The world becomes a different, better place for a few weeks every December. Everywhere we turn, we hear the Good News of Jesus Christ proclaimed. Even the non-believing world takes notice and feels the effects. There is an undeniable, palpable spirit of hope, peace, joy and love in the air. In this Christmas Eve message, we reflect on the power beh…

A message about the Peace that Christmas promises and how Jesus demonstrates the true power it brings to our lives.بقلم Risen Church NC

A message about the Joy the Christmas brought into the world and how Jesus alone helps us retain the Christmas Spirit.بقلم Risen Church NC

The Christmas story punctuates God's amazing grace on so many levels, but maybe the most powerful takeaways are the revelations within its backstory. Some of the most embarrassing episodes from Israel's past just so happen to involve some of the ancestors of Jesus. It would make sense that these stories be buried and forgotten, but no - Matthew hig…

Christmas came to bring good news of great joy to all people - particularly, all SINNERS. How do we know this? Well, because Christmas came THROUGH generations of all kinds of sinners.In this message, we study the life of the namesake Israel's most famous and important tribe. It turns out, Judah wasn't selected to be the progenitor for God's Messia…

A reminder of the Hope that Christmas brings us.بقلم Risen Church NC

It's easy to excuse people who have been dealt the worst hand and have become bitter as a result. We understand that if only things had went better, maybe they wouldn't be broken. However, we know exceptions to this rule - people who consistently rise above their troubles who choose to respond to life's unexpected turns with extraordinary perspecti…

Every Christian should be full of gratitude towards God. Thankfulness isn't an emotion, but rather a decision and an attitude that we must constantly possess. If we don't choose to be thankful, we will become forgetful of what the Lord has done. The Bible also calls us deeper, beyond just saying that we're thankful. We are called to show that we're…

Revelation 21 is *the* longing of every heart. We may not realize it. We may feel as if other desires are stronger. Truthfully, every desire we have is an overflow of this ultimate longing for Heaven. The Bible teaches that God has set Eternity at the center of every heart, and deep down, we want to be with Him more than anything. Revelation 21 giv…

In this message, we discuss the sobering subject matter of Hell and eternal judgment. We discuss the reason there is a place called Hell and then learn what an eternity of judgement might be like. More importantly, we also learn how Jesus offers everyone a way to be saved. On the cross, He welcomed on Himself a torrent of judgement, that was the co…

We all know what it's like to lose hope. So often the many variables we place our hope in prove unsustainable and as they falter, we faint. In this message, the Bible exposes the futility in placing our hope in fragile, uncertain variables. We are invited to trust only in the one and only constant, the God of the Universe. Daniel teaches us that Go…

In this series, we study the lives of four sons of Judah who have their entire worlds turned upside down, and yet they retain their faith. Everything that they had prepared for and dreamed of was taken from them, setting in motion a series of unpredictable events.This message spotlights Daniel's determination and resilience in the face of adversity…

We all struggle with purpose. What is our purpose? We turn to and lean on worldly systems for affirmation and confirmation of purpose. We long for a sense of peace and power, which comes from feeling good about our place in life. In this message, we peel back all the distractions and detours this world offers us, and clue into our shared purpose as…

In this message, we discuss how our faith intersects with our political landscape. How should Christians process and react to the outcomes of elections and attitude/actions of our government? Listen and be encouraged, challenged, and filled with God's peace...We learn 4 major truths about how God is at work over and above our current events:- God i…

The mastermind behind the kingdoms of man has always been our Adversary, the devil. His most sly, subtle, underestimated tactic through the ages has been to incite a spirit of rebellion in the heart of every person. The easiest route to deceiving people is through the kingdoms we call home and how they offer us an immediate semblance of comfort and…

Samson is known for the riddles he told, but his life and story are a riddle in and of themselves. He was clearly gifted and used by God, while also being blatant and defiant in his sin. God's patience and sovereignty over Samson's life is contrasted by his own casual mishandling of sacred, serious moral issues. In this message, we look at Samson's…

