Risen Church Nc

As Paul signs off on his letter to Corinthian Church, he invites them to look beyond their local body, and consider the work being done elsewhere. His lengthy message about the health of Corinth concludes with a reminder of the work it takes to plant and foster other healthy churches. In this message, we hear Paul invite us to not only prioritize our role in our local church - as the entire letter stressed - but also consider how we are supporting the growth of the Church at large. He reminds us that we are all to always be on mission and see ourselves as Evangelists. His invitation to step onto the mission field begins with a call to support and invest in the Kingdom work financially, but goes beyond that, encouraging us all to labor for the Lord out of a love for Him and His people. Listen as we hear this invitation and see that these are not things we should pray about doing, but commandments we are all expected to do.

We often confuse and conflate God's goodness with what's expected and what's easy to process. Sometimes however, God's good plans involve subverting our expectations so that we might gain a stronger faith through in the end. The story of Lazarus is one that we all know so well, but had we been there and were observing it in real-time, can you imagine our emotions? Can you imagine what Lazarus was thinking as Jesus delayed, what his sisters were thinking, and everyone involved? Jesus had healed over 30 individual people in His ministry, not counting the multitudes healed as He passed through town after town. Had we been there, we'd wonder why Lazarus' story would go any different. In this message, we learn that sometimes our lives take an unexpected direction, and God isn't merely passive, but rather active in these twists and turns. Even in our let downs, God is working so that we might be lifted up to a higher place - so that we might learn and take hold of Resurrection Life. Even though we fall, or di

As Paul continues to emphasize how the Resurrection of Christ is an inseparable pillar of the Christian faith, he focuses in on one particular aspect. He teaches the Corinthians how the of the Resurrection takes on its ultimate meaning as we suffer and face the various trials of this life. In this message, we heed Paul's invitation to view our hardships through the lens of Jesus' death and resurrection. We review the words of Jesus and hear the testimonies of His closest followers, and see how suffering actually allows us to tap into what all the resurrection promises us and empowers us with. As we bear the cross of Christ, we are being renewed and strengthened by His resurrection power. Every trial we face allows us to experience an exclusive grace and comfort of God. Each of these experiences gives us a taste of the Resurrection, as with every trial, the Final Resurrection comes more clearly into view.

All of our stories feature something that challenges or takes away our ability to see clearly. Perhaps we were born into something that has made it hard for us to see past all the obstacles in our way. Perhaps we experienced or encountered something along the way that frustrates our outlook on life. It could be, however, that we've set certain expectations and developed a particular set of beliefs that have made us stubborn and resistant towards anything that doesn't operate on our own terms. Regardless which category we slot into, John 9 brings to us a powerful word and invitation from Jesus. No matter what our stories look like now, they can be radically changed and redirected by Jesus. We may feel as if there's no hope for us, or we may question and seek to understand everything, but Jesus presents us another way. John 9 features Jesus speaking into our pain and problems, and promising purpose and an opportunity to witness God's glory. It also spotlights just how easy it is to miss out on God, if we re

In this text, Paul begins to address his final area of concern within the Corinthian Church: Many were denying the Resurrection. While they believed in Jesus, they had trouble accepting His humanity and were questioning what the big deal was about His resurrection and the hope of our own resurrection. They saw no redeemable value in this physical world and longed for an escape. Also, they wondered why would God condescend Himself take on the substance of this world? Many Christians in our day fail to truly appreciate and understand God's plans for our earthly lives and His intent in resurrecting our physical bodies one day and restoring this earth to its original design. We too see Christianity as a way of escape and fail to understand that God's eternal plans very much involve this physical creation. In this message, we take a deep-dive into why Paul was so passionate about the Resurrection and why we should all seek a better, more full understanding of God's plans for this earth. We consider some of the

One fateful morning, as hundreds began ascending the Temple Mount with animals in tow, the religious leaders came to make a different kind of sacrifice. Their forces had caught a woman in adultery and they were set to make public example of her just outside the Sanctuary courtyard. There they would stone her and send a message to the whole land, that while sacrifices for sin were being made a few yards away, some sin and some sinners were just too far gone to be atoned for... But there to meet them that morning was Jesus, who would shine a Light of hope and grace into the world that day. Jesus intervened and saved the woman, and extended an invitation of mercy to her, and all sinners alike. In this message, we look at what the Temple was always supposed to point to and how by the days of Jesus, it had failed to communicate God's message of hope and salvation. We look to Jesus and see in Him the Light of Life that means forgiveness and freedom for every sinner. We hear Him invite us to embrace His grace and

The final major topic of 1 Corinthians is all about the Resurrection of Christ - what it promises us and the kind of life it propels to. In this first look at chapter 15, Paul recaps the simple Gospel, emphasizing some key elements that can easily be misunderstood. We are reminded of the grace of God that saves us and sustains us and about the importance of spreading the simple, yet powerful message. As we reflect on what salvation means to us, we resolve to keep the Gospel pure so that more might be resurrected by God's grace.

