Christian Formation: Recent Episodes
Providence Church
Our mission is to make and send disciples equipping them to become more like Christ and to see, champion, and bring forth the kingdom of God in every area of culture.
In this episode we examine how to endure through the trials and temptations we all experience in our Christian life. What does it mean to face these temptations? Does God lead us into temptations? What is our hope through trials? We look at these questions and more to discern how to be a people who walk in holiness and dependence on God.
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In this episode we seek to pursue a biblical understanding of forgiveness and its importance in the Christian life. Why does Jesus include forgiveness in the prayer’s petitions? How does our forgiveness from God correlate to our forgiveness of others? How do we forgive in different situations? We examine multiple questions to try to come to a helpful understanding of how to be a community of forgiveness.
Providence Resources
Forgiveness Model Mentioned
- Women's Retreat 2022: Free Indeed
Knowing God Podcast
- 042 - Life through Forgiveness
- 093 - Forgiveness by Forgiveness
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We're releasing this bonus episode to give you a look at our sermon series this fall. A lot of our 2026 fall podcast episodes will coincide with the series, so be sure to join us on Sundays and during the week to be fully immersed in what God is teaching us through His word.
This fall, we’re taking a step back to focus on the foundation underneath our life with God. Rather than asking what we should do as Christians, we want to ask what God has done, what He has promised, and what that means for how we live. Our hope is that by learning the theological underpinnings of our faith, we will grow in biblical confidence, and clarity.
Resources
- 156 - The Comfort of Covenants
- 225 - Trusting God's Means of Salvation
- 297 - Baptism and the Covenants
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The goal of this episode is to consider Jesus’s teaching that we should depend on God for daily bread. Why is that at the core of Jesus’s prayer? Where did he get this imagery from? How do we live this out practically? Why does it feel so hard to live dependent upon his provision? We seek to find helpful ways to live in a state of faith-filled dependence on God that leads to an anxiety-free life of provision.
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In this episode, we’re diving back into our series on the Lord’s Prayer, focusing on a deeply profound phrase: "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done." How are we supposed to actually understand this? Is the Kingdom of God a present reality we live in right now, a future promise we're waiting for, or a beautiful combination of both? Join us as we wrestle with the "already but not yet" of faith and what it means for our daily lives.
Additional Resources: Episode 143 - Bible Translations: Why so Many?
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In this episode, we continue our deep dive into the Lord's Prayer, unpacking the powerful meaning behind the specific words Jesus chose. We explore how this prayer is beautifully crafted from a communal perspective—shifting our focus from "my" needs to "our daily bread." Join us as we continue our series and discover how this timeless prayer shapes our lives today.
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In this episode, we kick off a brand-new series on the Lord's Prayer, diving into its unique biblical contexts across the Gospels, from the disciples' direct request in Luke's account to its placement at the absolute center of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew. Additionally, we explore the rich historical and contemporary reasons why we should use it today, tracing its practice from the early church's Didache through global Christian traditions to our modern daily lives.
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In this episode of Christian Formation, we explore the deeply personal and spiritual process of "Choosing a Church." We discuss practical and prayerful strategies for discerning where to plant roots and find a church home. The conversation also navigates the difficult situations that may signal it is time to leave a congregation. Ultimately, this episode serves as a supportive guide to help you find a faith community where you can truly grow and serve.
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What do prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance look like in the life of a believer? In this episode, we explore Saint Augustine's take on the four cardinal virtues. Discover whether Christians should intentionally pursue these traits and how to cultivate true, God-centered virtue in your daily spiritual walk.
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Should evangelism (sharing the gospel) be the top priority in the church’s mission, or just one important part among many? In other words, should evangelism take priority over social action, or are both evangelism and social action equal partners? In this episode, we are discussing what the mission of the church should be based on the article Should We Prioritize Evangelism in Missions?
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In this episode, we’re tackling a trend you’ve probably seen online but might not have a name for: the "Edgelord". We dive into a recent article from Joe Carter at The Gospel Coalition (link below) that explores how some Christian influencers are trading truth for provocative reactions and social media clout. Why are so many young men drawn to this style of leadership, and how is it secretly shaping our faith? We break down what an Edgelord actually is and discuss why being aware of these online influences is so important for our spiritual formation today.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/edgelords-inherit-earth/
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In this episode, we tackle the idea that you might be more theologically liberal than you realize. We’re looking at how our views on the Bible and personal experience have been shaped by history. We dive into the influence of Friedrich Schleiermacher and discuss how his ideas still show up in the church today, often without us even noticing. Join us as we break down where these concepts come from and why understanding them is so helpful for your own faith and discipleship.
Learn more: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/white-horse-inn/id356920632?i=1000735955305
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In this episode, we examine Jonathan Edwards’s 5 distinguishing marks of the Spirit. How do we discern if activity is from the Spirit? What should we be looking for? Edwards writes 5 marks that lead us to believe the Spirit is at work. We examine his 5 marks and discuss why that is helpful in our discipleship and church.
Article here: https://www.onthewing.org/user/Edwards%20-%20Distinguishing%20Marks%20of%20the%20Spirit.pdf
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In this episode, we address the reality of losing our joy in Jesus. We can feel stuck, apathetic, or look back to ‘better times’ in our relationship with God. Why do we get into these situations? How do we get out of feeling stuck in our faith? Here are 3 considerations from Charles Spurgeon that might lead to recovering joy in Jesus.
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As more families in our church begin thinking about schooling for their children, we want to explore the different options—what they are and why families in our church have chosen them. Our hope is that these conversations are a helpful resource as you prayerfully consider what type of schooling might be best for your child and your family.
In this episode, we explore Classical Education with a Hybrid Model of school.
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As more families in our church begin thinking about schooling for their children, we want to explore the different options—what they are and why families in our church have chosen them. Our hope is that these conversations are a helpful resource as you prayerfully consider what type of schooling might be best for your child and your family.
In this episode, we explore the topic of Homeschool.
Connect with Brooke about homeschool here.
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As more families in our church begin thinking about schooling for their children, we want to explore the different options—what they are and why families in our church have chosen them. Our hope is that these conversations are a helpful resource as you prayerfully consider what type of schooling might be best for your child and your family.
In this episode, we explore Private School.
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As more families in our church begin thinking about schooling for their children, we want to explore the different options—what they are and why families in our church have chosen them. Our hope is that these conversations are a helpful resource as you prayerfully consider what type of schooling might be best for your child and your family.
In this episode, we explore Public School.
Resources
- The Anxious Generation
- Next few weeks on Christian formation...
- Private School (drops April 15)
- Classical Education - Hybrid Model (drops April 22)
- Homeschool (drops April 29)
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Are ornate church buildings sinful? Are they better than meeting in a strip mall downtown? Are we as a church "missing something" by not owning our own church building? In this episode, we discuss church buildings and their impact on us as embodied creatures based off Marc Sims article, 12 Theses on Church Buildings.
Resources
- 12 Theses on Church Buildings by Marc Sims
- 312 - The Formative Power of Physical Space
- 266 - The Room Matters
- 109 - How to Come to Church
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In this episode, we listen to what kids said they love about their parents. Join us as we listen to these encouraging statements and discuss the impact of a parent's presence.
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In this episode, we discuss the value of discipline for our children while having some of your children join us for the discussion. Why do we discipline and what does that practically look like for some of our families?
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As we are spending time focusing on our prayer life this year, why is it important to teach our children to pray? What does it look like to teach our children to pray? What is our role as parents to model a prayer life to our children?
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In this episode, we discuss the importance of teaching spiritual disciplines and practices to your kids even before they fully comprehend the truths about God and Christ. Listen along as we invite kids in our church to join the conversation.
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Parenting, like most things in life, is never perfect. We often have failures and fears that play into the way we parent and how we interact with our children. This episode addresses various failures and fears in parenting, and how the gospel speaks into those areas.
Resources
- Judges :: The Sin of Pride Sermon
- Pride Breakdown Instagram Post
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What is parenting? Why do we parent in the first place? What's God’s vision for parenting?
In light of our upcoming parenting conference and recent questions from members in our church, we take this episode to discuss parenting 101—a biblical look at what parenting is, why we parent, and it what it means to raise our children as image bearers of Christ.
Resources
- 309 - A Vision For Parents (with Trevor Nashleanas)
- 292 - Why Parent Commissioning?
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Do we believe in the formative power of physical space? Do the items we have around us help shape and form us to fix our eyes on Christ?
In this episode, we discuss the reasoning behind the new position of both the communion elements and the baptismal tank on Sunday mornings. We also discuss the theological position of believing that space forms us.
Resources
- 266 - The Room Matters
- 109 - How to Come to Church
- Spirit and Sacrament: An Invitation to Eucharismatic Worship by Andrew Wilson
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In this episode, we discuss what Lent is, the history behind Lent, and how to observe Lent this year.
Resources
Podcast Episodes
- 290 - Why You Should Know the Nicene Creed
- 289 - Nicene Creed - Why does it matter? (with Steve Sarmiento)
- 222 - Lenten Practices
- 221 - Understanding Lent
- 018 - Observing Lent
Books
- The 40-Day Sugar Fast: Where Physical Detox Meets Spiritual Transformation
- The Good of Giving Up: Discovering the Freedom of Lent
- Lent: The Season of Repentance and Renewal
- Desiring God Article about Lenten practices
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A conversation around why we might be dissatisfied in our prayer lives as Christians and what routines to cultivate to help us to engage in a rich prayer life.
Resources
- A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul Miller
- A Praying Church: Becoming a People of Hope in a Discouraging Worldby Paul Miller
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In this episode, we highlight a biblical vision for parents as it relates to our upcoming Parenting Conference.
Resources
- 279 - Harbor Church (with Trevor Nashleanas and Ryan Meyer)
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In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Matthew LaPine to have a conversation about mental health, and how his work in this area has informed his view of how the church engages with the idea of mental health.
Resources
- The Logic of the Body by Dr. Matthew LaPine
- The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dogby Dr. Bruce D. Perry and Maia Szalavitz
- Wayfaring: A Christian Approach to Mental Health Care by Warren Kinghorn
- Status Anxiety by Alain De Botton
- A Quiet Mind to Suffer With: Mental Illness, Trauma, and the Death of Christby John Andrew Bryant
- Dopamine Nationby Dr. Anna Lembke
- The Soul of Shame by Curt Thompson
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Do our bodies really matter? Doesn’t God mostly just care about our souls getting to heaven? In this episode we seek to explore a Biblical theology of our physical bodies. Why did God create us with a body? What does it mean to have fallen bodies? How does Jesus redeem our bodies? And what should we expect for our glorified bodies?
Resources
- The Logic of the Body by Dr. Matthew LaPine
- Embodied Souls, Ensouled Bodiesby Dr. Marc Cortez
- The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dogby Dr. Bruce D. Perry and Maia Szalavitz
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In this episode we seek to give relatively short answers to some big questions we’ve received over the fall of 2025.
Resources
Books
- Christ and Culture by H. Richard Niebuhr
- Center Church by Timothy Keller
Podcast Episodes
- 142 - Should children sit through "big church"?
- 292 - Why Parent Commissioning?
- 164 - Creation (Genesis 1)
- 304 - Baptism Q&A
Politics
- 250 - Our Public Posture
- 251 - Life and Sexuality
- 252 - Generosity and Hospitality
- 253 - Unified in Christ
- 072 - Our Hearts After the Election
- 110 - What the Church Needs Today
- 088 - Cultural Christianity
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Today, we’re discussing what Christians confess about God the Son through the Nicene Creed—who he is, what he’s done, and what he’s doing right now for our salvation. In this episode, we ask and answer questions like:
- What is the nature of God the Son?
- What is the importance of different aspects of Christ’s work from incarnation to salvation to Ascension to 2nd coming
- What happens if we miss each one of those elements?
We also talk about the famous myth of St Nick slapping Arius at the Council of Nicaea.
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In this episode, we discuss the following questions submitted by our listeners:
- Does baptism save you?
- When should someone be rebaptized?
- If someone was baptized as a believer but wasn’t fully immersed in water, are they baptized?
- What if a believer feels as though they've grown in their understanding of the gospel since being baptized?
- What if someone isn’t sure they fully believed at the time they were baptized? Should they be re-baptized?
- How do we handle our growing number of kids in the church becoming believers?
Resources
Episodes
- 293 - Baptism Imagery in the Old Testament
- 294 - Tracing Baptism Through the Gospels
- 295 - Does Baptism Save You?
- 296 - What Do Christians Believe About Baptism? A Guide to Different Views
- 297 - Baptism and the Covenants
- 298 - Does History Prove Infant Baptism?
- 299 - Should Baptism be a Requirement for Church Membership?
- 089 - Infant Baptism (with Kyle McClellan)
- 090 - Believer's Baptism (with Bobby Jamieson)
Articles
- Does 1 Peter 3:21 teach that baptism is necessary for salvation?
- What is the proper mode of baptism?
- I was baptized unbiblically. Do I need to be rebaptized?
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In this episode, we continue our conversation around sin, humanity, and salvation. Last week we looked at the 4 states of mankind in relation to sin and salvation. This week we look closer at what sin actually is. Is it nature? Is it merely our actions? And how does understanding sin better help us understand salvation?
Resources Used
- Definition of Sin
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In this episode, we explore one of St. Augustine’s most influential theological frameworks: the Four States of Man. From humanity’s original harmony in Eden to the tension-filled struggle after the Fall, Augustine explains our different nature in relation to sin.
Join us as we break down each state—able to sin, not able not to sin, able not to sin, and not able to sin—and unpack what they reveal about the human condition.
Whether you’re new to Augustine or revisiting his thought with fresh eyes, this episode offers an accessible, engaging guide to one of the foundational ideas in Christian understanding.
Resources
Episodes
- 093 - Doctrines of Grace / Calvinism
- 094 - Total Depravity
- 095 - Unconditional Election
- 096 - Limited Atonement
- 097 - Irresistible Grace
- 098 - Perseverance of the Saints
- 100 - Debated Passages in the Doctrines of Grace Conversation
- 101 - Q & A Over the Doctrines of Grace
Articles and Books
- "aw-GUS-tin"
- The Battle of the Will, Part 1: Pelagius and Augustine
- Augustine's Four-fold State of Humanity
- Boston's Fourfold State
- Augustine of Hippo
- Augustine’s Conversion
- Conversion of St. Augustine
- What Is the Biblical Evidence for Original Sin?
- The Bondage of the Will by Martin Luther
- Confessions by St. Augustine
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How do we behold and see the beauty in Advent when we talk about the same aspects of it each year? How do we not get tired of the tradition? This episode seeks to help listeners find the beauty in Advent, year after year.
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In this episode, we hear from one of Providence's partners about his own salvation story and how God transformed his heart to desire to reach unreached people groups around the world. We pray that no matter the call God has on your life, you see the need to preach the Good News to those around the world, especially those in unreached places.
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In this episode, we address our foundational question for this mini-series: What does baptism have to do with church membership?
Should baptism be a requirement for membership? Are baptism and church membership two distinct commitments, or are they linked in the life of the church? How should Christians think of the connection between the two?
Join us as we explore how Christians can think biblically about the relationship between baptism and church membership, and what Providence will practice moving forward.
Resources
Podcast Episodes
- 138 - Commitments of Church Members
- 139 - Proclaim and Protect, Contribute, Sacraments
- 089 - Infant Baptism (with Kyle McClellan)
- 090 - Believer's Baptism (with Bobby Jamieson)
Written
- Covenantal (presbyterian)
- Westminster Confession of Faith 28.1
- “Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible church, but also to be unto him a sign and seal of the covenant of grace…”
- Book of Order (Presbyterian Church U.S.A.)
