advent – River's Edge Community Church

Hope in Egypt

Hope in Egypt

This sermon concludes our Advent teaching series and is based on Matthew 2:13-18. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: My wife, Jo, can spell anything (and, as you can plainly see, anything has an “h” in it). Me, definitely not. I don’t know if it is because I never had the opportunity to study phonics or if my muddled Boston accent derailed my best efforts, but spelling is not one of my strengths. But my mediocre spelling has nothing to do with my contention that “Advent” is spelled with an “h.” See, “advent” and “hope” are so intertwined that you can’t spell one without the other (in fact, you can’t even talk about “advent” without talking about “hope”). And “hope,” as you can plainly see, has a really big “h” in it. This Christmas, we want to look at how hope

Hope in Bethlehem

Hope in Bethlehem

This sermon on Christmas Eve morning is part of our Advent teaching series and is based on Luke 2:8-20. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: My wife, Jo, can spell anything (and, as you can plainly see, anything has an “h” in it). Me, definitely not. I don’t know if it is because I never had the opportunity to study phonics or if my muddled Boston accent derailed my best efforts, but spelling is not one of my strengths. But my mediocre spelling has nothing to do with my contention that “Advent” is spelled with an “h.” See, “advent” and “hope” are so intertwined that you can’t spell one without the other (in fact, you can’t even talk about “advent” without talking about “hope”). And “hope,” as you can plainly see, has a really big “h” in it. This Christmas, we

Hope in Israel

Hope in Israel

This sermon is part of our Advent teaching series and is based on Luke 1:67-79. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: My wife, Jo, can spell anything (and, as you can plainly see, anything has an “h” in it). Me, definitely not. I don’t know if it is because I never had the opportunity to study phonics or if my muddled Boston accent derailed my best efforts, but spelling is not one of my strengths. But my mediocre spelling has nothing to do with my contention that “Advent” is spelled with an “h.” See, “advent” and “hope” are so intertwined that you can’t spell one without the other (in fact, you can’t even talk about “advent” without talking about “hope”). And “hope,” as you can plainly see, has a really big “h” in it. This Christmas, we want to look at

Hope in Nazareth

Hope in Nazareth

This sermon is part of our Advent teaching series and is based on Matthew 1:18-28. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: My wife, Jo, can spell anything (and, as you can plainly see, anything has an “h” in it). Me, definitely not. I don’t know if it is because I never had the opportunity to study phonics or if my muddled Boston accent derailed my best efforts, but spelling is not one of my strengths. But my mediocre spelling has nothing to do with my contention that “Advent” is spelled with an “h.” See, “advent” and “hope” are so intertwined that you can’t spell one without the other (in fact, you can’t even talk about “advent” without talking about “hope”). And “hope,” as you can plainly see, has a really big “h” in it. This Christmas, we want to look at

Hope in the Hills of Judea

Hope in the Hills of Judea

This sermon begins our Advent teaching series and is based on Luke 1:39-45. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: My wife, Jo, can spell anything (and, as you can plainly see, anything has an “h” in it). Me, definitely not. I don’t know if it is because I never had the opportunity to study phonics or if my muddled Boston accent derailed my best efforts, but spelling is not one of my strengths. But my mediocre spelling has nothing to do with my contention that “Advent” is spelled with an “h.” See, “advent” and “hope” are so intertwined that you can’t spell one without the other (in fact, you can’t even talk about “advent” without talking about “hope”). And “hope,” as you can plainly see, has a really big “h” in it. This Christmas, we want to look at how hope

God With Us

God With Us

This sermon is part of our Christmas Eve service and continues our series, "God With Us." You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: Pick a preposition, any preposition. Here’s the sentence: “God is ____ us.” Will you choose (A) “against” (that can’t be good); or (B) “over” (that’s true enough, but it is hardly good news); or (C) “beyond” (in my opinion, that’s even worse than being “over” us), or (D) “after” (I’m not sure -- is that good news or bad news?) or (E) “for” (I like that; I like “for” a lot); or last, (F) “with” (now we are talking!). Of all the prepositions we could choose, there is not one that outshines “with.” One simple preposition, but it brings peace, hope, and tons of comfort and joy in its wake. And that is why we all agree: “With” is

The Promise of “With”

The Promise of “With”

This sermon is based on Isaiah 9:2-7. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: Pick a preposition, any preposition. Here’s the sentence: “God is ____ us.” Will you choose (A) “against” (that can’t be good); or (B) “over” (that’s true enough, but it is hardly good news); or (C) “beyond” (in my opinion, that’s even worse than being “over” us), or (D) “after” (I’m not sure -- is that good news or bad news?) or (E) “for” (I like that; I like “for” a lot); or last, (F) “with” (now we are talking!). Of all the prepositions we could choose, there is not one that outshines “with.” One simple preposition, but it brings peace, hope, and tons of comfort and joy in its wake. And that is why we all agree: “With” is the Christmas preposition. After all, what better Christmas gift

