Rise City Church Sermon Podcast

Worship is Our Warfare | Victory Sunday 2025

When life feels like a battle you can’t win, it’s easy to believe that trying harder will finally bring peace. But what if the breakthrough you need doesn’t come from more control, but from surrender? King Jehoshaphat faced an army he couldn’t defeat, yet instead of drawing a sword, he lifted a song. As Judah began to worship, God began to work.

In a world that says, “You got this,” Scripture declares, “The battle is not yours, but God’s.” Tune in for this victory Sunday as we see how praise pushes back fear, how worship invites God’s power into impossible places, and how the same God who fought for Judah gives us ultimate victory in Jesus.

Six Marks of A Healthy Church | No Matter The Cost

Paul ends his letter to the Thessalonians with a rapid-fire list of commands—a vision for what life in the church should look like while we wait for Jesus to return. It’s like he’s saying, “Don’t just sit back and count the days—live like the Kingdom is already here.”

In these final verses, Paul paints a picture of a church that loves well, serves faithfully, rejoices often, listens to the Spirit, grows in holiness, and stays connected through grace. This is what a healthy, hope-filled church looks like.

Tune in as we explore Six Marks of a Healthy Church Community—and discover how faith in the future changes how we live right now.

Deeply Formed | Matt Berg

Most people assume spiritual growth just happens over time. But the truth is, everyone is being spiritually formed by something — our families, habits, culture, and desires are shaping who we’re becoming. In Ephesians 4, Paul draws a bold line between the “old self,” shaped by sin and self-reliance, and the “new self,” shaped by the Spirit. You can’t keep wearing your old clothes and expect a new life to fit. Transformation doesn’t begin with trying harder; it begins with responding to the invitations of the Holy Spirit, who makes us new from the inside out.

Tune in as guest preacher Matt Berg unpacks what it means to “put on the new self,” created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24). Discover how daily practices like confession, forgiveness, and community open us to the Spirit’s renewing work — not just to manage sin, but to reflect Christ’s compassion, truth, and love for the sake of others.

Wake Up & Get Ready | No Matter The Cost

We live in a world that lulls us to sleep—spiritually numb, distracted, desensitized. But Paul raises a warning flag in 1 Thessalonians 5: The Day of the Lord is coming like a thief in the night. It will not be announced. It will not be delayed. And most won’t be ready. This day—the final, climactic return of Christ—will be a day of justice, when God deals decisively with sin, rebellion, and evil. But for those in Christ, judgment day has already happened—at the cross. That’s why Paul urges us: wake up and live like people of the day, not of the darkness.

The return of Jesus calls us to sober living, sacrificial love, unwavering faith, and unshakable hope. We don’t armor up with anger or fear—we put on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of hope. We serve, invite, give, and share with urgency because the Day of Salvation is coming. Tune in as we explore how to live awake, alert, and anchored in the coming Kingdom of God.

Jesus is Coming Back Soon | No Matter The Cost

Something in us knows this world isn’t the end. We feel it at funerals, in the chaos of the headlines, and in the quiet moments when we wonder, is there more than this? The early believers in Thessalonica wrestled with the same questions—watching their friends die for their faith, wondering what came next. Paul writes to them—and to us—to say: there is hope beyond the grave. Because Jesus died and rose again, death doesn’t get the final word. Our story ends not in loss, but in life—resurrection life.

And the best part? It’s closer than you think. Scripture says a day is coming when the sky will split open, the trumpet will sound, and the King will return. Evil will be crushed, creation restored, and those who belong to Christ will rise to meet Him. That reality changes how we live now. It means we can face grief with hope, urgency with purpose, and a broken world with unshakable confidence. Tune in as we look at the signs, the promises, and the glorious return of Jesus—and discover why The End isn’t something to fear, but something to long for.

Revival Starts in Our Homes | No Matter The Cost

There’s something stirring in our time. People are restless, searching, and waking up with a hunger they can’t quite name. All around us we see signs of spiritual awakening—new faces walking through church doors, lives asking deeper questions, hearts opening to God. These are seeds of revival being planted. The question is: will we recognize the moment and nurture what God is doing in us, our families, and our church?

In 1 Thessalonians 4,  Paul urges us to reject the patterns of the world and walk in God’s good design—especially in the area of sexual purity. Sex was created as a gift to connect and create within the covenant of marriage, but outside that covenant, it divides and destabilizes. Paul is clear: holiness is not about shame or legalism, but about freedom—choosing to honor God with our bodies, our relationships, and our everyday choices. Tune in as we explore how revival begins not with noise and spectacle, but with quiet obedience in our homes, purity in our hearts, and a life that reflects the beauty of Jesus. When we live to please God “more and more,” we not only experience His power but also shine as a stark and hopeful contrast in a world desperate for healing

A City-Transforming Community | No Matter The Cost

We’re all longing for belonging, but true connection comes through love that shows up, faith that endures trials, and growth that never stops.

We’re called to live with hopeful vision, ready for Jesus’ return and bold enough to transform our city by the way we love each other. Whether you’re curious about faith or already following Jesus, this message will challenge you to step in and live differently. 

Never Back Down | No Matter The Cost

Some moments in our lives are watershed moments—where tragedy strikes so deep we know our world will never be the same. This week was one of those moments in our Nation. The public assassination of Charlie Kirk is now etched into our national memory. Not a head of state, not a military leader—but a voice for truth, faith, and conviction, cut down not for political position because of Biblical conviction. This moment is more than political—it’s spiritual. And how we respond will define a generation.

The Church must not cower in fear, rage in retaliation, or retreat into silence. Like Paul in 1 Thessalonians 2, we’re called to courage in the face of opposition—fueled by the fear of God, not man. Courageous Christians speak truth no matter the cost, love each other like family, and protect the mission at all costs. Evil will rage—but it cannot win. Our task is clear: live bold, holy lives; preach Jesus with conviction; protect one another in love; and hold fast to the hope that God will avenge, redeem, and restore.

A Saving Faith is A Life Changing Faith | No Matter The Cost

What keeps you standing when life pushes hard against you? For the Thessalonian church, following Jesus meant being misunderstood, rejected, and even persecuted. Paul’s encouragement was simple but profound: you are chosen by God, and that changes everything.

To the fearful, God says you are loved. To the scattered, He says you belong. To the weary, He promises your future is glory. Your faith isn’t built on your strength but on God’s unshakable grip.
And the evidence of His gospel is not just belief in your head but transformation in your life.

Join us as Pastor Jason Clarke unpacks how God’s choosing brings comfort, security, and hope. We'll see that we can live not as victims of our circumstances but as victors in Christ, with lives that shine with joy and echo far beyond what we can imagine.

Weapons For A World Against You | No Matter The Cost

When life feels stacked against you, where do you turn? The Thessalonian church was small, new, and surrounded by opposition. Paul couldn’t stay to guide them, but he wrote back reminding them that God had already given them the weapons they needed to stand strong in a world against them: prayer, the Word, and the power of the Spirit. These aren’t flashy or obvious tools, but they connect us to a strength far beyond ourselves.

Tune in as we discover how prayer can be more powerful than presence, how God’s Word anchors us in truth amid a sea of voices, and how the Spirit brings conviction and transformation that no opposition can stop. Together, we’ll see that faith works, love labors, and hope endures—arming us to follow Jesus no matter the cost.