New City Church-Denver, CO

Theatron

2011-01-14T11:47:00.000-08:00

It was another day in church planting land and one church planter said to another, "Why is this so hard?". Older, wiser pastor says, "You are in the 'theatron' of God." The "theatron" of God. What a great phrase! God casts his children into the theatre as a public spectacle to bring him glory. Sometimes it is easy, sometimes not so much...but He is worthy.

Social Justice???...How About Plain 'Justice'?

2010-10-12T08:51:00.000-07:00

Social Justice?...How about plain old "Justice".

There is a ton of debate in our culture and the Church about "social justice", what it is and how it is to be implemented. Part of the problem in North America and in European cultures currently is we use words with our personal meanings injected into them instead of using the true meanings of these words. It is very difficult to know what people are even talking about because their definition of the word(s) is different than other's definition of those same words. Some define social justice as doing good to others and most see social justice as the government doing "good things" for its citizens. When I hear the term it is so loaded that as a pastor I just say, "Let's just talk about plain old justice...biblical style".

Justice is a concept that God invented and defines in His Word...the Bible. We don't get to define its terms and definitions and throw them around at our wine and cheese parties as talking points. God defines justice and commands HIS FOLLOWERS (YOU and not the proverbial OTHER) to pray for and act on justice.

Some examples...

1) Financial Justice...The core of financial justice starts with people working hard as unto the Lord to make a living for their families and even enough to share with those who have EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES which prevent them from being able to meet their basic needs (food and shelter). Biblical financial justice also says everybody who is able bodied SHOULD WORK and provide for themselves and their families. Justice, then, is not enabling those who can work to not work. In addition, the church, not the government, is responsible to take care of the needs of those in their midst that cannot provide for themselves (widows, orphans, and the sick).

Those who have been blessed by God with great wealth (ie...most Americans compared to the rest of the world's standards) have been given their wealth by God to use for God's purposes not for the enhancment of their own kingdom. Simply put, financial justice for the wealthy (again...most Americans)is to use their wealth for the advancement of God's Kingdom. This includes charity, job creation, good management of employees, ethical investment and influence with their wealth, etc...

We rely on the government too much to care for the legitimate needs of the poor because Christians do not take seriously their responsibility to care for the true weak and poor among us.

Regardless, it is not financially just to steal money from others no matter what you call it or no matter how noble the purpose you have to steal said money...theft is theft. Those who steal have a greater authority to answer to and our judgment in what we do with biblical financial justice is coming "and that right soon".

More on Justice Later...

Re-Launch Service this Sunday at Swallow Hill

2010-10-12T08:46:00.000-07:00

We had our preview service this past week at Swallow Hill. It was a great day and we got some of the kinks worked out in anticipation of this Sunday's Re-Launch Service. We would love to see you there this Sunday and we would love even more to have you follow Jesus with all your heart, soul, strength and mind every day. Come hear the gospel this Sunday it is good for believers and unbelievers alike!

Swallow Hill this Week

2010-10-04T14:18:00.000-07:00

So we are moving from the Regal Continental Stadium 10 theatre to Swallow Hill Music Association this Sunday for our Sunday worship gatherings. It is not a building that makes a church but we are grateful for our new digs. We had a good time at the theatre and are appreciative of what God did there. Now we are ready for our new Sunday home!

Prayer in the 21st Century

2010-09-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

"Your relationship with your heavenly Father is dysfunctional. You talk as if you have an intimate relationship, but you don't. Theoretically, it is close. Practically, it is distant. You need help." A Praying Life, Paul E. Miller

Your prayer life will stink if you only know about your Father instead of actually knowing your Father.

The New City Story-Part 1

2010-09-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

The story of New City actually started in a church office cubicle in 2000. I was a lowly intern at a church in suburban Denver and found myself paging through a book on church planting one afternoon. Church planting was a concept I had never heard of before even though I had spent my life in church circles. But this book opened my heart and mind to what God was doing across the world through church planting efforts in many denominations and church planting organizations. Not only was I intrigued but I was hooked and knew then what God wanted me to do for the rest of my life. I saw with clarity that God wanted to use church planting efforts to fulfill His Great Commission worldwide.

Prayer for the 21st Century

2010-09-22T08:07:00.000-07:00

"American culture is probably the hardest place in the world to learn to pray. We are so busy that when we slow down to pray, we find it uncomfortable. We prize accomplishments, production. But prayer is nothing but talking to God. It feels useless, as if we are wasting time. Every bone in our bodies screams, 'Get to work.'" A Praying Life, Paul E. Miller

Moving to Swallow Hill for Worship Gatherings

2010-09-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

After 2 great years meeting in the movie theatre for our worship gathering, we are moving to Swallow Hill Music Association's building (a cool renovated older church) on October 10th. We know church is not where you meet but it is who we are becoming in Jesus and what we are doing in the city for His name. This location is a first class music venue in the city of Denver and we are excited for what God has in store in this next chapter of New City's mission. Much to be done and we could use your help! Email us at info@newcitydenver.org.

