What happens when you confront something for the right reasons — and it still costs you?

In this companion episode of Built for Durango, Bob and DJ dig deeper into DJ’s sermon on Acts 13 and the biblical purpose of confrontation. Using the analogy of a coach correcting a player in the middle of a game, they explore a different way to think about confrontation: not as attacking someone, winning an argument or proving ourselves right, but as helping people — and ourselves — realign with something better.

That raises a harder question: what happens when speaking truth comes with a price? From Paul confronting Elymas to Dietrich Bonhoeffer standing against the Nazi regime, Scripture and Christian history make it clear that doing the right thing doesn't guarantee approval, popularity or even success. Sometimes following Jesus means accepting rejection precisely because our allegiance is to His Kingdom rather than ourselves.

Bob and DJ wrestle with how to confront redemptively, how to discern whether the battle we're fighting is actually God's battle, and why anyone called to confrontation needs to remain especially close to Jesus. Because life with Christ may be better — but better doesn't always mean easier.

Following Jesus means loving people — but does loving people sometimes require us to confront what is wrong?

In this sermon from Durango Vineyard Church, DJ continues through Acts 13 as Paul and Barnabas begin carrying the gospel beyond the familiar world of the early church. Almost immediately, they encounter opposition. Paul responds boldly, confronting both a spiritual advisor attempting to turn a Roman official away from the faith and religious leaders whose jealousy puts them in opposition to what God is doing.

But DJ challenges us to look beyond Paul's boldness to a much harder question: How can we know when confrontation is actually from God — and when we're simply fighting our own battles?

In a culture that can swing between avoiding confrontation altogether and celebrating people who loudly attack anyone who disagrees with them, Acts offers another way. Christians aren't called to confront in order to win, gain power, protect themselves from suffering or prove they're right. We're called to stand against the things Jesus would stand against — for the sake of truth, freedom and life.

Drawing from Paul, Jesus and the costly example of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, DJ invites us to examine what we tolerate, where we remain silent and what God may be asking us to confront. Because sometimes following Jesus means stepping directly into opposition — but our purpose must always be the same as His.

What happens when prayer moves beyond asking God to act and becomes a declaration of hope rooted in what we believe God desires?

In this episode of Built for Durango, Bob and Brian continue their conversation about Acts 12, Peter’s miraculous escape from prison and the church that prayed for him — even while struggling to believe their prayers would actually be answered.

Brian digs deeper into an idea from his sermon: the relationship between prayer and prophecy. Drawing connections between Peter’s rescue, Ezekiel speaking life over the valley of dry bones and the prophetic tradition of the Old Testament, Bob and Brian wrestle with what it means to become so aligned with God’s heart that we can speak hope into situations that appear hopeless.

The conversation also explores an important distinction: prophetic prayer isn’t about “manifesting” the outcome we want or claiming certainty about what God will do. It is about knowing God’s character, recognizing what He desires for His creation, and boldly joining Him in hoping for healing, justice, mercy and restoration.

And perhaps that is precisely where prophecy matters most. As Brian puts it, hope is born in suffering. When circumstances look like a valley full of dry bones, followers of Jesus are invited to pray, to hope — and sometimes to speak life into what looks dead.

What do we do when we reach the end of what we can control, fix or change ourselves?

In this sermon from Durango Vineyard Church, Pastor Brian Firle continues through Acts 12 and the dramatic story of Peter’s imprisonment. James has already been killed, Peter appears headed toward the same fate, and the early church has no political influence, no physical power and no obvious way to rescue him. So they gather together and pray.

Then the impossible happens.

An angel enters Peter’s cell, his chains fall away, the prison doors open and Peter walks free — while the very people praying for his rescue struggle to believe it when he shows up at their door.

