H.B. Charles Jr. — Don’t Forget the Significance of Your Salvation — T4G22

#29 Mark 15:1-20 "Jesus Our Substitute"

Palm Sunday Announcements 4.10.17

Good Friday - Join us on Friday, April 15th as we remember and meditate on Jesus' crucifixion on Good Friday for our sins. Rainier Valley Church will be hosting a Good Friday worship service from 6:30pm-7:30pm.

Resurrection Sunday - Mark your calendars as we celebrate victory in Jesus this coming Easter Sunday on Sunday, April 17th at Rainier Valley Church. Please invite family and friends to celebrate with us at 10am at Rainier Valley Church. We will be doing baptisms and a kids Easter egg hunt after the service.

Baptisms - It's time to celebrate baptisms! We believe that baptism is for those who have chosen to put their faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ—a public declaration of an inward decision to follow Christ. We believe that baptizing by immersion in water is a faithful representation of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. If you’re interested in being baptized, please talk with Steve Pratt or Ken Sabalza.

Worldview Apologetics Conference - Pastor Ken Sabalza is organizing a group from RVC to go to the upcoming Worldview Apologetics Conference on April 29-30th at Westminster Chapel with speakers like J.Warner Wallace and Dr. Phil Fernandes. For more information, please follow up with Pastor Ken Sabalza.

Guest Speaker James Rayment - We're excited to welcome James Rayment from the Al-Ma'idah Initiative on Sunday, May 1st. James will be sharing a message on how Christians can engage family, friends, neighbors and coworkers from other religions.

Gospel of Mark #29 - "Jesus Our Substitute"

Sunday, April 10 (Mark 15:1-20)

Discussion/Study Questions

Our King’s Silence (15:1-5) - If Jesus had been primarily interested in avoiding execution, what defense might he have offered before Pilate? Why did Jesus remain silent? How does Jesus' silence ultimately save us? What areas in our life can you practice "passive obedience" like Jesus by not justifying ourselves and not lashing out at others?

Our King’s Substitution (15:6-14) - "Substitutionary Atonement" sounds complicated. How would you explain it to a children's Sunday school class and what would you call it? How does the story of Jesus taking the place of the criminal Barabbas show the powerful truth of substitutionary atonement?

Our King’s Suffering (15:15-20) - What ironies does the Gospel of Mark highlight between the way the soldiers mock Jesus and who he actually is? Jesus was (1) psychologically ridiculed, (2) physically beaten, (3) spiritually abandoned by God, and (4) mortally executed. How do these torments compare? How can we prepare our hearts for this coming Holy Week, Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday? What is God teaching you specifically this Easter season? How can we be praying and serving one another this coming week?

Ex-Muslim Christian Family Burned with Acid for Leaving Islam

On February 17, 2022, a Muslim family in Uganda converted to Christianity. Three weeks later, the rest of their family gathered together, accused them of apostasy, beat them, and burned them with acid, while shouting "Allahu Akbar." The worst injuries were inflicted on a 13-year-old girl. Please pray for this ex-Muslim Christian family. For the Morning Star News articled quoted in this video ("Family Sprayed with Acid for Leaving Islam"), click here: https://morningstarnews.org/2022/03/f... #Uganda #ExMuslims #Persecution

#13 Mark (Mark 8:1-26) "Seeing Jesus Clearly"

