River of Life Church - St Joseph

This week we continue in our Who We Are series talking about the idea that we serve a God that is infinitely more than we could ever ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:14-21). When we grasp the power of that idea, things change--especially how we live in our day-to-day lives. These verses contain a powerful truth that God is infinitely more than anything else that we could seek, accomplish, or follow. 

This week we begin a new series called Who We Are looking at the character and values of our church. We recently passed the two-year mark for our church being in existence! Now is the time to evaluate remind ourselves of who we are as a church and highlight where we are going. The topic for this week is that we absolutely need to be people of God's presence. His presence is what sets the church apart from being another social club. 

Happy Easter! This week we round out our On The Road series by celebrating the resurrection of Jesus and covering the story of him walking on the Road to Emmaus with two of his disciples. Jesus interrupts their story and brings new life and redemption to them in their place of difficulty. If the grave is empty, then we always have hope!

This week we look at the Triumphant Entry of Jesus.** In that story, people celebrate Jesus and his next three major actions are to cry, curse a tree, and flip tables in the Temple. What caused Jesus to have that reaction? We look to answer that question and figure out how we can apply the truths of these scriptures to our lives. (Hint: Jesus cares more about our hearts than our outward actions.)  **This is a Family Service for us, meaning the kids were included in the service. The sermon is geared towards BOTH kids and adults, switching back and forth between the two focuses. Also, there are a few visual illustrations that we used that might not translate as well to podcasting. 

This week we start a new series called On The Road with Jesus where we will take a few stories of Jesus traveling on different roads and what we can learn from them. This first sermon keys in on a man named Jairus who desperately needed a miracle from Jesus, but who also found himself seeing his faith tested on the road to his miracle. This story is a strong reminder that sometimes there are miracles you can only learn on the road to the miracle. 

This week we round out our Fighter series talking about the story of the Good Samaritan and how this highlights what we should do to fight for the Kingdom of God. This is a powerful story that highlights that God often uses "neighbors" to change the world rather than those who are powerful or influential. That's great news for us because all of us are neighbors already! We all have the opportunity to love people, show compassion, and spread the light of Christ everywhere we go. 

This week we have a guest speaker, Tim Bueckers, who is an awesome member of our church! Tim talks about what it means to truly trust God in the world that we are faced with today. How do we trust God in all things, even when the world is going crazy? It starts with us truly leaning on God rather than leaning on our own strength, skills, understanding, or perspectives. When we understand that, it doesn't matter what the world throws at us. We can stand firm trusting in Christ!

This week we continue our Fighter series talking about the idea of not using Jesus as a tool or weapon to push our own agendas forward. Both in Bible times and in our world today, people will often try to use Jesus as a means to their end. Jesus always resisted this. The call of Christianity has always been for us to follow Jesus rather than trying to get Jesus to follow our ways. As we look at John 6 in this sermon, we discuss how to avoid the mistakes of using Jesus as a tool/weapon and following our expectations of Jesus rather than Jesus himself. 

This week we continue our Fighter series by talking about the idea that we cannot put non-biblical prerequisites or expectations on what it means to be a Christian. In the time of the early church, they struggled with a controversy over this same type of idea. There was a group going around saying that people had to do extra things in order to be able to accept Christ or to be a "real" Christian. While we have different issues in our world today, this idea is still prevalent. We talk here about how to avoid the lie of adding extra requirements to what Christ calls us to do and how to keep our Christianity focused on the primary issues before we deal with secondary issues. 

This week we begin a new series talking about how Christians should engage with the culture around us. We aim to answer the question: How should Christians act in a world that is so divisive, politically charged, and filled with conflict? Too often the reactions of Christians seem to add fuel to the fires of culture rather than speaking hope to it. In this sermon, we look at the fight that God had called us to take part in and how we can fight that fight the right way. (Spoiler: we act like Christ did using the tools he used.) 