- G-1.0303 - Church Membership
- "A faithful member accepts Christ's call to be involved responsibly in the ministry of his Church... A person becomes an active member of the congregation through baptism and profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior."
- Westminster Confession of Faith 28.1
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In this episode, we take a closer look at the claim that church history overwhelmingly supports a paedobaptist view. We find that while it’s true that infant baptism became the predominant practice for many centuries, the historical picture isn’t quite so straightforward.
- What did Christians throughout history believe was happening in infant baptism?
- How did the earliest believers, those in the New Testament era and shortly after, understand infant baptism?
- Can historical evidence alone settle the baptism debate between paedobaptism and credobaptism?
Join us as we explore these questions and key moments in church history to consider whether the historical argument can truly decide the debate.
Resources
- 090 - Believer's Baptism (with Bobby Jamieson)
- 089 - Infant Baptism (with Kyle McClellan)
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- formation@providenceomaha.org
In this episode, we explore the covenantal argument for baptism.
Throughout Scripture, God makes covenants with His people, and baptism is often viewed as the sign of initiation into that covenant relationship. But how do these two ideas connect? How does a biblical understanding of God’s covenants shape the way we think about baptism?
We’ll argue that, based on our relationship with God under the new covenant, baptism should be administered only to those who profess faith in Christ.
Resources
- 156 - The Comfort of Covenants
- 090 - Believer's Baptism (with Bobby Jamieson)
- 089 - Infant Baptism (with Kyle McClellan)
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What is baptism? This episode seeks to dive into the different views on baptism in Christianity, and then highlight the reformed view we believe at Providence Church. The goal of this episode is to help you understand the different views as well as have humility and charity towards other Christian views.
Resources
- 090 - Believer's Baptism (with Bobby Jamieson)
- 089 - Infant Baptism (with Kyle McClellan)
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- formation@providenceomaha.org
In this episode, we continue our posture of discovery, tracing the theme of water throughout the New Testament to shape our understanding of baptism today. Rather than ending with a concrete definition, we’ll reflect on key moments that provide more insight into what baptism is specifically as we see it in the New Testament. We talk about hard questions like, "Does baptism save you?" and "Should an entire household be baptized if the leader of the household comes to faith?"
Whether you're new to the Bible or a seasoned theologian, join us as we dive into the story.
Resources
- 174 - Acts (podcast)
- 090 - Believer's Baptism (with Bobby Jamieson)
- 089 - Infant Baptism (with Kyle McClellan)
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- formation@providenceomaha.org
In this episode, we continue our posture of discovery, tracing the theme of water throughout the Gospels to shape our understanding of baptism today. Rather than ending with a concrete definition, we’ll reflect on key moments that provide more insight into what baptism is specifically as we see it in the gospels. Whether you're new to the Bible or a seasoned theologian, join us as we dive into the story.
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What if baptism didn’t begin in the New Testament? What if the waters of creation, the flood, the Red Sea, the Jordan River, and more have been telling a deeper story all along?
In this episode, we take a posture of discovery, tracing the theme of water throughout the Old Testament to discover how the Old Testament shapes our understanding of baptism today. Rather than ending with a concrete definition, we’ll reflect on key moments where water appears in Scripture, allowing them to reveal what we know today as baptism.
From chaos to cleansing, from judgment to new creation, we’ll explore how God has been using water as a symbol of transformation since the beginning. Whether you're new to the Bible or a seasoned theologian, join us as we dive into the story.
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When various churches focus on the infant (infant baptism, baby dedication, and so on), why does Providence instead focus on commissioning the parents? This episode seeks to explain Parent Commissioning at Providence—what it is, who it’s for, why we do it, and how it impacts the church.
RESOURCES
- Knowing God Podcast, Episode 41 (infant baptism)
- 089 - Infant Baptism (with Kyle McClellan)
- 090 - Believer's Baptism (with Bobby Jamieson)
- Membership at Providence
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- formation@providenceomaha.org
When we think of justice, we often think of fairness, punishment, or legal systems, but what does God’s justice actually look like? And why is it good news, not just for the world, but for each of us personally?
In this episode, we take a deep dive into a biblical look at God’s justice. We explore how God's justice through Christ is beautiful, a blessing to us, and a reminder of how we should treat others.
We also briefly address the tension that can arise when someone who has caused harm to us comes to Christ. How do we trust in God’s justice when the person who hurt us is forgiven by Christ? What does it mean that Jesus paid for their sin, too?
Join us for a conversation that re-centers our view of justice as we see it in scripture.
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Why does a 1700-year-old statement of faith still matter today? The Nicene Creed isn’t just something we recite on Sundays; it’s a bold declaration that has shaped Christian belief for centuries. In this episode, we unpack the rich theology behind the Creed, exploring what it tells us about God, Christ, and his church—and why it’s still vital for every Christian today. Whether you're new to the Creed or have said it countless times, this conversation will deepen your understanding and connect ancient truth to everyday faith.
Resources
- The Nicene Creed: What You Need to Know about the Most Important Creed Ever Written by Kevin DeYoung
- The Nicene Creed: An Introduction by Phillip Cary
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1700 years ago, a Christian council was held that defined the church from that point forward. Does this meeting of Christian bishops matter today? What were they fighting over? Why is it astonishing that what they said is still affirmed by all Christians everywhere this many years later? In this episode, we seek to show a quick history and the overall importance of the Nicene Creed.
Resources
- The Nicene Creed: What You Need to Know about the Most Important Creed Ever Written by Kevin DeYoung
- The Nicene Creed: An Introduction by Phillip Cary
- “Confessions are about what we believe; creeds are about in whom we believe. Creeds are not meant as comprehensive statements of the Christian faith; they’re instead pledges of allegiance to the three persons of the Trinity.” -Donald Fairbairn
- C.S. Lewis said they there’s two ways to expose your blind spots: Go into the future to see what we missed or go back to the past to see what we forgot about. We haven’t discovered how to go into the future yet, he says, but we do have a way of going into the past which is writing old writings and books.
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Jesus emphasized living in His Kingdom, Paul highlights justification by faith, James tells us faith alone won’t save us. So which one was right? Do we see three different gospel messages? In this episode, we explore how some passages seem to contradict each other, and how Christians should seek to reconcile these issues in the Bible. We believe the Scriptures are a united story about one cohesive gospel message, and we seek to show how we can believe that with complicated passages.
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In this episode, we invite Dr. Patrick Schreiner to discuss how to understand Paul’s use of the law in Galatians.
How should Christians today think about the law? In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Patrick Schreiner to explore Paul’s often misunderstood view of the law in his letter to the Galatians.
In the Old Testament, the law is described as a gift, delighting the soul (Psalm 1), sweeter than honey (Psalm 119:103), and guiding God’s covenant people (Exodus 20–24). But in Galatians, Paul seems to take a sharp turn, calling the law a temporary guardian that reveals our sin and cannot make us right with God.
So how do we reconcile these views? Is the law something to love, reject, or simply use? Dr. Schreiner helps us navigate this theological question.
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In this episode, we invite Dr. Gregory Lanier to discuss the New Perspectives on Paul (NPP)—what the view is, its historical context, and its implications for understanding the book of Galatians.
What are the New Perspectives on Paul? Should Christians today be open to a fresh look at Paul’s theology, specifically around "justification"? What are the dangers of this belief system? And how does all of that impact a church’s study through the book of Galatians?
Join us as we discuss the NPP together.
Takeaways
- The New Perspective on Paul challenges traditional views on how "justification" is defined, and Galatians serves as a critical text for these debates.
- Key figures like N.T. Wright have significantly influenced modern scholarship of the NPP.
- Pastoral implications arise from how we interpret justification and community.
- A balanced view of the gospel includes both personal and communal aspects.
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How can Paul’s letter to the Galatians 2000 years ago impact our church today? What’s the letter all about? What does it teach us? And what is our hope for spending the fall in Galatians at Providence?
Join us as we kick off season 12 together answering these questions and providing an inside look to our fall sermon series.
Resources
- Doctrines of Grace
- 093 - Doctrines of Grace / Calvinism
- 094 - Total Depravity
- 095 - Unconditional Election
- 096 - Limited Atonement
- 097 - Irresistible Grace
- 098 - Perseverance of the Saints
- 100 - Debated Passages in the Doctrines of Grace Conversation
- 101 - Q & A Over the Doctrines of Grace
- Baptism
- 089 - Infant Baptism (with Kyle McClellan)
- 090 - Believer's Baptism (with Bobby Jamieson)
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- formation@providenceomaha.org
This is our last repost episode of the summer!
In this episode, Andrew and Ravyn introduce the topic of and definition of fencing the Lord's table during Communion. What is fencing the table? Why is fencing the table an act of love? How do we practically fence the table on Sundays? Tune in for discussions over these questions and more.
Additional Resources
- Sermons
- Sermon on the Mount :: The Heart of Murder
- Christian Formation Episodes
- 141 - How to Take the Lord's Supper
- 140 - Communion: 4 Different Views Today
- 139 - Proclaim and Protect, Contribute, Sacraments
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- formation@providenceomaha.org
We finish our Trinity series by answering your questions. We dive into questions like, "How does the Trinity shape the way we pray?" "Did God the Father create creation?" and others. Join us as we ask these questions and deepen our understanding of who God is as Triune.
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We continue our Trinity series by discussing the Holy Spirit.
If you have questions at any point during this episode, we encourage you to email us. We believe that understanding God matters to our Christian faith and shapes our relationship with Him.
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We continue our Trinity series by unpacking God the Son. We answer questions like, "Who is Jesus?" "Why is it important that He is a member of the Trinity?" and "How does he connect us to the Father?"
If you have questions at any point during this episode, we encourage you to email any questions you may have. We believe that understanding who God is matters to our Christian faith and shapes our relationship with Him.
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In this episode, we discuss the Trinity and unpack one of the members of the Trinity—God the Father. We will define what it means that God is triune, and what it means for Him to be Father.
For the next three weeks, we are going to unpack the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit and finish with a Q&A episode for any unanswered questions. We want to encourage all of you to think deeply about this topic, discuss it with friends, and send us any questions you may have. We believe that understanding who God is matters to our Christian faith and shapes our relationship with Him.
To submit your questions, please email formation@providenceomaha.org.
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At Providence, we have two main areas where we invest our time—Sundays and mid-week gatherings called City Groups, or families on mission. In this episode, our City Groups (CG) director gives an overview of the vision of CGs and the value of them for those who are in them or those who are considering a group.
To get connected with a CG at Providence, click here to visit our website.
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- formation@providenceomaha.org
In this episode, we chat through how praying through the psalms will enrich your prayer life. What to expect: learning the value of the praying the psalms along with how to pray them and 4 different types of psalms. (This is a repost of episode 146)
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In this episode, we discuss how discipleship is communal. Join us as we discuss this aspect of discipleship together.
Resources
- Quotes
- "The mature Christian is almost impossible to offend." —Dallas Willard
- "A mature christian is easily edified." —Harold Best
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In this episode we see from Deuteronomy 6:4-9 that discipleship is intentional. We are always being formed into something, if we want to be formed into the likeness of Jesus, we have to be intentional in our discipleship. We will never drift toward Jesus, we must develop one another into disciples of Jesus. Join us as we discuss this aspect of discipleship together.
Resources
- Developing Deep Disciples // Providence Sermon
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What should we as Christians do when the lyrics of a song are gospel-centered and theologically accurate, but the church that created the song might not necessarily be biblically sound? In this episode, we discuss questions like,
- "Can we as Christians listen to music from churches who we believe might not have sound doctrine?"
- "Should we listen to music written by someone who was at one time a Christian but has fallen away?"
- "What is our response as the local church body in addressing issues of conscience?" (1 Cor 8)
Tune in and submit any questions or feedback to formation@providenceomaha.org.
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In this episode, we discuss Psalm 73 and how it addresses the common question of, "Why do good things happen to bad people?" We also talk about our upcoming Psalms series and display how the psalms can give us practical counsel with the real issues of life.
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When we look at who is called to be an elder we look at: Character, Competency, Compatibility. In this episode, we discuss these three qualifications and explain why those are important to our team.
Resources
- Church Elders
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In this episode, we highlight Harbor Church, a new church plant taking root in Sarpy County Nebraska. We sit down with Trevor and Ryan, Harbor’s co-planters, to discuss why church planting is important, as well as hear their story of God calling them to plant a church after 17 years of waiting.
To connect with Harbor Church, check out their website here: https://www.harborsc.org/
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- formation@providenceomaha.org
In this episode, we will recap what Biblical financial stewardship looks like, and then we will address questions such as:
What does it look like to love God and reflect his values with our finances? Is it wrong to want to plan ahead or make money in this world? How do we love God while also making smart financial decisions that can support our family?
Join us as we explore biblical principles of financial stewardship.
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In this episode, we dive into biblical stewardship—what it means, why it matters, and how it challenges the way we think about ownership. If God owns everything and is over everything, that means our time, talents, gifts, money, resources, (essentially everything) is his. Therefore, we are responsible to entrust those things to him to use for his purpose.
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The truth of Christianity stands or falls on the truth of the resurrection of Jesus. With Easter quickly approaching, you'll have a great opportunity to talk to your friends and family about the hope you have in Jesus' resurrection. In this episode, we'll look at the historical evidence we have that Jesus was, in fact, a real historical person, that Jesus did rise from the dead, and why we can have confidence that Christianity is true.
Resources
- The Case for Jesus: The Biblical and Historical Evidence for Christ
- Wesley Huff
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In this episode, we dive into the significance of Holy Week—exploring its history, the key events included and their importance. We also reflect on the ultimate hope for our church family during this time, offering insights into how Holy Week can shape our faith in formative ways.
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In this episode, we seek to show how as beautiful as general revelation truly is, it was never going to be enough. We needed God to specially reveal himself, and now that he has revealed himself primarily in Christ, we look to Christ and his word to define all things for us in thought and life.
Resources
- The Wonderful Works of God By Herman Bavinck
- Quotes
- “When therefore, we review the whole terrain of general revelation, we discover, on the one hand, that it has been of great value and that it has borne rich fruits, and, on the other hand, that mankind has not found God by its light.”
- “In general revelation such objective teaching is adequate to its purpose. What God intends by it is to provoke man to seek Him, to feel Him out and find Him (Acts 17:27), and, not finding Him, yet be without excuse (Romans 1:20). But in His special revelation God has compassion upon man who strays about and cannot find Him. In it, God seeks man out and Himself tells man who and what He is.” p50
- “The central content of the special revelation is the person and work of Christ.” p50
- “Thus the whole revelation of the Old Testament converges upon Christ, not upon a new law, or doctrine, or institution, but upon the person of Christ. A person is the completed revelation of God.” p77
- Quotes
- 274 - The Beauty of General Revelation
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In this episode we seek to define and display the beauty of general revelation. The hope is that this episode would help us understand what general revelation means, see God's grand design in his creation, and recognize God's kindness in revealing himself to us.
Resources
- Verses
- Romans 1:18-23
- Psalm 19
- Acts 17:22-31
- Romans 1:18-23
- Podcasts
- The Knowing God Podcast
- Further Reading
- What is general revelation and special revelation?
- What Is General Revelation?
- "Divine Revelation: God Making Himself Known"
- Quotes
- “As a matter of fact, all of the works of God, whether of word or deed, are constituent parts and elements of the one, great, comprehensive, and always continuing revelation of God.” - Bavinck
- “Revelation, therefore, cannot have its final purpose in man; in part it passes him by and soars on beyond him.” - Bavinck
- “In the general revelation God makes use of the usual run of phenomena and the usual course of events; in the special revelation He often employs unusual means, appearances, prophecy, and miracles to make himself known to man.”
