Riverstone Community Church

07/18/2026

07/18/2026

Good Morning Everyone,

This past week, Senator Lindsey Olin Graham, passed from temporary life to eternal life. He was just 71 years old. When you consider that, President Trump is 80, Mick Jagger is 82, Paul McCartney is 84, and Warren Buffett is 95, Senator Graham was just a kid! I really liked him. I imagine many of you did as well. By all accounts, including his, he had trusted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. He wasn’t perfect, who among us is, but he was forgiven, and every time he had the opportunity to speak a word about Jesus, his own salvation, and his future home in glory, he took it!

Senator Graham also had a great love for Israel, the Jewish people of the Holy Land, as well as, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a day and age when it has become almost, “fashionable” to oppose all three, Senator Graham on many occasions would quote Genesis 12:3 where our Lord says, “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” The Senator from the great State of South Carolina would often follow up that passage by saying, “God said it, I believe it, and I will never go against God or His people.” Senator Graham never did. We should never as well, ever!

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said on the Senate floor this past Monday, “If there is any light to be found in this grief, it is this: That as a Christian, like Lindsey, I know that death is not the end. The Apostle Paul writes, and I quote, ‘Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.’

“Or, as another Graham once put it, and I quote, ‘Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will have just changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God.’

“I am comforted by the knowledge that in the end, he has just changed his address. And that one, we will laugh together again.”
I will miss Senator Graham. Praise be to God, because of Jesus and His salvation for each of us that know Him, we will see both Grahams again!

“THE MAIN EVENT!” Tomorrow Morning, Pastor Rick Will Continue To Build On Our Study Of I Samuel, With A Message Entitled, “The Good, Bad, And Ugly,” From I Samuel 22! You Do Not Want To Miss This Message!

Get It All Done Today And Be With Us Tomorrow At, “The Stone!”

We’ll Be Looking For You,

Marshall

Here Is Pastor Rick’s Outline;

THE GOOD, BAD AND UGLY
I SAMUEL 22; PSALM 57; 142

DAVID, THE GOOD…

SAUL, THE BAD…

DOEG, THE UGLY…

APPLICATION:

07/12/2026

Welcome to Sunday Morning Worship at Riverstone Community Church!

07/11/2026

Good Morning Everyone,

As I scribble out this note, it’s 102 degrees in the, “Bold New City Of The South!” That’s Hot! I think it was that, “Crazy Crooner,” from, New York City, Buxter Poindexter, that sang that silly song that stays with you like a bad cold, “HOT, HOT, HOT!” It reminds me of the days and heat we have been enduring.

I’ll tell you what else is, “HOT,” the preaching we receive each and every Sunday from our pastor! Trust me on this one, it’s not like that every place else. It just is not! I have been in so many churches, and so have you, that are anything but, “HOT?” They are in fact, “COLD, COLD, COLD!” Evangelist, Dr. Bill Stafford use to say about them, “they are so cold, you can ice skate up and down the aisles!” The good doctor could not have been more accurate!

Listen, don’t take for granted what we have in our church and our pastor. We’ve got a great thing going. Our church, our worship, our fellowship, and most importantly, “THE WORD,” proclaimed, is just, “HOT, HOT, HOT!”

Speaking of, “HOT,” “THE MAIN EVENT!” Lord willing, tomorrow morning, that, “HOT,” preacher, picks back up our, “MOST,” relevant study of I Samuel, with a message entitled, “Desperate Times,” from I Samuel 20-21; Psalm 34. Don’t miss this message, because, as I said, it’s going to be, “HOT, HOT, HOT!”

Two Quick Things!

ONE, just as we were privileged to do last year, we once again have the opportunity to pray, individually, for the students that will be at camp the week of July 20. All you have to do, is pick up one of the cards on the table in front of the stage during our, “welcome time,” then pray for that student each day of camp!

TWO, Small Groups Meet Tomorrow Morning, 9:30 AM.

It’s All Going To Be, “HOT, HOT, HOT!”

We’ll Be Looking For You,

Marshall

Here Is Pastor Rick’s Outline;

DESPERATE TIMES …
1 SAMUEL 20 – 21; PSALM 34

DESPERATE TIMES AND GOD’S PROVIDENCE…

DESPERATE TIMES AND GOD’S PEOPLE …

DESPERATE TIMES AND GOD’S PROVISION …

DESPERATE TIMES AND GOD’S PROTECTION…

APPLICATION

07/04/2026

Good Morning Everyone,

It’s Independence Day, 250! I trust you are set to enjoy a relaxing, reflecting, and maybe even a little bit of a reverent, “Fourth Of July!” Our Lord has blessed our nation, possibly, more so, than any other land. We have freedom of every sort imaginable. We enjoy religious liberty. We enjoy freedom to strive for, and live, the American Dream. We have the right to peacefully assemble. We have the freedom to speak our hearts and minds. We have the right to petition our government. We are granted the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. As a matter of fact, there are actually nineteen amendments outlined by the Bill of Rights in our United States Constitution. Not every citizen of every nation has what we’ve been given and granted and I thank our Lord, that while all do not recognize Him, you and I realize, we are under our God!

