Remember God in the Darkness
Have you ever found yourself walking through a circumstance that feels like what Psalm 23 refers to as “the valley of the shadow of death”? A season where the difficulty of your circumstances leaves you disoriented, as if in deep darkness. In the darkness, you begin to doubt if light could ever penetrate through. Even if you haven’t personally...
Remember God in the Darkness
Have you ever found yourself walking through a circumstance that feels like what Psalm 23 refers to as “the valley of the shadow of death”? A season where the difficulty of your circumstances leaves you disoriented, as if in deep darkness. In the...
Remember the Future
Our memory is a wonderful and gracious gift from the Lord. By allowing us to remember the past, God bestows upon us the enormous blessing of cherished memories while simultaneously using the past to shape us in our sanctification and spiritual maturity. Walking with...
Family Traditions
It often takes getting married or visiting a close friend’s family during the holidays to realize that your own traditions might not be so ‘normal’ after all. After my first Christmas with my (now) husband, it became crystal clear that our family tradition was not...
When God Remembers
In Scripture, we discover that remembrance is not only something we are called to pursue but something God himself models. Scripture often speaks of God "remembering" his people—a remembrance that is not about recovering forgotten information but a purposeful movement...
New Covenant Signs
What a time to be alive! Imagine hearing the stories of your ancestors under the Old Covenant. These were the ones who were spectacularly delivered from the oppressive hands of the Egyptians with mighty signs and wonders, who walked across the Red Sea, and were...
Motherhood as Spiritual Warfare
“Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.” —Psalm 8:2 (NIV) “In the lap of the mother, the child learns its first prayers, its first songs of praise, and its first trust in...
Remembering Truth: In Community
Please tell me I am not the only one. How many of you out there have gotten a text from a friend, who you aren't feeling on solid ground with? You open your phone, your heart races, your mouth goes dry. You read their text as fast as you can, trying to get through all...
The Church
Christian Community is Hard Work
As a staff member at Providence, Sunday mornings are often equal parts exciting and exhausting. I spend a large portion of my week preparing for our worship services, and seeing the entire congregation gathered together always makes the effort worth it. Between...
Open Door Policy
“I can’t do it. I can’t finish this for you and this is going to have to be my last day. I am really sorry.” These are not the words you want to hear from your contractor when you’re standing in the middle of a gutted kitchen. When we moved into our house, we found a...
Many Members, One Body
When was the last time you stopped to marvel at your hand? Have you ever stood in awe of the 27 bones and over 100 ligaments that God designed to work in complete harmony every second of every day to accomplish even the most simple of tasks? The intricate design of...
By This All People Will Know
“All I know is that you need love, and I’ve got a family.” If you recognize these lyrics, you might be a product of the 90’s. Audio Adrenaline had it right, though. The concept isn’t just nostalgic—it’s biblical. Scriptural Roots The idea that the church is a family...
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...
Holiness
Remember the Future
Our memory is a wonderful and gracious gift from the Lord. By allowing us to remember the past, God bestows upon us the enormous blessing of cherished memories while simultaneously using the past to shape us in our sanctification and spiritual maturity. Walking with...
Family Traditions
It often takes getting married or visiting a close friend’s family during the holidays to realize that your own traditions might not be so ‘normal’ after all. After my first Christmas with my (now) husband, it became crystal clear that our family tradition was not...
When God Remembers
In Scripture, we discover that remembrance is not only something we are called to pursue but something God himself models. Scripture often speaks of God "remembering" his people—a remembrance that is not about recovering forgotten information but a purposeful movement...
New Covenant Signs
What a time to be alive! Imagine hearing the stories of your ancestors under the Old Covenant. These were the ones who were spectacularly delivered from the oppressive hands of the Egyptians with mighty signs and wonders, who walked across the Red Sea, and were...
Motherhood as Spiritual Warfare
“Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.” —Psalm 8:2 (NIV) “In the lap of the mother, the child learns its first prayers, its first songs of praise, and its first trust in...
Missions
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...
Out of Darkness and Into His Marvelous Light
Editor’s Note: Through the Entrusted & Sent initiative, Providence is partnering with IllumiNations and Pioneer Bible Translators to fund a translation of the New Testament in the Tenebre language. Tenebre is a pseudonym, used for the security of the people...
Bringing the Light to Those in Darkness
Do you remember what it was like to be afraid of the dark? I can still picture being in my childhood room at night, trying to fall asleep while the shadows of the unknown kept me awake. I would close my eyes tight or pull the covers over my head, attempting to shield...
The Story of New England Outreach
The Call To Go The awestruck assembly gazed up into the sky as a humble yet majestic figure ascended far above and was veiled from view. The air was marked by stunned silence. Before taking His heavenly throne, Jesus left His disciples with a daunting mission—to...
Witness to the War
In June of 1942, during the first year of WWII, there was a battle in the Pacific between the navies of the United States and Imperial Japan. The Battle of Midway was a unique battle because the opposing forces never got close enough to see each other. It was a...
Prayer
Remember God in the Darkness
Have you ever found yourself walking through a circumstance that feels like what Psalm 23 refers to as “the valley of the shadow of death”? A season where the difficulty of your circumstances leaves you disoriented, as if in deep darkness. In the darkness, you begin...