This week we wrap up our mini-series, For, by talking about the fact that every one of us is saved for the Great Commission. As a part of us accepting Jesus and joining the Body of Christ, God has called each of us to reach both our neighbors and the nations. This sermon discusses that point and then moves to how we can practically live out the Great Commission by praying, giving, and going. 

This week we start a new mini-series called "For" where we are going to be talking about what we are saved FOR. Many Christians know and can articulate what God has saved them FROM, but sometimes Christians can struggle to understand what God has saved the FOR. For us to mature in our faith, we have to move fully into what God has saved us FOR. In this series we will get into what that means for us. 

This week we talk about maturing in our seeking process. Using the idea of a pyramid that we move from lower levels to higher levels, Pastor Tyler highlights that there are different levels of maturity that our seeking needs to move through. The story of the rich young ruler in Mark 10 serves as the backbone for today's message as we wrap up our series on seeking God. 

This week we dive into the idea of seeking God first in our lives. What does it mean to seek him first like it talks about in Matthew 6:33? We break down that idea to show that Jesus was talking both about seeking God first in priority and in the process of our lives--both of which have strong implications for how we live out our faith day to day. 

This week we continue our series on seeking God by talking about some characteristics of truly seeking him. There can be various aspects of our lives that can either hold us back from seeking God or that can hinder us from seeking him the right way. We dive into the story of 1 Kings 19 where Elijah seeks God after receiving some distressing news. In the middle of that mess, he is able to press through and seek God. The result is that he has an encounter with God that changes him in the exact way he truly needed. The same can happen for us!

What does it mean to seek God and why should we seek him? In this series, we are going to look at the answers to those questions. This week we begin by showing that we have the responsibility and joy to seek God with all our hearts, and that he shows up when we do. Then we transition to talking about a very specific way to seek God: fasting. It's a great way to kick off our new year by giving effort to growing closer to Jesus. 

This week we finish off our Gifts of Christmas series by talking about probably the greatest gift that Jesus brought when he came: love! This is a family service for us, so we have the kids in our normal service. Because of that, the message is geared for BOTH kids and adults. Each point starts with Pastor Tyler talking to the kids and ends with Pastor Tyler bringing the point home for adults. 

This week we explore what it means that Jesus brings us the gift of light through his coming on Christmas. This idea has so many wonderful layers to it and beautifully expresses what Jesus does in our lives through his presence. With Jesus, we can have light even when things seem dark. 

This week we continue our Gifts of Christmas series talking about the gift of peace. This sermon focuses on the idea that we can truly experience God's peace in us. Because of Christ, we no longer have to live in inner turmoil or conflict. Instead, we can experience his peace deeply in our souls and then join his mission to spread peace to the world around us. 

This week we begin a new series entitled The Gifts of Christmas. Obviously, the greatest gift of Christmas is Christ coming, but with is coming he also provided us with secondary gifts that are a part of the Christmas story. This series will focus in on those gifts and we will start with the gift of joy!

This week we wrap up our Family Matters series by talking about how to begin pursuing healing from a dysfunctional family history or a difficult family situation that someone is currently going through in their life. We explore the story of how Jacob, who had a very dysfunctional family history, was able to receive healing and a new identity from God from an unexpected situation. 

This week we continue our series on God's plan for the family by discussing parenting. Scripture is clear that there is one over-arching priority that all parents should have: to help their children grow spiritually. In this sermon, we discuss that idea and four things that can get in the way of parents prioritizing the spiritual growth of their kids. 

This week we cover the topics of singleness and marriage. Both are important! We start by talking about how singleness is a blessed state where we can experience a special connection to God and freedom to operate in his kingdom. From there, we move to the topic of marriage. Marriage is the foundation of the family and the closest earthly relationship we are supposed to have. God has massive plans for our marriages, and we discuss what that looks like in today's message. 

This week had a guest speaker Kelli Patrick come and share a powerful word about reaching our city for Jesus. Kelli works with students to help empower them to share their faith in their schools, and the word she brought this week is a timely one for us to consider as we look to reach those around us with the gospel. 

