River Oaks Church Sermons

Application questions:
Brainstorm a list of issues that we face today as Christians that require divine wisdom to navigate well.
The text says that God gave Daniel and his friends good health and deep wisdom and insight.
Does that mean that they were entirely passive over this 3 year process?
How does this insight help us as we live our lives?
Is the bible presenting the “Daniel diet” as something we should follow? Why or why not?
How does Daniel demonstrate both faith and wisdom in the court of Babylon here?
What does verse 21 tell us about the future of Babylon? (Cyrus was the king of Persia)
Where do you feel pressure to compromise your values as a Christian?
How can we as Christians demonstrate our loyalty to Christ and His Kingdom, without withdrawing entirely from the world?
If Christians are not identified in tangible ways with Christ in distinction from the world what happens to our mission and message to the world?
What are some practical ways you can “draw the line” for Christ in your daily life?

A sermon kicking off our new series on the book of Daniel, by David Camera.
Application questions:
What are the key aspects of who we are that we use to explain our identity? (e.g.:  where we are from etc.)
Who were Daniel and his friends before they were exiled to Babylon? How are they described in the text
What had Daniel and his 3 friends just experienced?
Who is responsible for the defeat of Jerusalem according to the text?
Read Lev. 26:14-16; 31-32. Why did the exile occur?
Look at Isaiah 39:5-7. What is said about the exile here?
Why did the King of Babylon seek to assimilate these boys, with a new name, new education and gifts of his own food?
Daniel and his friends are now exiles living in a foreign land. How is our situation as Christians similar? (cr. Hebrews 11:13-16; 1 Peter 1:1)
If you were Daniel and his 3 friends, what temptations would you be facing and what questions would you be asking?
What aspects of who we are as Christians are central to our identity and do not change because of our circumstances?
Where do you feel the world trying to “assimilate” you into its kingdom? (cr. Romans 12:1-2)
How do we resist the conforming efforts of the world?

A sermon on Psalm 148 by David Camera, concluding our summer series on the Psalms.
We open our church services with a “Call to Worship.” What is it and why do we do it?
The Hebrew word hallelujah means “praise the Lord.” How many times does it appear in this Psalm? Can you detect the different ways it is used?
What and who are called to worship in Psalm 148?
We are likely familiar with the first question of the Westminster Shorter catechism: “What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” In light of Psalm 148, why is this true? What reasons does the psalm give?
According to the Psalm, how is everything to glorify God?
When will Psalm 148 be fulfilled and what will it look like? (i.e. where is all creation headed? cr.  Rev. 4:1-11; 19:6-8)
Why is it important to worship God while we wait?
Why is Psalm 148 not true today?
How does worship help us?
Is worship limited to singing praise on Sunday mornings?
How else can we worship God? (cr. Rom. 12:1-2)
How does knowing your purpose is to glorify God impact your daily life? Your priorities? Your choices?

A sermon on Psalm 144 by Pastor Cody Brobst.
Application questions:
Where do you (or where did past generations) feel the world is most out of our control? How does Psalm 144 challenge the way we feel when life is unstable?
How could our angst reveal bad/weak theology?
We have “10,000 reasons” to praise God. How does starting there inform David’s trust in God in his highs and lows?
David is a great warrior yet greatly depended on God. What does humility, surrender and gratitude look like for the Christian?
How do we dignify our agency and gifts while keeping God at the center? Vv. 1-2
With God’s strength in view, how does that change how David viewed his problems and enemies in vv. 3-4?
Can you think of a time you prayed for God to deliver you? Why can it be so easy to forget that our salvation itself is the victory and deliverance?
What difference did it make in David's prayer for God to bow the heavens in vv. 5-11 to see Him as both big and caring (ie a sovereign and loving God).
Deal with the “already but not yet” idea as a group. Where do we see Christ’s active reign as King & where are we still waiting for that to be revealed?
How do you define happiness or “being blessed”? How does the average American typically answer that question?
According to v. 15, what is the greatest blessing one can have? Think of one way this week you will “look up at the stars rather than staring down at the waves.” Pray for one another in the areas you await deliverance.

A sermon on Psalm 118 by Greg Lanier.
Application questions:
Make a note of all the repetitions of praises in this psalm. What is the point of such repetition?
Spend time discussing situations in your past/present where you have felt like the psalmist (opposed by others, surrounded on all sides, "falling," distress). How did God provide comfort in those moments--even if he did not necessarily deliver you the way you wanted. 
Why is it good to recount the deeds of the Lord like this? (v17)
Trace out how Psalm 118 is used as a 'screenplay' or 'playlist' for the life of Jesus: Luke 13:34-35; Mark 11:9; Mark 12:11 (see Ps 118:19); Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; 1 Pet 2:4-8
How does this help you understand the psalm better? The life of Jesus better? Your own ability to sing these words?

