Skip to content Know Your Allies Aug 31 · 1 hr ...more
Know Your Allies
August 31, 2026 · 1 hr
In this message, Pastor Jeff explores the story of Moses, Aaron, and Hur from Exodus 17 to illustrate why you cannot live the Christian life on your own. During a fierce battle, Moses had to raise his hands for Israel to prevail, but his arms grew heavy. Aaron and Hur stepped in to support him, holding his hands steady until the victory was won. T
Series No Mercy
Pastor Jeff Schwarzentraub serves as president of Pastor Jeff Ministries, a national and global ministry designed to equip believers and challenge them to take
August 31, 2026 · 1 hr · No Mercy
In this message, Pastor Jeff explores the story of Moses, Aaron, and Hur from Exodus 17 to illustrate why you cannot live the Christian life on your own. During a fierce battle, Moses had to raise his hands for Israel to prevail, but his arms grew heavy. Aaron and Hur stepped in to support him, holding his hands steady until the victory was won. T ...more Show the full description Show less In this message, Pastor Jeff explores the story of Moses, Aaron, and Hur from Exodus 17 to illustrate why you cannot live the Christian life on your own. During a fierce battle, Moses had to raise his hands for Israel to prevail, but his arms grew heavy. Aaron and Hur stepped in to support him, holding his hands steady until the victory was won. T
Series No Mercy Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Support this leader
Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Give
Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
In this video 0:00 Capital Campaign Update: Taking Ground Progress13:00 Future Vision: Expansion and Media Shift14:00 Sermon Intro: Know Your Allies in Christ21:00 Assemble, Accept Help, Allow Support45:00 Advance Together & Honor God
Capital Campaign Update: Taking Ground Progress 0:50 Well, good morning. Would you help me welcome all of our campuses that are worshiping with us this morning? It's so good to be with all of you. Thank you so much for participating in our 211:02 days of prayer. Today is day 21 of our 21 days of prayer. And if you've been following along, you've been praying for the exact same person for 21 days. It's been pretty special to go through that. We've been hearing1:13 stories of people who have gotten saved as a result of people praying and sharing the gospel. And And I can tell you this, we've had hundreds of men in our prisons that have been saved during this 21 days of prayer. I1:22 can guarantee you that. As we continue to talk about campuses, you need to know this is a prayer request. The wardens here in our state, the deputy director for the better the1:34 board of prisons, they've all come and talked to us and said, you're doing such a great job. We wanna see this nationally. And so now they're talking to us about North Dakota and Texas and Illinois, and being a lead for1:46 churches to get in and do this, showing our messages from brave to prisoners all over the country. So be praying that the Lord will continue to open up doors as we do them. So today, I wanna give you an update.1:57 I think the last update we had for our Taking Ground Capital campaign was in April. But to give you an update, please welcome up Kelly Hacker, our elder chair from our Stewardine Elders. Friend of mine, great
2:09 brother. Share with us a little of what's going on.
2:12 Okay. Thank you, pastor Jeff. Good morning, Grape Church. While, like you, I am anxious to, return across the street to our newly renovated renovated Inglewood building, But how
2:24 blessed have we been to have this as our backup plan for the last several weeks with with comfortable seats? So what what a what a blessing.
2:36 So as as Patrick mentioned, my name is Kelly Hacker, and I'm 1 of the stewarding elders here at Brave Church. And as always, I just wanna start with thanking you for your incredible faithfulness and your incredible
2:48 generosity to the lord through Brave Church. As a stewarding elder, I have the privilege of witnessing your generosity each and every week, and it is absolutely humbling. So on behalf
3:00 of pastor Jeff, all the elders, the entire staff, thank you. So as many of you know, last fall, we launched our taking
3:12 ground capital campaign. At that time, we committed to keeping you updated on the progress of the campaign. Since our last update in April, we've accomplished an awful lot. Although, you can't tangibly
3:23 see much of it just yet, but you will very soon. As Jeff mentioned, a couple weeks, we'll be back across the street at Inglewood, building, and I think you're just absolutely gonna love it. So to help facilitate the
3:35 update today, I like to draw your attention to a a couple slides that we're gonna show on the screen. So today, total commitments have remained fairly steady at about 17300000 dollars.
