Here To Stay: The Story Continues...

February 10th, 2025/Casey Middle School

Introduction:
Today we’re kicking off a new series, 'Here to Stay.' This isn’t just a sermon series; it’s a defining moment for our church. We’re going to be sharing more details later in the message and in the weeks to come. But this theme is about our commitment to Boulder, and our vision to make a lasting impact that echoes for generations. This is going to be a message to the heart and soul of our church.

What does it mean to be 'here to stay'? In life, it's easy to start something, but it's a whole different thing to persevere, get Rooted, and Stay The Course. At Pinewood Church, we’re not trying to be an overnight success; we’re aiming to create an overtime impact. I don’t want to sell out to play the short game—short-term gratification, immediate results, where I have to measure everything by what I can see. I want to play the long game!

Victory isn’t for those who go the hardest; it’s for those who go the longest.

Transition:

I want to take us on a journey through the history of christianity and churches in Boulder, CO. Then I want to look biblically on our role today as Pinewood Church steps into that history. Then I want to conclude our time by looking ahead at how we believe God is calling us to step into a bold new vision.

History of Boulder and Christianity:

Boulder Founding: Boulder isn’t an old city. Most of Colorado isn’t. In the 1850s is when it got its start. It was part of the Nebraska Territory, and a year after Boulder was settled, it became part of the Colorado Territory. Twenty-five years later, it became a part of the United States as a city—that’s also when the University of Colorado was founded. Boulder was established as a mining supply town. And it gets its name from… boulders. :)

Itinerant Preachers: Around this time, there were itinerant preachers who rode around on horses from town to town, preaching the same sermon in different places. All of the denominations you’re familiar with were trying to establish churches in the city. These itinerant preachers would come through and work with people like us to start and establish churches.

Downtown Churches: In downtown Boulder, there are a number of old churches, most of which were started in the same 20-year period, all within a mile from each other. They were built on hills to help with flooding since Boulder was notorious for flooding, but also because the churches had big bell towers. Every Sunday, as services were about to start, they would ring their bells to let everyone know it was time to get to church.

First Sermon In Boulder: We know what the first sermon ever preached in Boulder was—Reverend Jacob Adriance preached the first sermon in Boulder, Colorado on November 27, 1859 and it was from John 3:3-5, where Jesus says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.". It was preached in a home, and that group became what is now the Methodist Church downtown.

The Adventists came within that same period, and their legacy is the Boulder Community Hospital system.

Church Met Needs: In the 1890s, Boulder went through a depression. This hurt the miners and led to the churches rising up to care for the community's needs. It was a great time in the history of the church in Boulder.

Leaving Orthodoxy: In the early 20th century, many churches began moving away from orthodox faith—the belief that Jesus is central, the only way to salvation, and that the Bible is truth. This was the beginning of Boulder’s diverse spiritual climate, but God was faithful to continue to draw people and hold orthodoxy in a couple key congregations.

Billy Sunday Revival: There was a season, lasting about 10 years, of great revivals taking place in the city. This revival was led by a famous baseball player named Billy Sunday. In addition to being a Hall of Fame baseball player, he was well-known as an electric preacher and evangelist. He came to Boulder several times. On one of his last visits, his revivals were so popular they built a temporary wooden structure—100,000 square feet, seating 4,000 people—but on one night, they packed 5,000 people inside. This was held right here at Casey Middle School. (*Show Pics) The Daily Camera covered and published his sermons. Hundreds came to faith, and hundreds stood at the train station to see him off.

Local Non Profits: During World War I, many churches started what is now a legacy. Did you know that Boulder County has the highest density of nonprofits of any county in the world? Much of that legacy started with churches during the Great Depression and World War I. People were suffering, so organizations like EFAA and Boulder Day Nursery were started. Attention Homes was started out of a Bible study in the 1960s.

Jesus Movement: During the 1960s and ‘70s, everything was crazy around here. There was something taking place throughout the world called the Jesus Movement. Many baby boomers who now follow Jesus came to faith during those years. That wave swept through Boulder. At that time, there were lots of hippies in Boulder.

Moonies of Boulder: And there was another group of hippies called the Moonies. Many of those hippies and Moonies came to faith in this city. Some older ladies have shared stories of these Moonies knocking on doors of homes in the canyons west of town and saying, "A voice told us to knock on your door and ask you about Jesus." And they’d tell them about Jesus and baptize them in the creeks in the canyon. During that time, a bunch of other churches were planted. Southern Hills Baptist Church was planted around this time, which is now Cornerstone Boulder.

