LaGrave Live, May 31, 2026

LaGrave Live, May 31, 2026

LaGrave Live LIVE Evening Worship Service - Paul and the Agnostics About The Service: Pastor Jonker will preach on Acts 17:16-34 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 Known God in an Age of Uncertainty: Paul, Athens, and the Truth Found in Christ Reverend Peter Jonker Opens the Evening Worship Service In this evening worship service from LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church, the primary speaker, Reverend Peter Jonker, welcomes the congregation and begins with a brief correction to the bulletin regarding the opening hymn. The call to worship comes from Psalm 61, where the psalmist cries out to God for refuge, shelter, and stability when the heart grows faint. This sets the tone for the service: a worship gathering centered on finding spiritual shelter, clarity, and confidence in God amid uncertainty. Faith, Shelter, and Ancient Words of Truth After the opening worship, Reverend Jonker introduces the theme of truth and how Christians can find truth in a world filled with opinion and confusion. He reads from 1 Peter 1:3–9, describing the early church as an “exile church” surrounded by people who thought differently from them. He explains that Peter’s words helped anchor believers in living hope, resurrection, inheritance, faith, joy, and salvation even during trials. The congregation then recites the Nicene Creed, which Jonker frames as ancient words that have anchored Christian faith for more than 1,700 years. Prayer Beneath the Shadow of God’s Wings The service includes a pastoral prayer built around the image of living and singing beneath the shadow of God’s wings. Reverend Jonker prays for shelter amid global conflicts, including wars in Sudan, Iran, and Ukraine, as well as conflict and cynicism within the nation. He asks God to help the congregation become people of faith, hope, love, and truth rather than fear, anger, and cynicism. The prayer also lifts up church members facing surgery, recovery, hospice care, cancer, mission work, and grief, including the sudden loss of Lori Vanderhardt. Paul in Athens and the Marketplace of Ideas The sermon text is Acts 17:16–34, where Paul arrives in Athens and sees a city full of idols. Reverend Jonker imagines the Athenian marketplace as both a literal market and a “marketplace of ideas,” filled with philosophers debating, gesturing, criticizing, and chasing the latest intellectual trends. He describes Athens as the Cambridge, Oxford, or Harvard of its day, but also as a place marked by intellectual boredom and weariness. The people were always looking for something new, not necessarily because they were open-hearted, but because they were tired of hearing the same old arguments. Epicureans, Stoics, and Modern Echoes Reverend Jonker explains that Paul encountered Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. He describes the Epicureans as materialists who believed the gods had created the world but no longer cared much about it, leaving people to pursue modest happiness and avoid excess. Jonker compares this to many modern Americans who may vaguely believe in God but mostly seek comfort, amusement, and personal happiness. He describes the Stoics as more pantheistic, believing in a divine life force within and urging people to go inward to find truth and stability. He connects this to modern self-focused spiritual language such as “live your truth” or “follow your dreams.” The Altar to the Unknown God A central image in the sermon is the Athenian altar “to an unknown God,” or agnosto theo, from which Jonker notes we get the word agnostic. He considers several possible meanings: perhaps the Athenians sensed their gods were insufficient, perhaps the altar was a kind of religious insurance policy, or perhaps it represented an altar to unknowability itself. Jonker leans toward the third possibility, describing the altar as a philosophical shoulder shrug from educated people who had heard every argument and no longer knew what to believe. Modern Idols to Agnosticism Jonker then connects Athens to the present day, arguing that modern people still build idols to agnosticism. He points to the rise of the religious “nones,” the influence of postmodernism, and the belief that truth is unknowable or merely a power game. He also uses popular culture examples, including Seinfeld as a “show about nothing” and the song “Some Nights” by the band Fun, whose lyrics ask, “What do I stand for?” For Jonker, these examples reveal a culture that often shrugs at truth, meaning, and conviction. Paul Proclaims the Known God Into this weary and cynical environment, Paul announces that the God they call unknown can be made known. Reverend Jonker explains that Paul’s speech is brilliant because it speaks to both Epicureans and Stoics. Paul agrees that God does not live in temples made by human hands and does not need human service, which would appeal to Epicureans. But Paul also says God is not far from anyone, and that in Him “we live and move and have our being,” which would resonate with Stoic thought. Yet Paul ultimately moves beyond both systems by proclaiming repentance, judgment, resurrection, and the man God raised from the dead: Jesus Christ. Truth Is Not Merely an Idea, but a Person The heart of the sermon is Jonker’s claim that Paul does not simply offer the Athenians another teaching or philosophy. Instead, he points them to a person. Jonker connects this with John 1, explaining that the Greek word logos had meaning within Stoic philosophy as an organizing principle of the universe, but John declares that the Logos became flesh and dwelt among us. Truth, Jonker says, is ultimately found not in winning arguments, mastering systems, or collecting ideas, but in Jesus Christ, the living Lord who calls people into relationship. Three Responses to the Gospel Jonker notes that Acts 17 records three responses to Paul’s message. Some people sneer and dismiss him as a babbler. Others say they would like to hear more, though Jonker wonders whether they still want to keep the conversation at the level of ideas rather than surrender to Christ. A few believe, including Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, and Damaris, along with others. Jonker presents this as the choice before hearers today as well: cynicism, endless debate, or faith in the risen Christ. Closing Prayer and Blessing The sermon closes with Reverend Jonker acknowledging that believers will always face gaps in understanding, disagreement, uncertainty, and fog because human beings are fallen and limited. Yet when he feels overwhelmed by uncertainty, he says he turns not first to ideas, but to the person of Jesus Christ, the one who shelters him and knows his name. He closes in prayer, thanking Christ for the shelter of His wings and asking that believers become truth-seeking people who point others to relationship with Him. The service ends with a blessing: that the Lord would bless, keep, shine upon, be gracious to, and fill His people with peace.

