Romans 1:17 says, "For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.'” What does it mean to live by faith? Senior Pastor Aaron Young digs deep in part one of a series on the book of Romans.

Our righteousness comes FROM God. Let that truth and reality sink into your heart and mind. We can't earn God's approval. We can't work our way to heaven. It's not a game or competition. God's gift of grace comes by faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross. That's the good news and that's what we're all about here at RISING Church.

God wants us to go from knowing about Him to experiencing Him. But how do we experience Him? Chuck Scott challenges all of us to get in the game.

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

Ephesians 2:10

Senior Pastor Aaron Young called on the RISING Church community of faith to get "unstuck" and commit to spiritual growth. Full-sized, mature Giant Sequoias are always found in groves and never alone. We need each other if we are going to make it in our walks with God. We need to invest in one another and we need our roots to intertwine with others' roots so that we can stand firm. Remember Hebrews 10:24-25 (look it up!) and how we need to spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Pastor Aaron Young challenges all of us to be a "great cloud of witnesses" for the next generation, for each other, and for those outside of the church.

Our first Wednesday night Town Hall gathering.

"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good." -- 1 Corinthians 12:7

Pray today that each of us would play the part that God has for us at RISING Church. Pray that we would be faithful with the gifts, talents, abilities, passions that he has given us. Pray that we would not bury those abilities. Pray that we would fan into flame what God has uniquely designed each of us with and use it for his glory!

Modeling the first Christian Church described in the Book of Acts, Pastor Aaron Young challenges us to be "joined together constantly in prayer" for the next 21 days. "Pray for God's power (dynamos), God's presence, God's spirit to fall upon us."