Providential People | Mission | 1 Peter 2:9-12 | Kort Marley by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church

The Apostle Paul’s emphasis on unity in the true church of Jesus Christ is a theme pervasive in I Corinthians. According to I Corinthians 12:1-13, to be a Christian is to behold and believe the revelation of Christ by means of the Spirit. To be a functional church of Jesus Christ is to discern and deploy the gifts, service, and activities of the Sp…

Cultural history and folklore celebrate the tenacity and resilience of their heroes. These legacies are celebrated for their faithfulness. The critical analysis Solomon endorses in the book of Proverbs would ask: “faithfulness to what?”. No so-called ‘hero’ will pass the true test of greatness if his efforts were dedicated in service of idols. Fami…

Providential People | Biblical Community | Hebrews 10:19-25 | Eric Rokohl by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church

Providential People | The Lord's Supper & Baptism | 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 | Kort Marley by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church

Note the list of metaphors Solomon weaves into his instruction in this section…each one a telling picture: Light/Lamp (9), Tree (12), & Fountain (14). Each is a picture of source and effect. A lamp filled with oil provides light by which the blindness of the dark is cured. A tree firmly rooted in fertile and irrigated soil produces life sustaining …

Providential People | The Lord's Day | Hebrews 12:18-24 | David Lopez by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church

The concept of a ‘new song’ in the scriptures is usually with reference to extraordinary occasions worthy of thankful praise include celebration and commemoration of the grace & glory of God upon securing victory for His people despite existential threats and peril. Think of the songs on the lips of those who were the first to receive immanent news…

Providential People | Extraordinary God Through Ordinary Means | 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 | Kort Marley by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church

Ken Carlton

Providential People | Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone) | Ephesians 1:3-14 | Kort Marley by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church

Ken Carlton

Providential People | Solus Christus (Christ Alone) | Hebrews 1:1-4 | Ty Gaston by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church

Psalm 143 is the last of the so called “Penitential” Psalms. This song joins Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, & 130 in a set identified through church history by themes of soul searching repentance, unrestrained confession, and exclusive hope in the Lord of the Covenant.However, while it is one thing to have the self awareness and honesty to rightly unde…

Providential People | Sola Fide (Faith Alone) | Ephesians 2:1-10 | Kort Marley by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church

Discernment in this context entails proper understanding bearing fruit of conviction, reverence, humility, and obedience. We can relate to, and learn from, the risks and rewards of frequent communion Paul addresses in this letter. As in all of life, we must approach the communion table walking in the Spirit, not the flesh. While we recognize that f…

Providential People | Sola Gratia (Grace Alone) | Ephesians 2:1-10 | Kort Marley by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church

As in the Days of Moses, Baptism commemorates a miracle, seals a covenant, and identifies a people. Today we look at the symbols of baptism in the scriptures, their substance fulfilled in Christ, and the application of these truths for this service and these baptizees today… Paul reminds us in our primary text today of the exodus moment when Moses …

Providential People | Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) | 2 Timothy 3:14-17 | Erik Ripley by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church

Having considered the house of the righteous according to Solomon in proverbs 12 verses 1-7 and the dominion of the righteous in verses 8-15 we now turned to the witness of the righteous in versus 16-24. Consider the prayer of humble consecration offered by King David at the anointing ceremony of his son to rule the nation of Israel (Worship text: …

Providential People | A Covenantal & Creedal People | Jude 1:3-4 | Kort Marley by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church

A comprehensive analysis of any area of human life should prioritize the question: “what is the ordering principle of this domain?”. The answer to this question is key to assessing sanctity, durability, and fruitfulness. It gets to the heart of what something is and why it exists (essence & purpose). The book of Proverbs is all about ordering princ…

Providential People | Intro to Covenant Renewal | Ephesians 4:11-16 | Kort Marley by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church

We are familiar with the designation of nobility or gentlemen classes, vs. lower or servant class distinctions in film or literature depictions of European monarch culture which developed over the centuries and lingered for quite some time in these societies. These dynamics seem foreign and wrong to us given our modern egalitarian sensibilities. Pr…

The Good Life | Peace, Love, & Vengeance | Romans 12:18-21 | Ty Gaston by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church

Again revealed in the title, Psalm 57 was also written in hiding during David’s fugitive wanderings. This occasion served to inspired David to seek the assurance of divine protection far greater than the refuge the cave in Adullam could ever provide him. I Sam 22:1-2 documents the first congregation to ever sing this song. There were gathered to hi…

