Red Rocks Church Weekend Messages

Episode: Miracle Mindset – Week 4
Date: January 24, 2026
Host: Red Rocks Church

Overview

This episode continues the church’s "Miracle Mindset" series, focusing on the journey of faith, community, and prayer in seeking miracles from God. The speaker encourages the church to join in fasting, reminds listeners of God’s miraculous power, and unpacks personal and biblical testimonies illustrating two primary outcomes of prayer for miracles: sometimes God takes away the struggle immediately, and sometimes He takes followers through the struggle, both being miraculous in different ways.

The message is honest, energetic, and deeply empathetic, empowering listeners not just to pray for immediate relief but to persevere with hope and openness to God’s broader purposes and presence amid hardship.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Invitation to Join the Fast and Engage in Prayer

• The church is two-thirds through a 21-day fasting and prayer period.
• All are encouraged to join, even if only for the remaining week.
• Highlights the church’s custom prayer app and the outpouring of engagement:
  • 11,000+ people have participated in prayer via the app this month.
  • Over 100,000 prayer interactions reported.
• Community emphasis: “Don’t struggle alone. … You’re not built to fight the things that you’re going through by yourselves.” (07:43)

2. Honest Talk: Temptation During Fasting

• Speaker shares humorous and real anecdotes about the difficulty of fasting (tempted by donut holes, chocolate chip cookies).
• Emphasizes perseverance and mutual encouragement:
  • “Don’t do it, stay in it. We can do this, church.” (05:11)

3. Defining a Miracle and its Relevance

• A miracle: “When God does what we can’t.” (10:01)
• Not always physical healing—could be guidance, peace, restoration.
• “We’re not playing games, but we’re getting serious about this.” (10:55)
• Quote: “His power is bigger than your problems.” (12:30)

4. Biblical Testimonies: When God Takes It Away Instantly

• Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10) – Faith not perfection; just “enough faith to come ask.” (16:10)

  • Quote: “Their faith was: I believe who you are. I believe that you can. And I got just enough faith to come ask. That's what he's looking for, church.” (18:09)

• Man with Leprosy (Mark 1) – Expresses doubts but still approaches Jesus.

  • If you feel unworthy, “I hear you. I see you. I know what you’re going through. And I am willing.” (21:16)

• Desperate Father (Mark 9) – Prayer in tension: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.” (22:41)

  • Quote: “Some days I have all the faith in the world… Some days […] I got a lot of doubts, God. A lot of stuff going on. But I believe that you’re God, and I believe that you’re good, and I believe that you can, and I got just about enough faith to ask for it today.” (23:43)

• Other Examples: Woman with chronic bleeding (Mark 5), paralyzed man (Mark 2), storms calmed (Mark 4).

Segment – Rapid-fire Praise Reports (28:34)

• From app submissions: healing, restored relationships, sobriety, IVF success.
  • “He’s doing miracles, church. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever. Let that build your faith.” (32:44)

5. Personal Story: When God Takes You Through It

• Son’s illness in Africa: crisis, prayer, and miraculous medical discovery.
• Quote: “They said it was like it was hiding and it showed itself. […] This is a miracle.” (36:38)
• Confronts the tension: “What about my miracle that hasn’t come?” (39:20)

Theology of Miracles: Both Outcomes Matter

• “Sometimes the miracle is he takes it away. Sometimes the miracle is he takes you through it. And both are miraculous and both are worthy of our praise.” (40:28)
• If God hasn’t taken it away, “he’s taking you through it.” (45:07)
• Emphasis on God’s presence and the purpose found through endurance.
  • Quote: “If he hasn’t taken it away, he’s taken me through it. He didn’t leave me. That’s his promise. He’s still God. He’s still good.” (46:13)

6. Biblical Case Studies: Endurance and Purpose

• Apostle Paul: “I was given a thorn in my flesh… Three times I pleaded… But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor 12:7-10; 47:30)
  • Sometimes God’s power is perfected, not by removal, but by sustaining us.
• Joseph: Sold into slavery, imprisoned, later saved his family and nation.
• Jesus: Prayed for the cup to be taken away in Gethsemane, but ultimately endured the cross, blessing all humanity.

7. Personal Transparency and Vulnerability

• Pastor’s own struggle with anxiety and panic attacks.
  • "Sometimes the miracle is he takes us through it. And oftentimes that’s the one we look back on in life and go, thank you, God. I wouldn’t change it if I could." (55:55)
• Shifts from personal pain to ministry: book writing, saving lives through testimony.

8. Application: Community Prayer and Courage

• Pastor invites those struggling with suicidal thoughts to stand (publicly, in all locations).

  • Quote: "We’re not gonna hide this stuff anymore. Satan wants to take us out in isolation church. We’re gonna fight for each other with some prayer." (1:08:33)

• Emphasis on prayer ministry, community support, fighting isolation.

  • “We’re going through this thing. We’re not staying here. We’re going through this thing and we’re going to get a testimony in Jesus name.” (1:12:05)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Faith and Doubt

  • "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief." – Desperate father (Mark 9), cited at (22:41)

• On Miracles: Both Outcomes

  • "Sometimes the miracle is He takes it away. Sometimes the miracle is He takes you through it. And both are miraculous and both are worthy of our praise." (40:28)

• On Endurance

  • "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me." (Psalm cited at 43:44)

• Personal Transparency

  • "Why don’t you care? Why won’t you help me? I need a miracle." — The preacher’s personal cry during anxiety (59:31)

• On Church Community

  • "Don’t struggle alone… You’re not built to fight the things you’re going through by yourselves." (07:43)

• On Pastoral Courage

  • “If God would let me go back six years ago … you put me on a polygraph test right now, I’d say, I thank God that he didn’t take it away that day I begged him to." (1:04:44)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:02 — 06:23: Exuberant welcome, context for series and fast, prayer app usage
• 06:24 — 10:00: Encouragement for fasting, humor and honesty about temptation
• 10:01 — 12:30: What is a miracle? Miracles in daily life
• 12:31 — 16:10: God’s power over every problem, introduction to biblical miracle stories
• 16:11 — 25:42: Exegesis of miracles where God acts instantly; faith, doubt, and asking
• 28:34 — 33:25: Real-life praise reports from church members
• 36:38 — 37:50: Personal testimony: son’s sickness and miracle
• 39:20 — 47:30: Wrestling with unanswered prayers; biblical theology on suffering and deliverance
• 47:31 — 58:20: Paul, Joseph, Jesus: when God takes you through it
• 59:31 — 1:04:44: Pastor’s story: anxiety, unanswered prayer, ministry born from struggle
• 1:08:33 — 1:12:05: Addressing mental health and suicide openly in church; communal prayer
• 1:12:06 — End: Worship invitation and closing encouragement

Final Thoughts

This episode is a powerful, vulnerable call for hope—rooted in the conviction that God’s miracles may come instantly, may come through process, and always come with His presence. The message fosters honesty about doubt and struggle, a commitment to supportive community, and relentless expectation that God is still at work, oftentimes in the midst of the very hardships we wish He would simply take away.

The tone is passionate, pastoral, and refreshingly real—making space for both triumphant testimonies and the long road of trusting God day by day.