Denver Community Church

March 1, 2015: Light and Dark – Landon Lynch

In the beginning things were dark. Really dark “… darkness was over the surface of the deep.” And right there in the midst of that darkness “the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” From the opening words of Scripture we learn that God does not remove himself from the darkness but is right there in the middle of it.

And his first act of creation is to bring light out of the darkness. He names the darkness and later he creates a lesser light to “govern the night.” We learn God is not only in the darkness but also rules over it. And out of this he brings light and life. 

How often do good things in us spring up out of our darkness? It’s a funny thing how so often our shadow side can be the thing that brings insights, new understanding and light into our life. And we can go into this inner darkness with confidence, knowing that the Spirit of God hovers there … ready to speak words that will bring forth life.

March 1, 2015: Light and Dark – Amanda Lum and Michael Hidalgo

In the beginning things were dark. Really dark “… darkness was over the surface of the deep.” And right there in the midst of that darkness “the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” From the opening words of Scripture we learn that God does not remove himself from the darkness but is right there in the middle of it.

And his first act of creation is to bring light out of the darkness. He names the darkness and later he creates a lesser light to “govern the night.” We learn God is not only in the darkness but also rules over it. And out of this he brings light and life. 

How often do good things in us spring up out of our darkness? It’s a funny thing how so often our shadow side can be the thing that brings insights, new understanding and light into our life. And we can go into this inner darkness with confidence, knowing that the Spirit of God hovers there … ready to speak words that will bring forth life.

February 18, 2015: Ash Wednesday – Michael Hidalgo

We will begin this series remembering we are dust and to dust we will return. Which means we will die. This is what we are asked to come to grips with. The difficult thing is this. We see death and we see darkness everyday. Which raises the question, “What do we do with the darkness?” This will be an intro to the series on darkness.

February 15, 2015: Healing and Wholeness – Landon Lynch

In our world today there is so much brokenness connected to sexuality – from porn to rape to sex slaves – our world has been ripped apart by one of the most intimate acts. But what if the story does not end with brokenness? What if this love poem actually calls us back to Eden? What if what we see is a vision of how things were which is how things can be and will be? 

All over this poem we see images of the garden, we see a freedom to express one’s deepest passions – without shame. There is a beauty and a wholeness contained in this relationship – all of this comes after Eden. Which tells us there is renewal, restoration and healing that can and will happen even in the deepest and most serious wounds – even sexual wounds. This is our hope – is there can be a new story.

February 15, 2015: Eden is Coming Back – Michael Hidalgo

In our world today there is so much brokenness connected to sexuality – from porn to rape to sex slaves – our world has been ripped apart by one of the most intimate acts. But what if the story does not end with brokenness? What if this love poem actually calls us back to Eden? What if what we see is a vision of how things were which is how things can be and will be? 

All over this poem we see images of the garden, we see a freedom to express one’s deepest passions – without shame. There is a beauty and a wholeness contained in this relationship – all of this comes after Eden. Which tells us there is renewal, restoration and healing that can and will happen even in the deepest and most serious wounds – even sexual wounds. This is our hope – is there can be a new story.

February 8, 2015: Wake Up – Jon Gettings

“Do not awaken love until it so desires.” Though this verse seems at first glance to be primarily emotional and cerebral, it is also explicitly carnal. Due to the way we have surrounded the topic of sexuality in the church with an unhealthy layer of fear, verses like this get commonly read as warnings. Warnings of impending judgment by God, or impending doom of a relationship if the timing of our emotional, physical sexual activity isn’t in “God’s timeline”, however that timeline has been framed for us. 

 

However, this woman is not a woman speaking from a place of despair for wrongs done. She is a woman speaking from a place of: first, joy and longing (2:7); second, joy and relief or arousal (3:5); and third, joy and fulfillment (8:4). This is a matter of fact statement or declaration about the power of the reality she is caught up in. 

