Dear Church Family,
 
Even during calmer seasons, it can be difficult to find quiet.
 
Most of us carry a steady stream of information with us everywhere we go. News alerts arrive throughout the day. Social media keeps us aware of what everyone else is saying. Emails, texts, podcasts, advertisements, and opinions are always reaching for our attention. Even when we are physically still, our minds can feel crowded.
 
There is nothing inherently wrong with being informed or connected. In fact, I believe followers of Jesus should pay attention to the world around us. We should care about what is happening in our communities, our country, and across the globe. But there is also a danger in allowing every voice to have access to us all the time.
 
Psalm 46:10 gives us a simple instruction: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Stillness is not something our culture encourages very often, but it is something our souls need.
 
When we create space to pray, read Scripture, worship, and listen, we are reminded again of what is true. We are reminded that God is sovereign even when the world feels unsettled, that our identity is not determined by the latest headline, someone else’s opinion, or the pressures of the moment. We are reminded that wisdom begins with Him.
 
Paul tells us in Philippians 4:8 to think about whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable. That kind of focus does not usually happen by accident. It requires us to be intentional about what we allow to shape our thoughts.
 
That might mean putting the phone down a little more often. It might mean beginning the day with Scripture before checking the news. It might mean spending a few minutes in prayer before responding to something that has made us frustrated or anxious. It might simply mean recognizing that we cannot listen to God well if we don’t allow any quiet.
 
The world around us will remain loud, but we can choose which voices receive the greatest attention in our lives.
 
My prayer for us is that we would become people who think wisely, listen carefully, and stay grounded in the truth of God’s Word no matter how much noise surrounds us.


Expecting Greater,
Pastor Roger

Because you give, a four-year journey came to fruition on September 13 as the doors of the CityRise Missouri City sanctuary were officially reopened. What began as a long and difficult season became a beautiful celebration of God’s faithfulness and the beginning of a new chapter for our church family.

More than 500 people gathered for the grand reopening, appropriately named “New Beginnings.” Throughout the morning, families and members of our church community had the opportunity to tour the newly refreshed building, see the progress that had taken place over the past four years, and celebrate the return of a space dedicated to worship, discipleship, fellowship, and ministry.

The day was more than simply reopening a building—it was an opportunity to dedicate these facilities once again to the work of the Lord. A special combined commissioning service brought together our English- and Spanish-speaking congregations as one church family. Together, we worshiped, prayed, and looked ahead to all that God will continue to do through CityRise Missouri City.

The celebration also included the joy of 10 baptisms, reminding everyone gathered that the purpose of the church is ultimately about changed lives and people taking their next steps of faith in Jesus. These baptisms were a beautiful picture of why having a place to gather matters: so that people can hear the gospel, grow in their relationship with Christ, and be equipped to serve Him and others.

During both morning worship hours, the sanctuary and classrooms were filled with people worshiping, fellowshipping, learning, and studying God’s Word. After four years of waiting and working toward this moment, seeing the building once again filled with the life of the church was a powerful reminder of God’s provision.

The doors are open, the church is gathered, and we are excited to see what God will do next!

Dear Church Family,

Sometimes when we hear the word service, we immediately think of a position that needs to be filled, a volunteer schedule, or a task that needs to get done. Those things matter, but biblical service begins somewhere deeper.

First Peter 4:10 says, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” I love that picture. God has entrusted something to each of us—our abilities, experiences, resources, personalities, relationships, opportunities—and He invites us to use those things for the good of others.

That means service is not reserved for a particular kind of person. You don’t have to be on a stage, teach a class, or lead a ministry in order to make a meaningful difference. Sometimes serving looks like welcoming a family who is new to church. Sometimes it means listening to a friend who is carrying something heavy. It may mean teaching a child, mentoring a student, delivering a meal, praying with someone, helping behind the scenes, using a professional skill, or simply noticing a need and responding.

Much of the most important Kingdom work happens quietly.

Jesus modeled that kind of life for us. He consistently saw people others overlooked, gave His time to those who needed Him, and ultimately told His disciples that He came “not to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45).

As followers of Jesus, service is not simply something we add to an already busy schedule. It is part of who we are becoming. And often, the best place to begin is exactly where God has already placed us. What needs do you see? What abilities has God given you? Where might there be an opportunity to make someone else’s burden a little lighter, point someone toward Christ, or strengthen the work God is already doing?

There are certainly many opportunities to serve through CityRise—campus hospitality; Kids, Students, and Senior Adults ministries; Local Missions; and mission trips, to name a few. You can explore more at cityrise.org/serve, but if you are ready to take a next step, I especially encourage you to fill out our Serve Interest Form. Let us know where you might be interested in serving, and we can help you find a meaningful place to contribute.

But I also hope we will develop eyes to see ministry everywhere we go and wherever God has us. You don’t have to do everything. Simply be faithful with what God has placed in your hands and attentive to the people He has placed in your path.


Expecting Greater,
Pastor Roger

Yes, God's Spirit speaks. Not every impression that crosses your mind is from Him, and I want to be careful about that, but the Holy Spirit is not silent. If you have ever had a thought you could not shake and wondered whether that was the Lord or just you, you are asking exactly the right question.

Knowing whether God is speaking to you starts with knowing what Jesus actually promised His Spirit would do. He made that promise on the night before He went to the cross, and He made it as a comfort to men who were about to lose Him.

What Jesus Promised the Holy Spirit Would Do
The Spirit does not only strengthen us. He also teaches us. Jesus said it plainly in John 14:26: "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."

That promise is the reason you hold a New Testament. The apostles were able to pass on the teaching of Jesus because the Spirit brought to their remembrance what Jesus had said. Then the gospel writers wrote it down. What you read is not a group of men straining to recall a good teacher from memory. It is the Spirit of God doing the exact work Jesus said He would do.

Notice His names. He is called the Helper. He is also called the Spirit of truth. As the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit is related to Jesus, who is the truth, and to the Word of God, which is itself the truth. The Spirit inspired the Word, and He also illuminates the Word so that we can understand it.

That gives you your first and firmest test. Since He is the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit cannot lie and cannot be associated with lies. He will never lead you to do anything contrary to the Word of God, because God's Word is truth.

Why Jesus Said It Was Better for Him to Leave
Look at what comes next in John 16:13: "When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come."

Hear that with the disciples' ears. Jesus is telling them it is better for Him to go. Better? Having Jesus physically present with you is as good as it gets, and yet it is limited. One body, one place, one conversation at a time.

What He describes next is like flipping on the power grid so that everybody has access all the time. It is better that I leave, He says, because He will guide you into truth at all times. He will speak alongside you. He is coming to you, and He will declare to you the things that are to come.

What Does It Sound Like When the Holy Spirit Speaks?
Usually it is an impression that runs deep. A word comes. A thought settles on you and will not move.

Our community group had dinner together recently, and my wife and I sat with another couple. We were talking about college football and where everybody in the family had gone to school. Then the wife mentioned, almost in passing, that she had a degree in interior design. I said, but you are a speech language pathologist. She said yes, and here is what happened.

She had gone back to school at 30 for that second degree. I asked whether her dad was excited about that. She told me she had been wrestling with the whole decision, and during that season she visited a church that met in a strip center, the kind of church that does a lot of praying. A woman there prayed over her that night, and the prayer was this: "Lord, those hands are healing hands. Use those hands for healing."

As an occupational speech therapist, she told me, she puts her hands on people every single day. It blew her away what that woman knew to pray for her.

I was on a Zoom call with a vendor not long ago. Thirty minutes, and we were wrapping up with about two minutes left before she had to get to another call. I could tell she was carrying a weight. So, I asked, do you mind if I pray for you? She said please. I prayed for her, and I could not tell you now what I prayed. Then we got off the call.

Later that afternoon she sent an email. Pastor, thank you for praying for me. You do not know how much that ministered to me. My brother just died, so I am grieving that, and my husband is leaving for a three month assignment in the Middle East. Your prayer was such a blessing to me.

Have you ever had the Holy Spirit in your ear?
I was praying about something recently and got an impression about Lakewood, where we do medical missions together. A few weeks later I was sitting in a Chicken Salad Chick at four in the afternoon. I had done a funeral that day, so I was still in a suit, and I was on the phone. I did not want to hang up and walk to the counter, because I had a coupon on my app and I was hoping for a buy two get one free, so I stayed on the call. Pastor Joel Osteen walked in the door.

He went up to the counter and placed his order while I wrapped up my call, and then he walked right over to me. We talked for seven to ten minutes. The very thing I had been impressed about, God walked the man right up to me.

God the Holy Spirit speaks to us if we are listening. Think about how privileged it is to have God in your ear.

Is Every Impression From God?
No. Not every impression is God, and not every thought or idea you have is God. That distinction matters, and it protects you.

