Flatirons Community Church Podcast

What happens when a church decides to go to war against evil, no matter the cost?In this no-holds-barred conversation, Pastor Jim Burgen, Amanda Brown, and Jesse DeYoung talk openly about Flatirons Church’s fight against human trafficking. From international partnerships to dark realities here in Denver, they expose the spiritual, emotional, and cultural weight of this battle. Amanda shares how this work has impacted her deeply, and the team calls the church to rise up, get uncomfortable, and take action. This isn’t for show. This is about saving lives and pushing back real darkness. This is what happens when the church gets off the sidelines and into the fight.The Be Free initiative is more than a campaign. It’s a spiritual assault on the systems that enslave kids and destroy families. Flatirons is bringing together law enforcement, nonprofits, local leaders, and prayer warriors to rescue and restore the broken. Thousands are stepping up to give, serve, and fight because Jesus calls us to do more than watch. He calls us to go. And now is the time.

What if your faith was the only thing standing between a child and a life of pain? This message isn’t just a sermon, it’s a call to move. Week 5 of Be Free is about stepping into the real fight happening all around us. Jim Burgen lays it out clearly: our kids, our families, our faith, they’re all being targeted, and the church can’t afford to sit back. Jesus didn’t just save us from something, He saved us for something. And that something is freedom, for us and for the people still trapped. This is where belief gets put into action. Through Rescue to Restore, Flatirons is stepping into the fight against injustice, against the systems and situations hurting the most vulnerable. This is spiritual warfare, boots on the ground, armed with the truth, grace, and love of Jesus. It’s not political. It’s not about taking sides. It’s about living our faith in the real world and saying, “we’re here to help.” This is your moment. Let’s go.

What if the voice of God is clearer than you think—but you've just stopped listening?This episode of Be Free hits deep. Jim Burgen shares a story straight from Man Camp where 4,000 men gathered under one massive tent—and God showed up. A near-death moment, a wake-up call, and a clear challenge: listen to the Spirit and obey. Plus, hear how Ross went from engineering in Austin to pastoring in Loveland because he said “yes” to a nudge from God. Real faith isn’t clean or easy—but it’s worth everything.Transformation happens when obedience meets risk.Ross’s story proves God still calls people from ordinary paths to extraordinary impact. From the moment someone asked, “Have you thought about ministry?”—to him now leading Flatirons Loveland—this is a story of saying “yes” when everything in you screams “no.” It's about trusting God with your future, your finances, your fears. And watching Him show up.Subscribe for more: https://www.youtube.com/@Flatirons

What if your next step of faith isn’t about more belief but more risk? This week, Jim takes us deeper into the tension between our flesh and the Spirit and what it really means to live free. It’s not about trying harder, being better, or obeying a list of rules. It’s about being led by the Spirit and choosing to walk in step with Him even when everything in you screams not to. As Flatirons moves toward a bold, Spirit-led future, this message invites you to go beyond belief and into obedient action. Faith isn’t a feeling. It’s a decision to trust and give when it costs something. Through Galatians 5, we’re reminded: freedom comes from Jesus, but living free means stepping into the fight between Spirit and flesh every single day. The Spirit leads us into love, joy, generosity, and radical obedience not just for us, but for the mission Jesus gave us: to set others free. As Flatirons moves toward launching new campuses, fighting human trafficking, and equipping disciples across Colorado, Jim asks one question: Will you listen to the Spirit and walk?

Are we really free, or just too comfortable to notice we’re not? What if the life you think is “free” is actually just comfortable and unchallenged? In this episode of the Be Free podcast, Jesse, Karl, and Paul unpack what real spiritual freedom looks like, and how often we confuse it with ease. Through stories about a runaway gecko, quiet moments of boredom, and the example of Harriet Tubman, the conversation gets real about purpose, responsibility, and why so many of us feel stuck, even when life looks good from the outside.Jesse explains how stepping outside of God’s design can feel like freedom at first… but over time, it leaves us empty. The guys reflect on how boredom, disconnection, and comfort slowly shape our faith and how compassion, purpose, and a clear calling can bring it back to life. Whether you’re leading a family, working a job that feels ordinary, or wondering how politics and faith fit together, this is for you.