3:47 So for those of you that are new to Bravechurch, and I know I see a lot of new faces week in and week out, or perhaps those of you who haven't had an opportunity to participate yet and join in the campaign, I would
3:59 just ask that you would prayerfully consider a pledge that would be meaningful to you and your family. It's never too late to join in this campaign and it will never be too late to join
4:11 in this campaign. And we just love you to be a part of what the Lord is doing here through Brave Church. I'm pleased to report that we have already received almost 7000000 dollars of those pledges.
4:23 Yeah. It's amazing. And we've begun to put a significant amount of those funds to work. Through the end of July, we've invested roughly 5400000 dollars on a few of the
4:35 initiatives that we identified and communicated to you, last fall when we launched the campaign. Notably, we have now completed the classroom update and
4:47 expansion over at Brave Academy. So now we can accommodate a significantly larger enrollment. I would highly encourage you to visit Brave Academy and prayerfully consider enrolling your kids in the
4:58 academy. There's some tremendous things over there that the lord is doing at Brave Academy, and I know you wanna be a part of it. School starts tomorrow, but it's never too late to enroll your children, and it's never
5:10 a bad time to enroll your children in a school like Brave Academy. So we're super excited to continue invest behind Brave Academy. As mentioned, we're executing, some fairly comprehensive,
5:23 renovations at our building in Englewood. 1 of the more significant things that we've already done is we've invested in a significant upgrade to our LED wall, and we've completely reconfigured
5:35 the stage area. And that'll be very obvious to you when you return to the building in a couple weeks. We've done that for 2 reasons. Number 1, for those of you who are familiar with the the North Building at Inglewood,
5:47 this will significantly enhance the viewing experience at Brave regardless of where you're sitting in the sanctuary. And then secondly, and this is really important, this will also enable us to broadcast
5:59 Jeff back much more effectively when he preaches from Westminster and from our other campus locations from time to time. So, again, I think you're gonna really notice a pretty significant difference. We've already,
6:12 completed the installation of our upgraded LED wall in Westminster. And so our brothers and sisters in Westminster are already enjoying the benefits of that investment.
6:22 And, of
6:22 course, as we communicated when we launched the campaign, we're gonna continue to pay down our debt and support behind our expansion of our prison campuses. And as Jeff's mentioned here on a routine basis, we're
6:34 really excited about how that's going. And I would say, thus far, we've progressed that much further than we thought we would at this point. So during the remainder of 20 26, we will remain focused on several key
6:46 kingdom building initiatives that we highlighted last year. Again, the big 1 here at least in the short term is the renovations at Englewood. I already mentioned to you the upgraded LED wall,
6:58 the reconfigured stage area. We're really touching most of the building there in some way. Most of it cosmetic, but it's significant cosmetics. Repainting everywhere, recarpeting
7:10 in in most every location. You can see in, those of you who spend any time in the kids area with the classrooms, significant improvements, and, of course, yes, the replacement of all the seats.
7:26 Nothing's more likely to get applause line than talking about replacing the seats over at Inglewood. So we're also in the process of some modest upgrades, within the building at Westminster, but more importantly, our
7:37 significant investments up in Westminster are focused on the parking lot. So in a couple weeks, we'll start on a project to resurface and restripe the existing parking lot and those that spend any time
7:49 at Westminster. Of course, our folks that worship at Westminster every week know that's been badly needed for a long time. We're gonna get that started right away and get that finished this fall. It's also an important
7:59 project that we expand the parking capacity at Westminster. We had hoped to get that started this fall, but we've had some delays in our permitting. Surprise, surprise. But we'll get that ironed
8:11 out soon. We'll probably shift that work to the 1st part of next year once we get through the winter. But it's really important that we expand our parking capacity in Westminster. Our seating capacity
8:23 far exceeds the ability of our parking lot to support it, and so that's something we need to get done. I know you're those of you in Inglewood are familiar with that, but it's a particularly acute problem at Westminster.
