The Portland Church - Sermons

Lisa Johnson delivers a message about Mary, the mother of Jesus. She shares a story about Mary that is often not told. She speaks about how Mary was always going somewhere and saying something. Introduction by Steve Johnson and comments by Mike Mathas. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org

Merry Christmas from the Portland Church! Anthonee Georgette shares about the gifts that Jesus brings! For the full service video, please visit our Youtube page at www.youtube.com/portlandchurch This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org

Join the panel discussion regarding purity culture as we add on to our first discussion. We cover the purpose of having a safe place, getting to the heart of what purity is in God's standards, and purity being based in love instead of being based in fear. Tonight, we have panelists from around the globe, around the United States, and from all ages and backgrounds. Panelists include: Matt and Celine Morris, Nadine Templer, Kevin and Katelynn Smith, Isabel Arcellana, Kenzi Bishura, Chemise Maynard, Alan Tolbert, Jian White, and Rachel Ferguson. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org

Join the panel discussion regarding purity culture and how it relates to modesty culture and even rape culture. Purity culture is a multi-fasciated social construct. Tonight we have panelists from around the globe, around the United States, and from all ages and backgrounds. Let us listen with open minds and hearts and start real conversations with those around us. Panelists include: Meigan Whitcomb, Janai Aubrey, Mariah Boger, Celine Morris, Kenzi Bishara, Elaine Pearl Muodzi, Nadine Templer, and Steve and Lisa Johnson. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org

Join us for Sunday Service with Matthew Morris sharing about some things to consider in regards to race and social justice. He talks about church elitism and how the church should be the first to respond to issues of injustice. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org

Join us for Sunday Service this morning as guest speaker Will Archer brings us our message today! Will comes from the Potomac Valley Church but was converted in NYC. He speaks with us on the importance of navigating uncharted territories with an unchanging God. He speaks of the importance of being new wineskins in the new world that we live in. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org

Join us for a lovely communion lead by Patricia Mize followed by a sermon from evangelist, Jim Lenahen, from Atlanta, GA. Jim speaks to us on his own experiences with race and things the church can do to keep the Kingdom of God standing. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org

Join us tonight as we get time with Kevin Holland, Alex Hunter, Rick Cook, Alyssa Cabrera, Brittany Bradford, Edward Ackah-Miezah, and James Sulewski. We discuss race, systemic racism, what we can do as Christians, and how to start these conversations. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org

Kevin Holland, from the Turning Point Ministry in LA, joins us for church. Kevin shares with us the challenges in addressing systemic racism and loving one another despite the challenges. Mariah Boger leads us in communion discussing the prodigal son. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org

Join us this morning as guest, Dave Pocta, shares with us a practical way to dig deeper into scriptures. David and his wife Beth spent the first half of their career serving in full-time ministry in the International Churches of Christ. After serving in the ministry in South Africa, he developed Ministry Training Academies across the African continent in Johannesburg (2011), Nairobi (2013), and Abidjan (2015) to train church leaders. Tune in to a conversation about race with the Mathias' and digging into the Word with Dave. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org

Join us again tonight as we have a powerful midweek with the two Davis men on the conversation about Race. As two black evangelists in the ICOC congregation, Frank and Scott Davis discuss what race and racism look like within the church's walls. Why is it that so many of us are just now realizing racial inequality, and what are the powers that have been put into place to keep it that way? Are we in the church immune to racism and oppression, and what are things people in leadership can do to keep the conversation going? All of this and more can be found in tonight's incredible Midweek. For more information on the topic of race and its affect in our church communities, check out their website at https://www.greaterbaltimorechurch.org/god-grace-and-race. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

We are experiencing an incredible shift in our society, and that in turn is having a large impact on our churches across the world. What does this mean for a lot of the white men in our congregation? Join us as we look at what we can do as five white men in our congregation to bring our friends and family close to God, and see how we can emulate Jesus during these times. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

This week have a special guest from the Ukraine in our friend Sean Wooten! Sean began his mission work as a young single in the church and found himself preaching the gospel in Russia alongside many dedicated brothers and sisters. This week Sean will share with us some of the blessings and challenges he's faced living as an American in Russia, and how we in the United States can learn a lot about 'being in fellowship with one another' from our brothers and sisters in Russia. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

Nadine Templer joins us again this week and shares with us what it was that really attracted her to the Christian faith. What was it about her study of Jesus that inspired her to dedicate her life to being a missionary? How has this faith and trust in scripture gotten her through the highs and lows in her life? And how does social justice tie-in to this entire world of Christianity? Does it have a place in the church? Included in episode is also a powerful story from Matthew and Celine Morris as they share with us their experience with prejudice and racism in the United States. In a world where injustice and oppression is still prevalent, how are we supposed to feel about Christ and how are we supposed to view scripture? This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

This week we are joined by world recognized biblical scholar Douglas Jacoby as he brings to us a study on interpreting the bible and our building of personal doctrine? How are we supposed to properly interpret scripture, and what does this mean for how we apply what we learn? What is important about translation, genre, application, and context? How can we utilize scholarly study to better our understanding of scripture? Listen and you'll find out! This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