When He speaks, He speaks consistently with the Word, because He is the Spirit of truth. When He speaks, He honors Christ. And He directs us, corrects us, and forms us as we submit ourselves to Him.

There are also moments when you recognize His hand looking back. You get an impression or a thought and then it comes to fruition, and you say, that was the Lord. You do not know the way to go, and He brings His Word to you, a word of remembrance, and you say, that was the Lord. Something is happening that you cannot control, and you are comforted by the truth of His Word, and Scripture jumps off the page as you read it, and you say, that was the Lord.

It is a joy to have a relationship with the Holy Spirit of God.

What to Do When a Name Keeps Coming to Mind
There are people I find myself burdened for, and I honestly wonder where the burden came from. A name comes to me. Then it comes a second time. Then it comes a third time. At that point I stop and say, yes, Lord. I pray for that person. Then I send them a note that says I just want you to know I am praying for you today. I have no idea what you are facing, but God has brought you to mind.

That is the ministry of God the Holy Spirit in our midst, and it is sweet.

Where to Go From Here
If you want to know whether God is speaking to you, start with the tests Jesus gave and not with the intensity of the feeling. Does it agree with the Word of God? Does it honor Christ? Is it directing you, correcting you, and forming you as you submit yourself to Him?

Then keep listening. The Spirit illuminates the truth, and He does not do that for us privately and leave it there. He pushes that truth outward through us to others.
 

This blog is based on the message shared by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson at our CityRise West U Baptist campus on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. Check out the full message below!

Because you give, 35 members of CityRise had the opportunity to join with Christ Church Peckham in London this past July to lead 60 children in Vacation Bible School. More than simply hosting a week of fun and activities, this team had the privilege of seeing firsthand what can happen when a faithful local church opens its doors and serves its community with the love of Jesus.

Just outside the church is a 2,000-year old road, once travelled by Roman soldiers. Today, that same road is bringing the nations to us, as families across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Caribbean call this part of London home.

For many of the children who attended VBS, this was their first experience in church. The week provided an opportunity for them to hear about God, experience Christian community, and discover a welcoming place where they could belong. Parents noticed the difference as well. Many expressed their gratitude and were impressed by the way the church welcomed and cared for their children throughout the week.

The impact extended beyond the children. Four members of the CityRise team helped lead a moms group during the week, and the group continued to grow each day. What began as an opportunity for conversation and fellowship became a meaningful space where mothers could connect, share, and experience the care of a Christian community.

One particularly moving moment came when a woman in the group received prayer. She had never experienced someone praying for her before. For the CityRise team, it was a powerful reminder that what may seem simple to us—stopping to pray with someone—can be a completely new and meaningful experience for someone who has never encountered it.

Through VBS, the moms group, prayer, and the collaboration with Christ Church Peckham, God opened doors for relationships to grow and the gospel to be shared. The week demonstrated the importance of supporting and strengthening local churches as they faithfully serve the people in their communities.

Dear Church Family,
 
This past Sunday was a special day for our CityRise family as our CityRise Missouri City and CityRise Missouri City Español congregations celebrated New Beginnings Sunday.

After four years of perseverance, it was wonderful to see so many people return to the renovated building for worship, dedication, fellowship, and lunch together!

The renovation gave us much to celebrate, but the greater joy was seeing our church family gathered together in this moment. Families worshiping, friends reconnecting, volunteers serving, and two congregations celebrating together gave us a beautiful picture of something Scripture reminds us again and again: we need one another.
 
It is easy in both quiet and busy seasons to become increasingly independent. Work can have demands, school and extracurricular schedules fill up, and we move quickly from one responsibility to the next. Before long, we can begin living parallel lives, even with people we see every week.
 
But God did not design us to follow Jesus alone.
 
Paul describes the church in Romans 12 as one body with many members, adding that “each member belongs to all the others.” I love that language because it reminds us that following Jesus was never meant to be an isolated pursuit. God places us in a church family where we can know and encourage one another, carry burdens together, celebrate what He is doing, and remind each other of His faithfulness.
 
And other people need that from us too.

That's why Community Groups, Bible studies, ministry teams, and the relationships we build throughout the church matter so much. They give us opportunities to move beyond recognizing faces and begin truly knowing and being known.
 
As the fall settles into its regular rhythm, I encourage you to ask: Who really knows me, and who am I intentionally getting to know?
 
If you have found meaningful community at CityRise, invest in it. Show up, reach out, notice when someone is missing, and make room for someone new. If you have not found that kind of connection yet, take a step toward it.

We need one another, and I am grateful God has given us a church family in which we can walk through life together. Have a great weekend, Church Family!
 
 
Expecting Greater,
Pastor Roger

If God feels far away, there is a reason, and there is also a moment in history where that distance ended. For most of the Old Testament, God's presence came with a perimeter around it. At Pentecost, the perimeter came down. Understanding what happened in Acts 2 changes how close you believe you are allowed to get to God.

God Showed Up in Fire, and Fire Kept People Back
In the Old Testament, when God appeared to people, He often appeared in fire. His presence showed up in flame. It happened to Abraham when he first entered a covenant relationship with God. God told him to prepare a sacrifice and cut it in half, and the Spirit of God passed between the pieces as a flame, recorded in Genesis 15.

It happened again to Moses. He was out in the wilderness with the sheep when he saw a bush burning, and he turned aside to see what was going on. God spoke to him out of the fire.

Notice what came next, because it happened every single time. Moses approached the fire, and God stopped him. Do not come any closer. The ground you are standing on is holy ground. There was always a perimeter. There was always a separation. There was always a distance, and it had to be there, because God's presence was powerful and holy. His presence created space between Himself and us, because we could not have access. We could not simply be present with God, because His power and presence were that overwhelming.

Why Mount Sinai Came With a Warning
The clearest picture of that distance is Mount Sinai. The people of Israel arrived at the mountain and watched what God was doing on it. The description in Exodus 19 reads like a storm: "On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled." Moses then led the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

The text continues: "Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently." The trumpet grew louder and louder. Moses spoke, and God answered him.

The people of Israel were so overwhelmed by the physical presence of God descending on that mountain in fire that they trembled in fear. God warned them again and again that no one was to come up the mountain. Nobody was to set foot on it, or they would die, because His presence was that powerful, that living, and that intense.

That created distance. It was exclusive. It was separated. God's presence in that moment was not warm, inviting, or welcoming. It was terrifying. By Exodus 20, the people had made up their minds. They told Moses to go and speak on their behalf, because if they heard the voice of God again, they were convinced it would kill them. Moses became the mediator, and he went up the mountain alone.

What Actually Happened at Pentecost?
Sinai was the moment God formed a covenant relationship with the people of Israel. Acts 2 is the moment God makes a new covenant with His people, and that new covenant comes through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Look at how similar the two scenes are. The fire comes down. The wind fills the room. The whole place trembles. Then one detail changes everything. They saw what looked like tongues of fire that separated. Instead of the fire separating the people from God, the fire itself separated and came to rest on every single person in the room.

There were about 120 people gathered, according to Acts 1. It was men, and it was women. It was the disciples, the women who followed Jesus, Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers and sisters. They were all there, and the fire of God fell on every one of them. Because of the death of Jesus on the cross, Jesus gives us access to the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God landed on all of them. "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."

Read those two scenes side by side and the shift is impossible to miss. At Sinai, the fire said stay back. At Pentecost, the fire came and rested on everyone in the room.

Why the City Was Full of Visitors That Morning
Acts 2:5 tells us that God fearing Jews from every nation under heaven were staying in Jerusalem. This was the festival of Shavuot, which meant everyone traveled into the city, and Jerusalem would swell to two or three times its normal size.

This particular festival was better for travel than the others. The weather was closer to summer, so it was not as hot as later in the year and not as hard to move across distance. Passover required leaving during winter. The Feast of Booths fell right after harvest, which was a difficult time for an agricultural community to leave home. Shavuot was the one that filled the city with people who had traveled from far away.

When they heard the sound, a crowd gathered in bewilderment, because each person was hearing his or her own language being spoken. They were amazed, and they asked how a group of Galileans could possibly be speaking to each of them in their native tongue. The crowd included Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, along with residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya near Cyrene, Rome, Crete, and Arabia. What they said was this: "We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues." Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another what it meant.

Why Hearing Your Own Language Does Something to You
You may have experienced a smaller version of this. You are walking around in another country, everyone is speaking a language you do not know, you are just trying to find a bathroom, and you have no idea how to talk to anyone. Then you hear somebody speaking English and the relief is instant.

