http://www.riversidepeoria.com Weekly Sermon Audio from Riverside Community Church in Peoria, Illinois kevin.beale@riversidepeoria.com (Kevin Beale) misc@bitsculptor.com (Eric Schlange) Thu, 26 Jan 2012 9:01:10 CDT Bitsculptor RSS OAF v1.0 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/img/logo-rss.gif http://www.riversidepeoria.com http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=374 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=374 Click Here for a direct link to get started! You will need to create an account to print out your statement. Whether you have given by check or online, this is how to retrieve your year end giving statement. By creating an account for your statement, it does not commit you to online giving. Over to the right, there is a green button and ldquo;Give Online, and rdquo; click on that. You and rsquo;ll come to the Riverside Community Church log-in page. Click on and ldquo;Create an Account. and rdquo; You and rsquo;ll enter your first and last name, your email address and a password and click on and ldquo;Create Account. and rdquo; On the next page are instructions that a verification email was sent to the email address you designated when you set up the account. Go to your email and open the verification from and ldquo;no reply and rdquo; or and ldquo;no reply@fellowshiptech.com and rdquo; with the subject of and ldquo;Welcome to Riverside Community Church. and rdquo; Follow the instructions and click on the link. You will come to your account. Go to Contribution History and make sure to select the year 2011 and click on and ldquo;(Print View). and rdquo; Your statement will come up. In the upper left hand corner click on and ldquo;Print Statement. and rdquo; It and rsquo;s that simple! If you have any questions or you wish to have your statement mailed, please contact the Accounting Department at 309-676-7700, ext. 243 or email sheryl.hansen@riversidepeoria.com. If you give online, this is our new online giving page. You can set up your one time giving or schedule your giving on this new site. Again, if you have any questions, please contact the Accounting Department at 309-676-7700, ext. 243 or email sheryl.hansen@riversidepeoria.com. http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=373 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=373 Fear Factors was a huge success this year! We had 673 people come through the doors of the Dream Center, and they were blessed by our 83 amazing volunteers! We needed game helpers, face painters, security guys, concession workers, directional people, registration helpers...the list goes on and on, and Riverside, you stepped up in a huge way to meet each and every one of those needs, so thank you, thank you, thank you! As a church, you brought in 877 pounds of candy! That is simply incredible! Families were blessed by the smiling faces of our volunteers, the games, the candy, and of course, by the love of God that was shared with them! At the end of the night, the Reaction team held a short service, and 106 people turned in decision cards saying they gave their hearts to Jesus! Amazing!!! That is exactly why we do this, so that people will see their need for Jesus and allow Him into their lives! What an incredible night! Of course, prizes were given out, and worm pies were smashed into faces. (Although, Pastor John lucked out. Most of his pie ended up on his shirt!) Pastor Robert even ate some live worms! So once again, from the bottom of our hearts, we say thank you, Riverside! It and #39;s so wonderful see our church family come together like this to impact our community and to change lives! Lots of love! The Reaction Team Pastor Dana, Pastor Amy, and amp; Mrs. Virginia http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=372 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=372 Thanks to all the great volunteers who came out to the Oaks Campus, Downtown Campus and the Dream Center building last Saturday for our Nine til Noon fall clean up day! Many new friends were made and a whole lot of cleaning, raking and painting got done! Working and playing with friends would be a good way to describe what happened. If you missed it, we and #39;ll have another Nine to Noon in the spring for you to participate in....see you then! http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=371 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=371 When I think of fall, I think of cooler weather, kids going back to school, falling leaves and of course, the Riverside Oaks church and rsquo;s fall festival. This is the second year the Oaks church has sponsored the Fall Festival and once again, it was a wonderful success. The pony rides, bouncy castle, hot dogs, cotton candy and of course wonderful entertainment topped off the warm fall afternoon. The festivities started around 11:00 am and neighborhood residents made their way across yards and across the streets to join the Oaks Folks as we like to call ourselves. The kids enjoyed the free pony rides with three ponies of different sizes, hoola hoop competitions, tossing footballs, while the adults also enjoyed their own version of hoola-hoops (which was pretty funny), football and volleyball games and sitting around tables chit-chatting, while drinking sweet lemonade. Pastor Pat Sheets and Mike Paul entertained us with southern gospel songs and a bit of Gene Autry renditions. Mike, whom I and rsquo;m told was really Mike and rsquo;s twin brother, played the guitar while Pastor Pat donned a cowboy hat and played his harmonica. Leisle joined in later with her keyboard and we sang worship songs under the bright fall sun. Marie Sheets did a great job in keeping us filled with Cotton Candy and seemed to get more of the candy in her hair then on the sticks and Hanna Sheets kept the hotdogs coming. It was a wonderful way to end the summer and ring in the fall and we got to meet a lot of our neighbors. I and rsquo;m sure next year and rsquo;s festival will be even better. Maybe Mike and rsquo;s twin will show up again and give us his Gene Autry imitations. That was the best part. Until next year- Kim Kouski http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=370 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=370 This past Saturday, Reaction hosted a party to thank all of our wonderful volunteers! So many people give their time to teach, bless and love the children and babies here at Riverside, and we can never say thank you enough! So, to celebrate these amazing volunteers, we threw a party at the Washington Park Pool! 50 or so adults and children came out to enjoy an evening of pizza, swimming and hanging out! The weather was a little bit chilly (there was a hail storm earlier in the afternoon!), but the cool weather didn and #39;t keep the kids out of the pool or off the diving boards! When Pastor Dana decided to stay out of the water, a few of the kids were kind enough to bring it to her! It was like the Camp Reaction water wars all over again! Thank you to everyone who came out and made the night such a blast! Reaction and Riverside are truly blessed to have such amazing volunteers working with our kids! Looooove, Your Reaction