Risen Church Nc

Of all the powers that ruled and fought for control of the Ancient Middle East, Persia was the one nation that Israel never engaged in conflict with. In fact, Persia played a special role in restoring Israel after a long period of captivity. This makes the mention of a future war between Israel and Persia one of the most perplexing prophecies of the Bible. Fast forward a few thousand years, and a long winding road has led to our current world, where Israel and Persia (Iran) have seemed destined for war for decades now. After years of threats and false starts, Iran has finally made its first move against Israel. In this message, we chronicle the journey that Israel has taken over the past 2000 years and discuss the fulfilled prophecy of Ezekiel 37. We also take a look at how the Arab nations responded to Rome's erasure of Israel and how history was rewritten in its absence. All of this leads us into a historical overview of the 21st century, where Israel was reborn and Iran became its greatest rival. List

It's His Church. It's our turn. And Peter is our greatest example of how to mature from a Jesus consumer to a true Jesus follower. Simon Peter started following Jesus for the same reason anyone does- Jesus did something for him. Peter immediately got lost in the wonder of what else Jesus might do for his life, so he became one of Jesus' first and most vocal disciples. As Jesus cast His vision for what His movement would look like, Peter and others questioned their involvement. While Peter made bold confessions, his behavior clearly revealed his compromised heart. When association with Jesus proved to be a great risk, Peter abruptly unfollowed Him. However, Jesus didn't give up on Peter... In this message, we see Peter's transformation from self-seeking to Kingdom-seeking. We see how he eventually arrives at an all-in mentality and challenges the rest of the Church to do whatever it takes to stay obedient to Jesus.

Easter brings us into a brand new, resurrection reality. We don't have to fall back to our old ways, our former emotions and behaviors because we have been lifted up with Christ. Listen and learn how Jesus' resurrection transforms us from the inside-out!

Jesus cast a grand vision from the very onset of His ministry that became more and more central to His message as time went on. After His resurrection, He reminded His disciples how everything had been building up to this moment. Now it was their turn... In this message, we hear Jesus lay the foundation for His Church and learn how it is God's big plan for every generation. Listen as Jesus passes the baton to us and learn how He prayed specifically for us- that we might make the most of our opportunity to be His Church. Now it's our turn...

What's so "good" about the Friday on which Jesus died? Hindsight is everything and allows us to see exactly what God was doing through Jesus' crucifixion. Listen as we discuss the major promises of Good Friday: Our Hope, Our Purpose, and God's Love

Jesus came to redefine what it meant to know and follow God. While many believed He was Messiah after seeing the signs and wonders, they still had a warped understanding of what the Messiah had come to do. The heart of Mark's Gospel shows Jesus challenging His followers' conviction about godliness, teaching them about a true, genuine relationship with God. In this message, we hear Jesus detail what living a godly life looks like. He teaches us how to be/do good and how to be great in the Kingdom of God. His way stands in sharp contrast to our preconceived notions and ideologies, but will save us from a wasted, selfish life.

On Palm Sunday, the shouts were, "Hosanna, Blessed be the name of the Lord." Just a few days later, on Good Friday, the cries were, "Crucify Him!" and curses were shouted at Jesus. Things changed so quickly, revealing the ongoing, hypocrisy and rebellion at the heart of humanity. However, Jesus' resolve and mission remain the same. He wasn't a king like they had expected, when they waved palm branches and lauded Him with praise. He was a different kind of king, come to do something unthinkable and unexpected. Jesus had come to bring redemption to our rebel race, to bring salvation instead of judgment. As Passion Week unfolded, the worst of humanity would be on full display, while the absolute best would be poured out by God. On this Palm Sunday, we remember Jesus the King - a King like no other. Although the celebration 2000 years ago was short-lived, He has indeed ascended to His throne and we owe Him nothing but shouts and praise.

