Rise City Church Podcast

Our culture has moved to a hyper-focus on the physical dangers we face, and it's been to the detriment of the very true reality of a spiritual realm. Our only hope in a world surrounded by great physical AND spiritual dangers? A big, powerful, and sovereign Jesus. Spiritual warfare is not a battle between equals, Jesus reigns supreme. And if we surrender to Him, he will reign supreme in our lives as well. http://risesermons.s3.amazonaws.com/2020/foxeshaveholes/Nov22nd-SwineintheSea.mp3

Most leaders sell themselves. They want to make it as easy and appealing as possible to join their cause. Unbelievably, not Jesus. Jesus was--and is--up front with the rugged truth: to follow Him is a call to die. But here’s the key: it’s a death the leads to the truest life. Because when we give up everything in order to follow Jesus, we get everything Himself in return. http://risesermons.s3.amazonaws.com/2020/foxeshaveholes/Nov15th-Asleep-in-the-Storm.mp3

Our culture is beginning to understand the power of shame, and we are using it as a weapon against one another. This is what leprosy is, a picture of the shame of sin. Matthew uses the unclean leper so we can understand that in the face of shame, fear, isolation, and sin Jesus is willing to touch and heal us. But this is only possible when we completely surrender to Jesus' lordship in our lives. http://risesermons.s3.amazonaws.com/2020/foxeshaveholes/Nov8th-TheLeperandtheSoldier.mp3

Unity is a great idea in theory. But practically, how does it work when you're genuinely bothered by, angry with, or annoyed around someone else? What do you do when you disagree? In Philippians 2, we find the power to set aside differences and come together. It's purpose. Purpose is not something that originates in us but comes to us in and through Jesus. Listen to this teaching by Scott Bean as he explores the breath-taking humility of Jesus because of His unwavering purpose. Scott Bean | Unity With Purpose

Are we ever going to re-gather as a church? Have you asked that question at any point? Some wonder if it's safe to gather large groups. Others question whether it's even necessary to remain closed. These are both important questions. Yet, the biggest and most essential question remains: "What is Jesus calling His Church to do?" That's exactly what the Rise Leadership team has been wrestling through for months. Out of that wrestling has come clarity. We are convinced that there is a clear, safe, Jesus-exalting, vulnerable-honoring, community-building, city-elevating, mission-advancing path forward. Listen to this vision cast by Jason Clarke for the full plan. Jason Clarke - Vision Sunday

Question for you: Do you really WANT unity in our church? Do you want unity amongst various churches? And if your answer is yes, why? The truth is that when we take a hard look at what Jesus’ heart is in terms of unity for His church, sometimes we’d rather just keep things as they are. Sure, we like unity with the people around us who we like the most, who think like us. But unity across lines, across opinions, across divisions? Much harder to do. Join us as Pastor Josh from Gresham Bible Church talks about how it’s not our similar thoughts that unite us, but it’s Jesus who is the center of everything, drawing all believers into unity as we look to Him. Josh Howeth - Unity Across Lines

There are a few keys to a winning team: A great coach, a star player, and a rigerous training porgram. But imagine you had all those things and were still losing. What's missing? Easily the most impartant factor on any winning team is UNITY. As the Church we have a mission: to rise up and saturate our city with the Gospel. We already have the greatest coach (God the Father), a star player (Jesus Christ), and a killer training program (Discipleshi). What hangs in the balance between our church being rendered ineffective by Satan and flipping our city upsidedown is whether or not we are unified. In John 17:20-21 Jesus prays specifically for our unity. In his prayer we find both how to be unified and the power that a united church has. Nolan Tjaden - Unity Is Heaven's Strategy

Unity makes for a really great tagline until you desagree. Imagine looking across the table at someone you once enjoyed, but they're telling you they fundamentally disagree with how you view something. There's tension in the air. What's next? There's a key found in Romans 14 that provides an extremely helpful framework for our lives today. In this sermon pastor Jason gives us Unity pro tips. It's an indepth, practical guide to dealing with controversy in the church, and casts a vision for what it looks like to come together in the real controversies among people with whom we are called to unite. Don't miss it. Jason Clarke - Unity Over Right-ness