Door of Hope Northeast

Various Scripture - [This sermon was originally given on January 26, 2025, reposted to help supplement this current teaching series] According to Jesus, the Bible is unbreakably true and the very words of God that lead to Him. At the same time, the Bible is the words of man in the form of a unified but incredibly diverse work of literary artistry spanning many authors, genres, and tones. Encountering the Bible is like stepping into an art gallery or library containing the transcendently beautiful, the shockingly ugly, and the fascinatingly complex all at once. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 2 of our series "The Very Words of God: Answering, trembling & delighting before the Holy Scriptures"]

John 10:29-39 - With this teaching we begin a short series exploring two main questions: What is the Bible? And how should we respond to it? Our starting place is with Jesus and His view of the Bible as unbreakable, trustworthy, authoritative, coherent, and divinely-inspired. Even more, Jesus sees the whole Bible as chiefly about Himself. In the end, if we want to follow Jesus in these things we, too, must come to see the Bible as human words spoken and written from God by His Spirit. Thus, the only proper response is to come to the Scriptures with a posture that says, "Here I am, Lord—speak!" A sermon by Cameron Heger and Pete Richardson. [Part 1 of our series "The Very Words of God: Answering, trembling & delighting before the Holy Scriptures"] Questions for reflection: 1) How would you describe your relationship to the Bible today? 2) Why is it a good idea to start with considering Jesus's view of the Bible? 3) Describe the understanding that Jesus had of the Old Testament. 4) How does the New Testament make a case for its own status as Spirit-inspired Scripture? 5) What does it mean to affirm that the Bible is "true"? 6) What might it look like to join in with Abraham, Isaiah, and Mary by coming to the Bible with a posture that says "Here I am"?

John 20:11-18; 20:24-29; 21:15-19 - When considering the biblical accounts of the resurrection of Jesus, a question emerges: How did the resurrected Son of God deal with His people's faithlessness, grief, despair, doubt, skepticism, and failures when He pursued them afterward? In John's gospel, three very human encounters with Jesus reveal Him as the Lord of grace and love, even in the face of human faithlessness. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 3 of our series "Holy Week & Resurrection Sunday 2026"] Questions for reflection: 1) Why was the resurrection of Jesus such an unexpected and unfathomable event for the disciples? 2) In these three stories we saw Jesus encounter grief, doubt, and guilt/shame. Which of these encounters do you most resonate with? 3) Explain how Jesus not only had compassion on Mary, Thomas, and Peter but how he also commissioned each of them into further ministry. 4) How might the truth of the resurrection be daring you to hope in this season of your life?

John 19:31-37 - On Good Friday we considered one piece of the crucifixion story in particular that demonstrated both the cruelty toward Jesus at the hands of the Roman soldiers and yet also the sovereign intention of Jesus to endure it for the sake of those He came to seek and save. A sermon by Ian Cornell. [Part 3 of our series "Holy Week & Resurrection Sunday 2026"]

John 13 and Matthew 26:26-29 - "Maundy" comes from the Latin term "mandatum," meaning that "Maundy Thursday" is traditionally an examination of the new commandment that Jesus gave His disciples in the upper room the Thursday night He was betrayed and its connection to His washing of the disciples feet and His institution of the Lord's Supper. In this short re-recorded message, we examine these pivotal moments with Jesus. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 1 of our series "Holy Week & Resurrection Sunday 2026"]

Matthew 6:11-13 - In the second half of The Lord's Prayer, Jesus teaches His disciples how to ask God our Father to meet the needs of ourselves and our communities, both physical and spiritual. In part through praying these words and themes over a lifetime, Christ's church will become the kind of people who not only love God with everything, but love our neighbors as ourselves—and express that love in deed. A sermon by Tsion Reid. [Part 14 of our series “Jesus's Sermon on the Mount: The Good Life in the Kingdom of Grace”] Questions for reflection: 1) How does this prayer give us explicit permission to pray for the physical/material needs that we have? 2) Discuss what it might mean to ask God for "daily" bread instead of something like "yearly" bread?" 3) What is the connection between God's forgiveness toward us and our forgiveness of others? Why is it so crucial to Jesus? 4) How does this prayer inspire us to love one another in the way Jesus envisions? 5) How might you incorporate the praying of these words into your daily life moving forward?