- “When therefore, we review the whole terrain of general revelation, we discover, on the one hand, that it has been of great value and that it has borne rich fruits, and, on the other hand, that mankind has not found God by its light.” - Bavinck
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The goal of this episode is to help encourage Christians to prepare themselves better to engage with God on a Sunday through the sermon.
Resources
- Christian Formation Episodes
- 109 - How to Come to Church
- How to listen to a sermon:
- Humbly
- Hungry/Eagerly
- Expectantly
- Thoughtfully
- Worshipfully
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- formation@providenceomaha.org
The goal of this episode is to help people see the power and gift of preaching sermons in the local church.
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This episode seeks to help the Christian suffer well with hope and confidence in God’s blessing. We often think of Job as the sufferer, but his story begins and ends with blessing. Even through the mess of the middle of his life, God’s blessings prevail. This shows us that we too can believe in God’s promises of blessing even through the valleys, however long they may last.
Resources
- Christian Formation Podcast Episode
- Exodus
- God is FINISHING the work in you, he isn't finished - Jackie Hill Perry Video
- Verses
- Psalm 42
- 2 Corinthians 3:18
- Philippians 1:6
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- formation@providenceomaha.org
This episode serves as an introduction to Ash Wednesday, explains what it is, the history behind it, and common practices associated with it.
Resources
- Books
- The Good of Giving Up: Discovering the Freedom of Lent
- The 40-Day Sugar Fast: Where Physical Detox Meets Spiritual Transformation
- Christian Formation Episodes
- 103 - Why Sundays Matter for the Church
- 109 - How to Come to Church
- 221 - Understanding Lent
- 222 - Lenten Practices
- 018 - Observing Lent
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- formation@providenceomaha.org
In this episode we seek to show how studying Scripture shouldn’t be merely something we do at certain times, but rather a way of life.
Resources
- Imitate Israel’s Culture of Studying Scripture
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In this episode explain why people might need Sunday School and why they should participate in Sunday School at Providence.
Resources
- Mark Noll’s The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind
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- formation@providenceomaha.org
In this episode we seek to compel people that the room we gather in matters, and how we gather is both theological and spiritual.
Resources
- Church Membership at Providence
- 138 - Commitments of Church Members
- 139 - Proclaim and Protect, Contribute, Sacraments
- 109 - How to Come to Church
108 - Doxology and Benediction
107 - Scripture Reading and Preaching
106 - Meet and Greet, Vision, Prayer
105 - Why the Church Sings
104 - Call to Worship, Confession, and Profession of Faith
103 - Why Sundays Matter for the Church
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- formation@providenceomaha.org
As our church family defines our vision as a church, it's easy to wonder if we are "missing out" by not doing what other churches in our city are doing. This same fear of "missing out" feeling can surface in our own lives as we follow the Lord's specific vision for our life.
In this episode, we explore what it looks like to focus on the things that align with our God-given vision and pay no attention to those that don't—while embracing the freedom that comes with not having to do everything.
RESOURCES
- Linden McKay - The Words You Speak
- Linden McKay - Self Talk Swaps
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- formation@providenceomaha.org
In this episode, we discuss how to develop core focus areas, or specific values, to help you achieve the vision you set for your life.
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In this episode, we emphasize the helpfulness of having a clear vision for your life and talk through how to develop a vision and why that’s important. We do this by using the vision for our church interwoven throughout the episode.
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New year means new goals; intense workout plans, fad diets, or schedule changes make up the average American’s resolution list. This impulse to start fresh isn’t bad. The problem is that most of these resolutions don’t always stick, and more often than not they don’t really help our characters.
This podcast episode from a few years ago explores creating A Rule of Life, or a rhythm of life that allows you to abide in Jesus and be formed by God’s Word and Spirit, instead of a classic resolution. Our past worship director, Gabe, and Andrew and Ravyn discuss what A Rule of Life is, why it’s important, and some practical next steps to implement it.
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In this episode, we discuss if as Christians we should be goal setting, or if it is something that we shouldn't do so that we can "let go and let God." Join us as we discuss this together.
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In this episode, we discuss the song, "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing."
In this episode, we follow along with our 2024 Advent Devotional and explain why we chose the song "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" to be sung throughout the third week of Advent this year.
Resources
- Prepare Him Room Advent Devotional
- 136 - The Importance of Hymns (audio)
- 137 - Hymns Unraveled (audio)
- O Holy Night (audio)
- Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (audio)
- O Come All Ye Faithful (audio)
- LYRICS
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- formation@providenceomaha.org
In this episode, we discuss the song, "O Come All Ye Faithful."
In this episode, we follow along with our 2024 Advent Devotional and explain why we chose the song "O Come All Ye Faithful" to be sung throughout the third week of Advent this year.
Resources
- Prepare Him Room Advent Devotional
- 136 - The Importance of Hymns (audio)
- 137 - Hymns Unraveled (audio)
- O Holy Night (audio)
- Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (audio)
- LYRICS
Connect With Us
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Email Us
- formation@providenceomaha.org
In this episode, we follow along with our 2024 Advent Devotional and explain why we chose the song "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" to be sung throughout the second week of Advent this year.
Resources
- Prepare Him Room Advent Devotional
- 136 - The Importance of Hymns (audio)
- 137 - Hymns Unraveled (audio)
- O Holy Night (audio)
- LYRICS
Connect With Us
- providenceomaha.org | Instagram | Facebook
Email Us
- formation@providenceomaha.org
In this episode, we follow along with our 2024 Advent Devotional and explain why we chose the song "O Holy Night" to be sung throughout the first week of Advent this year.
Resources
- Prepare Him Room Advent Devotional
- 136 - The Importance of Hymns (audio)
- 137 - Hymns Unraveled (audio)
Connect With Us
- providenceomaha.org | Instagram | Facebook
Email Us
- formation@providenceomaha.org
In this episode, Ravyn and Andrew discuss the idea of separation of church and state.
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In this episode, we are joined by Nate Grasz, Policy Director at Nebraska Family Alliance, to discuss the most recent 2024 Nebraska ballot initiatives concerning abortion as well as the Church's role in the political sphere.
Other Episodes in this Series
- 252 - Our Public Posture
- 253 - Life and Sexuality
- 254 - Generosity and Hospitality
- 255 - Unified in Christ
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- formation@providenceomaha.org
In this episode we examine the different seasons of life most people will experience. What are the ways that we can embrace each season (20s, 30s, 40s... etc), walk with God well in each season, and transition well from one season to the next? Join us as we unpack these questions together.
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In this episode, we look at what it means to be unified in Christ after a political election.
Other Episodes in this Series
- Our Public Posture
- Life and Sexuality
- Generosity and Hospitality
Connect With Us
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Email Us
- formation@providenceomaha.org
In this episode, we look at two more foundational elements of our Christian faith: generosity and hospitality
Historically, the church stands out because of its view on generosity and hospitality. However, how does this view impact our political engagement? Join us as we examine how these two elements play a part in our politics and in our daily discussions.
Other Episodes in this Series
- Our Public Posture
- Life and Sexuality
Resources
- 078 - Giving Financially in Hard Times
- 213 - Why a Giving Push? (with Jim Shaffer)
- Do not muzzle the ox
- 2 Corinthians 8-9
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- formation@providenceomaha.org
In this episode, we look at two foundational elements of our Christian faith: life and sexuality.
Historically, the church stands out because of its view on life and sexuality. However, how does this view impact our political engagement? Join us as we examine how these two elements play a part in our politics and in our daily discussions.
Other Episodes in this Series
- Our Public Posture
- Life and Sexuality
Resources
- The Patient Ferment of the Early Church: The Improbable Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire (book)
- 167 - Is God OK with Some Sin? (podcast episode)
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- formation@providenceomaha.org
How should we as Christians think about our public engagement with the world? There are many valid options, but one thing is certain: Jesus calls us to be a certain type of people, which is where he will be known.
In the Beatitudes we see Jesus explaining what his people will look like in the world. However we vote and engage, the beatitudes must be exemplified in our public posture. Join us as we discuss this idea together.
Other Episodes in this Series
- Life and Sexuality
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- formation@providenceomaha.org
The Second Coming of Christ offers the hope of the life to come. What is the exact hope we find in the second coming, and how should we expect it? Join as we discuss this together.
Resources From Providence
- Providence's Statement of Faith
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- formation@providenceomaha.org
Resurrection is the great hope of Christianity. In this episode we see the Biblical understanding of resurrection and resurrection hope.
Resources From Providence
- 247 - Statement of Faith: Salvation
Doctrines of Grace Episodes
- 095 - Unconditional Election
- 096 - Limited Atonement
- 097 - Irresistible Grace
- 098 - Perseverance of the Saints
Readings
- Providence's Statement of Faith
What is the church? And does the church really need to be in the statement of faith for all believers? In this episode, we seek to show the beauty and importance of Christ’s body, the church.
Resources From Providence
Trinity Series
- 132 - God the Father: Trinity Series
- 133 - God the Son: Trinity Series
- 134 - The Holy Spirit: Trinity Series
- 135 - Questions Over the Trinity
Doctrines of Grace
- 093 - Doctrines of Grace / Calvinism
- 094 - Total Depravity
- 095 - Unconditional Election
- 096 - Limited Atonement
- 097 - Irresistible Grace
- 098 - Perseverance of the Saints
- 100 - Debated Passages in the Doctrines of Grace Conversation
- 101 - Q & A Over the Doctrines of Grace
Church Membership at Providence
- 138 - Commitments of Church Members
- 139 - Proclaim and Protect, Contribute, Sacraments
Readings
- Providence's Statement of Faith
What is the Christian belief of sanctification? What does it mean? Why is it important? And why should it be central to our faith and practice? Join us as we discuss the Bible's answers to these questions.
Resources From Providence
- Doctrines of Grace Episodes
- 093 - Doctrines of Grace / Calvinism
- 094 - Total Depravity
- 095 - Unconditional Election
- 096 - Limited Atonement
- 097 - Irresistible Grace
- 098 - Perseverance of the Saints
- 100 - Debated Passages in the Doctrines of Grace Conversation
- 101 - Q & A Over the Doctrines of Grace
- Providence's Statement of Faith
What do we believe about God’s salvation of his people? There are many options for salvation, shalom, nirvana, bliss, wholeness, etc. Different religions teach various things, and most people assume a variety of means. In this episode, we seek to understand the Christian belief of how humanity is saved.
Resources From Providence
- Doctrines of Grace Episodes
- 094 - Total Depravity
- 093 - Doctrines of Grace / Calvinism
- Trinity Episodes
- 132 - God the Father: Trinity Series
- 133 - God the Son: Trinity Series
- 134 - The Holy Spirit: Trinity Series
- 135 - Questions Over the Trinity
- Providence's Statement of Faith
What is Biblical anthropology? The world has always sought to understand humanity - our origins, our inner workings, our ethics, etc. In this episode, we examine the Christian understanding of mankind.
Resources From Providence
- Doctrines of Grace Episodes
- 094 - Total Depravity
- 093 - Doctrines of Grace / Calvinism
- Trinity Episodes
- 132 - God the Father: Trinity Series
- 133 - God the Son: Trinity Series
- 134 - The Holy Spirit: Trinity Series
- 135 - Questions Over the Trinity
- Providence's Statement of Faith
All of what we have discussed in the first 3 articles is revealed to us in Scripture. Therefore, our view of Scripture is necessary for us to know God. In this episode, we seek to understand what Scripture is and its importance in our life.
Resources From Providence
- Trinity Episodes
- 132 - God the Father: Trinity Series
- 133 - God the Son: Trinity Series
- 134 - The Holy Spirit: Trinity Series
- 135 - Questions Over the Trinity
- Providence's Statement of Faith
Other Resources
- The Gospel Coalition Article, "The Authority and Inerrancy of Scripture"
Who is the Holy Spirit? How are we to understand His role in our lives today? In this episode, we see why the Holy Spirit is so important to the Christian faith.
Resources From Providence
- Trinity Episodes
- 132 - God the Father: Trinity Series
- 133 - God the Son: Trinity Series
- 134 - The Holy Spirit: Trinity Series
- 135 - Questions Over the Trinity
- Providence's Statement of Faith
What is the importance of the Son of God, Jesus Christ? In this episode, we see why Jesus is central to the Christian faith and practice.
Resources From Providence
- Trinity Episodes
- 132 - God the Father: Trinity Series
- 133 - God the Son: Trinity Series
- 134 - The Holy Spirit: Trinity Series
- 135 - Questions Over the Trinity
- Providence's Statement of Faith
What is God? All of Christianity centers around the being of God. Therefore, before we believe anything else, we have to understand who the God of Christianity is. In our fist episode of season 10, we look at our belief of the Triune God and discuss what a Statement of Faith is for a church congregation.
Resources From Providence
- Church Membership Episodes
- 138 - Commitments of Church Members
- 139 - Proclaim and Protect, Contribute, Sacraments
- Trinity Episodes
- 132 - God the Father: Trinity Series
- 133 - God the Son: Trinity Series
- 134 - The Holy Spirit: Trinity Series
- 135 - Questions Over the Trinity
- Providence's Statement of Faith
Other Resources
- Adopting and Choosing a Statement of Faith by 9Marks
- What Does Your Church’s Statement of Faith Protect? TGC
- What is a Statement of Faith? DonorBox
- 5 Reasons Your Church Needs a Statement of Faith NewChurches
There are 5 commitments to church membership here at Providence. The first two we touched on last week were "follow" and "gather." This week for the re-release episode, we are diving into the last three: gospel proclamation, a lifestyle of contribution, and a healthy partaking of the sacraments.
The word "commitment" may evoke a feeling of joy or discomfort. In today's world, commitment is most likely met with disdain and tension. However, we are called to commitments not only in daily life, but also in the church if you call yourself a member.
In this episode re-release, we discuss church membership commitments as they relate to Providence members. Join the discussion and keep a look out for our next membership class this fall.
The Psalms are filled with rich imagery and a lot of emotion, however, not many of us know the true depth of how valuable the Psalms really are in shaping our view of God and our prayer lives.
In this episode re-release, we discuss the background of the Psalms, why it is important for Christians to read the Psalms, and how reading the Psalms can shape our prayer life and view of God. We are joined by Dr. Mark Futato, who serves as a professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orland, Florida, and has studied and written books over the Psalms.
Every month, our church gathers to sing, pray, and read the Bible. We call these times Worship Nights because we believe them to center our attention (our worship) on Christ. But recently we have been asking ourselves, what is the difference between a worship night and a Sunday morning church gathering?
To compare these two is like comparing apples and oranges. (Which, counter to popular belief, actually can be compared.) You see, just like apples and oranges, both Sunday morning and Wednesday night strive after the same thing, they exist in the same ecosystem, they are both fruit. Both spaces exist to help people worship God. But qualitatively each of these spaces “taste” different. They each have their unique way of calling us back to God. Here are a few things that you will find at a worship night that make it distinctive from our Sunday morning gatherings.
the full article can be read here
Summer may evoke feelings of financial freedom or feelings of dread as air conditioners go out, cars need to be worked on, and other miscellaneous circumstances come up.
In this episode re-release , we address questions like, "What does it look like to give generously in hard times?" and "Do I need financially give or is giving of my time enough?" Join us as we look at our call as Christians when it comes to giving financially and generously no matter the life situation.
In light of the ballot initiative, we revisit an episode from Season 5.
On this week's episode, we discuss the topic of pro-life and the pro-life ministry work at Assure Women's Center, a nonprofit organization that offers free services to pregnant women in the Omaha area. We are joined by Toni Clarke, who serves as the executive director at Assure and has worked at Assure for the last 14 years.
Join us as we unpack the pro-life view and its importance together.
