Riverwood Church - Waverly, IA: Sermons

Obedience is hard. It feels confining. It feels joyless. It doesn’t feel very fun. So just how does a Jesus-follower actually obey the King’s Agenda without hating their faith and life?

In order for a follower of King Jesus to “pray” the King’s Agenda, he or she must first “hear” the King’s Agenda. But how does one actually hear the King’s Agenda? Listen in as Pastor Erin shares from Matthew 28:18-20 as well as several other passages just how to do that.

When Jesus was born, the angels declared His earthly arrival to shepherds. Inside of their short song are all the other themes of Advent - Hope, Peace, and Joy. But there is one more theme their song helps us see, and it is one of the most important themes in all of the world. Listen in as Pastor Erin Bird helps us hear about God's Love through the Angel's Song.

For many people, 2020 has been a really hard year. We’ve battled a pandemic. We’ve experienced cultural tension over politics, race, masks, and more. And some people have personally battled health issues, the loss of a job, the loss of a loved one, a broken relationship, or some type of trauma. So the idea of having “joy” this Christmas season seems like an impossibility. Yet joy is within reach....

Many people find themselves longing for something in life that will give them peace. It might be a longing to be married, or be a parent, or to have a certain amount of wealth, or finally get that dream home. Whatever it is, we yearn for this external person or item to bring us internal peace. And yet, it doesn’t work. Listen in as Pastor Erin Bird shows us from the Christmas Song Zechariah sings...

For many people, 2020 has been a really hard year. Whether because of the pandemic, politics, loss of a loved one, or our own personal crisis, we long for this season to pass. And yet, the Bible commands us to “Give thanks in all circumstances.” How are we supposed to do that in a year like 2020? Listen in as Pastor Erin Bird walks us through the “impossibles” of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, helping u...

Life is full of tension. If you have parents, a spouse, kids, coworkers, or classmates, you have experienced tension. But “tension” isn’t just found in relationships. You can also find it in politics, on social media, and even in church. And oftentimes, when we encounter tension, we seek to resolve it. However, some “tension” can't be resolved. In fact, there are some arenas in life where you shou...

Many people globally are living with fear due to the coronavirus, while many Americans are living with anxiety over the upcoming Presidential election. And this doesn't include the hard things happening in many people's lives personally that are causing stress, worry, and more. Thankfully, God's Word speaks into our fear and anxiety, helping to bring peace. Listen in as one of Riverwood's elders,...

Back in His day, Jesus was a celebrity. When a person in our day and age meets a celebrity, they want a selfie, or an autograph, or even some advice. But in Mark 6:53-56, we see the people do something very different when they see Jesus - something that any Jesus-follower in 2020 should also do. What is it? Listen in to "The Fame of Jesus" to find out.

Ever had an embarrassing moment where you are holding your phone in your hand, and yet think "Wait... where is my phone?" Suddenly, you begin looking all around for your phone, checking your pockets or reaching into your purse, when about 5 seconds later you realize your foolishness. Anyone? Yeah, us neither. But other people have missed what is right in front of them, such as some of the Jewish l...

Have you ever thought you saw someone out in public only to discover it wasn’t actually them? Or perhaps you had a conversation with someone, only to later learn who they actually were. We’ve all done it, making a mistake about a person's identity. In Mark 6:45-52, we see the author give several clear clues of who Jesus truly was, but His disciples will completely miss the clues. But if you can ca...

Life is full of inconveniences. Whether it is having to gas up the car when you are late for a meeting, coming home after a vacation to a broken refrigerator, or taking care of a puking child at 3:00 am, life is full of inconvenient moments. But did you know love is also rarely convenient? In this message from the Gospel of Mark, Pastor Erin Bird helps us see that if a person is going to love like...

In John 20:21, Jesus told His followers that just as His Heavenly Father sent Him to bless the world, He was sending His followers to do the same. But what does it look like for a Jesus-follower to be "sent"? Pastor Erin Bird walks us through Mark 6:7-13, showing us eight details about what it looks like to be sent by Jesus to be a blessing.

When a typical person faces doubters or haters, the natural reaction is to want to insult or hurt the person back. But is this the reaction a Jesus-follower should display? Join us as Pastor Erin Bird walks us through Mark 6:1-6 as we learn how to live like Jesus when faced with doubters, mockers, and haters.

In case you haven't noticed, our world is really divided. We are arguing about masks, race, politics, and boneless chicken wings. What our world needs (besides more chicken wings!) is for Jesus-followers to step out of the arguments and begin loving people like Jesus loved people. In this week's sermon, Pastor Erin Bird walks us through Mark 5:21-42, looking at two miracles where we discover how J...

In our current political and cultural climate, the lives of certain people don't seem to matter. Some Republicans don't seem to think certain Democrats are worth much of anything. Some Black Lives Matters adherents don't think too highly of Trump supporters. And many Twitter users are ready to cancel anyone who doesn't agree with them 100%. In Mark 5:1-20, Pastor Erin Bird shows us that anyone who...

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Ed Pavelec, one of the elders of Riverwood Church, completes our "Summer of Psalms" sermon series with an encouraging message from . Listen in to learn how to "taste and see that the Lord is good!"

The world is open and exposed, yet the Lord provides us a place to hide. Ed Pavelec teaches from Psalm 91, that we are safe and secure in God's sovereign protection. Listen in!

One of the Bible’s central themes is the worship of God! In this week's message, Worship Leader Jake Epley will walk us through , a praise psalm that teaches us the basics of praising God for who He is and what He’s done.

What does it mean to love the Bible? Guest Speaker Shane Klein teaches on , sharing perspective on the psalmist's love for God's Word and how we ought to as well!

Launch Sermon PlayerGuest Speaker, Shane Klein, teaches from Psalm 147 as part of our “Summer of Psalms” series.

At his lowest point, King David fell into terrible sin, was confronted by God's word through the prophet Nathan, and had to repent of his disobedience. His poignant expression of contrition in Psalm 51 can serve as a model for the Jesus-follower when he or she falls short of God's standards. Guest Speaker Jacob Tews leads this study of Psalm 51, looking in detail at its context and application for...