Riverside Church, Birmingham, Uk

TEACHING SERIES: Citizen SERMON TITLE: Being an Influencer BY: Sarah Auger DATE: Sunday 19 May 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Daniel 2:14-23 EXCERPT: Do you want to be an influencer? According to indeed.com, there are 5 levels of influencer in our society – from being a ‘nano-influencer’ (under10k followers) up to being a ‘mega influencer’ (over 1m followers). In a sense, we are all influencers to some degree. But how are we influencing people, and towards what? And what are we influenced by? “Our legacy isn’t to have people remember us but rather who Jesus is. If people walk away from us, Church or an event talking about us rather than Jesus we missed the plot.” (Christy Wimber) Welcome: What's true of Riverside Church when we meet together in-person is still true of us online. We are on a journey together to help people get to know Jesus and grow as his followers across Birmingham and beyond. Riverside is a church made up of people from a diversity of backgrounds and experiences all with one thing in common

TEACHING SERIES: Citizen SERMON TITLE: I Don’t Belong Here BY: Judy Moore DATE: Sunday 12 May 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Daniel 1:6-21 EXCERPT: At some point in life, we face a choice. A choice that causes us pain. A choice to do the difficult thing, but the right thing. Daniel faced the same choice. He was a long way from home, in a place he didn’t belong. Everything within him would have battled against making a scene. Keep quiet. Fit in. Don’t make a scene. And yet, he chose the only way he knew – to go God’s way. Whatever the cost. Fitting in would have made sense. But standing out made history. And the consequences were extraordinary. “Maybe you’re caught in the same tension as me, wanting to fit somewhere even as you’re permanently out of place. Maybe you’re not quite sure how to belong. Maybe you feel like an alien.” (Gregory Coles) Welcome: What's true of Riverside Church when we meet together in-person is still true of us online. We are on a journey together to help people get to know Jesus and

TEACHING SERIES: Bend, Don’t Break SERMON TITLE: Citizen of Where BY: Tim Chilvers DATE: Sunday 05 May 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Daniel 1:1-5 & Jeremiah 29:4-7 EXCERPT: In an election year, how do you live when you feel like you don’t fit in? It can be easy to resist and complain. And yet. In the ancient book of Daniel we find a people who are a long way from home, in Babylon. But, how they live changes everything for them, and for the people they live amongst. “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down. Yeah, we wept, when we remembered Zion” (Boney M) “Undeserved kindness changes things.” (Heather Holdsworth) Welcome: What's true of Riverside Church when we meet together in-person is still true of us online. We are on a journey together to help people get to know Jesus and grow as his followers across Birmingham and beyond. Riverside is a church made up of people from a diversity of backgrounds and experiences all with one thing in common; our discovery of God and His amazing love. We hope you will f

TEACHING SERIES: Bend, Don’t Break SERMON TITLE: The Questions We Have BY: Discussion Panel DATE: Sunday 28 April 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Psalm 91:2 EXCERPT: Last of the series on mental health, wellbeing and resilience. How do we recognise when we were near breaking point? And how do we build healthy patterns and expectations for life? How do we care well for ourselves and for each other? ‘I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:2) Welcome: What's true of Riverside Church when we meet together in-person is still true of us online. We are on a journey together to help people get to know Jesus and grow as his followers across Birmingham and beyond. Riverside is a church made up of people from a diversity of backgrounds and experiences all with one thing in common; our discovery of God and His amazing love. We hope you will feel at home among us and that you will find our weekly services, events and groups welcoming and relevant to your life. Whoever

TEACHING SERIES: Bend, Don’t Break SERMON TITLE: Building Resilience BY: Tim Chilvers DATE: Sunday 21 April 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Psalm 130 & 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 EXCERPT: How can you be more resilient in life? How can we be better equipped to nurture mental wellness and resilience in our daily lives? In this third part, we will explore ways to build resilience in your life. . “I desperately needed people living in the real world, in the same world as me… Above all, I needed friends, not fixers.” (Mark Meynell) Welcome: What's true of Riverside Church when we meet together in-person is still true of us online. We are on a journey together to help people get to know Jesus and grow as his followers across Birmingham and beyond. Riverside is a church made up of people from a diversity of backgrounds and experiences all with one thing in common; our discovery of God and His amazing love. We hope you will feel at home among us and that you will find our weekly services, events and groups welcoming and re

