Flatirons Community Church Audio Podcast

Is your faith fueled by love, or by unresolved anger?If you're exhausted from trying to hold it all together while the world around you burns, you're not alone. Kicking off a new study in the Book of John, Jim Burgen gets brutally honest about the anger simmering under the surface of his own faith—and how Jesus’s love began to wash it away. Before we dive into the words John wrote, we have to look at the man himself: an angry young disciple transformed by the love of Jesus. This isn’t a Bible study for the polished. It’s for the burned out, bitter, and barely hanging on.John didn’t start out as the “apostle of love.” He was fiery, prideful, and ready to call down fire from heaven on his enemies. But after years of walking with Jesus, experiencing grace firsthand, and allowing himself to be served by Christ’s love, John changed—and it showed in every word he wrote. His anger didn’t disappear by willpower, but by letting Jesus kneel down, wash his feet, and touch the places he tried to hide. That same invitation is open to us today. Jesus doesn’t want to crush you—He wants to clean you, heal you, and love you back to life.

Ever feel like God has left you to figure life out on your own?We often imagine the Christmas story as peaceful, sweet, and wrapped in lights—but the real story was messy, dangerous, and filled with fear. This message flips our Christmas expectations by revealing what Mary and Joseph were really walking through: shame, stress, and silence from the people around them. What if the most sacred story in history actually mirrors your real life more than you ever imagined?Mary and Joseph didn't survive because life got easier—they made it because they believed God was with them. Emmanuel wasn’t just a name—it was the truth they clung to in the dark. And that same God who entered their brokenness is with you now. Not because you earned it, but because he wants to be. If you’ve ever felt abandoned, this truth might be the only thing holding you together: God is still with you.Subscribe for more: https://www.youtube.com/@Flatirons

What if the real Christmas story wasn’t peaceful at all—but full of fear, shame, and chaos? This week, we tear down the postcard version of Christmas and step into what really happened to Mary and Joseph. They were rejected, misunderstood, constantly on the move, and raising a child the world wasn’t ready for. Maybe that sounds familiar. If you’re walking through a season of anxiety, rejection, or just wondering where God is in all of it, this story is for you. Because Jesus didn’t just come into perfection. He came into the mess. And He’s still with us today. Mary and Joseph didn’t make it through those long, lonely years because life was easy. They made it because they believed God was with them. That’s what the name Immanuel means. And it’s not just past tense. It’s present. Whether you’re battling fear, depression, shame, or just trying to make it through the holidays without falling apart, this story reminds us of something powerful. God doesn’t run from the mess. He enters it. He stays. He saves. Subscribe for more: https://www.youtube.com/@Flatirons

What do you do when God tells you something you don’t want to hear? Most of us want a Jesus who fixes our problems, not one who confronts our sin. But what if real peace, purpose, and power are only found when we stop editing the Bible and start trusting it? In this message, we look at Joseph, the man God trusted to raise His Son. Joseph obeyed God's Word even when it cost him his comfort, his reputation, and his future. This talk challenges all of us to stop living over God's Word and start living under it. Because obedience, even when it’s hard, always leads to freedom. When you submit to God’s Word, you don’t just find rules. You find peace, strength, identity, and promises that hold up even when everything else falls apart. You may not understand it. You may not agree with it. But you can trust the God who gave it. Subscribe for more: https://www.youtube.com/@Flatirons Topics Covered:Trusting God when life doesn’t make senseStanding under the authority of ScriptureObedience over understandingSacrificial love and quiet faithHow culture and science are catching up to God's truthLiving a life shaped by the Bible, not personal preference

What if the interruption you're fighting is actually God's invitation? Your life didn’t go as planned—now what? In this raw and real Christmas message, we step into the story of Joseph, a man whose world falls apart right before the arrival of Jesus. Through heartbreak, betrayal, and confusion, Joseph teaches us what it looks like to obey God when nothing makes sense. This message isn’t for perfect people. It’s for the tired, the lost, the disappointed, and the ones wondering, “God, is this really what You had planned?” When life breaks your plans, God is still working His. He uses the chipped, cracked, and discarded parts of our lives to write stories of redemption. And just like Joseph, we get to choose—judgment or mercy, control or trust, bitterness or grace. This isn’t about religious performance. It’s about being real. Being vulnerable. And letting Jesus meet us right where we are. Subscribe for more: https://www.youtube.com/@Flatirons