Staff Pastor Dana Buhs, Pastor Amy Dunham, and amp; Mrs. Virginia Reedy http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=369 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=369 Discipling, Jesus Style and bull; Wednesday Nights and bull; 3 Campuses!!! Starting on Wednesday, September 7, we shall look together at the way Jesus discipled others and ask the question, and ldquo;Can we reproduce this in our lives and in our church? and rdquo; As we move forward to the place of changing to be better shepherds of God and rsquo;s flock, we need to understand exactly what Jesus meant when he said, and ldquo;Go and make disciples. and rdquo; I want everyone serious about their walk with Jesus and His plan for their lives to attend this evening of investigating, held each Wednesday from 6:30-7:45PM. This class will be offered Downtown, at The Oaks Campus and the new Pekin Campus, together with the children and rsquo;s discipleship class, The Journey, a not-to-miss evening each week that launches us into our new chosen future. Please sign up in the foyer any Sunday in August! Blessings- John King, Lead Pastor http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=368 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=368 Last week, Reaction Kids Ministry hosted Camp Reaction at The Oaks Campus. The week was a total success! God brought everything together in an amazingly funtastic way! Kids got soaked with water balloons, ate some sweet snacks, made supercool crafts, and most importantly, had a ton of fun praising God and learning about His Word! On Monday, we learned a little about Abram and how God has a purpose and a promise for each of our lives. The kids snacked on trail mix and decorated their very own backpacks! Tuesday, the kids learned to place the foundation of their lives upon the Rock (Jesus, not the wrestler/actor). To help them remember this lesson, the kids made very fashionable rock necklaces and went home with multicolored sugar (sand) sticks reminding them that the sand is not stable, but it is kind of delicious. On Wednesday, the kids got a very important lesson on taking care of our temples (body, soul, and spirit). They stuck their faces in ice cream sundaes and made some crafty tents that reminded them to be careful of what they allow in their temples. Thursday night we talked about how God led the Israelites out of Egypt. We learned that God is always with His people and that we need to put Him first in our lives. Pastor Pat helped out with this lesson, and ended up getting doused with a bucket of water! The kids made colorful lanterns to represent God leading the Israelites in a pillar of fire. We wrapped up the week with a Family Night on Friday. There were miniature horses to ride, hot dogs, cookies, and a great salvation message! Following the message and superfun service, kids and parents got to watch the hilarious movie and quot;Megamind and quot; on the big center screen in the Sanctuary! Of course, there were lots of cool games during the week, too, like Human Bubble, Inner Tube Donut Jump, and Goldfish Head. Pastor Pat even ended up on the roof! We and #39;d like to thank everyone who helped make this awesome event possible so that these kids could have the greatest opportunity: to draw closer to God while having a blast! We are so blessed to serve at an amazing church like Riverside! Looooove, Pastor Dana Buhs, Pastor Amy Dunham, and amp; Mrs. Virginia Reedy http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=367 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=367 Proverbs 30 and amp; 31 Today is the last day of the blog through Proverbs. If you have joined me through the days of September, thanks for journeying with me. Today we cover two chapters, although I am going to zero in on one subject. Before I do that, let me tell you a story from this past weekend that surrounds the latter part of chapter 31. Pat Sheets is our Campus Pastor at The Oaks Campus, our first campus church that opens this weekend. Praise God! It and rsquo;s very exciting. Anyway, Pat spoke for us last Sunday and we filmed it to show at The Oaks for their service there the same day. We have had two weeks of dry run at The Oaks and what we do is film the first service at the downtown church and show it at The Oaks when it comes time for the sermon in their service. Pat had started his sermon by quoting Proverbs 31, verses 10-29, finishing up by walking to the end of the platform, pointing to his wife, Christiane, and saying (29) and ldquo;Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all. and rdquo; It was a very tender moment, but when it was played back at The Oaks Campus, which is a terrific experience as the screen is life sized, when Pat walked forward and pointed to the front and pronounced, and ldquo;Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all, and rdquo; he was actually pointing at Chris Reedy, our worship leader there at The Oaks, who was sitting on the front row. Chris said it was so real he blushed. Haha. Anyway, back to the point I want to make to close out this blog ... I want you to note the first verse of Chapter 30 and the first verse of chapter 31. Proverbs 30:1 The words of Agur son of Jakeh. Then, note31:1 The words of King Lemuel. I want you to note that Solomon did not write all the chapters of this book. He invited others to write some of the words for him. He was not so full of himself that he did not trust others to speak into his life and to also write some of his book. The point I want to make is that you have allowed me over these weeks to speak into your life with my thoughts and words. Thank you. I am proud of the fact you are open to others speaking into your life. Never lose that, because you are going to grow by it. I want you to join me in the journey of learning and listening. Be always ready to listen and to grow through what others bring to you. Let our lives be marked by the fact that we know we have not made it, that we have lots to learn, and that God uses others to speak into our lives. Let our stance to God be, and ldquo;By whatever means you want to speak to me, speak, Lord, your servant is listening. and rdquo; Once again, thanks for joining me on the journey. Your friend and fellow traveler, John http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=366 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=366 Proverbs 29 Wow! Today and tomorrow is all we have left of the month and, therefore, all we have left of this blog on Proverbs! Gone quick! Lots of words under my belt! Great blessing in reading and noting God and rsquo;s word. Proverbs 29 carries the verse that has pretty much governed my life for at least the past 50 years or more. It and rsquo;s the first part of verse 18: Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint. It and rsquo;s been so important to me because I believe that we are, as Christians called to be prophetic people. By that I mean that we live our lives with purpose and by that I mean we live our lives for the glory of God. And that has governed my life since being a Christian. Our world is crying out right now for vision. I listened to an interesting