Risen Church Nc

We often look to Jesus' miracles, signs and wonders to get a full glimpse at His divine power. We often turn to His sermons and parables to hear the clearest of words from God. However, there is perhaps no more powerful portrayal or clearer reflection of the God of Heaven than that of Jesus on trial before Pilate. As the conversation progresses it seems that Pilate is the one who is truly on trial, as he represents all the institutions of darkness and flesh, trying to cement their power as absolute and unstoppable. Though seemingly in a position of weakness and vulnerability, Jesus proves to be very much in charge, and testifies to God's true nature and plan. Jesus shows a fearlessness and signals a coming roar from Heaven, as He stares death in the eyes and doesn't blink. His trial, sentencing, and ensuing death may have appeared to spell doom on God's Kingdom ever coming to earth, but in reality this was just the beginning... The beginning of the end for death and hell, and the introduction of a brand

Paul shifts from defending his faith to defining the Christian faith in a broad, yet personal way. Paul shows us how we all can have a relationship with God, by highlighting the very first man to enter into an authentic and personal relationship with God: Abraham. Through Abraham's story, we learn that God has always connected with people by faith. When we trust in Him and His promises, we breathe in brand new life to our souls. Shame, bondage and separation can be replaced with forgiveness, freedom and family. There's no greater relationship we can forge. There's no greater favor that we can know.

When God reveals to Jeremiah the sin of Judah, Jeremiah is surprised that the blame falls on the religious leaders. However, the picture becomes clear as Jeremiah sees through the gloss of their religious rituals. The Temple was renown as a place of dynamic worship, but there was a vast disconnect between how they worshiped and their ways. In one of the most convicting chapters of the Bible, we hear Jeremiah call into account the Spiritual leaders of Judah, and challenge their silence and even support of the sin of the land. What seemed to be political and social issues, are made clear to be Spiritual issues. We hear God call His people to defend the cause of the unborn, children, immigrants, the poor, and oppressed. This conversation may bring discomfort and challenge the status quo, but God's people cannot avoid it. As the New Testament reiterates, we are the body of Christ, His hands and feet. How are we showing this to our world? Government may off solutions to some of these issues, but any given

Jeremiah brought a word of judgement against Judah, but it proves timeless and relevant as ever for our generation. Navigating these chapters and this topic requires tremendous grace and patience with ourselves and each other, as it is a heavy subject. We follow Jeremiah as he arrives at the reasons for God's displeasure with His people. God exposes a disconnect between the vertical and the horizontal in the lives of believers. This conversation brings a lot of opinions to the table, but it's one that we must have as God's people. God’s greatest contention with Judah was the hostility and division between the poor and the rich, those without much and those with a lot. Though this no doubt requires us to consider politics and economics, the message from Jeremiah is clear: We cannot let the tension in our society created by politics, displace the burden in our hearts created by God’s Word. Buckle up and dive in to two of the most challenging chapters in the Bible, and allow God to speak to your heart. *

John tells an incredible story of how Jesus came on the scene and reveals Himself to the world. The hype builds and builds until it just stops... In John 18 we read about the darkest night that ever fell on creation, and we see almost every disciple fall away. However, though betrayed, forsaken, bound, and taken before a corrupt court, Jesus remains as confident as ever, resolved to continue forward with God's plan. We see a contrast between Jesus and those that seemingly had trusted in Him, and we are left speechless at how anyone could respond the way Jesus did. We follow Peter stumbling over all that he claimed to believe in and live for, only to curse the day. This darkest night brought out the very worst in everyone, yet it brought out the brightest and best of the Only One who could save our lives. This night is ultimate proof that we all desperately need a Savior. It's also ultimate proof that we have a Savior... We have a Savior indeed.

As Paul continues to chronicle his early days as a Christian, he acknowledges that the opposition he was currently facing was not new at all. From the outset of his ministry, there was tension with the Jerusalem Church regarding his desire to share the Gospel with Gentiles. Could people apart from the Law and Jewish traditions even become Christians? Weren't there religious prerequisites that people should be held to? Or, was Jesus enough? Paul found himself in a confrontation with one of Jesus' number one followers, and boldly defended the true Gospel, knowing that there was only one hope for the world. He lays out truths that the Church often forgets, as it becomes more and more insider focused. Paul reminds us of the grace that saved us and compels us not to add anything to this foundation. We learn that both our own faith and the potential faith of others is at risk when we rely on anyone or anything but Jesus for hope and certainty.

