Risen Church NC

Amos condemned his generation for knowing the truth and not acting on it. Specifically, they knew how God expected them to live out their lives and they choose the exact opposite way. From the beginning, God wanted Israel to be different than the other nations. He called Israel to be a beacon of light, example of decency, and a place of refuge. He commanded the people to choose love and selflessness over the accepted way of the world by which humanity was corrupted and set against one another. Listen as we hear Amos call us to leave our "ivory beds" and set our eyes on the needs of our brother and sisters. We'll also hear from Jesus, who offers a final and most authoritative word which firmly establishes the Christian standard and expectation of love and service.

Life is full of waits. We're all too familiar with waiting - but do we see God in them? Most of our waits are wasted, spent holding our breath until they end or raising our fists while they persist. What if there was a way to redeem our waits and obtain a unique blessing from God in their midst? Listen as Psalm 40 guides us through our struggles and shows us how to be patient and endure every wait. God promises a revelation that we will only discover on this path and calls us to share all that we learn.

Life is full of tests. The Bible consistently teaches that these tests, trials, and challenges are actually from God. God uses them for our good, our growth, and for His Glory. We may not enjoy every test, but God promises there is joy in every test if we remain faithful. If we look for God in every test and trust His will, we not only pass each one, but we will excel. Listen as we study the various tests that Abram faced and see how they provide insight and wisdom for us today.

Abram takes a backseat in Genesis 14, as the larger world around him clashes. The established superpowers are faced with a rebellion from their vassal states - upstart nations like Sodom and Gomorrah. When Abram's nephew, Lot, becomes a prisoner of war, he joins the fight against the empire. Ultimately, this story foreshadows what is widely known all of these years later. Nobody remembers the kings and empires of 4000 years ago, but everyone knows who Abram was. His legacy outshines anyone's of his generation. Listen as we discuss how this reflects God's approach throughout history and emphasizes how He operates to this day.

Psalm 73 presents to us a very relatable scenario, in which a believer is struggling with all that's unfair and lopsided towards injustice our world. Asaph confesses his faith in a Good and Sovereign God, yet admits his confidence had been shaken. Listen as we seek to understand Asaph's plight and compare it to our own battles. We'll see how he found perspective and hope, and how we might as well.

What if we suddenly lost access to the Bible and all the supplementary Biblical resources we've come to rely on? How much would remain in our hearts? All throughout the Bible, there is a reminder from God to store His Word in our hearts. Have we obeyed this crucial commandment? Despite our unlimited access, we've deprioritized a steady, daily consumption and meditation of God's Word. God doesn't have to send a "famine" as Amos warned Israel about, because we've silenced God on our own. As advanced and accomplished as we are in every category... as much attention as we give our physical and mental health... as eager as we are to chase after goals and success - we have ignored our Spiritual health and as a result, we are worse off spiritually, mentally, and physically. If we don't take care of our souls, our bodies and minds will suffer too. However healthy we may be, if we starve our spirits, we will struggle mightily. Truly, one thing is more necessary than other discipline. Listen as we spotlight the importance of healthy Spiritual habits, and the consequences for taking God's Word for granted.

Psalm 23 is written from the perspective of a sheep. An ever-dependent, helpless, frail sheep. We've all confessed that God is our shepherd, but are we aware of what that says about us? Are we content with being as a sheep, always in the shadow and at the mercy of our shepherd? Listen as we break down this classic passage of Scripture and seek to make David's confession our own.

In Matthew 13, Jesus spoke of His movement and ministry with confidence and vision of what the future held. No one in His audience could've imagined what would become of His rabble following. All of these years later, the impact that He and His Church have had on our world and lives is self-evident. We get to live our lives out on this side of all of Jesus' promises and their fulfillments, and thus are without excuse as to not opt in to His Kingdom and Reign. In this message, we consider the impact that Jesus has had on our world and how every life has been influenced for good by His teaching. We hear His invitation to pursue the Kingdom of God above all other causes and priorities and are confronted with questions as to how we are spending our time. At the end of this age, everything done without Christ at the center will be considered a waste and will perish. Are we wasting the gift and opportunity that God has given us? When this age is done, only that which was done for Christ will matter.

Listen and learn how we might become sensitize to our souls' cries for help and entrust our hearts to our God of Refuge.

