Riverwood Church - Waverly, IA: Sermons

When a typical person faces doubters or haters, the natural reaction is to want to insult or hurt the person back. But is this the reaction a Jesus-follower should display? Join us as Pastor Erin Bird walks us through Mark 6:1-6 as we learn how to live like Jesus when faced with doubters, mockers, and haters.

In case you haven't noticed, our world is really divided. We are arguing about masks, race, politics, and boneless chicken wings. What our world needs (besides more chicken wings!) is for Jesus-followers to step out of the arguments and begin loving people like Jesus loved people. In this week's sermon, Pastor Erin Bird walks us through Mark 5:21-42, looking at two miracles where we discover how Jesus showed love to the miracle recipients more than just giving healing. And if you follow Jesus, these are ways you are called to love as well.

In our current political and cultural climate, the lives of certain people don't seem to matter. Some Republicans don't seem to think certain Democrats are worth much of anything. Some Black Lives Matters adherents don't think too highly of Trump supporters. And many Twitter users are ready to cancel anyone who doesn't agree with them 100%. In Mark 5:1-20, Pastor Erin Bird shows us that anyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus HAS to be pro-life. And not just pro-babies, but pro-human. But how are you supposed to love someone who holds the complete opposite political or philosophical as you? Listen in to learn how.

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Ed Pavelec, one of the elders of Riverwood Church, completes our "Summer of Psalms" sermon series with an encouraging message from . Listen in to learn how to "taste and see that the Lord is good!"

The world is open and exposed, yet the Lord provides us a place to hide. Ed Pavelec teaches from Psalm 91, that we are safe and secure in God's sovereign protection. Listen in!

One of the Bible’s central themes is the worship of God! In this week's message, Worship Leader Jake Epley will walk us through , a praise psalm that teaches us the basics of praising God for who He is and what He’s done.

What does it mean to love the Bible? Guest Speaker Shane Klein teaches on , sharing perspective on the psalmist's love for God's Word and how we ought to as well!

Launch Sermon PlayerGuest Speaker, Shane Klein, teaches from Psalm 147 as part of our “Summer of Psalms” series.

At his lowest point, King David fell into terrible sin, was confronted by God's word through the prophet Nathan, and had to repent of his disobedience. His poignant expression of contrition in Psalm 51 can serve as a model for the Jesus-follower when he or she falls short of God's standards. Guest Speaker Jacob Tews leads this study of Psalm 51, looking in detail at its context and application for our lives.

These are complicated times. We live in a difficult, confusing, and often frustrating age, and more now than ever does the world desperately need households led by godly dads. Guest teacher and Minneapolis church planter Patrick Ray shares a Father's Day message from , as well as insight on #BlackLivesMatter, police reform, community well-being, and how we as Jesus-followers ought to respond in light of what the Bible teaches.

Do you ever find yourself seeking a rest from life's daily grind through things like Netflix, YouTube, disc golf, or even drinking coffee? In this week's message, Matt Townsley walks us through which shows us that God is our protection, provider, and power. If you a desire to seek true rest from the stressors of this world, listen in to know what it means to "be still" and know a God who loves you more than you can imagine.

This will be our first Sunday back for in-person gatherings! While we are excited to be together again, most of us have undoubtedly been through some turbulent times. To some extent, we've all encountered loss, grief, frustration, and suffering within the span of these last few months. In this week's message, Worship Leader Jake Epley will walk us through , a lament that teaches us that in the midst of depression and discouragement, our only hope is found in God alone who truly satisfies.

Have you ever wondered what the Bible says about work? Is it wise to put in 40 hours and be done? Is working overtime punishment or pleasing in the eyes of God? In this week's message, Matt Townsley walks us through showing how overconfidence and overworking can lead to an unfulfilled life. So, if you have a desire to work at home or in the office in a way that honors God, listen in!

The parable Jesus tells in Mark 4:21-25 is often referred to as "The Parable of the Lamp." But as you'll hear in this sermon from Pastor Erin Bird, the gospel story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is the lamp to the parables.

In this week's passage, Jesus surprises his listeners (and us, the readers) by declaring that true family isn't the one you're physically born into, nor is it the racial group you identify with, nor is it even our best friends at work or on a sports team. Rather, Jesus declares that true family comes through the gospel. To hear more, listen in as Pastor Erin Bird walks us through Mark 3:20-35.

We all long to be chosen. To be selected by a team, company, or that special someone feels like we have worth, and value, and are loved. So you can imagine when Jesus chose His twelve disciples, those twelve guys were on top of the world. But in truth, to be chosen by Jesus is actually very, very humbling. Why? Listen in to discover how the calling to follow Jesus is a humbling event, and yet a moment that also instills us with a very different type of confidence.

Ever thought you knew the words to a song, but it turns out you were singing it all wrong? Some of the Jewish leaders of Jesus' day thought they knew how to do thing likes fasting and observing the Sabbath, but turns out they were off the mark. In this week's message, Pastor Erin Bird walks us through Mark 2:18–3:6 showing how we are much like the ancient Jewish leaders who were off in their understanding of religion and obeying God. So if you have a desire to have a close relationship with God that isn't a burden to your soul, listen in.

