Ron Johnson Blog

Attractional and Missional

2012-01-07T17:39:00.001-08:00

Hugh Halter and I spoke on the topic of being missional and attractional at our last Breakthrough Leaders Network gathering. I have a few reflections about our conversation I want to share with you.• I thank God the missional people and the attractional people are now thinking both/and rather than either or. • The challenge I see for the missional folks is the need to have a crowd dynamic in some form. Jesus drew crowds. This was part of his strategy. He led people from the crowd to the core to the great commission. I am channeling Rick Warren here.• The challenge for the attractional types is developing the skills in themselves and their people to live more missionally and incarnationally. We will need to develop the apostolic genius in our people. Now I am channeling Alan Hirsch.• As Breatkthrough Leaders Network matures we will need to equip our church planters to be effective at living missionally and creating great attractional environments. If 30% of the culture is inclined to go to church when they seek God and 70% will only be reached by missionaries then we need training to be training people in both skill sets.

Denver Church: The Importance of &

2011-11-26T11:30:00.001-08:00

We are starting a 3rd morning service in two weeks at RCC. In January we hope to start an evening service as well. Why?Churches like to get into either/or thinking. Either we go deep or we reach out. Either we are connected or we are growing. Jesus did not think this way. He thought with an ampersand (&) in his mind all the time. Jesus was a both/and thinker.Jesus chose 12 to go deep. He wanted to turn them into disciples who experienced the restoration of God's image in their lives and others. The first thing he had them do was reach out and throw a party for Matthew's lost friends (Matthew 4). Did they go deep or reach out? Both. If you go deep with God he will send you out (see Isaiah 6). If you go out into the world with the gospel in your heart and a vision for the Kingdom to become more manifest in your world you will be forced to become deeper. It is always an &!Restoration is going deeper and we are reaching out to the people Jesus died for - you can't have one without the other. Jesus did not make us to live that way.

For restoration Community Church Worship Times & Location follow these links:

Denver Church Worship Times Denver Christmas Eve Service Times

Transformational Communtiies

2011-09-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

We will launch 14 new Transformational Communities at Restoration in the next two weeks. Most churches call them small groups. We have decided to use a different nomenclature for three reasons.

1. People attend groups to get something. Communities are more relational. The gathering is less about getting something for yourself and more about the relationships.
2. Our goal is transformation not information. Groups are often about knowledge or skill acquisition. We want to see spiritual transformation. We want to become more like Jesus from the inside out.
3. Groups tend to be closed. Our communities create growth in people and they have an external focus. Each of our communities will be asked to do one service project and one faith sharing event or party over the course of the 10 weeks they meet. We don't just want to talk about being missional, we want to be missional.

Looking forward to seeing you at Restoration Community Church in Denver

The Adjustment Bureau and This Sunday

2011-07-29T14:35:00.000-07:00

I watched the Adjustment Bureau on a plane recently to India. It stars Matt Damon and Emily Bluntman. The premise of the show is that our lives are completely determined by "The Chairman." Damon seeks to fight his fate so that he can romantically pursue Bluntman's character.

The film raises some interesting questions. 1. Does God determine everything? 2. Is there more than one plan? 3. If we mess up Plan A for our lives does God have a plan B? 4. What role does our will and desires play in the fate of our lives?

I would love to hear what others think as I prepare to speak on this topic Sunday at Restoration.

Holy Irreverence

2011-07-22T12:49:00.000-07:00

We start a new series at Restoration on Sunday called, "I AM." It is about the nature of God. A.W. Tozer once said that, "What comes to mind when we think of God is the most important thing about us."

We will have a series of video's that are funny and irreverent about the ways we re-create Jesus in our minds to get from him what we want. We want to be irreverent towards these "Jesus idols" so that we will be more motivated to look for the real Jesus.

The first video is about "Santa Jesus." It is a satire of how we often think God is good only if he gives us what we want.

Can you think of other versions of Jesus that are not consistent with the Jesus of the Bible and history?

Visit our Denver Church this Sunday at 9am or 11am

India Update

2011-07-17T08:23:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Kolkata. I want to share a few highlights of our trip so far with you.

* The first three days we led medical clinics in slums where our partners at Kolkata City Mission are trying to start churches. Albina, Erica and Nanci did and amazing job as healthcare workers.

* I preached on Thursday night at the largest Church in Kolkata.

* Yesterday we did a family camp for people from three different slums. We led classes on public health, marriage and spirituality. I shared the gospel at the end of the day and 120 Dalits received Jesus as their Lord and Savior!

* Today I preached at a small church service made up of our partners and other missionaries. Tonight Nanci is preaching at a small church in the slums.

* Tomorrow we are building a false ceiling for a community center in a slum. The vision is that this community center would be a place where holistic ministry is done and a church planted.

Our team from our church in Denver, Restoration Community Church, is healthy and strong and unified. We are having a great time with our brothers and sisters in Christ here in Kolkata.

Hope for Children - Kolkata, India

2011-07-14T07:55:00.000-07:00

Brought to you by Restoration Community Church in Denver

India Medical Clinic Day

2011-07-13T12:26:00.000-07:00

Why Go To India?

2011-07-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

I have had a few friends wonder why I am going with a team from Restoration to India. It is a good question given how young our new church is and all the needs we have right here in Denver. Here is my response.

1. I need my heart to be broken. There is nothing like the sensory assault of the slums of Calcutta to help you feel how much pain there is in this world. There is nothing in the world like the poverty experienced by the Dalits in India. I am going because I want a bigger heart, a global heart.
2. There is poverty and there is extreme poverty. We help the poor in Denver, but we do not have extreme poverty in Denver. The untouchables live on less than two dollars a day. Many of them live on less than one dollar a day. I feel a moral obligation to help.
3. The Dalits are looking for hope. There are more Dalits in India than there are people living in the US. They are leaving Hinduism because it has held them down for thousands of years. They are starving for grace and a religion that teaches that all people are equal (Galatians 3:28).
4. Jesus said he wants us to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). I want to witness locally and globally to the good news that the Kingdom of God has come to earth in Jesus and can be our experience right now!

Our team leaves July 10th and comes back July 21st. Please pray God uses us to bless people with medical needs, create economic opportunities, encourage leaders and church planters, and educate people who are needing knowledge to become more whole. Thanks.

Discovering God's Vision For Your Life

2011-06-24T14:49:00.001-07:00

Last week I drew a diagram, in my message, that has led to quite a few podcast downloads. I will not draw it here, but the categories might be helpful to you if you are seeking greater clarity regarding God's vision for your life.

1. Passion. What burden has God put on your heart? Are you burdened for your family? Your marriage? Your neighbors? A group of oppressed people? A friend who is floundering spiritually? For whom has God burdened you?

2. Proficiencies. What do people say you are good at doing? Are you great with older people? Younger people? Are you good at teaching? Counseling? Caring? Technology? Leading? Making money? Organizing? Sharing your faith? Creating art in some form?

3. Pull. Who is pulling on you to do something for them or on behalf of them? The Bible is full of stories of people being called by God, through other people. A sense of calling usually comes from God through others.

4. Paycheck. We all have to provide for ourselves and others. How can you do what God is calling you to do and pay your bills? There are two mistakes Americans frequently make. One, they confuse their jobs with their calling. Two, they do not do what God wants them to do because they fear God will not provide for them. In the Bible God always gives people the what before the how. He calls them to do something for Him and as they step out in faith, He provides for them.

I hope these categories serve you well as you seek to discern God's unique vision for you at this point in your life.

#1 Most Asked Question About God

2011-06-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

According to the Barna Research Center the most asked question about God is, "Why does he let us suffer?" This is also the most common reason given by non-Christians as to why they do not believe in God.

There are answers to this question about God, suffering and evil, but there is no ANSWER. People get hurt because of sin, life in a fallen world, stupidity, Satan and sometimes God himself disciplines us. These are reasons why evil happens, but it still does not answer our question exhaustively. God must have a morally justifiable reason we do not understand. If some guy came ripping by you on I-25 honking his horn because you were going too slow, you would likely get angry. If you later realized his daughter was in the back seat dying and that he was heading to the hospital, you would understand him much differently. You would believe he was justified in honking at you and speeding.

If you are an atheist then suffering is random and meaningless. If you are a pantheist then evil and suffering are just an illusion, which does not sell very well when you are in pain. Other options make God weaker, less knowledgeable or unloving. To me, the best option is Jesus. He did not give answers to all of our questions about why we suffer. Instead he entered into our suffering on the cross and showed us how God transforms suffering into something we will all, one day, say is worth it.

For more on this topic join us Sunday at Restoration Community Church (www.restorationcc.us).

Homosexuality and 3 reasons to come to RCC this weekend

2011-05-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

According to research done by Dave Kinnaman and the Barna group 91% of non-Christian Busters and Mosaics believe Christians hate homosexuals. This perception is best described by the title of Kinnaman's book, it is "UnChristian." The question, "Does God love homosexuals?" showed up more than any other issue on our FAQs4God.com website. This is a BIG ONE! Here are three reasons you need to come to Restoration this week if you are in town.

1. We have to change the perception that Christians are anti-homosexual. It might as well be tattooed on our arms. This has to change! It dishonors God and it is keeping people out of relationship with the greatest source of love in the universe - Jesus Christ.

2. There is so much misinformation about what the Bible teaches on this topic. We will look at most of the key passages this weekend and understand them contextually.

3. We need a new posture towards homosexuals. It is not enough to know that the Bible condemns homosexual acts and that God loves homosexuals at the same time. We have to learn how to love our homosexual friends with the same truth and grace we give to our friends who wrestle with greed, adultery, pride, pornography or any other sin. We have to learn how to love homosexuals and not condone homosexual sex. Jesus was that master at loving sinners and challenging them to repent of their sin. He does this with each of us every moment of the day. We will learn from the master how to grow in our ability to love in truth and grace.

Oh, and there will be a BBQ after our 11 a.m. service. See you there!

Evolution and the Bible

2011-05-20T14:10:00.000-07:00

3 Reasons Evolution and Genesis can be friends:

1. You do not have to be an atheist to believe in evolution even though Richard Dawkins says you do. There are many theistic evolutionists. A great example is Francis Collins who led the Genome Project and who is now a passionate Christ follower.
2. Genesis tells us that God created but not how he created. Few scholars believe the Genesis account refers to a literal six day creation period. The word for day in Genesis one is "Yom" which can mean a day, a generation, or an epic period of time. There is no 24 hour day in the creation story until day four when God created our solar system.
3. Genesis is a poem, not a science manual. We need to read it for the purpose for which it was intended, to inspire us to worship our amazingly creative and artistic God!

