Arise Church with Brent Simpson

Have you looked at yourself in these mirrors?   Remember going to the fair as a child and looking in the funhouse mirrors? Some made you look tall, or short, or skinny, or fat. They may have given you a long neck, or short legs, etc. It’s all just for fun unless you believe what those distorted mirrors tell you about yourself… in this message, we will expose how some of us have been viewing oursel...

We've killed some spiders, let's talk about how to replace them with some spiritual habits that can change your life

Making decisions in the dark can lead to some regrettable consequences. Back in the days before electricity, a crotchety old farmer was complaining that his young friend carried an lighted lantern when he went to visit his girlfriend. "Why," he exclaimed, "when I went a-courtin' I never carried one of them things. I always went in the dark!" "Yes," the younger man said sternly, "and look what you...

In the book of Esther, the King of Persia, during a national banquet, felt publically disrespected by his wife Vashti, when she would not come into his presence as requested. We don’t know why she chose not to submit to her husband’s request, but her actions created quite the dilemma and led him to seek the wisdom of his advisors. After a bit of contemplation, they recommend that the King issue a...

I remember when I was younger sitting next to this amazing-looking car and immediately being jealous. The lines were clean and the paint sparkled and all of a sudden the car started going and I was no longer jealous. What looked like beauty on the outside hid some pretty big mechanical issues on the inside that you heard when the car tried to perform. Sometimes we are like that car where we look l...

Once upon a time, there were two friends. Sam came from a family of bakers and Tom from a family of farmers. One day while returning from the market they met a banana salesman who offered them quite the deal on a batch of bananas. Sam wanted to buy the bananas to make banana nut bread. Tom wanted to buy the bananas to resell them. However, Sam had more money and insisted on buying all of the banan...

What bug do you most hate seeing in your house A) Spiders. 😎 Roaches. C) Ants. Have you ever thought, "Why do I keep sinning? Why do I keep making bad decisions and falling into the same patterns over and over again!?” Maybe it's time we stop cleaning the cobwebs in our life, and instead, start Killing the Spiders!

With swinging a bat, touching a football, or skating on ice, people around Champa Bay relished in the glory of being named champions. When it comes to the Kingdom of God we are winners by association.

Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can't – you're right.” The Tampa Bay Rays are a true underdog story that optimizes that quote. Having one of the lowest payrolls in baseball, with some of the lowest fan attendance, the Rays could have chosen to believe they were a mediocre team… but instead they dared to believe they could be more. They won the American League pen...

It's time to move beyond merely surviving life and start winning at life! Learn how you can Awaken the Champion within

A young salesman was disappointed about losing a big sale, and as he talked with his sales manager he lamented, "I guess it just proves you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink." The manager replied, "Son, take my advice: your job is not to make him drink. Your job is to make him thirsty."   This is also true of evangelism. Jesus said Christians should be the "Salt of the earth",...

We live in a cynical world. Many grew up trusting things that are now considered untrustworthy. Whether it be trusting tap water, colleges to train your children, the government to have your best interest in mind, or trusting a handshake that a deal was done. We now live in a cynical world of distrust. So what can we still trust? For instance, can we still trust the Bible? Or is it an antiquated b...

The word “apologetics” derives from the Greek word apologia, which was originally used of a speech of defense or an answer given in reply. In ancient Athens it referred to a defense made in the courtroom as part of the normal judicial procedure. After the accusation, the defendant was allowed to refute the charges with a defense or reply (apologia). The accused would attempt to “speak away” (apo—a...

On today's show, we are looking at the start of the 2021 Fall School Semester, Pearl Necklaces? And getting ready for life.

East - West, Ethical - Immoral, Hero - Villain, God - Science??? In recent history, society has taught us that God and Science are opposite, opposed to each other even. But is that true? Does Science dispute the claim that God is real? That He created the heavens and the earth? Is God upset with Science? Today at ARISE we will answer these questions and more as we talk about God and Science.

If you’re a human, you have emotions. Some hide it well. Others wear it on full display. The truth is we all have emotions. And we all handle them differently. How do you handle yours? Is it holding you back from achieving all that God has for you? Join us as we learn about certain emotions that can keep us from receiving all that God has for us.   Matthew 14:21-33

The gang is back! And in this episode, Keren and Ken dive into the idea of identity and some other things :).  

Some people take vitamin B shots. Some people take vitamins for increased energy. Some drink healthy concoctions of blended fruit and vegetables for energy, while others drink 5 Hour Energy or Red Bull. And most people drink coffee. The fact is that we often need little “pick me ups” to get you through your day. Tomorrow at Arise is a day that will increase your spiritual energy, build up your fai...

In the early 1900s George Riddell acquired the sensational London newspaper The News of the World. Meeting British journalist Frederick Greenwood one day, Riddell mentioned that he owned a newspaper, told Greenwood its name, and offered to send him a copy. The next time they met, Riddell asked Greenwood what he thought of The News. "I looked at it and then I put it in the wastepaper basket," said...

A Canadian runner, Jacqueline Gareau, led the women during the 1980 Boston Marathon, only to find Rosie Ruiz wearing the traditional victor's laurels when she crossed the finish line. It was later confirmed that Ruiz hadn’t run the entire race, but cheated by taking a short cut.  In life, there are no short cuts to the finish line, just a straight path. If you want to learn how to finish strong an...

Malcolm Muggeridge once wrote, “Contrary to what might be expected, I look back on experiences that at the time seemed especially desolating and painful with particular satisfaction. Indeed, I can say with complete truthfulness that everything I have learned in my 75 years in this world, everything that has truly enhanced and enlightened my experience, has been through affliction and not through h...

In 1893, at the age of 33, English professor Katharine Lee Bates climbed to the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado and gazed at the incredible beauty. She wrote, "All the wonder of America seemed displayed there, with the sea-like expanse." Suddenly, in the midst of this magical moment a poem began to rise in her soul. And it was there amidst God’s incredible creation that these words came to her: “O b...

I have to come back tomorrow? A boy comes home from his first day of school, and his mother asks, “What did you learn today?” “Not enough,” the boy replies. “They said I have to go back tomorrow.” Life is a nonstop lesson in growth. In fact, one of Arise’s core values is Growth: If you’re not growing you’re dying. Let’s talk about that growth here at Arise!