Riverbluff Church Sermons

In this message from Pastor Joe Still,  we return to our study of the book of Nehemiah, picking up where we left off, Nehemiah chapter 9.  Nehemiah 9 is the longest recorded prayer in the bible.  It is a prayer of Repentance. Repentance is the beginning point of any lasting life-transformation. Nehemiah 9 provides us with some of the greatest insight into what Biblical repentance looks like. Listen now as we explore the beauty of true Biblical Repentance and look for how we can apply it in our lives early in this new year.

There is another global celebration happening just a few days into the New Year. This year it falls on January 6. While it is not as well known and the number of revelers will be significantly smaller, it holds rich meaning for those who participate. It is called the celebration of EPIPHANY, some call it 3 KINGS DAY! While not as widely celebrated by Christ-followers here in the U.S., it is celebrated by millions of Christians around the world. It memorializes the day when GOD revealed HIS SON, the Savior of the world, to the first gentiles. There is much we can learn from the first gentiles who worshipped our Savior. I pray you engage in this message as we learn from the Wise Men, “How to be All In For JESUS in 2022”! Pastor Joe Still

This Sunday is the day after we have celebrated Jesus’ birth; but what do we do next? After all the Christmas gifts are exchanged, opened up, put together, and the clothes tried on—what’s next? After all the Christmas gatherings, the parties, the get togethers and festivities are over—what’s next? After Jesus was born, the shepherds came rejoicing, the Magi came with their gifts for Jesus—what’s next? After all the anticipation of His birth, what do we do today, tomorrow, next week, next month, etc? What are some ways to get started out on the right path after accepting the best gift ever, Jesus the Messiah.  We will look at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry to see how He started out and then we will see how we can be like Jesus. In this message Pastor Guy Smith leads us to study God’s Word and learn to wait on God’s Timing, because our Father knows best.

In this Christmas Eve message, Pastor Joe Still shares the Christmas story - the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Most of us love to hear someone tell a great story.  Those of us who do have discovered a great truth: “all ‘story-tellers’ are not created equally”!  Great “tellers” of stories begin with a great opening line that immediately hooks the listener. I believe the Christmas Story is the beginning of the greatest story ever told.  While I love how the Gospel writers Matthew and Luke communicate the accounts of Christmas, JESUS’s telling of the Christmas story is by far the greatest and most memorable version of that greatest of biblical stories. Consider this your special invitation to engage in this message as we explore the words JESUS used when HE told the Christmas story to a new friend HE met. Pastor Joe Still

One of the wonderful recurring themes in the first two chapters of both the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke is JOY!  Over and over again in those four chapters of the Bible, people are not only finding joy, but GREAT JOY! So why in our day, is rich, life-changing joy so elusive? In this message, Pastor Joe Still leads us to look to those who were finding GREAT JOY to see what they can teach us about how JOY can come to us!

Though much of our world loves the “celebration of Christmas”, many seek to remove the only reason for Christmas, while other less militant hearts simply ignore the CHRIST of Christmas!   Every year efforts to remove “religious references” of Christmas are undertaken, while simultaneously attempting to keep or co-op specific assets and aspects of Christmas that only come through JESUS! “Christmas Peace” is one such asset! Everywhere you look, you can find the world attempting to capture “Christmas Peace”; yet it continues to be elusive.  Even for those of us who follow JESUS, there is a great paradox in “Christmas Peace”.  As CHRIST followers, living in-between HIS advents, we need to comprehensively embrace the peace JESUS gives us now; while simultaneously, eagerly anticipating, the fullness of peace yet to come!

I’ve heard it said that if Christ-Followers are to thrive in this life we must know we are simultaneously living in the “already and not yet”. Sounds confusing I know, but that’s why we at Riverbluff celebrate ADVENT! ADVENT is simultaneously a journey into the past and into the future of our Christian Hope. Through it we celebrate two great truths of our faith. First: “GOD was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself…” (2 Corinthians 5:19) Second: Jesus said: “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me…” (Revelation 22:12) (NLT2) This Sunday marks the first day of a spiritual journey that millions of Christ-followers around the world will begin taking together. I’m praying you’ll join us as we unite with brothers and sisters around the world and take our first step into the spiritual journey that is ADVENT 2021. Pastor Joe Still

In this message, Pastor Joe Still leads this special LORD’S DAY at the River. It is the first day of the week our nation has designated to stop and “Give Thanks”. Which we will do when we gather! It is going to be a day to thank FATHER-GOD for all HE has done for us in Christ Jesus! We’ll thank GOD with joyful song! We’ll thank GOD for HIS Word to us as we meditate on it together! We’ll thank GOD for our calling to Make Disciples as we Commission our OCC shoeboxes! We’ll thank GOD for our Salvation in JESUS as we share in Holy Communion!

In this message by Pastor Joe Still, we’ll also see how the GOD and FATHER of our LORD JESUS CHRIST “woos” us out of our “keeping” and into Gospel Giving!

