Rice Community Church

Too often we see our circumstances and not the God who called us. We see defeat before we even get in the game. Today we are going to look at Numbers Chapter 13 and here about how when people saw giants and walled cities two guys saw their God is bigger than their problems.God has the ability to turn what looks worthless into a treasure. That’s what He’s done for us, and that’s the kind of God whose planned your glorious future!

How often do we live our lives with fear or hold back because of "what if" this happens? Today we look at a couple of stories where their faith was larger than their fear. Our trust in God is bigger than our circumstances, and we can say "even if" it doesn't turn out like I expect I know God is bigger and always good.

Our big thought for today is, "am I available for God today to use me right where I am." Jesus didn't just call a select few, He called us all to join Him on His mission and be minsters of the Good News. You were not made to "fit in," God called you to stand out, and live life on mission with Jesus.

We all face times when we have an identity crisis, we need to press in and hear from God and that He called us by name, for such a time as this.

This morning we start our new series talking about how we weren't called to attend church but that Jesus calls us the church where He is the head. Today we give an overview of being called to serve in the body, how Paul teaches us we are one body with one purpose to bring glory to God.

Week 4 in our series "The Bridge" this week we talked about Jesus being our Bridge to Hope and how through Him and in Him all things were created. How Jesus not only brought hope to us, but that we should bring that same hope to those around us.

Week 3 in our series, God knows we are a mess and will continue to make a mess. However Jesus came and died on the cross in order to lead us into an authentic relationship with him, and we can be real with others.

Week two of our series "The Bridge" How Jesus is our Bridge to Unity. Christian unity is based on shared life in Christ; is a major source for witness to the world; and is expressed through common love, purpose, and mission. Our lives may be the only Bible people ever read.

In the first of a four part series to start the New Year we look at the greatest bridge ever built, and that was the Bridge back to God that Jesus built with His work on the cross. If you have ever wondered what must I do to be saved, the answer is found in Jesus and His work on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. Ephesians 2:8 says "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;" Jesus spanned the gap and made a way back to the Father. thanks River Valley and Pastor Rob Ketterling for the graphics and inspiration for this series.

Ian Peters joins us this morning and shares his heart and teaching on the Holy Spirit, how God gives us the power to live lives that make a difference in whatever we do. We have been born again, filled with the Holy Spirit, led by the Spirit and then we enter into the power of the Holy Spirit.

Many things can bind us, and hold us back from becoming all God has called us to be. Today we look at the story of Samson, and how his choices led him to be bound by shackles and chains, now we may not be bound by shackles, we can by attitudes, anger, debt, or addictions but as we read the story we see there is freedom when we cry out to God.

The one thing we all have in common, is that sometime in our lives or right now we have all been wounded, by someone close to us, by something someone did to us, by a close friend or relative. Today we discuss how the wounds of unforgiveness can cause pain to control us, we will also talk about 3 misconceptions of forgiveness. In order for God to heal us, we have to let go of those things that have wounded us, forgiveness is about our relationship with God.

Today we begin our new series from Herbert Cooper's book, but God...changes everything. In week one we look at Hosea and the parables in Luke 15. When we wander God pursues us, finds us, frees us and paid the price for us. We have a Savior who is obsessed over lost things and people who wander.

Today we discuss how we can get a bunch of knowledge about the Holy Spirit, but He wants to experience us and have experience Him. The job is to big to do on our own we need His help

Have you ever wondered why you are here, how do we live out the Christian life and make a difference. Today in Part One of our series, we look at Luke 24:47 as Jesus tells his disciples and us today that we need the power of the Holy Spirit living in us to live a dynamic life.

Today we take a look at the last 7 statements Jesus made from the cross as well as look at the victory we have in Jesus Name because of the empty tomb.

Do we look for Jesus to come and fix all of our problems, come and take over and fix everything around us, or do we see a humble King who came to seek and save the lost.

Have you ever looked at everything going on around you and felt overwhelmed? asked yourself how can I help, I'm only one person? Today we discuss the epidemic of apathy, that feeling of analyzing to paralyze and nothing gets done and how we can truly change our thoughts and hearts following Jesus example to love.

We all carry labels, some positive some are negative, too often we let our labels define us, today as we discuss labels we find out that although our labels may describe us our identity in Christ defines us.

The Bible says we are more than conquerors, in week one of our Overcomer series, we talk about the danger of comparing our lives with others on social media and what we see, the quickest way to lose contentment is to compare ourselves with something or someone else.