Grace City Denver

Many people believe Jesus probably rose from the dead, but they never think about this reality or let it shape their lives. But we do exactly that in this message. If Jesus rose from the dead, that means he's defeated the penalty, power, and even presence of sin. And that profound implications for our lives.

On the other side of deliverance, the Israelites encounter the wilderness - and the lack of basic resources. Rather than trusting God, they grumble and complain. But God graciously provides food and water in spite of his people's faithlessness.

On the surface, these are three disconnected narratives: Israel defeats Amalek in battle, Moses tell his father-in-law about God’s rescue, then Moses learns to delegate and share leadership. But the common theme is that God’s people needed a mediator. Moses’ mediation of deliverance, the Gospel, and the Law points to our perfect Mediator, Jesus Christ.

The Israelites didn’t just experience God’s miraculous deliverance through the Red Sea, they sang about it. Exodus 15 is a song of praise – the first in the Bible – extolling the greatness of God for destroying Israel’s enemies. If that seems unchristian to you, this message explores themes of God’s holiness, love, justice, and redemption through strength.

When the LORD led the Israelites out of Egypt, he laid a trap for Pharaoh and the Egyptians. God would part the Red Sea for the Israelites and then drown the armies of Egypt who chased after them to enslave them. The instrument of life and salvation for those who trusted in him would be the instrument of righteous judgement for their wicked adversaries.

On the night of the first Passover, the Israelites killed a spotless lamb and applied its blood to the doorpost of their homes. That blood stood between them and the Destroyer, having purchased their redemption. Many years later, the ultimate and final Passover Lamb gave his life and poured out his blood for our redemption from sin and death.

When God told Pharaoh, “Let my people go,” he hardened his heart in proud rebellion. At times, he feigned repentance just to get God to take the plagues away, but he never turned from his sin to serve the Lord. God confirmed Pharaoh in his rebellion and justly punished him in return, demonstrating that a proud king was no match for his power and glory.

Pharaoh refused to obey God’s command to let the Israelites go, asking, “Who is this Yahweh, that I should obey him?” He’s about to find out. Ten plagues (or “strikes”) will reveal his sovereignty over all the gods of the Egyptians and over every facet of creation. Even in judgment, there are numerous opportunities for mercy available to all who choose to fear and trust the LORD.

Moses must be feeling good after gathering the elders of Israel, telling them of Yahweh’s impending deliverance, and seeing them respond in worship. But Pharaoh has different plans. He doesn’t acknowledge Yahweh, he accuses the Hebrews of laziness, and he doubles their workload. The people groan to Moses in despair, and he openly accuses God of evil. God’s response is to say, “Step back and watch...

After 40 years in the wilderness, Moses encounters an astonishing sight: a bush is burning but not being consumed. The LORD speaks to him out of the bush and commissions him to go to Egypt to liberate his covenant people. But Moses is more focused on his fears and his sense of inadequacy than on who God is and what God has called him to do.

Exodus 1 ends with the recognition that Israel needs a deliverer, and Exodus 2 begins with the birth of that deliverer. But before Moses can save anyone, he himself needs to be saved from near certain death. In the eighty years that follow, God uses both the miraculous and the mundane to prepare him to partner with Yahweh in the stunning rescue of God’s people.

We begin the story of Exodus right where Genesis left off, with the twelve sons of Jacob – and they’re multiplying rapidly. The new Pharaoh sees them as a growing threat that must be stopped, using the weapons of slavery and slaughter. So the Israelites go from experiencing God’s favor to experiencing affliction. Where is God? Does he even care?

Message from Sam Sawyer on January 11, 2026

Everyone is a seeker. We're all pursuing something we believe will make us happy - will satisfy us. Many of our pursuits provide temporary pleasure followed by shame, emptiness, and more craving. Jesus invites us to a better pursuit. He calls us to seek God first as our sovereign King, our standard of goodness, and the Savior of our every aspect of our lives.

Message from Sam Sawyer on December 28, 2025

With generation after generation of God's people failing to keep the terms of their covenants with God, God promised a New Covenant. It would be enacted on better promises - and it would be unconditional. God would write his law on hearts, wipe away sin, give personal and direct knowledge of himself, and send the gift of the Spirit. Jesus ratified this New Covenant with his blood, so eternal salva...

Hundreds of years after the Exodus, the Israelites decided they wanted a human king just like all the other nations and kingdoms. After a disastrous few decades under their first king, Saul, the Lord chose the shepherd boy David to lead them. And God made a covenant with David that his throne would be established forever. By the end of the Old Testament, however, centuries passed without a king on...

After the Tower of Babel, humanity had again lost the plot of living as God's people in God's place under God's rule, receiving God's blessing. So God essentially rebooted the storyline with one childless seventy five year old pagan man named Abram. If he trusted and obeyed God, God would make him into a great nation, give him a promised land, and bless all the peoples of the earth through him. Wh...

Our true and lasting hope is rooted in the promised Seed of the woman, Jesus Christ, the last Adam who restores all that the first Adam lose.

When you move to a new area, what should you be looking for in a church? Given that a church is called and commissioned to help form you in the image of Christ, you must care about what a church believes and practices.

John concludes his Gospel with an unabashed purpose statement: he wrote these eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ life so that others would believe in him and receive his gift of eternal and abundant life.

Peter had failed and everyone knew it. He had denied Jesus three times during his darkest hour. Even if he wanted to follow and serve Jesus, how could he? He was disqualified, right? Wrong! Jesus tracked him down, forgave him, and reminded him of his calling and commission.

The disciples knew the ethical teachings of Jesus, they’d seen his exemplary life, and they even knew (from Mary) that he’d been raised from the dead. But none of these things changed them . . . until Jesus came. His presence brought the peace, the pardon, the purpose, and the power they were missing.

It’s Sunday morning after Good Friday. None of the disciples are at the tomb, watching for Jesus to rise from the dead as he promised. But Mary goes to anoint his dead body with burial spices. The tomb is empty! Jesus is gone, but his graveclothes remain! What does Jesus do to prove to the original skeptics that he is indeed alive – and that everything has changed?

Even in the “passive” events of Jesus’ death and burial, God is working. His Old Testament promises and types are being fulfilled. A fountain of spiritual cleansing is being opened up. And Jesus is going into death and the grave ahead of us to fundamentally transform the nature of those things.