Our 2024 vision series is titled "Human Amidst the Machine: pursuing genuine humanity in Christ in a time of dehumanization." Amidst all the other stressors of life, it seems our culture and its emphasis on the technological is uniquely suited to leaving us distracted, disembodied, and disenchanted. As a result, we are increasingly anxious, lonely, and tired. Amidst all of this, Jesus's loving words are like rain in the desert. He promises rest for our souls if we'll trade out the yokes of this age for His. This year, may we reclaim our genuine humanity in Jesus for one another and for our neighbors.

Recommended reading for deeper study:
"The Life We're Looking For" by Andy Crouch
"The Anxious Generation" by Jonathan Haidt
"Digital Liturgies" by Samuel James
"Disruptive Witness" by Alan Noble

Human Amidst the Machine: Pursuing genuine humanity in Christ in a time of dehumanization

Mark 1:14-15 - Jesus began his ministry with the announcement of God's good news. How must we respond? And why? A sermon by Cameron Heger.

The News and The Right to Tell It

Mark 1:21-28 - What happens when Jesus walks into God's special place on God's special day and encounters an evil spirit? Just a little light Saturday morning sermonizing and exorcising. A sermon by Cameron Heger.

Just a Little Light Saturday Sermonizing and Exorcising

Mark 2:18-22 - Questioned about His commitment to religious mourning, Jesus reveals that the most appropriate response to communion with Him is joyous, festive celebration. It forces us to ask, "What is the tone of my discipleship to Jesus?" A sermon by Cameron Heger.

A Time to Mourn and a Time to Dance

Various scriptures - In this message we looked at the overarching story of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and how it builds toward the hope for a messiah to come and put things right. In that story we find a connection between ancient Israel's hopeful longing before Jesus's first advent and our hopeful longing before Jesus's second advent. A sermon by Cameron Heger.

Hope of Israel, Hope of the World / Christmas in the Old Testament

As surprising as it sounds to many, our relationship to food is an important potential avenue for worship. For most, fasting and participating in the Lord’s Supper come to mind—but an often-neglected theme across the pages of scripture is feasting. God’s people have always been a feasting people and their feasting, at its best, has always been a joyful, celebratory, worshipful response to God’s character and work. May we learn to step into this great practice as we await the greatest feast yet to come when Jesus restores all things. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 4 of our series “The Praises of His People: A Practical Theology of Worship”]


Questions for discussion: 1) What is the most memorable meal or feast you’ve ever been a part of? What made it so special? 2) Why did the Israelites break out into worship in Nehemiah 8:1-12? 3) Why do you think God commands feasting as a response to Him and His Word? What does this say about Him? 4) Nehemiah 8:10 says in part, ‘And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ How is joy in God a source of strength? What does this mean for how we celebrate? 5) One of the greatest gifts of the gospel is an invitation to the wedding supper of the lamb (Revelation 19). How is our feasting today related to that great feast that is yet to come?

#doorofhope #doorofhopepdx #doorofhopene #doorofhopenortheast #portland #pdx #gospel #jesus

If God Is That Good, Let Us Eat! (Feasting as Worship)

Matthew 4:23-25 - An election year is a great time to reconsider Jesus’s teaching about the kingdom of God and the radical call to bend the knee to Him as king. We begin with a look at Jesus’s gospel message: the gospel of the kingdom. It is not only good news about the forgiveness of sins, but also about the victory and reign over Jesus over all competitors. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 1 of our series “One King and One Kingdom”]

Questions for discussion: 1) How have you defined the gospel? Has it been informed by a kingdom lens? 2) How would you argue for “the kingdom” as the main idea of Jesus’s teaching ministry? 3) How was calling his message “the gospel” a challenge to Caesar? 4) What do we learn about the gospel message in verses 23-25? 5) This passage gives us hints about who the kingdom includes—who does it suggest?

#doorofhope #doorofhopepdx #doorofhopene #doorofhopenortheast #portland #pdx #gospel #jesus

The Gospel of the Kingdom of God

Matthew 27:27-31 - This sermon was not technically part of the "One King and One Kingdom" series as it was given on Good Friday 2024, but it is exploring the same themes and is a kind of counterpart to the sermon preached on 4/21. In this message, we consider how Jesus models the way greatness and power works in the Kingdom of God. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 2 of our series "One King and One Kingdom"]

The Cross and The Crown pt. 1 (Good Friday 2024)

