Riverwood Church - Waverly, IA: Sermons

The first-century disciples (followers) of Jesus were ordinary men and women like you and me. But some of them did extraordinary things because they allowed their lives to not be about themselves, but to be all about the message and life of Jesus. No matter where you are in your spiritual journey, if you want to follow Jesus (or are simply curious about following Him) listen in as Riverwood's Wors...

Everyone one of us has experienced a disruption in life. Some disruptions are good, like finding out you got the job. But some disruptions seem to wreck our personal stories, like hearing the doctor say "It's cancer." The arrival of Jesus into the pages of history was a disruption. But in this message, we learn how the arrival of Jesus should be a good disruption to our story. So listen in to hear...

In this stand-alone message, guest teacher Steve Erickson shows from the life of Jesus how a Jesus-follower can use the everyday spaces he or she finds themselves in to grow spiritually  and be a blessing to others.

We live in a day and age where "fake news" is a regular part of the cultural conversation. But did you know that there has been quite a bit of "fake news" shared about the sacrament of baptism? This week, we look at the baptism of Jesus and the context surrounding it in Matthew chapter 3. Through this passage, we discover 5 "fake news" headlines about baptism that get debunked, helping us see what...

This week, we look at the biblical story of an incredibly hypocritical Jewish prophet, and see how his hypocritical life points to the non-hypocritical life of Jesus.

Oftentimes when people read the Bible, they engage in a case of "mistaken identity." When they read a story, they unintentionally read it as if they were the main character. And one story we often engage in "mistaken identity" is the story of Daniel and the Lions Den. In this week's message, Pastor Erin Bird helps us see that Daniel's story in the sixth chapter of the book that bears his name isn'...

In the book of Ezekiel is a famous story about dry bones becoming skeletons which become bodies which become living human beings. But did you know this famous story from Ezekiel 37 can also help you in the moments you are struggling to trust God in your darkest moments? Listen in to be encouraged that your current condition is not your forever condition.

In America, we are addicted to new. New movies, new music, new clothes, new cars, new relationships, new everything. Let's face it: We like new. But oftentimes, we make the mistake of believing that "new" makes us better. Now, don't make the mistake of thinking "new" then is bad. God actually wants you to experience "new" life. But rather than give us external things like clothes or cars, He wants...

In this unique Worship Gathering, we weaved together passages from the Old Testament book of Isaiah with contemporary songs that point to the birth, life, death, & resurrection of Jesus. As you listen, may you worship God and be blown away at the revealing of Jesus over 700 years before He ever was set in a manger in swaddling cloths.

If you've ever been ridiculed, or betrayed, or lost a dear loved one, or battled depression, you have felt alone.  You have felt unloved, unwanted, disconnected, and isolated. Some people, when they feel this way, try to medicate the pain through sleep or drink or thrills. But some people try to medicate the pain spiritually. And for thousands of years, many people have used the Book of Psalms to...

Have you ever considered what it is that makes people like Mother Theresa or Martin Luther King Jr. so inspiring? It's humility. Humility is the ability to put the needs of others before your own. It's hard, but it can be powerful. Listen in to the story of Naaman and the power of humility, even when shown reluctantly.

Most people know a temple as a sacred building that some religion believes contains the presence of their deity. They gather at the temple to engage in various religious practices to worship their god and fulfill spiritual requirements. The ancient Jews weren't much different. In the book of 1 Kings, the wise King Solomon had the first Jewish temple built to house the Ark of the Covenant so that t...

When making small talk with a young person, we often ask, "What do you want to do when you grow up?" And when they respond, we might follow up with something like, "That's great! How are you going to make that dream become a reality?" But rather than ask WHAT they want to do and HOW they are going to do it, perhaps we should be asking "Who are you?" When we ask this of ourselves, this critical que...

Ancient nations longed to have a king rule over them because they believed that a good king would make them safe, strong, victorious, and fulfilled as a nation. We aren't much different in our day and age. While we do not want political kings, we do find personal kings. We long for things, people, or experiences that make us feel safe, strong, victorious, and fulfilled. The problem is, none of the...

Ever felt like a failure when your Plan A didn't go as envisioned? This week, in "The King 2.0" (Part 17 in the "His Story" sermon series from Riverwood Church in Waverly, IA), Pastor Erin Bird shows us the biblical pattern that Plan B might actually be God's Plan A, and you aren't a failure at all - rather you are exactly where God wants you to be.

"Jesus Loves Ruth" is Part 16 in the His Story series from Riverwood Church in Waverly, IA. This week, Pastor Erin Bird walks us through the Old Testament book of Ruth.

Launch Sermon PlayerTo surrender is incredibly difficult (just ask a kid who doesn’t want to obey their parent!). But to have the type of relationship with God that we want, it means we have to surrender. In the story of the battle of Jericho, there are four types of surrender that can help someone become […]

Launch Sermon PlayerOn April 30, Riverwood member Nate Luck shared his story about his spiritual journey of finding Jesus.

Launch Sermon PlayerIn Deuteronomy 18, Moses told the Israelites that God would raise up a prophet, a leader, like him. Listen in to learn how Jesus fulfills this prophecy completely.

Launch Sermon PlayerHave you ever looked at a decision and said in your head “I can’t do that!” or “That’s not possible”? In the book of Numbers chapter 13, we see the Israelites, upon hearing some hard news, adopt a mentality of “impossible!” But in the midst of the people saying, “we can’t!” there were two men who looked toward God […]

Launch Sermon PlayerWhat is your definition of a GOAT?  Is it an animal or is it more?  In this next message in the His Story series, we take a closer look at (the very boring book of) Leviticus and see how 2 goats show us that Jesus is the GOAT.

Launch Sermon PlayerA few years ago, the Ten Commandments were in modern-day news. Should they still be observed? Should they be ignored? Or do these ancient Jewish laws fulfill some other purpose for Jesus-followers in light of the Gospel? Listen in as Pastor Erin explains from Exodus 20:1-17 how the Ten Commandments should or should not affect your life today.

Launch Sermon PlayerEvery human alive has had at least one significant day that changed their lives. Whether it’s the birth of a child, a wedding, graduation day, or their own birth, everyone has gone through a day that changed everything. The ancient Israelites went through a day that changed them as a nation and changed their religion. […]

Launch Sermon PlayerRunning a marathon requires a lot of work and training to get up to the point of running 26.2 miles. But what if you did all the prep work in the last week instead of taking months to train? Or what if you had to give a book report, but all you used in your […]

Launch Sermon PlayerThe story of Jesus goes through some very questionable characters. For instance, this week in Genesis chapters 37-50, we meet a cocky 17-year-old who gets sold into slavery by his half-brothers and thrown in prison by his master, while his older brother sleeps with a cult prostitute – who turned out to be his daughter-in-law. Pretty […]