Grace City Denver

David is on the run from Saul and his armies after being betrayed by his own people from the tribe of Judah. David acknowledges his need for deliverance and vindication from the Lord, but quickly shifts his focus from his circumstances to the character of God. He trusts God before his situation changes because he knows God is faithful and just.

There are few true, theological atheists but many practical atheists who live as if there is no God. But this rejection of God leads to God's rejection of them. They are punished for their unbelief and corruption, while the righteous are rescued.

What do we do when evil seems to prosper and the wicked appear to get away with it? In Psalm 52, David reflects on the betrayal of Doeg the Edomite and reminds us that God sees every act of injustice and every destructive word. Contrasting the temporary success of the wicked with the enduring security of those rooted in God's steadfast love, David calls us to trust the Lord, wait confidently for H...

2 Samuel 11 is the historic backdrop of Psalm 51. David has committed the sin of adultery with his neighbor's wife, and he's committed murder to try to cover it up. When he finally realizes the gravity of what he's done, he's crushed and broken in his spirit. He stops covering his sin and starts confessing it instead - calling it what God calls it. And he throws himself solely on God's mercy.

This Psalm is a courtroom drama. The LORD, the righteous Judge, summons the earth to come and hear his verdict. Those who worshiped him thinking he needed their rituals are rebuked. Those who worshiped him to cover up and compensate for their wicked deeds are warned of death. Both groups are offered salvation if they’ll repent, call upon him in faith, and offer him the sacrifice of thanksgiving fr...

Grace City Church exists to magnify the supremacy of God and the transforming power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the making and maturing of disciples who will effect spiritual, ethical, and vocational renewal in the city of Denver and around the world.

As the story of Exodus draws to a close, nearly six whole chapters are committed to describing every detail of the tabernacle being built. It’s a promise fulfilled in spite of Israel’s unfaithfulness. When the people see God’s grace in giving them a second chance to experience the blessing of his presence, they respond by giving all that they are and have to him. And in the end, his glory comes an...

Having learned that God would no longer go in their midst to the Promised Land, Moses intercedes. He reminds God that their very identity as a people depends on their relationship with him. God graciously reveals his character to Moses and renews his covenant with Israel.

Exodus 32 records one of the most devastating moments in Israel’s history: the covenant is broken almost as soon as it is established. While Moses is on the mountain receiving the blueprints for God’s dwelling place, Israel grows impatient, turns away from the Lord, and fashions a golden calf for worship. What follows is rebellion, false worship, judgment, and the shattering of the covenant. Moses...

This section of Exodus gives lengthy instructions for the construction of the tabernacle and the functioning of the priesthood. These are patterned after heavenly realities that ultimately point to our redemption and reconciliation through the Person and work of Jesus Christ.

“The Book of the Covenant” contains numerous practical applications of the Ten Commandments along with fair consequences for disobedience. These principles reveal the character and values of God, especially the value he places on human life. But these chapters include celebration right alongside regulation. And relationship – redeemed and reconciled through the death of innocent sacrifice – lies a...

Everyone knows of the Ten Commandments, but few know what they actually mean, and even fewer practice them in everyday life. Discover how these simple commands reveal the nature of God and the way of flourishing for his covenant people. Grasp both the beauty and the limitations of the Law. Understand how the commandments point to our need of a Savior. And see how they are fulfilled in one word: lo...

What’s commonly called the Mosaic Law or the Torah is actually a covenant between God and Israel. And it’s important to note that redemption precedes regulations. God had already rescued Israel and called them his treasure before giving them any rules to live by. But Israel also discovers they cannot approach a holy and transcendent God without a mediator.

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?