true in your walk with Christ? Why or why not?
- Why do we have the tendency to want to live vicariously through others’ experiences? How can this hinder our obedience to God’s word?
- Have you ever had a “wipeout” in your Christian walk or ministry? What happened?
- In the terms of Mike’s surf culture analogy, where are you? Evaluating the beach? On the beach and content to stay there? On the beach or in the shallows suffering from a past wipeout? Catching waves?
- How does fear keep us from obedience?
- How does the gospel propel and enable us to both know and obey – to both hear and do – the word of God?
- Pray through Ephesians 3:17-19, thanking God for His great love. Ask Him to help you be not only a hearer of His word, but a doer of His word.
Sunday Rewind | 8.24.2014
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Sing, Sing, Sing (Psalm 47:6-8) – Hello Love by Chris Tomlin
Glorious (Psalm 111:2-3) – Glorious by Paul Baloche
Be Thou My Vision (2 Corinthians 3:17-18) – Cathedral by Heartsong
Give Me Faith (Psalm 73:25-26) – Nothing Is Wasted by Elevation Worship
TEACHING: Do Something, Part 2
Having a hard heart can keep us from listening to and applying God’s truth to our lives.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this sermon?
- Are many people willing to admit to being stubborn? Why or why not? How did you respond to the statement, “We all struggle with hard or stubborn areas of our hearts”?
- How does being stubborn or having a hard heart make it hard for us to really listen and apply God’s truth?
- Where are some areas where you think our society has a hard heart or a severed conscious against God’s Truth? Where do you see yourself following society’s lead?
- On Sunday, Aaron said, “The more we say no to God, the quieter his voice becomes.” Where have you see this truth in your own life?
- Are there any areas where you think you are currently struggling with a hard heart or severed conscious rejecting God’s truth? Some of the diagnostic questions from Sunday are: what are areas we get defensive about? Where do I have to justify myself a lot? Where am I making lots of excuses? What am I claiming as my rights?
- Read Malachi 4:6. What is God’s desire for our relationship with our family? How is this different than just all getting along and our kids behaving well. How have we been deceived into choosing something good over God’s best for our family.
- Read Matthew 23:37 (start earlier for some context). What is God’s heart towards the Pharisees and those who had hard hearts towards him? Why is this important to realize as we deal with our own hard hearts?
- Pray through Psalm 139:23-24, asking God to reveal the hardness in your own heart.
Gospel Service & Raking Leaves
Since several of you made requests for it, here is the article I referenced in last Sunday’s sermon, Do Something, Part 1. It was originally published in November 2010 on my friend Matthew Wireman’s blog. Raking leaves with my kids seems, on one hand, like such a simple example. Yet I remember it being a moment of profound & helpful clarity in my walk as I considered the topic of laboring with a God who is not served by human hands, as though He needed anything (Acts 17:25). Yet serving matters, not because God needs us to do it, but the God who came to serve (Matthew 20:25-28) is pleased to include us in what He is already doing.
– – –
My church just finished a week-long missions conference. As one might expect from such a conference, there was a repeated appeal for the serious consideration of Jesus’ command regarding sending laborers out into the field (Matthew 9).
With this in mind, on Sunday afternoon I sent my two kids out into the field the yard to labor for their father – and by “labor” I mean “rake leaves.” I was struck by several similarities to missions & service throughout the process. It was like watching a living parable of Gospel-centric labor unfolding before my eyes. Clearly, the analogy is limited, but here are some quick reflections from raking leaves with a 3- and 5-year old.
