Rainier Valley Church - Seattle

Formation in Faithfulness Sermon on the Mount: A Kingdom Upside Down Matthew 5:31-37 Sunday, July 30th Guest Speaker: Pastor Chris Short Community Group Questions: 1) What does this passage teach us about the character of God and ourselves? 2) Divorce can be a painful and sensitive subject. How does this passage inform our understanding of divorce and remarriage? 3) As a disciple of Jesus, what does it look like to pursue faithfulness in the marriage covenant? 4) According to the passage, what does it mean to purpose faithful character? 5) How does Christ’s work in the Gospel impact our faithfulness? 6) How does this passage lead you to doxology (worship & praise)?

1) Jesus addresses the first of six contentions with the moral law by speaking into the intention of the words of the Law rather than the words themselves. Have you experienced a time when you obeyed the law rather than the intentions behind the law?   2)God is the ultimate, righteous, judge. And in this text we see that true worship with Him includes right relationship with one another as brothers and sisters in the Lord. What is the purpose of leaving behind your sacrifice BEFORE you offer it to God? Is it possible to offer worship to God with the wrong intentions?   3) Share a story of when you have experienced reconciliation and forgiveness from another brother or sister in a situation you thought would be impossible to resolve. How did the Holy Spirit guide that process?  

Discussion Questions for Community Group/Personal Study  1) Christ claims that all scripture bears witness to him. That may be easy to see in some passages but more obscure in others. Are there any verses or passages that are particularly difficult for you to see Christ? What might be some strategies for you to consider in clarififying them? 2) What are some verses or passages that you can identify that you may understand as something as other than Christ? How can you approach them in a new way to see Christ there? 3) God is a God of revelation, do you think of him as such? How would it change your relationship with him to agree with that or to pursue increasing revelation of who he is?

Discussion Questions for Community Groups or Personal Study  What does Jesus mean when he calls his followers salt? What does it mean to be salt in the world? How can we be salt in our families, workplaces, and communities? What does Jesus mean when he calls his followers light? How can we be light in the world? What are some specific ways that we can shine our light? What are some challenges that we face in being salt and light in the world? How can we overcome these challenges? How can we encourage each other to be salt and light in the world? What does it mean to be distinctively Christian in our world? How can we live in a way that is both loving and challenging to the world around us? How can we be agents of change in our world? How can we bring hope and healing to a broken world?

Hey church family.  This Sunday, I had the honor of opening our Bibles to the greatest sermon ever preached: the Sermon on the Mount.  I shared what it is versus isn’t, and then unpacked the ground-breaking beatitudes, Matthew 5:1 - 12. Attached below is a short summary of the context I gave to the entire Sermon on the Mount series.Questions to consider for your reflection this week: Jesus is a master teacher who chose to make his opening statement in his sermon the beatitudes, the first word to be “blessed.” What does that tell you about the character & heart of God? How are we “poor in spirit” when it comes to approaching God? Which beatitude do you find yourself most challenged by?  Why? Meekness is humility in action to others. Where have you shown meekness in your life?  Where do you struggle with meekness? What promises give you the most hope in the beatitudes? May you be blessed this week knowing that we are beggars coming to our loving, merciful gracious God who gives us comfort when we are affl

It's Good to Be A Man: The Calling of Godly Masculinity  Family Life Sermon Series Sunday, June 18th (Happy Father's Day 2023!) Rainier Valley Church Seattle, Washington Discussion Questions What does it mean to be a good father or spiritual father? What are some of the qualities that make a good father or spiritual father? What are some of the challenges of being a father or spiritual father? How can fathers and spiritual fathers model God's love for their children? How can fathers and spiritual fathers teach their children about God? How can fathers and spiritual fathers help their children grow in their faith? What are some ways that fathers and spiritual fathers can be encouraged and supported? What are some practical ways that we can honor our spiritual fathers on Father's Day? What are some of the things you appreciate most about your father and/or spiritual father? How can we as a community support fathers in their roles? What are some ways we can celebrate the importance of fatherhood?

