Risen Church Nc

Jesus' most oft repeated commandment reveals the one thing He desires for us above everything else. The single greatest promise of Christianity is found in His invitation to "Fear Not". What if there was a way around being afraid, even when there was plenty to be afraid of? What if Jesus can help us overcome, instead of being overcome?

Mirror, mirror on the wall, which is the most deadly sin of them all, which gives birth to every other evil thought, word, and deed? Most likely, we all will agree, yet most assuredly we all struggle against this evil force on a daily basis.

The Resurrection changed everything. John 20 is ground zero for the Christian Faith, for the New Creation. When we come to know the meaning and impact of Jesus' Resurrection, we won't be able to go back to life as it was before. We will walk away brand new creatures, filled with the peace and power of God.

Every candidate for office tries to win our votes by promising us the best of everything. They cast an especially tantalizing vision concerning how we might find economic prosperity and security under their theoretical rule. Jesus was no different and in His campaign to win our hearts, He shows us the true secret to financial peace and freedom. However, it's unlike any plan this world promotes. While we often vote for what will give us more money to control and more control over our money, Jesus suggests a better way: Surrendering control of it all. Yes, Jesus shows us how in God's Kingdom we are not owners, but stewards. To be rich towards God is a much more desirable state than to be rich in this world. This radical invitation may fly in the face of the American Dream, but it leads us into making a Kingdom difference. We can find true peace and freedom when we learn to live with open hands, leveraging what we have for God's Kingdom. True joy can be found when we learn that giving is better than receiv

Jesus' body was not buried in a grave. It was planted in a garden. In this lesson, we learn how one verse paints a beautiful picture of our Resurrection hope.

Undeniable: At the Cross - John 19:28-42 by Risen Church NC

Paul gives a personal, passionate call for all "Spiritual" people to place themselves under the burden of those who have fallen or been weighed down by life. We may not understand or we may be indifferent towards their burden, but as Christians what we should see is a person in need of relief and restoration. As we have been restored by God's grace, and as God has seen a redeeming value in us, we extend this same hand towards others. Will we allow God’s heart of compassion and mercy to change ours, and be greater than our indignation or selfish ambitions? It’s easy to complain about wrong, be passionate about right, and be indignant towards the world... it’s easy to forget that we don’t deserve the good standing we have. But do you suppose God is pleased one bit with that kind of posture? “What breaks your heart?” - That’s the question we must ask ourselves. God often allows our hearts to be broken to align them with His own, to shape and direct our response. May God give his people a compassionate concern

This world has us wrapped around its finger and marching to its beat in so many ways. We fall in line, for the most part, because we believe there is some peace, comfort or satisfaction awaiting at the end of each day, season or year. Time and time again, we put our hope in religion, institutions and rituals, to only come up empty. If only we had a way to something real and truly fulfilling... if only we could trade hope for a Living Hope! Jesus is this Living Hope and a relationship with Him brings His Living Spirit to our hearts. When we’re known by Him, He makes our hearts His home. We don't have to continue to be entangled in bondage, because Christ has broken this world's chains. By faith, we don’t have to accept bondage over freedom. No matter how we feel or what we face, our hope is in our God. He has moved in and in Him we can’t be moved. Every day can count by faith and in God's love. The elements of this world may stand over us, but they don’t live within us. We can stand up to them, because

John’s Gospel is full of characters who unwittingly play a crucial role in God’s redemption plan. Not the least of these featured people is Pontius Pilate. We all know Pilate’s role in the story of Jesus, but have we ever considered his motives? John gives us a look inside the mind of Pilate, as he faces tremendous pressure during the trial of Jesus. More so than the weight on Jesus’ shoulders, was the weight on Pilate’s as he mulled over what to do with Jesus of Nazareth. At first he reveled in watching the Jews beg for his help, but one particular accusation shook Pilate to his core. This accusation, which confirmed assumptions Pilate was already having about Jesus, caused him to face the ultimate decision. Does he remain a friend of Caesar or become a friend of Jesus? If Jesus was indeed who He was accused of being, and who Pilate was almost certain He was, wouldn’t it be the better decision to take His side? Friend of Caesar or friend of God? Which hill would he die on? *Apologies about the firs

We often look to Jesus' miracles, signs and wonders to get a full glimpse at His divine power. We often turn to His sermons and parables to hear the clearest of words from God. However, there is perhaps no more powerful portrayal or clearer reflection of the God of Heaven than that of Jesus on trial before Pilate. As the conversation progresses it seems that Pilate is the one who is truly on trial, as he represents all the institutions of darkness and flesh, trying to cement their power as absolute and unstoppable. Though seemingly in a position of weakness and vulnerability, Jesus proves to be very much in charge, and testifies to God's true nature and plan. Jesus shows a fearlessness and signals a coming roar from Heaven, as He stares death in the eyes and doesn't blink. His trial, sentencing, and ensuing death may have appeared to spell doom on God's Kingdom ever coming to earth, but in reality this was just the beginning... The beginning of the end for death and hell, and the introduction of a brand

Paul shifts from defending his faith to defining the Christian faith in a broad, yet personal way. Paul shows us how we all can have a relationship with God, by highlighting the very first man to enter into an authentic and personal relationship with God: Abraham. Through Abraham's story, we learn that God has always connected with people by faith. When we trust in Him and His promises, we breathe in brand new life to our souls. Shame, bondage and separation can be replaced with forgiveness, freedom and family. There's no greater relationship we can forge. There's no greater favor that we can know.

