The River Messages - Pastor Bruce Gritter

One of the greatest victims of our success, especially here in the western world, is our relationships. Most of us are cash rich and relationship poor. What's more, our relentless pursuit of success creates “walls of hostility” between various people groups. When we squabble to put ourselves first, like the church at Corinth, we destroy community. The solution: let Jesus lead us into a new community with different values and a different vision; a community united in him.

In our world, some of the greatest icons of success would come from various companies like Amazon and Nike, various sports teams like The New York Yankees and the New England Patriot, various designer labels and the like. Paul names the greatest icon of success that he can think of in 1 Corinthians 1: the cross. Strange. How can you be “killing it”, when you are yourself killed? By rising from the dead; that's how.

*Please note: Due to unforeseen circumstances only half the message is available to listen to. We live in a world that worships success: success in business; physical success; artistic success; and the like. Everyone wants to be “killing it”; prevailing in whatever field they find themselves in. But what if “killing it” is killing us. What if there's actually a different way to be human. A God ordained way. One that leads to life and life in abundance. The church at Corinth learned this. And, starting in 2019, so can we, as the community of The River.

We at times are so resistant to change, but is it change that we really resist? Or is it the process, the work or challenge it entails? Join me as I share 4 key concepts that will bust the myths regarding change.

Have you ever felt like your own world was falling apart? Or, given all of the turmoil in the world today, you fee unsafe and insecure. The Psalmists who wrote Psalm 46 sure felt this way about their world. And yet in the midst of their world crumbling around them, they received God's invitation to “Be still, and know that I am God.” What does it mean to be still in the midst of chaos? Come Sunday to find out more.

We all want to know by others and yet we don't really want to be fully known. What a conundrum! The Psalmist, David, does a great job of looking at this apparent contradiction of human nature and points out some amazing truths about our God and our relationship with God.

Do you have time to quiet the busyness of the world? Do you ever just go for a walk and stop to smells the spring flowers? Well if you don't you should! The Bible gives us a guide of how to quiet our souls and rest. Psalm 131 is one of these guides to quiet ourselves and rest in the hope God gives.

We live in a crazy and worried world. In this context, where can we go for help? To the doctor? To the therapist? To the bottle? Psalm 121 tells us that we can “lift our eyes and look to the Lord”…Why?…Because He is our helper and our shepherd.

What is your vision of God? It's really important. Because what you conceive Him to be, will shape your understand of His character and how you relate to Him. This is why its so important to read and worship the Psalms. In them, we find the richest and most multi-facets images of God in the entire Bible. And of all the Psalms, none is better than Psalm 18.

Have you ever struggled in your Christian faith? When things didn't go the way you expected? Perhaps you wished that you could be like your family and friends who don't know God. At times, their lives may seem to be going well even though they don't have a relationship with Christ. Asaph, a worship leader also felt the same way.

We will be looking at Psalm 90. This Psalm is attributed to Moses, it is the oldest psalm in the Psalms and most theologians believe it was written at Moses' later stage of life. So Moses through the pain and his many life experiences wanted us to learn some great truths that could transform our lives and living. Psalm 90 was his guiding legacy for us. The truth he wrote can transform us, but that depends on how we respond to these truths.

This Sunday we kick off a brand new series at The River entitled, “A Summer of Psalms”. It's also Father's Day this Sunday, so we'll be looking at Psalm 127 and 128 and what it takes to live a blessed life.

A recovering alcoholic will tell you that the 12 steps are not an event, but a lifestyle. You must continuing repeat the steps in order to stay sober. It's the same for someone who has experience the power of RE; that is, repenting, receiving, renewing, reconciling, and so on. Until we get to heaven, we continue to work the steps. What's more, God invites us to help other people receive the gift that we have received; to share how we've found life in Jesus and mentor other people along the same path.

The Power of RE is a series in which we're looking at some wonderful words that begin with prefix RE. This week the word is REST. One of Jesus' defining characteristics is that he was never hurried or worried. This is an important character trait that God wants to cultivate in His sons and daughters. It begins by resting in the reality that we are NOT God and that, despite evil in the world, He is firmly in control. It continues to flow as we take adequate time to rest our bodies and spend time with the Lord and those we love.

The Bible is clear. We cannot pay for our salvation. We can only receive it. But after we have received it, it's important to REpay the loving kindness of God by living a life of gratitude. However, gratitude is not merely a feeling. It is a way of life.

This Sunday, we welcome Ruairidh Waddel to share with us his experiences in being a World Renew developer in Zambia. This time he's going to preach. “Ru”, as he's affectionately known, will help you understand what RENEWAL looks like in southern Africa, where he works and how you can be a part of it. Of course, RENEWAL is another great RE prefix word, which our series is all about.

