River Valley Christian Church

Ever wish you could have a “do-over”? Ever find yourself wishing that you could somehow have a second chance? We’ve all had those times when we wish life would give us a mulligan and let us change some things. We’ve all been through days where we longed for the chance to tell a different story with the lives we’ve been given. Throughout Luke’s Gospel, Jesus comes into contact with people from all different walks of life. A Roman Centurion. A woman trapped in sin. A grieving widow. A rich young ruler. Yet, for all their differences, these people had one thing in common. Once they encountered Jesus, He rewrote their stories. He forever changed their lives. He can do the same for us. Jesus is more than willing to offer us a fresh start — a Rewrite to our own personal stories. All we have to do is hand Him the pen. Selected Quotes: Jesus encounters a story filled with death and makes it a story of life. Jesus sobs over the presence and th

Ever wish you could have a “do-over”? Ever find yourself wishing that you could somehow have a second chance? We’ve all had those times when we wish life would give us a mulligan and let us change some things. We’ve all been through days where we longed for the chance to tell a different story with the lives we’ve been given. Throughout Luke’s Gospel, Jesus comes into contact with people from all different walks of life. A Roman Centurion. A woman trapped in sin. A grieving widow. A rich young ruler. Yet, for all their differences, these people had one thing in common. Once they encountered Jesus, He rewrote their stories. He forever changed their lives. He can do the same for us. Jesus is more than willing to offer us a fresh start — a Rewrite to our own personal stories. All we have to do is hand Him the pen. Selected Quotes: Jesus is the restorer. He’s the One who makes everything right. Jesus takes our stories

Ever wish you could have a “do-over”? Ever find yourself wishing that you could somehow have a second chance? We’ve all had those times when we wish life would give us a mulligan and let us change some things. We’ve all been through days where we longed for the chance to tell a different story with the lives we’ve been given. Throughout Luke’s Gospel, Jesus comes into contact with people from all different walks of life. A Roman Centurion. A woman trapped in sin. A grieving widow. A rich young ruler. Yet, for all their differences, these people had one thing in common. Once they encountered Jesus, He rewrote their stories. He forever changed their lives. He can do the same for us. Jesus is more than willing to offer us a fresh start — a Rewrite to our own personal stories. All we have to do is hand Him the pen. Selected Quotes: Peace is not the default setting for our lives. But, Jesus sends us into it. There is no peace

In chess, the Endgame is the third and final phase of the game. At this point, most of the pieces have been cleared from the board. The outcome of the game draws closer with every move. Each king begins his final march, hoping that the victory will be his. The only question that's left is which king will emerge victorious? Which king will win in the Endgame? In Luke 19, we read the story of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. This is the event that kicks off the final week of His life. More than that, it's the event that sets His Endgame into motion. Over the course of the next week, most of the pieces will be cleared from the board. The end of His life will draw nearer with every passing step. By Friday, the King will be dead. But, what no one could have expected was that the King had one final move to make. Selected Quotes: "Everything that happened to Jesus was part of the plan. It was foretold years in advance. God knew what needed to happen. He was still on His throne." "God

Do we boast in our talent, power, wealth, relationships? Listen in on Good Friday (April 14, 2017) as Brandon Braun unpacks what Paul meant when he says he only boasts in the cross of Christ.

In chess, the Endgame is the third and final phase of the game. At this point, most of the pieces have been cleared from the board. The outcome of the game draws closer with every move. Each king begins his final march, hoping that the victory will be his. The only question that's left is which king will emerge victorious? Which king will win in the Endgame? In Luke 19, we read the story of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. This is the event that kicks off the final week of His life. More than that, it's the event that sets His Endgame into motion. Over the course of the next week, most of the pieces will be cleared from the board. The end of His life will draw nearer with every passing step. By Friday, the King will be dead. But, what no one could have expected was that the King had one final move to make. Selected Quotes: "Jesus ended the separation between God and men." "Have you ever felt betrayed? Have you ever had one of your friends turn on you? Jesus has been there."&#

