In this Advent Week 4 message, Pastor Jeff McLain concludes the series A Journey With the Shepherds by exploring Luke 2:19–20 and the theme of God’s love going forth. Focusing on Mary’s faithful treasuring and the shepherds’ joyful return to ordinary life, this sermon reflects on how encountering Jesus transforms us and sends us back into the places we live, work, worship, and play.

This message invites listeners to see Advent not only as a season of hope, peace, and joy, but as a call to live out God’s love in everyday faithfulness. Drawing on Scripture, theology, and pastoral reflection, Jeff highlights how God uses ordinary people to carry good news and how love takes shape through worship, obedience, and witness.

📖 Scripture: Luke 2:19–20 (NIV)
🎄 Series: A Journey With the Shepherds
📍 Theme: God Has Sent Us Out — Love Goes Forth

Whether you are reflecting on Advent, exploring the Christmas story, or seeking a deeper understanding of God’s love for all, this sermon offers a grounded and hope-filled invitation to follow Jesus into ordinary life.

When we gather together.
River Corner Church gathers weekly on Sunday mornings at 10:00 AM to worship and experience God, study the scriptures, journey through life together, and partner with the Holy Spirit. We meet in a simple worship meeting house at 524 River Corner Road in Conestoga, Pennsylvania. You are welcome as you are, just be yourself. There are other times that we hold small groups, events, and more.

Our Pastoral Leader.
As the pastor of River Corner Church, Jeff McLain leads our church community and helps others to think differently about Jesus, life, and everything in-between. Jeff also serves as the Director of Pastoral Ministries at Water Street Mission, where he works with those facing homelessness and poverty. Jeff, Katie, and their three wander-filled daughters look to lead quiet lives. Committed to lifelong learning, Jeff is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry at Kairos University and completing a Master of Business Administration with a focus on Executive Leadership at City Vision University. These academic pursuits complement the two masters he completed earlier at Fuller Seminary. Jeff has a passion for baseball, boardwalks, beaches, bays, and books, but above all, his greatest joy lies in spending time with his family and guiding our church community on our journey of faith together.

Learn more about us at www.rivercornerchurch.com.

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On December 21, Pastor Jeff McLain continued our Advent series, Journey with the Shepherds, with Week 3: “God Is for Us (Joy Has Come)”, exploring joy not as a fleeting emotion but as a rooted reality flowing from God’s favor.

In a world where joy is often chased, manufactured, or lost as quickly as it’s found, the Christmas story offers a deeper truth. Joy emerges not when life becomes easier, but when we discover that God is truly for us. Joy is knowing Jesus. Through the shepherds’ encounter in Luke 2, we see that joy is born in the midst of ordinary life, long waiting, and risky obedience.

Sermon Summary: Centered on Luke 2:15–18, this message follows the shepherds as they move from hearing God’s word to stepping into God’s promise. Their journey reveals how joy grows in community, is sustained by remembering God’s promises, is strengthened through faithful risk, and overflows as good news shared with others. Pastor Jeff connects this moment to the fulfillment of ancient prophecies, reminding us that God keeps His promises—sometimes after long seasons of waiting, sometimes immediately—but always faithfully.

This message highlights a central Advent truth: God’s favor rests on the humble. Joy is not earned or manufactured; it is discovered when we receive God’s grace, trust His word, and step forward in obedience.

Practical Application: How do we live into this joy? Pastor Jeff invites us to respond in four ways:
Journey Together in Community, Remember What God Has Spoken, Take Faithful Steps of Obedience, and Share What God Is Doing.

Passage: Luke 2:15–18 (NIV)

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On December 7, Pastor Jeff McLain kicked off our Advent series, "God Has Come (Hope Has Returned)," exploring the true, lasting hope of the Christmas season.

In a world longing for light, we often chase temporary fixes—like the beautiful, fleeting glow of holiday lights. But the Advent story invites us into a deeper reality: God breaking into human history to bring a permanent light that transforms us.

Sermon Summary: This message, based on Luke 2:1-12, centers on the extraordinary moment God chose the ordinary and the overlooked. We follow the stories of Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph, and especially the shepherds—the unseen people God chose first—to discover what it means to be attentive to God's presence.

We'll unpack the core truth of Advent: God has come to the desperate, the sick, and the unseen. Learn why the shepherds' humble encounter with the glory of the Lord is a sign that God is still breaking into your story today. This message reminds us that the Messiah's arrival fulfills ancient promises, bringing a light and hope that cannot be extinguished.

Practical Application: How do we live with open eyes and open hearts? Pastor Jeff shares three practical responses to walk in this transformative light: Practice Watchfulness, Cultivate Reverence, and Share Joy.

Passage: Luke 2:1-12 (NIV)

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Discover how the storms in your life can become the resistance you need to grow your faith, just like the mighty albatross uses wind to soar. Join Pastor Jeff McLain as he explores Mark 4:35-41 on November 30th, 2025, revealing that every storm is a holy work designed to deepen your dependence on Jesus and reveal His complete authority.

