Over the past couple of months we at Riverview have been considering the proposition of transitioning to an Elder-led form of church government. In order to facilitate this possible transition, we have held numerous meetings, written numerous articles, and had plenty of personal conversations about issues surrounding the proposal. One issue that has come up now and again in conversations that I have had on the proposal is the role of women in a church that is led by Elders. As we have said before, the Bible limits the role of Elder to men (see here as well). How would this change to Elder lead ..read more

Earlier this year the pastors and Church Council at Riverview recommended that the congregation study the topic of elder-led governance in order to consider the proposal that Riverview adopt this form of church government. In order to facilitate that process, this series of posts will focus on the biblical offices of Elders and Deacons. Other posts in this series What Makes an Elder? What Is a Deacon? What Makes a Deacon? By the time we reach Acts chapter 6, a lot has taken place in the growth of the early church. Peter preached a sermon and the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles, and thousan ..read more

Other Posts in this Series: What Is an Elder? What Is a Deacon? What Makes a Deacon? In the previous post in this series we saw that Elders are those who manage the household of God through preaching and teaching, prayer, and shepherding. This is a vital role in the spiritual leadership of the church. So important, in fact, that those who serve as an Elder will give an account to God for their leadership. Because of the nature of this role, there are certain biblical qualifications that a person must meet before he can serve as an Elder. Not just anyone can or should manage the household of G ..read more

Other Posts in this Series: What Is an Elder? What Makes an Elder? What Makes a Deacon? So far in this series we have seen what an Elder is, and what qualifications he must meet in order to serve as an Elder. We now move on to the second office of the leadership of the church: Deacons. Throughout the course of my life I have known several people who have epitomized the heart and spirit of a servant. In fact, their lives have been characterized by service. They’re the first to volunteer; the last ones to leave a project, and the first ones to arrive; they’re always there when needed; always re ..read more

Previous Posts in this Series What Is an Elder? What Makes an Elder? What Is a Deacon? In the previous post in this series we saw that the role or office of Deacon in the leadership of the church is focused on serving. And not just any type of serving, but specifically leading others by serving. Deacons are to be servant leaders and lead servants. As we have seen, these leaders are essential to the church, as the Elders are leading through the ministry of the word, prayer, and shepherding. Deacons make the church go. They carry out the day-to-day operations and practical functions of the chur ..read more

This past Sunday I was able to preach on Luke 22.24-38, in which Jesus tells his disciples that the true way of greatness is to serve others. Our tendency is to try to climb the ladder, but the path to greatness in Jesus’ kingdom is go down the ladder by living a life of service to others. The focal point of the passage is verse 26: “Let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.” Later that same afternoon, I received word that an old friend who lived out this spiritual reality had passed away. Michelle Robinette was a member at Riverview until, in the mi ..read more

Previous posts in this series on Genesis: Did Moses Write Genesis? How Old Is the Earth? Ages, Days, and Gaps in Genesis 1? Light Before the Sun? Will We Be Vegetarians in Heaven? The Dominion Mandate Engaging People with Gender Confusion Wrestling with God’s Design for Men and Women A Biblical Model for Marriage? Myths and Legends in Genesis? Are Women More Easily Deceived than Men? What Is the Mark of Cain? Is the Story of Noah’s Ark Believable? The earliest evidence we have of ancient boat designs is that they were generally very small, made mostly of animal skins, and weren’t seaworthy eno ..read more

Previous posts in this series on Genesis: Did Moses Write Genesis? How Old Is the Earth? Ages, Days, and Gaps in Genesis 1? Light Before the Sun? Will We Be Vegetarians in Heaven? The Dominion Mandate Engaging People with Gender Confusion Wrestling with God’s Design for Men and Women A Biblical Model for Marriage? Myths and Legends in Genesis? Are Women More Easily Deceived than Men? What Is the Mark of Cain? This year, as we pick back up in the book of Genesis on Sunday mornings, there are several more questions that arise from the text that we simply aren’t able to cover during the sermon t ..read more

I once heard a presentation from a preacher that suggested that Christians should move their celebration of the Christmas holiday to July.  After all, the celebration of Jesus' birth isn't directly tied to December 25 (we don’t know with certainty that Jesus was born on Christmas day).  His reasoning for this was mostly because it has become to easy to get lost in cultural aspects of the Christmas season and to miss a meaningful celebration of the birth of Christ.  If Christmas were in July, we wouldn't be so wrapped up in gift giving (no pun intended), family gatherings, parti ..read more

At the end of each year it is common for high profile bloggers, writers, and thinkers to publish a list of their top books from 2021. Far be it from me to include myself in the likes of top bloggers, writers, and thinkers. I do, however, like books! So for the past few years I’ve been sharing my favorite books from the previous year’s reading. But before we start, there are a few things you should know: A. Most end-of-the-year book lists focus on books that were published at some point during the previous year. But the books I read are rarely from the previous year. I don’t get too much time t ..read more