Not Over, From or For

Not Over, From or For

This sermon is based on Luke 1:26-35. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: Pick a preposition, any preposition. Here’s the sentence: “God is ____ us.” Will you choose (A) “against” (that can’t be good); or (B) “over” (that’s true enough, but it is hardly good news); or (C) “beyond” (in my opinion, that’s even worse than being “over” us), or (D) “after” (I’m not sure -- is that good news or bad news?) or (E) “for” (I like that; I like “for” a lot); or last, (F) “with” (now we are talking!). Of all the prepositions we could choose, there is not one that outshines “with.” One simple preposition, but it brings peace, hope, and tons of comfort and joy in its wake. And that is why we all agree: “With” is the Christmas preposition. After all, what better Christmas gift

Not With Us

Not With Us

This sermon introduces our Advent teaching series and is based on Matthew 1:18-23. You can also view each week's sermon/worship service on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ncsq_QNvCv61bIwKUpP5A SERIES OVERVIEW: Pick a preposition, any preposition. Here’s the sentence: “God is ____ us.” Will you choose (A) “against” (that can’t be good); or (B) “over” (that’s true enough, but it is hardly good news); or (C) “beyond” (in my opinion, that’s even worse than being “over” us), or (D) “after” (I’m not sure -- is that good news or bad news?) or (E) “for” (I like that; I like “for” a lot); or last, (F) “with” (now we are talking!). Of all the prepositions we could choose, there is not one that outshines “with.” One simple preposition, but it brings peace, hope, and tons of comfort and joy in its wake. And that is why we all agree: “With” is the Christmas preposition.

Waiting for the Kingdom

Waiting for the Kingdom

This sermon is based on Isaiah 65:17-19 and James 5:7-8. SERIES OVERVIEW: Christmas is a time of waiting. It’s a time of anticipation and hopes and dreams. Everyone loves waiting for Christmas. Life is also a time of waiting. But this waiting is a time of delay and fear and doubt and uncertainty. Everyone hates that kind of waiting. Ask anyone: waiting is the worst. But strangely enough, most of the Bible focuses on people who were up to their necks in waiting. People waited for children, for deliverance, for a land, for peace, for justice, for God’s kingdom, for a ray of hope, for restoration, for the Messiah, for forgiveness, for promises to be fulfilled and even for God. And most of those people hated waiting just like we do. Here’s the thing: most of the time, we see absolutely no value in waiting; but most of the time, God sees huge value in waiting. Not because he delights

Waiting for the Messiah

Waiting for the Messiah

This sermon is based on Luke 2:25-32. SERIES OVERVIEW: Christmas is a time of waiting. It’s a time of anticipation and hopes and dreams. Everyone loves waiting for Christmas. Life is also a time of waiting. But this waiting is a time of delay and fear and doubt and uncertainty. Everyone hates that kind of waiting. Ask anyone: waiting is the worst. But strangely enough, most of the Bible focuses on people who were up to their necks in waiting. People waited for children, for deliverance, for a land, for peace, for justice, for God’s kingdom, for a ray of hope, for restoration, for the Messiah, for forgiveness, for promises to be fulfilled and even for God. And most of those people hated waiting just like we do. Here’s the thing: most of the time, we see absolutely no value in waiting; but most of the time, God sees huge value in waiting. Not because he delights in making us

Waiting for Hope

Waiting for Hope

This sermon is based on Matthew 2:13-18. SERIES OVERVIEW: Christmas is a time of waiting. It’s a time of anticipation and hopes and dreams. Everyone loves waiting for Christmas. Life is also a time of waiting. But this waiting is a time of delay and fear and doubt and uncertainty. Everyone hates that kind of waiting. Ask anyone: waiting is the worst. But strangely enough, most of the Bible focuses on people who were up to their necks in waiting. People waited for children, for deliverance, for a land, for peace, for justice, for God’s kingdom, for a ray of hope, for restoration, for the Messiah, for forgiveness, for promises to be fulfilled and even for God. And most of those people hated waiting just like we do. Here’s the thing: most of the time, we see absolutely no value in waiting; but most of the time, God sees huge value in waiting. Not because he delights in making us

Waiting for Justice

Waiting for Justice

This sermon is based on Luke 1:46-55. SERIES OVERVIEW: Christmas is a time of waiting. It’s a time of anticipation and hopes and dreams. Everyone loves waiting for Christmas. Life is also a time of waiting. But this waiting is a time of delay and fear and doubt and uncertainty. Everyone hates that kind of waiting. Ask anyone: waiting is the worst. But strangely enough, most of the Bible focuses on people who were up to their necks in waiting. People waited for children, for deliverance, for a land, for peace, for justice, for God’s kingdom, for a ray of hope, for restoration, for the Messiah, for forgiveness, for promises to be fulfilled and even for God. And most of those people hated waiting just like we do. Here’s the thing: most of the time, we see absolutely no value in waiting; but most of the time, God sees huge value in waiting. Not because he delights in making us

