Rio Vista Community Church: Recent Episodes
Tom Hendrikse
From its base in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Rio Vista Community Church serves to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. These are our weekly messages.
Pastor Tom Hendrikse explores the question that God asks Moses when He calls him into leading Israel out of exile.
Pastor Tom Hendrikse continues our series with the Question God asks Jacob in his wrestling.
Pastor Sam Kastensmidt continues our series with the Question God asks Cain after he's murdered Abel.
Pastor Tom Hendrikse begins our series "Questions God Asks" with the first questions God asks man: "Where are you?"
Pastor Tom Hendriske continues our series on the three most important relationships in your kids lives: God, you, and others.
Pastor Tom Hendriske continues our series on the three most important relationships in your kids lives: God, you, and others.
Pastor Tom Hendriske begins a series on the three most important relationships in our kids lives: God, us, and others.
Pastor Tom Hendrikse finishes our Friend of God series with the story of Abraham's servant, Eliezar, traveling to find a wife for Issac. We can see our redemption story in this narrative as well as the call of the Lord to "go find the bride!"
Pastor Ryan Brasington explores how Abraham, having just reached the height of his resurrection faith—mourns for his beloved wife, Sarah.
Pastor Sam Kastensmidt explores God's command to sacrifice Isaac and what that tells us about God's nature.
Student Ministry Director Will Buschmann explores the odd little story where Abraham buys a well and what that shows us about the faith of Abraham.
Teaching Elder David Richardson explores the sovereignty of God through the birth of Isaac.
Student Ministries Director Will Buschmann explores the miraculous way God uses the horrific events from Genesis 19 to bring about ultimate redemption!
Pastor Sam Kastensmidt walks us through the story of Lot where he goes from leader of the most wicked city, Sodom, to "righteous Lot" as he's called in the New Testament.
Pastor Mason Brown explores the story of Abraham interceding for the people of Sodom in Genesis 18.
Pastor Sam Kastensmidt explores what Genesis 18 teaches us about the promises God made to Abraham also being for Sarah and the good news that is for bride of Christ!
Student Ministries Director Will Buschmann delves into the repercussions Abram and Sarai encountered as a result of not waiting on the Lord.
This week, Pastor of Education Sam Kastensmidt explores the covenant God makes with Abram in Genesis 15.
Student Ministries Director Will Buschmann explores the promises God makes to Abram in Genesis 15.
Pastor Sam Kastensmidt walks us through the story of Abram's rescue of Lot, the mysterious figure Melchizedek, and the way the gospel story is powerfully seen in this often overlooked story of Abraham's life.
In our third week, Pastor Tom Hendrikse continues our journey through the life of Abraham, illuminating the lessons of faith available to us in Abraham’s triumphs and trials.
Pastor Tom Hendrikse begins our journey through the life of Abraham, illuminating the lessons of faith available to us in Abraham's triumphs and trials.
Pastor Sam Kastensmidt kicks off our new series, Friend of God, with the story of the Babel and the call to live our Kingdom ethics over Babylon ethics.
Pastor Tom Hendrikse explores Luke 19 and what it tells us about the kind of King Jesus is.
Pastor Tom Hendrikse explores Luke 14 and how following Jesus means prioritizing Jesus, his mission, and his kingdom above everything and everyone.
Pastor Tom Hendrikse explores Luke 12 and the calling to live today as if it might be the Great and Final Day!
Pastor Tom Hendrikse explores Luke 12 and the calling to follow Jesus (even if it costs you your money)
Join us for our Easter series: Death to Life! In the first week, Student Ministry Director, Will Buschmann, explores Luke 12 and the calling to follow Jesus (even if it costs you your life).
From Luke's Gospel, we have the story of the birth of Jesus Christ and the announcement of that birth through shepherds who were in the surrounding area. It was portrayed then as "good news of great joy," and it still is today. So go out and share it!
This time we are considering the first ten verses of Isaiah chapter 11. This prophecy describes a future king and kingdom that is literally a utopia of peace and serenity.
Our Advent series continues with Pastor Tom preaching from Isaiah chapter 9. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given—the ultimate gift! Tom explores the meaning behind the names Isaiah tells us this child shall be called.
Pastor Sam Kastensmidt begins our Advent season from Isaiah chapter 7, where we see the Lord providing a sign. A virgin will conceive and bear a son, his name will be called Immanuel. That name comes at great cost, as Pastor Sam will explain.
The conclusion of Awakened is from Acts 4, where Peter and John had been arrested and threatened with imprisonment if they continued to preach and teach in the name of Jesus. Their answer? Praying for boldness to do just that!
From the story of Phillip the Evangelist and the Ethiopian eunuch, we have a clear example of the power of the gospel and God's commitment to bringing the gospel to everyone who is ready to receive it.
In the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, we learn that no matter what your story is, regardless of what you have gone through, God still has a purpose for you. You are called to go into your city and be an agent of transformation!
In the conclusion of our series from Isaiah, Pastor Tom lets the voice of the Messiah ring out from Isaiah chapter 61. He has come to open blind eyes and set the prisoner free. The one who comes to him will never be cast out.
Isaiah prophesies about a day when all nations on earth will be united into one, under one king, and that kingdom will last forever. Jesus is the king and he wants us to reflect his light to the world so as many as possible can enter into that kingdom.
Isaiah prophecies about a time when God would call all the nations into the tent of his people. It's a foretelling of the Gospel Age, and of the Gentiles being grafted in. Direct of Student Ministries Will Buschmann is preaching this week.
In the fourth servant song, Pastor Tom comes to Isaiah 53. This remarkable prophecy of God's suffering servant connects with precise detail to the life and death of Jesus Christ. The actions of God's servant forever settle the debt of our transgressions.
In the second servant song we are told how the servant will go about his mission. God's servant Jesus, as he did everything needed to secure our salvation, suffered every indignity that we have, so he might identify with our weaknesses.
What moves God's heart and occupies his mind is the salvation of God's people through the work of his servant. That is the message of the servant songs. Have you personally experienced the salvation that Jesus came into the world to bring?
In Isaiah chapter 40, the prophet records God wanting to comfort his people. God does this by telling them who he is, what he has done, and promises to pay the debt from all their sin. Thus, when we consider God's pardon to us, we can find true comfort.
Why don't people ask us about our hope? Probably because we look as if we hope in the same things they do. Pastor Tom says the voice of our greatest enemy wants to tell us not to trust God. To have hope that makes us different, we must learn to trust God.
Pastor Tom Hendrikse preaching from the Gospel of Mark on the Identity of Jesus. Who does Mark show Jesus to be?
Pastor Tom Hendrikse preaching from the Gospel of Mark on the Identity of Jesus. Who does Mark show Jesus to be?
On Easter Sunday, Pastor Tom brings a message of new life in Jesus! Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector in Jericho, has an encounter with the Son of God that brings salvation and a changed man. That can be your story, too!
Pastor Tom takes us into the story of the Rich Young Ruler, a man who seemingly had everything yet was empty and desperately unhappy. He came to Jesus looking for answers, and Jesus told him he lacked just one thing, but first he had something to give up.
Jesus tells us that at the final judgment he will separate the people into the sheep and the goats. The righteous, who he calls the sheep, will be recognizable for how they have lived. When you look at their lives, you can actually see their faith.
In the Parable of the Wedding Feast, Jesus warns self righteous religious leaders in Israel that they will not make it into the kingdom of God. Instead, he says, people from everywhere, who are willing to wear garments provided by the king, will be there.
In the Parable of the Ten Virgins, Jesus teaches that his second coming at the end of the age will separate everyone into two categories, the wise or the foolish. The difference is preparation. When the bridegroom returns for his bride, will you be ready?
Luke chapter 18 starts off with two parables: the Persistent Widow and the Pharisee and Tax Collector. Both are teaching us about prayer. Pastor Tom focuses on the second parable and what we can learn from which man Jesus said found justification.
His disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray, and he does, giving them what's come to be called The Lord's Prayer. Afterwards, Jesus tells them a parable about prayer and how their heavenly Father will listens and answers.
For the second week in a row, Jesus is talking about money. It was a frequent topic of his because he knew the potential for idolatry that money presents. Pastor Tom says the important question is: When Jesus talks about money, do we listen?
In the Parable of the Rich Fool, Jesus asks us to take a hard look at our wealth (and all of us have wealth of one kind or another). Do we look to that for our security, or to God? How much of it do we give away? What treasure have we laid up in heaven?
The Parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the most familiar stories Jesus eve told. Asking who you neighbor is and hearing it's the person you see in need EVEN when that person is someone you'd otherwise consider an enemy can be quite a shock.
Pastor Mason Brown on the Parable of the Two Builders. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus wants us to know there are two kinds of people: the wise, who hear his word and do it, and the foolish, who choose not to do what he says.
Jesus tells two stories with one message: the kingdom of heaven is a treasure so valuable that it's worth everything you have and everything you are. Let it fill your life and displace the emptiness. Recognize the beauty of Jesus today!
In the Parable of The Sower, Jesus describes four types of soil and how each one differs when seed is scattered on it. Each describes a different reaction to the gospel. Pastor Tom calls us to examine ourselves and see whether or not we are good soil.
Jesus gave three interconnected parables with one meaning. He seeks the lost and rejoices when they are found. Why? Because you're important to him. He doesn't want you as a servant, he wants you as a son or daughter!
How often do we have to forgive others? Do we have to forgive them for anything, or are there limits? Jesus answers those questions in this parable. A forgiven people should be people who forgive others, full stop. No limits and no restrictions.
Judah is led by a wicked king named Ahaz. But despite having a wicked king and seemingly everything in the world coming against them, God is still faithful. Why? Because of his promises that a Savior will come to redeem you and me!
Our study of Isaiah opens in chapter 6 with his vision of God. Isaiah reacts to seeing the Lord "high and lifted up" on his throne by declaring himself a sinner and unworthy to be there. After Isaiah's sins are atoned for, God gives him a mission.
God gives a pair of visions, first to a Roman centurion named Cornelius and then to Peter. The result is the church reaching out to Gentiles for the first time. The Gospel is for everyone! Who is your "Cornelius" today?
The apostles gathered in Jerusalem, where Jesus had told them to wait for the Father to send the Holy Spirit. When he did, it was in dramatic fashion, visible to those gathered in the room and audible all over town. Then Peter delivered his first sermon.
The story of Peter's Restoration teaches us that even when we fail him, God still wants us and calls us to follow him. Even as Peter had to confess that his love for Jesus didn't match Jesus' love for him, Jesus still wanted Peter to care for his sheep.
On the Sunday morning following the Resurrection, Peter and John are told about the empty tomb by Mary and the other women. They run to it, discover that it's true, and shortly thereafter Jesus appears to them in person and in the flesh.
After Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter followed they took Jesus to the home of the high priest. As Peter waited outside by the fire, he was questioned about being a follower of Jesus and denied three times that he even knew him.
Who do you say that I am? Jesus asked his disciples this question and Peter's answer formed the basis upon which the church was built. What are the modern day applications from this iconic moment in Peter's life?
Jesus comes walking on the water as the disciples are caught in the midst of a storm. Peter comes to join him and although his faith fails in the storm, Jesus is faithful to catch him before he sinks.
Our series on the Life of Peter begins with the story of his calling. Will Buschmann, Director of Student Ministries, challenges us with the question of whether we, like Peter in this story, are willing to value Jesus above all else.
In the series conclusion of Desiring the Kingdom, Pastor Tom considers the story of four lepers, people considered outcasts in their time, discovering God's provision for the people and sharing what they found. What are we doing to share God's provision?
The Syrian army surrounded the city where Elisha was living and demanded that he be turned over. Elisha prayed and the Lord struck the entire army with a delusion the Bible described as blindness. Pastor Tom asks what form of blindness might afflict us.
Pastor Mason Brown brings us a message on the life of Naaman the Leper, a man who had everything the world says you want, but couldn't get rid of the spot on his skin until he came before God. What spot might God be using to drive you to a higher purpose?
Teaching Elder David Richardson leads the study of a chapter that details a series of miracles performed by the prophet Elisha. The nature of the miracles and the order in which they occur is a clear and intentional foreshadowing of Jesus Christ.
Moab rebels against Israel and once again, the king of Israel asks the king of Judah for help. Judah's king, Jehoshaphat, proves he didn't learn anything from the last disastrous outing. How can we avoid making the same mistakes over and over?
Elijah is about to be taken up to heaven by God. Elisha will be assuming the mantle of Elijah, that is, taking his identity in some sense. By the power of God's Spirit we are to take the identity of our master also--the identity of Jesus. Will we do this?
Our study comes to the end of the wicked king Ahab, which comes to pass in part because he listens to the wrong people. Pastor Tom answers the question of how we can find God's will for us, so we don't listen to the wrong voices also.
Naboth was a righteous man, by all appearances, living in Jezreel. He runs afoul of the entitled and wicked king Ahab, the ruthless queen Jezebel, and the cowardly leaders of his city. It's a story of unfairness, full of contemporary applications.
What is the good life? Co-Director of Student Ministries Will Buschmann asks that probing question as he looks at Elijah's calling of Elisha to the prophetic office. Can we see the good life as yielding to whatever God has called us to do?
Elijah returns to Jezreel after defeating and killing the prophets of Baal. Queen Jezebel swears she will kill Elijah, which causes him to run and experience something of a meltdown. God comes and ministers to him physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal to a contest proving which god was real—Baal or Yahweh, the God of Israel. (Spoiler alert! It was Yahweh.) One of the most dramatic stories in all of the Bible and one that Pastor Tom makes contemporary for us.
Today we meet the prophet Elijah. Bold and brash, he was not afraid to confront the enemies of the Lord. He delivers a message to King Ahab, the wicked king of Israel, that Yahweh would withhold rain, for years, to prove he is the true God.
This week surveys ten kings of Israel, just one of which did what was right in God's eyes. The others worshiped idols. Pastor Tom asks us to think about what idols we might have and offers some sage advice on how we might discover what they are.
Solomon is gone and we're on to what transpires with his son Rehoboam and the rival king Jeroboam. Both have the chance to choose wisely and both fail that test. All of this happens according to the will of God. Who is to blame when things turn out bad?
This week mark's the end of Solomon's story as it is recorded here, and it's not a happy ending. Pastor Sam reviews Solomon's life, begun in promise and ending in disobedience, in a eulogy that serves as a warning to everyone who thinks they cannot fall.
As we come near the end of Solomon's story, we see more evidence that his heart is somewhere else except with the Lord. Despite all the advantages he had, Solomon suffered from loving the wrong thing. This week, we ask ourselves: who do WE love?
God appears to Solomon a second time and promises that he will inhabit the Temple, consecrating it as his dwelling place on the earth. But God also gives Solomon a solemn warning. How did Solomon respond? What IS a wise response to God?