TEACHING SERIES: Bend, Don’t Break SERMON TITLE: Breaking Point BY: Judy Moore DATE: Sunday 14 April 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Psalm 88 & 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 EXCERPT: You can only bend so long without breaking. How do you know how you’re doing? And, how do you know how much more you can take? In this second part, we will explore what breaking point might look like, and taking steps to find hope and wholeness. “A breakdown isn’t the beginning of mental illness, it’s the publication of it. It’s the volcano that has been rumbling away for years, exploding with boiling lava and destroying everything in its path. It has no choice; it was made like that, and people built houses on its slopes knowing what it was but hoping that it might not actually erupt.” (Lucy Martin, This Too Will Pass) Welcome: What's true of Riverside Church when we meet together in-person is still true of us online. We are on a journey together to help people get to know Jesus and grow as his followers across Birmingham and beyond. Riversi

TEACHING SERIES: Bend, Don’t Break SERMON TITLE: Reality Check BY: Judy Moore DATE: Sunday 7 April 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Psalm 42 & Psalm 139 – verse 14 EXCERPT: It’s time for a reality check. In this first week of the series, we will break the stigma around mental health, reflect on some myths we might believe and discover how God responds to the complexity of who we are. “Jesus may be in your heart, but Grandpa is in your bones.’ (Pete Scazzero) Welcome: What's true of Riverside Church when we meet together in-person is still true of us online. We are on a journey together to help people get to know Jesus and grow as his followers across Birmingham and beyond. Riverside is a church made up of people from a diversity of backgrounds and experiences all with one thing in common; our discovery of God and His amazing love. We hope you will feel at home among us and that you will find our weekly services, events and groups welcoming and relevant to your life. Whoever you are, whatever you believe, you'r

TEACHING SERIES: Jesus. Is. Alive. BY: Tim Chilvers DATE: Sunday 31 March 2024 Welcome: What's true of Riverside Church when we meet together in-person is still true of us online. We are on a journey together to help people get to know Jesus and grow as his followers across Birmingham and beyond. Riverside is a church made up of people from a diversity of backgrounds and experiences all with one thing in common; our discovery of God and His amazing love. We hope you will feel at home among us and that you will find our weekly services, events and groups welcoming and relevant to your life. Whoever you are, whatever you believe, you're so welcome in this community. To find out more about Riverside Church please visit our website: https://riverside-church.org.uk/ Useful Links: # OUR WEBSITE: https://riverside-church.org.uk/ # READ ONLINE (Church Blog) - https://www.riverside-churchblog.org.uk/ # WATCH ONLINE (YouTube) - https://www.youtube.com/RiversideChurchBirmingham

TEACHING SERIES: Letting The Light In SERMON TITLE: Injustice BY: Judy Moore DATE: Sunday 24 March 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: John – Chapter 18, verses 28-40 EXCERPT: Being a victim of injustice feels devastating. Not only is not fair, it feels as though there is no way to make it right. We feel vulnerable and as though the ground has been taken from under our feet. We know it wasn’t fair. An no-one else seems to care. As Jesus approached the cross, he experienced the ultimate humiliation – being completely innocent, and yet treated as scum. And, at the hands of the rulers of his nation and in front of the world. And yet, as he experiences that supreme injustice, it gives a beautiful hope to all who suffer injustice around the world. “So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?” John 18:29 Welcome: What's true of Riverside Church when we meet together in-person is still true of us online. We are on a journey together to help people get to know Jesus and grow as his

TEACHING SERIES: Letting The Light In SERMON TITLE: Abandonment BY: Nathanael Ballew DATE: Sunday 17 March 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: John – Chapter 18, verses 15-27 EXCERPT: Every now and again you hear a truly tragic story about a person being abandoned by those who are meant to look after them. Most of us will never face such tragedy. But on a much smaller scale, at various times in life, we can all feel a bit abandoned. Whether it be our friends, family, spouses or employers, many of us identify with feeling abandoned, forgotten or ignored. As he approached the cross, Jesus went from being heralded by the crowds to being all alone. Even those closest to him abandoned him. But, as if that wasn’t enough, we remember the words he cried on the cross, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.’ To feel forsaken not just by your closet friends, but by the God of the universe. That is abandonment! But what if that completely changes how we see our own feeling so being abandoned, forgotten or ignored. ‘And when you