Matthew 6:9-10 - The Lord's Prayer is among the most famous words in the entire Bible. It is also the thematic centerpoint of Jesus's sermon on the mount to which the entire sermon directs our attention. The prayer, from the very mouth of Jesus, follows the structure of two of the other most important pieces of Scripture (The 10 Commandments and Jesus's Greatest Commandment) with a God-oriented first half and a neighbor-oriented second half. In this message, we consider the first half of the prayer, which invites us to communally address God as Father and partner with Him to see the earth look like heaven. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 13 of our series “Jesus's Sermon on the Mount: The Good Life in the Kingdom of Grace”] Questions for reflection: 1) What is the connection between the contents of the Lord's prayer, the 10 commandments, and Jesus' greatest commandment? 2) Why is it important that this prayer is written in the first person plural ("our")? 3) How are the concepts of God's name being rightly glorified, His kingdom coming, and His will being done related? 4) How is this prayer both making requests of God AND inviting us to participate? 5) How did Jesus embody the spirit of this prayer in the garden of Gethsemane? How did His death and resurrection allow us to truly embrace the content of this prayer? 6) Discuss how you would like to incorporate the Lord's Prayer into your daily rhythms.

Matthew 6:5-8 - With these verses Jesus turns His attention to the most basic, essential, and foundational spiritual practice of them all: prayer. Assuming that His disciples WILL pray, He highlights two cautionary examples of what not to do, reminding us that true prayer must be directed to God in subtle humility and as succinct, trusting children. Prayer is simply talking to God. And true prayer is ultimately recognized as a privilege--an opportunity to commune with a loving Father who wants to know and be known by us. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 12 of our series “Jesus's Sermon on the Mount: The Good Life in the Kingdom of Grace”] Questions for reflection: 1) Do you view prayer as the central or foundational spiritual discipline? In theory or in practice? 2) What is prayer? What forms can it take? And which ones are you most familiar with? 3) If Jesus wasn't advocating for absolute secrecy in prayer here, then what was He getting at? 4) Contrast praying as an educator, lawyer, or manipulator with praying as a beloved child. 5) How does believing that God is attentive, loving, wise, AND powerful strengthen our prayer? 6) How does Jesus make us daughters and sons of the Father? How does the Holy Spirit embolden us in this truth?

Matthew 6:1-4 - With these verses we begin the next major section of The Sermon on the Mount where Jesus gives direction regarding three of the most important spiritual/religious practices: generosity, prayer, and fast. Here Jesus begins with a stark reminder that any spiritual practice, if it is really going to bring spiritual benefit, must be done unto God from a heart of love, rather than from a heart that wants to look good in the eyes of others. From there, Jesus applies this principle to the realm of generosity--specifically giving to the poor and needy. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 11 of our series “Jesus's Sermon on the Mount: The Good Life in the Kingdom of Grace”] Questions for reflection: 1) Why do you think religious hypocrisy incites such a strong reaction in so many people? 2) How might we reconcile Jesus's words in Matthew 6:1 with those in Matthew 5:16? 3) Jesus assumes that His disciples will be giving to the poor. Why is this a key part of His kingdom vision? 4) Jesus prescribes subtlety in our giving. Why? 5) Why is what we do in secret or when we aren't calling attention to ourselves an especially powerful revealer of our true character and values? 6) How did Jesus embody his own principles here in His earthly ministry? On the cross?

Matthew 5:43-48 - In his 6th and final case study, Jesus takes us to where it all has led: the call to love--as God our Father loves--even our enemies. This was an earth-shattering teaching 2000 years ago and is no less difficult to live out today. But gazing at Jesus who has first loved us even when we were His enemies, we are motivated to love others like this and so bear God's family resemblance. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 10 of our series “Jesus's Sermon on the Mount: The Good Life in the Kingdom of Grace”] Questions for reflection: 1) What was so unique about this teaching at the time Jesus gave it? What is still unique about it? 2) "And hate your neighbor" is not a quotation from the Old Testament--what was Jesus doing with this? 3) What does it mean to love with this (agape, in Greek) love? 4) How does God embody and originate this type of love? 5) How does Jesus want to lead us into "perfection" or "completion"? When will this happen? 6) Who are some "enemies" that you struggle to love? How might you grow in this?

Matthew 5:38-42 - In Jesus's 5th case study, He begins to broach one of the most revolutionary teachings in all of human intellectual history. He reveals that the true heart of God found in the laws about just recompense is oriented toward generosity, mutual dignity, and quiet boldness. And Jesus not only taught about this revolutionarily tender heart, He fully embodied it in all of his interactions--especially on the way to the cross. A sermon by Pip Craighead. [Part 9 of our series “Jesus's Sermon on the Mount: The Good Life in the Kingdom of Grace”] Questions for reflection: 1) How would you describe the purpose of the "eye for an eye" laws (such as in Ex. 21:24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21)? 2) Why are Jesus's words here so countercultural? How are they difficult? 3) Would you describe Jesus's prescription here as "passive"? Why or why not? 4) How would the world be different if everyone lived this way? 5) How did Jesus personally embody this principle in HIs own life and ministry? How does He personally embody it toward you?

