River Church Sermons

Life Lessons from Jeremiah Pt. 8: I Am the Clay By Louie Marsh, 6-21-2026 1) Following Jesus can get STRANGE. "1The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2"Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear my words." (Jeremiah 18:1, ESV) "2As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, "Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, 3the voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,' ""…"6Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey." (Mark 1:2-3,6, ESV) "1Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. (Genesis 12:1–2, ESV) 2) Spiritual truth often PARALLELS real life. 3So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. 4And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. (Jeremiah 18:3-4, ESV) "24He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field," (Matthew 13:24, ESV) 3) If Jesus is Lord I allow Him FREE REIGN in my life. 5Then the word of the Lord came to me: 6"O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. (Jeremiah 18:5-6, ESV) "13You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am." (John 13:13, ESV) 4) God is the Sovereign of the Universe, in the end His will is DONE. 7If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, 8and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. 9And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, 10and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it. (Jeremiah 18:7-10, ESV) 5) In light of this – I must REPENT. 11Now, therefore, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: 'Thus says the Lord, Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.' (Jeremiah 18:11, ESV) 6) The unbelieving world WON'T DO this. 12"But they say, 'That is in vain! We will follow our own plans, and will every one act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.'" (Jeremiah 18:12, ESV)

Life Lessons from Jeremiah Pt. 7: Real Spiritual Warfare By Louie Marsh, 6-14-2026 1) Ever felt like God has TRICKED you? "7O Lord, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me. 8For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout, "Violence and destruction!" For the word of the Lord has become for me a reproach and derision all day long. (Jeremiah 20:7–8, ESV) "6know then that God has put me in the wrong and closed his net about me." (Job 19:6, ESV) then know that God has wronged me and drawn his net around me. (Job 19:6, NIV) . 2) If I'm called by God, I must ANSWER that call. 9If I say, "I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name," there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot. (Jeremiah 20:9, ESV) "16For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. 18What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel." (1 Corinthians 9:16–18, ESV) 3) Doubt & fear work to DESTROY me. 10For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side! "Denounce him! Let us denounce him!" say all my close friends, watching for my fall. "Perhaps he will be deceived; then we can overcome him and take our revenge on him." (Jeremiah 20:10, ESV) 4) But God will OVERCOME them. 11But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten. 12O Lord of hosts, who tests the righteous, who sees the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I committed my cause. (Jeremiah 20:11-12, ESV) 5) I must WORSHIP Him for delivering me. 13Sing to the Lord; praise the Lord! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers. (Jeremiah 20:13, ESV) 6) Be PREPARED for the struggle to continue. 14Cursed be the day on which I was born! The day when my mother bore me, let it not be blessed! 15Cursed be the man who brought the news to my father, "A son is born to you," making him very glad. 16Let that man be like the cities that the Lord overthrew without pity; let him hear a cry in the morning and an alarm at noon, 17because he did not kill me in the womb; so my mother would have been my grave, and her womb forever great. 18Why did I come out from the womb to see toil and sorrow, and spend my days in shame?" (Jeremiah 20:14–18, ESV) "3He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted." (Isaiah 53:3–4, ESV)

