Providence Church

Christians voluntarily gather for worship every week, all over the world, as they have for 2000 years. Psalm 122 answers the question why: we go because we belong to God, and we belong to God's people.

The Christian life is a pilgrimage, a long obedience in the same direction. And on that journey, the LORD is your keeper. But what does that mean and how is it possible?

In the last of the seven letters to the seven churches, Jesus delivers the harshest rebuke yet. They are lukewarm and in danger of being rejected. But then he makes the most incomparable offer. He invites them into intimate fellowship. This letter shows us what kind of relationship Jesus wants with us, and how that can turn our whole life upside down.

The church in Philadelphia is described as having "but little power." And yet, out of all these seven churches, it is this weak and vulnerable church that is held up as the one that is loved by Christ. This letter to the church in Philadelphia teaches us an important lesson about what God values in the lives of his people.

The church at Sardis is the first church that Jesus doesn’t praise in any way. Which is surprising, because they have such a good reputation. But Jesus sees into their spiritual reality, and it doesn’t line up with their reputation.

The church in Thyatira was a vibrant and fruitful church, but they had a serious problem of tolerating false teaching that led people into immorality and idolatry. We can be part of a church that is doing so well in so many ways, and yet, perhaps there are things that we have learned to live with that Jesus wants to shine a light on.

How should the church respond when pressured to compromise its beliefs about what is true to better fit in with the culture? Pergamum was standing firm against pressure from the outside. But they had a problem on the inside.

The church in Smyrna was being persecuted for their faith, and Jesus tells them that things will get worse. In order to conquer fear and doubt, these Christians needed the same thing that we need today: to catch a glimpse of what Jesus is doing in the midst of suffering. Only then will we find the grace to remain faithful.

Jesus commends the church in Ephesus for their commitment to truth, but he critiques their lack of love. This passage tells us that we can drift to a place where we believe the right things but are far from the heart of God. A healthy church has truth and love, working together to bear witness to Christ.

In Revelation 1, John has a vision of Jesus. The curtain is pulled back and he sees the risen and exalted Christ in all his splendor. It’s a vision that’s for all of us, because we need to see Jesus as he really is and know what's on his mind.