Sunday Rewind | 8.23.2015
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Your Love Never Fails (Romans 8:28) – Your Love Never Fails by Jesus Culture
Blessed Be Your Name (Job 1:21) – Blessed Be Your Name: The Songs of Matt Redman, Vol. 1
Lord of All (Psalm 97:5-6) – Attention by Kristian Stanfill
It is Well (Isaiah 66:12) – Public Domain (additional chorus by Hillsong Chapel)
I Stand Amazed (2 Corinthians 8:9) – North Point Live by Candi Shelton (North Point)
TEACHING: The Patriarchs, Part 6: Jacob’s Personality
Present decisions determine future consequences. Living for the present will destroy your future.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
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 your personality? Have you ever taken a personality test? Was it accurate? Do you find your personality changed through the years? How so?
- Read and discuss Genesis 25:19-34. Who are the main characters in this account? What do you observe about them in this text? What are their main personality traits based on this account?
- How did Esau despise his birthright? What modern parallels of this do we see? What personal parallels do you see?
- How did Jacob “force the hand of God”? Have you ever done this? What happened?
- How do present passions blur the future? What decisions currently lie before you where you need to trust the goodness and sovereignty of God?
- How does the gospel enable God’s morality to flow through our personality? How does the gospel direct our morality?
- Are you involved in anything right now that you know could destroy your future? Spend some time praying with your small group and discussing an accountability plan for those situations.
Sunday Rewind | 8.9.2015
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Open Up Our Eyes (Ephesians 1:18-19a) – Nothing is Wasted by Elevation Worship
Unstoppable God (Luke 1:37) – Wake up the Wonder by Elevation Worship
In Your Presence (Deuteronomy 31:6) –Nothing is Wasted by Elevation Worship
Your Promises (2 Peter 1:3-4a) – Wake Up the Wonder by Elevation Worship
Great Things (Worth It All) (Galatians 6:14) –Wake Up the Wonder by Elevation Worship
TEACHING: The Patriarchs, Part 5: Isaac
The manipulation of man will never trump the sovereignty of God.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
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 define the words “manipulation” and “sovereignty”?
- Read and discuss Genesis 27:1-36. Identify the main characters and their characteristics in this account. Who do you relate to the most, and why? What might we observe about our human nature through this account?
- “One deception leads to another – one lie leads to another.” How do you see this play out in the verses about? Have you seen this principle play out in your own life?
- How would you describe the tension between the sovereignty of God with the moral responsibility of man?
- Discuss the following statement: “Our five human senses are a blessing from God, but they are never the final determining factor in the moral realm.”Can you think of Scriptures that support this statement?
- Is there some situation or circumstance in your life or someone else’s that you are trying to manipulate? Why? How do you think it will turn out? What would it look like for you to trust God in that situation or circumstance?
- Spend some time in prayer for any situations mentioned in the previous question. Give thanks to God that He is completely trustworthy and pray that we would have the strength and faith to trust Him when we are tempted to manipulate.
Picture Imperfect: Follow-Up 3
This past Sunday, during a message entitled Picture Imperfect, we looked at how God in His sovereignty created the covenant of marriage to be an imperfect earthly picture of a perfect heavenly truth – the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At the conclusion of the message, I shared my dream of growing old together with with my bride, Bridget. I so much desire to be a couple that is blessed with 30, 40, 50 years of marriage together!
Bridget and I celebrated 16 years of marriage in June. I still have a lot to learn about being married, about Bridget, and about loving my bride. But one thing that the Lord has taught me about marriage is that we can’t do it alone. The letter to the Hebrew church instructs us to, “…encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” (Heb 3:13)
It’s so easy for me to listen to world around me, to develop a negative picture about my marriage, to start questioning Bridget’s motives – to become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. That’s why I need people by my side daily to speak encouraging truth into my life and my marriage. I stand convinced that the only way Bridget & I will be that older couple – holding hands, dancing, and enjoying life together into the later years – is by walking alongside other brothers and sisters in Christ that share that dream!
So how about you? Do you share that dream for your marriage? If so, I invite you to be a part of that adventure with other married couples that share our dream. As we strive to make RBC a beacon for marriages in Northern Virginia, there are numerous ways to connect with other couples and begin forming community. You can join us this Sunday morning at HomeFront, the RBC couples community, as we begin our next series (details below) or sign up for the upcoming Marriage Booster on Friday, September 18th.
We hope to see you there!!
HomeFront August Series: THAT’S NOT WHAT I ORDERED!
We’ve all rolled away from the drive-thru window and figured out that we didn’t get what we wanted. Either the food in the bag doesn’t quite look like the picture or they gave us something wrong entirely. Is that the way we feel about our marriage sometimes? The guy I was dating used to… When we were engaged, I loved how she… This doesn’t look like the picture at all. Or worse – did God mess up my marriage order all together? Join us at HomeFront in August as we discuss That’s Not What I Ordered!