When John set out to write his account of the life of Jesus, he took a different approach than his contemporaries. Rather than recounting every sermon, parable, and big event, John chose to focus in on the people that Jesus impacted the most. In his Gospel, he highlight several in-depth, one-on-one conversations between Jesus and people just like us, to show us that all of us have a place in God's story... We can all have our own Jesus story. In this series we are spotlighting four episodes in John's Gospel that feature Jesus speaking light and life into the hearts of men and women who were searching for answers and direction. In this first message, we look at the story of Nicodemus and seek to understand his struggle, which is one we all can relate to. Jesus taught him about a New Birth and pointing him towards an exchange that will truly transform our lives.

In this chapter, Paul uses the subject of Spiritual Gifts to address an overarching concern he has about the Church at Corinth - and all local bodies of Christ for that matter. Even just a few decades into the Church movement, Paul was noticing a trend that Church services and Church communities were becoming very insider-focused and mostly about appealing to the senses of those who already belonged. By spotlighting the gift of prophecy, emphasizing the ability church members have to encourage one another and build up one another, Paul warns the Church of becoming obsessed with spectacle and emotion. This path would lead (and has led) the church in a direction that effects its ability to reach outsiders and is detrimental to believers' faith. Paul desires that the Church produce Christians with faith not tied to feelings or a time and place, which is strong enough to stand on its own no matter the environment or circumstance. In this message, we take a "behind the scenes" tour at what goes into producing a

In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul returns to the subject of Spiritual Gifts and enlightens us even more about their intended use. God envisions a Church filled with devoted members, filled with His Spirit, and leaning in each others direction. Paul makes it clear to us that Spiritual Gifts only find their true purpose when in service to one another within the Body of Christ. In this message, we break down what Paul determines is the most important Spiritual Gift, which we should all pursue. We define and discuss the gift of prophecy, and how it punctuates the design and importance of Church fellowship for every believer. We also hear Paul contrast this edifying gift with those gifts that lend themselves to being more individualistic and more about the spectacle. As we learn His Word and are led by His Spirit, God desires to give all of us a prophetic voice to speak His truth out to our worlds and insight that we might help build up our brother and sister in Christ.

In our final installment of our "We Believe" series, we take a look at the place Jesus says that all true, devoted followers will end up eventually. When He called His original disciples, He cast a vision over them concerning what would become their number one passion, even if it would take years for them to arrive at it. Listen as we discuss how God wills that all of us be filled with a heart for reaching the world with the Gospel. We've all been called to make disciples and reach the nations for Jesus, through direct and indirect means. God is at work in our world to remind us daily that this should be our greatest passion. Reaching the world begins with reaching our worlds, and beyond what we are called to do, we are expected to support those who labor alongside of us. It all comes down to how much our faith means to us and realizing how great an impact sharing Jesus can have. One things for sure, we only know Jesus because someone first reached us.

We believe that if we have been reconciled to God, we will seek to be reconciled to one another. Early on in the story of humanity, God confronted one of the first people about the risk of unresolved and unchecked anger. As it turns out, the Bible has tons to say about how dangerous anger and hatred are. In this message, we discover that anger and hatred ultimately stem from a disconnect in our relationship with God. The light of the Gospel shines on this emotion and subject in particular, because our very salvation is based in God's love and forgiveness. Listen as God reveals to us how crucial it is that we overcome any anger and hatred in our own hearts, so that we might allow the power of the Gospel to work in and through our lives.

The New Testament anchors the entire Christian ethic and lifestyle in love. On every page and from every author, we find and hear reminders of the love of God displayed and demonstrated through Jesus. We are invited to receive that love and we are commanded to share that love. In this message, we look at Paul's definition of this selfless, sacrificial love. Paul details how we can embody this love, from our attitudes to our actions, so that we are without excuse. He also declares that the true mark of maturity and growth in a Christian is in how we love and our persistence in love. Every Christian has been saved by God's love and is compelled from His Spirit to remain in His love and refuse to live by any other way. If we want to change the world, like God has changed our hearts, it will only come through love.

