The River Worship - Sermons

THE MESSAGE PUT HIS PRESENCE AT THE CENTRE. Pastor Brendan took us from the Ark of the Covenant to David bringing it into Jerusalem. Rather than putting it away until Solomon built the temple, David prepared a tent, appointed worshipers, and made praise part of the life of the city. God’s presence was not pushed to the edge. It was brought to the centre. Then he returned to Acts 15. As the early c...

Forget Not | Pastor Ryan McVety When a new challenge appears, it can be easy to forget every season God has already carried us through. In this message celebrating The River’s 5-year anniversary, Pastor Ryan McVety turns to Psalm 103:1–2 and David’s instruction to his own soul: bless the Lord and forget not all His benefits. Remembering God’s past faithfulness gives us confidence to trust Him toda...

I Thought It Would Break Me | Pastor Ryan McVety Some seasons leave us wondering how much more we can take. In Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced a furnace because they would not bow. Their answer to the king was bold: God was able to deliver them, but even if He did not, they would remain faithful. Pastor Ryan McVety traces their journey from bold , to bound , to what was burnt in th...

What if the greatest threat to your faith is not something obviously sinful, but something quietly stealing your attention? In Season 16, Episode 2 of The River Worship Podcast, Pastor Ryan McVety shares “Distracted,” a timely message from Hebrews 12:1–2 about throwing off everything that hinders us and fixing our eyes on Jesus. Distraction does not always look dangerous. It can arrive through res...

Title: It Does Not Have to Make Sense: Obedience Over Understanding Summary: What happens when God's instructions make absolutely no sense to us? In this message, we dive into one of the most dramatic and counterintuitive stories in all of Scripture, the fall of Jericho in Joshua chapter 6. Joshua stood before an impenetrable city with over 600,000 soldiers at his back, and God's battle plan was n...

Drawing from the final chapter of the Gospel of John, this sermon challenges the cultural lie that real love should always feel easy. Using the restoration of Peter as its central narrative, the sermon argues that genuine love is not passive sentiment but active, sacrificial work. Three core movements frame the message: love works for (you labor on behalf of what you love), love works through (Chr...

Drawing from Psalm 139, Pastor Jonathan Josephs delivers an encouraging message about the importance of bringing every part of our lives into the presence of God. Using the theological framework of God's omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence, he challenges believers to stop hiding, running, and pretending before God. The central argument is that full intimacy with God requires full access, me...

Heaven Is Here | The River Worship | Pastor Ryan McVety What if the greatest battle you're fighting isn't your circumstances—but your perspective? In this powerful message, Heaven Is Here, Pastor Ryan McVety teaches from 2 Kings 6:15–17, where Elisha's servant is overwhelmed after seeing an enemy army surrounding them. While the servant saw defeat, Elisha saw the armies of heaven already surroundi...

Take It Back: Returning to Your Maker This sermon powerfully addresses the human tendency toward comparison and spiritual wandering in the digital age, while emphasizing God's unwavering love and readiness to restore His children. Using the modern analogy of AppleCare warranty and the timeless parable of the Prodigal Son, the message reveals that just as broken devices must return to their manufac...

Come and See | Pastor Ryan McVety Every person has a story that begins with an invitation. In this message, Pastor Ryan McVety teaches how one simple invitation can become the turning point of someone's eternity. Looking at Philip's invitation to Nathanael in John 1, we discover that sharing Jesus isn't about having all the answers—it's about pointing people toward the One who does. Whether you're...

Why would Jesus compare faith to a mustard seed? Because mountains don't grow—but seeds do. In this message, we explore the power of faithfulness in seasons when nothing seems to be happening. From the hidden roots of bamboo to David's years between anointing and appointment, we're reminded that God often does His deepest work underground before anyone sees the fruit. If you've been waiting for br...

When Green Means Stop: Discernment in Life's Defining Moments Bishop Andrew Beresford delivers a powerful message about the importance of spiritual discernment and obedience to God's timing, even when circumstances seem to demand immediate action. Using the account of Paul and Silas in prison as the foundation, he challenges believers to respond to life's darkest moments with prayer and praise rat...

🔥 THE FEAR THAT SETS YOU FREE | The River Worship S15 E02 🔥 Most people spend their lives trying to overcome fear. Fear of failure. Fear of rejection. Fear of what people think. Fear of not being enough. Fear of losing control. But what if there was one fear that could actually set you free? In Episode 2 of Season 15, we explore one of the most misunderstood and life-changing truths in Scripture...

