Summer sermon series Every month at River Oaks, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper (also known as “Communion”). Regularly we baptize new Christians on their profession of faith as well as the children of believing parents. But why do we do these things? What are “sacraments,” and why do we do Read more…
“To give his life as a ransom for many” The four Gospels in the New Testament each present a complementary portrait of the person and work of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Although the Gospel of Mark is the shortest portrait, it is no less profound or compelling. Mark presents Jesus Read more…
Promises Fulfilled The Gospels of Matthew and Luke famously give God’s people the canonical accounts of the nativity of Jesus Christ—the divine Son born in Bethlehem of Judea. Matthew’s account provides a comprehensive retelling of these special events, from the genealogy of Jesus to the annunciation by the angel to Read more…
Christ and Him Crucified “Crux” is Latin for Cross. A “crux” is also the most important point of any topic. For Christianity, the Cross of Christ is the crux; the most important point, the decisive issue. We invite you to attend this vital series as we explore together the reasons Read more…
“Christ is Proclaimed, and in that I rejoice” The apostle Paul visited the city of Philippi (in northern Greece) on his second missionary journey (roughly 50AD), and as a result of his preaching, the city was the first in Europe to receive the gospel! Several years later he wrote a Read more…
The Word Became Flesh The turning point of world history was the incarnation of God the Son. In the flesh of Jesus of Nazareth, born of the virgin Mary, the everlasting God dwells with his created people and pours out his favor upon them. It is a story that can Read more…
Do you ever feel like giving up? As Christians we not only have to live under the universal burdens of a sin-spoiled world, we also face the additional burden of opposition to our faith in Christ from many fronts. We need to know how to “stand firm” in our faith Read more…
He is Risen! On the very first Easter Sunday morning the first Easter sermon was proclaimed by Angels, “He is not here, He is Risen!” But the proclamation of the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth was not confined to Easter Sunday. The followers of Jesus spread the message of the Read more…
What is Authentic Christianity? It seems like everyone has a hot take on what Christianity is in the contemporary era. Is it a social club? A group of moral naysayers on the wrong side of history? A self-help tool for the weak-minded? A political agenda? How does one tell the Read more…
Christmas is the Bible’s Story The first two chapters of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke give us the classic version of the birth of Jesus Christ. But his birth didn’t come out of nowhere. It was anticipated thousands of years before. In fact, you could say that the whole Read more…
Paul’s Magnum Opus Paul’s epistle to the church in Rome, written in ca. 55-56AD from Corinth, is considered one of the crown jewels of the New Testament. It sparked the life change of Augustine. It was pivotal to the conversion of Martin Luther. In many respects it was the most Read more…
“I have seen the Lord!” (Easter 2021) Last year we celebrated Easter from a distance due to COVID. We were thankful for the technology that allowed us to meet virtually, but it wasn’t the same. As the risen body of Jesus itself suggests, there is something significant about our embodied Read more…
Advent from the Epistles Though the Gospels according to Matthew and Luke are famous for their birth accounts of Jesus, some of the earliest discussions of the coming of Jesus in the flesh are in the epistles (or letters) of the NT, some of which pre-date the Gospels! In other Read more…
Gloria in excelsis deo What would it be like to be a witness to the coming of Jesus Christ, the king? The first two chapters of the Gospel according to Luke record the birth of Jesus, as well as the exciting details leading up to it. The appearance of Gabriel…Mary’s Read more…
“He Came to Jesus…” Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be one-on-one with Jesus? The Gospel According to John is one of the most famous and well-loved compositions in the Bible. From its opening exultation of the Lord Jesus as fully God, to its conclusion where Read more…
“Tell us if you are the Christ!” As Jesus neared the final moments of his earthly ministry and was subjected to fabricated charges, mockery, and scorn by his opponents, the high priest asks him a pressing question that had been building all along: And the high priest stood up and Read more…
Word Made Flesh Christmas celebrates the coming of God’s light, life, truth and grace in the person of Jesus Christ! You are welcome to join us on the Sunday mornings in December as we study the opening chapter of the Gospel John together. As God’s Word is proclaimed, the light, Read more…
The Essential Confession The belief that Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead, in His body, 3 days after His crucifixion is the foundation of Christianity. Without a risen Jesus, the foundation crumbles. “I believe in the Resurrection” therefore, is the essential Christian confession. In this series we will explore Read more…
As a Ransom for Many Good Friday and Easter are at the very heart of the Christian Faith and for good reason. On Good Friday we remember that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, fulfilled His mission to serve sinners by giving His life as ransom on the Cross. Jesus Read more…
Pillar of Truth The church is the household of God. The church, therefore, is to be an expression of God’s character and reflect God’s design for renewed human relationships in the world. In 1 Timothy, the Apostle Paul shows how the gospel mission of the church rests upon the godliness Read more…