LaGrave Live

LaGrave Live, May 17, 2026

LaGrave Live LIVE Evening Worship Service - The Renovation of Simon Peter About The Service: Pastor Jonker will preach on John 21:15-19. Order of Worship: https://lagrave.org/wp-content/upload... About Us: We are a traditional CRC church in the middle of Downtown Grand Rapids, MI, worshipping at 8:40am, 11:00am, and 6:00pm. (10:00am and 6:00pm during the summer months) We'd love to hear from you: Connection: https://www.lagrave.org/contact Let us pray for you: Prayer: https://www.lagrave.org/prayerrequest/ Listen on the go: Amazon Music: https://bit.ly/LGPodAmazonMusic Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3tuOdwQ Google Podcast: https://bit.ly/LGPodGoogle Soundcloud: / lagravecrc Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3yXDFaT Follow us! Facebook: / lagravecrc Instagram: / lagravecrc Website: https://www.lagrave.org #LaGrave #LaGraveCRC The Renovation of Simon Peter: From Self-Reliance to Grace-Filled Service Worship Centered on God’s Renovating Grace In this evening worship service from LaGrave Live at LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church, the congregation gathers around the theme of change, repentance, and spiritual renovation. The service opens with words from Psalm 30 about God turning mourning into dancing and replacing sorrow with joy. Psalm 116 is also read, emphasizing the Lord’s compassion, deliverance, and ability to rescue those who cry out in distress. The minister introduces the sermon theme, “The Renovation of Simon Peter,” by explaining that renovation is one of God’s repeated works throughout Scripture and in the lives of believers. Repentance, New Life, and Prayer for Healing The congregation participates in a responsive reading about gratitude, good works, and genuine repentance, describing conversion as the dying of the old self and the rising to life of the new. In the pastoral prayer, the minister thanks God for the beauty of human life while acknowledging the mixture of sin, sorrow, illness, anxiety, grief, addiction, persecution, and spiritual struggle that people carry. He asks Jesus to have mercy and “renovate” the hearts of leaders, children, the sick, the imprisoned, those nearing death, and those mourning losses. The prayer presents sanctification as a process that may feel slow or confusing to people but remains clear within God’s timing and grace. Peter’s Failure and the Empty Nets The sermon is based on John 21:15–19, where the risen Jesus speaks with Simon Peter after the miraculous catch of fish and asks him three times, “Do you love me?” The minister imagines Peter fishing in the darkness with empty nets, feeling that his failure as a fisherman mirrors his failure as a disciple. Earlier in the Gospel, Peter had been energetic, confident, and eager to act for Jesus. He declared loyalty, resisted having his feet washed, promised to lay down his life for Christ, and drew a sword in the garden. Yet when confronted during Jesus’ arrest, Peter denied knowing him three times and was left broken by his own failure. Two Versions of Peter with the Same Spiritual Problem The minister explains that Peter’s confident stage and his broken stage may appear opposite, but both are centered on Peter himself. When he was bold, Peter focused on his performance, achievements, and ability to succeed for Jesus. After his denial, he remained focused on his performance, but now through disappointment, shame, and emptiness. In both conditions, Peter’s spiritual problem was self-reliance and preoccupation with how he measured up. The sermon suggests that believers can likewise make even good works about personal success, usefulness, failure, or reputation rather than about dependence on Christ. Jesus Confronts, Restores, and Reassigns Peter The heart of the sermon identifies three ways Jesus renovates Peter. First, Jesus confronts him gently but pointedly by asking three times whether he loves him, echoing Peter’s three denials and bringing his failure into the open. Second, Jesus restores Peter with the words, “Follow me,” repeating the call with which their relationship began and showing that Peter’s failure has not removed him from grace. Third, Jesus gives Peter a new task: “Feed my lambs” and “Feed my sheep.” Rather than offering Peter the heroic role he once seemed to desire, Jesus gives him a humble calling of faithful care and service. Empty Hands Made Ready for God’s Work The sermon closes by applying Peter’s renovation to the congregation. The minister says some people may be eager to do impressive things for God, while many others may feel discouraged, inadequate, or emptied by failure and disappointment. Yet emptiness may be exactly the place where God is ready to plant something new. Through a humorous imagined pastoral search committee evaluating flawed biblical figures such as Noah, Moses, David, Jeremiah, Jonah, Paul, and Judas, he illustrates that people often misjudge what true spiritual strength looks like. God regularly works through weakness, humility, and dependence. The final prayer asks Christ to uproot pride, fill believers with the Holy Spirit, and lead them by their empty hands wherever he wants them to serve.

