Personal Worship (Page 32)
For the week of July 19
View Previous Weeks Welcome to Week 5 of the life of Peter. This time we’re looking at the events on the day after the resurrection as described in John chapter 20. We know that the disciples and other followers of Jesus didn’t fully understand his mission. They never expected him to die the way he did, nor did they understand what he meant by saying he would come back…
Prepare for Worship (weekend of July 16)
Hey Church! In our study of Peter’s infamous denials this week, I could not decide how to characterize this most fervent disciple whose boldness often got him in trouble and yet was loved by Jesus and always restored to Him after every fall. Peter is one of the inner-circle three (with James and John) who were beloved by Jesus and fiercely loyal to His mission. On…
For the week of July 12
View Previous Weeks Your study notes this week were authored by Will Buschmann, Director of Student Ministries. Welcome to Week 4 of the Life of Peter and most likely the best known story about Peter. This week we will walk with Peter in the days leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion and see the intimate moments he has with his friend and Lord. The complexities of what makes…
Prepare for Worship (weekend of July 9)
Hey Church! We have a new song to sing this weekend! It’s called “Amen (Simple Gospel)” by Kari Jobe and I think you’re going to love it! In order to get the most out of it, I thought a short study of the word “amen” would be helpful. The meaning of the Hebrew word, אָמֵן֙ (Pronounced ah-mayn), carries a sense of truth, certainty, and…
For the week of July 5
View Previous Weeks Your study notes this week were authored by Will Buschmann, Director of Student Ministries. Welcome to Week 3 of the Life of Peter and to a defining moment in Peter’s life. We will see Peter answer a question Jesus asks confidently and correctly. We will also see Peter be rebuked by Jesus. Jesus will also begin to show the disciples what his true…
Prepare for Worship (weekend of July 2)
Hey Church! When you enter the worship center this weekend, things will look quite different than they did just last Sunday. Through the generosity of one of the families in our church, we have been able to install new projection and lighting systems, which we hope will further enhance our ability to communicate the gospel with beauty and clarity. Please watch this short…
For the week of June 28
View Previous Weeks Welcome to Week 2 of the Life of Peter and to the iconic story of Jesus walking on water. That’s such a common reference and so much a part of our lexicon that we can forget that two people walked on water that day, Jesus…and Peter! As with last week (and likely every week in this series), the passage of scripture is quite brief, so each day’s…
Prepare for Worship (weekend of June 25)
This week’s Friday Prepare for Worship thoughts are written by Mark Lautenschlager, Director of Communications and one of Rio’s elders. If you’re anything like me…then you’re old and well, I’m sorry. We understand how each other’s joints feel, am I right? But in addition to that, we are used to church music that was written for another time and a different audience.…
For the week of June 21
View Previous Weeks Welcome to the first week of our study of the Life of Peter. The Apostle Peter was one of Jesus’ closest friends (of all his disciples, Jesus was closest to Peter, James, and John). Peter is a regular guy, who will genuinely remind us of ourselves in many instances, that God was able to use in an extraordinary manner to lead the first church more than…
Prepare for Worship (weekend of June 18)
This week’s Friday Prepare for Worship newsletter was written by Mark Lautenschlager, Director of Communications and one of Rio’s elders. My wife and I have been married for almost 36 years. We’ve known each other since we were probably 15 years old and in high school. We met through a Christian youth program called “Ranch” that originated with Florida Bible College in…