In this message, we discuss what Heaven will be like for those who die in Christ and who are taken up when He returns. We look at how worship and a devotion to Jesus will be a constant according to Revelation. This leads into a reflection on how we understand worship here on earth and discussion about our unity with other believers. We also discuss…

When the final kingdom of this world has fallen, after 21 different judgments are poured out - there's still more to the story.When everything this world has called good and relied on for generations has been consumed and fades away - there's still something better on the horizon.In this message, we let the words of Revelation 19 instill us with ho…

The Bible talks a great deal about strongholds of evil that are established by the devil, meant to frustrate and inhibit the work of God within the people of God. We often assume that these strongholds are built around places or groups of people, but they are actually most present within every heart. Misidentifying our true enemy has caused many of…

Satan's greatest deception and most successful tactic against Christians has always been through religion. He has constantly worked to turn the movement of God, into a museum about God, where the mission is emphasized and mood and memories are prioritized.Through religion, Satan lulls us into a state of comfortable detachment from God, where we are…

Early on in life we learn how to monitor and modify our behavior based on our surroundings. While this may quell our bad habits and repercussions, eventually it begins to enable a worse habit. Overtime, we ignore the impulses behind the actions. We may not say or do the wrong things in front of the right people, but we still carry the sinful desire…

Being a Jesus follower means we've received a brand new identity, with access to a brilliant, unbelievable opportunity in God's Kingdom. In this message, we consider the wonder of Jesus' invitation to us all and how privileged we are to be included in God's plan. In spite of who we are compared to Him, He has chosen us to be key players in His miss…

Everybody wants to be great. We want to be great in every category and on every level. Politicians promise greatness. Advertisement campaigns are all about making people feel and look great. Revelation looks forward to the final kingdom of man, which in many ways is the ultimate form of all the preceding kingdoms. Revelation 18 refers to Babylon as…

Presiding over every kingdom of man, permeating the structures on every level of society is the spirit of Babylon. This agenda has long been leveraged by the Enemy to solidify and further the separation between God and man. In this message, we look at how the beastly kingdoms have always deceived the masses with illusions of power, treasure, and pl…

In an age of multitasking, we are also prone to multi-worship - that is, split our devotion between God and many other masters. We may not bow at idols like the ancient pagans, but we certainly order our lives around vain, lifeless rulers. In this message, we examine the many idols we have elevated above God and realize that much of our behavior re…

Revelation 16 gives us a glimpse of the day on which Earth's last mortal kingdom will fall. No matter how peaceful, prosperous, or powerful any nation or empire of this world may seem, there is an expiration date on them all. In this message, we look at the series of plagues that will fall on the earth in the last days. These all serve as judgement…

Are you really following Jesus? It's one thing to say we believe or to obey certain religious commands, but following Jesus is truly measured in how we behave and live out our daily lives. In this message, we hold ourselves up to the ultimate litmus test of Christianity - The Sermon on the Mount. In this famous message, Jesus lays out a practical p…

There have been many reminders of our world's fallen, fragile nature throughout the generations. As the Day of the Lord draws near, nature and society will fracture and crack even more. All of these things should cause us to look up... for our redemption is coming soon.بقلم Risen Church NC

In this series, we go back to the basics (and the Bible) to discover the most essential truth about Christianity. That is, there is no version of the Christian faith where following Jesus is not at its heart. Our modern world defines Christianity dozens of different ways, with various degrees of severity and flexibility. However, according to God's…

In this message, we consider the justice, severity, and necessity of God's wrath.بقلم Risen Church NC

As merciful as our God is and as many chances as we are all afforded, eventually our earthly lives will come to an end. This doesn't take anything away from His grace, but points to God's sovereign plans and our finite nature. He's given us an opportunity to live for His glory and eventually, that opportunity will end. Our lives may end, but our st…

