Riverside Church - Iowa

Riverside Church - Iowa Growing God's family with overflowing good news about Jesus! www.RiversideChurchIowa.com

Worship 9:30 am Sundays, Children's Church 10 am, Bible Fellowship 10:45 am - Riverside Church - Linn Grove, Iowa - affiliated with the Evangelical Free Church of America - united by a mutual commitment to serve our Lord Jesus Christ with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and obedience to the Word of God, the EFCA is an association of nearly 1500 autonomous churches and church plants in a growing mi

nistry that extends globally in 75 countries - to multiply healthy transformational churches among all peoples. www.EFCA.org & www.EFCAcentral.org - Sunday Worship 9:30 am, Children's Church 10 am www.RiversideChurchIowa.com

09/02/2026

By faith- Not just for salvation

Hopefully, in your church and in your life certain Bible verses have been hammered into you. “For by grace you have been saved through faith” Eph. 2:8 Romans 4:16, 5:2. Over and over again this is what the Bible tells us. True. Now what?
We are saved by faith. So, is that it? We need faith once? Paul says, in essence, no. We walk by faith, 2 Cor 5:7. A walk is an ongoing thing. It’s not a one time event. Which means being a “christian”, following Jesus, takes many events. Not just one.
You get saved. You place your faith in Jesus. Great. Now what? You follow Him. You draw close to Him so, like John 10:27, you know His voice. Then you do whatever crazy thing He tells you to do. Each event will be a step in faith. After a few steps, you’re walking. Eventually it becomes a walk. Taking 5 steps doesn’t constitute walking the dog or taking a walk with your spouse.
We’re not talking about earning salvation. We’re talking about James 2:18 Faith, true faith, is proven by fruit= more faith, more of trusting Jesus and following Him. Jesus put it another way, “wisdom is justified by her children. Children are fruit. Children reflect their parents. So the question we have to ask ourselves is, what kind of “children” do I have?
Do I just have one event years ago, or a few events? Or do I have something from last week, yesterday, today? Did I stop “walking”? What steps of faith, choices of faith, drawing near to Him have I done lately? If I’m a professional athlete, I compete at a high level. Not to prove I am, but because I am. And I do what it takes to keep doing it. If I’m a christian I walk by faith. Not to prove I am, but because I am. And I do what it takes to keep walking by faith. Faith comes by hearing God’s word.

Today at Riverside Church, we celebrated the completion of BIC (Bible Instruction Class) by Brittney Warkentin and Chloe...
08/30/2026

Today at Riverside Church, we celebrated the completion of BIC (Bible Instruction Class) by Brittney Warkentin and Chloe Smith! 📖❤️

What a special accomplishment as they begin this new chapter of their faith journey. They are starting their race with the Lord, building a strong foundation in His Word and growing in their relationship with Him.

May God guide their steps, strengthen their faith, and use them in wonderful ways as they continue to follow Him. “Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us.” — Hebrews 12:1 🙏🏃‍♀️💗

Congratulations, Brittney and Chloe! We are so proud of you! ✝️✨

08/27/2026

Student

Over an over again in life I have wanted to be used by God. I have wanted to get away from something, or wanted to go on to something new. It never came when I wanted or how I wanted. In fact it didn’t come at all until this one thing changed. I went from wherever I was, mentally and in my heart, to wanting to learn. I became a student in my heart of Jesus. I just wanted to grow.
Matthew 11:30 Jesus says, “take my yoke upon you and learn from me” a yoke meant work. Jesus said this in the context of resting, bearing heavy burdens. That doesn’t make sense. To rest I have to take on more, and work hard. Have you every heard the phrase, “love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life.” It’s true.
You see, before I was striving, and not at rest in my mind or spirit. I had this longing and just wanted it satisfied. How did Jesus say to satisfy that longing? Learn from Him. It’s that easy.
Do you want peace in your life, rest? Learn from Jesus. Are you striving for something or feel laden? Learn from Him. Are you wanting to be more, see more fruit, be used? Abide in Him= receive from Him/ learn. That’s when fruit comes.
So wherever you are in life, become a student of Jesus. That means time with Him, wanting and receiving what He has and doing what He says. Become His student. That’s when exciting things happen. That’s when you stop working and find rest.

