AFTERWORDS: A Riverview Church Podcast

This week, Alex and Noel dig deeper into Solomon’s prayer in 1 Kings 8, from what to do when two people are both convinced they’re right to why understanding our own hearts should make us more gracious toward others. They explore what Solomon’s repeated emphasis on God’s name and attributes reveals about who God is, and why praying Scripture can shape the way we think, feel, and worship. They also...

This week on AfterWords, Alex talks with Jon, Hezekiah, and Jordan about their messages from 1 Kings 8 and what happens when God’s presence fills Solomon’s temple. They discuss the difference between seeking God and trying to control him, why worship begins with his faithfulness, and how to recover a sense of wonder in everyday life. The conversation also gets practical about gratitude, stillness,...

What does Solomon’s temple tell us about the character of God—and why does Scripture spend so much time describing every detail? This week, Jason and Noel talk about the surprising size of the temple, why beauty and craftsmanship matter, and how creation itself reveals something about God. They also wrestle with God’s conditional promise to Solomon when God already knows Solomon won’t keep his end...

Alex talks with Noel about his message from 1 Kings 4 about Solomon’s wisdom, prosperity, and the subtle cracks already appearing in his kingdom. They explore how wisdom requires slowing down enough to pay attention, why Solomon’s use of forced labor complicates an otherwise glowing picture of Israel’s flourishing, and what our own culture might be failing to notice. They also wrestle with why Chr...

What does it actually mean to be wise—and how does the wisest man who ever lived still manage to make such disastrous choices? This week, Alex, James, Jordan, and Hezekiah dig deeper into 1 Kings 3, exploring Solomon’s request for wisdom, the tension already showing in his reign, and why biblical wisdom is less about knowing the right answer and more about recognizing our dependence on God. We als...

In this episode, Alex and Noel unpack Psalm 72 and its picture of what a good king should be: just, righteous, protective of the vulnerable, and ultimately dependent on God. They discuss how Christians should think about authority, opposition, abuse of power, and the responsibility to honor leaders without ignoring wrongdoing. The conversation also turns personal as they consider how much influenc...

This week, Alex and Noel kick off the journey through First and Second Kings by digging into the strange, complicated final days of David and the beginning of Solomon’s reign. They talk about self-exaltation, mixed motives, justice and vengeance, and what to do with some of the Old Testament’s more violent and uncomfortable stories. Noel also explains how Israel’s kings point toward Jesus as the t...

In this episode, Alex and Noel reflect on the final passage of James and an unusually powerful weekend marked by prayer, confession, and people responding together in community. They talk about why physical expression in worship can be meaningful without becoming performative, how Riv approaches anointing with oil, and how to think about miraculous experiences through the framework of Scripture. N...

This episode looks back at the book of James and explores what the series revealed about its surprising depth and practical wisdom. Jason talks with Andrew, Jordan, and James about patience, waiting, and the tension between faithfully doing what we can while trusting God with what we cannot control. They also unpack why Job can be an example of endurance despite all his complaining, what it means...

This week, Alex sits down with Justin and Andrew to unpack James 5:1–6 and one of the strongest rebukes in the New Testament. They explore what James is really saying about wealth, oppression, justice, and God’s heart for the vulnerable, while wrestling with difficult questions about how Christians should respond to injustice today. The conversation ranges from modern economic systems and moral re...

In this episode, Jason talks with Hezekiah, Jon, and Tony about James 4:11–17 and the pride that can shape how we speak about others and make plans for ourselves. They distinguish loving correction from judgment and discuss practical tools for understanding passages that seem confusing or contradictory. The conversation also explores what it means to plan wisely while remaining dependent on God ra...

In this episode, Alex sits down with Tony to unpack James 4:8–10 and explore why repentance is ultimately an invitation back to the presence of God, not just a response to guilt. They discuss how repentance changes as we mature in our faith, why authentic Christian community is essential for growth, and how the story of the prodigal son reframes God’s heart toward those who return to Him. Along th...