We will go much deeper with this topic on Sunday, multi-universes, galaxies, quarks, leptons and all. Join us and have your mind bent by a God who gets bigger every time our telescopes and micro-scopes do.

How can only one religion be right?

2011-05-12T07:51:00.000-07:00

You are at a party. You are a follower of Jesus (if not pretend for a moment that you are). Someone asks you if you believe only people who follow Jesus will go to heaven and that everyone else will go to hell. What do you do? A. Feign food poisoning and run for your life. B. Look for the nearest pastor. C. Tell them that you do believe there is only one way but that maybe hell is more like Houston Texas than Dante's inferno so it won't be so bad.

This is the question that makes Christians the skunk at the lawn party frequently. We will talk about it this week at Restoration, but let me give you a few thoughts.

1. All world religions have some version of hell. The topic is not unique to followers of Jesus.
2. All truth claims are exclusive. It takes maturity and personal security not to get defensive. Even radical relativists exclude people who are not relativists.
3. We do not know who is going to heaven and hell. The parable of the wheat and tares warns us not to judge. God alone knows what people are doing with the light they have received. If people ask us if they are going to heaven or hell our answer must always be, "I don't know, that is between you and God."
4. The way to increase people's odds of spending eternity with God is to invite them to follow Jesus with us. He alone is the way and the truth and life and no one comes to the Father but through him. He is heaven now and later. Sharing him is not a confrontation, but a mutual journey with others wherever they are spiritually.

Easter Reflections

2011-04-26T07:19:00.000-07:00

We had an awesome Easter weekend at Restoration. Here are a few of my reflections.

* Our Good Friday service rocked. Many of us needed that time to slow down and center on the story of Jesus. We needed to enter into the darkness of Friday before we could enjoy the light of Sunday.
* Serving the homeless is humbling. When you serve people who have lives that are messier than tangled fishing line it breaks you a bit. You realize how fortunate you are in many ways and how you could be them. Our homeless Easter service was a great time to connect with each other and our common humanity.
* People need a church. We had TONS OF NEW PEOPLE who came this Sunday. We doubled our regular attendance. I am so grateful for everyone who brought someone. We had one person become a follower of Jesus and many more who will in the weeks to come. It was great to remember the Easter story together and re-orient our lives around the soul expanding love of Jesus

Making the Most of Easter Week

2011-04-18T08:59:00.000-07:00

5 Suggestions on how to make the most of the week leading up to Easter (aka Holy Week).

1. Read the story every day. Take one of the gospels and read the last few chapters that describe what Jesus did and said at the end of his life. Pick a character, other than Jesus, like Peter or Thomas, someone you identify with, and experience the story the way they would have.
2. Pray. Ask Jesus to reveal himself to you this week in a fresh way. Ask God to help you experience his love.
3. Go to a church. God's Spirit shows up when people gather to remember his Son.
4. Invite a friend. God's love is something to be shared. Write down the names of a few of friends who need encouragement, hope, love and bring them with you.
5. Serve. We see Jesus in others when we serve them.

For more information on Good Friday Services, Worship opportunities and ways you can serve the homeless this week go to restorationcc.us.

Praying you have the most meaningful Easter ever!

Starting a second worship service FAQ's

2011-04-08T15:15:00.000-07:00

SECOND SERVICE FAQ’S

Why are we doing this?

1. We are running out of room for people to bring their friends. Most worship services stop growing after they are 70% full. People just feel too squished.

2. We want to see more people discover the love and hope of God.

3. We all grow more when we are serving and reaching out.

When will we make the move? Palm Sunday, April 17^th.

What time will the two services be? 9:00 and 11:00

What do we need to make this successful?

* Lots of prayer.

* Volunteers in key positions for new service.

* People willing to take a risk.

* New people attending.

What if it does not work? This is an experiment. If it does not work we will go back to one service and try later. We will fail forward.

How will this affect our Family Life Ministry?

* It should make it easier to volunteer. People can go to one service and volunteer in another.

How will this affect the unity of the church?

* Most people are close to 8 to 12 people if they are really involved. Those friendships will remain in tact through transformational communities and informal opportunities for connecting and our service projects.

Let’s pray, trust, take a risk, invite our friends and see what God does.

Rob Bell's Heaven and Hell

2011-03-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

Rob Bell's book on heaven and hell just came out yesterday. It is titled, "Love Wins." You can expect the blogosphere to erupt the next few days. I read over half of the book last night and this morning. I have a pretty good idea where Rob is going and what he believes. Here are my thoughts so far.

* Rob is dealing with an issue that our generation of world traveling, socially conscious, compassion and justice oriented people wrestle with deeply.
* Most of the Christians I know in the pews believe in some kind of soft universalism. The problem is that it is based on feelings and social acceptance more than their study of the Bible.
* Rob is trying to develop his theology of heaven and hell using the Bible. He does seem to be going in the direction of of a mild universalism (most probably go to heaven) and conditionalism (immortality is based on who we are and what we do with what has been revealed to us).
* Rob does a great job showing us how little we know about heaven and hell and invites people to question their certainty.
* I think it is important to be clear about where we can be reasonably certain and humble regarding where we cannot be quite so certain.

Here are my conclusions on this topic:

1. The Bible is clear there is no salvation (an idea that is far bigger than just going to heaven) except through Jesus (John 14:6).
2. The Bible is not quite so clear about how much of Jesus a person needs to know or profess. Hebrews 11 is full of people, Jews and Gentiles, who had never heard of Jesus and they are with God right now.
3. We are responsible for sharing and responding to the truth that has been revealed to us (Luke 12:47-48). Sharing the gospel, making disciples, responding to the gospel, becoming a disciple matters for now and the age to come.

I am grateful that Rob has written this book, if for no other reason than it will get more of us talking and studying what the Bible has to say about one of the most burning theological questions of our time. Let's pray God uses this book to take us deeper into our appreciation for his unimaginable love and wisdom displayed in Jesus Christ. May love win as many dialogue on this topic.

Visit our Restoration Community Church Website: Denver Church

Restoration Giving FAQ's

2011-03-22T20:48:00.000-07:00

We are currently budgeting in 90 day intervals as a church. We enter into our second quarter in April. So, I want to let you know where we are during this “church-formation” stage in which we find ourselves. Below are some FAQ’s we hear fairly often.

1. What is our monthly budget? $42k.

2. Are we meeting our budget? No. We have a current short fall of $10-$13k a month. Our goal is to close that short fall so we can be independent financially.

3. Are we going into debt? No. Ron raises money through outside donor’s and churches to cover the shortfall.

4. Does Ron enjoy doing this? Glad you asked! Yes and no. Ron loves seeing people grow spiritually. Giving helps people put their money and their hearts where God is. See Matthew 6:21. At the same time Ron would rather focus his energies on being a pastor and training leaders at Restoration and throughout Denver.

5. Why should I give?

a. Because our vision is eternal. We want to see people’s lives transformed into the image of God.

b. Because your faith will grow. Luke 6:38 says, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

c. Because Jesus promises to bless us if we give. Malachi 3:10 says, “Bring the whole tithe into the store house...test me in this and see if you do not have so much blessing you will not have room for it.”

d. Because we will likely cut staff salaries or positions in the near future, if our giving does not increase. That would not be fun!

6. How can we close our budget gap? By everyone prayerfully giving what they believe God wants them to give. If we all give intentionally we will we have all the resources we need to see people restored to the image of God.

7. Is there a way to make it easier to give? Yes! By giving online. Online giving is easy, safe, and consistent. Please consider signing up today by going to www.restorationcommunitychurch.us/give-denver-church.

Visit our Restoration Community Church Website: Denver Church

2011-03-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

5 REASONS WE ARE READING THE SAME CHAPTER OF ROMANS EACH DAY AT RCC

At Restoration we are reading a new chapter each week of Romans and we are reading this chapter every day. Here are the reasons why.

1. Easter is coming! Reading through Romans is a great way to connect to the greatest story ever told.
2. Roman's is deep. You have to go through it slowly to understand it. It is not a quick read. You have to sink into it over time. Reading the same chapter seven times, particularly in different versions, really helps with this.
3. Romans is basic. If you want a solid understanding of the basic ideas of the gospel and therefore the Bible, Romans is the way to go.
4. We want to live our faith not just know about it. When we read the same passage slowly, it gets into us. God speaks to us through it. Wow, did you catch that? God speaks to us through it. He transforms us as we listen and are moved by him.
5. It unifies us. By reading Romans together we stay more connected to God and to each other. We want to be a connected spiritual community not a disconnected crowd.

If you have not started reading a chapter of Romans daily for a week, it is not to late to start. We are in Romans 4 this week. It will not make a lot of sense to you the first couple of times you read it, but by the end of the week you will love it! What a rich, beautiful story about God's love for us all.

Visit our Restoration Community Church Website: Denver Church

Externally Focused Church

2011-03-15T07:51:00.000-07:00

Starting a meeting via Skype in 10 mins. It is a lab with other churches trying to be externally focused sponsored by Leadership Network. The old paradigm was, "How can we bet the best church in the city." The new paradigm is, "How can we bless the city given our the unique church the Holy Spirit is forming us to be."

The big questions for me today are the following:
1. How can we create service opportunities that are highly transformational for those serving and being served? We want our people to not only serve, but to grow when they serve.
2. How can we make our service projects more scalable? As we grow we want to be able to include more people in our projects. We also realize that one of the greatest gifts we bring to our city is the opportunity to serve. We want to invite people so they can see Jesus and his gospel interpreted through people living it out in real time.

Visit our Restoration Community Church Website: Denver Church

This will be fun.

