Best Global River Church Podcasts (2025)

1
Hooves of History: How Horses Created Ancient Warfare, Built the Silk Road, and Became the Dividing Line Between Nobleman and Peasant 44:28

Play Pause

20h ago44:28

44:28

In order to become rich, powerful, and prestigious in the pre-modern world, nothing mattered more than horses. They were the fundamental unit of warfare, enabling cavalry charges, and logistical support. They facilitated the creation of the Silk Road (which could arguably be called the “Horse Road”) since China largely built it to enable the purcha…

1
Message | Defense Against the Dark - Week Three 35:17

2d ago35:17

35:17

Pastor Rob exposes the rise and danger of spiritual counterfeits that imitate God’s truth but open doors to deception and demonic influence. It calls believers to reject these practices, embrace full surrender to Jesus, and walk in the authority and freedom found in Him alone.By River Valley Church

1
Moonshining Survived (and Thrived) At Least Two Decades After Prohibition Ended 45:47

6d ago45:47

45:47

The Prohibition era (1920–1933), enacted by the 18th Amendment, birthed an overnight economy of moonshiners who distilled and distributed homemade liquor to meet America’s insatiable demand for alcohol, transforming rural farmers and opportunists into underground entrepreneurs who supplied speakeasies. But this new economy didn’t disappear after Pr…

1
How to Cross the Sahara as a Tenth-Century Cameleer 53:08

8d ago53:08

53:08

What comes to mind when we think about the Sahara? Rippling sand dunes, sun-blasted expanses, camel drivers and their caravans perhaps. Or famine, climate change, civil war, desperate migrants stuck in a hostile environment. The Sahara stretches across 3.2 million square miles, hosting several million inhabitants and a corresponding variety of lang…

1
Message | You Don't Have to Stay Bound 33:26

9d ago33:26

33:26

Pastor Connor emphasizes that believers don’t have to stay bound by darkness because Jesus has the power to set them free. It teaches that while spiritual warfare is inevitable for those advancing God’s Kingdom, God provides both offensive and defensive tools—like truth, prayer, and the armor of God—for victory.…

1
How American Slaves Fled By Sea, Whether as Stowaways or Commandeering a Confederate Ship 46:06

13d ago46:06

46:06

As many as 100,000 enslaved people fled successfully from the horrors of bondage in the antebellum South, finding safe harbor along a network of passageways across North America via the Underground Railroad. Yet many escapes took place not by land but by sea. William Grimes escaped slavery in 1815 by stowing away in a cotton bale on a ship from Sav…

1
Did WW2 Heads of State Want to Preserve Their Empires As Much as Defend Their Homelands? 47:51

15d ago47:51

47:51

2025 marks the eightieth anniversary of Germany’s surrender and the fall of the Third Reich. Likewise, World War II is the single most studied conflict in human history. But most Western accounts offer a one-dimensional interpretation: the war was a noble crusade against fascism, creating a convenient parable about good and evil. But this depiction…

1
Message | The Unseen Battle Around Us - Defense Against the Dark - Week 1 33:27

17d ago33:27

33:27

Pastor Kirk kicked off our new sermon series, Defense Against the Dark, with a powerful reminder: spiritual warfare isn’t fantasy, it’s fact. He unpacked the unseen reality of angels and demons at work and challenged us to be alert, not afraid. As followers of Jesus, we are called to live in the light, not fear the dark. Armed with truth, righteous…

1
How a British Governor of Virginia Raised an Ex-Slave Regiment in 1776 to Fight Patriots and Triggered the Revolutionary War 55:09

20d ago55:09

55:09

As the American Revolution broke out in New England in the spring of 1775, dramatic events unfolded in Virginia that proved every bit as decisive as the battles of Lexington and Concord and Bunker Hill in uniting the colonies against Britain. Virginia, the largest, wealthiest, and most populous province in British North America, was led by Lord Dun…

1
How a Marine Embedded with Mao Zedong’s Guerrillas in the 30s Became WW2’s Most Celebrated Special Forces Leader 55:46

22d ago55:46

55:46

He was a gutsy old man.” “A corker,” said another. “You couldn’t find anyone better.” They talked about him in hushed tones. “This Major Carlson,” wrote one of the officers in a letter home, “is one of the finest men I have ever known.” These were the words of the young Marines training to be among the first U.S. troops to enter the Second World Wa…

1
Message | The Value of a Mother 27:34

23d ago27:34

27:34

Pastor Rob’s Mother’s Day message celebrates the Proverbs 31 woman as a picture of godly wisdom, emphasizing her worth, walk, and witness as rooted in faithfulness rather than perfection. It challenges cultural confusion around womanhood by honoring both stay-at-home and working mothers, showing that true value is found in a life aligned with God.…

