Dear Ladies of RBC,

I’m writing to personally invite you to the Reston Bible Church annual Women’s Retreat at the Doubletree Hotel in Sterling.  The retreat begins Friday, March 9, 2012 at 7 p.m. and ends at 11:00 am on Sunday, March 11, 2012.  We’ll enjoy worshiping together, Biblical teaching, small groups plus time to just hang out and have fun.

I highly recommend that you stay at the hotel for the entire weekend so that you can enjoy the full retreat experience—being able to put away distractions, unplug and refocus.  The rooms are beautifully decorated and equipped with either two queen beds or one king bed…and I’ve heard they’re really comfortable.  But if you would prefer to sleep at home we do offer a “day only” option (you’ll be assigned a small group just like those staying at the hotel).  Both options include three delicious meals on Saturday and Sunday breakfast and all the hotel amenities.

The retreat is for all ladies college age and above.  If it’s your first retreat and you’re worried about not having a roommate, don’t let that keep you away.  There are always other ladies looking for someone to room with.  I’ve met some really great ladies that way.  I’ve been to many retreats over the 20+ years I’ve attended RBC and have come away not only having met new women but also encouraged in my walk with God.  I’ve enjoyed true Christian fellowship around God’s word and just plain old fun.  Trust me…this is something you won’t want to miss.

The theme for this weekend is Ruler of My Heart and we’re excited to have Margaret Ashmore from Denton Bible Church in Denton, Texas as our speaker.  Margaret’s heart is to help women come to the understanding that the safest place to be on this earth is in the loving, shielding protection of submitting their lives to Jesus Christ.  I trust that you’ll be blessed and challenged by what she’ll be sharing with us.

I’d also like to ask for your help.  Volunteering to work on a retreat committee is one of the ways I was able to meet so many new people over the years.  We have many ways you can be of service and I think you’ll really enjoy being a part of one of these teams.  (You can indicate on the registration form where you’d like to serve.)

Prayer Team-will pray before and during the retreat.  If you have a heart to cover all aspects of the retreat from planning through the final session, then we welcome you to join with other women with the same desire.  There will be morning  prayer sessions both Saturday and Sunday during the retreat.

• Registration Table: will check in women as they arrive at retreat.  If you are organized and good with details, this is the job for you.
• Greeters: will welcome ladies to the retreat and into each session.   This is a wonderful way to show hospitality, whether you’re an extrovert or just someone with a heart to make others feel welcome.
• Table Hostesses: will welcome ladies to their table at mealtimes and make sure everyone is included.  If you have a desire to show Christ’s love and encourage other women here’s your opportunity.

To get more information and register go to www.restonbible.org/womensretreat. No matter your season in life I trust the weekend will prove to be worth your while.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call or email me.

God Bless!
Marsha Mathews
Director, Women’s Ministry

It can be so easy to read about the Food Pantry or hear an occasional update but forget that this is a ministry to actual people. This story was recently shared by one of our Food Pantry volunteers:

     It was toward the end of the Food Pantry time, and just one table of waiting people was left. An older lady, with torn and worn-out clothes, matted hair and no teeth, was having trouble filling out her form, so I sat down to help her to get through it. She began trying to tell me something and grabbed my arm while repeating the same indiscernible sentence. Since she had no teeth, I couldn’t even tell if she was speaking in English or Spanish.  Perhaps seeing my confusion, she began to use gestures with the words to get her point across. She was pointing up at first and saying “God” and then touched her eye and then her mouth to indicate smiling. As I repeated the words she was trying to say, we got through the sentence, “God is watching us all at the Food Pantry and is smiling down from Heaven at what He sees as we feed the hungry.” Tears filled my eyes as I realized what she was saying, and the lady and I hugged as tears streamed down my face.

     In the midst of all the confusion and busyness of serving over 130 families that day in the Pantry, this poor old lady’s words were a real high point and it seemed that the Lord was confirming his pleasure with this ministry. 

Let me take this opportunity to once again thank you all for your faithful giving. If you would like to give monetarily to support the Food Pantry, you can do so online (click here to access online giving. When you get to screen where you enter an amount, be sure to select “Food Pantry” from the “to” drop-down menu.) You can also leave a check in an offering box (located in the lobby or at the rear of the sanctuary) with “Food Pantry” in the memo line.

If you would like to donate items to the Food Pantry, drop-off baskets are located in the foyer at the front entrance of RBC. Here is a “most wanted” list of items we need for the Food Pantry (click here to download).

