As we have our first ever “online gathering,” we consider what Christianity has to say to a world reeling from the impacts of sickness and disease. Should we shrink back fearful of disease and wondering where God is in all of this? Or does our theology offer answers for this moment? What do we say to sickness, disease, and suffering? The Christian faith is ready for this moment. Not only do we have answers, we offer hope.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
What is a Christian response to a time of national crisis? How should we care for ourselves, our family, and our neighbor? These are questions that confront us today, but they have been addressed by Christians throughout church history. More importantly, the Bible is full of wisdom and guidance for our lives in the midst of crisis.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
If you had to come up with your top 3 strategies for fighting sin, what would you list? What are your best tips for someone struggling with sin? For your own sin? Surprisingly the lists we come up with aren’t always the same one the BIble comes up with. John tells us he’s writing his letter “so that we might not sin.” So what are his tips? What does he tell us to do? Here’s a hint: it’s more about what’s been done than what we do.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
God is light. It’s a deceptively simple sentence. In just 3 words, John manages to convey a wealth of imagery that carries all the way back to the opening verses of Genesis. What does he mean by this? Is it good news for us? Intended to comfort and assure us? Or is it a warning to us? John unpacks the weight of this biblical truth.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
“You can’t beat the real thing.” That was the marketing slogan that helped Coca-Cola rebound from one of the most notable marketing blunders in recent memory. In an effort to regain slipping market share, they had launched “New Coke.” In doing so, they had left what made people love them in the first place. The letter of 1 John is a plea from John not leave the truth of the gospel- to hold on to the real thing.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
Sometimes the most dangerous things are not the things that look scary at all. Sometimes it’s the things that look normal that can cause the most damage. Satan works against us in so many different ways and one of his chief methods is by imitating the good things God has given us. However, Satan’s imitations are never as good as God’s creations. How can we tell the difference between real and fake? Counterfeit and genuine? Imitation and true creation? Knowing can make all the difference.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
For so long, the peak of wise advice has been that in order to be happy, what we need is to find balance in our lives. If we can find that magical balance point, all will be well. While the intent of this advice may come from a sincere place, it simply isn’t biblical. The biblical picture is one of total and unreserved commitment- to be “All In.” As we conclude our series, our challenge is to follow the command of Jesus and forsake all else as we pursue Him.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
As we continue to look at what it means to be “All In” at Providence, we are challenged to be a people looking to make disciples. This begins with our own personal lives and extends into the many opportunities available through Providence- locally, nationally, and internationally. This Sunday we talk about the various mission opportunities we have and make a major announcement about our newest opportunity in New York City.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
The mission statement of Providence is to Make, Grow, and Unleash disciples of Jesus. But when it comes to the children God has placed in our care we rarely emphasize the Unleashing. Students in middle and high school are getting critically close to that important time of their lives, and we as a church have important roles to play in helping them Grow to meet those challenges. Student minister Chris Hodge shares how Providence Students aims to partner with parents so that when a student is Unleashed to their next phase of life, they do so rooted in the gospel and as committed disciple of Jesus.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
Our time is short, our opportunities limited, but we rarely feel the weight of this. At Providence, we want to be aware of the opportunity we have with our kids. We want to partner with parents to make sure we all make the most of the time we have to invest in our kids. This week Jessica Willings teaches us about the value of a single gumball.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
What will 2020 be for you? Will it be another year to mark off a calendar? Day after day, week after week, just crossing off days? Or it will be a year that will forever mark you for the rest of your life? With a full calendar ahead of us, we have the opportunity to make this year one that will change us, but that only happens if we go “All In.” What does that look like? At Providence, that begins with relationships and ends with discipleship. As we start the year, Read Runyan and Jordan Lemons lay out what it looks like to go “All In” at Providence.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
Sometimes the Bible calls us to look to our past to find our hope. We behold stories from the Old Testament, babies in mangers, a savior on a cross, and an empty tomb. There are also places where the Bible calls us to behold the future and the things that are still to come. In the final words of the Bible, John tells us that we should have hope for the new creation that is to come because there, God makes ALL things new. Finally Jesus closes with the words intended to sustain us in suffering and motivate us to action- “Behold, I am coming soon.”
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
51 years ago on Christmas Eve, the world was fixed on their television screens as, for the first time in history, men had left the earth’s grasp and had reached the moon. In the mission that would lay the groundwork for Neal Armstrong and Apollo 11, Apollo 8 was orbiting the moon. As those men circled the moon, something they knew so well from studies, books, and pictures, for the first time they truly beheld the moon and it left them breathless and speechless. What they discovered is that their beholding and the moon was very, very different than knowing about the moon. The question for us as we celebrate the incarnation is much the same- do we know and behold God or do we just know about him?
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
It is sometimes surprising that something as theologically profound as the incarnation can be so prominent in our culture. It is less surprising to see when our culture gets it wrong. Far from the make-believe, sappy sentiment that makes up most of what counts for “Christmas spirit,” the truth of Christmas is a story unlike any other. From the angelic announcement that proclaims “Behold, He is here! He has come down!” to the parallel angelic announcement that proclaims, “Behold, He is not here! He is risen!”, the best part of this story is that it’s all true.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
The Bible is full of moments that can be lost on us as readers. Majestic moments can be read over and missed all too easily. The Christmas Story shouldn’t be one of those moments. In part, because the Old Testament builds and points to the birth of the Messiah as the heart of the story of scripture. It invites us to “behold” moments along the way that are meant to captivate us and draw us in. From OT prophecies to Christmas miracles to future promises- it’s all meant to leave us in awe. If we can grasp the magnitude of these moments, we’ll begin to see what Christianity is all about- even more than behaving, it’s beholding.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS