We've said that it is important to choose a church where the Word of God is central, particularly as it is expressed in the preaching of the gospel. 

But keep in mind that you will also want to consider whether or not the sacraments are being rightly administered.

I understand if this sounds a little Roman Catholic to you.  Evangelicals today don't typically think a lot about the Lord's Supper and Baptism or consider them to be very important.  Just hang with me for a second, and I think you will understand why this is so.    

The sacraments are another form of gospel ministry.  They are visual sermons, so to speak.  They help to confirm you in the truth of God's promise and build you up in the faith, just like the reading and preaching of God's word.  

You might say that baptism and the Lord's Supper are extensions of the preaching of the gospel.  They compliment and assist it by doing to the eyes what preaching does to the ears.

Admittedly, its nothing flashy.  There are no light shows or glitzy showmanship.  The sacraments contain common elements and are presented in a very plain fashion.  That's how God normally works though, and the power is in the plain-ness.

For instance, in baptism you see what God does when one first comes to faith. As you behold the waters flow over that person, you can remember that "He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit."  Tit 3:5 ESV

When you come to the communion table the sufferings of Christ are put before your eyes (and even put into your hands!).  Thus, you have a powerful testimony to the atonement that was made for your sins.

That is why you should seek a church that takes baptism seriously and is committed to having Communion on a regular basis.  These are ordinances that God has instituted for your spiritual well-being.  If a church isn't committed to them (or if a church is administering them in a way that is not in accord with Scripture) that church isn't committed to your nurture in the gospel.

In the future, we'll likely do a series on the sacraments.  There is a lot to learn on this subject!  For now, it is enough to say that the sacraments should be on your radar when looking around for a church.  

We've told you about our big evangelism excursion at Ashland University.  We've been blessed to have heard some positive responses to the gospel DVD that we passed out to the students.

Some of those involved in the outing put together this video.  It is a fantastic clip that really shows why we are doing these kinds of things!

If you've just moved to the Ashland, Mansfield, or Wooster areas, you've got to find a church.  But what criteria do you use for making such a decision ?  

In our first post in this series we said that a godly church needs to be Scripture based church.  By that we meant one that actually reads the Bible during its services.

Today we want to stress how important it is to find a church where the Gospel is preached.


The pulpit ministry of a church should simply be an extension of the church's Scriptural commitment.  But you have to recognize that not all churches that "preach the Bible" preach the gospel.

Al Mohler, president of Southern Seminary, has expressed that much of what passes as "biblical preaching" in our contemporary society is nothing more than moralistic, therapeutic deism.  That is to say, the minister will read a Bible passage(s) and then give you tips on how to live a better life.  Coupled with vague references to a benevolent deity who would never send you to hell (so long as you are doing your best), this preaching amounts to nothing other than a mish-mash of self-help mumbo jumbo.  

Such messages have nothing to do with the gospel.

True preaching of the gospel will no doubt explain the full extent of God's law.  It will certainly point you to what God requires of your life.  But it will also point you to Christ, the who has become the Savior of those who have failed to live up to that standard.

Let me give you a couple of illustrations.  I grew up in a "liberal" church.  This church had an excellent liturgy.  They read large passages of Scripture, recited the creeds, and sang the old hymns of the faith.  However, the preaching was a major fail.  I actually sought to keep track of how many times the minister made reference to God or Christ.  There were many weeks where I didn't hear a single mention of either.

I attended another church later in life for about 6 months.  It was what you might call an "evangelical church."  The people were strong believers and they sincerely loved the Lord.  However, the pastor, though he too was a dear brother in the Lord, rarely talked about the gospel and pressed its significance upon the congregation.  

Another illustration may be witnessed in the experience of one couple who attended a church I used to pastor.  They had recently moved to the area and had visited many churches.  Despite their best efforts, they failed to find any who even recognized our need for the gospel.  In her own words, she said, "Nobody ever has mentioned anything about sin!"

Each of these is an example of a deep deficiency in a church's preaching ministry.  

The ultimate point of a sermon should be to "bring Christ to the fore."  That is to say, a minister should highlight what God has done (or is doing) through Christ to save sinners.