If you would like to serve during the Food Pantry (open Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings), please email me. We have an ongoing need particularly for volunteers with Spanish language skills.

Please continue to pray for us as we show the love of Christ through this ministry.

Thanks to all who followed the leading of the Spirit and gave gifts, cookies, prayers, gift cards and love.

For more information on our partnership with Guilford Elementary and ways you can get involved, click here.

Our teams were able to see the first fruits of their labor the same day by shopping and then visiting 31 of the families on the evening of Nov. 19th.  The groceries (the small part of the First Fruits gift) together with Shoppers Food Warehouse gift cards provides as close to a month’s worth of groceries for each family as possible.   Beyond the groceries, the teams were able to encourage and often pray with some of the families in the midst of some very tough times.  One family of four shares a two-bedroom apartment with another family.  The team leader has stayed in touch with the family and is putting together a Christmas gift.  Another of our teams brought groceries and visited with an Iraq veteran and his family, who are working through the challenges of a brain injury. Team members have stayed in touch with the family, who has also now visited RBC several times.  Another team visited a family about to lose their home to foreclosure – yet another reminder of how things that look great on the outside can mask the turmoil and pain taking place on the inside.  I’m thankful that our team went beyond the exterior to pray with and minister to the family, encouraging them to not give up.

Thanks to the Lord’s blessing, First Fruits was also able to go beyond these 31 families to include another 60 families in need.  One of these families was out of food, had been praying for help, and then received the grocery gift cards unexpectedly that day from a friend that attends the RBC Spanish church.  She is still praising the Lord for his provision at just the right time. The wife of another First Fruits family had brain surgery, and after recovering from the surgery, she returned to work and was immediately laid off from her job.  Her husband is also out of work.   When they were given the First Fruit gift, the husband was thankful, speechless, and surprised that church teenagers would work to help those in need.

One story of a single mother is a further reminder of how important it is for us as the body of Christ to be looking up and caring for those God has placed in our lives.   This mom was referred through a First Fruits captain that saw her need and reached out on her behalf.  She had been a property manager, lost her job in the downturn, and is now doing a short sale on her home.   Her story is still unfolding, but she sends thanks for the unexpected help from First Fruits that provided key encouragement over Thanksgiving at exactly the right time.  She too has visited RBC a couple times.

There are many other stories still unfolding from First Fruits and how the RBC body is in motion looking out for neighbors, Shepherd Group members, family members, coworkers, or friends met through church, school, or a child’s sport’s team. Financial struggles cross all lines and neighborhoods. And, thankfully, the RBC body is reaching across these lines.  I know there is more fruit to come.

This was a real community gathering, with several organizations helping out. Teachers from the school, RBCers, and Little League volunteers all worked side by side to bless these families. For many of the families, this was their first taste of stuffing, which we learned has no Spanish word equivalent since it is not a food they eat in their countries. Maybe it’s a universal thing, but it appears that most kids don’t like stuffing. Also universal is the look of dislike and the shake of the head “no” – but all were polite and said “no thank you” if they didn’t care for any (although their faces were priceless!)

Hundreds of people came out for the dinner. The rain and long walk from where they parked on the ball field didn’t seem to dampen anyone’s spirits. Even though the line of people waiting for their turn for food wrapped around the building hallways, everyone was patient and excited for the feast to come. It reminded me of what the disciples must have felt like with the loaves and the fishes, for as many people as kept coming, there seemed to be more food as the evening progressed. And after all had been fed, the volunteers, at last, took a few minutes to sit down, rest and have some dinner as well.

Due to the abundance, the residents at the Embry Rucker Homeless Shelter in Reston also enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast.

Many thanks for all who helped to bless our neighbors.

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“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

- Matthew 35:34-40

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. – Matthew 5:16

When you come to services this weekend, we will have on display some of the thank-you notes that we have received from the students of Guilford.  It seems appropriate on Thanksgiving weekend to share these sentiments with the congregation.  Thank you for enriching these children’s lives by putting books in their hands.  In the words of one student “Thank you.  Really, I’m not kidding.”

If you weren’t able to bring in your books this fall, we will be having another book drive in the Spring. Hold on to those books, and keep your eye out for an announcement in March 2012.

One of the culturally different things that we have had to adjust to is the need for larger sized diapers.  The tendency in these cultures appears to be to potty-train their children much later than we do.  Again, in my ignorance, I thought that if you are struggling financially that you would potty train your children as early as possible to cut down on the expense of diapers.  But that is not the case, and we are now stocking larger diapers to meet the need.