LaGrave Live, May 17, 2026

LaGrave Live LIVE Morning Worship Service 05-17-2026 The Frivolous Miracle About The Service: May 17 is our last Sunday with two services. For the rest of the summer there will be one morning service at 10am. We will celebrate communion so Pastor Jonker will preach on John 2:1-12, the story of the wedding feast at Cana. Order of Worship: https://lagrave.org/wp-content/uploads/2026-5-17-AM-Order-of-Worship.pdf About the Church: We are a traditional CRC church in the middle of Downtown Grand Rapids, MI, worshipping at 8:40am, 11:00am, and 6:00pm. (10:00am and 6:00pm during the summer months) We'd love to hear from you: Connection: https://www.lagrave.org/contact Let us pray for you: Prayer: https://www.lagrave.org/prayerrequest/ Giving: https://www.elexiogiving.com/App/Giving/lagr107178 The April special offering is for Family Promise. Family Promise partners with local congregations, individuals, families, foundations and corporations to provide emergency shelter and case management for families with children facing a housing crisis. Listen on the go: Amazon Music: https://bit.ly/LGPodAmazonMusic Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3tuOdwQ Google Podcast: https://bit.ly/LGPodGoogle Soundcloud: / lagravecrc https://soundcloud.com/lagravecrc Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3yXDFaT Follow us! Facebook: / lagravecrc https://www.facebook.com/lagravecrc Instagram: / lagravecrc https://www.instagram.com/lagravecrc Website: https://www.lagrave.org #LaGrave #LaGraveCRC The Frivolous Miracle: Cana, Communion, and the Joy at the Table of the King Ascension Sunday Worship and the Reign of Christ The service opens on Ascension Sunday with worship, a greeting centered on the risen and ascended Lord Jesus, and the affirmation that Christ is risen. The liturgist welcomes the congregation, provides announcements about the final 10 o’clock hour before summer scheduling begins, and introduces confession through a psalm describing the holy life of those who dwell near God. The congregation confesses its failures and receives assurance that those once far from God have been brought near through Christ. Children Invited to the Table of the King In the children’s message, the leader asks the children to imagine King Charles arriving at their home for a meal, then turns the illustration toward Communion. Jesus, the children are told, is the ascended King who invites his people to sit at his table, feeds them, assures them of his love, and promises that they will one day feast with him forever. The image prepares the congregation for the service’s Communion emphasis. Prayer for the Church and Those in Need The congregational prayer praises Jesus as King over history, nations, creation, neighborhoods, churches, families, and individual lives. The leader asks God to strengthen people serving in difficult places, gives thanks for recent baptisms and a milestone birthday, and prays for grieving families, people facing procedures, recovery, and chronic pain. The prayer connects the ascended reign of Christ with the church’s present joys and burdens. Cana as a Miracle That Initially Seems Small The preacher reads John 2:1–12, the story of Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana. He admits that this first sign can appear less weighty than healings, deliverance from evil spirits, or the raising of Lazarus, because the immediate problem is that a wedding celebration has run out of wine. He therefore asks why John begins Jesus’ signs with a miracle that seems to rescue a party rather than confront a more obvious crisis. The Wedding Feast as a Foretaste of Final Joy The sermon answers by connecting the wedding at Cana with the wedding supper of the Lamb in Revelation 19. Cana’s restored joy is presented as a foretaste of the everlasting celebration awaiting God’s people when death, sorrow, and evil are finally overcome. Before the disciples enter the conflict and suffering of Jesus’ ministry, he gives them a glimpse of the promised ending; in the same way, Communion gives believers a taste of final joy before they enter the difficulties of another week. Communion in Valleys, Solitude, and Daily Life The preacher illustrates Communion’s sustaining power through the account of an archbishop identified unclearly in the transcript as Francis Xavier, who celebrated Communion while imprisoned in Vietnam, and through pastoral visits bringing Communion to members whose worlds have grown smaller through isolation or illness. The table of the ascended King assures worshipers that their valleys do not define them and that their true home is with Christ. The service concludes with the Lord’s Supper and the blessing of the ascended King.

