RiverTree Community Church: Recent Episodes
RiverTree Community Church
We are a small church plant located in Ballwin, MO. We strive to live out our faith everyday as a relational church family. We desire to share the love of Jesus with our local community. Our goal is to be the kind of church that fosters an environment where people feel loved, where they feel safe, and where they feel like they are part of a family—because they are.
This week, we say Goodbye. Goodbyes are hard to do. They almost never come out quite right. So today in lieu of a goodbye sermon, this is a commencement address for your graduation from RTCC’s program on how to be missional. It is our deepest hope that you keep RiverTree alive by living out its ideals and teaching those around you how to be missional.
This week, in our journey through the Gospel of Matthew, we examine the idea of love. Jesus set an example of how we are to be religious by paying the customary temple tax. How is this a model for how we are to live our lives? Our main passage this week is Matthew 17:24-27.
This week, in our journey through the Gospel of Matthew. We examine the idea of faith and how much faith we need to muster up to live a wondrous Christlike life. Our main passage this week is Matthew 17:14-23.
This week, we dive back into the Gospel of Matthew. In today’s text, Jesus has a discussion with some unlikely people and reminds us in a powerful way that he is God. Our main passage this week is Matthew 17:1-13.
This week, we dive back into our series on “How to be Missional” by looking at conversations. We will look at the idea that there is not a one-size-fits all box for having spiritual conversations. We close out with a few examples of how you might talk to someone about the gospel. Our main passage this week is: Colossians 4:2-6.
This week, we dive back into our series on “How to be Missional” by looking at conversations. We will look at how important listening is when having conversations with people. Both listening to the person and listening to the Holy Spirit. Our main passage this week is: Colossians 4:2-6.
This week we continue our Lent series “Overcome” by looking at the story of Sampson. In this story, Sampson is called to deliver the people from the Philistines. We see what God’s apparent plan is and then we see how Sampson ignores that plan. Sampson tries to do things his own way. We examine just how well that works out.
This week we continue our Lent series “Overcome” by looking at the story of Esther. In this story, Esther is called upon to save her people from a plot of genocide. But we see that the story does not start here. Rather, it is a story that spans generations and is all rooted in listen to God and having faith in God’s plan.
This week we continue our Lent series “Overcome” by looking at the story of Jericho. In this Story, God asks the people to wage war on the city of Jericho in an unconventional manner. One that, on the surface, seems bad. But God’s instructions were less about the actions themselves and more about asking the people to have faith. How often does this happen in our lives? What does it mean when God calls us into situations that don’t make sense? How can we show faith in moments like that?
This week we continue our Lent series “Overcome” by looking at the story of Gideon. God called Gideon to lead the people against overwhelming odds. God asked Gideon to show faith and trust on an insane level. In the end, Gideon’s faith was rewarded, and God’s power and protection shined through.
This week we continue our Lent series “Overcome” by looking at the story of Moses. Moses’ life is full of moment after moment where things seemed completely lost. Yet, God was orchestrating things. Moses’ life showcases the simple truth that God will never leave us alone, God stands with us in our most desperate times.
This week, Anna talks to us about the importance of community. We examine the trinity through the lens of community and how that gives us a model for how God wants us to live. As well as looking at other examples of community present in the Bible. Our main passage today is: Acts: 2:24-47.
This week, we continue our series examining how to be missional in our everyday lives. In today’s message, we finally turn look at the question “what could being missional look like for me?” We take inspiration from Jesus’ ministry and try to take the people/arenas around us combined with what inspires us to find a missional outcome that blesses our community and shows Jesus’ love. Our main passage is: Matthew 9:9-13.
In today’s message, we try to answer the question ‘to whom are we called to be missional?’ The people and places right around us are our primary mission field. Why has God placed us where we are? If we can answer that, then we can start to understand what it is to be missional. Our main passage is: Matthew 9:9-13
It is too cold to host an indoor service today. So, stay inside, stay warm, and listen to this brief devotional about relying on God.
