Kevin Riley: God, Where Are You?

Pastor Kevin Riley shares his experience with his son Fox’s earlier-than-expected birth, set in a longer timeline of seeking God’s comfort and wisdom.

James 1:2-18 (ESV)

Testing of Your Faith

1 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Jail Ministry Share: The Centurion's Servant

This is our second Jail Ministry Share episode. We bring Bible Studies to our incarcerated brothers and sisters and share strategies, joys, struggles, and transformation at our monthly jail ministry meeting. This podcast is the testimonial portion of those meetings.

Contributing to this podcast:

Gracie Ekblad: TN Co-Founder, Co-General Director, Pastor, and Co-Director of The People’s Seminary

Emily Wilkes: TN Pastoral Advocate, Jail Chaplain, and FSC staff

Matt Malyon: TN Men’s and Juvenile Detention Chaplain, Director of Underground Writing

Kevin Riley: TN Pastoral Advocate and Head Pastor of Mount Baker Presbyterian Church

Mike Neelley: TN Executive Director, Pastor, and Jail Chaplain

Luke 7:1-10 (ESV)

Jesus Heals a Centurion's Servant

1 After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2 Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. 3 When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5 for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” 6 And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9 When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.

Kevin Riley: Sin is Easy / God is Hard

Kevin Riley is a Pastoral Advocate here at Tierra Nueva. He’s also the pastor at Mount Baker Presbyterian Church out in Concrete. He’s working with the local municipality, organizations like Community Action, and area ministries to better serve the people on the margins. 

His piece in Tierra Nueva’s Fall 2018 newsletter is adapted from his sermon on the the morning of his commissioning. This podcast is the full recording of that sermon.

Jail Ministry Share: Healing Anger Peace Grace

This is the first episode of our Jail Ministry Share. One of Tierra Nueva’s first and primary ministries is with our incarcerated brothers and sisters, as well as their families. We bring Bible Studies to the Skagit County Community Justice Center and Munroe Correctional Facility.

Contributing to this podcast:

Kevin Riley: TN Pastoral Advocate and Head Pastor of Mount Baker Presbyterian Church

Mike Neelley: TN Executive Director, Pastor, and Jail Chaplain

Gracie Ekblad: TN Co-Founder, Co-General Director, Pastor, and Co-Director of The People’s Seminary

Matt Malyon: TN Men’s and Juvenile Detention Chaplain, Director of Underground Writing

Kevin Riley: Grace

Kevin Riley, TN Pastoral Advocate, brings us the message on grace: we were dead in our sins, indulgences, trespasses, and greed and God lifted us out from it. Kevin witnesses and practices the outrageous gift of grace in his work as a father, husband, pastor at Mount Baker Presbyterian in Concrete, and as a Pastoral Advocate with Tierra Nueva.

Ephesians 2:1-10 (ESV)

By Grace Through Faith

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Luke 23:39-43 (ESV)

39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The Kingdom of God 3/3 - Kevin Riley

Kevin brings us the message from Matthew 6:33, 

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (ESV)

This is the third installment of the series on the Kingdom of God. Alan Muia and Mike Neelley previously explored this topic. 

Hospitality - Kevin Riley

Kevin Riley (Advocate, Tierra Nueva) shares his testimony and delivers the message on Hospitality, focusing on Genesis 8:2-8.

2 The fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, 3 and the waters receded from the earth continually. At the end of 150 days the waters had abated,4 and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 And the waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.

6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made 7 and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground.