Each fall is an opportunity to regather our church and commit ourselves to a fresh vision for another ministry year. This year, it seems God has been stirring the heart of our community to pursue something that can be summarized in a single word: deeper. This year, we will be setting our vision for deeper communion with God and one another for the good of our city in a spirit of simplicity. These four pillars have guided us since the beginning, and we pray God will use them to open us up to something more, something deeper.

Deeper: Four Pillars for Pursuing More (2023 Vision Series)

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

Luke 23:34 - An exploration of Jesus's first statement from the cross from our Holy Week 2022 evening gatherings. A sermon by Josh White.

"Father, Forgive Them, for They Know Not What They Do" (Holy Week 2022 Night 1)

Romans 8:14-17 - Romans 8 is one of the New Testament's clearest teachings on how the Holy Spirit leads his people, and these verses are the apex of that teaching. Here we learn that the Spirit is at work bearing witness to His people that they have been made beloved children of their Father God. And receiving this from the Spirit just might be the key to living the Spirit-empowered life we've been exploring. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 9 of the series "The Spirit & His Gifts"]

The Spirit Who Leads Us into the Father's Love

Matthew 7:13-14 - Jesus begins his final summary and application of His sermon on the mount with a call to choose a road. There is a wide, (nearly) all-encompassing path of least resistance. There is a narrow, singular path with and through Jesus. In this passage we find a powerful word for a new year, a challenge to forsake our default settings and follow Jesus wherever He leads, which is ultimately to life itself. A sermon by Cameron Heger.

Invitation to the Narrow Way

Mark 15:40-47 - As Friday evening turns to Saturday, we see the true colors of several disciples as they rush to bury the body of Jesus before Sabbath.  What does faithfulness look like in fear, in grief, in silence, and in waiting? What does it look like in the face of the evident defeat of one's Messiah and God? A sermon by Cameron Heger.

Faith through Silence

Revelation 19:6-10 - We can rightly think of food and drink as the gifts and glories of the garden made consumable for our nourishment and pleasure. God didn't have to make food with as much delicious potentiality as He did, but He did as a pure gift to his creatures! In this teaching we consider how to receive food as the gift that it is as well as how to let it stir up our longings for the greatest feast of our lives--when we will finally be united with Jesus at the marriage supper of the Lamb. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 8 of the series "God of Every Good Thing"]

Gifts of Food & Drink

Jonah 1:1-16 - The book of the prophet Jonah is in equal parts funny and tragic, illuminating and strange. Our superficial familiarity with it can keep us from recognize the profound, cutting teaching it contains. At its heart, it's a story about God's complex love for a dangerous, cruel city and his prophet's refusal to share that love. In the first chapter, we are introduced to Jonah--this rebellious prophet--and the consequences of his refusal to be God's vehicle for God's message.  A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 1 of the series "The Book of the Prophet Jonah"]

The Worst Prophet for the Worst City

1 Corinthians 1:18-25 - Each fall is an opportunity to regather our church and commit ourselves to a fresh vision for another ministry year. This year, it seems God has been stirring the heart of our community to pursue something deeper. This first week, we consider what it might look like to go deeper through the cross, which is both the starting place of our faith (from which we will never graduate), our life and salvation, our tethering to historic orthodox Christianity, and our entry way into loving communion with God (which will never be exhausted). A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 1 of the series "Deeper: Four Pillars for Pursuing More"]

Deeper through the Cross

Acts 2:36-47 - This week we consider a vision for pursuing greater depth in community together. Following the model of the earliest church in Acts 2, we want to strive to be a cross-shaped community, a gathering and scattering community, a loving community, and a proximate community. We want to begin taking the thousands of small, incremental steps in hopes that one day we'll realize we’ve genuinely  experienced the family of God that Jesus spoke of. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 2 of the series "Deeper: Four Pillars for Pursuing More"]