Solomon presides over dedication of the Temple. In his prayer, Solomon anticipates a day when God's people will turn away from him. Solomon asks God to take them back when they repent. Pastor Tom connects that with the story of the prodigal son.
The Ark of the Covenant was brought to the completed Temple. No other religious artifact was more important to Israel than the Ark. Co-director of Student Ministries Will Buschmann brings us a look at the meaning behind its design and its contents.
The Temple contains elements that seem unusual to modern day Christians. However, each of these elements has rich meaning, not only for the people of that day but for all believers today as well. Pastor Sam Kastensmidt walks through them all.
God asked Solomon what he wanted and Solomon asked for wisdom. This pleased God so much that he not only gave Solomon wisdom, but also great wealth. This week's message examines what Solomon, in his great wisdom, had to say about wealth.
Wisdom begins with humility. You can't begin to live skillfully until you understand that you don't have all the answers. Pastor Tom Hendrikse challenges us to look for those areas where we are living out of alignment with the wisdom of the Lord.
Have you recognized your need for King Jesus? And if you have, are you standing on the sidelines of the spiritual battle before you? Or are you engaged in it?
Adonijah, son of King David, attempts to seize control of the kingdom. He goes along with the serpent (Satan) that we see at work in Genesis chapter 3. Will you commit to the Lord and to slaying your serpents this year?
Pastor of Marriage Ministry Charlie Halleran brings us the message during the Sixth Week of Advent.
Co-Director of Student Ministries Will Buschmann opens God's word for us during the Fifth Week of Advent.
God is the only source of perfect, unconditional love for us, and down through the ages, he has used shepherds as the agents to announce his love for his people. On the first Christmas, 2000+ years ago, it was those shepherds who first heard about Jesus.
In the Old Testament, God's Spirit was said to come upon people, and you knew the result would be dramatic. The effect of God's Spirit on Mary and Elizabeth certainly was as well. We should all long for the same thing to happen with us.
God interrupted Mary's plans on that first Christmas. Her response was to submit without question or complaint. When God interrupts our plans, how do we respond? Do we submit, like Mary, or do we carry on with our own goals and ideas?
The nation of Israel had gone without a prophetic voice for over 400 years, and Israel had been the home of God’s prophets throughout their history. God’s Word connects us to him, in whom we find life, and away from man-made religions that lead to death.
Jesus unites us to demonstrate his love. If we come together to love one another, the world will take notice. This week in our "Undivided" series, we consider the story of four men who would stop at nothing to show love to a fifth.
Jesus unites us for a purpose. We aren't called merely to carry his name but also to carry out his mission. This week in our "Undivided" series, we examine the purpose for which we are called and hold our lives up for comparison.
Jesus reconciles us both to himself and each other. Our differences pale in comparison to the greatness of Christ. Unity is not uniformity, and it's not optional. The church is the only entity in the world where the only thing we have in common is Christ.
The final week in our series looks at the Apostle Peter’s life after Herod arrested him, intending to have Peter killed. The church’s response to this persecution was to pray earnestly, and God answered their prayers, freeing Peter from prison.
Jacob and Leah had a dysfunctional marriage at first. The Bible says that Jacob hated Leah because her father Laban had tricked him into marrying her. Weary from her struggle, Leah leaned on God, who turned dysfunctional into honorable.
Jonah and the big fish are among the best-known stories from the Old Testament and one of its most unusual. However, Jonah's story is really about priorities and obedience, choosing God even over your people, and misplaced anger.
Elijah was someone who knew about ups and downs in life. His story has fight and flight, certainty and indecision, and courage and fear. Although we find ourselves in different situations, Elijah's lessons from God are also useful to us.
Hannah is a woman of deep faith who finds herself in a difficult situation. Unable to bear children, persecuted by her husband's other wife, she pours out her heart to God. God answers, and what she receives from God, she offers back to Him in worship.
The wife of Manoah isn't named in scripture, but she is far from anonymous. Through her, we learn that our mission is not to promote our own name but to reveal the greatness of the name of the Lord.
Ruth was brave, hard-working, and devoted to her mother in law, Naomi. But those aren't the only labels she carried. Amid hardship, she meets Boaz, and the tale becomes one of redemption. Jesus redeems us from the labels we have as well.
Moses was many things to Israel, and none more important than being a mediator between them and God. Jesus is a far greater mediator between God and us. Because of him, we can be reconciled to God as adopted children.
Joseph is a fascinating character, especially in the parallels between his time in prison compared with how the world treated Jesus later. Accused of a crime he did not commit, Joseph never let go of his faith in God—who was with him all the time.
We begin a new series looking at the lives of heroic figures in the Bible and learn how Jesus is greater than each of them. This time it's Abraham. God removed Abraham's fingers from what Abraham valued greatly so he could lay greater hold of him.
What is your response to injustice? Solomon reacted by wishing for God's judgment. Paul reminds us that Jesus is the personification of humility. Today's message makes the connection between injustice, judgment, and humility.
Pastor Tom Hendrikse explores how we deal with oppression (or anything else for that matter). Do we live according to the gospel of this world or the gospel of Christ? Paul's answer from Philippians was the latter. Come find out why!
In Ecclesiastes, Solomon says that the man who has it all but can't enjoy it effectively has nothing. From Philippians, Paul tells us that when life is Christ, you can rejoice even in chains.
Ecclesiastes says the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom leads to the conclusion that life and its activities are empty and without meaning. Philippians says knowledge and wisdom from God fill your life to overflowing with deep purpose and eternal significance.
Solomon decided he would find satisfaction in the fruits of his labor, but realized that effort was meaningless. Paul's labored in faith, for God, who made everything Paul did into something meaningful.
The pursuit of pleasure and success is a pervasive goal for modern-day Americans. Yet Solomon says that even when you achieve it, you have nothing. The Apostle Paul has a different message about being content irrespective of circumstances.
This week, the Ecclesiastes passage is on money and wealth. If that's what you are pursuing, you will never be satisfied. Philippians has a different message for us, one that tells us we have something to gain worth more than all the money in the world.
First in a series comparing and the world of Ecclesiastes, where “Life Under the Sun,” apart from a higher hope, proves meaningless, with Philippians, where a life lived for Christ gives hope and meaning to ALL things—wealth, beauty, power, knowledge.
Our series on revival comes to its conclusion and asks, "Do you have a burden for revival?" The end of the message series should be just the beginning of our pursuit of revival. Pastor Tom Hendrikse delivers this powerful, heartfelt plea.
Our series on revival continues with the question, "What brings revival?" Pastor Tom Hendrikse tells us that the second half of the answer is prayer. Revival comes to God's people when they get on their knees and pray for it!
Our series on revival continues with the question, "What brings revival?" Pastor Tom Hendrikse tells us that the first part of the answer is repentance. To find out by whom and of what, you need to watch this week's message.
Against the backdrop of racial unrest all across our country, Pastor Tom Hendrikse answers the question, "What holds revival back?" Don't miss this week's message to hear the answer and how it connects with our current crisis.
Pastor Matt Lomenick answers the question, "What does revival look like?" Revival results in supernatural phenomena, both inside and outside the lives of God's people, changing the hearts and minds of his people in miraculous and undeniable ways.
Week two of When God Moves finds us considering what the goal is in Revival? What are we asking God to do for us? Or, what is perhaps a better question, for WHOM do we ask? Pastor Tom Hendrikse will explain.
Our series on revival begins with an obvious question, but it isn't often asked: what is revival? Many, especially Americans, associate revival with evangelistic crusades. Those are wonderful, but as Pastor Tom will explain, they aren't a revival.
Our series on prayer concludes with the question "Who Do You Pray For?" That's one question with two answers, as Pastor Tom Hendrikse will explain.
In our third week of this series, Pastor Tom tackles the question of "What Do We Pray For?" The answer is we begin by praying for the Holy Spirit because he is the foundation for everything we do in our Christian walk. He gives mighty gifts for ministry!
How do you pray? We're not asking about whether or not you close your eyes or fold your hands; we're asking how you approach God. Because God wants us to have faith like a child and to come to him as any child would come to their father.
Our short series on prayer begins by asking the question, "Why to Pray?" From Mark chapter 9 and the story of the father of a demon-possessed child, Pastor Tom talks about the desperate need for believing, expectant prayer.
The message of Easter is one of a new life. Jesus came back from the dead, and he made a way for you to come back from the dead as well. This life is not all that exists. Pastor Tom Hendrikse brings a message of hope and resurrection.
Holy Week 2020 begins with Palm Sunday, a most unusual Sunday because the nation is mostly under quarantine against the coronavirus. Pastor Tom Hendrikse observes that "a crisis makes you more of what you already are." Powerful stuff!
In the grip of the current pandemic, with everyone having to shelter in their homes, the lack of control and an uncertain future can create a great deal of fear. Pastor Tom brings a message on facing these things by surrendering the outcome to Jesus.
This week we visit a passage from Ephesians that is controversial in our modern times. Husbands and wives, children and parents, employers and employees, submit to one another. At its core, however, it's speaking to the powerful and the vulnerable.
Paul calls on us to imitate our heavenly father, whose image we bear. We carry that image with us everywhere and should leave a favorable, lasting impression. To one another, Paul tells us to act and speak in a way that builds up.
Paul testifies for the Lord: We must not lead a life filled with futility—we must put off our old selves and put on new. With renewed minds and spiritual senses, we deny the devil any opportunity to corrupt us, speaking in a way that builds everyone up.
We are at the halfway point in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, where it pivots from explaining what we have in Christ to how we ought to live. Paul says he is a prisoner in Jesus Christ, so the question to us is: who or what holds us captive?
For the second time in just the first half of the book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul turns his attention to prayer, which raises a question: how big of a deal is prayer in your life? Prayer is an open line to the creator of the universe. Will you use it?
This week we're studying what is essentially an interruption. Paul is concerned because he's heard the church is concerned about his imprisonment. He wants to reassure them that he's okay. This message asks the question, "How do you see your suffering?"
The first half of Ephesians chapter 2 reveals God has reconciled us vertically, to himself. This week the latter half adds he has reconciled us horizontally to each other. Do you believe there is anyone, anywhere with whom not even Jesus can make you one?
After describing God's beautiful plan for us and sharing his prayers for us, Paul moves to discuss our condition and how God rescued us. While we were (spiritually) dead and unable to do anything to earn favor with God, he still made us alive with Christ.
Our study of Ephesians continues with verses 15 through 23 of chapter one, asking the question, "who or what do you pray for?" In response, Paul offers a tutorial on prayer. He tells them to ask for spiritual sight so that they might see God.
Our study in the book of Ephesians opens with Paul laying out God's eternal plan for us. Before he scattered the galaxies and planets, God had you in his mind. He chose you for adoption as sons and daughters, and he has given you every blessing in Christ.
Pastor Tom Hendrikse kicks off the year by introducing our new message series, "One Body, One Mission." Discovering our identity in Christ is part of growing up spiritually. This year at Rio, the challenge is to do both. Come along on the journey!
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.
Matt Lomenick launches this series of messages based on the Sermon on the Mount. He gives us an overview of the series that encourages us to "have an encounter with Jesus and let him challenge your kingdom." Matt takes us through the beatitudes this week.
Sometimes it feels comfortable to compartmentalize our lives: work, family, friends, hobbies, church. The Bible, however, tells us to live EVERY aspect of our lives as ambassadors (in the name of) the Lord Jesus Christ. God calls us to go "all in!"
Bishop Clarence Glover from Mount Bethel Baptist Church brings us the message from Revelation about the church at Ephesus. Jesus praised them for their works but cautioned that they had "lost their first love." What is your "first" love?
God's Word does not call us to deny our differences to achieve uniformity, nor does it call us to deny our convictions in the name of unity. Instead, it commands the children of God to submit to God's work of creating one new humanity. (Ephesians 2:15)
God is the Author and Creator of the Great Feast. He made you for it, and your appetites are the part of you that makes this divine celebration come to life. It’s all about what you do with those appetites and what you let them do to you.
Real wealth is the riches that are ours in Christ. There is a path that leads to our souls being satisfied, and our work having meaning and honor. This week, we will see what Wisdom has to say about how we conduct our business and professional lives.
There is no place where wisdom is more important, and each of us feels less wise than parenting our children. Compassion, training, discipline, teaching God’s truth—the Bible says a lot about the role of parents and its outcome in the lives of children.
Justice and Mercy are necessary if we want to live as skillfully as Proverbs sets before us. Followers of Jesus must not ignore one for the other; both are integral parts of His nature and should be for us as God conforms us to the image of His Son.
Work is a more substantial part of our identity than we’d perhaps like to admit. Finding the balance between work and rest becomes all-important. This week, we find out what Wisdom has to say about it as Pastor Sam Kastensmidt preaches.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That phrase, from the Book of Proverbs, is as challenging to understand as anything we find in the entire book. What kind of fear is this? Pastor Matt Lomenick explains how fear and wisdom are connected.
As we launch our new series from the Book of Proverbs, Co-Director of Student Ministries Will Buschmann opens with a look at Solomon and his legendary wisdom. Will explores the contrast between wisdom and foolishness.
Our series on what Jesus gave us concludes with Pastor Matt explaining that Jesus gave us each other. Jesus built his Church on the rock of Peter’s confession that he (Jesus) is the Christ, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Our series examining the gifts God gave us after Jesus ascended continues with Pastor Sam Kastensmidt addressing the Word. God gave us his Word, and our Bibles contain this supernatural power for living.
Our look at prayer continues as Pastor Tom Hendrikse examines HOW to pray. Jesus gave us an example designed for precisely that. If you're uncomfortable with the thought of praying, not being sure what to say, this message is definitely for you!
Scott Carson, our Director of Renewal, considers the next element God gave us to accomplish his mission: prayer. More specifically, WHY do we pray? Prayer is communicating personally with God, showing that we are convinced of his wisdom and power.
God sent his Holy Spirit to comfort us and guide us, but that's not all; the Spirit also empowers us. Pastor Tom Hendrikse says the gifts of the Spirit still operate today, and we shouldn't shy away from the miraculous and the supernatural. That's God!
Jesus told his disciples that after he ascended to heaven, he would send the Holy Spirit to live inside all who become his followers by faith, to comfort us and teach us. Pastor Tom Hendrikse examines what it means to have the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Winston Miller, our Pastor-in-residence of Community Formation, kicks off our new message series, What He Gave Us, with a look at the Great Commission. Go, and as you do so, make disciples of all nations! This command from Jesus gives us our purpose.
The 21 Questions series reaches its conclusion with this Resurrection Sunday message answering the question "Why is Jesus Unlike Other Religious Leaders?" Pastor Tom Hendrikse explains that Jesus defeated death and made it possible for us to do the same.
Last week, Pastor Sam Kastensmidt considered Job, who suffered because of extreme loss. Now he looks at Solomon, who suffers because of extreme gain and finding it meaningless. The rise in depression, anxiety, and suicides show how real this suffering is.
