It is a pervasive issue. If you make $50,000 a year it seems that you need $55,000 to survive. If you make $80,000 you feel like you need $88,000. If you make $100,000 it seems as though $110,000 is what is needed to meet all your commitments. Living beyond our means is the norm for a majority of Americans. With healthcare, mortgages, student loans, insurance, retirement contributions, children’s college, and daily life there never seems to be quite enough money to meet all our obligations. The stress of finances can become overwhelming. To make matters worse this week you received a letter from Rivermont asking you to make a faith pledge to financially support Rivermont in 2020. With so many obligations and so much financial strain how can one even consider adding another cost to the budget? Throughout the Bible we consistently see that the Lord calls His people to worship Him through the act of giving. In the Old Testament the principle of the tithe was established as the standard for their giving. The tithe is a gift of one-tenth of a person’s income. The Lord promised that as the people faithfully gave the tithe that He would faithfully provide for all their needs. With the coming of Christ and the establishment of the Church the principle of proportional giving continues. The Lord expects that His followers will faithfully and sacrificially give to the work and mission of the Church. As we give in faith, we are assured that He will continue to supply for all of our needs. To make the commitment to give you do not need more money. Rather you need a new heart in relation to money. Those who give sacrificially are rarely those who make more money than those who do not give. Trust not wealth is the dividing line. Those who trust in the Lord’s care are willing to give a significant percentage of their income to the work of Christ. Those who do not trust keep all for themselves. And the continual witness is that if you make $50,000 and give $5,000 a year then $45,000 becomes more than enough to live on. However, if you don’t give then the full $50,000 is never enough. The discipline of Christian giving is the means that God has given by which we loosen our grip on the world and learn to trust the Lord for our daily bread. Through giving sacrificially to the work of the gospel and the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom you will grow in your dependence upon Him and in your experience of His care for you. Therefore, we encourage all of our members to prayerfully make a commitment to the Lord and to Rivermont to give as the Lord has directed you. To come prepared for the sermon take time this week to read and to meditate upon 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, Proverbs 3:9-10, Malachi 3:6-12, Matthew 6:2-4, Luke 21:1-4, Acts 11:29-30, 1 Corinthians 9:14, 16:1-3, and 2 Corinthians 9:6-7.

His nickname was The Trumpeter of God. John Knox, the leader of the 16th century Reformation movement in Scotland and the founder of the Presbyterian Church, was truly a man who sounded forth the Word of God. In his mission to reform the Scottish Church he engaged with monarchs and statesmen, he fought the stronghold of Roman Catholicism and he gave voice to social and educational principles that reflected the values of God’s Word. Yet above all else John Knox was a preacher of the gospel, and it was his gospel preaching that gave him such great power and influence over the direction of Scottish society. Even as one contemporary said of Knox, “I assure you, the voice of one man is able in one hour to put more life in us than five hundred trumpets continually blustering in our ears.” Knox was a man of passion and zeal for the gospel, and with such zeal he trumpeted the message of God’s salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone. Just as in Knox’s day, so too do we need to hear the Word of God faithfully preached so that faith may arise in our hearts. In our passage for this Sunday we see the Lord’s command, to his prophet Jeremiah, to “blow the trumpet.” That is, to proclaim the message of salvation from coming judgment through God’s forgiving grace in Christ. To come prepared for the sermon take time this week to read and to meditate upon Jeremiah 4:5-6, Psalm 2:6; 48:1-8, Isaiah 52:8-10, Romans 10:14-17, Hebrews 12:22-23, 2 Peter 2:4-10, and Westminster Shorter Catechism #’s 89-90.

Join us this Sunday, October 20th, for a combined Sunday School (7th grade and up) in the sanctuary. Pastor David Weber will be teaching on the spiritual discipline of fasting as part of our fall sermon series: Spiritual Training. During this hour Pastor Weber will explain the meaning and purposes of biblical fasting, as well as, share some practical advice on fasting from his own expereinces. Following the teaching time there will be a question and answer session in which you may pose any questions you have concerning this practice. Feel free to download the fasting information handout to come prepared for the teaching time.