Deeper into Community

Matthew 6:25-34 - The "simplicity" pillar has historically been the most challenging to define for our church, though it grounds much of our ministry philosophy. In Jesus's words in Matthew 6, we find a helpful grid for maintaining a simple church: a single minded focus, a commitment to major on the majors and minor on the minors, and a non-anxious pursuit of doing fewer things better. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 3 of the series "Deeper: Four Pillars for Pursuing More"]

Deeper with Simplicity

Jeremiah 29:1-14 - Since its beginning, Door of Hope has been focused on ministry to the city of Portland. Our city pillar reinforces our community values as a relational center of gravity, it defines our area of local missional focus, and it reminds us of the uniquely strategic nature of urban ministry. But how do we live as a redeemed presence in the city out of a love of God, one another, and neighbor? In this message we consider Jeremiah's letter to the exiles in Babylon and the call neither to assimilate nor separate, but to cultivate. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 4 of the series "Deeper: Four Pillars for Pursuing More"]

Deeper for the City

John 13:31-35 - In this sermon we begin a new teaching series considering the "one another" commands of the New Testament that define the kinds of relationships that are meant to make up the church, the new family of God that Jesus is building. The central command of all of the "one anothers" is the command to love one another. We begin here. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 1 of the series "One Anothering: The Shape of Life Together in the Family of God"]

Questions for reflection: 1) What comes to mind when you hear the word 'love'? 2) Where do you see the biblical conception of love and a contemporary cultural conception of love overlap and where do they contrast? 3) Have you ever experienced anything like the church as a family as Jesus described it? 4) Why do you think Jesus has made "love one another" the central command for life in His church? 5) We are called to love "just as Jesus has loved you." How has Jesus loved you? How have you encountered it? What would it look like to love others with that same love?

The Life of Love in the Family of God

Colossians 3:12-14 - In this passage Paul gives two especially difficult mutuality commands: to forbear with one another and to forgive one another. These both presuppose that disagreements, discord, annoyance, frustration, burdens, pain, misunderstandings, and sins against one another both minor and major will happen between the people of Jesus’ church if we have enough proximity and intimacy. Even still, living out these commands enable us to experience and embody the gospel in uniquely powerful ways. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 2 of the series "One Anothering: The Shape of Life Together in the Family of God"]

Questions for reflection: 1) Can you think of any prominent examples of forbearance or forgiveness in our culture at large? 2) What might the command to “bear with” someone you find difficult look like for you over the next few months? How might obedience to this command form you? 3) Do you find it easier to ask for forgiveness or to give forgiveness? Why do you think that is? 4) How is forgiveness different from immediate reconciliation? 5) Why is believing the forbearance and forgiveness of Jesus necessary for doing these things?

Forbear and Forgive One Another

1 Thessalonians 5:11; Colossians 3:16 - The New Testament's vision for life in the church has much to say about how we speak to one another. At the heart of our speech is the call to speak the mind, heart, values, and love of God to one another. As we increasingly abide in Christ, our speech will naturally become speech that encourages, teaches, and even challenges one another. A sermon by Bria Wolter. [Part 5 of the series "One Anothering: The Shape of Life Together in the Family of God"]

Questions for reflection: 1) Have you ever been deeply encouraged by someone? What was that experience like? 2) Why is encouragement from others so necessary for the Christian life? 3) Bria mentioned a key to "putting courage into others" is to both see your brothers and sisters as God sees them and to tell the truth to them. What might it look like to practice this regularly? 4) How do our whole lives function as teachers? 5) How does Jesus's own encouragement and teaching toward us strengthen and define how we do the same toward others?

Encourage, Teach, and Admonish One Another

John 3:16-21 - Everyone worships. The question is "Who or what do they worship?" In this 6-part series, we will be considering the nature of Christian worship of the triune God both in the wide-angled big picture and in the practical details that we might be faithful worshipers. To begin, we consider some of the words of Jesus that reveal some incredible truths about God that sit in tension with one another: God is transcendent and God is immanent; God is just and God is gracious. Taken together, these truths describe a God we can't help but want to worship. He is worthy! A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 1 of the series "The Praises of HIs People: A Practical Theology of Worship"]

Questions for discussion: 1) How have you conceptualized the nature of worship in the past? 2) Do you agree with the claim that all people (even irreligious people) worship something? Why or why not? 3) How would you make a case for God's praise-worthiness? 4) How are God's transcendence and immanence in tension with one another? How do they inform and balance one another? 5) Why do we need God to be both just and gracious? 6) How would you describe your worshiping life right now?
#doorofhope #doorofhopepdx #doorofhopene #doorofhopenortheast #portland #pdx #gospel #jesus

The One Who Is Worthy

John 4:19-26 - Jesus brought with Him a new understanding of worship that really was a step back toward the way of worship "in the beginning." Answering a question about where one must go to worship, Jesus answered that genuine worship could now take place anywhere as long as it was done "in spirit and truth." Understanding Jesus's words is the key to understanding both the nature of worship and the potential for all of life to be worship. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 2 of the series "The Praises of His People: A Practical Theology of Worship"]

Questions for discussion: 1) Have you thought of worship as something that must take place at a particular place or a particular time? Share how you’ve understood it. 2) Paraphrase “worship in spirit and truth” in your own words. What was Jesus getting at? 3) Why are both “spirit” and “truth” important aspects of genuine worship? How might worship be distorted if one or the other is missing? 4) What does it mean that all of life is potentially worship? 5) Discuss how you might cultivate the ability to respond to God in every moment–even the most mundane.

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

Anywhere in Spirit and Truth

Ephesians 5:18-19 - After considering the big picture perspective on worship in the Bible, we now turn our attention to worship through singing, in particular. God’s people have always been a singing people, but why? Why does God command and inspire us to sing? How does it engage our bodies in the postures of our hearts? And why is it important to sing in the presence of our brothers and sisters in the church? A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 3 of the series “The Praises of His People: A Practical Theology of Worship”]

Questions for discussion: 1) What kind of relationship do you have with music in general? What about in the church? 2) Why do you think God values singing among His people? 3) Why is music uniquely suited to combining truth with emotion and mystery? 4) How does worship through music bring our inner worship outward to and through our bodies? 5) Why is singing in community an important part of Paul’s teaching here?  

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

Whole-Person Poetic-Melodic Exclamations (Singing as Worship)

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)

1 Corinthians 11:17-34 - Every church (and every person) lives with certain habits, traditions, and rituals—also know as liturgies. These play a role in both expressing and shaping our loves and desires. Properly understood and practiced, they too become important avenues of worship. In this sermon we consider the Apostle Paul’s words about The Lord’s Supper and their implications for all of our spiritual habits. A sermon by Cameron  Heger. [Part 5 of our series “The Praises of His People: A Practical Theology of Worship”]

Questions for discussion: 1) When you think of habits, traditions, rituals, or liturgies, what comes to mind? Do you have a positive or negative association? Why? 2) In 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, Paul both commends the liturgical practice of communion AND condemns their engagement with it in a way that robs it of its meaning and power. How have you seen Christian rituals lose their power? 3) Cameron mentioned 3 postures toward liturgy: expectant excitement, disciplined commitment, and misunderstanding or distortion. What do you find your experience to be most often? 4) How does the gospel of Jesus inform and relate to our practice of the Lord’s Supper? How does it relate to our liturgical practices in general? 5) What habits in your own personal life would you like to remove? Which would you like to prioritize?

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

Habits of the Heart (Liturgy as Worship)

Romans 12:1-2 - We conclude our series considering a remaining major theme relating to worship across the Bible: the theme of sacrifice. As Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the temple sacrificial system Himself, he did so as an act of love, mercy, and grace. As one theologian put it, "In the New Testament religion is grace, and ethics is gratitude." In view of God's mercy and grace, we are now to offer our whole selves as *living* sacrifices, driven not by obligation or performance, but by gratitude. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 6 of our series “The Praises of His People: A Practical Theology of Worship”]

Questions for discussion: 1) What is one notable sacrifice you've made either for God or another person? 2) What was the purpose of the sacrificial system in the Old Testament? 3) How did Jesus fulfill the sacrificial system? In what ways was he the "once for all" sacrifice? 4) Given what Jesus has done, what is the role of sacrifice in our lives? Or, what does it mean to be a living sacrifice? 5) We mentioned praise, service, and financial generosity as examples of biblical sacrifice. How do these fit into our larger understanding of worship?