They went out joyfully. All good laborers should. They were happy to work with their daddy. It is a joy to labor for our Heavenly Father and to be with Him. (Colossians 3:23-24, 1 Peter 1:8)
The work was messy. There were times when it seemed my little laborers were making more mess than was there to begin with. Neatly-raked piles of leaves often became “un-raked.” Arguments broke out from time to time about who was going to do what. Filling bags with leaves one handful at a time was, shall we say …inefficient. Progress was not always evident. Regress often was. (Ecclesiastes 1, Romans 8:28)
They got tired. And distracted. And discouraged. And impatient. Even the best laborers will. For them, raking leaves was new and exciting …at first. About halfway through the process of cleaning up the lawn, those kiddos started to poop out, get whiny and wanted to go do something easier and more fun. But their father loved them still and encouraged them to keep at it. Likewise, our Heavenly Father lovingly encourages us toward perseverance while assuring us of His unfailing love. (Psalm 136, James 1:12, Romans 2:6, Philippians 1:6, Galatians 6:9)
The work was completed. Their partnership with me in raking the lawn was real and legitimate, but the completion of the task did not ultimately rest with them. Even if it was all up to them, they could not have finished. There was simply too much to do for a 3- and 5-year old, and they didn’t have the strength, patience or endurance to do it all. After a couple hours, all they managed to do was rake two piles of leaves and fill one bag about two-thirds of the way full. I do not say that to diminish the legitimacy of their work, but to put it in proper perspective. In the end, it was their father who made sure the job got done. Likewise, our Heavenly Father assures us that He will accomplish the work He has set out to do. (Matthew 16:18, 2 Timothy 1:9, Psalm 23:22-24, Ephesians 2:8-9)
Their father was pleased. As their daddy, it warmed my heart to see my two little ones out there raking their hearts out, even after they got crabby about it, argued, and wasted time, energy, and effort. Let me be honest – the quality of their work was not great. But the fact that they wanted to be out there with me more than made up for that. It was a relational labor where the value – at least, in my eyes as dad – was less in their performance, more in their posture. (Psalm 86:5, Zephaniah 3:17, James 4:8)
Their reward was great. Cheeseburgers and Slurpees. Well done, little laborers.
Do you labor for the joy of simply being near your Heavenly Father? Your reward, too, will be great. (Luke 6:23, 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, Hebrews 6:10-12, James 1:25)
– – –
From the Field: Special Project in Brazil
![brazilupdate1](https://www.restonbible.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/brazilupdate1-300x295.jpg)
This is Eduardo’s brother, Evandro. Eduardo led him to the Lord, and he is in our internship program preparing to go into full-time mission work with Open Arms. I love seeing how the Lord orchestrates things.
Eduardo is a Brazilian national supported by Reston Bible Church through the organization Open Arms Worldwide. He and his wife Claudia work with at-risk children and youth in some very tough neighborhoods as well as in one of Brazil’s infamous youth detention facilities sharing the gospel and helping lead young people to the narrow path that leads to life.
Eduardo wasn’t always a missionary though. When he first came to Open Arms as a volunteer at the age of 17, he had just finished serving a year-and-a-half prison sentence for assault, theft, and drug offenses. Today, by God’s grace, he has planted four outreach programs for Open Arms and shared his testimony at youth camps and churches across Brazil.
Just like in the U.S., children in Brazil learn and build relationships through activities like sports, arts, and games. Recently in response to a special request from Eduardo, Reston Bible Church allocated some extra funds for him to purchase new supplies for the ministry that include new educational/strategy games, art supplies, soccer balls (always in short supply), and other sporting equipment. These items are great for getting a child to sit down and just talk with our missionaries or volunteers.
Below is a letter with prayer requests we recently received from Eduardo. Below that is a thank-you video from Open Arms to all who responded and gave to this request!
“I want to share with you some testimonies and also ask for more prayer for our work. Before that though I want to tell you how much of a difference it has made to have the new material that Reston Bible Church blessed us with. Please let them know how grateful we are and how blessed the children have been.
As you know, I have worked with the same group of girls in our soccer ministry in the same neighborhood now for the past 5 years. I have seen girls who lost their way in lesbianism, others that have stopped playing because they have gotten pregnant, but thanks to God who strengthened me and the counsel that you gave me to never give up, today I am seeing many seeds that we have planted years ago begin to grow. It is with a heart full of emotion that I am writing that four of our girls that have been with me from the beginning are going to be baptized. We have been using the community center to do baptism classes with them and on June 29th at a special Sunday service for Open Arms they will be baptized. At the same service there will be an exposition of art that our kids have produced. In fact some of the funds that RBC provided were used to purchase canvasses. Their projects came out beautifully and they will be taking the exposition to other churches as well. Many of the children from our soccer program are now attending church with us on Sundays as well. I was so blessed a few weeks back when I couldn’t pick them up for church they showed up on their own. That’s a good sign. Please keep up the prayers.”
PRAYER REQUESTS:
- Pray that God would protect the girls who are being baptized. They have all been under attack spiritually since they made that decision.
- Pray that God would strengthen and encourage the kids who are going to worship services on foot now.
- Pray that our new outreach to the boys via soccer will be bear fruit as it has with the girls.
- Pray for me and Claudia, as you know we have only been married a short time and we are having a rough first year at home. Pastor Tiago has been counseling us and it has been helping a lot.
- Pray for my college. As you know I have an easy time understanding scripture but not so much with other books and I am having a tough time at school. I remember that you told me not to memorize but to learn. I am trying but since I skipped a lot of school as a child it is hard for me.
- Pray for our health, me and Claudia, because we are working hard and have little time for rest.