Prayer is something many Christians feel like they need to do, but something many Christians don’t feel like they know how to do. From feeling awkward, uncomfortable, distracted, and distant the reasons not to pray are plentiful. This Sunday, we continue our sermon series, Spiritual Training for the Purpose of Godliness, with the call to make a prayer a meaningful part of our lives. God desires to hear from is people and gives us the means to be in relationship with Him. In Ephesians 3:14-21, Paul prays for the church in Ephesus and his prayer for the people to be strengthened with His might, to be rooted and grounded in love, to know Christ’s love, and to be filled with the fullness of God gives us a guide to learn about the purpose of prayer. As we grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ and become more like our precious Savior may we not neglect this good gift that God has given us and by His grace let us become more disciplined in prayer for the sake of His glory. To come prepared for worship, please be in prayer. Meditate upon Luke 5:15-16, Luke 11:9-13, Matthew 6:6-8, and Philippians 4:6-7. As we gather to worship the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit this Lord’s day, look forward to joining our hearts in song, singing the Hymn of Praise “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” the Acclamation of Praise “Oh How I Love Jesus,” and the Hymn of Response “More Love to Thee, O Christ” Let us come to worship this Sunday prepared to hear God’s Word, to receive it in faith, to love and treasure it in our hearts, and to practice it in our lives that we may continue to glorify and enjoy Him!

In a world that is filled with endless information the discipline of Christian meditation is the most powerful practice for growth in Christ. To meditate means to give your attention to a particular topic for an extended period of thought and reflection. It means to fix your mind upon a subject to understand it more deeply. Christian meditation, in particular, aims to fix one’s attention on the Word of God for the purpose of growing in godliness. Donald Whitney illustrates the meaning of meditation when he writes, “Hearing God’s Word is like one dip of the tea bag into the cup. Some of the tea’s flavor is absorbed by the water, but not as much as would occur with a more thorough soaking of the bag… Mediation is like immersing the bag completely and letting it steep until all the rich tea flavor has been extracted.” However, Christian mediation is all but a lost practice in the church. While it used to be common to spend time slowly reflecting on God’s Word, today expediency is the rule. The abandonment of meditation is not without effects. Puritan Nathanael Renew comments that, “…little meditating makes lean Christians, of little life, little strength, little growth, and of little usefulness to others.” If we would grow in spiritual depth and godliness we must give ourselves to the discipline of Christian mediation. As Thomas Brooks remarks, “meditation is the food of your souls, it is the very stomach and natural heat whereby spiritual truths are digested. A man shall as soon live without his heart, as he shall be able to get good by what he reads, without mediation… It is not he that reads most; but he that meditates most that will prove the choicest, sweetest, wisest, and stronger Christian.” To come prepared for the sermon take time this week to read and to meditate upon Psalm 1, Joshua 1:8, Psalm 77, John 15:1-8, 1 Corinthians 13:12, Colossians 3:1-4, and this online resource Proper Meditation

By God’s grace, Rivermont Evangelical Presbyterian Church has a Godly heritage to embrace God’s word as being God-breathed; we receive the Bible as authoritative and sufficient for all of life. Our Biblical commitments bless us with God-focused and Christ-centered worship, discipleship, and mission. This Sunday, we continue our sermon series, Spiritual Training for the Purpose of Godliness, with the call to allow Christ’s peace to rule in our lives as His word dwells within our hearts. We live to the glory of His name! In Colossians 3:15-17, Paul connects the peace of Christ, the word of Christ, and the name of Christ with consistent thanksgiving to God for what we experience in Christ. In our quest for increasing maturity in the grace and knowledge of God, Christ’s peace (ruling) and His word (dwelling) allow us to overflow with singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in our hearts to God. What a witness to the LORD for His goodness to us! To come prepared for worship, please be in prayer. Meditate upon Psalm 1, Psalm 19:7-11, Colossians 3:15-17, and 2 Timothy 3:16-17. In celebrating the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper this Sunday, please prepare your hearts to feed spiritually upon Christ and all His benefits. Psalm 51 is helpful for reflection, prayer, and renewal.

