Totally Accepting and Totally Transforming!

What our world needs more than anything else is grace, not just talk about grace – but real grace, grace that seeks out people who are far from God and loves and accepts them just like God does.

We are working to create a culture at The River that is tolerant, loving, and accepting of people no matter what their background is, who or what they are, what they believe, or how they look or dress.

We strive to be completely loving and accepting…, just as God is, and just like God we will love people enough to help them be transformed into the image of His Son Jesus Christ.

In other words: come as you are; but once you know Jesus, don’t plan on staying that way!

Romans 12:2 (CEV) “Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him”
Circle “let God change the way you think”

It’s God’s job to change people through the power of the Holy Spirit, not ours; and when God is ready to change a person, He will! Our job is to love them before, during, and after that happens!

PLAYING IT SAFE - NOT!

You can’t please God by playing it safe. You say, I’ve got my cushy, comfortable life here and I’m going to coast the rest of my life. If you’re coasting right now, guess what? You’re headed down. You’re not improving your life, it’s deteriorating.

Why does God say you can’t please Me if you’re playing it safe? Because God wants you to learn to trust Him; Trust is faith.

One of the great lessons of life is learning to trust God. You can’t trust God if you never take any risks. In order to have faith you have to take some risks. God says if you’re not taking any risks in life, if you’re not doing anything that stretches you, then you don’t require faith. And if you don’t require faith in your life you are being unfaithful.

Romans 14:13 (KJ) “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

Hebrews 11:6 “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”

God says I want you to learn to trust Me. It’s one of the great lessons of life. The only way to do that is putting yourself out on a limb. Never be afraid of going out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is. Don’t be afraid to rock the boat if God’s in it with you. He’s going to help you, He’s going to protect you.

If you want to please God, If you want to live life abundantly, if you are ready to grow in your faith, quit playing it safe and take a giant leap of faith.

God would rather have you attempt to do something great and fail than attempt to do nothing with your life and succeed.

We have taken on a huge goal of starting a new church. Most people aren’t willing to try something that’s risky. Everybody wants to success but they want it the easy way. If you talk to anyone who is successful in any area they will tell you they made it because they took a risk, maybe calculated, maybe not, but they took a risk and that led to their success.

If you have lost your joy; or you’ve lost your enthusiasm for life; There’s no spark. You just don’t feel totally alive any more. Maybe it’s because you’re playing it safe.

Step up, step out, live for God, and quit playing it safe!