Riverside Church Sunday Message

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.’ Psalm 27:14 ‘The only thing worse than waiting for God, is wishing you had.’ Anonymous ‘Day after day, as we wait for the things we desire, we become different people.’ Jason Farman No one likes waiting. But, what if waiting is actually good for us? What if the act of waiting is even more important than the thing we’re waiting for...

Tim Chilvers speaks on Joshua 24:29-33 as part of our A Story and a Legacy series.  What if success isn't finishing the work, but faithfully passing it on?  As the book of Joshua closes, we're reminded that every generation stands on the shoulders of those who came before. Some plant, some build, some carry, and some harvest - but none of us are the whole story.  The invitation is not to d...

Tim Chilvers speaks on Joshua 24:14-28 as part of our A Story and a Legacy series.  Most defining moments don't feel dramatic at first. They often begin with a decision - a quiet but significant choice about who we will trust and what we will build our lives around.  In Joshua 24, God's people are challenged to respond to the faithfulness they've experienced. Not with guilt or obligati...

Tim Chilvers speaks on Joshua 24:1-13 as part of our A Story and a Legacy series. None of us starts from scratch. We all stand on ground prepared by someone else's prayers, sacrifices, faithfulness, and vision.  In Joshua 24, God reminds his people of a remarkable reality: they are enjoying the fruit of work they did not do and receiving blessings they did not create. But this isn't merely...

Judy Moore speaks on Luke 12:15-21 and 1 John 5:21 as part of our The Miracle of Generosity series. Some idols are easy to spot. Others sit quietly in our bank accounts, our ambitions, and our sense of security. Jesus' warning in Luke 12 isn't aimed at the obviously greedy - it is aimed at anyone tempted to find life, worth, or safety in what they possess. The rich fool had plenty of wealt...

Tim Chilvers speaks on 2 Corinthians 8-9  as part of our The Miracle of Generosity series. Generosity isn't an idea, it's something you can hold in your hands. It shows itself in budgets, bank accounts, decisions, and priorities. In 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, Paul paints a picture of people whose lives were so shaped by God's grace that it changed what they did with their resources. Their...

Sarah Auger speaks on John 6:1-14 as part of our Strange Things series. A problem too big to solve. Not enough to go around. And a question hanging in the air - what now? In John 6, the disciples are faced with an impossible situation. But what seems like a lack might not be the real issue after all. Because what follows isn’t just about provision - it’s about trust. And as the story unfolds, it b...

Some miracles don’t look like miracles at all. No crowds, no spectacle - just a quiet, unexpected moment that’s easy to miss. In John 13, Jesus does something surprising. Not dramatic, not distant - but deeply personal. And it raises a question about what we think a miracle really is. Because sometimes the most extraordinary things aren’t the ones that draw attention… but the ones that come close,...

Tim Chilvers speaks on John 20:24-29 as part of our Strange Things series. Doubt gets a bad reputation. But in John 20, we meet someone who asks honest questions - and ends up somewhere unexpected. This isn’t a story about having all the answers, or ignoring the hard questions. It’s about what happens when doubt is met, not dismissed. Because sometimes the difference isn’t between doubt and faith…...

Ben Pearson speaks on John 20:28-31 as part of our Strange Things series. John doesn’t just call them miracles, he calls them ‘signs’. Moments that are strange, unexpected, and not quite what they first appear to be. In John 9, a remarkable event unfolds, but the deeper meaning isn’t obvious to everyone who sees it. Some are amazed, some are sceptical, and some miss it entirely. Because sometimes...

Judy Moore speaks on John 2:1-11, as part of our Strange Things series. “Miracles aren’t always what we expect. Sometimes dramatic, sometimes quiet - but often confusing, even unsettling. In John 9, what unfolds sparks wonder in some, resistance in others, and leaves many trying to make sense of it.  Because these moments don’t just sit neatly in our categories. They challenge, disrupt, and linger...

Tim Chilvers speaks on John 11:1-44, as part of our Strange Things series. What do you do when God doesn’t respond the way you hoped?  In John 11, a desperate request is met with silence… and by the time Jesus arrives, it feels too late. Expectations collapse, grief takes over, and the questions get louder.  But as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that this moment isn’t following any formula or...

Judy Moore speaks on John 9:1-11, 35-38, as part of our Strange Things series. “We have seen strange things today.” That’s how people described the works of Jesus -  paradoxa : unexpected, unexplainable, beyond what should be. In John 9, we see a miracle that breaks all the rules - no formula, no clear pattern, and a mix of joy and scepticism in response. But here’s the question: what if those ‘st...

