Christian Formation

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 Han...

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. Connect With Us providenceomaha.org | Instagram | Facebook Email Us formation@providenceomaha.org

What men and women's roles look like at Providence Last week, we discussed the different views of men's and women's roles within the church. In this episode, we discuss what it practically looks like for our men and women leaders. We look at elders / pastors, staff members, teachings / trainings / classes and more. Connect With Us providenceomaha.org | Instagram | Facebook Email Us...

In this episode, we look at differing views on men's and women's roles within the church and discuss the theology behind those views. Connect With Us providenceomaha.org | Instagram | Facebook Email Us formation@providenceomaha.org

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. Connect W...

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. Connect With Us providenceomaha.org | Instagram | Facebook Email Us formation@providenceom...

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.  Connect With Us providenceomaha.org | Instagram | Facebook Email Us formation@providenceomaha.org

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...

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. Connect With Us providenceomaha.org | Instagram | Facebook Email Us formation@providenceomaha.org

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. Connect With Us providenceomaha.org | Instagram | Facebook Email Us formation@providenceomaha.org

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. Connect With Us providenceomaha.org | Instagram | Facebook Email Us 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. Connect With Us providenceomaha.org | Instagram | Facebook Email Us formation@providenceomaha.org

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...

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 Chr...

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...

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. Connect With Us providenceomaha.org | Instagram | Facebook Email...

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 Paren...

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 tog...

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. ...

"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, wh...

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. Connect With Us providenceomaha.org | Inst...

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 your...

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 sil...

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. Connect With Us providenceomaha.org | Insta...