Riverwood Church - Waverly, IA: Sermons

The Lion King had the "Circle of Life," but the True King invites you into the "Circle of Love." What is this circle? Listen in to find out, and learn how it can radically change your life and relationships.

Our American culture LOVES to talk about love. But do we truly understand what true love is and what we are supposed to do with it? In this sixth message in the 1 John series, Pastor Erin Bird walks us through one of the most famous passages from the book of 1 John, and helps us see not only God's intense love for us, but what He wants us to do with that love.

Just as a dolphin is designed to swim and an eagle is designed to soar, all Jesus-followers are designed to do something. But the only way a Jesus-follower can do this one thing is to understand who they are as part of God's family. So if you are a Jesus-follower, listen in. And if you are NOT a Jesus-follower, listen in as well to know what it is God will expect of you if you do become a follower of Jesus.

The famed "bad guy" of the end times is supposed to be "the Antichrist." But who is this "man of lawlessness"? And when will he show up - or has he already appeared? In this week's non-scary message from 1 John, Pastor Erin Bird walks us through the end of chapter two and beginning of chapter 4, looking at what the Antichrist values, and how Jesus-followers can be sure to not fall for anti-christ teaching.

As part of our Celebration Sunday, guest teacher Bob Westfall taught from Colossians 1:24-29, reminding Riverwood's new elders (and all of us) that "Being precedes Doing." Listen in to this fantastic message that will encourage you to just "be with Jesus."

To become an expert on a particular subject, you have to study it in detail. This type of study requires you to hear and read the same material repeatedly until you practically have the subject memorized. And when you have the subject memorized, it becomes a part of you, affecting the way you think and what you talk about, making you an expert. If you are a follower of Jesus, what if the subject you knew in and out was the gospel? What kind of effect would that have on your life? More importantly, what kind of effect would that have on the lives of those around you? Listen in to this third part in the 1 John series with Pastor Erin has he talks about how to fulfill the "New Old Commandment" in 1 John 2:3-17.

To be human means to be a hypocrite. And that's a problem, because hypocrisy is a sin, and sin cannot be in the presence of a perfect holy God. So what is a human to do? In this week's message, we look at the challenging yet encouraging words written by the Apostle John so long ago that let us know we do not need to be trapped in the darkness of our sin and hypocrisy.

As humans, we long to be accepted by others. We want to connect with people through the things we enjoy, whether a favorite hobby, sports team, musician, movie, or something else. Because we find meaningful connection through these things, we often make them the most important things in life. But what if God has something else for you that can lead to meaningful connection with humans AND with Him?

If someone asked you, "What's your greatest struggle?" you might be tempted to respond something like "gossip," or "lust," or "overeating," or "spending too much money," or something else. No matter what your answer, though, THAT is not your greatest struggle. To learn what your greatest struggle actually is, listen in to guest teacher Patrick Ray, who explains from Hebrews 10:11-14 what our biggest struggle actually is, and how being part of something like a Growth Group can help you radically overcome that struggle.

In America, we are quite independent as people, and many Jesus-followers bring this same independence into their spiritual growth. However, the writer of the biblical book of Hebrews encourages Jesus-followers to NOT go it alone in their pursuit of Christlikeness. In this first message in the two-week "Grow in Groups" series, guest teacher Andrew Boone unpacks Hebrews 10:19-25, showing God's call to all Jesus-followers to make Jesus-centered relationships an intentional part of their spiritual growth.

There's a lot of confusion about what a church elder is expected to do. Do they manage budgets? Do they oversee the pastor and staff? Do they manage the projects of the church, or oversee the administrative details, or simply control all the happenings of the church? In this third and final message in the Elders series, Pastor Erin Bird helps us answer the question "What is an elder supposed to actually do?" by looking at 1 Peter 5:1-5.

Last Sunday, we heard why a church would want elders to lead them. But who should these elders be? The most outspoken guy in the church? The bank president who has proven to be a success and great manager? The lady who has been a part of the church the longest or served on every other committee? In this week's message, Pastor Erin Bird walks us through the qualifications the Apostle Paul gave to Titus about who would make a great elder for a church.

There are SO many types of church governance out there in Christendom: deacons, councils, boards, dictatorships, church staffs, and more. So why is Riverwood choosing to move to an elder form of leadership? In this first message in a three part series, Pastor Erin Bird explains why he believes Riverwood will benefit from installing elders to help continue the mission of inviting the spiritually disconnected to find and follow Jesus.

For many Jesus-followers, engagement with the spiritual disciplines can be tiring, frustrating, and difficult. Whether it is prayer, Bible reading, fasting, or something else, they find themselves drifting toward comfort and disengagement, eventually quitting the spiritual discipline altogether. But what if your best days are found on the other side of your spiritual funk? In this final message in the Disciplined series, Pastor Erin Bird teaches from James 1:2-4 about the power of perseverance, and how your greatest days and spiritual maturity will be found through the struggle of the disciplines.