When God reveals to Jeremiah the sin of Judah, Jeremiah is surprised that the blame falls on the religious leaders. However, the picture becomes clear as Jeremiah sees through the gloss of their religious rituals. The Temple was renown as a place of dynamic worship, but there was a vast disconnect between how they worshiped and their ways. In one of the most convicting chapters of the Bible, we hear Jeremiah call into account the Spiritual leaders of Judah, and challenge their silence and even support of the sin of the land. What seemed to be political and social issues, are made clear to be Spiritual issues. We hear God call His people to defend the cause of the unborn, children, immigrants, the poor, and oppressed. This conversation may bring discomfort and challenge the status quo, but God's people cannot avoid it. As the New Testament reiterates, we are the body of Christ, His hands and feet. How are we showing this to our world? Government may off solutions to some of these issues, but any given

Jeremiah brought a word of judgement against Judah, but it proves timeless and relevant as ever for our generation. Navigating these chapters and this topic requires tremendous grace and patience with ourselves and each other, as it is a heavy subject. We follow Jeremiah as he arrives at the reasons for God's displeasure with His people. God exposes a disconnect between the vertical and the horizontal in the lives of believers. This conversation brings a lot of opinions to the table, but it's one that we must have as God's people. God’s greatest contention with Judah was the hostility and division between the poor and the rich, those without much and those with a lot. Though this no doubt requires us to consider politics and economics, the message from Jeremiah is clear: We cannot let the tension in our society created by politics, displace the burden in our hearts created by God’s Word. Buckle up and dive in to two of the most challenging chapters in the Bible, and allow God to speak to your heart. *

John tells an incredible story of how Jesus came on the scene and reveals Himself to the world. The hype builds and builds until it just stops... In John 18 we read about the darkest night that ever fell on creation, and we see almost every disciple fall away. However, though betrayed, forsaken, bound, and taken before a corrupt court, Jesus remains as confident as ever, resolved to continue forward with God's plan. We see a contrast between Jesus and those that seemingly had trusted in Him, and we are left speechless at how anyone could respond the way Jesus did. We follow Peter stumbling over all that he claimed to believe in and live for, only to curse the day. This darkest night brought out the very worst in everyone, yet it brought out the brightest and best of the Only One who could save our lives. This night is ultimate proof that we all desperately need a Savior. It's also ultimate proof that we have a Savior... We have a Savior indeed.

As Paul continues to chronicle his early days as a Christian, he acknowledges that the opposition he was currently facing was not new at all. From the outset of his ministry, there was tension with the Jerusalem Church regarding his desire to share the Gospel with Gentiles. Could people apart from the Law and Jewish traditions even become Christians? Weren't there religious prerequisites that people should be held to? Or, was Jesus enough? Paul found himself in a confrontation with one of Jesus' number one followers, and boldly defended the true Gospel, knowing that there was only one hope for the world. He lays out truths that the Church often forgets, as it becomes more and more insider focused. Paul reminds us of the grace that saved us and compels us not to add anything to this foundation. We learn that both our own faith and the potential faith of others is at risk when we rely on anyone or anything but Jesus for hope and certainty.

Undeniable: Enduring Word - John 17:17 by Risen Church NC

Paul passionately defends his faith before his earliest disciples and critics. Once a violent enemy of the Church, Paul was saved en route for more blood shed. This encounter with Christ left him a brand new man, with a resolve to tell the whole world about Jesus. Prior to 47 AD, there were just two churches in the world, but because of Paul's passion and burden, his mission to Galatia was just the beginning...

Everyone knows Judas as the one who betrayed Jesus, but have we ever stopped and wondered what let to this moment in history? It may surprise us to learn that Judas would betray Jesus for the very same reason that he initially followed Jesus. He saw in an opportunity to advance himself, but Jesus proved to not be who he thought he was. Judas wasn't getting what he wanted out of Jesus, so he decided to get away from Jesus, and put Him away for good. This makes no sense in hindsight. But Judas wasn't acting on the basis of good sense. He had been deceived by Satan's deception, that what he was looking for was always under the next coin. In the climax of the Gospel's story, we see Jesus and Judas contrasted so clearly. Judas tries to manipulate everything to better himself, while Jesus surrenders for the sake of everyone else. Jesus could have turned the situation against His enemies, but He chose not to. May we all realize what Judas never did, that our tiny minds cannot imagine nor think of what may actu

Jesus once stood in front of a fledgling movement and predicted that one day, it would be the largest of its kind. Though it was off most of the world's radar then, one day it would be ubiquitous, and impossible to avoid. One day, its influence and impact would be so far-reaching and wide-spread that everybody would know His Name. His audience probably thought He was delusional, or just embellishing to get their attention. Little did they know, however, that 2000 years later, Jesus and His Church would have changed the world, taking His message and ideals deep and wide. Though not everyone attends or even believes, it is undeniable that Jesus and His Church have changed the world. For Christians, we should never lose our sense of awe and wonder about belonging to Jesus and being in His Church. We take for granted what we know and what we've seen, but it is nothing short of the work and wonder of God. More than anything, knowing that Jesus was right about His Church, we should also understand that He will

The night before Jesus died, He prayed for one thing. Of all the things we may imagine would have been on His mind, and all the important things to consider praying over, Jesus focuses on His Church. He had built His Church around His eleven followers, and was sending them into the world to continue the mission He had begun. Jesus prays for the Church to be united together around Him and His mission. He stresses that our Kingdom Impact will always depend on our Church unity. Jesus leaves us with a strong word: The world will not believe that God has sent a Savior, if they don’t see us united together. So we must unite together in love for Him and one another. We may feel this is impossible, but Jesus tells us that it is imperative to our mission.