» Crestview Church of Boulder -Weekly Podcast

A man named Nicodemus comes to Jesus under cover of darkness seeking to know more about Jesus.  He is curious.  And Jesus responds by saying, "Flesh gives birth to flesh.  Spirit gives birth to spirit.  Nicodemus, you must be born again."  

For Sunday, we will walk through Hebrews 10-12.  Highlighting the foundation, nature, and expressions of faith in God.  If you could read these three verses and follow the flow of teaching.  make note of the movements, how the writer moves from here to there and builds on the understanding of faith.  After reading and following the flow of teaching there, what would you say is FAITH? 

Does Jesus have authority over our lives?  The Old and New Testament are filled with instruction, wisdom, guidance on what it looks like for Jesus to have authority over our lives.  Are we cooperative with God in this work of transformation and renewal of God making all things new for our thoughts, attitudes, desires, words, and actions?  

Do you believe in the resurrection?  It's an astounding belief.  Easy to doubt and be skeptical, for we know that 'dead means dead.'  And to believe in the resurrection is to believe that there has only been one exception to the truth, 'dead means dead.'  The claims of Jesus.  

Texts for Sunday: Job 9:33 and John 3:1-26  Hermetic principles.  Been looking into this.  Much information available from quick searches that tie this notion to 'mentalism' or eastern religions.  Yet, there are deep themes around it that resonate with a Biblical Worldview.  After all, 'creation sings, around me rings, the music of the spheres'.  After all, everything was created by God, by God's design, and so, we human beings are always observing God's world leading us to create theories about God's world, sometimes accurate, sometimes not so much.  Again, God's design for us, in His image, to engage such things.

As we continue to understand the love of God for us through what the Bible reveals as justification, atonement, redemption, and reconciliation, and the like, we further understand the purpose of our lives.

This Sunday we celebrate communion, have our fellowship meal post potluck, and welcome Pastor Dave Beelen, friend, mentor, and colleague of Mark and Deone, who will bring the message this Sunday. As we continue in our discipleship message series, the message will focus on our identity in Baptism! 

Atonement: Do you ever wonder about all the animal sacrifices in the Old Testament?  Why all the shedding of blood?  What is the purpose of all the priestly roles of the Levites for God's people?  Many have difficulty seeing the forest through the trees with these things... Let's come together Sunday, seek God together, ask for an epiphany.  

The new year has come and looking forward to our intentional return to our discipleship journey as we transition from 'things are not the way they are supposed to be' to the 'now of Christ but not fully yet.' 

God demonstrates his love for the world by sending his (willing) Son to bring salvation to humanity - more than that, to the ends of the earth!  It began with God's Son taking on humanity (fully human and fully God), becoming incarnate in the flesh.  Why would God do this, become this? 

God's salvation in CHRIST is COSMIC and it looks alot like JOY.  I've been thinking about this; a big thing in a small package.  Jesus' coming was unbelievably small and by all indications insignificant - a small town called Bethlehem, born out back away from the inn, placed in a manger... yet, this was God's plan.  The Son of God came to us incarnate, born as a vulnerable little baby.  And babies are small packages.  Yet, this was a big 'happening' with a cosmic effect.  

Sunday is Advent week two, a focus on Peace.  In Isaiah 52, the prophet Isaiah speaks of a coming Savior, who will bring salvation, and this salvation will go out to the ends of the earth.  What does this mean?

Sunday is the 1st Sunday of Advent 2025, a great day to turn the page!  For in the fullness of time, God stepped into time, at just the right time, to redeem ALL time!  As Galatians 4:4 says, "When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might be adopted as God's children."

Let's meditate on the foolishness of sin this Sunday.  Simply do a search of the book of Proverbs and you will have all the wisdom needed to wrap your head and heart around the foolishness of sin.  

Diving in, to sin - it's understanding, reality, and scope.  Sunday we wrap our heads around the doctrine of TOTAL DEPRAVITY.  Now lest you roll your eyes, you need to try it on for size.  My renewed look into this doctrine of the church provides a firm Biblical foundation for another doctrine, one called GRACE.

Diving in to sin... last week, we saw in Scripture the understanding of sin as the breaking of God's SHALOM.  God's command of love (of God and our neighbor) is broken everyday in multiple ways.  This week, we dive deeper into sin by exploring sin as missing the mark. 