We continue with week two of three on the subject of suffering. How Can a Good God Allow Suffering? Our pastor of Spiritual Formation, Sam Kastensmidt, opens the Book of Job and gives us a fresh perspective on one of the Bible's most unusual stories.
If God is supposed to be good, why am I suffering? Starting this week and continuing over the next two weeks, 21 Questions addresses the hard question of suffering. Pastor Tom Hendrikse leads off with a powerful message: suffering is not always bad.
Christian hypocrisy is one of the most oft-cited reasons people don't believe in God. The church says one thing, but its members live another. Why? What is the root cause of hypocrisy? Dave Richardson answers this from the story of David and Bathsheba.
Each of us is familiar with temptation; it's a shared human experience. Shared also by our champion Jesus, who faced a series of them when he was at his most vulnerable. In his example, we can find the keys to unlocking our own defense against temptation.
Pastor Tom Hendrikse offers a thoughtful, compassionate response to the question of why God tells us who we can and can't love. Why is a person's sexual identity any business of the church? Find out where the church has been right (and wrong!) in this.
Marriage is an institution that's under siege today, from those who wish to redefine it, to those who want to ignore it altogether. What IS marriage, anyway? Why do we defend it and declare its importance? Pastor Tom has the answer in this week's message.
Not just our country, but the entire world is sharply divided over politics. Families have split up, lifelong friendships dissolved, all because two people identify with different political parties. So what's a Christian to do? Tom Hendrikse answers that.
How can we forgive those who have hurt us beyond all measure, especially those who continue to do so? Director of Renewal Scott Carson brings us the word from God this week that the power to forgive is one that no one can take from you.
Why is there so much hate in the world? With only the most narrow of exceptions, hate is evil. Pastor Tom Hendrikse walks us through why evil exists, where it came from, and what God offers us to deal with the evil inside of ourselves.
What happens to me when I die? That is a simple question with what most assume to be a complicated answer. Pastor Matt Lomenick, however, has a straightforward answer for us: we get what we want. Check out this week's message to find out the how and why.
We examine another of life's difficult questions as asked by our congregation. "Why am I here?" Tom Hendrikse says understanding why we are here begins with asking ourselves why anything exists at all. He has a practical answer to an existential question.
The third and final question to come out from our Student Ministries, "What do I do with my shame?" To answer this, Tom Hendrikse examines the connection between guilt and shame, working through the story of the woman caught in adultery.
This week's question once again comes from the students in our high school and middle school ministries, and it is "Where do I find my worth?" Matt Lomenick explains how finding our worth begins with understanding the infinite worth of Jesus Christ.
Our series answering life’s hardest questions continues with Will Buschmann, Director of Middle School Student ministries, covering “What’s the big deal about sex?” Will presents a balanced, considered view of Biblical sexuality.
If God exists, and if he speaks, how can we find what he wants us to do? Is that even possible? Our series on 21 Questions continues with a practical guide to understanding God’s direction for our lives, no matter what the situation.
Our series continues with Pastor Matt Lomenick answering the question "Why is Christianity so exclusive?" Which raises the question of whether it IS exclusive. What does it mean for those who choose not to worship the God of the Bible?
Is Christianity in conflict with science? Our 21 Questions series continues by examining the connection between faith and reason. It's more substantial than you might realize. Don't be afraid to ask questions.
Any discussion of life's difficult questions from a Christian perspective will refer to the Bible as its source. Which in turn raises the question of "What does an ancient Bible offer today?" Tom Hendrikse answers that in this week's message.
When we are hanging out on the beach, God is all around us. The sun, the shore, the waves - they all remind us of Him. But when we are right in the middle of a storm, and we hear Him call us to come and move out in faith, where can we find Him then?
Prayer is a vital part of our lives as followers of Jesus. And while it isn't wrong to pray for our physical needs or those of others, we should realize that the best use of prayer lies somewhere else. This week we examine what Paul prayed for, and why?
In the series conclusion, Tom Hendrikse looks back over our ten-week exploration of the process of moving from spectator to fan, and from fan to player. In the end, we all must be moved to take the gospel to the whole world.
In the penultimate message from this series, Tom Hendrikse tackles the question of how Christians should love and serve the city where they live. We feature our connection with Fort Lauderdale High School as Priscilla Ribeiro joins Scott Carson on stage.
Between our families and the rest of the world, there exists another layer of people: our neighbors. How does Jesus define a neighbor, and what should our response to them be? Tom Hendrikse answers those questions this week as "What Moves You?" continues.
Our exploration of what moves us shifts from worship to people. This week we talk about moving toward your family, including those friends who are as close as family, which, biblically, looks like loving God and leading them to do likewise.
God has planted this church and its body of believers in a vast and beautiful city where his mission is both vital and challenging. Multicultural, multigenerational, and fast-growing, we are ground zero where the postmodern world meets the gospel.
This week starts a conversation about Community that Moves You. The first part of which is what makes a true friend. Jesus prayed that God would give us unity, and also said the world would know we are his followers when they saw how we loved one another.
A vital part of worship is the Sacraments. We observe two, Baptism and the Lord's Supper (Communion). Tom explores the meaning of these sacraments and why they are important to the life of the church. The message concludes with two believer's baptisms.
Worship's setting is not fixed. We're an ever-changing people who worship a never-changing God. From one generation to the next, the people of God express their worship in different ways. Ryan Brasington teaches from history to explain why change is good.
Worship tells God's story, but just what story is that? Pastor Tom Hendrikse explores that question in this week's message and uses illustrations from classic novels and movies to show how humanity longs to be a part of such an epic tale.
Our series on What Moves You in Worship, Community, and Renewal begins with John's vision of heaven from Revelation chapters 4 and 5. Through his eyes, we see the genuinely unfettered worship of an indescribably glorious God. Worship is about God!
Our series in Exodus, from Bondage to Freedom, moves into Joshua for a few weeks so we can see what happens in Israel after Moses, arguably their greatest leader, is gone. Joshua takes over and is engulfed immediately in a battle against fear and anxiety.
Our series in Exodus, from Bondage to Freedom, moves into Joshua for a few weeks so we can see what happens in Israel after Moses, arguably their greatest leader, is gone. Joshua takes over and is engulfed immediately in a battle against fear and anxiety.
Our series in Exodus, from Bondage to Freedom, moves into Joshua for a few weeks so we can see what happens in Israel after Moses, arguably their greatest leader, is gone. Joshua takes over and is engulfed immediately in a battle against fear and anxiety.
"Sometimes, you need a God who understands." The words of Bishop Clarence Glover, Senior Pastor at Mt. Bethel Baptist Church, who preached on the story of the woman caught in adultery from John chapter eight. An inspirational message for each of us.
Will Buschmann wraps up our series in Exodus by looking back at the big picture that we are freed from a life of bondage by God. In the end, he asks if we are living a life of worship that is all consuming, or do we withhold parts of our lives from God?
Both Moses and David wrote of their desire to know God and to see his glory. It was the one thing they asked of him. In the New Testament, Jesus also has one thing he asked of the father, that we might be with him and see his glory. We're his "One Thing!"
After the golden calf, God expresses his displeasure with Israel, saying that he won’t go with them to the promised land. Moses intercedes and tells God that if he won’t go with them, there is no point in going. We need God himself, not just his benefits.
A mountain covered in cloud for 40 days and nights, a disappearing leader, a pile of gold, and a roaring fire. It sounds like the setting for an adventure story, but it’s the setting for this week’s message concerning patience and waiting on the Lord.
The description of the Tabernacle is a bewildering collection of details until you understand that the specific elements of its construction are depicting our path back to God. He came to live (tabernacle) among us so we might be able to live with him.
Today our Exodus story begins God's instructions for building the Tabernacle and within it the Ark of the Covenant. The rich imagery surrounding the Ark tells us a great deal about our heavenly father and the kind of relationship he desires us to have.
The tenth commandment prohibits us from coveting our neighbor's possessions. It is unique among the commandments as it doesn't forbid an action (such as do not kill, commit adultery, or steal), but concerns how we are on the inside. Are we content?
The ninth commandment deals with truthfulness. Do not bear false witness against your neighbor. That goes beyond simply not telling a lie about someone, and extends as far as protecting their character. Not by lying, but by speaking the truth.
You shall not steal, on its face, a reasonably straightforward mandate to follow. All you have to do is avoid taking something that doesn't belong to you. What if this commandment reached beyond tangible property, though? What else might we be stealing?
Our series on the Ten Commandments continues with "you shall not commit adultery." As with all of the commandments, the purpose is to preserve something. You shall not murder protects life, for example. You shall not commit adultery protects marriage.
You shall not murder; this seems like the easiest commandment for most of us to keep, doesn't it? Very few of us want to be a killer, but what if we understood this to mean you shall not dehumanize another person? Are we as comfortable then?
The first four commandments concerned our relationship with God. After the 5th commandment, the focus is on our relationships with each other. What does it mean to honor your parents? What if they have done dishonorable things to you? Listen and find out.
Sabbath keeping means different things to different people. Is it Saturday or Sunday, and are you permitted to do anything at all? Tom Hendrikse explains it's not what this commandment prevents you from doing, it's what it frees you from that matters.
What's in a name? In God's case, his name represents his character. As the people of God, we should portray his name well and bring honor to it. We don't do that, though. Maybe we should stop and consider how seriously God takes the handling of his name?
You must not make any idols seems like a very easy commandment to keep because we don't carve idols in our 21st-century lives--except that we do. We fashion for ourselves an image of God in our hearts; the question is how accurate an image do we make?
We begin our look at the Ten Commandments with Director of Student Ministries Mason Brown preaching on "You Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me." You might be surprised at just how many we find. Serious self-examination is dead ahead!
Israel comes to the foot of Mt. Sinai, where God will give them his law. God's law reveals his nature, leads us to his forgiveness, and shows us how to live for him. It is not there to make us feel guilty or like failures. Quite the opposite, in fact!
Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, comes to bring his daughter and grandchildren back to their husband and father. He observes life among the Israelites and, after seeing a problem, offers Moses some wise advice. God wants us to have mentors and friends.
God led the people of Israel to a place in the wilderness where there was no water to drink, and the people quarreled with Moses, accusing him of deliberately trying to kill them. God gave them water to show that He is the only way to quench our thirst.
The best-known story about miraculous bread is in this week's passage, where God provided manna (a word meaning "what is it?"). It was delicious and nutritious, but wouldn't last. Hunger can only be satisfied forever when we find the bread of life: Jesus.
What makes you bitter? For almost all of us, that's quite a long list. In our story from Exodus this week, Israel had to confront their bitterness, literally and figuratively. The Lord shows us the way out is forgiveness, through a tree (i.e., the cross).
Worship pastor Ryan Brasington teaches about the Song of Moses and the unique power that music has to influence our minds, and our relationship with God.
God told the people to camp in a location that would trap them between Pharoah's army and the Red Sea. Then he fought for them and delivered them. God knows us and our battles, for they are his battles also. In this life or the next, he will deliver us.
The Passover was the moment of deliverance for Israel that brought freedom to its people; freedom from slavery to the Egyptians. Our Passover Lamb was Jesus, who brings us freedom from slavery to sin. What will we do with that freedom?
What does it mean to be safe? Is it even possible? The story of the final plague, when the Destroyer came and killed all the firstborn, is an uncomfortable one. God brings judgment, BUT he also brings deliverance through the Lamb’s blood.
In our story from Exodus this week, Pharaoh refuses to acknowledge God’s message, despite a series of plagues that afflict Egypt. God demonstrated that he was greater by far than little gods made by human hands, and the only one to whom we should listen.
There are a seemingly endless number of voices competing for our attention. The world has no end of gods (with a little g) to tell us what to do. But there is only one God worth listening to, and this week in our study of Exodus, we see that made clear.
This week, we find Moses caught in a moment of considerable doubt. God's response to Moses was to tell Moses who He was, and then make promises to him. When we're caught up in doubt, we must focus on who God is and what He has promised.
The people of Israel were slaves in Egypt and conditions became worse after Moses demanded that Pharaoh let them go. Instead of being angry at their taskmasters, the people turned on Moses. We don't want freedom when the price is too high.
At the burning bush, God answered every one of the objections Moses raised with basically the same answer: "I will do this." When Moses finally just asks God to send someone else, he is admitting his lack of faith and trust. How often do we do the same?
God tells Moses to go to Egypt and free Israel. Moses offers excuses for why he shouldn't. God asked Moses what he had in his hand (a shepherd's rod), and showed him how it would authenticate his message. What's holding you back? What's in your hand?
God reveals himself to Moses in a burning bush that doesn't get consumed by the fire. He gives Moses a mission and even more importantly, his previously undisclosed name: I Am. In this week's message, Will Buschmann explores what it means to say "God Is."
Before Moses could deliver Israel, he had to be delivered himself. Pharaoh's daughter rescues an infant Moses from the river. Later, he chose to suffer affliction with the people of God over the passing pleasures of sin as a member of Pharaoh's household.
The birth of Moses came after Israel spent 400 years in captivity. During Advent, we remember Jesus coming into the world after 400 years of silence after the last of the prophets. Jesus leads us out of slavery to sin like Moses led Israel out from Egypt.
The story of Exodus is a journey from bondage to freedom, and we begin by looking back to Genesis. The way out is by finding the way into a relationship with God, and both of these are the same man: Jesus. This season of Advent, we remember his coming.
Our series from the psalms concludes with the first of five consecutive psalms of praise. The psalmist praises God who dispenses both mercy and justice. If we honestly have faith in that same God, we will lead lives characterized by the same traits.
God knows everything about you: everything you do, say and think. Despite knowing you better than anyone else ever could, he loves you and has declared you righteous. From before you existed, God has seen and ordained every day of your life.
Martin Luther said this psalm was one of his favorites because the gospel was evident in it. He even wrote a hymn, "From Depths of Woe I Raise to Thee" based on Psalm 130. Pastor Sam Kastensmidt unveils God's tender love for us, expressed in this psalm.
The psalmist praises God because he is an abundantly available help in time of trouble--both trouble from within and from without. Pastor Matt Lomenick addresses the tricky subject of mental health, with a panel discussion at the end.
We don't ask questions when evil or careless people suffer. We see it as the consequence of their choices. But what about when GOOD people suffer? That's the setting for Psalm 44, and while the answer might not be what we want, it's likely what we need.
What is the meaning of life? Why do we exist? When we are gone, will anyone remember our name? This psalm finds David asking these sorts of existential questions. The answer from God is that any life can have significant meaning if it is given over to Him.
Psalm 38 finds David suffering; He knows why and never protests his innocence. He understands that he is experiencing the discipline and rebuke of the Lord. However, sometimes pain comes without that understanding. How can we bear up under either kind?
David's distress drove him to God, and to publicly stake his fate on God before his family and a watching world. As a result, the peril was good, though he probably didn't call it such at the moment. Is it time to change a label on something in your life?