Brian uses this remarkable story to explore prayer when we are powerless, including the tension between asking God to act and boldly speaking what we believe reflects God’s heart. Drawing from his own experience surrounding heart surgery and Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones, Brian challenges us to see prayer as more than a last resort. Prayer is an act of faith, a way of aligning ourselves with God, and spiritual warfare against the brokenness of the world.

Sometimes we pray with confidence. Sometimes we pray while struggling to believe anything will change. Acts 12 reminds us that God can work through both — and that trouble should call the church to prayer.

It’s possible to do all the right things and still lose sight of the reason we’re doing them.

In this sermon from Durango Vineyard Church, Pastor DJ continues through Acts with the story of the church at Antioch and Barnabas, the encourager sent from Jerusalem to see what God was doing in this unexpected new community of believers. What Barnabas finds is the unmistakable grace of God at work — and his response is simple: encourage them to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.

DJ explores what it means to keep the “main thing” at the center of our faith. It isn’t about accomplishments, appearances, religious résumés or even doing more good things. It’s about abiding in Jesus and making sure our public faith is backed by a private life genuinely devoted to Him.

Using the image of tuning a bow so an arrow flies straight and delivers its full force, DJ challenges us to “paper tune” our own lives. Are our priorities, relationships and actions actually aligned with the faith we profess? And when they aren’t, are we willing to make the adjustments necessary to get back on course?

The invitation is not to become busier Christians. It is to examine what actually occupies first place in our lives, rediscover our first love and keep the main thing the main thing.

What if you’re the one who doesn’t feel like you belong?

In this episode of Built for Durango, Bob and Brian continue the conversation from Acts 10 and Peter’s encounter with Cornelius. But this time, they turn the question around. Instead of only asking how Christians can overcome their blind spots and welcome others, they consider what the message means for people who feel like outsiders themselves — especially those who have felt judged, rejected or simply out of place in church.

Brian acknowledges that churches, like the people who make them up, can fail to reflect the radical welcome of Jesus. But those failures don’t change the central truth of the gospel: God does not play favorites, and no one is disqualified from His love.

Bob and Brian also explore why faith was never intended to be lived alone. Sometimes the best way to discover the grace, mercy and character of Jesus is through people who already know Him. For anyone standing outside wondering whether there’s a place at the table, their invitation is simple: take the risk, come in and meet the God who already considers you worthy of His love.

Does God play favorites?

Continuing through Acts 10, Pastor Brian Firle explores one of the most transformative moments in the early church as Peter comes face-to-face with his own assumptions about who belongs in God's family. Through his encounter with Cornelius, Peter discovers that the gospel is far bigger than cultural traditions, personal preferences, or religious boundaries. God's invitation extends to every person who responds to Him in faith.

Brian also offers a deeply personal reflection on his recent heart surgery, drawing a powerful parallel between physical healing and the spiritual work God accomplishes in us over time. Rather than waiting until we're "good enough," God meets us in the middle of our imperfections, healing our fears, prejudices, and brokenness as we faithfully follow Jesus. This message is a reminder that no one is beyond God's grace—and no one is excluded from His kingdom.

How do we hold onto truth without becoming judgmental?

In this episode of Built for Durango, Bob and Pastor Brian Firle unpack the deeper implications of Acts 10 and Peter's vision, exploring how easily faith can drift from a relationship with Christ into a culture of preferences, rules, and assumptions. Drawing connections between Peter's struggle to let go of old religious categories and today's political and church divisions, they discuss why genuine transformation begins in the heart—not in controlling the people or culture around us.

The conversation wrestles with difficult but timely questions: How do we balance conviction with grace? Why do churches sometimes become known more for judgment than compassion? And what can we learn from Cornelius, a Roman centurion whose sincere devotion to God flourished in the middle of an unlikely environment?

Ultimately, Bob and Brian point back to Jesus as the center of the Christian life. Following Christ isn't about checking religious boxes or winning cultural battles—it's about allowing His grace to transform us so completely that it naturally changes the way we love, serve, and walk alongside others.