My prayer as we move forward is that we would have more volunteers, and in particular more Spanish speakers to interact with our guests – not just getting their food for them, but sitting with them and getting to know them.  The Lord has begun a good work, and now is the time to take it to the next level – sharing our hope with these people who need hope.

This past week we had a new challenge, one that I had not anticipated.  Many of our first-time visitors to the food pantry were illiterate.  We have been diligent to have our signs and forms be in both English and Spanish – but that is not very helpful to someone who cannot read either language.  How does that person cope with the challenges of living in Northern Virginia if they can’t read?  The Lord provided some very kind folks who helped them fill out the sign in sheet and their food order form, and all was well for the moment.  But it broke my heart just a little more.

Please pray for our outreach to a diverse group of people with different backgrounds, cultures and challenges.  Pray for the Lord to raise up more volunteers, and in particular to raise up someone who’s heart is to reach these people.  We really need someone who has the time and heart to take this ministry to the next level.  And as you visit with family and friends this Thanksgiving, and eat too much and laugh a lot, and enjoy all that the Lord has blessed you with – be thankful.

If you are willing to donate to the food pantry, consider going to a local Dollar Store, and purchasing several bottles of oil, packages of sugar, canisters of coffee, shampoos, deodorants.  For the same amount of money you could bless multiple families in need. We have recurring needs for staple items like corn flour (not corn meal), white flour, oil, sugar, cereal, oatmeal, dried beans, rice, canned soup, canned chicken, tuna, ham and chili. Smaller size containers of items such as flour and sugar are helpful, so we can assist more people. The hygiene items most needed are: laundry detergent, soap, toilet paper, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, sanitary pads, baby wipes, and formula (preferably Similac). Due to a generous donation from the Huggies “A Diaper for Every Bottom” campaign we will not need diapers for some time.  You can also donate financially to this ministry by putting “food pantry” in the memo line of your check and dropping it in an offering box during weekend services.

Thank you for your ongoing generosity. Please contact me if you would like more information on getting involved with the RBC Food Pantry.

We had 46 spots filled with decorations, games, and wonderful people in costumes giving out candy to the hundreds and hundreds of children who came out to trick or treat with us.   I have to admit, I had my doubts about how many people would venture out on a cold and slushy night with their kids in costumes – but as usual, the Lord showed me what a waste of time worrying is.  With a warm and bright place to trick or treat we had an overwhelming turn out, with kids and parents dress in costumes and ready to spend a safe, fun filled evening with their family.  After playing games and trick or treating, the children were treated to a puppet show and snacks, or could stop by and do a Halloween craft.  For me the best part was there wasn’t a single crying child getting scared of what might pop out in the dark.  Many of our neighbors and friends from Guilford came to see what we are about.

Our “parking spots” were amazingly creative with the Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland’s Mad Hatter Tea Party, pirates, campers, and Christmas, just to name a few.  Our grand prize winner for creativity was our new Pastor of Young Adults, Wayne Johnson and his Shepherd Group who did the movie UP, complete with the house, balloons, Carl (now we know what Wayne will look like when he’s 80!), Russell, and the rare bird, Kevin.

A huge thanks to everyone that helped – set-up, clean-up, snacks, crafts, and of course the “parking spots”.  It takes a lot of help to put on an event like this, and we couldn’t do it without our wonderful volunteers.

In the end – despite the snow and last-minute adjustments due to less-than-ideal weather - we were able to serve RBC families and bless many neighbors from our surrounding community (several of whom showed up for worship services the next morning!) We continue to pray for hearts to open to the Gospel as we show the love of Christ in fun and practical ways through events such as this.

International Connection is the English as a second language program at RBC. We have classes on Tuesday nights and Wednesday mornings. Last year’s enrollment of adult students was a little anemic as local internationals had a hard time finding our new church facility. This year is an entirely different story! Student registration has been extremely robust. We finally had to cut it off when class sizes started to outgrow their effectiveness due to their growing sizes.

Every November, we put on a Thanksgiving Dinner for the students and their families. This year, the Bereans adult fellowship group provided the traditional Thanksgiving food (turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pies, etc.) and students brought dishes from their home countries. It was an outstanding buffet! Homemade spring rolls, pupusas, taquitos, rice pilaf and more! To make matters more complicated, we had the greatest number of participants ever – 160 bodies! The Clubhouse was set up for 150, but we stretched the limit and were forced to make a classroom the buffet room.

Before dinner, one of the teachers, Marca Fritzemeier, explained the 5 corn kernel story concerning the plight of the first Pilgrims to Plymouth Rock. Each place setting had a small cup of 5 candy corn kernels to illustrate the story.