LaGrave Live, May 10, 2026

LaGrave Live LIVE Evening Worship Service - Doubt Whittled Away by the Word About The Service: Chad Boorsma will preach as we will conclude the Easter season by looking at Luke 24:36-49, a passage where doubt is whittled away as our eyes are opened to the Word. Order of Worship: https://lagrave.org/wp-content/upload... About Us: We are a traditional CRC church in the middle of Downtown Grand Rapids, MI, worshipping at 8:40am, 11:00am, and 6:00pm. (10:00am and 6:00pm during the summer months) We'd love to hear from you: Connection: https://www.lagrave.org/contact Let us pray for you: Prayer: https://www.lagrave.org/prayerrequest/ Listen on the go: Amazon Music: https://bit.ly/LGPodAmazonMusic Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3tuOdwQ Google Podcast: https://bit.ly/LGPodGoogle Soundcloud: / lagravecrc Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3yXDFaT Follow us! Facebook: / lagravecrc Instagram: / lagravecrc Website: https://www.lagrave.org This evening worship service at LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church centers on the transformative power of the Word of God and the reality of Christ’s resurrection. Through liturgy, song, and a message from Luke 24, the congregation explores how Scripture addresses human doubt and provides lasting peace. Liturgical Foundation and the Call to Praise The service opens with a focus on the Easter season, moving from the solemnity of Lent into a celebration marked by white and gold decor, symbolizing the victory of Christ over death. The congregation is invited to extol the Lord through Psalm 111, reflecting on the "glorious and majestic" deeds of God and the trustworthiness of His precepts, which are established forever. This liturgical start establishes the "Power of the Word" as the central theme, framing the Bible not just as a historical record, but as a living instrument of wisdom and redemption. Global Intercession and the Mission of the Church A significant portion of the service is dedicated to corporate prayer, focusing on the renewal of the global church and the plight of the suffering. The congregation intercedes for those displaced by war and famine, praying that host nations would rise to meet their needs. Furthermore, there is a specific emphasis on the role of media and missions in spreading the Gospel. Confronting Doubt with the Resurrected Christ The sermon, based on Luke 24:36-49, recounts Jesus appearing to His startled disciples on Easter evening. Despite hearing reports of the resurrection, the disciples are "startled and frightened," suspecting they are seeing a ghost. The message draws a parallel between the disciples' fear and modern "lingering doubts"—the persistent anxieties that remain even when one has faith, much like a person repeatedly checking an online tracking link despite knowing the package is on its way. To "whittle away" these doubts, Jesus provides a threefold proof: Physical Proof: He invites them to touch His hands and feet. Experiential Proof: He eats broiled fish in their presence to demonstrate His physical reality. Scriptural Proof: He "opens their minds" to understand how the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms all pointed toward His suffering and resurrection. Application: The Word as Living Comfort The service concludes by emphasizing that while Jesus is no longer physically present, He remains with the church through the Holy Spirit. The story of "Ethan," a man facing the end of his life with regrets, serves as a poignant illustration of how the Word—specifically Psalm 32—can dispel the "guilt of sin" and bring peace where logic or memory cannot. The congregation is challenged to stop leaving the Word "on the shelf" and instead allow it to illuminate their daily lives. The worship service reaffirms that the Bible is the "fully reliable" record of God's redeeming work. By looking to the resurrected Christ and the fulfillment of Scripture, believers are encouraged to move past their doubts and walk into the new week with the peace and power of the Holy Spirit.

LaGrave Live, May 10, 2026

LaGrave Live LIVE Morning Worship Service 05-10-2026 Making a Name for Ourselves About The Service: Rev. Kristy Manion will preach on Genesis 11 and we will celebrate baptisms at the 11:00 service. Order of Worship: https://lagrave.org/wp-content/uploads/2026-5-10-AM-Order-of-Worship.pdf About the Church: We are a traditional CRC church in the middle of Downtown Grand Rapids, MI, worshipping at 8:40am, 11:00am, and 6:00pm. (10:00am and 6:00pm during the summer months) We'd love to hear from you: Connection: https://www.lagrave.org/contact Let us pray for you: Prayer: https://www.lagrave.org/prayerrequest/ Giving: https://www.elexiogiving.com/App/Giving/lagr107178 The April special offering is for Family Promise. Family Promise partners with local congregations, individuals, families, foundations and corporations to provide emergency shelter and case management for families with children facing a housing crisis. Listen on the go: Amazon Music: https://bit.ly/LGPodAmazonMusic Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3tuOdwQ Google Podcast: https://bit.ly/LGPodGoogle Soundcloud: / lagravecrc https://soundcloud.com/lagravecrc Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3yXDFaT Follow us! Facebook: / lagravecrc https://www.facebook.com/lagravecrc Instagram: / lagravecrc https://www.instagram.com/lagravecrc Website: https://www.lagrave.org #LaGrave #LaGraveCRC Making a Name for Ourselves: Babel, Abram, and Learning to Trust the Name God Gives A Worship Service Centered on Trust The Mother’s Day service begins with sung praise, a greeting in the name of the triune God, and the Easter affirmation that Christ is risen. Worship leaders welcome visitors, announce opportunities to learn about church life and study Practicing the Way, and frame the morning around trust in God rather than reliance on human achievement, skill, or ability. Confession, Forgiveness, and God’s Name on His Children Using Psalm 62, the congregation confesses its tendency to build on sand rather than on God as its firm foundation and receives the assurance that God is rock, salvation, and fortress. In the children’s message, Kristi Renee asks what every person receives and carries through life, leading to the answer of a name. She connects personal names and baptism by telling the children that God places his name on them and brings them into one family. Mother’s Day Prayer and Congregational Care The service’s prayer recognizes Mother’s Day as both a time of gratitude and a time when strained relationships and unfulfilled hopes may be especially painful. The congregation prays for people experiencing cancer, unsuccessful treatment, hospice care, and bereavement, along with missionaries and service ministries. The prayer continually returns to dependence on God’s faithful care in an uncertain world. Babel and the Problem of Making a Name The sermon reads Genesis 11:1–9 and asks what troubled God about the city and tower of Babel. The preacher argues that Scripture is not anti-city; rather, Babel reveals people attempting to make a name for themselves and to reduce God to a manageable local deity who will serve their ambitions. Seen against Adam and Eve, Cain, and Noah, Babel becomes another instance of God interrupting destructive human self-exaltation. Graduation Season and Babel’s Continuing Appeal The preacher connects Babel’s temptation to graduation season and to life beyond it, recognizing accomplishments and supportive families while warning against the pressure to establish identity through achievement, status, school, company, family legacy, or personal goals. The sermon describes two misleading versions of Babel’s message: that everything depends on individual striving, and that God exists simply to bless whatever people choose to pursue. Abram, Jesus, and the Name God Gives The sermon turns to Genesis 12, where God promises Abram the very gifts Babel tried to grasp: a great name, a great nation, and blessing for all peoples. This promise ultimately points to Jesus Christ, whose name alone is strong enough to bear unconditional love and loyalty. The service closes by inviting worshipers to live in humble dependence on the God who has redeemed them, summoned them by name, and sends them with his blessing and peace.

