Matthew Archives - Reston Bible Church: Recent Episodes
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS1. What stood out to you most in this message? 2. What role has worship played in your own spiritual journey? Prominent? Minimal? Haven’t really thought about it? 3. React to the statement that worship is designed to shape the heart and the mind together. 4. How have you historically seen the psalms and their value personally? Has that changed in any way after this sermon? 5. Are there ways in which you take in the counsel of the world and may not have thought about it? 6. How could you improve your intake regarding the counsel of the Lord?
The post A Psalm for All Seasons: Psalm 1 appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS1. What is one thing from this message that really stood out to you? 2. What did Greg mean when he said we should be “radical like Jesus”? In what ways was Jesus radical? 3. Who shared the gospel with you before you were a believer in Jesus? 4. Does evangelism sound scary or exciting to you? Why? 5. When was the last time you shared the gospel with someone? Do you feel confident that you could share the gospel with someone if you had the opportunity? 6. Read and discuss Matthew 9:35-38 and 1 John 2:6. What do you note about Jesus’ disposition toward people? 7. Based on the passages above, Greg admonished us to “live as Jesus lived.” Which of these areas would you consider a strength in your life? * See what Jesus saw. * Feel what Jesus felt. * Imagine what Jesus imagined. * Pray like Jesus prayed. * Do what Jesus did. 8. What is one area from the list above that you tend to struggle with as you walk with Jesus? What adjustments or practical steps do you need to make? Spend some time praying for each other for these areas. Pray also for the lost to be saved and the saved to be sent.
The post Radical Like Jesus appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS1. What stood out to you most in this message? 2. How have you struggled with whether or not a believer in Jesus should be involved in the political process in our country? 3. What new information did you glean from this message about how our political process works and the responsibility we have as believers to engage? 4. How have you come to clarity on the notion of America being a Christian nation? It was discussed that our nations was founded on biblical principles, but the application over the years is a different matter. Discuss your perspective. 5. Discuss the tension between submitting to the governing authorities as in Romans 13 with the potential reality of civil disobedience. 6. Under what circumstances do you see yourself as possibly being disobedient to the governing authorities? 7. What additional questions or concerns were raised in your mind as a result of this message?
The post Christ and Culture, Part 7: God and Government appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS1. Pastor David opened up the last two sermons by referencing how Jesus is both immanent and transcendent. Which of these characteristics do you tend to primarily associate with Jesus, and why? 2. Why do you think that Jesus transfigured before Peter, James, and John, but not the rest of the disciples? 3. How does Jesus’ transfiguration provide the disciples – and us – sustained encouragement during trials and suffering? 4. When you think about yourself from years ago, where do you see evidences of Jesus’ transforming power in your own life? 5. How might this passage be a good evangelistic tool with people who claim to follow the Bible but do not believe that Jesus is Yahweh (Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc.)?
The post Jesus Encounters: The Transfiguration appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS1. What are situations in your life where you feel Satan has an opportune time to tempt you to sin or to doubt God’s goodness? 2. Where were you when you first encountered Jesus? Who first told you about Him? Have you told your friends and family about Jesus? 3. How would you describe where you are in your journey with Jesus? 4. The speaker said that we need to be strong in the Word. What would a practical application look like for you to do that? 5. What have you been pondering in your heart as you have been hearing God’s word and seeing God’s work? 6. How do you keep yourself from taking God’s blessings and making them all about you? 7. How would you evaluate yourself in regards to living with Jesus as your Master, a boss who is superior but with limited authority, or Jesus as your Lord, the one with complete, supreme authority? 8. Describe the situations in your life when you felt that you were trying to run from God or avoid Him? 9. What does it mean to you that Jesus didn’t come to judge you but to save you, and give you a mission with eternal value? 10. What part of your life are you struggling to give up in order to follow Jesus?
The post Jesus Encounters: The Commissioning of Peter appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS The post RBC, Who’s Going? appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS1. What stood out to you most about this message?
2. We all likely struggle with the issue of possessions in some way. What is your specific struggle? Wanting more, finding security there and not in the Lord?
3. When you consider the elements of godliness that we discussed, which rise to the surface as particular challenges for you?
Righteousness: Choose to do what’s right
Faith: Trust God
Love: Put others first
Steadfastness: Never give up
Gentleness: Be mild-mannered
4. Pursuing godliness without being content is insufficient to be the “great gain” that Paul is talking about. How content of an individual would you describe yourself to be?
