Providence Youth Ministry Podcast

In this first lesson, we’ll be looking at what is potentially the biggest struggle in middle school: determining who you are and working out your identity. We’ll be looking at what our identity is both as created being and in Christ and how we are tempted to set that all aside.

In this final lesson in our series Christian Community: Lines in the Sand, we’ll be looking at 1 Peter 2:11-2, 4:3-4, and 3:15-16 to think through what it means to be awkward. Awkward simply means that someone or something is different than the cultural norms, which is exactly what Christians are called to be. This lesson seeks to explore how we can be faithfully awkward by looking at what makes u...

In this lesson we are continuing the series Christian Community: Lines in the Sand. We’ll be looking at James 2:1-5 which grapples with the problem of partiality. Which is actually caused by adopting the world’s value system rather than Jesus’. The solution is for Jesus to be the lord of glory in our lives.

In this lesson we are continuing the series Christian Community: Lines in the Sand. We’ll be looking at the type of relationship that can and should spring forth from Christian community: friendship. We’ll look at different levels to friendship (in terms of proximity, not in terms of value), the necessity of friendships for Christian living (via Ecclesiastes 4:9-12), and how to find friends (which...

In this lesson we are continuing the series Christian Community: Lines in the Sand. We’ll be looking at Matthew 5:21-26 (as well as Matthew 18:15 and 2 Corinthians 5:17-21) to discover how Jesus would have his people respond whenever they have been wronged or wronged someone. The key point is that we are to embody Christ’s reconciliation toward us in our spheres of influence.

In this lesson we’re looking at how the use of our tongues can be damaging. We will read through James 3:1-12 and uncover how it’s impossible for us to both praise our God and tear down our peers.

1 Corinthians 1:26-30 & 1 Corinthians 6:9-12.

In this lesson, we’re looking at the 6th of the seven churches addressed in Revelation 1-3: Philadelphia. The church in Philadelphia receives a glowing accommodation from Jesus and he encourages them to press on. We’ll be looking at how Jesus encourages them to stand firm and how we can be encouraged to do the same!

Under Review – Eyes Peeled by Providence Youth Ministry Podcast

In this lesson, we’re looking at the 4th of the seven churches addressed in Revelation 1-3: Thyatira. Thyatira was a smaller city than the other ones addressed so far. And yet they receive a glowing review from Jesus, well, most of them. And within Jesus’s examination of Thyatira, we find what Jesus finds truly commendable.

Under Review – Slow Fade by Providence Youth Ministry Podcast

In this lesson, we’re looking at the 2nd of the seven churches address in Revelation 1-3: Smryna. Unlike Ephesus, Smyrna receives no real critique from Jesus. Rather as you read this mini-letter it seems like Jesus is responding to a negative review from Smyrna. We’ll be looking at how Jesus acknowledges their situation and offers them assurances for the future and what that all means for us.

In this lesson, we’re looking at the first of the seven churches address in Revelation 1-3: Ephesus. Ephesus was the “mother” church in Asia minor. They were the ones who were on guard against false teaching and did so well. The problem was that their love for truth was elevated above their love for God. Jesus calls them to humble themselves and remember their first love.

In this lesson, we’re beginning a new series on Revelation 1-3. This lesson seeks to accomplish two things: 1. Discuss how to approach apocalyptic literature in Scripture (there are two basic things to understand: 1. The goal, which is to “pull back the curtain” and show what is really going on from God’s perspective; and 2. The method, which is imagery that seems to belong in a fantasy novel but...

In this lesson, we are looking at the story of Jonah. I think everyone is familiar with most of this story (ch.1-3). The issue is that the story keeps going into chapter 4, which really has the heart of the story of Jonah. That you and are do not like that God is merciful and gracious to our enemies. The book of Jonah invites us to realize that this is in fact a good thing because we are his enemi...

Bedtime Stories - Hide and Seek by Providence Youth Ministry Podcast

In this lesson, we are looking at 1 Samuel 17, which is the account of David and Goliath. This may be the most well-known story in the Bible and it has created a whole category of story (the “underdog” stories, such as U.S. colonies v. Britain, U.S. hockey team v. Russia, etc). In this lesson, we’ll see that although the story is well known, it is often misunderstood. This is not a story to motiva...

In this lesson, we are looking at Joshua 6 and the “battle” of Jericho. The ironic thing about this text is that the “battle” is only two verses long, whereas the instructions take up most of the chapter. It seems like the writer was using slow-motion to capture the wrong points. But actually he’s simply emphasizing obedience over action. I’m going to propose that we often revolt against God’s pla...

In this lesson, we are looking at the Exodus narrative (technically the first 15 chapters of Exodus). We’re going to see three things: 1. God is the triumphant king, 2. God is justly responding to Pharaoh’s wickedness, and 3. God is merciful (we see this most clearly in the Passover lamb). The point I’m going to stress at the end is that this was THE event for the Old Testament; it impacted everyt...

Bedtime Stories – Rags To Riches by Providence Youth Ministry Podcast

In this lesson, we are looking at Genesis 22 (but really chapters 12-22), which tell the story of Abraham and culminate in the sacrifice of Isaac. Throughout Abraham’s story we see two repeating themes: 1. Abraham is disobedient whenever the possibility of an heir is on the line (examples: saying that Sarah is his sister so he’ll be alive to propagate; sleeping with Hagar to get an heir) and 2. Go...

In this lesson, we are looking at Genesis 6-9, which tells the story of Noah and the flood. This is the most genocidal passage in all of the Old Testament that is often hidden behind cute storybook imagery. And at first glance it should be a troubling account because God has promised to redeem humanity, and now that things have gotten worse, he’s destroying it. So in this lesson we look at the emo...

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In this lesson, we talk about a somewhat taboo subject: suicide. One of the goals is to demystify suicide and we’re going to do that by seeking to understand what’s happening with suicide (root cause is normally prolonged hopelessness); How the Bible speaks about suicide (bluntly, people committed suicide in the Bible. We’ll be looking at 1 Kings 19 at someone who wanted to commit suicide but God...

In this lesson, we are looking at Lamentations chapter 5. In this closing lament, the writer shows us how to handle our hardships, which is actually to lament. Lamenting is bringing our pain, suffering, anger over hardships, etc to God. In this lesson we’ll explore why we’d do this as well as how we can lament.