Denver Community Church

This week we reflect on the peace brought through Christ’s coming kingdom. But, Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of justice. In our text, John the Baptist’s fiery confrontation is the necessary disruption that prepares us for God's true peace. God's Peace calls us to address the violence within us all. There always seems to be something about the season of Advent that heighte...

On the first week of Advent we light the Hope Candle. We are invited to Hope in the coming of Christ... But, Hope is not passive; it calls for our attention. Isaiah’s vision of swords into plowshares requires us to "walk in the light of the Lord" — not a soft image, but one that disrupts our violence. For Matthew, divine timing is placed in this image of a thief in the night. Why a negative vision...

Acts 4:32-5:11 contrasts two responses to the Spirit-filled community. The believers live in radical unity, sharing possessions so no one is in need. Barnabas is highlighted for his generosity. In contrast, Ananias and Sapphira secretly withhold part of a sale of their property while pretending full generosity. When confronted by Peter, both lie and fall dead, causing great fear in the community....

Acts 4:23-31 describes the believers’ response after Peter and John are released. They gather with the community, pray together, and affirm God's sovereignty. They ask not for safety, but for boldness to continue speaking God’s word and for God to heal and perform signs through Jesus’ name. Their prayer is answered immediately—the place shakes, they are filled with the Holy Spirit, and they speak...

Acts 4:13-22  describes the leaders’ reaction to Peter and John. Amazed by their boldness—despite being unschooled men—and unable to deny the healing, the authorities command them to stop speaking in Jesus’ name. Peter and John refuse, saying they cannot stay silent about what they’ve seen and heard. The leaders, fearing the people who praise God for the miracle, let them go without punishment. So...

Here the text recounts Peter and John’s trial before the Jewish leaders. When questioned about the healing, Peter—filled with the Holy Spirit—boldly declares that the man was healed by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom they crucified but whom God raised from the dead. He asserts that Jesus is the cornerstone rejected by the builders and that salvation is found in no one else. ---------- C...

Acts 3:24-4:4 continues Peter’s sermon and describes the response. Peter declares that all the prophets—from Samuel onward—foretold the days now being fulfilled in Jesus. He reminds the people they are heirs of the covenant made with Abraham, and that God sent Jesus first to them to bless them by turning them from their sins. However, as Peter and John speak, the temple authorities—disturbed by th...

Acts 3:17-23 is part of Peter’s message following the healing of the lame man. He acknowledges that the people and their leaders acted in ignorance when they rejected Jesus, but he calls them to repent so their sins may be wiped out and times of refreshing may come. Peter says Jesus is the promised prophet like Moses, and warns that anyone who does not listen to him will be cut off from God's peop...

While Acts 2 proclaims resurrection in response to Pentecost, Acts 3 proclaims resurrection in response to healing. And just like in chapter 2, Peter interprets the event through the Hebrew Scriptures and calls for repentance—but this time with an even more compassionate tone. ---------- Click here to access resources for supporting immigrants: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G9suVgJsS8X6TdH6e...

they enter the temple, the man asks for money, but Peter offers healing instead, invoking Jesus’ name. The man is miraculously healed, begins walking and leaping, and praises God. The crowd is filled with wonder and amazement at what has happened. What does the kingdom offer those on the margins, what is our role in not overlooking those in need?  ---------- Click here to access resources for supp...

Acts 2:42-47 describes the shared daily life of the early church community. The believers devote themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer. They live in unity, sharing possessions and meeting needs. Their communal life is marked by joy, generosity, and praise, and their numbers grow daily as others are drawn to their way of life. We often picture this as an id...

Acts 2:36-41 concludes Peter’s Pentecost sermon with a direct call to action, declaring that God has made Jesus—whom the people crucified—both Lord and Messiah. The crowd is cut to the heart and asks what to do; Peter tells them to repent and be baptized in Jesus’ name for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. He assures them the promise is for all generations. About 3,000 peopl...

