Blog
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Jun 04, 2018
Don't Sugarcoat God with Your Kids
Have you ever tried to explain a hard truth from scripture to your child? There are some hard truths in scripture, and because of that, there are times we can not only explain some of those truths in overly watered down terms, but also omit teaching them entire concepts.
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Jun 01, 2018
The Gospel on Social Media
There’s no verse in the bible saying thou shall not tweet. There’s no commandment authorizing selfy-stories. It doesn’t say, "for God so loved Facebook that he gave a few likes." We don’t get some black-and-white verse. Instead we’re given from scripture something much more complex, colorful, and helpful than that for our everyday lives. . .
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May 31, 2018
5 Books You Should Read this Summer
When I was younger, reading things like theology was a daunting task. . . But, while we all find reading fiction for pleasure enjoyable, what if you supplemented the sugar of fiction stories with the nutritious reading of truth?
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May 30, 2018
The Gospel in Loneliness
The more we hide from one another, the more lonely we get, in fact. And that’s why the gospel speaks to the core of loneliness. God did not hide himself from us, but in Jesus Christ made himself fully known. He revealed his very heart toward humanity, and his deep desire to save us. He displayed the most perfect image of his glory, his beauty and majesty, yes his very nature when he gave his son. God, in Jesus, exposed himself completely and was vulnerable to the point of being murdered by a humanity that would rather hide than to be fully known.
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May 28, 2018
How to Establish Family Devotions
5 practical tips for establishing rhythms of devotion in your family
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May 11, 2018
Thoughts on Motherhood
Mother's Day 2018
Motherhood.
The toughest hood there ever was.
Motherhood is selfless, exhausting, thankless, and the reason I don’t shower as much as I’d like. But motherhood is also magical, fun (so so fun!), adventurous, and incredibly fulfilling. So fulfilling that there are actually moments when you look at your children and feel like your heart might burst right open. It is a type of love, unlike any other, that is unconditional, intense, and unbreakable.
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May 10, 2018
Go Deeper.
We get bored of the same. That’s why apps that constantly change and progress (think Instagram or your favorite news feed) attract your attention. We were made for the pursuit of more. And God is not incapable of satisfying our interest and longing for that more.
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Mar 21, 2018
Story: Meet Tiffany
We found out that our sweet baby probably had Downs Syndrome at our 20 week ultrasound. Receiving that news felt like every medical professional was recommending an abortion. Not one person in the medical community said, “It will be ok, he can have a good life and this could be a blessing.
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Mar 11, 2018
Photos: Reality Youth Retreat
Imagine a group of young people jumping, hands raised in passionate worship of Jesus. Imagine an epic weekend where students received hope, grace, and healing. Where they partied hard and prayed even harder.
We don’t have to imagine it, because that’s exactly what the students of Rise experienced this last weekend. 🙌🏽
Reality Retreat was ... UNREAL! We want to praise Jesus here for what He did among the youth of our church. And we want to celebrate because it’s not over!⚡️⚡️
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Mar 05, 2018
Story: Meet Will
“I didn’t grow up in the church. I didn’t grow up praying to God. I grew up drinking and doing drugs. I grew up living for myself.
But God had a plan.
I met my wife bartending at a restaurant. She was a server saving money to move to a place called Portland, OR. She was the most amazing girl I’d ever met. She had such poise and confidence. She knew who she was and she treated others with respect.
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Mar 04, 2018
Video: Baptism at 4 Year Celebration
Each person who is baptized at Rise has a story. A story that matters to God. As they enter the waters they are saying, “My story is now a sub-plot to the larger, more epic, and most beautiful story of Jesus.” Jesus is changing stories in our city.
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Feb 05, 2018
Joy in Friendship
It’s not about what we get out of the relationship or finding the perfect friends, but keeping Christ as our ultimate focus. This does not mean Christians should only befriend other Christians. On the contrary, we must simply remember this perspective with each and every person we encounter. Cultivating Christ-focused, joy-filled relationships involves three main components.
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Jan 22, 2018
Love Always Protects
How is God protecting those that call on his name, yet are abused, are hurt for their faith, who have their marriage destroyed, who are lonely, who are barren, who can’t seem to get ahead financially?
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Oct 13, 2017
How to Share Your Faith Without Losing Your Friends
Nolan Tjaden
If you follow Jesus, the question isn't, "should I share my faith?" Every day that you walk through your school you're walking among the spiritually dead. In fact you are not there on accident. You are sent there by God to be the only hope in the spiritual cemetery.
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Sep 21, 2017
4 Reason You Should Pray with Us