It is currently summer and for many of us, that can come with a renewed sense of energy. For others, it can come with some unease as we start to slow down and sense part of our souls that have withered and feel far from God.
If you have wondered why God feels distant at times, you're not alone. Many Christians wonder this. While we don't have concrete answers, we discuss some possible reasons why God may feel distant at times. We are reposting episode 128 so that you can press into the Lord during this time where you may feel distant from him.
If you have any thoughts or questions in response to this episode, please email us at formation@providenceomaha.org.
This episode seeks to provide wisdom in forgiveness—exploring why as Christians we are to forgive, why it is hard to forgive, and how to forgive others.
How do you work through your past issues to better love God and others? Is this something you can do on your own or should it be done only in community? How can we rewire our brains to be fully known and fully loved? In this episode, Ravyn and Debbie discuss the importance of healing from past trauma, how to do that on your own, and how to do that with others.
Additional Resources
- Books
- Transforming Fellowship: 19 Brain Skills That Build Joyful Community by Chris Coursey
- Websites
- Center for Being Known
- Life Model Works
In this episode, Andrew and Ravyn introduce the topic of and definition of fencing the Lord's table.
What is fencing the table? Why is fencing the table an act of love? How do we practically fence the table on Sundays? Tune in for discussions over these questions and more.
Additional Resources
- Sermons
- Sermon on the Mount :: The Heart of Murder
- Christian Formation Episodes
- 141 - How to Take the Lord's Supper
- 140 - Communion: 4 Different Views Today
- 139 - Proclaim and Protect, Contribute, Sacraments
In this episode, we discuss team leadership and what that looks like in a church with a lead pastor and an associate pastor verses a church with two co-pastors.
In this episode, Andrew shares exciting details about his family's upcoming sabbatical. Join us as he reveals their travel plans, their spiritual and personal goals during the trip, and ways you can pray for them as they are disconnected from their normal routine.
In this episode, we discuss what a sabbatical is, why it is important, and how regular rhythms of rest are helpful for the Christian life.
When you get married, it can be easy to either put your friends first, your family of origin first, or kids first instead of your spouse. We want this episode to serve as a helpful resource for how to love your spouse well and ensure that you are first and foremost investing in the relationship with them.
This is episode 4 of our dating and marriage relationship series where we address common questions from people in our church.
This episode seeks to provide wisdom for couples who have been married 8+ years, identifying common pain points and ways to press into the Lord together during marriage.
This is episode 3 of our dating and marriage relationship series where we address common questions from people in our church.
This episode seeks to provide wisdom for newly married couples, identifying common pain points and ways to press into the Lord together during the first couple years of marriage.
Over the next couple of weeks, we are addressing the topics of dating and marriage, specifically certain questions we’ve received from individuals in our church family.
This is episode 2 of our dating / marriage relationship series and focuses on the topic of being equally yoked, or dating / marrying someone who is also a Christian. We address questions such as:
- What if I “think” the person I am dating is a Christian?
- Can’t I just choose that life will be harder if I marry a non-Christian?
- What encouragement is for me if I am married to a spouse who isn’t a Christian?
Over the next couple of weeks, we are going to address the topics of dating and marriage, specifically certain questions we’ve received from individuals in our church family.
This episode focuses on the topic of Sex Before Marriage and addresses whether it is a wise choice, where we see scripture address the topic, and our own thoughts on the issue. The questions we cover include:
- Where in the Bible do we see the idea that sex is reserved for marriage?
- What about Christians who say they will eventually get married to one another… is it still a sin if they don’t wait for their wedding day together?
- For Christians who have engaged in sexual acts, what encouragement do we have from God?
All people need a substitute to escape God’s judgment and enjoy God’s presence. In Exodus, we see Israel has to learn that if they want to live with God, it is through a substitute.
For us today, our access to God’s presence is solely by a great substitute that allowed God’s just wrath to pass over us, and instead offer life and forgiveness. We, then, must live in light of the great hope of our passover lamb. Join us as we discuss Passover and helpful Bible Reading Tips when seeing themes in the Bible.
Links- Sunday Exodus Sermons
Making sense of judgment and de-creation in the Bible isn't easy. Oftentimes, it can cause us to question God's character or simply leave us confused. In this episode, we unpack the theme of judgment in the Bible, asking questions like:
- Is judgment good?
- What would be true about God if he didn't judge?
- How do we escape this judgment?
Links- Sunday Exodus Sermons
Why is circumcision such a big deal in the Old Testament? In Exodus 4, it seems as if God is going to take Moses’ life because of a failure to circumcise his son. Join us as we discuss why circumcision is so important for God’s people and what implications does it have for us today.
Links- Sunday Exodus Sermons
Bible Reading Tip- Write down different passages and / or questions as you are reading scripture. What comes to mind? How could that be connected?
- Is the idea of circumcision used one or two times? No, it is used a lot. So, let's look at the stories that mention circumcision and see how, overtime, this idea is explained to us.
In this episode we seek to trace the theme of trusting God's means of salvation by looking at the ark in the stories of Noah and Moses.
Links- Sunday Exodus Sermons
Bible Reading Tip- Ask yourself, "Have I seen something like this before?" When you recognize a theme or similar story in the Bible. Then, rest in it. Meditate on it and what God could be saying to you.
In this episode we seek to trace the theme of choosing/fearing God, or choosing evil. From Eve in the garden, to the midwives, to prophets, to Jesus, we see choices for good or evil throughout the Scriptures. And we too have a choice - trust God or trust the snake’s deception.
Links- Sunday Exodus Sermons
Bible Reading Tip- Ask yourself, have I seen something like this before? When you recognize a theme or a strange story in the Bible.
If someone is struggling in their awe and reverence for the Lord and choosing to please man, where should you start?
- Pray that the spirit would convict you of sin and reveal Jesus to you
- Just do the hard thing
- Read some helpful books on God's nature
- Knowing God by JI Packer
- Give yourself some time to build the muscles of choosing God. You have to start to consistently do it.
In this episode, we discuss the snake imagery that spans the entire Bible and how it can better help us appreciate God's redemptive plan for history. Some questions we hit in this episode are:
- What does the snake imagery in the Bible mean?
- Where do we see various instances of snake imagery?
- How does the snake imagery point back to God prevailing over all evil?
We also give insight as to why knowing biblical themes helps you better read and love to read your Bible.
To learn more about Providence Church, check out our website.
In the last episode, we discussed what Lent is, the history behind it, and and reasons why we might want to consider observing Lent. In this episode, we talk about some common ways to practice Lent, including fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. Join us for the conversation!
Resources
- The Good of Giving Up: Discovering the Freedom of Lent
- The 40-Day Sugar Fast: Where Physical Detox Meets Spiritual Transformation
- 103 - Why Sundays Matter for the Church Christian Formation Episode
- 109 - How to Come to Church Christian Formation Episode
To find out more about Providence Church, head to our website providenceomaha.org.
At Providence, we observe the church calendar in regard to Advent, Christmas, and Easter, however, the other pieces of the calendar we have missing from our church rhythms.
In this episode, we take time to discuss what Lent is, the history behind Lent, and and reasons why we might want to consider observing Lent in our personal lives this year.
Resources
- The Good of Giving Up: Discovering the Freedom of Lent
- The 40-Day Sugar Fast: Where Physical Detox Meets Spiritual Transformation
- 103 - Why Sundays Matter for the Church Christian Formation Episode
- 109 - How to Come to Church Christian Formation Episode
It is easy to lose sight of or never really think about how much God loves us—who he's made us to be, how he delights in us, and how he really is our good father. In this episode, Andrew shares his experience of God's love in relation to the love he's experienced for his own children, and how his suffering has shown God's love in greater ways.
One of our members asked us to chat about the topic of friendship, and in today's episode, we ask the question as to whether Men and Women can be "friends."
Disclaimer: This is not Providence Church's official stance, and the conclusions drawn by Ravyn, Nate, and Grace might be subject to change as well. This is a conversation to get our minds thinking about how we define "friend" and how we steward friendships with the opposite sex.
Listen to minutes 18–25 to hear where they potentially landed on an answer.
The rough definition of biblical friendship that we landed on in a past episode: Another level of doing life together. It is the definition of fellowship of believers (breaking bread, gathering, offering wisdom), but added shared experiences, life together, and developed trust.
To learn more about our church family, visit providenceomaha.org
To submit a topic idea, email us at formation@providenceomaha.org
One of our members asked us to chat about the topic of friendship, and in today's episode, we focus on the idea of honesty in friendship.
The rough definition of biblical friendship that we landed on in the last episode: Another level of doing life together. It is the definition of fellowship of believers (breaking bread, gathering, offering wisdom), but added shared experiences, life together, and developed trust.
Further Study:
- The Porch "Show Me Your Friends and I'll Show You Your Future" sermon.
- Proverbs 13:20—He who walks with the wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.
- Proverbs 27:6—Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.
- Proverbs 27:9–10–Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel...
- Hebrews 12:15 ESV—See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;
- Ephesians 4:31-32 ESV—Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
- Colossians 3:9—Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices
- James 3:17—But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
To learn more about our church family, visit providenceomaha.org
To submit a topic idea, email us at formation@providenceomaha.org
One of our members asked us to chat about the topic of friendship, which isn't spoken about very often in the Bible. Join us as we try to discern and unpack a biblical definition of friendship.
Rough Definition of Biblical Friendship we landed on in the episode (min 22:44): Another level of doing life together. It is the definition of fellowship of believers (breaking bread, gathering, offering wisdom), but added shared experiences, life together, and developed trust.
Resources mentioned:
- The Porch "Show Me Your Friends and I'll Show You Your Future" sermon.
- Proverbs 13:20—"He who walks with the wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed."
- Proverbs 18:34—A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
- Proverbs 19:4—Wealth brings many new friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend.
- Proverbs 27:6—Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.
- Proverbs 27:9–10–Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel. Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend, and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.
- 1 Corinthians 15:33–In his letters to the Corinthians Paul teaches, "Bad company corrupts good character."
At Providence, we have two main areas where we invest our time—Sundays and mid-week gatherings called City Groups, or families on mission. In this episode, our City Groups (CG) director gives an overview of the vision of CGs and the value of them for those who are in them or those who are considering a group.
To get connected with a CG at Providence, click here to visit our website.
In this episode, we discuss how people in our church are looking toward 2024 and ways that we plan to live all of life with the presence of God this year.
Books Mentioned in this Episode
- Waiting on God by Andrew Murray
- The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected by Nik Ripken
At Christmas we celebrate the incarnation, or becoming human, of the Son of God. In order for salvation to take place, the eternal Son of God put on flesh and became a man. But why is the incarnation such a pivotal and beautiful part of the Christian faith? Why did it have to take place like this? Was there another way God could save humanity without becoming humanity? We discuss these questions and more on this episode.
If you have any questions or need prayer, please email us at formation@providenceomaha.org.
At the end of every calendar year, most churches have a giving push. Why do they do this and what is the heart behind the giving push?
Join us in this episode as we unpack giving together, asking ourselves the questions:
- Why do we give?
- What should our heart posture be in giving?
- What amount should I give? (around 19:50 minutes in)
To see the mission and vision of Providence and consider giving to this year's year-end campaign, click here: providenceomaha.org. For general information on giving, click here.
In our last episode, we discussed our hope in regard to the second coming of Christ. But one of the controversial pieces of the second coming is the 1000 year reign of Christ, or the millennium. What is this millennium? What are the beliefs around when it is and what it is? How does that impact Christianity today?
The goal of this episode is to help people realize the beauty, importance, and implications of the second coming of Jesus Christ. Why does it matter if Jesus returns? Why is that such an important hope? And why would that impact my life at all today?
We are releasing this week's episode early! We chat through what Advent is and how to help you observe Advent this season at Providence.
To access the online copy of Providence's 2023 Advent Guide, click here: https://www.providenceomaha.org/hes-coming-again-2023
Our stories are incredibly influential on who we are and how we live today. But how do we deal with them? What’s the problem if we are unaware of pivotal pieces of our past? What happens if we are stuck in them? In this episode, we examine how to best learn from our past and yet not live in the past.
What is our primary view of Jesus? When we think of him, what comes to our minds? Does the vision of a groom immediately come to mind? Does that love of Jesus for my soul shape my view of Him? In this episode, we examine the love of Jesus from Song of Songs in order to help us see Jesus as the lover of our souls.
The phrase "deconstructing one's faith" has been floating around recently. The term refers to Christians who rethink their faith and change previously held beliefs, sometimes walking away from the Christian faith all together.
In this episode, we discuss how to engage with Christians who are slowly walking away or who decide to walk away from the faith. Join us as we discuss this topic together.
The goal of this episode is for you, Christian, to take your everyday actions and decisions to the Lord in prayer, even if it is something that the people around you are all doing (or aren’t all doing) like Halloween. Join us as we discuss Brooke Tabor's personal experience with Halloween and how God taught her a lesson in humility.
Can our prayers be selfish and is that a bad thing? Tune in with us to talk about these questions and about a practical example of living out what it means to be a "non-anxious presence."
We’ve all been there. We get a message about something—a new job opportunity, a hospital that wants us to call back, a loved one who says, “We need to talk”—and our mind fills in the blanks. We imagine the best or worst case scenarios and our minds spin. We watch videos on social media or call our friends to discuss every possible outcome rather than operating in trust and peace that God is in control.
Join us as we discuss what it looks like to be a non-anxious presence in a world filled with anxiety.
Resources
- A Non-Anxious Presence: How a Changing and Complex World will Create a Remnant of Renewed Christian by Mark Sayers
- Practices of Change sermon series
- Episode 196: Spiritual Formation
- See episodes 196–203 to learn more about spiritual disciplines
We often hear the word "soul" but have no idea what it means. In this episode, we look at the soul and discuss how our soul impacts our spiritual lives.
Resources
- Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice: Experiments in Spiritual Transformationby Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson
- Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard
- Meditation by Jim Downing
Why are relationships important when it comes to spiritual formation? Join us for the discussion on how relationships impact the way we are formed spiritually.
This episode seeks to help people understand why spiritual formation includes our physical bodies, and how the body affects the soul.
This episode seeks to help people understand the reality of their will and to give practical help in forming it to God’s will.
We feel all sorts of feelings... but are those feelings of God? Join us as we dive into our feelings and how we "feel" about them.
Our minds are formed DAILY... but many of us don't think about it. What we watch, who we hang around, the music we listen to all play a part in who we are and how our minds are shaped. The question is, are we forming our minds the way Christ would want them to be formed? What exactly is shaping our minds? We answer all these questions and more.
Various books and articles for further reading on the topic:
- Renovation of the Heart
- Atomic Habits
- Dakota Family Services Article
- Harley Therapy Article
- Mindfully Healing
- Emotions vs Feelings Chart
Every single thing we do, think, watch, and hear forms us... are we being formed for good or for worse?
In this episode, we define "spiritual formation" and "Christian formation" as they relate to our Christian lives.
To listen to episode 123 where we reference the book Atomic Habits, click here.
End times, destruction, and... hope? Join us as we talk about the HOPE the book of Revelation gives us.
In this episode, we give an overview of the book of Jude and discuss its lessons for us today.
In this episode, we discuss 2 and 3 John and the way we are called to examine what teaching we are allowing to influence our minds.
Have you ever wondered if someone is a Christian? What makes you wonder that? Is it the way they act? The way they talk?
In this episode, we look at 1 John and what it means to walk in the light and live holy lives if we are truly transformed by Christ.
In this episode, we discuss the book of second Peter.
To listen to Providence's sermon series over 2 Peter, click here.
In this episode, we discuss 1 Peter and the call to live as exiles as we await Jesus' return.