From the very beginning of creation, the Lord has ordered our time around a one in seven cycle of work and rest (Gen 1-2:2). Six days have been given for work and the activities of the world and one day has been set-apart for worship and rest. As we begin our study of the spiritual disciplines, we start with the discipline of rest. The discipline of stopping the work of the world that we might rest in the work of Christ. We often are burdened by the obligations of work, of hobbies, of family, of media, of finances, and of sports. Yet the Lord has given to man the gift of the sabbath, that is the gift of rest (Mark 2:27). The Lord’s command is not to add burdens but to free us from our bondage to never-ending work. It is to give us a taste of the sabbath rest that is to come. Never in the history of the world has man had more pressure toward endless work. Instant communication has allowed work to invade our homes and our vacations. We can work in bed, at the kitchen table, and in the car. However, if we would pursue spiritual depth and vitality we must break this relentless cycle and accept the freedom of the sabbath. The freedom to give one whole day in seven to the Lord. To come prepared for the sermon take time this week to read and to meditate upon Luke 13:10-17, Genesis 2:2, Exodus 20:8; 31:15-17, Isaiah 56:2-7, Acts 20:7, Hebrews 4:9-11; 10:24-25, and Westminster Confession of Faith 21.7,8.

What is the difference between a vital and an anemic Christian life? I think that many of us would feel that our spiritual lives are lacking in some way. We feel that there should be more depth to our faith, more stability in times of trial, deeper knowledge of God’s Word, and more love and humility. However, we often find ourselves stumped as to how to progress in these areas. We find that we are weak in the things of the Lord and feel that we have few resources to move forward. We want to progress, but we just don’t know how. Beginning this Sunday Rivermont will begin a sermon series on the spiritual disciplines; biblical practices that train us toward godliness. Our hope is that through this series of sermons the Lord will equip and train you toward greater vitality in your spiritual life. To come prepared for the sermon take time this week to read and to meditate upon 1Timothy 4:6-10, Matthew 11:29, Luke 9:23, John 15:4-5, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Galatians 3:3, and the online article Truly Spiritual Disciplines by Donald Whitney.

This week we come to the end of our study of the book of 1 Peter. In these final verses Peter offers his concluding thoughts and greetings. Throughout his letter to exile Christians Peter has continually pointed to the central importance of the grace of God in Christ Jesus (1:2,10,13; 3:7; 4:10; 5:5,10). It should be no surprise, therefore, that Peter summarizes his thoughts as the “true grace of God.” Peter’s aim throughout the letter has been to point Christians to the true gospel, the true grace that we have been given by God through Jesus Christ. This true grace has not been earned but comes freely. This grace does not produce licentiousness but holiness. This grace does not isolate but draws all Christians into the family of God. To come prepared for our final sermon on 1 Peter take time this week to read and to meditate upon 1 Peter 5:12-14, Mark 3:31-35, Romans 5:18-6:4, Ephesians 2:8-10, Jude 4 and Westminster Shorter Catechism #33-35.

If you have ever run on a treadmill you know that you have two display options. Your miles can count up or they can count down. For some reason I enjoy watching the numbers go down. It might be that I don’t enjoy running on a treadmill very much and watching the distance I have left to run diminish makes me feel better. It is the same distance either way but it feels like going downhill when you watch the numbers get smaller. As I approach the end of my run I can look at the distance left and encourage myself, “It is just a little bit further.” In our passage for this week the Apostle Peter is coming to the end of his letter which is aimed at encouraging the suffering Church. To motivate all Christians toward endurance in the faith, he reminds us that the suffering we encounter now is but for a short time. And once this short time of suffering has past there will be an eternity of glory. Yes, it is hard to endure yet the God of all grace will see us through the race from beginning to end. To come prepared for the sermon take time this week to read and to meditate upon 1 Peter 5:10-11, Psalm 103:6-14, Romans 8:29-30, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, Ephesians 1:3-14, and Westminster Confession of Faith 3.5,6.