Erie Evangelical Free Church (Erie, IL)

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg brings us back into our study through the book of Colossians. Freedom is a buzz-word in our American culture. We stand for it. We value it. We want it. But do we really know what "freedom" truly is? In Colossians 2:8-15, Paul shows how we often have a skewed perspective of freedom. Fortunately, he also reveals how we can have our vision clarified as we grasp the reality of...

Pastor Ron Eckberg preaches a special message for our church. Far too many Christians feel as though they have no ministry calling because they are so “ordinary”. Nothing could be further from the truth. Ordinary people, those of us the Apostle Paul refers to as “jars of clay”, are the ones God most often chooses to accomplish his purposes.  Join us Sunday as we dive into II Corinthians 4:7-8 in a...

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg teaches from our current series, "Unwavering." As followers of Jesus, we have a mission to love God and to love others. But often we struggle with the thought of how we get there. In Colossians 2:1-7, Paul gives us three thoughts to remember in helping us plot a course toward God's calling in each of our lives.

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg begins a new series, "Unwavering," as we continue our study through the book of Colossians. In Colossians 1:1-23, the Apostle Paul lays out, in no uncertain terms, the truth and authority of the Gospel. But what does it look like for us to operate under that truth and authority? How do we know if we are acting in Kingdom service or just going through the motions? Paul descr...

Pastor Ron Eckberg shares a special message from John 13. For better or worse. For richer or poor. In sickness and in health. Those phrases—so often heard in wedding ceremonies—define the depth a marriage relationship. But how many of us apply those same characteristics to all our relationships? We examine this topic through the lens of God’s Word in a message titled, “Married for Life”.

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg concludes our Back to School series. Over the past three weeks we've discussed the focus, identity, and outpouring of the gathered church. But how does spending an hour a week in the physical presence of other believers help us fulfill the purpose the church? We step forward together to BE the church and accomplish our mission together.

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg teaches week 3 of our current series, "Assembly," in which we look at the biblical importance of gathering with the local church. Over the past two weeks we've talked about several theological truths that are reinforced by the act of gathering together with the church each week. But how does that shape the way we live our day-to-day lives? We seek to answer this question as...

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg teaches week 2 of our Back-to-School series, "Assembly," in which we dive deep into the purpose and meaning of the gathered church. If you've ever read your Bible or attended a church service, you probably have some idea of what it means to be a part of the church. But how does gathering with the same people every Sunday serve to strengthen our understanding of our Christia...

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg kicks off our 2022 edition of our Back-to-School series called, "The Assembly." We live in a digital age where nearly every interaction we have can be managed without a personal touch. So why do we still need to physically gather as a church family? For the next few weeks we'll look at 4 important aspects of the gathered church which show our need to actively and physically...

Pastor Ron Eckberg brings a special message entitled, "Free at Last!" We look together at true freedom in Christ from Galatians 5:1.

Pastor Ron Eckberg brings a special message on the teamwork of the Christian faith from Romans 12. 

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg presents a special Father's Day message. As we celebrate the men God has used in each of our lives to help lead us into a deeper and richer faith, we reflect on what faithful biblical leadership looks like. In doing so, we consider how we, no matter our position, can faithfully lead others at home, at work, and in our world to grow and mature in our faith together.

Pastor Jonathan concludes our series in the first section of the NT book of Colossians with a message titled, "The Depth of the Gospel." Last week we talked about the centrality of Christ and the power it brings to the Christian faith. This week we'll discuss how that power leads us to a deeper appreciation for the Gospel and for the freedom we have in Jesus as we close our current series in Colos...

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg continues our series in the book of Colossians. Paul has shown us the basis of deep waters of the gospel and told us how they change our lives. But how do we get there? What do we need? Paul gives us the answer through his prayers for the church in Colossians 1:9-14.

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg preaches the second message in our series on Colossians 1, "Dive Deep". Last week, we set the stage with the deep waters of faith in Jesus Christ. This week, as we read Paul's words of gratitude for the faith of the Colossian believers, we see three distinguishing marks of a life that is fully engaged in those deep waters. Have you been marked by the deep?

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg kicks off our new series in the book of of Colossians called, "Dive Deep." It's easy to stay comfortable in the waters we know. But there's life changing beauty in the deep waters. The Apostle Paul greets the church in the city of Colossae by reminding them of the incredible nature of the deep water in Colossians 1:1-2.

Pastor Ron Eckberg preaches a special Mother's Day message. No human being on earth can come closer to understanding the heart and the hurts of God as does a Godly mother. As a mother weeps over her children, so does God; As a mother rejoices over her children, so does God. And those bonds will never change. Join us for our Mother's Day worship service as we look to Exodus 2:1-10 as we peer into t...

Mitch Saad brings a special message to Erie Evangelical Free Church. Mitch is an EEFC sponsored missionary currently serving in Vietnam. We are grateful for Mitch's faithfulness and for the blessing we have of supporting his kingdom work there.

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg preaches a follow-up to our Easter message in 1 Corinthians 15. Too often we celebrate the holy days only to return to our regular schedules, unchanged by what we have just witnessed. This was not the case for Jesus' disciples and should not be the case for us. But how, exactly, does considering the resurrection alter our daily approach to life on this side of eternity? We...

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg preaches a special Easter message entitled, "New Day, New Life." The resurrection of Jesus Christ is much more than a historically miraculous event. It is the event that washed over the darkness, fear, and doubt that filled the preceding weekend. In doing so, the dawn of Easter morning changes everything about our lives and our world. How so? We find the answer in 1 Corinth...

Pastor Ron Eckberg teaches a special Palm Sunday message. To experience God is to worship God but what exactly does that mean? How do we truly worship God? Join us Sunday as we begin our Easter week of services with a look at three aspects of worship found in Luke 19 and the story of Jesus entrance into Jerusalem.

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg concludes our series on the book of Nehemiah by looking at Nehemiah 13. In the final chapter of this book, we are reminded that God's people have been called, equipped, and led through the work on the walls and in their hearts. But faithfulness is never about one project or one task, it's a life-long process. How do we continue to grow, mature, and be changed by the truth o...

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg continues to teach through our series on the book of Nehemiah. Most of us would agree that we don't truly celebrate nearly enough. But when God restores our hearts to His calling and His purposes for us, then we get to live in the glory of Jesus' victory as well. Nehemiah 11-12 shows us how we can develop a celebratory life that reflects our hope and joy of that victory.

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg discusses the next message in our series, "Rebuild and Restore," where we are walking together through the book of Nehemiah. Knowledge of how we grow and mature is good, but it is useless without a willingness to make the necessary changes. In Nehemiah 10, we see how God's restoration of Israel plays out into their commitment His commands. Through these actions, we learn to...