February 2011
1 post
December 2010
1 post
November 2010
3 posts
October 2010
3 posts
The Face of Christ
2 Corinthians 4:4 - 6
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”made his light shine in our hearts to...
10 Personal Growth Questions
From Perry Noble:
#1 – Am I reading my Bible for information or transformation? (James 1:22-25)
#2 – Am I allowing people or circumstances to steal the joy that Jesus promised to me? (John 10:10)
#3 – Is there anything in my life that God is consistently dealing with that I am trying to ignore? (Ezekiel 14:1-5)
#4 – Who are the people in my life that God has placed around me for the purpose...
September 2010
12 posts
Why Your Body Matters in Worship
“When most Christians think of worshiping God, they imagine such activities as singing songs of praise and thanksgiving, listening to the Word of God read and preached, corporate prayer, and the like. Few would consider the role of their body in worship. Indeed, in a popular definition, worship is described as involving a person’s conscience, mind, imagination, heart, and will—with no...
On the Move!
Risen Lord Community Church is on the move! At the heart of our move is a deep desire to reach our community, friends and family with the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are some important dates that we want to keep you aware of as we look forward to meeting in our new location in early 2011:
September 30th - Closing Date for property on Main Street
October 10th - Last Sunday at our current...
Becoming a Woman of Simplicity
Can life in this multitasking world be tamed? In a culture that pulls women in multiple directions at once, is it possible to de-clutter, and exchange some of those urgencies for what is truly important? The women at Risen Lord Community Church are going to devote Monday Nights for 11 weeks to answering those questions by studying Cynthia Heald’s book Becoming a Woman of Simplicity. This...
Pray and Don't Lose Heart
This past Sunday Doug Hon spoke from Luke 18:1-8 on how we should pray and not lose heart. Amidst the circumstances and disappointments of life it can be easy to lose heart. However in this parable, we saw that if an unrighteous judge is willing to give justice to a widow simply because of her persistance in asking for it, how much more should we be confident that our heavenly Father will not...
Gospel Giving vs. Guilt Giving
Some instructive words from Tim Keller on having grace rather than guilt motive you to give:
Often books and speakers tell Christians that they should help the needy because they have so much. That is, of course, quite true. Common sense tells us that, if human beings are to live together on the planet, there should be a constant sharing of resources. So when the statistics are brought out to...
Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone
This summer I went to Kaoma, Zambia for about a month with an organization named, Women’s Initiatives that Strengthen and Empower (WISE). While I was there we worked in orphanages, schools and a women’s center they built. We helped the people there in anyway we could holding babies, taking them for walks, helping children with their homework, teaching classes, sharing our faith and...
WatchLead Me - Sanctus Real
The Gospel of Wealth
A thought provoking article in the New York Times:
“The American dream radically differs from the call of Jesus and the essence of the Gospel,” he argues. The American dream emphasizes self-development and personal growth. Our own abilities are our greatest assets.
But the Gospel rejects the focus on self: “God actually delights in exalting our inability.” The American dream emphasizes upward...
A Nose Ring, Tambourine and a Scarlet Cord
For the ladies….
A great 3 part post from the girls over at Green Light Revolution. They take a look at the lives of Rebekah, Miriam and Rahab and specifically how these three stories reveal the character of God.
You can read it here.
Peace of Mind
This past Sunday, Doug Hon spoke from Philippians 4:4-7 on having the peace of God. We saw that although many people struggle with anxiety, the Bible speaks specifically to this issue and gives us clear instruction on how to overcome anxiety with the peace of God. Specifically, we saw from verses 6 and 7 that there are three things we can do in order to obey the command to “not be anxious...
August 2010
18 posts
“A person who is obsessed with Jesus knows that the best thing he can do is be...”
– Francis Chan Crazy Love
Tell Us Your Stories
A wise post from Collin Hansen:
Sometimes younger Christians give the impression that we have things figured out. We’re the future. We’ve found the old methods wanting, so we’ve developed new ones. We’re the generation that will strike the right balance where our forebears fell over to one side or the other. We’ve learned from your mistakes. And we don’t mind telling you. Older believers...
