As followers of Christ, it is essential to rely on God as our ultimate source of faithfulness. We see in Scripture that Jesus was faithful to the Father and how is He faithful to us, where have you seen this in your own life? Pastor Justin Detmers asks us to consider where in our lives we can resolve to be more faithful to God and others. If we come to God in faith, He will fill us with His faithfulness.
Where we invest our time and hope can often come into conflict with placing our allegiance to God. Where do you place your allegiance? Pastor Young Yi reminds us that Jesus is a king who loves and actively participates in the lives of His people, and He calls us to do the same. As followers of Christ, we are called to practice allegiance to Jesus in our society, churches, and households.
Faithfulness is not something that always comes naturally to us. How does God's faithfulness toward you encourage you in your life as a follower of Jesus? Pastor Tony Pyle challenges us to value being faithful to God above all else in our lives. When we recognize the faithfulness of God, and put our hope in Him, we can find encouragement to remain faithful to Him and others.
We tend to use good to describe circumstances that are positive but not great. So, what does it mean that God is described as good in Scripture? Pastor Noel Heikkinen challenges our definition of good, reminding us that only God is good, and He defines what goodness is. God declared His creation good, and one day when we are united with Him in eternity we will live perfectly in the image of God, suitable for why we were created.
As followers of Christ, we are called to pursue kindness with purpose. How can you share the good news of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus through being kind to your neighbor? Dan Eytcheson encourages us to seek opportunities to serve those who have been marginalized or ignored by society, seeing everyone for as a valuable child of God. When we view and treat all people with dignity, compassion, and respect, we proclaim the Gospel.
God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance. Where have you seen His kindness in your life? Has it led you to repentance and a deepened faith in Him? Pastor Tony Pyle challenges us to set our mind on the kindness of God. We have been reconciled to God through faith in what Jesus has done, and the fruit of that reconciliation is and outworking of kindness toward others.
There is a critical link between patience and forgiveness. Do you struggle to forgive those who hurt you? Pastor Noel Jesse Heikkinen reminds us of the perfect example of both patience and forgiveness we have in Jesus. As believers, we are forgiven through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and that should lead us to forgive freely and find joy in all circumstances.
As Christ followers, we care called to pursue peace and build one another up. How do you pursue peace in your speech, thoughts, and actions? Pastor Young Yi reminds us that because we are made whole again and brought to peace with God through Jesus, we are called to live in peace with one another.
We all have a void in our lives that we're trying to fill with temporary things. What do you focus your time and energy on? What are you afraid of losing? Pastor Justin Detmers challenges us to place our hope in the eternal person, presence, and power of God rather than our circumstances. As followers of Jesus, we are promised His peace, a comfort given by the Spirit that calms the chaos and fills the void in our lives.
Jesus wants to be the source of our joy which means he wants us to enjoy Him. How's your joy? Pastor Noel Heikkinen reminds us that our joy isn't tethered to our circumstances, but to our identity in Jesus. When external circumstances are increasing the pressure on us, we can rejoice in our salvation and in Jesus.
Love isn't about doing, but is a matter of being. Does your life look like one that is loving? TJ Auten reminds us that at the heart of the Gospel is the saving love of God. As the love of God grows in you, it grows the love you have for others and we become the conduits of God's love to the people around us.
Our culture defines loves in so many different ways. How would you define the word love? Pastor Tony Pyle reminds us that the Bible's description of love often differs from how we think of it, and challenges our view of God, ourselves, and others. When we live with God as our definition of love, we can remember that we are loved, and that we are called to share the selfless love of God within our communities.
How would you summarize what it looks like to be a Christian? Pastor Noel Jesse Heikkinen kicks off our new series looking at how the life of a Christ follower is marked by the fruit we show. We aren't known for our actions, but by how the Spirit changes us from within.
The freedom we have in Christ is not to indulge in our own desires, but to serve one another. Does the Gospel move you to love others? Pastor Young Yi challenges our understanding of spirit and flesh, and the impact of the Holy Spirit in our lives. As followers of Christ, we have been gifted the Holy Spirit to guide, compel, convict, and move us toward the life of love and services that God has intended for us.
The Gospel of Jesus is a message of hope and reconciliation for the world. For that reason, we are committed to planting churches in Michigan, across our country, and around the world. Pastor Noel Jesse Heikkinen shares the story of church planting through riv and how we continue to see the fame of God grow. Because the love of Jesus compels us, we share the love of Jesus with others, so that they may choose to love Him and place their faith in Him.
