Riverside Church Sunday Message

TEACHING SERIES: Foundations TITLE: The Bible BY: Tim Chilvers DATE: Sunday 5 January 2025 Bible Passage: Psalm 119:97-104 Where do you turn when you’re seeking answers—especially when you want to uncover the truth? What shapes your understanding of yourself, the world around you, and God? The Bible is more than just a source of information; it’s a foundational guide filled with wisdom to help you...

TEACHING SERIES: Can I Get a Witness? TITLE: It’s the truth BY : Sarah Auger DATE: Sunday 8 December 2024 Bible Passage: John 21:20-25 In court cases, there are usually three types of witnesses: expert witnesses, character witnesses, and eye-witnesses. If you are an expert or character witness, you are usually being asked to comment on the basis of previous experiences, information and expertise....

TEACHING SERIES: Can I Get a Witness? TITLE: I don’t believe you BY: Nathanael Ballew DATE: Sunday 1 December 2024 In psychology, there is a well-known concept called ‘confirmation bias’. It is our tendency to interpret information in line with the beliefs and values that we already have. For example, imagine a scientist doing an experiment in which they get some new data. If that new data backs u...

TEACHING SERIES: Can I Get a Witness? TITLE He told me everything BY Judy Moore DATE: Sunday 24 November 2024 Bible Passages: John 4:1-26, 39-42 Have you ever been nervous to share something personal with your friends or family? Perhaps there are some secrets you hold that you feel too much shame around—but by withholding those secrets, it means no one could ever truly know the whole of you. When...

TEACHING SERIES: Can I Get a Witness? TITLE I’m Not It BY Sarah Auger DATE: Sunday 17 November 2024 Bible Passages: John 1:19-37 Have you ever pretended to be something, or someone, you are not? Perhaps you tried to convince a new boss that you knew what you were doing, when you didn’t have a clue. Or maybe, you hoped no-one would notice that you weren’t as impressive as they thought you were. Or...

TEACHING SERIES: I Want In TITLE In A Mystery BY Nathanael Ballew DATE: Sunday 10 November 2024 Bible Passages: Ephesians 3:1-21 Have you ever needed glasses? The first time you put a pair of glasses on that have the correct lenses, it’s almost miraculous! The world suddenly becomes much, much clearer! It’s almost as if you hadn’t realised how fuzzy things were until you put on the right pair of g...

TEACHING SERIES: I Want In BY: Duncan Banks DATE: Sunday 27 October 2024 From our guest speaker from the Further Faster Network. It's tough to get life right when you keep getting Jesus wrong. When you look deeper at Jesus, you understand everything about him is counter intuitive, counter cultural, upside down and maybe even a little backwards. So let's take a whistle-stop tour through his life an...

TEACHING SERIES: I Want In TITLE In A Different Kind Of Tribe BY: Judy Moore DATE: Sunday 27 October 2024 Bible Passages: Ephesians 2:11-22 It is easy to nod along with Gandhi’s famous quote, ‘I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.’ But what if our judgement about other Christians is more of a statement about ourselves than it is about them? The beautiful, and inconvenient, truth about...

TEACHING SERIES: I Want In TITLE In A Community Of Grace BY: Ben Person DATE: Sunday 20 October 2024 Bible Passage: Ephesians 2: 1-10 EXCERPT: A famous story is told about C.S. Lewis, the twentieth-century English writer. During a conference on the difference and similarities between the major global religions, Lewis entered a room halfway through a debate. “What’s the rumpus about?”, he asked. He...

TEACHING SERIES: I Want In TITLE In The Know BY: Judy Moore DATE: Sunday 13 October 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Ephesians 1:15-21 EXCERPT: In the prayer of thanksgiving from Ephesians 1:15-21, Paul encourages us to rediscover all the riches that we have by being “in Christ. “ He prays for the church that we would know God more. He asks that we live afresh in the hope we already have in what Jesus has don...

TEACHING SERIES: I Want In TITLE You’re In BY: Nathanael Ballew DATE: Sunday 6 October 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Ephesians Chapter 1, verse 13-14 EXCERPT: Mahatma Gandhi famously once said, 'I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.' It's not difficult to understand what he meant. Why is it that followers of Jesus seem, sometimes, to be so unlike the Jesus they follow? Why does Christianity of...

TEACHING SERIES: I Want In TITLE In A Very Rich Family BY: Judy Moore DATE: Sunday 29 September 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Ephesians 1: 1-12 EXCERPT: When you were young, did you judge a Christmas present on the size of the present? Were you slightly disappointed when you got a smaller parcel than someone else? What if God offers something to you that is the best possible gift, and yet you completed mis...

TEACHING SERIES: I Want In TITLE: The In Crowd BY: Sarah Auger DATE: Sunday 22 September 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Acts 19:1-21 EXCERPT: What if Jesus wants to disrupt everything you ever believed to be true? What if the offer he extends to you is more incredible than you ever imagined, more disruptive to your life than you thought, and more transformational than you could ever dream? Welcome: What's t...

