Jesse Lusko | Audio Podcast

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 dignity has always been God’s idea.

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 it can lead to an unattainable need for recognition and affirmation. 

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 we doing it for all the wrong reasons.  We will become a counterculture when we admit our own bad motives, come to Jesus for mercy, and then extend that mercy to the city around us.