Church of the Advent - Denver, CO

History has not been kind to “Doubting Thomas.” We tend to think of doubt as a grave moral failing. But what we learn from the interaction between Thomas and Jesus is that doubt is an essential part of faith that invites us deeper into community, and Jesus continues pursuing us even in the midst of our uncertainty. Luke Elmers teaches from John 20:19-31.

Each year we are presented the message of Easter. Yet, like many things over time, the powerful meaning of Jesus' resurrection may become overly familiar to us and lose its impact. Even to the eleven apostles who first heard the message, the good news “seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe” as Luke 24 tells us. Pastor Jordan Kologe reflects on the significance of the resurrection: what it is, what it means for the world, and what it means for each of us so that we too may believe.

God's sovereignty works with what he's got. On the threshold of Holy Week, we take stock with all God has to work with: corrupt governments, perverted justice systems, and religious individuals and establishments more interested in protecting their own power than in dispersing blessing. That God happens to love all the people enmeshed in these structures of power is both deeply inconvenient and the greatest occasion for God to show how his power works. His power is to disarm the darkness that vitalizes the machinery of oppression, including the darkness at work within us, corrupting and enslaving us. His triumphal entry is the perfect example of how Jesus works within the story he has, how he is at work liberating it and liberating us. Deacon Lisa Elmers preaches from Luke 19:28-40.

How do we live a life that ends well? The wisdom of Ecclesiastes is distilled in its closing:“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Pastor Jordan Kologe concludes this sermon series teaching a life well-lived is one that remembers the Creator, rejoices in God's gifts, and reveres God.

The Ecclesiastes preacher consistently reminds us of one certainty—that death comes to all. He also reminds us of life's uncertainty—that despite our best efforts, life is unpredictable. Rather than unsettle us, these two truths can inspire joy. Continuing this sermon series in Ecclesiastes, Pastor Jordan Kologe teaches we can find depth and joy in the present, receiving life as gift and perhaps working this joy out through Sabbath.

Wisdom guides us to not just accept, but to learn from limitations and our inability to control life. Through life's complexities and adversities, God is shaping us. Continuing this sermon series on Ecclesiastes, Pastor Jordan Kologe teaches that wisdom is formed in hardship, humbled by its limits, and trusts in God's justice.

In the second message in this series on Ecclesiastes, Pastor Jordan Kologe teaches God's sovereign control over time and life's seasons should lead to contentment, humility, and reverent worship, while recognizing our limited understanding and God's perfect plan. Recognizing our inability to completely control our lives brings us toward embracing our creaturely limits and enjoying the Creator's gifts.

Pastor Jordan Kologe kicks off a sermon series from Ecclesiastes. In this sermon based in Ecclesiastes 1:1-2:26, Pastor Jordan teaches worldly pursuits, even those seemingly noble, ultimately lead to emptiness, revealing the illusion of human control and pointing to our need for true satisfaction in Christ. To view the video referenced in this sermon, visit BibleProject.

In Luke 9, a radiant Jesus discusses his death with Moses and Elijah. But when Peter comes up with a wrong idea, God corrects him from within a frightening cloud. In this sermon, James Steinbach explores why God spoke to Peter in that way, helping us understand how we should listen when we experience God within a cloud.

The church does not have a mission for God; the mission of God has a church. God's mission to restore all things has been the same from the beginning. Our call, as Christians, is to join in the work God is already and has always been doing. On this World Mission Sunday, Pastor Jordan Kologe traces the history of the missio Dei through the nation of Israel, Jesus, and the church. Following the sermon, Pastor Jordan and Deacon Lisa and Luke Elmers discuss some key missional moments experienced during the 2025 Diocese of the Rocky Mountains gathering.

The kingdom of God is like an orchestra that tunes to the same pitch before joining together in a harmonious symphony. The Beatitudes function as the kingdom's tuning pitch from which we can build our lives. Using this analogy, Pastor Jordan Kologe teaches from Luke 6:17-26 to illustrate the discord of the world's song, the tuning of the kingdom's song, and the symphony of grace.

Fourth century theologian Gregory of Nazianzus states “What has not been assumed has not been healed.” In other words, Jesus had to become human in order to wholly heal humanity. This truth clues us into the significance of the feast of The Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple. The feast reminds us of our reason to celebrate. We are comforted by Christ, our brother, taking on our humanity, embracing our frailty, and entering into our suffering and death. Pastor Jordan Kologe teaches from Hebrews 2:14-18.

