Risen Church Nc

Genesis 19 is one of the most infamous chapters in the Bible. The story of hostility, immorality, and compromise echoes thousands of years later. Overlooked by many, a similar scenario plays out within Israel's own borders a few generations afterwards. As we discover, this parallel story actually ties into the story of Sodom and Lot in multiple ways. Listen as we discuss the sin of Sodom, Lot's family, and one of the greatest redemption stories of all.

Life is full of letdowns. It can be hard to recover and bounce back from some of our toughest falls and failures. There are so many factors that influence how quickly any of us will be able to get back up. No matter how great the letdown and how difficult the recovery, could it be possible to look up immediately? Is there a way to find the strength and faith to look up to God, even when we're still navigating the fallout? In this message, we wrestle with life's greatest letdowns with the story of Joseph as our guide. We seek out the Goodness and Sovereignty of God which persists in spite of our struggles. Listen and discover how we can find the faith to always look up to Heaven's Light and be lifted up by God's own hand.

Every season of life is finite. Some may seem to last longer than others, but ultimately everything exists within a short window of time. In this message, the prophet Jeremiah brings one final warning to Judah, which nears the end of a long, grueling summer. After suffering from famine and pestilence, the outlook for the winter months appears grim. At this eleventh hour, a turnaround seemed unlikely. Listen as Jeremiah's message reminds us that our opportunities to serve and respond to God are likewise short. How is God trying to get your attention? What is He calling you to? How can we ignore the invitation of a lifetime?

Humanity has a long, complicated history of pretending to worship God, but all the while, we're really just worshipping ourselves. Since the beginning, we have been crafting idols and stamping God's name on them, insisting that we are living for Him, but our devotion and behavior suggests otherwise. In this message, we look at the infamous story of an impatient Israel at Mt. Sinai's base, wherein they rebel against the God who was actively delivering them. We see how God uses Moses to bring conviction regarding how they had replaced Him with golden calves. Although they asserted that they were still honoring God, they were actually wrapped up in the false promises of this world. We hear God's call to repentance and then hear Jesus outline what true repentance is and isn't. Listen as we consider these questions and more: - Why do we shift our trust to worldly leaders and systems? To objects, images, ideas? - Why can’t we imagine a life where our faith isn’t propped up, supported by, supplemented by m

In our final Passion + Purpose study, we discover the endgame of our Salvation. From justification to sanctification, the endgame of our maturation in Christ is the passion and purpose laid for us in Romans 14 and 15. Listen as we hold up our broken world to these passages and seek God's grace and truth to navigate us through these days. In this message we discuss: - How Christians have always been on the margins of society, culture, and political power and how Jesus instructs us to respond - How we might maintain our voice and maximize our witness, choosing to make a impactful difference rather than just make witty points - How the litmus test of our sanctification is found in our desire to and determination to love and serve others, especially those who are not like us - How we should continue to love and endure no matter what comes against us. Just as Christ bore our reproach, so we must bear one another's weaknesses

God invites us to trade pressure for purpose, to exchange stress to perform for power to serve God.

The first 8 minutes contains a reflection on recent tragedies in our country. "Lord haste the Day, but until then may we continue to seize the day." --- At the 8:15 mark, our message on Sodom and Gomorrah begins. Listen as we discuss the outcry against those cities and the severity of their sins. We hear from Romans and Ezekiel on what led these cities down this dark road and we answer questions about how to respond to similar cases in our world today.

In this message, we study Lot's drift away from God into darkness and learn how we should conduct ourselves as lights and witnesses for Christ.

We often pray for God to hold up the systems and institutions of the world wherein we have placed our hope. However, the Bible invites us to shift our hope entirely - out of this world, on to Christ alone. When everything around us moves and fails, Christ remains secure.

God promised Abraham and Sarah that their prayers for a son would be answered soon. When God appeared to their homestead in Genesis 18, Abraham was determined to make the most of this opportunity. In this message, we look at the template for true worship that is presented and modeled in this text. We also discuss how the long wait was part of a necessary process to prepare their hearts for this moment. It's never a matter of difficulty for God, but that He is waiting for the right opportunity and for us to be best positioned to take full advantage of it. God is waiting on us: - To elevate Him to first place, regardless/without results - For our delight in Him and desire for Him to match/surpass all else - For us to make the most of the wait and be prepared for the opportunity Questions to consider after listening: - Does Genesis 18 resemble your approach to God in worship?
 - Does your response reflect doubt or anticipation and readiness? - Are you making the most of it, from prayer to answer?