After dinner, the children were dismissed to their childcare workers and we enjoyed a post-dinner program. A short video was shown on the history of the Thanksgiving holiday. This was followed by student speeches. A couple of representatives were selected from each class to tell what they were most thankful for. A surprising number of students mentioned their thanks to God and Jesus – totally unprompted by their teachers! Some expressed their thanks for our program, for their jobs, for their families and their health. One young man expressed his hope that someday soon his young daughter would be able to join him here from El Salvador. These were heartfelt words, and I was reminded of the
many everyday blessings that I take for granted.

Erik Palmer ended the evening with some well-chosen “Thanksgiving “songs that we all joined in on, thanks to the words on the screen. Appropriately, he also presented the gospel in a simple but thorough way and invited anyone who had questions to talk to him or I.C. staff later. It was a meaningful ending to a memorable evening. May God use our words, our relationships and our lives to reflect His goodness and love to these wonderful people.

An many of our missionaries point out each year during the missions conference, without faithful prayer support from their sending churches, much of their labor is in vain. Prayer fuels the fires of the Gospel as it goes forth into the nations.

Yet, you may ask, “How do I pray for missionaries?  What are their needs?  How do I pray for someone so far away whom I do not know and perhaps may never see?”  Below are some helpful suggestions for how you can generally pray for our missionaries.

WAYS YOU CAN PRAY FOR OUR MISSIONARY FAMILY:

1.    Pray for the missionaries’ personal relationship with God.

2.    Pray for the missionaries’ physical and emotional needs.  Pray against discouragement, depression, loneliness and homesickness.

3.    Pray the missionaries can make the necessary adjustments to living on their fields of labor.

4.    Pray that God will open doors of ministry, blessing partnerships and friendships and that those who serve will be led by the Holy Spirit and recognize open-door opportunities.

5.    Pray for revival in each nation and region of the world.

6.    Pray that the Spirit will provide them with words that commuicate effectively in other cultures and languages.

7.    Pray that the missionaries would find favor in the eyes of those in high places that can help to further the kingdom.

8.    Pray that the missionaries will have the boldness to overcome the fear of embarassment or failure.

9.    Pray for the freedom to preach the gospel and that the people will be responsive

10.  Pray for strength and stamina as missionaries encounter antagonistic spiritual forces.

11.  Pray that God’s Word will indeed spread rapidly and be honored.

12.  Pray that God will change the hearts of those who are resistant to His Word.

13.  Pray that God will keep Christian workers safe from those who seek to hurt them.

14.  Pray that the missionary’s ministry and attitude will be worthy of acceptance.

15.  Pray for good relationships among co-workers and the national workers.

16.  Pray that the Lord will help the missionaries develop good national leaders that will multiply their efforts.

17.  Pray for clear guidance from God regarding travel decisions.

18.  Pray for protection and provision during their travels and for necessary permissions to travel.

19.  Pray that God will provide opportunities for missionaries in lonely areas to spend time with other believers.

20.  Pray that God will provide times of peace and relaxation to refresh His workers.

EMAIL PRAYER CHAIN: If you are interested in receiving periodic e-mail prayer requests from missionaries and those within our local congregation, send an email to prayerchainatrbc@gmail.com and put the word “Join” in the subject line. You will then be added to our email distribution list to received regular updates of prayer requests.

MISSIONARY PRAYER GUIDE: You can also stop by the Welcome Desk during weekend services and pick up a Missionary Prayer Guide. The Missionary Prayer Guide is an excellent resource that has a comprehensive list of our missionaries, including photos and personal prayer requests.

This is the story of the Cassada and Snyder families, who heeded God’s call to care for the orphan. Although not everyone is called to adopt, everyone is called to care.

You can learn more about orphan care and adoption through our Hope Ministry at Reston Bible Church: www.restonbible.org/hope

If you’d like to further equip the mind in regards to killing sin, I’d recommend the books below – all excellent reads on the subject. You can check at the RBC Bookstore between Sunday services for availability of any of these.

In The Mortification of Sin, Puritan pastor-theologian John Owen provides vital teaching in a neglected aspect of Christianity – killing sin. In this book, Owen effectively dismisses various excuses for not engaging in self-scrutiny and yet avoids the current trend of self-absorption. In so doing, he provides principles to help believers live lives of holiness before God. You can go for the original unabridged version, but for a quicker read, I’d recommend Richard Rushing’s abridged version.