Love is desire that is fulfillment and was also meant to reach deep fulfillment. When we begin on the trajectory of love’s desire its goal is consume us and fulfill us body and soul, and the Beloved speaks about the powerful ways that it moves. How do we embrace love and fulfillment with intentionality as we pursue God and our relationships with others?

February 8, 2015: Wake Up – Michael Hidalgo

“Do not awaken love until it so desires.” Though this verse seems at first glance to be primarily emotional and cerebral, it is also explicitly carnal. Due to the way we have surrounded the topic of sexuality in the church with an unhealthy layer of fear, verses like this get commonly read as warnings. Warnings of impending judgment by God, or impending doom of a relationship if the timing of our emotional, physical sexual activity isn’t in “God’s timeline”, however that timeline has been framed for us. 

However, this woman is not a woman speaking from a place of despair for wrongs done. She is a woman speaking from a place of: first, joy and longing (2:7); second, joy and relief or arousal (3:5); and third, joy and fulfillment (8:4). This is a matter of fact statement or declaration about the power of the reality she is caught up in. 

Love is desire that is fulfillment and was also meant to reach deep fulfillment. When we begin on the trajectory of love’s desire its goal is consume us and fulfill us body and soul, and the Beloved speaks about the powerful ways that it moves. How do we embrace love and fulfillment with intentionality as we pursue God and our relationships with others?

February 1, 2015: You're Still the One – Scott Oppliger

The man says to his beloved, “Sixty queens there may be, and eighty concubines, and virgins beyond number; but my dove, my perfect one, is unique, the only daughter of her mother, the favorite of the one who bore her.” Which is to say – “one is better than many.” Which raises the question, “Is this true?” In our world today we talk about sexual conquests, and some believe having a tally that goes beyond counting on both hands is good.

But then, why is it so many want to know that one day there will be someone who doesn’t leave? Why is we want to know there will be the same someone there every morning when we wake up? It’s possible that we have given up on what we really want and just settled for something else that can give us the sense that we are connected – even if just for a little while?

How might things change for us if we gave ourselves over, not to our sexual desires first, but tended to our deeper desires and pursued true relationships?

February 1, 2015: You're Still the One – Michael Hidalgo

The man says to his beloved, “Sixty queens there may be, and eighty concubines, and virgins beyond number; but my dove, my perfect one, is unique, the only daughter of her mother, the favorite of the one who bore her.” Which is to say – “one is better than many.” Which raises the question, “Is this true?” In our world today we talk about sexual conquests, and some believe having a tally that goes beyond counting on both hands is good.

But then, why is it so many want to know that one day there will be someone who doesn’t leave? Why is we want to know there will be the same someone there every morning when we wake up? It’s possible that we have given up on what we really want and just settled for something else that can give us the sense that we are connected – even if just for a little while?

How might things change for us if we gave ourselves over, not to our sexual desires first, but tended to our deeper desires and pursued true relationships?

October 25, 2015: I Am the Good Shepherd – Jon Gettings

We all follow someone. Which is to say we all pattern our lives, our way of thinking, our attitudes, biases and opinions on someone (or maybe something). Following and imitating others is how we learn to live life. Children watch their parents and others walk around on two of their limbs, and what do they do? They struggle, wobble, pull themselves up and take that first glorious step. Because they watched someone and followed them.

Jesus claims to be someone worth following – someone who is good. To be clear there are others who are being followed, but they are different. They run away from danger, but Jesus gives his life up for his sheep. These words of Jesus are challenging because they not only point to him as the good shepherd, but indict the other shepherds, which is a resounding echo of Ezekiel 34 – which is all about judgment of shepherds.

Which is interesting because in Ezekiel, the sheep wander and get lost but the blame is not placed on the sheep, it’s placed on the shepherds. And what is God’s response to go and gather the lost sheep. To bring them home, to be their good shepherd. So when others wander from God because of the shepherds who exactly is held guilty?