Are you free… or just comfortable?This message asks a hard question: what are you doing with your freedom? Jesse brings the story of Harriet Tubman, the Apostle Paul, and modern-day faith into one sharp point—freedom isn’t just for us. It’s meant to be passed on. Through real-life examples, tough truths, and raw honesty, we’re reminded that true freedom in Christ isn’t found in playing it safe. It’s found in service, generosity, and compassion—living on mission, not in comfort. Because when we forget the mission, we feed the flesh—and the enemy is always watching.Freedom in Jesus isn’t just about being saved—it’s a call to get in the trenches and help free others. Jesse unpacks Galatians 5 to show us what free people do: they serve, they give, and they love. He challenges us to open our hands, break our chains, and stop consuming faith like entertainment. Because if Jesus set us free, then we’ve got a responsibility to go back and help someone else get free too.

What if you stopped waiting for the right moment—and just got real with God right now?

This episode of Be Free is as raw as it gets. Jim Burgen, Jesse DeYoung, and Karen Berge talk about the weight people carry, even church staff, and how retreating into “thin spaces” with God opens up places we didn’t want to go… but needed to. It’s honest talk on leadership, brokenness, parenting adult kids, false grace, and the lies culture tells us about freedom. This isn’t about being saved, it’s about living free. And it starts with choosing truth over comfort.

From carrying secret pain to stepping into calling, this is what freedom looks like in real life.

Jim unpacks what happened at the Flatirons staff retreat, tears, confession, silence, healing, and how that led to a bigger realization: freedom isn't one-and-done. It’s truth, then grace, over and over. Forgiveness doesn’t always feel good, but it’s the way forward. The Be Free journey isn’t about behavior, it’s about your heart. And this conversation might be the push you didn’t know you needed.

Why do we keep going back to the same chains Jesus already broke?This message is a gut check for anyone who’s ever tasted freedom in Christ but still finds themselves living like they’re not. Jim unpacks Galatians 5:1 and challenges us to stop rebuilding the same prison Jesus tore down. Be Free isn’t just a slogan, it’s a mission, a strategy, and a spiritual war cry for anyone who’s done being a slave to lies, sin, and fear. It’s time to drop the chains, plant your feet, and live like you’ve actually been set free.Jesus didn’t die just to forgive you; He died to free you. And free people don’t go back. This is our moment to get honest about the chains we keep picking back up and finally put them down. This isn't about being perfect, it's about standing firm in truth and grace, knowing we’re just former slaves showing others where to find freedom. Before revival happens out there, it has to happen in us.

What if the thing you thought was holding you together is actually keeping you stuck?

For two years, the Flatirons team prayed, wrestled, and dreamed about one thing—freedom. Not the feel-good kind. The real kind that changes families, saves lives, and tears chains off people stuck in shame, fear, and hidden brokenness. In this raw, unfiltered first episode of Be Free, Jim Burgen and the team talk about what led to launching this movement, the battles behind the scenes, and the burden to build outposts of hope for a world gasping for something real.Be Free isn’t a church campaign. It’s a war cry.It’s about setting spiritual ground in a culture drowning in noise, and giving men and women a place to heal, rise, and fight back. Whether you’re battling isolation, addiction, anger, or regret, this episode reminds us that Jesus doesn’t just offer heaven later—He offers freedom now. And when a church moves in unity with that mission, freedom follows.

What if your story of freedom was meant to set someone else free?Week one of Be Free isn’t just a new series; it’s a call to arms. Jim Burgen kicks off a six-week journey that’s really the start of a movement: a church stepping out of comfort, out of safety, and into the front lines of spiritual battle. This message is a fire-starter, reminding us that our freedom in Christ isn't a finish line. It’s a launchpad. It's about turning pain into purpose, and choosing to fight for those still enslaved by guilt, shame, addiction, fear, or abuse.This isn’t a metaphor, it’s a mission. From Jim’s personal story of rescue to the biblical call from Galatians 5, this is an unapologetic, boots-on-the-ground invitation to stop playing defense and go to war for the hearts and futures of others. Be Free is about building spiritual outposts for the broken, the addicted, the trafficked, and the hopeless. We don’t hide in a fortress; we carry freedom into enemy territory.