In The Enemy Within: Straight Talk About the Power and Defeat of Sin, Kris Lundgaard draws on two works by the aforementioned Puritan in writing this modern-English distillation of two of Owen’s most renowned works – Indwelling Sin and The Mortification of Sin.  Lundgaard offers insight, encouragement, and hope for overcoming the enemy within.

Cornelius Plantinga Jr.’s Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin revives in modern terms the ancient awareness of sin that has slipped in recent decades. Plantinga uses clear language and draws upon myriad books, films and other cultural resources to drive home our need to simultaneously hate sin and love the grace of Christ.

In Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate, Jerry Bridges asserts that we have become so preoccupied with the “major” sins of our society, Christians have ceased to heed the dangers of more subtle sins in our lives. We the Church must not act as though sin were only something out “in the world” and so tolerate jealousy, anger, pride and ungodliness within our own hearts. Bridges humbly points his readers again and again to the profound mercy of the grace of Jesus.

You can check out the audio/video of the weekend teaching here. Below are a few Scriptures (ESV) for study & reflection regarding sin, the mind as watchman to the soul, and others referenced during the teaching.

On Sin & Killing Sin

Romans 7:21-23 – So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.

James 4:17 – So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Psalm 51:5 – Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

Psalm 58:3 – Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies.

Galatians 5:17 -  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

Romans 8:12-13 – So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Colossians 3:5-6 – Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.On account of these the wrath of God is coming.

1 Corinthians 9:26-27 -  So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

Paul Grows in His Knowledge of Sin

1 Corinthians 15:9 (written approximately AD 55) – For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Ephesians 3:8 (written approximately AD 60 ) – To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ…

1 Timothy 1:15 (written approximately AD 64) – The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

*Note that if you study the surrounding context of each reference above, you’ll see that as Paul grows in the knowledge of his own sin nature, he likewise expresses growth in his knowledge of grace, redemption, and forgiveness. He grows in his love and appreciation for Christ as he realizes more and more what he has been saved from.

For example:

1 Corinthians 15:10 – But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. (In this section, you’ll see Paul mainly reflecting on the work God did in/through him by grace, despite his sin as an individual.)

Ephesians 3:9-10 – ...and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. (You’ll see Paul expanding upon the mystery of God’s eternal purposes “unsearchable riches of Christ” and the “manifold wisdom of God” being revealed beyond himself to the Gentiles through the church.)

1 Timothy 1:  - To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (Paul reflects on being “the foremost of sinners” in light of also being one who is entrusted with “the gospel of the glory of the blessed God” through the great majesty, mercy, grace, patience and strength of Christ.)

On the Mind

1 Pet. 1:13 - Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Luke 24:45 – Then [Jesus] opened their minds to understand the Scriptures…

Romans 8:6 – For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

Romans 12:2 – Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

James 1:8 - …he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

2 Corinthians 4:4 – In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

2 Corinthians 11:3 – But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

*Joseph is a great example of the mind being prepared. When he is tempted by Potiphar’s wife in Genesis 39:6-10, he says, “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). I believe this indicates he was holding a two-fold truth at the forefront of his thinking – sin is evil and God is holy. Thus, “as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.”

Others

Hebrews 10:14 – For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

Ephesians 6:17 – … take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…

Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Philippians 1:6 – And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Men, it has been a few weeks now since we were at the 2011 RBC Men’s Retreat. Three weeks is typically about the time it takes to instill a new habit in our lives. Hopefully, you were encouraged to begin to walk closer with the Lord, but maybe you couldn’t attend or maybe life is just back to normal.  For any of those circumstances, the Men’s Ministry wanted to provide you with the following resources to equip and encourage you to continue strengthening your walk with the Lord.

As you may remember, our overriding theme was Strength in Numbers -  that we are stronger in fellowship with other Christians than we are alone (a 3-cord of strands – Ecclesiastes 4:19-21). We experienced great teaching from Pastor Steve King and great fellowship with other RBC men, all at a great location with amazing scenery.

Steve gave us four challenging keynote messages. Below, we are providing a brief synopsis of each one, as well as links to the audio so you can re-listen as needed. We pray this will serve as a helpful post-retreat reminder of some of the things we learned and experienced there.

SESSION ONE: The Realities of Living by Faith – Pastor Steve taught on how properly setting expectations for our lives on the Lord and his promises will increase our joy. We should filter the world through God’s Word, not vice-versa. We are designed to live by faith and God tests our faith for our good and our growth. Listen to full session audio here. Session Slides are here.

