Rise City Church Podcast

Prepare Him Room

In the midst of a busy Christmas season, it's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of all the activities that get added to to the calendar and in the to-do list of all the things you need to accomplish. It's like Christmas becomes this big event, and we forget to pause and reflect on why a holy and perfect God would become a child in this world.

 

The greatest tragedy of Christmas is forgetting to make room for Him.

 

Join us for for "Prepare Him Room," as we learn how to prepare our hearts for the quiet arrival of a savior, and the true reason we're celebrating this Christmas.

 

Jesus is our Victory

Imagine a life where we boldly proclaim victory over regret and shame, refusing to let our past mistakes weigh us down. How might our lives change if we truly believed that there is no more condemnation for those who believe in Christ Jesus?

Romans 8 tells us that we are more than conquerers through Jesus. Listen in to begin to comprehend the truth that He became sin so that sin could be put to death. Because fully understanding our new identity as children of God is the key to genuine victory in our lives.

Encounter Jesus in the Word

In the hustle of everyday life, where it often feels like we're navigating challenges that don't end, have you ever wished for a different story? In the twists and turns of life's struggles, imagine discovering a consistent source of hope in every book of the Bible, finding Jesus woven into the narrative. In this week's message, we walk alongside the men on the Road to Emmaus as they encounter the resurrected Jesus, who reveals the truths hidden in the Scriptures and that ultimately, He is the hero of every story. This meeting opens their eyes and sets their hearts ablaze.

Join us as we explore how all of scripture reveals hope and encouragement as we seek Jesus.

Seeking an Encounter

Have you ever experienced the weight of feeling unseen by God in the middle of struggles? Life with Jesus is not removed from the burden that gets thrown our way. And it's a common response to withdraw when things get tough—leading to feeling even more disconnected.

In Luke 19:1-10, we witness how meeting Jesus led to radical change in Zacchaeus' life.  But would Zacchaeus have gone through such transformation if he hadn't made the effort to get Jesus' attention? Join us for Seeking the Overlooked as we learn to be purposeful to pursue His heart and the incredible power that leads us to repentance and salvation.

Encountering Generosity

Financial burdens weigh heavily on all of us. There isn’t anyone who has not been affected by the recession and increased inflation. So how do we respond to God’s call on us to be generous people in our current circumstances?

Listen in to learn the story of a woman who had almost nothing, but gave everything — not because God demands or needs it, but because there is Kingdom Power in our generosity. Join us to understand the joy and fulfillment that comes from partnering with Jesus on His mission.

An Encounter with Doubt

Doubt in the church can be difficult. People with doubt are often pushed away thinking that they lack faith or that they are a hindrance to the Gospel. But we have all experienced doubt. If we're honest, we have all wrestled with our faith.

This week, we look at the story of a man often called Doubting Thomas. What we see isn't a story of a man lacking faith but of a man coming to Jesus with his questions. Doubt wasn't Thomas' destination, but it was an important stop on his journey used to strengthen his faith. Join as we open John 20 to find that Jesus isn't intimidated by our questions, but invites us to encounter Him.

Healing in His Wings

Do you ever feel like life is just one painful experience after another? From financial struggle to physical pain, from relational disconnect to emotional suffering. What do we do when we feel like life is in the pit?

This week in Mark 5:21-34, we dive into the story of a woman plagued by an illness that deems her unclean and ostracizes her from society. She hears about a man performing miracles and believes that even just brushing the fringe of his clothing will heal her. Jesus was surrounded by people on all sides, yet she was the one who experienced the power of transformation because of the depth of her faith.

 

Join us for “Healing in His Wings,” where we see how reaching out in faith and what we believe about Jesus will determine how we respond in suffering.

An Encounter with Grace

Do you ever feel like your past is too much to overcome? Saul was a persecutor of Christians who had a life-altering conversion after encountering Jesus on the road to Damascus. He emerged with an entirely transformed identity and purpose.

 

In Acts 9:1-19 we witness how this encounter transformed him from a persecutor of the Church to a proclaimer of the Gospel, inspiring us to embrace transformation through Christ and to see how His grace redeems even our worst histories.

An Overflow of Grace

What does it mean to have a posture that pursues Jesus? Merely being in the room with Him is not the same as laying at His feet.

In Luke 7, we witness the authentic display of a sinful woman encountering Jesus in a room filled with Pharisees who were brewing with judgment and control. Join us for An Overflow of Grace as we are invited to witness how her beautiful display of love and tears results in radical transformation, prompting us to offer our hearts fully to Him.

Rising Hope

What does it look like to help our friends and loved ones encounter Jesus? How can we make a way for them to have their own encounters? The truth is, the church has a massive responsibility in paving the way. We are called to cut holes in roofs so that those far from God can encounter him. Our mission is to get people to Jesus despite the obstacles or criticism that comes along the way.

In Mark 2, we see a group of friends that had such a deep faith in what Jesus could do, that they dug a hole in the roof of a building where Jesus was teaching, so they could lower their paralyzed friend down to encounter Him.  Join us for the second week of Encountering Jesus to glimpse faith deep enough to move the heart of God to impact that man’s destiny in this message of Rising Hope.