River of Life Church - St Joseph

Gifts of Christmas - Week 3

This week we explore what it means that Jesus brings us the gift of light through his coming on Christmas. This idea has so many wonderful layers to it and beautifully expresses what Jesus does in our lives through his presence. With Jesus, we can have light even when things seem dark. 

Gifts of Christmas - Week 2

This week we continue our Gifts of Christmas series talking about the gift of peace. This sermon focuses on the idea that we can truly experience God's peace in us. Because of Christ, we no longer have to live in inner turmoil or conflict. Instead, we can experience his peace deeply in our souls and then join his mission to spread peace to the world around us. 

Gifts of Christmas - Week 1

This week we begin a new series entitled The Gifts of Christmas. Obviously, the greatest gift of Christmas is Christ coming, but with is coming he also provided us with secondary gifts that are a part of the Christmas story. This series will focus in on those gifts and we will start with the gift of joy!

Family Matters - Week 4

This week we wrap up our Family Matters series by talking about how to begin pursuing healing from a dysfunctional family history or a difficult family situation that someone is currently going through in their life. We explore the story of how Jacob, who had a very dysfunctional family history, was able to receive healing and a new identity from God from an unexpected situation. 

Family Matters - Week 3

This week we continue our series on God's plan for the family by discussing parenting. Scripture is clear that there is one over-arching priority that all parents should have: to help their children grow spiritually. In this sermon, we discuss that idea and four things that can get in the way of parents prioritizing the spiritual growth of their kids. 

Family Matters - Week 2

This week we cover the topics of singleness and marriage. Both are important! We start by talking about how singleness is a blessed state where we can experience a special connection to God and freedom to operate in his kingdom. From there, we move to the topic of marriage. Marriage is the foundation of the family and the closest earthly relationship we are supposed to have. God has massive plans for our marriages, and we discuss what that looks like in today's message. 

Guest Speaker - Kelli Patrick

This week had a guest speaker Kelli Patrick come and share a powerful word about reaching our city for Jesus. Kelli works with students to help empower them to share their faith in their schools, and the word she brought this week is a timely one for us to consider as we look to reach those around us with the gospel. 

Family Matters - Week 1

This week we being a new series on God's plan for the family. We begin this series by looking at what the Bible says is God's purpose in creating families and also what God wants families to accomplish. It doesn't matter if you are married with kids, single with no kids, come from a great family background, or have a tragic family story, understanding God's plan for the family can help you understand how to live better in the story you have. 

The Numbers

This week we are doing a standalone sermon about the idea of being dependent on God. It's not comfortable to live where we are forced to depend on God, but spiritually that is how we should be living all of our lives. This sermon talks about how we should embrace true dependence on God and that powerlessness is an invitation to go back to seeking the Lord. 

Admirer or Follower? (Guest Speaker: Erin Olson)

This week we hear from St Cloud Chi Alpha missionary, Erin Olson, as she speaks on the topic of being an admirer of Jesus versus being a follower of Jesus. (Hint: we need to be followers, not admirers!) Erin shares some of her personal story that highlights when this change occurred for her while also showing how scripture drives home the truth of what our spiritual lives should look like.