Riverwood Church Community

As we continue our search for lost treasures in the book of Romans, this week our journey leads us on a quest to recover the 1st-century idea of faith. Along the way we look at the shortcomings of our English language in capturing the concept of Pistis and take a walk through the Reformation to see if maybe our modern, 21st-century church reflects what Paul was leading the church of Rome towards in his letter.

Welcome to week two of our new series, ‘Lost Treasure’! So far, we’ve examined the lost treasures of ‘God’s wrath’ and ‘Justification’ and in this message we examine a treasure that wasn’t so lost as it was stolen: ‘sin’. Now, before you scroll away, you need to know that sin isn’t a list of ‘don’ts’! It’s way bigger, deeper and more impactful than just a list of abstract rules! In fact, as a result of our study you might just want to go on a search and steal the word ‘sin’ back!

Welcome to the first week of our new series, ‘Lost Treasure’! Over the next 5 weeks, we will be mining for 10 lost treasures buried in the Book of Romans! Five of the treasures we’ll examine in our weekend messages and the other five will be rolled out in our new ‘Life Group Teaching Experience’ on YouTube! Now, this first one is going to be a bit of a bear to wrestle down: the wrath of God! But dig deep and be willing to get a bit dirty, because in the end, you will probably have a new appreciation for this misunderstood concept!

When you hear the word “prayer” what stirs in you? Anxiety? Boredom? Intimidation? This message takes a look at 4 reasons why someone may choose not to pray regularly, and what Followers of Jesus can experience when they are devoted to prayer like the 1st start-up church.

Have you ever wondered what the doctor is listening for when they put the stethoscope to your chest? Are they just listening to hear if you have a heart that is still beating, or is it something more? Well, in this message, we explore the 'heartbeat of the church'! What is the heart of the church? Is there a particular rhythm to the church's heartbeat? ...and how do we ensure we are living in that rhythm?

If we had to name that part of us that acts a bit stingy, begrudging and obsessed with money and things, we might as well just call it ‘Gollum’! This message dives into the powerful spirit of generosity found in the first-church. It also tracks the history of the ‘tithe’ and the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament in regards to giving and tithing.

There is nothing quite like a startup! The excitement. The risk. The tossing between euphoric emotions and raw desperation. In this message we delve into the story of the world’s greatest startup found in Acts 2:42-47, make some observations and ask some really hard questions. Questions like: what happens when your church is 27 years old? Is it possible to recapture startup energy and momentum? And, what would that take?

We’re wrapping up our series on belief and the Book of John with this question: What does it mean to believe and hasn’t secularism (or atheism or humanism and science) made belief outdated and obsolete? If you’re unsure of how to answer that question, this message is for you!

It’s not uncommon to hear or see the phrase “the truth will set you free!” as a motivational speech or protesters sign. People use it all the time to try to communicate a deep-rooted belief they have and want to convince others of. But is it possible that truth and freedom have really just been reduced to feeling? Are our feelings accurate to determine truth, or do we need something more?

Reading the Gospel of John would lead a person to conclude there is no understanding of the Bible without having a firm grasp on what it means to ‘believe’! The word ‘believe’ is used 98 times in this Gospel alone! This message joins Jesus as he takes Nicodemus on a tour of the ‘7 Wonders’ found in John 3:16!

What can we learn about Jesus' disciples? They have the best teacher right in front of them, spending all of His time with them, guiding and sharing with them, yet they often seem to miss what’s being said, lose the point, and head in the wrong direction. How does Jesus respond to them and how is it a good example of how we should respond to Him and those around us?

Two individuals in Luke 18 & 19 appear to have everything, but are actually missing something! In desperation, they both seek out Jesus. His response to them is the same, but they end up walking away with different emotions, and heart postures. This message examines the lives of these two people, and asks what our own response to Jesus will be?

Various surveys suggest the majority of churches haven’t taught or practiced ‘evangelism’ for years and that most individual Christians either don’t do evangelism or go as far as to say it’s wrong in today's culture! This message explores why we view evangelism, a cornerstone concept of our faith, with disdain and how we can still fulfill this part of our calling as Christ followers!

Jesus had a very laser-focussed mission statement: to find the lost and save them! (Luke 19:10). But isn’t that 2000-year-old concept outdated and offensive today? With the world being saved by knowledge, money, science, technology, and advancements…is there any need for Jesus? Or might the world be more lost now than ever?

As we close out week four of our month-long road trip, we have three final destinations! This week, Jesus is preparing to head to the cross and experience the weight of the world on his shoulders... We know how the story ends, but how did Jesus handle the process of being stressed and overwhelmed before the battle was won?

The disciples found themselves being anxious as they traveled toward Jerusalem knowing that Jesus would be killed by the Pharisees and Scribes. This was a road trip like no other. However, as they left the area called Perea they were ambushed by a man who ran up to Jesus and knelt before him. This man’s action resulted in a crowd gathering around him the same way we would gather around a roadside attraction to see what it’s all about. Today we will explore the image and the story of a living Roadside attraction

As we travel with Jesus through the Book of Mark, instead of just breezing by, we’re stopping at a bunch of roadside attractions! This week, Jesus takes us to the countryside and a tour of a number of agriculturally-themed stories that all have a single element in common: a seed! Join us as we slow down to ponder what Jesus was telling us through these parables!