Red Rocks Church Weekend Messages

Doug continues the series by talking about all the ways a Jewish carpenter from two thousand years ago still influences our culture today. Jesus' life ended by hanging on a cross. At that moment, he must've looked like a complete failure to most people watching. Nothing could be further from the truth. Since that moment, his influence has not stopped growing. Usually, when someone dies, their impact on this planet begins to decrease. Jesus inverted that trajectory!

This week we launched a new series called Modern Jesus. Jesus was a young carpenter who later became a Jewish Rabbi who lived on the other side of the world over 2000 years ago. So why should we continue to follow Him today? How can he possibly still be relevant today? So much time has passed, and Jesus has only grown more influential, not less. Ronnie mentioned this weekend, Jesus surrounded himself with the people on the margins, like the social outcasts and sinners. Jesus changed the culture he walked into and disrupted the pious legalism that was enforced by the religious authorities of the day.

This week Ronnie reminded us how words have incredible power and have since Creation. God brought life with words and we also see that the enemy brought death with words. Words can bring death to marriages, careers, and friendships. However, they can also make relationships sweet, families strong and days filled with hope and healing.

This week, we are specifically talking about what God's design is for the local church. Eric talked about the timeline of the church and how Jesus did just what he intended to 'go into all the world' which includes our city. Jesus had you in mind when he said to the disciples '...go and make disciples of all nations.'

As Ronnie shared that, the original intent and understanding of repentance was/is a shift that takes place in our minds. It is a change in the way we think that gives way to changes in our allegiance and affections. Repentance is the root that ultimately and eventually blossoms and bears fruit in our lives.

For the very first time in Red Rocks history, we were able to bring the weekend experience LIVE into our campus at the Denver Women's Correctional Facility! God continues to move in ways beyond our imagination. It was an incredible gift to be there worshipping alongside these women as Ronnie brought the message and reminded us of our identity in Christ and the freedom to live out of this identity.

Eric mentioned this week, our God is such an intentional God. He hears, He speaks, He sees, and He surrounds. We know that God is always speaking. We know that He has a much larger perspective than we have, and we know that He provides the right people to surround us with in such a time as this. God does this almost always by interrupting our own plans.

Andrew talks about how God designed us to be intentional, that we have more in common with each other than we will ever know. As followers of Jesus, we are commanded to be hospitable and help meet the practical needs of God's family in community.

Ronnie shares that being stuck could perhaps be significant. In being stuck, we need to assess our patterns. Assess what we're focusing on. He reminds us that God's plan is not for you to remain stuck, or stationary, it's to release you into your purpose.

Eric reminds us there is more to come! Life is more of a "zig-zag" and not a safe, straight and narrow path. He says, "Great God stories often have significant 'zig-zags' and through this, we must walk with Him. We must surrender our story and have confidence that God is working on His plan. Through surrender, the story God has written for you is always beyond what we could ever imagine.

Shawn challenges us to stay in the fight! He brings us to Luke 8 when Jesus calmed the storm but before He did this, the disciples were so afraid. Yet, they stayed and were amazed over and over again. If they would have given up too early, they would have missed everything! Just as the disciples, we can relate. We can be afraid, but we must stay in the fight or we'll miss everything!

Guest speaker, Todd Crews, shares the importance of knowing God's voice. He shared three way God's voice communicates to us. In these three ways, God He is growing us, guiding us and changing us.

Shawn prepares us for the fight. He challenges us that because we are following Jesus, there is a calling on our lives and because of this, our lives matter. So we must expect a fight. Following Jesus is not the easiest way to live, but it is the best way! We have to expect storms to come. We have an enemy that wants nothing more than for us to quit. Don't let opposition be the reason you quit, let it be a reminder to fight!

Doug concludes our series with the element of earth. Doug takes us back to Genesis where God began creating for His glory. Doug reminds us that "to be human means first and foremost to be His royal masterpiece, and then it means to build and steward His creation." There's a reason you want what you do to matter, to have purpose. It's because it does. His Kingdom come on earth through your work! We are called to actively partner with God in moving the world forward.