This week, we kick off a new series examining how we can be missional in our everyday lives. In today’s message, we explore just what it means to be missional and why it is important. We will also look at an example of Jesus being missional in his interaction with Matthew. Our main passage is: Matthew 9:9-13
This week, we continue our Christmas series titled “the first Christmas Playlist”. In today’s text we examine the song of Simeon. We see how Simeon held onto a promise so much that he did everything he could to see it happen. He was so excited for the Messiah that he took an active role in making sure he did not miss him. Our main passage is: Luke 2:25-32
This week, we kick off our Christmas series titled “the first Christmas Playlist”. In today’s text we examine the song of Zechariah. We explore just what it means to be in a place of waiting. We look at examples that highlight that God is all too often working in the silence. Our main passage is: Luke 1:67-79.
This week, we reached the halfway point of our two seek Worship Journey. In today’s message, we will explore the question “Why do we worship?” We will look at God’s plan for humanity from the beginning. How sin altered that plan. But how God’s perfect love brought things back to that perfect plan.
This week, we continue our journey through the Gospel of Matthew. In today’s text, Jesus, once again, feeds a large crowd. We will explore why Matthew has two similar stories so close to each other and what it tells us about Jesus’ mission. Our main passage this week is Matthew 15:29-39
This week, we continue our journey through the Gospel of Matthew. In today’s text, Jesus has an encounter with an unnamed Canaanite woman. This woman displays amazing faith and changes the minds of those around her. Our main passage this week is Matthew 15:21-28.
This week, we continue our journey through the Gospel of Matthew. In today’s text, Jesus walks on the water and Peter has 30 seconds of courage. We will explore the idea that faith is not about knowing everything, but rather, its trusting that Jesus will catch us when we fall. Our main passage this week is Matthew 14:22-36
There is no service this week for the long holiday weekend. Instead, we have a meditative prayer walk for you. Set aside about 30 minutes, get outside, and be with God in nature. Use this podcast to guide your time and focus your heart on God. Have a wonderful week!
Despite it being 90 degrees out, we are celebrating Christmas this week. Christmas is a time when we think about and celebrate Christ coming to earth to live among us and to die for us. That is something we should celebrate all year! So join us in reflecting on the Incarnation of Jesus.
Today we are joined by our friend David Peterka, from When the Saints. David will give an update on the work his organization is doing. Then will talk to us about what Jesus says about loving those we don’t really want to love.
This week, we wrap up our series examining some core elements of reformed theology, by talking about salvation. We will look at what salvation looks like, and what we have to do to gain it (hint: nothing!)
This week, we continue our series examining some core elements of reformed theology, by talking about the Holy Spirit. The Third member of the trinity is maybe the most misunderstood. So we will look at who the Holy Spirit is and what the Holy Spirit does for us every day.
This week, we continue our new series examining some core elements of reformed theology, by talking about Jesus. We will examine three key elements of who Jesus is. Then we will see how these elements make Jesus the only way for us to have fellowship with God
This week, we continue our new series examining some core elements of reformed theology, by talking about God. God can be difficult for us to describe. We too often want to impart our own idea or part of ourselves into the picture when thinking of God. Today we will look at what the Bible says about who God is.
This week, we continue our new series examining some core elements of reformed theology, by talking about Covenants. Covenants are agreements. God has made many Covenants with us over time. We will look at some of them and explore what they say about God an God’s desires for us.
This week, we kick out our newest series where we examine some core elements of our theology. We will start, where all good things should, with the Bible. What is our bible to us? What is it meant for? What is it not meant to do? Join us as we discuss all these questions and more!
He is Risen! This Easter, we look at Jesus’ resurrection through an Old Testament lens. The Empty tomb is strikingly similar to the Mercy Seat described in the Book of Exodus. That is no mere coincidence. Jesus’ death and resurrection acts as the ultimate fulfillment of the Mercy Seat and its atonement.
This week, we continue our Lent series ‘Tales from the Cross. This week, we take the perspective of God the Father. We examine a little of God and Jesus’ relationship, God’s view of sin, and how all of that came together during Jesus’ death.
This week, we continue our Lent series ‘Tales from the Cross. This week, we take the perspective of one Jesus’ best friends—Peter. We will look at how Peter’s denial of Jesus impacted how he reacted to Jesus’ death. We will also explore how Jesus’ have Peter a second chance and unending love.