Of course, one shouldn't write off a church because he didn't hear the gospel once or twice in any given month.  You'll want to look at the overall trajectory and consider whether or not the overall scope of the ministry is one that is gospel centered.

For instance, ask yourself questions like these: "Am I learning about Jesus here? Do I hear the gospel a good majority of the time?  Is this a place where I could bring my unsaved friends and be assured that they would be confronted with the saving work of God?"

Another way to look at it is like this:  When you leave church on a given Sunday, do you think, "Boy, I can do it!" (moralism).  Or do you find yourself saying, "Wow!  He did that for me?" (gospel).


If you feel greatly humbled and overcome with awe because you've met Christ at the cross, you know that this particular church loves the gospel and is committed to Christ.

We at Providence church want to help you grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. But we don't think we are the only church in the Ashland, Mansfield, or Wooster areas.  

As a matter of fact, if you are hindered from connecting with Providence, we'll help you find a godly church where your soul with profit spiritually.  

We know that Christ honoring churches are few and far between in the Mid Ohio area, and it can be tough finding a local body of believers with which to fellowship.

To that end, we are putting together a series of posts on "Choosing the Right Church."  Over the next couple of posts, we will be highlighting a few of the top priorities that you should keep in mind when choosing a church.

We want to kick it off by reminding you that a godly church will be one that honors God's word.  Of course, no false church is going to come out and say, "Hey, we don't really give a whoot about God's word here."  So its important to understand what makes for a church that really respects God's word.

A church that takes the Bible seriously will be a church that is dedicated to reading it during their services.  And we are not talking about a fleeting verse or two here or there.  A service should have at least one hearty Scripture reading.  

If a church really believes that "All Scripture is useful for teaching, rebuking, and training in righteousness," and is convicted that God's word "does not return void," then it logically follows that they will integrate significant portions of it into their services.

Think of it this way:  If you go to a restaurant, you should expect to get some food.  If you go to church, you should expect to hear from God.

God speaks to us through His word, the Bible, and any church that isn't opening the Bible and reading a good deal of it each Sunday cannot be said to be listening to God.

We are revving up for our next evangelism outing.  We will be passing out some of the Biggest Question DVD's at Ashland University on March 26th.  And...by some, I mean 1,800!

The shipment came in yesterday (see the pic above) and the evangelistic juices are starting to flow.  Make sure you let us know if you want to be a part of the distribution.  Our team will be on campus from 11am-3pm.  

Our Sunday night study in Ashland has commenced with a new series.  They are now progressing through 1 Samuel.  

1 Samuel tells of how God takes a people who are "doing what is right in their own eyes" and establishes his king and kingdom in their midst.  That is why 1 Samuel can be called a book of "upsets."  Hannah, in her opening prayer, even spoke to this as she sang, "The Lord kills and brings to life...The Lord brings low and he exalts."

Join us each Sunday night at 6:30 as we make our way through this book and study God's reformation & renewal of his kingdom people.  Contact Matt for details.

Our brother Joe recently went down to Columbus, OH to do some evangelism at the Arnold Classic, a body building event that Arnold Schwarzenegger holds each year.  I asked Joe to give us a review of his experience.  

This is what he had to say...

Our brother, Caleb Davenport, is running for the Ohio Senate in the 27th district, which includes all of Wayne County and the western portions of Summit and Stark Counties.

As a member of our church we want to uphold him in prayer as he does this.  Caleb decided to run because the moral failures of the incumbent.  

His opponent has not backed the Ohio Heartbeat Bill, which would make it illegal to abort a child as soon as a heartbeat could be detected.  His opponent has also introduced legislation in the Ohio Senate which infringes on the freedom of religion and violates our consciences in regards to homosexuality.

In sum, Caleb wishes to stand for the lives of the unborn and our basic freedoms. 

Please pray that Caleb & his family will be protected during this time and that the Lord's will would be done in Ohio.

Caleb is asking for volunteers to help out his campaign.  If you would like to do that, or if you would like to find out more about the campaign, visit his website: Davenport for Ohio Senate.