If you want to check out Swallow Hill you can visit their website at www.swallowhill.com. You can find out about the World's Largest Yukelele lesson in Ruby Park! Cool group of people and we can't wait to start meeting there on Sundays at 10 AM.

Don't Just Go To Church...Be the Church

2010-02-22T14:23:00.000-08:00

We are going to finish a preaching series this next Sunday about what it means to be the church and not just go to church. "Church" means a lot of things to a lot of people and sadly, it get's misdefined and misrepresented all the time. Someone recently told me they were leaving "traditional church" because the traditional church (whatever that means) wasn't "being" the church. I was intrigued and asked several questions but as with most people what started as a hopeful conversation about what the church should be according to the Bible ended with this person referencing some strange book they had just read which basically said the church should help poor people and meet in a house church type situation with as few people as possible all day on Sunday and share a meal together. On the contrary, the Bible paints a more complete picture of what the church is to be and we need to look there for the whole picture and not just pick and choose what we want the church to be.

Many ideas of church sound good and of course these things can and should be part of the church but this is not all the church is called to be biblically. There are some more credible books on the subject and the best ones are Vintage Church by Mark Driscoll and Total Church by Steve Timmis. If you could only read one, read Vintage Church. It is a great read and a thorough explanation of how the Bible defines "church".

Denver Music Scene

2009-08-14T10:24:00.001-07:00

I love the Denver Music Scene and we are starting to get a rep in the country for producing some great music. We are an eclectic community in regards to musical tastes and we are well represented in everything from hip hop to acoustic folk. Lately, I came across a great band here in Denver called Meese (www.meesemusic.com). Their sound is alternative and rich vocally and musically and I enjoyed their online music video "Next in Line". Check them out and support our local Denver area artists.

Churches on the Brink...Part Two

2009-08-14T08:36:00.000-07:00

Churches are dying and are unhealthy in America. Our response to this problem usually is to bring in a "consultant", pay them thousands of dollars to tell us how to put on a better show on Sundays (laser lights, fog machines, and a really cool skit!). Paul approaches broken churches differently and says to fix a broken church you have to start with the pastors/elders. They need to repent of unsound (or absent) doctrine and unsound practice.

Once the pastors/elders are squared away Paul tells Titus to deal with false teaching that has always been and is to this day a major problem in the church. Paul says to rebuke false teachers sharply and to "silence them". This is almost impossible for American Christians to conceive of because we are so "nice". We tolerate almost anything even when Scripture says some things (like false teaching) can't be tolerated in a church. Pastors are challenged by Paul to be able to discern false teaching and deal with it so it doesn't ruin the lives of the people he is instructed by God to protect.

Churches on the Brink

2009-08-13T09:23:00.000-07:00

Not a month goes by that I don't hear about another church on the verge of collapse. Somewhere between 3000-4500 churches die every year and many more are struggling and not very healthy. Most interesting to me is that when churches arrive at crisis they go to many sources for a fix and very rarely will go to the Bible first.

In the book of Titus, Paul instructs Titus how to fix a broken church. First, deal with the leadership or what scripture calls the elders/pastors of the church. Paul doesn't say to find the sharpest businessmen to come in and administrate the church, he says that the elders/pastors (those who really should be leading the church) should be doctrinally sound and above reproach. In other words they need to know their Bible and live their Bible. It is a both/and not either/or. Many pastors don't know their Bible and many pastors don't live their Bible. This is the main reason why churches and the American church at large is on the brink. Fixing a broken church starts with the elders/pastors repenting of their sins of unsound doctrine and unsound practice. It does not start by hiring a consultant for thousands of dollars to tell you everything is alright. More on what Titus says it takes to have a healthy church later...

Collision in Minneapolis

2009-08-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

This looks really good and will be worth a viewing: http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/. You can see the trailer below in an earlier post.

Music for the "Sojourner"

2009-08-12T14:34:00.000-07:00

I have had the privilege recently of hearing some great new music from Sojourn Church in Louisville, KY, Austin City Life Church, Austin, TX, and Red Mountain Music out of Alabama. There is a cultural renewal going on in America through churches who are centering all of life on the Gospel including the arts. Great music...check them out.