Face This Or Die

2011-03-02T08:47:00.000-08:00

We begin our journey through Romans this week at Restoration. Paul invites us to look at the reality of our human hearts in chapter one. He is a thanatopologist (I made this word up). Thanatos was the Greek angel of death. Paul forces us in chapter one to look at all the realities in this world that kill people and rob them of life. He takes us on this trip through Death Valley so that we will appreciate all the more the view from the top of Everest. We cannot appreciate the wonder of what God has done until we are willing to face the horror of what humanity has done. A new and sunny day is appreciated the most when there has been a hard and dark night proceeding it. We are grateful for medicine when we realize we are sick and will die if we do not take it. The same is true of what the Bible calls the gospel. We must courageously look at the brokenness in us and around us before we can be stunned and scandalized by what Jesus did for us. I confess my sins to people I know who love me and I trust. We can dive into Book of Roman realities because we have a God who loves us and in whom we can trust.

Visit our Restoration Community Church Website: Denver Church

The Next Really Big Thing

2011-02-17T09:33:00.000-08:00

I love all the books, articles and blogs predicting the next big thing. It is usually a technological advancement, a scientific breakthrough or a new cultural or geo-political trend. It is fun to hear about future trends from leading experts.

I believe the next big thing is always the same thing. It is the next generation. Each young generation becomes the future hope of our world second only to Jesus leading his church and one day returning to finish what he began.

If we are going to change the world we must invest in the next generation. 80% of all people become Christians before the age of 18. For every kid who makes a decision to follow Jesus at church or camp or with his parents it will take five key adults in his life, influencing him or her spiritually, to see that decision become a lifetime pursuit. The African proverb, "It takes a village," is never more true than when it comes to the need for our churches to invest in their kids.

For more on this topic I hope you will come this Sunday to Restoration. We need your help to build a spiritual village that will ensure that the next big thing leads to spiritual transformation in our world.

Visit our Denver Church website

Second Services and Whispers from God

2011-02-03T08:43:00.000-08:00

Since the beginning of Restoration Community Church we have tried to lean not on our own understanding and seek direction from God. We frankly have made many decisions that have taken us in the opposite direction of church "best practices." There is nothing wrong with best practices, but when they collide with God's voice then we have to make a choice. When God told Israel to march around Jericho that was not exactly a military "best practice," but God showed up and Israel saw him do the spectacular.

This last week, as a church, we sought God's will regarding the starting of a second service on March 1. If we want to reach more un-churched, de-churched people this would be the thing to do with Easter quickly approaching and then summer after that. God has led us to do otherwise. I started sensing God whispering to me about this last week. The whisper grew stronger while skiing last Friday. It grew louder still on Sunday at our town hall meeting. I know we made the right decision - for the time being. God has spoken.

The hard thing about whispers is that they require trust. I believe this is why I often have ignored them. But every time I have closed my ears it has led to regrets and every time I have listened and obeyed it has led to a spiritual adventure that has left me closer to God and dazzled by his wisdom.

This week at Restoration we will talk about how to hear the still, small voice of God.

Listen, maybe God is encouraging you to join us.

Church Denver

Sin as Debt

2011-01-22T14:32:00.001-08:00

We tend to think of debt in only economic terms. Jesus believed debt is also relational. He taught us to pray, "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors."

If someone hurts you, you have two choices. You can make them pay. You can cut them out of your life. You can gossip behind their back. You can smear their name on your Facebook page. Or you can pay. You can forgive them. You can choose not to make them pay. You can seek reconciliation.

You pay or they pay. Either way there is a debt.

The irony is that if you make them pay you pay even more. Someone once said that not forgiving someone is like drinking poison hoping it will kill your enemy. Jesus way is cheaper.

How Jesus is Unique

2011-01-19T21:22:00.000-08:00

The questions people ask about Jesus are pretty standard issue these days. Did he really teach that some people go to hell? Did he believe he was the only way to God? If he is God then why does he allow suffering? How much of Jesus does a person need to know or believe for him to be their way to God? What happens if we reject him? These are some of the questions in our minds.

All of these questions are worthy of being answered, but there are deeper questions. Questions like what is unique about Jesus? Can he be trusted? Should I follow him with all I am worth? These are the questions of our hearts.

This week at Restoration we will talk about these deeper questions beginning with what makes Jesus unique among all the religions of the world? If you are in town come by and see us.

Churches in Denver

We Need Perspective More Than Principles

2011-01-07T08:01:00.000-08:00

We start a new series this week called, "I-Relationships." As I have studied the Bible it has dawned on me, once again, that the focus is not on mastering a bunch of self-help principles. There are plenty of principles in the Bible, but the focus is on our perspective.

I forget principles. I often do not have the will power to do them in the heat of relational battle. I find it much easier to focus on my perspective. For example, if I focus on being happy in my marriage, Kim and I both suffer. If I focus on blessing her everyone is happier. This is much more simple than trying to remember the 55 new ideas I picked up at the last marriage conference we went to.

The Bible teaches several simple and yet radical perspectives on relationships. These will be our focus the next few weeks as we study some of the most influential texts in the Bible.

If you are in Denver I hope you will join us.

Top 10 Books for 2010

2011-01-03T11:03:00.000-08:00

I read a ridiculous number of books last year. This year I plan to read fewer, but better books.

Here is my top 10 list for 2010 in no particular order:

1. Whole Life Transformation by Keith Meyer. One of the most practical books on spiritual formation I have ever read.
2. The Good and Beautiful Life by James Bryan Smith. I preached a series based on this book. It paints a wonderful vision of what the Christian life can be.
3. Plato's Republic. Don't laugh! I learned so much about the thinking that shaped the culture Jesus stepped into 2,000 years ago from this book.
4. Transforming the City by Eric Swanson. Eric is a friend. He preached for me yesterday. He has given me so many categories for seeing cities and churches from a missional viewpoint. He shows how synergistic evangelism and service can and should be.
5. Prodigal God by Tim Keller. Keller is the best apologist, for the masses, alive today.
6. Same Kind of Different as Me by Denver Moore and Ryan Hall. Cried like a baby reading this one. Helped me see the homeless in a new way. Inspired me more than the last five books I have read on justice and mercy.
7. Sticky Church by Larry Osborne. A must read if you pastor a church and care about unity in the midst of change.
8. One Thing You Must Know by Marcus Buckingham. Defines leadership and management with great precision. My favorite leadership book of 2010.
9. Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs. I read three books on marriage last year. This was the most simple and helpful. If couples got this right they would do well.
10. Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard. Read this one again for the third time. Dallas is the preeminent thought leader in spiritual formation.

Honorable mention: Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki and Beyond Gender Roles by Gilbert Bilezkian.

New Building FAQ's

2010-12-16T13:44:00.000-08:00

FAQ’S FOR OUR NEW LOCATION

1. Why did we move to a new building and a new day and time?

Many in our community told us that getting to our services on Saturday night was difficult. Many cultural events take place on Saturday night and we want to be able to build friendships and minister to others during that time. Sunday is still the best time for most people to go to church. We also moved buildings because we could not meet on Sunday mornings at our old location.

2. Why are things such a mess around here?

We had a flood the week after we moved into our new space. We also inherited a building that has a great structure but needs lots of work. The building is a lot like us, broken, kind of messy and in need of restoration!

3. How long will it be until our kids will have their own rooms downstairs?

We have a wedding tent in the grass area next to our parking lot as of this week. Think DIA when you drive to church the next few weeks.

4. What are our plans for using this building?

We will have worship services, our family life ministry, groups for kids and students, prayer meetings, homeless feedings, Restoration Institute classes, training events, seminars, weddings, internships for church planters, bible studies, and recovery groups in our new place. This is the advantage of having a building dedicated to our ministry 24/7.

5. Do you think we will outgrow it?

As we grow into our new space, we have the opportunity to grow closer. As we welcome new friends from our new community, we’ll have the opportunity to add more worship services. As always, we will seek God together to discern his plan for us.

6. What still needs to be done in the church?

• The family life ministry rooms downstairs – carpet, paint, lighting, art.
• New carpet throughout the building.
• The AV system needs to be installed.
• Painting inside and out.
• We will also be doing some renovations to the bathrooms.
• In the Spring we will fix the swamp cooler and gutter system.

7. Do we own this space or are we renting?

We are renting.

8. Should we invest money in a building we may not keep long term?

Yes, for two reasons. 1. We may be here long term. 2. We are restoring a Kingdom resource that can be used for other church plants in the future should we choose to move.

First Service New Digs

2010-12-06T10:16:00.000-08:00

We had our first service in our new location on Marion and Iliff yesterday. It was a huge success. Our very committed core of ministry partners worked their fannies off last week getting the building ready. I am grateful beyond words for all the work they did. This is a church that serves!

We packed our new place out yesterday and the energy felt great. It felt like a community. It felt like the Holy Spirit was in the room. It felt like God is taking us on a grand journey. Our job continues to be to trust and obey.

In the weeks ahead we will be renovating our space. We will re-carpet and paint upstairs and down. We will create a super fun and safe space for our kids and students. We will have a tent, complete with floors, bathrooms and spaces for different ages in the grass lot adjacent to the parking lot. Think DIA for kids! We will turn the fellowship hall into a cafe. The foyer will become a gathering place. We will also install a sweet sound system.

Why are we doing all of this? It's not to make this building the center of our church. We are doing this because our vision is to see people restored to the image of God. The real ministry takes place every day in our families, businesses, schools, the gym and our networks of relationships. This building is a tool that will help us train leaders and church planters, worship God, encourage each other, pray, and serve the homeless and people in our immediate area. It is a building. We are the church. Let's thank God for a place to meet and remember its about our relationships to him, each other and the people in our city that really matters.

Visit our Church in Denver

Christmas Eve Church Services in Denver

2010-12-04T10:54:00.000-08:00

We are so excited and thankful for our new building for Restoration Community Church. We did have a minor set back; the basement of the church flooded.

The cool thing is that the insurance company that insures many of the churches in Denver actually covered the losses. Which means our basement is going be redone with a new space for our children's programs and other programs.

Sometimes God tests us and blesses us at the same time.

In the meantime, the insurance company is paying for us to have a temporary building in our parking lot for our children's services so they have a nice space to meet learn and play in while the parents and other adults worship.

If you are looking for Christmas Eve Church Services in Denver don't hesitate to visit Restoration Community Church in Denver.

This is my blog post from last year before our Christmas service. Looks like it still is meaningful as it was a year ago. I will have a new post soon, but it is funny how a post from a year ago still applies today. Follow the link to read the entire post...

