Reston Bible Church Sermons podcast

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS What stood out to you in this message? In what ways have you struggled to come to terms with the sovereignty of God? In what ways have you been able to rest and be grateful for the sovereignty of the Lord? How have you seen the grace of God active in your life? Discuss the justice of God. How have you felt regarding justice when this life seems so unjust? If you were able to speak to James, how would you respond to the realities of that lack of fairness in life? ADDITIONAL RESOURCES The Herod Family Tree from OverviewBible The post The Church in Acts, Part 10: God’s Sovereign Rule appeared first on Reston Bible Church .…

Reston Bible Church Sermons

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The Church in Acts, Part 9: Gentiles Receive the Gospel

9 days ago

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS What stood out to you in this message? Discuss how easy it is to confuse works as an outgrowth of faith and works as an effort to be justified? Why do you think it is that even believers in Jesus can fall prey to the tendency to “just be a good person”? Can you give an example of a situation in which God was working behind the scenes and orchestrating events for someone to come to faith in Christ? In what way is God stretching you spiritually at this time? What do you believe He is trying to teach you? Brainstorm and discuss the basic elements of the Gospel. What are the steps you would take to lead someone to a personal relationship with Jesus? Discuss the personal roadblocks you face in being more bold with the message of Christ. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Download Scriptures for Sharing the Gospel The post The Church in Acts, Part 9: Gentiles Receive the Gospel appeared first on Reston Bible Church .…

Reston Bible Church Sermons

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The Church in Acts, Part 8: Saul’s Transformation

16 days ago

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS What stood out to you in this message? What observations can you make about the encounter between Jesus and Saul? What is unique about this interaction? Discuss the premise that God typically uses people to accomplish His purposes. Do you agree? Why or why not? If this is so, describe a circumstance in which you experienced God using you in the life of another. Is there someone in your life who seems to be an unlikely candidate to ever come to faith in Christ? Explain. What hardship have you experienced that God has used to make you who you are today? What is the next proactive step you can take to invest in your own growth to maturity? The post The Church in Acts, Part 8: Saul’s Transformation appeared first on Reston Bible Church .…

Reston Bible Church Sermons

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The Church in Acts, Part 7: Samaria and the Ends of the Earth

23 days ago

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS What stood out to you most in this message? Discuss the quandary for a believer of prosperity that tends to weaken one’s faith and persecution that tends to sharpen it. Which would you choose? What sharpens your faith? Read 2 Peter 1:3-11. Discuss what it means to “make your salvation sure.” What do we do as believers in cooperation with the Holy Spirit to “solidify” our journey of sanctification? What steps can you take this week to be more disciplined in your faith? Who is someone in your sphere that is very different from you. What makes it challenging to engage them in spiritual matters? Pray together that God would deepen our journey of faith and open doors to engage others in our world. The post The Church in Acts, Part 7: Samaria and the Ends of the Earth appeared first on Reston Bible Church .…

Reston Bible Church Sermons

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The Church in Acts, Part 6: Deception Within, Opposition Without

4 weeks ago

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS Where did Ananias and Sapphira go wrong? What do you think their motive was that was so wrong? Describe what impact God’s judgment of them had on the whole church. How might this have application in our day (think of the effect of church discipline)? Read Acts 5:17-32. What impact do you think this experience had upon other believers? “We must obey God rather than men.” Is this conviction applicable for today? In what circumstances? Was Gamaliel’s advice right? How well was it followed in the years ahead for the church? Who chose the first deacons (Acts 6:1-7)? Why was this important? What is the significance of Saul’s presence at the stoning of Stephen? The post The Church in Acts, Part 6: Deception Within, Opposition Without appeared first on Reston Bible Church .…

Reston Bible Church Sermons

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The Church in Acts, Part 5: The Gospel and Opposition

5 weeks ago

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS What did you learn from Acts chapters 3 and 4? Try to visualize the mood/atmosphere in Jerusalem those first months after Pentecost. What do you see? What do you feel? Though the text doesn’t tell us, what do you think happened to the lame beggar? How might his life have changed? Put yourself in the shoes of the members of the council. How would you have received Peter’s defense? How does Acts 4:12 shape your perspective and understanding of salvation? Why does this make some people very uncomfortable? How would you answer the person who says, “All roads lead to heaven. I’ve got my own path”? What does it mean to be “a healthy Christian”? What does it NOT mean? The post The Church in Acts, Part 5: The Gospel and Opposition appeared first on Reston Bible Church .…

Reston Bible Church Sermons

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The Church in Acts, Part 4: How Should the Church…?

6 weeks ago

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS What stood out to you in this message? When you consider the model of Gather, Grow, Give, and Go, which of these is the easiest to identify in your own life and journey? Where do you believe you do well evidencing this element in your life? Which of the four elements is the greatest struggle for you, and why? How have you been processing the encouragement to set in place a target or two for each of these areas? Has this been frustrating or encouraging? Why or why not? Are you a goal setter? How have you handled goals in journey? Respond to the adage, “If you aim at nothing, you will hit is every time.” What do you believe is one key step forward for you regarding the 4 G’s? Pray together for God to reveal what steps He wants each one to make in the days ahead. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES The Holy Spirit, Part 7: The Edifying Gifts Sermon by Aaron Osborne Spiritual Gifts Assessment From Lifeway The post The Church in Acts, Part 4: How Should the Church…? appeared first on Reston Bible Church .…

Reston Bible Church Sermons

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The Church in Acts, Part 3: What Is the Church?

7 weeks ago

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS What stood out to you most in this message? Discuss each of the 4 metaphors discussed regarding the church: the body, the building, the bride and the priesthood? What does each one mean to you? In the metaphor of the body, what is your sense of the part you play in the body of Christ? How have you seen the Church as God’s dwelling place operate well for His glory? How have you seen this operate poorly due to fallen man? What does it mean to you to be called the bride of Christ? How should that impact the way you live? For whom are you functioning in a priestly fashion at this time? When you think of the word discipleship what comes to mind as it relates to you in the body of Christ? The post The Church in Acts, Part 3: What Is the Church? appeared first on Reston Bible Church .…

Reston Bible Church Sermons

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The Church in Acts, Part 2: The Birth of the Church

8 weeks ago

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS What stood out to you in this message? Discuss the connection between your conversion and being baptized. How important was baptism in your spiritual journey? In what way have you felt empowered by the Holy Spirit at some point in your life? Try to provide a specific example. Read Acts 2:42-47. Discuss your observations about the community of the first century. How do you believe community today compares to the first century? How well do you believe you personally engage the RBC community? Explain. How might you see taking a step forward in engaging community more effectively? How do you believe we at RBC can champion baptism more than we do? ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Gospel in the Feasts Message by Aaron Abramson | March 28, 2024 The Holy Spirit, Part 6: The Sign Gifts Sermon by Jason VanDorsten | August 6, 2023 The post The Church in Acts, Part 2: The Birth of the Church appeared first on Reston Bible Church .…

Reston Bible Church Sermons

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The Church in Acts, Part 1: The Ascension of Christ

9 weeks ago