8:33 So we're committed to solving that, and we will do that probably sometime, before the 1st 0.5 of next year is over. And then as we mentioned in the campaign, you're gonna be committed to pay
8:45 down the debt that we have. It's very manageable level of debt. Always good to pay down debt. But importantly, what that does is that will strengthen our balance sheet, and that will give us the additional capacity
8:57 and capability to expand campuses further as opportunities arise. I wanna be very clear on this point. I think Jeff's been pretty clear in the past, but I wanna be very clear. We remain committed
9:09 to expanding our campus prison, presence and also expanding our brave church campuses throughout the greater Denver area. In particular, our priority is,
9:20 launching a campus in South Denver. So continue to pray that the Lord would open doors for us that we could find a spot in the South Denver where we could launch that site, and we're gonna remain
9:32 opportunistic and be able to do that whenever we possibly can. Finally, while it's a relatively modest investment, I wanted to just mention the podcast studio build out over here
9:44 in Englewood, really for this reason. The the elders, pastor Jeff, we've been praying for a long time as to how we can more effectively and efficiently reach
9:56 people around the world with the truth of the gospel. And BreakBeat is 1 way to do that, but I'm gonna ask pastor Jeff to come over and talk for a minute about how we're making a little bit of a strategic shift and how
10:07 we're, going about achieving that.
10:09 Thanks, Kelly. So we've been talking for a couple years. As you know, we do radio here in Denver. That's gonna continue. That's been a huge deal for us for people to hear messages before they come. Several of you are
10:19 here because you heard us on the radio before you ever even came and attended Brave, and that's been that's been great. But what we've noticed is as we expanded our radio presence across the country, the people that were
10:29 talking to us and helping us show us in every market we're in pretty much, there's been significant growth in leadership on the time that we're there. The challenge has been for us is it's very difficult to find out
10:38 who's listening, how often they're listening, how we connect with our listeners, how we can actually make disciples. And so that coupled with the fact that most people consume content on their phone or on their
10:49 computers, not based upon the time that they can listen to a radio program. And so for us nationally, we're we're dialing that back in. And instead of spending the resources going out, we're gonna use them to do more
10:59 digital platforms. So we're on pray dot com and some other digital platforms. And what we're finding with that is not only are we getting thousands of email addresses, we're able to communicate with those people, help
11:09 build them up, help them find local churches, and do all of that. So that's a pretty significant shift, that we've done. Secondly, I would tell you this. What what happened was I've I've been in the process of writing a
11:20 book. It's actually called Brave. You'll like it. And it's it's subtitled, wake up, be courageous, fight to the finish. So a lot of our DNA and and what that's all about. But in in writing that book, 1 thing that was
11:32 super clear to me and we began talking about is that I love the local church. I'm for the local church. We've always had kind of a side ministry for radio that evolved into pastor Jeff ministries. But even when I got
11:41 done, I'm like, I don't wanna do things outside the church. I wanna use it to build the church. Just like the schools building the next generation of the church, we wanna build the men, the mission, and the message of
11:50 the church. So what we're doing with pastor Jeff Ministries is is we're bringing everything under the local church. So we'll have the title of Brave Media, but Brave Media will be an extension of Brave Church. So that's
12:01 kind of all the new stuff that we have there, and we're super excited. We believe we're gonna be able to reach more people, disciple more people, and stay connected with more people that way. Yeah.