REBUILD part 12 - November 7, 2021 by Riverbluff Church

In this message, Dean Infinger continues our study in the book of Nehemiah and look specifically at the subject of identity. Nehemiah’s trust was in God and his identity was unshakeable in the face of opposition. Our identity is in Christ, but we will discover some of the strategies the enemy utilizes to try and undermine that identity.

The last words Jesus delivered to His followers, as recorded by the Gospel writer Matthew, were a great command followed by an even greater promise. That great promise was, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 (NLT2). Jesus’ Presence with us is what give us power to carry out Jesus’ great command to “Make Disciples”. For the past 79 years, Jesus has faithfully blessed Riverbluff Church with His Presence, leading us into opportunity after opportunity to join Him in Making Disciples. This Sunday we celebrate one of those great opportunities to once again join with Jesus in His great work in our city! In this message, Pastor Joe Still introduces Pastor Jerry Zapata of Gracia Ministries and a great new Disciple Making partnership Jesus is giving us at Riverbluff Church.

As we continue in our series through the book of Nehemiah, it is always good to be reminded that this book falls within the greater context of the “Big Story” of Scripture. In this big story we find that God, following mankind’s rebellion against Him, promises to set things right again through the seed of the woman. That promised seed is Jesus Christ, and all of the Bible is about God’s work through Jesus to redeem the world back to Himself. Thus, when we take a look at the person of Nehemiah we can see him as a picture of Jesus, the One True Cupbearer to the King, pointing us to the reality and truth of what God has done through Him. In the process of rebuilding the walls surrounding Jerusalem, Nehemiah not only has to deal with opposition from outside enemies, but also the injustice that the Jews were experiencing from amongst their own people in Jerusalem. As Nehemiah addresses this injustice, it points us to how in Jesus’ day He also had to deal with the injustice that the Jews were experiencing from am

For a 2nd career my dad launched a construction company called “Still & Still Construction”. Growing up in that home I was privileged to see and even be a part of many “Rebuilding Projects”.  I learned that one of the realities of any “Rebuild” is: “there will be opposition”!  Sometimes that opposition comes from neighbors, sometimes from inspectors, sometimes from supply chains; but opposition always comes. This actually became a great “Life-Lesson. I learned that every opportunity comes with opposition. Having served in local churches for 40 years, I know that is true when GOD gives us “Kingdom Opportunities”.  Knowing how to face the opposition that comes with opportunities can make all the difference in the outcome. We’ll walk through Nehemiah chapter four and explore God’s Plan for us to thrive when we face opposition! Pastor Joe Still

Personal battles in this life often leave us cut off from resources we need thrive. We may see what we need, but because of the rubble that exists, we can’t access what we need. In Nehemiah’s day, God’s people had to clear the rubble and REBUILD THE GATES to have access to what they needed to experience life as the people of God! In this message from Pastor Joe Still, we’ll reflect on the gates that Nehemiah led God’s people to repair and through God’s Holy Word we’ll see how we can REBUILD THE GATES THAT GIVE US LIFE!

Most everyone I know loves an epic where an average person is swept up into a larger than life story that requires a hero or heroine. There is longing in us for a grand adventure of epic proportions. We’d like to know that we are playing a part in something bigger than ourselves! All who walk in devotion to GOD have the opportunity to be part of the greatest epic of human history. Nehemiah shows us how to step into that great story! In this message, we’ll see how anyone and everyone can be part of a great movement of GOD Pastor Joe Still

An “ideal” marriage, an “ideal” education, an “ideal” job, an “ideal” vacation, even an “ideal” church; these are all elusive goals in this life. While pursuing the “ideal” in any area of life is not necessarily evil in itself, it is easy for an “ideal” to become an “idol”! So how do we properly place our pursuits of “an ideal”? We pursue those in the context of the “call of GOD” on our lives.  While we’ll always face “real” challenges in that pursuit; GOD’S Word gives us clear paths to deal with what’s real as we pursue HIS Ideal. In this message, Pastor Joe Still continues in our "Rebuild" series we follow Nehemiah’s journey to GOD’S IDEAL!

I love the promise from GOD to HIS people found in Galatians 6:9 “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” It reminds me that life in this broken world will bring a great weariness, but there is a great blessing from the LORD coming at just the perfect time! In this message, we'll see how on his personal journey, Nehemiah discovers how to walk with GOD toward that ideal blessing. To reach that ideal, Nehemiah had to deal with the reality of much brokenness, broken walls and broken spirits. We will learn from Nehemiah how to deal with what’s real on our way to the LORD’S IDEAL! -Pastor Joe Still

Waiting is not easy. We are an instant society; we want what we want and we want it now, but that is not always how God works. Charles Stanley says, “I believe that God acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.” In this message from Pastor Guy Smith, we continue through the book of Nehemiah. We see Nehemiah praying and waiting on God’s timing to speak to the king about what the Lord has laid on his heart to accomplish. The Lord has given Nehemiah a heart for his people back in Jerusalem, but he needs the king's permission to take on this “God Sized” task. Join the River-family as we study God’s Word and learn to wait on God’s timing, because our Father knows best!