Tasting Saltwater
This morning Tom Kyle spoke from Mark 4:35-41 on “Tasting Saltwater”. We saw that just like the original disciples, we often experience unexpected trials, challenges and even tragedies. The question is not whether or not we will experience them but how we respond when we do. Just like the disciples, we often question whether or not God understands or cares about our situation and...
Recommend Audio
In addition to listening to and applying the messages we hear each Sunday at Risen Lord, it is beneficial to hear teaching from other trusted leaders with the body of Christ. Not only is it always helpful to consistently fill your heart and mind with the truth of God’s word but it is also important to be exposed to what God is doing and saying throughout the rest of the body of Christ. To...
Gospel vs. Religion
Tim Keller explains that although living out the gospel and being religious often look similar on the surface, there is a huge difference between the two.
Acceptance
Religion: “I obey; therefore, I’m accepted.”
Gospel: “I’m accepted; therefore, I obey.”
Motivation
Religion: Motivation is based on fear and insecurity.
Gospel: Motivation is based on grateful joy.
Obedience
Religion: I obey...
“When you overcome one obstacle, don’t think it’s the only issue in your life...”
– Terry Virgo / Read more here.
WatchCelebration 2010 Review
Illusory Superiority
This past Sunday, Jim spoke from 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 on Illusory Superiority. Illusory Superiority is that cognitive bias which causes people to overestimate their positive qualities and underestimate their negative qualities relative to others.
We looked at four things regarding who we are that we must be reminded of in order to walk in freedom from this particular manifestation of...
17 Date Night Tips
#2 - Husbands, when is your date night? Your wife needs it. You do, too.
#4 - Husbands, don’t waste every date night at a movie where you can’t talk. Use the time to visit with your wife, draw her out, and study her like you do the Bible
#5 - Date night killers: no plan, selfishness, laziness, letting technology keep interrupting, and doing the same old predictable thing.
#13 - Men, you...
Recommended Reading
“This is the book I give to all my friends who are serious spiritual seekers or skeptics.” - Rick Warren
Order here.
WatchTerry Virgo on Prayer
The Word of the Kingdom
This past Sunday Doug Hon continued our series on the parables of Jesus, speaking from Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23 regarding the “word of the kingdom”.
Use the following questions to reflect on how to apply the message to your life:
1. We saw how Jesus is the “Logos” or Word of God. Your desire for and how you respond when the word of God is preached, taught or read is ultimately a reflection of...
July 2010
22 posts
WatchWhat is Lifelink?
“My first duty every morning is to get happy in God because until I am, I am no...”
– George Mueller
WatchTerry Virgo on the Grace of God
Forgiving From The Heart
This Sunday, Tom Kyle continued our series on the parables of Jesus by speaking from Matthew 18:15-35 on forgiveness.
Use the following questions to reflect on how to apply the message to your life:
1. When a Christian brother or sister sins against you, are you going to them priviately or are you gossiping about what they did with others?
2. If you have been hurt by another person, are you...
A Burning Heart
This last Sunday Tom Smith spoke from Luke 24:13-35 about having a burning heart for Jesus.
Listen here.
(Please note that portions of the audio in the above message were cut out.)
“It is unhelpful to refer to evangelism as a gift because it removes the...”
– Ed Stezer / Read more here.
Celebration 2010 Audio
For those of you who were not able to attend Celebration 2010, audio of the 3 sessions is now available for you to listen to online or download. The three sessions were:
Session 1: Alan Scotland “The Essential Relationship with the Holy Spirit”
Session 2: Alan Scotland “Five Things That Are Necessary For A Dynamic Vision From the Holy Spirit
Session 3: Ian Rawley ...
How you can help Oasis Food Pantry win $250,000
Many of you are familiar with our involvement with Oasis, a local food pantry in St. Charles. Oasis is currently competing to receive a $250,000 grant from Pepsi that they would use to help purchase the building they are currently leasing. To help Oasis win this grant all you need to do is cast a vote from the comfort of your home or office. To vote for Oasis, just click here.
To learn more...