Rise Community Podcast: Recent Episodes
Rise Community Church
Original Message shared on October 2021 addresses the deep wounds we carry and God's desire to heal and overcome the pivotal hurts that cause us and those closest to us ongoing pain!
We continue in our study through the Gospel of Mark and address the Dark influence of the principalities and Powers and their infiltration into the church!
Have you ever asked the question, "What is my calling?" This week Pastor Pete continues our study through Mark as we discuss Jesus calling the disciples. We learn that God is the one who calls, and His calling demands an immediate response.
Pastor Pete talks about Jesus's Baptism and His wilderness experience. Why does God send us into the wilderness!
Pastor Pete teaches from the story of the lepers in Luke chapter 17. In this scripture, Jesus is reminding us of God's mercy and shows us that there really is hope for the hopeless.
As we wrap up our study in the sermon on the mount Jesus is describing the results of a life on the wide and narrow road. Our obedience to His words is what determines whether we have built our house on the rock or the sand.
Pastor Frank shares his personal struggle with walking the wide path that leads to destruction and teaches why we should always choose the narrow way because it will always lead to life.
In this section of the sermon on the mount Jesus is saying clearly if your treasure is on earth you are in darkness and your master is not Jesus. As a result, you will live a life consumed with anxiety and worry, trying to gather that treasure up.
This is the only place where Jesus names a rival that threatens discipleship and our relationship to him and he calls it money. It is possible for our possessions to own us as much as we own them. Jesus is saying it’s not the having of possession but the constant declaring that your possessions are yours that prevents you from being a disciple!
In this message as we look at what Jesus says about praying and fasting, Pastor Pete explains how any aspect of our life with God can be corrupted when we become more worried about what people think of us than what God thinks of us.
God is indiscriminate in His love. If you want to boil down to what God is like, God is like loving your enemies. Self-sacrifice for the good of your enemies. That's what God is like and his children are most like God when they do that.
Moses limited revenge through laws in the Torah, Jesus taught the abandonment of vengeance for personal insult and instead to react in creative ways that value dignity as an image-bearer. Jesus is deconstructing the way we live and see ourselves and other people.
Let your yes be yes and your no be no! Our need to "put a spin" on something comes from a deep desire for control. Jesus calls us to be honest and transparent by simply saying yes or no. There is no need for manipulation or "spin" in God's kingdom.
Pastor Pete dives deep into the topic of divorce and re-marriage. He explains what the Bible tells us about divorce and the difference between concession and God's ideal. We live in a time when the divorce rate is no different in the church than outside the church. What is God's true ideal and purpose for marriage? Why does God hate divorce? In the sermon on the mount Jesus is reminding us that marriage is not a consumer product that exists for our personal satisfaction. It's much, much more than that.
Pastor Pete delivers a powerful and timely message on the problem with lust and its destructive pattern. He also points out that in this portion of the sermon on the mount Jesus is explaining that the kingdom of God is a safe place for women.
We all have sections of the Bible that we tend to avoid. But it is important to understand that the entire Bible points to Jesus, from beginning to end! We must have a good understanding of the law in order to really know what Jesus is setting us free from. Jesus wasn’t interested in just following a set of rules to create some external conformity because Jesus knows that true righteousness needs to occur in the heart.
Jesus calls us to be salt and light to our world, but what does that really look like? In Matthew 5:13-20 Jesus affirms the world shaping value of ordinary people following the ways of an extraordinary God. He teaches us that the people with true power to heal and transform the world are the ordinary, authentic people of God. Just like salt preserves and light exposes, Christians are called to preserve a dying world and shine light on truth.
The beatitudes are not a list of how to be blessed, but they are a description of who IS blessed. The outsiders, the marginalized, the misfits.
Reflection Questions
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Do you think of Jesus as fully God and fully human? Which is easier for you to accept?
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How do you usually measure success in your own life?
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How is the kingdom of God breaking through in your life? Take note this week at each moment you see the Kingdom of God manifesting itself in your life. Use the beatitudes as a guide.
When we remember that Jesus was fully God AND fully human it may help us take his words more seriously. This week we begin our new study on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount where we are challenged by the question...what if Jesus wan serious?
Welcome to Rood Pastors! In this episode, we make our introductions and explain what Rood actually means. We also dive right into our new series on Jesus' Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew Chapter 5 and ask the question, "Are we really being persecuted?"
Join us for Palm Sunday as Frank Ares teaches a powerful message on God's amazing grace.
On judgment day God will ask, "do you know me?" What will your response be? This week Brenden Hojara closes our study in Psalms in Psalm 130 with a challenging message on sin and how we may be looking at it the wrong way. This Psalm tackles feelings of despair, shame, and hope and reminds us that God keeps no record of sin, so why do we?