The Gospel of Mark: Servanthood, Discipleship, and Following Jesus #13 Mark 8:1-26 “Seeing Jesus Clearly” Sunday, November 28th Discussion/Study Questions Big Idea: Seeing and Responding to Jesus for who he truly is! (Mark 8:1-21) Jesus Shows us the Character of God (Mark 8:1-10) Will we respond like the Pharisees: Resist and Demand (Mark 8:11-13) Will we respond like the Disciples: Doubt and Forget (Mark 8:14-21) Will we respond like the Blind Man: Slowly See and Change (Mark 8:22-26) Ice-Breaker Questions - How was everyone's thanksgiving? What are you looking forward to this Christmas season? Which subjects did you enjoy in school? Which subjects required a lot of instruction and assistance before you "Got it?" Jesus Shows Us the Character of God (8:1-10) - How does Jesus feeding the four thousand show the compassion of God? How does the story of Jesus' miracle feeding show the provision of God? The Disciples of Jesus doubted that anyone could feed the crowd despite the fact that they had already seen Jesus feeding an even larger crowd. How can we doubt God for the very things he has already provided in our life? The people all eat the bread and fish and were satisfied. How does God satisfy our desires for relationship, forgiveness and hope for the future? Will we respond like the Pharisees: Resist and Demand (Mark 8:11-13) - The Pharisees has seen the miracles of Jesus but they resist following Him and continue to demand a sign. How people create an intellectual smokescreen to avoid Jesus in their life? How can we be tempted to make demands on God? Will we respond like the Disciples: Doubt and Forget (Mark 8:14-21) - The disciples are focused on making sure they have enough bread to get through the day while Jesus is trying to teach them deeper spiritual truths. Have you ever been too focused on your immediate physical needs that you didn't see what God was trying to teach you? The disciples doubt Jesus' ability to feed the crowds and they forgot about the ways he already feed others. How can we be tempted to doubt God's goodness and forget how he has provided for us? Will we respond like the Blind Man: Slowly See and Change (Mark 8:22-26) - Ironically, the only person to see Jesus clearly in these stories is the blind man. The blind man obeyed Jesus, didn't give up in the process of healing, and stayed with Jesus until he was transformed. How can we be tempted to give up in the middle of the work that God is doing in our lives? The blind man sees partially, how can we be tempted to be discouraged with the slowness of our spiritual growth? How can we support, encourage, and pray for one another this week? Take Time to Pray Over What You've Learned - Pray to remember that Jesus cares, provides and satisfies. Pray against pride that would resist what God is doing or make demands of God. Ask forgiveness of God for the doubts and spiritual forgetfulness that you experience. Praise the Lord for the ways that he has provided for you, opened your eyes to spiritual reality and showed you compassion.

Sunday, July 12th "Compelled by Christ's Love" (2 Cor:5:11-6:2)

"Compelled by Christ's Love" 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2

Pastor Kyle Van Tine at Summit View Church: Heritage Park Campus

Listen to this Sunday's sermon by following this link.

CG Coaching for Week #6 - 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2

Sunday, July 12th  -  Pastor Kyle Van Tine  -  "Compelled by Christ's Love" 

Many times, we are blind to the motivations of our own heart - fame, money, power, acceptance, love, shame, guilt… the list could go on for a while. God knows. God sees our heart, piercing its depths and seeing the very attitudes and motives that drive our outward actions. Paul knows what motivates him. He is motivated by fearful awe and love for God because he has been stripped of being motivated by the things this world offers. Paul understands that he is deeply known by an infinite God. Paul knows that his sin separates him from his Creator and that his sin destines him for God’s just wrath. God is not impressed by the things people are impressed with - gifts, accomplishments, knowledge, eloquence. We cannot reconcile and make peace with God ourselves through anything we do, no matter how impressive we think they are. Instead, God did it all Himself. God fixed it. He created a way for us, sinners destined for justice from a just God, to be reconciled to Him. By our repentance and faith in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, we are made free from shame and guilt. Free from alienation from God. Free from eternal condemnation. We are people who are motivated by the good news that Christ paid the cost for us so we can live in peace with God. We are freed from bondage to the worldly idols that used to motivate us and can, instead, live a deeply revolutionary life, a reconciled life, fueled by a missionary heart. We are a new creation filled with wondrous new desires. The controlling force in our lives is now Christ, who compels us to see beyond the shallow self-filled life, and who gives us rest in the joy of a God-centered life. Out of the desires of our new life, we can use our spiritual eyes to look past the external image people around us strive to maintain, to look deeply at them as souls known by God and in need of a Savior. 

