Risen Church Nc

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 hope and joy. After all of the doom and dread of Revelation 6-18, an Eternal Kingdom appears and shows us the destination that God has always promised. When the kingdoms and domains of this world are long past, there is a home in the Heavens that promises believers an eternity of bliss.

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 us to engage in the wrong battles and ignore the true battles within us. In this message, we discover how Satan builds fortresses in our hearts and how we cannot underestimate our own weaknesses. Ephesians gives us a battle strategy that has proven to be the only path forward in our fallen world.

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 deceived by a superficial association with Him. We fall for this artificial alternative, because it offers a quick ease for our conscience. Like the Jewish faith before ours, Christianity often devolves into just another religion. Churches become more about pacifying than propelling people forward and igniting passion with them. Listen as we discuss Satan's unnoticed stronghold at the center of our faith and how we might restore our churches to being the movement and mission that God intended.

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 desires in our hearts. In this message, we examine our hearts through the many Biblical warnings about the origins of sin. Every sinful action flows from a sinful desire that has established a stronghold in our hearts. If we settle for pretending and masquerading, continually suppressing and excusing the enemies of our heart, then we will never truly break free from sin or be filled with better, godly emotions.

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 mission to save the world and offers us an out-of-this-world anointing and purpose.

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 being great, exceeding everyone's expectations. However, it also previews Babylon and all of its greatness going down in flames. In this message, we take a look at how greatness according to this world is so vastly different than greatness according to God. Jesus came to a people so desperate to be greater than all the rest and showed them a brand new way forward. Listen as we discuss what makes one great in the Kingdom of God and how futile it is to chase greatness in this world.

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 pleasure. These all have proven to be empty promises to every generation that falls for the traps set by the devil. What outwardly presents as beautiful, appealing to our flesh and pride, only ever leads to loss and death.

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 reveals the altars we bow at. If we are going to follow Jesus, we must unfollow any and all that competes for first place in our lives. Good things that we've made ultimate. People that we've elevated to unholy heights. The things that our time, talent, and treasure flows to. All of these can become idols that not only rival God, but take His place in our hearts.

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 judgements on a world that has believed itself to be invulnerable and self-sufficient. Truthfully, our world is pummeling towards a final day of distress and conflict. Our only hope is in the King above all kings, and His Kingdom to come.

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 path for every disciple to walk. If we are truly His followers, it will show up in our real lives.

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.

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 Word, there is only *one way* to be a Christian- Be a Follower of Jesus. What does that mean? What does that look like? Listen to find out the simple, yet convicting foundation of our faith.

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

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 stories will go on and be remembered forever. How we respond to God's grace all throughout our lives will determine how our stories play out and the legacy that will go with us into eternity. Listen as we consider the tragic story of Israel's last king and how a series of foolish decisions eventually led to the entire nation's defeat. Nobody in the story believed that the end would come so soon, until it was unfortunately too late. At that point, there would be no "come backs", but a reckoning for all that had led to this moment.

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 acceptance and a belonging that even our greatest disappointment can't undermine or overshadow.

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 at two powerful stories which spotlight the power of trusting in God and forgiving others. When life deals us an unfortunate, unfair hand, our instinctive response will almost always distance us from God's plans to redeem and restore us. Listen as we marvel at the likes of Jospeh, Joshua, and Caleb - who all took their hurt and betrayal to God and pressed on in spite of all that was stacked against them. They removed the weight from their necks and they allowed God to heal their hearts.

"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 continually overcomplicating everything for him to finally surrender to God's way. Many of us realize we need to improve and have obstacles to overcome, but if we don't follow God's path to recovery we will only make matters worse.

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 the culmination of all his schemes. When the Holy Spirit pulls back from this world and everything descends into chaos - the devil will revel in his chance to bring humanity down with him. His final act of deception will be through an antichrist- a knockoff messiah whose endgame will be everything but saving. Listen as we imagine a world that could fall for such a ploy and see how it's not as unlikely as it may first seem. There's much to speculate about concerning Revelation 13, but one things for sure - it represents a future point of no return for this world and everyone left in it.

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 is a dragon- the same devil who has attempted to usurp God and destroy His people from the beginning. While most of the world is always bowing to the beast and its dragon overlord, a remnant of believers is called to persevere and keep the faith. Although oppression be fiery and obstacles be aplenty, the reward for the faithful is eternal. Listen as we talk about how Revelation 13 reflects our current world back at us and discover how we are all tempted to serve the beast every day. While certainly previewing the end of this age, this text proves to be a sobering reminder of the evil influence at work today and the call for us all to patiently endure.