Arise Church Denver Weekly Messages

The Big Bang Theory brings up a lot of questions with its claims about reality: - Doesn’t science contradict the Bible and show us there is no God? - How does the theory of the Big Bang resonate with the claims of the Bible? - Can a Bible-believing Christian really hold to the Big Bang Theory? Join us this week as we examine how science isn’t just compatible with faith, it bolsters it.

In generations past, people believed in God and the supernatural because they didn’t understand the world. Yet with the invention of microscopes and telescopes, leading to an explosion in scientific knowledge, belief in God became unnecessary. Or so we’re told. But are faith and science really at war? Join us this Sunday as we start to discover if physics and biology; cosmology and evolution are enemies of faith OR if they are actually allies.

Throughout this entire belong series we focused in on our need for connection, for relationships, for community. Yet when community is found and when friendships are formed they often lead to conflict, disagreement, and frustration. So what do we do when community breaks down and when our relationships fall apart? Join us on Sunday to review our entire series and to find out how we all can power up to love one another even in the midst of these struggles!

Denver is ranked as the second-best place to live in the country. It’s also ranked as the third loneliest city in the country. I think there’s a connection. Here in Denver, we are the rugged individualists who leave friends and family to travel west because we think we can succeed on our own....until we discover that being alone isn’t as great as we expected. Thankfully, there’s a solution, join us Sunday to discover what it is.

“Remember when people had diaries and got mad when someone read them? Now they put everything online and get mad when people don’t.” This humorous observation captures our time. Social media enables people to tell the world that they went to the best brunch place in Denver, love singing (off-tune) at Mumford and Sons’ live show, are hanging out with mutual friends (without you), and can’t stand a political candidate. We talk and share and tweet and exclaim. We all have access to a megaphone to proclaim our opinion. Social Media has trained us to talk about ourselves, which in turn hurts our relationships. Thankfully, there’s a better way. This message provides a practical solution.

We live in a world that on the surface seems to value vulnerability and honesty, but is that really the case? If we were to show our true selves on our social media or even in-person, would anyone be receptive to who we really are? Join us this Sunday as Pastor Sawyer dives into what it looks like to actually be vulnerable and how it may actually be the key to the connection we all long for.

We have a problem. It’s not huge, but it’s pressing. So we’re taking a one-week hiatus from our Belong series to announce an important project we need to begin. Don’t worry though, there’s gonna be a biblical message. We will jump into the story of Nehemiah to learn how to fix material problems when it’s a time to rebuild.

We live in the age of personalized recommendations. An algorithm based on your online behavior recommends which show to watch next on Netflix, which music to listen to on Spotify, which product to purchase on Amazon, which news story to read in your news feed, and which posts to read on Facebook. Our online world is literally all about us. Our technological advancements have enabled us to be selfish. In turn, our relationships struggle. Maybe the answer to this modern problem has been there for 2,000 years. Find out in this message.

We are busy. Crazy busy. School, events, activities, sports, work, deadlines, chores, errands. Some of you feel your stress level rising right now as you read this. So when it comes to worshipping on a Sunday or committing to a community group during the week, we balk. But here’s the thing: you can’t belong if you can’t be there. And we long for belonging. So be there for this message and learn why something as simple as showing up is so helpful for you and for others.

We’ve never been more connected, yet we’ve never felt more alone.
 With the massive technological shifts of the past decades, we are infinitely more connected with more people across the globe than ever before. And yet, levels of anxiety, depression and loneliness are also rising. Is there a solution to our modern predicament? The answer is simpler than you might think.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a trial, like your wheels are spinning but you can’t escape the mud, like your past or your grief could never be overcome, then this message is for you. Hear the powerful finale to our series through the book of Ruth.

Ruth is a powerful story that has captivated the minds of Jews, Christians, and others for a millennia. But there’s one major hiccup: chapter three. It appears as if a young, desperate widow gets all dolled up to sneak into the boys club after the men have been partying all night. Then she approaches an older, wealthy man in the dark to spend the night with him. So is this a scandalous seduction? Or is it something else entirely? Discover what really happened that scandalous night on the threshing floor.