Who Do You Say I Am? Jesus asked His disciples a question nearly 2,000 years ago that still demands an answer today: "Who do you say I am?" (Matthew 16:15) In this message, we dive into the most important question in human history and discover why our answer changes everything. Many people are comfortable with Jesus as Savior, but struggle to embrace Him as Lord. Yet Scripture reveals that Jesus c...

THE ONE THING | Pastor Ryan McVety In a world filled with pressure, responsibility, and endless priorities, it’s easy to treat Jesus like just another part of our lives. But in this message, Pastor Ryan McVety makes it clear: Jesus was never meant to be added… He is meant to be everything. Looking at the stories of Martha and Mary and the rich young ruler, this sermon reveals the tension between l...

The Cup or the Cure? | Acts 3:1–10 | The River Worship Podcast What if the thing you’re asking God for is actually beneath what He wants to give you? In this message, “The Cup or the Cure?” , we unpack Acts 3:1–10 and the story of a man who sat daily at the temple gate called Beautiful … yet lived in limitation. Expecting a small act of mercy, he encountered a life-changing miracle through the pow...

This week at The River, Pastor Ryan McVety brought a faith-stretching message titled “It’s Crazy, Until It Isn’t.” It met us right where real life lives. Those moments when God asks you to do something that does not make sense, does not add up, and honestly feels a little crazy. Through the story of Joshua and the walls of Jericho, we were reminded that faith often looks foolish before it looks po...

Faithful Over Famous: Cultivating a Life of Steadfast Devotion Pastor Brendan Witton delivers a powerful message challenging believers to prioritize faithfulness over fame in a culture obsessed with going viral and being noticed. He emphasizes that while the world celebrates quick success and instant gratification, God is looking for people who will be faithful in the small things, through difficu...

Why does God sometimes feel silent in the middle of our storms? In this message from Mark 4, we revisit the moment when Jesus calmed the storm while the disciples panicked around Him. They believed the storm meant they were alone. But Jesus had been in the boat the entire time. This episode explores a powerful truth for every believer: God’s silence is not His absence. When storms hit our lives, o...

In this message from Season 14 Episode 8 , Pastor Ryan McVety delivers a powerful reminder about spiritual hunger. In Psalm 63, David cries out: “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you.” Yet many believers today have stopped thirsting for God, not because He isn’t present, but because He has always been present. What is always available is easy to take for granted. Us...

Feeling or Father | Season 14 Episode 7 | Pastor Ryan McVety Your feelings are real. But they were never meant to rule you. In this episode of The River Worship Podcast, Pastor Ryan McVety delivers a bold and timely message confronting one of the greatest idols of modern culture: the idol of feelings. From Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane to Paul’s teaching in Galatians, this sermon explores the...

Title: You’ve Got the Wrong Guy Have you ever sensed God nudging you toward something and immediately thought, “This cannot be for me”? In this episode, we unpack the story of Moses in Book of Exodus 3–4 and explore what really happens when insecurity collides with calling. Moses asked, “Who am I?” God responded, “I AM.” In This Message: Why insecurity often shows up at the door of destiny Why the...

Scary Love: 3 Questions That Will Change Your Relationships Love can be terrifying. The fear of choosing wrong. The fear of losing it. The fear of asking someone to be what only God can. In this message from Ecclesiastes 4:9–12, we walk through three defining relationship questions: What are you really looking for? How do you find it? How do you keep it? You’ll discover: • Why attraction cannot be...

I NEED A SECOND – Pastor Larry Brey Have you ever felt like everything was happening at once and you just needed a moment to breathe? In this sermon, Pastor Larry Brey unpacks a powerful biblical theme: when God’s people are overwhelmed, God provides strength—often through people, prayer, or divine interruption. Through the stories of David and Jonathan, the honest cries of Psalm 13, and Jesus in...

Have you ever looked back on your life and thought, “Wow… I see it now” ? In this message, Pastor Ryan McVety teaches from 2 Kings 6 and reveals how spiritual vision, not circumstances, determines how we experience victory. Elisha’s servant thought they were surrounded by the enemy — until God opened his eyes. This sermon will encourage you if: You feel under attack or overwhelmed You’re questioni...