Rick McKinley - Good News to the Poor

Imago Dei Community began as a dream to see a church where people could explore the claims of historical Christianity and believers could connect with God in a deep way through Christ. In November, 1999, Pastor Rick McKinley moved with his wife, Jeanne, and their four children back to Portland. He left a ministry in LaGrande, Oregon, where he ran an alternative service on Saturday nights. And the rest is history.

My wife's uncle and aunt go to this church and I have see their lives transformed in this community. Don Miller writes much in his books about this church and his conversations with Rick. My buddy who went to Bible College with Rick just had lunch with him last week and came back changed. I have listened to a few sermons by this great man. I heard a sermon he did at Mars Hill Bible Church in Michigan awhile back that was revolutionary for me in thinking about how church should operate, and that great sermon became his second book, "This Beautiful Mess." There is nothing special about him, and I think that is what makes him such a powerful speaker... He is authentic, honest, humble and real. His life matches his words.

This sermon is a great transition from the previous two because it gives some theological foundation to our responsibility to the poor, but then takes it a step further by helping us see our poverty and how God wants to transform all poverty into the glory that is Christ in us. I know I keep saying, "You have to listen to this" but it is really good.

Here is the link!