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

The Offering of a Living Sacrifice (Sacrifice as Worship)

Romans 8:1-4 - This week we continue through Lent into Resurrection Sunday with a consideration of Romans chapter 8, which is widely considered one of the most gospel-rich, beautiful, and hopeful chapters in the entire Bible. The first four verses highlight the end of all condemnation for those who are in Christ. But what is condemnation? And is it really necessary? And how does the end of it really become good news for us and for our neighbors? The answers are found in the death of Jesus on the cross, the resurrection of Jesus to new life, and His sending of the Spirit to those who have trusted Him. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 1 of our series "The Cross, The Spirit & The End of Death]

Questions for discussion: 1) Cameron argued that our cries against injustice in the world are tied to God's condemnation against sin. Why do we need God to be a God who will condemn sin? 2) The Bible depicts God as one who cares about both the great tragedies of the world as well as the micro-, heart-level desires that we harbor (and everything in between). Talk about how this puts us on the wrong side of God's condemnation. 3) Into all of this, Paul declares "there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus." How does this truth land with you? 4) How was the law "weakened by the flesh?" 5) Discuss how God "condemned sin in the flesh" through Jesus's death. 6) How is the Holy Spirit's empowerment different from a pep talk meant to motivate us to keep the law?

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

The Cross, The Spirit & The End of Condemnation

Romans 8:5-11 - The second part of Romans 8 explores what it means to walk by the Spirit rather than by the flesh. This side of the cross, we have access to a life lived in step with the Spirit's influence, which first influences how we exist and who we are before it influences what we do. Through yielding to His work in our lives, we can behold another way, learn to be ruled by a new king, and belong to a new kingdom. A sermon by Michelle Jones. [Part 2 of our series "The Cross, The Spirit & The End of Death”]

Questions for discussion: 1) Have there been any times in your life where you were hyper-aware that you were walking in step with the Holy Spirit? How did you know? 2) In so many words Paul writes that the flesh's influence leads us into death whereas the Spirit's influence leads us into life and peace. What does this mean? 3) There is an amazing declaration in verse 11: "the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you." Do you think of your life as infused with this much power? What would it mean if you did? 4) We all have moments when we walk more by the flesh than the Spirit. How do you think God sees you in those times? 5) Amidst all of the struggle in our lives and world, where do you see good news in this passage?

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

Living in the Spirit

Romans 8:12-17 - In this passage we learn about the glorious truth of God adopting believers into his family. The cross of Jesus enables us to become intimate daughters and sons of the God of the universe with all of its benefits. The Holy Spirit communicates that reality to the deepest parts of ourselves. And we can now call out to Him not just as God (which we should), not just as Lord (which we should), not just as king (which we should), but as Father... loving, gracious, generous, patient, good Father. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 3 of our series "The Cross, The Spirit & The End of Death”]

Questions for discussion: 1) What is your relationship like with your parents at its best? With your children? How do these relationships lend insight into God's fatherhood? 2) Verse 15 speaks of falling back into fear through a spirit of slavery. Describe a time you've been tempted to settle for a subpar conception of your relationship to God. 3) Calling on God as "Abba, Father," is a unique privilege that Jesus has bought us. Reflect on what it means to approach the God of the universe this way. 4) How can we cultivate a "listening ear" for the "Spirit's bearing witness to our spirits that we are children of God"? 5) What does it mean to be heirs/inheritors "of God" and "with Christ"?