In today's age, we are looking for wisdom in many different places—online, from parents, maybe even from professors—but what if we decided to look at a specific
Living in today's age as a Christian isn't always easy. We know our lives should look different, but in what ways? How are we supposed to be set apart? What does wisdom look as a Christ follower in this modern world?
In this episode, we look at how to read James—the Proverbs of the New Testament—and discuss how it points us to living wise lives as Christians in the modern world.
To listen to our Old Testament episode over Wisdom Literature, click here.
If all of Hebrews could be summed up into one sentence, it would be this: JESUS IS BETTER than our trials, circumstances, religious figures, and anything else that we'd look to rather than Him.
As you read Hebrews, ask yourself, "What spiritual leaders do I look to? What ways do I try and make up for my sin?" Take note how many times the author says “do this so that you don’t fall away.”
We don’t want you to be scared of falling away, but we want you to see that those things are the means of how God keeps us with Him. Reading scripture, gathering with Christians, praying, etc. are means that God uses to keep us. God has them there so that we can grow in faith and continue to cling to Jesus.
Keep your eyes on Jesus—He will hold you fast!
Forgiveness isn't easy, especially when we have been publicly wronged. In the book of Philemon, we see Paul ask Philemon to forgive Philemon's slave when Philemon has every right to be upset and to exercise punishment. Join us as we discuss what it looks like to forgive and how the book of Philemon challenges us to do so with those who've wronged us.
The book of Titus is another pastoral epistle wherein the apostle Paul teaches Titus how to paster the church in Crete and encourages Titus in his faith. In this episode, we look at the ways Paul taught Titus about church leadership as well as discuss what this book means for those who aren't pastors or preachers.
Information discussed in the podcast:
- Titus teaching a church in Crete (ESV)
- Island in the mediterranean sea (now an island in Greece)
- Notorious for violence and sexual immorality
- Titus was Paul’s “partner and coworker” (2 Cor 8:23)
- Most likely converted through his ministry (Titus 1:4)
- Greek Gentile background (Gal 2:3)
- Spent time in Corinth and involved in the church there (2 Cor 8:6)
- Big ideas
- False Teachers in the church
- The leaders taught outward purity, but they lived in a way that proved they did not know God (1:16).
- Gospel should produce godliness
- Theme of belief and practice—you cannot have faith without also living it out. Unbreakable link between the two.
- False Teachers in the church
In this episode, we discuss 2 Timothy—how to read it, elders' roles in the church, and the importance of fighting for sound doctrine within your church.
In this episode, we discuss 1 Timothy, and the roles of women, elders, and people within the church.
For more information and discussion over women's roles in the church and pastor's roles in the church, see the following podcast episodes:
- 144 - Theology of Men's and Women's Roles in the Church
- 145 - Practice of Men's and Women's Roles at Providence
- 107 - Scripture Reading and Preaching
For Andrew's article over our response to Christian leaders who fall, click here.
In this episode, we discuss 2 Thessalonians and the themes of Christ's return, the importance of hard work, and the power of prayer. Join us as we chat about these themes as well as what they mean for us today.
If you are a long time listener, what episode do you think is the most listened to episode?
As of today, it is an episode all about C.S. Lewis. For something fun, new, and interesting, we wanted to take a break from our New Testament series and share about this Christ-following author.
You may have heard people reference Colossians when talking about Christian leadership. "Why do we need Christian leaders if we have 'everything in Christ?' like it says in Colossians?"
In this episode, we discuss questions like that along with the supremacy of Jesus, how the church should act, and the role of spiritual disciplines in our lives as we look at Colossians together.
In this episode, we discuss the book of Philippians—how to read it, the context, and how it instructs us to have joy in the midst of suffering.
We examen Paul's book of Ephesians and discuss questions like, how should we live in light of Christ, and what should we believe as Christians in regards to marriage, the church, and submission.
Outline
- Chapters 1–3 focus on what you should believe as a Christian
- How good salvation really is
- Paul promotes unity between the Jews and the gentiles because both are in the church and very hostile to one another
- The rest of the book focuses on how you should behave as a Christian
- Living out your new nature
- Working out your new nature in various relationships as you are filled with the Holy Spirit
- Talking about how we are in a spiritual battle
"Must Christians be affiliated with a certain political party to "be" a Christian?" "What does it mean to "walk in the power of the Spirit"? "Can God instantly free me from my addictions?"
Join us on this week's episode as we examen the book of Galatians and discuss some of these questions.
We examine 2 Corinthians and discuss how God's love and power are made perfect in our weakness.
In this episode, we look at 1 Corinthians and answer questions about tough texts, love, and the overall purpose of the book. Join us as we dive in together.
In this episode, we discuss the book of Romans and whether Christianity is an American religion.
The book of Acts is filled with rich narrative and truths for today, but is it descriptive or prescriptive? In other words, is it describing what life was like in that day or is it prescribing how we should live and act as believers? In this episode, we give context on the book of Acts and answer questions over topics such as spiritual gifts, communism, tongues, etc.
In this episode, we dive into the book of John—how to read it and better understand it. Our hope is that you leave with a confidence in being able to decipher John's purpose and message on your own.
We are giving people an overview of Luke so that the book of Luke is more approachable—how to read it and how to get the most out of it!
Chiastic structure to Luke-Acts mentioned in the episode:
- Luke :: Rome - Galilee - Samaria - Judea - Jerusalem - Cross
- Acts :: Cross - Jerusalem - Judea - Samaria - Galilee - Rome
In this episode, we give you a fly over of the book of Mark—how to read it, what to look for, and what to think about when practically applying the book of Mark to your life.
As we transition from the Old Testament to the New Testament, we discuss why these episodes in the next season will be helpful, offer some insight into how our words can or can't be a self-fulfilling prophecy, and even chat about how to read the Sermon on the Mount as we look at the book of Matthew. Join us as we dive into these topics together.
The last episode, we brought on a guest—Debbie Blank—to discuss her literal view of the Bible... a different view than what we've been teaching this past semester. On this episode, we take 5 steps back and talk about why it is important to have a framework before reading the Bible.
For the last couple of months, we’ve focused on the Old Testament, how to read it, better understand it, and how to think through tough questions that arise.
On this episode, we bring on Debbie Blank, president of Living Word Ministries, to discuss a different way to read the Bible—reading it literally.
Disclaimer: Providence Church does not hold the view that Christians should read the Bible literally. This is also not the personal views of Andrew or Ravyn. However, we wanted to present another way to read the scripture for those wondering.
Throughout the Old Testament (OT) it seems like some sins really make God upset, and they upset Him quickly. With other sins in the OT, it seems as though God isn’t that bothered by them. Uzzah touched the ark, and God struck him dead. David and others had multiple wives, and it seems like God doesn’t mind. Maybe He even condones it. In light of all these instances, how do we make sense of God handling sin in the OT?
One common critique of the Old Testament (OT) is that it presents a mean God... a wrathful God. In the OT, God kills cities and nations… but isn’t Jesus all about love? Aren’t we supposed to be grace-filled and compassionate? How do we make sense of all the judgment in the OT? What does that say about the character of God?
The age old question... "Does God change His mind?" As we've been trekking through the Old Testament, we've asked ourselves that question a time or two, especially when presented with scripture that says, "God relented..." (Exodus 32:14).
In this episode, we discuss whether God changes His mind and why we pray if we think that He doesn't change His mind.
How does the Bible communicate about creation? And what do we learn from the creation story that shapes our view of God? In this episode, we discuss common beliefs about creation and the interpretations of Genesis 1.
In this episode, we discuss the order of the books in the Old Testament to better understand the overall story. Questions like, "What is the storyline of the Old Testament? How are the books organized? Where do I start reading?" will be discussed in this episode.
Every year, our church observes the season of advent—or the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day where we prepare our hearts for the birth of our Savior.
In this episode, we look at the idea of Advent and why celebrating Advent is helpful for us as Christians.
We finish our mini series on themes in the Old Testament by looking at the theme of "priests" that flows throughout the entire Old Testament and into the New Testament. We ask questions like, "Who were the priests in the Old Testament that reveal the priestly role?" and "Why don't we have priests today... or do we?" Join us as we unpack this theme together.
We continue our discussion of themes in the Old Testament by diving into the theme of "Exile." In this episode, we discuss the theme of exile and how it not only impacts our study of the Old Testament, but also how it impacts our lives today.
Christians often refer to Jesus as the Son of God. But the idea of God’s Son restoring creation by defeating the enemies of God is a theme that is traced throughout the entire Bible. In fact, it is the central conflict presented that needs to be resolved in the Scriptures.
In this episode, we examine the theme of Sonship, how it is traced throughout Scripture, and why that is pivotal to our relationship with God today.
Today, we are doing something different on the Christian formation podcast. We're sharing an episode of Knowing God, a podcast aimed to help you to know the Word of God, so that you may ultimately know God hosted by Andrew Rutten, co-paster and planter of Providence Church.
In this episode, Andrew reads through Colossians chapter 2 verse 7 and challenges us to question whether we are planted and rooted in Christ.
To hear more 10ish minute episodes on God's Word, follow Knowing God wherever you're listening or visit providenceomaha.org if you don't see the podcast available on your platform.
In this episode, we continue our mini series on Biblical themes and discuss the "King and Kingdom" theme we see throughout the Old Testament. We'll chat about what this theme looks like, how to recognize it, and how to apply it to what you're reading.
God's promise to be with us... doesn't that sound nice? But when you think about the Bible, where is this promise apparent?
In this episode, we discuss covenants, how they are God's promises to us, and how they can give us security in knowing fundamental truths about Him.
This is the beginning of our mini series, exploring different biblical themes that help us understand the story of God.
In Genesis 3-11, we see the world’s conflict in God’s story. People are sinful, broken, and need restoration. Genesis 12 is God beginning the restoration work on humanity through a promise to Abraham. God's promise is centered around 3 areas: people, place, and presence.
God promises Abraham
- to build a new community of people
- to give them a place to dwell in
- that His presence will be with them
This is the ultimate work of God in redemption: creating a people in a place with His presence. In this episode, we look at that promise, how it plays out in the gospel, and why that matters to us today.
The Old Testament is often thought of as confusing, hard to understand, and difficult to follow. Sadly, that can be all but true if we don't know the full story.
Thankfully, earlier this week, we realized that there is a cheat sheet to remember the stories leading to Jesus. This cheat sheet lies in the place many of us tend to skip—a genealogy.
In this episode, we look at Matthew 1; Just as a movie trilogy has three parts, so too, does Matthew organize the Old Testament story into three parts that lead us to Jesus. By understanding this trilogy of sorts, it will allow us to better understand the Old Testament in deeper ways.
In this episode, we look at what the prophets are and how prophecies prepare us for Christ's arrival in the New Testament.
This episode looks at what wisdom literature is, how to read it, and common stumbling blocks for people when interpreting wisdom literature.
Many of us have read poetry at one time or another, but not all of us leave with a feeling of understanding. In fact, many walk away from poetry scratching their heads wondering, "So... what did that mean?"
While Hebrew poetry isn't the exact same as common, modern types of poetry, it can be difficult to read at times. However, although it takes some practice, we would argue that the poems in the Old Testament can help us know God in a unique way.
This episode aims to help us see Hebrew poetry in a more understandable way by discussing the style and purpose of the poems with examples from the Psalms.
One of the most confusing parts of the Old Testament is the laws. We might wonder how to understand them, whether they are relevant for us today, and if we should care about laws that seem to be obsolete. With all these questions and doubts, it can cause us to ignore Old Testament law or gloss over it without a second thought.
But what if we are misreading what God intends? What if God’s Old Testament law could be sweet to us today (Ps 19:10)? What if it is useful for us knowing the heart of God and how to follow Him? This episode looks to help Christians understand God’s law in a way that will allow us to read it worshipfully.
All people are impacted and captivated by stories. However, we can venture to say that not many people are hankering to read ancient stories from people groups all over the world.
However, our Scriptures begin with a story and continue, with story after story. In this episode, we ask ourselves, "How do these ancient religious stories from people in the Middle East impact my Christian life today?" and "Why did God reveal himself in narrative-form?" This episode looks to answer these questions, be equipped to read biblical narrative stories with greater depth, and help us see the beauty of God in the Old Testament stories.
The Old Testament (OT) is often seen as hard-to-read stories that are out of date and boring. With this view, many Christians today don’t engage with ⅔ of our Scriptures.
What if this has aided a shallow faith? What if we are missing a lot about who God is because of this problem?
This episode aims to answer some common questions about the OT and draw people into seeing the OT as profitable and necessary for their Christian life today.
Placed for a purpose: discerning God’s will when your heart wants to move.
With the summer months especially, many of us can find ourselves in a place of wanting to travel, change jobs, or mix up something in our lives. However, when we have a continuous desire for change, how do we know if that is from God? How can we discern His will vs. our own wants and desires?
In this episode, we invite Hannah Bidne, our college ministry intern, on to discuss discerning God's will versus our own wants and desires.
In this episode, we chat through how praying through the psalms will enrich your prayer life. What to expect: learning the value of the praying the psalms along with how to pray them and 4 different types of psalms.
In this episode, we look at differing views on men and women's roles within the church and discuss the theology behind those views.
The Bible has been translated into different languages throughout history... but how did we end up with many different English translations and how do we know which one to read?
In this episode, we describe the different English Bible translations, as well as discuss how Providence chose the ESV Bible to preach from each Sunday and which translations would be helpful for personal study.
Children in big church or children in KIDS ministry... is one a better answer? In this week's episode, we answer a listener's question as to whether or not children should be sitting in big church rather than attending KIDS ministry, and we explain Providence's stance on KIDS ministry overall.
We take the Lord's Supper, or communion, every Sunday, but we can easily take it for granted and lessen its significance.
In this week's episode on the Christian Formation podcast, we discuss why we observe communion the way we do and what to think about when observing communion.
At Providence, we practice the Lord's Supper differently than say the Catholic Church down the street or the Lutheran church on the other side of town... but why?
In this episode, we explain the four different views of communion—Transubstantiation (Roman Catholic wiew), Consubstantiation (Martin Luther's view), Reformed (John Calvin's view), and Memorialism (Zwingli/Baptist/Our view).
For further study on these views, check out this article from The Gospel Coalition.
There are 5 commitments to church membership here at Providence. The first two we touched on last week were "follow" and "gather." This week, we are diving into the last three: gospel proclamation, a lifestyle of contribution, and a healthy partaking of the sacraments.
The word "commitment" may evoke a feeling of joy or discomfort. In today's world, commitment is most likely met with disdain and tension. However, we are called to commitments not only in daily life, but also in the church if you call yourself a member.
In this episode, we discuss church membership commitments as they related to Providence members. Join the discussion learn with us!
Last week, we discussed the history and importance of hymns in our Christian lives. This week, we are diving into the meaning of two hymns—Come Ye Sinners and Oh the Love That Will Not Let Me Go. Join us as we unpack the meaning of these hymns and how they apply to our Christian lives.
We've heard of hymns mentioned in traditional churches, but what does it mean when we talk about hymns today at Providence? Why do we sing some traditional hymns?
In this episode, we discuss the history and importance of hymns in our Christian lives.
We finish our Trinity series by answering your questions. We dive into questions like, "How does the Trinity shape the way we pray?" "Did God the Father create creation?" and others. Join us as we ask these questions and deepen our understanding of who God is as Triune.
We continue our Trinity series by discussing the Holy Spirit.
If you have questions at any point during this episode, we encourage you to email us. We believe that understanding God matters to our Christian faith and shapes our relationship with Him.
To submit your questions, please email formation@providenceomaha.org. We will either provide an email response or dig through your question on a Q&A episode.