report yesterday of the way Americans are thinking right now with regard to the political state of the nation. It reported that the American people are not so interested in what party they vote for but more in whom they vote for that they can trust. It stated that right now American people are looking for someone, anyone, who can point the way to a better future for the country. and ldquo;Ah, and rdquo; I thought, and ldquo;they are looking in the wrong place for that. and rdquo; See, in the end no politician can give what the American people really need. The answer can only be found in Christ. Actually He can only be found in Christians living as and ldquo;prophetic people. and rdquo; By that I mean Christians who, by their very lives being lived for God and rsquo;s glory, are pointing the way to a better existence. We have better lives because of Jesus, and it shows. We live prophetically and the world says, and ldquo;We want what you have. and rdquo; Sadly, most Christians don and rsquo;t live prophetically. They have religion and blend right in to the rest of the population and are among those searching for answers. Prophetic people have the answer living in them, pointing the way for them. Prophetic people live by the revelation of God as it and rsquo;s seen in His word and as they hear from God through prayer and the promptings of Holy Spirit in their lives. Prophetic people live every day in communication with God and are directed in every area of their lives by Him. I could go on and on about this, but then this blog will become a book and not the short notes on the scripture it and rsquo;s intended to be. So, I will sign off, praying that you and I will live as prophetic people. Not to do that you will, according to this verse, live as you please and that spells disaster. May God lead you forward with great vision for your future. Blessings, John http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=365 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=365 Proverbs 28 I am tempted to talk about verse one because it is so me to do so. I am always seeking to be bold and encourage boldness. Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion. But, I cannot get away from the two verses that mention something that I feel is in short supply these days. Look at verse 6:Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways. Then look at verse 18: Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered, but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall. As a general rule you can rely on the fact that if God, who inspired the bible to be written, is mentioning something twice in one chapter. He is wanting us to give it some attention. Twice in this chapter, and then inferred in other verses, too, is the subject of INTEGRITY. So, I can, I think for that reason, maybe climb on to a soap box for a moment and sound off about the fact that I feel a lot of Christians lack integrity in this generation. We have once again been sucked into the spirit of the age which has promoted the individual to be God. We are told that nothing is law to us; we can live as we feel we want to live. Don and rsquo;t care about what anyone else thinks or what rules people may live by, you are in charge - do as you feel - feeling being the operative thing. So, we can give our word and not keep it. We can promise things and not follow through. We can promise to be somewhere and not show up. We can sign up for things and not even inform if we are now not going to do the thing. And we can cheat and steal and lie and not feel we are doing any wrong. But, God says integrity is more important to Him than anything else and that, in the end, integrity will protect you and the lack of it will cause you to fall. I was sounding off to God in prayer about this stuff and saying, and ldquo;No one seems to care anymore about integrity. and rdquo; I felt I heard God say right back to me, and ldquo;I do! and rdquo; I guess that and rsquo;s all that matters and, if it matters that much to the Father, then it matters to me, too. God, lead us to live with integrity. According to verse one, He will provide us boldness to do so. Verse 1 - The righteous are bold as a lion. God bless you today. John http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=364 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=364 Proverbs 27 Wow! There are only three days of September left. If you have followed this blog, I have loved having you along for the journey and hellip; been great doing this with you. Many thanks for the few comments that have made me feel it and rsquo;s worth doing. I am really enjoying it. Talking of journeys, although I feel friendship is the theme of this chapter, for me the key verse is verse 12 - The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. I have quoted this verse to myself and had it quoted to me in times of temptation and arrogance. Times when my friends and the people who loved me most were advising me to go in a right direction but I was tempted to go in a wrong direction, I have had God bring this verse to my conscience and have even regretted memorizing it!! But, this verse has saved me from no end of trouble many times. Also, I have quoted it to people I have been seeking to help, people determined to do what they knew deep down was wrong and yet were determined to do it. I have talked with people determined to plunge into what they were feeling a great investment, but it was plain to see they were heading for financial disaster, others determined to plunge into an affair, others determined to marry the wrong person even though everyone around them could see they were not suited and the marriage would not last. I have spoke to others walking away from God and His call on their lives. On and on the list could go. I have many of these people come back and say they wish they had taken the advice of this verse. I think it would be a great idea if you memorized this verse. It will save you from a lot of trouble. Do what I do and ask the Holy Spirit to bring this verse to your mind in times when, if you keep going, you will suffer for it. I have found He answers that prayer. I have been saved a lot of trouble and, in turn, my family, friends and church have, too! So, here it is again:Proverbs 27:12The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. So, have a great day today and know that you have already been prayed for. Blessings, John http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=363 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=363 Proverbs 26 This chapter of Proverbs is geared towards those who find delight in gossip and slander. It is full of warnings of the disaster of being involved in either. But the verse that stood out to me comes early in the chapter. It and rsquo;s verse 2: Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight. This verse took me back in my mind many years. I was a younger pastor and had faced one of the first of many times when I have had to take a stand on an issue and, because of it, gained some enemies. I was walking out of the church one day and, as I did, one of these people that hated me at that moment