Mark 8:27-9:1 - After teaching and ministering among his disciples, Jesus put the question of questions to them: “Who do you say that I am?” Peter gave the right answer (The messiah! The king!) but didn’t understand what it meant for Jesus to receive his crown through the cross. We, too, must wrestle with what it means to follow King Jesus not into capitulation or violence, but into His way of sacrificial, suffering love. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 3 of our series “One King and One Kingdom”]

Questions for discussion: 1) Can you think of a time when you’ve taken on the habits, aesthetics, or values of a leader or subculture? What was that like? 2) Peter correctly identifies Jesus as the Messiah but reveals he has a shortsighted view of what that meant. Why did Peter see the king but miss the spirit of the kingdom? 3) How was Peter acting like Satan in Jesus’s view? Why was Jesus so firm with Peter? 4) Why was the cross an essential part of Jesus’s enthronement? 5) What relationship does our suffering have to Jesus’s suffering?

#doorofhope #doorofhopepdx #doorofhopene #doorofhopenortheast #portland #pdx #gospel #jesus

The Cross and The Crown pt. 2

Colossians 3:1-17 - In this passage, Paul turns the corner from the largely doctrinal to the largely practical. In light of who Jesus is and what He has done, how then shall we live? But rather than giving us license to sin or laws to perform, Paul centers our motivation on the gracious, saving work of Jesus and the new humanity He is bringing about. Secure in our life with Him, we are to acknowledge our new humanity with gratitude, take off all that is not part of it, and put on what is part of it, that we might be a picture of the life to come. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 5 of our series "Paul's Letter to the Church in Colossae"]

A New Humanity in Christ (Now and Yet to Come)

Colossians 3:17-4:1 - In this passage Paul takes his ideas about the new humanity in Christ and imports them into the Greco-Roman household codes. The result is not the destruction of the household or its roles, but instead the radical reorientation of them all around Jesus. For those who listen, marriages, parent-child relationships, and economic relationships never were and will never be the same. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 6 of our series “Paul’s Letter to the Church in Colossae”]

The Christ-Shaped Household

Matthew 11:28-30 - We begin our 2024 vision series with an examination of the dehumanizing, technological, inhumane age we find ourselves in: what we might call the age of the machine. Amidst all the other stressors of life, it seems our culture is uniquely suited to leaving us feeling distracted, disembodied, and disenchanted. We are anxious, lonely, and tired. Amidst all of this, Jesus's words are like rain in the desert. He promises rest for our souls, if we'll trade out the yokes of this age for His. This year, may we reclaim our genuine humanity in Jesus for one another and for our neighbors. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 1 of our 2024 vision series "Human Admist the Machine"]

The Machine and the One Who Offers Rest

Psalm 104 - We continue our 2024 vision series considering more ways in which our digital culture leaves us feeling dehumanized and disembodied. In Psalm 104, we find a model for how to reclaim the lens of our ancient faith by moving from distraction to focused attention, from disenchantment to divine recognition, and from disposability to cherishing. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 2 of our 2024 vision series "Human Amidst the Machine"]

Our Enchanted World Through Ancient Eyes

Genesis 1:26-28; Matthew 22:36-40; Mark 10:28-31 - We are living amidst a loneliness epidemic. There are many reasons for it, but at least one is our retreat from embodied, flesh-and-blood, local communities into digital spaces. In the age of "the machine," it could be that one of the most valuable counter-cultural things we can do is fight for community among the people of God. And perhaps our most powerful witness to the good news of Jesus will come through our living as a Spirit-enabled picture of the love of God between us. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 3 of our 2024 vision series "Human Amidst the Machine"]

Embodied Community Among the Image Bearers of God

Jude 3 - In an age where ideas and information come and go at the speed of light, there is a deep need for timeless truths that transcend our present moment. In the Nicene Creed we find a summary of “the faith once for all delivered to the saints” and step into a tradition that unites us with Christians across time, geography and the various branches of Christianity. As we anchor ourselves in this ancient statement of faith this year, may God help us see who He is clearly in more of His mystery, beauty, and love. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 1 of our series "The Nicene Creed: The Ancient Theology of the Triune God"]

Questions for reflection: 1) Are you experiencing the ephemeral, quickly evaporating nature of ideas and information today? How does an ancient religious faith provide an antidote? 2) What has your relationship to the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed been like? How have you viewed them? 3) Why are summaries of the basics of the Christian faith important for us? What is uniquely important about the Nicene Creed as one of these? 4) Discuss the authority of the creed relative to the authority of Jesus and the Bible. 5) Do you see evidence of people experimenting with "remixed religion" in your friendships? 6) Why is it important that we build our theology in community with others? How does the creed play a part in this?

