Riverwood Church - Waverly, IA: Sermons

“Cancel culture” is nothing new. Even Jesus faced being canceled. In spite of that, It’s important understand God and know that we bear his image.

In today's sermon, Pastor Erin breaks rejection down for us and explains how we can always rely on God who pulls closer in spite of our constant rejection.

1 Peter 5:6-11 instructs us as believers to be humble, to be watchful, and to stand firm in resisting the devil. Listen now to guest speaker Jonathan Davis.

We can often get lost in pride as we rely on ourselves and not on Christ. When our hearts are prideful, we can't truly trust in God or have full faith in him.

Greed is ingrained in our culture. Businesses recognize this & market products directly at our greed. Bigger, Better, & More are all used to trigger our greed.

Proverbs 1:20-33 speaks to our culture. Humanity, as a whole, has turned its back on the wisdom of God and put faith in its own abilities and knowledge.

Proverbs chapter 2 begins with Solomon addressing his son and imparting words of wisdom that his son should heed. The kids join the congregation this Sunday.

Mark 11 tells two stories that intertwine to form one larger picture. In the first story, Jesus curses a fig tree and in the second, Jesus cleanses the temple.

Launch Sermon PlayerJesus, once again, shows his power when healing the blind man, Bartimaeus. More importantly, he shows us how to love those that we might consider unlovable. Even more than that, Bartimaeus gives up one of his only possessions to seek healing from Jesus. What person/people are in your life that you could go […]

Launch Sermon PlayerJames and John approach Jesus asking if they may be seated at his right and left hand in glory. While sincere, this question is based in selfishness. When you live life in a selfish way, you continue to act selfishly even after humbling experiences. Happy Mother’s Day! Good mothers often give up their desires […]

Launch Sermon PlayerWhen the rich, young ruler approached Christ and asked “What must I do to be saved,” Jesus responded by telling the young ruler to give away everything he owns and follow Him. Even the disciples were surprised when Jesus comments how it is harder for a camel to go through the eye of […]

Launch Sermon PlayerJesus showed that he could heal many people simply by touching them. Is it a surprise that parents are pushing their children towards Him in hopes of healing or blessings? Yet, when the children started surrounding Jesus, the disciples were quick to rebuke the parents for surrounding Him with these children. Listen as […]

The topic of divorce can be a sticky subject. It has affected many of us, so to hear some of the Scriptures teaching on divorce can be painful. And yet on Riverwood’s “Baptism Sunday,” Pastor Erin Bird walks us through Jesus’ teaching on divorce from Mark 10:1-12, showing us how this subject actually points us to the love and faithfulness of Jesus. So listen in to be encouraged to trust Jesus.

Easter is the highlight of the Christian Calendar. Without Resurrection Sunday, there is no Christian faith. Join us as Pastor Erin Bird walks us through John 10:1-18 to help us appreciate the resurrection of Jesus and learn how it can change your life over 2000 years later.

As part of our reflective Good Friday service, Pastor Erin shared briefly from John 10:17-18 about the willingness of Jesus to give His life for ours, helping us appreciate Jesus’ sacrifice and enable us to worship Jesus on Easter Sunday all the more.

If you’ve ever anticipated doing something extremely difficult, you might have felt nervous, hesitant, or even tried to delay the suffering. Yet Jesus, knowing what lie ahead of Him, walked willingly with determination toward Jerusalem. How did He do it? In this Palm Sunday sermon, Pastor Erin Bird shows us what enabled Jesus to resolutely move toward Jerusalem where mocking, torture, and death aw...

Often in life, we “want it all.” We want to buy expensive things without spending much money. We want to lose weight while still eating as much as we desire. In other words, we want to have our cake and eat it too. We carry this attitude into our relationship with God. We want God’s blessing while still living however we want. But in Mark 9:43-50, Jesus warns us that to truly follow Him and live t...

There are others in the world believing and working along side you, claiming God and his promises. Pride and and inward eye can mar that picture of Gospel Teamwork. Today Elder Ed Pavelec walks through Mark 9:33-42 teaching on this idea

The Transfiguration is a famous story from the pages of the Bible. But could there be more to the story than just a “shining” Jesus? Listen in as Pastor Erin unpacks Mark 9:2-13, helping us see Jesus like never before.

Sometimes in life, paradoxical phrases lead us to deep truths. For instance, "Less is More" or "The way out is in" are phrases that sound like paradoxes, but in the right moment, they can give you clarity. In Mark 8:27-9:1, the twelve disciples hear Jesus state what, to them, feels like a paradox. But upon closer inspection, we discover a deep truth that can completely change our lives in 2021. Wh...

Many people turn to the teachings of Jesus for encouragement, guidance, and reassurance. But what do you do when Jesus gives a warning? You listen and take it to heart! In this week’s sermon, Pastor Erin Bird expounds upon the warning Jesus gives in Mark 8 and what we need to watch for in our own lives in 2021.

All people are looking for some sort of “Jesus” to save them from their loneliness, or their past, or their addiction, or their fears, or from whatever. As John Calvin famously put it: “The human heart is an idol factory.” And so in this search for rescue, the “idol factory" turns romantic partners, or money, or fame, or a whole host of things into its own “personal Jesus.” But rather than look fo...

Have you ever had a crisis of faith? A time in life where you doubted God’s goodness, or power, or even His existence? Perhaps you are there right now. In this week’s sermon, Pastor Erin Bird introduces us to a woman found in Mark 7:24-30 who had every right to doubt God’s goodness or power, and yet she displays a big faith in Jesus. Listen in to discover the four ways you, too, can grow to have a...

For our annual Vision Sunday, Pastor Erin takes some time to look back at all the things God did in 2020 (and it’s a lot of really big things!), as well as where he and the Elder Team believe God is calling us in 2021. While this sermon is primarily aimed at the Riverwood Church family, it is a great message for anyone who has supported Riverwood in the past or is considering making Riverwood thei...

The “Great Commission,” found in Matthew 28:18-20, are some of the last words Jesus uttered on earth. It is a very famous passage. But what many Christians don’t realize is this passage, which talks about “going” and “baptizing” and “teaching” only contains one command. What is that command? Listen in as Pastor Erin Bird concludes our “Praying the King’s Agenda” series as part of Riverwood’s 21 Da...