Just in case you are interested...here is the list:

Title | Author

A Mighty Fortress  | Nockels, Christy\Nockels, Nathan
Bones  | Houston, Joel\McCloghry, Jill
Cannons  | Wickham, Phil
Desert Song  | Fraser, Brooke
Enough  | Tomlin, Chris\Giglio, Louie
Filled With Your Glory  | Neufeld, Jon\Neufeld, Tim
Forever Reign  | Morgan, Reuben\Ingram, Jason
From The Inside Out  | Houston, Joel
Give Me Faith  | Brown, Chris\Brock, Mack\Joye, Wade\Gatch, London
Give Me Jesus  | Camp, Jeremy
Grace Flows Down  | Giglio, Louie\Padgett, Rod\Bell, David E.
His Glory Appears  | Sampson, Marty\Zschech, Darlene
Holy Is The Lord  | Tomlin, Chris\Giglio, Louie
Holy Spirit Come  | Miner, Kate
Hosanna  | Fraser, Brooke
I Will Rise  | Tomlin, Chris\Giglio, Louie\Reeves, Jesse\Maher, Matt
Lead Me To The Cross | Fraser, Brooke
Mercy Reigns | Brown, Chris\Brock, Mack\Joye, Wade
Mighty To Save | Fielding, Ben\Morgan, Reuben
My Deliverer | Tomlin, Chris\Reeves, Jesse\Carson, Daniel\Maher, Matt
My Future Decided | Houston, Joel\Douglass, Jonathon\Sampson, Marty
No Sweeter Name | Jobe, Kari
None But Jesus | Fraser, Brooke
One Thing Remains (Your Love Never Fails) | Johnson, Brian\Black, Christa\Riddle, Jeremy
Our God | Redman, Matt\Tomlin, Chris\Myrin, Jonas\Reeves, Jesse
Our God Is Love | Houston, Joel\Ligertwood, Scott
Rescue | Anderson, Jared
Revelation Song | Riddle, Jennie Lee
Sing Sing Sing | Tomlin, Chris\Reeves, Jesse\Gilder, Matt\Carson, Daniel\Nunn, Travis
Speak O Lord | Getty, Keith\Townend, Stuart
The Highest | Brown, Chris\Brock, Mack\Joye, Wade\Gatch, London\Hudson, Brad
The Lost Are Found | Fielding, Ben\Knock, Sam
The Stand | Houston, Joel
This Is Our God | Morgan, Reuben
We Fall Down | Tomlin, Chris
You Hold Me Now | Morgan, Reuben\Crocker, Matt
You Never Let Go | Redman, Matt\Redman, Beth
Your Favor | Brown, Chris\Furtick, Steven\Brock, Mack\Joye, Wade
Your Love Never Fails | McClarney, Chris\Skinner, Anthony

Leave a comment below to voice your support & encouragement for those who are a part of the missions trip to Brazil!

Colossians 1 expresses this very idea from a variety of angles...each pointing to the fact that any growth, maturity or fruit that we experience in our lives as followers of Jesus is a direct result of His work...not our own:

"We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit. And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified yout to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For byt him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me."

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If you would like to explore this idea more deeply I encourage you to read this article by Tim Keller in which he lays out this concept in much greater detail and provides some very specific and practical life application.

http://www.redeemer2.com/resources/papers/centrality.pdf

Tim Keller's book "The Prodigal God" explores this same topic using the parable of the Prodigal Son to show how both the older and younger brother were distant from their father for essentially the same reason...

Hi everyone! My name is George and my wife’s name is Angela. Something that motivated me into starting an addiction group through Riverside is the sole fact that I’ve been Living In Freedom for 12 years (from a 20 year drug addiction) through Jesus Christ. Another motivator for this group is the fact that Angela & I love to help/serve people. I remember being in the restaurant business for 15 years and watching people’s faces light up when they were satisfied in the service I provided, it was exhilarating. Today I like to help/serve in a different way. With an MS in Counseling and with 11 years experience working with addicts I am focusing on reaching out to those who are struggling with drugs and alcohol through the addiction group Living In Freedom.

Angela understands the Marriage and Family end of addictions at a level of excellence due to the fact that she has had hands on experience through me and our nine year relationship, she believes in autonomous learning and has taken the liberty to learn in depth what addictions consist of, and along with graduating with a Bachelors Degree in Religious Education, concentrating in Child Development she had the privilege to work with children between the ages of 5-14 with emotional and behavioral issues often associated with severe trauma, substance abuse exposure, and serious family stressors, therefore giving her insight on the family dynamics related to drug addiction. Our purpose for this group is to be a resource for those who are struggling with drugs and alcohol and to simply instill hope to the hopeless through my life’s stories. All are welcome to this group, those who are struggling with any type of addiction, those who know someone who is struggling therefore need support, and even those who simply have a heart for the brokenhearted. We are looking forward to serving you.

George & Angela Kalaras

http://www.monumentalmovie.com/

Exodus 4:1-3  Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’” The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it.

I laughed picturing that as I read it this morning. I mean, Moses is talking to God and suddenly he is so afraid of a snake that he runs away from it.  Did he yell and dive behind a nearby rock?  How far did he run?  Ultimately, that is not important.  What is important is to see that we often respond the same way when God answers our prayers in a way that we don't expect or desire.  We might be praying that God would use us...but when that really challenging person comes looking for help we run away.  We might desire to draw closer to God...but when He tells us the key is to repent of a habitual sin we run away from Him rather than the sin.  We might desire a loving relationship...but when He tells us that we need to get right with Him before we can have a joyful relationship with another person we run off looking for a shortcut or another way around.  The good news is that Moses didn't run too far and when he came back God instructed him on how to make the snake/staff thing work...and He'll do the same for us as long as we run back to Him!

The Lord’s Prayer Guide

In Matthew 6, Jesus instructed His disciples (and us) in the way we should pray. He said [Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever.” (Matthew 6:9-13)]

We can use our hand as a visual example to walk through each section of the prayer as seen in this diagram

Relationship - “Our Father in Heaven...”

Begin your time of prayer by thanking God for being your heavenly Father. That you are His child. That He loves you unconditionally and desires a deep relationship with you. That you can trust that His plans for you are good. That He has adopted you into His family for all of eternity.

Verses * [Romans 8:15 | Galatians 4:6 | 1 John 3:1 | 2 Corinthians 6:18 | Ephesians 5:19-20 | Matthew 22:34-40] *

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Worship - “Hallowed Be Your Name...”

In many ways, worship means honoring and praising God for who He truly is. Take some time to look up some of these verses and praise God for who He is, His character and His nature:

God is the Creator of all things. (Genesis 1; John 1:1-5) The Universe, man, plants, animals, beauty in nature...all things were created by Him for His glory.

God is knowable and desires for us to know Him. (Jeremiah 9:24) While we cannot fully comprehend everything about God, there is much that He has revealed and that He desires for us to know.

God is independent and self-sufficient. (Acts 17:24-25) He does not need or require anything to be fulfilled or made complete…He has that in Himself.

God is eternal and unchanging (Psalm 90:2) We can count on Him.

God is wise (Romans 11:33). God is truthful (Numbers 23:19). God is purely good (Luke 18:19).

God is love (1 John 4:8 ; Romans 5:8) God is holy (Leviticus 19:2).

God is righteous and just (Deuteronomy 32:4). God is perfect (Matthew 5:48). God is beautiful (Psalm 27:4)

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Surrender - “Your Kingdom come Your will be done on earth as in heaven...”

Commit all that you have and all that you are to His purposes and His will. Your life, your plans, your family, your future, finances, work…all of them are safer and better used in service to God than in any of our personal dreams or ambitions. Take inventory of how you lived today…was it for His kingdom or for your own?

Now take some time to listen. Prayer is a conversation and God wants to speak to you. Ask Him if there are things that you have not surrendered and wait for Him to reveal things you may have overlooked or that you are unwilling to admit.

Verses *[Romans 12:2 | Mark 14:35-36 | James 4:7 | John 15:1-7 | Philippians 2:5-8 | 1 Corinthians 6:19-20]*

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Ask - “Give us this day our daily bread...”

Start by asking God what you should ask for…then wait and listen and ask Him to fill those needs. Be specific in your prayers for yourself and for others…also known as intercession. Here are some general categories to help you pray through this time:

Personal (hunger & desire for God / health / material & financial needs / emotional needs / forgiveness / hearing clearly from God / understanding purpose & call / getting into a discipling relationship)

Family (health / trials and tests / relationships / peace / reconciliation / joy / purpose & calling / protection)

Nation & World (world leaders / wisdom / peace / compassion / wars / hunger / spreading of the gospel)

The Church (pursuit of the truth / rejection of false teachings / international missionaries / church planting / purity for church leaders / passion for Jesus/ The Chripczuks and Trinity / The Pearsons and The Journey / The Largents and Ridgeline).

Riverside (reaching our community with the Gospel / growth of our ministries / many new discipling relationships form in our church / passion among our people for serving Jesus in the ministries of the church / resources to fulfill our vision / church planting relationships / protection and encouragement for our pastors and leaders/ unity and urgency).

