The River Church Sermons

As we continue exploring the rich and wonderful inspired scroll of Ephesians, we walk right up to a jaw-dropping wonder hiding in plain sight. Join us as we rediscover the frumpy miracle of the local church.

God is moving The River to be a church of influence in the South Bay—and the church in Ephesus gives us a compelling picture of what that can look like. These early churches in Ephesus were not large, wealthy, or politically powerful, yet God worked through them to transform their city. Their influence did not come from their strength, but from their deep dependence on the gospel. This week, Ephes...

A new society does not spontaneously come into existence on its own. It’s either the product of evolution or creation by intention. The church is no different. Often, most churches evolve overtime. They may get stuck, become overly programmatic, institutionalized, misguided by legalism, for example, or they are intentionally creating a culture that is defined by a set of biblical-values that are s...

Change. It’s happening all around us—to our culture, our technology, our families, our bodies, our world. Few folks truly want change, but all folks face it. As the River Church family, we are right smack in the middle of it. Perhaps the most important question we can ask in its midst of is, “Who are we?” This Sunday we begin a new series looking at an ancient scroll (Ephesians) seeking to answer...

In John 14 when Jesus makes a big announcement the disciples aren’t sure what to do with the information. The plan’s changing and the disciples start freaking out. Jesus twice tells them, “fear not.” It’s the passage where Jesus assures them in the midst of change, “I am the way, the truth, and the light.” Jesus wasn’t stating some concept or new idea. He was telling his disciples, “I am the way.”...

What do we do when we simply don’t feel like worshiping, or feel too distracted to worship? Psalm 103 begins with a surprising command: “Praise the Lord, O' my soul.” Rather than waiting for our feelings to lead us, the Psalm invites us to remind our hearts who God is and what He has done. He forgives, redeems, heals, satisfies, and surrounds us with steadfast love and compassion. He knows our wea...

What do we do when we simply don’t feel like worshiping, or feel too distracted to worship? Psalm 103 begins with a surprising command: “Praise the Lord, O' my soul.” Rather than waiting for our feelings to lead us, the Psalm invites us to remind our hearts who God is and what He has done. He forgives, redeems, heals, satisfies, and surrounds us with steadfast love and compassion. He knows our wea...

It’s called analysis paralysis: the experience of having so many choices and so many angles to consider that actually making a decision feels impossible. In a time and place with arguably more options than any other in history and in a digital age where we are consistently exposed to the highlight reels of other people's lives, we know the experience of analysis paralysis all too well. Life is ful...

We often assume that following Jesus means our faith should only grow stronger with time. But Elijah's story tells a different one. Right after his greatest victory came one of his darkest moments. We'll discover what God is like when we're exhausted, discouraged, or simply don't have anything left to give. I think you'll be encouraged.

David in Psalm 16 helps us see how God is inviting us into the fullest life by teaching us how choosing to embrace personal friendship with God rather than embracing the ways of the world leads to the greatest fulfillment and satisfaction.

Our church will sent off 137 Kids, 19 Counselors, and 3 Staff members, up to Hume Lake for a life-changing summer camp experience, inviting them all to trust God with their lives. This is what we will talk about in the sermon on the Beach and in The Catalina Room. As kids head up to Hume Lake, we will wrap up our series on the intriguing life of Abraham, focusing on the most difficult test in his...

We continue our "Dangerous Faith" series as we step into one of the most remarkable encounters in Scripture. In Genesis 18–19, the God of the covenant sits down to share a meal with Abraham, revealing the kind of relationship He desires with those He calls to Himself—not one of distance, but of fellowship, friendship, and trust. From that table, God invites Abraham into His own concerns, opening a...

24 years. When we arrive at Genesis 17, that's how long Abram has been waiting for the fulfillment of God's promise. And in beat after beat of the story, God has invited Abram to ever deepening steps of trust in Him. All of which raises the question: What is God up to in the waiting? What does God intend through His invitation to ever deepening trust? Join us as we continue our series in the life...

A woman on the run. A meeting in the wilderness. A surprising turn that changes the course of history. Join us as we continue Abraham’s story in Genesis 16 and discover one of the most beautiful names of God in all of Scripture—El Roi, “the God who sees.”

We continue our Dangerous Faith series by exploring one of the most beautiful conversations in Scripture. As Abraham wrestles with God's promise to make his family a blessing to the nations, God meets him with reassurance and invites him to lift his eyes toward a sky filled with stars. In that moment, when Abraham is gazing at the galaxies, we encounter one of the defining truths of the Christian...

When God promised Abram that He would make him the father of a great nation, it required him to leave his extended family (Lot) and go to a new destination. The point? No, you can’t stay where you are. That’s what we were hoping for. I’d like to remain where I am please. For God to bless your life, it will require change. So Abram goes. But wait, what is Lot doing in the caravan? He’s the nephew....

Promise meets famine. God made a life changing promise to Abram, Abram took a big faith risk, and then life got rough. "No way to put food on the table for your family" rough. What happens next in this story is not unlike many of our realities. A big, ugly collision between calling, hope, faith, the promises of God, and life in a hard, broken world. I've been wrestling with this for a while. And w...

I'll never forget his words. A group of fellow ministry leaders and I huddled around a professor at the United States Air Force Academy for a seminar on leadership. Summarizing his research on effective leadership, he put it simply: "Every person needs an unsafe cause to live for and a safe community to live with." This is the precise invitation for followers of Jesus that we see in the first text...

We conclude our journey through Romans 8 by stepping into one of the most breathtaking passages in all of Scripture. In Romans 8:31–39, Paul lifts our eyes above the noise, anxiety, and pressure of everyday life and anchors us in three life-changing truths: God is for you, Christ has justified you, and nothing can separate you from His love. We’ll explore the staggering depth of God’s affection fo...

Let's discuss one of the most, maybe the most misunderstood and misused verse in all the Bible. The other one is God helps those who help themselves which isn’t even the Bible. But, here it is, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good...” Oh, there’s more, “...to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Please don’t use this verse with anyone...

Anyone who has tried to communicate across a language or cultural barrier knows the frustration of being lost in translation. A misunderstood word, an accidental cultural faux pas—it can be funny after the fact if all ends well, but it’s painfully awkward in the moment. Romans 8:26-27 takes us to a beautiful promise of God for us in the midst of life’s suffering and heartache: the Holy Spirit both...

Scripture tells one unified story that ultimately leads to Jesus—but along the way, it’s filled with ordinary people whose quiet faithfulness moves that story forward. Many of them appear only briefly, their acts recorded in just a line or two, yet their obedience plays a vital role in God’s plan. As we look at the opening chapters of Exodus, we’ll see how God works through the courageous faith of...

In a fallen world, the question is not whether or not we will face heartbreak and suffering. Though life is also full of joy and beauty, the hard stuff in life is inevitable. Even now in our community many are facing profound heartbreak and suffering. Again, the question is not whether we will face the storm of heartbreak and suffering; the question is how we can navigate it. We’ve seen so far fro...

Remember the story of the prodigal son? He felt so ashamed. He walked away with far less of an inheritance than what his father really wanted to give him. He went at it his own way. And then, in a move of total desperation and as an outlaw and a coward and a pig slime eater, he squirms his way back, hoping to now be a servant rather than a son. And the father’s response? Son, get off your knees. C...

It was my first year of college, and my faith had sailed straight into an intellectual hurricane. I was drowning in questions about science, philosophy, and history; my mind felt like it was on a life-or-death scramble for evidence to support my belief in Christ. One night, I prayed a desperate prayer: “Lord, I want to believe. If you are real, help me as I investigate my doubts.” The very next mo...