The Anguish and Joy of Waiting

The Anguish and Joy of Waiting

This sermon is based on Luke 1:5-18. SERIES OVERVIEW: Christmas is a time of waiting. It’s a time of anticipation and hopes and dreams. Everyone loves waiting for Christmas. Life is also a time of waiting. But this waiting is a time of delay and fear and doubt and uncertainty. Everyone hates that kind of waiting. Ask anyone: waiting is the worst. But strangely enough, most of the Bible focuses on people who were up to their necks in waiting. People waited for children, for deliverance, for a land, for peace, for justice, for God’s kingdom, for a ray of hope, for restoration, for the Messiah, for forgiveness, for promises to be fulfilled and even for God. And most of those people hated waiting just like we do. Here’s the thing: most of the time, we see absolutely no value in waiting; but most of the time, God sees huge value in waiting. Not because he delights in making us

The Hope of Dwelling

The Hope of Dwelling

This sermon is based on John 1:14-18. Series Overview: Christmasy -- it’s a word. It means “typical of Christmas” or “a special Christmas mood.” Christmas is a word, but it seems to have lost its meaning of late. Once, it meant a day of worship to celebrate God’s redemption of the world through the incarnation of Jesus, the Son. Now, it simply denotes a winter holiday filled with food, family, the airing of grievances and the giving of gifts (but not necessarily in that order). That’s why, this year, I’m choosing to use the word Christmasy more, but I want to mispronounce it. I like “Christmas –why” over “Christmas-ee” because it asks the right question: “Why is there a Christmas?” That’s the question we want to explore this Advent season. And it’s a funny thing, when you are all “Christmas-why,” you end up being all Christmasy because you will find the true meaning of Christmas.

The Hope of Christmas

The Hope of Christmas

This sermon is based on Isaiah 9:2-7. Series Overview: Christmasy -- it’s a word. It means “typical of Christmas” or “a special Christmas mood.” Christmas is a word, but it seems to have lost its meaning of late. Once, it meant a day of worship to celebrate God’s redemption of the world through the incarnation of Jesus, the Son. Now, it simply denotes a winter holiday filled with food, family, the airing of grievances and the giving of gifts (but not necessarily in that order). That’s why, this year, I’m choosing to use the word Christmasy more, but I want to mispronounce it. I like “Christmas –why” over “Christmas-ee” because it asks the right question: “Why is there a Christmas?” That’s the question we want to explore this Advent season. And it’s a funny thing, when you are all “Christmas-why,” you end up being all Christmasy because you will find the true meaning of Christmas.

That Mourns in Lonely Exile Here

That Mourns in Lonely Exile Here

This sermon is based on Matthew 2:16-18. Series Overview: Christmasy -- it’s a word. It means “typical of Christmas” or “a special Christmas mood.” Christmas is a word, but it seems to have lost its meaning of late. Once, it meant a day of worship to celebrate God’s redemption of the world through the incarnation of Jesus, the Son. Now, it simply denotes a winter holiday filled with food, family, the airing of grievances and the giving of gifts (but not necessarily in that order). That’s why, this year, I’m choosing to use the word Christmasy more, but I want to mispronounce it. I like “Christmas –why” over “Christmas-ee” because it asks the right question: “Why is there a Christmas?” That’s the question we want to explore this Advent season. And it’s a funny thing, when you are all “Christmas-why,” you end up being all Christmasy because you will find the true meaning of Christmas.

The Sin That Longed for Christmas

The Sin That Longed for Christmas

This sermon is based on Matthew 1:18-21. Series Overview: Christmasy -- it’s a word. It means “typical of Christmas” or “a special Christmas mood.” Christmas is a word, but it seems to have lost its meaning of late. Once, it meant a day of worship to celebrate God’s redemption of the world through the incarnation of Jesus, the Son. Now, it simply denotes a winter holiday filled with food, family, the airing of grievances and the giving of gifts (but not necessarily in that order). That’s why, this year, I’m choosing to use the word Christmasy more, but I want to mispronounce it. I like “Christmas –why” over “Christmas-ee” because it asks the right question: “Why is there a Christmas?” That’s the question we want to explore this Advent season. And it’s a funny thing, when you are all “Christmas-why,” you end up being all Christmasy because you will find the true meaning of Christmas.

The Love of Christmas

The Love of Christmas

This sermon is based on 1 John 4:9-10. Series Overview: Christmasy -- it’s a word. It means “typical of Christmas” or “a special Christmas mood.” Christmas is a word, but it seems to have lost its meaning of late. Once, it meant a day of worship to celebrate God’s redemption of the world through the incarnation of Jesus, the Son. Now, it simply denotes a winter holiday filled with food, family, the airing of grievances and the giving of gifts (but not necessarily in that order). That’s why, this year, I’m choosing to use the word Christmasy more, but I want to mispronounce it. I like “Christmas –why” over “Christmas-ee” because it asks the right question: “Why is there a Christmas?” That’s the question we want to explore this Advent season. And it’s a funny thing, when you are all “Christmas-why,” you end up being all Christmasy because you will find the true meaning of Christmas.