This week, we continue our Lent series ‘Tales from the Cross. This week, we take the perspective of one of Jesus’ mother—Mary. We examine how the death of her son impacted her and her faith.
This week, we kick off our Lent series ‘Tales from the Cross. Our first perspective is Mary Magdalene. We first examine who she was and what was her relationship to Jesus. Then we will explore the question of who is Mary in today’s culture?
This week, we continue our journey through the Gospel of Matthew. In today’s text, we see what happens when Jesus goes back to his hometown to preach. We look at what the Bible says about belief and unbelief. And how is it we can even begin to have faith Our main passage this week is Matthew 13:53-58.
This week, we continue our journey through the Gospel of Matthew. In today’s text, Jesus tells a parable about something that would have been near and dear to the disciples…fishing. We look at fishing practices of the time and how they can be a wonderful window into how we share the gospel. Our main passage this week is Matthew 13:47-52.
This week, we continue our journey through the Gospel of Matthew. In today’s text, Jesus presents two small parables. We talk about what these parables mean and how they impact the surrounding context of this chapter. And we see a valuable of knowing when to use context and when to not. Our main passage this week is Matthew 13:31-35
This week, we continue our journey through the Gospel of Matthew. In today’s text, Jesus presents the parable of the wheat and the weed. We talk about how this story is both warning against sin and evil and beautiful promise of salvation and eternity with God. Our main passage this week is Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43.
This week, we continue our journey through the Gospel of Matthew. In today’s text, Jesus presents the parable of the seeds. He then goes on to offer an interpretation of it. We will look at that interpretation and see where we see ourselves in this story. What dose that tell us about our spiritual journey at this moment in time? Our main passage this week is Matthew 13:1-23.
This week we kick off 2023 by first reflecting on some of the opportunities RTCC had last year. Then we look head to what is coming up this year and try to come up with some church goals for this new year! Our main passage this week is John 15:12-17.
This week, we continue our Advent series in which we examine the Grinch. Before the Grinch can dump all his stolen Christmas goods off the mountain, he has a change of heart. The song of the Whos makes him change his mind, he is filled with Christmas joy. Anna talks about another group that were filled with this Christmas Joy. The shepherds who heard about Jesus’ birth on that first Christmas night. Our main passage this week is Luke 2:8-16
This week, we continue our Advent series in which we examine the Grinch. The Grinch does not like what the Whos are doing and so takes matters into his own hands. He must be in total control of the situation. The desire for total control really goes back to the Garden and Satan’s first temptation to humanity. But what would it look like to loosen our grip and let Jesus take some of the control in our everyday lives? Our main passage this week is Luke 1:46-55.
This week, we kick off our Advent series in which we examine the Grinch. The Grinch had a lot of misconceptions about Christmas. But what is Christmas really about. What gifts did God give to us on that first Christmas night? Our main passage this week is John 3:16.
This week is our Expectant Hope service. This short devotional addresses the notion of what do we go when we don’t want to praise God? How can we praise God when we are angry, sad, or afraid? Today we look at one of the most powerful psalms ever written (In my humble opinion). We will see just what it looks like to call out to God in the deepest moments of despair and fear. Our main passage this week is Psalm 121.
This week, we continue our journey through the Gospel of Matthew. In today’s text, Jesus has what looks like an awkward exchange with his mom and brothers. But what is really going on here? We explore this passage in the light of earthly families and the family of God. Our main passage this week is Matthew 12:46-50.
This week, we continue our journey through the Gospel of Matthew. In this passage, Jesus uses stories from the Old Testament to highlight how some of the people are being willfully ignorant. This section finishes with a small analogy about a person/house that overrun with ghosts. This illustrates the dangers of allowing false teachers to persist. Our main passage this week is Matthew 12:38-45.
This week we take a break from Matthew, for a short devotional about greed. In the classic story the Legend of Sleep Hollow, we are introduced to three characters who all suffer with some kind of greed. We talk about how greed can consume us and will always lead to a something bad in the end. Our main passage this week is Luke 12:16-20.
