Riverbluff Church Sermons

GOD’ Word is replete with accounts of GOD’s people marking HIS goodness with great celebrations and construction of memorial markers! This message will be such a celebration and it will become part of our “Memorial Wall to GOD’s Goodness” in our main hallway. We have so much to celebrate - our 82nd anniversary of GOD planting our church, the provision of a new home and new name 22 years ago, and now the “Burning of our Mortgage” on this property, just to name a few! So you’ll definitely want to be part of this historic celebratory day in the life of Riverbluff Church. There will be lots of singing and many personal testimonies, all declaring the Goodness of our GOD!

One of the realities of storms is they churn up insecurity when they blow into town.  Our hearts and minds can be flooded and blown about with all kinds of concerning thoughts. One of the insecurities that Satan repeatedly tries to churn up in us relates to our “Eternal Security”. But, GOD has given us an assurance of our Salvation’s Security in the Person of the HOLY SPIRIT! In this message, Pastor Joe Still shares how we discover how the HOLY SPIRIT SEALS Humanity’s Greatest DEAL!

Many of us were taught to avoid conversational topics like Politics and Religion.  I fear that teaching has played a significant role in bringing us to where we are in our culture today; the boiling point! Maybe instead of being taught to “avoid”, we should have been taught “how to”; how to have conversations about such topics, granting respect and honor to those with whom we might disagree. And though, I know I enter “shark infested waters”; I believe the LORD has led me to talk about both Politics and Religion in this Sunday’s message of our ongoing study of the HOLY SPIRIT! In this message, Pastor Joe Still leads us as we explore how THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME TO GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH…EVEN IN THE VOTING BOOTH!

Pentecost - Let the HOLY SPIRIT be Your WORSHIP LEADER - September 15, 2024 by Riverbluff Church

In Matthew Chapter 24, the Gospel writer records JESUS teaching His disciples about the global conditions before His 2nd Coming. There, JESUS tells them (and us), that before His Great Return, “There will be more and more evil in the world…” v12 (NCV). This week’s school shooting in Winder, Georgia, is but one example of the growth of “more and more evil in our world”. How are we as followers of JESUS, called to respond to this rapid intensification of evil all around us? GOD inspired the Apostle Paul to write down instructions for how we are to engage this “evil world” in SPIRITUAL WARFARE. In Ephesians chapter 6 Paul writes “Pray in the Spirit at all times…” v18 (NLT2). Our GOD has not abandoned us to this evil, but has equipped us to be strong in this battle. Prayer is our most prominent and powerful weapon in this fight. It empowers every other weapon in our God-given arsenal. Learning to “PRAY IN THE SPIRIT” is critical for us as we “stand against the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11). Last week

If you have ever seen a fish out of water, you know that it just flops around, wiggling and jumping all over the place. If it's out of water, it's out of its intended environment. The fish is trying to move but it can't go anywhere because it's not in the environment it was made to be in. So it flops and twists and flips, absolutely going nowhere. Why? Because it's trying to be “fishy” in a non-water environment and it wasn't created for that. So no matter how much flipping and flopping it does, all it's doing is running out of breath. The fish will die because it is not in its home. In John 6:33 JESUS said: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all.” Followers of JESUS who pray “in the flesh” instead of “in the Spirit”, are like that fish, just flip-flopping around.  GOD designed prayer for HIS people, and in HIS design, HIS Spirit gives life to our prayers.  The HOLY SPIRIT is the environment that fills our prayer-life with power. I’m praying for you watch this message, as we look to G

After my message two weeks ago (August 11, 2024) on the armor of God, the question came, “can we pray the armor onto someone else?” While the answer is, “not exactly”, the heart of that question is “can our prayers help others against the spiritual attacks of our great enemy and his minions?” The answer to that question is absolutely yes! While each of us needs to welcome the reign of Jesus personally in our lives and then keep giving Him more and more room to vanquish the darkness in us where his reign hasn’t been welcomed; our prayers can help each other fight this good fight! Paul instructs us to always keep praying for all of the saints, with all kinds of prayers and requests. He invites us to join in the spiritual battle for the sake of others. One of the ways we join God in transforming the life of someone else is by interceding for them in prayer. To intercede is to stand in the gap for someone. In prayer we intercede by praying prayers for someone they ought to be praying for themselves, but can’t o

