Denver Community Church

November 9, 2008: Wake Up Dead Man – Jon Gettings

There was a legend of sorts in Sardis that people could be raised from the dead from the hot springs that came out of the acropolis. The letter says, “You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” This is followed with the imperative, “Wake Up!” Sardis was a city of people who seemed to have fallen asleep. They were confident in who they had been, like the early dwellers of this city who were confident in their stronghold. Following Jesus is a life long pursuit. Let’s wake up and continue to strengthen what he has given us.

November 2, 2008: Put Down the Picket Sign – Michael Hidalgo

How do we welcome evil people, and yet have a healthy level of intolerance? How do we stand up and speak with humility into injustice, sexual immorality, infidelity, and greed while showing the love of Jesus in all we do? Often the Church gripes about not having its rights, and protesting this or that. Is that it? Should we protest, or engage those who we are protesting against so that we might be a part of leading them toward full life?

October 26, 2008: The Place Where Satan Lives – Michael Hidalgo

The first Provincial Temple to the Imperial Cult was built in Pergamum. It was considered a place of authority and power. It was a place that was devoted to the worship of powerful gods and the Emperors. John uses the illusion of a double edged sword (The Bible) as that which is more powerful than the great kingdoms of this world. (The sword was also an expression of high authority in the Roman mind.) The very words of God himself are more powerful than the temples, culture and even the kings of empires. John exhorts the Church to return to the Text to find the manna of God.

October 19, 2008: This Is Gonna Hurt – Michael Hidalgo

Smyrna represented perhaps more than any other city the clash of the two kingdoms. The Kingdom of Heaven and the kingdom of Rome. Smyrna was considered and ancient ally of Rome, and was fiercely loyal to the Empire. When the Church started here those loyal to the Empire threatened them. They were beaten, tortured, imprisoned, and killed. Yet through all of this they refused to bow their knees to Caesar, because he was not the King of Kings. 

October 12, 2008: Take Me Back to the Start – Michael Hidalgo

It is so interesting to note that if we took the first part of the letter to Ephesus we would think so highly of them. They look so good, and do so many things well. Yet they have forsaken their first love. In this letter God calls them back to where they started. A compassionate God, not an angry God, says to his Church ‘return to me my love’. Jesus always stands as one who invites his people back - repentance is a return to love, wholeness, and balance. 

October 5, 2008: Our Practices, Part Five: Worship – Chris Stocker

We will discuss why worship is simply a celebration of what God is doing in our midst.

September 28, 2008: Our Practices, Part Four: Journey – Paul Bratsch

It’s said that when someone is facing death their conversations reveal their deepest passions, hopes, and dreams.  That’s why we go out of our way to honor dying wishes.  In this passage, Jesus, in his final hours, gives us clues to his greatest concerns.

Jesus’ prayer is that his followers would be one as he and the Father are one.  If we can accomplish this, Jesus claims that the world will know that he was truly God.  There is something about believers living in community that carries with it the footprint, the essence, of God—and people will not be able to deny it.

September 21, 2008: Our Practices, Part Three: Serve – Michael Hidalgo and Katie Sewell

In Luke 4, Jesus announces the inauguration of his ministry by quoting Isaiah 61. The words of the prophet rang off the walls of the synagogue in Nazareth. Jesus then says, these words are fulfilled. Initially it seems as though Jesus is claiming to be God, but this is not what upsets the people in Nazareth. At some level he is claiming to speak for God – he is claiming to be the one who is bringing the good news, the gospel, to the poor and the captives.

September 14, 2008: Our Practices, Part Two: Engage – Michael Hidalgo

There are a million questions about prayer. Does God hear me when I pray? If God knows why should I pray? Will God do anything if I do not pray? If I pray about it and God says no, and I really wanted it can I still pray about it? On it goes. Many of the questions related to prayer have to do with the idea that prayer is something that involves us asking God for stuff. In many ways it has become a compulsory effort on our part. 

When we hear things like, “Pray without ceasing” we cannot imagine spending the rest of our lives asking for this or that. But what if prayer is simply an ongoing conversation that leads to deeper relationship with God, and with others. What if in our conversations with God we come to know not only God better, but also ourselves better?

September 7, 2008: Our Practices, Part One: Living Out the Story – Michael Hidalgo

John begins his gospel by ripping off the creation account in Genesis. Or is he? He seems to be playing off ideas about logos that was held both in the Jewish and the Greek mind. Both cultures shared ideas with regard to what the word was and is – they just viewed it from different perspectives. John points toward Jesus being the Word … Jesus even stands up and says that he is the Bread From Heaven! All of this may seem well and good, but we still have to ask the question “Why study it?” 

The beauty of this book is that the ending is still future. We have not gotten there, which means we are living the story of the Bible now. When it speaks of the church being the Body of Christ – this includes us. If we are to live out the story with its plot, direction, and characters, then we must understand it well.