In chess, the Endgame is the third and final phase of the game. At this point, most of the pieces have been cleared from the board. The outcome of the game draws closer with every move. Each king begins his final march, hoping that the victory will be his. The only question that's left is which king will emerge victorious? Which king will win in the Endgame? In Luke 19, we read the story of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. This is the event that kicks off the final week of His life. More than that, it's the event that sets His Endgame into motion. Over the course of the next week, most of the pieces will be cleared from the board. The end of His life will draw nearer with every passing step. By Friday, the King will be dead. But, what no one could have expected was that the King had one final move to make. Selected Quotes: "Everything that happened during Passover was just a whisper of something to come." "Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the Passover feast!"&#

In chess, the Endgame is the third and final phase of the game. At this point, most of the pieces have been cleared from the board. The outcome of the game draws closer with every move. Each king begins his final march, hoping that the victory will be his. The only question that's left is which king will emerge victorious? Which king will win in the Endgame? In Luke 19, we read the story of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. This is the event that kicks off the final week of His life. More than that, it's the event that sets His Endgame into motion. Over the course of the next week, most of the pieces will be cleared from the board. The end of His life will draw nearer with every passing step. By Friday, the King will be dead. But, what no one could have expected was that the King had one final move to make. Selected Quotes: "The final week of Jesus’ life doesn’t begin with this happy flannel graph parade. It begins with controversy. It begins with an act of war."&

‘The One’ Series Blurb "Who is Jesus?" For years, mankind has wrestled with this question. Some say Jesus is our Savior. Others say He's no more than a great teacher. Some say Jesus was a social revolutionary. Others claim He was God in the flesh. Regardless of where they come from, everyone has an opinion about Him. So, who was Jesus? The Gospel of Luke tells us a lot about Jesus' identity. It tells us that He is the Messiah. It tells us that He is the Christ. He is the "Son of Man," the "Son of David," and the "Son of God." He’s the One with all authority and power. He’s the One with all glory and honor. He’s the One who history revolves around. He is no mere man. He is “The One.” Selected Quotes: "Jesus' Kingdom is different. If you want to be first, you have to be last." "Jesus is encouraging us to orient our minds around the things that last." "Jesus tells us that love is a choice." &

"Who is Jesus?" For years, mankind has wrestled with this question. Some say Jesus is our Savior. Others say He's no more than a great teacher. Some say Jesus was a social revolutionary. Others claim He was God in the flesh. Regardless of where they come from, everyone has an opinion about Him. So, who was Jesus? The Gospel of Luke tells us a lot about Jesus' identity. It tells us that He is the Messiah. It tells us that He is the Christ. He is the "Son of Man," the "Son of David," and the "Son of God." He’s the One with all authority and power. He’s the One with all glory and honor. He’s the One who history revolves around. He is no mere man. He is “The One.” Selected Quotes: "Christianity, at its root, is about forgiveness." "No what who we hurt with our sin, God is the most hurt. [But], what we find in Jesus is that the person we have hurt the most has come to forgive us." "We come to Jesus with all of our mes

"Who is Jesus?" For years, mankind has wrestled with this question. Some say Jesus is our Savior. Others say He's no more than a great teacher. Some say Jesus was a social revolutionary. Others claim He was God in the flesh. Regardless of where they come from, everyone has an opinion about Him. So, who was Jesus? The Gospel of Luke tells us a lot about Jesus' identity. It tells us that He is the Messiah. It tells us that He is the Christ. He is the "Son of Man," the "Son of David," and the "Son of God." He’s the One with all authority and power. He’s the One with all glory and honor. He’s the One who history revolves around. He is no mere man. He is “The One.” Selected Quotes: "We've never been more connected. Yet, the fact remains that we've never felt more isolated." "Jesus' first invitation is for us to follow Him and be His." "Spiritual disciplines aren't about busy-ness. They are about relationship." &#