This week, we continue our journey through the Gospel of Matthew. We look at an interesting passage where we see Jesus go out of his way to avoid a potential conflict. This is paired with a passage from Isaiah that talks about what God’s ideal servant will look like. Jesus did not go out starting fights and looking for areas to start arguments, his approach to ministry was so different. Our main passage this week is Matthew 12:15-21.
This week, we continue our journey through the Gospel of Matthew. Anna explores what Jesus means when he says that his Yoke is light. We talk about how this is an invitation to allow Jesus to come along side of us and carry our burdens for us. Jesus wants to do that work that we simply cannot do. Our main passage this week is Matthew 11:25-30.
This week, we continue our journey through the Gospel of Matthew. Just after sending out the 12 disciples, Jesus gets a message from his cousin John. John asks if Jesus really is the Messiah or if he should look for another. This is a major question! We explore Jesus’ response to his cousin’s doubts. We end with a discussion of what it means to have honest doubts or questions, how these can grow our faith, and how God welcomes them. Our main passage this week is Matthew 11: 1-19.
This week, we continue our journey through the Gospel of Matthew. In his closing words to the disciples, before sending them out, Jesus has a few difficult lines. He talks about not bringing peace, but rather war. What are we supposed to do with a line like this? We explore how the gospel message should be a catalyst for change and for hope for the oppressed. When that happens, there will be push back and that is what Jesus is addressing in this passage. Our main passage this week is Matthew 10: 34-42.
This week, we continue our journey through the Gospel of Matthew. When talking about spreading the Gospel message, Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit will be with us. We examine what it looks like to have the Holy Spirit with us. We also talk about how important it is that we recognize and understand when the Holy Spirit is moving and working. Our main passage this week is Matthew 10: 19-25.
This week, we dive back into our journey through the gospel of Matthew. We look at the beginning of Jesus' speech to the disciples, before he sends them out into the countryside to spread the Good News. We talk about how we, as disciples, should enter into the brokenness and pain of those around us and we should life a life worthy of representing Jesus. Our main passage this week is Matthew 10:1-18.
This week we pause to reflect on what we have been doing thus far in 2022. We look at the major themes of our discussions this year. Then we look ahead. We recap the up-in-out model of spiritual growth and give 7 practical steps we can take to grow in each of those three areas.
This Sunday we kick off our summer series on Theater and Theology—seeing God in our favorite movies. For this first week, we look at the movie Encanto. In it we see Maribel go on a journey of discovery, moving from outcast to deliverer of her family. This is a story arch that is echoed the biblical figure of Moses. What is God trying to show us by picking people like Moses to go forth and do amazing things. Our main passages come from Exodus chapters 2-4.
Its Family Sunday at RTCC! This week our Family and Student director, Anna, talks us through the Prodigal Son parable. We look at the idea that the two brothers, in the story, are not that different. They are both using their father to get what they want. Despite this, the father never stops loving them nor pursuing them! Our passage this week is: Luke 15:11-32.
Apologies for the not so great audio quality—our main recording file was corrupted this is a backup.
This week, we wrap up this section of Matthew. We look at the beginning of Jesus’ speech to the disciples about going out and spreading the Good News. Jesus’ says that there is lots to do, yet we often feel like we can’t talk with people about our faith. Why is that? We look at a few tangible steps we can take to help us become better at fulfilling this command. Our main passage this week is Matthew 9:35-38.
This week, we continue on our journey though the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus preformed many healings and miracles. But no matter what he did, there were still people who did not like him. Jesus could not please everyone, so why do we think we can? We use this story to springboard into a discussion of the difference between people pleasing and loving your neighbor. Our main passage this week is Matthew 9:27-34.
This week, we continue our journey though the Gospel of Matthew by examining two healing works of Jesus. We explore the story of the bleeding woman who touches Jesus’ cloak and talk about its underlying meaning. This story is such a great example of salvation, and how it can play out for us in the everyday. Our main passage this week is Matthew 9:18-26.
