The River Church Sermons

How do we get our heads around what is going on in our country? Seriously, this is a century of pain compressed in five months. The mishandling of the George Floyd arrest that led to his death has sparked a wave of protest and violence around the country. People are standing with their black friends, neighbors, community members, brothers and sisters to protest the systemic mistreatment of black A...

It’s a strange thing to think that a story never ends. Even the best stories come to a finality where the drama concludes either for bad or for good. But it does come to an end. Ever read a really really good book that you just wish it never ended? But they all do. And you're left thinking, "I wonder what happens next in the life of the characters of the story?" But the end comes and we are left f...

It’s happening! The beach is open for activity, more and more businesses are opening back up, folks are making summer plans, and L.A. traffic is making a comeback. We’re not out of the “safer-at-home” woods yet, but it’s starting to look like the beginning of the end of quarantine. Even as I’ve been chomping at the bit to “get back to normal,” a realization hit me this week—slowly but surely this...

This weekend at the River, wow. Another great service planned for you. Wait till you hear the worship, testimony, and the teaching. I hope you’re enjoying our online services as we continue to stay connected through worship and staying in God’s word. Resurrection life is about recalibrating the loves of your life. We all have deep loves, desires. They drive us. Jesus knew that. That’s why in Matth...

Disruptions are painful, but they can bring focus to our lives and to what matters. For me, I have been thinking about friendship these days. "Missing my friends" is the phrase I most commonly hear from our high school students. I picked up a book called Friendship by Lydia Denworth on the science of friendship. It is a good read and she highlights the new science showing how destructive lonelines...

I am sure we all have a “storm” story. You were probably out hiking or out on a boat or in the elements when out of nowhere a storm appeared. How did you feel? Did you feel in control? I’ve had many of those experiences. In one particular storm experience I can recall, the lightning was touching down all around us as we were completely exposed on the side of a mountain. Scary. Think of yours. Did...

Join us as we continue our sustained study of the spiritual supernova that is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This Sunday we’re going to gaze into the enduring, multifaceted, and transformative implications of the resurrection for your otherwise normal, day-to-day life. Specifically, let’s meditate on two questions: 1) What happens/has happened to my individual life because of the resurrection?...

Easter comes and goes once a year, that is, as an event. But, it actually lingers on all year in our thoughts and our hearts if we really think about it. It’s all about the Resurrection of Jesus. Resurrection means new life. Jesus offers us new life in his death, burial and resurrection, now and forever. So how do we live it? Especially now, in the midst of this cultural angst? We are running the...

This Easter will be a first for all of us. Every segment of this service is from our homes to yours. We are truly living as first century Christians, huddled In our homes celebrating the Easter morning as family and friends. Jesus has risen. He brings hope even if things look or appear hopeless. With Jesus it is far from it. I was feeling pretty stressed about filming myself preaching the Easter m...

I have to say, none of us were totally prepared for this worldwide pandemic. Do any of us have everything we need professionally, emotionally, spiritually, and practically? Every day changes. Now, more than ever, we have to prepare our mind, as we attempt to walk with peace and courage. Daniel's life was threatened, fear beckoned him, his faith was challenged. His security and protection came from...

Times have really changed. I've preached the message before the blurb goes out! Ha! Crazy world we live in. We filmed our service today. It's a good one. This week we'll hear the message Sunday at 9am in our living rooms, our new church outposts. We are looking at Daniel 3, the three tests of true biblical faith. Daniel along with the rest of many other young Israelites found themselves in a diffe...

This week at the River Online, we will worship the Lord, hear a testimony and open God's word together. We are in the book of Daniel studying how Daniel handled the pressure when his world got turned upside down. What do you do when everything normal becomes abnormal? We have all been faced with tremendous change. Weddings have been cancelled. People have been let off work. School is over. Graduat...

People and crisis will invariably bring out the worst of you or the best of you depending on your emotional health. What leaks out are emotions somewhere on the spectrum caused by jumping into the chasm of relational messiness. What do we do with these emotions? Is it OK for Christians to have emotions? Which ones? In John 11 Jesus enters into an emotional firestorm. He does not come out unscathed...

In the last few weeks, we've been leaning into a fundamental element of the River Church and, for that matter, of human flourishing-enjoying relationships. In a constellation of messages, we've eagerly reminded ourselves that part of our core design as a species is to live full lives beautifully-immersed in healthy community. We've made our case with a blessed avalanche of biblical, theological, h...

A supplemental message to the sermon on Sunday, February 23rd.

What I witnessed last Sunday when we were all together, well I just want more of that. I saw people joining together to pray for others they don’t even know who need our prayers. We have people in our community that need us to pray for a miracle. We have many who need our support. We have global issues that need our concentrated prayer. It’s our duty. It’s what the church does or should do well. T...

Let's talk about the church a minute. As flawed and filled with imperfect people as it is, (or even led by a pastor you don't like or respect) the church is the only institution on the planet that has been God ordained to bring Christ followers together for a common cause. Do you believe that? Maybe you do. Maybe you don't because you have been hurt by someone in the church. Maybe a leader or past...

Thursday night was one of my favorite evenings all year. The Peninsula high school and Palos Verdes high school basketball teams squared off in their rival basketball games. In a packed house of rowdy students, parents, teachers, administrators, and youth pastors, both teams competed for pride and "hill dominance." Perhaps one of my favorite moments came after the boy's game, which saw the Panther...

This Sunday marks the 13th anniversary of the River Church! To celebrate we're starting a brand-new series. To start the series I'm asking a very not-new question: "What is the meaning of life?" Let's launch this promising new decade with an inspired and inspiring ancient answer! James

We can look at the world today and say, "What a mess it's in" or we can say, "God what is our role in all this?" Romans 8:14-28 is the perfect spot to be enlightened and challenged to play a role in the final redemptive plan of God for the whole of creation. You've heard the expression, "It's all going to hell in a hand basket." Is it? Ultimately it is not. Sufferings and groanings may last the ni...

When I was at college, a group of us used to share our faith with a yellow booklet called the four spiritual laws. Yep, that's what I did at college besides classes and rugby practice. It was a little book to help a believer lead someone to Christ. if that person indicated they already had received Christ, we'd share a blue booklet, "Have You Made the Wonderful Discovery of the Spirit Filled Life?...

2020 is now well under way, and if you are like me, you have probably experienced both hopeful optimism for the future, yet also the familiar reality that you dragged your former 2019 self into the new year and decade. How does change actually happen? Better, how does spiritual transformation take root in the depths of our soul, renewing our minds, and forming new healthy habits? I’ve been pouring...

Message from Kelly Kosky of World Outreach Ministries. www.kellykoskyministries.com

Shame. That life-choking reality taking so many hideous forms. It’s a phycological prison, a social poison, a spiritual infection. It insists that we hide. Hide from God; from those closest to us; from ourselves. It traps us in our past and blinds us to our future. But what if you could be free of its stench in 2020? What if in the next chapter of your life you could live more shame-free than you’...

Christmas Eve at The River.