We are turning a page, a rather significant one.  We move from Genesis 1-2 to Genesis 3.  And so many things change.  God nor his love changes, we change.  As sin enters the world, we begin to realize that 'things aren't the way they are supposed to be.'   We begin to struggle in so many ways as sin affects (infects) every aspect of human existence.  

What's so special about the 7th day of the week (Sunday)?  Or is it the 1st day of the week (Sunday?)  How do you see it? In Scripture, God sees the 7th day as an unbelievable day of joy, rest, play, and beauty!  The Sabbath Day is closely associated with another Hebrew work 'SHALOM.'

Everyone has a worldview.  What is yours?  I'm keen on the Biblical worldview because it speaks so much truth into our reality.  Both the good and the bad of this life are contained in it.  The best expression of our present reality is found in the Biblical worldview.  

Following Jesus... What do we need to know?  What is it we believe?  How are we to live?  Questions... I'm so thankful for the revelation of God in both the universe/creation/physical world and in Scripture.

What does it mean to follow Jesus?  How does it look?  

In worship today, we look at another image of discipleship - a tree planted by streams of water.  Read Psalm 1 and ask yourself what are the blessings of being a tree planted by a stream of water?  What is it about water to a tree that gives it life?  Where does it show up? How can you know a tree is healthy?   

Discipleship... What does it mean?  How does it look?  Maybe a Biblical image will help: Clay in the Hands of the Potter, capital P.  Ever seen a potter work with clay?  or have you worked with clay yourself?  Discipleship is to be completely in the hands and care of God, with a capital G.

We kickoff this Sunday our intentional Year of Discipleship focus with our weekly rhythm of ministry life, leading us  all the way to Easter.  

We have journeyed through 1st and 2nd Corinthians together.  Sunday, September 7th, we look at the paradoxes of the Gospel.  Paul highlights several paradoxes: joy in sorrow, strength in weakness, life in death, generosity in poverty... for we have heard and now know, and trust experience that in Christ, life is lived with greater freedom, glory, and boldness.

We are wrapping up our 2nd Corinthians message series this week and next. This is a series that is building with passion and God's truth.  May we enter into the truth of God's Word, leading us to take every thought, action, motivation and desire of the heart captive to Jesus Christ!

Sunday we call an audible, as we break from our 2nd Corinthians message series and take a look at a theme in Scripture that runs from beginning to end, "Do not fear!"  God often says, Jesus repeatedly says, and God's message through prophets and angelic messengers to his people is, "Do not fear!"  

Do you have sorrow in your heart or something of regret lingering there?  Paul speaks about sorrow in two ways - worldly sorrow and Godly sorrow.  2nd Corinthians 7:10 says, "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regrets."

This week: 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 God's reconciliation through Christ compels us to be reconciled to God and to others.  Are you noticing a theme?  What God has done through Jesus in reconciling us to God compels us to a life of reconciliation with others.  It all hinges on what God has done: "God made him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us."  

In Second Corinthians Chapter 4, human beings are referred to as jars of clay.  "God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness' made his light shine in our hearts... we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."

Everyone has troubles.  But where can we get some comfort?  Paul says our comfort is found in 'the God of all comfort, who is the father of compassion and all comfort.  But there is more, not only am I comforted, but then I in turn can comfort others.

Since we have been saved from sin and saved to a new life! We see that we are saved for the ministry of reconciliation, verse 18. This Sunday we will see what that is and how it works in our life! As ambassadors of King Jesus!

The New Birth! Foundation verse: 2 Corinthians 5:17. Getting a solid understanding of what is the New Birth. So now as a believer I can see who I am In Christ! How I am now a new creature! The old is gone! The new has come! When you understand the New Birth, you will understand more fully your life.

Sunday the 6th, we make the transition from 1st Corinthians to 2nd Corinthians.  Some time has passed between Paul's two letters as he refers to what seems to be, other communication with them, either a letter between these two, or an in person visit.  If you thought the 1st Corinthian letter had some strong corrective teaching in it, this potential missing letter was much stronger. 

