A Note from Pastor Mark

God bless you Riverside Church and friends of Riverside!

I wanted to take a moment and briefly share a reflection that has been on my heart recently. One that I hope will inspire you to remember the important role you play in helping the world know and understand the power and love of Jesus more.

Shortly after Jesus was crucified then subsequently resurrected he was visited by two women named Mary. Only this was no ordinary visit, there was a huge earthquake and as they approached the tomb they encountered an angel. The angel gave them great news that Jesus had indeed been resurrected. Matthew 28: 6-7 says this,

6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then GO quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

I want to focus your attention on the word GO in verse 7! While this was a word for both Mary’s to tell the other disciples that the tomb was empty it required their active participation to share what happened that day! Fast forward the clock to today: perhaps someone you know may be facing a life altering hardship, calamity, divorce, health issues, emotional stresses, financial crisis, or whatever it may be.

Consider This…

Have you considered for a moment that you may be a modern-day Mary tasked with bringing the good news of a resurrected Jesus who can change your loved ones circumstances?

I want to encourage you to invite someone you care deeply about to any one of our Christmas services at Riverside. Perhaps you are shy, simply forward this reflection to your friends and loved ones. By them receiving it they will know that you not only care for them in this lifetime but you couldn’t imagine spending eternity without them.

Our facilities will be prepped to receive guests, our First Impressions folks will be diligent in welcoming our visitors, our music teams will not disappoint, RiverKids has a special present for all the families in attendance on December 17th and we hope to see you and a friend or family member in the coming weeks! We love y’all!

Pastor Mark Rivera