My wife and I are Puerto Rican, and we go back to Puerto Rico every chance we get. Any time we hear someone speaking Spanish in a Puerto Rican accent, something in us lights up. A spokesperson for the local school district gave a message and started speaking in Spanish, and someone in my house came running into the room saying, I bet he is Puerto Rican. She could tell just from his voice. Our mailman came by, and I could see on the doorbell camera that he was listening to Bad Bunny, and I said, look, he is Puerto Rican.

We hear our language. We hear our accent. It connects us to that person immediately, because they know us. They understand us. They are part of our community and our culture in a way that someone outside of it cannot fully access.

When you hear someone speak in your own language, it awakens something in you. It ties your story to theirs. On the morning of Pentecost, people from all over the world, from every community and every culture represented in that city, suddenly heard the wonders of God spoken in the language of home. Of course they had to know what was going on. Every one of those 120 people had begun speaking in the languages of the nations.

How Pentecost Reverses the Tower of Babel
This is another line where Jesus is redeeming the world, taking what was broken and bringing it back to life and back to good. To see it, go back to Genesis 11 and the Tower of Babel.

We do not talk about Babel often. It usually stays in Sunday school. It is a hard passage, and it sometimes confuses us, because it comes right after the flood and our scientific instincts start asking questions. Here is what it says: "Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there."

They had been commanded by God to go out into the whole world, to be fruitful and to spread out. That was the assignment. In Genesis, movement eastward is often the picture of people moving away from God. When Adam and Eve left the garden, they left through the eastern gate. When Cain left after killing his brother, he went east. When Abraham and Lot separated, Lot went east. It is the geography of walking away.

God told them to fill the earth, and instead they decided to stop right there on the plain and build a city. They wanted to make a name for themselves. They wanted to be like God. God came down, saw what they were doing, saw the arrogance of it and the sin in their hearts, and judged them. Genesis 11:8-9 records the verdict: "So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world."

Hold that next to Acts 2. At Babel, language was confused and people were scattered outward and downward. At Pentecost, people from all over the world heard the message of what God had done in their own language, and it landed directly in their hearts and their cultures. Instead of scattering in confusion, they were drawn in, and then sent back out carrying an intelligible word about what God had done.

What This Means for You
The distance is the part worth sitting with. If your sense of God is a holy fire on a mountain with a rope line around it, that picture was accurate for a season. It is no longer the whole story. The same fire that once said stay back came down and rested on ordinary people in an ordinary room, women and men alike, including the family members who had watched Jesus grow up.

Jesus has redeemed and reconciled all people back to Himself. That is what Pentecost announced in every language that mattered to the people standing there. The perimeter is gone. The Spirit of God is not held back on a mountaintop waiting for a mediator to climb up on your behalf, because Jesus already did that, and what came back down was access.

If God has felt far away, Pentecost is the answer to that feeling. He came close, He spoke in a language you can understand, and He has been drawing people in ever since.

This blog is based on the message shared by Student Pastor Alberto Avila at our CityRise Bellaire campus on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. Check out the full message below!

Because you give, CityRise returned to Roscrae, Ireland, earlier this summer for the fourth time to continue a ministry that is growing in both participation and impact. What began as an opportunity to serve the community through Vacation Bible School has become a meaningful annual ministry.

Fourteen CityRise team members traveled to Roscrae with servant hearts and a desire to share the love of Jesus with children and families. This year, 91 children participated! Through VBS, the team created opportunities for kids to learn about God, grow in their faith, build relationships, and experience the joy of being part of a community centered on Christ.

One of the most encouraging parts of returning year after year is seeing how God continues to deepen the relationship between CityRise and the people of Roscrae. The community has embraced the CityRise team, and each visit provides another opportunity to strengthen friendships, encourage local believers, and demonstrate the love of Christ through service.

The growth of VBS is a wonderful reminder that faithful ministry can have an impact that extends far beyond a single week. Relationships are being built, trust is growing, and the gospel is being shared with another generation.

Dear Church Family,
 
Before we look toward an important weekend at CityRise, I want to pause and remember an important day in the life of our nation.
 
Tomorrow marks twenty-five years since the attacks of September 11, 2001. We remember the nearly 3,000 lives lost that day, the courage of first responders and ordinary citizens who ran toward danger, and the families whose lives were forever changed. We also remember the men and women who served our country in the years that followed.
 
For many, September 11 remains deeply personal. I hope you will take a moment tomorrow to pray for those who still carry its grief and to thank God for those who sacrificially serve and protect others. Psalm 46 reminds us that “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Twenty-five years later, that truth remains our hope.
 
Now this weekend, we will also celebrate something we have hoped and prayed for and worked toward for a long time.

On Sunday, our CityRise Missouri City and CityRise Missouri City Español church families will return to their newly renovated building for New Beginnings Sunday! After four years of perseverance, these congregations will once again worship, gather, and serve from these renewed spaces.

What excites me most is what will happen inside the building. We anticipate celebrating the baptisms of several new believers that morning. There is hardly a better picture of a new beginning than men and women publicly declaring that Jesus has given them new life.
 
At 9A, our English- and Spanish-speaking congregations will gather for a brief bilingual dedication service. The morning will continue with worship, Community Groups, baptisms, our Children’s Choir, a youth drama, fellowship, and a special welcome to community partners who have walked alongside the church.
 
I know many of you will be serving and worshiping at your own CityRise campus Sunday. But if you are able to join our Missouri City church family for any part of the morning, I know your presence would be an encouragement to them.
 
For those planning to attend, please be aware that parking on campus will be very limited. Additional parking will be available at the funeral home next door, at E.A. Jones Elementary about a quarter-mile away, and along nearby side streets. Please allow a little extra time when you arrive.
 
Many across CityRise have prayed, given, served, and encouraged this congregation through these years. Thank you. This Sunday is a reminder that our Pathways efforts are ultimately about making room for people to hear the gospel, grow in Christ, and find a church family.
 
Please pray for Campus Pastor Mark Edworthy, Español Pastor Justo Robinson, and the entire CityRise Missouri City and CityRise Missouri City Español teams. Pray especially for those preparing for baptism and for every guest who walks through the doors Sunday.
 
May God receive all the glory for what He has done and what He will continue to do.
 
 
Expecting Greater,
Pastor Roger

Because you give, more than 678 people gathered in person for the inaugural AI Revolution, a four-night event designed to help followers of Jesus navigate the rapidly changing world of artificial intelligence and emerging technology. Nearly 1,000 additional people tuned in through replays on YouTube, expanding the reach of this important conversation far beyond those who attended in person.

Throughout the series, knowledgeable speakers explored the opportunities and challenges presented by AI, equipping attendees to think critically and biblically about technology that is becoming an increasingly significant part of everyday life. Rather than approaching these changes with fear or uncertainty, the event encouraged participants to consider how Christians can respond with wisdom, discernment, and faithfulness.

The AI Revolution provided a valuable platform for asking important questions: How should followers of Jesus evaluate new technology? What opportunities can emerging tools provide, and what challenges should we be prepared to recognize? And most importantly, how can our faith guide us as technology continues to evolve?

This enlightening series was about more than understanding artificial intelligence—it was about learning how to engage with a changing world while remaining grounded in biblical truth. Because of your generosity, CityRise was able to create a space where people could learn, ask questions, and be encouraged to approach technological change thoughtfully and faithfully.

Dear Church Family,

This summer, we have seen significant progress in our Pathways efforts across CityRise, and in just over a week we will celebrate an especially meaningful milestone.

On Sunday, September 13, our CityRise Missouri City and CityRise Missouri City Español church families will celebrate New Beginnings Sunday as they reopen the sanctuary and building for worship after four years of perseverance. I am grateful for their faithfulness and patience along the way—with special thanks to the excellent efforts of our Facilities and Production teams—and I hope all of us across CityRise will celebrate and pray with them as this important day approaches.

Work continues on the Missouri City parking lot, and it looks fantastic! While it won’t be ready by September 13, we anticipate its completion in the weeks that follow and are grateful for the additional parking it will provide.

We are also seeing progress at the West U Baptist campus: the renovated Milton Street parking lot is expected to be available for Sunday worship starting this weekend! During the work week, parking will still be relegated to Milton Street itself and elsewhere while remaining work continues on the lot.

As we see these plans taking visible shape, I am reminded of the Scripture that has helped guide Pathways from the beginning. David prayed, “Everything comes from Your hand, and everything belongs to You” (1 Chronicles 29:16).

Everything we have is from the Lord, and we want to steward faithfully what He has entrusted to us. As we move toward CityRise’s 100th birthday in 2028, this three-year generosity journey is helping prepare our church for the next century of ministry—honoring God’s faithfulness in the past while creating opportunities to welcome people, serve our communities, and share the gospel for generations to come.

I encourage you to stay connected to all that is happening through Pathways—including parking updates, helpful resources, and the latest campaign progress—at cityrise.org/pathways.

