Counterculture Church

For this week's installment of "Modern Issues, Ancient Answers" we look at what the Bible has to  say about loneliness. Loneliness is so pervasive not only in our lives but in our world at large, each of us dealing with it in some capacity. How do we navigate it? How can we find community? What does good news look like for the lonely? Join us as we explore thoughtful, ancient, and l...

Join us for this week's installment of  "Modern Issues, Ancient Answers" where we take a good look at the topic of depression. Through a compelling story from the life of Elijah, the scriptures show us how to effectively navigate despair, depression, and intrusive thoughts.

Anxiety. You & I know it, maybe a little too well. We live now in one of the most anxious eras in recorded history. How do we process & live with anxiety? And how can we follow Jesus in the midst of this? Join us on this week's installment of our  "Modern Issues, Ancient Answers" as we thoughtfully approach anxiety.

We now have access to more innovative technology than ever before. In many ways, this has made our lives much easier. In other ways, though, this has made things infinitely more complex and overwhelming. Join us as we begin a new teaching series where we explore the ancient answers that Christianity offers for many of our modern issues.

Why does Counterculture exist?  Why start a church in Portland?  The answer is tied to the purpose of life itself.  This is a special snow day online service, from our homes to yours. Stay safe and stay warm!

We want to follow Jesus not because we want to be loved, but because we already are. This simple shift in our thinking has the potential to change not only our lives, but our whole world. Join us as our friend and guest Erik Morales shares from Colossians 3.

For many of us, the idea of following Jesus and becoming like Jesus can seem unrealistic and daunting. How does it happen? What if I try and fail? How can this happen in a healthy way? Join us for the final message of 2023 as we look at what the Bible says about the spiritual life and how we can have a sustainable vision and approach to our life and walk with God.

When God became human, everything changed. Join us as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, what it means, and how we’re invited to respond.

In our day and age, it feels like there constantly is something to fight over. Whether it’s politics, religion, or opinions, the fighting can be unending. In the final installment of our Spellbound series, we break down the war that wages within, in our spiritual lives.

What are the fruit of the Spirit? Following Jesus produces tangible fruit in our lives. In this week’s installment of our Spellbound series through Galatians, guest speaker Michelle Jones digs into chapter 5, verses 15-26, exploring the fruit of the spirit.

What does it mean for God to "set us free"? Our culture's widespread obsession is with a freedom from restrictions but even influential secular thinkers have noted there is another deeper freedom. Join us as we dig into Galatians 5:1-14 and examine exactly what freedom looks like according to the Bible.

What does it mean to have a relationship with God? Spoiler: it might not be like how you think. Join us for this week's installment of our Spellbound series. We are covering Galatians 4:8-31 and talking about relationship with God. What it is, what it means, and how Jesus subverts our assumptions.

Human rights can be a buzzword in today’s world. Where did this concept originate in history? Jesus and the writers of the New Testament have more to say about this than you may think. In fact, this was their idea before it was adopted into our wider culture. Come with us as we unpack the landmark passage of Galatians 3:19 - Galatians 4:7 and the effects of which we are still witnessing. Human dig...

Special Guest Joshua Butler explains that we sometimes think we have to pursue God with our religious devotion and that after we have given him our best effort he will give us his acceptance and blessing.  Jesus actually says it is the exact other way around, God is the one  pursuing us in his grace.  He is seeking to find us and lost means loved. 

Religion can be used to oppress, manipulate, and push people to the margins.  Paul was fiercely resolved to stop that from happening in Galatia.  He takes them back to the beginning of the Jewish story to show that God had always planned to include all nations. Galatians 3:1-18

Is Christianity racist?  Paul has a showdown with Peter over his racist behavior but we see the reason behind the racism was that Peter had forgotten the message of grace. We are all prone to forget the gospel but continually remembering our acceptance in Jesus will lead us to love and accept others. Galatians 2:11-21

The ancient world was full of hierarchy dividing people by both class and race.  False teachers crept into the church to "spy on their freedom in Christ and make them slaves" attempting to bring in that same class system.  Jesus shatters hierarchy and when we are really moved by his grace it will change the game.  Galatians 2:1-10 

Our screens have again been bombarded with horrific images of religious violence tearing lives apart.  What causes this?  Is a belief that you have the truth what divides our world and drives us to war?  In Galatians 1:11 -24 Paul explains how he was once a brutal religious zealot but an encounter with Jesus led him to serve the very people he used to exclude.

 In our series "Spellbound" we look at Paul's letter to the Galatians and see that religion can be used as a tool for oppression where fear and anxiety is used to control others. Only the message of grace can break the spell.  Galatians 1:1-10  

Identity Crisis: Individual vs Communal - There has never been a greater emphasis on self-expression and individual identity than there is today. Jesse Lusko explains that this obsession with self-fulfillment has made our world deeply lonely. Looking at 1 John 4:7-13 we see a different source of identity that transforms us into people of profound love.

Identity Crisis: Fragile vs Indestructible.  How do we become the kind of people who can handle difficulty?  Jesse Lusko explains that when we build an identity on career, romance or money it leaves us completely vulnerable to circumstance and devastated by suffering.  In Romans 8:28-39 we see that when we build our lives on Jesus we have an identity that is indestructible.  

Identity Crisis: Available vs. Unattainable - In this series we are comparing and contrasting an identity that is achieved through career, experiences, romantic relationships and other secular pursuits to an identity that is received through God's love and grace.  Jesse Lusko looks at Isaiah 57:10-21 and explains how an "authentic identity" became a fixation of our society and how i...

In the founding message at Counterculture Church in Portland, Oregon,  Jesse Lusko looks at the story of "the Pharisee and the Tax Collector" and explains that we may be surprised by who Jesus most often criticized.  It is possible to have all the right beliefs and the right behavior but be doing it for all the wrong reasons.  We will become a counterculture when we admit our own bad mot...