This message spotlights some of the most forgotten heroes of our faith who all experienced rejection and disappointment. God sent special revelation and comfort to them- which continues to serve as inspiration to us. Listen as we hear God's promises to raise us up from life's lowest moments and sustain us by His grace. In Christ, there is acceptanc…

In this message, we study the difference between those marked by the Beast vs those marked by the Lamb. Revelation 14 gives us a description of those redeemed by God, in contrast to those who have fallen completely away. Listen as we discuss God's image and what our lives look like when we've been restored through Christ.…

Bitterness and resentment can be like an albatross around our neck- dead weight that will only drag us down and hold us back. Of course, nobody becomes bitter or resentful because they want to. In most cases, these emotions are the overflow of other peoples' actions. We would have much rather done without the hard feelings. In this message, we look…

"God helps those that help themselves"This is an old proverb that is often repeated and even assumed to be rooted in the Scriptures. However, it couldn't be any further from the Bible and its truth. In this message, we study the life of a man who couldn't stop trying to help himself and brute force his way in life. It took decades of trying and con…

Satan has been attempting to copy and counter God since the Fall. He offers us up counterfeit, imitations to deceive people, and ultimately destroy them. Satan has long been desired to be worshipped in the place of God and has lured many to give the praise that only God deserves. In this message, we learn about his ultimate copy and what will be th…

Looming over every generation is a shadow of evil and deception. Our fallen world has been a domain of beasts- wild, unruly kingdoms with short-sighted vision and man-centered goals. In Revelation 13, John sees a vision of a world overran by a kingdom destined for judgement. Behind the nations, corporations, and institutions that lead people astray…

We can't always start over or obtain a clean slate. Most of our lives are built on top of many sins, mistakes, unwelcome circumstances - but these don't have to be the end of us. Jesus invites us to put these things behind us and walk by faith, however limited it may be. He also calls for us to identify our sin and guilt and allow Him to extract it…

Revelation gives us a glimpse at the future reckoning which will come against our fallen world and the powers of darkness that overshadow it. We even get a brief look into the Spiritual realm, where God will once and for all bring an end to Satan and every force of evil. This short passage in Revelation 12 details the end of Satan as our accuser an…

When distresses come, is your initial response to worship the Lord? There probably isn't a more unnatural suggestion, right? Nonetheless, the Bible instructs us to do this again and again. Psalm 118 doesn't just tell us to do this though, it explains why we should and the blessing that's found when we do it. In this message, we learn why God sovere…

Christians are called to seek out and set their minds on the better pathways made accessible through God's grace. Jesus has opened up to all of us a brand new way of life, whereby we walk in true fellowship with God and reflect Him to our world. In this message, we look at the most important of all the pathways laid out for us by God's Word: the Ch…

Nobody ever intends on getting lost, but we've all been there. Not just in our travels, but figuratively speaking. We've all arrived at places in our lives that are less than the best we dreamed about. As much as we'd like to hope otherwise, good intentions don't matter if we're going in the wrong direction. In this series, we discuss how if our he…

Lights in the Darkness - Revelation 10-11 by Risen Church NCبقلم Risen Church NC

God's warning to Ancient Israel about how they might protect and preserve their freedom turns out to be just as relevant to our generation. Listen as we hear what the Bible says about our God given freedom, the fear that always follows it, and how we might ensure the best possible future for us and our children.…

A Father's Desire - Exodus 19:1-6 by Risen Church NCبقلم Risen Church NC

Restoring Hope: The Devil's Rampage - Revelation 9 by Risen Church NCبقلم Risen Church NC

The Great I AM - Exodus 3 by Risen Church NCبقلم Risen Church NC

Restoring Hope: Silence and Severity - Revelation 8 by Risen Church NCبقلم Risen Church NC

Made For More - Psalm 139 by Risen Church NCبقلم Risen Church NC

Restoring Hope: The Last Revival - Revelation 7 by Risen Church NCبقلم Risen Church NC