- Please pray for Emanoel. I asked for prayer for him some time ago. He was getting beat up inside. Well he was released and we went to visit him at home. He has a drug addiction. He’s only 17. We were able to get him a spot at CREMOS (a Christian drug rehab home) and we are able continue ministering to him there.
Sunday Rewind | 8.17.2014
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
In Your Presence (Deuteronomy 31:6) – Nothing Is Wasted by Elevation Worship
Rock of Ages (Deuteronomy 32:3-4) – The Death of Death by Charlie Hall
Christ Is Enough (2 Corinthians 12:9) – Glorious Ruins by Hillsong
TEACHING: Do Something, Part 1
In a relationship with God, as in any good relationship, both knowledge and application are vital. We must hear and do. In the context of the local church, this will result in gospel-motivated service to the body.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this sermon?
- Read and discuss James 1:19-25, 1 John 2:4-6 and Matthew 7:24-29. What do these verses tell us about the nature of man? What do these verses tell us about God and His Word?
- Do you find it easier to be a hearer of the Word, or a doer of the Word? How do the Scriptures push us toward both?
- What is the result of knowledge without application (hearing without doing)? What is the result of application without knowledge (doing without hearing)?
- Compare and contrast the two builders in Matthew 7. What are similarities? What are the differences? Which foundation would you say you are building on in this season of your life?
- Why is knowledge “half the battle” when it comes to relationships?
- What is the difference between hearing and listening?
- How does gospel-motivated service in the context of the church help us “walk in the same way in which He walked” (1 John 2:6)?
- Do you currently serve in some way at RBC? Why or why not?
- Spend some time in prayer thanking God for His Word and asking Him for the grace to become more than mere hearers. Thank Him for the provision we have in Christ, who is both our example and motivation for serving His bride, the church.
Sunday Rewind | 8.10.2014
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies) (Psalm 27:1) – Let The Future Begin by Chris Tomlin (Passion)
Open Up Our Eyes (Ephesians 1:18-19a) – Nothing Is Wasted by Elevation Worship
Your Great Name (Philippians 2:10-11) – Love Revolution by Natalie Grant
Cornerstone (Psalm 18:2) – Cornerstone by Hillsong
Lord I Need You (Hebrews 4:16) – All The People Said Amen by Matt Maher
TEACHING: Rooted: A Study of Deeper Faith in Colossians, Part 8
How were people in the Old Testament saved if Jesus had not yet come? If we can’t keep the law, why were we given the law? If we are under grace, can we live any way we want? The answer to these questions lies in the pure, undiluted organic gospel.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this sermon?
- Read and discuss Colossians 2:16-23. What do these verses tell us about the nature of man? What do these verses tell us about Jesus?
- Where in these verses do you find warnings against legalism, mysticism and asceticism? How do each of these add to or take away from the gospel?
- What is the purpose of the law? How does the law “stir up the flesh”? How does the law also point us to Christ?
- How were people in Old Testament times saved if Jesus had not yet come?
- Read and discuss Romans 5:12-6:14. How would you describe the relationship between law and grace?
- If we are under grace, and not under the law, can we live any way we want? How would you justify, explain or defend your answer?
- What is “the organic gospel”? What do we tend to add to or take away from the gospel?
- Where in your life do you need spiritual “recalculating”?
- Spend some time in prayer thanking God for the goodness of both His law and His grace. Thank Him for the provision we have in Christ, who fulfills the law and covers us in His grace.
Sunday Rewind | 8.3.2014
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Open Up The Heavens (Psalm 108:4-5) – Worth It All by Meredith Andrews
Exalted One (Psalm 121:1-2) – For The Honor by Elevation Worship
Your Love Never Fails (Romans 8:28) – Your Love Never Fails by Jesus Culture
Our King Has Come (Romans 5:1-2) – For The Honor by Elevation Worship
Your Great Name (Philippians 2:10-11) – Love Revolution by Natalie Grant
Give Me Faith (Psalm 73:25-26) – For The Honor by Elevation Worship
TEACHING: Rooted: A Study of Deeper Faith in Colossians, Part 7
Performance will always lead to self-righteousness, which always leads to judging others. The thing you tend to judge others for is likely the area of self-righteousness that you struggle with.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this sermon?
- Do you ever sense a disconnect between what you feel and what the Bible says?
- Read and discuss Colossians 2:11-15. What do they tell us about the nature of man? What do these verses tell us about Jesus?
- What does it mean to be “dead in your sins” (v. 13)?
- What is the “record of debt” that the law demands of us (v. 14)? How is the law an instructor?
- Consider your answers to questions 4 & 5. How is Christ the remedy?
