Powell Butte Christian Church

We have seen the story of the mission of God starting small and multiplying beyond what anybody would have dreamed imaginable, and it's been one story made up of smaller stories - faithfulness and unfaithfulness - opportunities and obstacles - difficult circumstances wrapped up in the sovereignty of God. Each story is woven into the bigger story by these consistent themes of the Reign of Jesu...

In John 16:33 Jesus says, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble but take heart – I have overcome the world.” In this world you will have trouble – not one of those promises from God that you’d want to put on your coffee mug, right? This is a reality check for those who claim that by becoming a Christian, you are magically protected from...

Associate Pastor Andy Buchanan

In 1871, five years before his death, Philip Bliss published a song based upon a sermon in which the preacher said, “He who is almost persuaded is almost saved, but to be almost saved is to be entirely lost.” The song was appropriately entitled, “Almost Persuaded.” “Almost persuaded” now to believe; “Almost persuaded” Christ to receive; Seems now some soul to say, “Go, Spirit, go Thy way; S ome mo...

As we are nearing the end of this year’s study in the book of Acts, this amazing story of the unstoppable power of the church of God, you’ll start to see that it begins to blur together. Whereas earlier in the book, you get the specific individual stories that stand out, now – though there will be separate trials that Paul has to go through on his way up to Rome – it all seems like one long drawn-...

Associate Pastor Andy Buchanan

The American Legal system can drive you NUTS. The Apostle Paul understands. As we come to Acts 24, he’s in it up to his neck! This chapter begins one court-room after another - each time, proven innocent...but when has THAT stopped the legal system ever?  His life is on trial. Reminds me of Impact Brass & Singers: “Evidence”. Could they put you away?  If it was against the law to be a disciple...

Hinds Feet on High Places. The story of “Much-Afraid,” a shepherdess employed by the Great Shepherd. Longs to accompany the Great Shepherd up to the mountains where he leaps with feet like a hind. But she’s crippled - physically: deformed feet and face; and emotionally: paralyzing fear. No courage. But longs to be loved, to be changed, to be able to leap with hinds feet on high places.  I think in...

It was just an ordinary bush; a nondescript desert thorn-bush that, no doubt, Moses had seen many, many times in his 40 year career as a shepherd. I’m sure Moses had gotten familiar with every rock and tree and bush by the time he saw this bush. This ordinary bush. But there was something different... And no, it wasn’t the fact that the bush was on fire… I’m sure Moses had witnessed a wilderness f...

Church, WE have good news. That’s what GOSPEL means. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is GREAT news. It’s the hope of the world. And here’s the deal: it was MEANT to be shared. There is a world out there that is STARVING for eternal hope - and we have what they need; but part of our sinful nature makes it difficult for us to share at times, right? Acts 21:37 through chapter 22 is a gre...

Who gets to determine how the message is to be understood? Who is right? HOW DO I KNOW?? Is it a sense of peace? Is it the majority vote? Is it the thing that makes me happy? Are there principles found in the Bible that can help us determine for ourselves if what we’re hearing is from the Spirit or not? I believe there are - and I want to share a few of them:

Associate Pastor Andy Buchanan

Associate Pastor Andy Buchanan

Learning and growing. Also called DISCIPLESHIP. Remember Jesus didn’t call us to make converts, but disciples. There’s a difference. “Want to be a Christian” is different than “Want to be a disciple?” Disciples are disciplined. They learn. They grow. They follow. They change. Learning and growing. In other words, there’s no “arrival” in the Christian journey - not ‘til heaven, really.  But even th...

 “Pull, Nellie, Pull” Try pulling by yourself - it’s hard. Just like Ministry. Ministry is amazingly satisfying. Ministry is amazingly hard. And we tend to make it harder than it really should be. When approached in the wrong way, ministry will burn us out. But God designed it differently. His design was to make it amazingly encouraging - but only when we approach it as the Ultimate Team Sport. No...

As we have traced the 2nd Missionary Journey of Paul over the past couple of weeks, we now come to the city of Athens. And it’s a pretty amazing story we find in Acts 17. But first a little background: Athens was the cultural center of the world: Politics (birthplace of democracy) Philosophy (Plato, Aristotle, Socrates) Art (Parthenon, statuary – think of Greece? You’re thinking of Athens) This al...

The Bible is GOD’S STORY - a full narrative arc; a beginning, middle, and end; You can’t just pop into the middle of it, expecting to understand. What is Truth? You gotta learn how to REALLY read your Bible - not in part, but the whole. Today we come to Acts 17. Paul and the Gospel are now in Greece, setting foot for the very first time on a brand new continent. Last week we studied his stop in at...

Paul and Silas are in the dark this morning in our study in Acts. Paul set a demon-possessed girl free in the name of Jesus, and what does he get?   What do you do when life is unfair? Pout? Lash out? Close yourself off from the world? Get on Facebook, hoping to find people willing to join the pity party? How about singing? Why sing? Does it matter when we do? And if so, to whom does it matter? Wh...

This morning, we are talking about freedom - and the opportunity to become freedom fighters in our world - not for civil liberties, but for spiritual liberties. In our country, where we are free to choose many things, unfortunately many people have chosen to give UP their spiritual freedom as they have walked into the enemy’s trap and find themselves in bondage. This is what happened in Acts 16, s...

What do you do when God has other plans? You think you know which way is best; you even are pretty sure it’s not a matter of a sinful choice! You think this is the right direction, and God says, “NO”? In our study in the book of Acts, Paul is now REALLY excited to take the message to the world (BTW, this happens… talk to ANYONE who has been used by God to make a difference in someone’s life, wheth...

What do you think of when I say the word “alone?” Images of solitude, feelings of loneliness. But what about that word in another context: “The BIBLE, yes that’s the book for me, I stand alone on the word of God, the BIBLE.”  What about the phrase “In Christ alone…” Where does THAT phrase take you in your mind, your heart? Does it bring comfort or anxiety… release or indignation? I know believers...

Let me begin with this question: Is the Gospel you believe the true Biblical gospel - or for those of you who have been skeptical about God and Jesus and the Church and Christianity and all that...is the Gospel message actually the true Biblical Gospel? Or have we either put our faith in, or have outright rejected, something that we have actually very different...something we have MISUNDERSTOOD? T...

In the early 50s, the US government constructed an $78 million troop carrier for the navy. The purpose was to build a ship that could quickly carry 15,000 troops in times of war and was designed to outrun any other ship and travel non-stop anywhere in the world in less than ten days. The SS United States was the fastest, most reliable troop carrier in the world. The only catch is, she never carrie...

Associate Pastor Andy Buchanan

The problem, truly, is one of perspective.  And, ironically enough, it was through the Perspectives on The World Christian Movement course that I took almost 20 years ago that I began to understand the purpose of God's church much more clearly than I ever had.   I have come to believe that the Bible is really a book that has just ONE story.  Sometimes the individual stories IN the Bible obscu...