We continue our Trinity series by unpacking God the Son. We answer questions like, "Who is Jesus?" "Why is it important that He is a member of the Trinity?" and "How does he connect us to the Father?"
If you have questions at any point during this episode, we encourage you to email any questions you may have. We believe that understanding who God is matters to our Christian faith and shapes our relationship with Him.
To submit your questions, please email formation@providenceomaha.org. We will either provide an email response or dig through your question on a Q&A episode.
In this episode, we discuss the Trinity and unpack one of the members of the Trinity—God the Father. We will define what it means that God is triune, and what it means for Him to be Father.
For the next three weeks, we are going to unpack the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit and finish with a Q&A episode for any unanswered questions. We want to encourage all of you to think deeply about this topic, discuss it with friends, and send us any questions you may have. We believe that understanding who God is matters to our Christian faith and shapes our relationship with Him.
To submit your questions, please email formation@providenceomaha.org. We will either provide an email response or dig through your question on a Q&A episode.
Catechisms are a tradition that have been around for a very long time in church history but are not very well known in the church today. In this episode, we explore what catechisms are, why they are helpful for our Christian faith, and why our church is moving toward using the New City Catechism in our Kids ministry and City Groups.
Parents have a huge impact on their children's thoughts, emotions, coping mechanisms, and world view. How parents parent matters, especially for children's understanding of Jesus Christ and Christianity.
In this episode, we explore some of the common struggles Christian parents face, as well as provide insight into our upcoming Parenting Conference. We invite Dusty White, our 2022 Parenting Conference speaker, to join us in discussing this topic.
If you are listening to this before March 2, 2022, and want to find out more information about our parenting conference, please email us at formation@providenceomaha.org.
On this week's episode, we discuss the topic of pro-life and the pro-life ministry work at Assure Women's Center, a nonprofit organization that offers free services to pregnant women in the Omaha area. We are joined by Toni Clarke, who serves as the executive director at Assure and has worked at Assure for the last 14 years.
Join us as we unpack the pro-life view and its importance together.
Sometimes, we feel incredibly close to God, like He's sitting next to us 24/7. And sometimes, we are left wondering if God is near to us at all... if He has ever been near to us.
If you have wondered why God feels distant at times, you're not alone. Many Christians wonder this. While we don't have concrete answers, we discuss some possible reasons why God may feel distant at times.
If you have any thoughts or questions in response to this episode, please email us at formation@providenceomaha.org.
"Quiet time" is a common term in Christian culture. For many, it means time alone with God and traditionally looks like reading one's Bible, praying, and journaling for 10 minutes in the morning.
If this is what you are doing—yes and amen. Those times are good, however, in this episode, we challenge you to more than a traditional quiet time. We want you to truly commune with God, which—we argue—won't be as intimate if you only think of and speak to Him for 10 minutes each morning.
Join us as we discuss what it looks like to have "more than a quiet time" in order to practically build intimacy with God and know Him.
Today, we are discussing what it means to really know God. On this episode, we go so far as to ask whether the entire goal of Christianity is to know God, to have a deep intimacy with Him.
Join us as we challenge you to ask yourself, "Is knowing God the goal of Christianity?" and provide commentary on the benefit of knowing God in our own lives.
In order to run with zeal in ministry, we need to assess how our souls are doing. Asking questions like, "Is my soul healthy? Am I experiencing anxiety? What exactly am I feeling when I think of serving in my local church?" are helpful questions to unpack in the endeavor to find joy and zeal again in ministry.
In this episode, we give practical examples of how to diagnose burnout in yourself and others based off the following questions.
- What does your personal life look like right now?
- What exactly feels heavy, time consuming, or draining?
- What does your time with Jesus look like? How often are you feeling filled with His Spirit? Are you treating him like a person and not just a hobby or check off the box?
If you have any questions or would like to reach out for more, you can contact us at formation@providenceomaha.org.
As a church within a world that is prizes performance and checking boxes, sitting with God to experience Him seems strange, maybe even incorrect. Yet, the testimony of the church throughout the ages and the example of Christ himself is that silence and solitude are an integral part of the life of one who has committed themselves to walking with God. Join us as we find rest in God through being silent with Him.
Read more here.
For our final episode of 2021, we have Jake and Aaron—two of our members at Providence—discuss how to create solid habits that stick for the new year. The majority of the conversation is over a book they read called Atomic Habits by James Clear. Join the discussion and let us know if these strategies helped you form better, God-honoring habits this year.
Andrew, one of the pastors at Providence, underwent a kidney transplant surgery in the fall of 2021. He is now in recovery and is learning more about God's goodness, no matter his physical circumstances and outcomes. Join us as we are encouraged by and learn from Andrew's story of trust in God's sovereign plan.
We read books, listen to sermons, and indulge in podcasts about Jesus, but many of us might have the same frustrated thought, "WHY am I having trouble actually resting in Jesus?!" On this episode, one of Providence's pastors, Jared, dives into the difference between religious acts vs. remembering Jesus is a person, and what it looks like to seek relationship with Him.
This is the final episode on our "Health for the Holidays" series. See episodes 119 and 120 if you are just tuning in and missed the beginning of the series.
During the busy holiday season, it is easy for all of us to fall into unhealthy patterns and sin tendencies. We continue our series on "Health for the Holidays" by discussing the idea of slowing down and communing with Jesus. One of Providence's pastors, Jared, references the book Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund and Matthew 11:28–30 to teach us practical ways in how to slow down and rest in Christ.
During the busy holiday season, it is easy for all of us to fall into unhealthy patterns and sin tendencies. On this episode, we discuss how to be spiritually healthy during the holiday season. One of Providence's pastors, Jared, references the book Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund and Matthew 11:28–30 to teach us how to fully be ourselves and rest in Christ.
Every year leading up to Christmas, Providence observes Advent, a season where we learn to both reflect on Jesus' coming to Earth and long for His return.
In this week's episode, Madi Shultz, a member in our congregation, and Jake Peterson, one of our co-directors for the college ministry here at Providence, join the Christian Formation Podcast to explore what Advent is, why Christians should observe Advent, and practical ideas of how to observe Advent this Christmas season.
Providence is recommending that all its church members and attenders purchase the Gospel Coalition's Advent guide, "The Weary World Rejoices." It is a guide that we will use to prepare our hearts this season, together. You can purchase yours on the Gospel Coalition's Website: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/reviews/weary-world-rejoices/
As Christians, we value overseas missions, but why? Why do we use resources to send people overseas when we have people in our city who are not saved? In this podcast, we head back to episode 74 to revisit the importance of Global Missions in God's sovereign plan.
Reverence for God is something that we've been talking about a lot around the Providence office. One question that we've asked ourselves is, "Does what we wear on Sunday mornings reflect our reverence for God? Should we be dressing up or does what we wear really matter?"
In this episode, we discuss whether our Sunday morning clothing reflects our reverence for God. Join us as we dive into what reverence means and looks like for us as Christians.
We see the term "unity" in the Bible, yet, we have so many different church denominations. Why is this and do we need to care about denominations? In this episode, we explore the advantages and pitfalls of church denominations and discuss why it is important to know how your own church's denomination operates.
We are joined by Kent Sovine, who serves as the Multiplication Catalyst at the MidAmerica District for the Christian and Missionary Alliance, to provide us with a broad look at church denominations.
With our recent discussion on the Enneagram and whether the origin of an activity should dictate whether or not we participate in that activity, we travel back in time to revisit our discussion on yoga from a year and a half ago.
Yoga is prevalent in our culture today but its Hindu roots bring controversy in the church over whether or not we as Christians should be practicing yoga. In this podcast, we explore the history of yoga and look at scripture to see whether yoga is something we as Christians should think twice about before practicing. This is part one of the two-part conversation. Check out episode 40 for the rest of the discussion.
***Disclaimer: this is a group of people's experiences and thoughts. This does not represent the thoughts or beliefs of Providence Church, Citylight Church, or Holy Yoga. This conversation exists to have us think more deeply about our daily routines and their impact on us.
We explore the question of, “Should Christians engage in the Enneagram?” With its focus on self and mystical origin, is it OK for Christians to use?
We don’t have concrete answers on this episode. For some of us, the Enneagram is OK in moderation, so long as our primary identity is in Christ. For others, they might avoid the Enneagram because it can lead to an excessive focus on themselves rather than Christ. And for some, the Enneagram’s origin might be a reason for them not to participate.
We want you to walk away and ask yourself, “What is the Lord laying on my heart with this topic?”
We received a question from one of our congregation members about Common Grace.
"What is common grace, where is common grace in the Bible, and how does common grace impact us if we acknowledge it exists?"
In this episode, we dive into all of these questions and ask ourselves if Common Grace only applies to non-Christians or to believers as well.
This episode asks more questions than provides specific answers, so please email in your thoughts to formation@providenceomaha.org. We would love to dive into this together!
Throughout our summer in the Psalms series this past year (see episode 99 for more details), we saw the repeated theme of the psalmist suffering because of his own sin. This prompted the question of:
"How do we know if we are suffering because of our sin or because of God’s discipline?"
In this episode, we dive into how we would biblically define God’s “discipline,” where we see His discipline in scripture, and the relationship between sin and God’s discipline.
“What does the Church need today?”
A person in our congregation asked us what the church needs to remember or hold on to in the midst of tension this last year.
In this episode, we provide encouragement for our church family to remember the truth of God's word, the comfort of Jesus, the sovereignty of God, and wisdom that comes from God. We also discuss how these how these ideas will help us as we engage with issues in culture and in the church as a whole during difficult times.
We wrapped up a 6-part series on the elements of our Sunday gatherings and why it’s important to consistently attend a church gathering. We also looked at all of the elements in our Sunday gathering and explained the meaning behind them (check out episodes 103–108 to hear more). In this episode, we take a step back and talk about how we should prepare our minds before we step into the church building so that we can better hear from the Lord and commune with the family of God each Sunday.
"Praise God from whom all blessings flow..." The Doxology has been sung for thousands of years and is one of the elements we have at the end of our Sunday gatherings. For our final episode on our Sunday Liturgy series, we dive into why we sing the Doxology and end with a Benediction every gathering.
In this episode, we continue our Sunday Liturgy series discussing the importance of Scripture Reading and Preaching in our Sunday gathering.
We continue our Sunday Liturgy series discussing the Meet & Greet, the Vision & Values (also called announcements in some churches), and Prayer during our Sunday gatherings. Join us as we share the value in meeting the person sitting next to you, the change in language when we talk about "announcements," and the value of prayer in every church gathering.
We see throughout the Bible that worship—musical worship—is an integral part of worshiping God. It almost seems if we were created to sing. In this podcast, we look at why the church today sings and how songs are chosen for a Sunday gathering.
Is the Call to Worship us calling ourselves to worship or responding to God? Why do we confess sin aloud in our Sunday gatherings? Why is it important to profess our faith during a Sunday when their are non believers in the room? Join us as we continue our series on Sunday Liturgy, with this second episode focusing on the call to worship, confession, and profession of faith elements in our Sunday gatherings.
Many of us attend a Sunday church gathering without knowing the significant impact it has on our lives. In this episode, Andrew, Ravyn, and Steve discuss why Sundays matter in the life of a Christian.
We are back for our 5th season! In this episode, Andrew and Ravyn give a personal recap of what happened this summer and then dive into an overview of the podcast's upcoming series: Sunday Liturgy.
For our final episode in our Doctrines of Grace (also known as Calvinism) series, we answer questions that YOU submitted. Join us as we discuss whether we are "forced" to love God and why it matters that we understand the theology behind our salvation.
The Doctrines of Grace series is our longest series on the Christian Formation Podcast. This second-to-last episode in the series highlights two key passages that are highly debated in the doctrines of grace conversation. Join us as we dive into these passages and explain how they are used against the Doctrines of Grace and how we would respond in favor of the Doctrines of Grace.
The Psalms are filled with rich imagery and a lot of emotion, however, not many of us know the true depth of how valuable the Psalms really are in shaping our view of God and our prayer lives.
In this episode, we discuss the background of the Psalms, why it is important for Christians to read the Psalms, and how reading the Psalms can shape our prayer life and view of God. We are joined by Dr. Mark Futato, who serves as a professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orland, Florida, and has studied and written books over the Psalms.
In this podcast, we discuss how those who are chosen by Christ are covered by His grace to continue to the end, otherwise known as perseverance of the saints. Join us as we discuss the "P" (perseverance of the saints) in the acronym TULIP, which stands for the 5 points in the Doctrines of Grace, or Calvinism.
In this podcast, we discuss how those who are chosen by Christ will choose Him no matter what, otherwise known as irresistible grace. Join us as we discuss the "I" (irresistible grace) in the acronym TULIP, which stands for the 5 points in the Doctrines of Grace, or Calvinism.
"Christ died for all... or did he die for some?" In this podcast, we discuss how Christ’s atonement was intended by God to secure the redemption of the elect alone, otherwise known as limited atonement. Join us as we discuss the "L" (limited atonement) in the acronym TULIP, which stands for the 5 points in the Doctrines of Grace, or Calvinism.
The question isn't whether God has an elect, it how the elect is chosen. Join us as we discuss the "U" (unconditional election) in the acronym TULIP, which stands for the 5 points in the Doctrines of Grace, or Calvinism.
Don't let the title "Total Depravity" scare you away. In this episode, Andrew and Ravyn discuss the "T" in the acronym TULIP, which stands for the 5 points in the Doctrines of Grace, or Calvinism. Join us as we discuss how we are dead in our sins and utterly unable to choose God without Him first choosing us.
In this episode, we discuss the Doctrines of Grace, otherwise known as Calvinism or Reformed Theology. Join us as we talk about what the Doctrines of Grace are and how they highlight God's glory in the process of salvation.
In this episode, we discuss the topic of anxiety, how God meets us in our darkest moments, and coping strategies for those who are struggling with anxiety. We are joined by Wendell Nelson, the spiritual formation director at Christ Community Church.
What we “feed on” in our lives is what comes out in other areas of our lives. What is it that you depend on each day? What is at the bottom of your wisdom pyramid? Is it social media? Pills? Alcohol? Or is it the word of God? Join us as we discuss books we are reading, with a small focus on how to feed our souls in a post-truth world AND how to love others during it.
In this episode, we highlight two different books we are currently reading for the spring of 2021. If you are interested in these books, check them out online: The Wisdom Pyramid: Feeding Your Soul in a Post-Truth World by Brett McCracken and Everybody Always by Bob Goff.
Last week on the podcast, we discussed infant baptism. On this week's episode, we examine the view that we hold to at Providence Church, called credobaptism, also known as believer's baptism. We are joined by Bobby Jamieson, who is a pastor in Washington, D.C. and has written a number of books and articles specifically related to baptism, to help us think through this topic.
Check out this conversation to find out more about our stance on baptism. Also, if you're interested in baptism and its importance to our involvement in the local church, check out Bobby's book, Going Public. If you have any thoughts or questions on this topic, email us at formation@providenceomaha.org.
We are doing a two part series where we feature two distinct views of baptism: infant baptism (paedobaptism) and believer's baptism (credobaptism). On this episode, we are joined by Kyle McClellan from Grace Church in Fremont, Nebraska, to talk about infant baptism and some of the thoughts and beliefs behind infant baptism.
In our world today, many struggle with cultural Christianity, or idea that the Christian faith can be supported, founded on, and backed by cultural values and beliefs. In this episode, we argue that culture does not get to redefine Christianity and describe the danger in letting cultural Christianity rule our lives.
For a link to The Guardian article, click here.
One of our pastors, Andrew, had a seizure this past year, which contributed to hardship for both himself and his family. In spite of all that happened and continues to happen, the Lord has given them joy amidst the suffering. In this episode, Andrew and Bailey talk about how to have and what it looks like to have joy in the midst of suffering.
