A picture is worth 1000 words. If that’s true, then what’s a “live photo” worth? Or a movie? While a picture can tell us a lot, it can also be misleading and limiting. So much so that, Satan can love to live in the snapshots. He loves to make us either feel great about ourselves (when the snapshot looks good) or hate ourselves (when the snapshot is painful and messy). The call from the good news of the Gospel is to remember that God works in full-fledged, well developed, profound stories. And the story of the gospel is where we find our hope and our humility.
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In baseball, Curveballs are two things- a.) unexpected and b.) meant to make things harder. In the bible, there are all kinds of stories about unexpected things happening to people, and often times that makes things harder. However the overall story of the bible is very unexpected, but it has the opposite effect. The story of the bible is an unexpected, unmerited action that results in overwhelmingly good news. As we begin a few weeks looking at the life of King David, we can see how sometimes the unexpected is, in fact, a very welcome thing. And what makes this so unexpected is because we have done so little to deserve it.
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Have you ever signed up for something only to find once you got there, it was nothing like you had expected? We all have experiences where we thought we knew what we were getting ourselves into only to find that perhaps what we got was more than we had bargained for. The disciples probably know that feeling well. At every turn, it seems like they are confused and bewildered by the things Jesus does and says. If you’re a follower of Jesus, you can probably relate. The reality is we don’t know what Jesus will call us to- but we do know that he’s in control and our task is to follow him where ever he leads.
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When you can’t see life’s changes coming, it can be hard to know how to react. Funny thing is, sometimes we say we didn’t see it coming, but we probably should’ve. For the disciples, the crucifixion of Jesus was something they never saw coming, but they probably should’ve. It wrecked their world, but Jesus told them it was coming. So it is with us. Trials and pain always catch us by surprise, but Jesus told us that was coming too. What does the crucifixion tell us about what we should expect as Christians? And even more importantly, what does the resurrection tell us?
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What happens when we get a curveball thrown to us in our lives? The book of Ruth is the story of how two women dealt with some massive changes they never saw coming. It’s the story of bitterness and pain. It’s the story of providence and sovereignty. Sometimes we can see what God is doing. Sometimes we can’t see it at all. How do we push on in life when everything seems to fall apart.
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What would it mean for us if we could just have a little warning about what was about to happen? Just a little heads up to know that something was about to happen. A little preparation could take us a long way. Unfortunately in life, we don’t really get that warning- at least not about specifics. All we are given is the command to follow God where ever he goes. So what does that look like? What happens when we don’t listen to that warning?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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“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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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