River City Blog

The Heidelberg Catechism, written in 1563, was designed, as all catechisms, as a teaching tool. Usually arranged as a series of questions and answers, catechisms help build unity around the basic beliefs or tenants of the faith. While there are a number of good, solid, Bilical and theologically rich confessions and catechisms** -- Heidelberg opens with a gem of a question ...

Hello RC, Traditionally Advent has celebrated with the lighting of candles or the opening of little cardboard doors of stale chocolate. Those traditions are not bad traditions but we want to make sure we don't miss the bigger picture of what God is doing in sending Jesus, fully God and fully man to us. We want to encourage of you, amidst the busyness that comes with this...

It happened again today. I received an email from friends who, through tears, were telling me that the baby they were expecting had stopped developing and that she (the mom) should expect to miscarry within the next week or so. I thought of them, and their other young kids, and prayed that they would all keenly know the nearness of Jesus and the strong and tender grip of ...

Where do your hands go during Sunday corporate gathered worship? Some are stuck in the pockets, only to move if necessary. Some are up in the air. I have felt uncomfortable in this situation in the past because of the questions that spin in my mind. Is it more spiritual to raise my hands? Will people think I am not worshipping if I keep my hands at my side? What if th...

Ralph Martin (in his book Worship in the Early Churchon pg. 17) defines worship in this way, "Christian worship, then, is the happy blend of offering to God our creator and Redeemer through Jesus Christ both what we owe to Him and what we would desire to give to Him." What a joy it is for me to take the small gifts that God has given me to assist our church family in our...

Stewardship - is a word that we typically hear brought up when challenged about our time, talent, and treasure. The question typically goes like this: How are you stewarding the things that you have been given - your time, your talent/gifts, and your treasure/money/resources? In this post, I'd like to challenge you to consider a fourth category into your stewarship thinki...

"How often do we humbly acknowledge the gift of salvation, of being brought from death to life, and yet, for reasons of doubt, lack of understanding, or unbelief, we leave some of the other beautiful promises of the Gospel covered as if they don’t exist."...

"The book of Proverbs is practical help from God for weak people like us stumbling through daily life. It is his counsel for the perplexed, his strength for the defeated, his warning to the proud, his mercy for the broken. The book of Proverbs is the gospel - good news for the inept thorugh the wisdom of Another. We have every reason to receive it with a whole heart." (Pro...

We're excited to announce our Women's Weekend entitledHere is Our God: A Weekend For Women, Not About Womenhappening June 6th and 7th here in Fargo. The purpose behind the weekend away is to continue fostering relationships between women, fighting for their identity in Christ, and clarifying the function of each person plays in the outward-focused mission of their group....

He is RISEN! What a glorious truth! All around the world, thousands and thousands of Christians raised their voices in celebration that the grave could not hold God's Christ! Because of Jesus' death and resurrection we are not only forgiven but are gifted with eternal life as Sons and Daughters - men and women purchased by His own blood from every tribe, tongue, and nati...