How do we raise children in the church to be prepared for what they face in the culture? To be confident in the gospel and remain faithful to Jesus for the rest of their lives? This message is all about discipling the next generation. Various members of Ren Church, such as Josi DeHaven, Max DeHaven, Grace M., and John Michaelson bring in theology, statistics, and personal stories to express why the entire church must invest in the kids and adolescents of our community. Lastly, RenKids Director Alli Leson shares a sneak peek of the intergenerational curriculum called Pebbles + Stones that Ren will apply in our Sunday neighborhood gatherings on the 2nd and 4th Sundays.
The Glory of Small: New Season
Pastor Scott shares about the new season ahead in the Ren community. Beginning in May on the 2nd + 4th Sundays we’ll be meeting in various neighborhood gatherings amongst the greater Rhode Island area instead of one big Sunday service. Listen in for more details and why we are shifting the way we do church life.
Easter 2023
1 Corinthians 15: 3 - 8
Walk through 1 Corinthians 15: 3 - 8 to hear the credible witness accounts for Jesus to rise from the dead and why Christ’s resurrection makes all the difference for the world.
Desperate Prayers: Hannah
1 Samuel 1: 1 - 20
How do we pray when we come against impossible situations in life? We can cry out for God to intervene, and we don’t stop asking until we see him respond to our trials. This message from Pastor Scott looks at the prayer life of Hannah in 1 Samuel, a woman in a dysfunctional household and struggling with barrenness, who did not cease to pray through her “anguish and grief” until God answered her prayers.
Desperate Prayers: Psalm 69
Psalm 69
How do we respond well to the suffering we experience in life? Psalm 69 exemplifies the way we can cry out to God in the middle of distress. Like David, we can tell God all about it, be as honest as we want, work through our anger in prayer, and praise God in the midst of affliction. Pastor Scott encourages Christ believers to persevere in our faith, as when we cling to Jesus, He who suffered and endured to the end will carry us through to the end.
Desperate Prayers: Isaiah 6
Isaiah 6
What happens when we have a genuine encounter with a holy God? We become aware of our unholiness. Yet this response makes room for God to purify us, like the seraphim placing a hot coal on Isaiah’s lips (Isaiah 6). How do we prepare for these types of encounters with God? In this message Pastor Scott offers wisdom for how to cultivate and sustain a deep prayer life that will prepare our hearts for life-altering encounters with God.
Desperate Prayers: Habakkuk
Habakkuk
There are pivotal moments in time when all we can do is pray in desperation. God hears these prayers, and this sermon series is to help us see examples in the Bible of what God does and says in response to our cries. This message from Pastor Scott looks at Habakkuk’s prayers that wrestle through questions and faith.
Standalone Sermons: Exciting Days Ahead
Pastor Scott gives a pastoral talk that sets the stage for exciting things ahead for the church. As other parts of the country have been experiencing revival, a diverse collective of pastors and leaders in and around Providence have been meeting monthly to pray and petition for God to revive the hearts of people in our region. Scott shares about the citywide worship gathering that is happening on March 15 that birthed out of these unified prayers, along with Ren Church’s plans for shifting the way we gather on Sundays starting this May and how this schedule change will help us better disciple the next generation.
Beautiful Worship: Worship God with Your Finances
Worship is what we do with what we have been given. This includes how we manage money. God does not need our money as if He is a desperate, broke person demanding we give Him a tenth of what we earn; rather, He wants our heart. Learning how to be generous with our money shapes our character into the likeness of Christ, and our primary motivation ought to be worship, a “fragrant offering” acceptable and pleasing to God. Pastor Scott gives wisdom for how we can handle our spending, saving, and giving in a way that glorifies God.
Beautiful Worship: Worship God with Your Gifts
Romans 12:3 - 8
Each of us has been given by God certain abilities, talents, and gifts that can be used to glorify Him and serve the body of Christ. Romans 12: 3 - 8 introduces a list of spiritual gifts, and there are so many other abilities that can be stewarded—even gardening or organizing things can be done unto the Lord. How do we identify our gifts, and then use these abilities in our local church community? Pastor Scott walks through nine practical thoughts to help us cultivate what God has given to us to be in turn given back to Him and to the Ren community.