As we prepare our campuses for the ministry ahead, I am also grateful for the ways God continues to provide leaders to serve our church family. I want to share an important update from our CityRise Students Team.

With Tim Yeager’s recent transition from Global Student Pastor to Campus Pastor at CityRise Bellaire, Alberto Avila will now serve as our Global Student Pastor, providing vision and leadership for CityRise Students across our campuses while continuing to give particular leadership to our West U Baptist students on Sundays.

I am also excited to welcome Max Brown to our staff as Student Pastor! Max will serve alongside Alberto and give primary leadership to our students at CityRise Bellaire.

Our goal is to remain one united CityRise Students ministry while providing students and families consistent, trusted leadership at their local campus. I am grateful for Alberto and Max and excited about this next chapter for our student ministry. Please pray for them, for Tim in his new role, and for the students, families, and leaders they serve.

Thank you to everyone who has prayed, given, and made a commitment to Pathways. Your generosity is helping make this work possible. If you have not yet joined us, there is still an opportunity to participate. You can learn more and make a commitment at cityrise.org/pathways.

Please continue to pray for wisdom as the work moves forward and especially for our Missouri City church family as they prepare for New Beginnings Sunday. What an encouragement it is to see the Lord’s provision and the generosity of His people taking visible shape across CityRise.


Expecting Greater,
Pastor Roger

Jesus is the Passover Lamb. That is the claim He made at His final meal with His friends, and it is the reason the last pages of the Bible return to a Lamb seated on a throne. The story that started in Egypt does not end in Egypt. It ends with Him.

If you have ever sat through communion and quietly wondered what the bread and the cup are actually for, or why a church would keep repeating a ritual borrowed from an ancient Jewish feast, you are asking a fair question. The answer is not sentimental. It reaches back into a night of judgment in Egypt, forward to a Roman cross, and further forward still to a promise that the curse hanging over this world will one day be lifted for good. Here is the thread that ties all three together.

What Was the Passover, and Why Does It Still Matter?
Long ago, God promised His people a land He cared very deeply about. Famine drove them into Egypt instead, and Pharaoh held them there in captivity. That is where the story of Moses begins, with a demand delivered to a king: let My people go. Pharaoh refused. Plague after plague came against Egypt to break his grip, and still he would not release them.

The final plague was God's wrath and judgment. But God gave a warning first, and inside that warning He gave a way out. Find an unblemished lamb, sacrifice it, and paint its blood on your doorpost, and His judgment would pass over that household.

Notice what did not factor into that promise. It did not matter who was inside the house. It did not matter what they looked like, what they did for a living, or what sins they had already committed. It did not even matter what sins they would go on to commit after that night. The only thing that mattered was whether the blood of an unblemished lamb was painted on the doorpost. Where the blood was, the wrath of God passed over.

Then came the rescue. God's people walked out of Egypt toward the Promised Land, and the sea itself parted in front of them. That deliverance was real, and it is worthy of worship. Afterward they kept an annual meal to remember it, gathering friends and family around a table to look backward at the Exodus and the night judgment passed them by.

What Did Jesus Mean When He Said "This Is My Body"?
Every part of that Passover meal was a symbol pointing backward. The bread, the cup, the order of it, all of it faced the past. Which is what makes what happened in Mark 14:22 so startling.

"As they were eating, He took bread, and after blessing it, He broke it, and He gave it to them, and said, 'Take, this is My body.'"

That went completely against the script. A Passover meal was not supposed to be about the man hosting it. Jesus took a meal built to look backward and turned it to face Himself. No longer are we looking back, He was saying. You are looking at Me now. This is My body, broken for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.

In effect, He was telling them that the bread meant to remind them of Israel's suffering and deliverance from years past was pointing at Him all along. I am the one who will suffer for you. I am the one through whom God will bring a greater deliverance. Pharaoh once held you captive. Now sin holds you captive, and I will free you from that.

The rescue out of Egypt was real, and it deserved celebrating. It was also a picture of a greater rescue still to come.

Why Is Jesus Called the Passover Lamb?
Because He said so, and He said it while holding the cup. In Mark 14:23-24, He took the cup, gave thanks, and passed it to them, and they all drank from it. Then He told them, "This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many."

Follow the logic of that sentence. A lamb had been sacrificed in Egypt so that death would pass over the doors of God's people. Jesus, sitting at a table commemorating exactly that, says the blood in question is now His own. I am the Passover Lamb. My blood will be shed to cover your sin, and it will make a binding covenant between you and God.

That is the shift. The meal stopped being a backward glance at something that happened a thousand years earlier. Its center became Jesus Himself, and it has stayed there ever since. When we come to the Lord's table today, what we are saying is that His body was broken on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, and we take the bread and the cup as a remembrance of Him.

Why Does the Bible End With a Lamb on the Throne?
Turn to the final chapter of the Bible and the Lamb is still there. In Revelation 22, the Lamb who was at the cross is the Lamb seated on the throne. The one who shed His blood to remove the curse is the one who will one day remove the curse completely.

The cross is where the victory was secured. Revelation 22 is where the victory is completed. Those are not two different stories with two different heroes. They are one story, and He is the reason it resolves.

This is why the ending matters for a Tuesday. It is not only a destination waiting somewhere out ahead of you. It changes the ground under your feet right now, because the outcome is already settled by the one who settled it.

Do You Have to Be Worthy to Take Communion?
No, and that is the whole point. We do not come to the Lord's table because we are worthy. We come because Jesus alone is worthy, and because He made a way for sinners to be forgiven, welcomed into God's presence, and brought near enough to see His face.

If you have trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, receive this meal as two things at once. It is a remembrance of His sacrifice, and it is a public proclamation of your faith in Him.

Scripture does call us to examine our hearts before we come, so take the moment. Sit with your own sin honestly, confess it to the Lord, and profess Him as Lord and Savior. That examination is not a worthiness test you might fail. It is what it looks like to come to the table awake.

What If You Have Not Placed Your Faith in Jesus Yet?
Then this meal is not for you yet, and there is no shame in that word "yet." Watch instead. Pay attention to what is happening around the table and consider the grace that Jesus is offering you, freely, without first requiring you to clean yourself up.

Remember what did and did not matter on that night in Egypt. Not the résumé, not the record, not the reputation. Only the blood of the lamb.

Where This Leaves You Today
The Bible has one ending, and Jesus is it. He is the unblemished Lamb whose blood was painted over a doorway in Egypt, the Lamb who took bread and called it His body, the Lamb slain at the cross, and the Lamb on the throne in Revelation 22 who finishes what He started.

That is why Jesus is the Passover Lamb, and why the table still matters. The victory is secured. One day it will be completed. Between those two points, you have every reason to live like the outcome is already sure, because it is.

This blog is based on the message shared by Campus Pastor Tim Yeager at our CityRise Bellaire campus on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. Check out the full message below!

This summer, we have seen exciting progress across our Pathways efforts, and we are grateful for the ways God continues to open doors and move these projects forward!

At CityRise Missouri City, we are on target to reopen the sanctuary building on September 13 for their New Beginning Sunday. This is an especially meaningful milestone after four difficult years of persevering. What once seemed like a distant possibility is now becoming a reality, and we are looking forward with great anticipation to seeing the church gather again in this renewed space.

The CRMC parking lot is also well underway! While we do not expect the project to be completed by September 13, we anticipate the work being finished within the following few weeks. We are excited about the relief these additional parking spaces will provide and the opportunities they will create for the church and its ministry.

Looking ahead, we are also on target church-wide to bring details forward in October as we seek approvals for the next steps in all of our Pathways projects. We are thankful for the continued progress and for everyone who has prayed, given, and helped make these efforts possible.

Thank you to everyone who has given to Pathways and helped us continue moving forward. It is not too late to join our Pathways efforts! Visit cityrise.org/pathways to learn more and make your commitment.

We are grateful for what God has done, and we are excited to see what He will continue to do through Pathways!

Dear Church Family,

With the official end of summer about a month away, I am grateful for the opportunity to look back at the many ways God has allowed our church family to participate in His work around the world.

Since late April, CityRise has sent teams on 14 mission trips to 14 different countries. From Belize and Ireland to England, Germany, South Africa, Benin, Togo, Zambia, and beyond, our students, families, adults, ministry leaders, and medical professionals have served alongside local churches and ministry partners to share the gospel, encourage believers, meet practical needs, and strengthen the work God is already doing.

And the stories below from this summer are encouraging.

On CityRise’s first mission trip to Zambia, our team partnered with Judea Harvest for a two-day medical clinic and VBS. They provided medical care for 332 people—including one man who walked five hours to receive treatment—while 450 children attended VBS. Forty-two people made professions of faith, and three were baptized.