We're in a series called, “The Power of RE”. This is a series in which we're looking at some wonderful words that begin with the prefix RE. This Sunday we're looking at the word RENOVATE! It's what the Holy Spirit wants to do in your life once you say YES to God's amazing grace. Sometimes it can get a little messy, but the finished product is worth it.

We're in a series called, “The Power of RE”. This is a series in which we're looking at some wonderful words that begin with the prefix RE. This Sunday we're looking at the word RECEIVE. As it turns out, learning how to receive is at the core of what it means to follow Jesus!

So, we're going to interrupt our regularly scheduled talks at The River with a message entitled, “Coping With A National Tragedy”. Let's talk, let's grieve, let's pray about what happened last Friday night.

Real transformation begins with the realization that in some fundamental ways, my life is not working. It is akin to the alcoholic reaching rock bottom. It is that moment when we recognize that, if we are to live life well, we need help. It is the willingness to return to God and to turn over our will to him.

Join us for a very special celebration of Easter including a welcoming community, great music, a life changing message, children's ministry, free bagels and coffee and much more.

In the last week of our “Showing Up” series, in conjunction with Palm Sunday, we'll talk about what happened when God Showed Up. We'll talk about how unexpected, how paradoxical, how important it was. We'll also talk about how to celebrate Holy Week (the week between Palm Sunday and Easter) with your family.

For the fourth week of this message series, we'll share some untold stories of what our Community Assistance Fund has done in and around Edmonton. You'll be inspired! We'll also challenge you to figure out unique and creative ways of getting involved in your own community.

Showing up at church means more than just showing up on Sunday morning. When Jesus founded the church he didn't just expect it to survive, he wanted it to thrive and grow; to take ground from the enemy. But that takes people who are fundamentally committed to building a welcoming culture, highly functioning ministries and an authentic community.

Sometimes we forget that one of the most obvious and powerful keys to life is just showing up. This is true in all sorts areas of our lives. However, in the busyness of life, our souls often take a hit. We forget to show up in our relationship with God. The good news is God never fails to show up for us. What's more, He can meet us in whatever space we create for Him to inhabit.

We are all our own individual, however, together we are all in a way unlike anything else shaped to fit into a puzzle that is much bigger than ourselves. If you as an individual piece or shape is missing or out of position, every other piece or person is affected. You are never a complete, finished puzzle alone. Without each individual piece in its place, the puzzle is unattractive and has little or no value. Your value is found in the place you are shaped to fit. One of the greatest desires that people have is to belong. Your SHAPE is designed to give you that sense of belonging, it doesn't matter whether you're young, old or in-between, your shape decides it all, what to do, where to be and how to do it. It's all in your SHAPE.

Join us this Sunday as Pastor Derrick preaches Part 1 of exploring and finding your spiritual gifts.

Join us this Sunday morning for our continuing series “God in the Movies” as we look this week at Disney's “Zootopia”. Great music, special children's message, free popcorn and much more. See you Sunday!

Join us this Sunday morning as tackle the movie that almost accidentally won best picture last year at the Academy Awards, “La La Land”. We'll talk about how God didn't make us to live ordinary lives, but instead to live out our dreams, use our gifts and aspire to greatness. Come Sunday to find out more!

The story of this world is the story of love lost, love reconciled, and love renewed. It the story of exile, repatriation and return. It starts in a garden, reaches its crisis point with the Son of God dying on a cross, and ends with a bride and groom and a wedding by a glassy sea. Indeed, there is so much beauty, glory and love in store for those who trust Jesus that the image of a wedding feast is as close as the Bible can come to helping us understand. But this Sunday, we'll do our best.

The world as we know had a beginning. It will also have an end. Of course, this is a sobering thought for folks like us. However, a careful reading of the Bible reveals that God wants us to realize that this reality is actually very comforting. It means our lives have meaning and purpose. It means that one day evil will be vanquished. And it means that to the one who over comes belongs more life than they can ever imagine. Come Sunday to find out more.

Jesus tells us that as human beings we are fairly good at reading the weather. We say, “Today it will be stormy because the sky is cloudy and overcast.” However, we are not very good at reading the signs of the times; things that point to Jesus' imminent return and living accordingly. What are the signs of the time? How do we read them? How should we live in response? Come Sunday to find out more.

One of the defining features of the good news, apocalyptic community that God is forming in human history is that it is a community without walls. In Jesus, all the things that have historically divided human beings from each other fall away. We are ONE IN CHRIST and we await a future in which ALL PEOPLE will be gathered together before God's. It's what the book of Acts describes as “the sheet factor” and it has huge implications for our lives.

Who are the prophets of the apocalypse? Where do they live? What influence do they have? Who sent them? How are they changing the world? The answers lie closer to home than you might think. Just read Acts 2. Join us this Sunday to find out more.