Bob and Brian don’t sidestep it — this is one of the hardest passages in the New Testament. In this episode, they dig into the story of Ananias and Sapphira and wrestle honestly with the tension it creates: a generous, Spirit-filled church colliding with deception, greed, and sudden death.

Rather than offering easy answers, the conversation leans into the deeper question: what is actually happening here — and what does it mean for us today? They explore the contrast between life in the Spirit and the pull of self-interest, the weight of integrity inside a community, and why this moment matters so much for the credibility of the early church.

This isn’t just a theological debate. It’s a sobering look at choice — between life and death, generosity and greed, surrender and control — and a reminder that the stakes of following Jesus are real. For a church trying to live out its mission in Durango, the question becomes unavoidable: what kind of people are we actually becoming?

In this sermon, Brian steps into one of the most difficult and unsettling passages in Acts—Ananias and Sapphira—and refuses to water it down. Instead, he tackles it head-on, asking what this story reveals about the kind of church Jesus is actually building.

Set against the backdrop of a radically unified and generous early church, this moment exposes a sharp contrast: a community shaped by the Spirit versus a heart still holding back.

Brian walks through how Acts isn’t just history—it’s a picture of Jesus actively leading His church. And that means the stakes are real. The witness of the church—how we live, give, forgive, and love—is meant to point the world to God. When that witness is compromised by greed, ego, or half-hearted surrender, something essential is lost.

This message doesn’t sit comfortably, and it’s not meant to. It’s a call to examine what we’re holding onto, to rethink ownership, and to step into a life of true stewardship. Because if the church is going to reflect the heart of God, it has to be marked by unity, integrity, and a generosity that actually costs something.

In this episode, Bob and DJ take the message of Acts straight into one of the most divided environments imaginable — a political conference — and wrestle with a hard, practical question: what does unity actually look like in the real world?

Starting from Acts 4, they unpack how the early church built something powerful — not by avoiding differences, but by anchoring themselves in a shared mission and living it out through radical generosity and commitment to one another.

The conversation gets honest fast. Unity sounds good in theory, but in practice it requires sacrifice, humility, and a willingness to listen when it’s easier to fight. Bob pushes the tension of applying this in modern culture, while DJ makes the case that unity doesn’t start by winning arguments — it starts by finding common ground and choosing to value people over being right.

They also confront a truth most people would rather avoid: unity isn’t natural. It’s a discipline. And if you want it — in your marriage, your church, or your community — you’re going to have to fight for it.

This week’s sermon cuts through complexity and lands on something both simple and demanding: real faith is lived out in how we treat each other.

Drawing from Acts 4, DJ paints a picture of the early church—not as a rulebook to follow, but as a compelling vision of what’s possible when people actually believe the message of Jesus. They were unified. They were generous. And because of that, their witness carried real weight.

At the center of the message is a personal story that makes the point clear: it’s people—not programs, not arguments—that lead others to God. A single act of generosity, a welcoming home, a shared life can ripple out for decades.

From there, the challenge sharpens. Unity isn’t optional—it’s foundational. When the church fractures through gossip, conflict, or self-interest, its credibility collapses. And generosity isn’t a burden—it’s evidence that we actually trust God with what we have.

This sermon doesn’t ask you to do more religious activity. It asks something harder:
What would it look like to become the kind of person—and part of the kind of community—that makes the message of Jesus believable?

In this episode of Built for Durango, Bob and DJ take a hard look at what boldness actually means — and why most of us misunderstand it.

Starting with Acts 4, they compare the raw, life-on-the-line courage of the early church with the far more subtle resistance Christians face today in places like Durango. The question on the table is direct: What does it look like to live boldly when the threat isn’t persecution—but discomfort, rejection, or cultural pushback?

The conversation quickly moves past surface-level answers. Bob and DJ argue that real boldness is not an individual trait — it’s something formed in community. The early church didn’t stand alone; they stood together, rooted in shared mission, prayer, and deep relationships. That kind of foundation, they suggest, is largely missing in a culture shaped by independence and self-reliance.

From there, the episode gets more pointed. They wrestle with the growing sense among some Christians that they are under threat — and challenge whether the answer is to fight for power or to follow the example of Jesus, who led with compassion, presence, and sacrificial love.

The takeaway is practical and uncomfortable: boldness isn’t about winning arguments or protecting influence. It’s about showing up — often quietly, often locally — and doing the kind of work that actually reflects the heart of Christ. Whether that means engaging your neighbor, opening your home, or stepping into hard situations, the call is the same.

Not louder. Not stronger. Just more real.

In this April 15 message, DJ turns to Acts 4 and asks a blunt, practical question: How do you stand in the face of rejection? Not in theory, but when resistance is real, when people push back, and when your sense of worth is tempted to rise and fall based on whether others accept you.

Set against the backdrop of the church’s new property and growing vision to serve Durango for generations, DJ uses the story of Peter and John — fresh out of jail and fresh off a direct threat from the religious authorities — to show what bold, grounded faith actually looks like. Their response is striking: they do not panic, retaliate, or retreat. They return to their people, they pray, and they ask God not for safety, but for boldness.

The sermon pushes back against the idea that our identity has to be controlled by the approval of the people around us. Instead, DJ argues that believers can become the kind of people who stand firm in truth and love, even in the face of rejection—but only if they cultivate the right environment. He highlights three essentials: strong spiritual family, real prayer, and shared experiences where God shows up.

This is a sermon about more than courage. It is about how courage is formed. It is about building the kind of church where people are known, supported, honest, and united in purpose. And it is a call to become a praying people—people who do not just admire boldness in Scripture, but practice the kind of life together that makes boldness possible.

In this episode of Built for Durango, Bob and DJ dive into Acts chapter 4 and a question that hits close to home: what does it actually mean to live — and speak — in the name of Jesus?

Fresh off the church’s first outdoor service at the new location, Bob comes in fired up, reflecting on a season of clarity, joy, and personal transformation. But that momentum leads to a deeper conversation. What’s behind that feeling? And how do you hold onto it without drifting into pride or self-reliance?

DJ grounds the discussion in the context of Acts, explaining that “in the name of Jesus” isn’t just a phrase — it’s about living under the authority and in the substance of who Jesus is. Together, they wrestle with the tension between faith and control, highlighting how real transformation doesn’t come from striving harder, but from surrendering more.

This episode gets practical. It’s about inputs over outcomes, daily habits over big moments, and learning to trust God with the parts of life you can’t control. Whether you’re riding a high or walking through something difficult, the invitation is the same: build faith, let go of control, and allow God to shape the outcome.

In this episode of Built for Durango, Bob and DJ unpack one of the central tensions in following Jesus: is faith something we impose — or something we invite people into?

Building off DJ’s recent sermon in Acts, the conversation centers on Peter’s message after the healing of the beggar and what it reveals about God’s heart. Bob frames the sermon as both a challenge to the church and an open invitation to the community, while DJ digs deeper into the theological meaning — highlighting that the kingdom of God is not about control, performance, or religious pressure, but about joining what God is already doing.

From there, the discussion turns personal. Both Bob and DJ speak candidly about ego, surrender, gratitude, and the ongoing work of repentance. They don’t sanitize it — this is about real-life struggle and the daily decision to release control and trust God. The result, they argue, is not restriction but freedom — a life that naturally draws others in.

A key thread throughout the episode is how Christianity is often misunderstood as a system of rules, when in reality it is an invitation into a different kind of life — one marked by restoration, humility, and joy. The challenge for believers is to live in such a way that others can see that difference clearly, not through argument, but through experience.

This episode pushes beyond theory. It asks: Are we living something people would actually want? And if not, what needs to change?