LaGrave Live, May 3, 2026

LaGrave Live LIVE Evening Worship Service - A Hopeful Future About The Service: Our worship service begins at 5:30pm. It is Graduate Night so there will be a part of the service where we honor our 12th grade graduates. Rachel Thorne will give the message and this will fulfill requirements for her Master of Divinity studies at Fuller Theological Seminary. Order of Worship: https://lagrave.org/wp-content/upload... About Us: We are a traditional CRC church in the middle of Downtown Grand Rapids, MI, worshipping at 8:40am, 11:00am, and 6:00pm. (10:00am and 6:00pm during the summer months) We'd love to hear from you: Connection: https://www.lagrave.org/contact Let us pray for you: Prayer: https://www.lagrave.org/prayerrequest/ Listen on the go: Amazon Music: https://bit.ly/LGPodAmazonMusic Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3tuOdwQ Google Podcast: https://bit.ly/LGPodGoogle Soundcloud: / lagravecrc Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3yXDFaT Follow us! Facebook: / lagravecrc Instagram: / lagravecrc Website: https://www.lagrave.org #LaGrave #LaGraveCRC This special evening worship service at La Grave Church was dedicated to honoring the graduating class of 2026, focusing on God's sovereignty during life's transitions. Through liturgy, prayer, and a message from Jeremiah 29, the congregation explored how to find a sense of "place" even when feeling displaced by change. Liturgical Foundation and the Vision of a New Creation The service opened with a call to worship based on Psalm 98, celebrating the marvelous things God has done and the revelation of His righteousness to the nations. This was followed by a reading from Revelation 21, which provided a future-oriented context for the evening. The scripture described the "new Jerusalem" and the promise that God will dwell with His people, wiping away every tear and making all things new. This vision served to anchor the graduates' personal plans within the much larger framework of God's kingdom. Sermon: Living in the "Tension of the Middle" Pastor Rachel Thorn addressed the "tension of the middle"—the space between feeling displaced and trusting in God’s plan. Using the analogy of Frodo and Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings, she compared the graduates' transition to the Jewish exile in Babylon described in Jeremiah 29. Just as the exiles were told to "build houses and settle down" in a foreign land, graduates were encouraged to seek the shalom (peace and prosperity) of their new environments rather than simply waiting for the next stage of life to begin. The sermon emphasized that God’s famous promise in Jeremiah 29:11—plans to give "a hope and a future"—was originally given to people who would remain in "exile" for 70 years, proving that God's faithfulness is not dependent on immediate comfort. Pastoral Intercession for the Class of 2026 A comprehensive prayer was offered for the graduates, acknowledging the support of families, teachers, and mentors. The prayer specifically touched on the practicalities of their upcoming independence, including health, financial wisdom, and the courage to face uncertainty. It also included a modern exhortation regarding intellectual integrity, praying that students would value the journey of learning over shortcuts provided by technology. Recognition and Sending The service culminated in the formal presentation of gifts to the 14 seniors present. The congregation participated in a "communal hug" through a song of blessing and the extension of hands, symbolizing the church family's ongoing support as the students depart for new cities, dorms, or jobs. The service provided a poignant reminder that while transitions often bring a sense of displacement, believers are held by a God who knew them before they were born. By seeking the flourishing of their current "exile" and trusting in the future hope of Christ, graduates can move forward with confidence and peace.