custom categories: pastor : eric rivera

At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Colossians 4:3-4

When we let the gifts, the smells, the decor and the other good things of this season take our eyes off of Jesus who is the greatest thing of this season, we deprive ourselves of God’s solution for forgiveness and unspeakable joy. In Matthew 2, we learn of a group of wise men who traveled from a distant country to see Jesus, and in turn experienced the same kind of joy God offers to you. You will find this Unspeakable joy and forgiveness when you let Jesus reign as King of your life.

All of humanity is confronted with a gravitational pull toward self-centered thinking. One area that this temptation toward seeking spiritual fame comes is in our giving to people in need. Jesus calls His follower not to give in order to be praised by others, but to please our God seeking His reward above all things. Listen in!

Whom do you serve? There are many competing "gods" that strive to capture your affections. However, only the One True God of the Bible can give life and satisfy our greatest longings. The prayer of this message is that you might determine, as Joshua did, that "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!"

Do you have a passion to Worship God and see Him exalted above all else? In Joshua 22, we see followers of the LORD who have as their burning desire to see God glorified in their lives and in the lives of the next generation. Listen in!

It's easy to fall into the trap that says my sinful decisions only affect me. What we learn in this message is that our decisions have repercussions on others, onlookers, and ourselves. Although the consequences of our sin is death, Jesus has stood in our place to give life and forgiveness to those who trust in Him.

God's plan for taking Jericho didn't involve military tactics, it involved a display of his power through Israel's undivided devotion to Him and their radical obedience to His will. Are you prepared to embrace God’s will and respond with a radical kind of obedience? God’s plan may appear silly to onlookers, but at the end of the day, it’s God’s plan…and his plans are marked by perfection.

What kind of Legacy will you leave behind? In this message, we see that the greatest legacy you can leave is a legacy of worship. This happens as we trust God by walking by faith and teach others about Him. This is at the heart of making disciples. To raise up a generation who loves the Lord, we must leave a legacy of worship.

God wants to transform weak faith into courageous faith, the kind that says, "God, I'm all in." In this message we'll see the example of an amazing person. An unlikely hero. A courageous woman of faith who, with her neck on the line, was all in. Her actions screamed at the top of their lungs, "God, I believe in you! I'm all in!"

Fear can be paralyzing and stunt our obedience. It hinders us from living the life God has called us to live. Fear produces Cowardly Lions, but God's Word, His Promises, and His Presence makes us Courageous Christians.

Looking Like Christ

God created us to enjoy him and to enjoy each other. But our sinful hearts have erected dividing walls of tension and hostility that separate us from God and others. This is not what God wanted for his creation. In this message, we see that through Jesus, God tore down the walls that divide, and made peace between us and Him a reality.

What is the gospel and what is our response to the gospel? We'll see in Ephesians 2:1-10 that undeserving and helpless as I am, God's poured his grace on me like a flood.

God is worthy of praise for who He is and all He has done. The heart of the unquenchable worshiper begins with a recognition of the spiritual blessings that belong to the Child of God. In this message, we see that we are blood-bought and have our salvation sealed. Let us give Him praise who alone is worthy, our Triune God!

The truly wonderful life is the life found in Jesus Christ.

Our desire is to move beyond the big screen and unpack the true meaning of Christmas. The Christmas story is about something far greater than little Ralphie’s Red Ryder BB Gun...but about the birth of Jesus. He came to "save His people from their sins."

This December, we will “Move Beyond the Big Screen” and unpack the true message of Christmas redeeming it from the twist and turns that have marred and mishandled what is at the heart of the Christmas story…the first 6 letters of the word “Christmas”…C-H-R-I-S-T…it is CHRIST!

God is light

This message is a call to drink from the fountain of living water as we walk in the fear of the Lord. This is the walk of renewal, as God awakens His people to the realities of His holiness and His hatred toward sin as well as an awareness of their own personal rebellion and thus daily walk in repentance.

The Christian life is rightfully compared to a war where the believer daily battles against temptation from the flesh, the world, and the devil. As the battle wages on, the follower of Jesus must continue the fight remembering that they have a new life, a new mind, and a new hope.