The River Church Sermons

Let's do some word association. When I say "holy," you say... what? For many of us the knee jerk reaction that we have to a word like "holy" conjures images of a kind of cold, dull moralism that (if we're honest with ourselves) seems irrelevant at best and deeply unattractive at worst. Phrases like "holy huddle" or "holier than thou" come to mind. But the writers of Scripture speak of God's holine...

In the South Bay, performance can be a way of life. From career and family milestones to curated Instagram feeds, the pressure to succeed—and to be seen succeeding—is relentless. But beneath the sun-soaked ambition often lies a quieter story: exhaustion, anxiety, and the nagging sense that our value is always just out of reach. Enter the invitation of God's grace—not as a vague spiritual idea, but...

Have you ever had someone tell you they believe in you? Not that they believe you—but that they believe in you. There's a difference. When someone believes in you, they’re not just nodding at your words. They’re trusting your character. They’re confident in who you are and what you’re capable of. They trust you to come through. I want to talk about what it means to not only believe Jesus, but to b...

Imagine that Jesus of Nazareth was coming to preach. If he jumped into our “Words to Live By” summer series, what word or words would you like him to explain for us? Perhaps a more important question: what word or words do you think he would want to talk about? Well, a much less cool speaker will be speaking—I’m sorry to say I have no information one way or the other if Jesus is going to return th...

Have you ever heard a term used at church or come across a word in the Bible and thought “Huh?” Or maybe a concept is brought up and you’ve thought “I think I know what that means but... do I really?” The story of Scripture and the ideas it leads us to live in are a beautiful true map through which we navigate life, but it often involves words or concepts that can be unfamiliar or unclear even to...

The End is Near. Don’t Procrastinate. Oh great, here we go again. Another message that begins with vanity of vanities, all is vanity. A generation goes, a generation comes. There’s nothing new under the sun. You might think your thing is new, your thing is the ultimate. I have found it. You have figured it all out. Then the seasons come, and with the changing seasons come harsher and harsher weath...

John D. Rockefeller was one of the richest men in the world. At the age of 53, Rockefeller was the world’s only billionaire, earning about a million dollars a week. But when someone asked him how much money was enough, he famously said, “Just a little bit more.” I've invited a special guest (my husband!) to join me in sharing some thoughts and insight about contentment, greed, and generosity... an...

Avoiding pain and maximizing pleasure. This is perhaps one of the most enduring human instincts and life-shaping habits in history. How much space does personal enjoyment take up in our life plans? If you live in the same South Bay that I am blessed to call home, this is a very important question. We love a good beach day, party, or vacation! We love fun food, delicious drinks, excitement, and ent...

If you are prone to cynicism, like I am (occasionally), our journey through Solomon’s Ecclesiastes could drag you down rabbit holes of hopelessness. But what we have in this very ancient book of wisdom are the hard-learned lessons from a sage, who was the wisest and maybe the wealthiest man in his time. He could and did get anything his heart desired. At the end, it all came up empty, meaningless,...

Join us to celebrate... Mothers! New mothers. Grand mothers. Young mothers. Old mothers. Single mothers. Future mothers. Spiritual mothers. Joyful mothers. Expectant mothers. Disappointed mothers. Step mothers. Foster mothers. Playful mothers. Working mothers. Stay-at-home mothers. Bonus mothers. Bereaved mothers. Adoptive mothers. Tired mothers. Prayerful mothers. Waiting mothers. Grieving mother...

On the one hand, we are living in something of a golden age of wisdom. We have more access to better information for things like longevity, mental health, financial planning, relationships, and nutrition than ever before. On the other hand, we are also living in the most anxious period of history on record--more Americans report feeling anxious about their lives than ever before. We're living in a...

King Solomon wrote this book for three reasons. One, it’s an auto biographical account of his search for life’s purpose. Second, it was a stern warning to his fellow Israelites to find a meaning to this short life. Third, it was an apologetic for travelers seeking Israel’s hidden truth about a belief in one God who alone makes sense in our existence. Where are you at? Personally Searching, need a...