I’ve talked often about growing up in the home of a Residential Home Builder.  It gave me the skills to actually build the house Kathy and I have lived in since we married in 1983.  One of the skills my dad taught me was how to spot good quality building materials, which is quite important, because all construction products are not created equally.  Plywood is one such product! Plywood’s name tells us much about that product!  It consists of thin layers of milled wood that have been glued together.  The thickness of a “sheet of plywood” determines the number of layers and the amount of glue needed.  Not all “plywood manufacturers” use the same quality or amounts of glue in their product, which can end in a poor product, and by extension, a poorly constructed house. When it comes to plywood, high quality glue is essential to a good construction outcome, because it holds so much together! In a similar way, PRAYER IS THE GLUE that holds the ARMOR OF GOD together for SPIRITUAL WARFARE!  Prayer is what deploys t

In this message,  Pastor Joe Still continues our journey through the Bible, growing to know the Person and Power of the Holy Spirit! Join us as we celebrate the Goodness of our GOD!

Believed to be written in the 5th century BC, Sun Tzu’s, THE ART OF WAR is a military classic. I’ve read that it is still required reading for certain Marine programs, for Navy SEALs, and for Officer Training. It may seem “non-pastoral” to reference this, or to even admit that I’ve read it and it’s in my Kindle library; but it has actually become a popular resource for business leaders in our generation. Principle 18 from Tzu’s ancient war manual instructs student, that for any hope of success in battle, you have to know your enemy and you must know yourself. The Apostle Paul would agree with the truth of that principle. In fact, he instructs every Christ follower in “THE ART OF WAR”; but Paul’s instructions are very different because his identification of our true enemy is Holy Spirit revealed! I invite you to watch or listen to this message, as the Apostle Paul shows us how the HOLY SPIRIT EMPOWERS US FOR THE FIGHT OF OUR LIVES! Pastor Joe Still

THE PARABLE OF THE NEW CAR A man who had never driven or even ridden in a car, was given the gift of a brand new car. He was so very happy with his new car. He invites his friend over to show them his new car. He shows them the beautiful paint job. He shows them the soft upholstery. He has them sit in it. He points out all the amenities like the stereo system and other optional equipment. But, there's one thing he doesn't understand about his new car; he doesn't understand that it has an engine in it. And so, everywhere he goes, he pushes his new car.  Every so often, he's going downhill, so he can jump in and coast. But, that doesn't thrill him too much, because he knows he's going to have to push it up the next hill. And, this car that he thought would be a blessing to him has become a burden to him. And, rather than it carrying him, he’s pushing it everywhere. He's very proud of it—very grateful to have it—most of the time. But sometimes, he wishes he didn't have it at all. And then, somebody says to him

While every week I look forward to the time we gather together to celebrate JESUS and fellowship with one another, I am especially eager for this week’s gathering. This Sunday we have the special blessing of Students leading us in worship and sharing what the LORD has done in them, around them, and through them, at FUGE Camp this Summer! I am also looking forward to our continued journey in our study of the PERSON & POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT. I’m praying you’ll join me as we study what Ephesians 5:15-18 says about being filled with the Holy Spirit. Pastor Joe Still

Staying Calm When a Crisis Comes A message from Acts 27:9-29 by Pastor Joe Still

I pray your celebration of being blessed to live in a nation filled with so many freedoms was filled with joy this Fourth of July. Our national freedom is a remarkable thing to be deeply treasured! So too, is our “Freedom in Christ”! Luke 22 records several discussions Jesus had with His disciples. In verse 35, we read Jesus asking them an interesting question. He told them to think back to the times He sent them out to towns and villages to proclaim the Good News, and He asked them, “Did you lack anything?” to which they replied “No!” The Apostle Paul opens his letter to Christ-followers in Ephesus with these words in Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing…” In Acts 1:8, just before ascending back to Heaven, Jesus tells His followers, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses...” Not only do we have “Freedom in Christ”, but along with that “Freedom”, He gave us “Po