Matthew 5:33-37 - In His fourth case study, Jesus turns his attention to a subject that may not seem super applicable to us: oath-making. But in our post-truth culture, Jesus's call to holistic, pervasive truthfulness is both radical and powerful. It turns out that truth is inseparable from love and its absence is a danger to us all. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 8 of our series “Jesus's Sermon on the Mount: The Good Life in the Kingdom of Grace”] Questions for reflection: 1) How would you describe our culture's relationship to the concept of truth? 2) What were the norms around swearing oaths in Jesus's day? What was the difference between swearing by God or by something else? 3) Why does Jesus ultimately forbid swearing oaths altogether? 4) What might holistic, pervasive truthfulness look like in someone's life? 5) What habits might help us cultivate both our truth-discerning and truth-telling “muscles”? 6) Why is it significant for this conversation that Jesus refers to Himself as “the truth”?

1 John 3:16-18 - God cares deeply for the poor and demands that His people do the same. In this final message of the series, we consider the Apostle John's call to meet the needs of our impoverished brothers and sisters, knowing that this is a test of true love, and knowing that it flows out of the knowledge that Jesus laid down His own life for you. May we become a church that does justice for the poor, because the poor, the same as anyone else, are image bearers of God. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 5 of our series "Images and Neighbors, Every One"] Questions for reflection: 1) How do you relate to the idea from The Brothers Karamazov that people can be easy to love in abstract while a person can be difficult to love practically? 2) How is caring for the needy evidence of "God's love in you"? 3) How does the Bible describe the causes of poverty? How does this differ from other assessments in our culture? 4) In what ways does poverty lead to additional vulnerabilities? 5) Do you think of yourself as one who "has the world's goods"? What might generosity look like for you in these things? 6) Discuss how Jesus becoming poor was part of his plan to save us. How does this motivate our generosity, care, and acts of justice toward others?

James 1:26-27 - Those whose stability is impacted by the dissolution of their families are consistently included among the groups that God has special concern for. In fact, Psalm 68 describes God as "Father of the fatherless and protector of widows." So it makes perfect sense that God's new covenant family, the church, is meant to be a place where these same groups are cared for and advocated for. In this sermon, we consider what it might look like for us to be a church that does justice for the orphan and widow, which James tells us is a crucial aspect of "pure and undefiled" religion before God. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 4 of our series "Images and Neighbors, Every One"] Questions for reflection: 1) Why do you think James highlights "visiting orphans and widows in their affliction" as one of his 3 key markers of "pure religion"? 2) Why did the fracturing of family make certain people especially vulnerable in the ancient world? How does it do the same today? 3) What groups today sit adjacent to "orphans and widows" in our culture? 4) How does this command relate to the New Testament conception of the church as a family? 5) How might you personally be involved in the care of orphans, widows, and related groups? 6) How does the spiritual adoption that Jesus offers us all relate to this command?

Colossians 3:8-14 - The Bible often speaks of four especially vulnerable groups of people that God's people are to make sure don't lose out on the justice they are owed. In this message, we consider the first group: the sojourner (or the immigrant). In considering the repeated calls to make sure that sojourners are shown compassion, fairness, and spiritual brotherhood, we are reminded of the ways in which both we ourselves and our savior Jesus have become strangers in strange lands. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 3 of our series "Images and Neighbors, Every One"] Questions for reflection: 1) What are "sojourners" and why were they repeatedly listed among the most vulnerable groups worthy of extra concern? 2) How would you summarize the Old Testament's expectations for how the nation of Israel was to treat foreigners? 3) How does that same heart get expressed in the very different New Testament context? 4) Brainstorm together some ideas for doing justice for the sojourner across our 3 categories: serving, giving, and advocating. 5) What does Colossians 3:8-14 invite us to do with regard to our national or ethnic divisions? 6) In Matthew 25, Jesus identifies closely with the sojourner. How were His incarnation and even His crucifixion on our behalf related to this idea?

