Posts with the category “notes”

Dear Church Family,We all experience it, don’t we, how holidays seem to sneak up on us nowadays? A likely reason is that there are so many things demanding our attention, and that list of things seems...  Read More

Dear Church Family,Even with the many holiday gatherings and busyness, the days around Thanksgiving have a way of slowing us down just enough to notice what God has placed at our tables. We have much ...  Read More

Dear Church Family, Houston autumns are such a welcome arrival from the summer heat, always persuading people out of their homes. These are prime opportunities to greet and serve our neighbors. We exp...  Read More

Dear Church Family,Our vision at CityRise is to lift our city and world by generously giving the gospel of Jesus Christ. God planted us in this great city—first in West University place nearly a centu...  Read More

Dear Church Family, “Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your ...  Read More

Dear Church Family,God is the Creator of all things. From nature and mathematics to water, mitochondria, and mountains—everything from the laws that hold our universe together down to a grain of sand—...  Read More

Dear Church Family,If you’re new to Houston, here’s a fun fact: in October, it’s still grilling season. And for men, any excuse to fire up the charcoal is a good one. That’s why next week we’re bringi...  Read More

Dear Church Family,I love our city. Save for one year, Houston has been my home my entire life. I’ve seen it grow and have witnessed God’s merciful hand at work through both heartache and joy. It’s di...  Read More

Dear Church Family, Our vision statement at CityRise is "To lift our city and the world by generously giving the gospel of Jesus Christ." It's more than a statement—it's foundational to everything we ...  Read More

Dear Church Family,In addition to being your pastor, one of my greatest joys is gathering with leaders from around the city. I love connecting with people from local ministries and non-profits who hav...  Read More

Dear Church Family,It’s a sad day in America today. Yesterday, Charlie Kirk was martyred by an assassin's bullet. He was a man who loved this country, freedom, public discourse, and the sanctity of hu...  Read More

Dear Church Family,Have you ever felt like God isn't doing anything in your life?We've all wondered that in some form or another—that maybe we're too far away from Him because of our sins and mistakes...  Read More

Dear Church Family,As we transition from summer to fall, our desire is that we continue to live Lifted Lives. This sermon series was a great reminder that we are called into a church family, a communi...  Read More

Dear Church Family, I pray that our Lifted Life series has been elevating your walk with Christ! All month we’ve been reminded that discipleship isn’t a solo journey. We are called to worship together...  Read More

Dear Church Family,We’re already halfway through our Lifted Life series! Our prayer for this journey has been to give you a clear and intentional pathway to discipleship, one that truly transforms you...  Read More

Dear Church Family,School starts next week for most of Houston and the surrounding areas! College and grad students are also returning or beginning this exciting chapter of their lives. This weekend,...  Read More

Thank you for your prayers recently as CityRise has traveled around the globe to (or are currently serving in) places like South Africa, Ireland, the Dominican Republic, and London—and that’s just bee...  Read More

Dear Church Family,We had an incredibly fruitful time in South Africa. I want to thank you for your prayers and let you know how it went and share some images (at the bottom). For context, Dr. Louis B...  Read More

Dear Church Family,Please continue to pray for our teams on mission around the world. As you read this, Pastors Roger, Rynie, Aaron, and Mark are wrapping up a South Africa mission trip along with Dav...  Read More

Dear Church Family,Prayer is one of the most powerful things we can do as followers of Jesus. We are called to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6). We’r...  Read More

Dear Church Family,So many of us have a friend or loved one impacted by the floods in central Texas. Others of us are simply broken-hearted for these families who have lost loved ones in such a tragic...  Read More

Hey Church Family,Tomorrow, the United States turns two hundred forty-nine years old. In the grand scheme of history, that's still quite young, but God has done so many incredible things in and throug...  Read More

Hey Church Family,This week has been a great opportunity of outreach with Vacation Bible School at our CityRise Missouri City campus. We have had an amazing time there, hosting an English VBS in the m...  Read More

Hey Church Family,Did you know that one of our sermon clips on Instagram has 165,000 views? Did you know that our number one most viewed page on our website is cityrise.org/summer? Did you know that o...  Read More

Dear Church Family,This week at CityRise, we were right in the middle of two of the biggest events of our summer! At our West U Baptist campus, over 330 elementary children and more than 100 dedicated...  Read More

Dear Church Family,We are kicking off summer ministry all next week in a big way for our Kids and Students ministries!For kids entering K-5th grade this fall, VBS will be at our West U Baptist campus ...  Read More

Dear Church Family,With just under a week left in the Houston school year, summer break is nearly here—and we’re kicking off the season this Sunday with our Summer at CityRise sermon series! Over the ...  Read More

Dear Church Family,I am thankful that our church extends a sabbatical to me each summer for a two week period. Each year, I have used this time a bit differently. This year, I’ll be working through Pa...  Read More

Dear Church Family,Twelve years ago, I was walking down the center aisle of our sanctuary at our West U Baptist location. Kathleen Yarborough was also walking down that aisle. Having seen fruit that w...  Read More

Dear Church Family,This Sunday, we celebrate Mother’s Day—a special time to honor the women who’ve poured so much love, grace, and wisdom into our lives. Moms and grandmothers, you bless us with your ...  Read More

Dear Church Family,The “I AM” series has been such an enlightening one to go through during Easter and now beyond, unpacking the ways Jesus describes Himself in the Gospel of John. This coming Sunday,...  Read More

Dear Church Family,As I begin my note, I want to simply celebrate an amazing Holy Week last week that cluminated in Easter Sunday. Wow! From our Student Ministry hosting a special viewing of the Passi...  Read More

Dear Church Family, When the world looks upon a cross and a tomb, it sees death. But to those who believe and follow Jesus Christ, they are symbols of life! Easter Sunday—the most important day and ce...  Read More

Dear Church Family, Palm Sunday is this Sunday, and we are so excited to bring our gifts to help extend the gospel through our Global Missions Offering, which concludes this weekend. This annual offer...  Read More

Dear Church Family, Lifted lives, lift lives. We learned that earlier this year as we started 2025 talking about connecting in groups and growing deeper. We want to highlight a few more ways that you ...  Read More

Dear Church Family, Can you believe we are one-fourth of the way through 2025 already? Moving into springtime is good—we get to see nature in bloom, rains to wash away the pollen, and Astros baseball ...  Read More

Dear Church Family, For those of you impacted by Spring Break, I pray this has been a great week for you filled with rest, fun, and an opportunity to reset. We all know it’s just a little speed bump b...  Read More

Dear Church Family, If you have been following along, you know we have been on a fun ride with Carson’s Second Baptist Eagle’s Women’s Soccer Team. The Eagles fought valiantly in the semi-final game a...  Read More

Last night, my daughter’s soccer team won their fourteenth straight game to advance to the final four in Tapps Division IV women’s soccer. It was an incredible match against Lutheran South, a team we ...  Read More

Dear Church Family, This weekend, we will look at our next installment of Psalm 37 and "Still Standing." The call for our lives is to “Do Good.” It’s a simple principle, and I believe you are going to...  Read More