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.
Sunday Rewind | 7.20.2014
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Alive In Us (Ephesians 2:4-5) – God Is Able by Hillsong
Endless Light (Psalm 113:3-4) – Cornerstone by Hillsong
Open Up The Heavens (Psalm 108:4-5) – Worth It All by Meredith Andrews
10,000 Reasons (Psalm 103:1) – Unrelenting Love by Nick Thurmond
Forever Reign (Lamentations 5:19) – A Beautiful Exchange by Hillsong
TEACHING: Rooted: A Study of Deeper Faith in Colossians, Part 5
Love is the prerequisite to a fuller understanding of 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 2:1-5. What do these verses tell us about Jesus? What do they indicate about the nature of man?
- What do you tend to “contend for” or “agonize over” (v. 1)? Do these things draw you toward Christ and His church, or push you away?
- What is the significance, importance and the result of being “united in love” (v. 2)?
- What is the relationship between wisdom & knowledge (v. 3)?
- What “fine-sounding arguments” (v. 4) might we deal with today? How do these pull us away from being rooted in Christ?
- Is there anything holding you back from seeking out the deep riches of Jesus? Is there anything keeping you from being “united in love” with fellow believers? How does the gospel address or apply to these obstacles?
- Spend some time in prayer thanking God for revealing Himself to us in Christ. Pray that He would encourage our hearts toward being united in love, that we might know Christ and make Him known all the more.
Set List: Evening of Worship
Many of you have asked for a copy of the set list from our last Evening of Worship (July 11, 2014). Ask and you shall receive:
With Us (Hillsong)
Unstoppable God (Elevation Worship)
I Will Look Up (Elevation Worship)
Your Great Name (Natalie Grant)
Be Thou My Vision (Heartsong)
Lord I Need You (Matt Maher)
Cornerstone (Hillsong)
Glorious (Paul Baloche)
Open Up The Heavens (Meredith Andrews)
Christ Is Enough (Hillsong)
Come Thou Fount (RBC)
Closer (Hillsong)
Always (Kristian Stanfill)
Great And Mighty King (Elevation Worship)
Lord of All (Kristian Stanfill)
From the Field: Colombia
Spanish World Ministries reaches thousands of people all across Latin America areas through radio broadcasts of solid Bible-based teachings with a gospel emphasis.
RBC supported missionary, L., ministers with Spanish World Ministries (SWM) in Colombia. When he began his ministry with SWM in 2007, 63 stations were broadcasting these programs. At the end of 2013, L. reported 259 radio stations in his database. Through the years, L. has shown great determination to fulfill his ministry expanding the number of outlets airing the gospel, and the Lord has blessed his efforts. Although L. and his wife are serving SWM part-time, they reflect a sincere desire to take the gospel to every region of their country.
Recently, L. was contacted by a radio listener. During their conversation, she shared her story:
“I live with my daughter and my son-in-law. A few weeks ago she lost her job and her employers denied paying her pension. My son-in-law is also looking for a job, but unfortunately the unemployment rate is very high in this city. My granddaughter is in college and I am the only one that can help her to pay for her studies. I am 70 years old and, as you see, I am going through a very tough time trying to help my daughter and her family. Your programs on the radio help me to seek wisdom in God’s Word, and at the same time they give me insight on how to keep on living. Every time I listen to your programs God reminds me that He is with me and that He understands my condition. Please pray that the Lord would continue giving me wisdom in the midst of the trials that I am going through.”
After the conversation that L. had with this lady, he was reminded of the importance to keep increasing the number of stations broadcasting the SWM programs. Through the 259 radio stations carrying SWM’s programs, the Gospel is reaching people all over Colombia, but L.’s desire is to seek more outlets willing to air the programs.
His prayer is that, just as this listener, many others in Colombia and throughout Latin America will find comfort and wisdom as they listen, and that those who do not know Him, might understand what God offers through Jesus on the cross.
Currently Spanish World Ministries is broadcasting their programs 15,500 times per week all over Spanish speaking countries. Pray for gospel fruit throughout Latin America as these teachings go out!
