River of Life - Cold Spring

We have a special treat this past weekend! As we continue our series on Isaiah 9:6, we had some special guests join us for an amazing presentation. Our kids ministry works tirelessly every year to deliver the Gospel in unique and creative ways though the Kids Christmas Musical, and this year did not disappoint. At the end, Pastor Kirby gave a teaching on how God is our Mighty God, and how we can l...

As we begin the Christmas season, it's important for us to recognize the LORD of this season. Christ Jesus' birth is the turning point in history where man began to understand what hope and joy to its fullness could look like in this life. But we often make the same mistake Martha made when Jesus asked her who he was... She was waiting for the promise, not realizing the promise was right in front...

Give thanks... in all things. Give thanks... even when it is tough. Give thanks... when you are in want. Giving thanks in this way becomes less about a reaction and more of a response; it is a choice we make, not a circumstance of the season. Our hope is that this message increases your reason to give thanks, not because of what you have, but because of how God has been so present in your life. We...

This past Sunday we had the honor of hosting Project Rescue, and organization that focuses on empowering survivors of sexual slavery and restoring hope. We heard the heart of these amazing people, how their amazing story led them to this point, and what they are doing to help those in need. We hope you are encouraged and challenged on how we can, together, make a greater impact in our world!

This life is full of ups and downs, twists and turns, lefts and rights. We can be the cause of these changes, and we can be along for the ride, either intentionally or otherwise. Whether or not we are the reason for our circumstance, there is a response we all will have eventually, and that is our attitude. An attitude that is positive continues to view life from a stand point that circumstances d...

This message may be a little difficult to listen to... because we are talking about letting go of control. Control is often the antithesis to the ministry that God wants to do. A massive, all knowing, all encompassing God should be able to handle this world and universe, and yet we place the weight of all of this upon our shoulders. This isn't what we were meant to do! We hope this message gives y...

We are getting close to the end of the Battle Within series, and each theme represents real but often misunderstood emotions we face in this life. Perhaps the most misunderstood of all is disappointment; often times, we are disappointed without quite understanding why ourselves. The reality of this life is we often go into dreams and goal with a heartfelt conviction, hoping for the best, but what...

Sunday was a big day in history for River of Life Church! Find out more why: https://riveroflifeag.org/albany-campus This week we are addressing a great battle than many aren't quire sure how to prepare for: fear. Fear is the greatest enemy of our faith, because fear's success is dependent on the lack of our abilities. As we face the biggest challenges in life, perhaps the first thought we have co...

Knowing who you are is a greatly affected by your ethics and convictions. Our morals are often what keep us centered and established, but what happens when we go against these very things? What happens when we keep going against what we believe to be true? Shame is a prison than can be a life sentence; however, what if there was an option to receive an appeal? Tune in to this week's message to und...

One of the hardest battles we can ever face are the internal consequences of actions; whether of our own doing, or done to us. The reality is that letting go of past pain is one of the toughest battles we can face, and to try and forget is never formulaic. Perhaps we may never forget, but can we heal from the past? Are we ever able to truly walk in a new way with our past hanging on our back? We h...

Let's talk about anger... a phrase you rarely ever hear spoken gently on. Anger is one of the greatest emotions we have: it can lead us to act, but it can also lead us to hurt. Scripture says to not sin in your anger... but it doesn't say not to be angry. So how do we be angry and yet be gentle? This can be a struggle, but it starts with the example of Jesus. We hope this helps you to know how to...

Change in our world is often prompted by response to the forces around us. We change because we have to, not because we want to. And sometimes this change is great, but often it is uncomfortable, uncertain, and can induce fear. But what if we could anticipate change, ready ourselves, and grow into it? By the Spirit of God... this is possible. We hope this message prepares you to appreciate change,...

This weekends podcast is a short reflection on how we should be prepared in all ways to share the Gospel. The one who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy is after us, but we can give him the tools and the advances to use against us. If we aren't careful of our play calls and remaining patient, we can allow things into our lives that will cause us to live scrambled lives instead of prepared and pract...

The irony of trying to find happiness in this life is that it is never fulfilling. It's something we invest for, work for, and sacrifice for, but it is ultimately a feeling, as much as sorrow and fear is. These reactionary emotions often become leaders of our lives, whereas Jesus calls us to a greater lifestyle: that of sacrifice. While sacrifice can emit emotions, it isn't dependent on it. And sa...

It is easy to live our life in the world WITH the world, verses life in the world IN the world. The difference is this: Who is your lord? Is it Jesus? Is it work? Is it a relationship? To build our kingdom here on earth may last for a while, but it will inevitably fail and fade. How can we work to build alongside God for the Kingdom here ON earth?

What does it looks like to achieve greatness in life? Is it about acclaim? Is it about wealth? Is it about security? Often we find that to achieve greatness requires sacrifice... but what are we sacrificing? Are we sacrificing the wrong things to achieve the wrong goals? Where is your vision leading you, and what are you sacrificing in the process to achieve it? Want to know how to achieve it grea...

We are continuing our series on James, venturing into what it looks like to not just talk the talk, but truly walk the walk. Our lives in Christ are NOT made possible by our works, however, our works flow from the life we live in Christ. We can tell if someone has been so deeply affected by Christ by the way they mirror Christ. Our challenge for you: how are you mirroring Christ?

The book of James in the Bible is from the heart of one of Jesus' disciples; His very own half-brother, James. His words are from a perspective of Christian living that is relevant even to this day. How we act, our conduct, and approach is so critical as followers of Jesus. Let's be encouraged to live out our call in a way that brings others to Christ, and not away!

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is one of the most impactful and controversial events in history. The implications of such an act make Jesus and the disciples liars, or Jesus is truly God. It cannot be anything in-between. The power of the resurrection testimony has established the modern world as we know it, and to deny its credibility is a presumptuous task; we have more history o...

When others talk about hearing God, we are quick to assume there is a character trait that can simply be described as... crazy. This must be how those around Noah, the man who built the ark, must have felt. But the greatest miracle of this whole story lies not in the extreme weather events... but how this man obeyed God and did what he was told. Despite the pressure from those around, and extended...

To live free is not just a position politically, but a state of mind many are seeking. To be free is not something we should have to fight for, yet history has taught us otherwise. Christ tells us that being free is not overcoming our oppressors... it's receiving Him completely. But the challenge is not going back to our life of bondage... because for so many, it's what we know. We hope you can fi...

We are still navigating what it looks like to take on the character of God in spite of our own failing character. It can seem impossible to consider Jesus as fully God, fully human, but when we do so, we find the character of Christ is not something that is impossible to reflect. However, in order to do so, we need to remain in Him, in order to be the light to the world He has called us to. He lai...

The story of Paul is a unique story; he literally changes names to become one of the greatest voices in Christian history. However, his journey to what God eventually calls him to is anything bout ideal; he is on the opposite side of Christ Jesus, thinking he is doing what he is supposed to be doing for the sake of God. Sometimes being out of character means that aren't quite sure what it means to...

When reading the Word of God, there are often stories and characters that seem to be unbelievable. In the case of the Israelites and Balaam, there is a talking donkey that really turns out to be more than just a weird story... it's actually a promise of Who was to come. The truth of God's Word is that Jesus is our only hope, and the unlikely of characters found themselves pointing to Him generatio...

Our character has a greater influence than our actions. We all want to show others we are virtuous, but if we can't back this up with our everyday interactions, it only takes one moment for it all to fall down. Especially when we are stressed, tired, or overwhelmed. How can we remedy this? We hope this message helps to bring clarity.