SESSION TWO: Living in the Community of Grace -  We are loved by God, and we are to show hospitality (love) to others. Marriage is to be honored and our contentment is valued by God. This sounds simple, but why is it so hard? We drift and too often allow ourselves to be deceived, become dulled, then defiant – which results in being disciplined by God. Listen to full session audio here. Session Slides are here.

SESSION THREE: “Whatever!” – We can experience the ‘whatever’ of relationships or we can experience Jesus in ‘whatever’ circumstances we are in. The most significant relationship other than with God is the one with our spouse. The Lord uses our marriage to refine us. As a husband/father we have the most significant role in the moral direction for our family. Listen to full session audio here. Session Slides are here.

SESSION FOUR: How to get Honey from a Rock – We can experience contentment & joy in the midst of trials because God will never leave or forsake us. Life is a wilderness, and God is our greatest treasure and reward. This world won’t ultimately satisfy us. We must worship God even when we don’t feel like it. Listen to full session audio here. Session Slides are here.

You can view the retreat photos below! (Thanks to Dave Waldrup, Mike Emory and Kim Strickland for the images.)

Mark your calendars now for next year! On October 5 & 6, 2012 we will be hosting Alistair Begg as our speaker. You can listen to him daily (weekdays) on WAVA 105.1 at 8:00 am.

As always, you are welcome to contact me with any questions or comments regarding Men’s Ministry here at RBC.

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Brad Hummel, Men’s Ministry Director

mensministry@restonbible.org

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 Have you ever videotaped your children when they first see what is under the Christmas tree on Christmas morning?  That was what the children’s faces looked like last Tuesday at Guilford Elementary School. We surprised the students when they came in for “Picture Day” with 2,000 books piled on tables.  The students were told that they could choose 3 books each to have for their very own.  For many of these kids, these will be the first books that they have owned.  They went back to their classrooms hugging their books and excited to be allowed to write their names inside – proof that they could keep them “forever and for always”.  Many thanks to all who donated books to our first Book Drive for Guilford Elementary School, and a huge thank you to the volunteers who helped set up, assist the children, and clean up after the event.

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‘Twas the night before Book Day

When in the Guilford gymnasium

Tables were set up

for the big surprise yet to come.

The boxes were unloaded by volunteers with care

In hopes that kids’ smiles soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds

With no idea of the special day that was ahead.

For our people are caring, and they give when we ask

So we stacked up those books – a formidable task!

We sorted those novels, the fiction and non

Picture books, tall tales and stories from beyond,

Goosebumps and Pokemon and Jillian Jigs

Sports books, and math books and tales about pigs.

The teachers were skeptical

as they waited their turn.

Would there be enough books

so their students could learn?

When what to their wondering eyes should appear

Books and more books, (there was no reason to fear!)

There were more than enough for each child to have three.

The hard part, of course – Which three would it be?

More rapid than eagles,

The children they came

And they whistled and shouted

And called books by name.

“Star Wars, and Hardy Boys,

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Junie B. Jones, and a book about squids!”

“Do you have Curious George?

Oh we just love them all -

Choose a book, choose a book,

It’s like a book mall!”

We had to explain to each little peep

That these books were for them

To take home and to keep.

Forever their own to love and to read,

Our people were so generous to help fill this need.

Each child stopped to thank us with words, waves and hugs.

Each child made an impact – my heartstrings felt tugs.

So I thank each of you for your giving and love.

Such a great witness of our Father above.

On September 16th, we had Jello night, where we threw Jell-O, shot Jell-O, swam in Jell-O, and ate Jell-O.  It was a blast, but also a total mess. We also got to talk about the messes in our own lives (e.g., divorced parents, lying to fit in), and the God who has come in human form into our mess, to renew and restore by dying on a cross for all of our sins, and rising from the dead to give us everlasting life.  We had over 60 friends attend and over 10 indicate decisions for Christ.

On October 14th, we put on our own version of Minute to Win It.  Erik Palmer hosted a series of games from the TV show for an excited crowd of almost 200 Jr. Highers (about half were visitors).  We also had 20 middle schoolers from Cornerstone School in Anacostia. The teens played games, won prizes, and ate pizza. But as the games puts contestants under pressure to perform, we face a huge pressure to perform in academics, athletics, relationships, etc. Thankfully, God hasn’t left us alone in those pressures, and says our identity isn’t based on our performance (we will never be good enough to get to heaven), but on what He has already accomplished for us by dying to pay the penalty for our sins and rising to give us life. Please pray as we follow up with over 20 visitors that indicated decisions for Christ that night.