The practical application sections of Paul's epistles are often interspersed with governing principles. Paul is constantly “teaching the 'what' and preaching the 'why'. I find this inferred principle/application distinction especially helpful for discipleship and instruction in Christian 'orthopraxy' – the 'day to day' practical concerns of the bel…

The Good Life | Honor | Romans 12:17-18 | Kort Marley by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church

A word to prepare our hearts to receive the message of proverbs 11 today. The times in life we most need the convicting reminder of God‘s word usually require a change of heart to receive it. This is evident in our worship text today. When the prophet Malachi called the returning people of God to order their affairs according to their calling in th…

The Good Life | Hospitality | Romans 12:13-16 | Kort Marley by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church

The Good Life | A Life Well Lived | Romans 12:10-12 | Kort Marley by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church

When Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God in His great sermon he included these well known words from Matthew 6:33 “…seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Thousands of years earlier His message had been preceded by an understanding of the rewards of righteousness through the pen of Solomon i…

The Good Life | Genuine Love | Romans 12:9 | Ty Gaston by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church

One can easily imagine the context inspiring David’s words here. A good portion of his early days were spent on the run as a fugitive from King Saul. For years, due to this providential hardship, David was likely unable to participate in tabernacle worship. Nevertheless, we hear his heart in this song as he prays that the Lord would count his praye…

JUDGES | The Levite's Sin | Judges 20:18-28 | Kort Marley by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church

We’ve considered at length the contrasts illustrated in Proverbs 9 by way of a dinner invitation to Lady Wisdom’s house vs. the meal served at the Woman Folly’s place. The first is a promise of provision unto eternal life, the second is a gateway to Sheol disguised as a party. Which table will you gather around for dinner? Choose carefully because …

Stand Alone | Taming the Tongue | James 3:1-12 | Eric Rokohl by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church

Wisdom is an indispensable virtue to the discipline of applying the Law of God. The wise man seeks to understand all of life and thought in terms of the absolute moral order of God’s Word & God’s world. Wisdom equips the moral agent for the discipline of measuring all things by the standard of divine revelation. Taking every thought captive to the …

JUDGES | The Spiral of Sin | Judges 19:22-30 | Kort Marley by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church

As we continue to familiarize ourselves with this great literary form of scripture otherwise foreign to us, let us pause to appreciate its great value! How different and infinitely more valuable are the words of Proverbs than the quasi – wisdom literature of our day. What is the popular “wisdom” of our day? Whether it’s the motivating appeals to th…

Stand-Alone | Godly Instruction for Men | 1 Timothy 4:4-16 | Kort Marley by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church

As we consider the 2nd major section in the book of Proverbs, the most obvious difference is in the form Solomon’s instruction is presented. Chapters 10-24 proceed with a collection of single sentence wisdom sayings or ‘aphorisms’ under the title: “The Proverbs of Solomon”. The style of writing compiles straightforward statements without expounding…

JUDGES | Christian Principles | Judges 18:27-31 | Ty Gaston by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church

David's life story was shaped by conflict. He was a wartime king and answered a warrior calling from the days of his youth. For this reason, in fact, David was not permitted to build the house of God (I Chron 22:8). David was a conqueror, his son Solomon would be a builder. Their respective callings would present unique challenges. For David, the i…

According to Paul’s Example in Ministry…A Christian Should Be: A servant to others, a master of himself, and a student of the Word. Why a student of the Word of God? Because according to Paul, there is no loss of fidelity in the scriptures over time. The instructions and warnings issued to the wandering Israelites bore relevance and authority for t…

JUDGES | Household Idols | Judges 17 | Kort Marley by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church

JUDGES | Samson's Downfall and God's Mercy | Judges 16 | Kort Marley by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church

Proverbs Chapter 9 paints a picture of a feast at Lady wisdom’s house. This event involves preparation, invitation, and conversation. Having covered the first two, in our sermon today we address the third. Our text presents a sample of conversation at Lady Wisdom’s table. What are topics of consideration, issues of concern, and life lessons we hear…

What is it that Nehemiah was working for, and what was he trying to accomplish? What steps did he take to do the good work that God had given him, and how can we apply those principles in our own walk with God and work for God today? How is God calling you to build up His Kingdom?Phil Ready

JUDGES | The Result of Our Sin and God's Grace | Judges 15 | Kort Marley by Providence Community ChurchProvidence Community Church