Riverbluff Church Sermons

John 1 The day after Christmas has become one of the busiest days of the year for retailers, but they're not delighted! It has become the day when people flock to the stores to unload the stuff they unwrapped the day before. As much as the day after Thanksgiving has been labeled "the day for shopping"; the day after Christmas has become known as the "day of returning". In fact, the National Retail Foundation estimates that this year, over 40 percent of people who received Christmas gifts will end up returning something they were given. Most of us know that it's like to open a gift and discover it to be something we didn't really need and don't really want. In John chapter 1 we're told that Jesus, who was fully God, laid aside His crown and the privileges of being God, and came to this earth in the flesh. Christmas is the celebration of the greatest gift ever given - "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son." The question is, how would that gift be received? Have you really received God's gift? Or l

John 1 As we continue in our series GIFTS at CHRISTMAS we look to the writings of the Apostle John to discover some great, Un-ANTICIPATED GIFTS, found that first Christmas. Music courtesy of hooksounds.com.

Revelation 22:12-13, 20-21 Christmas is a time when some of us get excited about giving gifts, but almost all of us get excited about receiving gifts. Some of those gifts we may have been anticipating all year long and we receive them with great joy! However; we’ve all probably experienced “gift remorse” when we didn’t get exactly what we hoped for, but instead got something we needed. In those moments many step into the “return” line, hoping to trade up. Join us every Sunday in the month of December as we explore the beauty and events of Christmas as told by the Apostle John. You might discover it would be better to ask for what we need this Christmas, instead of settling for what we want. In so doing, we might find the Best Gift Ever! Hope you’ll join us and bring family and friends. MERRY CHRISTMAS! Music courtesy of hooksounds.com.

2 Samuel 22 Spiritual formation surveys consistently point out that people say the single most powerful contributing factor to their spiritual growth is not transformational teaching, or being in a small group, or reading deep books. It was not energetic worship experiences, or finding meaningful ways to serve. It was suffering! This past Thursday we celebrated the National Holiday of THANKSGIVING. In homes all over our nation some people stopped and maybe finished the sentence “I am most thankful for…”. That sentence usually ended with a reference to a special relationship, or a new job, or birth of a child, or some other kind of good blessing. But, in some very rare moments a few spoke words like, “I’m now grateful for my battle with cancer…”, or I’m grateful for that time in prison because…”, or “I’m grateful for the suffering that taught me that God can really be trusted.” They have a different kind of Thanksgiving! The chance to trust God when trusting isn't easy is only possible because certain t

Colossians 2:7 Two different groups of people stand in marked contrast when it comes to this time of the year. One group, the modern psychiatric community warns us that the period between Thanksgiving and New Years is “the single most stressful time of the year”. They tell us that, as a nation, stress levels go up significantly. The other group that informs us about this time of the year is the Pilgrims of 1621. They had just endured one of the harshest of winters on record and suffered much loss. Instead of sending out a warning about the next winter they celebrated by giving thanks to God for having seen them through such difficulty. Over the years I have discovered that the Pilgrim’s habit of giving thanks is a far better stress reliever than sending out a warning. So instead of shouting a warning, what we’re going to do is declare our thanks to our Good and Beautiful God for all HE has done and is doing in our lives. Music courtesy of hooksounds.com.

Luke 10:25-37 In this sermon we continue our TRANSFORMATIONAL CHURCH series examining another core characteristic of the kind of church through which Jesus says He will change the world. Today, from the teachings of Jesus, we’ll see that a Transformational Church LIVES GENEROUSLY! It’s interesting to me that noted scholars in the discipline of human psychiatric care have made some incredible claims about this topic of “GENEROSITY”. Dr. Carl Menniger, who, in his day, was one of the top psychiatrists in the nation said, "Giving is a criterion of mental health. Generous people are rarely mentally ill." Dr. Nathaniel Branden says “There is overwhelming evidence that the higher the level of self-esteem, the more likely one will be to treat others with respect, kindness, and generosity.” These claims simply acknowledge clear truths from God’s Word. Today we turn our attention to an event from the life of our Lord Jesus, recorded by the Gospel writer Luke. In this encounter with a lawyer of His day, Jesus tell

Acts 1:8 As Curt Bradford continues our TRANSFORMATIONAL CHURCH series; we’ll reflect on our Lord’s Word recorded by Luke, the physician, in Acts 1:8. Jesus makes it clear that His Life Story and Message are too powerful and too full of hope to keep to ourselves. If you’ve been transformed by the good news of His Grace, you have a story to share with the world! Today we’ll see that any true TRANSFORMATIONAL CHURCH of Jesus will be filled with disciples who boldly share “the story” of Jesus and how He is the best thing that has ever happened to them! Music courtesy of hooksounds.com.

John 17 In this sermon we examine a very intimate time of prayer from the life of Jesus. John 17 is the longest prayer of our Lord recorded in the scriptures and it is one of His last before His crucifixion. In this prayer Jesus reveals His heart for what His Church should become. In vivid detail our Lord describes the primary traits of the Transformational Church He would leave behind, through which He could change the world! Music courtesy of hooksounds.com.

Hebrews 13:15-16 In this sermon we continue our series exploring the traits of a TRANSFORMATIONAL CHURCH. Pastor Terry will be leading us into God’s Word today as we see how transformational churches actively embrace Jesus through worship. I am so grateful to God for Pastor Terry’s leadership in so many areas here at the River. Music courtesy of hooksounds.com.

