Day 34: Love for the City Saturday And when Jesus drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace!” ~Luke 19:41-42 Many Christians today are caught up in the allure and the sinful pleasures of city life. Others are disgusted and repulsed by the “filth and carnality” of the city. Jesus was neither. When He saw the city, His heart broke, and He felt compassion. He literally wept over the city’s rejection of His peace. And He prayed over the...
Day 33: Engagement Friday As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. ~1 Peter 4:10-11 One of the many ways God manifests His grace is by giving gifts that enable us to serve one another in word and in deed. So in a very real sense, it’s His words every time we speak the truth...
Day 32: Continuing Transformation Thursday …including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. ~Romans 1:6 So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ~2 Corinthians 5:17-20 Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. ~Colossians 3:17 People often think of vocation or calling as a challenge of discovering that one, specific, unique purpose God has for them in their work. And until they discover it, they either agonize over the discovery...
Day 31: Authentic Community Wednesday As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ~1 Peter 2:4-5 As every brick or stone contributes to the integrity of a home, so every living stone serves to support the sacred structure of the church. Pride will cause a stone to stand alone as a monument unto itself. But God’s...
Text: Job 1:8-22 | Listen to Message When we undergo trials, hardships, or painful periods of waiting, we instinctively ask God “why?” “Why did this happen? Why is this taking so long? Why me?” Why, why, WHY?! It’s a question, but it’s also a demand for information. For an explanation. We want to know the reason for our suffering – something, anything, that’ll convince us our suffering isn’t pointless. Some of the most famous suffering in human history happened to a man named Job. The Bible takes 42 excruciating chapters to tell his story. It all begins when he loses his...
Day 30: Rule of Scripture Tuesday And Jesus said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!” ~Mark 7:9 Every generation faces the danger of supplementing Scripture with religious traditions and personal opinions that contradict God’s Word. We may even give more weight to our ideas than to God’s. And in doing so, we claim greater wisdom and authority than God Himself. The simple (but very challenging) solution is to examine our traditions and opinions regularly and to submit our lives to the rule of Scripture over...
After more than a decade of dreaming, praying, and planning, and after millions of dollars have been invested in breathing new life into an iconic 100-year-old building, yesterday – April 19th, 2020 – was the big day: Grace City Church’s Grand Opening in the heart of downtown Denver! We’ve actually been meeting in our new location at Asterisk since late January, holding what church planters these days call “preview services” (which, I think, are just like regular services except that you readily acknowledge you’re still learning and working stuff out). It’s been a dream come true to faithfully proclaim the...
Day 29: Gospel-centeredness Monday For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us. ~Romans 8:3 Your salvation through faith in the Gospel is an overwhelming display of God’s power. Through the Gospel, Jesus acquits you of sin’s condemnation. Through the Gospel, Jesus liberates you from sin’s control. Through the Gospel, Jesus secures for you a future in God’s...
Day 28: Worship Sunday Theme of Praise: God has accepted us by free grace; therefore, we reject legalistic performance and condemnation in favor of a culture of repentance, faith, and grateful submission. God saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ~Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:8-9 Read over these verses a few times....
Go after Who, not Why – Worship + Formation Resources