The Duty of Walking with Thanksgiving
A few months back I took my nine-year-old daughter on a date. Walking to the restaurant, I noticed she was trying to walk in sync with my steps. As she achieved her objective, she happily exclaimed: “Look Daddy, our steps are matching!” That heartwarming sentence got...
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...
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...
Lord, Teach Us To Pray
Growing up I did not have much of a prayer life. I saw prayer and other disciplines as things that I was supposed to do for God to be okay with me. It was not until I went to college that I learned God doesn’t need our prayers but actually delights in us coming to Him...
The Bible
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...
Don’t Reduce Your Relationship With God to a Checklist
This past Sunday, we looked at a shocking scene in Luke 4 where the people who knew Jesus best became the very first to attempt to kill him. They weren’t people from various walks of life with different worldviews. They were devout Jews in their own synagogue. They...
Understanding Differences in the New Testament Genealogies
This past Sunday we looked the genealogy of Jesus as presented in Luke’s gospel. But Luke wasn’t the only writer to list out Jesus’ genealogy. Matthew did so as well in his gospel. And when we compare those two lists of names, there are differences between them. Some...
Understanding the Gospel of Luke
This weekend, we’re kicking off our new message series in the Gospel of Luke. We began the first chapter as we journeyed through Advent together in December. As we continue, we will see a beautiful account of Jesus’ ministry unfold. Walking through Luke’s gospel...
Parenthood
Motherhood as Spiritual Warfare
“Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.” —Psalm 8:2 (NIV) “In the lap of the mother, the child learns its first prayers, its first songs of praise, and its first trust in...
Encouragement For The Imperfect Father
Like so many dads, I will never forget the first time I held my son. I had dreamed of the moment for so long. I had always wondered what it would feel like to finally meet Caleb. Then, suddenly, a nurse wrapped up my baby boy, handed him over to me, and exclaimed,...
It Takes a Village
Gospel. Community. Mission. You don’t have to be a certain age to participate in this beautifully simple mission of Providence Church. In fact, Jesus indicated the church is most vibrant and complete when all ages are pursuing Him (Matthew 19:14). During child...
How to Talk to Your Kids About Gender Identity
“Fires will be kindled to testify that two and two make four. Swords will be drawn to prove that leaves are green in summer.” These words, written by G.K. Chesterton in 1905, may have seemed extreme at the time. However they have certainly, whether intentionally or...
Everyday Discipleship with Teenagers
“Change starts with a conversation.” I heard this phrase a few years ago at church camp and it has stuck with me ever since. You never know what conversations will come up throughout the day or where a conversation may lead. Some conversations we walk away from...
Community
Glorifying God on the Sidelines
My stomach is in knots, my legs are jittery, and it’s taking a significant amount of self-control to not yell like my life depends on it. Did I mention I’m on the sidelines at a soccer game? And the players are four years old? And one of them is my child? Navigating...
Responding Well When Others Are Struggling
In November 2017, I began walking a long road of sanctification, beginning with the exposure of my sin and followed by years of suffering the consequences. I struggled with alcohol - and will likely always struggle, apart from Christ’s strength - and was very far from...
What Has Jesus Done?
Whenever you see Isaiah Shultz around church, at work, or hanging out with his friends, you’ll notice his bracelet. It has a simple question inscribed on it - “What has Jesus done?” The bracelet was a gift from his close friend and roommate, marking a pivotal moment...
You Play an Important Role in the Church
“I’m not sure that I have a spiritual gift.” A friend told me this over coffee one evening - the kind of confession that comes from believing that you’re the only one who feels this way. I’m not sure she’s alone, though. It’s a common experience - to question what...
2 Corinthians: The Focused Church
This fall, we start a new sermon series on the book of 2 Corinthians. Context is always helpful in preparing for a new book study, so we've compiled some resources to provide background. Paul established the church in Corinth on his second missionary journey, staying...
Worship
Remember God in the Darkness
Have you ever found yourself walking through a circumstance that feels like what Psalm 23 refers to as “the valley of the shadow of death”? A season where the difficulty of your circumstances leaves you disoriented, as if in deep darkness. In the darkness, you begin...
Liturgy: Formation For the Gathered Church and Everyday Life
When we gather together in corporate worship on Sunday, the majority of faithful followers of Jesus understand the “why.” We gather to worship and give thanks to God for who he is and what he has accomplished for us in Christ Jesus. We gather to confess sin and to ...
The Resounding Witness of a Quiet Life
When was the last time you experienced quiet? For most of us, our daily lives are anything but quiet. We live in a world of non-stop noise, information, entertainment, and distraction. We move at breakneck speeds from one thing to the next, seldom allowing a moment...
Work is Worship
Why do you work? I’d never considered the question until a comment from my son forced me to reflect. I frequently find myself barrelling through our house tidying or opening my laptop to crank out email responses as if it’s a race. My son interrupted one of these...
The Slow Work of Spiritual Disciplines
When I began this paint-by-number I worked for several hours only to be discouraged by how blank the canvas looked at the end of those hours. While I’d spent hours tediously mixing colors and painting tiny details, it looked as if I’d done very little work....