TEACHING SERIES: A Necessary Embrace TITLE: I Will Not Let You Go BY: Tim Chilvers DATE: Sunday 15 September 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Genesis 32:22-32 EXCERPT: There is one flag around the world that signifies surrender – the white flag. In war, when the white flag is raised, the battle is over. What if we could wave a white flag towards God? In the ancient story of Jacob, we witness a ‘white flag’ be...

TEACHING SERIES: A Necessary Embrace TITLE: And Yet My Life Was Spared BY: Tim Chilvers DATE: Sunday 8 September 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Genesis 32:22-32 EXCERPT: Imagine if you came face to face with God, what do you think would happen? What impact would it have on your life? The ancient figure of Jacob discovered that it changed everything. He was never the same again. That’s because once you’ve be...

TEACHING SERIES: A Necessary Embrace TITLE: Unless you bless me BY: Tim Chilvers DATE: Sunday 1 September 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Genesis 32:22-32 EXCERPT: Life doesn’t just happen to you…you’ve got to make life happen for you. That’s the mantra, isn’t it? You can’t trust anyone except yourself. And so, if you want to be successful in life, you’ve got to get out there and make it happen. That’s what...

TEACHING SERIES: Closer Than You Know TITLE: Don’t Stress The Details BY: Nathanael Ballew DATE: Sunday 25 August 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Exodus 3:16-22 EXCERPT: Can we compromise? God has shown in the Bible that he is faithful through the generations. And he asks us to love him with all that we have. But do we find it too easy at times to compromise on his commands? Are you a planner or a blagger?!...

TEACHING SERIES: Closer Than You Know TITLE: How To Know? BY: Olivia Anwana DATE: Sunday 18 August 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Exodus 3:11-15 EXCERPT: We all need guidance in life at some point…whether a decision is wise, what we should do, or which is the best opportunity to take. How do we know what God wants? How does God guide us, and can we ever be 100% sure? When looking for guidance, how did we kn...

TEACHING SERIES: Closer Than You Know TITLE: Longing for the miracle BY: Naomi Woodruff DATE: Sunday 11 August 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Exodus 3:8-10 EXCERPT: So often, we look for the spectacular. We long for God to do amazing miracles, that calm our doubts and help us believe. But what if miracles are sometimes more mundane than that? God’s people were looking for a miracle. No doubt Moses was, too!...

TEACHING SERIES: Closer Than You Know TITLE: Look Who’s Talking BY: Judy Moore DATE: Sunday 4 August 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Exodus 3:6-8 EXCERPT: Have you ever been in a situation when someone has really surprised you in the way they act? What if God is like that? If we have the wrong view of God, it dramatically impacts what we presume he might be doing or saying. If we have an unhealthy view of Go...

TEACHING SERIES: Closer Than You Know SERMON TITLE: Turn To See BY: Jenny Barthow DATE: Sunday 28 July 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Exodus 3:1-3 EXCERPT: In Exodus 3:3-4, the exact same phrase is used twice: Moses ‘goes over to look’ at the burning bush and God sees that Moses has ‘gone over to look’. This phrase is important and has two aspects to it: a. Turning away from one direction. b. Giving attenti...

TEACHING SERIES: Closer Than You Know SERMON TITLE: The One Who Hears BY: Andy Worthington DATE: Sunday 21 July 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Exodus 2:11-25 EXCERPT: God hears and sees even when you’re in the middle of circumstances where it might seem that he doesn’t. “He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against i...

TEACHING SERIES: What’s In A Word? TITLE: In The Unknown BY: Tim Chilvers DATE: Sunday, 16 July 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Psalm 103; 11-17 EXCERPT: Looking at God’s faithfulness in the unknown. As we looked at God’s faithfulness to Riverside’s in the last 40 years, this week we look at how He is faithful in the unknown, and we trust Him to lead us in these next 40 years. Welcome: What's true of Riversi...

TEACHING SERIES: What’s In A Word? TITLE: Through The Years BY: Tim Chilvers and Nick Cuthbert DATE: Sunday, 07 July 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Psalm 100 EXCERPT: Looking at God’s faithfulness through the years. As we are celebrating Riverside 40th birthday, we look at what God has done, is doing and our expectation and hope for what he will do. He is faithful. Welcome: What's true of Riverside Church w...

TEACHING SERIES: What’s In A Word? TITLE: When We Are Not BY: Judy Moore DATE: Sunday, 30 June 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Psalm 25:4-11 EXCERPT: God remains faithful even when we don’t. When we get it wrong. He gets it right. We look at what God has done, is doing and our expectation and hope for what he will do. He is faithful. Welcome: What's true of Riverside Church when we meet together in-person is...