- What is grace? How is grace an instructor?
- What drives us to perform, rather than rest in grace?
- “Performance will always lead to self-righteousness, which always leads to judging other people.” Have you found this to be true?
- In what area(s) of your life do you tend to struggle with self-righteousness? How does the gospel address this?
- Spend some time in prayer asking God to graciously keep us from self-righteous performance. Pray that His grace would continue to take root deep within our hearts.
From the Field: Croatia
Here is a recent correspondence from G., an RBC-supported missionary serving with Pioneers in Croatia. Here is a recap of G.’s work with youth and church building/planing efforts over the summer:
Another summer is almost over in Slavonski Brod. Six short-term teams with over 80 guests have helped us share the good news of Christ with many young people. The church building is taking shape before our eyes. We look forward to the day when the building is completed and pray that God continues to grow His church that will be meeting in it.
Below I have written more about both the building and our summer activities. I also want to ask you to pray specifically for a man who I have known for over 12 years. He and his wife have shown a degree of openness over the years, but it has never moved beyond an intellectual understanding of what Christians believe. But some things have happened in their lives recently that seem to have caused the husband particularly to consider spiritual things more seriously. He recently expressed a desire to study the Bible with me, and we hope to start in the next week or so. Pray for God to reveal himself to this friend and that he and his wife would one day soon place their trust in Christ! Thanks so much for your prayers and your partnership with me in Croatia!
CHURCH BUILDING: The last time I wrote, I told you of a matching fund that had been set up to help complete construction of the exterior of the Slavonski Brod church building this year. We were hoping to raise $70,000 by the end of June for that to happen. The Lord has seen fit to provide, through many churches and individuals both in the U.S. and in Croatia, $108,000! The building is under construction and we expect it to be under roof in a just a few more weeks. This does not mean an end to the construction process, nor to the need for finances. Now that the building is under roof, it is safe from the elements and we can complete the inside as funds become available. We would love the help of short-term teams to, for example, take a room and fix it up. Please pray for the ultimate completion of the building in God’s timing, and for Him to continue to build His church spiritually, and not just physically, in Slavonski Brod.
SUMMER OUTREACHES: This summer we have had 81 individuals come to work with us for at least one week, including a team of 11 which arrived today! With their help, we have held baseball camps, children’s Bible clubs, and open air concerts, and we have had lots of less formal opportunities to meet and get to know Croatian youth. The gospel has been shared countless times and in many ways. Two Croatian teens have even met with a small group of us to study the Bible. Summer is definitely a time of broad sowing for us as we take advantage of the many short-term workers who come to help us to share as frequently and as broadly as we can. Pray that we will see the fruit of this broad sowing one day soon. I was particularly encouraged this year by one of the teens living in Nova Gradiška who trusted in Christ last summer. One Sunday at church when several unbelieving youth came (because they wanted to say goodbye to the short-term team that was leaving that day), he prayed publicly and boldly, “Lord, I pray that these other teens here today would trust in You and that You would change their lives like You did for me. Amen.” That was a first for him. Pray for him to continue to grow, and that his prayer for the other teens in his city would be answered also!
Would you take a minute now to pray for G., the many Croatian youth who heard the gospel this summer, and for the church in Slavonski Brod?
Sunday Rewind | 7.27.2014
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Closer (Psalm 89:14-15) – Glorious Ruins by Hillsong
With Us (Psalm 46:10-11a) – God Is Able by Hillsong
Unending Love (Romans 8:38-39) – God Is Able by Hillsong
Nothing But The Blood (Ephesians 1:7-8) – Facedown by Matt Redman
Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies) (Psalm 27:1) – Let The Future Begin by Chris Tomlin (Passion)
Lord I Need You (Hebrews 4:7-8) – All The People Said Amen by Matt Maher
TEACHING: Rooted: A Study of Deeper Faith in Colossians, Part 6
What does it mean to be complete in Christ?
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this sermon?
- Read and discuss Colossians 2:6-10. What do these verses tell us about Jesus? What do they indicate about the nature of man?
- What does it mean to “walk in” Jesus (v. 6)?
- What warning does Paul give us in these verses?
- What modern-day arguments, philosophies or traditions might take us captive? How should we respond to these in light of the gospel?
- What does it mean to be “complete in Christ”? Do you feel complete in Him? Why or why not?
- What ways to you tend to try to complete yourself outside of Christ?
- How does the gospel make us complete in Jesus?
- Spend some time in prayer thanking God for the glorious hope we have in Christ. Pray that He would show us any areas of our lives where we are seeking completeness outside of Him.