Erie Evangelical Free Church (Erie, IL)

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg continues our study through the letter of 2 Timothy. We all know the power of words. With our tongues we can build others up or just as easily tear them down. In 2 Timothy 2:14-18, after affirming the power of the fire of faith (v8-13), Paul tells Timothy how a hot and bright fire purifies a believer, starting with the tongue.

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg continues to lead us through our study of 2 Timothy. Through the first section of Paul's letter he has implored us to do the hard work of tending to the flame of their faith. But now, in 2 Timothy 2:8-13, we find a shift to remind us of the power of the flame we've been discussing and why it is so important for us to keep it burning hot and bright.

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg teaches the next lesson in our study through 2 Timothy. Over the past few weeks, we've seen the necessary elements for building and protecting the fire of our faith. But how do we GROW that fire? Paul instructs Timothy on the work needed to build an increasingly bright and hot faith in 2 Timothy 2:1-7.

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg continues our study of 2 Timothy in our series, "Keeping the Fire Burning". The flames of a fire may look remarkably similar even though they burn from very different sources. The same is true of the passion of those who claim faith in Jesus. And yet, we have all seen false flames burn hot and bright before flaming out. This week week we discuss how to protect the flame of...

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg teaches the second week in our study through the book of 2 Timothy. Last week we discussed the fuel God has given each of us to keep the fire of our faith burning hot. But even with that fuel, we have work to do to keep the fire burning. What does it take to keep the fanning that flame? The Apostle Paul tells us how in 1 Timothy 1:8-12.

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg begins a new series on the book of 2 Timothy called, "Keep the Fire Burning".  It is an easy thing, over time, to lose a bit of our passion for even the most important things. Once that fire begins to "settle down" can it be rekindled to a blazing flame? Of course! Paul shows us how God gives us the proper fuel to do so in the opening verses of his second letter to Timothy.

A special message at Erie Evangelical Free Church from Jon Brands.

A special message at Erie Evangelical Free Church from Josh Green.

A special message at Erie Evangelical Free Church from Ron Huisman.

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg teaches the second week of our Back-to-School series, "The Final Bell," in which we discuss the biblical significance of embracing death. Last week we discussed the need to embrace the reality of death in order to allow Jesus' victory to sharpen our focus, clarify our purpose, and deepen our joy even in the loss and pain of physical death. That's all well and good, but HOW...

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg kicks off the first week of our Back-to-School series, "The Final Bell," in a discussion about death. We know death is important (we talk about Jesus' death). We know death is inevitable (we talk about how every person dies and faces judgment). But, still, we often keep it at an arms-length. We prefer not to deal with it in relation to MY life and YOUR life. Why must this n...

Pastor Jonathan concludes our series, "Behind the Shield," by looking at the end of the story of Esau's family, Edom, in the Old Testament book of Obadiah.

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg continues our series, "Behind the Shield." Everyone wants to live a life worthy of being remembered. But what is our standard for what we deem worthy of remembrance? Genesis 36 offers us a comparison between two lives and two legacies. This comparison gives us two godly guidelines for how we can leave a faith-filled legacy.

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg leads us through the next message in our series on the life of Jacob. This week we find Jacob's part of God's plan to bless the world coming to a close. This conclusion is not full of the grand excitement one might expect. Jacob is faithful and God takes care of him, but we are reminded here that our job is not to fulfill OUR purposes. Instead we, like Jacob, are to finish...

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg jumps back into our study of Genesis in our series, "Behind the Shield." Sometimes the responsibilities, concerns, or even joys of everyday life can steal our focus and leave us in a "rut". This isn't necessarily wrong, until it steals our attention from what God has called us to do. In these times we must reset our focus on the faithfulness of God. How does that change the...

Pastor Ron Eckberg delivers a special Memorial Day message at EEFC. Memorial Day should be a somber day of remembering those who paid the ultimate price defending freedoms we enjoy. For Christians, however, there is a greater “Memorial Day” called “Every Day” – for every day, hour, and minute should be a reminder of the price Christ paid for our freedom.

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg continues our study of the life of Jacob in our series, "Behind the Shield." Genesis 34 is a dark chapter in our study of Jacob's life. It is full of lust, deception, and murder. Not exactly an uplifting example of godly living! However, through this darkness God shows us three important guides to help us live gracious lives that point others to His goodness.

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg teaches the next message in our series, "Behind the Shield." No one likes to be wrong. Most of us like admitting our errors even less. In Genesis 33, Jacob must come face to face with the mistakes of his past. But through this meeting and shocking reconciliation, we learn three important aspects of faithful forgiveness.  

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg continues our series, "Behind the Shield," as we look at the life of Jacob. Ever work hard on a problem, only to come to the end of the day and think, "Duh! I should have known that!" It can be easy to miss truths that should be obvious. Sometimes God uses the dark of night to teach us lessons we should have learned in the light. We see how as we follow Jacob's night of lea...

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg begins our new series, "Behind the Shield," as we look at the closing scenes of Jacob's journey. Sometimes we feel like life moves us out of the frying pan and into the fire. This is how Jacob feels as he begins his journey back to his homeland. As he faces the ever increasing danger ahead, God shows him (and us!), through Genesis 31:1-21, how faithfulness is the key to end...

Pastor Ron Eckberg brings a special message to our morning service called, "When We Gather". Every believer understands that gathering to worship with the body of Christ is important. But why? Whey can't we just engage in online Bible studies and virtual services? What happens when we gather that makes that time so vital to our spiritual growth and maturity? We find these answers as we look at Heb...

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg follows our Easter message with a special sermon titled, "Re-Launch". It's easy to get off track and to let fear, doubt, or disappointment take our focus off who we are meant to be and what we are called to do. But Jesus' resurrection was the exclamation point on His restoration of our lives. So, even when we wander, how does the reality of the resurrection re-launch our Ki...

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg teaches our Easter message. "Jesus is alive!" It's our glorious, worshipful cry of Easter morning. But in the midst of our celebrations, do we stop to ask: What does that mean in the face of the busyness, trials, and triumphs of our daily lives? We celebrate and consider this foundational truth in Luke 24:1-12.

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg concludes our current section of Genesis and our series, "Passing the Torch". There's no place like home, right? In Genesis 31, Jacob feels God calling him to return home. Through the ups and downs of his return, Jacob shows us how we can return to God's calling in our own lives. 

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg teaches another lesson in our series, "Passing the Torch". Trials in this life are many... but so too are blessings! While we talk often about how we handle the difficulties in life, it is also important that we know how to handle God's blessings with grace and faithfulness. In Genesis 30:25-43, we find three instructions in how we engage with God's blessings.