This is the heart of Peter’s Pentecost sermon. He declares that Jesus’ death was part of God’s divine plan, but humans are still responsible for crucifying him. God raised Jesus from the dead, freeing him from death’s power—fulfilling David’s prophecy. Peter argues that David wasn’t speaking of himself, but of the Messiah, whom God would raise and exalt. He affirms that Jesus is now exalted at God...

Peter explains that the outpouring of the Spirit fulfills Joel’s prophecy, signaling the last days. He begins proclaiming Jesus as the one sent by God, validated through miracles and divine power. Here, those called are likewise validated by the Spirit moving in and through them. Joel 2 which Peter quotes here, talks of a radical inclusion. The vision for all people--this extends beyond Jew vs. Ge...

This is the undoing of the Tower of Babel… if the story of babel is that of an ancient people invoking a ziggurat (a temple used to bring the gods to earth to serve man)…this story is God coming to man to prepare him for the service of God. The power the disciples had asked for in Acts 1--will instead be the power given by the Spirit in Acts 2, not the political power and prestige they wanted, but...

Click here to access resources for supporting immigrants: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G9suVgJsS8X6TdH6ec2TBRKTz3dCqzQ2dPzUor4TKHc/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.ejsud9n02yg8 Thank you for joining us today! If you feel led to give to DCC, you can do so here: https://pushpay.com/g/denverchurch?src=hpp

If Acts 1 holds the disciples’ question, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?,” as a longing for political or social power, Acts 2 answers not with domination but with Spirit-filled community, mutuality, and witness to the margins. Willie James Jennings says "The Book of Acts...[is] ... A call to Christians to be open to the action of the Spirit, not only leading th...

After wandering in the wilderness, Israel is on the cusp of a new beginning. Deuteronomy retells their story- not to rehash the past, but to remind a new generation of who they are. It’s a call to choose life, to love God and neighbor, and to remember the long road that brought them here. Deuteronomy was likely compiled or finalized during or just before the Babylonian exile. It reflects a communi...

Exodus is the defining story of freedom in the Hebrew Bible. God hears the cries of the oppressed, confronts empire, and invites a people into a new way of living. But freedom isn’t the end; it’s the beginning of becoming a people shaped by justice, generosity, and divine presence. In remembering, we are transformed. This text was central to Israel’s communal identity—especially in exile. God is s...

In Genesis 12-22, God calls Abram and Sarai to leave everything familiar and walk into an unknown future—one where their story will bless the world. It’s a story of deep faith, devastating detours, and divine promise. For a people emerging from exile or navigating change, this was more than history—it was a script for what it means to trust, wander, and hope. These chapters represent the beginning...

Floods. Towers. Scattered languages. These stories are not meant to be read as history, but as theological reflection. They echo the fears and hopes of people living in empire—longing for justice, worried about human pride, and desperate for a God who remembers them. In a world still marked by violence and power-hunger, these stories invite us to imagine something different. Click here to access r...

This week, we examine the theme of humanity’s tendency toward hiding and God’s relentless pursuit in Genesis 3. This story has often been read as the origin of sin—but it is also deeply human portraits of fear, shame, blame, and broken relationships. Adam and Eve hide. Cain lashes out. And yet, God keeps showing up. These ancient stories wrestle with the same questions we do: Why do we hurt each o...

Genesis 1-2 was likely written or compiled during the Babylonian exile—a time when Israel had lost land, temple, and national identity. Framed as a poetic and liturgical text, the creation story stands in contrast to Babylonian myths of violence and domination. Instead, it offers a radically different vision: a world made in love, by a God who blesses and invites. In exile, this was not just theol...

We are a community being healed—personally, communally, historically. And we’re called to participate in God’s justice-making work in the world. This is the unfolding love story between God and creation—and we get to play a part. Invitation to Practice: Reflect on your own healing story. Where is God inviting you to join the work of restoration and justice? Click here to access resources for suppo...