The River Church Sermons

A woman on the run. A meeting in the wilderness. A surprising turn that changes the course of history. Join us as we continue Abraham’s story in Genesis 16 and discover one of the most beautiful names of God in all of Scripture—El Roi, “the God who sees.”

We continue our Dangerous Faith series by exploring one of the most beautiful conversations in Scripture. As Abraham wrestles with God's promise to make his family a blessing to the nations, God meets him with reassurance and invites him to lift his eyes toward a sky filled with stars. In that moment, when Abraham is gazing at the galaxies, we encounter one of the defining truths of the Christian...

When God promised Abram that He would make him the father of a great nation, it required him to leave his extended family (Lot) and go to a new destination. The point? No, you can’t stay where you are. That’s what we were hoping for. I’d like to remain where I am please. For God to bless your life, it will require change. So Abram goes. But wait, what is Lot doing in the caravan? He’s the nephew....

Promise meets famine. God made a life changing promise to Abram, Abram took a big faith risk, and then life got rough. "No way to put food on the table for your family" rough. What happens next in this story is not unlike many of our realities. A big, ugly collision between calling, hope, faith, the promises of God, and life in a hard, broken world. I've been wrestling with this for a while. And w...

I'll never forget his words. A group of fellow ministry leaders and I huddled around a professor at the United States Air Force Academy for a seminar on leadership. Summarizing his research on effective leadership, he put it simply: "Every person needs an unsafe cause to live for and a safe community to live with." This is the precise invitation for followers of Jesus that we see in the first text...

We conclude our journey through Romans 8 by stepping into one of the most breathtaking passages in all of Scripture. In Romans 8:31–39, Paul lifts our eyes above the noise, anxiety, and pressure of everyday life and anchors us in three life-changing truths: God is for you, Christ has justified you, and nothing can separate you from His love. We’ll explore the staggering depth of God’s affection fo...

Let's discuss one of the most, maybe the most misunderstood and misused verse in all the Bible. The other one is God helps those who help themselves which isn’t even the Bible. But, here it is, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good...” Oh, there’s more, “...to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Please don’t use this verse with anyone...

Anyone who has tried to communicate across a language or cultural barrier knows the frustration of being lost in translation. A misunderstood word, an accidental cultural faux pas—it can be funny after the fact if all ends well, but it’s painfully awkward in the moment. Romans 8:26-27 takes us to a beautiful promise of God for us in the midst of life’s suffering and heartache: the Holy Spirit both...

Scripture tells one unified story that ultimately leads to Jesus—but along the way, it’s filled with ordinary people whose quiet faithfulness moves that story forward. Many of them appear only briefly, their acts recorded in just a line or two, yet their obedience plays a vital role in God’s plan. As we look at the opening chapters of Exodus, we’ll see how God works through the courageous faith of...

In a fallen world, the question is not whether or not we will face heartbreak and suffering. Though life is also full of joy and beauty, the hard stuff in life is inevitable. Even now in our community many are facing profound heartbreak and suffering. Again, the question is not whether we will face the storm of heartbreak and suffering; the question is how we can navigate it. We’ve seen so far fro...

Remember the story of the prodigal son? He felt so ashamed. He walked away with far less of an inheritance than what his father really wanted to give him. He went at it his own way. And then, in a move of total desperation and as an outlaw and a coward and a pig slime eater, he squirms his way back, hoping to now be a servant rather than a son. And the father’s response? Son, get off your knees. C...

It was my first year of college, and my faith had sailed straight into an intellectual hurricane. I was drowning in questions about science, philosophy, and history; my mind felt like it was on a life-or-death scramble for evidence to support my belief in Christ. One night, I prayed a desperate prayer: “Lord, I want to believe. If you are real, help me as I investigate my doubts.” The very next mo...

What does God envision for your life? Or put another way: what kind of life does God invite us to as we follow Jesus? Depending on your background and story a few things might come to mind--some ethical principles from something like the Sermon on the Mount, perhaps a particular spiritual discipline or two, or maybe just the general idea of not being a jerk. All of these are wonderful things. Yet,...