This last week has been incredibly difficult as we witnessed more violence against black bodies in the form of the murder of George Floyd. With heavy hearts we come tonight to express our sorrow and important thoughts we have surrounding how we, as the church, are supposed to respond to the pain and grief we see around us. We love you all and know that you all matter to us. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

This week we have the privilege to hear a strong message from Frank Williams from Boise, ID. What was it about us that Jesus wanted to save? What can we do as recipients of such a great love? How are we supposed to become the people God wants us to be, and what are the fights we need to have in order to further the message of Christ? Join us as we learn more about our freedom in Christ and how we can utilize that Freedom to furthering the kingdom of God. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

This week the topic of race and racism has been incredibly prevalent in conversations both inside and outside of the church community. Because of this, a lot of people have questions regarding how we're supposed to respond and what we are called to be as disciples. This week we have the privilege of listening to an African American brother from the Atlanta Church named Dr. Ed Jackson. Today, we are going to look into the scripture and ask ourselves some hard questions. What does injustice look like, in our reality and in the bible? What are we seeing in Minneapolis region? What has brought us to this moment, culturally? How can we draw any parallels to the Israelites in Isaiah? Join us as we dive into scripture and challenge ourselves and our perceptions. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

Mothers day can be an exciting day, but it can also be a very discouraging day. Today we look at the characteristics of God and how he can be considered the ultimate mother to us throughout our lives. We love all of you and hope you are able to be encouraged by the lesson! This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

This week we have special guest Gordon Ferguson join us again to elaborate on some of the insightful experiences he shared with us last week! We'll get to hear about Gordon's history with the mainline Church of Christ culture and how he's grown in his personal studies over the years, as well as how he has learned to grow in his reading and understanding of scripture. How have these changes in understanding scripture affected his understanding of allowing and encouraging of women in church leadership? How do we view husband-wife relationships, or men-women relationships? We get into all of this and more! This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

Join us this morning as we learn from biblical scholar Doug Jacoby about our relationship with God and how nothing can separate us from his love other than ourselves. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

Join us for an online communion as we hear from Speech and Yolanda Thomas. Today we will hear all about their journey and how they came from Yoruba to Christ. Why is it important to meet people where they are at, and what does it really mean to have a peace that transcends all understanding? This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

We are ending the Brother Show on a bit of a mellow note as we honor the life of Leslie "Jockey" Johnson, Steve Johnson's father. Leslie was a great man of faith and made a tremendous impact on the lives of everyone around him. The episode for this evening is a wonderful conversation between good friends on how we can keep the faith throughout our lives, just as Leslie did. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

This evening we sit down with Kit Cummings known for his Peace Projects across the United States. In this episode, we will hear all about how the Peace Project has been making an impact in prisons and schools across the nation, and how little things like maintaining peace can inspire the next generation of believers. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

This evening we get to sit down with biblical teacher Michael Burns as we have some deep conversations about race, culture, and how that impacts our church lives and walking with God. What is the difference between feeling welcomed at church and feeling at home? Find out in this episode of the Brother Show! This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

Calvin Johnson, MD discusses his role in the fight against the virus, being a deacon in the church, and his poor taste in football teams. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

Tonight we will have a live discussion about how we can all be better men in Christ, and what it might take to get past some of our biggest hurdles. Join us as we talk through it all! This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

Tonight we will have a live discussion about how we can all be better men in Christ, and what it might take to get past some of our biggest hurdles. Join us as we talk through it all! This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

Michael Patterson discusses mentoring young men before you get too old to care. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

Gordon Ferguson discusses his latest book and 16 tips for staying in love with your wife, if you have one. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

This is our Easter Sunday in April of 2020 as our city remains on a Stay at Home order due to COVID-19. We hope you all are encouraged by our service, despite the technical difficulties we encountered with our live when we went live on Facebook. We love you all. HE IS RISEN! This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

This is our very first online Women's Devotional, and we can't wait to have you guys here to praise and worship with us! Join us this evening for lots of prayers, scripture reading, songs, and a beautiful lesson from Dionne Davis. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

Of all the people in the world Jesus could have appeared to after his resurrection, why did he choose Mary? What was it about her that made Jesus want to tell her first about the Good News? Join as Lisa Johnson and Shawn Patterson discuss why this is a significant choice in the bible and what those implications mean for us. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

Tonight we will focus on the power of Jesus' love to sustain us and inspire us to get through the hard times. Because of his love Mary was able to cling to him through the dark hours of suffering and dying on the cross and all the way to the resurrection. Join us as we listen to an interview between Lisa Johnson and McKenzie Brewster on this topic. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

Our second night during the Week of Devotion is going to focus on Jesus looking past Mary's history and loving her completely for who she is. Our past doesn't define us. Jesus reached into the darkness of demon possession to rescue her. He can rescue us as well. Join us as we listen to Lisa Johnson and Nadine Templer discuss these topics and what it means for us in our lives. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