New City Church Summer Tour 2009

2009-06-12T08:12:00.000-07:00

This Sunday is our first tour stop of 2009 and we are going to have our worship gathering at Belleview Park (5001 S. Inca, Englewood) starting at 9:30am. Our children will be with us for the service and we will have a picnic afterwards. Bring your own picnic lunch and games for afterwards. There is plenty to do at the park and it will be a great time, invite some friends to come along.

Advent with my buddy Isaiah

2008-12-08T09:52:00.001-08:00

This advent we are going through selected passages in Isaiah while reading the gospel of Mark as a church. Isaiah 40:1-11 was yesterday. God is our comforter and Isaiah is told to emphatically preach God's comfort to his people and to do it tenderly. This is a struggle for younger "reformed" pastors as they love to preach about sin and repentance but they also need to preach God's comfort through the propitiation and reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ. As one of those "younger reformed" pastors. I consider myself sufficiently rebuked...now I need some comforting...

Wilson vs. Hitchens

2008-11-07T14:50:00.000-08:00

One of my "go-to" pastors, Doug Wilson, is debating Christopher Hitchens on the existence and influence of God. Their string of debates is being documented via a film called "A Collision of Lives".

Very cool trailer below. Can't wait to see the finished product...

NPR, Beer, and the glory of God

2008-09-12T11:49:00.001-07:00

I like National Public Radio because they have interesting stories sometimes. I also like beer (could use a cold Fat Tire right now). Just listened to a story about beer on NPR where the guest interviewed was talking about lager, yeast, fermentation etc... Apparently, the guest was studying yeast's contribution to the fermentation process in beer to get a more accurate view of...evolution???

Yeast hasn't evolved anymore than beer has evolved. Yeast is programmed to adapt to its surroundings and environment but it doesn't change its basic nature to become something else over a period of time through random chance. Just like beer doesn't happen on accident. It takes a brewmaster who understands science and inserts INTELLIGENT INFORMATION into the process to create a good brew. God created yeast, hops, sugar, water, the brewmaster, and beer for the enjoyment of his people and ultimately for His glory (just ask Luther and Calvin). You shouldn't be allowed to enjoy a good beer if you can't recognize the glory of God in the process of making and enjoying it.

More to come on the theology of beer...

Psalm 131

2008-09-11T08:32:00.000-07:00

Picked up a short booklet last night from CCEF (Christian Counseling Education Foundation) amongst a stack of these booklets our church ordered related to different counseling issues that come up in pastoral counseling situations.

This particular booklet was about stress (something pastors never deal with :)). It went through Psalm 131 as a passage that helps us quiet the inner noise that stresses us out without trying to numb the noise. Quieting vs. numbing. There is noise in life and we either avoid and/or numb (busyness, tv, addiction, drinking, etc...) or we can have a righteous peace in the midst of the noise.

As you might expect stress is a result of our prideful wills trying to control life and relationships in the direction we want them to go. When the house of cards collapses it causes stress and a renewed vigor to control it better next time. Our control is folly and trusting in Christ who rules and reigns is wisdom. It is a heart issue of who we will trust to guide us.

The Psalmist here (David) says that the way to peace in Jesus is to repent of pride, don't look down on others, and...check this out...don't go after things too great and too difficult for you and me.

This last one deserves a little bit of contemplation. What are you going after that is too great and difficult for you? What in the world does that last phrase mean? Give me your best insight...

Launched

2008-09-10T12:03:00.000-07:00

We had our fall launch service this past Sunday, September 7 and it went very well. Thanks to all my NCM brothers and sisters for showing up and supporting our first weekly Sunday at the Regal Theater.

Our fall launch is more than just one Sunday and we will continue this fall in a teaching series about Jesus. There is a lot of misinformation and misperception about Jesus so we thought we would let him tell us who He is in His own words.

This week we will most likely address the question "Is Jesus the only God?" from a biblical point of view. Our desire is to make sure that we hold Jesus and His gospel high in the city of Denver so that people can make an informed decision about the man who most changed history.

Fall Launch...New City Church Denver

2008-07-31T09:37:00.000-07:00

On September 7th our church will host its fall launch and we will begin meeting weekly at the Regal Continental Stadium 10 theater in the central area of metro Denver. To get ready for this event we are doing two preview services on August 3rd and August 24th to invite the community to come and see what New City Church is all about. I am still ironing out the details on what our focus will be this Sunday but one thing is for sure...I want people to know we are a fairly simple church.

By simple I mean that we believe the church was created to bring glory to God, be on mission with Jesus, and care for the needs of each other and the needs in our community.

In the meantime we are finishing up last preparations to go into this new venue and extend the gospel to our city. Come and join us and bring a friend as we seek to worship Jesus, follow Him, and serve our neighbor.

As my 8 year old would say, "Peace out!"