One of our pastors, Andrew, and his wife, Bailey, have been through a challenging, if not the most challenging, year of their entire lives. On the Christian Formation Podcast, Andrew and Bailey talk about faith in the midst of suffering as they share their experiences from this past year.
In our modern world today, it can be easy for us to remember what Jesus Christ has done for us, but how often do we focus on who He is and his character? In this podcast, we dive into the book, Gentle & Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers by Dane Ortlund to discuss Jesus’ heart for His people.
We sing songs on every Sunday, but why? What does musical worship do for our hearts and souls? In this podcast, we explore musical worship and why it is an important witness for the congregation to sing.
The saving grace of Jesus Christ is the best news we have ever received, and yet, we can feel shy or awkward when sharing this life-saving truth. In this podcast, we recap our evangelism training and highlight best practices in how to share the gospel with others no matter the conversation.
Our guest speaker for our 2021 marriage conference, Dusty White, explains why it is important for couples to know what the Bible says about marriage and how couples' personal, unique stores play a role in their marriages. This is a perfect snapshot of some good TRUTHS that we will walk away with after our upcoming marriage conference.
If you want to sign up for the 2021 February marriage conference, head to our website at providenceomaha.org.
Living missionally IS NOT an option. It is a command from Jesus. JOIN US on this podcast as Jared and Jourdan describe what it means to “live on mission” and how our church wants to “co-labor” with God in making and sending disciples.
We spent the past year reading through the ENTIRE Bible! On this episode, we listen to stories from our church family about how God impacted them through reading the Bible in one year.
December of 2020 not only is it the season of financial asks and donations, but it is also in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic that has taken many jobs and changed life situations. In this podcast, we address questions like, "What does it look like to give generously in hard times?" and "Do I need financially give or is giving of my time enough?" Join us as we look at our call as Christians when it comes to giving financially and generously no matter the life situation.
In today's day and age, the idea of "belonging," or fully committing to something, can sometimes seem obsolete. We can pick up our phones and immediately play a song on Spotify or find people online who validate our thoughts. Jobs can exist for seasons and old clothes can be thrown out for new ones. So, how does our consumerism bleed into the church? In this podcast, we discuss possible reasons why we avoid commitment to a church family, the biblical call to BELONG and commit to a church family, and the blessing we receive when we do commit.
Advent is celebrated in churches around the world for centuries, but a lot of us have no idea why it’s actually important or what the consequences would be if didn’t have it. In this podcast, we travel back in time to re-listen to one of our previous podcasts over Advent to prepare our hearts this season.
In this episode, we travel to Kansas City to interview the Thaos, our missionary friends who are on home assignment from their work in Bangkok, Thailand. They share stories of how God called them to missions and what it is like living as a missionary family overseas.
As Christians, we value overseas missions, but why? Why do we use resources to send people overseas when we have people in our city who are not saved? In this podcast, we discuss the importance of Global Missions in God's sovereign plan.
Leaders shape and mold our day to day lives. In this podcast, we discuss how godly leadership impacts us each day and what it looks like to be a godly leader.
The election is still happening... but what about when it's over? Then what? In this podcast, we highlight three responses that we as Christians can have to shape our hearts no matter our feelings over the election’s outcome.
The 2020 election is just around the corner, but how do we as Christians vote? Through what lens should we view the voting process? In this podcast, we explore what a Christian's posture should look like toward politics during this time.
The Netflix documentary-drama hybrid, "The Social Dilemma," has sparked conversation around whether social media is detrimental to humankind. Join us as we discuss social media's impact on our lives and dissect some of the arguments made in this film.
Is Jesus legit? How do we know that he is really “the King”? Our worship pastor, Steve, wrestled with these questions and stumbled upon Timothy Keller’s book “Jesus The King: Understanding the Life and Death of the Son of God.” In this podcast, we introduce our new worship pastor and then sift through what it means to see Jesus as King and how Timothy Keller answer this question in his book, “Jesus the King.”
We look at Providence’s statement of faith and why it is important for church members to know their church’s statement of faith. Questions like, “Do I need to believe in predestination or that God chose me to be in this church?” and “Why does Jesus’ second coming mean that I should live a holy life?” are discussed and answered in this episode.
With racial tensions at the forefront of our cultural moment, members in our church have asked how we, as Christians, engage in this area. A group of people spent the summer reading Latasha Morrison’s book, Be the Bridge, to learn how to engage in racial reconciliation conversations. Join us as we review this book with them and how it might be helpful for you during this time.
We continue with our Question & Response spin-off series on the Christian Formation Podcast. “Why do I pray if God already knows my heart?” and “What is a positive impact from COVID-19 on the church?” are two questions we dig into on this recording.
Book Reference: Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J.I. Packer.
Email us at formation@providenceomaha.org with questions, thoughts, or podcast topics.
What was an audible to our normal schedule on the Christian formation podcast looks like it will now a staple for upcoming episodes. Instead of producing two book reviews each month, we will replace one book review with a Question & Response from our church and listeners.
In this episode, we explore why Chronicles is at the end of the Old Testament in our Bible Reading Plan, why we pray aloud, and why God calls Israel to kill an entire people in the book of Judges. Join us as we ask these questions and respond together.
"Compromise Leads to Demise"… sounds a little intimidating, right? Well, the book of Judges in the Bible isn’t to be taken lightly, but is instead to be looked at as the antithesis of what it looks like to be God’s citizens here on Earth. However, there is much we can learn and apply to benefit our lives in a positive way. In this episode, we discuss the Biblical book of Judges and why we as a church should be excited to learn from its teachings during this season.
In this podcast, we discuss the role of a father and how an absent father impacts a home.
In this episode, we interview our two new college interns to ask about the importance of college years in one's faith, their experiences in college ministry, and how they will reach the campus during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a church family, we are taking the month of August to intentionally pray and fast that the Lord would provide a building for us. Through this month, we trust that the Lord will bind us together as a community, will deepen our dependence on Him, and will answer us in some way in our search for a space to meet. Join us as we discuss the Biblical importance to fasting, how our church is fasting, and best practices while fasting.
In a world that prizes photo editing software and perfect families on T.V. and yet at the same time wants the reality of celebrities' lives, what does it mean to be truly "authentic"? In this podcast, we explore the definition of "authenticity," why our society desires authenticity, and how we as Christ followers should live our everyday lives authentically.
Most of us struggle with productivity or distraction-free work. In this podcast, we review Cal Newport's bestseller Deep Work to glean insight into how depth can impact our daily rhythms for the betterment of our careers, families, and personal lives.
Is virtue signaling—or posting on social media about social issues—an active step for change or should people "do" more? Join us on this podcast as we explore virtue signaling vs. virtuous living and what the Bible says about walking in deed.
In this podcast, we look at Mortimer Adler's excerpt "How to Mark a Book" from his book How to Read a Book to aid in our understanding of how to read and how to think about books. To read this excerpt, click here or search "How to Mark a Book by Mortimer Adler" on Google.
We hear the phrase, "Have your identity in Christ," but what does that mean and look like day-to-day? Join us as we dive into a discussion over what it means to have our identities in Christ and how to practically live in that identity.
We talk about scripture being God's truth a lot. We let the New Testament guide us in how we think, act, and pray…but why are the books in the New Testament THE books for us to follow and take as truth? Using Michael J Kruger's book, Canon Revisited: Establishing the Origins and Authority of the New Testament Books, we explore why we should have confidence that the 27 books in our New Testament are truth from God.
We look at the book Understanding the Congregation's Authority byJonathan Leeman and how it has helped shape our process, thoughts, and language for church membership at Providence. Join us as we discuss this book and why it's important to be a member of your local church.
This is our seventh podcast of our the Book Review sub-series on the Christian Formation Podcast. This sub-series takes you into the literary world and analyzes novels that shape our faith and spiritual growth.
In this podcast, we finish the two-part discussion on how we should answer racial issues in the church today. Join us as Gabe, Tyler, Ravyn, and our guest and friend Rich discuss personal experiences with racism in the church and contemplate how we as Christians should think through genuinely fostering diversity in our day-to-day lives. To listen to part one, check out episode 052 - A Discussion on Race Part 1.
In this podcast, we ask ourselves how we should answer racial issues in the church today. Join us as Gabe, Tyler, Ravyn, and our guest and friend Rich discuss personal experiences with racism in the church and contemplate how we as Christians should think through genuinely fostering diversity in our day-to-day lives. This is part one of a two-part discussion. Check out part two on episode 053.
In this podcast, we explore what balance looks like in everyday life. We ask questions like, "Does balance exist?", "How do you know if you're burned out?", and "What does it mean to labor for Christ?"
This is a follow-up episode to our book podcast sub-series: 045BR - Zeal Without Burnout.
In this episode, we look at the third article of the Apostles' Creed in Ben Myers' book The Apostles' Creed: A Guide to the Ancient Catechism. This is the final part to our three part series on the Creed. Check out part one here.
Does our faith hinge on how we act and what we do? How do we wrestle with passages like 2 Peter 1:8–12 where it seems like our works help us enter the kingdom of heaven? In this podcast, we explore the role of works in our Christian faith.
In this episode, we look at the second article of the Apostles' Creed: our belief in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Lord. This is the second part to our three part series on the Creed. Check out part one here.
In the novel Something Needs to Change byDavid Platt, we are challenged to live our Christian lives in a way to make them "count." Join us as we discuss Platt's book and the implications it has on our Christian lives.
This is our sixth podcast of our the Book Review sub-series on the Christian Formation Podcast. This sub-series takes you into the literary world and analyzes novels that shape our faith and spiritual growth.
The Apostles' Creed was developed by our Christian ancestors long ago. In ancient Rome around 200 A.D., the Apostles' Creed was created to serve as a doctrine or statement to sum up what Christians believe. There are a lot of thoughts, myths, and opinions about the Apostles' Creed, so we take time in this podcast to dive in and learn more about how the Creed helps us make sense of the Bible.
Exhaustion, overworked, and overwhelmed while in ministry... is that sustainable? What does it look like to have balance? In this podcast, we take a look at Zeal Without Burnout: Seven Keys to a Lifelong Ministry of Sustainable Sacrifice by Christopher Ash. Join us as we discuss the value in sustainably laboring for the gospel in both everyday ministry and vocational ministry.
This is our fifth podcast of our the Book Review sub-series on the Christian Formation Podcast. This sub-series takes you into the literary world and analyzes novels that shape our faith and spiritual growth.
In this podcast, we take a look at The Coach Model for Christian Leaders: Powerful Leadership Skills for Solving Problems, Reaching Goals, and Developing Others by Keith E. Webb. This book has shaped how we train our City Group leaders and staff team in our church. Join us as we listen to the importance of asking questions when training leaders in the church.
This is our fourth podcast of our the Book Review sub-series on the Christian Formation Podcast. This sub-series takes you into the literary world and analyzes novels that shape our faith and spiritual growth.
In a time of chaos, fear, and ever-changing news, we want and need a constant. As Christians, we have the hope and security in Someone who is far greater than any virus—our King defeated death!
However, as Christians we also have the responsibility to respect our authorities and love others well… but, what does that look like at a time like this? How do we be the church without being physically present with others? Where does social responsibility come into play and where does sacrificing for others for the sake of the Kingdom come into play?
With that being said, this is a unique time as Christians to wrestle with our beliefs about how to live as the church, think critically about our roles as ambassadors of Christ, and respect earthly advisories from local authorities. Join us as we unpack this together.
In our Christian culture, so often marriage is viewed as the pinnacle while singleness is deemed a season of transition. In this podcast, we look at what the Bible says about singleness and discuss the stigmas in church culture around singleness.
“It’s not the arguments and evidence that actually win the person to Christ, but the Holy Spirit can use arguments and evidence just the same way He uses our own personal testimonies or stories to reach nonbelievers." We invited Scott Olson, one of the volunteers in our church and an avid Christian apologetics consumer, to review Dr. William Lane Craig's book Reasonable Faith. Join us to learn more about the importance of Christian apologetics and how this book can help you defend your faith.
In part one of our Christianity + Yoga discussion, we take a look at the history of yoga and its roots in eastern religion. This episode, we explore Holy Yoga and whether we should be cautious in saying it is a “unique space where God will meet us and work,” when the Lord hasn’t stated that in His word. We also discuss how Christian liberty relates to yoga and whether we should practice it in the church. Listen in and share your thoughts with us by emailing.
This is part two of the two-part conversation. If you want to listen to part one, check out episode 038 - Christianity + Yoga.
***Disclaimer: this is a group of people's experiences and thoughts. This does not represent the thoughts or beliefs of Providence Church, Citylight Church, or Holy Yoga. This conversation exists to have us think more deeply about our daily routines and how those routines impact our worship of our King.
This is our second podcast of our new Book Review sub-series on the Christian Formation Podcast. In this podcast, we take a look at John Onwuchekwa's Prayer: How Praying Together Shapes the Church. This book has shaped how we run our church gatherings, how often we pray as a collective church body, and how we train our staff team and leaders in prayer. Join us to find out more about the importance of praying together as a church body.
Yoga is prevalent in our culture today but its Hindu roots bring controversy in the church over whether or not we as Christians should be practicing yoga. In this podcast, we explore the history of yoga, share our experiences with yoga, and look at scripture to see whether yoga is something we as Christians should think twice about before practicing. This is part one of the two-part conversation. Stay tuned for the next episode.
As always, join the conversation by emailing us. We'd love to hear your thoughts or questions.
***Disclaimer: this is a group of people's experiences and thoughts. This does not represent the thoughts or beliefs of Providence Church, Citylight Church, or Holy Yoga. This conversation exists to have us think more deeply about our daily routines and how those routines impact our worship of our King.
This is our first podcast of our new Book Review sub-series on the Christian Formation Podcast. In this podcast, we take a look at Trillia Newbell's United: Captured By God’s Vision for Diversity as an introductory novel in the realm of diversity within the church. Join us as we review her book and ponder what diversity should look like in our church today.
This is part two of the two-part series. In the Defining Discipleship first episode (035), we were brainstorming ideas and our thoughts about discipleship. In this episode, we want to define discipleship and unpack some questions over how to disciple, what discipleship practically looks like, and whether our current discipleship structures should change.
In many of our local churches, we think of discipleship as sitting in a coffee shop with one other person talking about the Bible. But, is this true discipleship? What if we challenged you with a different idea of what it means to disciple others? In this first episode of our two-part podcast over discipleship, we explore what discipleship means and what it looks like in our day-to-day lives. Join us to think through discipleship together.
New year means new goals; intense workout plans, fad diets, or schedule changes make up the average American’s resolution list. This impulse to start fresh isn’t bad. The problem is that most of these resolutions don’t always stick, and more often than not they don’t really help our characters.
This podcast explores creating A Rule of Life, or a rhythm of life that allows you to abide in Jesus and be formed by God’s Word and Spirit, instead of a classic resolution. We discuss what A Rule of Life is, why it’s important, and some practical next steps to implement it.
Advent is celebrated in churches around the world for centuries, but a lot of us have no idea why it’s actually important or what the consequences would be if didn’t have it. In this podcast, a new team on the Christian Formation podcast explores what Advent is, whether the church should observe Advent, practical ideas of how to observe Advent this Christmas season.
Within the gospel story, we find our connection to God and connection to Gods people, the church. This week on the podcast, we will look at the role of membership in this communion to Christ, and what our commitments are as the church.
Providence Church is going to make a BIG move to The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) campus, which means a new opportunity for both college students and the church body. This podcast explores how the church can best care for students in this time and offers advice for college students during these critical character-forming years.
