The River Church Sermons

We will look at one of the most famous passages of gospel Scripture ever spoken by Jesus to his disciples. "Abide in me. Apart from me you can do nothing". John 15. Read it. It’s good. Now you might be asking, why are we still talking about being with Jesus? Haven’t we beaten this with a stick? Can’t we please move on to becoming like Jesus, or doing as Jesus did? Let’s get practical. Let’s get af...

Greetings River Church, my brothers and sisters! On Monday I turn 70. This number is daunting to me; I’m certain that the whole Y2K computer challenge mysteriously added 10 years to my life. But a number of years ago, Cynthia and I decided that 70 would be an appropriate date to “retire.” Can a pastor every really retire? We can change our position, but we don’t give up our calling. I am called to...

Our community of curious and committed, and maybe even confused, people of faith are in the midst of a Fall exploration of the trails and tributaries Jesus leads us on as we choose to follow him. On a personal note, I am speaking the next two Sunday’s as I turn 70 and make a big transition from full-time pastoral ministry into a part-time role at The River. I intend to attempt to bring attention t...

This is the sermon for the overworked business person, the exhausted parent, the anxious student, the frustrated, discouraged, and hopeless. Have you ever felt stuck in your spiritual growth? Or how about in life in general? Life is busy. All my time and money and energy is accounted for. I want to grow and I want to love God and make changes but where do I even begin? I can’t add one. more. thing...

When it comes to the Jesus-following life, there are centuries of opinions, ideas, rumors, party lines, and long-held assumptions about what it looks like to apprentice Jesus of Nazareth. I want to preach a sermon I’ve entitled “Following Jesus: Two Truths and a Lie.” Join us as we ask those ancients who knew him best for their help in sorting out fact from fiction!

Vision Sunday. When the people have no vision they perish. I doubt they actually perish. But it most certainly leads to mass confusion as to the direction to go. We plan to present to you a well thought through path to take forward from here, meaning you, and us together as attenders of the River church. I have been leading this church now for over 17 years. We’ve had great vision. We’ve seen God...

Join us for part two as we continue our discussion on Matthew 4. Believing that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world should not be any different than coming to the conclusion that Jesus is your Savior. And, can I add, making a firm commitment to follow this Savior Jesus throughout the rest of this life and into the next. In other words, believing it is the same as living it. When Jesus walked a...

Believing that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world should not be any different than coming to the conclusion that Jesus is your Savior. And, can I add, making a firm commitment to follow this Savior, Jesus throughout the rest of this life and into the next. In other words, believing it is the same as living it. When Jesus walked along that shore in Galilee and saw those young men fishing with...

We live in the loneliest time and place on record--that was the conclusion of a study conducted a few years ago. The percentage of Americans who report feelings of loneliness is the highest on record and the number of those who report zero close personal confidants has tripled since the 1980s. Even many of those of us who are relationally connected live busier and more spread out lives than ever b...

Did you know that God did not send His son to live and die and be raised from the dead just so that we could believe and go to heaven one day? You read that right. God did not create us just to be with Him in the future. He created us and made a way for us to be with him now and forever. What does it mean to be in a relationship with God? What does it look like to live by His power? What does it f...

If our summer adventure through the story of the scriptures was an 80’s or 90’s sports movie (think Rocky, Hoosiers, or the cinematic masterpiece that is The Mighty Ducks 2)—we have finally reached the tipping point in the plot wherein the musical score changes from discouragement to hope. It’s that part where the protagonists courageously get to their feet with a look of resolve shining in their...

Draw near to God! Draw Near! We have confidence to enter into the very presence of God through the blood of Jesus, through his role as our High Priest. Confidence to enter the Holy of Holies, to enter the most sacred space, to enter into the source of all life, to enter into the presence of The Holy Other, to enter into the presence of Love Itself, to enter into participation within the very life...

"I can't believe I did this again." Has that thought ever run through your mind? That thing you swore you'd never do or say again, that thing you thought you had grown past, has reared its ugly head again. The Old Testament comes to a close with a glaring tension: God has promised redemption for humankind, but the same heartsickness of sin that has infected all of humankind is just as much at work...