Spiritual renewal is a consistent need for God's people. This renewal comes through the Word of God. Using Nehemiah 8:1-12 as the backdrop, Pastor Jordan Kologe challenges those who feel a need for renewal to return to God's Word. This return can be pursued in three movements: hearing the Word, understanding it, and receiving it.

Of all the questions the miracle at Cana makes us ask, one of the most pressing is: “why is Jesus so rude to his mother?” While their tense interchange can feel like a distraction from the narrative, it's not. Rather, their conflict is central to John's understanding of the painful but necessary relational transformation initiated by Jesus stepping more fully into his calling and being revealed more fully as the Son of God. Deacon Lisa Elmers teaches from John 2:1-5.

The season of Epiphany is primarily about the question, “Who has Jesus been revealed to be?” Luke's account of the baptism of Jesus, in Luke 3:15-22, provides us an excellent answer to that question. In this sermon, Chandler McCosh walks us through what John the Baptist says about Jesus, what God the Father says about Jesus, and ultimately, urges us to consider our own identify as those baptized into Christ.

Ephesians 1 moves us toward a life that focuses rightly on our Savior Jesus instead of ourselves. As we look on Jesus' blessedness, glorious grace, and story, we are freed and healed from our strivings and anxieties. We rest not in our efforts and accomplishments, but in his loving care for us. Hear Pastor Jordan Kologe's message for the second Sunday of Christmas.

The Magnificat, Mary's song recorded in Luke 1, is sometimes referred to as the first Christmas carol. But unlike many of the substance-less, sentimental songs of the season, Mary's song illuminates the true hope of the gospel. It's a song of humility, reversal, and faithfulness. Following Pastor Jordan Kologe's sermon, Dr. Megan DeVore leads a reflection on a nativity icon.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice,” Paul writes in Philippians 4. In the midst of sadness and sorrow, can we really have joy always? And if so, how? While being honest about the darkness around and inside, Pastor Jordan Kologe explores what authentic Christian joy is and is not and how we can grow in it.

The progression of Advent can be likened to a trek toward a mountain summit. With Malachi 3 and Luke 3 as the guidebook, Pastor Jordan Kologe explores three phases of this journey: the wake-up, preparing the way, and the joy that awaits.

Advent begins in the dark. We can't ignore the injustice, sorrow, and loss—the darkness—all around us. To have a deep abiding hope we must first honestly acknowledge this reality. Using Luke 21 and Zechariah 14 as the background, Pastor Jordan Kologe orients us to Advent being a season to recognize the darkness and to trust God in it, anticipating the coming light of Christ.

Looking at the vision in Daniel 7, James Steinbach describes the prophetic expectation that the son of man will accept an eternal kingdom on behalf of God's people, delivering us from all earthly kingdoms. When we live in the hope of that kingdom, we find strength to suffer like Jesus, oppose injustice, and rest patiently in God.

Contemplating Jesus' Olivet Discourse (and especially his remarks on ‘The Abomination of Desolation') can stir up a lot of emotions, both confusion (‘what is Jesus even talking about'?) and pain (‘how can Jesus let something like this happen'?). While we grapple with many unanswered questions about why God allows suffering, we find the psalmists' answer for how we might endure it: with Jesus, who himself suffered and is with us when we do.Mark 13:14-23, Psalm 16, Hebrews 10:31-39

The story of the widow's coins (Mark 12:38-44) and the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:8-16) both give us a picture of what it looks like to sacrifice everything in an act of total dependence on God. What would it look like to live our lives this way? How can we fathom giving more of ourselves when we already feel stretched thin? Luke Elmers teaches on themes of weakness, dependence, abundance, and sacrifice.

Using Colossians 1 as the basis, Pastor Jordan Kologe invites Church of the Advent to look “further up” in the coming year, to prioritize worship. To do this requires the work of the Spirit. Looking up will produce fruit. As we do so we are reminded of what we have been given, our identity, and rescue, stirring us to worship.

Have you ever cried out to God in urgency? In Mark 10 we read Bartimaeus cry “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” desperate for Jesus to heal his blindness. Pastor Jordan Kologe exhorts us to keep persisting in prayer because God hears our cries, he honors them, and he heals.

