Risen Church Nc

When we're young, Christmas captures our affection and anticipation with a sense of wonder and awe. The season builds and builds, and we look forward to all of the joy it promises to bring. We often are convinced that a single gift could change our world. It may be something so simple to adult eyes and minds, but to a child, it seems to make all things right. What if we could enter this Christmas with the same sense of childlike wonder of yore? What if we could really receive a single gift that could change our worlds? As adults, we're well aware of what's wrong in the world, and even more burdened by what's wrong in our world. What if Christmas could offer us a solution and bring peace to our chaos and uncertainty? As children we are primed to believe that Christmas can actually make the impossible a reality. Something in us wants to believe that this is true for every season and scenario in life. What if Christmas does indeed offer us this gift? The true message of Christmas is one of Good News of Great

The Gift of Christmas is that we can know God through Christ. This is truly the gift that keeps on giving, as every day we can unwrap a new blessing. Being wrapped in God's presence, we truly experience the most wonderful life. When observing the early Church, there's a clear embodiment of the joy available exclusively in Christ. In Acts 2, Luke draws a powerful parallel between the joy and atmosphere on the first Christmas to that of the first Church community. They were giving praise to God and they were enjoying the favor from God. As they had been given favor, they also shared it, because a gift that great was too much to keep to themselves.

When the Church began there were no traditions or styles, there wasn't even a finished Bible, and there were no professional worship bands. When it all started on that Pentecost Sunday around 30 AD, the Church in its original form was a movement. The Church was designated by Jesus Christ as The Movement of God that would change the whole world. It would be a movement of God through His people. As He moved, His people would move, and more people would be moved. Today the Church comes in all different sizes, shapes and sounds. However, regardless of those details, the only thing that matters is this one burning question: Are we still God's movement? Of course, God is still moving, but are we? Are we allowing Him to move through us? In this vital message about the Church's opening day, we consider these questions and more. May today's Church remember its beginning and stay true to its identity until Kingdom come.

Every generation of believers wrestles with a similar fear: "Is this the end?" No, not the end of days, but the end of our faith. We feel encroached and oppressed by secular society. We wonder about the Church's longevity. We worry about Christianity and its influence being on the ropes. These rumors and whispers of Christianity's demise are completely unfounded. Satan loves to accuse God's people with lies and to see us walk back in fear. He loves to see us forfeit the joy, peace, confidence and security of our faith for pessimism and dread. He loves to see us fight battles against the people for which Christmas is meant to save. Since the very first Christmas, Satan has been trying to stop the Good News from being spread. However, all his minions have ever done is spur Jesus' movement all the more. God declared war on Satan 2000 years ago, when he attempted to kill the newborn Jesus. On the cross, Satan was defeated and the war came to an end. This Christmas, may God's people celebrate our victory wit

We make decisions every day, from minor to major. Behind every decision is a reason, but we make most of them without even considering why. Beneath the surface and influencing our minds is a nature that is so very good at getting what it wants, even if it doesn't have our best interest in mind. The prophet Jeremiah came to an astounding conclusion regarding human nature after observing Israel's best and brightest make one bad decision after another. His diagnosis of his generation continues to be proven true every single day. In exasperation, he wondered if there was hope and help for people. In this message, we get to the bottom of why our hearts take us in the wrong direction time after time, and we hear from God about the one and only remedy.

Ever since Pentecost, the world has been changed and constantly impacted by the Presence of God. What were things like before this? And just how different are things now because of the Holy Spirit's involvement and persistence within Creation? Take a journey through time with us as we study God's interactivity with His choice creation, and humanity's attempts throughout history to approach God.

Have you ever dropped something and wondered if you'd ever find it again? Have you ever made a mess of something that seemed beyond repair? We've all had situations where we wondered if things were too far gone. If the story of Jacob teaches us anything, it's that no one is ever too far away from God. Mercy is always pursuing us, no matter the mess we may have gotten ourselves into. Jacob's story sends a powerful reminder: God is wherever we surrender. When we feel too far gone, God is actually not far away at all.

In spite of humanity's constant drift away from God, He has always been working His ways towards us. As fallen as we are, we are not forgotten nor forsaken by God. In the story of Judah, we see just how committed God is to redeeming us all from sin. We see how far He is willing to go in order to bring us back to Him. As a result, we are left with confidence that we have access to approach God in peace and with hope.

We spend so much time and energy chasing after more, but maybe 2020's greatest message to us is to slow down, and appreciate what we already have. As Christians, we cling to God's Promises of blessings and opportunities, but what if there's something even greater to cling to. What if there's Someone greater we can cling to? May we learn to give thanks in all seasons and circumstances, because no matter where we are, God is with us. His presence is the greatest of His promises. Even if we lose it all, all we really need is Him. Even if everything is taken away, He is enough. This Thanksgiving, may we find our total satisfaction in Him, so that He might be fully glorified in and through our lives.