John 15:1-8 & 16 In this sermon by Joe Still, we continue our series exploring the mark of a TRANSFORMATIONAL CHURCH as we turn our attention to prayer. The scriptures clearly display, and church history testifies to the truth, that Transformational Churches are Prayerfully Dependent Churches! Music courtesy of hooksounds.com.

1 Thessalonians 2:1-12 This morning we continue our TRANSFORMATIONAL CHURCH Series as we examine God’s call for His Church to be led by Life-Giving Leaders! Music courtesy of hooksounds.com.

John 13:34 This morning we begin a new teaching series entitled TRANSFORMATIONAL CHURCH! “Transformation” is what happens when God gets hold of the life of an everyday person. He transforms them with the Gospel. Every thought and action begins to change. Values and attitudes change. They change from living for self to dying to self. And people notice. Soon, life focuses solely on the mission of Christ. “Church” is the gathering of transformed people to celebrate our LORD, learn together from His Gospel, and then scatter to participate in His mission. The church is God’s chosen instrument to spread the Gospel. It is His people engaged in His mission to carry His message into their culture and every culture. The local church is not an outdated idea but a necessity in our day. I still believe in the church not because of its perfection, but because of her Lord! Combining these two words and viewing them from GOD’s perspective while infusing them with His Life and Power, you get something even more compelling.

Psalm 29 This morning, in the wake of hurricane Florence, Pastor Joe Still leads us to consider how God strengthens his people to live lives that demonstrate that they are disciples of Jesus. If we are one of God’s children then we have access to the endless strength of our all-powerful Father. God’s Word reveals him as a loving Father who gives strength to his children as strength is needed to accomplish his plans and purposes through their lives for his glory. Psalm 29:3; 11 tells us that “the LORD gives his people strength, and blesses them with peace when they believe and act on the promises of his Word! Music courtesy of hooksounds.com.

Galatians 6 & Matthew 25 This morning we bring our “UNSHACKLED” series to a close. Today we apply Paul’s warning of “do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” to one of the greatest slave masters of Christ followers in our day. His name is Possessions. Music courtesy of hooksounds.com.

Galatians 5:1 In this sermon by Joe Still we take a look at the freedom that Jesus Christ offers from our efforts to try to measure up to the man-made requirements of religion. The journey of making a disciple begins with sharing the “Good News” that Jesus, the beloved Son of God, came to set every man, woman, and child free from the shackles of sin. Jesus came to break the chains of religion and set us free from those soul-crushing efforts of trying to be good enough. This morning we celebrate the One who died, conquered death, was raised to life to set us free! Music courtesy of hooksounds.com.

Galatians 5:1 In this sermon by Joe Still we continue our end of summer teaching series that we began last week; UNSHACKELD! Last week we followed Paul and Barnabas on their first Church Planting, Missionary Journey into the Roman province of Galatia, (modern day Turkey). After some years pass, Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote a letter back to those churches to correct a perversion of the Gospel of Jesus that had crept into their lives. They had become deceived in their understanding of God’s Salvation coming “only” through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. They had begun to add “religion” to the Gospel. We saw last week in that letter to the Galatians that Jesus had come to set us free from the shackles of religion. When the deception of religion creeps into the Gospel, a crippling “identity-crisis” is never far behind. A prominent symptom of that crisis is a toxic-concern over “what others think about me”. Paul shows the churches that Jesus came so we could live UNSHACKLED from that fea

Acts 13-14 & Galatians In this sermon by Joe Still we begin a new teaching series entitled UNSHACKLED. Inspired by the Spirit of God, Paul writes a letter to the churches he and Barnabas had planted in the cities and towns of Galatia. This letter was to groups of Christians who were adding legalistic rules and stipulations to the pure and simple message of the Gospel, that Jesus saves us from our sin and reconciles us to God. It is a letter we need to read and re-read ourselves. It is so easy in this life to make the same mistakes. Christians and churches in our day are making the same decisions that trade the gift of grace for chains we were never meant to bear. So Paul reminds us that Jesus sets us free from Gospel distortions and distractions, and He gives us the Holy Spirit to help us live UNSHACKLED. (I believe this will be a great series to invite your un-churched or formerly-churched friend to attend with you!) Music courtesy of hooksounds.com.

Romans 11:33-36 In this sermon we are privileged to have Dave Hardin open God’s Word to us. I love Dave’s missionary heart. He inspires me to think missionally. I’m grateful for the day the LORD brought Dave, Michelle, Meg, Shannon and Kallie to The River. Music courtesy of hooksounds.com

This morning we bring our “GOSPEL-ing” series to a close. It has been great to hear all the stories of life transformation and mission engagement from our River-family. This morning we’ll hear from several others who are finding ways to live out and display the hope they have in the whole Gospel. We’ll also look to God’s Word to see HIS Heart for HIS Church to thrive as we “GOSPEL” together. Music courtesy of hooksounds.com

Luke 10:1-2 & Matthew 9:35-38 In this sermon by Joe Still we continue our series, GOSPEL-ing and reflect on the essential role of prayer in all “GOSPEL-ing” efforts. We’ll also hear from some of the “Laborers” the LORD sent out recently from among our very own River-family. Music courtesy of hooksounds.com.