"We Believe" and the Need for an Ancient Faith

Genesis 1:1-2:3 - The creed declares God to be "maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible," and thus declares the natural outflow of who God is as life-giving Father almighty. In considering God as creator, we are pushed to consider Him as loving provider of free gifts of grace. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 4 of our series "The Nicene Creed: The Ancient Theology of the Triune God"]

Questions for reflection: 1) Cameron mentioned that God has always been trinity, Father (and Son and Spirit), and almighty, but that He was not always "creator." What does this tell us about Him? 2) Theologian T.F. Torrance once wrote, “Far from grudging the creation’s existence and reality beyond himself, God freely brought it into being out of his sheer liberality, in order to lavish his love upon it.” Is this how you think of God as creator? Why or why not? 3) How does Genesis 1 speak of the overflowing love of God in its depiction of creation? 4) How does this creator God relate to His now fallen, sin-stained creation? 5) How does the Christian doctrine of creation help us avoid worshipping creation OR abusing/denigrating creation?

"Maker of Heaven and Earth" and the Grace of Creation

Various scriptures - We step into 2025 with a refresh on our central vision and values as a church--our four pillars--and their connection to this year's unique vision of replacing technology's yoke with Jesus's. Our pillars are the cross (defining our theology), community (defining our membership), simplicity (defining our philosophy), and the city (defining our mission). The world and what we’ve been calling “the machine" they have their plans for us, but these pillars are our priorities because we believe they are Christ’s. In 2025, may we go further up and further in. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 4 of our vision series "Human Amidst the Machine"]

Questions for reflection: 1) How has your relationship to technology been this past fall/winter? 2) Of the 4 pillars of Door of Hope, which most powerfully resonates with you? Which resonates least? 3) Have you made a commitment to our 7 disciplines (scripture, prayer, worship, community, giving, serving, inviting)? How has it been going? 4) How can we keep the cross central while not neglecting the various other important elements of Christian life and belief? 5) What are your prayers for our church as we enter the new year?

Four Pillars to Stand Against the Machine

Genesis 1-2 - We begin a new series on the place of art and creativity in the Christian life with a consideration of the creativity of God. In Genesis 1-2, we learn that God is the metaphysical creator, the ordering craftsman, and the delight-giving artist. We also learn that He is the archetype, maker, and partner of human artists. We even get a glimpse of God's posture toward his creation after it has fallen into sinful rebellion. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 1 of our series "Looking the World to Grace: Art, Makers and the Christian Life]

Questions for reflection: 1) Share an experience you've had with a work of art that produced a significant response. What was that like? 2) What kinds of teachings (if any) have you heard in Christian churches about the role of art and artists in the Christian life? 3) How does Genesis 1-2 depict the creativity of God? 4) Cameron highlighted God as metaphysical creator, ordering craftsman, and delight-giving artist. In what ways can humans reflect these qualities? In what ways can only God have them? 5) What was God's response to  humanity's "defacing" of His art/creation?

The Artist of Artists

Colossians 3:15-17 - Paul writes, "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus." The totality of Paul's statement tells us that there is a way to do art, making, and creativity in the character of and through the eyes of the Lord. In this sermon we consider 5 principles that help us apply all that we've been learning about art and faith as artists. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 5 of our series "Looking the World to Grace: Art, Makers and the Christian Life"]

Questions for reflection: 1) How is the short biblical phrase "Is this not the carpenter?" (Mark 6:3) full of wisdom for our theology of art and faith? 2) How does human art take on special significance in our age of generative AI? 3) What are valid subjects for Christians' art? How does the question "How much of life is Jesus Lord over?" help us answer? 4) How can artists balance a commitment to excellence with a commitment to play and exploration? 5) Have you ever struggled with making an idol out of your art? What was that experience like? 6) How is discipleship in general intimately connected to our ability to make art "in the name of the Lord?"

Making in the Name of the Lord

Luke 10:25-37 - Jesus's parable of the good Samaritan is one of his most iconic stories, but our overfamiliarity can make its shocking points harder to see. When asked by an expert in Israel's law, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus tells a story that turns the concept of neighbor from object to subject, challenging us all with what it truly looks like to love others as ourselves. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 3 of our series "Imagining the Kingdom: Jesus's stories about the already and not yet reign of God"]

Questions for reflection: 1) What is the lawyer's answer to his own question about how to inherit eternal law? How does Jesus respond to it? 2) What do you think motivated the lawyer's follow-up question, "And who is my neighbor?" 3) It is important to know something about the relationship between Israelites and Samaritans in their day. What was the source of their tension? 4) To understand the parable, we have to recognize Jews and Samaritans as enemies. How does imagining your own "enemies" in the Samaritan role change the force of what Jesus is saying? 5) How did Jesus embody this radical neighbor- and enemy-love ethic? How does He embody it toward us, specifically? 6) What might it look like for you to "go and do likewise?"