"Who Is Jesus?" For years, mankind has wrestled with this question. Some say Jesus is our Savior. Others say He's no more than a great teacher. Some say Jesus was a social revolutionary. Others claim He was God in the flesh. Regardless of where they come from, everyone has an opinion about Him. So, who was Jesus? The Gospel of Luke tells us a lot about Jesus' identity. It tells us that He is the Messiah. It tells us that He is the Christ. He is the "Son of Man," the "Son of David," and the "Son of God." He’s the One with all authority and power. He’s the One with all glory and honor. He’s the One who history revolves around. He is no mere man. He is “The One.” Selected Quotes: "Jesus has to come fix things. He wants to undo what sin has done." "If it weren't for Jesus, we would be stuck in sin. [But] He came to restore our freedom from the most oppressive regime in human history." "He came to restore our sight. He allows us to finally se

"Who Is Jesus?" For years, mankind has wrestled with this question. Some say Jesus is our Savior. Others say He's no more than a great teacher. Some say Jesus was a social revolutionary. Others claim He was God in the flesh. Regardless of where they come from, everyone has an opinion about Him. So, who was Jesus? The Gospel of Luke tells us a lot about Jesus' identity. It tells us that He is the Messiah. It tells us that He is the Christ. He is the "Son of Man," the "Son of David," and the "Son of God." He’s the One with all authority and power. He’s the One with all glory and honor. He’s the One who history revolves around. He is no mere man. He is “The One.” Selected Quotes: "Jesus doesn't waiver. He remains faithful to God." "...because of His faithfulness, Jesus can show us how to be faithful." "We are His. We have put on Christ. When Satan tempts us, he'll try to get us to forget that."

"Who is Jesus?" For years, mankind has wrestled with this question. Some say Jesus is our Savior. Others say He's no more than a great teacher. Some say Jesus was a social revolutionary. Others claim He was God in the flesh. Regardless of where they come from, everyone has an opinion about Him. So, who was Jesus? The Gospel of Luke tells us a lot about Jesus' identity. It tells us that He is the Messiah. It tells us that He is the Christ. He is the "Son of Man," the "Son of David," and the "Son of God." He’s the One with all authority and power. He’s the One with all glory and honor. He’s the One who history revolves around. He is no mere man. He is “The One.” Selected Quotes: "He's the one who history revolves around. He is no mere man. He is worth devoting your life to." "The Bible guarantees He is working everything toward His ultimate plan." "He's promised to redeem the broken. He's promised to heal our heart

"Being the right kind of church doesn't begin with what we do - it's who we are!" "God's expectations of the church have little to do with programming or ministries. God's primarily concerned with the relationships between us." "Building a healthy church isn't about finding the right programs. Building a healthy church begins with you... and with me." "Being part of the church means being a part of the people who have had their lives changed by Jesus Christ." "The church should be characterized as a place of transformation." "We have to understand that we cannot do this on our own. We are in this together." "They were faithful to what God had called them to do and God did all the work." "It all begins with letting Him transform our lives. If we want to be the kind of church He wants us to be, then we have to do it together!"

"As we proclaim truth, we want to meet people where they are." "Preaching has to be built on something that won’t crumble beneath us. God’s Word gives us that foundation." "We are here to talk about Christ. To proclaim Him as Lord and Savior."

"Without the Holy Spirit, Christianity would be inconceivable, even impossible. There can be no life without the life-giver, no understanding without the Spirit of truth, no fellowship without the unity of the Spirit, no Christlikeness of character apart from his fruit, and no effective witness without his power. As a body without breath is a corpse, so the church without the Spirit is dead." - John Stott "The mission wasn't contingent on how much strength the apostles had. Jesus promises that He is going to give them His strength." "When the Spirit shows up, He pushes us out on mission. He sends us out to do HIs work."

"Biblical leadership requires a pure heart." "When the church wanted to know who God had chosen to lead them...they looked to the heart." "We want to be a church where spiritual leadership is the priority and our leaders operate with transparency." "We want to be a place where our congregation is encouraging and praying those for those leaders."

"The only way forward is for us to go back." "The work of Christ drives the church." "Who we are and what we do grows out of who He is and what He's done."

On New Year's Day, we centered ourselves around Jesus' model for prayer in Matthew 6 and prayed the following for our our homes, our community, and our church in 2017: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.