Rise City Church Podcast

Your words carry immense power. They can be hurtful, break people down, and injure someone to the core. Conversely, words can encourage, build someone up, and be positively life transforming. In James 3, we are given both the encouragement to use our words wisely and the warning to be cautious  with our words. But how can you tame your tongue to be used for good, not bad? Listen in as Pastor Jason teaches that only by living in the power of Jesus can we have power over our words and live a life that glorifies and honors God.

Does your life reflect what you say you believe? Do you have a faith that goes beyond your mind and yields work that others around you experience and know? In James 2, James lays out a life of faith without works, as being dead— void of the joy and abundance that a life with a faith lived out in deeds experiences. This week, guest preacher, Daniel Goulding, teaches the difference between cultural Christianity and faith that changes you from the inside out. Listen in to see how Jesus is the perfect example of faith fully expressed for other’s joy, our good, and God’s glory.

Fatherhood and masculinity are being redefined in our culture. But what does God tell us about biblical manhood? Listen in as we walk through Scripture to see the stages of manhood, from boyhood all the way through retirement to see how God has made men with a specific purpose and plan. If you are a man looking for wisdom for how to live a Godly life, raise a family, and love your people then listen in for practical wisdom that leads you to the heart of the Father.

Today we continued in our series on James, and talked about how Jesus brings A Gospel Transformed Life. The call from James is a challenge to look within. God is not aligned with the evil of our world, and more often than not we contribute to the sin and darkness around us. The problem of evil is within us, not just ‘other’ groups. But the call of God is to life. Every good is from God and everything from God is good. But we have work to do on our end as well. James calls us to build a Gospel Presence within us, particularly by being Quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. As God forms us, as we learn to live a transformed life, God intends to bring us good things!

Do trials and pain hold you back from believing there is a Good God? Does living a life of purpose and significance seem outside of your grasp? You're not alone. In the book of James, we read about a man that encounters Jesus and experiences life transformation that results in a shift in his identity. This week, Pastor Jason teaches through James 1 to see how trials produce in us something far greater than we could ever imagine. Listen in for hope that sees beyond the pain to a joy that God wants you to experience by clinging to Him alone.

Do you want to see your church and community revived and transformed by the Gospel? Are you investing in someone that will carry the mission of the church beyond your years? 1 Timothy 4 gives a call to raise up the next generation of believers to spread the Gospel. Listen in as our youth pastor, Jordan, teaches how to lead, equip, and learn from our youth and children because they aren’t just the future of the church, they are the church right now.

Do you have a bucket list—a list of things to experience before you die? Are you living like there isn't anything after life? Do you wonder if there really is a heaven? Randy Alcorn, the foremost scholar of the theology of eschatology, joined us to teach us a right theology of heaven. Listen in to understand what heaven is, how God is reversing the brokenness we experience, and that God longs for us to experience happiness now and in our future life.

How do you change the culture and values of your community? How can you make a generational impact that will last? Do you want children that will choose to follow Jesus even after they're out of your home? Raising up the next generation of children is one of our primary values, and carries massive importance in seeing our city saturated with the Gospel. Listen in to a message through Proverbs that will inspire you to invest outside of your circumstances and pour into the next generation.

God's creation—the cosmos, the land and sea, creatures and humans. It was all created and formed by God on purpose for a purpose. It sounds simple, but most of us have lingering questions. When was the world made? Why did God make me this way? What is my purpose here on earth? This week we tackle the theology of Anthropology by starting at the very beginning, in Genesis 1, to look at the creation and formation of the world, our humanity, and God's clear call on us as image bearers. Listen in to gain clarity about the big questions of creation.

Why does the church exist? Is faith alone enough? If your faith feels outdated, joyless, and stagnant then this message is for you. Jesus came to seek, serve, and save the lost. When he came he lived as the ultimate example of living out the Gospel, the Good News. He came with a mission, and the mission has a church. Listen in to learn why Jesus sent the church, and how we are to live out of the Gospel in three ways - demonstration, declaration, and participation—all for His glory, your joy, and others' good.

Do you wonder what differentiates the Christian church? What are the marks, qualifications, and characteristics of a Gospel-centric Christian community? What is the church's mission, and how does it influence the church? The church is God's chosen instrument to bring the hope of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection to the world. This week we look at Ecclesiology—the study of the church. We opened the Scripture to see how God has designed the church to reach the lost, equip the saints, and represent His Kingdom. Listen in to learn about the church's mission, leadership, and marks that define who we are and how we are called to operate to make disciples.