No one accidentally wins an Olympic gold medal. It takes tremendous work and sacrifice to obtain something of such incredible worth. Likewise, to grow to love like Jesus loved and live like Jesus lived often requires great sacrifice. In this seventh part of the Disciplined, Pastor Erin Bird teaches from two parables the Jesus told to show the power of sacrifice. If you want to have an amazing relationship with God, listen in for how you can grow spiritually through three different disciplines of sacrifice.

Money. Yep, we're going there. The topic of finances is quite the sticky topic to discuss in church. And yet, if you want to love like Jesus loved and live like Jesus lived, you have to wrestle with the topic. In this sixth part of the Disciplined series, Jacob Tews helps Jesus-followers see the beauty of living generously, particularly when it comes to the area of finances. So listen in to be challenged and inspired to enter into the spiritual discipline of giving.

If you were to ask a random Christian to name some spiritual disciplines, "serving" would probably not be one of the first disciplines listed, if at all. And yet serving is an incredibly important discipline because it helps to change our selfish hearts. So listen in to learn how the discipline of serving can help you grow spiritually, as well as learn who you are to serve.

Ever felt like prayer is boring? Or have you felt like you couldn't pray because of sin in your life and/or past? Or maybe you're simply afraid to pray because it has just been so long since you've tried to talk with God and you fear He might be a bit upset that you've been ignoring Him? In this masterful sermon on the spiritual discipline of prayer, guest teacher Patrick Ray walks us through Romans 8, showing us why we shouldn't let shame or fear or boredom keep us from this God-given gift called prayer. So if you want to grow in your conversations with God, listen in to this fourth part of the Disciplined series.

You may not realize it, but you are almost always worshipping. The question is: who or what are you worshipping? In this third part of the Discipled series, we look at how easily we worship the things of this earth instead of the One who made the earth, and how to go about changing that. So listen in if you want to grow as a worshipper of God.

Relationships are hard. Hang out with someone long enough, and you will inevitably get hurt, whether through their words or actions. And when we get hurt, we often want to pull away from the relationship. However, humans were created as relational creatures. So we want to be in relationship, and yet we get hurt by those relationships. So how do we live in this tension? Listen in to learn how to allow the spiritual discipline of community help you grow to be more like Jesus.

For the summer of 2018, Riverwood Church is taking a look at the topic of spiritual disciplines. Over 9 weeks, the Riverwood family will look at nine different disciplines Jesus-followers can engage in. However, there is a danger to this topic. In this opening message in the Disciplined series, Pastor Erin Bird helps us learn what the inherent danger is with spiritual disciplines, how to avoid this danger, and the reason Scriptural intake is a foundational discipline for those who want to grow spiritually and follow Jesus.

What should a church family really look like? How should a church family operate? What should a Jesus-follower be willing to give up for the sake of others within the church family? In this final message in the "& Jesus" series, guest teacher Andrew Boone takes us to Romans 15 to challenge Jesus-followers to critically think about how they are to live within a church family. Listen in to this encouraging & challenging message that all Jesus-followers need to hear.

When it comes to the role of conscience in the Christian faith, things can get a bit sticky. The conscience of one Jesus-followers allows him to enjoy a beer while the conscience of another Jesus-follower won't let her even walk into a bar. Does this mean God is unfair? Or that one of the Jesus-followers is wrong in his or her conviction? Join us as Pastor Erin Bird walks us through this difficult issue by studying Romans chapter 14.

Oftentimes, when a person feels stressed or uncomfortable in life, he or she will seek out pleasure to bring some relief. But sometimes, the pleasure they seek keeps them from the life they truly want. In this sixth part of the & Jesus sermon series, Pastor Erin Bird walks through Romans 13:11-14, which shows Jesus-followers that life on this earth is not the time to fill up with as much pleasure as one can get. Rather, it's time for something far more meaningful and important. Listen in as we look at the topic of "Pleasure & Jesus."

Most people see the government as a bureaucratic nightmare that is focused on getting and keeping power. How should a Jesus-follower respond to the government, especially when government leaders make decisions that a Jesus-follower might disagree with. The answer might surprise you. Listen in as we learn from Romans 13 how a follower of Jesus should approach his country's government.

Many people within our American culture think of marriage as an emotional and sexual prison. Why else do 41% of all marriage experience emotional and/or physical infidelity? And why else would 74% of men and 68% of women be willing to have an affair if they knew they wouldn't get caught? Clearly, marriage is viewed by many as a shackle. But rather than be a jail that keeps us from joy, what if God designed marriage to not only fill us with joy, but to help us become more like Jesus? Whether you are married or not, learn how God designed for husbands and wives to operate within marriage.