Life Lessons from Jeremiah Pt. 6: My Deceitful Heart By Louie Marsh, 6-7-2026 1) I must LEARN to trust in God alone. "5Thus says the Lord: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. 6He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. (Jeremiah 17:5–6, ESV) The person whose "heart turns aside from Yahweh" is "cursed." In ancient Israel's theocratic monarchy, turning away from God was considered rebellion and treason, crimes still punishable by death in most countries of the world today. Such a rebel Jeremiah compared to the, "juniper," of the "wilderness, a land of salt and not inhabited" (17:6). This description leads to the identification of the with the Sodom apple of the Dead Sea region. This tree has broad leaves that appear to be upturned in prayer. It bears a fruit about the size and shape of a lemon and is attractive in appearance. But when opened, this fruit reveals only dry, silky, threadlike fibers that carry the seeds on the wind, much as the milkweed. A person who makes his home in the barren wilderness of the soul and orders his life so as to produce only desiccated, disappointing "fruit" "will not see when good comes." - Gregory A. Lint, ed., Jeremiah–Lamentations, The Complete Biblical Library: Study Bible (World Library Press, 2000), Je 17:5–8. · When I trust myself, I get NOTHING! 2) My life will be STABLE & FRUITFUL if I do. 7"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. 8He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit." (Jeremiah 17:7–8, ESV) "9(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true)," (Ephesians 5:9, ESV) 3) My big problem – My Heart has a TERMINAL disease. 9The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? 10"I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds." (Jeremiah 17:9–10, ESV) "26And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26, ESV) 4) If I follow my heart alone I will end up a FOOL. 11Like the partridge that gathers a brood that she did not hatch, so is he who gets riches but not by justice; in the midst of his days they will leave him, and at his end he will be a fool. 12A glorious throne set on high from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary. 13O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water. (Jeremiah 17:11–13, ESV) 5) Only God can HEAL my heart. 14Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise. (Jeremiah 17:14, ESV) "28Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."" (Matthew 11:28–30, ESV) 6) So I will follow God's CALL thru good times & bad. 15Behold, they say to me, "Where is the word of the Lord? Let it come!" 16I have not run away from being your shepherd, nor have I desired the day of sickness. You know what came out of my lips; it was before your face. 17Be not a terror to me; you are my refuge in the day of disaster. (Jeremiah 17:5–15-17, ESV) 7) I will TRUST God & let Him deal with my enemies 18Let those be put to shame who persecute me, but let me not be put to shame; let them be dismayed, but let me not be dismayed; bring upon them the day of disaster; destroy them with double destruction!" (Jeremiah 17:18, ESV)

Life Lessons from Jeremiah Pt. 5: The Precious from the Worthless By Louie Marsh, 5-31-2026 When Life Doesn't Make Sense: Backstory of this passage – Malawi – and why this translation, 1) Be completely HONEST with God. "15You who know, O Lord, Remember me, take notice of me, And take vengeance for me on my persecutors. Do not, in view of Your patience, take me away; Know that for Your sake I endure reproach. (Jeremiah 15, NASB95) 2) REMEMBER my own spiritual history. 16Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts. 17I did not sit in the circle of merrymakers, Nor did I exult. Because of Your hand upon me I sat alone, For You filled me with indignation. (Jeremiah 16-17, NASB95) · I must LOVE God's Word 16Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; · I am CALLED by God's Name For I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts. · Don't FOLLOW the crowd. 17I did not sit in the circle of merrymakers, Nor did I exult. · Stand ALONE if necessary. Because of Your hand upon me I sat alone · FEEL the depth of sin in myself & our land. For You filled me with indignation. (Jeremiah 16-17, NASB95) 3) I must be WILLING to speak from my heart. 18Why has my pain been perpetual And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will You indeed be to me like a deceptive stream With water that is unreliable? (Jeremiah 19a, NASB95) Complaint is central to lament. But Christians never complain just to complain. Instead, we bring our complaints to the Lord for the purpose of moving us toward him. "2O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you "Violence!" and you will not save? 3Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. 4So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted." (Habakkuk 1:2–4, ESV) "1I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath; 2he has driven and brought me into darkness without any light; 3surely against me he turns his hand again and again the whole day long." (Lamentations 3:1–3, ESV) 4) God will show me the TRUTH I need to hear. 19Therefore, thus says the Lord, "If you return, then I will restore you— Before Me you will stand; "8Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 12:8–9, ESV) 5) God says I must LEARN from suffering. And if you extract the precious from the worthless, You will become My spokesman. (Jeremiah 15:19b, NASB95) 6) If I walk with God He'll TAKE CARE of me, They for their part may turn to you, But as for you, you must not turn to them. 20"Then I will make you to this people A fortified wall of bronze; And though they fight against you, They will not prevail over you; For I am with you to save you And deliver you," declares the Lord. 21"So I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked, And I will redeem you from the grasp of the violent."" (Jeremiah 15:19c–21, NASB95)