Below are highlight videos from both of the events.  Please continue to pray for the seeds that were planted at these events and the new faiths that began.

It’s always a good time when students arrive to an event dressed up like gorillas, football players, Star Wars characters, cowboys, & ninjas. One of my favorite parts about my job has to be watching students participate in events wholeheartedly & not care what they look like to their peers in the process. That definitely happened one past Sunday night at the Sr. High Minute to Win It outreach event! Students poured into the youth building wearing all sorts of different outfits, all with the hopes to have a chance of playing the games & winning some prizes!

We couldn’t have expected the evening to have gone any smoother. We prayed that every student would bring at least one friend from their schools that doesn’t go to RBC, & while we knew our expectations were high, we didn’t expect to have a third of the students that attended be guests! It was such an encouragement to see our teens buy into the vision that bringing in outsiders was important… allowing their friends to be exposed to Christian influences was important… giving them an opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ was important. They got it!

As Erik Palmer hosted the show, we chose the students with the craziest outfits as the the participants in each game. We had students catching ping pong balls with lint rollers, dropping Mentos into soda bottles, making a building out of reams of paper, & even throwing ping pong balls into empty cups. There were so many talented kids who attempted such daunting tasks & many that went home with gift cards to Starbucks, Potbelly, & other assorted “favorites”. I’d say the night was a success.

While all of this is good & great, the REAL success was what resulted at the end. At least a dozen students that we know of made decisions for Christ, and nine of those recorded that they began a relationship with Him! What a reason to rejoice! While I enjoyed watching students attempt each game & embarrass themselves throughout the night, the real excitement came as I watched a dozen hands go up in response to accepting Christ’s gift to receive the salvation that He offers. My heart is filled with joy after events like these! To God be the glory!

During services last weekend, we heard about Grand Theft Joy. We discovered that as followers of Christ, we make decisions every day to either protect our joy or to allow the joy that God intends for us to be taken away. We allow our joy to be taken from us by “Joy Thieves” when we don’t protect the precious gift that God has given us through Jesus. All Joy Thieves seem normal – even healthy – until they aren’t kept in check. But there is one Joy Thief that is particularly relevant to us in Northern Virginia – busyness. If we aren’t careful, busyness steals joyfulness by keeping us from spending time with Jesus – the only source of true joy.

As a follow-up to that message, we have issued the 5-for-5 Challenge. We encourage you to spend five more minutes with Jesus than you do right now for the next five days (Monday through Friday). If you aren’t sure what that looks like or needed a fresh look at God, we’ve posted five short devotionals based on this week’s message.

Monday: Read Luke 10:38-42 carefully. Notice that Jesus does not contrast Martha’s busyness with Mary’s laziness. The text says that Mary “left” serving with Martha. Mary chose to leave her own serving (busyness) for something better. Read Psalm 43:4. God is your joy and, as you go to Him, He is your exceeding joy. That joy then spills over (remember the blocks illustration from the weekend teaching?) in worship and your intimacy deepens from “O God” to “my God.” Ask the Lord to help you bring these truths into your day.

Tuesday: Read Psalm 126:3. This is the heart of the Gospel – the good news of Jesus Christ – not what you do for God, but what He has done for you. Martha was doing for Jesus while Mary was learning who Jesus was and what His coming (birth, life, death, and resurrection) did for her. As you focus on what He has done for you, joy begins to fill you. Ask the Lord to take you deeper in your understanding of all that He has done for you.

Wednesday: Read Psalm 84:1-2. Spending time each day in the loveliness and beauty of who God is, His dwelling place, creates a deeper longing and yearning for Him. So much so that this yearning is likened to fainting from desire. The heart and flesh, in other words – all of us, sing with joy to Him. It becomes a joy to leave our busyness and sit in His presence like Mary. Ask the Lord to draw you to Himself in deeper ways as you experience joy in His presence.

Thursday: Read Psalm 27:4. David is seeking time with the Lord, just as Mary did. It is the “one thing” most important to Him, just as Jesus commended Mary for her “one thing.” David tells the Lord he wants to dwell in His presence for all the days of his life, to see His beauty. A follower of Christ has eternal life that begins the moment they trust Christ here on earth and continues without end into eternity. Ask the Lord to not only increase your joy, but to reveal His beauty as you spend increasing time with Him here on earth and prepare for eternity with Him.