Loving the Little Years: Imitating God Ephesians 5:1, Psalm 115:4-8, 2 Corinthians 3:18 Rainier Valley Church (Family-Style Worship Service) Discussion Questions When you were a kid, who did you want to be like when you grew up and why? How did you imitate your heroes? George Bernard Shaw once famously wrote that “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it’s the sincerity form of learning” How do we learn through imitation? Read Ephesians 5:1 and discuss what does it mean to imitate God? What are some ways that we can do this in our everyday lives? Read Psalm 115:4-8 and discuss how do people become like what they worship? What is the connection between beholding and becoming? Read 2 Corinthians 3:18 and discuss what it mean that we all with unveiled face beholding the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another? What does it mean to behold the glory of the Lord? How can we do this? What does it mean to be transformed into the image of Christ? How does

“The 4 Seasons of Parenting" (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Ephesians 6:1-4 and Various Proverbs) Family Life Sermon Series - Sunday, June 4th Rainier Valley Church - Seattle, Washington Discussion Questions Read Deuteronomy 6:4-9. How can we make sure that our children learn to love God? What are some ways that we can teach our children about God's love by proactively giving them formative teaching or reactive corrective discipline? How can we make our homes a place where God is honored and where His love is evident? What are some different ways that we can we train and teach the next generation intentionally and spontaneously? Read Ephesians 6:4. What does it mean for fathers to not provoke their children to anger? What does it mean for fathers to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord? What are some specific ways that fathers can do this? What are some challenges that fathers face in raising their children? How can fathers overcome these challenges? What are some benefits of fathers raising the

Jude: Contending for the Faith Week #4 “Victory in the Fight” (Jude 24-25) The Power of God  - God Will Preserve and Protect Us (24a) Jude begins his doxology by praising God for what? Why is God's promise to keep us from stumbling or falling so precious and how does it impact the Christian life? The Promise of God - We Will See His Glory and Share His Joy (24b) How is God able to present us blameless before His glory? Why is being in the presence of God the ultimate source of joy in all existence? The Person of God - He Is Our Sovereign and Our Savior (25a) Why is significant that Jesus is both our Lord and Savior? If we only think of Jesus as our Savior or only as our Lord what difference does it make? The Praise of God - Praise Him for His Glory, Majesty, Sovereignty, Authority (25b) What reasons do you have to praise God's glory and majesty? How can we rejoice in God's sovereignty and authority? How can we be praying for one another and encouraging one another this week? What practical ways ca

A Study in the Book of Jude "Jude: Contending for the Faith"  Week 3: “The Fight for the Heart” (Jude v. 17-23) Pastor Kyle begin his message by highlighting several celebrities who grew up as Christians but has since renounced their faith and walked away from Christianity.  The statistics show that we are leaving in the middle of a cultural revolution where people are leaving the Christian faith in unprecedented numbers. How should we respond? Jude recommends looking back, looking up and looking around.  Look Back - Remember (Jude 17-19) - Jude encourages God's people to look back and remember the predictions of the apostles to understand our current age. What sorts of things do the Apostles predict in Matthew 24:10-13, Acts 20:29-30, 1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Peter 2:1-3, 2 Timothy 3:1-5 and how do you seem of these predictions coming to fulfillment in the world around you? According to Jude 19, what sorts of characteristics do False Teachers have and what impact do False Teachers bring to a Christian community?   L

2. The Fight (Ancient & Modern) (Jude 5-16) Jude: Contending for the Faith Contextual and Application Questions on Jude v. 5-16: 1. How does each of the Old Testament examples in v. 5-7 illustrate a rebellion of belief in the mind of the creature about the Creator and the status of the creature in relation to the Creator? (How did they deny the authority, morality, and glory of God?) 2. Where do the beliefs of false teachers originate? What will they ultimately result in? (v.8, 10) 3. Why can we not allow our beliefs to be shaped by our instincts (v. 10)? Where must we always turn instead for right belief and understanding? a. What lies concerning God’s authority, morality, and glory do you think are common in today’s mindset, that we need to guard against? (For example, “I don’t need God in my life – I know what’s best for me” or “The morality of the Bible is outdated – things have changed” etc.) b. Which of these lies are you contending with at the moment? Are there any that you should be contending wi

