Counterculture Church
Messages from Counterculture Church in Portland, Oregon. Experience thriving faith in a sometimes skeptical world.
Episodes
119 episodes
What's Waiting At Your Door | 1 Peter 4:12-17 | Jesse Lusko
Peter reminds us that we shouldn't be shocked by suffering, but that we have a gospel that is strong enough to sustain us through the fire. He is not going to let you dissolve in the fire -- will you let him purify you into something beautiful?...
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39:00
Ordinary Love for Extraordinary Times | 1 Peter 4:7-11 | Sammiera Emmarson
When the world feels chaotic, Peter reminds us that God works through ordinary faithfulness. Clear minds, deep love, open doors, and willing hands reveal His strength in the midst of chaos.
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36:17
Stranger Things | 1 Peter 3:19-4:6 | Jesse Lusko
The Bible can seem strange, even bizarre at times, and this passage is no exception. However, the more you know the historical backstory you see that themes of floods, dark spiritual forces, and Jesus' victory aren't random at all, they are pro...
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35:23
Rage Bait | 1 Peter 3:8-18 | Jesse Lusko
Conflict is a part of life and some interactions leave us fuming, it is so easy to fire back and return the rage. But Peter shows us a better way. His message calls us to resist that instinct, listen deeply, speak with wisdom, and let Jes...
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40:03
When Your Life's a Mess | Mark 2:13-17 | Bekah Lusko
Have you ever been in a mess of your own making? In the story of Levi the tax collector, we see that Jesus meets us in our mess and still chooses us to be in his inner circle. How will we respond at his invitation to "follow him"?
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43:32
Beauty and the Beast | 1 Peter 3:1-7 | Jesse Lusko
In one of the more difficult passages of Peter, we explore how what can seem repressive to women is actually an empowering and loving message of hope and equality -- all from the God who gave His all to show us our worth.
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43:32
War We Have to Win | 1 Peter 3: 11-25 | Jesse Lusko
We live in a time where the media is reporting on assassinations, talk of civil war and violent revolution. But Jesus waged a war of peace, love and humility and His revolution has outlasted everyone else's. We must learn to wage a war...
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41:12
Arrested Development | 1 Peter 1:22-2:10 | Jesse Lusko
God doesn't want you to have a spiritually stagnant life. He calls you to go deeper -- but how? This week, Pastor Jesse brings us through three ways to flourish in our faith and to experience the fullness of joy in Christ Jesus.
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47:01
Bloodlines | 1 Peter 1:10-25 | Jesse Lusko
Generational pain runs deep — whether it's trauma, addiction, or dysfunction. But it doesn't have to dictate your life. Through Jesus, you can start a new legacy, a new bloodline, and a new future.
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46:53
Out of the Furnace | 1 Peter 1:3-9 | Jesse Lusko
What if the fire in your life isn’t meant to destroy you, but to refine you? As we continue in 1 Peter, we see that suffering can cause us to question what we put our hope in, and can redirect us to a hope that "can never perish, sp...
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41:24
A Work in Progress | 1 Peter 1:1-2 | Jesse Lusko
The road to becoming like Jesus isn’t smooth. It’s full of detours, breakdowns, and restarts. In the start of the series, Liquid Gold, Peter’s story reminds us that our sanctification is a work in progress -- but Jesus is there every step of th...
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42:42
Gumbo and the Kingdom of God | Mike Dean
Our guest, Pastor Mike Dean, shows us God’s brilliant design for His church: unity without uniformity. Just like a pot of gumbo, the body of Christ is made richer and stronger through its differences.
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41:06
Power Move | Acts 4:6-22 | Jesse Lusko
How did Peter go from cowering in the courtyard to confronting Jesus' murderers in the courtroom? This episode shows us how real power is found in the name of Jesus, why His resurrection changes everything, and how the gospel frees us from prid...
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37:45
Liquid Courage | Acts 2:14-28 | Jesse Lusko
In a world filled with fear, violence, and uncertainty, it's easy to turn to the quick fixes of this world. But in Acts 2, what looked like drunkenness was actually the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit gave the disciples courage, fullness a...
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43:30
When You Need Another Chance | John 21:9-22 | Jesse Lusko
What happens after failure? In John 21, Peter denies Jesus three times—and yet Jesus meets him with breakfast on the beach, not condemnation. This powerful story shows us the God of second chances and the true source of fulfillment.
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34:52
What if? | Genesis 50:20 | Ben Emmarson
What if your worst nightmare came true instead of your dreams? Joseph dreamed of greatness but ended up betrayed by his family, a victim of slavery and a prisoner in Egypt. But even when life was a nightmare God was with him and was working a p...
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51:44
Serving a Serving God | Luke 12:35-38 | Carolyn Lu
In this episode, our guest Carolyn Lu takes us into Luke 12:38, where Jesus paints a picture of servants waiting for their master to return. But this story isn’t just about what we should do, it’s about who God is. Carolyn helps us see this pas...
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35:30
How to Crash and Burn | Luke 22:31-34, 50-61 | Jesse Lusko
Peter swore he’d never deny Jesus — but within hours, he did it three times. In this message from Luke, we look at what things can lead us to crash and burn, and how - even in our failure - Jesus looks at us with love and invites us back ...
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41:55
Peak Experience | Luke 9:27-26 | Jesse Lusko
In this episode, we dive into the Transfiguration where Jesus’ glory was revealed, not just to the world, but to His closest friends. Discover why real transformation comes from both mountaintop moments and steady, everyday faith — and...
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41:47
The Happiness Paradox | Matthew 16:13-26 | Jesse Lusko
In this episode, we explore Jesus’ bold claims about himself, his surprising mission, and the question that every person eventually has to answer: Who do you say that I am? If Jesus is who he says he is, the only logical response is to...
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45:48
Riders On The Storm | Matthew 14:22-33 | Jesse Lusko
When life blindsides you, when the diagnosis comes, the relationship ends, or the ground beneath your feet starts to shake: what then? Storms sometimes come out of no where. But what if they have a purpose? This episode dives into a momen...
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43:18
Into the Deep | Luke 5: 1-11 | Jesse Lusko
What does it look like to leave the shallows and follow Jesus into the deep? In the kickoff message to a fresh series, Wild Frontier, we explore the moment that God called Peter to do exactly that. God is calling us into a greater life -- what ...
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41:18
Becoming a Villager | Acts 2:42-47 | Sammiera Emmarson
Everyone wants a village but not everyone is willing to be a villager. In this message, learn about God's true intention for community and how you can help stop the culture of loneliness.
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32:30
Between the Soldiers and the Sea | Exodus 14:5-22 | Bekah Lusko
When fear casts its shadow on us, it can be completely overwhelming. Something important to us is under threat, and our minds can begin to question if God is really there and if He has our best interests at heart. In this iconic story, we see t...
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39:54