pulled up beside me, rolled down his window, and said, and ldquo;The Lord curse you, King. and rdquo; The Holy Spirit immediately reminded me of this verse and my heart was filled with peace. I said to the guy, and ldquo;Undeserved curses will not come to rest, according to the scriptures. And be careful; they can rebound and hit the one giving them. and rdquo; He snarled and said, and ldquo;I hate you, King, and rdquo; and drove off. I walked to the end of the road and was suddenly brought out of my thoughts by the sound of an ambulance speeding by, then turning the corner near where I was. I ran to see what had happened and the shock still goes through me as I think about it. The guy who had cursed me was lying in the gutter at the side of the road! He had driven from me, pulled up, got out of his car and went to walk across the street when he had a massive stroke. I followed the ambulance to the hospital and went into the emergency room where the guy was being worked on. He regained consciousness and saw me there and, with slurred words, said, and ldquo;I and rsquo;m sorry, I and rsquo;m sorry. and rdquo; I forgave him there and then, and prayed for him. Sadly, he never recovered and died a few weeks later. Many reading this may be living under undeserved curses. The curse is not effecting you; it and rsquo;s simply your memory of the curse. Shake it off, determine it and rsquo;s not going to affect you any more, and live free. Proverbs 26:2Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight. Praying blessings on you. Your friend and pastor, John http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=362 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=362 Proverbs 25 I am immediately drawn to verse 2 here because of my recent attraction to anything Kingdom. This is what it says: 2 It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. The doctrine of unconditional grace is a wonderful doctrine. It simply means God does not change His mind about us. Sadly, it has also been a doctrine used to manipulate the will of God and to seek to make God say what he did not say in order to live a low level, uncommitted lifestyle. Someone asked the question, and ldquo;If you were ever on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? and rdquo; Unfortunately, there are Christians who really came to Christ just to get a ticket to heaven. It was during the Jimmy Carter presidency that it became popular to be able to say, and ldquo;I am born again. and rdquo; Many did not know what they were talking about and were no more Christian than the man in the moon, but it sounded good. True Christians want to get to know the heart and mind of God, not because they doubt Him (although a good dose of doubt can do a person the world of good!!). It and rsquo;s more because they love Him, want to know and do His will above their own, and will search and delve deeper and deeper to find it. Real kings do that, says Solomon and the men of Hezekiah (see vs1). There are people who are known for their desire and leadership in searching out the depths of God and rsquo;s will. They are kings, says Solomon. They are not prepared to just live for today; they want to know God, view God and rsquo;s plan and God and rsquo;s desire for the future of themselves and others under their influence. They understand that there is something bigger than today happening. They realize that we are part of God and rsquo;s gigantic plan and if we seek Him and seek His plan and His will, He will not conceal it from us. God, grant the desire in all of us to act as the people we are because we are kings and priests to our God. God, help us to SEARCH THINGS OUT so that we walk in the light of your will. Many blessings as you walk as kings on the earth, John http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=361 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=361 Proverbs 24 The verses that really stand out to me from this chapter are verses 11 and 12: 11 Rescue those who are being taken away to death; Hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. 12 If you say, and ldquo;Behold, we did not know this, and rdquo; does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work? It has been said that about 90% of all the people won to Christ are won by 5% of professing Christians. If everyone sought to win souls the way you do, would you be saved today? Most Christians never, ever win a soul to Christ. Unless you have, don and rsquo;t argue with that statement. One of the things that has happened to the church of Jesus these days is that we have become self-centered as a people. We are more concerned with ourselves than we are the lost. I even wonder if we have lost the belief that lost people really are lost. We rarely these days hear sermons challenging us to win souls to Jesus. Plenty say we should do more for society and the community, and we should. However, our end must be clear - we want to win all in society to Jesus. We serve others and our plan is clear - we know they need Jesus and we want to win them to Him. We feed the hungry and clothe the naked, our plan is clear to (vs. 11) and ldquo;rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. and rdquo; I cannot close my eyes to such verses as vs. 12 here: and ldquo;If you say, and lsquo;Behold, we did not know this, and rsquo; does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work? and rdquo; My prayer is, and ldquo;Lord, let me live whatever life I have left with a passion for souls. and rdquo; Memorized a rhyme when I was young and ndash; and ldquo;I am not asking, Lord, for gold Let this world its riches hold Give us souls, please, give us souls We and rsquo;ve no time to lay up here Treasures soon to disappear Give us treasures that will last, give us souls Oh, give us precious souls, give us precious souls Be it sacrifice or service, give us souls. and rdquo; I am praying that God will make you and me missionaries to the lost. Blessings, John http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=360 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=360 Proverbs 23 As you read the Proverbs, you get to understand that Solomon has great understanding about marriage and childrearing. Whether he followed his own advice is questionable, as in the end he allowed his huge family to take him from God. (See 1 Kings 11.) Having said that, he still utters truth. In Proverb 23 he gives some instruction to us about childrearing. Look at verse 12 Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge. 13 Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. 14 If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol. Scripture is abundantly clear that God gives children; they are a gift from the Lord. He gives them as a blessing, as a benediction, and as a grace to life, but only if you raise righteous children. Proverbs. 