Grace City Denver

Though work has been negatively impacted by the Curse, it is being redeemed by the past, present, and future work of God. Work is a part of his restored and final kingdom; thus, our present work should be oriented toward God's purposes, empowered by God's resources, and covered by God's grace.

An idol is anything you rely on for some ultimate sense of meaning, approval, comfort, security, etc. Both personal and cultural idols have a significant impact on our work. These idols promise to give us what we want, but they have no power to deliver the goods. We are much healthier and happier if we identify our idols, see them for what they are, and turn our functional reliance back on the God who loves us.

Identity is essentially your sense of self + self-worth. Though we are meant to find these in relation to God, sin has marred our identity. We seek to define ourselves and we seek validation in other things. We do this especially in our work – seeking to get out of work something we can only truly find in God.

Why is work so hard, so futile, so filled with conflict and frustration at times? If God created work to be good, why is the source and expression of so much brokenness in our world? The answer is that sin entered the world, leading to a curse. What are some key ways this curse is impacting your work -- and what can you do about it?

In the first two chapters of Genesis, God lays out some foundational first principles about the origin, dignity, nature, purpose, and limitation of work. Work is not a part of the curse or a necessary evil; it is a call to partner with a God who works. The essence of our work is to imitate God and to join him in cultivating and caring for his good creation. We work to display his excellence and to seek the common good. We also rest, knowing that our identity and significance is not ultimately found in our productivity or earnings.

On Easter morning, Christ rose victorious over the final enemy, death. What had Jesus accomplished that made his resurrection not only possible, but inevitable?

On the night that Jesus died, he was not as passive as things looked on the surface. In fact, he was engaged in a cosmic battle between good and evil, light and darkness. And by his death, he destroyed the adversary along with his power of death.

At Jesus’ ultimate moment of crisis, Peter panicked and denied him three times, then fled into the night in fear. But, having defeated death, Jesus pursues Peter to the place where he first called him to follow him. Jesus initiates fellowship, forgives Peter’s failure, reminds him of his calling, and recommissions him for pastoral ministry.

It’s three days after Jesus’ death, and his disciples are hiding in fear behind locked doors. Jesus comes to them and graciously confronts their doubt. Why did they not believe that he would rise from the dead as he said? Jesus offers clear evidence that he has indeed conquered death – and he commissions his disciples with the task of going and telling others this news.

Lazarus, a close friend of Jesus is sick, so Jesus delays his visit until after Lazarus dies. Everyone is confused: if Jesus had come sooner, Lazarus wouldn't have died. But in the end, Jesus does a greater miracle than he healing a sick man; he raises a dead man – displaying a far greater power and authority than they ever dreamed of witnessing.