Spiritual Diversity: It was also a time when the city became very diverse spiritually. In the '60s and '70s, churches with very different beliefs started to form, like New Age churches, Unity churches, and Unitarian denominations. It was during this time that the Jewish community began to settle. One of the fastest-growing Jewish communities in the world is here in Boulder. A stream of Judaism called Jewish Renewal started, in many ways, out of Boulder.

Boulder became a center for a lot of Buddhist thought. Centers like Naropa and the Shambhala Center began to form, establishing Boulder’s character for spiritual diversity around that time.

The 80’s: An excerpt from a New York Times Article “Boulder, home of the University of Colorado, is ''the New Age's Athens,'' as a local astrologer put it. By some estimates, as many as a quarter of the nearly 80,000 people who live in this town, which spreads beneath the eastern scarp of the Rocky Mountains, have undergone some type of New Age training.”

The 90’s: In the 1990s, many evangelical churches were growing. They began to expand their buildings, and their influence increased. Around that time, a small ministry that became a national movement was founded—Promise Keepers, a ministry calling men to be faithful to God. It started right here at CU, founded by the then-head coach of the CU football team, Coach Bill McCartney. In 1997, Promise Keepers held an event in Washington, D.C., where it's estimated that between 600,000–800,000 men showed up. (*Pics of Promise Keepers)

In recent years, Boulder has become a hotbed for church plants. While it’s hard to get an exact number, local pastors who’ve been here for over 20 years agree that around 70 church planters have come to Boulder in the last 20–30 years, with a success rate under 5%. During that same time, many churches in Boulder moved east because it's easier to have a church in East County. Many churches that were around have closed their doors in the last 20+ years.

About 23 years ago, a group of pastors began to gather and ask their neighbors, "If we were to no longer exist, would you even miss us?" The resounding answer was "No." They didn’t even know the churches were around. This caused a great shift in the existing churches to go and meet needs in the community.

Today, there are 8 orthodox Christian churches in Boulder proper: Cornerstone (30/South), The Well (13/South), Belay (6/South), City Church (5/North), Calvary (136/North), Grace Commons (153/Central), Boulder Valley Baptist (4/Central), and Pinewood Church (7/Central).

Often people will ask, "Is anything good happening in Boulder?" But I believe, now more than ever, there’s a great move of God in our city. This is a powerful and influential city, and Pinewood has a part to play in the story God is writing here. We’ve been uniquely placed and have experienced unique favor in this city. God’s hand has been on this church from day one… and the story continues.

Now I want us to turn to Jeremiah 29 as we look at God’s word and ask ourselves, does it matter if we stay? What is the impact of rooting yourself in a city?

Passage: Jeremiah 29:4-7

This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Find wives for yourselves, and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease. 7 Pursue the well-being of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it thrives, you will thrive.

Pray:

Background:

Jeremiah 29:4-7 is part of a letter Jeremiah sent to the Jewish exiles in Babylon. They were longing for home, hoping for a quick return to Jerusalem. But God had a different plan. He tells them to settle down, build homes, plant gardens, and seek the welfare of the city where they are in exile. God wasn’t calling them to simply survive—He was calling them to thrive in the place of their discomfort, to become a blessing even in unfamiliar territory.

This passage teaches us that God's people are not just passing through; we're called to make a lasting difference wherever we are, even in challenging circumstances.

Title: The Story Continues…

Transition:

Now, I know for many of us in this room, Boulder isn’t our place of origin. Most of us are transplants here—maybe you came for school, a job, or just a fresh start. And sometimes, that can make it feel like we're just passing through, like this is temporary. But the people Jeremiah was writing to? They felt the same way. They were exiles, living in a place they didn’t choose, longing for something familiar, maybe more comfortable. Yet God told them, 'This is where I have you, and I want you to plant roots, build, and bless the city.' What if God has us here for more than just a season? What if He’s calling us to do the same—to stay, invest, and build something that lasts? Let’s dive into what that looks like.

Main Points:

1. Root Yourself Where God Has Placed You (Jeremiah 29:4-6)

   1. “Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Find wives for yourselves, and have sons and daughters.
   2. Ex: God didn’t tell the exiles to wait passively. He told them to invest in the city where they were placed. This means being intentional, not treating your current season as temporary.

   3. Illust: Think of the early settlers in Boulder—they didn’t just pitch tents and then move on. They built homes, planted roots, and shaped the city’s future. In the same way, God calls us to root ourselves deeply.

      1. You’re not going to run for city council if you know you’re only here for a few weeks. You’re not going to campaign for radical policy change if you’re only here temporarily. There is a shift that happens when you become rooted and say “This is my city, the city that I love, the city that I’m going to raise my family in.”
         4. App: Don’t live like a tourist in your city or in your faith. Great churches aren’t built overnight; great churches are built over time. I can teach you how to grow, but I can’t teach you how to grow overnight; I can teach you how to grow overtime. For a long-term vision to come to pass, it's going to require a process, and we want to become a people who celebrate the process.