Picture Imperfect: Follow-Up 2
In last Sunday’s message, Picture Imperfect, we looked at how God in His sovereignty created the covenant of marriage to be an imperfect earthly picture of a perfect heavenly truth – the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As part of this message, we discussed the call of a wife to submit to her husband (Eph 5:22) and the call of a husband to love his wife (Eph 5:25).
Both of these calls present a challenge because women are generally not submission-oriented and men are generally not love-oriented. Not only can we observe this in our marriages and the marriages around us, but we know it’s true because of the curses placed on man and woman after the Fall (Gen 3:16-19). Only with the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit are we able submit as the church submits to Christ (Eph 5:24) and love as Christ loved the church (Eph 5:25).
So what does it look like for a wife to submit to her husband? And what does it look like for a husband to love his wife? Though there isn’t a step-by-step guide for either, here are some ideas from me and my wife Bridget to consider for your marriage.
Wives: Submit (from Bridget)
Pray for your heart and a desire to submit to your husband
Pray for your husband – asking God to lead him
Give your opinion and trust that it was heard when a decision is made
Verbally affirm his decisions and be willing to be on board (even when you may not agree)
Never say “I told you so”
Husbands: Love (from Jason)
Pray for your heart and a desire to love your wife
Pray for your wife – asking God to lead her
Become a student of your wife – seeking to understand how she desires for you to show her love
Observe your surroundings and find ways to serve your wife (For example – plan all the details for a date night)
Seek your wife’s wisdom on decisions and be willing to choose her preference (even when it isn’t your first choice)
Remember the wisdom of the elderly couple that spoke to Bridget and I? The overarching principle is to put your spouse first, which echoes what Paul tells the church in Phillipi, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Phil 2:3) Who better to count more significant than yourself than your spouse?
Picture Imperfect: Follow-Up 1
This past Sunday, during a message entitled Picture Imperfect, we looked at how God in His sovereignty created the covenant of marriage to be an imperfect earthly picture of a perfect heavenly truth – the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As part of this message, we defined marriage to be the union between one man and one woman – as instituted by God in Genesis 2:24 and repeated throughout both the New and Old Testaments.
This stands in stark contrast to what we’ve been seeing in the news recently. In June, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that state-level bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment. This decision will have far-reaching effects throughout our nation and the world.
Some of you have questions as to what exactly this decision means, how it impacts the nation, and how it impacts the church. Here is the best message I’ve heard on the topic thus far. It was given by Pastor Gary Hamrick at Cornerstone Church in Leesburg: America, Will You Stand?
As far as how the church should respond, I thought that our own Pastor Mike Minter did an excellent job articulating how a Follower of Christ should respond to issues of broken sexuality in a 3-part series he did at the beginning of this year. Here is a link to that series, Sexuality & the Gospel.
Sunday Rewind | 7.19.2015
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Hosanna (Mark 11:9-10) – Savior King by Hillsong
Always (Psalm 121:1-2) – Here For You by Kristian Stanfill (Passion)
Unstoppable God (Matthew 17:20) – Wake up the Wonder by Elevation Worship
With Us (Psalm 46:10-11a) – God Is Able by Hillsong Worship
Be Thou My Vision (2 Corinthians 3:17-18) – Cathedral by Heartsong
In Christ Alone (Galatians 2:20) – Let The Future Begin by Kristian Stanfill (Passion)
TEACHING: The Patriarchs, Part 4 – Abraham’s Faith
Our view of eternity guides our life of uncertainty. Faith in Christ requires us to live counter-culturally. If you do not feel the pull of the cultural current against you, then you’re simply drifting along with the world.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
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 Hebrews 11:8-16. What do you note about Abraham and his faith? In what ways should our lives parallel Abraham’s?
- What does it mean to walk by faith? What is one significant step of faith you’ve taken?
- “We don’t know where we are going, but God does.” Do you find this mainly comforting or frightening?
- Why is it so difficult to be “in but not of” this world?
- Do you feel like a pilgrim and a stranger in this world? Why or why not? How does faith play into this?
- How does our view of eternity guide us through the uncertain times in life?
- How does the gospel instruct us in balancing life in this world with yearning for the next?
- Spend some time in prayer for the things you’ve discussed.
Sunday Rewind | 7.12.2015
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Alive in Us (Ephesians 2:4-5) – God is Able by Hillsong Live
In Your Presence (Deuteronomy 31:6) –Nothing is Wasted by Elevation Worship
The Wonderful Cross (Romans 8:38-39) – The Worship Initiative, Vol. 5 by Shane and Shane
Great Things (Worth It All) (Galatians 6:14) –Wake Up the Wonder by Elevation Worship
The Lord Our God (James 1:17) – Passion: Let the Future Begin by Passion, Kristian Stanfill
TEACHING: Missions Sunday – From the Field
The decisions we make really do have consequences. If the decision lies before you, would you choose to suffer for Christ?
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this sermon?