In Belize, we saw a different kind of fruit: children who attended VBS when CityRise first began serving there seven years ago are now helping lead worship in their own church. And in Benin and Togo, pastors and worship leaders received biblical training designed not simply to encourage them, but to equip them to train and strengthen others.

I also had the privilege of joining one of our family mission teams in London this summer. It was encouraging to see firsthand the value of coming alongside a local church—serving children and families, building relationships, and creating opportunities for conversations about Jesus that continue after our team comes home.

Our Global Outreach Pastor, Rynie Badenhorst, summarized the summer well:

“We are incredibly grateful for everyone who prays, gives, serves, and goes. Your generosity makes it possible for CityRise to send people across the world to serve others, share the Gospel, and build up the local church—while growing in their own faith and calling.”

Thank you for being part of that work.

And even as we give thanks for where God has sent us, we are already looking ahead. We are tentatively planning a Bible Land Trip to Israel in late April 2027. If you are interested in learning more, join us for an informational meeting on Sunday, September 20, at 7P in the Loft at CityRise Bellaire. Come hear about this exciting opportunity to experience the land of the Bible together.

There will also be many other opportunities to go and be deployed. Visit cityrise.org/missions to learn about upcoming mission trips and prayerfully consider where God may be calling you to serve.

May we continue to be a church that prays, gives, serves, and goes—joining God in His work here in Houston and among the nations.


Expecting Greater,
Pastor Roger

P.S. Thank you to everyone who joined us throughout August for The AI Revolution. Those four evenings gave us much to consider about technology, wisdom, faith, and following Jesus faithfully in a rapidly changing world. Dr. Jeff Frey will return Thursday, October 1, for our Lunch & Learn, AI + Human Intelligence: Working Smarter Without Becoming Less Human. Sign up now to receive details and a save-the-date reminder.

What heaven is like is far more concrete than the clouds and harps most of us picture. According to Revelation 21 and Revelation 22, the eternal state includes a renewed physical creation, the end of pain and death, meaningful work, one unbroken family, and everlasting joy in the presence of God. Five things to expect, and not one of them is vague.

If you've buried someone you love, one of those five matters more than the others right now. We'll get there. But start with the one most people never see coming.

A New Heaven And A New Earth
Revelation 21:1 opens with this: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more."

You shouldn't be surprised by that. If Scripture promises us resurrected bodies, then creation gets the same treatment. What's coming isn't an escape from the physical world. It's the renewal of it.

Randy Alcorn makes the point that the earthly beauty we see now won't be lost. We won't trade earth's beauty for heaven's. We'll keep earth's beauty and gain a deeper beauty on top of it, and we'll enjoy it forever alongside the redeemed people of this world.

That's number one. Heaven is a place, and it's this place made new.

Will There Be Pain In Heaven?
No. And the promise is more specific than a general absence of suffering.

Revelation 21:4 says, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. And death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning or crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

I've officiated a couple hundred funerals across my ministry. I've buried a baby who lived one day, and I've buried a woman who lived 107 years. Recently I led the service for a woman named Ruth who was 104. Think about what she saw in 104 years. She lived through the Great Depression. She was a World War II veteran, and there was a veteran honor flag ceremony at her service. She also lost two children, and she buried two husbands.

Can you imagine the mourning, the crying, and the pain in a life like that?

Here's what I believe with everything in me: one second in heaven will wash away a lifetime of tears on earth.

Think about what that actually means. Everything that causes pain and suffering in this life is no more. You want to know what isn't in heaven? Cancer isn't in heaven. Neither is abandonment, abuse, war, addiction, mental illness, hunger, racism, or terrorism. The old order of things has passed. It's gone. It's removed.

Alcorn describes these as the tears of people who suffered under sin and death, the cries of the poor, the widow, the orphan, the unborn, and the persecuted. That crying is finished.

And notice how personal it gets. Isaiah promises that God will wipe away His people's tears, and John picks up that same language in Revelation. The picture isn't a policy announcement. It's Jesus walking up to each one of us individually. Imagine standing in that crowd, tears still on your face, waiting, and He comes to you personally. Everyone is watching, and He begins to minister to you, and He wipes them away.

Life is hard here. Nobody needs convincing of that. But hang in there, because "no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind can conceive what God has in store for those who love Him" (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Will There Be Work In Heaven?
Yes, and you may not love hearing it at first.

Revelation 22:3 says, "No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and the Lamb will be in the city, and His servants will serve Him." That's the New International Version. The English Standard Version renders that last phrase as His servants will worship Him. In other words, serving is worship.

Sit with that, because it changes your Monday. If you want to transform your work right now, view it as an act of worship offered to God rather than something you're obligated to do to put food on the table. "Whatever you do in word or deed, do it all to the glory of Christ."

The curse in that verse is the fall of mankind, and it's worth noticing what the curse did and didn't do. Work existed before the fall. Go back to Genesis. Adam was given dominion, told to rule and to exert authority over the garden, to till it and take care of it, to name the animals. Adam was busy working. Then came the curse, and God said the ground itself would resist him. His work would be hard.

Work was never the punishment. The difficulty was. As Alcorn puts it, the new heaven will include work, and we have to remember that work wasn't part of the curse. What the curse did was make work menial, tedious, and frustrating. On the new earth, work gets redeemed and transformed back into what God intended, because no longer will there be any curse.
There's a beauty to the work God created us for, and there's worship inside it.

Will You See Your Family Again?
This is the question that shows up in hospital rooms and funeral homes, and Revelation answers it.

One writer describes it this way: heaven won't be without families, but we'll be one big family in which all family members are our friends and all friends are family members.

The older you get, the more goodbyes you have.

Julee and I met our little granddaughter, Margaret Adair Patterson, a couple of months ago. What a gift. We preached on a Sunday morning, flew out, and saw them late that Sunday night. We helped get them out of the hospital on Monday and had a little time with them Monday evening. Tuesday morning we had a quick visit with Brady and Emma, and then we had to get to the airport. We left their apartment around 11:30 or noon. We prayed together. And we cried.

Julee and I were quiet the whole drive. Not much conversation. We were going down the escalator toward security and I finally said, "That was a little harder than I thought." She said, "Yeah, it was." That little girl had opened a part of her heart she didn't know was even there. Leaving our son wasn't the hard part. We've done that before. It was the baby.

Every reunion we experience here is temporary. Somebody eventually gets on a plane. Somebody eventually goes home. And ultimately, death separates every earthly family.
But here's what Revelation teaches us. There's a coming reunion that nobody ever has to leave. Heaven isn't less relational than this life. It's more relational. We don't lose the people of God. We finally get the family of God without distance, division, dysfunction, or death.

Will We Be Married In Heaven?
Jesus tells us we won't be. He said that at the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage (Matthew 22:30).

Many people are surprised by that, and I understand why. But remember what earthly marriage is for. The one flesh union we know here is a signpost pointing to our relationship with Christ as our bridegroom. Once we reach the destination, the signpost becomes unnecessary. That one marriage, our marriage to Christ, will be so completely satisfying that even the most wonderful earthly marriage couldn't compete with it.

That's the theology of it. Practically speaking, if you can't find me at my place in heaven, I'm going to be hanging out with my wife.

Everlasting Joy In The Presence Of God
This is the most significant of all five, and it's the completion of a story that started back in Genesis.

Scripture opens with God creating everything perfect and dwelling with man. Then man rebelled, and brokenness and the fall came in. At that fall God said He would raise up One who would restore all things. The whole Bible tracks the story of Jesus, and it ends where it began, except renewed.

Revelation 21:3 says, "Look, God's dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God." That's how it was designed all along. Our rebellion and our sinfulness separated us from a holy God, and this is God closing that distance permanently.

I'm often among the first few calls someone makes when a loved one dies. That's a humbling thing, and walking a family through a memorial service, a funeral, and a burial is a humbling responsibility for me and for our pastors. One of the things I love most is ministering hope in that moment, and Psalm 16:11 is the verse I keep going back to: "You make known to me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy, and at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

Maybe you're reading this while wandering through life trying to figure it out. Life hasn't gone the way you wanted. You're angry at God, you're not in relationship with Him, and you're trying to sort this out on your own. Hear this: He makes known to you the path of life. Your Creator knows how He made you and how He built you, and He wants you to call out to Him for help.

And for those already in Christ, here's the good news. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). Look again at what that presence contains. Fullness of joy. Pleasures forever. Jesus Himself called it paradise.

So, when I sit with a grieving family, this is what I tell them. To be in the presence of Jesus is to be in the presence of fullness of joy. Your son, your daughter, your husband, your wife, your grandmother, your grandfather: they are better off than we are. Paul said to live is Christ and to die is gain, and that departing is better by far (Philippians 1:21-23). Gain is profit. They're more alive now than they've ever been. That's not sentiment. That's what the Word of God says.

