With all of the online lessons going around, we wanted to share with you some live lessons happening over the next couple of weeks! While these lessons are given and focused with a particular ministry in mind, the impact of God’s word knows no bounds! Feel free to tune in to get a little spiritual boost and fellowship in your week. Here are a couple devotionals happening this Friday you can look forward to:
With all the craziness of the Coronavirus going around many churches have found it wise to cancel all community gatherings. While this has been incredibly important to help “lower the curve” of the virus’s impact in our country, many people have began to feel alone and isolated due to the disbanded meetings. When you’re used to meeting with the same group of people 1-3 times a week, suddenly having no meetings feels abnormal!
Like all of you we're listening to the requests of our government and health officials, taking our cues from them as we continue to seek first God's kingdom. Everyone is being strongly urged and in some places mandated to not meet in large groups, and in Oregon that's dropped from 25 to 10 in just the last day or so.
With that in mind, we're confirming that we will not have a congregational service this coming Sunday. We will use live-stream to share messages, and anything else that is possible. Please stay in touch with us through our website of Facebook pages.
For those of you who are part of our Portland Church of Christ, I’m making this announcement:
#1. We are canceling services in support of the effort to "flatten the curve".
#2. I will use livestream to make a service at home available for everyone on Sunday.
#3. This is not like a "snow day" where we've always said ‘you can count on us having church but don't come if you don't feel safe’.
#4. We will keep everyone posted about whether this only affects this upcoming Sunday (March 15) or needs to be extended.
Like all of you, Lisa Johnson and I and the elders, all of us - have been thinking and praying about how to respond at this moment to the Coronavirus as it might affect so many others. We feel in line with the 'love not fear' message being shared by the CDC, especially addressing young people to take precautions so as not to spread the virus.
At this moment I'm only asking for special prayers for us today as we gather more information and make a decision on how we can best contribute to limiting the spread of something that could hurt so many.
“We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.”
Hebrews 2:1-4
What is Jubilee, and how is this ancient tradition supposed to affect us today as followers of Christ? Join us in this three-part series as we discover what God wants us to learn about him through this celebration of Rebirth and Renewal through scripture.
In this episode, Steve Johnson will be giving us the foundations of what this celebration would have meant to ancient Jews reading Levitical law. We will also hear about how this tradition so tightly links itself to our glorification of Jesus Christ in the New Testament.
Today's message at 2:30 begins a THREE PART SERIES titled:
JUBILEE THEN, NOW and FOREVER
The next two parts in the coming weeks will be DO I DESERVE TO BE JUBILANT? and then finally: HAPPILY EVER AFTER… then at some point Lisa and I are going to do a series together on Nehemiah. Today's lesson is entitled THE WHAT AND THE WHY OF JUBILEE. I hope you can join us at the Old Laurelhurst Church at 2:30 or watch the message live-streamed on our website portlandchurch.org or hear the podcast.
JUBILEE THEN, NOW AND FOREVER!
Don't forget that this upcoming Sunday (February 2nd, 2020) we will not be meeting at Old Laurelhurst Church at all, but will be meeting in our small group House Churches! If you are unsure what House Church to join, please reach out to a friend, church leader, or check out the "Come Together" section then click on "Find A Small Group" to find group contact info! Let's get connected and celebrate!
On Sunday Steve will be putting out a message on our website, social media pages and to all our small groups about our meeting schedule for at least the next month. Listen for it please. God bless!
In less than 200 days, disciples from across the world will be gathering in Orlando Florida for the second-ever World Discipleship Summit, also known as the Vision 2020 Conference! We're so excited to be a part of a congregation that hosts incredible events like this, and would love it if you joined us in Orlando this Summer!
Philippians 2:5-11 says something like, "You must have the same attitude that Jesus had. Though he was God, he didn't think equality with God was something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges and took the humble position of a slave; born human, appeared in human form. And he humbled himself in obedience to God even when that obedience meant a criminal’s death on a cross.
Listen to last Sunday’s lesson through the video below!
Recorded: January 19, 2020 - Old Laurelhurst Church
Speaker: Steve Johnson
Join us live every Sunday online by friending Steven Leslie Johnson on Facebook!
