I would not call myself a prayer warrior. In fact, I wish I prayed more. I really do. I feel like so many things crowd in and the day is over before I know it. I have certainly grown in this area and do make time to be with the Lord. In fact, some of my best times are walking alone. It's one long conversation with the Lord that I look forward to. It's just me and the Lord. It's some of my favorite time, yet I feel like I could pray more. Luther once said he had so much to accomplish that he could not but afford to spend the first 3 hours in prayer. I couldn't imagine. Jesus was often found in prayer to His father. Rather than a 3 hour in the morning Luther kind of prayer life, I find myself more like CS Lewis who once shared the story in the Atlantic back in 1959 about intending to go to a barber shop in London for his haircut. He decided not to go then sensed he should go. He went and the barber, whom he knew, a Christian brother whom had had in the past many troubles said, "I was praying you'd come today". He felt a nagging so he went. A nagging. Prayer is essentially talking with God. Prayer is also God talking to us. It's a conversation, it's a nagging. It's us coming into the presence of God and God coming into our presence. It's no coincidence then that Jesus covered this subject in John 13-17, His most intimate conversations with His Father and His disciples. Jesus calls us to pray. So where do I begin? What should I do? John 16:16-33 implores us to get moving in the area of prayer. So let's gather to talk about how.

Todd

I love big sermon points. Inspirational speeches. Swelling epic music scores! Anyone who has ever heard me preach knows that I work in hyperbole like so many painters work in oils. In conversation, I shift between the gears of "excited" and "really, really excited." Even as I write this blurb, my left leg is bouncing up and down with energy subconsciously escaping my body. Thus, it's no surprise that my sermons are frequently populated with big calls to grand leaps of faith. But as I've been studying the scriptures for this series, listening to our amazing teaching team, and reflecting on my life, I'm pondering a quite different question: What if thriving faith is less often grandiose leaps and more often a stubborn remaining in the love of Jesus? Join us this Mother's Day Sunday as we ponder the art and science of staying put.

James

We have a beautiful orange tree in our backyard. It hasn't always been that way. For years it seemed to be not only dormant, but useless, producing no fruit. I thought of cutting it down, tearing it out, giving its space to something more "orangey." Then, several years ago, big, succulent, juicy, tasty, and very orange oranges blossomed and sprung forth from its branches. We pick them, eat them, and squeeze fresh orange juice to quench our thirst. The fruit is beautiful and seems miraculous, and I marvel that this tree in the ground, gives life through its trunk and out into the branches and blossoms, popping out perfect fruit encased in a protective peel. How does this happen? The farewell words of Jesus in John 15:1-8 give a good and hopeful explanation we can work on together this Sunday.

Bill

Have you ever felt alone in a crowd? I have. We live in a hyper-connected space, and even have thousands of mini-notifications all day long. But do you long for deep, soul-nourishing, life-infusing connection? We want something, or someone, who can fill us with courage and direction along the trailhead that beckons us beyond ourselves [check out James' sermon from last week - so good!]. We have just such an expert guide! As Jesus prepares his disciples to launch into their new mission after his departure, he assures them they will not travel alone. He promises we will have all the resources we could ever imagine, and a way forward to lean strong into his life that is life indeed. See this in John 14:15-27.

Bill

Early in the 2001 adaptation of The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, the lovable hobbit Sam Gamgee sparks a memorable exchange. Sam: “This is it.” Frodo: “What?” Sam: “If I take one more step, I'll be the farthest away from home I've ever been.” Frodo: “Come on, Sam. Remember what Bilbo used to say: ‘It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no telling where you might be swept off to.’” For me, John 14:1-14 is a trailhead leading to grand new territories in the adventure of faith. In this passage, Jesus invites those who would be his apprentices to lean into his magnificent favor with a reckless abandon; to expect more; to ambitiously posture themselves toward the horizon. It is the kind of passage that reveals, yet again, that there is more in the mundane of Jesus-following than meets the eye. It is a sign-post that reads: “amazing, dangerous, and beautiful lengths of trail ahead.” This Sunday let’s take a refreshing gaze into the yonder!

James

Imagine for a moment that only 2% of the population of the South Bay consisted of followers of Jesus. Imagine that almost all of your friends, coworkers, and neighbors didn't really know the story of Jesus, and for them "Christianity" was an outdated, cold, rigid, lifeless philosophy and institution. Now imagine that you wanted to bring the life-imparting, joy-saturating reality of Jesus to this hope-starved neighborhood. How would you do it? Where would you begin? My dear friend and fellow Christ-proclaiming optimist, Stefan von Rüti, is powerfully ministering in exactly the context I described. As the Swiss leader a wild-eyed, multi-national network of young church-planters, and Theological schools (ISTL), Stefan and his team are on the cutting edge of creatively and compellingly proclaiming the great news of Jesus in post-Christian Europe. The key to their generation-awakening ministry is the same not-so-secret sauce that Jesus débuts in John 13:34-35-authentic, visible, undiluted love. Join us this Sunday as we have the privilege of hearing from one of the most captivating emerging leaders of our day! You can't not be encouraged :)

James

Our new series is entitled Belonging Co. We plan to look at what Jesus said about his own relationship with God as he spent some very personal time with his disciples before the cross and his departure from this earth. It is some of the most revealing and intimate thoughts and learnings we get from Jesus. It's all about belonging to God. Jesus pressed in on what it looks like to have an intimate relationship with his father for our sake. He showed us how. This weekend we begin in John 13:1-30, the famous foot washing passage. Jesus takes up a towel and basin and washes his disciples feet. How is that connected to Belonging. Martin Luther King Jr. once wrote that love and power have usually been contrasted as opposites, polar opposites. He said love is identified with the resignation of power and power with the denial of love. He continues his thought by challenging his followers to find the relationship between the two where real power is the display of love in tangible ways like justice. Jesus is demonstrating great love and great power in this passage. He's marrying the two and showing us the way forward. It looks like weakness, it smells like defeat, it sounds like a useless plan. But in Jesus' brilliance, he is showing us belonging to God is about serving. Revealing something about our relationship with Him and with others-fellow followers of Christ and those around us.

Todd

This weekend we are in the Old Testament again. Last week we looked at Job and his pain and suffering. We learned God's presence shatters pain. This week we'll be focusing on Isaiah the prophet's message in chapter 40, "Comfort, O Comfort my people, says your God." And oh how they needed comfort, and so do we. We could all use a little comfort. Isaiah, the prophet for Israel, was born into an influential, upper class family. He shared the privileges of royalty and became a sort of attache for Israel. Isaiah was perfect for the job. Isaiah would attack the social ills of the nation not as a reformer but as one calling the people back to God. Spiritual decline had left the nation vulnerable. And so it is with us as well. Privilege, complacency, and a life of leisure, and even times of difficulty often leads to spiritual idolatry. Think about what has become your God in this season of your life. Who do you listen to? God is calling us back into a faithful relationship with Him as he did Israel through his words of comfort. A highway is being built in the wilderness for the king of comfort. He comes for us in the midst of our wandering, our pain, our struggles, our rebellion. Comfort says the king.

Todd

Easter 2018 9am Service - Todd Wendorff by The River Church of the South Bay

Easter 2018 6am Sunrise Service - Bill MacPhee by The River Church of the South Bay