5. What is one step you can commit to making this week to pursue godliness more effectively?
The post Paul’s Loving Charge to the Church, Part 10: Flee and Pursue appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS1. What stood out you most in the message? 2. Read Matthew 5:17-18. Put in your own words what Jesus meant when He said that He came to fulfill the Law. 3. How is it that the Sabbath was created for man and not the other way around? What had the religious establishment done to this reality in Jesus’ day? 4. Read Hebrews 4:8-11 and discuss the various elements of rest referred to in this passage. 5. In what ways in your own journey are you struggling to let Jesus be your rest? 6. What is one change you can make this week that will put Jesus more in focus in producing a more effective rhythm with rest?
The post A Rhythm with Rest, Part 3: Jesus Is Our Rest appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS1. What stood out to you in this message? 2. When you have thought about life’s rhythms in your own life, what comes to mind? 3. How would you describe the current rhythms of you and your family? 4. Genesis talks about us being “created to work” or being creative. What does that mean to you? How do you feel most used by God? 5. Discuss the struggle between finding our identity in Christ versus what we are doing? Describe how you are doing with this struggle. 6. When do you rest? Do you rest with disregard to being tired? 7. What changes do you need to consider making to your journey of creating and resting?
The post A Rhythm with Rest, Part 1: God Rested appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS1. What stood out to you in this message? 2. What do you see as the primary temptations for followers of Christ in our current context? 3. What do you believe are the enemies primary strategies for drawing you away from the Lord? 4. Do you see particular vulnerabilities in your own human heart that contribute to the challenges you face? Discuss. 5. What has been most impactful for you over the four weeks of the Lord’s Prayer? In what ways have you altered your prayer life as a result of this series? 6. What are some changes you can proactively make this week related to this series? 7. How will this series change the way you pray as a group?
The post The Lord’s Prayer, Part 4: Readiness appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS1. What struck you most in this message? 2. Discuss the caveats from this message that our greatest need is to know and be like Jesus, as well as to pray with right motives? How do these shape the expression of prayers about felt needs? 3. What would you consider your top needs today? 4. If embracing God’s forgiveness facilitates our ability to forgive others, consider anyone in your life who you are struggling to forgive. Explain. 5. Are you able to fully embrace that God truly cares for you? If not, what tends to get in the way? 6. How have you handled God’s Yes, No, and Not Yet answers to prayer? 7. How have you seen the reality that your prayers matter and that you should be persistent? 8. What will be different in your life this week because of this sermon?
The post The Lord’s Prayer, Part 3: Requests appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS1. What stood out to you most in this message? 2. What is your first internal response to the notion of submission? How have you seen authority abused? What is your response to submitting to authority you feel doesn’t deserve it? 3. Read Matthew 16:24-25. How has God asked you to “carry your cross” (submit to Him) in your spiritual journey? 4. The message spoke about a change in posture – such as getting on your knees to pray. How does this sort of thing strike you? 5. One of the themes of the Old Testament is the repeated cycle of embracing idols – the golden calf most famously in Exodus 32. What do you see as the primary idols the church faces today? What idols do you struggle with in your own life? 6. What practical steps will you take this week to have a consistent response of submission to the Lord? 7. Take time to pray, focusing on Reverence and a Response of Submission.
The post The Lord’s Prayer, Part 2: Response of Submission appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS1. Read Matthew 6:5-13. Discuss the two admonitions to avoid praying to impress people and God. How would you describe your prayer life in its current state? 2. Discuss the notion of perfunctory “zipper prayers” that open and close gatherings and are filled with requests. How often do we fall prey to this? 3. Discussion the encouragement consider “Scripture-fed, Spirit led, worship-based prayer.” What does that mean to you? 4. What does “reverence” look like for you in personal praise and worship of God? 5. Does God seem “accessible” to you? 1 Corinthians 3:18. Why or why not? 6. What does it mean to you to seek God’s face before seeking his hand? 7. Spend time in prayer focusing on reverence—worshiping, praising, and thanking God.