- What is one of the hardest decisions you’ve ever had to make in your life?
- “The decisions we make really do have consequences.” How have you seen this to be true?
- Read and discuss Acts 16:22-34. What do you see here about the nature of man? What do you see about the nature of Christ and the gospel?
- Have you ever suffered for your faith in Jesus? What happened?
- How does God use suffering for our good and His glory?
- What difficult choices lie before you that you need to trust God with? What next steps do you think the Lord is asking you to take?
- Spend some time in prayer for our missionaries. If you’d like some guidance on how to pray for missionaries, check out this article.
Sunday Rewind | 7.5.2015
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Open Up Our Eyes (Ephesians 1:18-19a) – Nothing is Wasted by Elevation Worship
Be Lifted High (John 3:30) –Nothing is Wasted by Elevation Worship
Great Things (Worth It All) (Isaiah 12:5) –Wake Up the Wonder by Elevation Worship
Unending Love (Romans 8:38-39) – God is Able by Hillsong Worship
Your Promises (2 Peter 1:3-4a) – Wake Up the Wonder by Elevation Worship
TEACHING: The Patriarchs, Part 3: Abraham
God always keeps His promises, and our obedience will give light to our next commission.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this sermon?
- Take some time to read through and discuss Genesis 12, 13, and 15. What do you learn about God? What do you note about Abraham? What kind of man is he?
- In what ways do the ups & downs of Abraham’s life mirror our own lives as Christians?
- Where do we see Jesus foreshadowed in Abraham’s life?
- “Obedience always gives light to the next commission.” Have you found this to be true? Do you have an example where obedience yielded further revelation?
- Is there an area is situation in your life where you are struggling with obedience? What would it look like to step out in faithful obedience in this area?
- Have you ever doubted your salvation? Why or why not? How does the idea of biblical covenant address our doubts? How does the gospel of Jesus bring light to this?
- Spend some time in prayer giving thanks to God that He always keeps His promises. Ask Him to help you with any areas of unbelief you are struggling with, and ask Him for the grace to walk in glad obedience in those areas.
Sunday Rewind | 6.28.2015
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Only King Forever (1 Timothy 1:17) – Only King Forever by Elevation Worship
Touch the Sky (1 Corinthians 2:9) – Empires by Hillsong United
I Will Look Up (Deuteronomy 7:9) –Only King Forever by Elevation Worship
Your Great Name (Philippians 2:10-11) – Love Revolution by Natalie Grant
I Lift My Hands (Psalm 46:10) – Hello Love by Chris Tomlin
TEACHING: The Patriarchs, Part 2: Noah
As in the times of Noah, turbulent waters are all around us. Navigate deep waters with deep truth.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
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 Genesis 6:5-22, Hebrews 11:7 and Matthew 24:36-44. What do these verses tell you about God? What do they tell us about man? What do they tell us about Noah and his character?
- How is the account of Noah a foreshadowing of the coming of Christ?
- What does “reverent fear” mean (Heb. 11:7, ESV)? What happens if we do not have a fear of God? How can you cultivate a “reverent fear” in your own walk?
- What are some of the “deep and turbulent waters” of our day? What deep truths help you navigate these waters?
- How does the gospel of Jesus comfort and instruct us in the face of the turbulent waters of our day?
- Spend some time in prayer giving thanks to God for his love and justice. Ask Him to help you live as salt and light in a lost and dying world.
Sunday Rewind | 6.21.2015
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
1. ENDLESS LIGHT (Psalm 113:3-4)
Ussher, Cashwell | Hillsong Music Publishing
2. 10,000 REASONS (Psalm 103:1)
Myrin, Redman | Thankyou Music
3. COME THOU FOUNT (Psalm 16:11)
Wyeth, Robinson | Public Domain
4. GOD IS ABLE (Ephesians 3:20-21)
Fielding, Morgan | Hillsong Music Publishing
5. WHOM SHALL I FEAR (Psalm 27:1)
Tomlin, Cash, Cash | Sixstetps Music
TEACHING: The Patriarchs, Part 1: Adam
The world mocks what the Bible says about sin and daily fulfills what it mocks.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO & VIDEO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing you found particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this sermon?
- Why is it so hard to “be good”? Why do we keep trying?
- Read and discuss Genesis 3 and Romans 5:12-21. What do these verses tell you about the nature of God and Christ? What do they tell you about man? What do they tell us about the gospel?
- What does it mean that we are “in Adam”? What is the significance of this? What comes through the line of Adam?
- What does it mean to be “in Christ”? What is the significance of this? What comes through the line of Jesus?
- “The world mocks what the Bible says about sin and daily fulfills what it mocks.” Have you seen this to be true? What are some examples?
- How does the gospel of Jesus address our propensity toward “being good”? What are the practical implications of this for you?
- Spend some time in prayer thanking God for all that we have in Christ. Ask Him to help you depend more fully on Jesus as you go about your daily life.