What if we began to see every fear as more than a loop of emotional turmoil, but rather an opportunity to obtain a stronger, greater faith? What if every fear is actually a test of our faith and an invitation to surrender to God for more faith? Listen as we wrestle with our greatest fears and how faith often causes our fears to rise. We discover that fear overpowers our faith in many instances and hear Jesus offer us relief. Jesus never tells us that our fears are illegitimate. He merely reminds us that a greater faith is possible, even when confronted with the most intimidating, debilitating trouble.

The Redemption Story as we know it begins in earnest with Genesis 12. Listen as we are introduced to Abraham and see how his life and legacy continues to impact our world today.

Jesus outlined the true nature of Christianity from the very beginning. The call to follow Him has not changed and is not reserved for some elite level believers. We are all held to the same standard - the original call from the shores of Galilee

Beginnings: The Babylonian Dream - Genesis 9-11 by Risen Church NC

Fully Committed: Acts 16/ John 17 by Risen Church NC

Learn how the ascension of Jesus created a baseline of hope and confidence for every believer

Beginnings: Altars and Rainbows - Genesis 9 by Risen Church NC

Listen and see how the Apostle Paul and his companions lived out a model faithfulness unto the Lord. Wherever He sent them, they were willing and ready to go. Likewise, the Holy Spirit is at work in all of our lives to position and prepare us for a life of ministry. The only question is: Have we surrendered to His call over our lives?

Fresh off the boat, Noah sets his sights on a new world filled with new opportunities. He begins his first day with building an altar and anchoring his future in the Lord. Listen as we discover how we might adopt and maintain a similar pursuit.

Pentecost delivered to believers everything that Jesus purchased. From that day on, the Holy Spirit has been dwelling with God's people and showing us how to live a bold, new brand of life. Listen as we look back on the crooked arc of the world before Pentecost, and how everything changed for the better after that day. Truthfully, every day is Pentecost for God's people. His Spirit still moves as strongly and intentionally as ever. By His Spirit, we can come together as His church and for His cause. Dedicated to Jesus, God can demonstrate His nature and power through us and help us discover a better belonging.

The Bible's description of Heaven reveals what drives and motivates God every day - reaching and saving people of all kinds, seeing us all united together around Him. The early church struggled with expansion and evangelism beyond Judea. Acts 11 is a turning point, wherein Peter confesses his own resistance to God's plan and why he eventually surrendered to it. Listen as we consider what it means to stand in God's way and determine if we are guilty of any measure of it.

God's people can approach life differently. God's people can react to life differently. If our hearts have been made whole through spiritual devotion and maturation, we will be prepared for anything. More specifically, we will be able to navigate the greatest of challenges and be better for it in the end.

Sometimes God seems silent, absent, late, or even careless. However, the Scriptures make it clear that God remembers and keeps His promises.

A call to humility and simplicity before God. We're never too old to be nurtured by Him.

A message about God's faithfulness and the endurance of the saints

Many of us are introduced, motivated, and choose to come to Jesus on the basis of a fairly simple and selfish basis. In short, we don't want to go to Hell. On this same note, Heaven is mostly talked about as a place for reunions and luxury. The Christian life is reduced down to having little to do with what the New Testament actually teaches. While we are certainly saved FROM Hell, Christianity is actually more about being saved FOR something. The Bible teaches that we are saved for God's glory, to live a life that will honor Him and serve His purposes. This is why the New Testament has so much to say about how our lives should be radically transformed by Jesus. Salvation is the starting point of a life that should be sanctified for God's glory. This doesn't put pressure on us to perform, but emphasizes the power of the Holy Spirit within any true believer's heart. In this message, we talk about the first steps we should take as a New Creation in Christ. We listen to Peter cast his vision over us regarding our new identities as chosen, royal, and holy. Peter calls us priests unto God and shows us how our lives should look with Christ as our Cornerstone.

The world had become a dark, corrupt place by Genesis 6. God expresses emotions not recorded anywhere else in the Bible and the human race is indicted as being totally, utterly depraved. But one man found favor in the eyes of God. But God had mercy for one man amidst the multitude of rebels. In this message, we put a spotlight on the grace of God which spared an unraveling world. Years later, God's grace continues to endure and overcome the persistent sin of humanity. Listen as we unpack God's mercy, Noah's salvation, and much more!

