Downtownpastor’s Weblog

Well, first I need to say, I’m not THE downtown pastor, but am A downtown pastor–there’s so many wonderful men and women leading churches in this area…  Anyway, I’m a pastor of a downtown church in Portland, Oregon, Grace Bible Church www.graceportland.org.  

The real meat of the story of me is… Jesus Christ.  I met Him when I was about 15 or so, at a camp run by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.  A college basketball coach sat down with me one day and explained what the word “gospel” meant–particularly, what the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ meant to me.  I didn’t think I needed Him, thought growing up going to church every Sunday, being confirmed a Lutheran, etc. had really covered all my bases, but then there came this moment…when the death of Jesus Christ, on a cross, in my place, to save me from my sins… it all made sense.  I guess you could say that was the moment I believed, for the first time. 

There are three point gospel presentations, four-point, and I’ve even seen some seven pointers…but I like the one-sentence one the best:  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him will be saved.”  This tells me something about God, something about Jesus, and something about me.  God loves me, Jesus was given for me, and I need to be saved.  I believe that.  Can you?

Here’s Grace Bible Church…

This is my daughter Rachel and me on Christmas Day…

This is my dearest, Sharon, and me in Israel last fall…

This is me in Ephesus…what a delight to spend day poking around those ruins!