Rio Vista Church Sermons

What is the meaning of life? Why do we exist? When we are gone, will anyone remember our name? This psalm finds David asking these sorts of existential questions. The answer from God is that any life can have significant meaning if it is given over to Him.

Psalm 38 finds David suffering; He knows why and never protests his innocence. He understands that he is experiencing the discipline and rebuke of the Lord. However, sometimes pain comes without that understanding. How can we bear up under either kind?

David's distress drove him to God, and to publicly stake his fate on God before his family and a watching world. As a result, the peril was good, though he probably didn't call it such at the moment. Is it time to change a label on something in your life?

Who are God's righteous ones? Those whom God has decided may live on his holy mountain, what is unique about them? This psalm describes many of the character elements that should mark the lives of these people. Pastor Matt Lomenick brings us the message.

Praise is not optional; it's missional. We should not hide our praise from others because God has given it TO us, FOR them. It's good for them! Moreover, praise is good for our own soul. So why aren't we more open in our praise? The answer is right here.

Probably the most famous of all the psalms, Psalm 23 is packed with metaphors that explain the care Jesus takes of his sheep. Who are these sheep? Those who recognize his voice and follow him when he calls. A message of comfort for those in the storm.

About forgiveness, David writes that having your sins covered, and your iniquities remembered no more, makes one truly blessed. The opposite of which is the oppressive weight of unconfessed sin. But God is forever ready to surround us in steadfast love.

Psalm 22 is the Psalm of the Cross. Jesus himself quotes verse one as he hung on the cross dying for our sins. The prophetic descriptions in this psalm are especially remarkable because they were made long before the invention of crucifixion.

The psalms are Israel's book of worship. A collection of songs and poems with a central message that God alone can be trusted. They record the many ways in which we come under attack and how we cannot rely on ourselves or anyone but God for deliverance.

Psalm 19 is a psalm of praise and perspective. Set against the backdrop of the universe, we are a speck living on a speck of a planet located in a speck of a galaxy. However, we are important enough to God that he sacrificed himself for us. How marvelous!

Some psalms are praise psalms. They celebrate God's greatness and goodness, his lordship over the created order, and his commitment to saving his people in their mission to rule the earth. He does this so that his name would be majestic in all the earth.

David passionately appeals to God regarding those who falsely accuse him. When we face injustice in our own lives, how do we react? Do we seek vengeance, or do we find refuge in God? Our Director of Student Ministries, Mason Brown, brings us the message.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon tells us plainly that there will be times of sorrow in our lives. Worship pastor Ryan Brasington brings us the message from Psalm 6 this week, exploring what role hope plays in sustaining us through stress and sorrow.

A psalm of lament? What does that mean? Our Director of Renewal Scott Carson tells us it says that it's okay to be honest with your tears, your pain, and your fear. However, those things never replace calling out to God in prayer, forever praising him.

All of us face pressure, that's part of life. But, for each of us, there comes a time when pressure feels extreme. David found himself in that position, and he recognized that while God was his deliverance, that might not be from pressure, but through it.

David had lost control of his kingdom, and the usurper was his son, Absalom. A well-planned coup, executed over time, leaving David virtually alone. How David reacted, both spiritually and practically, give us a blueprint for our own stressful situations.

Psalm 2 declares that the Lord will ultimately judge all, and there is no refuge from him. However, while we cannot find refuge FROM the king, we CAN find shelter IN him. The wise will kiss the son (submit to Christ) and find blessed refuge in the king.

Ryan Brasington introduces our new series of messages covering the Psalms. (About the audio quality: The recorder at our sound table did not correctly record the message. We extracted audio from another source, but it has some echo in it. We apologize.)

The Day of Pentecost, where God poured out his Holy Spirit on the disciples and gave the church everything it needs to spread the gospel through the entire world. How does that happen and what does a Holy Spirit-filled life look like?

Jesus gathered with his disciples in the upper room, but the location wasn't important. What he said to them and what he prayed for them is what matters. Jesus wanted his disciples to have unity. The gospel changes our tendency toward petty divisions.

When we love someone, there is no limit to what we do to please them. Jesus gives his disciples a very simple list--if they love him, keep his commandments. Simple, yet nearly impossible without help. Jesus promises we will have a Helper, the Holy Spirit.

Most who know anything at all about the life of Jesus like him. Even if they don't believe he is God they think he was a good man. Jesus clearly claimed to be God, however, and this week we hear his polarizing declaration to be the exclusive path to God.

"I am the good shepherd" is one of eight "I am" statements by Jesus. He explains the relationship between sheep and their shepherd to his disciples. Later Jesus tells Peter to shepherd his sheep, and so we also shepherd on his behalf until he comes again.

In Luke 24, Jesus meets two of his disciples after the resurrection. Jesus conceals his identity and spends time teaching them before revealing who he was. Those disciples are then sent out to be witnesses to the risen Christ, just as he sends us today.

The resurrection wasn't the end of Jesus' story; it began another chapter. He appeared to his disciples, and many others as well, overcoming all their skepticism about his return. Pastor Matt brings a great message about faith and the reasons for doubt.