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

Beloved Children of the Loving Father

Romans 8:18-25 - In a world where suffering abounds, we desperately need a hope that can both dignify our pain and overcome it. In this way the gospel of Jesus supplies what nothing else can, both for humanity and the rest of creation. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 4 of our series “The Cross, The Spirit & The End of Death”]

Questions for discussion: 1) Do ever struggle with pessimism, cynicism, or nihilism? Why or why not? 2) Why is it important that the gospel validated the reality of our suffering? What if it didn’t? 3) Why do you think God subjected creation to futility? What was it in hope of? 4) How are humans’ and the rest of creations’ redemption connected? 5) What does it mean that the Spirit in us is the first fruits of the new creation? How does this inform our vocation in the world?

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

The Groaning, Healing, and Glory of All Creation

Romans 8:26-30 - Through this passage we will focus on our relationship with the Holy Spirit during the process of sanctification. Paul helps us remember how our shortcomings, baggage, and trauma from the shrapnel of the fallen world impact our relationship with God. We will unpack the impact of the Holy Spirit on us in our fallen state.  A sermon by John C Hughes. [Part 5 of our series "The Cross, The Spirit & The End of Death]

A practice for reflection: This week, set aside 10-minutes for prayer once a day. First the first 3 minutes, focus on slowing down and ask God to reveal your shortcomings or your baggage that you bring with you. For the second 3 minutes, Praise God and thank Him for meeting in your brokenness and filling in the gap that our brokenness can create. For the final 4 minutes, ask God where He is leading you next in this holistic journey of healing that is found only in Him.

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

Bring Your Shortcomings

Romans 8:31-39 - We conclude our time in Romans chapter 8 with Paul's incredible exclamation point on the beautiful gospel truths he has been unpacking throughout. We couldn't say it better than Paul himself: "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Finally, in Jesus, the love that conquers death has come. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 6 of our series "The Cross, The Spirit & The End of Death"]

Questions for discussion: 1) What do you make of the fact that disciples of Jesus have outlasted Caesar and the Roman Empire? 2) What makes the public death and resurrection of Jesus as the center of Christianity unique among world religions? 3) In this passage Paul states that Jesus was not only "given up" and that he "died," but also that he "was raised" and "is interceding." In what sense is Jesus alive today? What is he doing? 4) Paul lists a number of potential threats we might assume could separate us from God's love in Christ. How has Jesus overcome these? 5) What does it mean to say Jesus defeated death? For Himself? For us?

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

The Love That Even Death Fears (Easter 2024)

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

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 - Theologians talk about the Kingdom of God as an already/not yet reality. Jesus has inaugurated His Kingdom and reigns among His people today while we still await his second coming when the Kingdom will come in full. But how are we to live in this time between the times? In this passage, Paul gives us a key to understanding our identity as Kingdom people now: ambassadors living in exile. As ambassadors, we must learn to embrace non-conformity, non-violence, and loving witness toward those we find ourselves among. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 4 of our series "One King and One Kingdom"]

Questions for discussion: 1) Christians will often say things like "this world is not our home?" What is a sense in which this is true? What is a sense in which this is false? 2) What is an ambassador? How does this term inform our relationship to the world around us? 3) What does it mean to say God's people are living in exile? 4) What is the message of reconciliation God has entrusted us with? 5) What would it look like for our community to live as a picture of the reign of king Jesus in Portland today?

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

Kingdom Ambassadors in Exile

Matthew 5-7 - The sermon on the mount is the most influential sermon ever preached. It is the longest recorded unbroken teaching we have from Jesus's ministry. But what is it? We argue that it is an exposition of Jesus's basic message: "repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." It is a picture of what happens when God's kingdom comes and God's will is done in a human heart. It is a picture of what it looks like to love God with everything and love others as oneself. It's a manifesto for God's kingdom people, the ethics of the Kingdom, our marching orders from our king. It is Jesus's vision of the good, flourishing, abundant life. Empowered by the Spirit and covered by the grace of God, the sermon on the mount is a glimpse of who we are becoming as we follow after King Jesus. A sermon by Cameron Heger and Mindy Haidle. [Part 5 of our series "One King and One Kingdom"]

