Risen Church Nc

Ephesians promises that the Holy Spirit wants to take our lives to new level of depth and purpose for God's Kingdom. Chapter 4 emphasizes that above all, He desires to see us united to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Discovering and valuing our place in God's family is key for us to rise up to our calling and gifts in Christ.

If we believe that forgiveness comes through Christ, then we must also embrace the freedom and invitation that He brings to our lives. We have been forgiven so that we might follow Him and walk just as He walked. In this message, we discuss the transformation that salvation brings upon our lives. To follow Jesus is more than to say "no" to sin, but we are commanded and compelled to say "yes" to love. John anchors the Christian walk in how we love our brother, sister, and neighbor. He goes as far to say that if we focus on loving like Jesus did, sin will become an afterthought. Listen as we talk about the contrast between sin and love and set our sights on following Jesus, as closely as we can.

Proverbs offers all sorts of wisdom for any given area of our lives. It also happens to place premium value on finding our place in the faith community and leaning on one another. In this message, we look at several verses from Proverbs that all build a powerful case for our belonging and investment into our local church. Listen as we discuss the importance of accountability, the danger of isolation, and the blessing of having a Spiritual support system.

The Holy Spirit desires to change our lives. He has full intentions to overpower our flesh and empty of us of sin. The question will always be - are we cooperating with this transformation? Are we walking in His steps? Listen as we discuss the tension between our flesh and God's Spirit. We emphasize the importance of justification by faith, wherein we lean on Jesus completely. We also see how this kind of faith produces within us a New Life, leading us in a bold, brand new direction.

To say that the Christian life is full of blessings is not news to most believers. We believe and serve a Good God who indeeds is kind and gracious to His children. However, the true, desired blessings that both Jesus and the New Testament promises us are much greater than, beyond what we've otherwise settled for... In Ephesians, Paul writes with clear intent to direct our eyes higher, above this material world towards the Spiritual promises that God has made us. He leads us along from chapter 1 to 3, speaking of our "Spiritual Blessings", "Glorious Inheritance", which promise the "fullness of God" in our hearts, bringing us "Abundantly More" than we've even considered. Coupled with the teachings of Jesus, it's obvious that there are Spiritual Blessings we've passed over, settling for temporary fixations. Ephesians calls us to discover our true inheritance as believers, exclusively found in the transformation the Holy Spirit wants to bring on our lives. In this message, we decouple ourselves from what w

Jesus came to manifest God unto the whole world. He came reflecting Heaven's Light and promising life as God always intended us to have. For generations, the truth about God was misconstrued and many religions proposed ways back to Him. Jesus came to set the record straight for all time to come, so that nobody would be in the dark about God or His plans for our lives. Listen as we look back God's original vision for creation and see how Jesus restores both creation and creature. 1 John 1 provides a true benchmark to show whether or not we have come to know God like we can and are enjoying true, eternal life.

Many relate to Church the same way we do restaurants or stores. We may happen to attend with many other people, but everyone's disconnected, without regard nor obligation to any but one's own interests. While this may be the predominate understanding of church and the Christian faith in our modern world, it couldn't be farther from the Biblical teaching on the Faith Community. In this message, we dive in and hear the truth echoed from all over the Scriptures - how our faith binds us together, to a larger body. We hear both Old and New Testaments stress the importance of vulnerability, accountability, and our shared responsibility. Listen as we define Christianity the way that Jesus did - and still does. If we are following Him, we will belong to His Body and take serious the role we play and the relationships we are called to embrace. From the first faith community in the Garden of Eden to the newly minted Church of Jesus Christ - God's command to every believer is to put WE over ME.

Have you ever started something that you didn't finish? As easy as it is to start, it's almost easier to quit and walk away. Spiritually speaking, we are all guilty of beginning efforts that will draw us closer to God and His Kingdom, only to lose heart along the way. In this conclusion to our Nehemiah study, we learn about his team's commitment to their work. We discuss the importance of declaring God's call over our lives as great and worthy and why we cannot trust the many dissenting voices that surround us. We also conclude that "greatness" in God's eyes is much different than the way our flesh and world see things. What is your "Great Work" in God's Kingdom? Have you walked away from it? Has your commitment or enthusiasm for it waned over time? Listen as we allow God's Word to motivate us and hear Jesus' call us all to God's Great Work for our lives.