1
Microbes Were Discovered in the 1600s. Why It Take 200 Years For Doctors To Start Washing Their Hands? 54:16

27d ago54:16

54:16

Scientists and enthusiastic amateurs first confirmed the existence of living things invisible to the human eye in the late sixteenth century. So why did it take two centuries to connect microbes to disease? As late as the Civil War in the 1860s, most soldiers who perished died not on the battlefield but of infected wounds, typhoid, and other diseas…

1
From Einstein’s Chalkboard to Oppenheimer’s Nuclear Test: The 50-Year Path to the Atomic Bomb 48:14

29d ago48:14

48:14

The story of the atomic age began decades before Robert Oppenheimer watched a mushroom cloud form over the New Mexico desert at the Trinity nuclear test in mid 1945. It begins in 1895, with Henri Becquerel’s accidental discovery of radioactivity, setting in motion a series of remarkable and horrifying events. By the early 20th century, a brilliant …

1
Message | The Value of a Father 28:24

1M ago28:24

28:24

Pastor Rob teaches on the value of a father by highlighting the powerful legacy of a father who fears the Lord, drawing from Psalm 112 to show how godliness impacts generations. It calls men to embrace their role as spiritual leaders whose lives reflect God’s righteousness in both word and action.By River Valley Church

1
Japan’s Desperate Air Battles Against the US in the Final Months of WW2 37:15

1M ago37:15

37:15

The B-29 Bomber led the Allied strategic bombing offensive against Japan, succeeding when US Bomber Command switched from high-level daytime precision bombing to low-level nighttime area bombing. The latter tactic required Superfortresses to attack their targets individually, without a formation or escorting fighters for protection. Despite this, J…

1
D-Day From the East: The Soviet Operation Bagration Crippled the Wehrmacht in Late 1944 42:08

1M ago42:08

42:08

Throughout the war on the Eastern Front, there were two consistent trends. The Red Army battled to learn how to fight and win, while involved in a struggle for its very survival. But by 1944 it had a leadership that was able to wield it with lethal effect and with far more effective equipment than before. By contrast, the Wehrmacht had commenced a …

1
Message | Preparing Children to Leave the Home 33:01

1M ago33:01

33:01

This weekend, Ted Cunningham joined us to emphasize the importance of preparing children to leave home by guiding them toward a strong, personal relationship with Jesus. It challenges parents to model faith authentically, set healthy boundaries, and prioritize their marriage as they release their children into adulthood.…

1
Pilgrimages Involved Penitent Marches, Visiting Holy Places, and Watching Drunken Emperors Go on Chariot Rides 44:53

1M ago44:53

44:53

Pilgrimages are a universal phenomenon, from China’s bustling Tai Shan to the ancient Jewish treks to Jerusalem. But why? What is it about a grueling penitent march to an isolated temple that has become a prerequisite for a civilization of any size, whether Chicen Itza in the Mayan Empire or the holy sites of Mecca? To explore this is today’s guest…

1
Britain Learned How to Set Up Its Global Empire on a Tiny Bermudan Island 44:02

1M ago44:02

44:02

Years before Jamestown planters made New World farming profitable by growing tobacco, and years before their countrymen up north in Plymouth Colony managed to overcome their starvation conditions and acclimate to New England’s growing conditions, there was an English settlement in Bermuda that was wealthier, larger, and more prosperous. It was esta…

1
Easter at River Valley 2025 21:00

1M ago21:00

21:00

This Easter sermon celebrates the resurrection of Jesus as the centerpiece of our faith, proving that sin’s debt is paid, new life is available, and resurrection power now lives in us. It reminds us that the empty tomb is not just something we admire—it’s the foundation we live from every day.By River Valley Church

1
Resurrection Sunday | HE HAS RISEN! - Sunday Morning 51:22

1M ago51:22

51:22

Message from Pastor Tom Hauser on April 20, 2025By Global River Church

1
The Hatfield-McCoy Feud Started Over a Pig and Nearly Escalated Into a Regional War 45:20

2M ago45:20

45:20

The origins of the Hatfield-McCoy conflict (between the Hatfield family of West Virginia, led by William Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield, and the McCoy family of Kentucky, led by Randolph "Old Randall" McCoy) begins with a dispute over a pig. From here, it escalated from minor disagreements to violent encounters that spanned decades, nearly sparking…

1
The 1845 Potato Blight Struck Across Northern Europe. Why Did Only Ireland Starve? 48:41

2M ago48:41

48:41

In 1845, a novel pathogen attacked potato fields across Europe, from Spain to Scandinavia—but only in Ireland were the effects apocalyptic. At least one million Irish people died, and millions more scattered across the globe, emigrating to new countries and continents. Less than fifty years after the union of Ireland with the rest of Great Britain,…