Neighboring Like Enemies, or, Love in God's Kingdom

Matthew 13:31-33 - As the disciples would have likely begun to feel fear, insecurity, and doubt about Jesus's message and methods, Jesus told these two short, simple parables to help set their expectations. No, the kingdom of God would not advance according to the world's expectations and standards. But yes, the kingdom would advance--slowly, but surely--and become a place of belonging, safety, nourishment, and celebration to all who would receive the gospel. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 4 of our series "Imagining the Kingdom: Jesus's stories about the already and not yet reign of God"]

Questions for reflection: 1) Have you ever felt discouraged about the place of Jesus's kingdom or church in the world? What brought about that feeling? 2) How do you imagine the disciples would have felt in the midst of all the opposition Jesus received during his earthly ministry? 3) Compare and contrast the main points made by these two parables. 4) Discuss God's pattern of using humble things to bring about His purposes. 5) How have Jesus's promises in these parables been proven true over time and geography? 6) How does the cross of Christ embody the ideas of these two parables?

Humbly, Slowly and Hidden

Luke 15:11-32 - This parable of Jesus's is often known as "the parable of the prodigal son," but it could just as easily be thought of as "the parable of the gracious father" or even as "the parable of the religious older brother." Each of these three main characters unlocks a world of meaning within this parable. In this sermon, we focus especially closely on the older brother and what Jesus has to teach us through him about the dangers of legalism, entitlement, resentment, and bitterness toward God's grace for others. A sermon by Naseem Khalili. [Part 5 of our series "Imagining the Kingdom: Jesus's stories about the already and not yet reign of God"]

Questions for reflection: 1) When you read this parable, which character do you most relate to? 2) What motivates the older brother's frustration after seeing how the father treats the younger brother's return? Have you ever felt similarly? When? 3) Tim Keller coined the term "older brother lostness" to describe the sense of frustration and bitterness that comes from keeping the rules but not being rewarded how you want. How does the grace of God upend our expectations around these things? 4) What does this parable have to say about the character of our God as revealed in Jesus? 5) Naseem gave us a powerful question: Why do you love God? Or why do you follow Jesus? How does the story of the older brother press us for an answer?

When Grace Embitters

Luke 18:9-14 - Jesus told a simple parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector "to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt." The parable is about how righteousness and justification work in God's Kingdom and the surprising centrality of humility, mercy, and grace. The parable puts this question to its hearers: will we choose the way of the legalist, the libertine, or the disciple? A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 6 of our series "Imagining the Kingdom: Jesus's stories about the already and not yet reign of God"]

Questions for reflection: 1) What is notable about Pharisees and tax collectors for understanding this parable? 2) Cameron said that most commentators agree that it is hard for modern readers to hear this parable with Jesus's intended shock. He suggested we consider subbing in a career 3rd grade teacher and a pornography producer to try to capture it. How does this change the dynamic for you? 3) What does each man pray in the parable? 4) How do the legalist and the libertine miss the mercy of God? 5) How can God be both just AND merciful in response to sin? How does Jesus fit in? 6) Do you ever find yourself "trusting in yourself that you are righteous?" What does that look like in your own life?


Where Righteousness Lies

Luke 12:35-48 - Here Jesus tells two short parables about what faithfulness looks like for those who wait on Him. We don't know when He will return, but we know we are called to be ready and faithful in the meantime. All disciples are called to ready, watchful waiting, and leaders have a special burden to serve at Jesus’s pleasure, under Jesus’s vision, by Jesus’s methods, with Jesus’s tone, for Jesus’s purposes. In these two parables we learn about the grace and justice at the heart of God, both flowing out of His love, and both reaching their culmination on the last day. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 7 of our series "Imagining the Kingdom: Jesus's stories about the already and not yet reign of God"]

Questions for reflection: 1) Can you think of an example of how certainty of a future event shaped your behavior in the waiting? What was that like? 2) What does it look like for us today to be "dressed for action" with "lamps burning?" What is spiritual readiness in light of Jesus's return? 3) What is surprising about the master's behavior in Luke 12:37? How did Jesus himself embody this? 4) The second parable (vv. 42-48) focuses on those entrusted with leadership responsibility. What does the manager's abusive behavior look like when we see it today? 5) How does the master's (Jesus's) severity toward the abusive manager reveal God's love? 6) This passage points to the fact that the return of Christ will be a day of both grace and justice. How do these two values come together in the cross of Jesus?