Isaiah the prophet once wrote that no one has seen, heard, or imagined the things that has prepared for His own to experience once freed from this fallen world. This is often circulated to refer to what Heaven has in store for us in our *next* life. However, the Apostle Paul makes a bold declaration that those who are in Christ can experience these things *right now*... Jesus' Resurrection brought about a new age for all creation. Those who trust in Him and receive His Spirit can enter into His New Creation here and now. We don't have to wait until we get to Heaven to be filled with and led by God's Spirit. What is life like as part of this New Creation? What can we experience now? What things still await us in Heaven? Listen to this first of many conversations about how our longing for more is answered and realized in Christ.

In this message, we see both pictures of Jesus and patterns to mimic as His followers in the lives of Enoch and Noah. They both stood out in their godless generation because they "walked with God". Listen as we learn how walking with God is possible and expected of God's people, even in an ungodly world.

Jesus' Resurrection changed everything. It signed and sealed everything that the Cross accomplished. It proved everything Jesus had ever said and did, and authenticated Him as God's Messiah. While Good Friday would have secured our forgiveness, without the Resurrection there would have been so many outstanding concerns. From the paradox of suffering, our persistent sinful impulses, and the questions about death and the afterlife - only Jesus' Resurrection brings clarity and certainty. In this message, we observe how the Disciples wrestled with their unbelief and came to true faith in Jesus because of Easter Sunday. We also learn about these major promises of the Resurrection: Hope for our Trials, Freedom from our Sin, and Victory over Death.

Good Friday defines and illustrates goodness. It also makes it clear that true, pure goodness is found in Jesus alone. Listen as we reflect on Jesus and His Cross and learn how this day brought favor and hope to us all. We could never be good enough on our own, but Jesus proved that He is good enough. That's why Good Friday will always be enough for us. Jesus forever settled on earth and in Heaven our relationship with God, when His extraordinary, unending goodness met our excessive, unrelenting sin.

How could someone who spent so much time with Jesus remain lost and ultimately decide to betray Him? The story of Judas is both baffling and typical. He wasn't the only person who followed Jesus for selfish reasons, as many sought to make Him their personalized lord and savior. In the end, the reason Judas followed Jesus became the very reason he betrayed Him. He followed Jesus for personal gain, and then turned Him over when that seemed to promise a better reward. Judas refused to surrender to Jesus as King and saw no need to cling to Jesus as his Savior. He believed the lie that the devil ensnares so many with, and was left hopeless and full of regret.

Palm Sunday is the intersection of what we often want Jesus to be and who Jesus actually is... What we often envision Christianity to be about and what it actually is about. Everyone expected a king and a kingdom to rise up during the events of Passover 33 AD, and it certainly did. However, nobody could have imagined the way Jesus introduced His rule nor the nature of His Kingdom. Listen as we follow Jesus through the events of Palm Sunday and see how He subverted every expectation that day. His words and actions in the face of such an opportunity reveal the heartbeat of His Kingdom and show us the way forward as God's people. Palm Sunday's outcome is why we can be saved and it outlines how every saved person must live.

John 6 is a crossroads in the early Christian movement. The masses assumed they understood Jesus and believed that He could be easily manipulated to get whatever they wanted from God. Perceiving that His signs had been woefully misinterpreted, Jesus sought to clarify His message to His thousands of followers. Alas, at the end of the day, the majority unfollowed Him. In this message, we discuss the motives of the crowds that followed Jesus in those early days. We learn why it was so urgent and necessary that Jesus correct the narrative surrounding His movement, even if it did end up costing Him greatly. He knew that the greater cost would be that which His followers would pay, if they remained so misguided. Listen as we learn about the true, pure, and most fulfilling incentives for following Jesus. His primary purpose isn't to enrich us with temporary stuff, but rather to fill us with Eternal Life. Many turn to Jesus to obtain and consume more, but the true prize comes from following, sacrificing, and surrendering our lives to His greater calling over us.

For God so loves our rebel race that He continues to have mercy for those who deliberately turn against Him. In the immediate aftermath of the Fall, Cain begs for relief from his self-induced burden and God gives him grace. If we ever question how God feels about sinners like us, Genesis 4 makes that very clear. in response to this grace, Cain's offspring react with even more defiance. Things continue to look bleak for the human race. Yet, God had a plan - He always does. God would raise up a remnant that would live in contrast to the children of man. Even in our generation, God has a remnant and will preserve a people for Himself.