08/20/2026

Doing Right

Ever read a chunk of the Bible and you’re just left with thinking, “what in the world?” 2 Samuel 21 There is a famine. David finds out from God that the famine is God’s motivation for Israel to right a wrong that was done, by Saul, years ago.
Saul attacked a people the children of Israel had promised to protect way back in Joshua’s time. Which goes to show, God expects us to keep promises, even by previous governments. Now God has decided it’s time to right that wrong and the way to do it is by sentencing 7 of Saul’s descendants to death.
Wait, what? In my mind I read this and I think, that doesn’t seem fair. Doesn’t the Bible say, people are put to death only for their own sin, Deut. 24:16. So what’s going on here? Like Abraham in Gen 18 I’m wondering will the Lord do right?
When we read something like this, or see something in our own lives we have to rest in what we do know. God will always do right. So if it seems wrong to us, either we don’t know all the facts, or our sense of justice is wrong. In this case I didn’t consider three things. Saul’s family would have known what Saul did. It was a large genocide. Not some private thing. Saul also would have acquired all their things which meant his sons and grandsons got lots of stuff too, at the very least eventually. Finally, Saul didn’t do this alone. It was a campaign and in those days you took your clan first to do things like this. Because you trusted them and you wanted to see them get the spoils.
So Saul’s family likely participated in the sin. If they didn’t, they definitely didn’t stop him. And, in the case of his grandsons, even if they weren’t alive when it happened, when they learned of the wrong, they didn’t do anything to make it right. They just enjoyed the benefits of the sin. James 4:17 If you know the good that needs to be done, and don’t do it, it’s sin.
So Saul’s family wasn’t so innocent, and God will make wrongs right. He expects us to stop wrongs and/or make wrongs right. And when it “seems” like God isn’t fair, I’m missing something. And if you are on the Gibeonite side of the equation, God will make it right, eventually. Let Him handle it.

08/12/2026

BarBQ Sauce

In our last house we had one of the best neighbors. They had their own olive oil business so they gave us a constant supply of sample olive oil bottles. On top of that they were a grill tester. It made sense to me once I heard it but until then I’d never heard of such a thing. Companies sent her grills to test and rate. Other companies, knowing this, would send her BarBQ sauces and seasonings to try out. Sometimes these would also find their way to our house, for FREE.
One of those sauces became my favorite. We got our first one for free but after that, we were hooked. She didn’t have to tell us how good it was or keep bringing it over. We had tasted and seen and we would order it on-line in bulk. She had shared freely with us something she got freely. The proof was in “the pudding” so to speak.
“O taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who trusts in Him.” Psalm 34:8. Sometimes we make evangelism too hard. We make inviting a person to church this big scary thing, for us and them. If your pastor has a great message, you could copy the link and send it to a friend who you think it would bless or you want to know Jesus. Or if your church has a devotional, share it with someone in a text, or like it on Facebook. God and His Word defend themselves.
My friend didn’t ask us to buy stock in the company, and today she wouldn’t have to. She just gave us a sample and we were hooked. Today I know of people in the church, not because someone invited them or witnessed to them, but just because someone they knew liked a post their pastor made, it then showed on their “timeline” and their friends read the truth and were hooked. Like free samples at the grocery store, be creative how you get the gospel out there. You don’t have to hook them. Once they get a bite, they’ll be hooked.

08/05/2026

More Than I can Handle

Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “God never gives you more than you can handle” That is actually a misquote from 1 Cor. 10:13. It is talking about temptation and God providing a way out. The Bible actually teaches the opposite. In 2 Cor. 1:8-9 Paul says they were in a spot so tight, they couldn’t handle it. Paul also recognizes why. So God does put us in spots we can’t handle. But why? What did Paul realize?
2 Cor. 1:9b “that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead.” Over and over again God is about our death. He wants us to die. Die to selfish wants, ambitions. Die to self reliance, and self esteem. God puts us in situations to die. In our flesh we hate these and we want out.
2 Cor. 12:9-10 Paul wants out. He’s had enough. He cries out to God and he gets an answer he wasn’t expecting, but he desperately needed. It’s like the scene in Thor Ragnarok where Thor, a “demi-god”, is getting the snot kicked out of him. Finally he stops depending on a hammer, you have to see it, and realizes a greater power within. Same thing happens in Captain Marvel, Green Lantern, and lots of other crazy movies.
Obviously as Christians we aren’t looking for some “power” within ourselves. It isn’t there. But as a christian there is The Power of God, the Holy Spirit, which takes residence in us the moment we become believers. And that “power” becomes available when we stop relying on our self and trust God. Paul was happy to go through tough times, to be weak. Because in those moments he would rely on God and be infinitely more powerful than before.
So, yes, God does give us more than we can handle. The question is not if God will take it away or get you out of it. The question is, will you be crush by whatever “it”is, or will you turn to Him? Will you find strength in Him? Will you let this push you closer, and make you more reliant on Him, or will you become bitter or keep waiting for some relief that isn’t coming because He is waiting for you to rely on Him.