The first step in thriving spiritually is totally dependent on the steps we take to follow Jesus. A common disconnect between our confession of faith and activation of our faith lies with our misunderstanding of true salvation. To be saved is to follow Jesus, to abide in Christ. If we believe, we will belong to Jesus and follow after Him every single day. Listen as we take salvation back to its roots and outline the basics of Christianity.

Abiding in Jesus will lead to a transformed life. Our hearts will become aligned with His truth and we will be compelled to act out our faith. In this message, we discuss the common disconnect between what we believe and how we behave. Listen as we hear God's Word give us decisive truth on the subject of faith and good works.

The Holy Spirit fills the heart of every believer and begins leading us all in a very specific path. His primary desire and purpose for all of us is that we would seek God's glory in all that we do. Jesus told His original disciples that the Holy Spirit would come upon them for a single reason - so that they might be witnesses to His Gospel. In this message, we discuss what it means to be a witness for Christ and how the Holy Spirit narrows our focus on God's will for our lives. Embarking on God's mission will surpass any competing call. The Spirit will show us how our involvement in God's movement on earth is more rewarding than anything else.

Who is the Holy Spirit? How does He relate to God the Father? To Jesus? What impact should and can have on our lives? In this message, we are introduced to the Holy Spirit and hear how every Christian should come to rest in and rely on Him. In short, the Holy Spirit's role in a believer's life is to bring the presence of God to us and work the power of God through us. He makes us like Jesus and helps us obey the Greatest Commandment through our words and actions.

How can we find the courage to make the move that God has called us to make? Why are filled with fear and anxiety when we are called to sacrifice something or surrender everything to God? God's callings are greater than any invitation of this world, yet they test us and challenge our fleshly instincts. Only when we've humbled ourselves to Him and given our hearts over to His causes, will we be fueled by His passion. In this message, we study how Nehemiah was able to walk away from His privilege and embrace a life of service. He chose to make God's glory the desire of his soul and never looked back.

Reignite your passion. Rediscover your purpose. Be revived by God's call over your life in 2025

In this message, we take a look back at our Spiritual growth and progress in 2024. We measure ourselves against Peter's words regarding sanctification and a life that glories the Lord. As we finish another lap around the sun, has 2024 been just another lap around the mountain? Or have we become more holy? Have you become more Christ-like this year? Would you describe your attitude and actions as others' first? We have been saved unto this end - so that we might thrive Spiritually and be holy, as God is holy.

The world becomes a different, better place for a few weeks every December. Everywhere we turn, we hear the Good News of Jesus Christ proclaimed. Even the non-believing world takes notice and feels the effects. There is an undeniable, palpable spirit of hope, peace, joy and love in the air. In this Christmas Eve message, we reflect on the power behind Christmas and marvel at the impact of the birth of Jesus. From a throne to a manger, the world received its final, ultimate King.

A message about the Peace that Christmas promises and how Jesus demonstrates the true power it brings to our lives.

A message about the Joy the Christmas brought into the world and how Jesus alone helps us retain the Christmas Spirit.

The Christmas story punctuates God's amazing grace on so many levels, but maybe the most powerful takeaways are the revelations within its backstory. Some of the most embarrassing episodes from Israel's past just so happen to involve some of the ancestors of Jesus. It would make sense that these stories be buried and forgotten, but no - Matthew highlights them as he sets up his Gospel. As someone who had been scorned by society for his past, Matthew relished in being chosen to tell the story of Jesus. Perhaps what delighted him the most was to be able to remind people that Jesus came from a long line of sinners. God isn't embarrassed or ashamed to include any of us in His family. Our backstories simply make us prime candidates to experience the salvation that Jesus came to bring.

Christmas came to bring good news of great joy to all people - particularly, all SINNERS. How do we know this? Well, because Christmas came THROUGH generations of all kinds of sinners. In this message, we study the life of the namesake Israel's most famous and important tribe. It turns out, Judah wasn't selected to be the progenitor for God's Messiah because he was good, but rather the opposite. His life demonstrated just how much the world need a Savior.