Grace City Denver

50 days after Passover, and the crucifixion of Jesus, was Pentecost. At this feast, the disciple Peter stood before a hostile crowd and delivered the very first sermon on the resurrection. He boldly declares that there is true life to be found in Jesus because Jesus is truly alive.

Shortly before Jesus is taken away to be beaten and crucified, he warns his disciples that the world would hate them just as it had hated him. If you follow the ways of Jesus instead of the ways of the world, your life will convict the world of sin, and the world will oppose you. But Jesus urges a faithful witness empowered by the presence of the Spirit.

In contrast to old covenant Israel, which failed in its calling to be God's fruitful vineyard, Jesus is the true Vine. By abiding in him, and allowing his word to abide in us, believers flourish spiritually. His life nourishes our lives and we bear the fruit of his character. The Father works actively in our lives to prune away anything that would hinder our fruitfulness.

Knowing that he’s going away and his disciples are facing significant confusion, doubt, and anxiety, Jesus urges them to pursue lives of obedience and to look for the Helper. The Helper is nothing less than the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, who will come live in believers to teach, comfort, and empower.

On the eve of his death, Jesus reassures his disciples that they already know the Father because they know him – and he claims ontological unity and equality with the Father (and the Spirit) as part of the Trinity. Because he’s going away, and will send the Spirit, the Church can continue to live and pray with power. The Gospel of the Kingdom will expand, not shrink. And prayers that align with hi...

Peter wants to follow Jesus wherever he goes. And he’s confident he has what it takes to lay down his life for Jesus. (Spoiler alert: he doesn’t.) Thomas speaks for all the disciples, admitting he doesn’t know where Jesus is going or how to get there. Religion tries to answer this question and bridge this gap by telling you the way to God is through your performance. Jesus claims he is the way – a...

Why does Jesus say the hour for him to be glorified has come if he’s headed to a gruesome death on a cross? Why does he say the disciples can’t come with him? What does he mean when he says the command to love one another is “new”? How can we love each other as Jesus has first loved us?

At the Last Supper with his disciples, Jesus prophesied that one of them who ate his bread would be a traitor. Judas is subsequently identified, though most of the disciple seemed unaware of his intention to betray Jesus. This message goes back chronologically in the story of Judas to uncover the roots of his treacherous heart and to serve as a cautionary tale for others.

During the Last Supper with his disciples, Jesus rose from the table, poured a basin of water, and began to wash their feet. This prompts an awkward exchange with Peter, where he first denies the Lord the opportunity to wash his feet, then asks him to wash all of him. Jesus concludes by commanding the disciples to do for one another what he had done to them. This sermon unpacks the meaning of both...

In Jesus’ last public address to the crowds, he claims to have an intimate, one-of-a-kind relationship with the Father and he invites people to believe in the light and walk in the light. Most of the people continue on the same path and are actually hardened in their unbelief, while others wrestle with just how closely they want to be associated with Jesus.

“The hour” that Jesus has been waiting for has finally come: it’s nearly time for him to present himself as the full and final Passover sacrifice. He must die in order to bear much fruit for eternity. He must be lifted up on a cross before he can be lifted up to his glorious, exalted status as King of the nations. And every true disciple must follow him on the path of self-denial and service.

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on what’s now known as “Palm Sunday,” he was greeted by crowds that were filled with nationalistic fervor. They ignored Jesus’ true mission to lay down his life and they tried to make him king on their own terms. But Jesus wouldn’t stoop to their demands. He wouldn’t save the Jews from the Gentiles; he would give his life to save both Jews and Gentiles.

As the Passover approaches, many people gather in Jerusalem, and the religious leaders plan to arrest Jesus. Jesus goes to Bethany, where He is honored with a dinner at the home of Lazarus. During the meal, Mary anoints Jesus' feet with expensive perfume, a gesture of love and preparation for His burial. Judas criticizes her for wasting the perfume, but Jesus commends her.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us that there is a right and a wrong way to live in his kingdom. The right way - a life transformed from the inside-out - leads to righteousness, reward, and satisfaction in the Father. The wrong way leaves us enslaved to a never-ending hunger for outside approval. Jesus challenges us to examine our motives and to satiate our souls with God’s goodness.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus invites us to learn about the future – particularly of his coming kingdom – and to embody that preferred future right here and now. We cannot simply live day to day without an awareness of where today’s decisions are leading us. We must live and invest in light of what God says is going to be true.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is describing how to live as his disciples in his kingdom that has already arrived. The first major theme is the upside-down nature of this kingdom. Jesus doesn’t value and honor the same character traits that our world celebrates. He calls us to live counterculturally, walking in humility and grace, rather than mimicking the pride of our society.

This message shares the wisdom of both being retrospective of your past and setting goals for your future. One simple pattern is to reflect and plan around four key areas of spiritual formation: 1) Worship, 2) Walk, 3) Work, and 4) Witness.

Our broken world is filled with things that steal our peace. Since The Fall, we have conflict with God, with others, with our environment, and even internally with our own selves. But Jesus came to reconcile us to God and to cut off conflict at its source. One day he will come again to defeat Satan once and for all, establishing eternal and perfect peace. In the meantime, we’re called to abide in,...

Everyone seeks happiness, but joy can be elusive in a broken world, where sin has led to every form of sorrow and death. Grief or frustration or stress can often feel like our default setting, rather than joy. So how do we get joy? And what's Advent got to do with joy? Practically, how do we live in light of both the past and future joy that have been promised to those who love God?

God’s love for people was often demonstrated through acts of deliverance in the Old Testament era. And the greatest and fullest demonstration of his love is the coming of Jesus to lay down his life for our salvation. Because of his sacrifice, our lives can be filled with his love here and now. Even while we wait for his second coming, we can overflow with his love toward others.

This psalm begins with a call to praise and hope in the Lord, noting the deficiency of human rulers who are temporary and powerless to save. The psalmist highlights God's characteristics: He is the Creator, the source of both justice and mercy. The psalm concludes by affirming that the Lord reigns forever, and calling people to praise Him in all generations.

When Jesus arrives in Bethany after the death of Lazarus, Martha and Mary meet him separately to express shock and grief. Jesus declares, "I AM the resurrection and the life," and invites them to believe. Jesus storms to the tomb in anger at death, but also sheds tears of grief. He simply speaks, raising Lazarus from the dead, provoking a mixed reaction of belief and murderous contempt.

Lazarus, a friend of Jesus, falls ill, and when Jesus hears of it, he declares that the sickness will not end in death but will glorify God. Despite knowing Lazarus has died, Jesus stays two more days before deciding to go to Bethany. He explains to His disciples that Lazarus' death is for their benefit, so they may believe. The disciples are concerned about the dangers of returning to Judea, but...

The Jewish crowds of Jerusalem have rejected Jesus’ divine identity once and for all. They refuse to believe in spite of many miraculous works that prove his power and authority. Jesus is the giver of eternal life, but they don’t want a messiah who doesn’t play by their rules. Jesus departs Jerusalem for the Jordan, and many who followed John the Baptist believe in him there.

Jesus introduces the metaphor of a shepherd and sheep to describe his relationship with his followers. In contrast to thieves and robbers, wolves, and hirelings, Jesus lays down his life for his sheep. This passage underscores themes of intimacy, protection, provision, and the unique role of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, who offers eternal life to His followers.