23:24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him. Otherwise, they will become a source of agony and heartbreak. Proverbs presents both sides of the picture. It talks about what happens when a child is not properly reared and given the right perspective on life. Children are a gift from God; they and rsquo;re meant for joy. However, if you try to rear children without Jesus Christ and without the guidance of the Spirit, and instead rear them on the world and rsquo;s psychology, you and rsquo;ll get just what we and rsquo;ve got today and mdash;absolute chaos. John McArthur writes that the Houston police department, years ago, put out a leaflet called and ldquo;How To Ruin Your Children. and rdquo; And it was guaranteed to be 99 percent effective. In part, this is what is said: Principle #1 and mdash; and ldquo;Begin with infancy to give the child everything he wants. and rdquo; Principle #2 and mdash; and ldquo;When he picks up bad words, laugh at him. and rdquo; Principle #3 and mdash; and ldquo;Never give him any spiritual training. Let him wait until he and rsquo;s twenty-one years old, and then let him decide for himself. and rdquo; Principle #4 and mdash; and ldquo;Avoid using the word and lsquo;wrong. and rsquo; It may develop a serious guilt complex. and rdquo; Principle #5 and mdash; and ldquo;Pick up everything he leaves lying around, so he will be experienced in throwing responsibility on everybody else. and rdquo; Great advice for any parent today. Blessings, John http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=359 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=359 Proverbs 22 I had lunch the other day with a guy who is very rich and had asked for lunch with me because he had attended Riverside a few weeks ago and been really effected by the visit. He said, and ldquo;I love Riverside because it and rsquo;s so real. and rdquo; I said, and ldquo;What do you mean? and rdquo; He said, and ldquo;You see a true cross section of society. It is evident you have some influential people from the city there and also some of the poorest of the city. You have some who evidently have their lives together and sitting near them are people other churches would reject. You have those who are some of the great brains of the city and then those who are mentally challenged. You have people from many cultures, all sitting in the same room. It and rsquo;s just so real. and rdquo; I thought of that conversation when I read Proverbs 22, verse 2- The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the maker of them all. To be honest with you, it would be so much easier to be somewhere other than the inner city. Truthfully,I have had my moments where I have told the Lord that to be away from the city, with all that being here brings to us, would be a real blessing. I have suggested that being somewhere safer, easier and less stressful would be refreshing. But I seemed to hear the Lord say, and ldquo;Are you serious? Would you really want that? Would you really want to be anywhere else? and rdquo; And I say, and ldquo;Sounds like things are not going to change soon. and rdquo; Ha ha. Again, to be honest I could go nowhere else unless God Himself moved me. And to be in His will is not only the safest place on earth, but also the best place. I want to lead a real church where and ldquo;the rich and the poor sit down together, and rdquo; a place where rich and poor come to know and worship Jesus together. God grant that you will have the joy, excitement and challenge of belonging to a real church. Blessings, John http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=358 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=358 Proverbs 21 I think that Solomon, who wrote the proverbs, must have been having a bad day with one of his wives (He had a 700 wives, besides 300 concubines!! That and rsquo;s a lot of women!!) when he wrote this one. Look at verses 9 and amp; 19: 9 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife. 19 It is better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman. I was having breakfast with my two oldest grandsons, Ethan and Clay, at Bob Evans this past Saturday. As we sat there, a couple came and sat at the next table. They were probably in their early sixties. I could tell that things were not right with them. She was talking to her husband and he was just staring beyond her. You know that kind of look that tells you that she is talking, but he has left the building in his mind. I wondered when that happened. When did he turn off and no longer live with this woman in his mind? See, it and rsquo;s possible to be living in the same house, have a marriage license, but no longer be there in your mind. There are many silent sufferers who bury their words and feelings because it and rsquo;s pointless; it won and rsquo;t get better if they say anything. It can happen to a man or woman, to be honest. But I wondered when it went wrong for them. How long after the wonderful day of their wedding did the lamp of love go out? How long after their wedding day did things change? How long until his desire was now really for the desert land? If you are married and reading this, I am praying the lamp of love never goes out, that you work to keep dreams for your marriage and home alive, that you will never allow situations, words and the lack of intimacy drive you into a desert land in your mind and marriage. At this point, my grandsons wondered if I had gone into a desert land and called me back to talking about skateboards, football games, and their favorite games on their iPods. What a fantastic life I have. Blessings to you and your family, John http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=357 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=357 Proverbs 20 Another day arrives and once again I am on my knees saying, and ldquo;Without you, Lord, I am sunk! and rdquo; Proverbs 20 carries just down to earth practical advice for a great life. The verse that leaped out at me this morning was verse 9: Who can say, and ldquo;I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin? and rdquo; This verse screams out and ldquo;the grace of God. and rdquo; See, as good as you think you are, you and rsquo;re not good enough. You can say, and ldquo;I have lived a good life, I have not harmed anyone, and I am a good person to know, and rdquo; but you and rsquo;re still not good enough to stand before a holy God. None of us are. I once had an interesting conversation with a lady who had come to hear the message of the grace of God for the first time. She told me she did not like it! I asked why, and she explained that if this message were true then she would have to give up her entire life to the one who gave grace to her. She said, and ldquo;If I live by my good works, I can expect some return for my effort. and rdquo; She said, and ldquo;It and rsquo;s like I have paid my money; now give me the goods. But you are saying Jesus has paid it all and I have to pay nothing. If that were true, I would have to live my entire life for Jesus. I would have to serve someone who had shown such love to me. and rdquo; There is quite some logic in that, I think. As I write, I am listening to the song You Are My King and the words stand out -Amazing love, how can it bethat you, my king, should die for me? Amazing love, I know it and #39;s true.It and #39;s my joy to honor youin all I do, to honor you.You are my king. Jesus, you are my king. The grace of