Discipleship is More Than an Event

Discipleship is More Than an Event

Note from the Editor: FOCUS Weekend begins March 1. As the student team prepares for a few days of intense discipleship, Grant Hoover explains the philosophy behind these events, specifically about what they can and can’t do. Discipleship is always happening, even in the most unlikely moments. It’s present in a small group discussion and when the...

Discipleship is More Than an Event

Note from the Editor: FOCUS Weekend begins March 1. As the student team prepares for a few days of intense discipleship, Grant Hoover explains the philosophy behind these events, specifically about what they can and can’t do. Discipleship is always...

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Set Your Face Toward Jerusalem During Lent

Set Your Face Toward Jerusalem During Lent

We’ve just finished a season of fasting as a church body, and you may be thinking about continuing to fast through Lent this year. While our three weeks of corporate prayer and fasting during Depend have been meaningful as we seek God’s will for the growth of our...

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Rescue the Perishing

Rescue the Perishing

Editor’s Note: This post was written on the ground last year, during a vision trip to a West Asian city. During the trip, team members prayer-walked the city and asked the Lord to rescue and redeem those who are perishing. “God is great! I bear witness that there is...

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Biblical Principles for Divorce and Remarriage

Biblical Principles for Divorce and Remarriage

I never imagined I’d be here! I hear these words from friends facing divorce—far too often—and it breaks my heart. I bet you come across these same situations, don’t you? As believers, we are called to love God and to love our neighbor. Dealing with troubled marriages...

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Why Study Judges?

Why Study Judges?

This spring, our Women’s Bible Study will be in the book of Judges. This book is familiar to us in parts and pieces; many of us know the stories of Deborah, Gideon, and Samson. But few of us know how those stories fit together in the book of Judges. We rarely stop to...

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Growing in the Spiritual Disciplines

Growing in the Spiritual Disciplines

It’s happened in almost every small group I’ve been part of for the last twenty years. We have a sweet time of prayer at the end of the group. Men and women split up into gender-specific groups; we share what God is doing in our lives and learn more about each other...

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4 Things That Have Changed How I Pray

4 Things That Have Changed How I Pray

So, how’s your prayer life? Real talk. How rich is your time with God in prayer? Let me give you a few snapshots of what my prayer life can often look like on any given day. Does any of this sound familiar? When I’m having my quiet time early in the morning, I often...

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A Christmas Carol for a Weary World

What makes “O Holy Night” such an iconic and beloved Christmas carol? A wide range of people have recorded it, including Mariah Carey, Josh Groban, David Phelps, Ella Fitzgerald, Weezer, and my personal favorite, The Reign of Kindo.  No matter which version of the...

Joy to the World: The Lord is Coming

I have many favorite Christmas carols. One of them is “Joy to the World.” It has such an upbeat tune, and it fills my heart with joy. For many years I thought this song was about Jesus’ birth and the joy it brought to the world. I was surprised to discover that it is...

Recommended Reading for Maturing Disciples

This year our staff and elders are reviving a Providence tradition—a round-up of some of our favorite books. This year’s list looks a little different, though. Rather than books they’ve read in the past year, we asked our staff and elders to recommend books related to...