Have you ever had one of those Christmas seasons that leave you feeling further away from God rather than closer? I have, but not this year. This year I feel really connected to God and to Jesus. Part of what has helped is my study of the Christmas story from the cosmic vantage point of Revelation Chapter 12. If you have a moment read the first few verses. I have been meditating on three “lost” symbols in verses 1-5.

Read More...

Sacred Space Matters

2010-11-22T08:40:00.000-08:00

We are moving into our new facility in two weeks. This is more than a move. This is more than new information about where we will be gathering to worship God. This is more than a necessary convenience.

We are moving because we want to restore people to the image of God. We are crazy enough to believe that people can change and change deeply.

We realize space can help or hinder the process of spiritual, and therefore whole person, transformation. This is why God carefully created a garden. This is why God placed Israel in a distinct place in the middle east. This is why God created a blue print for the Tabernacle and later the Temple that was meticulous in detail. It is because space matters.

God opened the door for us to move into our new space. He could have opened many doors, but he opened this one. We will, with his help, do all we can to make this space as comfortable and sacred. Lives will be changed in our new space on Marion street as they have been in the past. There is something special about this space. It has been set a part for God. It is sacred space.

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Don't Worry Be Trusting

2010-11-18T11:14:00.000-08:00

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 to not worry. He encourages us to replace worry with trust. Some people trust in trust. Jesus teaches us to trust in God. In Matthew 6:25-34 he gives us three reasons to trust:

1. Because God is passionate about us.
2. Because God provides for us.
3. Because God has a plan for us.

All kinds of questions come to mind with Jesus teaching on worry. How can God love us and let us suffer? Will he give me what I want and not just what I need? What if I don't like his plan for me? Can I trust God - really?

We will dive into this passage and these questions on Saturday night at Restoration. Jesus, our teacher, has answers that satisfy.

God, Money and Your Brain

2010-11-10T09:56:00.000-08:00

There is a new field that has developed in recent years called "Neurotheology." It is the study of how prayer and religious experiences affect our brains. It has become a well known fact that the frontal lobe of our brain lights up when we feel connected to God. This releases dopamine and other feel good chemicals in our body. Apparently God has hardwired us to enjoy his presence.

A less known fact is that this same part of our brain lights up when we purchase something. This is why for many, going to the mall is a religious experience. This is especially true of women when they buy shoes and men when purchasing gear.

This shed's new light on why Jesus warned us that we cannot serve God and money in Matthew 6:24. Both money and God create a sense of security, peace, joy and release dopamine!

We will explore this topic deeper on Saturday night at RCC as we seek wisdom from Jesus regarding how to know what is best for us both now and in the age to come.

The call to start a church

2010-11-08T20:44:00.001-08:00

I have church planters frequently ask me how to know if you are called. The typical answer is some combination of: 1. I sense God calling me. 2. People tell me they think I would be good at starting a church. 3. I am passionate about evangelism. 4. I love the church and would rather raise children in a new church than raise the dead in an older one. 5. I have a history of starting things. 6. My mother thinks I could do this. 7. I did this monster church planting assessment process and scored really high.

All of this is helpful, but at the end of the day the calling comes down to one primary sine qua non. Do you have a bedrock passion from God to start a church? If you do not have this divine passion burning inside of you then forget it. Church starting is too hard, pays too little and has too many ups and downs for people who do not have this core passion at the center of their being. It is the source of strength and courage every church planter must have. Maybe this is what they mean when people say "He or she has a church planting gift."

Jesus and Narcissism

2010-11-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

The more we study the Sermon on the Mount at Restoration Community Church, the more I find myself in awe of its brilliance. It is deep, deep, gospel, soul food. It is rich in its insights about God, our hearts, our relationships, our world and the new creation Jesus is leading.

This week we are looking at Matthew 6:1-8. Jesus confronts our religious narcissism in this passage. He challenges us to be honest about how often we do what we do simply to look good in front of others and avoid shame. He gives us a vision for the kind of people he is restoring us to be. People who naturally give to others generously and who find their greatest joy in being with God. He envisages us being intimate friends with Him in a conversational way. Then he gives us a practical training plan to free us from our narcissistic tendencies so that we can know a richer, deeper joy. The plan involves secret giving and secret praying.

Jesus is committed to nothing short of restoring us all, through grace and practice, into the image of God.

Churches have identity crises too

2010-10-26T15:49:00.000-07:00

I just met with the staff of an older, established mega-church. They are in a season of transition. The focus of the conversation was on strategy, but my gut kept telling me their issue was identity. Good people asking good questions, just not the most important questions.

Churches are like people. God made each of us unique and we all have a one of a kind calling and vocation. When individuals focus on what they should do with their lives without knowing who they are at their core they just wind up imitating other people. It's only when we really know who we are and own who we are that we can do what God made us to do with joy and freedom.

I run into more and more churches that are going through identity crises. In a fallen world where we get so disconnected from the One who can tell us who we are this should not be surprising. The worse thing a church can do when it is trying to figure out who it is, is to try and be emergent, missional, high-church or imitate the latest leader of some list in Outreach magazine.

So, how does a church know who God made them to be? Here are a few questions that are helpful:

What are the historic strengths of the leaders?
What is the burning passion of the leaders as they look to the future?
What about the mission and philosophy of ministry unifies the leaders? What dis-unifies them? Where is the win/win? Without unity it's game over.
What are the needs of the community around them?
How can they best contextualize their ministry to those they hope to reach and still be themselves?
How can they bless the most people possible? We find our church identity most readily when we give ourselves away for the Kingdom and give up trying to be the best or biggest church in town.

Let's pray for the day when most churches are clear on who God has made them to be for the season in which they find themselves. When that happens, God's beauty shines through.

Jesus Wants To Make You Sexier

2010-10-15T08:17:00.000-07:00

I have been studying Jesus teaching on lust and marriage in the Sermon on the Mount this week. Here are a few things I have been pondering.

* Lust matters because it dehumanizes us and others. It turns people into things. The reaping sowing affect is that when you commodify others you commodify yourself. You become a thing.

* Lust has led to 12 billion dollar porn industry. 10 billion of that is hard porn. Most of the hard porn involves children.

* An FBI agent who seeks to break up child porn companies recently asked a friend of mine to pray with her. She watched a film that day of a four year old girl being raped by her father. Her mother filmed the rape. The little girl kept saying, "Mommy make him stop." This is the world lust creates.

* The Latin word for sex is secare. It means to "cut off." We feel sexually cut off. We feel most sexually satisfied when we are connected. This does not require intercourse. Some of the most sexual people I know are single and chaste. But they are super connected to God, themselves, people, the world, pain, suffering, beauty, joy.

* Jesus wants to make us more sexual not less. He wants us to be more comfortable with who we are, more connected. You could say he wants to make us sexy.

This is our topic this week at Restoration Community Church. For more information, check out Restorationcc.us. Hope to see you there.

You would'nt like me when I'm angry

2010-10-08T07:23:00.000-07:00

If you have anger issues and feel like you can't seem to change, check out what Jesus says in Matthew 5:21-26. He goes straight to the core issues that anger management books miss by a mile. He tells us why our anger is worse than we think. It murders others in our heart. It diminishes them. You think people don't know when we judge and hate them - think again. They feel it. And the world is much worse off for it. That anger gets forwarded on to others and even the generations coming up behind us. Ouch.

Then Jesus links anger to worship. Yeah, we can't worship when we have a broken relationship. How can you love God when you hate someone else (1 John)? But it goes deeper. Our anger reveals what we worship. We all have these stories inside of us, largely unconscious, that fuel our anger and reveal what we really worship - control, power, admiration, respect, safety, perfection and the list goes on.

Jesus does a major Jiu-Jitsu move on us at the end of this passage. He encourages us to stay out of court, where anger really gets cranked up. More importantly he links anger to the topic of justice. He takes our anger that pulls us away from God and towards our idols and then he re-directs it towards justice, where it belongs. He wants our anger to engage us with the injustices of the world like; human trafficking, kids who are bullied, prejudice in all its forms, bad marriages, sexual abuse, and your neighbor who is spiritually missing out.

Restored to Restore Others

2010-09-17T07:47:00.000-07:00

I have been studying Isaiah 58 all week. Wow, God was not too happy with Israel in that chapter. They had a form of religion based on a form of God, but it lacked depth and reality. They had created a comfortable religion and God that allowed them to stay self-focused. They knew little of their need for restoration and were oblivious to the needs of others.

God is doing a new/old thing in the church today. According to my friend Eric Swanson, the last 150 years the church has preached Ephesians 2:8-9 that we are saved by grace. We have not preached Ephesians 2:10, that we are made for good works that God has especially prepared for each person and each church.

God is inviting Restoration to not only restore people and our city spiritually, emotionally, physically, relationally, but to also restore the church to the fullness of the gospel of God's Kingdom. How fun is that?

You can't know God by yourself

2010-09-08T07:21:00.000-07:00

We are still deep in the midst of this belief that our spirituality, our knowing God, is something we do by ourselves. It is our ongoing enlightenment hangover. We have our quiet times and read our Bibles and go to church (where we often sit by ourselves), we listen to Christian music in our cars, alone. We do all of this and we wonder why we do not feel closer to God.

The Bible teaches that we bare the image of God. This is our vocation. It is what we were made to do. To show each other what God is like through how we live and love. The Bible also teaches that that image, in us, is broken. At Restoration our vision is to see the image of God restored.

If God is Triune, one being with three person's, then to bare his image means we do it in relationship. When he created man and woman in this image, it was a relational image. He did not create man in his image and then woman in his image, he created them together in his image.

The implications are huge! If we are going to be restored to the image of God it can only happen in relationships. The over-emphasis on individual spiritual growth is, ironically, keeping us from growing.

In October we will launch ten transformational communities. They will be experiments in how to encourage one another to grow spiritually. They will focus on practices that open us up to the transformational grace of God. If you go to Restoration, of if you are looking for relationships that will really help you grow, I hope you will join one. We need each other to bare the image!

Also, this will be our topic this Saturday night at Restoration. I hope to see you there.

Restorative Hedonism

2010-09-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

This week at Restoration we start a new series titled, "Falling Into Friendship." We will talk about the three environments we create as a church that help us connect with each other and God. This week we are talking about our worship environments.

I have been thinking all week about why God wants our worship. There are a lot of answers to that question but it strikes me that he seems to want our worship more for what it does for us than what it does for Him. This is consistent with the love and other-centeredness of God.

