Cascade Church Portland

Acts & Choosing the Seven

In Acts 6 there’s short story featuring bread that’s about a lot more than bread. There is tension and conflict in the earliest church because some widows are being excluded from the distribution of bread because they are different from other people in the community. This painful discrimination threatens to unravel the message of grace and openness that is being preached by Jesus' followers. This week we look at the apostle’s response to critique and try and how they empowered those who were being marginalized to see the Kingdom of God really grow. 

Acts & The Pentecost

On the celebration of Pentecost (50 days after Passover) there were Jews from all over the region celebrating the giving if the law to Moses. Little did they know that Jesus' promise of the Holy Spirit was about to come upon all the disciples gathered to preach the good news of Jesus to everyone in their own language.

Hear about how the Holy Spirit comes upon followers of Jesus regardless of age, gender, race, income level or social standing to share God's best with everyone. 

Philip & The Ethiopian Eunuch

Traveling down a dirty and dangerous road was a man named Philip. He was exposed and vulnerable to any thief that wanted to take from him. In that place an angel called Philip to go running up to an Ethiopian Court Official in the first century equivalent of a tank, a chariot. This encounter of a man who is vulnerable and alone on the road and a man who is well-protected and respected takes an unlikely turn where the Ethiopian man allows Philip to become his teacher. 

Who are your teachers? Do you just listen to voices of people who are like you and from similar places and times? The Ethiopian Court Official was surrounded by others in his chariot and could have decided just to listen to people closest to him, but his ability to look outside of himself and his world yielded some surprising results!

David & Shimei

This week we are finishing up the Life of David series with one of my favorite stories in the Bible. 

There's a smaller incident in the life of David that doesn't make the headlines, but is very interesting. There's a guy named Shimei who was related to Saul, the former King of Israel, and at one of David's lowest moments Shimei shows up to hurl insults and rocks at him. 

What do you do with bitterness and a desire with revenge? How do you respond when someone is celebrating a very difficult time in your life? Take a listen to what a Christ-driven response to those who celebrate your failures can be and ways that we can stop the flow of violence in our relationships. At the very least you'll learn some sweet 1000 - 950 BCE insults to use on your friends. 

David & Jonathan

The nature of friendship is a fascinating study of how human's operate. What is it that draws you to be friends with one person over another? Is it proximity? Similar backgrounds? A love of similar movies, music and hobbies? A deep soul connection that betrays logic?

 

Let's take a look at the nature of friendship and loyalty this week through the lens of David and Jonathan's story. We'll specifically look at how we can be the kind of friend that honors God and honors those made is God's image. Hopefully you can reflect on your friendships and step more fully into those gifts from God!

David & Goliath

Now, you know a story is a good one when it expands far beyond its bounds and comes to explain a multitude of different situations. Almost anytime there are incredibly overwhelming odds in a competition, people can't help but reference David and Goliath. Secretariat versus a mule. The 1994 San Francisco 49ers versus any football team. My Prius versus an '82 Toyota Tercel (I'll let you decide which is which). These are all scenarios likely to be compared to David and Goliath. 

 

So, what does that mean for us today? How do we face the Goliath in our lives that seem to have us beat with overwhelming odds? How do we face huge systemic issues of racism, sexism, slavery and abuse?