TEACHING SERIES: Letting The Light In SERMON TITLE: Betrayal BY: Sarah Auger DATE: Sunday 10 March 2024 ‘BIBLE PASSAGES: John – Chapter 18, verses 1-11 EXCERPT: When someone you trust lets you down, and betrays that trust, it can be one of the most devastating events in life. It is disorientating and gutwrenching. It’s one of the reasons why the TV series, The Traitors, has become so popular – it gets to the core of some of our most complex emotions, and painful experiences. A few short words in the bible remind us that Jesus understands all about betrayal. As Jesus is praying one night in a garden, with a few of his closest friends nearby, we read the words, ‘So Judas came to the garden…’ (John 18:3). And with that, the rest is history. And yet, rather than resist the betrayal, he goes on to almost willing embrace it (John 18:11). In the same moment that Jesus identifies with our feelings of being betrayed, we catch a glimpse that betrayal doesn’t have to be the end of the story, after all. “When a will

TEACHING SERIES: Open Handed SERMON TITLE: Generous Lives BY: Judy Moore DATE: Sunday 3 March 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: 2 Corinthians – Chapter 9, verses 10-15 EXCERPT: We often think of generosity in terms of money, but it affects every area of our lives. What if we cultivated generosity throughout our whole life? In our words, in our attitudes, in our decisions. But how to do so? It is only when we see what God has given us – his own son – that we can have a default position of generosity. And when we do so, it is infectious…people around us start being generous to us too! Let’s start a generosity revolution! Welcome: What's true of Riverside Church when we meet together in-person is still true of us online. We are on a journey together to help people get to know Jesus and grow as his followers across Birmingham and beyond. Riverside is a church made up of people from a diversity of backgrounds and experiences all with one thing in common; our discovery of God and His amazing love. We hope you will feel at

TEACHING SERIES: Open Handed SERMON TITLE: How To Be Generosity BY: Tim Chilvers DATE: Sunday 25 February 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Luke – Chapter 11, verses 37-46 EXCERPT: It’s one thing to want to be generous, but what does it look like in practice? How much should we give? What to? Over the past few weeks, we have been looking at the reasons why we can be generous. In this session we will explore some practical ways of what and how we can be generous. We will explore the ‘Giving ladder’ as simple way of taking our own next steps in being generous in every area of life. Welcome: What's true of Riverside Church when we meet together in-person is still true of us online. We are on a journey together to help people get to know Jesus and grow as his followers across Birmingham and beyond. Riverside is a church made up of people from a diversity of backgrounds and experiences all with one thing in common; our discovery of God and His amazing love. We hope you will feel at home among us and that you will find our

TEACHING SERIES: Open Handed SERMON TITLE: Hilarious Generosity BY: Nathanael Ballew DATE: Sunday 18 February 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: 2 Corinthians – Chapter 9, verses 6-8 EXCERPT: Someone once said that you never meet an unhappy generous person. In contrast, when you think of Ebenezer Scrooge, you think of unhappiness and misery…all because he is uncharitable and demanding. The bible describes generosity as, ‘God loves a cheerful giver.’ The original word used for ‘cheerful’ is actually closer to ‘hilarious’. What a beautiful image…someone laughing hysterically as they freely give generously. Isn’t that the kind of experiences we all want to have? How do we get there? Welcome: What's true of Riverside Church when we meet together in-person is still true of us online. We are on a journey together to help people get to know Jesus and grow as his followers across Birmingham and beyond. Riverside is a church made up of people from a diversity of backgrounds and experiences all with one thing in common; our di

TEACHING SERIES: Open Handed SERMON TITLE: From Worry To Certainty BY: Sarah Auger DATE: Sunday 11 February 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: 1 Timothy – Chapter 6, verses 17-19 Matthew – Chapter 6, verses 19-33 EXCERPT: Financial worries are always near top of the list when it comes to life anxieties. For some people, the reason why is clear. But for many of us, perhaps the reason why is less clear. What if the reason we are so worried about money is because we value it too highly? What if we trusted the one who gave us the very breath in our lungs more than we trusted the gifts he gives? Part of the joy of generosity is that it is beneficial for us. As we give generously, it sets us free from being slaves to money. We learn to control how we use it, rather than be controlled by it. Perhaps part of our fear about being generous is because we value money too highly. Perhaps we need to remember that where our treasure is, there is our heart. “Money is an excellent servant, but a terrible master.” (Anonymous) Welcome:

