The River Church Sermons

Are you a Christian? Do you count yourself as part of Christ's body, adopted into God's family, and marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit? If so, then do you think one or a number of your friends or family members prayed for you to become a Christian? Who do you think it was? Maybe you've heard a lot of Christian language, but it hasn't quite landed. You're still checking things out, wondering w...

Paul’s excited letter to the Ephesians is overwhelmingly hopeful: you are doing better than you think. Ok, maybe your resolutions for 2018 are not doing so good, and bad news fills your social media feeds, and paying your Christmas credit card bill creates anxiety. But God’s initiative through the cross of Christ is creating a beautifully new and exhilarating narrative of good news for you and me....

It has been 9 long months of waiting and anticipating the arrival of our baby boy and Tara and I cannot wait to celebrate the arrival of our son in a couple weeks. We are dreaming of walks down the Esplanade and greeting strangers with a smiling baby (babies always smile right?) We are proud of our boy and want everyone to meet him, so they can share in our joy of what we have created. In our pass...

Let's get metaphorical:What if you're seeing Van Gogh's Starry Night in black and white? What if you're listening to Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata with a blender on? What if you've mistaken the parking lot tram for the amusement park? What if there's more...like, so much more? Sometime in the middle of the first century Paul of Tarsus carefully, passionately, powerfully, eloquently, and urgently pe...

My family just celebrated my dad's 90th birthday up in Seattle. Though the weather was cold and rainy, my father was alive and vital, sharp and witty [even if his legs aren't strong anymore]. He has been an amazing mentor to me, and has passed on his wisdom to countless students through his academic career and church leadership. We loved hearing him recount stories of life, marriage, work, friends...

Merry Christmas! We're still celebrating the greatest gift of all - Jesus, Immanuel, God with us, who makes all things new. Jesus is God's fully human child, who came into the world so that you and I might also become God's children, adopted into the divine family. Let's celebrate together this Sunday with singing, scripture reading, and communion eating! See you at the beach or the Norris, Matt E...

Christmas Eve 2017 by The River Church of the South Bay

The birth of Jesus could not have been more common - an animal feeding trough as incubator. The news of his arrival could not have been revealed to more simple people - shepherds, keeping watch over their flocks at night. Yet angels peal back the curtains of heaven declaring what God thinks of this unique delivery. It is called "good news," the evangel, the gospel. Author Luke intentionally sets J...

It’s a glorious season! Emmanuel, our God is with us now. This changes everything. Everything! Mary, resident of backwater Nazareth, probably 12 or 13 years old, was absolutely not ready for the completely insane announcement from the angel Gabriel. Seriously, she was the most unlikely candidate for God’s decision to birth himself into our salvation history and redeem the world. She was a young gi...

It’s a Glorious Season! And its all about Christ’s glory. I found this old hymn in Magnificat reader says, “O Christ, thou Sun of angels, watch o’er us from heaven above; Fain would our eyes behold thee, Fain would our hearts still love. True Light shines forth! Let darkness far from our souls be thrust. That peace to all flow richly who thee their Savior trust.” I like the part about Jesus thrust...

As we will wrap up our study of Acts for the year, I am struck by the powerful impact that this new band of Jesus followers had on their culture. Clearly Christianity was still in the minority. Few comparatively had given their lives over to this Jesus messiah figure. They rubbed their fellow Jews the wrong way. Herod was on their tail. It was the moment of truth. It could have all come crumbling...

Change is usually hard … difficult change is often good change. Ask the caterpillar and butterfly. One is stuck in the weeds and the other gets to soar. I get stuck in the weeds a lot, but long to soar. God is relentlessly determined that his bride, the church would shine in such a way that every person would know the refreshing love and forgiveness found only in Jesus. God will polish and buff ou...

Acts 9: Better Call Saul! Yes, that's my title; yes, I'm stoked to have an excuse to use it in a sermon; and yes, it sort-of fits. This entire series has been about God-initiated, God-sustained, and God-accomplished massive ministry adventures. We've been talking a bunch about verbs: "jumping," "pushing," "going-standing-telling." This past couple months you've heard buckets of talk about great ex...

There are feelers and there are thinkers. Which are you? I am definitely a thinker. I am in no way suggesting that one is right and the other is wrong. It's just the way in which we approach life. In Acts chapter 8, Phillip meets Simon the magician. He's a feeler. He's attracted by the signs and wonders. He wants the power of God. Phillip also meets the Ethiopian Eunuch. This man is a thinker. Phi...

When's the last time you heard a pastor say, "Get Into Trouble" at church? It's my first point this weekend. What can I say? I'm a renegade at heart. Can't help it. I'm not a deserter. I don't betray. But, I do like this portion of the definition: a person who behaves in a rebelliously unconventional manner. I've tried to hide it my whole life because I felt judged. Here's the deal. I don't like f...

One tiny act of kindness could have a far reaching impact somewhere else in the world. That's what I want to talk about this weekend. In Acts 6, the first seven verses, our early church has a problem. Growing churches usually do. Their needs are greater than their administration. Widows of some of the Jewish converts were being overlooked. Now you might say, in the big scheme of things, is that re...

The early followers of Jesus, revealed in the book of Acts, were a people on the move. Why? Because God is a God of forward momentum. He is always moving his people into the new … new relationships, new challenges, new opportunities, and new ways of stepping into new life. God is for life – in all its beautiful fullness. The River wants to be caught up in this momentum, this swiftwater journey wit...

Recording of Acts 15:17-42

If something is worth doing, if it is important to you, there will be obstacles. Nothing worth doing comes without a price. Getting up just a bit earlier to sit with God, read his word comes with a price. Taking a week night or an early morning to be with like minded Christ followers comes with a price. Sharing your faith with a neighbor comes with a price. I will never forget hearing these words...

Reading of Acts Chapter 3, 4, & 5 in preparation of Todd's sermon on Sunday.

Reading of Acts Chapter 3, 4, & 5 in preparation of Todd's sermon on Sunday.

Reading of Acts Chapter 3, 4, & 5 in preparation of Todd's sermon on Sunday.

Greetings honored reader of the River blurb! In our scriptural excursion this Sunday, we will embark on a guided tour through the picturesque narrative landscape of Acts, before refreshing in the relational day spa that is Acts 2 and 4. Along the way we will behold an often-overlooked and beautifully non-glamorous divine innovation: the miracle of the local church. Together we will seek to learn f...

Unstoppable Forward Momentum only happens when the object begins to move forward. I'm no physics expert but it doesn't take Einstein to tell us that nothing's moving forward until it gets pushed. I often don't want that push. Nope. Not going forward. Don't want it. I like where I am. I've got a good book in my hand or the newest game on my phone. Maybe a podcast queued up. Or just a nap. My favori...

Introduction to Acts 2 and a reading of the chapter in preparation for Sunday's sermon.