Questions for discussion: 1) How familiar are you with the sermon on the mount? Where have you encountered it before? 2) There are many different ways the sermon has been understood. Cameron mentioned 3. Have you heard any others? 3) Dr. Jonathan Pennington  makes the case that Jesus's purpose in the sermon is to provide a teaching for disciples to meditate on over time in order to be formed into the kind of virtuous, flourishing people that He envisions for us. How might we take Jesus up on this invitation? 4) The sermon on the mount sets an incredibly high standard for discipleship. Why are the Spirit's empowerment and the grace of God both essential doctrines to keep in mind when we consider the sermon? 5) What parts of the sermon most resonate with you? What parts are most challenging for you? 6) What implications does this teaching have for your engagement in your church community? For your engagement in politics?

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

Our King's Vision of the Good, Flourishing, Abundant Life...

Acts 2:1-21 - The kingdom embassy we call the church was birthed on the day of Pentecost right after Jesus ascended to His heavenly throne. The day was a dramatic step forward in God’s plan to see His rule extended through people from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, among every tribe, tongue, and nation. Through His cross and His Spirit, Jesus has reversed the curse of Babel and broken the barriers that divide humanity. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 6 of our series “One King and One Kingdom”]

Questions for discussion: 1) Why were the disciples waiting at the beginning of Acts? What implications does this have for us? 2) The first public miracle of Pentecost involved translation of languages. Why is this so significant? 3) God always invited all peoples to Himseld. What did that look like in the Hebrew Bible? What does it look like under the New Covenant this side of Jesus? 4) Do you tend to feel more affinity with your fellow countrymen or with your Kingdom brothers and sisters? 5) How does your life in Portland relate to Jesus’s commission to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth?

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

...Among Every Tribe, Tongue, and Nation...

Acts 2:1-21 - Pentecost was primarily about two things: First, the creation of a trans-national, multi-ethnic kingdom people of God and, second, the creation of a supernaturally-empowered kingdom people of God. In part two of our look at this amazing passage in Acts 2, we consider what it means for us to live in these last days where Jesus has baptized all of His people in His Spirit and empowered them for greater intimacy with Christ, formation toward Christ, and service to Christ. It is by the Spirit's empowerment that we can live into Jesus's vision for life as the firstfruits of the new creation. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 7 of our series “One King and One Kingdom”]

Questions for discussion: 1) What was wholly unique and unrepeatable about the day of Pentecost described in Acts 2? What is now different as a result of the day of Pentecost? 2) We can understand this passage as the day Jesus baptized His people in the Holy Spirit. What are some things that happen when one is baptized in the Spirit? 3) Joel's prophecy tells of a day when God will pour out his Spirit on "all flesh" and then mentions several groups that will be empowered by the Spirit. What is the significance of the groups he mentions? 4) Cameron said we could conceive of the Spirit's empowerment in three overlapping categories: intimacy (the witness & leading of the Spirit), formation (the filling & fruit of the Spirit), and service (the gifts of the Spirit). Share some examples where you've seen the Spirit work in these ways, either in your own life or in the life of someone you know. 5) Joel used apocalyptic imagery in his prophecy to make the point that we now live in chaotic "last days" growing ever closer to the final "Day of the Lord" when Christ returns to establish his kingdom. What is our task in this time between the times?

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...Empowered by the Very Spirit of God

Matthew 22:15-22 - Jesus's enemies knew that one way to kill his influence was to make him publicly answer a hot-button "gotcha" question. In their day there were few hotter than the question of whether or not Jews should pay the poll tax to their Roman oppressors. In Jesus's inspired, full-of-divine-wisdom kind of answer, He models how kingdom people should think about package-deal partisan politics, the taxes we owe our governments, and, ultimately, what we owe God Himself. A sermon by Cameron Heger. [Part 8 of our series “One King and One Kingdom”]

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Parties, Taxes, and the Coinless Christ

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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