Saarh Auger speaks on Luke 24:1–12, John 20:19–20, and Matthew 28:5–10, 16–20.  Jesus has risen, just as he said he would. He is alive and reigns as King over all creation. Join with us to sing songs, recount the story of Jesus resurrection, and celebrate baptisms.   At Riverside we are on a journey together to help people get to know Jesus and grow as his followers across Birmingham and beyond. W...

Tim Chilvers, Ado Muronzi, Rahel Jack and Mel Lynch speak on Romans 12:17-21 as part of our Connected Life series. 'Connection is the key to human thriving.' (HRH The Princess of Wales and Professor Robert Waldinger, from a report about the dangers of hyper-connectivity called 'The Power of Human Connection in a Distracted World') We live in a society in which there is greater reco...

Nathanael Ballew speaks on Romans 12:4-16 as part of our Connected Life series. ‘Connection is the key to human thriving.' (HRH The Princess of Wales and Professor Robert Waldinger, from a report about the dangers of hyper-connectivity called ‘The Power of Human Connection in a Distracted World’) We live in a society in which there is greater recognition about the dangers of hyper-connectivity...

Tim Chilvers speaks on Romans 12:3 as part of our Connected Life series. How do you really see yourself? In the second talk of our Connected Life series, we explore Romans 12:3 and the challenge to think of ourselves with 'sober judgment.' In a culture where we are so often dominated by pride or insecurity, this message shows how God’s grace frees us from both. When we begin to see ourselv...

‘Connection is the key to human thriving.' (HRH The Princess of Wales and Professor Robert Waldinger, from a report about the dangers of hyper-connectivity called ‘The Power of Human Connection in a Distracted World’) We live in a society in which there is greater recognition about the dangers of hyper-connectivity. We’re always connected, but less and less content. Always on, but never at res...

Tim Chilvers speaks on Esther 7-8, as part   of our Conspiracy series. The book of Esther ends with a victory feast - and a body count. The villain is impaled. God is never mentioned. An entire people group celebrates their survival. And you’re left wondering what to do with it all. Where is God in stories like this? What do you do when the “good guys” don’t look entirely good? And what happens wh...

Nathanel Ballew speaks on Esther 7-8. as part of our Conspiracy series. Many of us love a conspiracy theory, but there is really one conspiracy FACT behind them all. Even when we can’t always see his hand at work, ‘In all things, God works silently, yet certainly’ - Susanna Wesley In an age obsessed with conspiracy theories and hidden agendas, we often find ourselves searching for what’s real—year...

Judy Moore speaks on Esther 3 - 6. as part of our Conspiracy series. In a story full of intrigue, pride, danger, and surprising reversals, we see how God works quietly behind the scenes—through prayer, patience, courage, and ordinary faithfulness. As Haman’s pride swells and Esther risks everything with the words “If I perish, I perish,” we’re invited to ask where God might be at work in our own l...

Sarah Auger speaks on Esther 1-2. as part of our Conspiracy series. A lavish party, a reckless king, a silenced queen, and a young woman quietly carried into a story far bigger than she realises, the book of Esther opens with chaos, power plays, and deeply human decisions. God’s name is never mentioned, yet His fingerprints are already all over the story, working through flawed people, broken syst...

Tim Chilvers speaks on 2 Timothy 1:6-7. as part of our Courage, dear heart series. A 3-week Vision series focussed on one key passage: 2 Timothy 1:6-10. We will introduce our key verse for the year: ‘For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.’ (2 Timothy 1:7) ‘”Courage, dear heart," and the voice, she felt sure, was Aslan’s.’ (C.S. Lewis, the V...

Tim Chilvers speaks on 2 Timothy 1:7. as part of our Courage, dear heart series. A 3-week Vision series focussed on one key passage: 2 Timothy 1:6-10. We will introduce our key verse for the year: ‘For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.’ (2 Timothy 1:7) ‘”Courage, dear heart," and the voice, she felt sure, was Aslan’s’ (C.S. Lewis, the Voya...

Tim Chilvers speaks on 2 Timothy 1:6-10. as part of our Courage, dear heart series. Ever had to take a step into the unknown, when you can’t see what lies ahead? As we enter a new year, we explore what it means to live with courage rather than fear. Drawing on Paul’s words to Timothy and the gentle call of God to “take heart,” we’ll discover how the Holy Spirit empowers us to face uncertain times...