Who are God's righteous ones? Those whom God has decided may live on his holy mountain, what is unique about them? This psalm describes many of the character elements that should mark the lives of these people. Pastor Matt Lomenick brings us the message.
Praise is not optional; it's missional. We should not hide our praise from others because God has given it TO us, FOR them. It's good for them! Moreover, praise is good for our own soul. So why aren't we more open in our praise? The answer is right here.
Probably the most famous of all the psalms, Psalm 23 is packed with metaphors that explain the care Jesus takes of his sheep. Who are these sheep? Those who recognize his voice and follow him when he calls. A message of comfort for those in the storm.
About forgiveness, David writes that having your sins covered, and your iniquities remembered no more, makes one truly blessed. The opposite of which is the oppressive weight of unconfessed sin. But God is forever ready to surround us in steadfast love.
Psalm 22 is the Psalm of the Cross. Jesus himself quotes verse one as he hung on the cross dying for our sins. The prophetic descriptions in this psalm are especially remarkable because they were made long before the invention of crucifixion.
The psalms are Israel's book of worship. A collection of songs and poems with a central message that God alone can be trusted. They record the many ways in which we come under attack and how we cannot rely on ourselves or anyone but God for deliverance.
Psalm 19 is a psalm of praise and perspective. Set against the backdrop of the universe, we are a speck living on a speck of a planet located in a speck of a galaxy. However, we are important enough to God that he sacrificed himself for us. How marvelous!
Some psalms are praise psalms. They celebrate God's greatness and goodness, his lordship over the created order, and his commitment to saving his people in their mission to rule the earth. He does this so that his name would be majestic in all the earth.
David passionately appeals to God regarding those who falsely accuse him. When we face injustice in our own lives, how do we react? Do we seek vengeance, or do we find refuge in God? Our Director of Student Ministries, Mason Brown, brings us the message.
In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon tells us plainly that there will be times of sorrow in our lives. Worship pastor Ryan Brasington brings us the message from Psalm 6 this week, exploring what role hope plays in sustaining us through stress and sorrow.
A psalm of lament? What does that mean? Our Director of Renewal Scott Carson tells us it says that it's okay to be honest with your tears, your pain, and your fear. However, those things never replace calling out to God in prayer, forever praising him.
All of us face pressure, that's part of life. But, for each of us, there comes a time when pressure feels extreme. David found himself in that position, and he recognized that while God was his deliverance, that might not be from pressure, but through it.
David had lost control of his kingdom, and the usurper was his son, Absalom. A well-planned coup, executed over time, leaving David virtually alone. How David reacted, both spiritually and practically, give us a blueprint for our own stressful situations.
Psalm 2 declares that the Lord will ultimately judge all, and there is no refuge from him. However, while we cannot find refuge FROM the king, we CAN find shelter IN him. The wise will kiss the son (submit to Christ) and find blessed refuge in the king.
Ryan Brasington introduces our new series of messages covering the Psalms. (About the audio quality: The recorder at our sound table did not correctly record the message. We extracted audio from another source, but it has some echo in it. We apologize.)
The Day of Pentecost, where God poured out his Holy Spirit on the disciples and gave the church everything it needs to spread the gospel through the entire world. How does that happen and what does a Holy Spirit-filled life look like?
Jesus gathered with his disciples in the upper room, but the location wasn't important. What he said to them and what he prayed for them is what matters. Jesus wanted his disciples to have unity. The gospel changes our tendency toward petty divisions.
When we love someone, there is no limit to what we do to please them. Jesus gives his disciples a very simple list--if they love him, keep his commandments. Simple, yet nearly impossible without help. Jesus promises we will have a Helper, the Holy Spirit.
Most who know anything at all about the life of Jesus like him. Even if they don't believe he is God they think he was a good man. Jesus clearly claimed to be God, however, and this week we hear his polarizing declaration to be the exclusive path to God.
"I am the good shepherd" is one of eight "I am" statements by Jesus. He explains the relationship between sheep and their shepherd to his disciples. Later Jesus tells Peter to shepherd his sheep, and so we also shepherd on his behalf until he comes again.
In Luke 24, Jesus meets two of his disciples after the resurrection. Jesus conceals his identity and spends time teaching them before revealing who he was. Those disciples are then sent out to be witnesses to the risen Christ, just as he sends us today.
The resurrection wasn't the end of Jesus' story; it began another chapter. He appeared to his disciples, and many others as well, overcoming all their skepticism about his return. Pastor Matt brings a great message about faith and the reasons for doubt.
Easter Sunday message: The resurrection of Jesus is both a reasonable and highly controversial explanation for the empty tomb. Without the resurrection, there is no gospel, but you don't have to give up your brain to believe that it happened.
Palm Sunday celebrates the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Jesus, however, wasn't there to conquer, he had come to die. He was, therefore, the unexpected king. Holy Week is an opportunity to introduce others to your King and tell them his story.
A close friend of Jesus called Lazarus fell ill and, when Jesus didn't heal him, died. Jesus raised him from the dead, so those observing might believe. The Gospel changes how we think about death, while Jesus receives us even though we carry its stench.
Jesus encounters a man who was born blind. First Jesus restores the man's physical sight, then later gives him spiritual sight so he could see Jesus was the Messiah. God can use dark and difficult things to bring spiritual light to us and those around us.
Living water is another phrase commonly heard around churches, but what does it mean? Is it really water? Tom Hendrikse relates the story of Jesus and the woman at the well to answer those questions, and we learn that the Gospel changes what satisfies us.
You must be born again. That is a popular phrase among evangelicals, but what exactly does it mean? Sam Lamerson, President of Knox Seminary, examines a conversation between Jesus and a religious leader named Nicodemus to provide us with the answer.
All of us have faced temptation, and we will face it again in the future. How we prepare ourselves in advance for this happening will largely determine how successful we are in dealing with it. The gospel changes how we face temptation.
Everyone suffers at some point, it is inevitable. Jesus promises us that it will happen, but he tells us that's okay because he has overcome the world by suffering himself. The gospel changes how we suffer by guaranteeing our suffering will end in glory.
Our series on gospel living continues. Who is your neighbor? For most people, neighbors are others who look like them, think like them, and act like them. But God has a different definition for you. When you see someone in need, THAT is your neighbor.
When it comes to living as the renewing agents of God, obedience matters. Why? Because the law of God reflects the nature and character of God. When we, in love, obey God's law, the character and worth of our invisible God is made visible to the world.
We continue in the Sermon on the Mount and come to the part of Matthew chapter 5 where Jesus tells us we are "salt" and "light." What does he mean by those words? Answering that question is part of understanding how the Gospel changes everything.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus tells his disciples that the change to come in the Kingdom begins today with a change in their hearts. The Beatitudes declare that the path to true and unending happiness starts when the Gospel changes everything.
Living as the renewing agents of God requires us to surrender absolutely everything to God (in whom we gain absolutely everything). It's scary; something we have to do every day. But why is it scary for you? And what would it take for you to give it away?
The Bible calls Jesus the Lamb of God. Where does that come from and what does it mean? In the same way, as we have to know who we are not, for the Gospel to change everything, we must know who Jesus is.
When we live for God's mission, we are his renewing agents in this world, bringing the Gospel to individuals for their personal renewal and renewing the world itself. One required attribute is humility: Knowing who we are and who we are NOT.
From the murderous act of a savage tyrant, King Herod, it seems unlikely that we will find a word of comfort. Dr. Warren Gage examines the prophecy fulfilled by Herod's slaughtering children, and that trail leads us to the God of all comfort.
John 3:16 is the best-known verse in the Bible; even unbelievers recognize it. The original Greek gives an indication what word the writer was emphasizing the most. It's the word "so," a word of measure, and God's measure is vaster than we can comprehend.
An understanding of what Christmas is begins with sorting out what Christmas is not. Pastor Tom Hendrikse has one shining example of the latter, in the "fake vs. real" debate. This recording is from our Christmas Eve 2016 service.
We marvel at Mary's willingness to be God's servant, and rightly so. What of Joseph, however? God's plan to save his people would cost Joseph everything as well. In the end, Joseph considered God's plan to be worth everything he had. And it was--and is.
God is making everything new again, through Jesus Christ and his power in us as renewing agents. This renewal won't finish until the Second Coming, but this mission is worth our giving everything to it. This week we see a perfect example of this in Mary.
John the Baptist is one of the most significant characters in the Bible. As we go through the season of Advent, the time of longing for our King to come, looking at John's ministry clearly shows how God brought all of prophecy together in Jesus Christ.
Jesus told his disciples that he would return someday to make all of creation new again. Those who believe the gospel, who are already made new on the inside, should live expectantly, looking for his return to happen at any time. But do we? If not, why?
Thorn in the flesh is an evocative phrase. The emotional context is usually negative. You want to avoid a thorn in the flesh, or remove it, and get past it as fast as possible. Paul has a different perspective. Thorns are given to us by God for a purpose.
You become like your gospel. While there is only one true gospel, there are any number of false ones. The true gospel of grace alone through faith alone because of the work of Christ alone is the only one that can produce a balanced life.
What does the gospel inspire? We've seen it inspires generosity and makes us cheerful in giving. This week our study shows that the gospel anchors us to Christ and in doing so sets us free. When Christ is our home, we stop seeking the world's approval.
Our discussion of generosity continues with 2 Corinthians chapter 9. Worship giving, or the tithe, puts your money in right relationship with God, while Missional or free will giving puts your money in right use for the Lord. Generosity exposes our heart.
On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of our church, we take a look back at its rich history while looking ahead to the next 75 years. Paul's message from 2 Corinthians chapter 8 is that the gospel makes you generous. That's a hard word, but a good one.
There are some hard words in scripture, and we don't mean hard to pronounce. Some words are just hard to hear, especially when we trust the canon of our culture more than the Bible. However, God brings those hard words so we might have freedom in life.
Faced with false teachers trying to lure away the Corinthian believers, Paul responds with a blunt discussion of how he had suffered for the gospel. As hard as it is to hear, Christians should expect to suffer. But God will always bring life out of death.
When it comes to the life of a Christian in this world, the goal is fruitfulness. Genuine faith will bear fruit. How do we get our minds off our condition and focused on bearing fruit for God? By seeing the Christ of the cross as the Christ on his throne.
Does what we do matter? Yes, of course. If that makes us afraid, Pastor Matt Lomenick shares the following with us in this week's message: "The good news is, the God who made you will give you purpose in life and he will give you peace in death."
Weakness, sorrow, and suffering: three words that describe a lot of human existence. Our impulse is to do whatever we can to avoid or escape from them. Paul teaches us to focus on what remains when everything mortal falls away; The life of Christ in us.
Obedience. That's a word to strike fear into the hearts of most churchgoers. We know it's important to obey God, but why? Understanding why we practice obedience frees us from fear of failure and doesn't contradict the gospel of grace.
After pouring himself into starting the church at Corinth, Paul faced opposition from some of the very same people he loved so much. The only way to deal with that kind of heartache and stress is to have faith in a God who brings resurrection.
At the very beginning of Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, he addresses an issue of truthfulness. Some had accused him of saying one thing and doing another. The Holy Spirit through Paul gives us answers about transparent living and accountability.
At the start of his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul raises the issue of suffering. Tom Hendrikse asks and answers two questions many believers have when facing hard times. Why do we suffer? And where do we find hope in the midst of our suffering?
Paul's letter to the Corinthians ends with a few business matters and personal mentions of some who were vital to his ministry. Pastor Tom Hendrikse shares his story about the path that led him to our church and asks, who is in your Faith Hall of Fame?
The heart of the Christian faith is a promise. God promises that just as he brought Jesus back from the dead, so he will also resurrect you. Even better, Paul says that the bodies we pick back up will be infinitely better than the ones we lay down.
We live in uncertain times in a scary world. The 24-hour news cycle delivers dark despair to our smartphones, tablets, computers, and televisions. Is there hope? Yes! For what can the world take from us that God will not restore at the resurrection?
The resurrection of Christ is the heart of the gospel. If Jesus did not return from the dead, we are doomed to a pitiable life of self-denial culminating in a meaningless death. Can you be sure of the resurrection? Absolutely. This week we explain how.
A discussion of gender roles is vital for the church, but gender roles have so often been abused that we're afraid to have it. Because this week's passage has been part of the controversy, Pastor Matt gives a thoughtful, thorough answer from God's word.
Paul continues with his instruction to pursue love, specifically that we would be unified in our diversity through love for each other and for God. A message about not letting our gifts and differences divide us, that we would always build each other up.
You could perform the greatest deeds imaginable, demonstrate every possible gift, but if you do not have love, you are empty and your deeds are meaningless as far as God is concerned. This part of Paul's letter isn't just for weddings--it's for all of us!
In this week's passage from his letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul deals with issues of respect and gender roles in public worship. And we find ourselves dealing with the sensitive issue of gender identification. A moving and heartfelt message.
Who or what is your greatest desire? Will it result in a temporary crown in this life or an imperishable one in eternity? This week, Paul explains how gaining control over ourselves--which is a fruit of the Spirit--is vital to reaching that eternal prize.
There's no question that we love our sense of entitlement. Looking out for ourselves is baked into our humanity. This week, the Apostle Paul tells us that life isn't about what's good for us, it's about what's good for the gospel. Live to share it!
Paul takes on the topic of meat that was offered to idols. Now before you go check this one off the list, you should realize that the principles being taught are timeless and apply to things other than meat and idols. Strengths and weaknesses abound.
What sexual ethic does the Bible teach? What is permitted, and what is not? And what about same sex attraction? What does God ask of those who are gay? Marriage, singleness, and celibacy are all part of this week's message. Not graphic, but adult themes.
It shouldn't take much to make the case that the world around us is broken. Sickness, death, sorrow, and pain are all a part of our everyday reality. There is a better place: heaven. What makes it better, though? Dr. Sam Lamerson answers that question.
God's sexual ethic versus the sexual ethic of the world around us. One leads to freedom and the other to bondage. Is it true that sex is just an appetite, like hunger? How do we recover from our past and safeguard our future?
Real faith shows up in real ways in our real lives. This week, Tom Hendrikse explores how we ought to live differently when it comes to disputes and lawsuits. The wisdom of the world is once again diametrically opposed to the wisdom of God.
What is the value of community? In this week's text from 1st Corinthians, Paul writes about the community of faith protecting itself. From what? From the dangers of hypocrisy. If we allow it to remain without opposition, it will eventually poison us all.
The wisdom of the world says to be proud of yourself and your accomplishments. This wisdom of God says to be humble and not more proud of yourself than you ought to be. Pastor Tom Hendrikse explains why we should right-size our egos--and how to do that.
Foolishness and wisdom, it's easy to tell them apart, right? Maybe not. Paul declares that the ability to discern between foolishness and wisdom comes from the Spirit of God. So the question is, are we listening to Him or are we deciding for ourselves?