Friday: Read Psalm 16:11. The passage promises fullness of joy in God’s presence forever. Not just joy, and not even exceeding joy -but fullness of joy now and forever. God is your joy, and as you spend time in His presence now, joy grows to fullness. You can’t have true lasting joy without being in God’s presence. Ask the Lord for an increasing desire for Him, for the joy of who He is. That desire will be fulfilled in eternity as you receive the fullness of complete joy in His presence forever.

My name is Wayne Johnson and I have recently been hired as the Young Adults Pastor here at Reston Bible Church. I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you what is currently going on in this ministry.

First, as a new pastor at RBC, let me share just a little about myself. My wife Julie and I were married December 21, 1985, and together we have 4 children. Two have recently graduated from college and two are currently attending college.  Julie essentially grew up attending RBC, so when we were married, I was introduced to the church at that time.  Consequently, we have been a part of the RBC family for quite some time.  In recent years the Lord has done a deep and marvelous work in our personal lives.  (For more on that, you are welcome to view this video.)

Second, who are young adults at RBC?  That is a great question, and here is how I answer that; anyone who is out of high school, usually that is about 18 years of age, up to, (and this is where it may be a little tricky, because I am finding out people vary on when they think someone is no longer a young adult) oh, 30-35 something? We seek to minister to all in that age bracket whether single, married, with children, without children, single parent, etc. Whatever stage of life you are in, you are welcome.

Julie and I are very excited about what the Lord is doing and we believe He is going before us as we seek Him for wisdom and guidance regarding what He wants for the young adults at RBC.  Currently, the Lord is bringing together a number of men and women with a heart to serve in this ministry.  As Julie and I meet with these people, we are seeking the Lord for direction, ideas and all kinds of ways in which He would lead us to follow Him in making disciples of all nations and what that means for this specific group of people at RBC.

We believe that sometime in November 2011 we will launch an all-new young adults ministry.  Please stay tuned for more updates in the near future.  In the meantime please be praying for us.  This is a crucial time, as we need the Lord’s wisdom to build a ministry on a firm foundation.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Wayne Johnson
Young Adults Pastor

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For questions regarding Young Adult Ministries at RBC, please contact Wayne Johnson, Young Adults Pastor.

First Fruits is a service project that has rallied the RBC church body for over 20 years. It is a unique serving opportunity for families, shepherd groups, and individuals to come together and make a difference in the lives and families of others in our area who are in need of help and encouragement. Join us and you will be blessed to see the tangible “fruits” of your labors!

Learn more & get involved at www.restonbible.org/firstfruits

That’s right: I said “Don’t volunteer at Guilford.”

You see, should you volunteer at Guilford, something will happen to you when you meet these kids. No longer will you be able to keep your heart’s door closed to the reality of the poor. Everything that you have carefully compartmentalized into statistics and bar charts and percentages of those-who-qualify-for-free-lunches suddenly become …people. Beautiful, unique, gifted individuals who face challenges that most of us cannot fully grasp – challenges that are out of their control.

I spent the afternoon at Guilford Elementary last Friday. I was the special guest of one of the third grade classes, and now I know what it feels like to be a rock star or Santa Claus. I was treated like royalty, given lots of hugs, and kids fought for the privilege of sitting next to me in the classroom (a first for me!)

The children had written thank-you letters for the things that RBC is doing for them. Many of the kids stood up and read me their letters, and some read to me from their writing journals. I was touched to the point of tears. One boy told me that he has wanted to go to a museum his WHOLE LIFE, and this year he will be able to go on the field trip because of the people from our church who paid for it for him. He also told me now he can think better in school because he’s not thinking about his tummy being hungry. One child said I was “such a nice teacher.” When I asked why he thought I was a teacher, he said it was because teachers are the ones who love you and take care of you, so I must be a teacher since I was getting people to give the children snacks. Kind of makes you think.

Don’t get me wrong, these aren’t perfect little Stepford children with large puppy dog eyes. These are real kids. Charming, silly, serious, thoughtful, impish, studious, sometimes disobedient, always enthusiastic and energetic, children. What overwhelmed me was that all of them were respectful and grateful. Both the haves and the have-nots were appreciative of all that RBC has done for their school. There was no sense of entitlement. Just thankfulness. It was humbling to realize how infrequently I am just thankful for what I have been given.

So there you have it. Don’t volunteer at Guilford, because once you meet the kids, suddenly it becomes about people, not programs. It becomes about justice and mercy and grace and love and sharing it with what Jesus called the “least of these”. So don’t do it, because try as hard as you can, I don’t think you can close your heart door to the “least of these” once the Lord has opened it.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

 (Click on the images to the right to read a few of the letters from Guilford students.)