God causes me to say, and ldquo;Jesus, you are my king. and rdquo; I am no longer my own; the grace of Christ has captured me. I can only live by that grace and for the one who gave it to me. This is John King, signing out and saying, and ldquo;Live your life for the grace giver. and rdquo; Blessings, John http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=356 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=356 Proverbs 19 When I was praying about what God would have us do in the city of Peoria, I heard a whisper from God that said, and ldquo;If you bless the poor I will send you the rich. and rdquo; And then I read this verse from Proverbs 19 and ndash; it and rsquo;s verse 17:Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed. Wow! What a powerful promise. From my experience, you can take this promise to the bank. By that I mean you can rely on it. God blesses people who care for the poor. Take it from me, what Jesus said, and ldquo;The poor you will always have with you and rdquo; (MATTHEW 26:11), is true. And don and rsquo;t forget there are more ways people are poor than simply to be short of money. Some of the poorest people I have known were the richest people I have ever met, as far as financial wealth was concerned. I once went to a lunch that was intended to get some rich people to give to a project that was going to happen and I sat at a table with one of the top bankers in the city. As he got to the place he felt he could trust me, he began to unfold his life to me. He told me how he had poured his life into his banking business and that, in the process, he had lost his wife and family. He wept as he told me his story. He was so poor in spirit. I think what this verse is saying here is that we are simply to seek to bless people and not live to ourselves. The poor are all around us, and there are plenty to bless. So, give to the poor today and watch the interest that God will pour into your investment. I could go on, but the poor are calling me. Two of my grandsons are with me and want their breakfast. Blessings, John http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=355 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=355 Proverbs 18 I feel that this chapter is telling me to and ldquo;watch my mouth, and rdquo; which is good counsel to me right now. Humorously, one commentator said to do this literally you would have to have a mirror or be cross-eyed. Remembering once as a late teen defending my dad when he was being criticized and I really got angry. My dad was never one to defend himself, and I used to get mad with him for that, at times. Anyway, on this occasion he was not happy with me when he got to hear about what I had said and done, and he let me know it. He dropped a verse in my mind that day that has never left me. He said, and ldquo;You need to memorize Psalm 141:3 - Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! and rdquo; I have never forgot that day for two reasons: One, I hated letting my dad down, and, two, it was an incredible teaching moment for me and I did memorize the verse!! Having said all that, the verse in this proverb that really is my verse for today is found right at the end, actually the last verse.Verse 24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Love that verse. I have proven that real friends - I mean real friends - can be counted on, at the most, two hands. But there is for me only one friend that this verse can be talking about. In my mind, I only have one friend that sticks closer than a brother and His name is Jesus. See, what I have found is Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. That and rsquo;s my Jesus; that and rsquo;s my friend. Have a great day today. Your friend, John http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=354 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=354 Proverbs 17 6 Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers. Ha ha well I would be drawn straight way to this wonderful truth filled verse. Now with seven grandchildren Letty and me are blessed beyond words. Three wonderful children and they reward us with seven grandchildren incredible. Then down in verse 17 I am reminded of how blessed I am with friends 17A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. How true this verse ishow easy it is to neglect good friends and how amazing it is that they really come to the fore when we need them they most truly are born for adversity. I have been convicted so many times by the way I can neglect good friends. Lets seek to treasure them. Well I am going to take this verse 27 whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. So this one cool dude signing off and praying Gods blessing on you today. Blessings, John http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=353 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=353 Proverbs 16 I love the honesty of God and rsquo;s word and its timing. I say timing because I continually find that when I systematically read God and rsquo;s word (by that I mean I don and rsquo;t jump around the bible reading from differing parts every day; I start to read a particular book of the bible and read from where ever I left off the day before), I find that God speaks to me better than through any other way. Now having explained that, I found that reading chapter 16 of Proverbs today spoke right into my own life and situation. Look at verse 2: All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. I am challenged by the thought that what I think of myself may not be the way God thinks about me. I was in a situation yesterday where I was saying, and ldquo;I think we have good ideas, all sounds good to us, BUT is that the way God views it?? and rdquo; It is so important that all we do and say is weighed by God and rsquo;s word. You can justify in your own mind so much, but is that what God thinks? Does it line up with God and rsquo;s word? The commentary Expositions of Holy Scripture said this, and ldquo;We too often content ourselves with looking at our ways; God looks at ourselves. He takes the inner man into account, estimates actions by motives, and so very often differs from our judgment of ourselves and of one another. and rdquo; As you read the book of Proverbs, you will find that verses are very often NOT connected to one another; They are stand-alone proverbs. But that is not the case in this chapter. Everything flows from this thought beginning in verse two. So, read this chapter more than once. You will find what God feels, over what you feel. Let and rsquo;s do what verse 20 instructs and find God in a new way. 20 Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. Have a very blessed day. John http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=352 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=352 Proverbs 15 Today and rsquo;s choice of verse from this Proverb was easy because I love the truth that it tells us about. Proverbs 15:3we read, The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. I love what the bible tells us about both the knowledge (theological term, omniscience) of God and also what this verse is on about the all-seeing eyes