Transforming Life Church PDX

Today we look at God incarnate

Today we transition from Old Testament to New Testament in our key passage study

We move on to look at a passage in the middle of Isaiah's prophecy of God coming to reclaim his kingdom.

This week we look at praying through despair and depression.

We turn our attention to God's instructions, creation, and prayer.

We take a detour into some recent events, but bring it around to see the permanency of God's decision to stick with humanity and work things to a resolution.

Today we look at the implications of one of the most interesting and tense conversations in the Bible.

We start by looking at humanity's place in the temple of creation.

Today we look at the healing of a blind man by Jesus in the Gospel of John.

This Easter, we jump forward to look at the 8th sign of Jesus in the Gospel of John.

Today we look at the fifth sign of Jesus in the Gospel of John.

Today we look at the fourth sign of Jesus in the Gospel of John.

Today we look at the third sign of Jesus in the Gospel of John.

Today we look at the second sign of Jesus in the Gospel of John.

Today we look at the first sign of Jesus in the Gospel of John.

Last week we looked at what the Christian faith is. It involves active participation in a story and is not as simple as an on/off switch but is felt more and less in degrees as we go through a journey. Faith is not having all the answers, but it is a lens or a framework through which we look at everything. Ultimately, faith is a leap into a transcendent relationship with God that stirs our imagination to look at what is ahead. Faith thrives in freedom. This week, we will begin to look at the characters within our faith story as they are introduced in the Apostles' Creed.

This week we start to look at the third and final act in the story of our faith. We will be introduced to the character of the Holy Spirit and the community that the Spirit inhabits: the Church and people within it.

We are halfway through our look at the story of our faith. Up to this point, we have considered that the story teaches us that God is everywhere, sustaining creation and guiding it, always working to continue his purposes and our good. As the story progresses, Jesus comes to earth, and in Jesus' life, we see that it seems there are special moments when things come together to create room where God acts in a unique way that we call miracles. Also, we considered that the only two people named in our story, other than Jesus, are Mary and Pontius Pilate. Mary reflects those times when space is given to the work of God, and Pilate personifies those times when the door is closed to the work of God. This week, we take a look at the events in the life of Jesus as he takes center stage in the second act of the Apostles' Creed.

We have learned that faith is not just something static but a journey we participate in. And in the story of this journey, there are several key characters. Last week we looked at God as existence itself. Through this, we considered that there is no place he is not, as he lends his presence to all that exists. This means there is nothing he does not experience himself alongside us while using his power to bring new life into all situations. This week we will consider the dawn of creation, and we will be introduced to the second figure of the story, Jesus.

We finish our look at faith and the Apostles' Creed.

We keep looking at faith and the Apostles' Creed.

We progress through our look at faith and the Apostles' Creed.

Kicking off the new year with a positive message.

For the early church, they understood that the Church was not established on a list of do's and don'ts, but was centered on a story, HIS-tory. This is why the first Church documents, the creeds, told stories rather than listed points of doctrine. That story is what kept the early Church together through unimaginable suffering and laid out its path. In an era where faith is being lost and churches are being left, we will take six weeks to explore the story that makes the Church as it is so eloquently told in the Apostles' Creed. Through this series, we will pull the Apostles' Creed into our day to grow our faith, refresh our relationship with the Church, and remind ourselves of the story that we hold to share with the world.

We get halfway through our look at faith and the Apostles' Creed.

We continue our look at faith and the Apostles' Creed.

We begin our look at faith and the Apostles' Creed.

One of the greatest presents we can give someone is our presence – to be fully engaged in a moment with them.

This time of year, there is a lot of attention given to giving. Whether it's shopping for personal gifts, donating to noteworthy organizations or meaningful projects – ‘tis the season. And during this season, we're often reminded that it's better to give than receive, but we aren't always reminded why and as a result it doesn't always ring true.

Even when “it goes without saying,” some things should be said. “I'm thankful for you” is one of those things. As much as we might acknowledge that without the people in our life we wouldn't have the full experiences we've had, how often do we thank people for the role they've played?