In this message, we discuss the Scripture's call over all of us to pursue and find our prophetic voice for our generation. Listen as we learn the following: - The Biblical Prophets did much more than predict the future - To prophesy is to speak God's Truth with boldness, clarity, and purpose - The New Testament encourages us all to seek this gift "above all" - Have you ever asked God to anoint your words for His glory? - How a prophetic voice is key to becoming a powerful witness for Jesus

Everyone wants to be independent and autonomous. Unfortunately, this just isn't a reality for humanity. We all are dependent on something. We all take orders from someone. In this message, we discuss our sinful nature and how we are often unaware of sin's influence and grip on us. We learn that in order to achieve true, lasting victory over sin we must find a new and better master. Listen as we hear the Bible's invitation to embrace and exalt Jesus as our King and how only through active, intentional submission to Him can we obtain Resurrection Life. We must see how Jesus died because and for our sin and then see that our victory is directly connected to His reign over our lives.

God reaffirms His covenant with Abraham after a series of setbacks and struggles.

In this message we see Abraham continue along in his faith journey and cover the following topics: - How Salvation always precedes Sanctification - How Circumcision was a sign of the Covenant, and how it correlates to our faith - How we can navigate our waiting periods and possess a true heart of worship

We've all taken risks before- some that have paid off and others that we've regretted. Following and trusting in Jesus is often portrayed as a great risk, asking us to step into the unknown. However, as we learn in this message, to not follow Jesus is actually the greatest risk of them all. Romans states clearly that we have all lost our way from God, having a disconnect from God at our core. We all need to be reconciled to God, by receiving a right standing with Him. We all suffer from this condition because of one thing. And salvation is only obtainable through one way. Listen as we discuss what sin has done to every person and how only through faith can we receive God's righteousness. How will this change our life? What does God's righteousness do for us? Why can we be so confident that Jesus is the one and only Way? Learn all that and more in this message!

There's often a great misconception when it comes to faith - specifically the Christian faith, as it pertains to living by and acting upon it. Unfortunately, many have assumed and been taught that faith is merely wishful thinking, reduced down to blind hope. This couldn't be farther from the truth. In this message, we discuss what it means to possess faith in Jesus and how faith in God is rooted in knowledge and confidence. Ultimately, Jesus' resurrection brings validity to every page of the Bible, and thus creates a firm foundation on which we can place our faith. Hebrews 11 memorializes the many believers across the Redemption Story who acted upon faith in God, after they placed their trust in His Word and Promises. As they found a new way of living, so can we- if we place our trust in what God has said and done. God's track record is forever settled and recorded in His Word, so it's up to us to trust Him and the Holy Spirit will prove to us that we've made the right choices.

Following Jesus will improve every aspect of our lives. We all want to live the best possible version of life, but that is only obtainable if we apply Jesus' most practical teachings. Jesus often addressed our tendency to worry when we can't control or predict how things will play out. Our best life - and our even better, eternal future - lives and dies on our willingness to trust every unknown to Jesus. In this message, we hear Jesus call us to a life of worship and eternal dedication. He makes it clear that only when we counter our anxious nature with intentional, concentrated devotion will we walk in God's blessings now and receive an even greater inheritance in the Life to come.

The book of Romans is held up as one of the great, if not the greatest, resources for theology and Christian living. The backstory to why it was written only adds to its importance. In this message, we marvel at the Apostle Paul's journey from sworn enemy of the church to a devoted evangelist of the Gospel. His desire to see the world won for Jesus ultimately compelled him to visit Rome and bolster the fledgling church in the heart of the evil empire. Listen as we follow Paul in his quest to visit Rome and see how that underscores his words in the opening passage to the Roman church. He calls them - and us - to be "set apart for the Gospel" and embrace a life that is unashamed and full of God's power. This passage brings several questions before us that are both convicting and comforting. God desire to set *US* apart for Him. We don't deserve such a privilege, but we risk great loss if we ignore this invitation. - How set apart are you for Jesus, His Church, and His Kingdom? - Does your life suggest

Genesis 16 tells the story of one of the most consequential episodes in all of history. By no means did those involved and making decisions intend on the conflict that would perpetually stem from their actions, but alas such is the history of the Middle East. In this message, we discuss God's Will and how He permits us to get "our way" if we insist and persist in our selfishness. While God has a perfect will that we are invited to walk in, our obstinance and rebellion often sees us spending much of our lives in HIs permissive will.

If anyone understood the benefits of wealth and power, it was King Solomon- he only ever experienced life from the most advantageous, blessed vantage points. This is why his remarks and reflections on this life's vanity and the vapidness of his material gains stand out so strongly. He had it all, but decried it all as unable to satisfy his deepest wants and desires. In this message, we learn from Solomon and Jesus on where true satisfaction and fulfillment is found. We also learn that having more doesn't make us immune from obedience to God, but rather increases our accountability. We learn how living a life with open hands and a generous heart brings lasting peace to our hearts.