The post The Lord’s Prayer, Part 1: Reverence appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS1. What impacted you the most in this message? 2. When the issues of “giving” is brought up, what is your first gut response? Is it easy to discuss or do you at times feel defensive? Explain 3. How do you respond to the discussion on tithing? Is that a new perspective for you? Do you agree or disagree and why? 4. 2 Corinthians 9:7 says that each one should determine in his heart what he has decided to give. Does this feel like freedom or pressure? How have you typically “determined in your heart”? 5. Read Matthew 6:19-20. What does it mean to lay up treasures in heaven? In what ways are you investing in heaven? 6. How has this message changed your perspective on giving? Do you have clarity on any changes you might make on the road ahead?
The post My Heart and My Wallet: A Theology of Giving appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS1. What impacted you the most in this message? 2. When you consider your resources and possessions, do you tend to see them as your own or the Lord’s? 3. Discuss the challenges of being grateful in times of financial difficulty. 4. Look up Proverbs 11:28, 23:4-5, 16:8, 22:1, and 15:25. Discuss. 5. If contentment is “wanting what you already have,” discuss the struggle we all face for more. 6. Have you ever made a decision that seemed to others to go against traditional financial wisdom?
The post My Heart and My Wallet: A Theology of Wealth appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS1. What most impacted you in today’s service? 2. Of the three mission trips that were addressed, which one stood out to you and why? 3. When it comes to God’s strategy for impacting the world for Christ, He told us to “go” (Matthew 28:18-20). Before we can “go,” we have to embrace His command, “Follow Me” (Matthew 4:19). Discuss the relationship between these two notions and how they play out in your own life. 4. Pastor Michael asked the question, “Do we allow the gospel to disturb out life?” What did he mean? How do you respond? 5. What different ways does God call us to go? In what specific ways do you believe God is calling you to go? What is one practical step you can take in the coming weeks to step out in obedience toward that calling? 6. Pastor Michael said that the church is a place to which we go to, rather than being a place in which we are equipped to go from. Discuss that statement. How can the church more effectively be a place in which people are equipped and mobilized to go? 7. Atheist Penn Jillette essentially asked the question, “How much do you have to hate someone to believe that they are headed to hell, but you don’t say anything so as to not create an awkward moment?” Have you ever felt that tension? How do you respond to his question? 8. Spend some time in prayer for our church that we would be more effective in equipping the body of RBC to “go.” Ask God for clarity on how He is calling you to “go” and for the faith to step out in obedience.
The post From the Field: Go appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS1. What was the main thing you learned about the Trinity from this message? 2. How did this message affect, change, or challenge your understanding of God? 3. What is the significance of the involvement of the Triune God in creation? 4. How does Jesus’ statement in John 16:13-15 affect your perspective on the Bible? In what way(s) does this foster confidence in the truth of God’s Word? 5. Mark pointed out a number of Scripture passages that show us attributes of the Holy Spirit. Among your group, have members read John 16:13-15, Romans 8:2, 1 Corinthians 2:10-12, and Psalm 139:7-10. What do these verses teach us about the attributes of the Holy Spirit? 6. What role does the Holy Spirit play in drawing a person to Christ? How does this shape your perspective on evangelism? 7. Looking at Philippians 2:12-13, what is the tension in these two verses in living out the Christian life? Are you drawn more to one side of the spectrum? What are the dangers of leaning to the extreme on either side? 8. There are two primary errors regarding the Holy Spirit. The first is placing too much emphasis on the Holy Spirit; the second is placing too little emphasis on the Holy Spirit. Which error do you think you personally lean towards? 9. What is your main takeaway from this message?
The post The Holy Spirit, Part 1: Introduction appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
We're in a battle with spiritual forces of wickedness. We need to act like we’re in a battle. The key to battle is prayer.
The post The Key to Battle appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
What we confess to be true is what we will proclaim to others. The most excellent proclamation we can make is that Jesus is the Son of God. It is His Sonship that forms the canvas upon which we would paint any other portrait of Jesus.
The post Portraits of Christ: The Son of God appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
Jesus is the final Judge who knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment. Knowing about the judgment to come should make followers of Jesus eager to share the good news with everyone!
The post Portraits of Christ: The Final Judge appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
When Jesus says that He is "gentle and lowly," it means that saving sinners brings Him joy, that He sympathizes with our weakness, that He is gentle when we stray, and that He sees us through to the end.
The post Portraits of Christ: Gentle and Lowly appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
Why can you take a step of faith in the midst of the storm when God calls you? Because He loves you more than you can possibly imagine, and because He will equip you and enable you.