1
Message | Shaped by the Cross - Sacrifice 30:38

2M ago30:38

30:38

Pastor Rob closes our "Shaped by the Cross" series challenging us to follow Jesus’ path of self-denial, surrender, suffering, and ultimate sacrifice as a daily act of love and worship. True sacrifice isn’t about ritual or convenience—it’s about laying down everything for God’s glory and drawing closer to Him.…

1
All Hail King Jesus! | Palm Sunday - Sunday Morning 1:12:33

2M ago1:12:33

1:12:33

Message from Pastor Tom Hauser on April 13, 2025By Global River Church

1
A Simple Tennessee Preacher Transformed Abolitionism from a Deeply Unpopular Radical Movement to a Centrist Cause 51:18

2M ago51:18

51:18

Sitting high above the small community of Ripley, Ohio, a lantern shone in the front window of a small, red brick home at night. It was a signal to slaves just across the Ohio River. Anyone fleeing bondage could look to Reverend John Rankin’s home for hope. To the slaveholders they fled from, Rankin’s activities as a “conductor” on the Underground …

1
How Benjamin Franklin’s Stove Invention Kept Early America From Freezing 41:53

2M ago41:53

41:53

The biggest revolution in Benjamin Franklin’s lifetime was made to fit in a fireplace. Assembled from iron plates like a piece of flatpack furniture, the Franklin stove became one of the era's most iconic consumer products, spreading from Pennsylvania to England, Italy, and beyond. It was more than just a material object, however—it was also a hypo…

1
Message | Shaped by the Cross: Suffering 36:07

2M ago36:07

36:07

Pastor Terry’s sermon on suffering emphasizes that pain is not pointless but a tool God uses to shape us and reveal His glory. By looking to Jesus’ own suffering, we learn to endure with hope, trust in God’s sovereignty, and support others in their trials.By River Valley Church

1
Discipling the nations in Costa Rica - Sunday Morning 1:01:45

2M ago1:01:45

1:01:45

Message from Pastor Lisa Moore on April 6, 2025By Global River Church

1
Roman Churches Had No Involvement in Marriage. How Did It Become a Holy Sacrament by the Middle Ages? 38:25

2M ago38:25

38:25

For much of Christian history, the Church had little involvement in marriage, which was primarily a contract between families. It wasn’t until the fourth century that church weddings emerged, and even then, they were mostly reserved for the elite. Fast forward to the High Middle Ages, and marriage became a sacrament of the Roman Catholic Church. Si…

1
How a Mess Cook Saved Dozens of Sailors from Shark Infested Waters Off the Coast of Guadalcanal 28:21

2M ago28:21

28:21

On the night of September 5, 1942, the USS Gregory (APD-3), a converted destroyer turned high-speed transport, was caught in a deadly ambush near Guadalcanal. The ship had been supporting U.S. Marine forces, ferrying troops and supplies, when it was mistaken for a larger threat by a group of Japanese destroyers. Outgunned and unable to escape, Greg…

1
Message | Shaped by the Cross: Surrender 28:40

2M ago28:40

28:40

In week two of our series "Shaped by the Cross", Pastor Rob emphasizes that true spiritual freedom begins when we let go of control and fully trust God. It highlights Jesus’ ultimate act of surrender on the cross and challenges us to actively yield every part of our lives to Him.By River Valley Church

1
Every Day a Victory! - Sunday Morning 1:00:41

2M ago1:00:41

1:00:41

Message from William Wood on March 30, 2025By Global River Church

1
Humanity’s Past Suggests We Only Have 10,000 Years to Change or Go Extinct 53:19

2M ago53:19

53:19

We are living through a period that is unique in human history. For the first time in more than ten thousand years, the rate of human population growth is slowing down. In the middle of this century population growth will stop, and the number of people on Earth will start to decline - fast. As Gee demonstrates, our population has peaked, and is dec…

1
The 16th Century Ottomans Nearly Conquered Europe. Why Did European Kingdoms Make So Many Alliances With Them? 51:05

2M ago51:05

51:05

The determined attempt to thwart Ottoman dominance was fought by Muslims and Christians across five theaters from the Balkans to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, from Persia to Russia. But this is not merely the story of a clash of civilizations between East and West. Europe was not united against the Turks; the scandal of the age was the al…

1
Message | Shaped by the Cross: Self-Denial 32:35

2M ago32:35

32:35

Pastor Kirk Graham kicks off our new series, “Shaped by the Cross”, by challenging us to embrace self-denial by taking up our cross daily and yielding fully to God’s purposes. Learn how living with less can lead to more of God’s power, freedom, and forever glory.By River Valley Church

