The Portland Oregon Experiment

When I first started writing The Jesus Experiment, I shared the idea of the book with the lead pastor of Rolling Hills Community Church, Bill Towne. Because I attend the church and Bill and I have known each other for years, I knew he would give me some honest feedback on the book. As we talked, Bill and his leadership team prayed about using the book as a Sunday series with their small groups using the discussion questions at the end of each chapter. And so in the fall of 2010 Rolling Hills did a five week series based on The Jesus Experiment. I would write a chapter and then hand it off to Bill and his team of teaching pastors. Even without the book for use in their home groups, by using the discussion questions that would later be in the book, the response was transformational.

Since then I've talked with pastors in Portland about using The Jesus Experiment as a series leading up to Easter 2012. When the pastor's understood the idea of bringing people into a real-time connection with Christ, one that would test the validity of his promise to give abundant life, they got excited. Church leaders know everything we do is intended to help people know and grow in Jesus Christ. We realize if we, and those in our churches, learn to feel, think, speak and act like Jesus, our lives, families, churches and communities will be transformed.

With that in mind I'm inviting churches throughout the greater Portland area to join one another in using the Jesus Experiment for a Sunday sermon series in which their small groups go through the book together. All of this to help us feel, think, speak and act like Jesus so we can experience the abundant life he offers (John 10:10). For more information please contact us and we'll get back to you right away.

For years I've been praying for Portland. I hope you'll join me and others as we seek to bring people into a life-changing experience with Jesus Christ.

    Suggested Four Week
    Easter 2012 Series


  • Mar. 04 - Setting Up the Lab (optional)
  • Mar. 11 - "He Unexpectedly Helped Others"
  • Mar. 18 - "He Served Status Seekers" (Upper Room)
  • Mar. 25 - "Abiding in Jesus"
  • Apr. 01 - "He Faced His Fears" (Gethsemane)
  • Apr. 08 - Easter

    Suggested Eight Week
    Easter 2012 Series


  • Feb. 05 - Setting Up the Lab (optional)
  • Feb. 12 - "He Gave Hope to The Vulnerable"
  • Feb. 19 - "He Stuck to His Mission"
  • Feb. 26 - "He Overcame Evil"
  • Mar. 04 - "He Talked With His Father"
  • Mar. 11 - "He Unexpectedly Helped Others"
  • Mar. 18 - "He Served Status Seekers" (Upper Room)
  • Mar. 25 - "Abiding in Jesus"
  • Apr. 01 - "He Faced His Fears" (Gethsemane)
  • Apr. 08 - Easter

    Suggested Twelve Week
    Easter 2012 Series


  • Jan. 15 - Setting Up the Lab
  • Jan. 22 - "He Took Action"
  • Jan. 29 - "He Blessed Children"
  • Feb. 05 - "He Loved Difficult People"
  • Feb. 12 - "He Gave Hope to The Vulnerable"
  • Feb. 19 - "He Stuck to His Mission"
  • Feb. 26 - "He Overcame Evil"
  • Mar. 04 - "He Talked With His Father"
  • Mar. 11 - "He Unexpectedly Helped Others"
  • Mar. 18 - "He Served Status Seekers" (Upper Room)
  • Mar. 25 - "Abiding in Jesus"
  • Apr. 01 - "He Faced His Fears" (Gethsemane)
  • Apr. 08 - Easter

Of course, you could select any weeks you think would best encourage your church to experience the abundant life Jesus offers. Or, you could simply go through the book in the order it was written. I've rearranged them so the weeks leading up to Easter would focus on the night before his crucifixion and resurrection three days later.

For more information about the Portland Experiment please contact us and someone will get back to you shortly.

Portland Churches Participating in the Jesus Experiment: