Riverwood Church - Waverly, IA: Sermons

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.

Launch Sermon Player

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.

Many Americans think "bigger is better," including when it comes to church. "If you have a bigger attendance, you must be a more successful church." The book of Philippians shows us you can find joy in sending others to teach the Gospel, not just keeping people in your church. Pastor Erin Bird of Riverwood Church talks about how there can sometimes be more success when you show the Gospel globally than if you just worry about how many people attend a particular church.

Some humans will hear about various dangers in life, whether smoking cigarettes, eating too much sugar, or driving a motorcycle without a helmet, and proceed to ignore them. Why? Because they believe the "rules" of life don't apply to them. Sometimes, Christians will do the same thing. They will hear the "rules" of the Bible, but think they don't apply to them. What they don't realize is that these so-called "rules" don't exist to make life miserable, rather, they exist to bring them joy. Listen in as Pastor Erin Bird walks us through Philippians 2:12-18, showing how gospel-motivated obedience can lead to genuine joy.

Want to know the secret to great relationships? Believe it or not, the book of Philippians holds the secret. So if you long for great relationships at home, work, school, or church, this message from Pastor Erin Bird as part of our Genuine Joy series will give you the inside scoop.

This week, we kick off a study of the New Testament book of Philippians by looking at Acts 16. Listen in to meet the first three people who helped start the church in the ancient city of Philippi when they decided to follow Jesus.

For many people, there is a strong sexual desire that leads them to engage in sexual activities that traditional Judeo-Christian teaching says is wrong. But what does the Bible really say about sex? And does God actually care about how we use our bodies for sexual pleasure? In this second message of The Everyday Gospel series, Pastor Erin Bird sensitively tackles the tough topic of sex, showing from a Biblical perspective why God has a right to tell humans what they should and should not do with their bodies. Because it turns out the gospel story of Jesus' death on a cross even affects what happens between the sheets.

In 2019, the Riverwood family will be looking at how the Gospel affects multiple areas of life. We will look at how the life & death of Jesus affects our view of self, our view of money, and our view of time. But before we get to any of that, we will be looking at how the Gospel affects our relationships. And in this first week of the series, Riverwood's Teaching Pastor, Erin Bird, tackles the topic of marriage.

Most people naturally share that which pleases them. We typically don't hesitate to share about a movie we enjoyed, or a great new restaurant we visited. Guest teacher and Riverwood "missionary" Patrick Ray, a church planter from North Minneapolis, shows us from John 1 that when people met Jesus, they got excited and couldn't help but tell others. If you are a Jesus-follower, may this message inspire you to find joy in Jesus, so you, too, can share Him with confidence.

Just as the decorations at a party can serve as clues as to what type of party you are at, the Bible is filled with clues that God has established a theme in life of sending people to bless others. In this final message in the "Dangerous Prayers" series, Pastor Erin Bird shows us God's sending theme by taking us through multiple passages of the Scripture, inspiring Jesus-followers to pray "Lord, Send Me." Are you ready surrender everything to God and let Him send you to bless others?

If you've ever been lost, whether while hiking or driving, you know that sometimes in order to go forward, you have to first go back. In our spiritual lives, sometimes in order to go forward in our faith, we need to go back in a sense, to allow God to break us, to remove some things in our lives, such as selfishness or sinful patterns, so that He can mold and shape us into who He sees us to be. In this second part of our "Dangerous Prayers" series, Pastor Erin Bird shares through Jeremiah 18:1-6 as well as through his own life story, how painful the breaking process can be, but also how necessary it can be. If you are the type of person who wants to follow Jesus closely, listen in to "Lord, Break Me."

A dangerous prayer isn't one that asks God to put you in dangerous situations. A "dangerous" prayer is a bold prayer, a prayer that completely surrenders your life to God. A dangerous prayer isn't about ruining your life, but if God answers it, your dangerous prayer will upend your life. In this series, we will look at three dangerous prayers. In the last week, we will pray "Lord, Send Me." But before a Jesus-follower can be sent, they need to be surrendered. And so in the second week, we will pray "Lord, Break Me." But that is a scary prayer! And so this week, to prepare our hearts to be lovingly broken, we look at David's prayer "Lord, Search Me."

Have you ever had a chance to meet someone famous? If so, perhaps you were at a loss for words, or perhaps said something silly, or embarrassed yourself by acting differently than you normally do. But what would it be like to meet Jesus? Listen in as guest teacher, Shane Klein, walks us through Hebrews 4:14-16, seeing Jesus as our Great High Priest.

We all long for peace. From birth to death to multiple points in-between, we long for calm in the midst of the chaos of life. But all of our attempts to find peace usually end up temporary and ineffective. How do we find true lasting peace? In this final message in the Advent series A Son is Given, Pastor Erin Bird shows from Colossians 1:19-20 why Jesus was given the name "Prince of Peace" more than 700 years before He arrived that first Christmas Day, and how you can find a peace that surpasses understanding.

Dads make a huge difference in our lives. Their presence or absence affects us far more deeply than we may realize. The love of a good daddy can make all the difference. Did you know that Jesus displays love like a perfect dad? Listen in to this third message in the Advent series A Son is Given to discover why Isaiah called Jesus "Everlasting Father."

Have you ever had an initial impression of someone only to discover you were totally wrong? You might have made a wrong assumption about their age, education level, or importance at work. Throughout history, large swaths of humanity have made the same mistake about Jesus. They have thought of him as just another human, or a wise sage, or even a great prophet from God. But those assessments are WAY off. Listen in to this second message in the A Son is Given Advent series to be reminder or even to discover that Jesus isn't just a great human, but rather the Mighty God.

If you've ever found yourself in need of some advice or insight, because you were unsure of what to do, what you needed at that moment was a counselor. Approximately 700 years before Jesus was born, Isaiah the prophet called Jesus a "Wonderful Counselor." Listen in as Riverwood's teaching pastor, Erin Bird, explains how to seek after Jesus to be your "Wonderful Counselor" during Advent and beyond.

If you are like most people, you don't want to be seen as a bothersome pest, whether at work, home, or in your relationship with God. And yet, Jesus invites His followers to persist in prayer, almost to the point of seeming like a spiritual pest to God. In this last message in the ACTS of Prayer sermon series, Pastor Erin Bird helps us see why persistent prayer isn't bothersome to God, but rather honoring and glorifying. So listen in to learn the importance and power of proper supplication.

It's that time of year - Thanksgiving! In this devotional message, Luke Anderson (one of Riverwood's Elders)† teaches through Psalm 100 on why we should give thanks, to whom we give thanks, and how we might express our thanksgiving.

Have you ever had a problem in life that, in the moment, seemed overwhelming, but years later, as you look back at that moment, you realize it wasn't that huge of a deal? That's perspective. In this second message in the ACTS of Prayer series, Pastor Erin Bird helps us see how the letter A (Adoration) in the ACTS model of prayer gives us perspective. And that perspective leads us to the letter C - Confession. And Confession leads us to connecting deeper with our Creator.

For many people, prayer is awkward, hard, confusing, or boring. Recognizing this, Pastor Erin Bird is using the month of November to teach the Riverwood family about the ACTS model of Prayer in an effort to help us connect with God. And in this first message, he takes us to Psalm 34 to tackle the topic of Adoration.