12:10 Thanks, Pastor Jeff. Yeah. Can we just give it up for Pastor Jeff for a sec? Thank you. So as you can see, the investments that
12:22 we made so far in the campaign have been largely focused in on, enhancing the worship experience in God's house, both in Inglewood and in Westminster. Those are things that really need to be done, so we're really happy
12:33 to get those behind us. Now as we look forward, you know, our emphasis will be on campus expansion and on brave media. Ways that we can reach, again, our primary goal. Our
12:45 real heart is reaching more people, with the truth of the gospel around the world. That's what campus expansion is about. That's what our expansion through brave media is about. So I hope you'll join us in this effort.
12:56 I'll be out in the lobby after service, and, of course, feel free to reach out to our staff, our elders, of course, myself at any time if you have any questions. And, of course, we have a website,
Future Vision: Expansion and Media Shift
13:08 taking ground dot net, if you just like to get more information that way. So thanks again for your time and attention today, and I'll turn it back to Jeff.
13:14 Could you give Kelly some appreciation? Thank you, Kelly and I have known each other for years. We've been in cadres together with this family, and you're
13:26 in really good hands with all of our stewarding elders. Just wanna let you know, all of our elders in general. What I wasn't clear from the beginning is, just so you know, if you're here in Inglewood, next week, by God's
13:35 grace, is our last week in this building before we move back. So we're planning on moving back September 13th. With that, I mean, I always challenge the men to be the leaders in our church because that's what we're
13:46 called to be spiritually. So we have a warrior call. You're familiar with the Warrior Summit. We do it every February. This year is February 28th 20 27. But I'm calling all the men in our church the day before we launch,
13:56 9 to 11 in the morning. I'd love you to come gather at our north building here in Inglewood to pray over the building, to seek God's face, to ask him to use that to expand the propagation of the gospel.
Sermon Intro: Know Your Allies in Christ
14:08 So every guy, if you're in high school, you're in middle school, you wanna come pray with us, please do. Bring your bring your sons, bring your uncles, bring all the men. Let's gather, let's worship the Lord, and let's
14:17 be ready for this launch. Amen? Amen. With that, who's ready to hear the word preached? Amen. Alright. Would you pray with me? Father in heaven, we do give you praise, glory, and honor for who you are, Lord. And in the
14:29 time that we have today, we just wanna celebrate you. Lord, thank you for this 21 days of prayer. Thank you for a church that seeks your face. Thank you for all of the scores of people who have come to know Christ as a
14:40 result of people praying and sharing the gospel. Lord, you love them. And Lord, even the people that we're praying for who have not yet repented and trusted in you by faith, we pray you continue to go after them. We'll
14:52 continue to pray for them, believing great things in the future. Lord, Lord, thanks for bringing us in your house today. Thanks for letting us celebrate your great name through worship, through prayer, even through the
15:01 updates of what you're building and then through this church. May you be highly and exalted in our midst. And Lord, we thank you for the proclamation of your word, because we as a people believe that every time your word
15:12 is faithfully and accurately proclaimed that it is you who are speaking. So our prayer this morning is, speak Lord, for we are ready to hear. And so now for everyone here who desires to hear the Lord Jesus Christ speak
15:23 directly to you, who will believe what he tells you, and who will by faith put into practice what he shows you, will you agree with me very loudly this morning by saying the word, amen. Amen. You
15:35 cannot live the Christian life on your own. I'll say it again so you hear it from the beginning, you'll hear it all the way through. You cannot live the Christian life on your own. When God saved
15:46 you, He saved you and He placed you into the body of Christ. You're part of the body of Christ. You can't be isolated and be the fullness of everything God's called you to be. You cannot live the
15:58 Christian life on your own. And yet for so many of us, especially in this series, we'll be talking about no mercy and being merciless with our sin and where we get the power, and how we get the escape route through
16:09 temptation, and how we find the ability to forgive others, and all the things we've been talking about. We have a tendency to think, I need to work on this. I need to do this. If it's gonna be, it's up to
16:20 me. But God puts us in a body so that we can do it together. And it's important that you understand that because in our culture and from the time that you're young, you're trained that independence is the most
16:32 important thing. You watch any infomercial and they'll tell you, if you can get to a place where you don't need anybody else financially and you don't need anybody else with your health and you don't need anybody else
16:42 for any reason, you've really arrived. Actually, you've just exposed yourself. That's all that you've done. Right? The reality is you need other people in your life. And even the way that the Bible reads, if you read it
16:52 as it stated, it's not just a book written to you. It's written to the body, especially in the New Testament. I mean, Ephesians 2 8 9 says, for it is by grace you've been saved through faith. It's not your own doing.
