Flatirons Community Church Podcast

What if the reason your faith keeps falling apart is that you’ve built it on a deal God never agreed to?Too many of us walk into faith thinking it’s a contract—“God, if you do this for me, I’ll believe in You.” That makes sense until life hurts. When the money runs out, the diagnosis hits, or the prayers go unanswered, we’re left wondering if God broke the deal. In this message, we look at John 2 and how the miracle at Cana reveals something far deeper than a magic trick. Jesus isn’t interested in transactional faith. He wants trust that holds, even when the wine runs out.Real faith begins when the contract ends. Like the disciples watching Jesus turn water into wine or the paralyzed man lowered through the roof, it’s not about the miracle—it’s about what the miracle points to. When faith stops being about what Jesus can do for you and starts being about who He is, something shifts. Your foundation gets stronger. You stop interpreting God's love through your pain, and start trusting His heart when life doesn’t make sense. That’s where unshakable faith is born.

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

Think you’re the one holding it all together? What if the pressure you're feeling is coming from forgetting who really is?This message digs into the brutal truth behind why so many of us—especially men—are overwhelmed, burned out, and secretly afraid of dropping the ball. When we forget what God’s done, we start living like everything depends on us. But God knew we’d forget, so He built reminders into the rhythm of life. This talk will challenge you to stop pretending you’re fine and start building habits that help you remember His faithfulness. Because when you do, the weight gets lighter, the lies lose power, and you start living free.Subscribe for more: https://www.youtube.com/@Flatirons

What if freedom isn’t a destination, but a road you walk every day? Life rarely plays out the way we imagined. One minute you’re chasing a dream, the next you’re wondering how it all fell apart. This message is for the guy stuck in the middle of the mess, who’s tired of pretending everything’s fine. Whether it's a delay, a detour, or a disappointment, this is your reminder that God still walks with people who feel lost. The road to freedom is not about perfection. It’s about motion. One honest step at a time. This message unpacks three simple but powerful keys: Recognize His Presence, Remember His Promises, and Rely on His People. Jesus isn’t just waiting at the finish line. He’s walking right beside you, even when you don’t recognize Him. The good news is, you don’t have to get it all right. You just have to keep going. Subscribe for more: https://www.youtube.com/@Flatirons

What if your faith could spark something bigger than you? In this final episode of the Be Free podcast, the Flatirons leadership team opens up about what really happened behind the scenes. From wrinkled tablecloths to holy moments in the balcony, this is a story about grit, obedience, and stepping into something way bigger than ourselves. It’s not about hype. It’s about people choosing faith, even when the math doesn’t add up. God showed up. And so did our church. This isn’t the end. It’s the spark that sets the next chapter in motion. Over a year of planning, prayer, and sacrifice led to this. What started as a vision became a unified movement. Jim led through physical pain. Staff carried more weight than ever. Volunteers owned their part. People gave with open hands and open hearts. This is the kind of church Jesus builds. And we're just getting started.

Digital Commitment Card: https://www.befreecolorado.com/join

What would change if you truly believed your sacrifice could set someone else free?

This is the story of a church that started in a living room and became a movement of messy people chasing real freedom. In this message, Jim Burgen shares a raw and honest vision about what happens when men and women lay their lives on the altar—wallets, fears, futures and all. It’s not about money or buildings. It’s about the people still trapped in addiction, despair, and darkness. Everything changes when we say yes to stepping off the sidelines and joining Jesus in the fight.

This moment is personal. Whether you're scared, skeptical, or ready, this is your invitation to go all in. Through powerful stories, scripture, and straight-up challenges, Jim calls us to trust God with more than just our words. It’s time to fight for marriages, kids, our communities, and the freedom of people who don’t even know help is on the way. The altar isn’t just about sacrifice. It’s about transformation.

Digital Commitment Card: https://www.befreecolorado.com/join