Risen Church NC

Most of us see acquiring money and possessions as one of our goals in life. Jesus tells us that these things are actually tools to attain a much greater goal in the afterlife. He spoke of "true riches" that we can only receive if we are faithful with and properly leverage our temporary riches. In this message, we hear Jesus cast His vision for how we should handle our money and possessions, and lo...

The Pharisees were self-designated as the religious elite of Israel. In an age where everyone was desperate to hear from God, they believed they were best positioned to get His attention and earn His approval. They boasted of their superiority and manipulated the religious system to magnify others' sinfulness. Naturally, Jesus and His Gospel upset the establishment and threatened to dismantle the...

In this message, we study why Jesus left the scene so abruptly in the aftermath of one of His most famous miracles. We also discuss Jesus' intentions in sending His followers into a storm and why this shouldn't cause us to lose heart at all. Listen and uncover a truth that Jesus' original audience so often missed...

Easter invites us to "come and see" what God has done to change our world and our lives. Rest assured, if there's any part of us that wonders if we can rise above our sorrows and sin, Easter also reminds us that Jesus is well acquainted with our brokenness. Once we understand that everything we need to know God and find new life is provided through Christ's death and resurrection, we will have uns...

A walk through Matthew 27, where we see how Satan's attempts to destroy Jesus actually created the platform for the Gospel. The redemptive power of God is on full display, from how He leverages evil for our salvation and how Jesus was forsaken in our place, for our forgiveness.

When the Gospel accounts reach the events of Passion Week it's as if time slows to a crawl. Every last detail is included as the story nears its climax. Thursday night, the last night of Jesus' life, is no exception. Matthew shares with us everything that transpired from that evening until deep into the night. Every expression of our fallen world is on full display and we witness Jesus navigating...

Every generation knows what it's like to want a revolution. From politics, to culture, to moral issues - we've all hoped and advocated for radical change. 2000 years ago, the people of Judea were desperate for a revolution. Many would-be revolutionaries had come and gone, being unable to put even a dent in Rome's armor. In this message, we look at how many had high hopes that Jesus would answer th...

The allure of power and authority has captivated every mind once or twice across life. For those with a real shot at obtaining such privilege, it becomes a mesmerizing possibility. For the few that ascend to such heights, they can't imagine ever losing it and spend most of their rule wondering how they may retain it. In this message, we consider how Jesus was truly a king like none other. He had w...

Few chapters of the Bible speak to us all as powerfully as John 11. It contains deep theological insight and revelatory practical wisdom. As we walk through this famous account, we discuss: - How Jesus response/delay to a dear friend's need offers vital perspective for our own trials - Martha's willingness to trust Jesus without knowing all the details of His plan - Jesus' emotion in the face of b...

The Redemption Plan involved atonement from the very beginning. God initially warned Adam and Eve that rebellion would result in death. However, in His mercy and grace He chose an animal to die in their place. In this message, we chronicle God's promise to provide a substitute to pay our penalty from Genesis to Exodus to the Gospels. We discuss all of this and more: - The reason a sacrifice is req...

In this message, we discuss why the people of Nazareth dismissed the notion that Jesus might be more than just a ordinary man. Their rejection of God's revelation stunted their faith and shut the door on Jesus performing miracles in their midst. After being rejected by His own people, Jesus encourages His disciples to join Him on the mission field. Just as He pressed on in spite of challenges, He...

In this message, we consider what made Jesus and His movement so irresistible to His original audience and what the church could learn from His approach. We also look at some familiar stories, in which Jesus answers the desperate plea of a father and visits a woman who had endured an excruciating wait.

The Bible contains many promises from God, but all of them fall under a single, overarching promise- The Promise of Redemption. In this message, we take a look at the initial promise of our great redemption story and follow the thread all the way through the Bible. We marvel at God's boldness to make a promise that would bless "all the peoples of the earth", which no one could have possibly taken...

A message about Spiritual Blindness and how it often causes us to miss/resist what God is doing. - Learn how Jesus interprets suffering and promises all of us hope - See how one man's simple testimony carries tremendous weight - Contrast the Pharisees' arrogant skepticism with the Blind Man's authentic gratitude

In this message, we learn what it means to be transformed by the saving power of God. We don't just need to be freed from sin, but we need to be filled with the Life and Presence of God. We learn from two famous stories from Scripture about the longing within all of us for a real, authentic connection with God. We see what happens when we are filled with all the wrong things, and how only true, la...

In this first message of our "REDEMPTION" series, we discuss why we need to be reconciled to God in the first place. Romans 5 explains how sin entered creation, by contrasting Adam's rebellion with Jesus' sacrifice. We come to understand that all that is broken in the world stems from the Fall in Genesis 3. We also realize that the first temptation is a preview of the temptation that we face every...

In this special message, we look back at the story of Esther and learn about God's sovereignty over the nations and the unique responsibility He has given His people, which He has placed in the various kingdoms of the world. Esther tells of the only time in history where Israel faced oppression from the Persian kingdom. We discus why this is significant, especially in light of a prophetic passage...

In this message, we discuss what it's like to feel a sense of urgency while lacking the agency or opportunity to properly respond. We've all felt this tension—knowing that something needs to change, but being unable to make the change. We often face these kinds of waiting periods, where the pressure only builds and builds as time presses on. Listen as we wrestle with this burden and the emotions t...

In one of the most theological rich passages in all the Bible, Jesus teaches us about the nature of discipleship, the sovereignty of God, and our hope in the face of fears and uncertainty.

We've all sat in plenty of waiting rooms, where it seems like time stands still as we sit on the edge of our seats or pace the floors in distress. Other waits aren't confined to clinics, but still render us frozen and full of emotions. The problem with our waits is that the world continues to turn and life moves forward whether or not we are able or ready to. As ideal as it would be to be able to...

A look at Jesus' first parables, focusing on the story of the seed and different types of soil.

Peter closes out his first letter by admonishing Christians everywhere to reset their expectations for how the world will treat us and react to our faith. He admits that it may feel strange to expect trials and persecution, but he reminds us of what our ultimate goal should be as followers of Jesus. Jesus called all of us to take up our cross and follow Him. The Way of the Cross is not just a mean...

If you were in and around the church in the late 90's, odds are you remember everyone being on "Rapture Watch". The New Millennium had everyone on edge, wondering if "the end of all things" was at hand. That fervor continued into the 2000's, but eventually faded into the background. Nowadays the subject is barely breached in the local church, with an emphasis on political and cultural dominance ha...

In this message, we learn how Jesus' miracles were signs of an even greater work that He came to do. Our flesh focuses on the sign, but they were always meant to point to God's plan and provision of salvation. We'll unpack how this frames miracles of all kinds, past and present. Then we discuss the way and method in which Jesus welcomed and accepted people, just as they were. When Jesus passed by...

A message about Jesus showing us how to navigate to honor God with our daily lives, while also making it clear that He came to do for us what we could not do for ourselves.