Rise City Church Sermon Podcast

I Am The Door | I Am He

The Fruit That Comes From Abiding in Jesus | I Am He

We spend our lives chasing success, comfort, recognition, and even religious achievement, believing they will produce the life our souls crave. But in John 15, Jesus warns that knowledge, morality, and spiritual activity can look impressive while remaining disconnected from the source of life. Jesus reveals that the evidence of discipleship is fruit: inexhaustible joy and sacrificial love. Yet this fruit isn’t produced by trying harder. A branch cannot manufacture life. It can only remain connected to the vine, allowing the life of Jesus to flow through it. Stop striving to look fruitful. Abide in Jesus—and let His joy and love become the unmistakable fruit of your life.

When Jesus Makes Room | Daniel Knutson

What if Jesus isn’t waiting for you to get your life together—but simply inviting you to come back? In Mark 2, a group of friends refuses to let a crowded room keep a paralyzed man from Jesus. They tear open the roof and lower their friend into His presence. There, Jesus meets the man with forgiveness, healing, and a grace greater than anything that had kept him separated or ashamed. Many of us carry hidden places we are afraid to surrender. We wonder whether Jesus will receive us as we are, so we build walls and hold tightly to what feels safe. But His invitation is not reserved for people who have already changed. It is extended to every person willing to come near and trust Him with the process. Make room for Jesus. The grace that welcomes you back will become the grace that makes room for others.

Jesus Is the Only Way | I Am He

What if Christianity isn't primarily about having the right answers—but walking with the One who is the answer? Thomas wants directions. Philip wants understanding. But Jesus offers them something greater than instructions or information: a relationship with Himself. The disciples do not need to solve every mystery about the road ahead. They need to remain close to the One who knows the way. In John 14 , Jesus promises that He is preparing a place for His people and will return to bring them home. He is the Way who leads us, the Truth who anchors us, and the Life who transforms us. Following Jesus is not simply adopting a better way to live—it is learning to live every moment with Him. Jesus is not inviting you into an empty religion. He is inviting you into life with Him. The question is: are you merely learning about the Way, or are you walking with Him?

Step Out of That Grave and Live | I Am He

What if Jesus isn't only calling you to life—but calling you to let go of everything that keeps you from living it? In one of the most moving moments in the Gospels, Jesus weeps beside the tomb of Lazarus before demonstrating His power over death itself. He enters humanity's deepest pain, then does what no one else can do: He speaks life where death seemed permanent. John 11 reveals a Savior who is both powerful enough to conquer the grave and compassionate enough to stand beside us in our sorrow. Through His own death and resurrection, Jesus makes new life possible for everyone who believes. But He also calls us to leave our grave clothes behind and walk in the freedom He purchased for us. The voice that called Lazarus out of the tomb is still calling people by name. The question is: will we step into the life only Jesus can give?

The Shepherd Our Souls Long For | I Am He

What if the life you've been searching for isn't found by following yourself—but by following a Shepherd? In John 10, Jesus makes one of His most beloved declarations: "I am the Good Shepherd." While the religious leaders used their authority to exploit God's people, Jesus reveals Himself as the Shepherd who leads, protects, and willingly lays down His life for His sheep. He doesn't simply point the way to life—He is the source of it. The problem is that Scripture says we're all like sheep. We wander. We chase things that leave us empty. We return to the same destructive patterns over and over, convinced we know what's best for our lives. But the Good Shepherd never stops pursuing His sheep. He calls us by name, gives His life to rescue us, and invites us into the abundant life that can only be found in Him.

The Light No Darkness Can Overcome | I Am He

What if the greatest darkness in our lives isn’t around us—but within us? In John 9, Jesus encounters a man blind from birth. While the disciples look for someone to blame and the Pharisees defend their traditions, Jesus does what only He can do: He opens the man’s eyes. Yet the deeper miracle unfolds as the man gradually recognizes Jesus—not merely as a healer, but as Lord. John 8–9 reveals that humanity’s greatest problem is spiritual blindness. We don’t simply need better behavior, stronger opinions, or more religious knowledge. We need the Light of the World to help us see. At the cross, darkness appeared to overcome the Light. Three days later, Jesus walked out of the grave. Sin did not win. Death did not have the final word. Jesus still opens blind eyes—and those who see Him clearly can’t help but worship.

What Your Soul is Starving For | I Am He

We’re all hungry for something—for love, purpose, significance, peace, or acceptance. We spend our lives trying to satisfy those longings with things that never seem to last. In John 6, Jesus meets a crowd searching for another miracle and reveals that their greatest need isn’t more bread—it’s Him. In the first of His great “I Am” statements, Jesus declares, “I am the Bread of Life.” He doesn’t offer another self-improvement strategy or a better way to live. He offers Himself as the only One who can satisfy our souls, reconcile us to God, and give us the life we’ve been searching for all along. Stop settling for what fills you for a moment. Come to the One who satisfies forever.

God Isn't Finished Writing Your Story | Church in the Park

The world says people never change. Jesus says watch what My grace can do. In a culture that writes people off because of their failures, their reputation, or their past, Scripture introduces us to Saul—a man everyone feared and no one expected God to use. Yet Jesus met him on the road to Damascus and transformed the church’s greatest persecutor into one of its greatest proclaimers. Acts 9 reminds us that grace isn’t earned—it pursues. Jesus still knows our names, still rewrites our stories, and still calls ordinary people to join Him in His work of redemption. Every baptism declared the same truth: no life is too broken for the transforming power of Christ. God isn’t finished writing your story.

Stand Firm & Act Like Men | Father's Day

The world says masculinity is toxic. God says men are called. In a culture that wants men passive, distracted, and compromised, Scripture issues a different command: Be watchful. Stand firm. Act like men. Be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. This Father’s Day, we’ll look at the high calling God places on men in 1 Corinthians 16—to guard what matters, stand firm when the pressure comes, take responsibility for the people entrusted to them, and love with the sacrificial strength of Jesus. The enemy is real. The stakes are high. Your family needs you awake at your post.