This week we being a new series on God's plan for the family. We begin this series by looking at what the Bible says is God's purpose in creating families and also what God wants families to accomplish. It doesn't matter if you are married with kids, single with no kids, come from a great family background, or have a tragic family story, understanding God's plan for the family can help you understand how to live better in the story you have. 

This week we are doing a standalone sermon about the idea of being dependent on God. It's not comfortable to live where we are forced to depend on God, but spiritually that is how we should be living all of our lives. This sermon talks about how we should embrace true dependence on God and that powerlessness is an invitation to go back to seeking the Lord. 

This week we hear from St Cloud Chi Alpha missionary, Erin Olson, as she speaks on the topic of being an admirer of Jesus versus being a follower of Jesus. (Hint: we need to be followers, not admirers!) Erin shares some of her personal story that highlights when this change occurred for her while also showing how scripture drives home the truth of what our spiritual lives should look like. 

This week's sermon is a standalone sermon asking this question: what is your first response when you are faced with adversity or opposition in your life? The answer according to scripture is that our first response should always be prayer. When we want to take ground, we pray first. Where do you need to take ground in your life? Your first step should be to pray about that area. 

This week we cover the outward-facing goals that God has given our church. These goals all stem out of our mission to have one more person growing in Christ. We want that happen locally, globally, and in the next generation. This sermon discusses these goals while also laying out scripturally why they are important.  **The file for our Vision week 3 sermon got corrupted and we were unable to salvage it. We apologize. 

This week we move forward with our vision series talking about what we consider the "lifeblood" of our church: discipleship. Every body needs blood to function and exist. In the church, we discipleship has to be the core of who we are. We discuss what discipleship looks like and how the church helps with the discipleship process of its members. 

This week we spent some time talking over the vision that we believe God has for our church. This sermon covers where we are, where we could be, and what needs to happen for us to get there--including the mindsets that we need to adopt as a church for us to grow to where God wants us to be. 

This week we close out our series on the Gospel of John by talking about Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension. While the story may be familiar to you, John emphasizes certain portrayals of Jesus during the final days of his earthly life that bring out some beautiful truths for us today. Jesus is the Saving King and because of him, we have eternal life with God that starts now and lasts forever. 

This week we turn our attention to the Holy Spirit, who Jesus repeatedly brings up in his final words with his disciples before his death (John 14-17). Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as our comforter, advocate, and guide who will lead us more clearly to him. Too often the Holy Spirit's name is misused in the name of weirdness or worse, but that is not how Jesus presented him. If it was important to Jesus, then we should lean into the Holy Spirit's role in our lives as well. We cover in this sermon who the Holy Spirit is and what he does in our lives (fruits and gifts). We end by quickly covering the Baptism in the Spirit which is a special moment where the Holy Spirit empowers us. 

This week we shift to the second half of John. From John 12 on, the book switches to covering the final week of Jesus's life including four chapters covering Jesus's final discourse to his disciples at that Last Supper. This week we look at what Jesus felt he needed to communicate in these vital final moments, including him starting off this final meal with a shocking twist: washing the disciples feet. This story has a wonderful application for our lives. 

This week we go to John 11 where Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. Throughout the story, even though people in the crowd believe in Jesus, they put artificial limits on him and his power. They did not believe that Jesus could fully fix the situation once Lazarus died. In our lives, we have to be careful that we do not put artificial limits on Jesus that cause us to resist him when he tries to move. That's what this sermon is about: letting Jesus move in full power in our lives. 

This week we continue our Gospel of John by covering John 8 where Jesus tries to correct some of his followers, but they reject his leadings. We talk about the fact that our lives have to directionally be moving towards Jesus rather than trying to check off some religious benchmarks. The word for this is repentance, and it's a lifestyle of moving towards God and his ways. This sermon is about how to do that practically and why we need it. 