Your tears are not wasted. Are we anticipating a harvest? This week Brenden takes us through Psalm 126, which teaches us that seasons of sadness can often be seasons of sowing. We learn that our tears are never wasted and can actually be exactly what the seeds we sow need to eventually reap a harvest.
Pastor Pete continues our study in Psalms with an inspiring message on the space in-between. Many times the place we find God the most is in the space between.
Join Pastor Pete as we study through Psalm 77 and how the word provides a remedy for our sadness and depression.
Join Pastor Frank as we study through Psalm 103 and the Spiritual challenge of no Forgetting all the benefits of our relationship with God!
Brenden Hojara takes us through Psalm 23 and how we can overcome fear and anxiety, even in the most difficult season.
Pastor Pete continues in our study through the book of Acts as Paul faces off against the Sanhedrin. The Message challenges us to Be Bold, Be Courageous, and to Be Confident.
This week we continue our study in Acts Chapter 21-22 as Paul deals with the deep division in the early church. Pastor Pete addresses our call to be reconcilers and fight for unity in the church and the world.
This week we continue our study in Acts chapter 20 with Paul's vision of what the church should look like. Brenden Hojara and Frank Ares discuss 4 important aspects of the christian church.
In this teaching on Acts chapters 19-20 Frank Ares and Brenden Hojara help us to acknowledge the cultural idols in our modern society. Just like the ancient Ephesians we too can get caught up in worshiping idols like money, success and even romance. How do we serve the one true God while living in a society filled with idols?
This week Brenden Hojara continues our study in Acts 19 as we discover where the true power of the church lies. We learn there is a difference between privilege and power, and that maybe God is calling us to lay down our idol of privilege and surrender to the power of self-sacrificial love.
Our study in Acts continues in chapter 17 as we learn about Pauls second missionary journey. We discover that the Resurrection is the antidote to escaping the fog that the the enemy attempts to trap us in.
Our Acts Study continues with Paul and Barnabas singing their way out of prison chains. Anyone can be happy in pleasant circumstances, but real joy comes from within.
Pastor Eddie continues our Study in Acts Chapter 16 with Paul's Second Missionary Journey.
Pastor Peter Pera and Brenden Hojara discuss the last half of Acts Chapter 15 and remind us that God's table is for everyone. Sometimes God calls us to compromise in order to remove any stumbling block for the unbeliever. We cannot allow our nostalgia of the past to keep us from opening our hearts and homes to the outsider.
Pastor Peter Pera teaches a powerful message from Acts Chapter 15. There are those outside the church but also inside the church that were taking steps to close the doors that God had opened.
This week Pastor Frank Ares and Brenden Hojara take us on a deep dive into Discipleship! Do we really know what true discipleship looks like? We learn that there really is no formula to discipleship and that true discipleship comes from an overflow of a life with God.
This week Brenden Hojara continues our Acts Study in Chapter 14. We learn that insecure people create an unstable culture that produces confusion and chaos. And discover the similarities between the ancient culture of Acts and ours today.
Pastor Peter Pera teaches from Acts Chapter 12 and reminds us of an important truth. That God hears our prayers!
We continue our study in the Book of Acts with a challenge to not allow the church to become a place where we are too comfortable to obey God. True revival will come when we step out of our comfort zones and come alongside those that God puts in our path, even if they are different then us.
Our study in the book of Acts continues as the Gospel spreads to the Gentiles. Pastor Peter Pera shares a timely message on how prejudice keeps the church from fulfilling its purpose.
Pastor Peter Pera continues our study in Acts Chapter 9 as we look into the launch of Apostle Paul's Ministry.
Pastor Pete teaches a powerful message about zeal, and how sometimes our zealousness can be wrong. Join us as we continue our Acts Study in Acts Chapter 8.
This week Pastor Pete teaches on Holiness. If holiness is a heart issue and holiness matters to God then we must pursue holiness in my life!
In this study, two very different paintings displayed by Luke. One filled with Greed, Deception and Judgment unto Death (Doing things our way) The other filled with Generosity, Love bring about Unity which is fulfilling the mission of God (Doing things God way).
Our study in Acts continues this week in Acts Chapter 4 with Pastor Pete. Join us for Rise at Home!
This week Brenden Hojara leads us in our Acts Study as we discover the rise of the Christian Church. How is the church today different from the church of Acts? We are inspired by the church of Acts to live selfless lives filled with faith and the power of the Holy Spirit. We are the new temple, and we are the church. It's time to rise!
This week Pastor Chopper continues our study in Acts as we look at Acts Chapter 2 and the Day of Pentecost!
