Rio Vista Community Church

When you become aware of who Jesus is (the Messiah), there are usually one of three reactions: Faith, Fear, or Familiarity. Pastor Winston Miller gives us examples of all three from among the characters in the Christmas story.

The Christmas story reveals the who and how of redemption, but it’s more than a manger scene. Each character brings the message that God intends. They all share a deep desire to be with the Lord; they stand in awe of Him and want to draw near.

Christmas Eve service. Pastor Tom Hendrikse loves everything about the night: the people, the music, and the lights. Christmas holds within it the greatest light of them all, and that's the one we love the most.

This week is about "Mission." A person's last words carry particular weight. The last words Jesus spoke to His disciples were to send them on a mission. He told them to be witnesses for Him, first at home, then abroad, and eventually throughout the world.

This week, we are talking about the Gospel, the Good News. People in rebellion against God exist in darkness—anyone not a believer is in that category. The good news is God made a way for us to come out of darkness and find new life through Jesus Christ.

This week, we are talking about God. Simply put, God is the center of the universe, and we are not. God is not a concept; He is a reality. We must reorient ourselves around Him.

There is such a thing as truth, and it is not from inside you (no matter what pop culture may say). Jesus Christ, God’s one and only Son, is Truth incarnate! The Bible tells his story on every page and is, therefore, our source of truth.

The Sermon on the Mount concludes: Jesus says anyone who hears his words and does them is like a wise builder who constructs a house on a strong foundation. Those who hear his words and do not do them build on the sand, where the storm destroys the house.

While it is true that you are saved by grace through faith, and not because of what you do (whether good or bad), it is also true that claiming to be a Christian doesn’t make you one. Real faith (that results in salvation) is evidenced by a fruitful life.

What is authentic faith? It is something more than just agreeing with a set of facts. Genuine faith is visible; it shows up in what we say or do. You can know someone by the fruit they produce, and whether that fruit is good or bad.

The Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Jesus called it the essence and upholding of the Law and the Prophets. Pastor Matt looks at the kind of love Jesus was talking about and how we find the capacity for it in our lives.

All of life is about God and His purposes, which is the foundation of effective prayer. My prayers are hindered to the extent they are about me and my purposes instead of God’s. If my prayers are about loving Him and seeking wisdom, my prayers come alive!

We all experience judgment; others judge us, or we judge others. Either way, Jesus gives a warning. Judgment is God's, and however we apply it, that's how we experience it. But through the lens of the gospel, we can rightly appraise ourselves and others.

Money is a matter of the heart! Either your heart trusts in God or money. It can’t trust in both. One leads to peace, for it leads you to a Heavenly Father who loves you and who knows your needs and promises to meet them. The other leads to anxiety.

What is prayer? Why (and how) should we pray? Prayer is communication with God, and Jesus assumes we will pray since communication is vital to a relationship. It is also through prayer that we both access and wield the power of God, to the glory of God.

Through the gospel, God gives us a new heart that enables a new kind of love: one that loves the needy and doesn't look for credit from man! If we fail to do that, the applause from our fellow humans is the only reward we will ever receive.

How are we to treat our enemies? Not from self-vindication or hatred, but with a readiness to serve and seek the good of those who deserve the opposite. Let go of bitterness and respond after setting our eyes on Jesus, who patterned his life the same way.

In the gospel, God gives a new heart to enable new obedience to his law. We must obey from the inside, not just the outside. And there is a positive attached to the negative. Thou shalt not lie, also means thou shalt pursue and promote truthfulness.

God’s law has various purposes. It reveals the holiness of God, reveals our sinfulness (to drive us to Jesus), holds before us a moral behavior and life that is pleasing to God, and more. Jesus rescued us by keeping the law perfectly in our place.

Jesus says we are Salt and Light to the world. These are not character awards; they are job descriptions. Jobs that are both powered by the gospel. Ruling Elder and Session member Mark Lautenschlager brings us God's word this week.