What should a healthy church look like? And how do we trust God when He doesn't give us what we want? These are two questions that strangely get answered in a story about a healed paralytic. If you've ever asked yourself either of these two questions, listen in as Pastor Erin Bird walks us through Mark 2:1-12.

Too often, Americans will read a Bible story and "insert" themselves into the story. For instance, when we read the famous story about David and Goliath, we imagine ourselves as David, slaying the "giants" in our lives. But when we twist a Bible story into a personal story, we actually rob the story of having greater power in our lives. This week, Pastor Erin Bird walks us through Mark 2:1-12, showing us that to insert ourselves into the story as the outcast leper cheats us of seeing something better. And what is better? Listen in to find out.

In Mark 1, we see Jesus begin to become famous, but it wasn't for being rich, or for being attractive, or even for displaying talent in a sport or art form. His fame came from a display of authority. This is good news for you! Because His authority means He is with you, He cares for you, and is still in control in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Listen in as Pastor Erin Bird challenges us to trust God no matter what.

First words matter. Whether in a speech or a job interview, your first words set the stage for what is to come. Mark strategically waited until verse 15 of his Gospel account on the life of Jesus to let us hear Jesus speak for Himself. And the first words we hear from Jesus have the potential to change your life.

All humans are tempted, the question is, what will you do when tempted? Even though He was fully God, Jesus was also fully human during His time on earth. So just like you, He was tempted. Through the gospel accounts of Mark and Matthew, we discover how Jesus faced temptation and managed to never give in.

The Bible teaches that Jesus was without sin. And yet, we see in Mark 1 that Jesus was baptized by his cousin, John the Baptizer. Why we Jesus baptized? What was significant about this moment? And what does it mean for us in 2020? Listen in as one of Riverwood's elders, Ed Pavelecs, walks us through Mark 1:9-11.

This week, we begin a series studying the book of Mark, which will allow us to see the purpose and person of Jesus. If you want to learn more about Jesus, or be reminded of His awesomeness, listen in as Pastor Erin walks us through Mark 1:1-8.

According to Barna, Americans pray for their family, for guidance, for health and wellness, and even to express thanks. But one thing they don't pray for - boldness. Maybe it's because we are already bold. But more likely, we don't pray for boldness because we like our lives safe and comfortable. But if Riverwood is going to be a church after God's heart, we need to take a page out of the early church's book and pray for boldness. If you are curious about what this looks like, or how one even begins to pray a "bold" prayer like this, listen in as Pastor Erin Bird walks us through a story found in Acts chapters 3 & 4.

Money. (Yep, we went there!) Why do churches seem to always talk about money? Well, we can't tell you why other churches talk about money so much. But at Riverwood, we don't talk about it as much as we probably should, but when we do, we look at not what we can get FROM you as much as what God wants FOR you. And we believe God wants you to be generous like Him. So listen in as Pastor Erin Bird teaches from the book of Acts about the joy that can be found through generosity.

Perhaps you've heard the phrase, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." There definitely are times in life a person needs to move fast. But for a church to go far, they MUST go together. But that proves to be especially difficult here in America, because Americans are extremely individualistic (plus, they prefer fast!). So how is a church in the midwest of the U.S. in 2019 supposed to move forward together? We let the early church as seen in Acts 2:42-47 give us some clues. If you want to learn what these clues are, listen in as Pastor Erin continues the Forward sermon series.

We believe God has given Riverwood a very important mission, to invite the spiritually disconnected of our communities to find and follow Jesus. But are we accomplishing it? On Vision Sunday, Pastor Erin Bird helps us look back at 2019 to see how we did and did not accomplish our God-given mission, and Elder Tim Corcoran helps us look ahead to 2020 to see what might be ahead to help us continue helping people in our region find Jesus. This is a memorable Sunday in the life of Riverwood, so give this week's message a listen!

Every Christmas, churches and families will spend time looking at the stories of the various biblical characters involved in the narrative of the birth of Jesus (which we have done through this Cost of Christmas series). But there is one character that surprisingly sometimes gets overlooked: Jesus. So in this week's sermon, Pastor Erin helps us see through Philippians 2:5-11 what the first Christmas cost the Son of God. Listen in to be inspired by Jesus and challenged by what Jesus-followers are called to give-up as well.

Americans love to spend a lot of money and time on Christmas. Did you know the average American will spend over $900/person and spend well over 40 hours in the month of December on Christmas related activities such as shopping, traveling, and worship services? (Yep, that's a lot!) However, if you are a follower of Jesus, God has a different plan for your money and time than just to use it all on a cultural holiday. To learn His better plan for you, listen in to part 3 of Riverwood's series "The Cost of Christmas."

The Oxford Dictionary defines livelihood as "a means of securing the necessities of life." But often times, we confuse what a "necessity of life" truly is, fooling ourselves into thinking wants are actually needs. These false "needs" keep Jesus-followers from a closer relationship with God. In week 2 of our Advent Series, Pastor Erin Bird shows us from Luke 2 the incredible risk the shepherds took that first Christmas night, and how their example can lead us to sacrifice the things we think we need in order to be happy.