We Believe that Redemptions leads to a Relationship, and that leads to our Renewal and Restoration. As we continue our "We Believe" series, we dive into the New Life that is available to us in Christ. We take a look at an Old Testament story of a great man who had a major, devastating secret and see how his healing is a picture of God's power at work in our lives. That story of renewal and restoration points to how we come to new, abundant life in Christ, and fully realize what it means to bear the image of God. We learn what it means to put off the old life and put on the new. Designed, prepared, and directed by God - in Christ, we can be renewed unto true life. If we've been redeemed by God... If we're in a real relationship with Jesus... we will experience renewal and restoration.

In his explanation of the Spiritual Gifts and different ways that we all can serve in the church, Paul expressed concern over the contention and judgement that may settle upon the church in this area. He knew that the church was prone to go the way of religion, and allow each members' aspiration for holiness create within them a sense of self-righteousness and arrogance. He warns the Corinthians that they not forget that before they discovered their giftedness as Christians and before they made strides in their devotion, they were saved by grace and that same grace sustained them still. And so, Paul leads them in understanding a More Excellent Way, which is the only way that *every* Christian is required to perfect. In this message, we discuss this Most Excellent Way - the Way of Jesus - the Way of Love. Listen as we realize that this one thing is what makes the difference in our devotion to God and service to His Church. No matter how gifted we may be and no matter how devoted we may become, if we fail to

We believe that redemption leads us into a relationship. In week two of our "We Believe" series, we discuss what comes after salvation and forgiveness of sin. While this is our foundation, the Bible makes it clear that in tandem with our redemption comes a real relationship with God. Everyone who sees their sin washed away in Christ, also receives a new heart and the very Spirit of God within them. When the Gospel of John introduces Jesus as the Lamb of God, we immediately begin to hear Jesus' invitation that we "follow" Him and that we "come and see" what God can do in our lives. All throughout the Gospels, we see that Jesus always encouraged people passed simple faith, inviting them to walk and truly fellowship with Him so that God might transform their lives with His power. Listen as talk all about what it means to have a personal relationship with God through Christ. Has believing in Jesus changed your life? Has He become the center that all of your life revolves around? If we've been redeemed, we s

Chapter 12 is really the heart of Paul's letter to the Corinthian Church, wherein he reveals why he's stressed unity and accountability in the preceding chapters. In this text we see Paul's high and sacred view of Church membership come into full light, as he defines and details what it means to say that we are the Body of Christ. In this message, we discuss all of this and more - focusing in on our identification and representation as Christ's Body. With a clear understanding of how the church embodies Christ, both literally and spiritually, we are equipped with a better idea of how serious our membership and participation within the church is. It turns out, each members' care for and support of one another is essential in our living up to our name and true identity as the people of God.

There was a time when the core, foundational beliefs of any given local church were practically impossible to miss. They were apparent in how the church conducted and promoted itself. As faith and culture have blended, and all sorts of opinions and agendas began to have greater influence, it became a lot harder to identify these key beliefs. However, it's not hard at all to figure out what the church should be all about. If we stay true to the source material, it becomes very clear. For the sake of every church's clarity, community, and convictions, it is a necessity that we keep front and center what were primary from the very beginning. In our first message in this series, "We Believe", we discover what the Bible tells us should be of most importance for every church. We listen to the both Paul and John explain how Jesus and His atoning work should always be The Main Thing on every Christian's mind. Listen as we discuss the heart of the Gospel and the source of our salvation. Jesus came and died for a

Paul has established that being saved means all of us are being transformed by the Spirit of God. With this new nature, comes new desires and new opportunities in life. As the natural body breathes and moves, the Spirit-filled body will seek to do and participate in Spiritual things. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul introduces us the gifts of the Spirit, which every Christian can receive and experience in their service to God. Paul's approach in this chapter, in line with his overall agenda in the entire letter, is to teach the Corinthian believers how their gifts are meant to be in service to the whole Body of Christ. In this message, we break down all the Spiritual Gifts and discuss how they play a whole in edifying and supporting the work of every local church. While they may not all show up in a church service, they all play a vital role in serving the church. Listen and learn how these gifts function and how they may be more accessible to you than you realize.

There's no way to talk about the life of a Christian without discussing the Spirit of God. We are literally products of His Resurrection power. The same power with which Jesus arose from the grave lives in the heart of every believer. This means that we are now supernaturally transformed, given a new nature and new desires. This also means that our lives are being guided in a new direction. In chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians, Paul talks to the Church about their new Spiritual nature and introduces some of the many gifts that God wants to bless His people with. It's tempting to think of these gifts as mere tools we pick up from time to time, but they are better understood as spiritual encounters a believer has with God as they daily pursue Him. Just as our natural bodies breath and have muscles and organs that serve specific functions, our Spiritual nature introduces us to new, Spiritual traits that can become natural. From gifts of wisdom and insight to wonderful, glorifying experiences with God - God invites