This evening is our first night of the Week of Devotion; a mini-series of encouraging devotionals that lead our minds and hearts into this important weekend of Good Friday and Easter. This first lesson is an incredible discussion on Jesus and Mary Magdalene as we notice how deeply he sees her, and how he doesn't let how others see her affect his love and affection for her. We are not invisible to him. He sees the real us and helps us become who we were always meant to be. Join us as we listen to an interview between Lisa Johnson and Beth Brewster on the matter. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

We had a lovely Zoom Meeting gathering this morning where we all got together and focused on what Communion truly means and how it should affect us. In this video, you hear thoughts from Anthonee Georgette and his Household, Garrison Palmer, and a special message from Doug Arthur from the Boston Church of Christ. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

Facing the unknown is incredibly challenging and it often brings out the best and worst in our faith. What does it really take to stand courageous amidst difficult times? To answer this question, Lisa Johnson brings us to the book of Daniel as we inspect Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's struggle against Nebuchadnezzar. Join us as we draw incredible parallels between the struggles these three men of God faced as they stood with God and how we can do the same in our most difficult of times. This is an audio from the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

Tamar and Judah's story clears up confusion regarding Tamar's questionable reputation and gives us great inspiration to be people of action. God can do great things through each of us if we can fight our fear and be willing to risk it all. This is an audio sermon recorded at the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

Since the declaration of the Coronavirus being a global pandemic many people have began to struggle financially, mentally, and relationally due to the precautions put into place by our US government. With businesses closing indefinitely, people getting laid off, and fear of the health and safety of our elders, it would make sense if fear and anxiety have become a part of your daily lives. Lisa Johnson comes to us this morning to offer a message of peace and faith in these trying times. She will share with us how while our fears and concerns are valid, Faith can get us through even the hardest of times.  This is an audio sermon recorded at the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

While we all sit in self-quarantine due to the COVID-19 virus spreading throughout our country, Steve Johnson comes to us with a powerful message on Life in Isolation. Get ready to hear some powerful connections between how people treated the individuals with Leprosy during this time and how we may be feeling throughout this isolation period of our lives.  This is an audio sermon recorded at the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit www.portlandchurch.org/.

After everything our community has gone through this last month, it only feels appropriate for us to focus on New Beginnings as we ring in our first church service in our new building. A "Happily Ever After" often sounds like an unattainable ideal however, if we truly grasped how much God loves us through his establishment of the New Covenant, we couldn't help but believe in fairytale. Join us this week as Steve Johnson brings us a lesson from the book of Hebrews about what this new covenant is, and what it means for us as Christians. This is an audio sermon recorded at the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit https://www.portlandchurch.org/.

What does it take to build something great for God? Is it courage? Is it hard work? Or is it something more? In this podcast, we will hear about the great struggle the cupbearer Nehemiah went through after returning home from the Babylonian exile. In his mission to rebuild the walls of the Second Temple, Nehemiah went through many different trials and hardships; despite it all, he was able to rally his people around finishing building the temple, a task many thought to be impossible. Tune in as our guest speaker Anthonee Georgette teaches us about the struggle Israel faced during this time and what it means for us as we live our lives for God. This is an audio sermon recorded at the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit https://www.portlandchurch.org/.

The story of the Samaritan woman and Jesus at the well (John 4) is an incredible example of how Jesus is bringing his kingdom to the gentiles, as well as the Jews of his time. In this episode, we will be hearing from Lisa Johnson as she shares her insights into the Samaritan woman story and the historical context of this incredible tale. For more information on Lisa Johnson or to hear more of her content on Mutuality in the bible, check out her website at https://lisajohnsonmutuality.com/. This is an audio sermon recorded at the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit https://www.portlandchurch.org/.

What is Jubilee, and how is this ancient tradition supposed to affect us today as followers of Christ? Join us in this three-part series as we discover what God wants us to learn about him through this celebration of Rebirth and Renewal through scripture. In this episode, Steve Johnson will be giving us the foundations of what this celebration would have meant to ancient Jews reading Levitical law. We will also hear about how this tradition so tightly links itself to our glorification of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. This is an audio sermon recorded at the Portland Church in Portland, OR. If you would like to learn more about us or donate to our ministry, please visit https://www.portlandchurch.org/.

You're listening to audio from the Portland Church. If you would like to check out more resources, or donate to our ministry, please visit https://www.portlandchurch.org/. This week we are are listening to three of our young men who recently returned from Hope Worldwide Volunteer Corps, a non-profit organization currently doing work in the Philippines. Our speakers Angel Castro, Shawn Reddy, and Israel Castro will be bringing us a message of Unity, Contentment, and Love as they share with us their experience of surviving the devastating typhoon that ripped through the region over Christmas Eve in 2019. For more information on Hope Worldwide and how you can donate to Philippine Typhoon relief, please visit http://hopeworldwideph.org/.