I love my church family very much, so I’m OK with telling you this: No one at Riverview is perfect. Every last one of us, from the descendants of the founding members to the newest members, has failures.

But you know what? Despite our problems, you can find people at Riverview who lead a life with Jesus. People who cry real tears when life is hard but continue to sing “It is well with my soul.” People who struggle with difficult habits — but who refuse to give up and continue to trust God to carry them. And “good” people who might not seem like they need a Savior — but who each day, must deny themselves and take up their cross to follow Jesus.

Church is not a place for perfect people. Church is a place for imperfect people who admit their sin, repent and depend on God for their lives. That’s the kind of people I hope you find at Riverview.

“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! … Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:1-4. NIV