LaGrave Live, May 31, 2026

LaGrave Live LIVE Morning Worship Service 05-31-2026 The Way of Wisdom: The Beginning of Wisdom About The Service: We will start our summer sermon series. This summer our sermons will all be drawn from the parts of the Bible that are considered Wisdom Literature. These are Bible books and Bible passages that address the practicalities of living in God's world. Pastor Jonker will begin the series with a sermon on Proverbs 1:1-7 where the teacher of Proverbs shares with us the place where wisdom starts. Order of Worship: https://lagrave.org/wp-content/upload... 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/Givi... 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 Way of Wisdom: The Beginning of Wisdom Opening Welcome and a New Summer Focus The service opens with a greeting centered on Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit, followed by a warm welcome to the congregation, online worshipers, and visitors attending for the baptism service. Announcements include hospitality details, coffee fellowship, and an invitation for visitors and new members to gather in the parlor after worship. The congregation is also introduced to the church’s summer sermon series, The Way of Wisdom, which will focus on biblical wisdom literature and its guidance for life in God’s world. Confession, Assurance, and the Theme of Wisdom The liturgical opening turns toward confession by connecting wisdom with surrendering control to God, drawing on Proverbs 16:9 and a responsive prayer from Psalm 119. The congregation prays for understanding, delight in God’s commands, and hearts turned away from selfishness and toward God’s statutes. After this corporate confession, the congregation hears an assurance from Psalm 37, reminding worshipers to commit their way to the Lord and trust him. This moment establishes wisdom not merely as intelligence or strategy, but as a life ordered under God’s care and direction. Baptism as Covenant, Family, and Promise A major part of the service is devoted to the baptism of three children: Grace, Arlo, and Joni. The presiding pastor explains baptism as participation in Christ’s death and resurrection, cleansing from sin, and entry into the covenant family of God. He places baptism within the larger biblical story, moving from God’s covenant with Abraham and the sign of circumcision to baptism as the New Testament sign of belonging to God’s people. The parents make vows to raise their children in the faith, and the congregation vows to receive, pray for, and nurture them, underscoring the shared responsibility of the Christian community. Prayer, Congregational Life, and Care for the Church Family The pastoral prayer reflects the life of the congregation by giving thanks for the newly baptized children, milestone birthdays, missionary service, and the birth of Catherine Marie VanEerden. It also lifts up members recovering from surgery, receiving rehabilitation or hospice care, and families facing grief after the death of Lori Vanderarc. Throughout the prayer, the church’s needs are framed through the language of walking faithfully with God and asking the Holy Spirit for courage, wisdom, openness, service, and gratitude. The prayer portrays the church as a community that celebrates, intercedes, and grieves together. Children’s Message and the Incarnation of Christ In the children’s message, the pastor reflects on the fragile nature of babies and uses the morning’s baptisms to help children imagine the humility of Christ. He explains how carefully one must hold a baby, especially the neck and head, and then observes that Jesus, who is mighty and powerful, willingly became that small and vulnerable. This becomes a simple but powerful lesson in the incarnation: Jesus became weak in order to be with humanity and save humanity. The message emphasizes that Christ fully entered human life, from infancy onward, out of love for his people. The Beginning of Wisdom and the Fear of the Lord The sermon begins the new series by asking what biblical wisdom is and distinguishing it from both moral law and abstract knowledge. Wisdom is described as practical, embodied, decision-making knowledge that operates in the complexity of real life, where rules alone are often not enough. The pastor then focuses on Proverbs 1:7 and explains “the fear of the Lord” as the beginning of wisdom, distinguishing punishment-based fear from affection-based fear. He argues that the fear Scripture commends is rooted not in terror, but in love, admiration, reverence, and the desire not to disappoint God. The sermon concludes by grounding this fear in grace, especially in the saving work of Jesus Christ, and presenting biblical wisdom as something that becomes life-giving only when it begins in humble relationship with God.

