Christian Formation

Repost The Necessity of the Psalms (with Dr. Mark Futato)

July 17, 2024 08:00 - 32 minutes - 22.4 MB

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 Semina...

Repost Why Worship Nights?

July 10, 2024 08:00 - 30 minutes - 20.8 MB

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 Wedne...

Repost Giving Financially During Hard Times

July 03, 2024 08:00 - 25 minutes - 17.3 MB

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.

Repost Pro-Life Ministry (with Toni Clarke)

June 26, 2024 08:00 - 34 minutes - 24 MB

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.

Repost Why Does God Feel Distant?

June 19, 2024 08:00 - 35 minutes - 24.1 MB

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 Lor...

239 - Freedom in Forgiveness (with Debbie Nordstrom)

June 12, 2024 08:00 - 32 minutes - 22.4 MB

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. Providence Resources Forgiveness Model Mentioned Women's Retreat 2022: Free Indeed Knowing God Podcast 042 - Life through Forgiveness 093 - Forgiveness by Forgiveness Other Articles Forgiveness Article Mayo Clinic

238 - Cleaning the Cobwebs of Your Soul (with Debbie Nordstrom)

June 05, 2024 08:00 - 29 minutes - 20 MB

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 Cen...

237 - Communion: Fencing the Table

May 29, 2024 08:00 - 26 minutes - 18 MB

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, Contribu...

236 - Team Leadership

May 22, 2024 08:00 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MB

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.

235 - Joy Restored: The Ruttens' Upcoming Sabbatical

May 15, 2024 08:00 - 21 minutes - 15.1 MB

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.

234 - Sabbaticals and Rhythms of Rest for the Christian

May 08, 2024 08:00 - 33 minutes - 23.2 MB

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.

233 - Prioritizing Your Spouse (with Kip and Emily Campbell)

May 01, 2024 08:00 - 43 minutes - 29.7 MB

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.

232 - Prep for 8+ Years Married

April 24, 2024 08:00 - 31 minutes - 22 MB

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.

232 - Prep for 8+ Years Married (with Debbie Nordstrom and Jim Shaffer)

April 24, 2024 08:00 - 31 minutes - 22 MB

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.

231 - Wisdom for the First 3 Years of Marriage (with Debbie Nordstrom and Jim Shaffer)

April 17, 2024 08:00 - 25 minutes - 17.8 MB

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.

230 - Don't Settle, Be Equally Yoked in Marriage

April 10, 2024 08:00 - 28 minutes - 19.5 MB

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-Chris...

229 - Sex Before Marriage

April 03, 2024 08:00 - 32 minutes - 22 MB

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 ...

229 - Sex Before Marriage (with Daniel Bidne)

April 03, 2024 08:00 - 32 minutes - 22 MB

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 ...

228 - Passover

March 27, 2024 08:00 - 22 minutes - 15.7 MB

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 ...

227 - Judgment in the Bible

March 20, 2024 08:00 - 41 minutes - 28.4 MB

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

226 - Circumcision

March 13, 2024 08:00 - 40 minutes - 27.6 MB

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 us...

225 - Trusting God's Means of Salvation

March 06, 2024 09:00 - 32 minutes - 22.4 MB

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.

224 - Fearing God

February 28, 2024 09:00 - 31 minutes - 21.9 MB

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...

223 - Pharaoh and the Snake

February 21, 2024 09:00 - 39 minutes - 27 MB

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 P...

222 - Lenten Practices

February 14, 2024 09:00 - 27 minutes - 18.6 MB

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 t...

221 - Understanding Lent

February 07, 2024 09:00 - 24 minutes - 16.8 MB

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 ...

220 - God's Love

January 31, 2024 09:00 - 28 minutes - 19.8 MB

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.

219 - Can Men and Women Be Friends?

January 24, 2024 09:00 - 25 minutes - 17.7 MB

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...

218 - Honesty in Friendship

January 17, 2024 09:00 - 26 minutes - 18.2 MB

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 Futu...

217 - Biblical Friendship (with Grace Spafford and Nate Whisler)

January 10, 2024 09:00 - 27 minutes - 19.2 MB

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: ...

216 - City Groups (with Jourdan Fichter)

January 03, 2024 09:00 - 25 minutes - 17.7 MB

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.

216 - City Groups

January 03, 2024 09:00 - 25 minutes - 17.7 MB

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.

215 - Pursuing God in 2024 (with Jourdan Fichter and Madi Schultz)

December 27, 2023 09:00 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MB

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

214 - Why was Incarnation Necessary?

December 20, 2023 09:00 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MB

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...

213 - Why a Giving Push? (with Jim Shaffer)

December 13, 2023 09:00 - 32 minutes - 22.4 MB

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 o...

212 - The Millennium (with Daniel Bidne)

December 06, 2023 09:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MB

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?

211 - The Second Coming (with Nate Christensen)

November 29, 2023 09:00 - 29 minutes - 20.5 MB

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?

210 - He's Coming Again (2023 Advent)

November 19, 2023 14:00 - 26 minutes - 18.3 MB

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

209 - Learning from our Past

November 15, 2023 09:00 - 32 minutes - 22.4 MB

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.

208 - Jesus, Lover of My Soul

November 08, 2023 09:00 - 28 minutes - 19.3 MB

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.

207 - When Christians Walk Away from the Faith

November 01, 2023 08:00 - 40 minutes - 28 MB

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.

206 - A Personal Take on Halloween (with Brooke Tabor)

October 25, 2023 08:00 - 28 minutes - 19.9 MB

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.

205 - Can Our Prayers Be Selfish?

October 18, 2023 08:00 - 28 minutes - 19.5 MB

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."

204 - How to be a Non-Anxious Presence

October 11, 2023 08:00 - 33 minutes - 22.7 MB

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 ...

203 - Q&A over Spiritual Formation (with Wendell Nelson)

October 04, 2023 08:00 - 40 minutes - 28.2 MB

This episode seeks to help answer our listeners’ questions over spiritual formation.

202 - Forming Our Souls

September 27, 2023 08:00 - 28 minutes - 19.9 MB

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 Transformation by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard Meditation by Jim Downing