When we truly worship it has the potential to satisfy our souls like nothing else. John Piper, in his book Desiring God, goes into great detail describing how our chief end is to be Christian hedonists who find our deepest pleasure in God. You could consider worship the ultimate positive addiction.

My kids often ask me what the best part of my day is. More often than not, if I have connected with God in worship, I tell them that that was the best part of my day. I say this not because I am a pastor or that I feel it is the right thing to say or that it is even noble. I tell them this because it is true. I am happiest when I am worshiping Jesus. What or who else can satisfy our hearts like he can?

Are we growing up?

2010-08-20T07:11:00.000-07:00

This week we finish our series, "Happy Trails." Here is an overview.

The City (Spiritual Exploration Stage)

Characteristics: A sense of awe and discovery. The realization that a savior is needed.

How get stuck: Always exploring, never committing. Feeling worthless and not realizing that you are worth more.

How grow: Commit to following Christ. Find people who can help you grow in your knowledge of the Bible.

The Foothills (New Christ Follower Stage)

Characteristics: Hungry for knowledge, a sense or rightness, belonging to a group.

How get stuck: Becoming judgmental, keep switching churches, “we against them” mentality, self-righteousness.

How grow: Discover spiritual gifts, realize the need to give to others, start serving.

The Trailhead (Minister on Behalf of Jesus)

Characteristics: Using gifts and strengths to serve others, feeling that you belong to a community and are needed, developing a sense of responsibility.

How get stuck: You grow weary in doing good for others. You become too externally focused in your faith. You neglect your soul.

How grow: Question beliefs anew, go through a crisis, let yourself doubt your beliefs/self as you keep seeking God.

Forrest (Internal Journey)

Characteristics: You doubt your beliefs about God. You feel old wounds from your past need to be healed. Favorite spiritual practices do not work for a time. The focus of your journey is what is going on inside of you with God. This stage is often precipitated by a crisis.

How get stuck: You run from the invitation of God to be healed. You run from the work and the suffering. You go back to a more familiar stage.

How grow: Find someone who has gone through this stage and have them coach you. Persevere. Spend ample time reflecting. Deal with emotional issues you are wrestling with.

Treeline (Ministry from Being)

Characteristics: You are comfortable in your own skin. You are shedding your false self. You are busy, but not hurried. Your ministry comes from who you more than what you do. Your life is inner-directed by God. You are yielded to him. You minister out of your brokenness.

How get stuck: You lose your mooring to the Bible and become overly mystical and relativistic.

How grow: Find people who will support you in this stage.

False Peaks (ways we get off the trail)

This is not really a stage. Listen to the MP3 for more information.

Summit (Life of Love)

Characteristics: You are emotionally very mature. You live detached from this world with a non-anxious faith. You are wise and very powerful. You live with a deep sense of being God’s beloved. Your center is strong. Your strength is your weakness. You are marked by compassion and conviction.

How Get Stuck: At this stage people rarely get stuck. They have reached the summit. They have gone as far in this world, as they can, with God. People may worry about how detached they are from things.

How grow: Go to be with the Lord and continue to grow in the next life as you get to know your infinite God at deeper and deeper levels.

We will conclude this series on Saturday night, 5 p.m., 3651 S. Colorado Blvd.

Saturday Night Reflections

2010-08-15T07:28:00.000-07:00

Great service last night. We are hitting our stride with worship. Mixed tape is the best description. A mixture of worship rock and old school hymns seems to fit us best. I had fun preaching a longer message with deeper content. God does want to be our Armando, loving our souls to a place of greater health so that his Word can restore us and others through us.

Our community is coming back from a busy summer. It was great to see so many there. Many stayed afterwards to connect with each other. You could feel the Spirit in our church. That was the best part of the night for me. We are creating a place where tired over-achievers, wounded people, skeptics and passionate Christ followers can seek God's grace and healing in one place. Beautiful.

Which Soil Are You?

2010-08-13T12:23:00.001-07:00

I am speaking on the parable of the sower, soil and seeds tomorrow night. In the parable there are four kinds of soil. The first three do not lead to the seed being harvested in the future for different reasons. The last soil is fertile and produces varying degree's of bumper crops.

My tendency in the past was to believe I can change my own soil condition. I no longer believe that. I can seek God and discipline myself to live out good spiritual habits like going to church, being in authentic community with others, obeying the promptings of the Holy Spirit in my life, and so forth. But I cannot make my heart change. It is futile. Sin is too powerful and my spirit is too weak. Only God can change the soil conditions of my heart.

This may sound fatalistic, but whenever I cry "uncle" and trust God, change happens! He shows up when I am at the end of myself and I rest in his presence. This is a great paradox to me. Just as I cannot earn my salvation, so I cannot earn my restoration. Effort is involved, but my efforts do not merit my transformation. They simply position me for the grace God wants to give me to grow, when he chooses.

Humbled by God once again!

Worship Music

2010-08-10T09:12:00.000-07:00

The style of music a church uses defines the church probably more than anything else. Have a great choir and sing hymns and you will reach lots of senior citizens. Have a worship rock band an you will likely reach teens and twenty-somethings.

So, what do you do when you want to reach multiple generations like we do at Restoration? You do "mixed tape." Last Saturday night we had worship rock, an old school hymn and closed with a folk song a guy named Travis wrote about his grandfather. It was what we want to be. Not a church for everyone, our mission and vision will not appeal to all. But a church that appreciates the music of various generations and mixes them artistically so that the beauty created brings glory to God.

The Scriptures give us great freedom to worship God through various musical styles. We can thank God for that while also praying that we realize it is our hearts he wants. He is looking for worshipers who worship in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:24).

LOST (spiritually) and FOUND

2010-07-26T10:39:00.001-07:00

I talk with people every day who feel spiritually lost. I speak with non-Christians who are hung up on emotional and spiritual issues that keep them from trusting in the way of Jesus. I talk with disciples who feel let down by expectations that may or may not be biblical. I meet with ministers both paid and volunteer who feel God is a million miles away due to their fatigue. I listen to people share stories about tragedies in their lives that make them question everything they believe.

Why do people get lost spiritually? Sometimes it is due to neglect. Like any relationship if we neglect to pray and spend time with Jesus, the relationship grows cold. Sometimes it is a moral issue. I don't feel as close to my kids and vice versa if they are disobeying my desires. The same is true of God. Sometimes it is intellectual. The world has a way of making lovers of Jesus feel stupid with the prevailing worldview of cynicism and comfort. Sometimes it is God simply withdrawing from us so our faith can grow. It is easy to trust God when our prayers are answered and our hearts are flooded with joy from his presence. Even Jesus had to experience lostness (Psalm 22, Hebrews 5:8-9) in order to mature in his faith as a human. Let that sink in a bit and you will not feel so alone.

How do we find our way when we are lost?
1. Be patient.
2. Keep praying. See Psalm 22.
3. Find people who have gone through periods of lostness themselves and ask for help. It is encouraging to to know others have felt what you feel and have come to know God more deeply because of their trials.
4. Be humble. Ask God to teach you whatever he is wanting to teach you.
5. Trust. Others have gone through periods of spiritual lostness before and found their way to a deeper level of faith.
6. Give up comfort for character. See James 1:2-4 and Romans 5:3-5. God obviously cares more about the later than the former. The later is what leads to joy. Our happiness is so much more dependent on our character than our circumstances. The same is true of our experience of God.
7. Examine your heart. Do you want God more than anything else? If so you will find him. Jeremiah 29:13

This will be our topic week at Restoration Saturday night.

Join us at Restoration Community Church in Denver

Scooters and Slaves

2010-07-24T06:52:00.000-07:00

Did you know?

* There are more slaves today than ever before in the history of the world?
* Human Trafficking is one of the largest industries in the world?
* 50,000 children are smuggled into the US each year as slaves?
* Thousands of prostitutes are brought into Denver for large events like the stock show?
* Many illegal aliens are enslaved by people who keep them in debt?
* There are likely people in your neighborhood like nannies, mail order brides and foreign exchange students who enslaved by debt, threats and the attitudes of those who use their services?
* God is grieved and angered by the injustice he see's in our world (Genesis 6:5-6).

We can do something about this. Tonight we will march downtown with Iempathize with the goal of raising money to both aid modern day slaves and to create awareness of how significant this problem is both locally and globally. This is the kind of worship God loves. For more information go to restorationcc.us.

Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Saturday Night Reflections

2010-07-19T18:53:00.000-07:00

I don't know what I liked best about Saturday night. It may have been the baby dedication of Sydney Dann as her relatives all took pictures. It may have been Toph riding his BMW motorcycle (yes I am still coveting) down the middle of the sanctuary and then making a passionate plea to take up the cause of human trafficking awareness with this weeks scooter parade downtown. Then again it may have been Jill Horch sharing with us about all the hungry kids right under our noses and how God has given her a vision for feeding them. Or maybe it was me rolling around on the carpet trying to hug an imaginary balance beam. Okay, that was not my favorite part of the service!

It was a great night. God is creating a deep, externally focused, community that loves one another here at Restoration. Last Saturday night there was plenty of evidence that Jesus is at work in our new community. And to think we are in the middle of summer! I can't wait until the fall when things really get rocking.

Thank you God for a great weekend and many more to come!

Ministry Sweet Spot

2010-07-14T10:48:00.001-07:00

How do you find your sweet spot for ministry? This will be our topic at Restoration on Saturday night. A study was done by McKinsey Consulting a while back that revealed that a large percentage of Christians get stuck spiritually and become disenfranchised with their faith because of old fashioned selfishness. They refuse to serve. Once again, Jesus command to "wash one another's feet" reveals his loving wisdom in helping us mature.

People find their ministry sweet spot at the convergence of three factors. The first is passion. God gives everyone zeal for certain areas of life. Some of us love business, others art, the outdoors, animals (except cats), technology, sports... God knows we will serve best where we are passionate. This is sustainable. Doing what you despise is not. Second, God gives us proficiencies. We are all good at something(s). The Bible calls these proficiencies spiritual gifts. The lists of gifts in the Bible is not exhaustive. I had breakfast with a guy today who is an innovator/activist. God is using his strengths to build a church building in Sierra Leone. We all have abilities to throw into the ring of ministry. The final factor is need. Buechner once said we find our calling "Where our great passion meets the world's great need." We find our ministry sweet spot where we find a burden that grips our hearts.

