When defining the culture of our church we must start with the questions, “Who are we and what are we becoming?” We find the answers by what we value and celebrate. At River Church, we highly regard seeking and saving the lost. Why? Because Jesus did it and as his followers, we should take note of how he accomplished this. We’ve twisted this business of evangelism when we are more concerned with getting people saved than loving them well. Loving people into a revelation of their salvation is the way of Jesus. When we lay down our lives for the lost, broken, hungry, and hurting we are revealing the kind of love that says, “You were worth dying for.”

When defining the culture of our church we must start with the questions, “Who are we and what are we becoming?” We find the answers by what we value and celebrate. At River Church, we hold high regard for prayer. In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. It’s a direct line to the One with all the answers and a means of calming your heart in times of anxiety. Prayer is an ancient practice that precedes our modern world of hyper connectivity and offers more solace than Facebook likes or Twitter retweet’s. Why? Because prayer is the language of Heaven. It’s the cry for help and the whisper that everything will be alright. Prayer is something that Jesus taught us and as his followers we’d be better off if we practiced his way. Prayer brings peace in the midst of chaos. Prayer crosses time zones to change outcomes. Prayer crushes anxiety and curses evil. Prayer is the language of Heaven.

We all bump up against difficult times and difficult people. Relationships are hard! It’s easy to disconnect and distance ourselves from others to avoid hurt. But when we recognize that our connections are often tested before they are trusted we can endure the awkwardness and embark on lifelong friendships. This is why forgiveness is vital for followers of Jesus. It’s only when we understand the power of forgiveness that we are capable of staying connected with others. Loving relationships take time and are often forged in the fires of misunderstanding, rejection, and betrayal. Jesus understands this and he’s ready to help you become a peacemaker that navigates relations with grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

When defining the culture of our church we must start with the questions, “Who are we and what are we becoming?”

We find the answers by what we value and celebrate.

At River Church, we hold high regard for loving relationships.

Of course, this starts with loving yourself by receiving the extravagant love of the Father represented in Jesus. From there we learn to love others well and create a loving community. It is only in a loving community that we grow into people that live and love like Jesus, even to the point of loving our enemies and turning them into friends.

We become the answer to His prayer that Earth would be more like Heaven.

When defining the culture of our church we must start with the questions, “Who are we and what are we becoming?”

We find the answers by what we value and celebrate.

At River Church, we hold high regard for God’s Word.

Of course, Jesus is the Word of God. He is what God has to say about himself – The Living Word of God.

But we also have a written word – a Bible that supports the revelation of God in the flesh and teaches us about ourselves, how to think about the world around us, and how to live as followers of Jesus. A rich source of wisdom that outlines the problem and points to Jesus as the solution.

When defining the culture of our church we must start with the questions, “Who are we and what are we becoming?” We find the answers by what we value and celebrate. At River Church, we hold high regard for God’s Presence. We believe His fear-melting love will destroy anxiety, bring wholeness, and change us. Transformation is available in the presence of God but you must cooperate. Love never forces transformation. We are changed when we yield to the movement of the Sacred. We become like Jesus when we encounter his presence and choose the good. Other people will encounter his presence when we choose to love.

A resilient life is built through time and adversity with a mindset that doesn’t focus on things out of your control.

You can’t control which doors are open or closed. You can’t control the future or change the past. But you can manage your response in the present.

Choosing to love and choosing the good is what we can control at all times.

Loving well is the end game and final outcome for followers of Jesus.

Choosing to do what love would do will always lead you to the purposes of the God who *is* Love. Jesus said, “If you’ve seen me you’ve seen the Father”. He said and did what he heard from the Father (hint: God was *in* Christ reconciling the world to Himself) so Jesus only did what love would do. He only said what love would say. We learn a life of love from Jesus.

When we choose Love we choose the good and find God's purpose and plan. Love is resilient… Love never fails.

"God, you’re a proven help in time of trouble – more than enough and always available whenever I need you." Psalm 46:1

We all go through it and it's time to take the pressure off. Building resilience when we fail requires us to know where our help comes from. Hint: it's not a self help book or a check list.

Resilience comes from listening to the voice of Jesus in our moments of failure. He is always there calling us forward.

God wasn’t correcting a mistake He was communicating a point. We were created for relationships. Our culture praises individualism, but our Kingdom is woven together through community.

The Church that Jesus is building relies on many coming together for the common good.

The good news means you never have to walk alone.

We are stronger together.

True resilience is forged in relationships.

People are known as resilient when they overcome the odds, fight through the pain, and navigate forces arrayed against them. We regard them as heroes because their external exploits are on display for all to see.

But true resilience starts on the inside long before it’s seen on the outside.

Our mindset and emotions are meant to help us navigate the struggles we face. Sadly, they often hinder our ability to lean in and face hard things because we are mentally and emotionally bankrupt. Developing mental and emotional fortitude is vital to the follower of Jesus. In fact, he is both our example and our source of strength.

When we look to Jesus for guidance with our mindset and grace for our emotions we discover the resilient inner life.