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 SermonsBible 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 SermonsBible 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 SermonsBible 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 youJust do the hard thingRead some helpful books on God's natureKnowing God by JI PackerGive 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!ResourcesThe Good of Giving Up: Discovering the Freedom of LentThe 40-Day Sugar Fast: Where Physical Detox Meets Spiritual Transformation103 - Why Sundays Matter for the Church Christian Formation Episode109 - How to Come to Church Christian Formation EpisodeTo 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.ResourcesThe Good of Giving Up: Discovering the Freedom of LentThe 40-Day Sugar Fast: Where Physical Detox Meets Spiritual Transformation103 - Why Sundays Matter for the Church Christian Formation Episode109 - 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.orgTo 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 practicesJames 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.orgTo 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.