Micah 6:6-8 - "How should someone approach God?" is one of the most important questions a person can ask. The Christian gospel contends that God has graciously first approached His people in the person and work of Jesus Christ--God with us. But to walk in intimacy with God, we are called to be conduits of the heart of God to others around us through what the prophet Micah calls "doing justice." In this sermon, we consider some basic principles for doing justice with a sacrificial heart, both responsively and proactively. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 2 of our series "Images and Neighbors, Every One"] Questions for reflection: 1) This passage from Micah first outlines some wrong answers to the question "With what shall I come before the Lord?" What does this make clear about how not to approach God? 2) How would you define "doing justice"? What are some of the most important aspects? 3) Doing justice can involve time, treasure, and talents or serving, financially giving, and advocacy. Why is "doing justice' not reducible to just one of these activities? 4) Discuss the idea of planning for both responsive/reactive justice work and proactive/strategic justice work. 5) Why is a loving heart an indispensable part of this? 6) What is the connection between the grace of Christ toward us and our doing justice toward others?

Luke 4:16-21 - We are beginning a 5-week examination of God's demand for His people to be about justice and compassion, just as He is. We begin with the words Jesus used to announce the character of His public ministry: words that contain the heart of God, the example of Jesus, and a call to all of His disciples. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 1 of our series “Images and Neighbors, Every One: A Brief Theology of Justice and Compassion”] Questions for reflection: 1) How would you answer the question: "What did Jesus come to do?" 2) Why should we take this passage in Luke 4 as especially important for understanding Jesus's overall mission? 3) What all did Jesus say that He came to do in Luke 4:18-19? 4) What is the relationship between physical needs and spiritual needs in Jesus's words here? What is the relationship between them in general for Jesus? 5) How did Jesus actually put these words into practice over the course of His ministry? 6) How is this passage a reminder of what Jesus first did for us spiritually? How might that motivate us to become people of justice and compassion toward our neighbors?

1 Peter 3:15 - In this short verse, Peter challenges his readers to be "prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you." It's a call to spend the time needed to sort out how our own stories intersect with the gospel of Jesus, or, put another way, to prepare our own spiritual testimonies. It turns out, our stories are an indispensable part of boldly going to our neighbors in word and witness. In this message, Cameron also shared a practical framework for writing a testimony ("before, how, after, now") and challenged our whole church community to spend the month of January brainstorming, refining, writing, and sharing each of our stories with someone else. You have a story and it's both meaningful and powerful--let's get ready to tell it! A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 4 of our series "Confidently Be, Boldly Go: On the Dance of Family Formation and Neighbor Witness"]

Ezekiel 37:24-28 - The prophet Ezekiel prophesied from exile in Babylon about both the reasons for the judgment God's people were experiencing as well as the very real hope of what God would do among Israel, the nations, and the whole creation. In this passage, we get another prophecy about the Messiah, this time connected to a new covenant God would make with His people and a related promise to be present with them forevermore. And although the name "Immanuel" is not in this passage, the idea of "God with us" very much is--a promise that Jesus would fulfill in stages through His incarnation, sending of the Holy Spirit, and eventual return. We conclude Advent 2025 reflecting on the God who is truly with us, even in this dark in-between. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 4 of our series "Advent in the Prophets"]

Micah 5:1-6 - The prophet Micah prophesied about both God's impending judgment through rival nations AND the anointed king (messiah) who would come and shepherd God's people. In this passage we learn several things about what the Messiah would be like, including the surprisingly humble place of his birth. As we encounter the Messiah as Jesus Christ in the New Testament, we learn that that particular surprise wasn't the half of it. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 3 of our series "Advent in the Prophets"]

Daniel 7:9-14 - The Old Testament prophet Daniel's vision of a mysterious figure like a "son of man" approaching "the ancient of days" was shrouded in mystery for centuries--until Jesus came and claimed that title for Himself. In considering some of the connections between Daniel, the gospels, and Revelation, we learn deep truths about the surprising nature of God as Father, Son, and Spirit AND about what it will be like when the Son of Man returns. A sermon by Brette Way. [Part 2 of our series "Advent in the Prophets"]

This past Sunday 3 of our elders shared the latest updates and answers to some frequently asked questions concerning our ongoing Fremont Building Restoration Project and fundraising efforts. For ongoing updates, be sure to visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter. Support this project by giving and sharing with those who might be interested in helping to restore a 111-year-old church building in the heart of Portland! Learn, share, and give at www.doorofhopene.org.

Isaiah 9:2-7 - For Advent we'll be considering four passages from the Old Testament prophets that anticipated the coming of God's Spirit-anointed Messiah-King, who we know as Jesus Christ. In Isaiah 9, we get a picture of God's light entering the dark, breaking the chains of His people's oppression, and sending a Son to rule in perfect wisdom, strength, and peace. We learn that God doesn't fear the dark, but enters it with us to dispel it. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 1 of our series “Advent in the Prophets”] Questions for reflection: 1) What is the difference between Advent and “the Holiday Season?” 2) How does Advent carry both a realistic and optimistic message? 3) What is God's relationship to darkness? 4) How is God's promised ruler different from the various ones that come and go in our world? 5) How does the cross illustrate the totally unique nature of Jesus's rule and reign?