Verses *[Philippians 4:6 | 1 Thessalonians 5:17 | Psalm 145:18 | James 5:16 | Ephesians 6:18 | Mark 11:24 |

1 John 5:14-15 | Matthew 6:7 | Matthew 7:7]*

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Forgive - “Forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors...”

There are two parts to this section. First ask God to remove any anger or bitterness that you have in your heart towards another. Ask Him if there is anyone that you are not forgiving…then wait and listen. Then forgive them. Ask God for the strength to make the forgiveness total and complete.

Second, confess any sin in your life that is keeping you from God. Ask for His forgiveness. Once again, ask Him to reveal any sins that you may not be aware of, listen and wait. As He brings things to mind confess them and ask for forgiveness. Know that His forgiveness is total and complete.

Verses *[Ephesians 4:32 | Mark 11:25 | Matthew 5:43-48 | 1 John 1:9 | Colossians 3:13 | Luke 6:27-37 |

Romans 12:19-21]*

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Protection - “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil...”

Ask God to deliver you from temptation and your inclination towards sin. What specific temptations have you been wrestling with this week…either real or in your thoughts and day dreams. Ask God for protection from them. Also pray for protection from the works of Satan and evil that are battling against believers and the church. Remember that God and Satan are not equal and that Jesus has already won the victory for us. 1 John 4:4 says “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

Verses* [Deuteronomy 31:8 | Isaiah 41:10 | Psalm 91:1-7 | Psalm 23 | Isaiah 54:17 | 1 John 4:4 | Luke 22:31-32] *

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Worship - “Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever”

We end our prayer the way that we began – in worship. We praise God that He is able to answer our prayers and that He has heard us!

Verses *[2 Peter 1:11 | Romans 8:38-39 | Romans 6:23 | John 3:16-17 | Matthew 25:46 | Romans 14:17]*

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Questions:

In your daily schedule, when is the best time for you to pray?

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What tasks or activities get your priority each day? Do you think those are more or less important than prayer?

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“Prayer is not preparation for the battle…it is the battle!” Do you believe that is true?

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Will you commit to radically altering your approach to prayer for 7 days and evaluating the results a week from now?

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A video of our Riverside Kids sharing Isaiah 9:6.

"Angels We Have Heard on High" ~ Traditional French Carol

Arranged & Performed by Ezra Strickhouser

Photos by Katrina Strickhouser

[Gifts for Kids in Kensington]

We want to bless some of the kids in Kensington (where we do our Thanksgiving meal) with Christmas gifts this year.  You can participate by choosing a child and bringing a wrapped gift for them to church.  We are recommending an approximate value of around $25 per child.  We'll have tags with an age and gender on them at the resource table at church this week (12/11/2011).  Simply grab a tag, pick up an appropriate gift for that child, wrap it, attach the tag, and return it to church the following week or drop it off at the office during the week. 

If you want to get a jump start on it just email us at riverside@riversideconnect.com and let us know which child you would like to purchase a gift for. 

Here is a listing of the genders and ages of the kids:

11 BOYS | Ages [12, 9, 8, 8, 8, 7, 4, 4, 1, 8mo, 2mo]
8 GIRLS | Ages [16, 15, 13, 12, 10, 4, 3, 2]

[Christmas Benevolent Offering]

On Christmas Eve we have lots of visitors and we love to give them an opportunity to participate in being a blessing to our community by taking up a Benevolence Offering...100% of which goes to helping needy families in our church and in our community. Thanks in large part to this one offering we are able to give away thousands of dollars in grocery store gift cards every year to neighbors who are struggling to feed their families and we also get the chance to share the Gospel and the hope that is found in Jesus with them as well.  You can participate in this by giving between now and Christmas Eve and noting "Benevolence Offering" on your check or envelope or in the notes section of our online giving page.

[Pastor Appreciation]

It is traditional at Christmas time to bless our Pastoral Staff and their families with gifts and notes of appreciation for the discipling investments that they are making in our church and in proclaiming the Gospel.  You can participate in this by sharing a note of thanks and/or gift directly with the Pastors or by noting "Pastor Gift" or "Staff Gift" on your check or giving envelope or in the notes section of our online giving page.

[End of Year Giving]

The ministries of Riverside and our impact in this community require your consistent and faithful financial support.  As Chrstians we recognize that we are called to be wise stewards of the resources with which God has blessed us.  We hope that you have made generous giving to God's work through the local church a priority in your financial planning and budgeting.  Please consider blessing Riverside with an end of year gift that will propel us into the new year in a strong position where we can generously and aggressively bring the Good News of Jesus to our neighbors, region, nation & world!