The message of the cross seems foolish, to those who are perishing. Paul's letter to the Corinthian church declares this, even as it makes clear to us that this same message is our only source of power. God's wisdom can only be found through the gospel.
Believers at Corinth were divided by which prominent teacher they chose to follow. Paul chastised them for this disunity. He declared Jesus had sent him to preach the gospel, but not with eloquent speech lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Corinth was a wealthy, liberal port city much like Fort Lauderdale. Paul's letter opens by sharing how thankful he was for the church there, and reminding them that they would find their true security in their relationship with God.
In the story of finding a wife for Isaac, Abraham's son, you have a father, his son, the father's servant, and the son's bride. The church is both the bride and the servant in this story, and we are each asked a question: Will you go?
Ownership is a word that provokes feelings of pride and responsibility. Determining who owns something is a cornerstone of our legal system. Who owns what we have: our time, talents, and treasure? Here's a hint: it's not us.
Money is a topic often avoided around churches, but Jesus had no such reluctance. He tells us quite plainly why we shouldn't invest in the temporary things of this world and why we SHOULD invest in the kingdom of heaven--then explains why we often don't.
What is the value of the kingdom of God? For that matter just what IS the kingdom of God? Pastor Tom Hendrikse answers the second question but Jesus answers the first. Because only the man from heaven could accurately say what the kingdom of God is worth.
We wrap up looking at the new heavens and the new earth with a message about the new city. John's vision is a picture that delivers a powerful message: the new city isn't a place, it's people. People with their God not far off, but at their center.
The description of the heavenly city communicates more than its appearance. It tells us that the city is made up of living stones, those are the church--the bride of Christ. It is also the fulfilled promise of the perfection that was lost back in Eden.
Life in the new heavens and the new earth is described poetically in the book of Revelation, but practically and comforting as well. Looking ahead to the world that will be should give us strong motivation to share the Gospel with those who are thirsty.
The world that was, the one created in Genesis chapter one, ended in a great flood of judgment. The world that is, the one we live in, will also end in judgment one day. We should be waiting for, and hastening, that great and singular day of the Lord.
Noah and the ark. What is that story about? God's judgment and salvation? True, but it's also about a man who valued, loved, and trusted God enough to be faithful and patient, no matter what. He is our example of how to live in a world bound for judgment.
The story of Noah and the ark prompts many questions, but it also ASKS some questions, which are far more important. Do people think you're just a little bit crazy? And when the judgment of God brings destruction, on which side of the door will you be?
The lines of Cain and Abel (through Seth) blend as they intermarry. The eventual result is a violent and corrupt world that turns away from God. Through the godly line of Seth comes Noah, a faithful man who builds an ark that saves God’s people.
The story of Cain and Abel divides humanity into two genealogies. Cain kills Abel, then runs away from God, founding his own city of men, the end of which is complete corruption. Seth, the son who replaces Abel, worships God and looks for His city.
We believe that God has designed our souls, and as the designer of our souls He knows best what they need. He sent His son into the world to be our Savior, whom He uniquely designed to meet our needs, also. (Christmas Eve Service)
Where did evil come from? Or more to the point, why did God, who made absolutely everything and is in control of absolutely everything, ordain that evil should enter into the world? A story of evil, temptation, and ultimately grace and redemption.
Our Creator has designed us to live our lives in an all-of-the-time act of worship to Him. What we worship reflects the deepest desires of our heart. The question put to us, then, is what do we worship?
The sixth day of Moses' account of creation reveals three things about us: We were made for relationship with God, we were made to do the work of God, and we were made to enjoy the rest of God. Every one of those things requires an investment of time.
The Rhythm of Grace is the pattern of the gospel. All we’ve done is attach language to its various expressions. Living in the Rhythm of Grace is learning to apply this gospel pattern to every situation until it becomes the operating system for your life.
Guest speaker Pastor Alan Platt from Pretoria, South Africa, brings a special message on church collaboration and compassion for the city.
Our study in Luke's gospel concludes with Jesus spending time with his disciples after his resurrection. What he says to them, asks of them, and how it changed their lives is important because he says to us, asks of us, and expects the same from us today.
Following his resurrection, Jesus met two disciples on the road to Emmaus. He showed them prophecies of his resurrection from the Scriptures. This message examines some of those prophecies, showing the resurrection has been planned from the beginning.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the single most important event in all of history. If it happened as the Bible says it did, then it stands to guarantee all Christians life after death. This message examines the evidence for the resurrection.
The crucifixion of Jesus is darkness and death. Yet without that darkness and death, the light and life of the resurrection would not be possible. On the cross, Jesus swallowed up all your darkness forever so you might have a relationship with the Father.
Jesus going to the cross has encounters along the way, each one is a lesson: God is sovereign and merciful when He chooses to lay crosses on your shoulders; Crosses make no sense if we're living for our own kingdom; There is hope for anyone at the cross.
Jesus is on trial, first before the Jewish ruling council and then Pilate, the Roman governor. They falsely accused Jesus, shuffled him from one fake trial to another, and ultimately condemned him. Do we do any better today? Do we give Jesus a fair trial?
Is there any more infamous failure than Peter's three time denial of Jesus? Thankfully, with Jesus failure is never the end of the story. We explore how Jesus restored Peter as well. Our past failures remind us of forgiveness and turn us back to the Lord.
All of us face temptation; Even Jesus faced temptation in the garden the night before he was crucified. This week we will see how Jesus faced and fought his own temptation, and what that tells us about how we should face ours when it comes.
Everyone defines success differently. I will know it when I see it is the common refrain. Some of the disciples approached Jesus with their own ideas on success and greatness. Jesus makes it plain that success and acclaim are redefined in the kingdom.
Holy Communion. The Lord's Supper. Denominations differ over its practice and even have varying interpretations of its meaning, but it's a sacrament shared by nearly all Christian churches. This week, Luke records its origins with Jesus himself.
After a final public debate with religious leaders, Jesus focuses on his disciples. He tells them something of the path that lies before them, and where it all will end. He tells them (and us) how to live today, in light of the day that is to come.
Do we serve the Lord for his sake or for our own? When something goes wrong, do we look at all we do for God and wonder why he is allowing this to happen? If so, then we are serving him for our own benefit. We already received God's best in Jesus Christ.
Jesus was teaching at the temple in Jerusalem. He told a parable about a vineyard, and conflict between its owner and the people he leased it to. Jesus wants us to know that the time to bear fruit is NOW, and we should all be totally focused on that.
Where do we find peace? Is it from looking within, looking around, or do we find peace by looking above? Jesus rode into Jerusalem as a king would do, and then wept over what he saw: a corrupt system, full of discrimination. Will WE be the ones to change?
You can divide people into three categories: Faithful servants of Jesus, unfaithful servants, and those who reject him entirely as king. In the parable of the Ten Minas, Jesus tells his disciples, and now us, what he expects from his faithful servants.
Real faith shows up in real ways in your real life. That's the message this week in the rhythm of grace. Tom Hendrikse introduces us to Zaccheus who, like the rich young ruler last week, encounters Jesus. This time, the outcome is quite different.
Jesus meets a wealthy young man, a ruler of a synagogue. Moved by the teaching of Jesus, he was willing to risk his standing just to speak with him. Yet he had one thing he could not give up. To follow Jesus, you cannot value anything more than him.
Jesus tells his disciples two parables concerning prayer. First we learn that we should pray and not lose heart. God will answer speedily, although he wears a different watch. Second, we learn to humble ourselves if we want to be exalted in the end.
The end of the world is coming. There are as many interpretations of what the Bible says about it as there are people interpreting it. Because of this, it often becomes a subject we don't talk about. However, Jesus does talk about it and we should listen.
In America we celebrate the 4th of July as the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which set forth basic human rights. Jesus speaks about other basic rights: compassion, mercy, and forgiveness. He has sent us to provide these.
Even people who are only slightly familiar with the Bible have heard the story of Lazarus and the rich man. Through it, Jesus teaches us something about heaven..and about hell. The lessons go beyond the obvious though, as we'll find out this week.
Money is important to us, no surprise there. Jesus spoke about money more than any other topic, so he knew that it might come between us. There is one thing to use your money for that you might never have considered--making eternal friendships in heaven.
We believe God loves us…and people just like us, but what about people who are nothing like us? Jesus teaches in parables that God loves even those some of us hate and seeks the one that is lost. We must align our hearts with his and love them also!
How much do we love Jesus? If we want to be his followers, how much SHOULD we love him? Jesus gives us the difficult answer: we should love him to such a degree that our love for our parents and even ourselves seems like hate by comparison.
To follow Jesus means prioritizing him, his mission and kingdom, and everything that he's up to this world, above everything and everyone else. To those who don't accept God exists, that's insanity--life is about THEM. But that's not the Christian vision.
Jesus often does things we don't expect. When that happens, it can be difficult to trust him to do what is best. This week we come to a story of Jesus healing a woman who was bent over with a deformed spine. The world saw one thing, but Jesus saw another!
Jesus again teaches on living each day in light of the great and final day that is to come, but he expands that to say we should live each MOMENT of each day in light of that great and final day that is to come. Are we prepared and waiting for his return?
Jesus talked more about money than he did on heaven and hell, combined. Out of 39 parables, 11 were on money. However, money isn't the problem--it's what money represents to us. What place does money occupy in your own Rhythm of Grace?
Jesus said if anyone would follow Him, he must deny himself and take up his cross every day...but what does that MEAN? Deny yourself? Take up your cross? Well, one aspect of it is learning how to live this day in light of that great and final day to come.
Jesus continued his ministry of deliverance by casting out demons, prompting a skeptical crowd to say he did so by the power of Beelzebub. Jesus pointed out how selective their skepticism was. Are we also being selectively skeptical of God?
Becoming a follower of Jesus means becoming a person of prayer. For a lot of us, that's a problem. We don't know what to say or we find it hard to get motivated to pray. Luke records Jesus teaching his disciples both how to pray--and why they should.
There are things you HAVE to do and things you GET to do. You HAVE to go to work, but you GET to go on vacation. Jesus did all that had to be done to provide for our forgiveness and salvation, and now we get to choose to follow him. Easter Sunday message.
Jesus teaches his disciples more about what it will cost to follow him. It requires a one-time decision to get off the fence and prioritize Jesus above all else, and it also requires you to crucify your desires for the things of this earth every day.
J"Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake will save it." Those words from Jesus to His disciples established a fundamental principle of what it meant to follow Him: we must die to ourselves. What does that mean?
Jesus sends his 12 apostles out to proclaim the kingdom, telling them not to take anything with them. You don't need anything special before doing what God calls you to do. If you give Jesus what you have, He will multiply it to provide what is needed.
Fear is the opposite of faith. What is it that you’re afraid of? Natural disasters? Supernatural demons? Sickness and death? In a series of short stories, Jesus demonstrates he is master over all these things. Faith in Jesus will drive away fear.
The parable of the seed and the sower describes four different kinds of soil, each of which depicts a different state of the human heart, and their individual reaction to the seed, which is the word of God concerning the kingdom of God. Which one are you?
This week we meet a Pharisee who was intrigued by Jesus and cautiously risked a little in meeting him, and a prostitute who was deeply moved by love for the one who had forgiven her sins and was ready to risk everything for him. Which one are we?
When God doesn’t do what we want Him to, we are often plagued by doubt. Does He know what we need? Does He love us? Is He even there? John the Baptist, in prison and waiting to die, was filled by doubt. What did Jesus say to him? What does it mean for us?
In his sermon on the mount, Jesus tells us good roots make a good tree, and we know a good tree by its fruits. He also declares many to be blessed whom we would not: the poor, the hungry, etc. If Jesus alone is enough for you–you ARE blessed indeed!
The Sabbath: A day of rest from your usual work and a day to worship the Lord. Why do we struggle with the idea of rest? Being important and significant comes from Jesus, not from being too busy to rest. The Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath!
In this week of Epiphany, we see Jesus in three interconnected stories as he illustrates not just that he brings salvation, but also what kind of salvation that is. He penetrates to the deepest, darkest parts of us and makes us entirely clean.
Luke chapter 4 records Satan tempting Jesus. It is a familiar story to many of us. This week, Pastor Tom Hendrikse shows us that Jesus was tempted by far more than we understand from the text, and that he went through this because we NEEDED him to.
Repentance. Theologians debate whether it is simply a deep sorrow for your sins or a commitment to a changed life. This week from Luke chapter 3 and the story of John the Baptist, we see that repentance is most importantly the path that leads us to Jesus!
12-year old Jesus remained behind at the Temple, prompting a frantic three day search by his family, who thought he was probably dead. When his frantic and upset parents found him, Jesus explained that He was compelled to be about his father's business.
Simeon, a righteous and devout man, and Anna, a widowed prophetess, saw the infant Jesus at the temple. Both proclaimed that Jesus would be God’s provision for the unification of Israel, and then eventually of all God’s people.
Christmas Eve. The night when God entered the world to live with His people. The reality of that night was likely very different from the idealized vision in children’s tales. We look back, with the eyes of our imagination, to that cave in Bethlehem.
Elizabeth and Zechariah, the parents of John the Baptist, were filled with deep longing for a child. Even though God miraculously gave them a son, they learned it was only God himself who could truly satisfy their deepest longings.
Mary sets an example of accepting both your general vocation and your unique vocation for which God has specifically chosen you. Mary didn't settle for mediocrity, and God used that about her. We don't serve Christ somewhere, we serve Christ where we are!
In the Rhythm of Grace, we should be longing for God. But what do we do when God breaks through in our lives? Mary probably had her whole life planned out, but chose to set it aside when she encountered God. Her response was surrender. What will ours be?
The Rhythm of Grace, our study of the life of Jesus as found in the book of Luke, begins with the people of that time and place living under the tyrannical rule of Herod and longing for life! What is it that you long for, especially at this time of year?
(Series conclusion.) The death of King David, and David's final words to his son Solomon. Death forces us to face the inevitability that we will come to an end and, if we're wise enough to do it, gives focus to the however many days we have remaining.
The most difficult questions begin with just three letters: Why? Why doesn't God answer my prayer? Why is God allowing me to suffer? Truly difficult questions, but there is an answer. It might not be one that we want, but it's definitely one that we need.
David's last thoughts are of his house, his father, and the generations to come. David's house was in shambles but he knows God's everlasting covenant will make it ordered and secure. Likewise the future of our own families is not in our hands, but God's.
The voice in our story changes this week, from the narrator telling us the story of David to David himself as he approaches the end of his life. We begin to see his final thoughts, and David is thankful for God’s salvation, both now and what will come.
David and the nation of Israel have been facing a three year long drought, something completely devastating to a culture like theirs in that time. In the midst of that drought, the people lose heart but David cries out to God as he writes Psalm 4.