17:02 It's a gift of God, so no 1 should boast. But the next verse says what? For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared for us in
17:14 advance that we may walk in them. Yes, it's true that as a believer, you're part of God's masterpiece, but it's we collectively that are the masterpiece. It's us together
17:26 that does this. And so in a series like this, when you hear about here's the sin in my life and I don't want that sin anymore and I wanna walk it out right and here's the power that I need and all these different things.
17:37 We talked about how you need to know about all those. Today, I wanna talk to you about know your allies. Know your allies. Who are the people in your life that you have, that you can walk the Christian life with?
17:49 If you don't have that, you cannot be the fullness of what God wants you to be. And here's the truth. God's placed you in his body, the body of Christ. God's put you into a local church so that you can find
18:01 genuine relationships where you can grow and fulfill everything that God has for your life. And I'll tell you this 1 more time and I'll tell you throughout the message, you cannot live the Christian life on your own.
18:12 It's not simply enough for you to take notes and go work on you. You need other people in your life to process with, to grow with, to develop with, in order for you to become what God wants you to be. So today, I'm gonna
18:23 talk to you about how you how it is you can know your allies. Because here's the truth. If you're a born again believer, God wants you to be in genuine relationships with other people. I mean, the Bible makes clear.
18:33 We're talking about 2 main relationships. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and what? Love your neighbor as yourself. So 1 vertical relationship, a plurality of horizontal
18:42 relationships, that's what we're called to do. And it's important that we understand that. So today, I wanna give you 5 truths from God's word that will help you know who your allies are and what you can do to have those
18:54 in your life. And to do that today, we're gonna be in Exodus chapter 17. Exodus chapter 17 starting in verse 8. And I'm gonna tell you a familiar story from the bible and we'll use that to hear from the Lord as to what
19:05 he would like us to do, so that we can live with the people that he wants us to live with to accomplish what he wants us to do. So hear the word of the Lord this morning. In Exodus chapter 17,
19:18 verses 8, 9 and 10 as it starts. It says, then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, choose men for
19:29 us and go out and fight against Amalek. Tomorrow, I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand. Joshua did as Moses told him
19:41 and fought against Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. So this is after they the Red Seas parted. This is after,
19:53 Egypt has been destroyed. This is on their way to Mount Sinai. And here's what goes on. The Amalekites come to fight them. The Amalekites come and they're waging war against them. And so here's what
20:05 happens. Moses tells Joshua, you choose men and you guys go fight. We're gonna go up on the hill. I'm gonna raise my staff in my hand. And you
20:16 remember the staff is not just a piece of wood, it's a reminder of how God has empowered all of Moses. Because you remember by the burning bush, he set it down, then he picked it back up. And and when he did, after it
20:27 became a snake, he picked it back up and had power. And he used that for all of the different plagues that he brought to Egypt. He held it out to part the Red Sea. Now he says, you guys go fight. I'm gonna go up in
20:39 the mountain. I will hold my staff above my hands, and I'll bring Aaron and her with me. Aaron was Moses's brother. Her, we don't know exactly who he was. Some scholars say he may have been married to Moses's sister
20:50 Miriam. We don't know exactly, but he was certainly a close confidant and friend of Moses here. So that's what he's doing. He's delegating what's going on. Some are gonna go fight. Some are gonna go pray. EverybodyShow more
Pastor Jeff Schwarzentraub135K followers
