Rio Vista Church Sermons

Paul calls on us to imitate our heavenly father, whose image we bear. We carry that image with us everywhere and should leave a favorable, lasting impression. To one another, Paul tells us to act and speak in a way that builds up.

Paul testifies for the Lord: We must not lead a life filled with futility—we must put off our old selves and put on new. With renewed minds and spiritual senses, we deny the devil any opportunity to corrupt us, speaking in a way that builds everyone up.

We are at the halfway point in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, where it pivots from explaining what we have in Christ to how we ought to live. Paul says he is a prisoner in Jesus Christ, so the question to us is: who or what holds us captive?

For the second time in just the first half of the book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul turns his attention to prayer, which raises a question: how big of a deal is prayer in your life? Prayer is an open line to the creator of the universe. Will you use it?

This week we're studying what is essentially an interruption. Paul is concerned because he's heard the church is concerned about his imprisonment. He wants to reassure them that he's okay. This message asks the question, "How do you see your suffering?"

The first half of Ephesians chapter 2 reveals God has reconciled us vertically, to himself. This week the latter half adds he has reconciled us horizontally to each other. Do you believe there is anyone, anywhere with whom not even Jesus can make you one?

After describing God's beautiful plan for us and sharing his prayers for us, Paul moves to discuss our condition and how God rescued us. While we were (spiritually) dead and unable to do anything to earn favor with God, he still made us alive with Christ.

Our study of Ephesians continues with verses 15 through 23 of chapter one, asking the question, "who or what do you pray for?" In response, Paul offers a tutorial on prayer. He tells them to ask for spiritual sight so that they might see God.

Our study in the book of Ephesians opens with Paul laying out God's eternal plan for us. Before he scattered the galaxies and planets, God had you in his mind. He chose you for adoption as sons and daughters, and he has given you every blessing in Christ.

Pastor Tom Hendrikse kicks off the year by introducing our new message series, "One Body, One Mission." Discovering our identity in Christ is part of growing up spiritually. This year at Rio, the challenge is to do both. Come along on the journey!

When you become aware of who Jesus is (the Messiah), there are usually one of three reactions: Faith, Fear, or Familiarity. Pastor Winston Miller gives us examples of all three from among the characters in the Christmas story.

The Christmas story reveals the who and how of redemption, but it’s more than a manger scene. Each character brings the message that God intends. They all share a deep desire to be with the Lord; they stand in awe of Him and want to draw near.

Christmas Eve service. Pastor Tom Hendrikse loves everything about the night: the people, the music, and the lights. Christmas holds within it the greatest light of them all, and that's the one we love the most.

This week is about "Mission." A person's last words carry particular weight. The last words Jesus spoke to His disciples were to send them on a mission. He told them to be witnesses for Him, first at home, then abroad, and eventually throughout the world.

This week, we are talking about the Gospel, the Good News. People in rebellion against God exist in darkness—anyone not a believer is in that category. The good news is God made a way for us to come out of darkness and find new life through Jesus Christ.

This week, we are talking about God. Simply put, God is the center of the universe, and we are not. God is not a concept; He is a reality. We must reorient ourselves around Him.

There is such a thing as truth, and it is not from inside you (no matter what pop culture may say). Jesus Christ, God’s one and only Son, is Truth incarnate! The Bible tells his story on every page and is, therefore, our source of truth.

The Sermon on the Mount concludes: Jesus says anyone who hears his words and does them is like a wise builder who constructs a house on a strong foundation. Those who hear his words and do not do them build on the sand, where the storm destroys the house.

While it is true that you are saved by grace through faith, and not because of what you do (whether good or bad), it is also true that claiming to be a Christian doesn’t make you one. Real faith (that results in salvation) is evidenced by a fruitful life.

What is authentic faith? It is something more than just agreeing with a set of facts. Genuine faith is visible; it shows up in what we say or do. You can know someone by the fruit they produce, and whether that fruit is good or bad.

The Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Jesus called it the essence and upholding of the Law and the Prophets. Pastor Matt looks at the kind of love Jesus was talking about and how we find the capacity for it in our lives.

All of life is about God and His purposes, which is the foundation of effective prayer. My prayers are hindered to the extent they are about me and my purposes instead of God’s. If my prayers are about loving Him and seeking wisdom, my prayers come alive!

We all experience judgment; others judge us, or we judge others. Either way, Jesus gives a warning. Judgment is God's, and however we apply it, that's how we experience it. But through the lens of the gospel, we can rightly appraise ourselves and others.

Money is a matter of the heart! Either your heart trusts in God or money. It can’t trust in both. One leads to peace, for it leads you to a Heavenly Father who loves you and who knows your needs and promises to meet them. The other leads to anxiety.

What is prayer? Why (and how) should we pray? Prayer is communication with God, and Jesus assumes we will pray since communication is vital to a relationship. It is also through prayer that we both access and wield the power of God, to the glory of God.