Happy Halfway to Christmas! This week we take a look at the Incarnation of Jesus. We see just how important it is to our salvation. Hopefully this message inspires you to think about the birth of Jesus all throughout the year, not just in December.
This week, we continue on our journey though the Gospel of Matthew. But Jesse did not prepare a sermon this week! So we are going to walk through this passage together and talk about different methods to read the Bible that will help us gain deeper understandings of the text. Our main passage this week is Matthew 8:28-34.
This week, we continue on our journey though the Gospel of Matthew. In this passage, Jesus calms the stormy and violent seas. How do we react when things are difficult? Do we panic or do we keep going? How does our faith in Jesus dictate how we should react? Our main passage this week is Matthew 8:23-37.
This week, we continue on our journey though the Gospel of Matthew. Finally arriving home from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law and many others who show up at the house. We use this passage as a springboard for talking about holistic love and how Jesus showed us just what that looks like. Our main passage this week is Matthew 8:14-22.
This week, we continue on our journey though the Gospel of Matthew. Still on his way home from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus encounters a Roman Centurion who asks for help. This gives Jesus an opportunity to show just what he means by love your enemies. Our main passage this week is Matthew 8:5-13.
This week, we pick back up on our journey though the Gospel of Matthew. We look at how Jesus took everything he talked about in the Sermon on the Mount at put into practice right away. Jesus went out of his way to holistically and personally care for a leper who needed help. How can we take that example and run with it today? Our main passage this week is Matthew 8:1-4.
This week we finish off our short series Worshiping Together. The service was mostly worshiping through praise music. But Jesse gave this short devotional part way through to challenge us to live our whole lives around glorifying and enjoying God. The passages this week are: I Corinthians 10:31 and Psalm 37:4.
This week, we kick off a two-week worship journey together! We look at the notion of worship in the Old Testament and compare it to what Jesus said. How do these two things relate? And what does that mean for us today in how we worship? Our main passages this week are: Exodus 20:4-5 and Mark 12:28-30.
Apologies about the audio quality this week. Our normal recording did not work so this is ripped form a live-stream video.
Happy Easter! This week, we finish our Lent series by talking about Jesus’ last words on the Cross. We look at the excitement behind the words and how they speak of a reunion. We then turn to the empty tomb and how it echoes that same reunion. It points to the fact that nothing can now separate us form a relationship with our amazing God! Our main passage this week is: Luke 23:44-46.
This week, we continue our Lent series by talking about Jesus’ declaration of, “It is finished!” We talk about just what is finished and what it means for us today that it is finished forever. We finish up by discussing why that should inspire us to share this amazing news with others. Our main passage this week is: John 19:30.
This week, we continue our Lent series by talking about Jesus’ request for something to drink. We give some historic and cultural context to the drink the solders gave Jesus. Then, we sit with just what it means that Jesus was thirsty, what does that remind us about Jesus’ humanity. Our main passage this week is: John 19:28-29.
We continue our Lent series by talking about Jesus’ heart wrenching question to his Father. We start off by examining just what brought us to the place of needing Jesus to be on the cross. Then we explore the idea of what does it mean to be alone, what does it mean to be fully isolated from everything. Our main passage this week is: John Matthew 27:45-46.
We continue our Lent series by talking about Jesus’ Last words to his mother. We examine what Jesus was to accomplish with these words. Lastly, we look at what these words can tell us about Jesus’ heart and what that means for us today. Our main passage this week is: John 19:26-27
We continue our Lent series by talking about Jesus’ words to the criminal crucified next to him. We examine the faith it took for the criminal to believe in Jesus. Lastly, we discuss what Jesus’ words to this criminal mean for us today and how we live our lives. Our main passage this week is: Luke 23:39-43.
This week, we kick off our Lent series, by examining Jesus’ first saying from the cross. We look at the connection between forgiveness and prayer. What does it mean that Jesus is praying for our forgiveness? Our main passage this week is: Luke 23:34.
This week, we take a look at Jesus’ last healing before he goes to the cross. We look at what it means that Jesus chose to have his last miracle be healing an enemy and fixing a mistake of Peter. What does this show us about divine forgiveness? Our main passage this week is: Luke 22:47-51. (Sorry about the poor quality, the audio recording did not work so this is ripped from a video recording).