of God (theological term for that is omnipresence). The Bible tells us quite a lot in detail about his knowledge, this omniscience of God. For instance, it tells us about God and rsquo;s knowledge of nature. Ps. 147:4. He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. And another example - Do you remember those tender words of our Lord in which He tells us that not a single sparrow falls to the ground without our Father, Matt. 10:29? Everything in the realm of nature is known to God. But we are obviously more interested in God and rsquo;s knowledge of us and of our human experience, and here again Psalm 139 paints a wonderful picture of God and rsquo;s loving watch over us. 1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. What an exact and detailed knowledge God has of us! However, God and rsquo;s people, often in their lack of faith and knowledge, are often tempted to think that God does not know. Even the writer of many of the psalms, David, asked, and ldquo;Does God not know? and ldquo; Has God forgotten to be gracious? Ps. 77:9. Does He not realize what is happening to us? But we must never think that. It is our ignorance that makes us speak like that. God knows all about us. Let me again quote Jesus; He says, But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Luke 12:7. Can you think of a more detailed knowledge than that? God knows us in detail to that extent. Then there is that mighty statement in Hebrews 4:13 - And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. There is not a better or a more eloquent statement about the all-seeing eyes of our ever present God. This sums it up perfectly. We are never out of His sight and always in reach of His wonderful delivering hand. Safe in Jesus. Kept close by Jesus, and never out of God and rsquo;s sight. Hallelujah! Blessings, John http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=351 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=351 Proverbs 14 Once again, I am challenged by this chapter with the bible-wide topic of God and rsquo;s heart for the poor and broken. Look at verses20 and amp; 21: 20 The poor is disliked even by his neighbor, but the rich has many friends. 21 Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor. I don and rsquo;t know if the church of Jesus really gets this, yet! When are we going to see and when are we going to act in justice for the poor? Even the little we do as a church is not enough. Yet, it and rsquo;s the heart of God echoed throughout the scriptures that we should have HIS heart for the poor. It and rsquo;s crazy, really, because we are all selfish and the promise here is that we will be blessed if we minister to the poor. You may say, and ldquo;Well, we don and rsquo;t do things simply for what we can get, namely here the blessing of God. and rdquo; Well, I do. I want as much of His blessing as I can get! However, if you feel that it and rsquo;s selfish to do something so we get blessed, just minister to the poor, anyway, but, please, let and rsquo;s not do nothing. This message is added to by verse 31: Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him. So, that tops it for me; I never want to insult my maker, so God help me bless the poor, for in so doing I honor you. If you have no idea how to bless the poor of the Peoria area, then a good start would be to call Dream Center Peoria (309-676-3000) and offer to volunteer there a few hours a month. Serving with passion, John http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=350 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=350 Proverbs 13 Yesterday before I went to church I prayed and asked God that what Proverbs 13: 13 says will be in the hearts of everyone coming to Riverside for Sunday service. I was praying that everyone who came would and ldquo;revere and rdquo; God and rsquo;s word. Listen to what it says: 13 Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded. The words of John King will be forgotten, but the word of the Lord remains forever. When we are revering His word, we are storing up blessing not only for now but for eternity. When we hold the bible in our hands, we are holding truth that has guided and blessed millions who have put their trust in the fact that by following its wisdom and instruction they have been safeguarded, guided and inspired to live their lives in the sight of God. I also prayed that I, myself, would increase in my love for and obedience to God and rsquo;s word, that I would be rewarded as I seek to understand and apply God and rsquo;s word to my life. Then, look at verse20: Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. For many years now I have asked God to guide me in my relationships so that I would grow in my love for him and his people. I found that there were friends that were not helping in my journey to know Jesus more and others that were. Relationships are so important to our walk with God and the wrong ones can hinder us. Take Solomon and rsquo;s advice here and watch what God will do. Now let and rsquo;s go forward into another week of loving and serving our King Jesus. Blessings, John http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=349 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=349 Proverbs 12 The more I read Proverbs, the more it seems that I am called a fool. Look at verse 15: The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. So, as I look back on my life, the times I have gone a way that seems right in my own eyes have been more than I could have kept count of. We all, in some ways, do that, of course, so don and rsquo;t feel too bad for me! There is a selfishness built into us, and a feeling that and ldquo;my way and rdquo; is best. I think the feeling came from the moment Adam accepted the fruit in the garden in direct opposition to the sound advice of God not to do so. So, we lived the majority of our lives doing our own thing, going our own way, and messing up so many times and therefore getting the nickname and ldquo;Fool, and rdquo; according to this scripture. Then one day the light dawned and I was rescued from myself by Jesus. I was shown and ldquo;His ways and rdquo; are best and and ldquo;His and rdquo; advice the best. I simply have to tune my ears to heaven and ask the question, and ldquo;Which way? and rdquo; and ldquo;What do I say? and rdquo; and ldquo;Please give me direction, and rdquo; and advice flows from Him who knows best. The advice can come through many messengers: people around me, preachers preaching, and a million and one other ways God communicates to us. Give me an ear to hear, Oh, God, your advice. There is a fantastic promise tucked into the last verse of this chapter and ndash; 28 In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death. Oh, the wonder and promise of eternal life only found in Jesus. Be blessed today and enjoy the life only Jesus can bring. John http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=348 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=348 Proverbs 11 We take the time right now, September 11th, to remember all those killed in the 911 attacks in New York that history-changing day in the year 2001. God be with