Risen Church NC

In this message we take a look into the greater, spiritual reality that we live in. Paul's encounter with the Sons of Sceva in Acts 19, gives us insight about the Darkness at work in our world, but the Light available to believers.

On this week's episode, we discuss how the Incarnation of Christ is continually realized and manifested through the local Church. Learn how participation in the Body of Christ draws us closer to God and brings Him closer to our world.

If Jesus were to address today's church, what would He say? Turns out the book of Revelation is a timeless message for every church of every generation. As the last book of the Bible, it completes the foundation set for the Church, equipping God's people to fulfill their mission. The Revelation serves to remind the Church of its place in God's hand, and compel the Church to remain faithful and end...

Acts 18 and 19 features a couple of interstitial episodes that are connected by a common theme. These accounts spark a conversation about the purpose of outward forms of worship and devotion and how they relate to the heart of the matter. In this message, we talk about how outward observations and practices are ways that we express our faith, but are only as valuable as what our heart possesses. T...

A conversation between Pastor Justin and Pastor Brandon Heavner about God's one request of us as His servants and as stewards in His Kingdom. The inspiration for this comes from 1 Corinthians 4:2, wherein the Apostle Paul talks about the importance of faithfulness.

Joshua 5 is a time of preparation for battle, but it’s different than what anyone expected… The people learn that a greater, spiritual war is at hand. We often only see the battle on the surface, but the battle behind the scenes is most pressing. This battle cannot be won by means of flesh and blood, but is only won through worship. In the presence of our enemies, we must learn to worship and seek...

By Acts 18, the Church had breached the firewall that was the Roman Empire. Satan was beginning to launch attacks, to attempt to stop the church from going and growing. The Church had dealt with Jewish opposition but now state-sponsored persecution was on the horizon. Before becoming clearly aware of the situation, Rome began targeting Jews in general, expelling them from the European mainland aro...

Before entering the Promised Land, the nation of Israel would face one last test from God. This test was meant to prepare them for and consecrate their hearts so that they may make the most of their life in the land. God brought Joshua and the nation to the Jordan River, which seemed like an impossible barrier between them and where they wanted to be. However, the water would not part like the Red...

The last half of Acts 17 features the famous account of Paul at Mars Hill, which was an ancient center of idolatry and philosophy. The people of Athens had grown tired of religion. The gods took and demanded all the more, but never gave. Philosophy grew out of this desire to carve a path for people to live peacefully, and hopefully skirt the attention of the gods. However, tradition reminded them...

2000 years ago the world was dominated by tyranny and terror. This was how things had always been, and appeared the only means of obtaining and maintaining power. However, from a small corner of the Roman Empire, a radical movement began that denounced everything this world stood for and every way this world operated by. A Jewish carpenter from Nazereth proclaimed that God was using Him to usher i...

Moses led the Children of Israel out of Egypt right up to the front door of the Promised Land. God led His people across the Red Sea, to Mt. Sinai, and to Canaan in only 18 months. Upon arriving, conquest and victory were not a matter of "if" but "when" and "how". So Moses sent spies into the land to see how they would take possession of it. Their report was glowing, as it was everything they had...

What was the Early Church’s secret to turning their world upside down? At the heart of every believer was a desire to make a difference, beyond just making points. They weren’t content to just say the right things, but they were committed to doing the right things, in the right ways. They preached a supernatural message and lived out a spiritual lifestyle, and this was appealing to a world that lo...

Our God is holy and perfect and holds Himself and His creation to the highest of standards. Yet in His holiness, He is also loving, willing to clean up a mess that He didn't make through His Redemption Plan. The LORD is a God of Victory and Salvation, working all things out for His Glory and our good. This is on display through His redemptive work with Israel. He called them His own, saved them fr...

In this series we've looked at a prayer that Jesus prayed the night before He died. We've studied a prayer from the Apostle Paul's letter to the Ephesians. This week, we take a look at the prayer template given to every disciple. What do these 3 prayers have in common? Well, they all carry a desire for unity. Sometimes the Bible's call for unity and words against division may seem a little unreali...

The narrative in Acts takes us into a brand new frontier, as Paul and his team move into Europe. It was because of their reliance on and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit that they were able to capitalize on this opportunity. Upon arrival to Greece, we see Paul encounter and win multiple people to Christ, all because of his responsiveness to God. Paul's eagerness is the gold standard for every genera...

In this section of Acts, we find Paul in one of his most tumultuous seasons of ministry. Paul and his team face several challenges, yet their poise and response through each of them reveals their passionate focus on the Kingdom Cause. In this message, we discuss how Paul was able to avoid setbacks and confusion, and remained in forward motion. We learn how might adopt these same values and apply t...

Division is inevitable, and it seems unavoidable in our world. However, we discovered in part one of this series that Jesus was kept awake all night praying that the Church might overcome division and pursue unity. Without unity, we cannot know God fully and will not make Him fully known. The Apostle Paul echoed Jesus' prayer from John 17, and prayed a similar prayer for the Church in Ephesians 3....

What do you think keeps God up at night? Maybe this seems like a strange question, but just consider - If something could keep Him up at night, that would be a pretty big deal don't you think? We begin a brand new series around this question and looking at the time that Jesus stayed awake all night long, praying about one specific thing. If we are to truly know God and fully make Him know, we must...

In one of the most overlooked sections of the Gospels, the Disciples repeatedly fumble the ball when given the chance to represent Jesus and lay the groundwork for the Church. Many of these episodes feature their misunderstanding of and contempt for children. They continually miss the point of Jesus' ministry and the desire of His heart. They aren't prepared and aren't willing to do the work to be...

We've all heard those famous words of Jesus again and again: "You must be born again." One of Israel's finest religious scholars came to Jesus by night, hoping to find insight about encountering God and overcoming sin. He never expected to hear these words. Jesus made it clear, that while our sin didn't prevent us from coming to God, we must experience a new birth to enter God's family. However, J...

In Acts 15, Paul's evangelistic efforts are being criticized and challenged by a certain sect of the Church. This faction is concerned that the Church is being too lenient on Gentiles who are coming to Christ. Were they simply to be entrusted into God's hands, without forcing them to conform to certain religious traditions? Wasn't that a risky thing to do? Was Jesus and His Grace enough? The Jerus...

When someone gives us their word, they are promising something to us. In that same vein, Psalm 119 tells us that God's Word is His Promise to us. From every historical account to commandment, from prophecies to parables, every Word from God conveys His Promise-Making and Promise-Keeping nature. From His Word, we learn that He is a God who intervenes in our lives, shows us His will and plan, and st...

Acts 15 is without a doubt one of the most important chapters of the Bible. For new or potential believers, it offers encouragement and hope. For established believers, it reminds us of our salvation and informs us in our evangelism. It also puts into context both Old and New Testaments, giving us clarity and insight in how to read and understand the whole Bible. You'd think a chapter that does al...

Psalm 119 does a remarkable job at lifting up God’s Word, mainly by telling us that it is the Greatest Resource available and accessible to us. We have more access to and supplements for God’s Word than any previous generation, yet we don’t lean on it enough. David’s writings in stanzas 3-8 make reveal how much more of a mistake that is, by telling us that God’s Word is our Greater Portion. By def...

Indelible is defined as making a mark that cannot be erased or that is simply unforgettable. It's safe to say that the Church in Acts definitely made an indelible impact on their world. The Apostles were committed to being a force for the Kingdom of God in their generation, and were faithful to the playbook left behind by Jesus. In Acts 14, we can clearly see that the Church was sticking close to...