King David has been restored to his throne, but he is unable to reconcile his people, so peace eludes him in his kingdom. This is a contrast to our true king, Jesus, will will come and reconcile all things to himself, bringing a beautiful peace forever.
Driven off the throne by his son Absalom, David fights to regain his kingdom. Absalom is killed, restoring the rightful king to his throne and bringing peace to the kingdom. God's son also died to bring peace and restore the true King to His throne.
If everything else in your world was stripped away from you--your family, job, or health--would having God alone be enough for you? David has lost almost everything and this week he loses his kingdom, and we see his answer. What about us? Is God enough?
What are the consequences of sin? Sin doesn't just cause bad THINGS to happen, it changes people. Especially those who've sinned. This week we see how David's fall into sin changed him, and it's not pretty. Sin brings us low, but Jesus can lift us up!
More consequences from David’s sin. His own children become involved in shocking acts of rape and murder. It is a horrible perversion of God’s design, in which a man protects a woman. No woman should suffer abuse alone. There is help and hope for them!
We have seen a lot of David the hero, but last week we saw David the sinner. This week, David's sin is unmasked in front of everyone. What can we learn from his repentance? Just as David found hope in God, so we find hope in the unfallen one: Jesus!
There is a story of tragedy in the life of every Bible hero, save one: Jesus. This is not just the story of the fall of David, it is the story of the fall of his entire world. This week we see that David is just like us. We never fall in isolation.
God made promises to King David: To give him a great name, a secure land, and rest from his enemies. These promises freed David from having to live in fear. This week we see the generosity and self sacrifice that someone freed by God's promises can show.
This week, we see God instruct David in the opposites of humility and pridefulness. It's easy for pridefulness to creep in disguised as false humility, which is where David found himself. We serve a humble King who exalts his HUMBLE servants!
What is worship to you? Singing, (maybe) clapping, (sometimes) raising your hands? To God, worship is a clear indication of how we regard Him. King David shows us that whenever we worship, however we do it, we must worship with all our might!
David unites the tribes and becomes king over both Israel and Judah and in the process of doing so, he is faced repeatedly with seemingly overwhelming odds. Time and again, though, he shows that when we give our battles to the LORD, we have already won.
Following the death of Saul, David is anointed king and a civil war breaks out. Men scheme and plot, but David continues to trust the purposes of his King. A cautionary tale about how the roots of grief can produce bitterness in our hearts.
Emotion dictates our behavior, attitude, and actions. David grieves over the deaths of Saul and Jonathan. In the case of Saul, that is remarkable since he tried to kill David. Your enemy is NEVER another brother or sister in Christ. We are all one body.
What is the difference between sentiment and compassion? How far do you have to be moved from feeling to taking action? The Story of the King continues with Saul meeting his end and David reaching a new beginning.
David has sought refuge from Saul among the Philistines. He uses deception to convince them he is on their side. How do we reconcile that with the God of truth we serve, who wants us to live truthfully? Tom Hendrikse has a clear answer to that question.
What is the distance between faith and fear? This week we study an extremely unusual story that shows us clearly how someone goes off the rails when motivated by fear rather than faith. Is fear keeping YOU from doing what you know God wants you to do?
Have you been wronged and cry out for vengeance? Most of us have heard "vengeance is mine, says the Lord." Does that mean God is your hit man? What if, instead of doing something TO the ones you seek vengeance against, you should do something FOR them?
When confronted with ungrateful and insulting behavior from another, David became furious and aimed to kill Nabal. But his passion was calmed by wise counsel from Abigail. When passion rules over thought, where is YOUR wise counsel coming from?
We talk a lot about the faith of Abraham. He is a model for all who came after him. But what exactly WAS Abraham's faith? What DID he believe about God? He believed then what we must today, that God can bring life out of that which was dead.
David found himself in a situation where it seemed that the stars had aligned to deliver Saul into his hands, giving David the chance to bring Saul's pursuit of him to an end. Yet David chose to find God's will in God's word, not in circumstances.
Before he was Israel’s greatest king, David was living in the desert, hiding in caves. During this time David wrote some of his most peaceful psalms. Saul had no peace, but David--who Saul was trying to kill--did. How? Where did it come from?
David was arguably King Saul’s most loyal subject. He’d saved all of Israel from the Philistines by killing Goliath. Yet still Saul tried to kill him. How did David react to this incredibly unfair set of circumstances? What can we learn from that today?
The privilege of addressing God as Father was given to the king in the Old Testament, only he and his family were permitted to do so. King David is succeeded by the true King, Jesus, and we are his sons and daughters. Thus we too may call God our Father.
In the book of Judges, the mother of Samson is never referred to by name--she is simply called the wife of Manoah. Yet the Angel of the Lord, likely God himself, appeared to her not once, but twice. Pastor Tom Hendrikse explores her remarkable story.
This week, Saul jealously tries to kill David, while Saul’s son Jonathon sees in David a spirit that reminds him of himself, and Jonathon loves David and commits himself to him. An encounter with the king, you see, will reveal what is truly in your heart.
God, who is the perfectly righteous, holy, and flawless creator and judge of the universe, will judge us all by his own perfect standard. That's a huge, Goliath-sized problem for us! We need a champion, like David, to stand up for us. We need Jesus!
Despite seeing clearly absolutely everything we do and THINK, when God looks at us, what He sees is our heart. That should prompt you to desire the purification of your heart, which should lead you to Christ because only He can give us a heart like God.
The King expects, and deserves, our trust. Trust in the king can be measured by obedience. Do you obey him completely? This week, we see that Saul did not obey the LORD completely. That lack of trust would cost Saul dearly. Are we any different, though?
The story of the king continues with Israel and Saul, their king, hiding from an enemy they could not hope to overcome. The son of the king gives himself up to certain death and the LORD not only preserves him but vanquishes the unbeatable enemy.
As the people searched for a king, God brought them Saul, the tall, handsome son of a wealthy family who certainly looked the part. But God isn’t looking for the tall or the handsome, God is looking for those who obey His word in the power of His spirit.
When you live for King Jesus, your life looks very different from those who don’t. We must examine our lives to make sure they ARE different and if they aren’t, to remove via repentance the gods we’ve placed on the throne, so Jesus can reign as king.
It's a natural desire of fallen human beings to want to dethrone God and bring him down to our level, even as we elevate ourselves to his. Israel went through a long period of rejecting God, but the faithfulness of one man was used to restore them all.
The story of how the Ark of God returns from exile shows us that we serve a King who is in control of absolutely everything. That fact should give us peace and make us thankful. It also should never make us doubt. Pastor Tom Hendrikse explains why.
The story of the King continues with the Ark of God, his physical manifestation in the world, captured by the Philistines and taken into exile, a symbol of death. Its return, its resurrection, began on the third day. Our King brings us life out of death!
Samuel heard the voice of the Lord telling him what he should do, and then he obeyed that voice. Seems simple enough, right? The king speaks, you do what he says. We also serve a King who speaks. This week we study how to recognize his voice.
When you have a king, you serve the king. The story continues with the sons of Eli, who the scriptures tell us were worthless men. They stole from the Lord and committed sins in his temple. Have you brought your sins to King Jesus? Do you serve him?
At the time of Samuel's birth, there was no king in Israel and "everyone did what was right in their own eyes" (the last verse in Judges tells us). We need King Jesus not only to save us from our sins, but to save us from ourselves.
We conclude our series examining the mission of Jesus in his own words with the story of Jesus and a tax collector named Zacchaeus, where we see that the mission of Jesus was to seek out and to save those who are lost.
We continue our series examining the mission of Jesus in his own words with a discussion of our enslavement to the law of God, and how the death of Jesus freed us from that, so we might live as sons and daughters of God, instead.
The mission of Jesus in his own words continues with the message that he is the Light and has not come to judge the world, but to save it. Those who believe that are brought from darkness into the light. Transformed hearts leading to transformed lives.
On his way up to Jerusalem, Jesus explained to his disciples what was about to happen. He was on his way to face suffering and death. It was his mission, one we share. We don't die physically, but we die to ourselves at the foot of the cross every day.
The mission we're on is one of God's truth lived out and spoken out by us, in a world full of people who have trouble acknowledging that truth even exists. What do we value more than Jesus and the truth of his word that leads us to him and to life?
God is our refuge and rest. A beautiful concept, a familiar statement, but do we truly believe it? David reveals in Psalm 62 why life necessitates this beautiful concept to be lived out, and challenges us to ask "What do we pour our heart out to?"
Jesus faced the devil’s greatest temptations, willingly suffered to sympathize with our tears, and pressed on through that suffering while refusing to let go of the faithful promises of God.
Jesus concludes his Sermon on the Mount by prompting us to examine ourselves so we might be able to answer the question: Are we in, or are we out? Are we doing life together with him, or are we not? The answer is in the fruit.
When Jesus famously said that we should not judge others lest we be judged ourselves, what did he mean? When he said ask and it will be given to you, did he mean we’ll get ANYTHING we ask for? Tom Hendrikse answers that, and more, in this week’s message.
At Rio, we define your "treasure" as your time, your talents, and your money. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us that treasure is that which directs our hearts. Where we invest our treasure is where our hearts will be.
Jesus cautions against practicing righteousness to gain the approval of men. The blessed life, which is a life lived in relationship with him, seeks the approval of God. If you seek man's approval, you may get it, but that's all the reward you'll have.
Jesus teaches in his Sermon on the Mount about the kingdom of heaven, which can only be found through faith in him. It exists in the hearts of his people right now, we don't have to wait until we die to live in it.
In the Beatitudes, Jesus describes the blessed life. That begins in a relationship with Him. Tom Hendrikse reveals how each Beatitude is another facet of the blessed life that we find in Jesus.
Tom Hendrikse reflects on the anticlimactic way the story ends for the Apostle Paul. Because, Paul's story wasn't about Paul, and our stories aren't about us. If we're living a life in mission, the story that’s being told THROUGH us is the story of Jesus!
The life Jesus lived on earth was one marked by sacrifice, self-denial, and suffering. Tom Hendrikse reveals that pattern in the story of Paul’s journey to Rome to stand trial before Ceasar and explains that we will have it in our lives also.
The life lived in mission is a life of separations. We separate ourselves from everything we would cling to in this world, to live the life that God has planned for us, in light of the life that is to come.
A life lived in mission is one where every part of it belongs to God and follows the pattern of the life of Jesus. Even when we are waiting for deliverance, we have to know it will come, because this life is not the only life there is.
The life in mission is one in which the gospel is demonstrated through our lives, how we care for one another and how we care for the weakest among us. But sometimes, we’re called to speak this gospel out loud, to share it in words with others.
Life in mission is living as one who has been set free. Freedom comes from the gospel and is real even if our present circumstances say otherwise. Tom Hendrikse challenges us to take the gospel and its mercies to a world that desperately needs to be free.
The Apostle Paul, on his way to Jerusalem, stopped in a city about 30 miles from Ephesus. There he called the elders from the church at Ephesus to come meet him, and he gave them what amounts to his last will and testament.
We are called to lay down our lives after the fashion of Jesus, to do what he did. To take his message and gospel mercies to the world. That mission requires us to forsake our idols, to turn away from those things that we, in truth, have turned to.
What do you need to know in order to be saved? How does God prove himself and show that his message of salvation is true? Tom Hendrikse takes up the question of the difference between John’s baptism and the baptism of Jesus, and signs and miracles.
The apostle Paul worked to change the ancient city of Corinth from the inside out, by transforming its people. And that's how we can change our own city, by living the mission every day, in everything we do -- including our jobs.
To restore the peace of God and bring his order to a world of chaos, you begin with this: You must know God and have a relationship with him. Matt Lomenick brings a message about Paul in the city of Athens and the sermon on Mars Hill to illustrate this.
On this Independence Day Weekend, Sam Kastensmidt delivers the message that the gospel and the church is the only hope of a nation.
To accomplish anything great, you must sacrifice. There is nothing more worthy of our sacrifice than the mission. God sacrificed his own son and while he may not call us to make a sacrifice like that, he WILL require sacrifice from us at some point.
Life is Mission means ALL OF LIFE. The problem is our desire to compartmentalize our lives and offer God the pieces we think he should have, keeping the rest for ourselves and keeping God out. This week Tom shows us that even our FAILURES are mission.
If we're honest, being a parent is equal parts awesome and terrifying. In this message, Pastor Tom Hendrikse poses the question "What are you raising your children to be? A great doctor, lawyer, or athlete? Or a great follower of Jesus Christ?"
The council of elders in the first church decided that the church stood for FREEDOM. Freedom from religious law, yes, but Tom Hendrikse tells us we stand for freedom TO something as well — the freedom to live in mission, giving our lives to Jesus.
What do most of the people in your world have in common? They need God! There's a big difference between the gods of this world, that leave you empty, and Jesus, who came to us because he loved us and now will fill an empty life full with his love.
We have a habit of focusing on the small, singular events in our lives while missing the bigger principle of which they are a part. A life in mission calls us to look at the big picture and to embrace what God is doing.
When God tells us to let go of something, we know what the RIGHT answer is. We also know what our REAL answer will be. Pastor Tom Hendrikse tells us how we can realign ourselves with God’s will, so that these two answers become one and the same.
The children we are raising today are the future of the church and the future of the kingdom. Not JUST mothers, but every Christian can influence children and thus help build the kingdom of God!
A life in mission reproduces the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. The first part of Acts 12 tells us the story of the murder of James and the arrest of Peter. It is packed with imagery that identifies with Jesus.
One of the things life in mission requires is the encouragement of the Holy Spirit. Some comes directly as God’s Spirit interacts with our own, some comes through the influence of mature Christians like Barnabas. Have you found your "Barnabas?"
God is not the author of discrimination. Despite that, ancient Israel had rules preventing them from even entering the home of a Gentile. When God told Peter to go preach the gospel to Cornelius, the walls of discrimination were about to come down.
What is the purpose God has for this mission? It’s to bring life! But what about healing? Does God bring healing? What does it mean when God does not heal? Tough questions, but Pastor Tom Hendrikse takes them on in this moving message from Acts chapter 9.
Before he was Paul the Apostle, Saul was a persecutor of the church. The church feared him, yet God chose Saul to be a part of his mission. Are there people who we think do not deserve to hear the gospel? And how does American culture play into this?
Philip was an apostle and evangelist God used to send the gospel to Ethiopia. He meets an Ethiopian court official who was also a eunuch and had suffered much discrimination to worship in Jerusalem. God brings life out of death in this Easter message!
The mission is to be witnesses to the risen Christ. God allowed persecution to bring suffering on the church in Jerusalem, which scattered them to where Jesus had said they should go. God sometimes uses suffering in our lives, how can we not waste it?
Stephen, the first martyr after the ascension of Christ, was stoned to death. Why? Because the message he preached challenged their way of life. Christ always does that. What is he challenging in you, and what are you having to kill to avoid changing?