Join us as Pastor Pete kicks off our brand new study in the book of Acts! In this study we will discover that the light that shines the farthest shines the brightest at home.
We reject Jesus as King when we place anything above him. We are constantly crowning other things as king of our life, but what happens when those things fail us?
If we seek the things of this world first and if we seek to allow wealth to be our master then we are going to be filled with anxiety and worry.
Join us or worship and a message from Pastor Peter Pera. This week we continue our Road to the Cross series with a message on what it means to carry your cross.
You think you know who Jesus is? Many Christians have a "mountain-top" encounter with Jesus then try to avoid coming back down the mountain. The reality is our encounters with Jesus are to be shared with the world, and in order to do that we have to come down from the mountain top.
Does your faith have room for miracles? Pastor Pete teaches us to have faith and get out of the boat when God calls us.
Pastor Pete wraps up our study in 2 Samuel reminding us of the main theme of Restoration.
Pastor Pete preaches a powerful message on how we are to deal with sin in our own lives. We will never be free from temptation and the struggle with sin but we have one who is faithful to forgive us. We must turn to him and so that we can be transformed by him.
Do you ever feel like your life is spinning out of control? It’s easy to look at the world around us and be consumed with the chaos. David teaches us that our praise has the powers to transform chaos into purpose.
The danger of division is that it has the power to disrupt lives, families relationships, and yes even nations. The enemy uses division to bring unrest and to rob us of peace. Pastor Pete teaches from 2 Samuel how David dealt with division.
Pastor Frank teaches what it really means to seek the Kingdom of God FIRST, above everything else.
A lot of times we face difficult situations many of us want to take control to force our hand with these moments were God is calling us to stand and wait waiting to be very difficult for us. Pastor Pete teaches us through David's example how to recognize if a vision is from God or our own vision.
Pastor Pete teaches out of Matthew 5:33-37 and how this passage reveals some important reasons why we must live truthfully.
Pastor Peter Pera teaches a special Christmas Message on The Prince of Peace. With all the stress of the holidays it's important to remember that Jesus is the Prince of Peace.
Pastor Frank teaches a powerful message on the amazing free gift of Salvation that is offered to each and every one of us.
Pastor Pete kicks of our mini-study on the Spiritual Gifts by teaching us that Spiritual Gifts are actually gifts of service.
Pastor Pete shares the vision and mission of Rise Community Church and challenges us to step out and pursue the Kingdom of God as we love and serve our community. God is calling us to do something to stand in the gap for a generation that is asking questions, that is seeking leaders and that is seeking truth!
God gets our attention in crisis! David always did his best during crisis and he teaches us how to respond in when crisis comes. Through trust, remaining faithful and discipline we can learn how to respond in faith during a crisis.
The unfortunate highlights of this part of David’s story teaches us the reality that Sin has consequences not just for David but for his entire family.
David & Bathsheba teach us a valuable lesson on resisting temptation and the very real battle we fight daily between good and evil. Brenden takes us through the story of David & Bathsheba and teaches us to acknowledge the spiritual battle that rages and the importance of not letting your guard down.
For many of us we respond to God’s kindness with mistrust and with ignorance to the things of God. But Jonathan's son show us the response we should have to the kindness of God.
God reveals his Covenant Promise to David and his family, and it's bigger than he could have ever dreamed.
Pastor Pete helps us discover what it means to worship God with complete abandonment. We can’t “handle” God. He will NOT be managed. He can’t be put in a box and brought out on special occasions of our lives. God is great and awesome; our words fall short in describing Him.
Maybe why so many of us are not experiencing the presence and the power of God is because we have not fully bent our knees, we have been living a life of compromise between our way and Gods way.
Pastor Pete opens our study in 2 Samuel with the truth that God is a God of Restoration! We see it in the life of David and the nation of Israel. But in order to experience God's restoration we have to understand that even though God's love is unconditional, His willingness to forgive and restore is conditional.
Pastor Pete helps us identify the similarities between us and the demon possessed man. Jesus crossed that sea, through that storm, just to reach this one, solitary individual. And He does the same for us.
Pastor Frank Ares gives us a closer look at the life of Joseph and how God was building His character through very difficult situations.
The youth take over the Sunday service and share their testimonies and challenge us all to ask ourselves the question..."What is your next step"?
Will you decide to Walk with Jesus wherever he takes you? No matter your fear, doubt or insecurities? In this message we learn how to walk with Jesus by looking at the life of Paul the Apostle.
Agape Love is the Foundation that the Kingdom of God is built on. In this message we look at the life and transformation of John from a zealous and prejudice fisherman to an aged Apostle of Love.
Inside of every one of us there is that simple desire to make a difference, not just to tread water, or survive, or keep the status quo. In this message we look at the life of Nehemiah.