What Awaits
Isaiah 65:17-18 puts the whole thing in God's own voice: "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create. For behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness."

That's what heaven is like. A new heaven and a new earth. A place of joy and gladness. A place where the celebration never ends.

Life is hard here, and no honest pastor pretends otherwise. But if you belong to Jesus, everything painful about the old order has an expiration date, and everything good about this world is waiting for you renewed. If you don't know where you stand with Him yet, that's the place to start, and it can start today.

Can you even imagine?

This blog is based on the message shared by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson at our CityRise Bellaire campus on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. Check out the full message below!

Dear Church Family,

Tonight brings us to the final evening of The AI Revolution. Over the past three Mondays, I have been grateful to see so many people gathering to learn, ask thoughtful questions, make new connections, and consider together how followers of Jesus can engage a rapidly changing technological world with wisdom.

Tonight at 6:30P, Dr. Laura Murray will conclude our series with From Fragmented to Integrated: People, Technology, and a New Way to Think About Mental Health Care.

Dr. Murray is a Faculty Member at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Founder of CETA Global Inc., and Head of Global Mental Health at Google. Tonight gives us an opportunity to consider another important dimension of this larger conversation as we think about the role technology can play in addressing deeply human needs.

I hope you will join us at CityRise Bellaire for this final night. Whether you are an entrepreneur, business leader, professional, or simply someone interested in these issues, come ready to learn, participate in the Q&A, and connect with others who are asking many of the same questions.

And if you cannot be with us in person, join us live for free through GLU, the God Loves You Network. You can watch on your phone or tablet, or search for GLU on your smart TV or streaming device, download the app, and search for The AI Revolution.

While tonight concludes this four-week series, the conversation will continue! Dr. Jeff Frey will return for a special Lunch & Learn, AI + Human Intelligence: Working Smarter Without Becoming Less Human, with practical guidance for using AI well while discerning what we should automate, augment, and deliberately keep human.

Sign up here to receive the Lunch & Learn save-the-date and additional information.
Thank you for being part of these conversations throughout August. I hope you will join us for one more important evening tonight—in person or through GLU—and invite someone to join you.


Expecting Greater,
Pastor Roger

Because you give, the gospel is reaching communities around the world. Last month, 13 CityRise team members traveled to Wiesbaden, Germany, to serve alongside Immanuel Baptist Church and host a Vacation Bible School for the very first time.

What began as a new opportunity to serve quickly became a meaningful week of ministry, fellowship, and gospel-centered connection. Fifty-five children participated in VBS, where they experienced Bible teaching, worship, activities, and the opportunity to learn more about who Jesus is and what it means to follow Him. Most importantly, 11 children became new believers!

The team’s ministry extended beyond the children’s program. Each morning, the team provided a Bible study specifically for parents, creating another opportunity to share God’s Word and encourage families. Team members also participated in outreach prayer, intentionally connecting with people in the community and praying for their needs.

One incredible story came from this trip: Many of the VBS kids were from a military base since Wiesbaden is home to a US base. One family in particular had eight children attending. The father of the family is deployed. The wife learned he would not return for another nine months. Two of her kids raised their hands to accept Jesus. What an honor and gift to share the Good News of Jesus with the children of those serving the country!

The team was also able to encourage and strengthen the local church through Christian fellowship. Serving alongside Immanuel Baptist Church provided an opportunity to build relationships, share in ministry, and encourage local believers as they continue faithfully serving their community.

This first VBS in Wiesbaden is a reminder that God can use a willing team to open doors for the gospel. The impact of the trip reached children, parents, church members, and the community—and the 10 new believers are a beautiful testimony to God’s work.

Dear Church Family,
 
With schools in full swing again, many of us are returning to those familiar schedules. Wednesdays will soon be active across our campuses, new classes and studies are beginning, Community Groups are gathering and growing, and there are many opportunities to connect, learn, serve, and grow together. (Just check out our cityrise.org/fall page!)
 
All of those opportunities point to the truth that we were not created to follow Jesus alone. Throughout Scripture, God continually draws His people into community. We worship together, pray for one another, encourage one another, carry burdens, celebrate joys, serve side by side, and help one another remain faithful.
 
Hebrews 10:24–25 reminds us, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together . . . but encouraging one another.”
 
A few weeks ago, I encouraged us to cultivate a culture of invitation, to consider who God may be prompting us to invite to “come and see.” In that same vein, I also want to encourage each of us to consider where we ourselves are connected.
 
Maybe that means returning to a Community Group after a summer away. Maybe it means joining a Bible study or class for the first time, serving alongside others in a ministry. Or maybe it means simply making the decision to be more intentional about the relationships God has already placed around you.
 
Interestingly, the importance of genuine human connection has also been part of the conversation surrounding The AI Revolution this month. Technology can increasingly help us communicate, create, analyze, and accomplish work more efficiently. But greater capability does not lessen our need for wisdom about what technology should assist us with—and what we should deliberately keep human.
 
Our final night will be this coming Monday with Dr. Laura Murray, but the conversation will continue this fall with a special Lunch & Learn on October 1. Dr. Jeff Frey, who joined us for the first night of The AI Revolution, will return for AI + Human Intelligence: Working Smarter Without Becoming Less Human. He will offer practical guidance for using AI in real-world work while also helping us think carefully about what should be automated, what should be augmented, and what should remain distinctly human. You can sign up now to receive the save-the-date information.
 
Whether in our homes, workplaces, classrooms, neighborhoods, or church family, we need one another. My prayer as this fall begins soon is that we would become more deeply connected to our Lord and Savior and to the people He has placed around us.
 
 
Expecting Greater,
Pastor Roger

When Jesus returns, He does not close the story. He begins a new chapter of it. Scripture describes a thousand year era, often called the Messianic Age or the Millennial Kingdom, in which Jesus physically rules from Jerusalem, the promises made to Israel come due, creation starts to heal, and nations stop training for war.

If you have ever wondered what happens when Jesus returns, the Bible is more specific than most of us expect. Here are seven features of that age, each one anchored in a passage you can read for yourself.

1. Jesus Physically Returns and Establishes His Kingdom
The return is physical, and it comes before the millennium rather than after it. Zechariah 14:4-9 and Revelation 19:11 give the picture, and Zechariah's language is geological: "On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward."

The passage keeps going, and it captures two events at once, the battle of Armageddon and the inauguration of the Messianic Age. "Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him. On that day there shall be no cold or frost, and there shall be a unique day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light."

Notice that phrase, "a unique day." Whatever else is true of that age, it will not run on the rhythms you and I currently know. The passage closes with living water flowing out of Jerusalem toward both seas, continuing in summer as in winter, and this declaration: "The Lord will be king over all the earth."

2. God Keeps Every Promise He Made to Israel
The millennium fulfills the covenants, particularly the Abrahamic Covenant, the Davidic Covenant, and the New Covenant.

The Abrahamic Covenant
God promised Abraham land, descendants beyond counting, and blessing to all nations through his lineage. The Messianic Age is the full realization of that promise, not a spiritualized substitute for it.

The Davidic Covenant
God promised David that his descendants would rule on his throne forever, and Jesus, as the descendant of David, fulfills that covenant by reigning as king. You already know the passage, because it shows up every Christmas and in Handel's Messiah. Isaiah 9:6-7 says, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore." That is the kingdom coming and the will of God being done, exactly as we pray for it.

The New Covenant
The Messianic Age is also when God fulfills the New Covenant with Israel, giving new hearts, forgiveness of sins, and nearness to Himself.

Does Israel Still Matter in God's Plan?
Let me say a word here, especially to young adults. One of the pastors in our city reached out and asked me what I was seeing in how young adults view the nation of Israel. I told him what I have observed, which is that they have been shaped heavily by social media and they carry real and severe frustration with the secular state of Israel.

So, hear me carefully. Israel remains a massive part of God's plan even if you disagree with the government of Israel and its actions. I do not agree with everything my own government does, so I certainly will not defend everything a foreign nation does. That is a separate question from the covenant. The promise God made to Abraham, "I will bless those who bless you" in Genesis 12:3, is eternal and unconditional. You would be wise to read what Scripture actually says about Israel, about what will take place there, and about how Jesus will rule and reign from there. Whatever a given administration does, be a person who blesses the people of Israel and the Jewish lineage, because God blesses those who bless Israel.

What Israel needs is a heart transplant, and that is precisely what God promises in Ezekiel 36:24-28: "I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God."

The first shall be last. The gospel went first to the Jew, then to the Gentiles, and most Jewish hearts have been hard through the centuries. Romans 11 says that all Israel will be saved after the gospel goes out to the nations, after the tribulation, when they cry out for Messiah's salvation. Then He comes, and the heart transformation happens. That transplant belongs to the Messianic Age.