1
Living With Eternity in Mind - Sunday Morning 1:12:24

2M ago1:12:24

1:12:24

Message from Pastor Tom Hauser on March 23, 2025By Global River Church

1
Fort Stanwix and the Forgotten Revolutionary War Siege That Convinced France to Help the US 42:07

3M ago42:07

42:07

After a series of military defeats over the winter of 1776–1777, British military leaders developed a bold plan to gain control of the Hudson River and divide New England from the rest of the colonies. Three armies would converge on Albany: one under Lieutenant General John Burgoyne moving south from Quebec, one under General William Howe moving no…

1
Enough is Enuf, Our Failed Attempts to Make English Easier to Spell 39:21

3M ago39:21

39:21

No language is as inconsistent in spelling and pronunciation as English. Kernel and colonel rhyme, but read changes based on past or present tense. Ough has many pronunciations: ‘aw’ (thought), ‘ow’ (drought), ‘uff’ (tough), ‘off’ (cough), ‘oo’ (through). In response to this orthographic minefield, legions of rebel wordsmiths have died on the hill …

1
Message | The Healer is in the Room 25:52

3M ago25:52

25:52

Pastor Rob emphasizes that while sickness and disease are widespread, true healing is found in Jesus, the ultimate healer. He challenges us to actively seek God with faith, recognize His power, and boldly pray for miracles, trusting in God's will for healing.By River Valley Church

1
Every Day a Victory | Part 2 - Sunday Morning 55:26

3M ago55:26

55:26

Message from Pastor Tom Hauser on March 16, 2025By Global River Church

1
Did Haiti’s First and Last King Squander the Revolution or Succeed in Underappreciated Ways? 51:04

3M ago51:04

51:04

Slave, revolutionary, king, Henry Christophe was, in his time, popular and famous the world over. Born to an enslaved mother on the Caribbean island of Grenada, Christophe first fought to overthrow the British in North America, before helping his fellow enslaved Africans in Saint-Domingue, as Haiti was then called, to end slavery. Yet in an incredi…

1
What Ancient Greeks and Victorian Explorers Thought Was at the North Pole 41:34

3M ago41:34

41:34

The North Pole looms large in our collective psyche—the ultimate Otherland in a world mapped and traversed. It is the center of our planet’s rotation, and its sub-zero temperatures and strange year of one sunset and one sunrise make it an eerie, utterly disorienting place that challenges human endurance and understanding. Erling Kagge and his frien…

1
Message | Unexpected Miracles 27:30

3M ago27:30

27:30

Pastor Shaddye Melu, campus pastor at Northwest University, shares what to do as we wait for miracles. If you have a need, you are in a place to receive a miracle!By River Valley Church

1
Every Day a Victory - Sunday Morning 1:09:28

3M ago1:09:28

1:09:28

Message from Pastor Tom Hauser on March 9, 2025By Global River Church

1
Nothing Healed America’s Wounds After the Civil War Like Baseball 50:35

3M ago50:35

50:35

The nineteenth century was a time of rapid growth and development for the game of “base ball,” and players George Wright and Albert Spalding were right in the thick of it. These two young men, the first superstars of the professional game, won the hearts of a country in search of a unifying spirit after a devastating civil war. Today’s guest is Jef…

1
How an 1870 Murder Created San Francisco 37:52

3M ago37:52

37:52

Shortly before dusk on November 3, 1870, just as the ferryboat El Capitan was pulling away from its slip into San Francisco Bay, a woman clad in black emerged from the shadows and strode across the crowded deck. Reaching under her veil, she drew a small pistol and aimed it directly at a well-dressed man sitting quietly with his wife and children. T…

1
Message | Rope Holders 34:00

3M ago34:00

34:00

Pastor Rob emphasizes the crucial role of those who support missionaries through prayer, encouragement, financial giving, and discipleship, drawing parallels between William Carey’s mission work and the Apostle Paul’s early dependence on others. It challenges believers to take an active role in missions, either by going or by faithfully holding the…

1
The Transfer of Power - Sunday Morning 1:00:03

3M ago1:00:03

1:00:03

Message from Pastor Tom Hauser on March 2, 2025By Global River Church

1
Failed Futures: If Alexander The Great Hadn’t Died, He Might Have Conquered Europe, Circumnavigated Africa, and Built His Own Silk Road 34:20

3M ago34:20

34:20

And Alexander wept, seeing as he had no more worlds to conquer. That’s a quote from Hans Gruber in Die Hard, which is a very convoluted paraphrase from Plutarch’s essay collection Moralia. There’s plenty of truth in that unattributed quote from Mr. Gruber. Alexander the Great’s death at 323 BC in Babylon marked the end of the most consequential mil…