I've been pondering two words that keep coming up in my conversations and reading: Contingency and Agency. They are two words that we can hold in tension for a healthy, thriving life. When out of balance, they can lead to hardship, even tragedy. Contingency partially means that our life is dependent on certain circumstances and behavior, and ultimately on God. We are not in complete control of our...

How many of you have started "the Bible in a year," read through Genesis and Exodus, and have gotten lost somewhere in Leviticus, Numbers, or Deuteronomy? If that's you: Hi, me too. Also... you're in for a treat because the next part of the story is one of the most action-packed, jaw-dropping, wild-ride adventures in Scripture and many of us have never read all of it. Join us as we trace the rise...

Who do you have for the November fight: Mike Tyson or Jake Paul? Paul, a young gun who specializes in hubris, vs. Tyson, a tried and true fighter. It will be an epic showdown that will be one of the most watched fights in history. Thanks Netflix! It will be fun to watch! This week we are going to watch an even greater showdown - one of the greatest fights in history: The LORD vs. Pharaoh. The LORD...

Our voyage as a church through the big, beautiful biblical story has thus far been like every long road trip I’ve ever been on: the very first part is a thrill! You cross the city limits, begin to feel like you’re on vacation, out of the same-old, same-old, and your eyes look to the horizon with optimism and energy as you consider the grand journey you are undertaking. Then, after a couple hours,...

Who do you have for the November fight: Mike Tyson or Jake Paul? Paul, a young gun who specializes in hubris, vs. Tyson, a tried and true fighter. It will be an epic showdown that will be one of the most watched fights in history. Thanks Netflix! It will be fun to watch! This week we are going to watch an even greater showdown - one of the greatest fights in history: The LORD vs. Pharaoh. The LORD...

We are continuing our fly-over look at the unifying story of the Bible, in a series we are calling “You Are Here.” Join us in Genesis 12, location... Abraham. If we trace our ancestors back far enough, each of us will likely find a pivotal moment when a decision was made to uproot the family, leave behind the familiar, and venture into a land they knew little about. Their decision had consequences...

We have started a very fast pace through the Bible narrative. We are telling the grand story of the Bible, from creation, to the fall, and God’s plan of redemption. We are in phase two, the fall, on Fathers Day of all days. Dads, do not despair, it’s not all your fault. So the fall. A traumatic sob story of utter failure. All that God created as good now has been lost. Milton is right, paradise lo...

What is really, really, real (ultimate reality)? Is there a Creator and, if so, what is that Creator like? What is that Creator into? Why did the Creator create? Who are you? Why are you? Where are you? Why does any of it matter? Questions like these have been asked and answered by humans for tens of thousands of years with almost every generation asking them afresh. This Sunday we are going to po...

Whether we're conscious of it or not, each of us lives from a story on the nature of things--a story of what is true and good and worth living for. Which begs the questions: What story am I really living from? Is that story true? The 66 books of the Bible form a unified true story of creation, fall, redemption and coming new creation all centered on Jesus and the process of following Jesus is a li...

We live in an age of punditry and “posting” that encourages us to evaluate everything in real time. Is this decision good or bad? Is this person right or wrong? Is this effort worthwhile or wasteful? Kendrick or Drake? Tell me! Quick! Make up your mind! Opine! Post! Now before the news cycle/trend/fashion/cause-of-the-day changes! Wisdom, and biblical wisdom in particular, warns against such haste...

So, we have established that David is a man after God‘s own heart, yes, the David that swayed from the path. Let’s talk more about the heart. Are our hearts, corrupt and get a complete makeover when we meet Jesus and then everything is hunky-dory? Or are there factors that contribute to a healthy heart? Heart disease is the number one killer in America. Take care of your heart is the word of advic...

It’s Mother’s Day and we don’t want to miss the moment. We plan to honor our moms that make us all who we are today. Count on that. As we talked, it might be nice to have one of our women teachers focus on motherhood, but we are not sure if we can pull that off. I had planned to teach introducing us to the life of David, King David, the young David who became king. He was described as a person aft...