07/27/2026

Big C Church

As foreign missionaries my wife and I have had the opportunity to be a part of churches all over the world. In Muslim/ Arab contexts, African, Latino, European and even lots of different churches within each of those. I bet, together, we’ve been to close to 500 churches. Ranging from mega churches to house churches. Churches meeting in fields, apartments, movie theaters and bars. Services in one, two, three languages at a time. God’s church is a beautiful thing.
Often we think of His church in just our local church context, or we think of it like listed above. Lately we’ve seen God’s church in a different way. I pastor one congregation. When we think of our “church family”. We might even think of our denomination.
2 1/2 months ago a tree fell on our house. Then our daughter got Leukemia. Since then we’ve had EFCA people from all over, and Lutherans, and Methodists, and Congregationalists, and Charismatics and people who all we know is they are christians, Jesus lovers, but we know nothing else about them. All these people have been coming out of the woodwork to support and help us in various ways.
The “Church” of God has been helping us. And it’s not about helping a fellow denomination member, or someone from “our” church. I believe it’s been about coming around a part of His body that is hurting and in need of help. It’s about being The Church. “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34
This Sunday we are having a combined worship service with several other churches and denominations. Because in heaven it won’t be only Lutherans or EFCA, or whatever. Worshiping together on this side of eternity is a taste of heaven. As Jesus prayed in the garden, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their (the disciples) word;“that they all may be one ( that’s us, the ones who will believe), as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me”
When the church worships together, when we come together as brothers and sisters, like so many have over our family, we are sharing the gospel. And the world takes notice.

07/23/2026

Fervor

In 2011 a movie came out called “Courageous”. It focuses on four dads and their struggles. One of the guys comes up with a resolution and asks the other guys to hold him accountable. One says he is being too hard on himself and that he’s been a good enough dad. He responds, “I don’t want to be a good enough dad.” That is fervor= a strong and passionate feeling of excitement, enthusiasm or intensity. In Numbers 32 Israel is right on the edge of the promised land. They are finally ready to go get all God has for them. Then 2 1/2 tribes say this is “good enough” just let us stay here. They explain it isn’t a lack of faith or laziness. They are willing to go fight for the land for everyone else, but as for themselves, they just want to settle where they are. It’s like the christian who says, sure I’ll go to church and serve, help others but my marriage is good enough. I’ll coach other dads and disciple young men, but I don’t need to keep improving at being a better dad or man, I’m fine where I am. The 2 1/2 tribes lacked fervor. Is that so bad? I mean, we don’t all need to be super heroes, right? Well, how did it play out for them, not entering in to all God had for them, where He told them to go? History tells us that the 2 1/2 tribes got conquered quickly and assimilated into the cultures around them, no longer truly following God. Deut. 6:5 says we need to love God will ALL our heart, with ALL our soul, and with ALL our strength. That doesn’t sound like a “good enough” attitude. Because God knows if we don’t follow Him passionately we will putter out. We’ll assimilate into those around us, and loose our “saltiness”. So stay salty. Burn passionately for God. Have Fervor.

07/16/2026

God wants me happy?

Why in the world is there a question mark there? God wants me happy. I mean come on. It seems unbiblical to say God wants me sad or miserable. But ask a parent a question. Do you want your kids happy, or blessed? They will probably first answer both, but if they had to choose, they would say blessed. You see that parent, just like God, knows that happiness is fleeting. Happiness can be for the wrong reasons. Happiness can be ignoring all the facts and truly be in a bad situation. To be blessed, however, means right choices were made. God’s favor was earned. And probably, some happinesses, if I can make that a word, were forgone. Meaning, they were given up.
You see God, like parents, loves seeing His children happy. It’s not that He doesn’t want them happy. But, like good parents, He knows that being holy is far more important. God wants you holy a whole lot more than He wants you happy. Because holiness equates to blessedness. Being blessed of God means He gets to give you all the great things He has planned for you. Often, that makes you very happy. But often, in getting to holy, it means giving up some happinesses. It means saying no to things we might want, or saying yes to things we don’t want to do.
God doesn’t want you happy, if your means of happiness doesn’t lead to your holiness. Sometimes, we confuse the two. 1 Thes. 4:3 God wants our sanctification= our holiness. So check yourself. Does what you think will make you happy make you holy? Does it set you apart for God? Because if it doesn’t, God doesn’t want it. And I shouldn’t either.

07/10/2026

The Hard Way

The other day I was chatting with a pastor and I showed him this bookmark that our churches main office had just sent me. It was a book mark about praying for unsaved people and a good reminder. I asked if he wanted it and he got a little upset. He explained he had just spent several hours recreating that very bookmark because he had seen it and thought it was neat, and like me, he wanted to share it with his church. But he didn’t think to ask the main office if they would send him the file so he could just print it.
I jokingly said, “you have not because you ask not.” A quote from James 4:2. He took it well and agreed. I have been on his side before too though, and I’m guessing you have also. We want something and we then figure out every way to get it, whether it is an item, or getting our spouse to do something, or our kids. Whatever it is, we try to figure it out.
The Bible, God, teaches us a different way. We aren’t supposed to be anxious about something but pray. We are supposed to ask our heavenly father for whatever we need, and even our wants.
I get a picture of this with my little kids. They want something they can’t reach. They grab stools and pile things up and still can’t reach. They jump and shout but it does nothing. The whole time, I’m right there. I would help, but I’m just waiting for them to ask. Our heavenly father does the same. He is right there. Will we keep trying the hard way, in our own strength, or will we just ask.

Address

102 W High Street
Linn Grove, IA
51033

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Riverside Church - Iowa posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Place Of Worship

Send a message to Riverside Church - Iowa:

Shortcuts

Share