God as our refuge is a pervasive theme in the Psalter. A quick word study of the Hebrew meaning refuge eventually finds its way to the root word Onah, which is not just a dwelling as in a shelter from bad weather but something more intimate as in a marriage.The question is are you, are we, dwelling in the Shelter of the Most High? Have we pressed into an intimate relationship with him? Or do we think of him as an umbrella, a temporary shelter from the storm? Deacon Cindy Hamilton teaches on Psalm 91.

A pre-election primer on The Gospel According to Politics with Pastor Ken Robertson, Rector of International Anglican Church in Colorado Springs, CO (https://www.springsiac.org), and former Associate Pastor at Advent! Ken's teaching explores six principles for a renewed paradigm of political discipleship. Learn more at https://www.kingdomovercountryoverparty.com.

“Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given…Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.” Jesus' words on marriage and singleness recorded in Matthew 19:1-15 continue to challenge listeners. Pastor Jordan Kologe derives four principles from this passage that can help us receive it: the essence of marriage is a covenant, the enemy of marriage is a hard heart, the ending of marriage is an amputation, and the alternative to marriage is a gift.

When Jesus talks about hell, we can bring all kinds of assumptions about the place he's describing and how we can avoid ending up there. This week we look at Jesus' teaching on dealing with sin (“if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off”) and explore the dimensions of death and life it presents. Ultimately Jesus offers not a program of sin management but a paradigm of the moral universe, one in which physical actions have spiritual consequences and open paths to move steadily toward death or toward life. Deacon Lisa Elmers teaches from Mark 9:38-50.

The “humble brag” seems ubiquitous in our society's hunger for platform and renown. But what does true humility look like? Teaching from Mark 9:30-37, Pastor Jordan Kologe posits genuine humility starts with Jesus, is patterned on the cross of Christ, and loves the lowly.

The prophet Isaiah speaks of a suffering servant who brings justice and redemption to the nations. Who is this servant? The New Testament writers and Jesus himself see Jesus as the fulfillment of these promises. Looking at Isaiah 50:4-11, Pastor Jordan Kologe observes three movements that teach us about Jesus' life as the Servant and our lives as we follow the Servant: the servant's words, the servant's suffering, and the servant's trust.

Isaiah 35:4-7 records the prophet painting a glorious picture of restoration of the exiled Israel. This prophecy extends beyond the original audience to us. Like Israel, we remember better times. We too are exiles, exiled from our Edenic identity. We live our lives trying to regain what was lost through the fall. But through Jesus Christ, all is not lost. Bishop Ken Ross ministers a message of hope in the expectation of the restoration coming through Christ.

What's wrong with the world? Effecting positive change in oneself or the world requires a right answering of this question. Is the problem external or internal? “Those people” or me? In Mark 7:1-23, Jesus confronts the Pharisees and their understanding of that question and in turn shows us the way.

Jesus' "Bread of Life" sermon was not a crowd-pleaser. It offended most people, including many of Jesus' own disciples who turned away and stopped following him because of it. In this passage from John 6, Jesus turns to his last remaining disciples and gives them a chance to leave, too. But Peter's remarkable and moving response to Jesus' invitation reveals the profundity of his love for him: a love that listens, that desires the other, and that embraces its own vulnerability. Deacon Lisa Elmers teaches from John 6:60-69.

The mystery of Holy Communion brings us deeper into union with Christ by faith. We abide in him as he abides in us. At his table we consume Christ, we are nourished by Christ, and we are familied by him. Pastor Jordan Kologe teaches from Jesus' words recorded in John 6:53-59.

Very early in Genesis we learn that humans hunger and God satisfies, both physically and spiritually. Yet sinful nature reaches for the food that does not satisfy, that has not been given. Through this lens, Pastor Jordan Kologe continues teaching on Jesus' Bread of Life discourse recorded in John 6 contrasting the bread the crowds crave with the Bread Christ gives.

John 6:24-35 records Jesus telling his followers to “work…for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.” Like them, we may wonder how to do this work. Jesus' response illustrates the heart of the Gospel: “Believe in him whom [God] has sent.” Salvation is God's doing, not ours. Listen to Pastor Jordan Kologe as he illumines from this passage three core doctrines of the Reformation that make us spiritually rich, namely that salvation comes by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

Pastor Jordan Kologe teaches from Mark 6:45-52.