Almost as soon as it began, the first church ran into a serious problem: discrimination. The apostles appointed the first deacons to manage these matters. But the underlying problem was that many in the church did not grasp how much God values PEOPLE.
How would your life change if you saw with your own eyes Jesus return from the grave? It changed His followers from timid bunglers to fearless agents who refused to back down even when thrown in jail. THAT is resurrection power in someone’s life!
Life is Mission, and that includes your money. Be generous with God, and with each other. And whatever you refuse to let go of, that is what you treasure more than Jesus. When you treasure anything more than Jesus — watch out!
The authorities warn Peter and John not to teach in the name of Jesus. They refused and made it plain that the name of Jesus was the only name given to people by which they can be saved. Pastor Tom explores the unique and important name of Jesus Christ.
Peter heals a man unable to walk since birth, well known to the crowds that would pass by him at the temple gate. What changed this day? Peter stopped, and noticed this man. Who do you need to stop and notice in your world?
After Pentecost, the church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, gathered together daily in the temple, and shared meals and met the needs of anyone who had want. Why can’t the church be more like that today?
Peter preaches his first sermon to the crowd at Pentecost. He explained the gospel to them, this gospel they were to carry throughout the world on their lips and in their lives. We have that same mission and shouldn’t delay, for time is speeding past.
The followers of Jesus returned to Jerusalem after his ascension to wait for the Holy Spirit, which came upon them and filled them. What does being filled with the Spirit look like? What does it cause you to do? Find out in this week’s message.
After his resurrection, Jesus had a message for his followers, "Life is Mission." Whose life? What mission? Pastor Tom Hendrikse will answer those questions for us in this week's message.
Eve and Adam decided they could run things on their own and wouldn’t need God. As a result both were placed under a curse. Jesus had to reverse every aspect of the curse we were under. He did just that, and restored the tree of life for us.
The battle between God and Satan has run for all of creation. But, throughout history, each time it has seemed as though Satan was about to deliver the blow that would derail God’s plan for His people, the King had another move.
Everybody makes a Christmas list. But with God, what you get is far better than what you asked for, because your heavenly father knows what you need, and he knows what will thrill and satisfy your heart.
In this week's message, we meet some people desperately seeking Jesus. On the one hand, the wise men, seeking him that they might worship him. On the other, Herod, seeking Jesus to kill him. Who are we most like? Don't answer too quickly!
A significant percentage of adults surveyed said they were under so much pressure from Christmas they wish it could be canceled -- it cost too much. It cost God an infinite amount more, and brings them the answer to all those pressures and stress.
Mary goes to the home of her relative Elizabeth, who recognizes that the baby Mary is carrying is their Lord. Both are moved to praise. An encounter with Jesus should always move us to praise despite whatever hardship or struggle we are presently facing.
One of the most amazing things about God is that he’s a God who seeks to be with us. God designed us in his image, we reflect who he is, and we can learn things about him from understanding the elements of that reflection.
The mind of Jesus when it comes to wives is that they complete their husbands, making a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. The power to do this comes through many avenues, but primarily this one: respect.
Doug Sauder, President of 4KIDS of South Florida, speaks to us on the subject of adoption. Doug says that Christians, more than any other group, should support adoption--since we ourselves were adopted into God's spiritual family.
What is the mind of Christ when it comes to husbands? As Tom explains it, "God isn’t just your father, he is your father-in-law, since your wife is his daughter also. How do you suppose your father-in-law wants you to treat her?"
Is there anything more important to you than your family? How can you effectively lead your children in worshiping God? From Deuteronomy chapter 6, Tom Hendrikse answers these and many other questions.
What is the mind of Christ when it comes to love? Pastor Matt Lomenick brings us a message in which the topic of love is examined from all sides. The love we have for each other, the love we have for God, and most importantly, the love God has for us!
What is your culture? Well, really, culture is…everything. It’s what we do and how we do it. How we do we engage it? What is our reaction to it? How do we INITIATE culture?
What is it that you value most of all? Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is a treasure worth far more than all of the other treasure you have. Is he asking you to give up everything you have if you want to be in his kingdom? Listen and find out.
There is no more politicized “hot button” message in 21st century America than the question of abortion. What should we do, as individuals and as a church, when someone has an unplanned pregnancy? Is it time to fight, or is it time to love and support?
Series conclusion. John writes the epilogue of his Gospel, and records Jesus giving his disciples the charge of going out to become fishers of men. Jesus also lovingly restores Peter, who was crushed by his own failure in denying Jesus.
The resurrection of Jesus is central to Jesus’ message. The grave is no longer an end, but a beginning. Jesus brings life from death, first for himself, and then for every one of his followers.
Why was it necessary for Jesus to be crucified? Not why was it necessary for Jesus to DIE, any Christian can answer that, but why was it necessary for Jesus to be CRUCIFIED? Jesus himself said it was in Luke chapter 24.
We find out how the Jewish leaders and the Roman governor Pontius Pilate handled the Truth of God. Everything needed to happen exactly as it did, in order for Jesus to fulfill his mission. How then will WE handle the truth of God?
Watch and pray, storing up the Word of God so that you will be prepared for the day your faith is on trial. Wait on the Lord’s deliverance, not seeking momentary comforts that will ultimately betray you, and know that he restores you when you fail.
The ones who had Jesus arrested weren’t concerned with his mission, they wanted their nation back and any Messiah who wasn’t going to make that his mission was someone to be eliminated. Jesus, however, was set on his mission. What’s our first priority?
Jesus was gathered with his disciples for one final time. Yet in this prayer John records, Jesus wasn’t praying for himself at all. His concern was solely on his disciples. The question is will we live for his mission and represent God to this world?
Most people would say that death terminates life, but Christians should see it as the exact opposite. God brings life out of death. The resurrection reality of Jesus brings liberating joy and overwhelming peace.
Orthodox Christians confess that God is three persons in one. Jesus says that God’s primary interaction with our lives in this world will be through the Holy Spirit. What is the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives?
John 15:18 through 16:4 teach that the world WILL hate the followers of Christ because they don’t belong to the world. Jesus doesn’t want us to be surprised by this. How and why will the world hate us? Should we care? How SHOULD we handle it?
John 15: Jesus teaching that he is the true vine and we are the branches. God is the vineyard keeper who prunes branches to produce even greater amounts of fruit. Tom explores the realities of pruning and staff members experiencing extraordinary trials.
In John 14 Jesus tells his disciples that he will send them the Holy Spirit. We explore the often controversial and emotionally charged views of the Holy Spirit. What does having the Holy Spirit given to us really mean? How should it change our lives?
The end of John 13 and the start of chapter 14 describe Jesus’ final hours. He knew how short his time was, so everything he did or said now was important. Sam takes us through the passage and highlights these teachings, explaining what they mean.
From John chapter 13. Spiritual growth occurs in loving community. Pastor Matt Lomenick talks about what that loving community can empower us to do, and what pitfalls can occur if it isn’t present in our lives.
Following the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus attends a feast at Bethany where Mary pours expensive perfume on his feet and wipes it with her hair. She demonstrated that she valued Jesus more than her most precious possession in this world. So should we!
God chose Joseph to be the earthly father to Jesus. Pastor Tom Hendrikse reveals this extraordinary man to be an example for fathers today as Joseph demonstrated that he knew God's word and would live it no matter what it cost him.
Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, but only AFTER his sisters Martha and Mary had to go through the suffering of watching Lazarus die. What Jesus wanted them to know, that HE WAS the resurrection and the life, mattered more than what they would suffer.
Jesus tells the crowd that he is both the good shepherd and the door to the sheepfold. He explains that his sheep will know his voice and come when he calls. Pastor Tom asks the question: Are you one of his sheep? Because it is good to be a sheep!
Jesus and the disciples encounter a man born blind and the disciples ask Jesus who sinned, this man or his parents. Jesus tells them neither did, but this man's suffering was designed that God's glory might be shown!
Jesus declares himself to be the Light of the world. When the Jewish religious leaders object, this prompts Jesus to confront them about who their TRUE father was. Because you WILL look like your father, the question is whether that is God the Father?
Hannah suffered not being able to have children, pleading with God to help her. Yet he waited until her request was not about HER but rather about HIM. Mothers often suffer for their children but God redeems that suffering for his glory.
Jesus is the ultimate finisher who leaves nothing undone. He will accomplish in us everything God has purposed for us to do. And on the last day, we will stand triumphant, not because of our own success, but because of his!
This week we read a story about a woman who, it says, "was caught in the act of adultry." Would Jesus discredit himself by not following the Scriptures, or would he violate Roman rule and laws? Neither, as it turns out.
John chapter seven could be characterized as the place where true faith and self-interest collide. True faith empties itself of self-interest and exaltation, replacing it with God-interest and exaltation. Jesus says then we will know His teaching.
John chapter 6 is familiar ground, the feeding of 5000 and Jesus walking on water. One of the "I am" statements is here, "I am the Bread of Life." Jesus addresses uncomfortable topics: contentment to remain as we are and focus on ourselves and others.
Following His resurrection, Jesus encountered two disciples. Jesus showed them how Moses and all the prophets had declared that these things had to happen to the Messiah. We’ll study an example of this as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord!
Jesus tells the Jewish religious leaders that if they had believed Moses, they would believe Jesus, because Moses wrote about Him. Did Moses write about Jesus? If so, where? We’ll look at one fascinating example from Exodus chapter 15.
Our God heals! But the Scriptures teach is that God doesn’t heal according to our purposes -- God heals according to His purposes. Is that still a comforting thought? Do we have faith that His purpose is always good?
An investigation of the ways education has changed in our country since religion was carefully excluded from it. Sam Kastensmidt makes the case that a bible-based education is the BEST way to train the great thinkers of tomorrow.
Follow-up from the Samaritan woman’s plea for the her town to "come and meet this man." Many believed in Him. Then Jesus returns to Galilee where He was welcomed, but for the wrong reasons. John asks us ALL a question: Why do YOU seek Jesus?
From John chapter 4, Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at Jacob's Well. She has searched for satisfaction everywhere the world tells you to find it, and found nothing. Jesus tells her that He can give her Living Water and a eternally satisfying life.
From John chapter three, with Nicodemus coming to Jesus under cover of night. Tom Hendrikse takes you inside the mind of Nicodemus and leads us on a journey through the Old Testament symbols and their meanings–information Jesus wants us to have as well.
From Hosea chapter 3, a message about the love story God wanted you to know. The prophet Hosea was told by God to take a wife under unusual circumstances and then later to redeem her under even MORE unusual circumstances. Who are WE in this story?
From Mark 14:3-9, the story of Mary’s anointing of Jesus gives us an example of a generous heart. Why is generosity such a rare event today? God wants us to be generous, but why? Generous living can break chains you don’t even see are holding you down!
From John chapter two, Jesus driving the merchants and the money-changers out of the temple. Tom takes us through this passage bite by bite, stopping to taste all the metaphors and images John has put here so that we might learn their meaning.
This week, we hear the story of the first miracle Jesus performed in public, the changing of water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana. It is a familiar story, but there may be things you miss if you read through it too fast.
Our series looking at the life and teachings of God's Living Word, Jesus Christ, continues with Jesus beginning to assemble the group of twelve men who would become His apostles. Tom brings us a powerful lesson on what it means to follow Jesus.
Jesus said John the Baptist was the greatest man ever born. Greater than Moses or Abraham? What made John so special? Tom teaches us about this unique man of God. Join us as we come to know the Living Word of God through a study of John's Gospel.
A series from the Gospel of John. By knowing the written word of God, we come to know the Living Word of God--Jesus Christ, who brings order out of chaos, shines light into the darkness, fills all emptiness, and brings life from what was dead.
Our Advent series on five of the 'I Am' statements of Jesus concludes with 'I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.' From John chapter 14. Probably the most iconic statement of Jesus and also the one most argued with, He claims to be THE way!
Our Advent series on five of the 'I Am' statements of Jesus continues with 'I Am the Light of the World.' From John chapter 8. How does the Bible portray light? What does it mean for Jesus to declare Himself to be 'the Light?' Find out here!
Our Advent series on five of the 'I Am' statements of Jesus continues with 'I Am the Door.' From John chapter 10, Jesus declares Himself to be the door and the good shepherd. This message will help you understand and appreciate those word pictures.
Our Advent series on the 'I Am' statements of Jesus continues with 'I Am the Bread of Life.' Physical bread is the daily sustainer of life and spiritual bread is the eternal source and sustainer of life everlasting.
Our Advent Series on five of the I Am statements of Jesus. Jesus proclaimed Himself, His very person, to be the source of life and the only answer to the brokenness and corruption of this world.
Jesus deserved the splendor of the Transfiguration, but he endured the agony of the Cross...so that we, who deserve the agony of the Cross, could inherit the eternal splendor of the Transfiguration!
Our series on leveraging your life for Jesus concludes with a story from 2 Kings about the siege of Samaria. Sometimes God allows his people to be enslaved by another master, so they might see that true freedom comes in slavery to him, and repent.
Our series on leveraging your life for Jesus continues with the subject of your time and talents. God has placed us all into a different role within the body of Christ, and given us the specific talents he wants us to have - AND use for him!
Our series on leveraging your life for Jesus continues with what is probably the most sensitive subject the church can discuss - your treasure. Your money and your possessions. God gave them to you as an INVESTMENT, he wants you to manage them for him!
From Luke 9, Jesus tells those who truly desire to follow him what they do. Deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow him. What does that mean? Probably NOT what you think it does.
Real Faith Lives for God and not for Money. Our series from the book of James concludes. When you plan how to run and use your business, finances, money, and for that matter, life - do you take God into account?
When you love, you do what is difficult willingly. Your sufferings of obedience will be a small price to pay, as knowledge of the one you serve makes your labors into pleasures. Paul says we are to follow Christ in this way.
Real faith calls us to repentance. Our series from James continues as we look today as his call to action. We have seen what our lives should look like because of our faith. If God is calling you to come back to Him, James says repent and return!
Real faith lives according to a different kind of wisdom, and produces a very different kind of fruit. Our series from James continues as we look at the difference between the wisdom of God and the wisdom of the world.
Authentic faith shows up not only in how we live but also in how we speak. The words that we use and how we use them reveals what is going on in our hearts. If your tongue is never tamed at all, James says your faith cannot be real.
What is the relationship between faith and works? If we are saved by faith alone, why does God command us to do good works? What ARE good works, anyway? Tom Hendrikse answers these questions as part of our series from the book of James.
From 1 John chapter 3. We examine the connection between Love and Obedience. Jesus not only saved us FROM sin, He saved us TO obedience. The love of God is transformational, and it ALWAYS transforms.
From James chapter 2. Since we are new creations by God Himself, we must live that way and see things through the eyes of faith, including the poor and helpless among us. Real Faith Expresses Itself in Practical and Loving Acts of Mercy Toward the Poor.
