The River Church Sermons

James and John pose a very sensible request to the man they are convinced is God's miracle-working, truth-revealing, freedom-fighting agent on this earth. In his Gospel, Mark lets us sit in on the conversation (Mark 10:35-38): James and John: "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." Jesus: "What do you want me to do for you?" James and John: "Grant that we may sit, one on your r...

I’m a starter. It’s much harder for me to finish things. I start books. I start home improvement projects. I buy bags of dried fruits and nuts and often don’t finish them. That one drives my wife nuts (no pun intended). But one thing I have seemed to figure out is how to keep moving forward in my faith. I’m not done yet but I’m still at it. My faith in Christ began years ago as a young adolescent...

Is there a greater refreshment and joy than receiving mercy and kindness from a friend you have wronged? Forgiveness and its protection fill us with hope and a spiritual vitality that overflows our cities like tributaries in a dry and thirsty land. One of the things I love best about The River Church is the way you all take the mercy and hope of Jesus into your neighborhoods, schools, coffee house...

We talk about leaving a legacy. Don’t we? But what does that really mean? We hope it's more than money. Right? We hope we are leaving behind a pathway for our kids, a contribution to our church and faith in Christ, an impact in the lives of others that will outlive our relatively short lives. But how and what constitutes a good legacy? In Josh 13-19, we are re-introduced to Caleb, one of the two s...

Have you ever really needed to make a move on something in your life? To get after it? To finally roll off your blessed tuchus and lean into some serious movement in your life? This week we are going to learn a lesson from the people of Israel as they behold God making some big, fat, unmistakable moves in their reality. This Sunday, get on up, grab that coffee/tea/bowl of Trix, and bring a list of...

This week I attended a small gathering to hear the story behind the “Woman In Gold”, the Klimt painting of Adele Bloch Bauer which was painted in Vienna in 1907. Our honored guest was Peter Altmann, one of the few remaining heirs to receive a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Klimt paintings just a few years back. He told a wonderful story of his mother who fought for years to recover t...

Chuck Swindoll once wrote a book entitled, "Three Steps Forward Two Steps Back." I always liked that idea, forward momentum yet a few steps backward along the way. It seems to make more sense to me. I have that old book somewhere. Maybe it's in the garage. Maybe it's in the storeroom in a box. I may not be able to put my hand on the book but I will never forget its impact when I read it nearly 20...

Marathon runners know what it is like “hitting the wall” near mile 18, regretting they skimped on hydration at the first water station. I remember hitting the wall once, but it was the center field fence, in between the ball and my glove as I sprinted to catch before it became a home run. I “bonked!” When you move forward into your preferred future, it’s inevitable you will confront immovable wall...

“Sooooooo he wants us to stack rocks and do what to our whats!?!?” That question had to be trending on whatever version of twitter the tribes of Israel used. At least that’s what I’d be asking. Why the bizarre rituals? Why the strange monuments? Why the stacking? Why the cosmetic surgery? Why all the divinely-prescribed weirdness in Joshua 4–5? Heck, while I’m writing, I’ll ask a bigger question:...

There comes a time in every person's life when they decide to cross an uncrossable barrier and press into a new day. On that rainy Spring morning, Joshua led the people across the Jordan River. The waters were overflowing onto its banks. God held back the waters just as he had done over 40 years ago on the shore of the Red Sea. Joshua instructed his priests to carry the ark of the covenant to the...

Joshua 2 is the second message in our new series: Moving Forward with God. It’s the story of Rahab and her faith. She is a Canaanite woman who is identified as a prostitute. She is a member of this Jericho community. The men sent to spy out the land, the promised land, the land of rest, meet Rahab and she she readily acknowledges her faith in their God. She has a lot to lose in this transaction. W...

This year, 2017 marks the beginning of our second decade as a church. What does God have for us? I believe it is something bigger and better. But rather than a destination, a building or a new program, it is a person. It's more of God in our lives. This is what the Israelites didn't see in the story of Joshua. God asked Joshua to lead the people to the promised land, the land of Canaan that was to...