3. Jerusalem Becomes the Center of the World
Jerusalem will be the political and spiritual center of the earth, the seat from which Jesus rules. Isaiah 2:2-4 describes it this way: "It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills, and all the nations shall flow to it. And many peoples shall come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us His ways and that we may walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples, and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore."

Read it literally and there is a geographic change involved. The city of God already sits high on a mountain, and at the coming of Jesus it rises higher still. Then the nations come, because this becomes the political and spiritual center of the world, and people from every nation arrive to learn from the Lord. Global peace is the result. Micah 4:1-4 says the same thing, nations streaming to Jerusalem to be taught by God, and weapons reforged into tools.

4. Worldwide Peace and Righteousness Finally Arrive
Think about the prayer again. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, as Matthew 6:10 puts it. That is peace and righteousness on a global scale, because Jesus reigns in righteousness. Isaiah 11:1-9 describes a future in which Messiah judges rightly, and the peace extends past human society into the animal kingdom.

I have a specific reason to look forward to that part. The neighbors behind us and I share a back fence. We both have dogs, and we also have possums that visit. When one of those possums starts across, my dogs go nuts, then the neighbors' dog joins in, and there is this whole choir of barking. I cannot wait for the Messianic Age.

Look at what Isaiah 11:6-9 promises: "The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."

That is the Millennial Kingdom, and you and I get to experience it.

5. Creation Is Partially Restored
The curse on creation is partially lifted in that age, which produces abundance, productivity, and renewal across the earth. Isaiah 35:1-7 speaks of deserts blooming and wilderness turning fertile, and that flourishing symbolizes the restoration of the natural world. Romans 8:18-22 shows the other side of it, creation groaning right now, crying out for liberation from the effects of sin.

6. People Live Long Lives and Real Prosperity Returns
People in the millennium will live long lives and enjoy unprecedented prosperity, though mortality still exists. This is renewal, not yet the final state. Isaiah 65:20-25 describes people reaching old age, enjoying the fruit of their own labor without fear, alongside that same peace running through nature.

7. The Nations Bring Tribute to Jesus in Jerusalem
Gentile nations will come to Jerusalem and pay tribute to Jesus. Zechariah 8:22 and the verses that follow describe many peoples from all nations seeking the Lord and asking to be led by the people of Israel. Psalm 22:27-28 anticipates the same outcome, all the nations turning to the Lord and acknowledging that He rules.

Where to Go From Here
Seven features, one direction. Jesus returns physically, God keeps His word to Israel, Jerusalem becomes the world's center, peace and righteousness govern the globe, creation begins to heal, life stretches long, and the nations bow.

Take the passages one at a time and read them for yourself. Zechariah 14, Isaiah 9, Ezekiel 36, Isaiah 2, Isaiah 11, Isaiah 35, Isaiah 65, and Zechariah 8 were written to be studied, not skimmed. And the next time you pray "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven," know exactly what you are asking for.

This blog is based on the message shared by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson at our CityRise West U Baptist campus on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. Check out the full message below!

Dear Church Family,

We have had two tremendous nights of The AI Revolution, and I am grateful for the conversations that have continued well beyond our time together on Monday evenings. Tonight at 6:30P, we continue with Peter and Misty Phillip and a particularly timely topic: The Trojan Horse of The Digital Age: Why Christians Must Discern AI.

Peter and Misty bring years of experience at the intersection of technology, business, and faith. Tonight they will help us consider the importance of discernment as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in our lives, workplaces, churches, and culture.

If you are an entrepreneur, business leader, professional, or simply someone trying to understand these changes through the lens of faith, I hope you will join us in person at CityRise Bellaire. Come ready to learn, ask questions, meet others navigating many of the same issues, and continue building the kind of community we hoped these evenings would create.

And if you cannot be with us in person, join us live for free through GLU, the God Loves You Network. You can watch on your phone or tablet, or search for GLU on your smart TV or streaming device, download the app, and search for The AI Revolution.

We have only two nights remaining in this series. Whether you join us at Bellaire or through GLU, I hope you will be part of tonight’s conversation. And make sure to invite a friend, coworker, or someone in your professional network to join you!


Expecting Greater,
Pastor Roger

Because you give, 28 students and seven adult leaders recently traveled to Belize for CityRise’s seventh-annual mission trip, continuing a long-standing relationship that has already produced incredible spiritual fruit.

For seven years, CityRise students and adults have traveled to Belize to lead Vacation Bible School and share the love of Christ with children and families. What makes this friendship especially meaningful is seeing how God has used these trips to create a lasting legacy in the local church.

At Ebenezer Evangelical Church, children who attended VBS seven years ago have grown up in their faith and are now serving the church themselves. Some of those same children who once sat and listened during VBS are now leading worship each Sunday. Their stories are a beautiful reminder that ministry is about more than what happens during one week—it is about investing in lives and watching God continue that work for years to come.

The team also expanded its reach this year by implementing a second VBS in a different town. This new opportunity allowed the team to support an additional church with which Pastor Pedro is connected, extending the impact of the trip to another community. Through VBS, the team was able to come alongside local believers and help them reach children and families in their area.

The Belize mission trip is a wonderful example of how giving to CityRise helps equip the next generation to live on mission. Students are not only learning about serving others; they are actively participating in God’s work around the world. At the same time, long-term collaboration with local churches provide opportunities for continued discipleship and ministry long after a mission team returns home. The students are making an eternal impact in Belize.

Dear Church Family,

We are halfway through The AI Revolution, and I am grateful for the response we have seen over these first two Monday nights.

More than 200 people have joined us in person each week, with hundreds more watching through the livestream and replays. While these numbers are great, it’s even more encouraging to witness conversations taking place—about artificial intelligence, certainly, but also about faith, leadership, work, humanity, and how followers of Jesus can approach such rapid technological change with wisdom rather than fear.

Lauren Jefferson, organizer and host of The AI Revolution, describes it this way:

“It has been remarkable to see CityRise engage so deeply with this topic. Dr. Jeff Frey and Dr. Tour have opened vital conversations about faith, technology, and humanity—shifting our focus toward discernment and Kingdom impact. I’m eager for everyone to join us for these final two nights.”

Dr. Jeff Frey opened the series on August 3 by helping us consider human intelligence, emotional intelligence, and wise leadership in an increasingly artificial world. This past Monday, Dr. James Tour brought the perspective of a renowned scientist and committed follower of Jesus to some of the larger questions surrounding technology, knowledge, and our understanding of the world.

One of our hopes for this series has also been to create a place where entrepreneurs, business leaders, professionals, and others navigating these changes can learn together, build relationships, and consider how emerging technology can be used thoughtfully and faithfully.

And we're not finished yet!

This coming Monday, August 17, Misty and Peter Phillip, founders of Trilogyworks and authors of The Trojan Horse of the Digital Age and Upskill or Die: Thriving in the AI Revolution, will help us think about digital transformation, discernment, and how Christians and the Church can engage a changing technological landscape rather than be left behind.

Then, on our final night, August 24, Dr. Laura Murray—a faculty member at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, founder of CETA Global Inc., and Head of Global Mental Health at Google—will help us explore the intersection of artificial intelligence, technology, and mental health.

If you have not joined us yet, you haven't missed your opportunity. Bring a friend, coworker, or someone in your professional network. Bring your questions. Come ready to listen, learn, and continue the conversation.

And if you cannot be with us in person, you can join us live through GLU.

Artificial intelligence will continue to shape the ways we work, communicate, create, lead, and relate to one another. My hope is that these evenings help us become people who engage those changes with wisdom, discernment, and a desire to honor Christ in the opportunities before us.

I hope you will join us for these final two nights! Learn more at cityrise.org/ai.


Expecting Greater,
Pastor Roger

The marriage supper of the Lamb is the wedding celebration described in Revelation 19, where Jesus the groom is joined to His church, the bride. If that language feels foreign, it is because almost none of us have been to a wedding like the one John's first readers had in mind. Understand how weddings worked in first-century Judaism and the passage opens up, starting with the price the groom paid.

Why the Bible Calls the Church the Bride of Christ
You and I in the church are called the bride of Christ. There is marriage language woven through the New Testament. When Paul writes in Ephesians 5 that husbands are to love their wives the way Christ loves the church, and that wives are to respect their husbands, he says plainly that he is speaking of a mystery, and that the mystery is Christ and the church.

So, the interchange between husband and wife on one hand and Christ and the church on the other is baked into the New Testament. Here in Revelation 19, that thread arrives at a wedding feast.

Weddings in first-century Judaism unfolded in three phases, and every phase tells you something about Jesus.

Phase One: The Covenant, the Dowry, and the Cup
The first phase was entering the covenant, the betrothal. We tend to read that as engagement, but it was more than engagement. The covenant actually got established.