Life Lessons from Jeremiah Pt. 4: Honest to God By Louie Marsh, 5-24-2026 Jeremiah complains to God about the evil in Israel 1) I must be both honest and RESPCTFUL towards God. "1Righteous are you, O Lord, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. (Jeremiah 12:1a ESV) "2"Today also my complaint is bitter; my hand is heavy on account of my groaning. 3Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat! 4I would lay my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments." (Job 23:2–4, ESV) · Why does evil PROSPER? Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive? 2You plant them, and they take root; they grow and produce fruit; you are near in their mouth and far from their heart. (Jeremiah 12:1b-2, ESV) · It's OKAY to question God when I don't understand. 3But you, O Lord, know me; you see me, and test my heart toward you. (Jeremiah 12:3a, ESV) · My solution – ANNIHILATE them! Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and set them apart for the day of slaughter. 4How long will the land mourn and the grass of every field wither? For the evil of those who dwell in it the beasts and the birds are swept away, because they said, "He will not see our latter end.""(Jer.12: 3b-4, ESV) 2) God's answer – That's above your PAYGRADE. "5"If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses? And if in a safe land you are so trusting, what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan? Jeremiah 12:5, ESV) Short answer: no, not in a sprint. A horse can hit around 40 to 44 miles per hour, while the fastest humans top out near 27 or 28. But over long distances? Sometimes yes. Humans have beaten horses in races around 20 to 22 miles, like the Man versus Horse Marathon in Wales. It's happened five times in 46 years, usually on hilly terrain in hot weather—our sweat cooling system helps when horses overheat. In even longer ultras, humans can hold their own or pull ahead in the right conditions, thanks to endurance and better heat regulation. "8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8–9, ESV) · I must not be NAÏVE when dealing with evil. 6For even your brothers and the house of your father, even they have dealt treacherously with you; they are in full cry after you; do not believe them, though they speak friendly words to you." 7"I have forsaken my house; I have abandoned my heritage; I have given the beloved of my soul into the hands of her enemies. Jeremiah 12:6-7, ESV) · God will judge in HIS TIME not mine! 8My heritage has become to me like a lion in the forest; she has lifted up her voice against me; therefore I hate her. 9Is my heritage to me like a hyena's lair? Are the birds of prey against her all around? Go, assemble all the wild beasts; bring them to devour. 10Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard; they have trampled down my portion; they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. 11They have made it a desolation; desolate, it mourns to me. The whole land is made desolate, but no man lays it to heart. Jeremiah 12:8–11, ESV) · Those who profit from evil will only receive JUDGEMENT. 12Upon all the bare heights in the desert destroyers have come, for the sword of the Lord devours from one end of the land to the other; no flesh has peace. 13They have sown wheat and have reaped thorns; they have tired themselves out but profit nothing. They shall be ashamed of their harvests because of the fierce anger of the Lord."" (Jeremiah 12:12–13, ESV) 3) I must GUARD AGAINST false repentance. "7"Though our iniquities testify against us, act, O Lord, for your name's sake; for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against you. 8O you hope of Israel, its savior in time of trouble, why should you be like a stranger in the land, like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night? 9Why should you be like a man confused, like a mighty warrior who cannot save? Yet you, O Lord, are in the midst of us, and we are called by your name; do not leave us." 10Thus says the Lord concerning this people: "They have loved to wander thus; they have not restrained their feet; therefore the Lord does not accept them; now he will remember their iniquity and punish their sins."" (Jeremiah 14:7–10, ESV) "9As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. 10For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 11For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter." (2 Corinthians 7:9–11, ESV)