The text for Sunday is 1 Corinthians 11:1-15.  This text is challenging for us today for several reasons.  We read it and go, "Huh?"  What does that mean?  Women must keep their head covered in worship?  How do we understand this?

This Sunday, Jesus' resurrection takes center stage.  Jesus' resurrection is the most profound mystery (truth) the world will ever know.  It's the central teaching of the Christian faith alongside the cross of Christ.  1 Corinthians 15 is the longest chapter in Paul's letter to the church of Corinth by far.  What's the topic?  The Resurrection!

This Sunday, Jesus' resurrection takes center stage.  Jesus' resurrection is the most profound mystery (truth) the world will ever know.  It's the central teaching of the Christian faith alongside the cross of Christ.  1 Corinthians 15 is the longest chapter in Paul's letter to the church of Corinth by far.  What's the topic?  The Resurrection!

This has been another challenging week for the people of Boulder, CO.  The event on Pearl Street Mall Sunday afternoon brings much reflection.  We lift up before God the families directly affected.  We hold up and support those who are involved with the families directly in care - spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical.  

For Sunday, read 1 Corinthians 13, a famous chapter among many believers and non-believers alike - well known and resonates whole.  How important is love when it comes to the use of any gift God has given us, whether a 'spiritual' gift or otherwise?  What is the character and essence of love?  Where do we find it?  All kinds of questions arise, yet in 1st Corinthians 13, we find many answers!  

Ever heard the phrase "all for one and one for all"?  It's a catch phrase that has various meanings for a few different situations.  I think Paul's chapter 12 in Corinthians promotes this idea.  All God's people are in the faith engagement with God for God and his glory and the Holy Spirit gives each of us gifts of all the others in the body of Christ.

Guest Speaker Pastor George Saylor on 1 Corinthians 11:17-32

Five words to change the atmosphere of your environment.

Idolatry... such an old-fashioned notion... Or is it?  Paul says clearly in 1 Corinthians 10 that we are to 'flee from idolatry.'  How can we identify or recognize an idol in our life?   This short clip takes a look at some questions that can help us get to the heart of our own idolatry.  After answering these questions, I've concluded, idolatry is alive and well... 

In 1 Corinthians Chapter 9, Paul leads us into an attitude and posture of self-less-ness.  It looks like self-discipline, self-denial, self-control in ways of being self... less.  Imagine a world where everyone looked not only to their own interests but to the interests of others? 

This week we celebrate the most momentous week in history.  As Jesus enters Jerusalem to cheering and by the end of the week, jeering.  As Jesus is crucified on a cruel cross, it's far from a loss.   As Jesus' death and resurrection opens the door wide, turning the tide, against sin's spell, death and hell, as God's love in Jesus is the deepest of wells. 

I think of Palm Sunday and Good Friday as being prime examples of juxtaposition.  When two things are placed close together with contrasting effects.  The nearness of contrasting realities.  Jesus is hailed as King and yet, in a few short days suffers in agony and is crucified.  This must have been so confusing to the people at the Passover festival and certainly for the disciples.  No wonder they scattered, it made no sense.  What is to come? 

In 1st Corinthians 8 Pauls says, "Knowledge puffs up, love builds up."  Sometimes we use knowledge to destroy and humiliate others by elevating ourselves as wiser, higher and better than others.   Yet, as Paul says, "Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know."  

In our walk through 1st Corinthians, Paul is pouring out his heart of advice, counsel, wisdom, including commands and concessions about relationships.  Essentially saying, "A relationship with Jesus will transform all of your relationships."  

Paul's 1st letter to the Corinthians says much about sex - sex and marriage, sex in the city, sex and the single person.  All of his guidance, instruction, concessions and commands are grounded and founded in our union with Christ.  He houses sex in the reality of the Kingdom of God and an abundant life in Christ - and this changes everything. 

God be glorified in my Body! (1 Corinthians 6:12-20)  The Apostle Paul waxes eloquent in delivering one of his most concise teachings on human sexuality for the follower of Christ.  His words and teaching are masterful.  

In the 1st letter to the Corinthians, Paul is on fire.  Waxing eloquent, with passion, of the wisdom and power of the cross, of Christ crucified and risen, of life in the Holy Spirit!  As we enter into chapter 6, Paul is concerned for their witness in the world for Christ.