A sermon on the psalm of "darkness," by David Camera.
Application questions:
Can you describe a situation in your life where you felt alone, helpless or despairing?
How did you initially seek help or relief? What was your first instinct?
What type of Psalm would you say this is? What is the Psalmist doing?
Psalm 88 begins with the Psalmist saying his soul is full of trouble (v. 3) and it ends with darkness as his friend.              
List out his troubles...
Who is ultimately responsible for his situation?
How do we understand this theologically?
How is it comforting to know the Lord is in control of our sufferings?
What good purpose could the Lord have for bringing difficulty into our lives?
Despite his troubles, what signs of hope do you find in this Psalm?
Can you think of a situation in the life of Jesus where this prayer would have been on his lips?
What has Jesus done about the wrath of God? (cr. Heb. 2:14-18)
How is it a comfort to us to know that Jesus can identify with our experiences of helplessness, despair or darkness? (cr. Heb. 5:7-10)

This sermon is by guest preacher Fernando Rodriguez, our mission partner with Isaiah 61 Ministries in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. It was part of our annual Missions Sunday on August 2, 2026.
Application questions:
In this story of the paralytic, how would you have responded if you were one of the friends or, indeed, the man himself, when Jesus first forgave sins?
In what ways does sharing the Gospel sometimes come into tension with caring for physical/financial needs of others? How is this particularly relevant in missions contexts? 
How can these two goals--word ministry and deed ministry--be viewed as complementary instead of competing?
Why does caring for the poor and sharing the gospel require us to live sacrificially?
"There is no gospel without the cross." Discuss your own calling to "carry your cross daily." What are some practical ways you can be uncomfortable to spread the gospel?

A sermon on Christ as our shepherd in Psalm 23.
Application questions:
As we go through life, who or what are the options we can trust to lead us?
If life is a journey, who is leading you, what path are you on and what is your destination?
What are the primary functions of a shepherd?
Not all animals need a shepherd. Why do sheep need a shepherd? Do you have a hard time believing you are a sheep? Why?
If we read verses 1-3 out of context, what falsehood might we be tempted to believe? How do vs. 4 and 5 bring us back to reality?
What is the second picture of the Lord in verse 5? What is surprising about it?
What are we promised if we follow the Lord as our Shepherd in. v.6?
What “House” is David referring to here?
Read John 10:7-18. Who is Jesus?
How does Jesus shepherd His sheep today? (cr. 1 Peter 5:1-4)
How do Christ’s under-shepherds feed and protect His flock today?

A sermon on Psalm 57 by David Camera.
Application questions:
Can you remember at a desperate time in your life when you cried out to God for help or deliverance?
Even while we wait for God’s help, how is prayer a help to us?
Why does David pray in this Psalm? What is his situation?
Look up 1 Samuel 22:1-5 for a likely backdrop to this Psalm. What was David’s situation?
For what does David pray specifically?
How is David helped in prayer, even before His prayers are answered?
Why does David praise God in worship? (v. 7-9)
Look at the refrain repeated in vs. 5 and 11. Why does David ultimately want to be delivered?
Read 2 Thess 1:2-12. When Christians remain steadfast under trial, what is God accomplishing in them and what is there sufferoing evidence of for the those around them?
When God answers our prayers, how ought we to respond?
How did God deliver you from the situation you recalled at the beginning?
Have you publicly praised God for His deliverance?
Are you still waiting for God to answer your prayers for help? Spend time praying together for these things.

A sermon on the suffering king in Psalm 10 by David Camera.
Application questions:
Psalm 10 opens with a question we have all asked, Why Lord?
What is the Psalmist confused about here?
What type of Psalm is this? (What is the Psalmist doing in the Psalm?)
In Psalm 10, who is the cause of injustice?
What has led to his oppression?
What particular beliefs of the oppressor have encouraged his unjust actions?
Who are the oppressed and why are they oppressed?
When we are facing oppression or injustice, what are we tempted to do or think in response?
In the Psalm, what do the oppressed do in response to their suffering injustice?
How has prayer answered the Psalmist’s original question? (v. 16-18)
Look up Isaiah 53:7-9, which speaks of the suffering of Jesus. What comfort can we draw from Jesus’ own experience of injustice and oppression?
Read 1 Peter 2:18-23. How should we respond to suffering injustice as Christians?