Undeniable: Enduring Word - John 17:17 by Risen Church NC

Paul passionately defends his faith before his earliest disciples and critics. Once a violent enemy of the Church, Paul was saved en route for more blood shed. This encounter with Christ left him a brand new man, with a resolve to tell the whole world about Jesus. Prior to 47 AD, there were just two churches in the world, but because of Paul's passion and burden, his mission to Galatia was just the beginning...

Everyone knows Judas as the one who betrayed Jesus, but have we ever stopped and wondered what let to this moment in history? It may surprise us to learn that Judas would betray Jesus for the very same reason that he initially followed Jesus. He saw in an opportunity to advance himself, but Jesus proved to not be who he thought he was. Judas wasn't getting what he wanted out of Jesus, so he decided to get away from Jesus, and put Him away for good. This makes no sense in hindsight. But Judas wasn't acting on the basis of good sense. He had been deceived by Satan's deception, that what he was looking for was always under the next coin. In the climax of the Gospel's story, we see Jesus and Judas contrasted so clearly. Judas tries to manipulate everything to better himself, while Jesus surrenders for the sake of everyone else. Jesus could have turned the situation against His enemies, but He chose not to. May we all realize what Judas never did, that our tiny minds cannot imagine nor think of what may actu

Jesus once stood in front of a fledgling movement and predicted that one day, it would be the largest of its kind. Though it was off most of the world's radar then, one day it would be ubiquitous, and impossible to avoid. One day, its influence and impact would be so far-reaching and wide-spread that everybody would know His Name. His audience probably thought He was delusional, or just embellishing to get their attention. Little did they know, however, that 2000 years later, Jesus and His Church would have changed the world, taking His message and ideals deep and wide. Though not everyone attends or even believes, it is undeniable that Jesus and His Church have changed the world. For Christians, we should never lose our sense of awe and wonder about belonging to Jesus and being in His Church. We take for granted what we know and what we've seen, but it is nothing short of the work and wonder of God. More than anything, knowing that Jesus was right about His Church, we should also understand that He will

The night before Jesus died, He prayed for one thing. Of all the things we may imagine would have been on His mind, and all the important things to consider praying over, Jesus focuses on His Church. He had built His Church around His eleven followers, and was sending them into the world to continue the mission He had begun. Jesus prays for the Church to be united together around Him and His mission. He stresses that our Kingdom Impact will always depend on our Church unity. Jesus leaves us with a strong word: The world will not believe that God has sent a Savior, if they don’t see us united together. So we must unite together in love for Him and one another. We may feel this is impossible, but Jesus tells us that it is imperative to our mission.

Have you ever wanted something that you considered going to extreme measures to obtain it? Or, is there something that has eluded you that you would do anything to have? The story of humanity is one of an Incredible Longing... a longing and desire for fulfillment, purpose, and peace. We want this happiness so badly, that we spend our lives looking for it in people, places, and things. Yet, what if there is only one solution for this incredible, inescapable, otherwise inconsolable longing? If Jesus is to be believed and trusted, then there is but one answer. He is that answer. Do we treasure Him like this is true? Do we value Him above and beyond all that we have? Or do we put weight and expectations on lesser, weaker things that prove to fall short of meeting our needs time and time again? We will only experience Eternal Life in full when we see Jesus for who He truly is: Everything.