The post Faith in the Storm appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
God blesses His people to reach all peoples.
The post The Mission of God appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
Jesus doesn’t always meet our expectations, but His plan is always better. He is, indeed, the King of kings.
The post Palm Sunday: The King Has Come appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
As soon as you leave the kingdom of darkness and enter the kingdom of God's Son, you take on a new purpose and submit to a new authority.
The post All Things New: Living As a Child of God, Part 2 appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
Forgiveness from the heart is countless, costly, comparative, and consequential. And it is possible when we look to Christ.
The post Parables, Part 3: The Unforgiving Servant appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
The parable of the sower describes four different conditions of the human heart. We are called to be "Soil Four," rooted in God's Word and bearing the fruit of faithfulness.
The post Parables, Part 1: The Parable of the Sower appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
Diligence means accepting each task given to us as a special assignment from the Lord and investing time and energy to complete it. The Lord will reward faithful excellence.
The post Work Matters: The Parable of the Talents, Part 2 appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
Work is a key part of God's agenda for His kingdom in the hearts of people. In redemption, Jesus redeems both the worker and his attitude toward work. How we work not only matters now, but it impacts eternity.
The post Work Matters: The Parable of the Talents, Part 1 appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
Do you live like you are a child of the King? Are you ready to ask Jesus to be the King of your life?
The post The King Has Come appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
How should the faithful and wise servant of Christ live in difficult times? The faithful and wise servant is prepared, productive, and practices love.
The post Who Then Is the Faithful and Wise Servant? appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
We will never be fully human until we learn to fully love. According to Jesus, that includes loving both our neighbors and our enemies.
The post Faith, Hope, and Love – Part 4 appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS 1. What was one thing about this message that you found particularly compelling, encouraging, challenging, or beneficial? 2. What kinds of things do you tend to worry about? 3. Read and discuss Matthew 6: 19-21, 25-34 and Ecclesiastes 5:10-15. What do these verses tell us about us? What do they tell us about God? 4. In what ways is this text pointing us to an eternal value system? 5. Are there aspects of this text that you find difficult to believe and/or live out? Why? 6. Discuss the following statements: “We worry most about what we cherish most.” “Every mind has a parking space for worry, and most of us are double parked.” “Our worry is directly related to our understanding of eternity.” What does these statements mean? What are the implications? 7. How does fear give birth to worry? How have you observed this in others? How does it tend to play out in your life? 8. What does it mean to “seek first the kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33)? How does the gospel of Jesus empower us to connect this to daily life? 9. Spend some time in prayer for the things you’ve discussed. Pray that the Lord would allow you to lay down your temporary worries so you can live freely through the eternal value system into which Jesus has purchased your entry.
The post Mind Your Heart, Part 3: Fear and Worry appeared first on Reston Bible Church.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS 1. What was one thing about this message that you found particularly compelling, encouraging, challenging, or beneficial? 2. What is a parable? Why do you think Jesus employed this method of teaching? 3. Read and discuss Matthew 13:24-35. What is Jesus trying to tell us about the kingdom of God? How is God’s kingdom “already but not yet”? How do these parables help illustrate that? 4. Can you think of any real life stories or experiences that show the principles in these parables? 5. What other parables in the Bible are most meaningful to you? Why? What other parables teach us about living in God’s kingdom? 6. Why should believers gather together as local churches? What does this have to do with the kingdom? 7. Are there ways you have of thinking of people as more- or less-important than others? In what ways do you need to adjust your mindset? 8. Why should God’s people also scatter out into the world? What does this have to do with the kingdom? 9. Consider Pastor Mike’s statement, “If the world is going to eat our lunch, let’s make sure they taste the honey of the gospel.” What did he mean by this? How can this be lived out? 10. As you consider the following points of instruction regarding kingdom living, why are each of these important and which ones do you need to grow in the most? 1. See yourself as a valued member of the kingdom. 2. Learn to be observant wherever you go. 3. Listen well, and listen carefully. 4. Be a seed-sower, not a weed-wacker. 11. Spend time thanking God for the access we have to His kingdom because of Jesus Christ. Ask Him to help you see the beauty of His kingdom and live well as a citizen thereof while navigating a broken world.
The post The Cost of Not Following Jesus, Part 5 appeared first on Reston Bible Church.