As we enter the holiday season we should remember that while the holidays are a special time of celebration, for many people holidays stand as yearly reminders of grief, pain and loss. It can be a lonely time when people feel like no one cares about the fights they're fighting or the pain they're enduring. Holidays stand as one of the most important times to remind people that we see them, love them, are willing to stand with them and walk through life with them – to remind them that we're their ally.

Everything may seem too hard to grasp, but the next thing isn't. We may be intimidated by Paul's instruction in 1 Cor. 16:14, or dismiss it as ridiculous that we should do EVERYTHING in love. But there is nothing stopping you from doing the next thing in love.

Listening demonstrates our interest in others – it communicates that we truly value them and helps us know them better. Listening helps us explore – it allows us to better understand others' needs, where they want to go and how we can join with them. Listening is also an important way to engage the needs of others.

Costumes are great for a party, but they become dangerous when we wear them to pretend to be something we're not.

Last year we all learned how important community really is. After months of social distancing and isolation, let's look to the future with a renewed commitment to cultivate community with the people around you. In this series you'll learn practical and biblical ways to experience the community you always wanted.

How do we rebuild community after a year and a half of Covid-19 isolation?

There are a lot of different exercises and practices you can do to strengthen your walk with Jesus. Have you considered repentance as a discipline? This practice is crucial to becoming more like Jesus, believing what He said, and being near Him no matter what you go through in life. Pastor Nelz will help you understand what repentance is and how to include it in your spiritual growth plan.

Living well in difficult times is a constant struggle. Join us as we study the Apostle Peter's letter to early Christians who also struggled. 1 Peter is full of hope for living well as followers of Jesus.

Living well in difficult times is a constant struggle. Join us as we study the Apostle Peter's letter to early Christians who also struggled. 1 Peter is full of hope for living well as followers of Jesus.

Andy is a missionary to the college student at Missouri State University. He is passionate about people finding and following Jesus!

Living well in difficult times is a constant struggle. Join us as we study the Apostle Peter's letter to early Christians who also struggled. 1 Peter is full of hope for living well as followers of Jesus.

Living well in difficult times is a constant struggle. Join us as we study the Apostle Peter's letter to early Christians who also struggled. 1 Peter is full of hope for living well as followers of Jesus.

Continuation of our Living Well Series. Living well in difficult times is a constant struggle. Join us as we study the Apostle Peter's letter to early Christians who also struggled. 1 Peter is full of hope for living well as followers of Jesus.

Living well in difficult times is a constant struggle. Join us as we study the Apostle Peter's letter to early Christians who also struggled. 1 Peter is full of hope for living well as followers of Jesus.

Living well in difficult times is a constant struggle. Join us as we study the Apostle Peter's letter to early Christians who also struggled. 1 Peter is full of hope for living well as followers of Jesus.

Living well in difficult times is a constant struggle. Join us as we study the Apostle Peter's letter to early Christians who also struggled. 1 Peter is full of hope for living well as followers of Jesus.

Jesus taught us to love our enemies, but it's even hard to love someone that you disagree with! Division seems the norm because our nation, families, and even churches have not figured out how to be in community with each other and be in disagreement. As the church, God's people in an evil world, let's be open to a different way. This Sunday Jason will challenge you to elevate love more than you ever have.

In this past year, we have heard a lot about cancel culture. Whether it's a politician, celebrity, or a close friend, we have to consider how to respond to others sin or values we disagree with. Pastor Nelz will encourage you to consider the key question "What does love require of me?".

This week we'll tackle another tough cultural topic, politics. How can you respond in those heated discussions as a believer? How can we disagree and still be in community with each other?

This past year has been divisive, emotional, and at times violent in our nation. How can you respond? What does the Bible teach us about loving others in this current political climate? Pastor Nelz and Pastor Esther will kick off this series with a dialogue about racism.

Part of the Identity in Christ Series.