Matthew 5:31-32 - In His third case study, Jesus naturally turns from adultery and lust to marriage and divorce. Jesus's short statement highlights and answers one of the chief debates of His day: who or what is a marriage for? And how is it most wounded? In this passage we find Jesus's kingdom once again to be a place that champions the sanctity of marriage, in general, and the dignity of women, in particular. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 7 of our series "Jesus's Sermon on the Mount: The Good Life in the Kingdom of Grace"] Questions for reflection: 1) What experience do you have with divorce in your own family or friendships? 2) Recap the debate in Jesus's day about the grounds for divorce according to the law of Moses? 3) What do you think marriage is popularly thought to be "for" in our culture? 4) What does Jesus's teaching here indicate about how He sees the purpose of marriage? 5) How do we not trivialize the deep importance of our marriage commitments when acknowledging the grounds for divorce that the New Testament gives? 6) If you're married, how have you worked to cultivate health in your own marriage? If you're single, how have you worked to cultivate health in your own singleness?

Matthew 5:27-30 - In His second case study, Jesus explores the connection between the call to faithfulness to the one-flesh marriage covenant and the little looks and thoughts that reduce our brothers and sisters to sexual objects. In Jesus's kingdom, His disciples will fight to dignify one another as the divine image bearers that we are--and they'll live in light of the radical stakes that Jesus introduces here. All of this without shame, but in the loving light of the forgiving, merciful grace of our savior. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 6 of our series "Jesus's Sermon on the Mount: The Good Life in the Kingdom of Grace"] Questions for reflection: 1) What parallels did you notice in the stories Cameron shared about women's response to Jesus in the 2nd century and British journalist Louise Perry's response to Jesus over the last few years? 2) Why are Christians sometimes accused of being anti-sex? How would you answer that charge? 3) Talk about "covenant commitment" as the center of the biblical sexual ethic. 4) Jesus affirms the Old Testament's prohibition of adultery, but then He reveals its deeper heart. Why is Jesus concerned with what people do even with their eyes and minds? 5) How is this teaching good news for women, in particular? 6) What are some radical measures you could take to step into this fight in light of verses 29-30?

Matthew 5:21-26 - Through 6 case studies, Jesus explains what it means for Him to fulfill the law and to invite His disciples into a righteousness "greater than the pharisees." In the first case study, Jesus explores the deeper heart behind the Old Testament command not to murder. In a shocking twist, Jesus reveals the equal culpability of belittling words and the contemptuous heart. He also explores the connection between love for God and love for neighbor in surprising fashion. Through it all, Jesus affirms the incredible dignity with which disciples must learn to view their neighbors if they're going to live in step with His kingdom. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 5 of our series "Jesus's Sermon on the Mount: The Good Life in the Kingdom of Grace"] Questions for reflection: 1) Explain the connection between this passage and the previous one (Matthew 5:17-20). 2) Why would Jesus say that anger in the heart or contemptuous words will receive the same judgment as murder? What's he getting at? 3) In what ways can anger be a proper response? In what ways can it be a dangerous response? How does our culture often get this wrong? 4) What principle do you think is behind Jesus's story about not offering temple sacrifice while there is unresolved conflict with a brother or sister? 5) How does this passage push us toward a deeper recognition of our need for forgiveness through Christ?

Matthew 5:17-20 - Jesus transitions into the main body of His sermon by establishing His relationship to "the law and the prophets," which is shorthand for the entire Old Testament. Contrary to the thinking of many who want to simply pit Jesus against Israel's Scriptures, Jesus emphatically announces that HE has come not to abolish them, but to fulfill them--to bring them to their completion. In doing so He hints at the fact He is the one bringing about God's New Covenant, where the law will be written on the new heart and lived from the inside out with a new righteousness. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 4 of our series "Jesus's Sermon on the Mount: The Good Life in the Kingdom of Grace"] Questions for reflection: 1) What are some ways you've heard Jesus's relationship to the Old Testament described previously? 2) What do you make of Jesus's emphatic point about his "not abolishing" the law and the prophets? 3) What does this teaching have to do with Jesus's later encounters with the Pharisees (like in Matthew 12:1-8 or Matthew 23:23-24)? How does it help us make sense of later passages where certain requirements of the law are loosened like in Acts 10 or Acts 15? 4) Where does someone find a righteousness that "exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees"? 5) How would you summarize Jesus's relationship to the Mosaic law? 6) How would you answer someone who asked why Christians don't observe the laws about wearing clothes of mixed fabrics?

