Risen Church Nc

Jesus gathered His disciples together in an Upper Room and a Secret Garden the night before He died, to cast His vision for the Church. He informed them of their crucial role in its beginning and expansion, by previewing the Greater Things they'd accomplish and the joy they would find in serving. He told them the key to all of it would be by loving one another the way God was revealing His love through Him. Before this conversation ended, and the night would take abrupt turn. Jesus took a hard left in His teaching, by informing them how they would be hated and suffer for their association with Him. As hard as it would be to endure through this, Jesus' charge to never settle for less than God's way rings loud to this day. We may be opposed, belittled, and our message may be rejected, but we are to love with the same passion no matter what. Why? Because when Jesus was rejected and crucified, His love only grew for us and was magnified. When we've understood what God has done for us, we won't question this

Jeremiah tells a story of a relentless love for a rebellious people. Jeremiah, like his God, pursues his people with his whole heart, only to be rejected. God uses this experience to teach Jeremiah that at the heart of every person is this sinful nature. Jeremiah observes all that is broken and ill about the human heart, while watching the nation of Israel fall apart. All the while, God keeps His covenant with His people, and reveals that a new, better, and greater plan is on the horizon. In this introduction to this exciting study, we preview the book of Jeremiah and unpack the nature of God's covenant with Israel.

Fruit and fish don't sound like an appetizing or ideal combination, but in this message we find learn that for Christians, they actually go hand-in-hand. Jesus teaches us that the quintessential Christian fruit is love. Christian love is a special kind of love, namely a selfless, out-pouring, others-first, one-anothering kind of love. This sort of love from God is how we are saved. This same love through us, is how others can be saved as well.

Following Jesus leads us in the best possible life, but there are plenty of challenges along the way. Jesus actually leads us down difficult paths to prove that He can redeem all things. Often, we become distracted on some paths rather than remaining devoted. Our faith is snatched away as our attention turns away. In this message, we find out how to remain devoted to God during the most distracting seasons of life.

The Altar's Flame - Psalm 33 by Risen Church NC

Undeniable: Abide in Me - John 15:1-11 by Risen Church NC

Regathering: The Tale of Two Kings - 1 Kings 12 by Risen Church NC

From Genesis to Revelation, if there is one single theme and intended message from God, it is this: God wants us to know He is our Father, and we are His child. When we understand the Bible - all 66 books, all 35 or so authors, both Old and New Testament - we come to this conclusion: God is our Father and we are His Children. We know this with confidence, because the Bible is more than just a definition of God. It's a demonstration of His passionate love for us. Yes, sin has separated and disconnected us from God... But God had drawn near to redeem and reclaim us. Sin and shame tells us to look away from God. God’s love and grace bids us to turn towards Him and trust in, rely on and depend on Him Like a child does to their father, knowing that he will always come through. He will go before us. He will fight for us. He will always save the day. He will always save us.

Racism is a choice weapon of the enemy because of how great an offense and affront it is to God. We all are made in His image, and our different colors reflects the many shades of His Radiant Glory. Hatred of any kind is an offense to God, but hatred towards any aspect of His glorious image is perhaps the most vile offense. That's what makes racism so repugnant and intolerable to God. It seeks to spread hatred to the most possible people, based on a lowest common denominator, using God's glorious reflection as a weapon. Herein is why Christians must speak up: Because only Christianity can bring an end to racism. Only the Gospel can bring true reconciliation. It is ultimately God’s image that has been disgraced in racism, and Jesus alone restores humanity to our Creator’s image.

Jesus said we could accomplish greater works than His own. Of course, nothing could be greater than His redeeming death and resurrection, but Jesus envisioned a Church that would go deep and wide, and spread His message at a greater volume and scale than ever before. His commandments are to love, to reach and build up the Father's House. In this time of division, this may seem more challenging than ever. The calling over us is to counter division with an eagerness for peace and unity. As Christ humbled Himself and saved us through kindness, so must we take on this same mind and heart on our mission. God has made a home for us all in Heaven, but for now we're on an earthly mission. For now, He wants to make His home in our hearts, and use us to spread His Spirit to more hearts. Will we commit to this mission? Will we obey His command to go and be peacemakers and seekers unity?

Both the cry of our soul and the call from God leads to the same place: a posture of worship. In Genesis 35, God calls Jacob back to the very altar where they first met some 20 years before. Jacob had spent years trying to swindle and claw his way to success, mostly leaving his God out of the conversation. It never fully dawned on him though, that it was God who was behind all of his good fortune. Jacob often said the right things, but his actions revealed a heart that was really only concerned about himself. He often would jettison his responsibilities as a husband and father if it meant preserving himself. His story is full of reminders of our sinful nature and of God's amazing grace. Jacob didn't deserve the favor he was blessed with, but God gave it to him anyways. It took years for Jacob to realize this, but thankfully because this story is recorded for us in the Bible, we can make a decision today to consider God's faithfulness and stay faithful to Him. In this message, hear a condensed story of Ja

Romans 8 is a victory lap for our hope and salvation in Christ. In it, Paul articulates why we choose God’s way even when it may not be easy or make sense. We believe God is making a way when it may seem impossible, because Christ is our way. By following Jesus and letting His Spirit move thru us, we are declaring to our world that God is at work. We confess that we are a vehicle and vessel through which He is working thru right now and we that we always defer to His sovereignty to work in ways we remain unable Yet we ask Him to call us and conform us to Christ to point to what He is up to. We deny our flesh and depend on His Sprit because there is no life apart from Him. There is no VICTORY apart form Him We signal that Jesus is the only way now and we proclaim that He’s the only way forever and ever to come.

We all know what liberty allows, but we must always ask “what does love require?" If we don’t “know” what liberty allows, we are always looking for what we have the “right” to do... but what a difference Christians could make if we were more/most concerned about what love *required*, even if it meant laying our liberty down. This is *the* basis for Christianity. In the Gospels, we see Jesus weigh His options: His liberty *as GOD* vs His love *for us*. This is what drove the early church and what changed the world, and what can always change the world. Peter, Stephen, and Paul all would follow suit and model this way. In this divisive and hostile time, it would do us all well to consider this. We know What Liberty allows, but we must always ask what does love require?

A Better Belonging - Romans 7 by Risen Church NC

Bible Prophecy: The Day of the Lord - 1 Thessalonians 4 & 5 by Risen Church NC

Through Their Eyes Vol. II: The Great Exchange - Acts 4:23-37 by Risen Church NC

Slaves of Life - Romans 6:16-23 by Risen Church NC

In this message we learn not to give up just because the season of life seems overwhelming. Even if the stage of life that we face seems impossible and difficult to accept, it could be that God has set things up perfectly to make His glory known. What seems like a bad situation may just lead to the best destination. In Acts 3, we see God’s power on display, and we receive an invitation to run into His arms today.

Bible Prophecy: The Israel Factor - Romans 11 by Risen Church NC

Bible Prophecy: Jesus Says - Matthew 22:1-14 by Risen Church NC