Jesus' miracles aren't magic tricks. They are not products to be consumed or performances to be analyzed, but rather revelations of God's being and invitations into relationship with him. Through the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus invites his disciples and the crowd into the compassionate rest and kingdom work of the God who provides everything we need: himself. Deacon Lisa Elmers teaches from Mark 6:30-41.

The book of Ephesians is the place to be strengthened and to be encouraged as followers of Jesus. It is the place to be equipped for the purposes God has created each of us for, worship of him being at the top of the list of his purposes for us. The Westminster Catechism says that humans' "chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever." Paul calls us to this in Ephesians 1:3-14. Listen to Deacon Cindy Hamilton's teaching based on this passage.

In this sermon on Mark 6, Church of the Advent member James Steinbach shows how the people of Jesus' hometown misjudged and rejected him. He also walks through ways this passage may challenge our preconceptions about Jesus, inviting listeners to experience the incarnational love of Jesus, a love which protects us from imitating the mistake Jesus' neighbors made.

Jesus, through his encounters recorded in Mark 5:21-43 with Jairus and his daughter and the unnamed woman with the issue of blood, is calling out to us, “Trust me.” Whether a person of privilege or on the fringe of society, we are all invited to fall at Jesus' feet and trust him with our lives. Jesus comes near to us and offers himself; don't let him pass without reaching out in faith. Listen to Pastor Jordan Kologe's sermon on faith.

Psalm 124 invites us to consider the hypothetical: what if the Lord had not been on our side. Pondering this scenario can help us recognize and remember the places where the Lord has shown up in our lives and the life of his people, leading us deeper into the conviction that God is for us and that nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Pastor Jordan Kologe teaches from Psalm 124 and Romans 8.

The parables in Mark 4 are meant to provoke reflection about the nature of the kingdom of God. Through these seed stories we observe three things about growth and the kingdom: God alone brings growth, much growth is hidden, and growth is for the care of others. Pastor Jordan Kologe teaches from Mark 4:26-34.

Money comes up frequently for Jesus' teaching. The last word on money in Luke, though, goes to a widow with almost none. Why? In Luke 20:24-21:4, Jesus paints contrasting pictures of giving and greed that illuminates three aspects of generosity. First, generosity is an act of trust, forcing the giver to be dependent on God. Second, generosity is an act of communal healing, a consummation of God's jubilee proclamation. Third, generosity is an act of worship, taking that which we value most and dedicating it to God. Ben Gibson continues our Stewardship series.

Guest preacher Dr. Kathleen Mulhern shares on the mystery of the Trinity, a pivotal doctrine to the Christian faith. In this sermon, Dr. Mulhern briefly examines church history to dispel popular myths related to the Trinity. She invites us to consider why the Trinity is the key to the gospel and what it means to believe in the Trinity. She concludes with tips on how to live trinitarian spirituality.

After Jesus' ascension, his disciples devoted themselves to prayer as they awaited the gift of the Spirit. In this spirit of prayer and unity the Spirit was poured out at Pentecost. As we consider our place in the work of the ministry, Pastor Jordan Kologe reminds us that stewardship of God's gifts is revealed through prayer. Together we pray, “Lord, what do you want to do through me?”

Deacon Lisa Elmers preaches from Jesus' “High Priestly Prayer” (John 17:11b-20), reflecting on God's faithfulness to build up our church. Pastor Lisa shares stories from the Seventh Avenue Church's founding and flourishing and testifies to the strength and love she's encountered in the church in recent years.

Pastor Jordan Kologe kicks off a sermon series on stewardship. Framed by Philippians 4:4-13, Pastor Jordan focuses on gratitude as the primary motivation and foundation for giving. For more information on the His Table, Our Home campaign, please visit www.adventdenver.com/htoh.

The call to obey Jesus and the call of grace can seem like opposing songs drowning each other out. Which song is “right?” In his sermon on John 14:15-21, Pastor Jordan Kologe argues that these songs are rightly understood when robustly played together forming perfect counterpoint, harmonious rather than cacophonous, that leads us onward toward true union with Christ.

What names or images come to mind when you think of God? One way Jesus reveals himself is as the Good Shepherd. As you look to Jesus, see that God's care for you is genuine, intimate, and complete. Pastor Jordan Kologe teaches from John 10:11-16.