Walter Isaacson has written many, many, great books! His latest work is a simple little book entitled, “The Greatest Sentence Ever Written.” Isaacson says the greatest sentence ever written is the opening line of the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Without question, that is a great sentence! As citizens of our great nation, we might be in peril without it? However, I simply can’t concede to the great author that it is the greatest sentence ever written? Here’s why, without what I consider the greatest sentence, Isaacson's sentence would not be possible! I contend the greatest sentence ever written is John 3:16! “For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Prayerfully, you know Jesus and because of Him, you can enjoy all of these, “unalienable Rights!” Without Him, we would have none! HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

“THIS IS A RIVERSTONE BREAKING NEWS ALERT!” Don’t take tomorrow off, Pastor Rick will be, “In The House,” preaching, “The Word!” As a matter fact, right on time with our Nation’s 250th Anniversary, our Pastor will bring a message entitled, “IF….,” from 2 Chronicles 7:11-17 (14). You do not want to miss this message! Invite someone to come along with you tomorrow as we continue to celebrate our Nation’s Anniversary and more importantly, our Lord Jesus!

With all of his many flaws, like myself with even more, I love our President! Here is POTUS 45 and 47 reading tomorrow’s text!

https://youtu.be/7oqyMMBAapY?si=fLtX27E6xlf0Uhgl

One last thing, our fellow, “Stonians,” did a great job of reaching out to Wolfson’s dads with 50, “Dad Bags!” That’s a total of 151 bags for both, “Mother’s Day,” and, “Father’s Day!” Levi Rigdon and our College & Career did a fantastic job of pulling it all together! Just Great! Here is Madison Sawyer and Ellie Mobley delivering the goods!


Tomorrow, 10:30 AM, We’ll Be Looking For You!

Marshall


Here Is Pastor Rick’s Outline;

“IF …’’
2 CHRONICLES 7:11-17 (14)

REVIVAL BEGINS NOT IN A NATION BUT IN A QUIET, UNSEEN DECISION WITHIN AN INDIVIDUAL HEART … YOU/ME … SURRENDER NOT CONTROL …RELATIONSHIP OVER RESULT …

“IF”

“MY PEOPLE”

“WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME”

“HUMBLE THEMSELVES”

“AND PRAY”

“AND SEEK MY FACE”

“AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS”

“THEN I WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN”

“WILL FORGIVE THEIR SIN.”

“AND HEAL THEIR LAND”

APPLICATION,

06/27/2026

Good Morning Everyone,

Unless you have been living in a Uganda rainforest, you are aware that, “The World Cup,” is well underway. I have to admit, I was startled to learn that our own, Glenn Ellison, is a rabid fan of, “FIFA!” Having played for the Alabama Crimson Tide, and the Oakland Raiders, I would have thought Glenn would have turned his nose up at, “Fuuutball,” but “NO,” the man loves it!

I am so unfamiliar with the sport, I had to look up, “FIFA?” It stands for, “Federation Internationale de Football Association.” While learning about, “FIFA,” I came across another acronym that I was more interested in. It’s, “FOMA?” Are you familiar with it? I was not. It stands for, “Fear Of Missing Out.” It’s a rapid forming phenomenon among many. Someone will post a photo of a bagel on Instagram, write, “this is the best bagel ever,” then the next thing you know, the line for one of those bagels wraps around the block? It’s not necessarily the best bagel ever, but many have, “FOMO,” so they file into the line like zombies?

I bet you know where I am going with this? I don’t want you to miss out on salvation and eternity with Jesus and the saints of God! I don’t want you to miss out on a glorified body, a perfect mind, perfect health, and perfect peace forever! I don’t want you to miss heaven. If you have, “FOMO,” about any of those priceless, eternal, realities, squelch the fear by knowing that you know Jesus!

“THE MAIN EVENT!” Tomorrow morning, Pastor Rick continues our timeless study of I Samuel, with a message entitled, “Watch Your Step,” from I Samuel 20:3. You don’t want to miss this message. Invite someone to come along with you and there will be no, “FOMO!”

One Quick Word, Small Group Meets Tomorrow Morning, Upstairs, 9:30!

We’ll Be Looking For You,


Marshall


Here Is Pastor Rick’s Outline;

WATCH YOUR STEP
I SAMUEL 20:3

“BUT TRULY AS THE LORD LIVES AND AS YOUR SOUL LIVES, THERE IS ABOUT A STEP BETWEEN ME AND DEATH.”

LUKE 16:19-31
TWO LIVES CONTRAST IN LIFE,

TWO LIVES CONTRAST IN ETERNITY,

APPLICATION

06/23/2026

Good morning church, yesterday evening we kicked off 2026 VBS! Everyone had a blast and we can’t wait to do it again tonight! If you are not volunteering I am asking you to please be in prayer.
Pray for the volunteers that they may have patience, pray that they get strength from the Lord, many of us work all day and then are ministering to these kids for another 3 hours. Pray that they see the fruits of their labor.
Pray for the kids that their eyes would be open to Gods love.
Pray for the families dropping them off that they experience love and see what a great church we are!

Thank you for your prayers! And stop by and witness the fun!!!!