Has it ever just turned out that you were in the right place at the right time? Or did you just happen to meet the person you needed to meet? Is it coincidence? Or is there more to it? In this message discover how God’s fingerprints are all over Ruth and Naomi’s story and how they’re all over yours too.

Grieving. Angry. Depressed. Broke. Broken. Hurting. Bitter. We all go through difficult times. When we do, those events and situations can not only control our emotions but they can begin to define us. They become our identity. In this message, we will be introduced to two women who went through difficulties and tragedy. They felt all those emotions and more. And the events of their past began to become their identities. But their past didn't have to determine their future, they could move from bitter to better. As we embark on a new series through the book of Ruth, Pastor Matt and Melissa team up to help us all move past our past, so we too can move from bitter to better.

We desire to be a church that holds equally firmly to both grace & truth. However, in order to do that, we need a certain kind of leadership, leaders like Jesus. Discover what leaders like Jesus are and about some new aspects of Stapleton Church’s leadership moving forward.

“What about marriage and sexuality?" After we learned in the first message of this series how followers of Jesus are called to hold firmly to both grace AND truth, I was asked several times about how that relates to marriage and sexuality. So instead of avoiding this challenging topic, we’re diving right in. What does Grace + Truth look like when it comes to sexuality? Thankfully, Jesus shows us how.

Have you ever felt like you're being pulled in two different directions? You want to be kind & grace-filled, to accept everyone just as they are; yet you want to stand up for what is true & right, to be solid and unwavering. So which one do you choose? Grace? Or truth? This week kicks off a new series, Where Grace & Truth Collide. For three weeks we will tackle this challenging subject to help us be a church which stands with Jesus through this tension.

"Here is the conclusion of the matter...” As we examine the final section of the book of Ecclesiastes this week, we come to the end of Solomon’s search for meaning. So, is it all meaningless? Or is there a way to a meaningful life? You’re not gonna wanna miss this powerful conclusion to our series, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For."

As advanced as medical science has come, there is no cure for death. It’s coming for all of us. Probably when we don't expect it. This inevitable reality of death is something we either dread or choose not to think about. However, thinking about death may actually be really good for our lives right now.

Have you ever had a run-in with an authority figure? Whether it was a teacher, a boss, a drill sergeant, a pastor, a police officer, a politician or all of the above, we often disagree with the decisions of authorities above us. Sometimes it’s merely a difference of opinion or philosophy, but other times the leader is just plain wrong—or even sinful. How do we deal with these authority figures? That’s what this message is about.

If I just had a nicer car, a bigger house, even just a new pair of shoes. Life would be so much better if I could just make my first million, pay off my debt, or just get above the poverty line. We often think that the next thing or more money will solve our problems. And it certainly would solve some of them. But will it make our lives happier or more meaningful? In this message, we look at our meaningless pursuit of the almighty dollar.

Every week at church we sing songs of praise and worship to God, but is that all that worship is? What if our voice isn’t the greatest or our heart and mind are occupied with all the stresses of life? As we continue our series on Ecclesiastes, searching for the true and meaningful things of life, Solomon will challenge us to expand our definition of worship and open ourselves up to a more holistic approach to worshipping God

We live in a society that promotes the "good life" as being made up of money, comfort, material possessions and so much more. This is the goal toward which so many of us are spending our lives working every day. Could this really be the best life we can live on this earth? Join us this Sunday in our study of Ecclesiastes 4 as we discover together what God's word says is one of the most essential elements to living the good life today.

Has life ever seemed schizophrenic to you? One day you’re on top of the world, the next you get terrible news that sends you spiraling downwards. Something gives you great enjoyment, then out of nowhere, it is taken away. It’s enough to make you wanna get off this lousy tilt-a-whirl before you vomit. In this message, we look at the ups and downs of life, and how our longing for something better points us to something beyond this earth.

Some seasons we love. (Summer, why won’t it get here already!) Others we hate. (Why is winter dragging on so long!) The same holds true for the seasons of our lives. So what are we supposed to do through the seasons that seem so difficult? Like when we move to a new place, or our kids are rebelling, or we experience a loss? That’s what Solomon is gonna help us navigate.