Sunday Rewind | 7.13.2014
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
Open Up Our Eyes (Ephesians 1:18-19a) – Nothing Is Wasted by Elevation Worship
Open Up The Heavens (Psalm 108:4-5) – Worth It All by Meredith Andrews
In Your Presence (Deuteronomy 31:6) – Nothing Is Wasted by Elevation Worship
In Christ Alone (Galatians 2:20) – Let The Future Begin by Kristian Stanfill (Passion)
I Will Look Up (Deuteronomy 7:9) – Only King Forever by Elevation Worship
TEACHING: Seek and You Shall Be Satisfied
Any journey worth taking, or any task worth doing, will be difficult. We will be tempted to cut corners or settle for something less. This is especially true in our relationship with God. Psalm 63 gives us permission to struggle in our relationship with God, but not to give up or settle for something less.
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?
- “Our hearts are too stubborn to obey more than one thing at a time.” Do you find this to be true in your life?
- Read and discuss Psalm 63. What do these verses indicate about man? What do they tell us about God? What do you note about seeking God from these verses?
- Why is it significant that David was in the wilderness when he wrote this psalm? Have you ever experienced spiritual wilderness?
- Why are we tempted to cut corners in life? How do we tend to cut corners in seeking God?
- “Many Christians have never been given permission to struggle in their relationships with God.” What does this mean? Can you identify with this? Why or why not?
- What “snares” can you identify in your life that choke life out of your relationship with God?
- How does the gospel of Jesus both enable and encourage us as we seek God and struggle in our relationship with Him?
- Spend some time in prayer, thanking God for His faithfulness to us in Christ and for the promise of satisfaction we have in Him.
Let Us Worship Together
The heart of life of any Christian community is worship. It strengthens, it deepens, and it unifies. As Christians, our hearts are in a constant war over our worship – a war between the totality of God’s inhabitance in our hearts and everything else in our lives. Boiled down, our worship is all about value. It is our response to what we value most. Christ is the only one worthy of our praise. He is the only one worthy of our worship. He is our value. We are called to respond to God’s incredible revelations in our lives through worship and prayer and community. That calling is an awesome privilege and it’s our prayer that we would all be stirred to have an intense desire to obey that calling – if for no other reason but because it matters to our God, our Creator.
With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of His calling, and that by His power He may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
Through Christ you can breathe again; inhaling the wonder of God that always surrounds you, exhaling words and deeds of praise that reflect all of who He is. Join us this Friday at 6:30 in the auditorium for an extended time of worship… praising God together with one voice.
From the Field: From Russia to Germany
RBC-supported missionaries M. & C. moved from Russia to Germany last week. Here’s an update from them, along with some prayer requests. Please take some time to pray for them and their family as they transition to a new area of life & ministry.
This is the last time (at least for a while) that we will be writing you from St. Petersburg. We leave for Germany on Wednesday, July 2nd. Six and a half years ago, God brought us to this special city in this special country to serve Him. It hasn’t always been easy, but we have been incredibly blessed ministering here… supporting Bible Translation, providing education for missionary families, doing orphanage ministry, leading a Bible study, and serving in our Russian church. For two of our children, Russia has been their home for more than half of their lives. We are very sad to be leaving this place that we love so much, but we know that God will continue to use us in Germany, just as He has used us here.
As is often the case, when we don’t write a monthly prayer update in a timely manner, it usually means that we are very, very busy — ironically, when we need prayer the most. Today is our last day to pack before the container truck arrives on Monday (C.’s birthday is tomorrow and we are trying to set time aside to celebrate) and yet as much as I want to be packing, I know that we need to send out this update, because we need your prayers and we want to share our praises with you.
We are not providing a calendar this month, but we ask you to lift up the following requests throughout the month…
– Praise God that our children have been accepted at Black Forest Academy! We waited two months to hear back from the school about their acceptance and so were understandably very excited to hear this news. Also, C. has been offered a full-time teaching position in the high school Math department! She is extremely excited to continue serving missionary kids in this way.
– Praise God for giving me (M.) recent opportunities to provide online training in Bible translation software for translation and Scripture Engagement consultants from all over the world. This is one of my first chances to provide support for a wider area than just the former Soviet Union.
– Praise God for all that He has done during our time here in St. Petersburg, for His divine providence for our needs, and for blessing us by allowing us to serve Him.
