Looking Back At Our River Corner Church Sermon Podcast: The Top 5 Sermon Messages of 2023

The Top 5 Sermon Podcasts from River Corner Church in 2023. Photograph from Possessed Photography on Unsplash.
As we embark on a new year, I took a moment to reflect on the statistics of our River Corner Church Sermon Podcast. Our church, River Corner Church, being a small but growing church community, may not be able to boast of groundbreaking streaming records or impressive numbers, but the journey has been both humbling and surprising. I am excited to share our top 5 sermon messages of 2023 with you.

Over the past two years, our River Corner Church Sermon Podcast has had over 1,063 sermon downloads.  While a significant majority, 81%, comes from the United States, it is noteworthy that countries like Finland, Germany, and Brazil contribute significantly to our downloads. It is humbling and surprising that we have reached other countries such as this, especially as a small rural church community.

Moreover, I found it fascinating to discover that the cities showing the most enthusiasm for our River Corner Church Sermon Podcast include Lancaster (PA), Helsinki (Uusimaa), Ashburn (Virginia), Recife (Pernambuco), and Philadelphia (Pennsylvania). 

As I reflected on our statistics, I also became curious about the most popular sermon messages of 2023. While I may not have insights into why these particular messages resonated more than others or what connected with our listeners, I am genuinely touched by the strong support and engagement our community has shown for these five sermons.

Thank you all for being a part of this journey, regardless if you are part of our church community or you just listen online. Your presence and involvement make our small church community truly special. Perhaps these messages have or will encourage you in some way.

Top 5 Sermon Messages

In order of most downloads, the list below highlights our top five sermon messages from Sunday Mornings in 2023. You can find our River Corner Church Sermon Podcast on Apple, Google, and Spotify Podcasts.

  1. Always Keep Watch (Proverbs 4:23) On February 5, Pastor Jeff McLain explored Proverbs 4:23, as we considered what it means to always keep watch and guard our hearts. We saw that often the best way to keep our inner self from denial and compartmentalization is to be careful with watching influences we drop our guard for, those things we allow to shift and shape our hearts.

  2. Sound of Rattling: Reminders for Hopeless & Helpless Moments (Ezekiel 37:1-14) On Sunday, January 8, Jeff McLain looked at Ezekiel 37 and what the story of Ezekiel, and his vision of the dry bones, can teach us about surviving the bleak and barren moments that we may feel hopeless and helpless.

  3. The Time Has Come: A Spirit of Offense (Mark 6:1-6) As part of our Sunday morning series through Mark, Pastor Jeff looked at the dangers of a spirit of offense on July 2. In Mark 6:1-6, Mark recounts a story in which Jesus could not do miracles because of the prevalent spirit of offense adopted by those in Jesus' hometown.

  4. Remaining Faithful While Suffering (1 Peter 4:12-19) On February 13, Pastor Rip Wahlberg (Guest Speaker) unpacked what 1 Peter 4:12-19 has to teach us about remaining faithful while suffering. Hardships and persecutions are struggles we will encounter and both have a way of revealing our true character. Jesus doesn't pass struggle on to us, but he will redeem us through it.

  5. Palm Sunday: A King of Peace (Luke 19:29-44) On Sunday, April 2, for Palm Sunday, Pastor Jeff McLain looked at Luke 19:29-44, and Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. Through this story, we examined what it means to rightly view Jesus and Jesus' Kingdom.

In summary, as we step into a new year at River Corner Church, the statistics of our Sermon Podcast reveal a heartening narrative. Despite our small size, the engagement with our community, both locally and internationally, is a source of genuine surprise and gratitude. The numbers tell a story of diverse listenership, encouraging me that God is doing something with our small and faithful witness. I believe God is doing something in, with, and through our church community.

As we continue our journey together as a church community into this new season, I am filled with gratitude for each member contributing to the growth and spirit of our church. My gratitude is for also those individuals who download our sermon messages. I would love to hear from our listeners about what has encouraged them, and even more, I would like to walk with you in any way we can.

I grew up inspired by Jesus, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, the California Raisins, and The Clash. I'm an avid fan of baseball, boardwalks, beaches, and books. Additionally, I am currently a doctoral student at Kairos University, and finishing a third master's degree, an MBA in Executive Leadership, at City Vision University. Previously I have earned two master's degrees - one in Theology and Ministry and another in Leadership - both from Fuller Seminary. I also graduated summa cum laude with a Graduate Certificate in Non-profit Management and an Associate Degree in Christian Ministry and Leadership from City Vision University.

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