Living Life as Ambassadors for Christ

Living Life as Ambassadors for Christ

On a muggy summer day last year, I loaded up on a bus with about fifty middle school and high school girls to head to student camp. What on the surface looked like an ordinary four hour bus ride turned into a divine appointment. This journey paved the way for a unique...
The Faithful in the Hands of a Saving God

The Faithful in the Hands of a Saving God

The book of Daniel, like Esther, has much to say about the unrivaled sovereignty of God. He is the God of history and the King of kings, and his dominion is an everlasting dominion. It also has much to say about the faithfulness and courage of those who live under his...
For Such a Time as This

For Such a Time as This

“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:1-17). God’s...
The Fruit of Memorizing Scripture

The Fruit of Memorizing Scripture

I may have lost you with the very title of this post, though I hope not! When we think about spiritual disciplines, Scripture memorization is one that often seems unattainable. “It’s so hard!” we cry . . . and we’re not wrong. Scripture memorization requires time,...
Faithful Elders

Faithful Elders

Leadership matters. Why? According to Proverbs 29:2, “When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.” Given the context of the chapter and the book as a whole there are many comments we could make about this verse. And yet...

Communing with Christ

One of the great privileges of my life is being married to my bride, Ariel. Sometimes I find myself reflecting on how great our wedding day was. The ceremony took place in an elegant chapel that cornered a wide-open, rustic ranch. Roaming the field was, you guessed...
The Apologetic Witness of Godly Lives

The Apologetic Witness of Godly Lives

Throughout 1 Peter, a letter written to give hope to a people in exile, Peter calls Christians to live holy, godly lives. It’s a direct call in the very first chapter — “As he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct” (1 Pet. 1:15) — and a theme...
Grounded in the Gospel: Marriage

Grounded in the Gospel: Marriage

Honoring God in Marriage Pastor Afshin recently preached on “Honoring God in Marriage” from First Peter 3:1-7. In his sermon, he talked about how receiving a new identity by faith in Christ (e.g., born again [1:3], called [2:9], beloved [2:11]) enables and empowers...
Crucified and Living in Christ

Crucified and Living in Christ

As we begin a new year in our life together at Providence church, it is helpful to rehearse again and again who we are by grace through faith in Christ. Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I...