Jesus is the radiance of God's glory, who stepped in to His creation. Have you looked to Jesus with your life and accepted His gift of life? This Easter Sunday, Pastor Noel Jesse Heikkinen reminds us that Jesus didn't let guilt go unpunished, but took it on Himself and offers us life. When we trust in Jesus, we're given hope through His compassion and love.
The Kingdom of God does not grow by force or strength, but by speaking the truth of who Christ is. Do you believe in the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ? This Easter Sunday, Young Yi reminds us that because of His finished work on the cross, eternal death is no longer the fate of those who believe in Jesus. We are known, seen, and loved by our risen King.
Discipleship is the lifelong journey of being changed by, following, and becoming more like Jesus. This messy and grace-driven process happens best through the mutual sharing of our lives, with the Great Commandment at its heart and the Great Commission as its trajectory.
We are all shaped by the things we give our time, attention, and thoughts to. How are you being intentional with that during this season of life? Pastor Tony Pyle asks us to consider the times in our lives where we experienced significant spiritual growth, and who may have had a role in that. As believers, we are called to invest in and learn from others as we seek a lifelong journey of being changed by, following, and becoming more like Jesus.
As followers of Christ, we are called to invest in the lives of others. Do you have people in your life that you are looking up to, and people you are leading? Pastor Justin Detmers challenges us to value and invest in the lifelong journey of being changed by, following, and becoming more like Jesus through discipleship.
We all have people and voices influencing our lives. Who or what do you follow? Pastor James Granger walks us through our final core value of pursuing relational and missional discipleship. May we pursue Christ and Christ alone with our everything.
Each one of us carries a unique and valid life experience. How have you looked beyond yourself and to the cultural perspective of others? Pastor Noel Jesse Heikkinen shares our core value of being united in and honoring diversity. In the church, each one of our individual pieces of cultural and cultural experience is added to everyone else's to make something beautiful. We do not desire conformity or uniformity, but the full expression of our individual and cultural life experiences woven togeth...
The Gospel does not eliminate the unique cultures and experiences that make the church diverse, but unifies a diverse group of people by glorifying God through their differences. How do we live as a testimony to this within our church and our daily lives? Pastor Young Yi challenges us to live with a broader cultural perspective, recognizing that the Gospel of Jesus is the bridge that unites us and diversity is something to be celebrated. The Church is called to be a beautiful display of unity, g...
How are you actively seeking multi-generational relationships? Brendan Finnerty challenges us to find spaces and opportunities to spend time with those older and younger than us. As believers, we have the opportunity to show the world that the family of God looks different as we live our lives. When we live in vulnerable, multi-generational community, we are an example of how God's love goes beyond what is comfortable and brings people into our lives who look and think different than we do....
Do you find that the generational divide existing in the world today hurts your relationships? How can investing in relationships with people of all ages lead to a healthier church? Pastor Tony Pyle reminds us that as a church, we must be multi-generational and next-generational at the same time. As believers, we are called to be a family made up of people of all generations, teaching and learning from one another as we pursue God together.
We are all a part of the Gospel legacy. What role do you play in carrying on the Word to the next generation? Pastor Young Yi encourages us that obedience to God's Word leads to life and deepens our sole allegiance to Him. Because we have the Gospel upholding us, we can move forward with confidence in Jesus. Our part is to live in that truth and to pass on the Gospel to the next generation with boldness and faith.
We all need people in our lives. Do you have authentic community around you? Pastor James Granger reminds us that every follower of Jesus needs authentic community that they can be vulnerable with. At Riv, one of our core values is being in and in the community.
It may look different for each of us, but we all need community. Have you found yourself feeling isolated over the past few years? Pastor Tony Pyle reminds us that trying to do life on our own is hard, and being in intentional relationships with others can strengthen and encourage our faith. When we live in community, and are present in our communities, we not only point others to God, but hopefully, we’ll find a space where we can be vulnerable and grow personally as well.
Our deepest need is to be made right before God. Have you accepted Jesus into your life, and recognize that He alone can meet that need? Jordan Allen reminds us that as believers, we are called to allow that truth to challenge the way we live our lives and how we invite others into the family of Jesus.
The Bible is the source of life, the Word of God, and it is true. Do you believe in the validity of Scripture? Young Yi reminds us that we are created in the image of God and because of that we have a new purpose in our lives. When we read Scripture we see the heart of God toward His people, and are invited to be a part of the humble and gracious work He is calling us to.