This week, Alex and Noel unpack James 4:1-7 and explain why the passage is aimed at conflicts within the church, not the culture outside it. The conversation explores how pride, selfish ambition, and misplaced priorities can undermine the church’s witness, why God’s grace sometimes feels like resistance, and how prayer reveals what kingdom we’re really pursuing. They also discuss repentance as a r...

In this episode, Alex talks with Noel to unpack James 3’s contrast between earthly wisdom and wisdom from above, exploring how envy, selfish ambition, gentleness, and peace reveal what’s really happening in our hearts. They discuss why James was writing to believers—not outsiders—and how God’s grace meets people in the middle of their ongoing struggle with sin. They also dive into questions that d...

In this episode, Noel and Alex continue the conversation around James 3, unpacking why teachers are held to a higher standard and what that means for anyone who handles Scripture. They explore how our words reveal our hearts, the challenges of communicating wisely in an age of social media and AI, and the difference between thoughtful correction and a critical spirit. Along the way, they discuss p...

This week on AfterWords, Alex sits down with James and Riv's newest elder, Hezekiah Trevino, to unpack James 2:14-26 and the relationship between faith and works. They discuss why James and Paul can use the same story of Abraham while making different points, what it means for faith to be demonstrated through action, and how Christian growth is often seen in a person’s trajectory rather than perfe...

In this episode, Noel and Alex continue their conversation through James 2, exploring how favoritism reveals the gap between what we claim to believe and how we actually treat people. They discuss snap judgments, wealth and status in the church, why discipling people looks different across socioeconomic situations, and how easy it is to seek favoritism for ourselves while missing those around us....

In this episode of AfterWords , Alex and Noel dig deeper into James 1 and the tension between faith, works, law, and grace. They explore what it means to be a “doer of the word,” why James’ “perfect law of freedom” isn’t a callback to legalism, and how the gospel changes the way Christians view obedience. Along the way, they wrestle with righteous anger, spiritual disciplines, caring for the vulne...

Noel returns from a whirlwind trip to Manila to tackle Psalm 22 — Riverview's first foray into a new fifth-Sunday Psalms series. He and Alex geek out on a translation puzzle in verse 21, debating why some Bibles include "you answered me" and others don't, and what's actually at stake in that hinge. The conversation goes deep on whether Jesus was truly separated from the Father on the cross, the li...

This week, Alex talks with Tony, Hezekiah, and Andrew about James 1:13-18, trials, temptation, and how God uses hardship to mature his people without ever being the source of temptation. They discuss the difference between lament and grumbling, why suffering can narrow our view of reality, and how James expands our timeline toward the hope of Christ’s return. The conversation also explores self-de...

This week’s episode kicks off Riverview’s new series through the book of James with a conversation about why this short, complicated, and deeply practical book has been surprisingly difficult to teach. Jason and Noel unpack how James differs from books like Acts or Philippians, why it reads more like Proverbs than a linear argument, and how misunderstanding it can turn faith into a checklist inste...

This week, Jason and Noel unpack the deeper tension underneath Jesus’ teaching on money in Luke 12: not just greed, but anxiety, control, and the way we struggle to think eternally. The conversation explores why we live as though this life is all there is, even while believing eternity is real, and how that shapes the way we view possessions, generosity, and security. They also discuss what it mea...

This episode of the AfterWords Podcast digs deeper into Noel's recent sermon from 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, exploring the tension between cheerful giving, pressure, and spiritual formation. Jason and Noel talk about what it’s like to preach the same passage years later in a completely different context, why generosity is more about grace than obligation, and how habits of giving shape our hearts over...

In this episode, Alex sits down with James, Tony, Justin, and Jordan (in his first appearance as a Riv Pastor) to reflect on a weekend focused on stewardship and an eternal mindset. The conversation weaves together Jordan’s pastoral recognition, the growth of the MSU venue, and the deeper tension of what it means to live as if nothing we have is truly ours. The group explores how money, time, and...

Alex had a great conversation this morning with Jordan, Justin, Tony, and James, but due to a technical glitch, it didn't get recorded. It really was a great conversation, though, you're just going to have to take my word for it. We're working on the possibility of dragging them all back into the studio and making them do it over again, or maybe something a little bit less onerous. If that happens...