Judy Moore speaks on Luke 24:25-32 as part of our Did not our hearts burn? series. 

Have you ever realised something that had been right in front of you all along? A moment when the pieces suddenly come together and you see everything differently? 

As Jesus walks with the disciples, he opens the Scriptures and reveals a story they thought they already understood - but now from a deeper, truer perspective. 

This is more than new information. It is a moment of recognition and transformation, as they begin to see Jesus for who he really is. 

At Riverside we are on a journey together to help people get to know Jesus and grow as his followers across Birmingham and beyond. Whoever you are, whatever you believe, you're so welcome in this community. Find out more about Riverside Church & plan your visit: riverside-church.org.uk 

Tim Chilvers speaks on Luke 24:13-24 as part of our Did not our hearts burn? series.

“We had hoped…” Sometimes disappointment can make it hard to see what’s right in front of us. 

In Luke 24, two disciples are walking away from Jerusalem, carrying broken hopes and unanswered questions - while Jesus himself walks beside them. 

This is a story about disappointment, longing and the possibility that we may need more than an answer - we may need our perspective changed. 

Could it be that God is closer than we realise, even when he feels furthest away? 

At Riverside we are on a journey together to help people get to know Jesus and grow as his followers across Birmingham and beyond. Whoever you are, whatever you believe, you're so welcome in this community. Find out more about Riverside Church & plan your visit: riverside-church.org.uk 

Nathanael Ballew speaks on Titus 3:12-15 as part of our Unconventional series.

Some of the most important people in God's kingdom are the ones whose names we barely know. They quietly help, faithfully serve, generously give, and simply go wherever they're needed.

That's how Paul ends his letter to Titus. Not with a grand finale, but with ordinary people living extraordinary lives because of God's grace. It's a picture of a church where everyone has a part to play, whatever their age or stage of life.

The same grace that welcomes us into God's family is the grace that keeps us growing, serving, and joining in with his mission. Together, that's what makes the Church unstoppable.

At Riverside we are on a journey together to help people get to know Jesus and grow as his followers across Birmingham and beyond. Whoever you are, whatever you believe, you're so welcome in this community. Find out more about Riverside Church & plan your visit: riverside-church.org.uk

John Goodliff speaks on Titus 3:1-11 as part of our Unconventional series.

It's easy to see the world as 'us' and 'them'. We can become frustrated by people who think differently, live differently, or reject what we believe. Paul offers a remarkably unconventional alternative.

In Titus 3, he reminds us where we all started - not with our achievements, but with God's mercy. Before we're called to do anything for God, we're invited to remember what he has done for us. That changes not only how we see ourselves, but how we see everyone else.

People who have been transformed by grace don't approach the world with superiority, but with humility. We can be gracious to everyone because we've never forgotten who we used to be.

At Riverside we are on a journey together to help people get to know Jesus and grow as his followers across Birmingham and beyond. Whoever you are, whatever you believe, you're so welcome in this community. Find out more about Riverside Church & plan your visit: ⁠riverside-church.org.uk⁠

Judy Moore speaks on Titus 2:1-15 as part of our Unconventional series.

Most people won't experience the gospel first through a sermon or a debate. They'll experience it through the lives of those who follow Jesus. 

In Titus 2, Paul paints a vision of ordinary Christians living in extraordinary ways - not through perfection, but through lives continually shaped by God's grace. It's a picture of faith that is authentic, attractive and deeply compelling.

When lives are shaped by grace, they make the gospel beautiful. We're not simply called to defend the good news, but to help people see how captivating it really is.

At Riverside we are on a journey together to help people get to know Jesus and grow as his followers across Birmingham and beyond. Whoever you are, whatever you believe, you're so welcome in this community. Find out more about Riverside Church & plan your visit: riverside-church.org.uk 

Andy Worthington speaks on Titus 1:5-16 as part of our Unconventional series. 

It's easy to separate our lives into compartments. We can be one person on a Sunday, another at work, and someone else entirely at home. But Paul paints a very different picture in Titus 1. 

Before he says anything about influence or leadership, he begins with character. Before public ministry comes private integrity. In a culture where image often matters more than substance, Paul invites us to build lives that are held together by something deeper than appearances. 