Pastor Pete looks into the life of Gideon and teaches us that we should know yourself, see yourself as God sees you, let your faith grow, and Trust in the lord!
Pastor Pete wraps up our study in 1 Samuel with a compelling question, are we an instrument or an obstacle to God's plan?
The difference between Saul and David was their heart. The reason David was a man after God’s own heart was because he had a repentant heart.
Pastor Frank teaches us how our choices have consequences as we study 1 Samuel Chapter 28. Out of desperation Saul seeks a medium for guidance rather than seeking God.
This week we study the amazing and courageous woman, Abigail and how God uses her to intervene at just the right moment in David's life to prevent Him from making a horrible decision. Because of His mercy God will intervene, but sometimes His intervention doesn't look the way we expect.
Character is revealed by conduct. Pastor Pete takes us through the story of David and his opportunities to end his misery by getting rid of his enemy, Saul. David stayed faithful to Gods plan and revealed his true character. How do we respond to our enemies?
David and Jonathan has a very special bond, it was a spiritual bond stronger than blood.
Why does God allow evil? Our study in 1 Samuel continues as Brenden leads us on a journey through the dark days of David. In this message we will find that we grow in the valley, and if we lean in to Gods purpose we will make it to the next mountain top.
Pastor Pete uses the classic David & Goliath story to teach an important lesson on Faith in action! Faith in God makes us participants for the Lord in the battle for truth.
Pastor Pete teaches a passionate message on Mark 10:17-31. The Gospel causes us to either respond or to be offended.
What is calling? And how do we know our calling? Pastor Peter Pera walks us through key points from 1 Samuel to identify your calling.
Pastor Pete continues our study in 1 Samuel teaching us how God desires our obedience over our religion.
If the mission of a Christian is to lead people the Jesus, then we are all leaders. The question is, will we lead with love? Brenden Hojara teaches from 1 Samuel Chapter 12 and outlines the traits of a good leader, and the call to every christian to lead with love.
When is anger a good thing? Pastor Chopper teaches an inspirational message on righteous anger from I Samuel Chapter 11.
Pastor Eddie teaches us what it means to be "anointed by God". How do we know our calling?
Is fear driving your decisions? Pastor Pete shows us through the story of Israel in 1 Samuel that we should not allow fear to drive our decisions, because fear forces us to make very bad decisions.
Just like the Israelites in 1 Samuel we need to cast down our idols and return to God. Pastor Pete teaches us the first steps in returning to God.
The ark of the covenant represented the presence of the Lord with his people and the rule of the Lord over’s people. In this message Pastor Pete shows us how, like the Israelites we too can cheapen the presence of God.
There is a connection between hearing the voice of God, understanding the will of God and our faithfulness. We should be attentive to hear God, ready to obey God and humble to serve God, just like Samuel.
What does God desire? We continue our study in 1 Samuel by looking at the contrast between Hannah and Eli's sons.
Hannah gives us a beautiful example of truly trusting in God. We can learn much from this woman of God.
Pastor Peter Pera begins our study in 1 Samuel with a beautiful overview. Teaching us the power of faithfulness.
Watch our Read Scripture video on the book of 1 Samuel, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. In 1 Samuel, God reluctantly raises up kings to rule the Israelites. The first is a failure, and the second, David, is a faithful replacement.
Pastor Mike Boyd challenged and encourages us to continually read and meditate on Gods word.
We must accept the teaching of Scripture and not try to make them say something that they do not say to support some crazy doctrine.
Christians are called to be different. A difference that attracts people because we are people of hope.
Are you easily manipulated? Peter shares his last words with the church before his death. He challenges us to truly know what we believe so we are not manipulated by the world and false teachers.
False teachers become slaves of depravity. How do we stand on guard against false teachers?
Brenden shows us the 4 red flags the Apostle Peter gives us to spot a false teacher even if the false teacher is ourself.
Peter continues by contrasting the durability and superiority of the Word of God against three things.
Spiritual growth brings results! It's through the power of God and knowing Him and knowing His promises that this growth takes place.
Pastor Pete begins our study in 2 Peter with a question...do we come to the word of God with anticipation? Listen to the full message now!
What does submitting to authority really look like? The Apostle Peter lays it out in 1 Peter Chapter 2.
In these verses Peter is going to explain how we can live holy lives now that we have the hope of salvation in Christ.
Pastor Jon begins our study in 1 Peter by asking us, "when you go through trials where are your eyes looking", encouraging us just like Peter did to the early church to LOOK UP and find hope in Jesus.
How can we endure suffering with joy? Join us as we begin our study in 1 Peter and see how Peter encouraged the early church during some of it's most trying times.