Matthew 5:13-16 - Jesus's introduction to the Sermon on the Mount continues with His proclamation of His receptive audience's role in the world as both salt and light. In this short saying, Jesus is calling His disciples to be who they were made to be: those who together make things better (and for a long time) in a broken world and those who boldly shine Christ's light in a dark world. Underneath it all is the great call to "love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength... and to love your neighbor as yourself." A sermon by Tsion Reid. [Part 3 of our series "Jesus's Sermon on the Mount: The Good Life in the Kingdom of Grace"] Questions for reflection: 1) What would you say you are known for? 2) What does it mean to be "the salt of the earth?" 3) How does someone let their light shine boldly as on "a stand?" 4) What is the relationship here between faith and works? Or between Christ's work in your life and your work out in the world? 5) How does this passage point us to the grace of Christ? How does it point us to the Holy Spirit's empowerment?

Matthew 5:3-12 - The opening of the sermon on the mount sets out to answer a question of great importance: Who is really blessed in God's kingdom? Who is really happy in His kingdom? Who is really well-off in His kingdom? Who has the good life? This opening, often called “the beatitudes,” gives an answer that shocks us the same way it shocked Jesus's first audience the same way it shocks people from any human culture that hears it–because its answer never comes naturally or peacefully into any culture in this world. And that's for good reason, because it is an otherworldly answer. And yet, it is an answer that is full of hope to all who recognize their need. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 2 of our series "Jesus's Sermon on the Mount: The Good Life in the Kingdom of Grace"] Questions for reflection: 1) According to your natural mind, who would you say has possession of "the good life?" 2) Who was the specific group of people Jesus was speaking to? What do we know about them? Why is their identity important for what Jesus says to them? 3) How does the list of types of people that Jesus mentions strike you? Why are they difficult ways of being in this world? 4) Where does the "blessing" lie in these statements? 5) How is Jesus the embodiment of the beatitudes? 6) How is the importance of the recognition of our own need highlighted here in Jesus's words?

Matthew 4:23-5:2 - This teaching begins our deep dive into Jesus's Sermon on the Mount, which is one of the most famous and important collections of teachings of all time and an especially load-bearing part of the New Testament. Matthew's gospel frames the sermon in ways that highlight it as an important part of Jesus's gospel of the kingdom, as a new law for the New Covenant community, and as an extension of Jesus's whole-person approach to ministry in word and deed. In short, it is Jesus's vision of the good life in His kingdom of grace. It also begs the question, "What if Jesus was serious?" A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 1 of our series "Jesus's Sermon on the Mount: The Good Life in the Kingdom of Grace"] Questions for reflection: 1) What have you previously heard about the purpose of the sermon on the mount? 2) What do you make of the radical claims the sermon makes on Jesus's disciples? 3) What part of Jesus's sermon do you find most beautiful? Most challenging? 4) What does the sermon on the mount have to do with the Kingdom of God? What does it have to do with the grace of God? 5) What are some of the implications for us "if Jesus was serious?"

1 Peter 2:9-12 - In part 3 of our vision series we consider how we are to “boldly go.” Rooted in our identity together as “holy exiles” chiefly allegiant to King Jesus, we are to embrace a posture of love toward our city and neighbors, in word and in deed. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 3 of our series “Confidently Be, Boldly Go: On the Dance of Family Formation and Neighbor Witness”] Questions for reflection: 1) Do you personally tend toward separating into a holy huddle OR assimilating into a fan club in relation to our cultural environment? 2) How have you felt the reality of living as a “holy exile” or “ambassador” in your day-to-day life? 3) How does the idea of evangelizing sit with you? Why? 4) How would you describe your own degree of being wowed with the beauty and goodness of Jesus? 5) What is one population in Portland you struggle to love? Why? 6) What is one population in Portland that your heart really beats for? Why? 7) Why do you think faith and love expressed in word AND deed are so important across the Bible?

