Hurry: The Great Enemy of Spiritual Life
December 18, 2016 • John Mark Comer
We wrap up our visions series with what the philosopher Dallas Willard called “the great enemy of spiritual life” - hurry. To live the way of Jesus, we have to slow down. But this is hard to do in the urban, digital world we call home. In this teaching from Matthew 11, we teach on “the secret of the easy yoke.” When we slow down and match our pace of life to that of Jesus, the way of Jesus becomes easy.
The Cross: Self-Denial in an Age of Self-Fulfillment
December 11, 2016 • John Mark Comer
At the center of our apprenticeship to Jesus is a symbol: the cross. We have lost the gravity and power of this image in our modern world. What it requires of us is lost or ignored in our culture. But, as we look at the invitation of Jesus to "deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me," we have to wrestle with the call to self-denial in an age of self-fulfillment.
How We Change: The Holy Spirit
December 4, 2016 • John Mark Comer
Listen as we continue our series, Practicing The Way. We have been asking the question, "How do we change?" How are we–in the language of the New Testament–“transformed” to become like Jesus?
How We Change: Community and Confrontation
November 27, 2016 • Alex Rettmann
Conflict doesn’t have to stand in the way of progress. Jesus gave us the ideal template to transform conflict into confrontation and ultimately, confrontation into reconciliation.
How We Change: Community as Family
November 20, 2016 • Bethany Allen
Central to Jesus' vision of the Kingdom of God is the calling of a brand new family, not built around ethnicity, but around the family of God. We can have an active part in that family through commitment and intentional, relational living.
How We Change: Community
November 13, 2016 • John Mark Comer
Community plays a vital role in our transformation. But there is a gap between the idea of community and the messy reality of community. Discipleship happens in the space in between.
How We Change: Key Thoughts on Practice
November 6, 2016 • John Mark Comer
The spiritual disciplines are the way to “life to the full,” they are how we posture our mind and body to abide in the vine and access the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Yet so many people today misunderstand the central role of these practices in discipleship. A core teaching in our series.
How We Change: Teaching and Practice
October 30, 2016 • John Mark Comer
We live in the age of self-help, therapy, and technique-obsession. Deep down, we all know we're broken and need to change. The question is, How? This week we begin our in depth look at the "how" of transformation. Through teaching we get a vision of the good life. Through practice, we align our loves and longings with those of Jesus.
Do What Jesus Did
October 23, 2016 • John Mark Comer
How do we live like Jesus? How do we actually do what he did? As the church, we are called to not only follow Jesus in spirit but we are called continue his work on earth as it is in heaven. This means healing the sick, praying for the lost, opening up our homes and our lives to those far from God. The end goal is to do what he did. In this teaching, we explore the next steps in forming our lives around the practices of Jesus.
Become Like Jesus
October 16, 2016 • John Mark Comer
One of the most important teachings in the life our church: How do we change to become like Jesus? The promise of the New Testament is nothing short of full-on transformation, but so many of us feel a disconnect between that promise and our reality. Is change really possible? The answer is: yes, but the odds are, it's not what you think.
Be With Jesus
October 9, 2016 • John Mark Comer
The first goal of apprenticeship to Jesus is to “be with Jesus.” But how do we “abide in the vine” in the chaos of the urban, digital world? It’s pretty straightforward: to experience the life of Jesus, we adopt the lifestyle of Jesus.
Practicing The Way
October 2, 2016 • John Mark Comer
What does it mean to “follow” Jesus? To be a disciple, or apprentice, of the rabbi from Nazareth? In this teaching we explore a life built around three goals: be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what he did. We also lay out a vision for our future at Bridgetown Church: practicing the way of Jesus, together, in Portland.