In our modern American culture, some people view kids as trouble, or annoying, or just something to be ignored. But have you ever considered how God views kids? In this third message in the & Jesus series, teaching pastor Erin Bird shows us from Romans 12 and Ephesians 6 why we need to love and honor kids if we are going to be followers of Jesus.

The story of Batman isn't just a comic book story or a super hero story. It is actually a revenge story. It is a story about Bruce Wayne getting revenge upon crime for taking his parents from him when he was a kid. Living inside of you is an inner Batman - a character that wants revenge whenever something or someone is taken from you. This inner Batman makes us feel strong, but he actually robs us of having amazing, healthy relationships. If you want to have the type of relationships that you dream about, then your inner Batman has to die. In this second part in the & Jesus series, our teaching pastor, Erin Bird, walks us through Romans 12:9-21, showing us how to help our inner Batman die so the image of Jesus can rise within us.

Have you ever had to make a decision that those around you thought was absolutely crazy, but you knew beyond a shadow of doubt was the right thing to do? Some times, that's what it looks like to follow Jesus. An unbelieving world thinks a Jesus-follower is nuts for some of the things he or she believes God is calling them to do. How does a Jesus-follower make these difficult decisions in the face of such questioning? Listen in to this first part in our & Jesus sermon series from Romans chapter 12 as Pastor Erin Bird helps you answer that question, whether you are a follower of Jesus or not.

Many people in our American society are familiar with the Easter story, even those who don't go to church. But do these miraculous events from over two-thousand years ago mean anything for people living in 2018? In this Easter message entitled Glorious Day, Pastor Erin Bird shows how the physical resurrection of Jesus points to a spiritual resurrection that God wants to do within you, changing you at your core.

Most people in life spend their time trying to be happy. They selfishly focus on whatever they believe will make life easier, more pleasurable, or more memorable. But then there a few people who seem to devote the majority of their time to helping others. They are incredibly Unselfish. How do they do it? By having a shift in their motivation. In this message, Riverwood's teaching pastor, Erin Bird, walks us through Colossians 3:1-17, helping us see how to make a shift in motivation in our spiritual lives that will help us not fall into a pit of selfishness, but a life filled with compassion, love, and peace.

It is very natural for humans to think that in order to achieve a certain level of holiness, they have to "earn" it. Whether it be through classes, practices, or upholding certain traditions, they believe they have to jump through certain hoops in order to be "saved" or to please God. But as Erin Bird, teaching pastor for Riverwood, shows us from the book of Colossians, what we need isn't to add classes or religious practices in order to make God happy - rather, we just need to continue with Jesus. So no matter where you are at in your spiritual journey, listen in to learn how you can love like Jesus loved and live like Jesus lived.

Have you ever seen those videos of people texting on their phones while walking who end up running into a sign, or into a pond, or even into a wall? They are so distracted by their phones, they miss what is around them. In the book of Colossians, the Apostle Paul didn't want his readers to spiritually walk into "walls" by getting distracted by the things of life. So to protect them, he helps them by telling them to keep their eyes on Jesus. If you are a Jesus-follower, this message will help you learn how to keep your eyes on Jesus. And if you aren't a follower of Jesus yet, listen in to learn why you might want to follow Jesus.

Evangelism. It's a scary word for a lot of people. Most Jesus-followers don't engage in it, and those that do often do it from impure motives. Teaching from 2 Corinthians 5:9-21, guest teacher Steve Erickson walks Jesus-followers through four reasons why they should share the gospel with others, and how to do it with the right heart.

Imagine a scientific lab that discovered a cure for cancer, but didn't tell anyone. That would be awful, wouldn't it? Yet on a spiritual level, many Jesus-followers know the "cure" for sin, but remain mum. In this last message in "The Gospel" sermon series, Pastor Erin Bird shows from the book of Colossians that if someone is a Jesus-follower, it is expected he or she will "speak the gospel." And as we'll see, Jesus-followers are to speak the gospel to those who don't know Jesus as well as to those who already follow Him.

So far in this series called "The Gospel," we have seen the importance of continually learning the gospel (week 1) so that we can think the gospel (week 2). But the purpose for allowing the gospel to be a filter to our way of thinking is to impact our way of living. The Scriptures do not teach us the gospel simply to fill our heads with the story of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. The Bible shows us how the gospel is to impact our everyday lives and relationships. In this third part of "The Gospel" series, Pastor Erin Bird takes us through Ephesians 4:1-6, showing us exactly how God calls us to "live the gospel," which will impact our relationships at home, at work, and even in our churches.