TEACHING SERIES: Open Handed SERMON TITLE: What Is Mine Is Yours BY: Tim Chilvers DATE: Sunday 4 February 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: 1 Chronicles – Chapter 29, verses 10-18 Psalm 24 – verse 1 Matthew – Chapter 26, verses 6-13 EXCERPT: Have you ever been trusted to look after something that wasn’t yours? How did you act? If you ask any best-man at a wedding, one of the most nerve-wracking jobs is to look after the wedding rings! They’re not yours, you’ve got one job – to look after them for the purpose of the owner. You get it wrong, everything goes pear-shaped! But, get it right and joy abounds… That’s what it means to be a steward. When it comes to being generous, it starts with recognising that we are stewards. Everything we have comes from God, and is to be used for God. Recognising this is an immensely freeing thing – as it sets us free to not worry about whether we have enough, and how we should use what God has given us. Welcome: What's true of Riverside Church when we meet together in-person is still

TEACHING SERIES: Open Handed SERMON TITLE: Never Enough? BY: Judy Moore DATE: Sunday 28 January 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Mathew – Chapter 10, verses 8 2 Corinthians – Chapter 9, verses 8-10 1 Timothy – Chapter 6, verses 6-11 EXCERPT: How much is enough? In some recent research in the US, people were asked ‘How much does your annual salary need to be for you to feel happy/less stressed?’ The results were fascinating! What was remarkable was that – regardless of how much people actually earned – everyone said that they needed about 30-50% more to feel happy. (See here for details) It seems that we all think we haven’t got quite enough! What about you? As we begin this series on generosity, perhaps we need to change our focus. What if being content with what we have is actually the start of being generous. It’s only when we recognise that everything we have comes from God and recognise that he generously provides for all of our needs that we are able to be content. And it is this contentment that enables us to be

TEACHING SERIES: Changing The Conversation SERMON TITLE: Changing The Conversation About Other People BY: Tim Chilvers DATE: Sunday 21 January 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Romans– Chapter 12, verses 14-21 EXCERPT: We live in a tribal world, when it is easy to live in our echo chambers. We dismiss people who don’t agree with us, and only need to embrace those who do. And, in our connected world, we find a steady stream of people who agree with us! But, what if the good news of Jesus makes us see people differently? What if we bless those who are against us, and do good to our enemies? What if we try and live honourably and at peace with everyone? That would change the world! ‘The world is to look at the people of God and exclaim “So that is the gospel? I see it now!”’ (Darrel Guder) ‘An inflated estimation of human nature capsizes love for one’s neighbour’ (David Zahl) Welcome: What's true of Riverside Church when we meet together in-person is still true of us online. We are on a journey together to help people get

TEACHING SERIES: Changing The Conversation SERMON TITLE: Changing The Conversation About The Church BY: Tim Chilvers DATE: Sunday 14 January 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Romans– Chapter 12, verses 4-13 EXCERPT: Recently, a local man turned up to one of our Sunday morning gatherings because he had been told ‘Go to Riverside, they’ll help you.’ What does it mean to be a church that changes the conversation? Perhaps it means being so transformed ourselves, that we relentlessly work to transform the lives of others. That’s the kind of community that changes everything – were people’s needs are generously met, as they are pointed to the generosity of God. ‘The Church has an unconditional obligation to the victims of any ordering of society, even if they do not belong to the Christian community.’ (Dietrich Bonhoeffer) “What I miss about church is being forced to be in community with people that aren’t the same as me.’ (Win Butler, Arcade Fire) Welcome: What's true of Riverside Church when we meet together in-person

TEACHING SERIES: Changing The Conversation SERMON TITLE: Changing The Conversation About Ourselves BY: Tim Chilvers DATE: Sunday 7 January 2024 BIBLE PASSAGES: Romans– Chapter 12, verses 1-5 EXCERPT: ‘The primary exacerbator of burnout isn’t really email, or Instagram, or a constant stream of news alerts. It’s the continuous failure to reach the impossible expectations we’ve set for ourselves.” (Anne Helen Petersen) Change starts with us. How we see ourselves is an important foundation in changing the conversation. If we think too highly of ourselves, we put ourselves on a pedestal over others which leads to hearts that are full of judgement. If we think too poorly of ourselves, we set others on a pedestal and will lead to a heavy burden that we can’t carry. The good news of Jesus shatters both of these views. Only when we are able to see ourselves ‘rightly’ does it lead to change in how we treat God, ourselves and others in a way that is truly life-giving. Welcome: What's true of Riverside Church when