LaGrave Live, May 24, 2026

LaGrave Live LIVE Morning Worship Service 05-24-2026 Portraits of Pentecost May 24 is Pentecost Sunday! Pastor Jonker will preach on Ephesians 4: 17-31. Order of Worship: https://lagrave.org/wp-content/uploads/2026-5-24-AM-Order-of-Worship1.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 Portraits of Pentecost: The Spirit Who Breathes New Life Into Ordinary Places Pentecost Welcome and the Gift of the Spirit This LaGrave Live service opens on Pentecost Sunday with a welcome to in-person and livestream worshipers, a summer schedule reminder, fellowship invitations, and an explanation that Pentecost is the day when the church remembers and gives thanks for the gift of the Holy Spirit. The liturgist frames the Spirit as the helper and advocate promised by Jesus, emphasizing that the Spirit still lives, moves, breathes, and transforms believers each day. Dry Bones, Confession, and New Life The call to confession draws from Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones, inviting worshipers to recognize the ways sin can make people rigid, dry, selfish, and bitter. The congregation prays for the Holy Spirit to wash away sin, kindle the fire of God’s love, bend rigidity, and guide wandering feet into paths of peace. The assurance of grace then turns to the risen Jesus breathing the Holy Spirit on his disciples and saying, “Peace be with you.” Pentecost Prayer and Congregational Care The prayer portion of the service gives thanks for the Spirit’s presence, the long-range planning work connected to the community and service center, city leaders, and servicemen and women. The congregation also prays for members recovering from surgery, those receiving rehab or hospice care, families grieving loss, local ministries serving people in crisis or seeking employment, people affected by evacuations and a chemical explosion in California, and world leaders involved in peace talks. The prayer repeatedly asks the Holy Spirit to breathe new life into people, communities, and the world. Ephesians and Life Under the Spirit The Scripture reading comes from Ephesians 4:17–32, where Paul contrasts the old self with the new self created to be like God in righteousness and holiness. The passage calls believers to put off falsehood, speak truthfully, refuse to let anger become sin, avoid unwholesome talk, and be kind, compassionate, and forgiving. The sermon presents this reading as a portrait of what life looks like under the influence of God’s Holy Spirit. Grand Landscapes and Small Portraits of Pentecost The sermon explains that the Holy Spirit’s work can be painted in two ways: as a grand landscape of redemptive history or as a small domestic portrait of ordinary life. The preacher compares the first half of Ephesians to broad, dramatic landscape paintings and the second half to intimate Vermeer-like scenes. Pentecost can be understood as the Spirit moving through history, uniting Jews and Gentiles and expanding the gospel, but also as the Spirit quietly transforming conversations, forgiveness, kindness, and relationships. Truthful Speech, Forgiveness, and Compassion The sermon focuses on three smaller “portraits” of the Spirit’s work: truthful, vulnerable speech that shares joys and sorrows; quick forgiveness that prevents anger from fermenting into bitterness; and kindness toward vulnerable people. Examples include friends sharing grief and joy, a student whose struggle with math changes after forgiving a first-grade teacher, and a middle-school choir showing patience and compassion toward a distressed neurodivergent student. The message concludes that the Spirit moves not only in dramatic signs of wind and fire, but also at kitchen tables, in coffee shops, in classrooms, and in small acts of mercy.

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.