A Poem for Easter
One of the great ironies of the Christian faith is that death is defeated by death. This great contradiction, sobering though it is, brings us hope that death is not the final word....
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Why Do We Pray "In Jesus' Name"?
Why do we pray "in Jesus' name"? Maybe it’s important to ask ourselves, do we know what this phrase really means? Do we fully understand the meaning and power of these words? Do we think that God will hear us better if we say that we come to him in Jesus’ name?...
Sent Out
This trip not only fueled and stirred my affections for God and missions, but having the Providence church body commission us the Sunday before we left was a moment I will never forget. Being obedient to the call of missions embedded me even further into the heartbeat of Providence because I was a member who was sent....
A New Framework for Understanding Grace
Redemption Groups forced me to be honest with both God and myself, to ask Him the hard questions, and wait for a response....
Advent: Looking Forward
The best part of Advent is not Advent itself, but what it points to...
Sing for Joy This Advent Season
In the middle of the holiday-hype and musician-lament, our church gets to be centered on the joy of singing biblical Advent songs. ...
What is Advent?
It’s that time of year. Lights are going up, decorations are out, and Christmas movies are on TV. As we approach Christmas, the church enters into the celebration of Advent. But what is Advent? ...
Looking for Joy
Recently God has impressed one thought on my mind: Keep looking for joy, even in the mundane or the very difficult times. If all I’m doing in my current season is wishing for the next season, then I am missing so much joy and so many gifts which God has given me in the here and now....
Resources for The Christ-Centered Home
As The Christ-Centered Home sermon series comes to a close, our staff has curated a list of recommended resources to continue to equip you and your family. You'll find books, articles, podcasts, and other great resources that we've found helpful. Our hope is that your home would be strengthened by one or more of these resources....
Pictures of the Gospel in Adoption
Earthly adoption is a beautiful picture of the gospel and it points to the greater adoption that Christ has offered all who call upon his name. ...
Sound Doctrine is for Everyone
The term “sound doctrine” is a term that I have always associated with people who know more than me. I thought pastors, seminary students, or biblical scholars dealt with doctrine. It never occurred to me that doctrine was something I should be concerned about. It was always over my head and above my pay grade....
Crossed Hands of Blessing
It is easy for us to approach God and ask him to bless what we bring him, only to be frustrated when his blessings aren’t what we expect. ...
Keep ReadingRemembering That God Pursued Me
By the grace of God and the gentle nudge of my wife, I signed up for Redemption. Even though I didn’t know what to expect, God moved in my heart....
Keep ReadingWhy is Genesis 38 In Our Bibles?
In Genesis 37 we're introduced to the tense family dynamic between Jacob's children that culminates in Joseph's betrayal and enslavement. The final verse of the chapter tells us that he ended up in Potiphar's house, and Genesis 39 picks the story up from there. But between these two chapters is one that can feel unnecessary. Despite the presence of one familiar face from ...
Keep ReadingWhy We Study the Bible
Looking back over the early years of my Christian journey, I realized that I was young and immature. I needed to learn a lot about God and the spiritual discipline of reading his word. I knew that reading my bible was a good thing but struggled to be consistent....
Keep ReadingA Clean Glass of Water in Jesus' Name
The Dominican kids who were with us thought we were nice, but that we talked about a “God” who was only for us...
Keep ReadingPaul's Ambition, Our Vision
Our prayer is that God would empower and equip each of our members to make disciples who make disciples. As we all engage in this mission, our dream is to see this kind of movement sweep across our community....
Keep ReadingTen Questions to Help You Make the Most of 2016
We’re often too busy trudging through the mountains to stop and take in the majestic view of what God is doing. And unless we stop for a second and intentionally look outside the day-to-day specifics, we’ll keep moving and keep living without making it a point to seek God in our purpose and rhythms of life....
Keep ReadingGod's Greatest Gift
It’s the week of Christmas and everyone is busy with last minute preparations. Some are running to the store to buy the perfect gift for that loved one, and others keep checking the front porch to see if Amazon has delivered the gift they ordered. But as we enter into another Christmas celebration, let us remember that the greatest gift was not a last minute decision but...
Keep ReadingFavorite Books of 2015
As a church staff, we work to equip and encourage one another with resources that help focus our lives on the gospel and teach us more of what it means to follow Christ. We've compiled a list of the books each of us has found most helpful in 2015 which we hope are helpful for you as well....
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