1 Peter 2:1-8 - In part 2 of our vision series we consider just what it is we're to "confidently be." Rooted in our cross-centered theology, fighting to be knit together as family, and doggedly committed to a focused simplicity--we are fighting to be formed as a community set apart for Jesus. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 2 of our series “Confidently Be, Boldly Go: On the Dance of Family Formation and Neighbor Witness”]

1 Peter 2:1-12 - We begin our 2025-2026 vision series with an examination of two great temptations that have always been with the people of God: to either separate into a holy huddle or to assimilate into a cultural fan club. The key to avoiding the failings of each is to remain radically committed to the Jesus who deeply cares both about the formation of His people into a spiritual family AND the witness toward their neighbors in word and deed. This year may God allow us to both confidently be AND boldly go. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 1 of our vision series “Confidently Be, Boldly Go: On the Dance of Family Formation and Neighbor Witness”]

Job 42 - At the end of Job it is clear that the book is neither a how-to manual nor a collection of explanations for our sufferings. Even still, the final chapter recounts many of the book's enduring principles that help us stand when suffering comes our way. It also leaves us with its most important principle of all: the call to trust the good and gracious character of the God who promises to one day put all things right. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 6 of our series "God, Goodness & Suffering: The Wisdom of the Book of Job"]

Job 38-41 - All of the questions and wrestlings of Job come to a head in these chapters as God finally responds from the whirlwind. But instead of supplying answers, God introduces even more questions--questions directed to Job meant to illustrate just how incomplete Job's knowledge of the universe and capacity for justice are. But within God's humbling questions is a greater invitation: to trust the goodness of God, even when we're in pain and even when we don't understand. A sermon by Ron Friesen. [Part 5 of our series “God, Goodness & Suffering: The Wisdom of the Book of Job”]

Job 30-31 - Throughout the main body of the book of Job, Job himself is responding to his friends and calling out to God with a kind of raw, shockingly honest rhetoric that recalls the Psalms of lament. In his final speech culminating in chapter 31, Job helps us see that learning to similarly bring our laments to God is a crucial part of a healthy path through suffering that ignores neither God nor our deepest emotions. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 4 of our series “God, Goodness & Suffering: The Wisdom of the Book of Job”]

Job 28:1-28 - A sermon by Lindsey Ponder. [Part 3 of our series “God, Goodness & Suffering: The Wisdom of the Book of Job”]

This past Sunday we announced our intent to purchase the beloved Fremont church building we meet in and to make a significant investment in it. Our desire is to raise the money necessary to address long-deferred maintenance so that it would remain a thriving, beautiful, Jesus-proclaiming space in our city for years to come. Listen here to the update that was given and learn how you can play your part in this exciting opportunity!

Job 3-27, 32-37 - The narrative opening of Job concludes with 3 of Job's friends arriving to comfort him. At first, they employ a quiet and compassionate ministry of presence. However, in chapter 3, Job's speech kicks off a series of cyclical dialogues that reveal just how short-sighted, falsely rationalizing, and insensitive the friends' verbal attempts at comfort are. In chapters 16-17, Job gives them his assessment: they are "miserable comforters" who simply can't provide either the full answers or the existential comfort that Job needs in his agony. But in his longing, Job gestures at the possibility of One to come who will embody perfect truth and perfect compassionate presence--the true Comforter, Friend, Lord and Savior. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 2 of our series "God, Goodness & Suffering: The Wisdom of the Book of Job"]

Job 1:1-2:10 - The book of Job is an epic lyrical poem sandwiched between two narrative prose sections that add up to one of the great works of world literature (in addition to being the Spirit-inspired word of God). It examines the question of whether or not God is good and just given all the suffering we find in the world. In the opening section of the book it introduces us to the characters and theological dilemmas that the rest of the book will wrestle with. It also stands in relation to two other load-bearing stories from across the Bible about God, goodness and suffering, both of which will be crucial for understanding the answers the book of Job offers. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 1 of our series "God, Goodness & Suffering: The Wisdom of the Book of Job"]

1 Corinthians 15:50-58 - The Creed ends the way the Bible ends--with an answer to its first problem: How will sin, evil, sickness, death and separation from God be overcome? The answer comes in the form of the resurrection–first Jesus's, and then the resurrection of all of His people into a new, glorious, abundant, eternal life. The Bible and the Creed both end with a vision of real life taken up again (and better than ever before) with Him. Praise be to God! And come, Lord Jesus! Amen. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 18 of our series "The Nicene Creed: The Ancient Theology of the Triune God"]

Acts 2:37-39 - Jesus left baptism to His church as one of its most important sacraments and practices. It serves as a sign and seal of the incredible blessings He brings to His people when they believe and confess Him as Lord. It becomes a deeply powerful act of public witness to our churches and neighbors as well as an anchor point to look back on in moments of discouragement. In this message we consider Peter's command on Pentecost to "repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins..." A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 17 of our series "The Nicene Creed: The Ancient Theology of the Triune God"]