What are your thoughts about finding your ministry sweet spot?

Showing Up is 90% of the Game

2010-07-08T13:33:00.000-07:00

Woody Allen once said that "90% of life is just showing up." That is so true when it comes to new churches. Those on the launch team rarely realize how their presence week after week is soooo important.

Showing up leads to new connections being formed that create the fabric of a church community. Showing up creates energy. It is hard to feel like you are a part of a movement when everyone is scattered in the mountains! Showing up invites God's presence. I know he is there when two or three have gathered (Matthew 18). How much more when 200-300 people gather together seeking God? Showing up is what it takes to be a body. Jesus said we are the body of Christ. When some of us are missing it is like trying to drive a car without an arm or a leg. We need all of us gathering regularly to be the fully functioning presence of Jesus that God wants us to be.

It is summer and we all need to get away. We need sabbath, solitude and silence, not to mention fun, in order to grow and recharge. We also need to make memories with our families. Let's realize though, that when we are in town we are needed. We meet at 5:00 p.m. There is still plenty of time for BBQ's and parties after our service is over. After all, 90% of being a church is just showing up!

Supernatural Community

2010-06-25T11:11:00.000-07:00

So, I was riding my bike Friday morning and thinking about this weekend. I realized that left to my own nature I would probably not serve Saturday or go camping with Restoration people. I would sleep in, workout, fix breakfast, play with my kids, talk to Kim and read a book. Sounds like a perfect day.
I don’t naturally build community. I don’t feel the need for it most of the time. I also do not like contrived community that feels forced. Probably like you I don’t even realize my need for community until life kicks me in the gut and I need help.
So why try? Why go Saturday and serve and campout with people we don’t know? Here is the most honest answer I can give you. Loving God and loving his church does not come naturally either. It requires choice, faith and sacrifice. But it is worth it. The Apostle John speaking to churches in modern day Turkey, said to them, “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” (1 John 4:12). Read that again, because it is profound. God’s love grows in us as we attempt to love each other in the church. And we cannot love each other if we are not together, serving alongside of each other and learning each other’s stories.
I hope you will do what is unnatural. I hope you will do what is supernatural. I hope you will join us and pour love into this church like God does. Augustine said, “The church is a whore, but she is my mother.” Let’s love our mother.
For details on our service projects visit our Denver church website at www.Restorationcc.us or email Nanci at nanci@restorationcc.us.
Blessings,
Ron

You can't love God and hate your story

2010-05-31T06:45:00.000-07:00

Most of us do not have a problem with God being our Creator. It is seeing him as the author of the story of our lives that gives us trouble. Did God put sexual abuse in our stories? Infertility? Is he the reason some of us are single and feel like the unchosen widows and widowers of our day? Did he give us a spouse that sometimes drives us insane for a reason? Is it possible to love God and hate our stories at the same time? Is it possible to enjoy the Bible if we are not awake to our own story?

I love these questions because they are pregnant with our deepest passions. They hold out so much opportunity for us to become more alive towards God even if the aliveness is birthed out of significant confusion, rage and hurt. God loves to take the deep questions of our souls and draw us into his epic story if we are willing to question, feel, remember and re-write.

The next three weeks we will begin a series at Restoration called, "To Be Told." A good friend of mine wrote a book by the title. I hope many will join us as we seek to know our stories, find God through them and make them better.

Visit our church in Denver website at www.Restorationcc.us

2020 Vision

2010-05-13T07:54:00.000-07:00

Ten years from now I want to hear:

* My wife say, "I can't believe how much this man loves me."
* My kids say, "Of course we follow Jesus, is there a better way to live?"
* Unchurched people say, "Our city, our school, our neighborhood, is so much better off thanks to Restoration Community Church."
* Restoration members say, "This church has helped me and my family experience restoration! I want everyone I know to be a part of my church."
* Church attenders in Denver say, "We go to a church Restoration helped start."
* People around the world say, "Because of friends in Denver, 'I have water' or 'I was able to start a business' or 'I had an operation that saved my life' or 'I am seeking God by following Jesus' or 'I have hope' or 'We have a home' or 'We have peace.'"

Okay, I just got pumped up. Time to pray and get to work!

Restoration Community Church in Denver

Intergenerational Church

2010-05-05T14:47:00.000-07:00

We live in a multi-generational part of town but we also live during a time when mono-generational churches are the trend. Our desire as a church is to be inter-generational. Peter Mencioni makes a great point in saying you can be a multigenerational church and still not have people from various generations growing together. Intergenerational implies they are mixing together in a synergistic, life-giving way that promotes spiritual formation.

The advantages of being inter-generational are:

The older generations can mentor the younger generations.
The younger generations can keep the church from becoming irrelevant.
The effort involved in keeping generations unified leads to spiritual growth and character development.
A generationally unified church witnesses to the power of the gospel in the surrounding community.

What does it take?

The willingness to give and take regarding worship styles. Currently it will require a mix of worship rock, old school hymns and maybe a few contemporary worship songs to create worship unity.
Preaching that is relevant to people in different stages of life and faith.
The intentional mixing of generations in various environments.
Having leadership teams with representatives from various generations.

What are the challenges?

As always – sin. As people we naturally gravitate towards what we want rather than what is best for all.
The humility needed to learn from one another.
A lack of solid models to follow.
The enemy who always seeks to undermine any God honoring expression of unity in the Church.

An intergenerational church is worth the effort. At Restoration Community Church in Denver we plan to give it our best efforts. We believe this is what God is leading us towards. Pray for us!

Story of God

2010-04-28T05:08:00.000-07:00

There are two ways of understanding the story of the Bible.

The first is that Adam and Eve ate an apple that God told them not to eat and all hell broke loose. People started hating their spouses, their kids, animals and even Rockies fans. Then God sent his son to torture him on the cross so that he would not take his anger out on us. All we have to do is pray a little incantation called the sinners prayer, where we tell Jesus we have accepted what he has done for us and then we don’t have to go to hell. We can then file our new eternal life policy in a drawer somewhere and go on with our lives being virtually the same. Unfortunately this is the version of the story that is believed by so many.

The second version goes like this. Adam and Eve were two people like the rest of us. They did in the garden what we do every day. They chose to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil meaning they chose a life that makes sense to their mind and leaves them in control. By choosing to eat from this tree they cut themselves off from intimacy with the relational, triune, loving God of the universe. The result was isolation, boredom and escapism, which lead to every imaginable form of evil. God sent Jesus into the world to show us that what we want most, God’s love; is available to us. He died to show us the nature of God’s love – forgiving, sacrificial, committed and totally unconditional. We can choose God’s love or reject it. If we choose it then we are signing up for a relationship that will cost us our whole lives because God is an “all in or no deal” God. But he promises us that if we make this commitment he will restore our souls and help us be our best version of ourselves. This is what some people call spiritual formation. It leads to a life of joy, hope, adventure, meaning and most important of all, love.

I know which version I like better. How about you?

Visit our website for our church in Denver join us for a Denver service project.

Lessons Learned from Re-Work

2010-04-18T20:58:00.000-07:00

Lessons Learned from Re-Work by Jason Fried and Heinenmeier Hansson

Here are a few things I learned today from a book called, “Re-work.”

Don’t prioritize with A’, B’s and C’s or 1,2,3’s. Put at the top of your page the most important thing you need to do and then the second thing and so on and so forth. It creates momentum in the direction you want to go.

Forget advertising. Build an audience instead. Advertising is really expensive and only big companies (and churches) can do it well. Instead build an audience. Teach people what you are learning (like I am right now) and your following will grow over time.

Meetings waste huge amounts of time. Have a time limit, a set agenda and deal with real things rather than abstracts.

Early on, hire doers, not managers. You need people who manage themselves and get things done.

Build the business (or church) you want to be a part of. You better understand your needs than anyone else so build around those and do it really well believing there are people out there just like you.

Start with what you have and build. Don’t wait until you have everything planned and enough capital. People who wait until they have enough money and a solid plan never get started. Launch now.

Interruptions are of the devil. Protect your work time from distractions.

Long lists don’t get done. Make a list of 10 things rather than 100 and then break those lists down into 10.

Do less than others. Focus.

Hire when it hurts. Wait until you need a position so bad that it feels like you are going to die without it.

Skip the rock stars. Hire solid people and develop them.

If you are in Denver, you are welcomne to visit our Denver church or join us for our Denver service project this Saturday.

Denver Church Saturday Night Reflections

2010-04-18T20:53:00.001-07:00

What a night! This last Saturday was one of the greatest worship services I have ever had the joy to be a part of.

Two were adults who had little to no church background. It was a very emotional time. What a privilege to celebrate the fruit of our churches co-laboring efforts with God.

A highlight for me was baptizing my own daughter! To know she loves Jesus and that we will spend eternity together is a great assurance.

We are singing more and more. It also seems we are praying more. You can feel it!

We are growing. We have had so many new people come the last two weeks. It is very fun to see so many new faces every week.

We are on mission as a church! People are getting out of their comfort zones to pray, fast, share their faith, serve, and give. This is the stuff of revivals. No kidding.

People are hungry for the Word of God. I can’t believe I am hearing people ask me to preach longer. I mean what pastor hears that? It is not indicative of my preaching, it is a hunger in our church to hear from God and have him feed our souls with his Word.

I can’t wait for this next week. We will talk about Extreme Makeovers. This is what makes us unique as a church -a church in Denver. We have a rhythm of serving that is creating missionaries. We will work on thirteen homes in two weeks. Pray we are a huge blessing to those families. I am sure we will be the one’s whose hearts are made over in the end.

Easter was awesome

2010-04-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was our first Easter and it was a huge hit. It was great to see so many new people! And our kid”s ministry was packed out! The best part of the day, for me, was when I saw so many hands go up when we prayed to renounce certain idols in our lives and turn to the risen Christ. Those are the kinds of decisions that can lead to deep change and spiritual growth.

Saturday was a foretaste of this coming fall. The energy, the sense of God’s Spirit in the room, the kids running around everywhere – that will be our norm before long.

I was also encouraged by several of my church planting friends in town who had great Easter services. God was very good to Restoration Community Church in Denver this week!