There are deep mysteries of God and the Christian faith that are amazing to think through and study, but the basics of the Gospel are all you need to receive salvation. The Gospel can best be understood in four simple movements: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. Listen in to grasp an understanding of what you are created for, how our relationship with God has been broken, why Jesus had to die, and the truth of God’s desire to restore our identity in Him. The Gospel isn’t something we move beyond—it's something we go deeper into. It's not elementary—it's foundational. Join us to learn why we love the Gospel.

The validity of Christianity is built on an event. A historical moment, where a multitude of witnesses experienced God in the flesh, be crucified, buried, and then resurrected. The people closest to Jesus were radically transformed by the reality of the resurrection and the empty tomb. 2,000 years later the question for you is, do you believe? The power and transformation of the resurrection isn't just for the first-century disciples, it's for you today. To live in the power of the Holy Spirit is to live with purpose in your life that is beyond your old ways. If you are looking for a new life marked by hope regardless of your circumstances listen in to find out how Jesus' resurrection is making all things new.

Why do Christians prescribe to a book as their guide? Is the Bible even accurate or trustworthy? Is it possible for God to speak through words on a page? What do we do with parts of Scripture that are hard to understand? Why are so many issues where the Bible does not tell us what to do? This week we learn from Dr. Gerry Breshears about What We Believe about the Bible. Listen in to rekindle a love for the Word of God or to go deeper in your understanding of how God speaks through His Word.

Who is the Holy Spirit? Is it simply our emotions or intellect? Is it the presence of God on earth? Who do God and Jesus say the Holy Spirit is? From the very beginning of Scripture, the Holy Spirit makes himself known. The New Testament church experienced and lived out of the Holy Spirit’s movement in their lives. This week we learn who the Holy Spirit is, how to respond to His presence, and how your life will be transformed because of the gift of the Holy Spirit. You are part of the story, listen in to learn more.

Who is Jesus? What does history say about Jesus? Was Jesus actually fully human? Is it possible he was also fully God? Who does Jesus say he, himself, is? Why does this matter and how do we respond? The answers to all of these questions are tackled in this week’s message on Christology, the study of Jesus. Listen in to dwell in the wonder of Jesus, fully man and fully divine, sent to die on a cross, so that our sins could be forgiven and we could have a life of abundance, in relationship with the Savior of the world.

This week we launch a series called The Ologies, looking at who God is, His nature, creation, and mission.  Who is God? How can Christians have one God called the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Join us as we look at Theology Proper— the study of God the Father. Listen in to understand God’s enormity, His steadfast love, and His eternality that gives us the comfort to worship a God that exists outside of our comprehension of time.

At the conclusion of Galatians 6, Paul gives us instructions for how to build a culture that fulfills the law of Christ by restoring community, bearing one another's burdens, and pressing on in good. Listen in as Pastor Jason teaches through scripture how to keep pursuing good even when it's hard, how to walk in the truth and love, and how to pursue Kingdom Fruit rather than man's approval by Living the Law of Christ.

Do you feel enslaved to the things you wish you didn't do? Do your deepest desires for good conflict with your strongest desires for self-satisfaction? Do you feel like you're on your way to rock bottom, and don't know how to change your direction? In Galatians 5, Paul answers some of the most challenging questions that face us today. How do you live a life of freedom? How do you pursue love in hard things? Paul commands us to crucify our fleshly life that leads to destruction and to walk in the Spirit that leads to life. Listen in, as Pastor Russell shows what the fruit of the Spirit is and how to walk in the Spirit by simply being with God.

Do you consider yourself a person of faith? Do you see faith working in your life? Is faith alone enough? In Galatians 5, Paul contrasts a life lived by the law versus a life lived in this salvation of Jesus. He tells us that faith alone is worthless, but we cannot live by the law either. If we seek acceptance in our works (the law) we are rejecting the work of Christ. But, because of the good news of Jesus, we are no longer under the law for salvation, but now we are under the law of grace and love. So how are we called to live because of this? Paul calls us to have freedom in Christ. Listen in to learn how your faith working through love is everything.