This week, we wrap up our series on being missional by looking at an example of a time when the disciples failed. They were told to cast out demons and they couldn’t do it. We will look at Jesus’ reaction to this and what that means for us today. Our main passage is Mark 9:14-18.
On the second Sunday of Advent, we examine just what the first Christmas meant for the angels. First, we explore a little bit about what exactly angels are. Then we examine just why the first Christmas was such a joyous event for them and why it should continue to be joyous for us today. This week’s passage is: Luke 2:8-14.
On the first Sunday of Advent, we examine just what the first Christmas meant for Mary. We look at how the birth of Jesus changed her life drastically. Then we explore how much faith and love it took for Mary to follow along with God’s plan. Today's passage is: Luke 1:28-55.
This Thanksgiving week, we reflect on celebrations of thankfulness in the Old Testament. This helps us see how Thanksgiving is in step with a long line of set aside days for reflection and thankfulness. Lastly, we explore how the actual act of being intentionally thankful can have tangible benefits for us. This week’s passage is Esther 8:20-23.
This week, we continue our journey though the Gospel of Matthew. We examine the well-known Golden Rule verse within the larger context of the sermon on the mount. We talk about some ways we can prepare to go out and treat others the way we would like to be treated. Our main passage this week is Matthew 7:7-12.
This week we continue our journey through the Gospel of Matthew by examining what Jesus says about judging. We often think of judging simply as ‘that person should not have done that!’ But what about the first impressions we form about people? How are we judging people every day and not even realizing it! We look at some examples of how we judge and what we can do to combat our tendency to judge. The main text for this week is: Matthew 7:1-6.
This week, we continue our journey though the Gospel of Matthew. We look at how Jesus says we should fast. Then we take a step back and look at everything Jesus has said thus far in the sermon on the mount, looking at the common theme of trust and faith verses our desires for the right now. Our main passage this week is Matthew 6:16-24.
We continue our journey through Matthew by looking at what Jesus has to say about righteousness and prayer. The Lord’s Prayer is a passage many people know, but what is Jesus trying to relate to us through it? We break down each petition in the prayer and talk about what they mean for us in our prayer lives today. Our passage this week is: Matthew 6:5-15.
We resume our journey through Matthew together, by jumping back into the Sermon on the Mount. Today, we examine what Jesus says about righteousness and giving. We examine the idea of intent as related to giving and explore how our giving should be reflective of the amazing gift God gave us. This week’s passage is: Matthew 6:1-4.
We continue our Theater and Theology series by looking at the Netflix series: The Haunting of Hill House. We examine how the titular Hill House really acts as a literary representation of the Devil. Like the Devil, the house can take anything and use it against us to get at our souls. But Like the Father in the story who is willing to sacrifice himself for his children we too have a God who willing sacrificed himself so that we might escape death.
We continue our Theater and Theology series by looking at Avengers: Endgame. We explore the idea of faith. Some of the Avengers lost faith while others remain faithful to the end. We compare this movie to the life of Joseph, looking at just what living a faithful life might look like and what it can produce.
This week, we are joined by the Hendrys. Tod shares a little of the work they are doing in Brazil and encourages us to look to the Mountains in times of strain. He reminds us to hold onto God’s promise even when we are in the valley. This week’s passage is Exodus 15:1-21.
This week, we continue our journey through the Gospel of Matthew. We get to the end of Jesus’ discussion on the Law and righteous. We examine the idea that loving our enemies can be difficult, but it is essential if we are to emulate Christ in our lives. Our passage this week is: Matt. 5:43-48.
This week, we continue our journey through the Gospel of Matthew. We examine the ‘eye for an eye’ edict and how Jesus’ encourages us to move beyond this into a realm of genuine mercy. Our passage this week is: Matt. 5:38-42.
This week, we continue our journey though the Gospel of Matthew. We look at Jesus’ reflection on the Law and on righteousness. We examine the idea that thought things will always change the call or the mission of God remains the same. Our main passage this week is Matthew 5:17-20.
