Riverbend Youth

What if one of the most powerful forces in your life isn't your talent, your grades, or your influence—but your WORDS?In Week 1 of our summer series, "The Example," we explore the first challenge from 1 Timothy 4:12: "Set an example for the believers in speech."Using a shocking story of Marie Antoinette, the powerful imagery of James 3, and the teachings of Jesus, we discov...

Have you ever looked at someone else's life and suddenly felt worse about your own? Maybe they seem prettier, smarter, more athletic, more popular, or more successful. In a world filled with social media, comparison has become one of the biggest struggles facing students today. In this powerful message, Stephanie explores what the Bible says about comparison through the story of Peter and John...

In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, Beverly shares her journey through the unimaginable loss of her only daughter, Tatiana, who died by suicide in 2016.With remarkable honesty, Beverly opens up about grief, faith, mental health, and the lessons God taught her through her darkest season. She discusses how loss reshaped her identity, how she found hope when life felt impossible, and w...

How do we know Christianity is the right religion? In the first episode of our new series,  The Big Questions , Lillie sits down with Sofi from RBYouth for an honest conversation about faith, doubt, grace, and what makes Christianity unique. Together, they explore questions that many students wrestle with: • Why does religion matter? • What makes Christianity different from other faiths? • Is it o...

If Jesus made us “new creations”… why do we still mess up? In this sermon, we unpack:-What it really means to be “in Christ”-Why old habits are hard to let go of-Paul’s brutally honest struggle in Romans 7-How identity changes behavior-Why your failures don’t define youYou may not be who you want to become yet…But through Jesus, you are no longer who you were.-2 Corinthians 5:14–21-Romans 7:15–25Y...

Pain has a way of making us question everything. Why do terrible things happen? How can a good God exist in a world filled with tragedy, loss, anxiety, rejection, and suffering? And what if the struggles we face today are actually shaping who we become tomorrow? In this message, we explore the tension between faith and hardship through Scripture, church history, psychology, and real life. From Dav...

Stress. Pressure. Anxiety. Spiritual battles. If you’ve ever asked, “God, why is this happening to me?” — this message is for you. In this sermon, we explore: Why following Jesus doesn’t always make life easier David & Goliath in a completely different perspective How God uses pressure to build strength The science of “hormesis” and spiritual growth Why your current battle may actually be prep...

What if the reason you feel stuck in sin… is because you're trying to escape it the wrong way? Using a simple finger trap illustration, D$ breaks down a powerful truth from the Lord’s Prayer and Romans 5: 👉 Pulling away from God in your struggle only traps you deeper 👉 Drawing closer to Him is where freedom begins In this message, we explore: Why confession is so difficult The difference bet...

What do you do when you pray… and nothing changes? After losing two of my closest friends, I found myself asking questions I never thought I would:Where was God? Why didn’t He answer? What’s the point of praying? In this message, we walk through Philippians 4 and uncover what God actually promises—and what He doesn’t. Because maybe prayer isn’t about getting God to fix everything…Maybe it’s about...

Have you ever caught yourself trying to sound “better” when you pray? Like saying what you think God WANTS to hear instead of what you’re actually feeling? In this message, D$ gets real about something we all struggle with—treating God like a new friend we’re trying to impress. From awkward first friendships to curated versions of ourselves, she draws a powerful connection to how we approach praye...

Spiritual warfare isn’t always obvious—but it’s real, and it’s closer than you think. In this episode of the Christian Call Podcast, Lillie sits down with Dylan to talk about what spiritual warfare actually looks like in everyday life—from comparison on social media to feeling distant from God, battling negative thoughts, and struggling with identity. They break down how to recognize when you’re u...

We talk a lot about prayer in church… but what happens when it feels like it doesn’t work? What do you do when you’ve prayed for healing—and it didn’t come? When you believe in God, but still wrestle with doubt? When you feel like you’re carrying more than you were meant to? In this message, we look at James 5 and 1 Peter 5 and wrestle with the tension between what Scripture says about prayer and...