Easter

2010-03-31T21:28:00.000-07:00

This is our first Easter together as a community doing church in a new way. Our leaders have been fasting for this weekend and for our church. Many are inviting their friends. Here is what people who come can expect.

· God will be there. He says we will seek him and find him when we search for him with all of our hearts (Jeremiah 29:13). We have been asking him for weeks to move in our Easter service and we believe he will.

· Eternity is on the line. Some will attend for whom eternity weighs in the balance. People used to go to gladiator events to watch people die. We go to Easter services to watch people come alive.

· Easter is about now! It is not just about going to heaven when we die because of the resurrection. Heaven is the presence of God. Jesus died so that we could taste heaven now. He died to begin a whole new age and the restoration of all of creation now. Easter is relevant to business, art, education, justice, marriage, family, everything! Everything we do is a part of God’s new creation begun in Christ.

· Its’ the best party in town. Easter is the super bowl of celebrations. Saturday night we will celebrate reconciliation with God, the fact that the Lord of our world and universe has been named and he is Jesus, and that the pressure is off. We do not have to suck everything we can out of this life because it is the beginning not the end.

· Our kids and students will get in the rhythm with us. What if the highlight of the year for our kids was Easter rather than Christmas? Christmas gets a few pages of ink in the New Testament. Easter gets pages and pages. It is clear that Easters is more important to God than Christmas. What if we trained our kids, now, to think and feel this way?

Let’s pray like crazy this week and lets invite everyone we know. And let’s come prepared to celebrate the greatest and most hopeful event in the history of the world!

Serving the Homeless

2010-03-26T07:39:00.000-07:00

As a Denver church we serve together once a month. We are serving 150-200 homeless people tomorrow. From a financial perspective and a church growth perspective this is suicide. You miss an offering and you miss a worship service that could build momentum. So why are we doing this?

Because our mission is to worship God, grow together and serve the world. We live in a fast paced society and if we do not take something off of the normal church schedule, such as a worship service, then many who would serve will not serve because of a lack of time.

Because we grow when we serve. Jesus told us that the greatest among us will be the servant of all (Matthew 20). Serving others is a spiritual practice that moves our hearts from self-centeredness to other-centeredness. Serving therefore makes us more like our teacher – Jesus.

Because we see Jesus when we serve. Jesus said, “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.” A friend of mine visited Mother Teresa many years ago. He told her he wanted to see Jesus. She put the head of a man with AIDS in this lap and said, “Meet Jesus.” He was never the same after that and now leads an organization that helps the poor all over the world.

Because it costs us something. One of the words for worship in the Bible is liturgia. It means “service.” We worship God when we serve. King David once said, “I will not sacrifice to the Lord, my God, burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” Serving others is an act of worship that requires sacrifice. It is deep worship.

Because this weekend is Palm Sunday. We remember that Jesus road into Jerusalem to save those on the margins of society as well as those at its center. Most of those who laid palm branches before him were poor. We will celebrate Palm Sunday weekend by ministering to those Jesus spent the majority of his time with.

Because it makes us feel good. Few things are more satisfying in life than having someone who has had a hard life look you in the eyes and say, "thank you for taking the time to listen to me." What a great feeling!

Why go to a worship gathering?

2010-03-17T16:44:00.001-07:00

Do you ever wonder if you should go to a worship service at a Denver church or just bag it? Can I give you some help with that? Below are five reasons it is better to go than play hookey.

1. It’s not about you! I think Rick Warren said something like that in the first line of The Purpose Driven Life and it became one of the best selling books of all time. It is a relief to know it is not about us. There is something really freeing about that. When we worship with others we realize our life is about God and blessing the people he has placed in our lives. It is not about us. That is so freeing!

2. You feel more a part of things. When you don’t go you lose touch with people, the vision of the church and you start to wonder if people care about you. They do care, but like you they are super busy and it is easier for them to let you know they care if you are there.

3. You grow. God has this surprising way of speaking to us if we just show up. Even if the music is uninspired and the message weak God often tailor makes a moment for us in a worship service that helps us grow. Why does he do this more than in other places? God can meet us anywhere but he is particularly fond of meeting us in gatherings of people focused on seeking him together.

4. Your kids need the consistency. If you have kids they need the consistency of being with other kids and teachers if they are going to experience community. It is not about dropping them off and getting a Bible lesson. Their growth depends on developing relationships with other kids and adults who love them.

5. You are creating a legacy. It takes everyone to make a church a church. Just showing up creates energy. That energy goes beyond us. We can go to church because 2,000 years ago Jesus showed up. After that his disciples showed up. After that those who became their disciples showed up. If we will show up future generations will be the better for it.

Restoration 2.0

2010-03-04T17:21:00.000-08:00

This week Restoration is going to version 2.0. We have been experimenting with some different rhythms of gathering to worship and serve and have learned a few things.

We have learned -

1. We love to serve. I have heard this again and again from people. We even have kids telling their parents they love Restoration because they get to serve! In the next two months we will do a Denver Easter feast for the homeless and an extreme makeover project on a house. We now serve on the last Saturday of the month. Maybe we will call it “Service Saturday”? We are also doing a weekly feeding on Thursday mornings. Over time we will have projects every week.

2. We like to be together. We will begin to worship weekly, except for Service Saturday (told ya – catchy heh?). This will give us more opportunities to be together and build momentum as a community. We have had a number of people showing up only to realize they came on the wrong week. Our new rhythm will be much more memorable.

3. We need growth communities. We will launch 17 of these in March. These communities made up of 8-20 people will round us out as a community that desires to see the image of God restored in us all. We will have growth communities for people in various stages of spiritual maturity, spiritual explorers to highly loving Christ followers.

4. We could really use a Family Life Director. I was prayer walking the neighborhood where we gather for worship. As I went by house after house I sensed God saying “you reach these people through their kids.” The sooner we can hire a great FLD and Youth Leader the better so that we can make these ministries fun, warm, inviting and deep.

Bring on Restoration 2.0!

Our new Denver church...

Growth Community Groups

2010-02-25T17:15:00.000-08:00

We are about to launch 17 Growth Communities at Restoration. Here are eight reasons many in our Denver church would benefit from jumping into one.

1. You will grow. None of us grows alone. We all need others to encourage us, challenge us, hold us accountable and help us realize other people have the same questions and struggles that we do.

2. You are only committing for a few weeks. Our communities will only last 4-12 weeks. So if it is not working for you, you are not stuck making a long-term commitment.

3. You will connect with others. Good friends and in some cases life long friendships are formed in Growth Communities. At the very least you will have a lot more people to sit with when you come to a worship gathering.

4. You will be helping us turn our crowd into a community. Church is about people connecting to each other. We are only a few weeks old and most of us do not know each other. Our Growth Communities will help us feel like a church and not just a large group. We will all benefit from that.

5. You might realize you are a leader. Growth Communities are where leaders rise up. You might realize you are a leader and did not know it. Restoration will need lots of leaders in the future. Most of them will come out of our Growth Communities.

6. You will better understand God. God is relational. We experience God when we grow in relationships with other people who are seeking to know him.

7. You will learn more about your spiritual gifts. Smaller community settings are safe places for people to serve each other in various ways. You will find out how God has uniquely wired you to bless others.

8. You will have fun. Growth Communities are not just about sharing, serving and studying together. They are about eating, drinking, having fun together and laughing so hard your Coke comes through your nose.

Church in Denver

Saturday Night Reflections

2010-01-31T05:02:00.000-08:00

Here are a few reflections from last nights worship service.

• Latifah’s music was soulful.

It was better than having Sarah Mclaughlin lead worship! I don’t know how many CD’s we sold, but it was a quite a few. In a few month’s we will need to have our worship style and leader dialed in, but for now it is fun having lots of guests and trying out some different sounds.

• Talking about tithing is hard!

I realize every time I talk about money from up front I am in enemy territory. There is probably no greater idol in our culture than our money. As hard as it is to talk about we all need it. God wants our hearts free from materialism so we can experience the true riches that come from him being first in our lives. Tithing is an essential discipline in keeping first things first.

• I can’t wait till March.

In March we will go to Restoration 2.0. It will be great to worship more consistently and start building momentum in our gatherings.

• We will soon turn our crowd into a community!

What makes a worship crowd into a community is connection. In March we will launch a number of community groups that will help people get to know one another better and go deeper in their faith. Most of these community groups will be from 4-12 weeks in duration. Nobody grows alone! If you go to Restoration get ready to jump into a group in March.

Denver church
Church in Denver

Church Grateful

2010-01-22T08:40:00.000-08:00

I woke up groggy and grumpy this morning. The night was just too short. These are the kind of days where I feel so dangerous that I should just turn myself into the police before I hurt someone.

This voice inside my soul told me that I could nuke the universe today or I could choose to be grateful. I have willed myself, by God’s grace, to do the later. I have been doing this all morning and it is literally changing my body. The venti coffee I am drinking is pretty helpful also. Thank God for coffee beans.

So, let me be grateful out loud for a few moments. I am grateful that…

• Close to 50% of those attending our worship gatherings have also served in one of our service projects.
• We have this wonderful spirit of love and community that is pervading our Denver church.
• A bunch of volunteers were treated to a box at the Pepsi center to watch the Nuggets recently.
• We have 50 kids in our children and student ministries. Approximately 25% of these kids have served in one of our service projects.
• God is providing 20 leaders to help us launch all kinds of small communities within our church for the purpose of spiritual formation. I am so psyched about this!
• Two couples in our church have helped some homeless guys get off the streets and have helped them find financial assistance. Very cool.
• We have a prayer team working behind the scenes made up of some of the most spiritually mature people in the city and nation.
• God is bringing some older more seasoned, grey haired Christians into our community to help us equip the other generations among us.
• We have some highly dedicated volunteers building websites and databases and loving on kids and organizing service projects and making everything work. What would we do with out them? I can’t stop thanking God for these amazing people.

I am also grateful that we will be serving a significant number of homeless people tomorrow at our homeless chili cook off. I hope to see you at 1:30 in the parking lot of Church in the City. For more details check out the home page of our website www.restorationcc.us.

Church Unique

2010-01-15T15:28:00.001-08:00

What makes Restoration Community Church Unique? We have been saying that we are doing church in a new way. What is the new way?

1. An enormous passion for spiritual formation. We do not want to play church. We will not be satisfied with just showing up and being good. We want to see people restored to he image of God! It’s fun to grow and learn and become deeper people. You have more to offer. You see more. You feel more. You can make a bigger difference in the world. We want to grow up and we will organize ourselves around this goal.