– Please pray about our car. Until two months ago our car was working great and we had a buyer lined up. After one seemingly minor incident, we suddenly had major problems. While the car is now drivable, it is still experiencing a lack of power that we just can’t seem to find the cause of. We have spent days taking it to various mechanics without any good results. If this problem is not fixed, it is unlikely that we will be able to sell the car. Due to Russian regulations, we can’t take the car with us to Germany without incurring significant costs. Please pray that the car will be fixed and that we will be able to sell it. Please pray that someone will be able to help us with the car if we leave without having sold it.
– Please pray for our finances . Moving and having to furnish our apartment in Germany is expensive, and without having sold the car, our finances are very tight. Also, the cost of living is a little bit higher in Germany. We know that God will provide for our needs, but we know that He works through the prayers of the faithful.
– Pray for us to be able to receive our belongings quickly once we arrive. We need certain documents to receive the shipment and the process can take a few weeks. Please pray that we will be able to get our documents processed quickly and get settled in our new home.
– Pray for new relationships. So much of what makes a home a home is the people that you share life with. Please pray especially that our children will quickly make new friends who will be an encouragement to them spiritually.
Thank you so much for your prayers, encouragement, and support!
Sunday Rewind | 7.6.14
MUSIC & SCRIPTURE
God Is Able (Ephesians 3:20-21) – God Is Able by Hillsong
God Is With Us (Psalm 46:10-11a) – Louder Than Creation by Michael Olson (North Point)
Majesty (Isaiah 53:5) – Majesty: The Worship EP by Leeland
The Lord Our God (James 1:17) – Let The Future Begin by Kristian Stanfill (Passion)
Glorious (Psalm 72:18-19) – Glorious by Paul Baloche
You Never Let Go (Psalm 23:4) – Beautiful News by Matt Redman
TEACHING: The Armor of God
The lie the enemy whispers in our ear is almost always some form of “God could never love you.” If you try to defend yourself with the armor of your own attributes, you’ll believe the lie every time – but God offers a better armor, and in Christ, the sin you cannot forget, God cannot remember.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SERMON AUDIO
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- What was one thing particularly interesting, insightful, helpful or difficult to understand from this sermon?
- Read and discuss Ephesians 6:10-20. What do these verses tell you about man? About Satan? About God?
- How would you describe the battle mankind is engaged in, based on these verses?
- What does this spiritual battle tend to look like for you personally? What specific “flaming darts” are you currently dealing with (v. 16)?
- Do you ever feel the pressure to “hide behind a version of yourself”? Where does this pressure come from? Does the source of this pressure align with the truth of the scriptures?
- “Our greatest fear is to be known and to be rejected.” Do you find this to be true in your life? Do you find it difficult to let others know “the real you”? Why or why not?
- Do you ever find yourself defending yourself with the armor of your own attributes?
- “God could never love you.” How does the gospel address this lie?
- How does the armor of God in Ephesians 6 point us to Jesus?
- Send some time in prayer thanking God that He knows us and loves us. Pray for His redemptive perspective on any “flaming darts” you may be dealing with.
Quest for the King Videos
Each day at Kids Camp, our kids engaged in a quest to seek out The King and His Eternal Kingdom. The misadventures of four friends shared their quest each day of camp!
Quest for the King – Kids Camp 2014
Our epic adventure, with 220 children and 140 volunteers, over five days has come to an end …but it’s really only the beginning. This past week we hosted our 2014 Kids Camp where we focused on the King Jesus, each day unveiling a new clue to His identity and the key to entering His eternal Kingdom. The children learned that our King was foretold long ago by the Prophets, that He alone has power to rule and reign over nature, the spiritual world, sin, and death. We learned that He is a shepherd King who laid down His life for us, and that He defeated death and the grave by rising on the third day, and that by coming to Him in faith we enter His eternal Kingdom. Finally, we closed the week with the exciting news that Jesus the King is building His Kingdom through each of us in His Church.
We want to thank everyone who volunteered, who prayed, and who gave towards making this time a blessing to so many children. Thank you to everyone on the RBC staff who set aside significant amounts of their time to make this week extra special for the children. Having the privilege to see many young people come to Christ in faith, and others deepen their understanding of their faith, is a reward beyond what we could ask or imagine. Thank you!
– Mike Meyers, Children’s Ministry Director
Photo credit: A huge THANK YOU to Agung Fauzi of Seize the Day Photography for volunteering his time & talents to give us such excellent photos of this year’s Kids Camp!