Our series from the book of James continues. This week James delivers the sobering message that real Christians don't just LISTEN TO God's Word, they also DO it!
A series of messages from the book of James. This week we begin where James does, considering the question of suffering. James offers his message: Don't waste your suffering!
Series conclusion. What practices and disciplines can we employ to deepen and intensify our faith relationship to Christ, the connection through which his power will flow to us?
The daily pursuit of holiness is done as an act of worship in response to the gospel. But HOW is it done? By what power can it be accomplished? From Romans 11:34 - 12:1, and Galatians 2:20.
As believers in Jesus, we need to wake up every single day and resolve to pursue a life of even more radical obedience to the perfectly holy law of God than we did the day before. This week, Tom answers the question of WHY we do this.
Conclusion to our two part series on serving. Serving others restores the shalom (peace) of God that He originally planned for this world. And you cannot find that peace apart from the community of God's people.
Ministry Operations Pastor Matt Lomenick begins a two-part series on the topic of God's Word and Serving. Healthy, biblical, and uniquely Christian service begins with a response to who God is and what He's done.
From Psalm 22, Worship Pastor Ryan Brasington takes us through David's journey from suffering to singing praises in the midst of the congregation, a journey which was mirrored by Jesus Christ himself. Today the Savior stands in OUR midst singing praises!
From Psalm 44, Tom Hendrikse tackles one of the most persistent and difficult questions for any believer to answer. If God is there, why does he allow suffering? How should we respond as people of faith when we face undeserved suffering?
In this Father's Day sermon from Psalm 16, Tom Hendrikse looks at the pressure and expectations of being a husband and father. He explains how to find true peace and rest in God, even in the midst of down times.
Our series on prayer concludes. This week we look at the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector from Luke chapter 18, where we learn that when we come before God in prayer, we need to do so humbly.
Our series on prayer continues. This week we look at the parable of the unjust judge and the widow from Luke chapter 18, where we learn that we ought to pray persistently and not lose heart when it seems like God is not answering.
Youth Sunday 2011. Carter Brown preaches a message on crucifying yourself to the world, and the world to yourself. Let your faith authentically shape your world!
Our series on the basic principles of the Christian life continues the study of prayer. This week Tom discusses the attitude we should have as we pray.
We continue our mission for 2011, to Know the Word and Live the Word, with another series on the fundamentals of Christian Living. We study the Lord's Prayer as a model for our own prayers, and we talk about what it means to pray in a sincere manner.
A Mother's Day sermon for 2011, from the book of Ruth. She sacrificed and God honored it, and her.
A study from the book of Isaiah looking at the Servant Songs. What makes God break into song? What inspires his mind and moves his soul? This week we look at the final song from Isaiah 52:13-53:12. An Easter Song about the suffering Servant.
A study from the book of Isaiah looking at the Servant Songs. What makes God break into song? What inspires his mind and moves his soul? Is it the same thing that inspires and moves us? This week we look at the second song from Isaiah 49:1-7.
A study from the book of Isaiah looking at the Servant Songs. What makes God break into song? What inspires his mind and moves his soul? Is it the same thing that inspires and moves us? Join us for this series and find out!
Our series on finding God's will for our lives, that is, finding out what God wants us to do, concludes this week. We study questions five and six from the list of six questions to ask ourselves when seeking God's will.
From Proverbs chapter 2, our Director of Student Ministries, Carter Brown, speaks to us about the value of wisdom and about what we can do to manifest wisdom in our lives.
This week, Tom covers the third and fourth questions to ask when you're trying to find what it is God wants you to do (in other words, find his will for your life). What does wise counsel say? and What do my circumstances say?
Know the word, live the word in 2011! Six questions to ask when you want to know what God wants you to do (in other words, to find his will for your life). This week Tom covers numbers 1 and 2.
The next chapter in our mission to know the word and live the word begins! What does this book tell us about what God wants us to do? This week we look at God's GENERAL will. His goals, purposes, and commands that apply generally to ALL of us.
In the darkest of times, at the lowest point, that is where we often find the defining moments of our lives. How will we respond? Will we find God in the middle of the ashes?
A study from the book of Hebrews, examining the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Convenant. Looking at many familiar stories with gospel eyes gives them new life. Know the word, live the word!
Our series from Colossians concludes by examining what it looks like when you are knowing the word and living the word in your marriage, your family, and your workplace. Drop all your defenses and let the word of God speak to you about this!
Our series from the book of Colossians continues by asking the question of how we go about living like the new you that God declares us to be. When we do not look new or act new, why not? What are we not doing?
Our series from the book of Colossians continues with warnings about avoiding the human traditions and philosophies that would take us captive with their plausible arguments and keep us from the true gospel.
Our series from the book of Colossians continues. The apostle Paul describes images of our great God and king, Jesus Christ, almost like an art museum of words. Come and join us as we savor the paintings and worship him for who he is!
The first message in a new series from the book of Colossians and the kickoff to Rio's 2011 campaign to become students of the Word, live it out, and bear fruit.
From the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand, we see an example of true compassion in action. True compassion changes things about you. True compassion acts even when it seems impossible, because Jesus will provide the resources.
For many, perhaps even most, 2010 was a difficult year. And there is no guarantee 2011 will be better. Jesus told his disciples that he was sending them into the world like sheep among wolves. The comfort to both is the same. We have a wonderful shepherd!
Tom Hendrikse relates the story of visiting the cave in Bethlehem were tradition holds that Jesus was born. The transcendent God clothed himself in infant flesh.
Our series concludes with the story of the magi and their journey to find the child who had been born King of the Jews. God teaches us a lot through this story, which is a fulfillment of prophecies made seven centuries before!
We continue in our series looking at the gift and the cost of Christmas by talking about Joseph, Mary's husband. There was a cost to him for this first Christmas as well. How did he respond? What can we learn from him?
Mary was willing to pay any cost to bring forth the gift of God's Son. Even though she could count the people who believed her story on the fingers of one hand, she looked with eyes of faith at what God called her to do, and called herself blessed!
There is a gift and a cost to Christmas, not just for God, but for God's people as well. We are to replicate the gift of God to us in Christ by doing for others what God has done for us: meeting the genuine needs of genuinely needy people.
In Revelation, Jesus sends seven letters to churches, the last one being to the church at Laodecia. This sermon examines that letter and what we can learn from it about radical living for Christ.
The pursuit of happiness. It's the American dream, right? The decision to follow Christ creates a new normal for us, one in which we transition from living for ourselves to living for him. Before you chase your dreams, be sure you have the right dreams.
Series Conclusion. From 2 Peter ch. 3, Tom answers the questions of what happens next in God's plan for the end of this world, what is the real truth about the Rapture, and how should knowing these things affect the way we live?
Examining the prophecies in Matthew 24 in order to better understand whether the book of Revelation refers to what has past or what is yet to come.
A study in Revelation chapters 4 and 5. God gives a vision of Himself to encourage His people.
Our study in Revelation chapters 4 and 5 continues. God chose to reveal certain things about Himself to John and instructed John to write them down for His people. Why? Which people was God thinking of, and how does it apply to us today?
The beginning of a new series in which we take in the vision of God seated on His throne from Revelations chapter 4. This vision has layers of meaning upon meaning, all of which - when we learn them - give us reason to worship a God who is worthy!
The conclusion to our series on gathering for worship. God calls us to not only set aside the hour we gather as holy, but also the entire day.
God makes promises to His people. When we gather to worship Him, we claim those promises and connect with the covenant family. This message also contains a discussion regarding the sacraments and how our church observes them.
When we gather for worship on Sunday mornings, we give our praise and worship to an audience of one - God. We tell and re-tell of His glory, and of His grace and mercy in forgiving us. This sermon explores that telling and re-telling.
We gather for worship on Sunday mornings. Why? What do we want when we do that? How does God view our worship? This sermon makes the powerful point that worship is not about us, but rather worship is about God. He is the audience to our worship.
Carter Brown, director of student ministries at Rio Vista Community Church, preaches on what was learned from the Berlin missions trip.
Doug Souder, president of 4Kids South Florida, brings us a message about the awesome diversity within the kingdom of God. The faces of God's family might look very different from your own. Jesus embraced this and so must we!
All around us, every day, we see the homeless and the hungry. To our eyes, they seem very different from us. But are they? In this sermon, Tom introduces a multi-church initiative for dealing with homelessness in South Florida.
The story of Joseph concludes. He is reconciled to his family, fulfills God's purpose for his life in Egypt, and dies after a long and satisfying life. What the brothers meant for evil, God meant for good. In the end, Joseph was allowed to see that.
The Lord is with Joseph as he languishes in the Pharoah's dungeon. He rises to the top, as the jailor puts him in charge of all things. Joseph still believes God will interpret dreams through him, and he interprets the dreams of two of Pharoah's servants.
Joseph faces personal suffering and injustice. For years, he is in the pit of pharoah's dungeon. Despite that, Joseph never loses his trust in God. And God gives Joseph what he needs to enable him to do his part in the big plan.
Two responses to sexual temptation, Joseph and his brother Judah. Joseph was confident that God had control of his life and refused to give in to sin. Judah was exposed as a hypocrite and learned a lesson about righteousness.
Tom begins a new series on the providence of God, based upon the life of Joseph. Seemingly favored by God, Joseph was crushed by one bad circumstance after another. But he never lost sight of God.
How often do you hear others ask why bad things happen to good people, while at the same time bad people prosper? Do YOU ask that question? This week, Tom opens Psalm 49 to teach us what wisdom says about how we should react when bad people prosper.
Jesus attends a party at the home of Simon, a Pharisee. A woman comes to him and washes his feet. When Simon objects, Jesus tells him a parable forgiveness and gratitude. Jesus was not the friend even of big sinners, he was the friend ONLY of big sinners.
On Father's Day 2010, a sermon on one father's advice to his sons, found in Proverbs chapter 30.
Part 5 of a series based on Revelation chapter 21 and chapter 22:1-5. Tom concludes the series by explaining that the vision John saw of a Heavenly City was describing the people of God, finally living as Eden was meant to be!
Part 4 of a series based on Revelation chapter 21 and chapter 22 verses 1 through 5, covering the new heavens and the new earth. What will they be like? This week Tom goes deeper into describing the vision of the new heavenly city that John sees.
Part 3 of a series based on Revelation chapter 21 and chapter 22 verses 1 through 5, covering the new heavens and the new earth. What will they be like? This week Tom explains the new city that John sees as part of his vision.
Part 2 of a series based in Revelation chapter 21 and 22:1-5, covering the new heavens and the new earth. What will they be like?
Do you know someone who is a perfect mother? Do you feel the pressure to be Super Mom yourself? Tom examines the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and discovers what it was about her that earned her the title Most Favored of God.
The start of a new series based in Revelation chapter 21 and 22:1-5, covering the new heavens and the new earth. What will they be like? This week, Tom answers questions people have asked him in the weeks leading up to this series.
A sermon on what our purpose is at Rio Vista Community Church: to share life in Christ with those around us! Part of a special Sunday experience that included a workshop after the service, followed by lunch for the entire church.
How do you handle it when you feel like you're doing the best you can for God, yet things aren't turning out right for you? Where is God at those times? Why doesn't He DO something for you and make your life better? Jesus answers this question in Matthew chapter 20.
The story of Moses, Aaron, and the golden calf. Are we like the people who cried out for a God they could touch, or like Moses who offered himself to save his people?
The story of the resurrection and celebration of Jesus, from Psalm 22. 1000 years before He was born and 300 years before crucifixion was invented, David tells the story of how Jesus would die.
The crowd gathered to watch Jesus enter the city. They spread their cloaks and laid branches before him. They were looking for a king. They got one, not the king they were looking for, but the king they truly needed. From Psalm 72.
Sin likes to hide. So God has shone the light of His Word into the caverns of our lives to expose sin, to search our thoughts and intentions, and to transform us into the image of Christ.
What is the Kingdom of God? How does God intend for this kingdom to be built? What does it ask of you and what does it offer you? This series explores these questions. This week Tom teaches on the Kingdom and Prayer. How should we pray? When and why should we pray?
What is the Kingdom of God? How does God intend for this kingdom to be built? What does it ask of you and what does it offer you? This series explores these questions. This week Matt fills in for Tom and teaches on the kingdom and status.
What is the Kingdom of God? How does God intend for this kingdom to be built? What does it ask of you and what does it offer you? This series explores these questions. This week Tom teaches on the kingdom and true wealth. When Jesus talks about money, do you listen? Is what you have REALLY yours?
What is the Kingdom of God? How does God intend for this kingdom to be built? What does it ask of you and what does it offer you? This series explores these questions. This week Tom teaches on the kingdom and security. What do you focus on to provide for your future - God or yourself?
What is the Kingdom of God? How does God intend for this kingdom to be built? What does it ask of you and what does it offer you? This series explores these questions. This week Tom teaches on the kingdom and forgiveness. What are you holding on to that you should be letting go of?
What is the Kingdom of God? How does God intend for this kingdom to be built? What price must be paid by those seeking to build it? This series explores these questions. This week Tom teaches on the kingdom and priorities. How are yours set?
What is the Kingdom of God? How does God intend for this kingdom to be built? What price must be paid by those seeking to build it? This series explores these questions. This week Tom teaches on the subject of evil. Why does God allow it?
What is the Kingdom of God? How does God intend for this kingdom to be built? What price must be paid by those seeking to build it? This series explores these questions. The focus this week continues on the kingdom and the lost.
What is the Kingdom of God? How does God intend for this kingdom to be built? What price must be paid by those seeking to build it? This series explores these questions. The focus this week is on the kingdom and the lost.
What is the Kingdom of God? How does God intend for it to be built? What price has been paid by those seeking to build it? This series explores these questions.
A pharisee and a tax collector walked into a temple to pray. Which one found forgiveness? Which one are you?
The sheep and the goats stand before Jesus at the final judgment. How can you know which one YOU are?
Christmas Eve! What is Christmas really all about to YOU? And what is Christmas REALLY all about?
The AWAKE series examines what the church looks like when it is working right. This is a study in the Book of Acts.
The AWAKE series examines what the church looks like when it is working right. This is a study in the Book of Acts.
The AWAKE series examines what the church looks like when it is working right. This is a study in the Book of Acts.
The AWAKE series examines what the church looks like when it is working right. This is a study in the Book of Acts.
The AWAKE series examines what the church looks like when it is working right. This is a study in the Book of Acts.
The AWAKE series examines what the church looks like when it is working right. This is a study in the Book of Acts.
The AWAKE series examines what the church looks like when it is working right. This is a study in the Book of Acts.
The AWAKE series examines what the church looks like when it is working right. This is a study in the Book of Acts.
Final sermon in the Serve series. The gospel and you. Find out what your thing is and then do it!
The first message in a new series where we journey outside of our walls and ourselves, and step into a world full of need.