The Christian Formation Podcast was birthed through some youthful angst and hopefully a dash of obedience to God’s guidance. In 2018 we decided to begin a process of discussing life and bible issues as a means to put good content in the ears of our church family. The youthful angst, you may ask, is the bit inside us that believes we have something to say that no one else is saying. Thoughts to solidify and put through the airwaves. Teaching to condense and download in our friends.
The hope was to simply take some of our “off-mic” discussions around the office, throw a few mics in front of us, and continue the conversation. The prayer was that you, the reader/listener, would be encouraged or challenged.
And while we do believe (because a few of you have actually told us) that this has been helpful, we felt the need to crystalize what it is we are truly attempting to accomplish with this space. Would it be raw, uncut, random thoughts from a few 20-somethings on our opinions on how you should live your life? Or maybe a more sophisticated article that examines truth, God, and what you should do about it. Or, we asked ourselves, is it possible to clarify a vision that was there all along but never formed into words?
Read the full article HERE
There are countless things that my parents taught me while growing up. They taught me how to tie my shoes, my dad taught me how to drive a stick shift, and my mom at least attempted to teach me how to cook. Out of all those things, small to big, the one I am perhaps most grateful for is the way they taught me that serving the poor is part of being a Christian. They led by example and frequently served with our church in different ministries in the Denver area. It was evident, even without their words, that their service was directly connected to their faith in Christ, and was even evidence of their faith in Christ.
Read the full article here
The discipline of silence and solitude brings with it a mixture of emotions and perspectives. As a church within a church planting movement that prides itself on championing the gospel, it might seem as though we would be sacrificing too much in the pursuit of something like, “experiencing God.” Yet the testimony of the church throughout the ages and the example of Christ himself is that silence and solitude are not in conflict with the preaching of the gospel, but an integral part of the life of one who has committed themselves to it.
read more here
If you would have asked me a year ago if I had any verses memorized, my response would have been anything but impressive. I probably could have rattled off John 3:16, if for no other reason than I’d seen it at sporting events so many times, but that was about the extent of my abilities. You can probably imagine my reaction then when I was asked if I would memorize Psalm 6, to be recited to the congregation on a Sunday morning.
Naturally, I procrastinated until the week that I was to recite this Psalm. I fumbled my way through a couple articles on how best to go about memorizing something and started trying to internalize the Psalm. Who knows how much time I spent that week simply reciting these verses over and over again. I had barely managed to get to the point where I could recite the Psalm entirely by memory by the time that Sunday morning came.
Full Blog Post Here
I (Gabe) wanted to write an opinion piece that would pair well with our fourth of July week. There are many blogs I wanted to write. ('religious leanings of founding fathers,' 'the pagan history of fireworks,' 'how to be missional this fourth of July,' or something along those lines) But, I think the timely word for Christians this 4th of July week 2019 is to consider our concept of independence and reflect on how those concepts might be in line with or contradictory to the Bible.
Greetings Providence Church family. It has been only about 6 months ago that we talked through some of our ideas and our heart to start a center next to Assumption University here in Bangkok. We started to see some interest among the international students on campus, then started a Bible study and thought – what if we were to have a center right next to the campus? It seemed like a good idea, and that God was opening doors, as there was a building for rent right next to the campus. But it still left us with the question of: how would we fund it? In God’s providence (pun intended), around that time Andrew contacted us on behalf of the church asking if there were any financial needs that we had. I’m not sure if he knew what he was getting you guys into, but pretty soon you all generously covered the rental costs for the first year.
Every month, our Church gathers to sing, pray, and read the Bible. We call these times Worship Nights, because we believe them to center our attention (our worship) on Christ. But recently I (Gabe) have been asking myself, what is the difference between a worship night and a Sunday morning church gathering? What, if any, is the difference between gathering on Sunday morning and gathering in someone’s house to do relatively the same thing?
To compare these two is like comparing apples and oranges. (Which, counter to popular belief, actually can be compared.) You see, just like apples and oranges, both Sunday morning and Wednesday night strive after the same thing, they exist in the same ecosystem, they are both fruit. Both spaces exist to help people worship God. But qualitatively each of these spaces “taste” different. They each have their unique way of calling us back to God. Here are a few things that you will find at a worship night that make it distinctive from our Sunday morning gatherings.
the full article can be read here
Lewis: The Apologist
Polarizing, yet popular. CS Lewis has been read, quoted, debated and nuanced for the last half-century. Our previous post was devoted to giving background to Lewis and introducing one of his most famous works, Mere Christianity. But who was Lewis as an apologist?
Apologetics is a defense of a certain set of beliefs. You can have apologetics for the effectiveness of CrossFit, a religion, a political ideology, or why the ’96 Huskers truly were the best college football team of all time. An apologist is simply someone who defends their beliefs and values.
Christian apologetics, then, is the defense of the faith. When most people think of apologetics in the Christian world, you might think of arguments for the existence of God, the resurrection of Jesus, or the reliability of the Bible. Mere Christianity, for example, begins with a moral argument for the existence of God. This writing would be a form of apologetics.
What we are interested in presently, is looking at Lewis as an apologist. What was his view on defending the Christian faith, and what was his impact?
formation@providenceomaha.org
scott.olson@reasonablefaith.org
Some of CS Lewis’s most famous quotes reside in one of his most famous works: Mere Christianity. However, I must admit that while I skimmed through this book as a new Christian years ago, I have not read it since.
Quoted from it, absolutely. Engaged with the actual work, not exactly.
This January, I picked up Mere Christianity for a class I’m taking on its author, CS Lewis. I had as much familiarity with vaguely remembering of an argument about Jesus being liar, lunatic or Lord. Yet as I read, it was not what I thought it would be, in mostly good ways.
Maybe you have read it years ago, or you have skimmed it like me, or your only interaction with it is your pastor’s quarterly CS Lewis quote from it. No matter your familiarity with it, great benefit can come from adding it to your to-read list in 2019.
Here’s a brief summary, a few personal takeaways, and who I’d recommend to read this book this year.
If we have ever thought about how Christianity intersects with our career, we most likely have asked the question “How does God fit into my work?” For many of us, if we think about being a faithful Christian at work that most likely means we feel the pressure to evangelize. But what if there is a better understanding of the mission of God and our work?
Instead of asking how God fits into our work, we want to reframe our thoughts to see how our work fits into the story and plan of God. Whether you are a pastor, stay-at-home mom, engineer, plumber, teacher, lawyer, photographer, or anything else in between, your work fits into the story of God. To be faithful Christians in our city, it is going to take a deeper understanding of how our work furthers the mission of God.
Justin Curtis helps us think through the beginning of the conversation in this week’s podcast. After you listen, would you consider joining our Mission and Work class on Thursday mornings in May? We want to start the conversation of what it looks like to be faithful to the mission while at work.
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Justin Curtis can be reached at justin@cdomaha.com
Next Steps:
Omaha Faith & Work Collaborative's Next Event
"The Problem With our Work"
4.25.19 | 6-8p | Thrasher Corporate Headquarters (11844 Valley Ridge Dr. Papillion, NE 68046)
RSVP here
Providence's "The Mission & Work" ClassThursday Mornings in May | Pella Building in Blackstone (303 S. 41st St. Omaha, NE 68131)
Register here
To be disciplined means to train oneself to do something in a controlled and habitual way.
If I want to work out more, I must be disciplined. If I want to eat better, I must be disciplined. If I want to learn how to play the guitar, I must be disciplined. But will I achieve these things if I simply put my mind to the task? An important piece missing from the above definition is motivation.
We like to think we can simply discipline ourselves to do anything, but I’ve been trying to learn guitar for the past two years and I think all of us would agree that what I have to show for it is pretty embarrassing. Proof that my motivation to play Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin isn’t enough to master the guitar. Our motivation must run deep enough to support our pursuit of discipline. We might know intellectually that something is right, good or that it would be enjoyable to pursue, but we won’t follow through unless our hearts are there too.
What about spiritual disciplines?
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The written blog can be found here
In an ever-polarized world, there is an internal polarization that we all feel to be true. While often our society is divided on issues of politics, race, gender and border control, there is a deeper division that we experience and share only with those closest to us. That is the division between our heart and our mind. It seems as though we are sent mixed messages between following our heart and following our mind. Regardless of your religious leanings, you are probably prone to place one of these over the other. And if I were to bet which you have placed above the other, I would bet your equation looks like this “mind > heart.”
If you are an a-religious type you might think of the famous quote by Rene Descartes, “I think, therefore I am.”
If you are the religious type you might think of the famous Old Testament passage Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”
Point and case, right?
Today is Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of the season of Lent. For many of us, this season may mean little more than faint memories of noticing some coworkers walk around with dirt on their foreheads, going to fish fry’s on Fridays, or seeing the sanctuary draped in purple for a few Sundays.
However, the season of Lent is not merely a ritual of the traditional churches we once attended, but a historical practice of the Christian Church for almost 2,000 years. Therefore, we want to consider how we can join in with the historic church and celebrate the season of Lent this year together.
https://www.providenceomaha.org/formation/2019/3/6/observing-lent
This week we consider how our identity informs how we live.
http://www.providenceomaha.org/formation/2019/2/21/who-you-truly-are
Shane and I both grew up in the church and were blessed to feel the need for Christ early in our lives. Shane had a more devout idea of his life calling than I did as a child. He saw himself building houses in Africa, while I wanted to be single and run a farm for displaced cheetahs. Nothing against cheetah farmers, but God has since given us a calling as a couple, and now as a family, to invest in a population close to His heart: immigrants and refugees. There is a strong and clear biblical mandate for Christians to love, welcome, and serve immigrants and refugees. Zephaniah 7:10a states, “Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor.” These four groups have been coined “the quartet of the vulnerable” by American philosopher Nicholas Wolterstorff, a phrase also used by pastor and author Tim Keller. We attended Keller’s church, Redeemer, in NYC, and were struck by his messages concerning these four groups and the
As strange as it is for a Brit to be writing a blog post on nationalism so recently after ‘Independence day,’ I do want to say that apart from the unfortunate episode of wasting perfectly good tea by tipping it into the sea (a crime few Brits can condone), there are no hard feelings!On a more serious note, anything that has a hint of nationalism at the moment is, in light of recent cultural tensions, more than a little controversial. Monument wars, protectionism, the rise of the Alt-right, the counter movement of Black Lives Matter on one side of the Atlantic and Brexit, the global refugee crisis, and cries for harder national borders on our side, have all made nationalism a touchy subject.So is nationalism biblical? What should be our thoughts about nationalist tendencies?To answer this, we need to briefly unpack the biblical understanding of identity and how it relates to this issue.
My wife Debbie and I are typically long-term planners. Organized, figured out, written down. We plan our steps in the direction that our heart beats, knowing all along that God may choose to redirect us. And though spontaneity is not a daily occurrence in our marriage, flexibility and spontaneity is a required component as we serve the Lord. Our intent is to let God steer our moving heart. He has placed within each of us a passion to follow Christ, pursue our God-given gifting, and at the same time, allow Him to have the freedom to direct our steps. We also allow each other space to serve in the areas of our strength. We are a team even though, at times, we minister in different areas. As Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, “Two are better than one for they have a good reward for their labor.”
“How was your trip?” The eight members of the Thailand team have been asked this question many times since touching down at the Omaha O'Hare Airport. The team members are still asking themselves that question. “Good” seemed too simplified, “Amazing” doesn’t exactly ring true. Was there one word that we can use to tell acquaintances in passing how the last three weeks impacted us physically, mentally, and spiritually? We laughed, we cried, we prayed through physical illness and mental hardships, and some days it seemed Satan was throwing every kind of ammo in his artillery at us. How do we describe that the spiritual warfare was real and , but our God was faithful to come alongside us through everything!
We moved into the apartments on 51st and NW Radial Hwy out of obedience on January 6th. It was difficult to track down the landlord, and even after we had made an appointment to view the apartments, he had forgotten about us and didn't show up. I mentioned in the last blog post that there was every reason to say no to this place, but we knew Jesus was asking for our yes. We ashamedly lived for three years in our last apartment full of Americans and zero language barriers and never had a meal with any of them nor shared any more experiences than simply talking occasionally in the parking lot. We knew it would take getting far out of our comfort zones paired with tremendous effort to step into this place, build trust, get to know our neighbors intimately, and share the love of Jesus with them—all while overcoming a language barrier.
I used to think that trusting in God meant a rosy future filled with nothing but good things. The more I trusted him, the easier my life would be. Picture an “up and to the right” graph—this was going to be my life.What I’ve learned since then is that suffering is a normal part of the human experience, and especially part of the Christian life. An emotional upheaval gave me the biggest opportunity for growth in my relationship with God. This article is meant to give some Biblical perspective on the issue of suffering.
Discipleship. We throw this word out a lot in the church or in ministries, and if we are honest, it all may be a little confusing. I want to try and explain discipleship through 3 ideas: what is discipleship, what discipleship looks like, and why discipleship matters.
Latest episode of Christian FormationHave you ever attended a wedding and found yourself at the end of the evening without so much as a glance at the bride and groom? Not once witnessing the bride in her full white dress at the altar? Not once catching the groom in his svelte black tux cutting his dance moves on the polished wood floor? No, probably not, because to attend a wedding ceremony and not once lay your eyes on the bride and groom would be to miss the integral component of that day—the union of these two people. You would, dare I say, miss the centerpiece of the event. I use this illustration loosely to demonstrate that if we are a church that does not read Scripture aloud during our Sunday gatherings (or our weekly Citygroup gatherings), then we are a church that misses entirely the centerpiece of why we gather.
Sound theology fuels joyful worship and obedient Christian living. The Protestant Reformation was aimed at rooting the wayward Church in sound theology once again. While there is a gap that exists to this day, the focus of this article is on the all-important fifth sola: the exaltation of God's glory.
In Christian circles there seems to be a revival of Jesus-centered churches. We love to talk about Jesus, which is great! But, as much as we love to say Jesus, we don't seem to speak of Christ all that often.
Faith. A word tossed around so frequently in the Christian world that it loses its significance over time. Faith is both complex and simple, and so the meaning can also be lost on us. If you have been a Christian for a long time, it’s easy to gloss over the word in Scripture. It’s one you’ve seen a thousand times before, and your brain doesn’t pause anymore to revel in its meaning. Or, if you are a new Christian, it’s a word you’ve started hearing in sermons and city group discussions. You keep spotting it in the New Testament, and you wonder how important it is to understand.
“Unless I am convinced by Sacred Scriptures or by evident reason, I will not recant. My conscience is held captive by the Word of God and to act against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand; I can do no other.” These words were boldly stated by Martin Luther in 1521. The Protestant Reformation was well on its way at this point, headed by Luther himself. The reformation movement began with the intent on going back to placing a primacy on Scripture as our final authority. All other issues discussed in the reformation had to stand in light of Scripture.
When I think about mission, I often think about businesses or incredibly driven people. Every business has a mission statement that, hopefully, drives the decisions of that business. But then I think that the most driven people also have a clear mission in life. I think of athletes that I have heard say “I was born to play this game”, or musicians that proclaim “Doing this is all I’ve ever wanted”, or a man like Steve Jobs who was so driven by a singular mission that he became iconic. And yet, I think mission really drives all people. For some, their mission may be grander or more clear. But if you think you aren’t driven by mission, I think you’re mistaken.
Simultaneously, the gospel is so simple that a child can understand it, yet so complex that angels look at it with wonder
The Christian life is one of response to God. That is, I never initiate relationship with Him; my communion with Christ is a response to His invitation. However, the Christian life is also not one of passivity; we must choose to respond to God if we want to experience him.
There may be no more universally affirmed yet underachieved discipline as that of prayer. As Christians make New Years Resolutions, they often make ones like “I need to pray more” or “I would love for my prayer life to get better”. Ever made a statement like that? I know I have.