Jude: Contending for the Faith For those of you who like to read ahead and prepare for Sunday worship, this week we will begin a new series in the book of Jude. Author D.J. Rowston once wrote that Jude is the “most neglected book in the New Testament.” The little book of Jude is often neglected because of several factors. The book of Jude is relatively short. In America, we are tempted to equate worth and importance with size. Since the book is short, many assume (wrongly) the book is unimportant. The book is tucked away in the latter part of the Bible and easy to miss. People do not stumble into studying the book of Jude. They must go looking for it. The message of the book is perceived as “negative.” Jude spends the majority of his time warning against false teachers and their impending destruction. The message of judgment and condemnation drives many readers away. For these reasons, Jude often gets overlooked by Christians and pastors alike. We are convinced that the neglect of Jude is a serious mistake

“Happy Monday after Easter/Resurrection Sunday" We had an incredible Easter Sunday celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus with record-breaking attendance and amazingly powerful testimonies of God's radically transformative grace. I want to thank all the volunteers for helping to set-up the Kids Easter Egg Hunt (@Shelly Lischke, @Sarah Johnson, @Violet Lischke, @Crystal Van Tine) set-up and tear down the baptismal (@Ben Johnson, @Ken Sabalza @Erik G), and lead us in joyful praise and worship (@Ken Sabalza, @Helen Oh, @Jason Lischke, @Steve Pratt,@Riddick Lischke) I hope you all are able to get some rest this evening after pouring yourselves out for the glory of God and the good of others yesterday. Your work in the local church matters! I’m praying you are deeply aware of the Spirit’s presence this week as you step into the next season post-Easter. May you find God’s favor in all you do to build his Kingdom this week! Child Dedications on Easter Sunday Congratulations to @Stormy Curtis on dedicating Grace and 

“Becoming Like Jesus Together" Together: Building Relationships in a Broken World Rainier Valley Church - Seattle, Washington - Sunday, April 2 7 Biblical Qualities of Christian Love Genuine (12:9a) Truthful (12:9b) Family-Like (12:10a) Honorable (12:10b) Passionate (12:11) Persistent (12:12) Practical (12:13) 1.Genuine (12:9a) 1 John 4:19 “We love, because he first loved us” You’ll never have to love someone more annoying than you’ve been to God You’ll never have to forgive someone more than God has forgiven you You’ll never be as patient with someone as God has been patient with you. Do you really love your Christian brothers and sisters? Do you say you’ll pray for them and actually pray for them? Do you talk one way when the person is there and another when they aren’t? Is your love genuine? Are there areas of hypocrisy in your life where you’re more polite than godly?2.Truthful (12:9b) Based on your closest friendship, who are you becoming? In this season, who is speaking truth into your life? Are

“Making Jesus' Final Command Our First Priority” Together: Building Relationships in a Broken World Rainier Valley Church - Seattle, Washington - Sunday, March 26 The Mission   Profess (Matt 28:18-20) Proclaim (Mark 16:15-16) Participate (Luke 24:46-48) Peace (John 20:21-22) Power (Acts 1:8) Jesus gives the great commission 5 different times in 5 different ways. What are some of the similarities and differences in these texts? How can we make Jesus’ last command our first priority? The Motivations   Love (2 Corinthians 5:14) Compassion (Matthew 23:37) Sorrow (Romans 9:1-3) Power (Roman 1:16) Accountability (Acts 20:26-27) There are many biblical motivations for evangelism. What are some motives you have to share the Gospel with friends and family? The Methods S.A.L.T. Method Start a Conversation Ask Questions Listen Closely  Tell The Story https://youtu.be/HdnOVw01Y0U   Romans Road Method Stop #1 | Romans 3:23 “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” Stop #2 | Romans 5:8 “

Together: Building Relationships in a Broken World Together #1 “You Need the Church and the Church Needs You” (1 Cor 12:12-26) Rainier Valley Church - Seattle, Washington - Sunday, March 19th Big Idea: “We’re saved into one body (unity) to use our gifts (diversity) to build one another up (Interdependence)”  Live in One Body - Unity (12:12-14) The Apostle Paul says the Church is the body of Christ that is made up of every single Christian playing their unique part. What ways does the church, the body of Christ, reflect and represent Jesus to a hurting, broken and lost world? (1 John 4:12)   What does it mean that Jews/Greeks, Slave/Free are all baptized and drinking from one Spirit together? What ways is the church unified in the Gospel of Jesus Christ? How can we protect and cultivate the unity that we experience in the body of Christ?  Use Our Gifts - Diversity (12:15-20) The Apostle Paul compares each Christian to a different part of the body. Each part of the body plays an important role a