Ephesians 2:19-22; 4:4-6 - The Nicene Creed uses some of its valuable real estate to highlight the crucial importance of the church for the Christian faith. In our day of digital and personal substitutes, the Creed seeks to remind us that there is no such thing as a churchless Christianity. Jesus created the church to be His body, His bride, and an embassy of His kingdom. When we confess with the Creed that we believe "in one holy, catholic, and apostolic church," we are reminded to fight for the kind of unity and Christ-likeness that Jesus prayed for, even as we know we won't see it in full until He returns. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 16 of our series "The Nicene Creed: The Ancient Theology of the Triune God"]

2 Peter 1:16-21 - The bishops who formulated the Creed wanted to make sure the authority and trustworthiness of Scripture was acknowledged, and what better way than to highlight Scripture as the vehicle of prophetic words from the Holy Spirit (another way of saying the Bible is the word of God)? And although the prophets, the Apostles, and Jesus Himself had an exceedingly high view of the Bible and its divine origin, they also readily acknowledged its thoroughly human origin. This is all the more evidence of the desire God has to work in, through, and alongside His image bearers to accomplish His purposes—even in the creation of his sacred texts! A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 15 of our series “The Nicene Creed: The Ancient Theology of the Triune God”]

John 15:26-27 - The brevity, mystery, and church-splitting importance of the phrase "Who proceeds from the Father" make it among the most difficult in the Creed to unpack. Debates over the eternal relations within God--especially the procession of the Spirit from the Father--led in part to the split of the single Christian church into the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches in 1054 AD (the Protestant Reformation came later). But before we dismiss this debate as too obscure, we should fight to see the importance that the great Christian theologians of history have attached to it. It helps us understand the key distinctions within the trinity and ensures that we view the Holy Spirit, alongside the Father and the Son, as fully God and utterly worthy of our worship. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 14 of our series "The Nicene Creed: The Ancient Theology of the Triune God"]

Acts 2:1-4 - The third section of the Nicene Creed explores the person and work of the Holy Spirit. In this message we consider Genesis 1-2, John 16, and Acts 2 to see how the Bible reveals the Holy Spirit not as an impersonal force, but as God Himself--the third person of the trinity--who brings His people to new life. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 13 of our series "The Nicene Creed: The Ancient Theology of the Triune God"]

Luke 18:28-30 - Jesus and the Apostles had a radical vision for the burgeoning church community: a spiritual family or parents, siblings, and children to one another with Jesus at the head. Reclaiming this vision reminds us that we aren't meant to parent alone, but that it truly takes a village. The implications of truly pursuing this vision of life are powerful for parents, other adults, and children alike. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 4 of our series "Bearing the Image as Fathers and Mothers"]

Ephesians 6:1-4 - The biblical perspective on the value of children was a revolution in its ancient context, one we're still struggling to fully live into today. Paul's teaching in Ephesians 6 to parents is what flows out of a view of children as full image-bearers of God--full of dignity and value given by God Himself. In it, we are challenged to take seriously kids' personhood and feelings and to nourish them through our discipline and instruction, empowerment and nurture. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 3 of our series "Bearing the Image as Fathers and Mothers"]

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 - The Shema in Deuteronomy 6 is one of the most important, load-bearing passages in the entire Bible. Its content and then application in the following verses has deep implications for all of life, especially for Christian parenting. In it we see that whatever we want to communicate to our children about God, we must first find that we know and love Him in our own hearts. Healthy, engaged, intentional Christian parenting flows out of a life of integrity beginning in the heart then out through our words and actions. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 2 of our series "Bearing the Image as Fathers & Mothers"]

Luke 15:11-24 - In this sermon we start a 4-part teaching series on parenting called "Bearing the Image as Fathers & Mothers." We begin with a consideration of the fundamental task of parenting: Spirit-empowered embodiment of the compassionate and gracious heart of our Father God toward our children—children both literal and spiritual. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 1 of our series "Bearing the Image as Fathers and Mothers"]

John 5:19-29 - In this message we look at the final section of the 2nd article of the creed, which says Jesus "shall come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, of whose kingdom there shall be no end." The return and final judgment of Jesus are often considered scary or uncomfortable doctrines, but rightly understood, they give us confidence that truth, goodness, beauty, and justice will win out in the end. We are also told in Scripture that God desires that none should perish and so He gives all time to repent and turn to Him--His invitation to find oneself on the right side of His judgment is widely open to all who will take it. Jesus's judgment, in the end, is an indispensable part of His good news. A sermon by Pip Craighead. [Part 12 of our series "The Nicene Creed: The Ancient Theology of the Triune God"]