This past Wednesday our nation celebrated “Juneteenth”! The holiday, with it’s name derived by combining the month “June” and the ordinal number “nineteenth”, became a national holiday in 2021. While Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day and Jubilee Day has only been celebrated nationally for a few years, it has actually been celebrated since 1866, starting one year after General Gordon Granger publicly read “General Order Number 3” in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865. General Order Number 3 began: “The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.” While the proclamation became law of the land in 1865, it would be many, many years before the freedoms and equities described in the proclamation would begin to become real

In this Father’s Day message, Pastor Joe Still will take some moments to honor and pray for dads. As little children, many of us grew up thinking of our dads as strong and powerful. They could lift us over their heads and throw us up into the air, evoking laughter and shouts of joy. It was a trait, for which we were grateful. While we now realize the source of that power was their muscle mass ratio, at the time it seemed almost supernatural! While muscle mass is one source of masculine power, that’s not the only source of power available to dads. In fact, there is a much greater power source available, not only to dads, but to men and women, boys and girls. It’s the same miraculous power we see radiating from the life of JESUS and it is true supernatural power, power that He said is available to all who trust in Him! Consider this your personal invitation to watch this message, as we seek GOD’s Empowering Presence through the promises of JESUS and the testimony of the Scriptures!

Where are your roots? You might have been asked that question a time or two by someone wanting to get to know you a little bit better. How did you respond? Did you tell them your hometown, your college alma mater, or maybe even your neighborhood? Did you share about your family? The Bible speaks about our roots and also a seemingly unrelated concept of wings. We will explore our connection to roots and wings during our time together. This week, we will also acknowledge and celebrate the graduating class of 2024 as they close one chapter and embark upon the next step in the Lord's amazing plan for their lives. We also have a few surprises up our sleeves courtesy of the worship team, too!! Garrett Walker Director of Student Ministry

The Apostle John included many truths and statements JESUS made about the PERSON of the HOLY SPIRIT. One of those recurring truths that JESUS points His followers to is a need one must have if they long to see the HOLY SPIRIT moving and growing in their lives, their church, and their community. If your heart is heavy to see a great movement of GOD in you life, I encourage you to listen to this message, as JESUS reveals to us the HOLY SPIRIT He knows and loves! Pastor Joe Still

About ten years ago, news outlets began reporting on an outbreak of “Identity Theft” scams targeting the IRS and our tax returns. In that season the office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration released a report that “confirmed IRS identity theft cases, and these returns accounted for additional losses estimated to be more than $5.2 billion.” That was for just one year. While the IRS has gotten better at detecting and prosecuting these false tax returns, “Identity Theft” continues to be a growing problem. In April, AARP reported that, “American adults lost a total of $43 billion to identity fraud in 2023”. As disconcerting as those facts are, there is another, even more sinister kind of “Identity Theft” that has been happening for over two-thousand years. It is Satan’s robbing followers of JESUS of the riches that come with our true “Identity in Christ”. JESUS warned His followers about this and promised to send the HOLY SPIRIT to “guide us into all truth” regarding Satan’s destructive pl

While I’m not a slave to what may be known as the orthodox “church calendar”, I do keep up with it, knowing that millions of my brothers and sisters in Christ live closely tuned into it. With PENTECOST Sunday approaching, I went back and reread a short, but wonderful book by A.W. Tozer entitled, HOW TO BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. In my opinion, it is a Christian classic and I believe every follower of JESUS can find encouragement and challenge from reading it. In it Tozer states: “The Holy Spirit came to carry the evidence of Christianity from the books of apologetics into the human heart, and that is exactly what He does.” “God took religion from the realm of the external and made it internal.” Elsewhere, Tozer once stated in a sermon, “If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95 percent of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference. If the Holy Spirit had been withdrawn from the New Testament church, 95 percent of what they did would stop, and everybody would know the d