This week, we continue our journey though the Gospel of Matthew. We look at Jesus’ time in the wilderness. The devil plays a key role in this passage. So we are going to examine what we can learn about the devil from this story and how we can use that to help us. Our main passage this week is Matthew 4:1-11.
This week, we continue our journey though the Gospel of Matthew, by looking at Jesus’ baptism. We examine the power of words and how much they can change our lives. Our main passage this week is Matthew 3:13-17.
This week, we dive back into the Gospel of Matthew. We examine the teachings of Jesus’ cousin: John the Baptist. How is John preparing the way for Jesus? What is it in John’s message that is laying the groundwork for Jesus’ coming message? Our main passage this week is Matthew 3:1-12.
This Palm Sunday we talk about popularity. We will examine how Jesus reacted to his own popularity among the people, seen when he entered Jerusalem in the last week of his life. What can we learn from Jesus’ example, as we try to let go of the supreme importance of being liked? Our main passage this week is Matthew 21:1-10.
We enter the fifth week of Lent talking about enemies. We examine Jesus’ entry unto Jerusalem and how we prayed and mourned for the very city that was about to kill him. Praying for our enemies, is this the first step in letting go of enemies? Our main passage this week is Luke 19:37-44.
In this fourth week of Lent, we discuss how we understand our lives. We so often overlook the reality that our lives on earth are a blip on the cosmic scale that will be our eternal life. So how do we balance the importance of the events, people, and emotions of our lives here with the knowledge that our existence ultimately means so much more? Our passage this week is John 11:32-45.
We enter the third week of Lent talking about our own sense of superiority. So often we draw lines of self-importance around ourselves in attempts to separate ourselves. We explore the idea that these lines actually hinder our efforts to fulfill the gospel. Our passages this week are John 4:5-41 and Mark 2:13-17.
We enter the second week of Lent talking about expectations. Expectations can not only lead to trouble (both with God and with each other), but they are also so easy to form and so hard to overcome. But they are something we would be much better off letting go. Our passage this week is John 3:1-17.
This week, we kick off Lent by starting a series examining some things of which we might be better off letting go. The first thing we examine is why we struggle so much with letting go of control. Our passages this week are Genesis 3:1-5 and Luke 4:1-13.
This week, we look at the classic description of love found in I Corinthians 13:4-8. But we examine it through the relationship between Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi. These two women give us tangible examples of just what this kind of love can look like.
This week, we continue our series walking through the gospel of Matthew by looking The Magi's visit to Jesus. We talk about what goes into expectations. The passage for this message is Matthew 2:1-12.
This week, we continue our series walking through the gospel of Matthew by examining how Joseph felt and reacted to Mary’s pregnancy. We examine how sometimes what is just or right might not be the ‘right’ thing to do. We explore why we should keep grace at the forefront of our hearts. The passage for this message is Matthew 1:18-25.
This week, we kick off our series walking through the gospel of Matthew by examining Jesus’ family tree (Matt. 1:1-17). We find that, like our own family trees, there are some knots and gnarls present in it. But we also see that the redemption Jesus brings, can overcome anything to bring us into the family of God.
This week we look ahead into the new year. Jesse presents a mission statement for the year and presents some challenges for us to take on; all with the goal of continually working toward better fulfilling the Great Commission.
This Advent we are examining the idea of redemption in a series called “The Redemption of Scrooge.” Today, we look at Scrooge’s time with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. We see that this ghost gives Scrooge a stern warning about where his life will end. The final hours of the life of Jesus give us the same warning about what could be. We will look at the passages of Mark 14:32-36 and Matthew 27:45-46.
This Advent we are examining the idea of redemption in a series called “The Redemption of Scrooge.” Today we see just how important Nephew Fred is in Scrooge’s transformation. We also explore how God can transform fear into hope. We will use Matthew 2:13-15 as an example of this of this transformation.
This week, we continue our examination of the Redemption of Scrooge. Scrooge's time with the Ghost of Christmas Past is memorable. But what does it mean? We talk about the idea that our past does not define us. In the eyes of God, our past can be wiped clean. We read John 4 to help in this discussion.