2. Persevere Through Every Season (Jeremiah 29:7)

   1. Pursue the well-being of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it thrives, you will thrive.
   2. Pursue the well- being of the city, and pray to the Lord on its behalf… This is a very simple, yet radical call to followers of Christ.
   3. Ex: The exiles were in a place they didn’t choose, yet God called them to care for that city. True perseverance isn’t just about enduring hardship—it’s about actively seeking the good of others, even when it’s difficult.
   4. Illust: Consider the Bamboo Tree Principle: For years, you see no growth above ground, but roots are growing deep. When the time is right, it shoots up rapidly. Similarly, our faithfulness may seem unnoticed for a season, but God is cultivating something profound beneath the surface. He’s deeply rooting believers and disciples in this city that is creating a groundswell for the harvest!
   5. App: The short game is anytime you put away the hard thing simply to do the immediate thing. It’s like choosing to skip homework to play outside or eating whatever you want instead of eating healthy. People want immediate results and immediate pleasure. But when you play the short game, moment by moment, you don’t see the results right away—until one day you realize the enormous negative impact. Faith isn’t about quick wins; it’s about long-term obedience.

3. Trust God’s Long-Term Plan (Jeremiah 29:11)

   1. For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

   2. Ex: The exiles wouldn’t see the fulfillment of God’s promise in their lifetime. It was a 70-year plan. But God's timing is perfect, and His plans are for our good even when we can't see the full picture.

      1. Question: Would you invest your whole life into a Kingdom initiative even if you knew the greatest impact was after you’ve gone on to be with Jesus?
      2. Do you have a legacy vision for your life? A legacy vision for this city?!
         3. Illust: The Story of St. Patrick: When St. Patrick returned to Ireland, where he had been enslaved, he faced incredible opposition. But he stayed, persevered, and planted churches that led to the transformation of an entire nation. His legacy endures because he was faithful for the long haul.
         4. App: According to Simon Sinek, "Wise leaders think about how what they're doing will impact the generations to come after them." Great leaders consider the long-term consequences of their actions, not just immediate benefits. You may not see all the fruits of your labor, but your faithfulness today lays the foundation for tomorrow’s breakthroughs. Trust in God's bigger picture.

I’d like to show you a short video that shares a little more detail about where Pinewood is headed. Let’s watch.

Video: Vision Video

Imagine a place to call home. Where ministries can thrive every day of the week. Where the youth can have a place to go and find friendship and the hope of Jesus. A place with counseling rooms and offices. A ministry hub for Love Boulder to do even greater outreach!

Call to Action:

1. Grab a Commitment Card on your way out. Pray, plan, and seek how God would have you participate.
2. Next Week: Receive detailed literature about the campaign and hear more specifics.
3. Invitation, Not Obligation: This is an invitation to join what God is doing—this is our moment to step out in bold faith together.
4. Desire for 100% Participation: This is our moment to stand together, stretch our faith, and invest in something bigger than ourselves.
5. Upcoming Events:
   • February 26th: Worship Night & Advance Commitment Night.
   • March 9th: All-Church Commitment Sunday—a historic moment for Pinewood Church.

Closing:

Pinewood Church, this is our time. We’re not here for a season; we’re here for a legacy. Breakthrough is coming. Significant breakthrough. City-shaking breakthrough. Not just in one area, but in all areas. An awakening of the lost and a revival of the found. It is time for Boulder.

As all eyes are on Boulder for football, tech enterprises, and outdoor adventures, I believe a day is coming when all eyes will be on Boulder for the outpouring of the Spirit. That’s not just my belief—that’s my deepest desire and greatest prayer.

Imagine a city where broken families are restored, where addiction is defeated, where the hopeless find hope, and the lost are found. Imagine Pinewood Church not as a blip on the radar but as a beacon of light in this city—a church that didn’t come and go but stayed, persevered, and built something eternal.

So, let’s rise up with bold faith. Let’s plant roots so deep that no storm can shake us. Let’s stretch our hands, our hearts, and our faith to believe for more. Because we are here to stay, and we believe God is just getting started!

Invitation:

If you want to make a decision to follow Jesus. Then join me and everyone else in the building as we pray out loud together. It’s not the prayer that saves you, but your faith, making Jesus Lord of your life. We don’t let anyone go on the journey alone. If you have faith in Jesus, then let’s join together as we pray…

Prayer of Salvation:

Jesus, I acknowledge that I need you

I confess that I have sinned against you

I believe that God raised you from the dead

And right now, by faith, I say “Jesus is Lord”

Thank you for forgiving me

By your grace I am saved

And by your power I am set free