Read 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, Romans 5:10-11 and Romans 12:1-2.

The gospel is transforming; our thoughts and deeds are changing. We have been given Christ’s perfect righteousness, counted by God as belonging to us. 

What kinds of motivations have you seen that cause people to get involved in church?

How does the knowing that we will be accountable to Jesus as our Judge motivate us to live sincere and holy lives?  

Because Jesus loved us and died for us, He has given us the Holy Spirit and the ability to begin to die to our sinful self.  How have you died to yourself so that you can live for Jesus? What areas of your sinful life need to die this week and what will it look like to live for Jesus in those areas?

How does knowing you don’t need to impress God or earn His approval and affection liberate you to live for Him?

How does recognizing others as souls change how you see  people in your life, both the easy and difficult?

How will you live as an Ambassador of Jesus and His Kingdom this week? (Practically – Who will you serve? Who will you pray for? Who will you meet with?)

Recommended Reading: Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Tim Keller

The Beauty of Humble, Kind and Compassionate Godliness

When a man's ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him-Proverbs 16:7 

Perhaps you wouldn't define yourself as an enemy of Christianity or an enemy of anything or anyone for that matter but you are certainly not a big fan of the organized church, televangelists or particular, seemingly outdated doctrines of the Christian faith.
But would you not agree that there is a self-authenticating beauty to the genuine Christian life?
A life lived for the glory of God and the good of others is a life that brings human flourishing in relationships, marriages, families, workplaces and neighbors. When someone is walking with the Lord, humbling caring for the poor, needy and broken, praying for God's favor, blessing and forgiveness over others as well as just kindly serving you with gentleness and compassion, it's morally beautiful.

Perhaps you say you respect this way of life even if you don't completely disagree with the Christian view of God, sin, salvation, and eternal life. You have enjoyed having Christian family members, coworkers or friends.

But let me ask you this, if you believe that Jesus left an example that is morally beautiful and worthy of emulation and you would applaud those who would give their lives, like Jesus, to serve, teach and care for others, could it be that Jesus' actual teachings, which infused his lifestyle and informed his ministry might also be true and helpful?  I have found that it becomes increasingly difficult to live appreciatively among Christians in your family, your workplace or your school while denying their beliefs.

The challenge comes in having to simultaneously deny the truth of Jesus life, death and resurrection while at the same time witnessing the self-authenticating beauty of the lives of service and compassion that those beliefs about Jesus create.

Christian doctrine shapes Christian service.

If you say you love our actions but dislike our beliefs you cut us in half. All we do is informed, shaped and influenced by what we believe about God.
We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19)
We serve because he served us (John 13:15)
We forgive because we have been forgiven. (Matt 6:14)

Jesus isn't just a good example, he is a great savior and it is because we have been chosen, loved, forgiven and adopted that we can serve others selflessly because we're not living for the perfect spouse, the next iphone or even being a "good person." Christians our people of eternal hope that live for the life to come when every longing for adventure, every craving for pleasure, every desire to be known, understood, accepted and loved will be fully and finally fulfilled in the God who created us, loves us and saves us in Jesus!

"New" Series - Week #2 - "A New Purpose" - Titus 2:11-15

What's the purpose of life? That's one of the most important questions imaginable. The purpose of life isn't a religious question but a human question. Some say the purpose of life is to self-actualize, or to be remembered. Others will say we're alive to do good, to enjoy the act of living or that there is no objective purpose or meaning in life at all. This Sunday we opened the scriptures to to look at the New Purpose we have in Jesus. 

Big Idea: "In Jesus, we have new purpose in salvation, life, hope and mission." 

- New Purpose in Salvation (Titus 2:11)

- New Purpose in Life (Titus 2:12)

- New Purpose in Hope (Titus 2:13)

- New Purpose in Mission (Titus 2:14-15)

You can listen to "A NEW PURPOSE" here