Until the King Returns

Luke 23:1-56 - We continue unpacking the creed's statement about the humanity of Jesus, this week turning to His passion (or suffering). The creed explains that Jesus "was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried," scaffolding our belief in the legal subjugation, multifaceted suffering, and genuine death that Jesus experienced "for us human beings and for our salvation." In this sermon we consider Luke's telling of these events and what they reveal about Jesus and His mission. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 9 of our series "The Nicene Creed: The Ancient Theology of the Triune God"]

Questions for reflection: 1) Why is the Nicene Creed so significant for Christians? What is its relationship to Scripture? 2) Jesus is questioned about His kingship or HIs reign. What does his elusive answer suggest? 3) How is the story of Jesus and Barabbas a picture of the kind of theological "substitution" that is part of the gospel? 4) What kinds of suffering did Jesus endure after his arrest? What kinds of suffering did He endure across His whole human life? 5) What is the relationship between the torn curtain in Luke 23:45 and Jesus's offer to the trusting thief on the cross? 6) Why do you think the authors of the creed wanted to emphasize the burial of Jesus? Why is it important to acknowledge?

"Crucified, Suffered, and Buried" in Joy and According to Plan

Luke 24:1-32 - The Nicene Creed reminds us that the resurrection of the Son of God is the centerpoint of both the Biblical story and God's plan for salvation. The whole Old Testament looks forward to it in anticipation. The whole New Testament looks back on it with exposition. In Luke 24 we are reminded of the challenge of the empty tomb, the surprising evidence from ancient doubts, and what ultimately gives us the eyes to see Jesus for who He really is as risen Lord and Savior. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 10 of our series "The Nicene Creed: The Ancient Theology of the Triune God"]

Questions for reflection: 1) Many characters in Luke 24 had been told by Jesus that He would die and rise again, but they all struggled to believe it after it happened. Why do you think that is? 2) How is the fact that a group of women were the first witnesses to the empty tomb an evidence for the truthfulness of the accounts of Jesus's resurrection? 3) What do we make of the fact that the Apostles are made to look foolish and faithless so much across the 4 gospels? 4) Jesus taught the two disciples on the road to Emmaus about the things concerning himself across the Old Testament. What stories, images, or prophecies in the Old Testament come to mind for you that concern Jesus? 5) How is the resurrection of Jesus evidence of both God's love AND God's power?

"Rose Again on the Third Day According to the Scriptures" (Easter 2025)

Acts 1:6-11 - The ascension of Jesus is an often-neglected event, but it helps us answer the question, "Where is Jesus right now and what is He doing?" In this sermon we consider the implications of the Nicene Creed's statement that Jesus "ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father" in fulfillment of Daneil's incredible prophecy about one like a "Son of Man" given a "dominion, and glory, and a kingdom." The ascension of Jesus to the right hand of God is not just esoteric theology, but it is an indispensable part of the good news that Jesus now rules as prophet, priest, and king. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 11 of our series "The Nicene Creed: The Ancient Theology of the Triune God"]

Questions for reflection: 1) What do you think the average non-Christian thinks Christians think Jesus is doing right now? What have you thought? 2) Why is the ascension an important doctrine for understanding the good news of Jesus? 3) What does it mean for Jesus to "sit at the right hand of the Father"? 4) Discuss Jesus as reigning king, interceding priest, and empowering prophet? 5) What does acknowledgement of Jesus's cosmic reign look like in your own life? What should it look like?

"Ascended and Sitting" as Reigning King, Interceding Priest, and Empowering Prophet

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"]

"Shall Come Again in Glory to Judge..." and the Ending that Changes Everything

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"]

The Heart of the Father, Compassionate and Gracious

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"]

First in Your Heart, Then to Your Children

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"]


Dignifying Our Children as Image Bearers

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"]

It Takes a Village

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"]


"The Holy Spirit, The Lord and Giver of Life"

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"]

The Spirit "Proceeds from the Father," So Let Us Worship

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”]

"Who Has Spoken Through the Prophets" or the Spirit's Voice in Holy Scripture

Door of Hope Northeast is a simple church pursuing the risen Jesus in deep community in and for Portland, Oregon. This podcast collects our weekly teachings, key ministry updates, and other important news related to the life of our community.

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