The most compelling witness we can offer isn't perfection, but a life of integrity - where our private lives and our public faith tell the same story. 

At Riverside we are on a journey together to help people get to know Jesus and grow as his followers across Birmingham and beyond. Whoever you are, whatever you believe, you're so welcome in this community. Find out more about Riverside Church & plan your visit: riverside-church.org.uk

Sarah Auger speaks on Titus 1:1-4 as part of our Unconventional series.

It's possible to know the truth without ever being changed by it. But the kind of knowledge Paul writes about in Titus isn't simply about learning more- it has the power to reshape the way we live.

In the opening of his letter, Paul introduces a hope that transforms the present, a God whose timing is always perfect, and a grace that comes before any demand is made of us. It's an unconventional way to begin… and perhaps that's exactly the point.

At Riverside we are on a journey together to help people get to know Jesus and grow as his followers across Birmingham and beyond. Whoever you are, whatever you believe, you're so welcome in this community. Find out more about Riverside Church & plan your visit: riverside-church.org.uk 

Nathanael Ballew & Joel Pumphrey speak on Psalm 40 as part of our Wait for it series.

Waiting can feel like losing control. We want answers, movement, and certainty - but God often invites us into something deeper: trust.

In Psalm 40, David looks back on a season of waiting and discovers that God meets him there. He doesn’t come away with a perfect explanation or a plan to manage the future, but with a heart that has learned to depend on God. And perhaps it all points to Jesus even more than we realise.

Surrendered waiting is not giving up or simply accepting what happens. It is choosing to place our hopes, our timing, and our future in the hands of the One who can be trusted.

At Riverside we are on a journey together to help people get to know Jesus and grow as his followers across Birmingham and beyond. Whoever you are, whatever you believe, you're so welcome in this community. Find out more about Riverside Church & plan your visit: riverside-church.org.uk

Tim Chilvers speaks on Psalm 130 as part of our Wait for it series. 

Do you remember the excitement of waiting for something you knew was coming? The anticipation of Christmas morning, a special day, or a long-awaited moment? You weren’t wondering whether it would arrive - you were watching for it. 

In Psalm 130, the psalmist describes waiting for God in the same way. Like a watchman looking for the dawn, he waits with expectation and hope. 

Waiting on God isn’t about sitting back until something happens. It’s about keeping our eyes open, ready to see him at work. 

At Riverside we are on a journey together to help people get to know Jesus and grow as his followers across Birmingham and beyond. Whoever you are, whatever you believe, you're so welcome in this community. Find out more about Riverside Church & plan your visit: riverside-church.org.uk 

Judy Moore speaks on Psalm 77 as part of our Wait for it series. 

Sometimes the hardest part of waiting isn’t the waiting itself - it’s what it does to our hearts. When things take longer than we hoped, disappointment can slowly turn into doubt, and doubt can quietly become cynicism. 

But what if waiting could look different? What if we could learn to wait with expectation, hope, and even enthusiasm? 

In Psalm 77, Asaph doesn’t ignore his struggles or pretend everything is fine. He brings his questions to God, and then makes a deliberate choice: ‘I will remember.’ 

Enthusiastic waiting doesn’t come from ignoring what’s hard - it comes from remembering the God who has been faithful before and trusting him with what is still ahead. 

At Riverside we are on a journey together to help people get to know Jesus and grow as his followers across Birmingham and beyond. Whoever you are, whatever you believe, you're so welcome in this community. Find out more about Riverside Church & plan your visit: riverside-church.org.uk 

Sarah Auger speaks on Psalm 27 and Luke 19:11-27 as part of our Wait for it series.

Waiting rooms aren’t usually our favourite places. They feel like delays, interruptions, and time we’d rather skip.

But what if waiting is actually where something important happens?

Psalm 27 shows us that waiting on God is not passive - it’s active trust. It’s seeking, growing, preparing, and choosing faithfulness today while we trust God with tomorrow.

At Riverside we are on a journey together to help people get to know Jesus and grow as his followers across Birmingham and beyond. Whoever you are, whatever you believe, you're so welcome in this community. Find out more about Riverside Church & plan your visit: riverside-church.org.uk