How you see yourself shapes what you do. If you see yourself as a great athlete, you'll keep trying your best at your sport. If you see yourself as a horrible cook, you'll stay away from the kitchen. The same goes for your faith. How you think about yourself spiritually affects what you do and how you feel about life. In Romans 12:1-3, the Apostle Paul talks about this very thing - how your thinking affects your behavior. Listen in as Pastor Erin Bird explores these ancient words while also giving a "tool" that can help you think the gospel, leading you to the life you deeply desire.

Just like a person can become fluent in a foreign language with study and practice, a Jesus-follower can become "fluent" in the gospel by studying it. This week, in part one of "The Gospel" series, we look at the importance of learning the gospel continually, because it has the power to shape how we think, speak, and live.

On this particular Sunday, Erin Bird, our lead pastor, takes a moment to look back at what happened in the Riverwood family in 2017, and what is possibly to come in 2018.

After you breathe your last breath, what do you hope to have left behind? Nice thoughts about your life? A full bank account that will provide for your children? A building bearing your name? If you are a Jesus-follower, these things are too small. God wants to do so much more than just see people say nice things about you at your funeral. If you want to leave a legacy that will make an eternal impact, listen in to "Committed to the Gospel" as Pastor Erin Bird walks us through 2 Timothy 4:1-8.

Ever been lost in a strange city? Some people stop and ask for directions (well, at least most of the women reading this do...). Some people just try to figure it out (which many of the guys reading this try to do...). But most often, in our day of smartphones, we consult a map. A map helps us get reoriented to where we currently are and how to get where we want to go. Sometimes, we need the exact same thing spiritually - we need some sort of "map" to figure out how to move forward in our spiritual journey with Jesus. Thankfully, God has provided just the thing! Listen in to learn more about this God-given map, and how it can help you grow spiritually in 2018.

People are committed to all sorts of things: family, work, hobbies, sports, etc. But underneath our devotion to such items is often a greater dedication - a commitment to self. In this first message in the Committed message series, we hear from 2 Timothy 3:1-13 how a commitment to self actually keeps us from the life we want and that God has for us. So listen in to learn how to make the primary commitment in your life a commitment to God.

Many Americans love to drive around town in December looking at Christmas lights. (We are like bugs drawn to the light!) Why? Perhaps because light, while it is outside of us, does something within us. Light gives us some joy, a bit of hope, and a sense of awe. Maybe this is why Jesus is called "the Light of the World." In this third part of our teaching series "An Incarnational Christmas" we discover that Jesus, as the light, has come to give us joy, hope, and awe. But his incarnation does more than just give us light. It also changes how we live. So listen in to "An Incarnational Life."

Our view of self as humans vacillates wildly. We shift from thinking we are one of the most awesome persons on earth to one of the worst people to have ever lived. (And sometimes we even think all of that on the same day!) But the Incarnation of Jesus actually addresses our view of self, helping us see who we really are in the eyes of God. And that view will simultaneously humble us and embolden us as humans. So listen to "An Incarnational Mirror" to better understand who you truly are and who you are meant to be.

The New Oxford American Dictionary defines "incarnation" as "a person who embodies in the flesh a deity." In Christianity, the incarnation of Jesus, God the Son, into human flesh is a foundational doctrine to the faith. But this doctrinal truth does more than just separate Christianity from other religions, it impacts the meaning of Christmas and our view of God.

As part of our annual Thanksgiving Family Worship Gathering, Riverwood's very own Jacob Tews shared some thoughts about why Jesus-followers can give thanks in all circumstances - even the hard ones.

In this final message in the His Story sermon series, we wrap things up in a different way. Rather than see how the Bible points to Jesus, we ask "How does your story point to Jesus?" To answer that question, we look at the story of a woman in John 4 and then hear from five Jesus-followers who reveal how their story really does point to Jesus.

Ever seen a Magic Eye picture? It looks like a mess on the surface, but if you peer through it, you see something entirely different - a 3D image inside the picture. The Book of Revelation is somewhat similar. On the surface, it appears to first be apocalyptic literature all about the end of the world. But as you peer deeper, you discover that it first points to Jesus. Listen in to discover at least four ways that the Book of Revelation shows us Jesus in its pages, and in the process actually encourages you rather than scare or confuse you.

The Epistles in the New Testament are letters written to individuals and churches to help them follow Jesus. Listen in as we look at 1 John 2:1-14 to learn the four things the Epistles can do for those whose faith is in Jesus.

Sometimes in life, we see, hear, or experience an event, and yet somehow we misunderstand the truth. For instance, you might meet an incredibly tall athletic-looking man and assume he plays basketball. Yet the reality might be that he hates sports and actually has an affinity for the fine arts. Well, something similar has happened to Americans' view of church. Because of our experiences, we have created definitions of what a church is, and yet we misunderstand what it truly is. So as you listen in to this message from Pastor Erin Bird, be prepared to have your definition of church challenged - which will help you understand more clearly what it means to follow Jesus.