In this sermon, "The Holy Work of Storms," Pastor Jeff McLain of River Corner Church offers a unique perspective on adversity, contrasting the disciples' fear during a squall on the Sea of Galilee with the albatross's inherent ability to soar through storms. Drawing on Mark 4:35-41, this message challenges the notion of seeking a storm-free life, arguing that moments of crisis—whether financial, health-related, or spiritual—are divine opportunities. The sermon explains that storms expose our self-reliance, compel us to turn to Jesus, and ultimately serve as the necessary resistance that launches us into deeper faith, reminding us that only Jesus can command, "Quiet! Be still!"

About River Corner Church

River Corner Church is a simple community of Jesus-followers located in East Petersburg, PA, committed to shared listening and participating in God's work together. As a hodge-podge community, we value slowing down our normal rhythms, particularly on Fifth Sundays, to make space for authentic connection and collective growth as we hear God's voice through Scripture, prayer, and one another. Our mission is to live out the way of Jesus by growing in faith, purpose, and belonging, and recognizing that following Him is a sacred journey, even when it leads us into uncomfortable or "stormy" seasons.

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In this message, missionary Menuka Tamang shares her life, calling, and work in the field. She speaks about the challenges of cross-cultural ministry, the faithfulness of God, and the ways the gospel is meeting real needs in her community. Recorded at River Corner Church, her story invites us to pray, support, and participate in God’s mission with humility and hope.

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In this message from River Corner Church, Pastor Jeff McLain explores Matthew 28:16–20 and the eighth of our eight church commitments—a commitment to grow as disciples and invest in others as disciplemakers.

Drawing from the Great Commission and the rabbinic apprenticeship model of Jesus, Jeff reflects on what it means to be a community that not only learns the ways, words, and works of Jesus, but intentionally passes them on. Like Bob Buford’s image of “my fruit grows on other people’s trees,” Matthew’s ending reminds us that the baton has been handed to us. Jesus calls ordinary people to become disciplers—those who pour their lives into others so that faith multiplies.

Mountaintop moments with Jesus are never meant to stay on the mountain. They send us out. And as we go, teach, and baptize, we do so with His presence and authority: “I am with you always.”

Scripture: Matthew 28:16–20
Series: 8 Commitments – Week 8
Message: Commitment to Being a Disciple and a Disciplemaker
Speaker: Pastor Jeff McLain
Date: November 16, 2025

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In this message from River Corner Church, Pastor Jeff McLain explores Romans 12:9–21 and the seventh of our eight church commitments—a commitment to live honorably and remain accountable to one another.

Drawing from Michael Youssef’s The Prayer That God Answers, Jeff reflects on what it means to be a community “bought by the blood of Christ” and bound together through mutual encouragement, accountability, and prayerful support.

Like the image of an old Amish barn raising, Paul’s words remind us that church is not about getting ahead, but getting together. We are called to be people of sincere love, honor, and humility—lifting each other up, rooting out envy, and reflecting the transforming grace of Christ’s kingdom.

Scripture: Romans 12:9–21
Series: 8 Commitments – Week 7
Message: Committed to Live Honorably and Accountable to Each Other
Speaker: Pastor Jeff McLain
Date: November 9, 2025

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About River Corner Church
River Corner Church is a simple community of Jesus followers rooted in Scripture, prayer, and life together. We meet at 524 River Corner Road, Conestoga, Pennsylvania, every Sunday at 10:00 AM. You’re welcome as you are—just be yourself. Learn more at rivercornerchurch.com
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In this message from River Corner Church, Pastor Jeff McLain explores Colossians 4:2–6 and the sixth of our eight church commitments—faithful participation in God’s mission. The church doesn’t exist merely to gather, but to be shaped and sent. Worship together forms hearts for everyday faithfulness in the places we live, work, and play.

Jeff reminds us that Paul’s words to the church in Colossae call believers to prayer, perception, and proclamation—to live wisely toward outsiders, make the most of every opportunity, and let every word be filled with grace and seasoned with salt. Mission isn’t about strategy or size; it’s about embodying Christ’s light and goodness in daily life.

Scripture: Colossians 4:2–6
Series: 8 Commitments – Week 6
Message: Committed to Everyday Faithfulness
Speaker: Pastor Jeff McLain

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About River Corner Church

River Corner Church is a simple community of Jesus followers, rooted in Scripture, prayer, and life together. We are not driven by flash or size, but by a desire to be faithful right here, right now, in the place God has planted us. Since 1760, our church has quietly sought to love God and love our neighbors—gathering around the table, caring for one another, and welcoming others into the presence of Christ. Our hope is not to be impressive, but to be surrendered, formed, and active for Jesus in the ordinary rhythms of daily life.

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