We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus by encountering it from the perspective of those women who first discovered the empty tomb. Through their eyes, let's recapture the majesty, meaning, and great surprise of that world-changing first Easter.

In the maelstrom of our historical moment, we crave respite. Nations and neighborhoods seek refreshment. As a species, we seem socially, psychologically, and spiritually parched. Where do we go and to whom do we turn? We can look around for an agency, politician, or novel movement to bring stability and shelter, or we can look back to the time-proven wisdom of Jesus of Nazareth, the greatest teach...

Sometimes the Scriptures are confusing. There are a lot of laws and rules, stories and promises. Can someone just simplify it for us? In Jesus' day, Rabbis were often asked to summarize the teachings of the Scriptures. One prominent Rabbi, Hillel, had a student come up to him and ask him if he could summarize the Torah while he stood on one foot. What I like to call the flamingo question. Hillel r...

We are thrilled to welcome Stefan and Suzanne Von Ruti, two of our amazing mission partners. They will share their insights into what God is doing in the Western Church, especially concerning Unstoppable Faith, and its implications for us! We deeply appreciate having such an extraordinary voice from beyond our community to guide us in discerning the Spirit's direction. Fully Committed to God’s Mis...

What are the things this week that have kept you up at night or woken you up in the morning? Do you worry about health, a relationship(s), your finances, job, safety, or kids as you go about your day? Sometimes I think there is nothing the Bible could possibly say to lessen those worries, but I have been praying that the words Jesus has for you and for me would have a real impact on our hearts and...

Jesus says to pick the right treasure and pursue it with everything you got. It’s in Matthew 6:19-24. So, the basic idea is whatever you choose to live for kind of sets the course of your life and determines which master you will serve. Honestly, there isn’t much of a choice. One rots, rusts, and is stolen from you, the other rocks. You can think about it, but not sure why. Here’s the problem. We...

In a place like the South Bay, it's not difficult for us to see the ugliness of self-righteous religion. And though it may come as a surprise to some, Jesus actually beat us to the punch by about 2,000 years in his critique of self-righteous and self-serving religious practice. Yet Jesus' critique goes deeper, showing us that unless we really understand the problem of self-righteousness and intent...

Murder, adultery, divorce, fraudulence, vengeance, and hatred. Talk about cultural issues of our day. Someone once said, if we simply ALL obeyed one of God’s commandments, just one, we’d be a heavenly society. Think about that. No murder. Or no divorce or adultery. Wow! What a society that would be. Well, that has come and gone. We need another solution, and Jesus has it. It’s His antidote for all...

It's all about Jesus. Plain and simple. It always has been and it always will be. All of life is about him. All of history is about him. All of the Scriptures are about him. And how we live our lives should be all about him. As we continue our journey into the Sermon on the Mount, the great Preacher on the Mount will show how his fulfillment of the Scriptures leads to a new righteousness he will d...

Imagine walking into a room that feels dull, lifeless, and dark. Now imagine flipping on a light switch, and in an instant the mood changes, the darkness is gone. Like turning on the lights, Jesus says we have the power to bring life, hope, and change wherever we go. Do you know people like this? Would you consider yourself one of them? Let's talk about how our influence can shape the world—and wh...

When someone hashtags #blessed on social media, what kind of photos usually accompany this label? A great vacation? A perfect family photo? An expensive new purchase? Jesus has a few things to say about those who are #blessed according to His paradigm and it's quite a bit different than ours. If you are someone who is longing for, praying for, awaiting God's blessing in your life, this one's for y...

The Sermon on the Mount is said to be the most well known and least observed. Jesus had been proclaiming that the kingdom of God is at hand. Then at the right time, he sat his disciples down with hundreds of onlookers gathered and spoke of a new world dawning. Enter in and your life will begin a transformational process that only God himself can do. It speaks of the humble, the poor, those persecu...

This week we will explore some of the most profound words of Jesus. The words he spoke to his disciples when he met them in the hidden room. The words that gave his disciples new life and sparked the life of the church. What are his words I am speaking of? "As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you." These words commissioned his disciples into a new life and a new way of living. Let's dive in...