How did Jesus meet (and exceed) all of the Old Testament expectations for what the Messiah would be like? Listen as we study and discuss how Mark presents Jesus as: - The Most Brilliant Teacher, revealing the secrets to knowing God - The Master and Lord Over All, deserving our full trust - The Ultimate Healer, who saves us from sin and death

Religion often makes it seem that God is most passionate about being right and condemning sinners. Jesus came to reveal that God was actually most passionate about being right with sinners. In this message, we see Jesus face off against the Pharisees, with a sinful woman's fate hanging in the balance. We learn how Jesus came to save us from our sin and the debt we all owe. We also learn how Jesus came to save us from having to save ourselves. Because of Jesus, sinner and pharisee alike can be fully saved and totally freed. In Christ, there is no more shame, no more sin, and no more self-righteousness.

Jesus is the full expression of God's passion. As Jesus told Nicodemus, His mission on earth was driven by love and meant to demonstrate God's love for the world. The story in John 4 underscores God's passion for people in that it features Jesus going out of His way to reach a certain woman. In the same way that Jesus was driven by passion, so can we find a new, totally satisfying way of life in Him.

Check out the first installment in our Road to Calvary Bible Study. An outline is providing below: The Road to Calvary: Heaven Sent - Mark 1 1) A Bridge from Old to New - 1:1-8 - Fulfilling Old Testament - Replacing Old Covenant - Providing New Way 2) A Connection between God and Man - 1:9-13 - Relationship with man - Relationship with God - Rescue from Enemy 3) A Pathway from Earth to Heaven - 1:14-20 - Change your outlook - Change your occupation - Confront your opposition

Sometimes God's plans for our lives are different than the plans we've envisioned for ourselves. Sometimes we can easily conflate worldly success with God's perfect will. Listen as David learns that God was taking his life in a different direction than he anticipated. While at first he resists and fights against it, he later surrenders to the greater work that God had in mind to do.

For thousands of years, the people of Israel had God's Word, full of sufficient revelation about God. Even though this should have been enough to bring people to Him, God decided to do something greater for the lost, confused world. When God took on flesh, the Logos took on Pathos - God poured His heart on all creation. Jesus came showcasing God's passion for the world, seeking to ignite passion within us all. Listen as we unpack the irresistible invitation that Jesus has given us all and learn how we might come and see how God can change our lives.

The story of Jonathan is one that's too often overlooked and perhaps misunderstood. As King Saul is driven by ego and jealousy, his relationship with his son was fractured. David found himself in the middle of their strife and got to observe one of the most humbling, inspiring acts in all the Scriptures. Listen as Jonathan shows us how beauty can be found amidst life's letdowns and how God is at work in our greatest disappointments.

The early church set the bar for what it looked like to walk in the fullness of our salvation. The original disciples were just ordinary people, made into extraordinary servants of God by the power of Christ. Listen as we marvel at the extent they all went to in their service to God and learn how we might measure up to the original, Christian standard.

We are no match for our spiritual giants - our flesh and sin. On our own, we are outranked and outnumbered. We need a Savior. The story of David and Goliath is a picture and preview of the work that Jesus came to do for us all, and the New Life that He enables us to live. In Christ, we can face our giants and we can indeed overcome. Just as He overcame sin and death, we can walk in this gift of salvation and be empowered by His grace.

There's a fine line between being called by God and actually knowing every detail about His plan for our life. Navigating this space between requires waiting with patience and trust. In this message, we talk about how God always has a plan laid out and how we can have confidence that He will open doors in due time. We also discuss how we should conduct ourselves while we wait and once the opportunities begin to come.

In this message we learn how aiming to live an extraordinary life means we own each moment that God presents to us.

Jesus said that following Him leads us into an abundant, extraordinary life. In this message, we hear how our lives can go above and beyond for God's Glory.

God is not the least bit impressed, moved by, concerned with physical appearance or experience. Religion loves to emphasize appearance, experience- the sights, sounds, feelings. However, God cares about our hearts, what kind of person we are.