their families who still grieve their loss. Coming to Proverbs 11, I have a problem right in verse one! 1 A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight. See, I love a false balance! You do too, if you and rsquo;re honest. I remember shopping for scales for our home and when trying them out at the store I found one that weighed me five pounds lighter than what I knew my weight was. I thought, and ldquo;That and rsquo;s the scale for me! and rdquo; Letty, my wife, ever a woman of truthfulness and detail, said, and ldquo;No, let and rsquo;s try a few more. and rdquo; This verse says a false balance is an abomination to the Lord!! Wow, strong words, actually. As you research that word and lsquo;abomination and rsquo; you find how God really feels about anything false. It means loathsome, detestable, disgusting. Wow, God is that concerned about truthfulness, honesty and integrity. Then, look at verse 10-11When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness. 11 By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown. We live in a citythat I believe is being blessed by the fact the church of Jesus Christ is in blessing.I cannot remember a time when this city of Peoria has seen churches praying together, working together and worshiping together in such harmony, with the evident presence of God upon us. When it goes well for the righteous, the city rejoices. I feel honored to be a part of all that is happening here. Well, back to the truthful scale and all that it takes to keep it reading lighter for this body that loves food and battles to exercise enough!! Be blessed today, John http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=347 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=347 Proverbs 10 Can you believe we are ten days into September!! I find the thing with being in the will of God is that life gets so exciting it never drags, and time just flies by. Anyway, we are reading again in Proverbs, and today we read Chapter 10. Hidden away here is a verse that, if you grasp the truth, you will understand and be content in every circumstance. Verse 25 When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more, but the righteous is established forever. Notice it does not say the tempest will not come; it is going to come. It does not say that the tempest will only come to the wicked. No, we are all going through it some time or other. But, the difference is seen in the results that come from the tempest. The wicked are no more, but the righteous are established. The whole chapter is comparing the results of being RIGHTEOUS against being wicked. To get this, you have to understand that the word righteous means and ldquo;RIGHT STANDING. and rdquo; It means that we have put our faith in God, honor Him as our God, and allow Jesus to reign in our lives. Jesus puts us in right standing before God. Or, to put it another way, He enables us to be able to stand in the presence of God. He does this not by our righteousness but His. He has made us righteous enough to stand in God and rsquo;s presence. The wicked are simply those who live without being in a right standing with God. According to this whole chapter, that is a dangerous place to be!! I am praying for you, that through the tempest, all that God determines for you to learn through the experience will establish you in faith and godly character. Through the tempest, character is formed and we are prepared for eternal life. We are king and rsquo;s kids being prepared to reign forever. You will not only survive the tempest but thrive in it and thrive after it and rsquo;s gone too. You see according to this verse in Proverbs 10 all tempests and ldquo;come to pass and rdquo; not come to stay! Hey this too will pass. Many prayers and blessings- John http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=346 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=346 Proverbs 9 This chapter of Proverbs is shorter than the previous, but there is so much truth locked in here. The key verse is 10: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. Read from there to the end of the chapter and find the way to a great life on earth. To walk in the fear of the Lord doing what you know to be the right thing, to love and obey Jesus, must be your main priority in life. To walk in our own wisdom robs us of direction and protection that only a God who is above everything and who sees everything can give us. Our flesh will always lust to do evil, to walk in our own ways, to do our own thing, but will always, according to verses 13-18, lead to disaster and death. The word fear here means and ldquo;REVERENTIAL TRUST. and rdquo; One commentator puts it like this: and ldquo;The writer of Proverbs speaks of and lsquo;the fear of the Lord and rsquo;. That basically means to know the Holy One. It involves knowing Him personally. It brings a sense of reverential awe. It results in a proper ordering of our lives. and rdquo; Reverential trust says I may want to go the way and ldquo;I and rdquo; want to go, but and ldquo;HIS and rdquo; way is best. It does not say it looks the best way, feels the best way, may not seem the most fun way, but it and rsquo;s simply the BEST way. Take it from this older guy who has been in and out of the will of God and done too many times my own thing - HIS WAY IS BEST. He has your best interests at heart. He has a plan for your life that, if you trust Him, will save you from untold disaster. Love you today, Lord Jesus, and submit myself to your way over my way. By the power of the Holy Spirit, lead me on into your will. Your way and your will is the safest place on earth. Many blessing today, John http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=345 http://www.riversidepeoria.com/about/news.asp?id=345 Proverbs 8 I am an unashamed lover of Jesus Christ! I search for Him everywhere in the scriptures and, lo and behold, He was easy to be found in Proverbs 8. Read to the end of the chapter; everything it says is Jesus. I have already told you in previous days that wisdom is the word of God. According to the Gospel of John 1, speaking of Jesus it says, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. Jesus is the word, so it is evident to me that both Proverbs 8 and John 1 are talking of the same person . . . Jesus. Over the past number of weeks I have been refreshed in my thinking about The Kingdom Of God. Look at verses 15 -17: By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just; 16 by me princes rule, and nobles, all who govern justly. 17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. I am reminded that Jesus is the King of kings, and that we are as His followers KING and rsquo;S SONS. Never forget who you are. You are king and rsquo;s sons and, therefore, Jesus is the King over us, who are also kings under him. Notice, as God and rsquo;s children and reigning under Christ, we are loved as we submit to Him and seek Him diligently (v. 17). God, keep me understanding who you are, who I am, and how I should act as a King and rsquo;s Son!! Reign in me, sovereign Lord. Reign in me. Happy to know whose I am, and who I am. I am John King, a King and rsquo;s Kid. Blessings.