Here is how it worked. The groom had to step up. He went to his bride-to-be's home, he had dinner with her father, and he brought a dowry for the right to take her hand in marriage.

I have two sons and a daughter, so let me tell you: if you want to marry my daughter, you had better bring a high price. Do not come with anything less than your best. There is no negotiation. If you want her hand in marriage, it is going to cost you a great deal.

So, what was the dowry Jesus paid? His own blood. He paid it to redeem us, to purchase us, and to enter into a covenant relationship with us.

After the covenant meal came the cup. There was a special chalice, probably the one a mother had set aside years earlier while telling her daughter she was not to touch it, because it had been set apart for this one purpose. They brought that chalice down, filled it with wine, and the groom and the bride both drank from the cup of the covenant.

Then the groom looked at her and said, "I am going away to prepare a place for you, and I will come again to receive you to myself, so that where I am you may be also." That is the same language Jesus uses in John 14 when He tells His disciples He goes to prepare a place for them.

Phase Two: The Groom Builds the Wedding Chamber
With the covenant established, the groom entered the second phase. He went home and began building the wedding chamber onto his father's house, constructing what would become their wing of the family home.

And you know that young man was eager. He was throwing it together as fast as he could. His father would walk in and say, stop. Start over. Understand what you are doing here. This is where your wife is going to live. We had better build this right. So, the father gave guidance while the son did the building, and he built it onto his father's house.

Here is the part that matters most. The son could not go get his bride until his father said so. It was not the groom's timetable. It was at the father's word. But when the father said, son, you are now ready, go get your bride, he sent out what amounted to a mass text message. All right, boys, get ready to roll. Bring your trumpets. Be ready to shout. Bring lamps. We are getting the bride tonight.

They often went in the middle of the night, to surprise her and sweep her off her feet. They shouted, they sounded trumpets, they sang, they rejoiced, and they marched through the town. People heard it and knew: somebody is getting married.

What Was the Bride Doing While She Waited?
It was never all on the groom. Once the covenant was established, the bride had responsibilities of her own.

Anytime she left the house, she wore a veil. That veil communicated something about her identity. It said, I am in a covenant relationship. I am set apart, I am taken, and I belong to another, someone who paid a high price to be in relationship with me. My wedding ring does the same work today. It tells anyone who looks that I am in a covenant relationship with my amazing bride.

She also had to stay ready. She kept her lamps ready in case he came at night, and she was making herself ready the entire time, because he could come at any moment.

Phase Three: The Wedding Feast
When the procession arrived, they whisked her away. The bride and groom went into the wedding chamber and consummated the marriage. The next morning, the wedding feast began.

It ran seven days. Seven days of singing, dancing, eating, drinking, feasting, and celebrating two families becoming one. This was the marriage supper, and for the families involved it was the highlight of their lives up to that point.

Why This Picture Matters
So, why walk through all of that? Because this is the picture the gospels teach.

We have a groom who paid a high price to enter into relationship with you and me, and He paid it with His own blood. He said, I am going to prepare a place for you, and I will come again and receive you to Myself. He told His disciples that in His Father's house are many rooms, that if it were not so He would have told them, and that He goes to prepare a place. One translation calls them mansions. I do not know what it will look like.

What I do know is the price. Jesus went to the cross and took the wrath of God upon Himself. The wrath stored up for sin was poured out on God's only Son. 2 Corinthians 5:21 puts it this way: He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. There is no better deal going in all the world.

We come by faith, receiving that gift. Yes, Lord, thank you that you paid this high price to be in covenant relationship with me. By His blood our sin is forgiven. Our trust rests in the cross and in the fact that He rose from the dead. And there is a coming celebration.

In the meantime, what is happening right now? You and I are delivered, veiled, set apart, waiting, expectant, trusting, and believing, knowing that the groom is coming for His bride at any point. And we are to make ourselves ready.

What Does "Fine Linen, Bright and Pure" Mean in Revelation 19:8?
One of the ways we make ourselves ready is right there in the text. Revelation 19:8 says, "It was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure, for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints."

It is incredible to think about. The fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. Did you know that you and I get to pick out our wedding attire for that great celebration?

Dr. G.K. Beale makes two observations about the bride's clothing here. First, it is fine linen, bright and pure, and the linen is identified as the righteous deeds of the saints. Second, the text notes that the bride has prepared herself. Beale reads that against the backdrop of ancient Jewish weddings, where after the betrothal, at which point the couple was already legally married, the bride continued living in her father's house and prepared herself while awaiting her husband's arrival at a future date to bring her to his house. The bride of the Lamb is clearly preparing herself for this extraordinary moment, and Beale notes that the white linen represents two matters bound tightly together: human faithfulness and good works on one side, and on the other, the vindication and acquittal accomplished by God's judgment against the enemy on behalf of His people.

Here is the idea. Because we have been acquitted by Jesus, because He paid the high price so that our sin would be forgiven through His death on the cross, we now live lives set apart to Him, given to good deeds that bring Him glory.

Saved to Serve, Never Saved to Sit
None of that is a back door to earning salvation. We have been saved by grace through faith, not of ourselves. It is the free gift of God, not the result of our work, so no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). But look at the very next verse. Ephesians 2:10 says we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works that He prepared in advance for us to do.

We are saved to serve. We were never saved just to sit. We serve the purposes of God in our families, on our streets, in our apartment complexes, in our dorm rooms, in the marketplace, at the office, in the classroom, and on the athletic fields.

As we do those good works, we are being fitted for something. That service is part of the adornment we will be wearing at the wedding feast.

Where to Go From Here
The marriage supper of the Lamb is the celebration a covenant has been moving toward all along. A groom came, paid a high price with His own blood, and promised to return and receive His bride to Himself.

If you have received that gift by faith, you are part of that bride. The covenant is established. The place is being prepared. The word will come from the Father. And in the meantime, you get to make yourself ready, which happens through the good works He prepared in advance for you to do.

So, the question is a practical one: what good work has God already put in front of you, right where you live and work and study, that you could take up this week?

This blog is based on the message shared by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson at our CityRise Bellaire campus on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026. Check out the full message below!

Dear Church Family,

What a great beginning we had last Monday night to The AI Revolution! I am grateful for everyone who joined us at CityRise Bellaire and those who watched online as Dr. Jeff Frey helped us begin this month of important conversations.

Tonight at 6:30P, we continue with our own Dr. James Tour who will speak on Building New AI Computational Devices and the Downstream Moral Implications.

Dr. Tour will explore the development of new AI computational devices and the moral implications that may follow—questions that invite followers of Jesus to think carefully about wisdom, responsibility, and faithful engagement with rapidly advancing technology.

I hope you will join us tonight at CityRise Bellaire. One of our goals for these evenings is not only to learn together, but also to build community among entrepreneurs, business leaders, professionals, and others who are navigating these changes in their work and leadership. Come ready to listen, ask questions, and connect with others who are thinking seriously about many of the same opportunities and challenges.

And remember, you do not have to be in the room to be part of the conversation! The AI Revolution will again be livestreamed tonight for free through GLU, the God Loves You Network app. Watch from your phone, tablet, or TV.

Whether you join us at Bellaire or through GLU, I hope you will be part of tonight’s conversation—and consider inviting a friend, coworker, or fellow business leader to join you.


Expecting Greater,
Pastor Roger

Because you give, fourteen members of CityRise had the opportunity to serve in Honduras earlier this summer, bringing both compassionate medical care and the hope of the gospel to hundreds of people.

Throughout the week, our team collaborated with local ministries to host a medical clinic and Vacation Bible School, meeting both physical and spiritual needs in the community. While medicine opened the door to conversations and care, prayer remained at the heart of every interaction, as patients were reminded that doctors treat illnesses, but God is the ultimate healer. Throughout the week, doctors witnessed moments of peace, hope, and healing that could only be attributed to God's presence. Each patient who came through the clinic was not only treated medically, but was also prayed for by members of the team, reminding them that God sees them, knows them, and cares deeply about every part of their lives.

By the end of the trip, more than 640 people had received medical attention through the clinic. For many, this was a rare opportunity to receive healthcare, encouragement, and prayer all in one place. Whether providing medicine, listening to stories, or offering a simple word of hope, our team witnessed firsthand how God works through acts of compassion to draw people to Himself.

At the same time, the team welcomed 530 children to Vacation Bible School, where they experienced the love of Christ through Bible lessons, worship, games, and fun activities. The laughter and excitement throughout the week created opportunities for meaningful conversations about God's love and the life-changing hope found in Jesus.

Most importantly, God moved in powerful ways. During the week, 22 people made decisions to place their faith in Christ. We celebrate each of these salvations, knowing that every number represents a person whose life has been forever changed by the gospel.