Riverwood Church - Waverly, IA: Sermons

You may not realize it, but you are almost always worshipping. The question is: who or what are you worshipping? In this third part of the Discipled series, we look at how easily we worship the things of this earth instead of the One who made the earth, and how to go about changing that. So listen in if you want to grow as a worshipper of God.

Relationships are hard. Hang out with someone long enough, and you will inevitably get hurt, whether through their words or actions. And when we get hurt, we often want to pull away from the relationship. However, humans were created as relational creatures. So we want to be in relationship, and yet we get hurt by those relationships. So how do we live in this tension? Listen in to learn how to al...

For the summer of 2018, Riverwood Church is taking a look at the topic of spiritual disciplines. Over 9 weeks, the Riverwood family will look at nine different disciplines Jesus-followers can engage in. However, there is a danger to this topic. In this opening message in the Disciplined series, Pastor Erin Bird helps us learn what the inherent danger is with spiritual disciplines, how to avoid thi...

What should a church family really look like? How should a church family operate? What should a Jesus-follower be willing to give up for the sake of others within the church family? In this final message in the "& Jesus" series, guest teacher Andrew Boone takes us to Romans 15 to challenge Jesus-followers to critically think about how they are to live within a church family. Listen in to this...

When it comes to the role of conscience in the Christian faith, things can get a bit sticky. The conscience of one Jesus-followers allows him to enjoy a beer while the conscience of another Jesus-follower won't let her even walk into a bar. Does this mean God is unfair? Or that one of the Jesus-followers is wrong in his or her conviction? Join us as Pastor Erin Bird walks us through this difficult...

Oftentimes, when a person feels stressed or uncomfortable in life, he or she will seek out pleasure to bring some relief. But sometimes, the pleasure they seek keeps them from the life they truly want. In this sixth part of the & Jesus sermon series, Pastor Erin Bird walks through Romans 13:11-14, which shows Jesus-followers that life on this earth is not the time to fill up with as much pleas...

Most people see the government as a bureaucratic nightmare that is focused on getting and keeping power. How should a Jesus-follower respond to the government, especially when government leaders make decisions that a Jesus-follower might disagree with. The answer might surprise you. Listen in as we learn from Romans 13 how a follower of Jesus should approach his country's government.

Many people within our American culture think of marriage as an emotional and sexual prison. Why else do 41% of all marriage experience emotional and/or physical infidelity? And why else would 74% of men and 68% of women be willing to have an affair if they knew they wouldn't get caught? Clearly, marriage is viewed by many as a shackle. But rather than be a jail that keeps us from joy, what if God...

In our modern American culture, some people view kids as trouble, or annoying, or just something to be ignored. But have you ever considered how God views kids? In this third message in the & Jesus series, teaching pastor Erin Bird shows us from Romans 12 and Ephesians 6 why we need to love and honor kids if we are going to be followers of Jesus.

The story of Batman isn't just a comic book story or a super hero story. It is actually a revenge story. It is a story about Bruce Wayne getting revenge upon crime for taking his parents from him when he was a kid. Living inside of you is an inner Batman - a character that wants revenge whenever something or someone is taken from you. This inner Batman makes us feel strong, but he actually robs us...

Have you ever had to make a decision that those around you thought was absolutely crazy, but you knew beyond a shadow of doubt was the right thing to do? Some times, that's what it looks like to follow Jesus. An unbelieving world thinks a Jesus-follower is nuts for some of the things he or she believes God is calling them to do. How does a Jesus-follower make these difficult decisions in the face...

Many people in our American society are familiar with the Easter story, even those who don't go to church. But do these miraculous events from over two-thousand years ago mean anything for people living in 2018? In this Easter message entitled Glorious Day, Pastor Erin Bird shows how the physical resurrection of Jesus points to a spiritual resurrection that God wants to do within you, changing you...

Most people in life spend their time trying to be happy. They selfishly focus on whatever they believe will make life easier, more pleasurable, or more memorable. But then there a few people who seem to devote the majority of their time to helping others. They are incredibly Unselfish. How do they do it? By having a shift in their motivation. In this message, Riverwood's teaching pastor, Erin Bird...

It is very natural for humans to think that in order to achieve a certain level of holiness, they have to "earn" it. Whether it be through classes, practices, or upholding certain traditions, they believe they have to jump through certain hoops in order to be "saved" or to please God. But as Erin Bird, teaching pastor for Riverwood, shows us from the book of Colossians, what we need isn't to add c...

Have you ever seen those videos of people texting on their phones while walking who end up running into a sign, or into a pond, or even into a wall? They are so distracted by their phones, they miss what is around them. In the book of Colossians, the Apostle Paul didn't want his readers to spiritually walk into "walls" by getting distracted by the things of life. So to protect them, he helps them...

Evangelism. It's a scary word for a lot of people. Most Jesus-followers don't engage in it, and those that do often do it from impure motives. Teaching from 2 Corinthians 5:9-21, guest teacher Steve Erickson walks Jesus-followers through four reasons why they should share the gospel with others, and how to do it with the right heart.

Imagine a scientific lab that discovered a cure for cancer, but didn't tell anyone. That would be awful, wouldn't it? Yet on a spiritual level, many Jesus-followers know the "cure" for sin, but remain mum. In this last message in "The Gospel" sermon series, Pastor Erin Bird shows from the book of Colossians that if someone is a Jesus-follower, it is expected he or she will "speak the gospel." And...

So far in this series called "The Gospel," we have seen the importance of continually learning the gospel (week 1) so that we can think the gospel (week 2). But the purpose for allowing the gospel to be a filter to our way of thinking is to impact our way of living. The Scriptures do not teach us the gospel simply to fill our heads with the story of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. The Bibl...

How you see yourself shapes what you do. If you see yourself as a great athlete, you'll keep trying your best at your sport. If you see yourself as a horrible cook, you'll stay away from the kitchen. The same goes for your faith. How you think about yourself spiritually affects what you do and how you feel about life. In Romans 12:1-3, the Apostle Paul talks about this very thing - how your thinki...

Just like a person can become fluent in a foreign language with study and practice, a Jesus-follower can become "fluent" in the gospel by studying it. This week, in part one of "The Gospel" series, we look at the importance of learning the gospel continually, because it has the power to shape how we think, speak, and live.

On this particular Sunday, Erin Bird, our lead pastor, takes a moment to look back at what happened in the Riverwood family in 2017, and what is possibly to come in 2018.

After you breathe your last breath, what do you hope to have left behind? Nice thoughts about your life? A full bank account that will provide for your children? A building bearing your name? If you are a Jesus-follower, these things are too small. God wants to do so much more than just see people say nice things about you at your funeral. If you want to leave a legacy that will make an eternal im...

Ever been lost in a strange city? Some people stop and ask for directions (well, at least most of the women reading this do...). Some people just try to figure it out (which many of the guys reading this try to do...). But most often, in our day of smartphones, we consult a map. A map helps us get reoriented to where we currently are and how to get where we want to go. Sometimes, we need the exact...

People are committed to all sorts of things: family, work, hobbies, sports, etc. But underneath our devotion to such items is often a greater dedication - a commitment to self. In this first message in the Committed message series, we hear from 2 Timothy 3:1-13 how a commitment to self actually keeps us from the life we want and that God has for us. So listen in to learn how to make the primary co...

Many Americans love to drive around town in December looking at Christmas lights. (We are like bugs drawn to the light!) Why? Perhaps because light, while it is outside of us, does something within us. Light gives us some joy, a bit of hope, and a sense of awe. Maybe this is why Jesus is called "the Light of the World." In this third part of our teaching series "An Incarnational Christmas" we disc...