This week we venture into John 6 and talk about Jesus being the bread of life. This story highlights the miracle-working power of Jesus, the power of a small sacrifice, and the importance of responding to Jesus positively. This sermon highlights all three point as we work through the entire chapter of John 6. 

This week we are back to the Gospel of John and looking at what to do when we experience spiritual frustration. All of us have moments where we are frustrated with God and our spiritual growth. How do we respond in that? We look at the story of Jesus healing the invalid man in John 5:1-9 for some great answers on how to respond in those moments.

This week features a guest speaker: Bobby Loukinen. Bobby served as a youth pastor for 18 years before transitioning to being a US home missionary. He serves by helping organize missions trips for MN churches and by helping with Youth Alive that reaches teen students on middle school, jr. high, and high school campuses throughout our state. He gives a great message from Acts 8 about Philip and the Ethiopian. 

This week we venture into John 4 where Jesus has his famous conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well where he chooses to defy cultural expectations so that he can offer this woman the soul-quenching help she desperately needed. Just like in this story, wherever we find ourselves Jesus is already there waiting for us! 

This week we dig into John 3 which covers one of the greatest conversations ever recorded. We key in on the idea of coming to Jesus the same way that Nicodemus does in this chapter and how that can be difficult for people who don't know Jesus yet, but it's always worth it! 

This week we dive into John 2 where Jesus does his first ever miracle (turning water into wine) and then proceeds to clear out the corrupt moneychangers at the Temple. The focus of this sermon is on the power of Jesus and how Jesus's power is the greatest proof of who he is. When people experience the power of Jesus, they become open to the person of Jesus. 

This week we take a look at John the Baptist and his response to recognizing Jesus as the Son of God. John leaves a powerful example of what it means to put Jesus first in our lives--forcing all of us to stop and ask the question: Am I simply trying to use Jesus for my own personal gain? 

This week we begin our summer series on the Gospel of John. This sermon focuses in on introducing this book of the Bible and the main point that the author is making. John is hyper-focused on one major idea: that Jesus is the Son of God and through him alone we can have eternal life. This is an idea that we all have to reckon with at some point. Are we going to accept Jesus as he claims to be--the Son of God--or are we going to reject Jesus through making him out to be anything less than that? 

This is a standalone sermon exploring the topic of identity and not allowing false identities to stick to us. Using the story of David + Goliath we explore what it means to be secure in our God-given identity and how our callings flow from our identity, not the other way around. 

This week we turn our attention to being healthy in our physical bodies. This is not something churches often talk about, but everything we do in life and everything we experience happens through our physical bodies. If we are to be healthy, then stewarding the body God has given us is vital! We want to be the healthiest we can be so God can do the most in us and through us that he possibly can. 

This week we get back to our Holy Healthy series by talking about how Christians should be healthy in our minds. When we believe, internalize, and build our lives on God's truth, then the result is that we experience health and wholeness in our minds! Because of Jesus you can win the war in your mind, and in this sermon we discuss how to do just that. 

This week we take a one-week pause in our Holy Healthy series to discuss our Global Focus Month at RLC. God's heart is for lost people, both locally and globally! This sermon invites all of us to take a pause and ask ourselves what God would have us do in response to the massive amounts of people in the world who do not yet know Jesus. 

This week was a special Sunday at RLC! We did our first ever Story Sunday where we interviewed people about the stories of what God had done in their life. You will notice that it's more of a conversational interview format rather than our normal sermon format.  This Sunday featured three individuals: Sephra Kinser, Jackie Leedahl, and John Caughlin. We start with Sephra and Jackie both sharing about what God did on their recent mission trip to LA. Then we turn to John who shares his incredible story about having a heart attack during one of our services, getting resuscitated, and what God has done in his life from this powerful experience. 

Happy Easter! This week we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus. Because he is alive, we can have health in our souls! This sermon focuses in both on explaining what Jesus did on Easter and how, because of this, Jesus is the only way that we can achieve true health in our souls.