If someone were to ask your friends to describe you, the words your friends use would reveal your reputation. Most of us hope to have a good reputation in life. But did you know that to follow Jesus might actually cost you a good reputation? In this first message in The Cost of Christmas Advent series, Pastor Erin Bird unpacks several passages of the Bible, showing how the first Christmas cost Joseph & Mary a good reputation on earth, yet they willingly gave it up because they believed the coming Messiah, their son Jesus, was worth it.

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Launch Sermon PlayerEven back in John’s time, people were twisting what the Bible has to say about Jesus. Today, things haven’t changed a whole lot. Pastor Erin Bird of Riverwood Church teaches from the book of 1 and 2 John about how to walk in wisdom.

Last week, we saw in 2 and 3 John the power and importance of truth. But if a church is only about truth, it will cease to care for people. That's why John shifts from "walk in truth" to "walk in love." But what exactly does it mean to "walk in love"? Listen in as Erin Bird helps us explore 2 & 3 John to discover the second way for us to walk.

This week Pastor Erin Bird teaches from the book of Hebrews about how we should use rest to see Jesus. True rest is not: - a place - a day - lack of activity Rather, true rest is - a person (Jesus) - found in the gospel

Our culture is very work-centered. When we meet someone for the first time, we often ask, "So what do you do for a living?" If someone is in college, we ask, "What's your major and what do you hope to do with it?" But did you know the story of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection changes our approach to work? This week at Riverwood Church, Worship Leader Jake Epley teaches from the book of Colossians about The Gospel and Work.

Subscriptions are becoming more popular than ever before. People spend money monthly on things that they think will give them contentment. Instead of relying on worldly things for contentment, we should seek the Gospel. Pastor Erin Bird of Riverwood Church discusses how we use the Gospel to find contentment.

When it comes to saving money, most of us believe we don't have enough. Whether we have $10 in the bank or a million, we tend to think we need more. But what if God gives you money not simply so you can keep more for yourself, but use more of it to help others? Listen in as Riverwood's teaching pastor, Erin Bird, helps us consider from 1 Timothy 6:17-19 how God desires us to use the money we would normally stash in the bank.

Well-known pastor Andy Stanley says that "Giving isn't about what God wants from you, it's about what God wants FOR you." Riverwood's pastor, Erin Bird, agrees. In this second message in the "Money Edition" of The Everyday Gospel, Pastor Erin shows from 2 Corinthians 9 that the financial contentment you long for comes not in a big bank account or huge pay raise, but rather through giving in six different ways. May this challenging yet inspiring message help you discover what God wants for you and your money.

It can be hard to earn a living and make ends meet these days. It can be even harder when God calls us to give to others out of those earnings. In this sermon, Pastor Erin uses Psalm 50 to dig into the idea of stewardship, what belongs to God and what belongs to us. He helps us understand what it means to follow Jesus and love others with our resources.

Some people seem to believe emotions are "bad" and should not be shown. Others, on the other hand, wear their emotions on their sleeve. So which is better? Are we to downplay our emotions so they don't lead us into making a poor decision? Or do we embrace our emotions so that we can feel alive, even if those emotions hurt those around us? In this third message in the "Self Edition" of "The Everyday Gospel" series, Pastor Erin Bird walks us through a passage out of 2 Corinthians 2, showing us that while our emotions are natural, they are not to rule us. Rather, our emotions should be clarified and corrected by the Gospel and move us toward God.

All of us have a past. Some of us are quite proud of the things in our past - accomplishments, relationships, or fond memories. Others of us are ashamed of our past. And some of us probably have a mixed past, one filled with both pride and shame. But have you ever stopped to consider how the gospel speaks into your past, both the good moments and the regrettable ones? In this second message in The Everyday Gospel (The Self Edition) (and part 7 overall in the series), Riverwood Partner Matt Townsley teaches from 2 Corinthians 5:10-23 to help us see how the death and resurrection of Jesus changes the way we view our past and how God can use it for the future.

Riverwood joined Grace Baptist and Denver Baptist Churches for a combined outdoor baptism worship service and potluck. Jonathan Davis, lead pastor for Grace Baptist, taught us from Acts 10:34-43, showing us how the life of Jesus WAS the gospel, and how, through baptism, we declare the life and gospel of Jesus.

It is very important to have joy in all circumstances. But what do we do when something so tragic happens, that there seems to be nothing to be joyful about? How do we be joyful when things aren't going like we expect? This week, Pastor Erin Bird teaches why it is so import to find joy under all circumstances.

All of us are on a journey. On our journey through life, we encounter difficulties, struggles, obstacles, and even our own mistakes. How do we make it through the journey of life, and to do it with joy? Ed Pavelec, one of Riverwood's elders, walks us through Philippians 3:12-4:1, showing us the encouragement the Apostle Paul gave his original readers so they might find joy in the journey.

It is important to watch out for those who claim the Bible is wrong. It is also important to find joy in Christ alone. This week, Pastor Patrick Ray talks about the book of Philippians and where we should find our true joy.