Riverbend Youth exists to help Students Discover, Deepen, and Deploy the Good News about Jesus and at our inaugural D-Now (short for "Disciple Now"), we had 3 sessions over the course of 1 weekend to talk about just that. In this session, TJ talks about how we can DEEPEN our faith, by looking at RBYouth's theme verse: 1 Timothy 4:12.

Riverbend Youth exists to help Students Discover, Deepen, and Deploy the Good News about Jesus and at our inaugural D-Now (short for "Disciple Now"), we had 3 sessions over the course of 1 weekend to talk about just that. In this message, guest speaker TJ Gilliam explains that we can't have a DEEP relationship with Jesus that we share with others if we don't first accept His INVI...

What if the reason you feel stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious… is because you’re living for TOMORROW instead of today? In this message, Bailey challenges us to stop treating life like a waiting room, and to bring the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven NOW. Jesus gives us clear instruction in Matthew 6:33–34:--Seek first the Kingdom.--Stop worrying about tomorrow.--Live fully in today. This...

We all want to know the future...But what if God intentionally doesn’t show us the whole picture? Psalm 119:105 says:“Your word is a LAMP to my feet and a light to my path.”Notice it says "LAMP," not "spotlight."In this message we explore why God usually shows us the next step… not the whole staircase, and how His Word guides us through the uncertainty of life. Scriptures refer...

Have you ever heard someone say  “everything happens for a reason” … and it just made you more frustrated? In this message, D$ looks at a powerful story from the book of Philemon and shows how God can take betrayal, conflict, and pain and turn it into something meaningful. Through the story of Philemon and Onesimus, we see that even our hardest struggles can become part of God’s bigger purpose. If...

What is my purpose? So many of us feel pressure to have our future figured out. We feel anxious. We feel lost. Some even wonder if their life has meaning at all. But what if your weakness isn’t something that disqualifies you…What if it’s the very thing God wants to use? Looking at Second Corinthians 12, we see how Paul the Apostle had a “thorn in the flesh” — something that limited him. Instead o...

Temptation isn’t the sin — it’s the invitation. Why does peer pressure feel so overwhelming? Why are the “small” compromises the hardest to resist? And what do we do when nobody else is watching? In this sermon, Kaleigh helps us explore:The science behind the teenage brainWhy fitting in feels like survivalDavid’s resistance in 1 Samuel 24David’s failure in 2 Samuel 11How small compromises lead to...

What if the problem isn’t your habits… but your heart? Every year people say, “I’m going to read the whole Bible.” But what if slowing down and focusing on just  one verse  could change everything? In this message from Proverbs 4:23, we unpack what it really means to  “guard your heart.”  Not the muscle beating in your chest — but your inner self. Your desires. Your thoughts. Your motives. Your id...

Lillie sits down with RBYouth Worship Leader Jenna Thomas to talk about Spiritual warfare, and so much more!

In this talk, Reyn makes a connection between LifeStraws' ability (or lack thereof ) to purify contaminated water, and Jesus' perfect ability to purify US of all unrighteousness.

February is the "month of love," but there’s more to your heart than just pink decorations and emojis. In this message, D$ dives into Matthew 4 to show how Jesus handled temptation in the wilderness. Whether it’s "doomscrolling," chasing immediate gratification, or looking for shortcuts, we all face moments that test our spiritual health.

In this session, D$ gets vulnerable about her calling, while cross-referencing the account of Peter walking on the water in Matthew 14, ultimately encouraging listeners with the fact that Jesus will carry you THROUGH what He calls you TO. It might be uncomfortable, but it is definitely WORTH IT!

Most of us grew up thinking Christianity is about believing the right things so we can go to heaven when we die — but that’s not actually what the Bible emphasizes. In this conversation, we explore what salvation really means, why Jesus framed it as rescue and restoration, and how we’re called to bring heaven to earth right now.