Well, It’s Easter. And we all know what that means. Going to church with family or friends is set on our calendar. Probably the most well attended Sunday church service of the entire year. Why? For all sorts of reasons. Mostly good. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is so embedded in the fabric of American society that we barely think twice. We just go. We become present in the moment and reflect f...

“If only I could have been there and seen it for myself…” Perhaps you’ve thought something like this of the life of Jesus. I certainly have. Yet, the gospel of Luke’s account of Jesus’ crucifixion shows us something striking. Most of those who bore witness to Jesus’ death completely missed what God was doing. But one figure in the account has eyes to truly see the moment: a criminal on the cross n...

The more we reflect on the cross of Christ, the more we realize its profound implications to change our lives and our world. As we take another step towards the cross this week, we’ll embrace one of the most intimate and profound moments in the Gospel. In the midst of unimaginable suffering, Jesus pauses to care for His mother. Even in His agony, His love is deeply personal and profoundly practica...

I remember the day I finished my last final at Cal. It was evening. I walked out of a large auditorium and felt relieved. I walked back to the fraternity house where I had lived for four years, packed up my 67 mustang and headed home that night, down the 5 freeway, back to LA. Funny side note, I got two traffic tickets on my way home. Not one but two. I didn’t care. I was free. I was finished. 4 l...

We are starting a fresh teaching series and community focus at the River Church. In these weeks before Easter, we are entering into the weight, darkness, significance, and glory of the cross. Standing in the shadow of the cross, we enter into a solemn space. A weighty moment which our words can’t capture. Here, an epoch shifts; a crushing debt is paid; a cosmic battle is won; light has pierced the...

Have you ever had any of these objections to prayer? “God didn’t answer my prayer before.” “If God is sovereign, why pray?” “I don’t want to hope and be disappointed again.” “I don’t feel anything when I pray.” “Why would God respond to me?” “If God knows everything, why tell Him?” If so, you're going to love our time together as we develop our theology of prayer and are encouraged by real testimo...

When I think about a common denominator or the bridge that holds all humans together, I propose one experience might be pain and suffering. We see it all around us, across the globe and the timeline of history. It is inescapable for all of us. We come to the question that will occupy us this week. Where is God in all this suffering? Why does God allow so much pain and evil in our world? I come to...

"Oh, you are one of those bible believing Christians that believes the world was created in 7 days about 6,000 years ago. Blind faith, you have,” the scoffer chuckles to himself. He thinks to himself, “Another uniformed Christian.” He then says, "Haven’t you seen all the evidence that supports the fact that the earth is 4-6 billion years old? And that the fossil records prove an evolutionary proce...

One of the most common reasons people struggle with Christianity isn’t a lack of information—it’s what they’ve seen. Many have watched Christians say one thing and live another, and it raises an honest question: If the message is true, why don’t the messengers always reflect it? Join us as we talk about the reality of hypocrisy, why Jesus spoke so strongly against it, and where real hope is found...

In countless conversations over myriad legitimate intellectual questions of faith I have had with people over the years, one background experience is a common theme: for many people, God doesn’t feel real. Behind so many of our valid intellectual doubts is the issue of felt experience. Join us as we open up Psalm 63 and explore the question, “If God is real, why doesn’t he feel more real?”

Are the scriptures historically reliable? They are certainly good, moral, spiritual, and inspiring, but are they grounded in historical reality and do they (even try to) “get history right”? These are big, important questions. Questions that, as a historian, I personally care about deeply. Let’s enter into these inquiries with a look at the biographies of Jesus we call the “Gospels.” These narrati...

My neighbor paused thoughtfully before she spoke. It had been a typical small talk interaction until I answered a question of hers about something hard I was facing and mentioned my faith in Jesus. "You know, there's a lot I admire about Christianity," she finally said, "but I just can't buy that there's only one way to God, that there's only one truth." It's a question that many of us face as we...