Jesus came into a world that was so misinformed, misguided when it came to God. Attempts at reconciling with Him had only created further distance and separation between the average person and God. Religious leaders were delusional in their quest to earn God's favor, while common people were downcast in their own sin, guilt, and shame. People were waiting in lines that never took them anywhere good, but only left them with less hope and more questions. In this message, we see Jesus encounter people on both sides of the spectrum, but extending the exact same message. Listen and see how the same Gospel comes to all us, whether in our self-righteousness or self-defeat. Jesus issues the same invitation to us, one of grace, forgiveness, and reconciliation with God.

In this message we discuss divine appointments, risk vs reward, and the boldness of Christian hope. In one of the most memorable chapters in the Bible, Jesus demonstrates His mastery over demons, disease, and even death.

As hard as it to imagine, there was a time when "Jesus" wasn't synonymous with God and when Christianity wasn't an global institution of grace and truth. 2000 years ago, a line was drawn in history when Jesus entered this world and changed everything. While many generations since haven't worshipped Him as Savior and Lord, they've lived in a world that has been undeniably touched and impacted by Him. That truth alone ought to make everyone take a second look. Even believers should consider Jesus more seriously and sacredly than ever. In this series, we follow the eyewitness account of Jesus' original follower, John, as he details how Jesus began to change the world. In this opening message, we see Jesus encounter John and his friends for the first time and consider John's initial observations of who Jesus was. Together, with the witness of history, we marvel at how Jesus revealed God to a lost, desperate world and kickstarted a movement that has yet to slow down.

In this message we discuss: - The origins of sin in our universe. Does evil predate Genesis 3? - If God is sovereign over all things, is it possible that the events of Genesis 3 were part of His plan all along? - Why the original audience for this text would've needed no explanation for the serpent being synonymous with the devil - How the enemy always calls into question the goodness and trustworthiness of God's Word

The breakdown of our world was a direct result of the breakdown of the family - the very first family, that is. In this message, we look at God's original mandate given to Adam and Eve pertaining their complementary design and purpose in reflecting the full image of God. We see how both were made in equality, yet given unique responsibilities, for the good of each other and the Kingdom of God. A failure to meet those responsibilities is what caused the first of many dominos to fall in the world, leading to the disorder we still feel today. Listen as we discuss all of this and more - including a quick mention of dinosaurs and some concluding thoughts on God's promise to clean up the mess we had made.

Our 1 John series concludes with a conversation about confidence and assurance. In Christ, we can possess an unshakeable faith, preparing us for and motivating us during whatever the Lord wills. John outlines three secrets to obtaining this enduring confidence in God: Anchor our faith in God's Truth, Surrender our lives to God's Plan, and Guard our hearts from sin and idols

God's Love is front and center of the Gospel and should remain top of our minds always. In His love, we find a better belonging and through His approval, we find a pathway to become the person we were made to be.

Take on a "Greater Than" faith in the face of conflicting emotions and opposing enemies

God didn't rest on the seventh day because He had to but because He could... He could rest because He was finished and everything was in place to operate smoothly and completely. We are called to take hold of this same kind of rest, not to fulfill religious obligations, but to take hold of one of God's greatest promises.

MANIFEST: Beloved - 1 John 4:7-12 by Risen Church NC

Before the Fall, there was Purpose. Humanity was placed by God in paradise and given responsibility. Even on this side of the fallout, we still look back to God's original vision for our world to understand what we were made for and how we might honor God with our lives.

We were not made for the commandments. The commandments were given for us, for our good. In this message, we consider how salvation should produce obedience. We also conclude that obedience is the obvious move, because our best is always on the other side of it.

Jesus performed many miracles throughout His ministry, it's hard to keep up with them all. However, Jesus was very strategic and intentional with each divine work. None of them were random acts of power, but rather signs and wonders designed to show people who He really was. While clearly a miracle worker, Jesus came to do something even greater than heal our earthly maladies. He came to forgive sins and deliver our hearts from bondage. Jesus did the unthinkable in His day - He touched the unclean and did good for those that religion had condemned. He gave people their lives back who had long been cast away... but more importantly, He showed those same people what a connection to God was like and provided them Eternal Life.

In the opening message of "Beginnings", we discuss the 'why' behind the book of Genesis and marvel at the power and goodness of God on display in the Creation story.

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.