2. We feel a deep responsibility for the next generation. 70-80% of all kids stop going to church when they go to college. We can’t keep doing church the same way hoping kids will like it and want to follow Jesus the rest of their lives. That’s crazy. So we will find ways to equip parents to be the pastors their kids need. This was God’s plan going back to the beginning of time. See Deuteronomy 6 for a way to help kids grow that works. It’s the new/old way.

3. We are more like a health club than a movie theatre. I love going to movies with Kim. I love the popcorn, the previews, laughing and crying, the whole shootin match. But movies do not change me nearly as much as going to the gym. I am writing from my gym right now. This is a place where people become healthier. Yeah, you pay your dues and you suffer some, but it’s worth it. Restoration is a place where people will serve. To be the church and not just go to church we have to roll our sleeves up, hit the streets, look poverty and brokenness and loneliness in the face and seek to be a blessing to others. We want to restore the world and in the process we are restored – changed, made more like Jesus. If we act like him we will become more like him.

Denver Church

Spiritual Growth

2010-01-08T12:25:00.000-08:00

Our vision as a church is to see people restored to the image of God. That's a big gulp vision! Only God can restore people to wholeness, high degree's of character and godliness. But we can cooperate and we can create and participate in opportunities for growth.

Here are eight ways people can grow together at Restoration Community Church - right now!

1. Come to our next worship service on Jan 16th, 5 p.m. We will continue our study in the book of Revelation while dealing with the topic of Identity Theft. You can study ahead by reading Revelation 2:12-17.

2. Download any messages you have missed. All of our podcasts are now up on our website.

3. Go to the resource page of our website at restorationcc.us and discover opportunities to gain more knowledge of the Bible and discover spiritual practices that will help you go deeper with God.

4. Volunteer to help with our children and student ministries. Helping kids become disciples will grow your own faith too. Contact Nanci at nanci@restorationcc.us for more information.

5. Lead a small community at Restoration. We are looking for 20 leaders and hosts who want to do short term communities for 4-8 weeks. Contact Ron or Nanci if you are interested in exploring this.

6. Pray for our church. We need to depend on God to help us become a church that restores people to the image of God. Pray God uses us to help people become deep, whole and Christ like.

7. Give. Nothing builds our faith like giving! The Bible is full of promises from God that he will bless us and grow us when we give. The OT standard was 10%. Given how much more we understand grace, thanks to Jesus, surely we should do at least that much! You can give online by going to our website and making an offering through Pay Pal or you can give at our next worship service.

8. Serve. We are de-icing the homes of several homeless people this weekend. Come see Jesus in the faces of the elderly.

These are just a few of opportunities to grow at Restoration. Stay posted for more to come.

Denver Church
Church in Denver

Identity Theft - who are you?

2009-12-29T16:07:00.000-08:00

We all have at least two selves. There is the one we present to the world and then there is our true essence. Unfortunately we often do not know the difference and the price we pay is very high. Nietzsche talked about people who have “hollow chests.” In his mind these were people who lacked virtue and a true sense of identity. They live life on the surface and are shallow or “hollow.” They do not know great sorrow or great joy or originality. I agree with Nietzsche’s assessment, but not with his conclusion that we can fill our chests full of authentic, virtuous character without trusting in God.

Jesus said, “He who has found his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake shall find it” (Luke 9:24). Jesus believed he was the key to knowing who we really are and the meaning of our lives. He believed he was the author of life and the one who can tell us what our role in the grand story happens to be. He tells us it requires total surrender of our attempts to find ourselves a part from him. He throws down the gauntlet in Luke 9:24, challenging us to decide if we will walk it or not. Big gate or small?

This will be my topic this week at Restoration Community Church as we begin our series, "Identity Theft." I would love to hear opinions on this topic before Saturday. What do you believe about how a person finds their true identity? What do you think about Jesus claim in Luke 9:24?

Denver Church

Cosmic Christmas

2009-12-18T13:47:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had one of those Christmas seasons that leave you feeling further away from God rather than closer? I have, but not this year. This year I feel really connected to God and to Jesus. Part of what has helped is my study of the Christmas story from the cosmic vantage point of Revelation Chapter 12. If you have a moment read the first few verses. I have been meditating on three “lost” symbols in verses 1-5.

One of the lost symbols is the woman (likely Mary) who gives birth to Jesus. The woman represents all of us who seek to birth to anything redemptive in this world. The second symbol is the dragon who represents evil. The dragon sweeps stars out of the ski and seeks to devour the baby. Any time we seek to birth something good in this world or live in the light we will find a dragon seeking to devour our “baby” or snuff out the light in our souls. The third lost symbol is Jesus. We have heard the Christmas story so many times that we have lost Jesus in it. We have lost the awe that comes when we really “get” what God did for us in that Christmas baby. Jesus came to show us God, to destroy the virus of corruption that has spread throughout our world and to show us how much God loves us. We know how much someone loves a person or idea by how much they are willing to sacrifice for it and in Jesus we see God make the ultimate sacrifice for us. He was born to die.

The cosmic Christmas story is not the pastoral, pastel, precious moment story most of us know. It is more like an action/adventure/drama/horror film. But it feels truer to the way my life has been this year and therefore it has really connected me to God.

Read it and let me know what you think.

Jesus Is Still Homeless

2009-12-07T15:05:00.000-08:00

Saturday we handed out 600 burritos. We gave away 500 burritos in the morning and another 100 at night. It was our first service project as a church and from my standpoint it was a huge success. Below are a few reflections from our time on the streets of Denver.

• It feels good to do something that is a bit risky. Faith is a risk and it is always good to put our selves in situations that are outside of our comfort zone where we need God.
• Conversations matter as much as food. Most of the homeless people we gave burritos to valued the conversation more than the food.
• Kids really want to serve. I told a friend who handed out 200 burritos with nine students on Saturday night that this is the kind of youth group kids today want. They are hungry for something that is real and makes a difference. It is a welcome reprieve from the virtual world where they spend so much time.
• Homeless people need a church too. I did a wedding over lunch for a homeless couple we met Saturday. One group of Restoration friends had a conversation with some homeless guys who hear a message from the Bible. So, we are going to have church on the streets the morning of December 19th. I never dreamed we would be going to multiple services by the time we did our second gathering!
• Jesus is on the streets. We encountered a lot of love on the streets. I know we saw Jesus is some of these very good folks and hopefully they did too (Matthew 25).
• It is fun to be on a wild goose chase. The Celts talked about the Holy Spirit being like a wild goose. We are chasing the Goose as we start Restoration right now and it is really fun. I hope we never stop chasing the Wild Goose wherever he leads us (John 3:8).

This is the first of many service opportunities we will create in the future, so if you missed this one, just wait until early next year. Our next one will be on January 9th. I hope to see many of you there.

Separation of Church and Family

2009-11-30T13:30:00.000-08:00

Times have certainly changed since I was a kid. I remember my parents saying the same thing. For example the whole idea of adolescence (the transition from childhood to adulthood) did not even exist for my Eisenhower generation parents. They thought of themselves as adults by the time they were teenagers. I was pretty aware of adolescence and its delay thanks to Gen X movies like “Reality Bites.” My kids just accept it as part of life. I am realizing what a difficult and yet life shaping, stage this is for my two oldest kids. I know I have only a few short, high influence years left to impact them. I was hitting tennis balls with Cole this morning and imagined him leaving for college. He did not see the tears welling up in my eyes as I tortured him with one pattern drill after another.

The church has the average kid about 40 hours a year. The average parent has their kids around 4,000 hours a year. Who do you think will have the most influence? I don’t need to answer that one. So, let me ask another question. How can the church and parents partner in the best way possible to see our kids become healthy, well adjusted, Jesus loving, human beings who live highly fruitful, world changing lives?

Deuteronomy 6 is part of a larger sermon where Moses is telling religious leaders and every member of the various adult generations in his audience, that they are responsible for raising up the next generation in the knowledge of God. He tells the parents to do the heavy lifting of impressing God’s Word on their kids with their example and teaching. But the whole nation was held responsible, according to Moses sermon, for the spiritual well being of the future generations among them.

At Restoration Community Church we will take this very seriously. We plan to create kids and students ministries where parents and volunteers and church leaders all partner up to create a discipleship synergy that optimizes the probability of our kids growing up to love Jesus and desire to be like Him. Please pray God will raise up the leaders and volunteers we will need to see this vision fulfilled.

We Are Not Starting A Church

2009-11-25T08:35:00.000-08:00

I have started three churches and coached a number of people starting churches and frankly the glamour is gone. Don’t get me wrong, I love the church and I love starting new things, especially churches, but if that alone is the goal, count me out.

I don’t see the early Christians trying to start churches or church planting movements or even attempting social transformation projects. The same is true of our brothers and sisters in third world countries.

I have been in third world countries where Christianity is exploding and I don’t hear them talking about church planting or social justice. I think they get church planting and cultural transformation a lot more than most of us in the west, but whereas we get excited about models and movements and fashionable theories (at least I do), they are passionate about Jesus. They have experienced the transformation of their lives and they want others to experience the same.

They also have an understanding of the Holy Spirit we seem to lack. They follow the Spirit of God in all his mystery rather than a five year plan developed over a weekend with a consultant in the room. Instead they try to do what the Spirit is leading them to do day by day and the result is that lives are transformed by God’s love and grace, through countless moments of service and compassion. Wherever and whenever groups of people fall in love with Jesus, churches naturally spring up and social transformation projects occur rising out of gratitude and excitement about Jesus.

So, those of us committing to start Restoration Community Church are not about creating a new church or a new kind of church. Our excitement is not about a new model or way of doing church that is more culturally relevant or contextualized. No, what we want to do is simply follow Jesus as he leads us by his Spirit. We want to be in love with Jesus and totally surrendered to him. As we do this we will experience God’s restoration of our lives, marriages and families and we will virally infect those around us with the restorative power and grace of God. A church will be birthed out of this that is healthy and life changing for married folks, kids and singles. Other churches and ministries will be birthed out of the overflow of our common love for Jesus and each other. And we will see our city and world experience the restoration of God’s image.

Who wants to just start a church when we can have so much more fun and impact simply following Jesus?