The story of Abraham is perhaps the greatest proof of our God's amazing grace. The world was deeply lost in sin, and had no recollection of the one true God. As nations developed and empty religions were established, God decided to start with one man and create His own nation, through which He reveal Himself to the world. God knew that to chart a course for redemption it would require grace upon grace being shown to whomever He chose. The grace He shows Abraham is astounding, yet shouldn't be all that surprising. This is God's character after all. Where sin abounds, grace does much more abound. Where our failures cause a wildfire of consequences, His mercy brings a flood of second chances. Abraham's story is one of great contrast. We see how damaging sin is in the lives of those it rules. We also see how redeeming God's grace is within the hearts of those He reaches. God's goodness to Abraham should humble us all, but also remind us all, that none of us are too far gone. Nothing is too hard for God to r

With regards to the vision and mission of the Church, there isn't a more important passage of Scripture than Acts 1:6-11. Jesus has informed His small following that they were on the cusp of a brand new movement that would change the world. They were the only people on earth who knew of the promise and power of His Resurrection. This had to change. Jesus issues this Great Commission over His fledgling church, calling them to take this Good News of redemption and restoration to every corner of the world. He commands that Evangelism be their daily priority. Anticipating His improbable command, they suggest that there's too much working against them to make this a reality. The authorities that ruled locally and nationally had presided over Jesus' death, so their own demise was likely. Wouldn't the better option be to fast-forward to the end, and establish God's Kingdom? Was there any hope for the world anyways? Jesus hears that notion and gives a clear and convicting command, that rings loud in *our* ears

Luke set out to document and preserve the story behind a brand new movement that had taken his world by storm. In his first volume, he writes about a Jewish carpenter who's life and message intersected with both the Jewish and Roman worlds. He tells us how every detail of Jesus' story points to something bigger and beyond anyone's expectations. Perhaps what's most remarkable, defying even the belief of Jesus' own followers, the story doesn't end with Jesus' death. Reports of His resurrection swept the town, country, and soon after, the world. Acts tells of this story - How the Jesus movement launched after many thought it was dead. In Acts we learn about the gathering of people which Jesus had galvanized and commissioned to be evangelists, and how they would go on to build a movement that thrives all of these years later. In this first installment of "The Church", we learn the basic keys to success that catapulted the Jesus movement into the pages of history. We also find that these same ideals remain e

We often feel detached or inferior to the heroes of the Bible. We think they had something that we could never have. In reality, they were no different than we are. God used ordinary men and women over and over again in Scriptures. The heroes of our faith may be remembered as good and godly people, but they were also fallen people, just like us. In this message, we take a look at one of the most familiar heroes of Scripture, whose story ends with a rather embarrassing episode. Yet in spite of his fallen nature, God's grace was enough to save and sustain him. The same goes for us as well. God's grace is always enough. We will never be good enough, but God was always God enough.

This world has a way of stunting our growth and life in Christ. The highs distract us. The lows overwhelm us. Is there a way for us to avoid riding the waves this world sends our way? Is there a better way to live? Of course there is. The Apostle Paul gives us the secret in Philippians 1.

Jesus spent years campaigning for the hearts of Israel. Yet at the end, His message signaled that He was not building a literal kingdom, but something different. He began talking about the end of Israel and a time of certain unrest to come. Yet within that chaos, He promises that His Kingdom would still be established - not in a time or place, but in spirit. As the ages would pass, empires would rise and fall, but one thing would be certain, Jesus and His Church would persist. His Gospel would impact and change lives for the better much more than anything else. If we listen to His promises, we understand that His Kingdom has already come and He is the King of Kings. Jesus will never be on a ballot and His rule is not at risk of ending or ceding to someone else. If only we would give Him our hearts, and receive the peace of His rule today.

In our last edition of our "Undeniable" study, we find Jesus seeking to make one final impression on His Disciples. Three years before, Peter and John had met Jesus, and now on the same sea shore, they realize that their faith journey was just beginning. Jesus issues a familiar command to two of His oldest friends, as He shows us all the way one more time.

The Disciples tried to go back to life as usual after Jesus rose from the grave. However, they find out that it would be impossible to do so. They had seen too much and a brand new reality was before them. And as we find out in John 21, why on earth would they want to?

Jesus' most oft repeated commandment reveals the one thing He desires for us above everything else. The single greatest promise of Christianity is found in His invitation to "Fear Not". What if there was a way around being afraid, even when there was plenty to be afraid of? What if Jesus can help us overcome, instead of being overcome?

Mirror, mirror on the wall, which is the most deadly sin of them all, which gives birth to every other evil thought, word, and deed? Most likely, we all will agree, yet most assuredly we all struggle against this evil force on a daily basis.

The Resurrection changed everything. John 20 is ground zero for the Christian Faith, for the New Creation. When we come to know the meaning and impact of Jesus' Resurrection, we won't be able to go back to life as it was before. We will walk away brand new creatures, filled with the peace and power of God.