This Advent we are examining the idea of redemption in a series called “The Redemption of Scrooge.” Today we look at the notion that we are all children of God, all equally worthy of God’s love and grace. We will use Luke 16:19-31 to help us.
This week, we finish up our series examining some of your biggest questions by talking about science and faith. How do they relate? How are they different? We will look to the book of Jonah and Psalm 16:7 for some help.
Here is our commentary for "A Flintstones Christmas Carol." This commentary is part of our Sermon series “The Redemption of Scrooge.” Visit the RiverTree Community Church website (https://www.rivertreecc.org/) to find the corresponding sermons.
This week we tackle a very common question: “How can I have peace in a world of turmoil?” Guest Speaker Paul Schroeder walks us through what the Bible can tell us in the midst of hardships. We will look at several passages, including: John 14:27 and Romans 5:1.
We continue our series answering the questions you submitted to us. This week, is a double header, as we talk about two questions: “What happens when we die—do you go to Jesus directly or do we wait until the second coming?” and “Why did God think to make the universe?” We will look at several passages including: Eccl. 9:5-6, John 14:1-4, and Isaiah 45:5-7.
We kick off a series answering your questions! This week’s question is: “Is my time on earth preset—can anything I do lengthen or shorted that time?” We examine a few passages including: Psalm 139:15-16, Job 14:1-6, and Isaiah 38:5.
For the spookiest Sunday of the year, we look at Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “Mask of the Red Death.” We examine what this story reflects about our own pride. Then we compared it to what the Bible says about our pride in I Thessalonians 5:1-8.
Mark, Chapters 9, 10, and 11: Read by Lisa Pozzo, Bob and Cheryl Skrivan, and Jonny Munch
We continue our series on spiritually vibrant households by looking at the importance of spiritual disciplines and spiritual conversations. We start by seeing what God says about them (Deut. 6:4-9). Then, we look at some benefits of households who engage in these activities. Finally, we close with practical ways to boost your household’s engagement.
Mark Charters 6, 7, and 8: Read by Kristine Kisman, Paul & Jill Schroeder, and Kathy Nichols
We kick off our new series by examining just what is a household. We look at what Joshua meant when he said, ‘as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD’ (Josh 24:15). Lastly, we see just how important households are in God’s grand story.
We concluded our summer adventure though the Psalms by examining the book’s final chapter: Psalm 150. In it, we find a call to praise. Urging us to continually praise God, for not only is God the God of the cosmic and massive. But God is also the God over the small moments in each of our lives. That is certainly worthy of our praise!
This week, we examine the first of the Psalms of Ascent: Psalm 120. We discuss how that, if let on our own, we would just about always make things worse for ourselves. But, if we can continually choose to surrender our sinful nature to God, then we will be well on our way toward our own ascent toward salvation!
We continue our ‘P’summer of Psalms series by diving into Psalm 118. This Psalm holds a special place in both Jewish and Christian thought. It is easy to see why! We walk through the psalm pondering what it might have meant for Jesus, as he sang it on the very night be was betrayed.
This week, we continue our ‘p’summer of psalms by looking at Psalm 22. There, we examine the idea of lament. Can we lament against God? Why do we often want to lament to God? We close by showing that Jesus, in his last moments, gave us an example of what lament looks like.
This week, we kick off our ‘P’summer of Psalms by briefly talking about the book of Psalms as a whole. Then we dive into Psalm 1. There we see just how impactfully it acts as an intro to the entire book. We explore the question the poet asks us: ‘who are we going to take advice from?’
Join us for a time of reflection and prayer. We are all feeling a little screen tired so instead of watching an online sermon, this morning I want us to go outside and spend some time with God. In this guide, I will lead you through some of the psalms and encourage you to use your 5 sense to engage with the wonderful world our God has created.
Our ‘Theology and Theater’ movie for this week is Frozen II. We discuss just what it looks like to do the ‘next right thing’ as Christians; and how sometimes not knowing God’s full plan for us can actually be a good thing. We examine Psalm 119:82-87, 105 to see how taking things a single step at a time can be the best way to move forward. Spoilers for frozen II 5:40-7:24.