Risen Church NC

What makes a nation great? The Bible actually contains a whole book that exclusively covers this topic. Long ago, God made it clear how a nation could become great and remain great. Originally meant for Ancient Israel, this prescription could be applied to any nation wanting to reach its full potential. In this message, we discover that America's founders signed-off the Declaration of Independence...

In this sobering conversation about the recent news concerning abortion, we discuss: - Does God judge an entire nation for the sins of some of its people? Does He sometimes prolong judgement in order to save sinners?(Genesis 18) - Why did God spare Israel for a similar - or perhaps worse - outbreak of sin than was seen in Sodom? (Judges 19) - The Bible makes clear that all life is precious, valuab...

Romans 12 makes the case that our duty as Christians is to follow the path of Christ, focusing on serving and loving one another. We are taught that the sanctification and transformation process will cause us all to raise others above ourselves, looking out for their best above our own. This flies in the face of our nature of self-preservation and self-promotion. It will cause us to decide if God'...

David's rise from shepherd boy to prince of Israel happened suddenly and took the nation by storm. He was beloved like none other in his generation. What once was a secret between the prophet Samuel and his family soon became a forgone conclusion: David was destined to be Israel's next king. Like any rising star, David became enraptured by his assumed destiny. From his musical skills, war trophies...

Romans 12 calls all Christians to a transformed and sanctified life. In this message we breakdown the transformation process and begin to understand what our lives will look like as we grow in Christ. It should come as no surprise that this chapter deals heavily with themes of loving and serving others, resulting in our lives looking more and more like Jesus.

David is remembered and celebrated as a man after God's own heart. He received this compliment from God Himself, when early on in his life, he made seeking and following God his ultimate desire. In this message, we talk about the desires and motivators that all of us are driven by, and how so often we are left disappointed by where they take us. We hear about God's desire for us and how this shoul...

Romans 12 is the beginning of the final section of the book, which is all about Sanctification. We've learned about why salvation changes us and how it leaves us different, but now we will begin learning about what we should do as saved people. Paul launches quickly into practical teaching, showing us how following Jesus will impact our daily lives and influence us at our core. We see how the loca...

After two thorough studies on the nature of salvation, the Apostle Paul gives a final word about the heart of the matter. In this message, we talk about how salvation is completely a product of God's grace. We get saved by grace. We are saved by grace. We will always be saved by grace. We don’t earn grace. We can’t fail grace. We never outpace grace. Otherwise, grace wouldn’t be grace.

There's no denying that there is a fire spreading across our world. This fire consumes everything in its path. Wildfires often are ignited in dry and parched lands, and spiritually speaking, our land is devoid of God's presence and power. All throughout history, such distance from God has led to extreme violence and perverseness. There are countless examples of societies being overcome by these ki...

Whereas Romans 9 is all about God's sovereignty, Romans 10 is all about Human responsibility. In this chapter we see that these are indeed two sides of the same coin. God makes a choice for us, but we must also make a choice for Him. He initiates, but we must respond. And if we do respond, God will hear and He will save. Always.

Salvation belongs to and comes only from the Lord. Romans 9 is a thorough study on how God's sovereignty is at work in our salvation.

Jesus' ascension to Heaven's Throne doesn't mark the end of His story or His followers' hope, but rather a new beginning. When He sat down, a new reign began over all creation. All of the earth no longer has to settle for bondage under the beasts that deceive and distract us. When we look to Jesus, we find peace, power, and purpose that's not of this world, nor limited by this world's weaknesses....

The story of Samson reflects God's desire and ability to change a life that is dedicated to Him. However, it's also a story of God's patience and mercy, as Samson was far from a perfect man. There were blatant moral blind spots in his life, and after flirting with disaster again and again, his poor choices finally caught up with him. Satan set a trap for Samson, and being led by his unchecked lust...

Within all of us, there is a tendency to drift away from God. Through salvation and the gift of God's Spirit, we can be restored to God and find New Life in step with Him. If not for the Spirit's lead however, we all inevitably and helplessly fall away. The story of Judges features the nation of Israel drifting from God, even though they had ample reasons to trust Him and worship Him. God raised u...

In this introduction to our study on Samson, we take a look at the world that he was born into. In the Judges' era, Israel's faith had wavered and the whole nation felt the effects of this breakdown. God was actively working to redeem His people though, lovingly disciplining them and repeatedly rescuing them. He was looking for a faithful few through which He might perform wonders for and thru. In...

In our last look at Romans 8, we wrap up our conversation about the new heart we have in Christ, and move on to what is our ultimate Christian Hope. Paul pivots from talking how our salvation changes our behavior, to how it effects our response and perspective amidst this world's brokenness. He shows us how even this world's fallen and fragile nature is actually, actively being reinterpreted and r...

In part two of our Romans 8 study, we continue to talk about our newfound life in Christ. In some of the most rich and transformative verses of all Scripture, hear the Apostle Paul's plea that we take hold of all that has been deeded to us now that we are heirs of God.

For the most part, those recognized as famous throughout history were people of power, wealth, and great success. However, when it comes to the history of the Christian faith, most of the people that we celebrate were relative nobodies in their day compared to their contemporary leaders and influencers. It is truly remarkable how kings and rulers of the ancient world are mere footnotes in the stor...

There is probably no better or more pure expression of Christianity than Romans 8. Having established that we are justified by faith alone, Paul uses this chapter to exult over the benefits of saving faith. In this message, we break down the blessing of being in Christ. Paul gives us two major revelations regarding what salvation means for us. Listen as we marvel at the work that God has done on o...

Across the first six chapters of Romans, Paul has made a few things very clear: We need to be reconciled to God and are incapable of accomplishing that on our own. In Romans 7, he is going to make one final case about the unreliable and counterproductive nature of religion insofar as bringing about justification and salvation. Paul emphatically states that even the Jewish Law, as holy and inspired...

Whether or not Jesus would fulfill His earthly mission was never in question. However, whether His followers would accept their mission was a whole other story. After unfollowing Him and hiding out in fear, on top of outright scoffing at the idea of Jesus being resurrected, the Disciples weren't exactly eager for whatever Jesus had planned next. Jesus spent a period of 40 days after His resurrecti...

Easter has had an undeniable impact on the world. A New Creation was put into place through Jesus' death and resurrection, and we can experience New Life through Him. In this message we hear how Jesus changed everything and how He can change our lives for the better. Easter can be summed up as our inheritance. God has done something for us and desires that we take hold of this gift and make it per...

2000 years ago, Crucifixion wasn't something only heard about in history books, it was a constant backdrop of every day life. In the Roman Empire, people were crucified regularly, and as a result everyone was familiar with the sights and sounds of this brutal, inhumane practice. This makes the demand for Jesus to be crucified all the more bewildering. Over the last few days of Jesus' life, the cri...

On Palm Sunday, Jesus was by far the most popular person in all the land and had enough support to overturn both Temple and Empire. By Friday of the same week, everything had changed. Everyone had turned on Jesus. Shouts of praise had turned into jeers. "Hosanna" was replace with "Crucify Him!" How did this happen? How did Jesus go from beloved to betrayed? Chosen to cursed? Destined for exaltatio...

On two different occasions, the crowds that accompanied Jesus tried to make Him king. WIth numbers greater than the average Roman legion, all Jesus had to do was lean into their support and they would be unstoppable. He had displayed such greater power and wonders, clearly He was able to do whatever He wanted. After refusing the support again and again, one thing was becoming clear - Jesus didn't...