We spend many of our days in the presence of our enemies. These enemies sometimes are people, things, emotions, things around us and even within us. Try as we might to escape them or evade them, they are always there. This shouldn't be too surprising, as our world is fallen and sin works to prevent God's redemptive work. Yet God's presence is greater and His purpose cannot be thwarted, when we rest and trust in Him. As we face opposition and obstacles, we can take heart knowing that they are actually opportunities for God to make His power known. In reality, the enemies of God, tremble at the work that He can and will do. Satan works in various ways to roar into our minds and put fear and dread in our hearts, but he cannot take possession of us. After all, we rejoice knowing that God's Spirit has filled our hearts and minds and dwells within us. So what is the secret to overcoming the enemy? Worship. It can turn enemy territory into Holy Ground. We can rejoice knowing that the blood of Jesus washes us an

On the last night of Jesus' earthly life, He took refuge in a secret garden, to pray. The contents of that prayer are some of the most sacred, enlightening words ever spoken. Thankfully, John was able to hear and transcribe this prayer, for us to hear and learn from. As Jesus is facing indescribable pressure from the moment, as His suffering under the sin of the world was imminent, He cast Himself under His Father's care. He speaks to the Father about their plan from the beginning, for Jesus to submit to Him, for the salvation of the world. Jesus prays that He might glorify God, as in make famous and known. He prays that the Father take him to whatever place, that might show the Father's place over all. Jesus was all in on this predetermined plan to redeem creation. Because of His submission and sacrifice, we can have Eternal Life. Jesus defines Eternal Life as knowing God and having a relationship with Him. Hear we learn that Eternal Life is much more than endless life, but Full Life. Salvation isn't ju

One of Jesus' greatest and most encouraging promises is found in John 16:20, and the passage surrounding it. He bluntly talks to His disciples about the darkness that was upon them, and the challenges they would often face in this world, but doesn't leave them without hope. Though we face long and grueling nights, we press on, trusting that we will overcome with Christ, knowing that joy comes with the morning.

2020 has peeled back a reality and truth that was covered up by our modern and evolved world. After years of progress, it seemed as if we as a society were bullet-proof, or at least, able to brush off anything. It seemed as if we had a grasp on every aspect of life, able to foresee and defeat any foe with our own ingenuity and expertise. We had become so certain of our own strength and stability, until in an instance, things changed. 2020 has reminded us that the only thing that was truly certain, is uncertainty. We are now confronted and face-to-face with many unknowns, with no definite date on when 'certainty' will return. Christians, this is our time to shine. This season is Holy Ground, for God is calling us to be lights and leaders in our world. We may not know when things will change, but we know who we can be and what we can do until things change and beyond. Even if things don't change, our mission remains the same. We don't rely on certainty of this world to rise up to our callings. We rely on

Discover a brand new approach for reading and receiving God's Word. Jeremiah and his contemporaries didn't just hear God's words, but they saw it and felt it. When Jeremiah heard God's voice, he would describe an experience and a vision. When we open the Bible, we can have this same sort of encounter with God. We aren't just reading or hearing words off of a page, but the Holy Spirit is moving from page to person. He adds another dimension, a depth and layer to the text that proves the inspiration from Heaven that we have in our hands. God uses His Church and messengers to proclaim His Word and take us deeper into it.

The Bible tells us that perhaps our most human flaw is our assumption that our plans are automatically in tune with God's will. If 2020 has taught us anything, it's that we truly have little to no control over what tomorrow holds. But could it be a good, even saving, thing to learn this before it's too late? For far too we long, we've stood up and told God what our plans are. God's Spirit has been reaching out to us for months now, to surrender and covet His will and purposes. If we are willing to be stretched and be led, we can arrive at a relationship with God like never before. If we seek Him and His glory, we may be ruined of this world and it's desires, but we will find an out-of-this world, unrivaled and unmatched connection. If we learn to tremble before Him, in total vulnerability and dependence, we will learn that knowing Him is far greater than having certainty or control over anything else. As much as we want answers and a return to "normal", may we take this opportunity to behold God like ne

In John 16, Jesus details the role and work of the Holy Spirit in this current age and in our individual lives. We often hear about and pray to be "Spirit-filled", but do we know what this really means? In this message, we learn that the Holy Spirit wants to do a work within us and through us. He works in tandem with God's Word, to inspire and impress God's Will into our hearts. As He leads us, sin will be exposed, righteousness will be enabled, and we will be emboldened against God's enemies. As we become more like Christ, the Spirit will further knit us to God's work in our world, and gift us with His power to be a true witness.

Pastoring in a Pandemic Episode I: Redeeming the Time by Risen Church NC