First Reformed Church (FRC) - Messages

Who is Jesus—and how should we respond to Him? Join Pastor Mark Haverdink for this week's Book of the Week message as we journey through the Gospel of Mark and encounter the Messiah who came not to be served, but to serve. Discover how Jesus' miracles, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection reveal His true identity and invite each of us to follow Him with wholehearted faith.

Join Pastor Fred De Jong for this week's Book of the Week message as we explore Amos and hear God's call for justice, repentance, and authentic faith. Discover why God cares deeply about how we treat others, why compassion matters more than empty religion, and how true worship is reflected in lives marked by integrity and obedience.

What do you do when God seems silent and circumstances feel uncertain? Join Pastor Fred De Jong for this Book of the Week message as we journey through Esther and discover how God's hand is at work even when His name isn't mentioned. Through the courageous faith of Esther and the steadfast influence of Mordecai, we'll see how God positions His people for moments that matter and calls us to live wi...

Join Pastor Fred for the second message in the Book of the Week sermon series. Tune in as he explores Deuteronomy, discovering how God calls His people to remember His faithfulness, love Him wholeheartedly, and make deliberate choices that shape a lasting legacy of obedience and faith for future generations.

To kick off this Sermon series, Pastor Fred walks us through Genesis, and how it lays the foundation for the entire Bible. It tells the truths of creation, demonstrates humanity's fall into sin, shares God's covenant promises, and reveals His plan of redemption. Listen in as we discover how Genesis answers life's biggest questions and points us to the salvation Jesus Christ provides.

Following Jesus is more than a one-time decision. It is a daily response to His grace and calling. In Responding to Jesus, Pastor Mark explores Romans 6:23 and 10:9, reminding us that Christ invites us each day to follow Him, serve others, and share His love with the world around us.

New seasons can bring excitement, uncertainty, and questions about what comes next. In Something New, Pastor Fred walks through Isaiah 43:14-21, reminding us that God is always at work and calling us to pay attention to the new things He may be doing in our lives.

t’s easy to drift into living the same way everyone else does. In Do Life Different, Pastor Fred teaches from Colossians 3:15-17, encouraging us to let the peace of Christ guide our hearts and the Word of God shape the way we live, serve, lead, and love others each day.

You were never meant to just sit on the sidelines. Pastor Fred walks through Acts 13:1-5 and 20:17-24, showing how the Holy Spirit calls, equips, and sends us to live on mission, raising up leaders to serve and reach others in everyday life.

Big moments are built on small acts of obedience. In Preparation and Position, Ross Enger teaches from Acts 1:15-16, Luke 16:10, and Zechariah 4:10, revealing how consistent faithfulness prepares us for where God is leading and how He wants to use us.

You don’t have to navigate life on your own. In Comforting Guidance, Pastor Fred walks through John 14-16, showing how the Holy Spirit comforts, convicts, and leads us, guiding our growth as disciples and shaping how we live each day.

Real change doesn’t come from trying harder. In Transforming Takeover, Pastor Fred walks through Romans 8:1-11 and 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, revealing how the Holy Spirit gives new life and transforms us from the inside out, making us agents of life change in a broken world.

Easter changes everything. In this message, Jesus’ Resurrection and Your Forever Life, Pastor Fred proclaims the hope at the center of our faith. Because Jesus rose from the dead, despair does not get the final word and our future is secure forever. The resurrection reshapes how we live now, loosening our grip on this life while strengthening our hope, joy, and gratitude for what is to come. Texts...

Before the cross, Jesus wrestled in the garden. In this Maundy Thursday service, From Submission to Glory, we remember His surrender in Gethsemane and share communion together. Step away from the noise and prepare your heart for Easter.

Jesus didn’t stumble into the cross. He planned it. In this message, Jesus’ Plan, Pastor Fred walks through Matthew 21:1-11 to show how Jesus intentionally set the stage for His own death, proving He is fully in control from beginning to end.

Sometimes it feels like Jesus is distant, but the ascension tells a different story. In this message, Jesus’ Ascension, Rule, and Return, Pastor Fred shows how Christ’s reign gives us confidence, His ascension means not absence but a deeper presence, and His work continues as He provides help in our time of need. Because He reigns and will return, we have real hope for both now and eternity. Texts...

Identity is one of the biggest questions we wrestle with. In this message, The Son’s Humanity and My Identity, Pastor Fred explores how the incarnation of Jesus shapes who we are. Because Jesus is both fully God and fully human, His life and work not only bring our salvation but also give us a clear and lasting identity as children of God. Texts: Philippians 2:5-11; Romans 8:15-17.

Life will rock you to your core. What are you standing on? In Jesus, Lord and Savior, Pastor Mark invites us to wrestle with the most important question we will ever answer: Who is Jesus to you? Is He simply part of your life, or truly Lord and Savior at the center of it all? Texts: John 1:1–5; Philippians 2:6–11; Matthew 3:16; 16:13–20; Luke 6:46–49.

Worry has a way of showing up on our faces, but our Father invites us to something better. In This I Believe: Our Father, and Our Foreheads, Pastor Fred De Jong opens Matthew 6:25–34 and explores the tension between anxious questions and confident trust as we confess, “I believe in God the Father Almighty.” Because our Father knows what we need and faithfully provides, we can be patient when thing...

Growth in relationships requires more than tolerance. It calls for acceptance shaped by Christ. In this message, Accept Each Other, Pastor Fred invites us to see how honoring both our similarities and differences transforms criticism into compassion and helps our relationships grow stronger through every season. Message Texts: Romans 15:5-9; 1 Corinthians 12:14, 21-27; 1 Peter 3:8

Healthy relationships are not built on self-protection or self-promotion. They are shaped by choosing to serve without losing who God created us to be. In this message, Self-Less Living, Pastor Fred invites us to see how Christ’s example teaches us to live with gratitude, serve selflessly, and build deeper, stronger connections. Message Texts: Galatians 5:13-15; Philippians 2:1-4

Encouragement has the power to change the tone of a relationship. Words spoken with gratitude can strengthen trust and bring new life where weariness has settled. In this message, Express Gratitude Regularly, Pastor Mark invites us to reflect God’s heart by building others up and speaking life through intentional encouragement. Message Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Unresolved resentment always costs more than we expect. It drains joy, damages trust, and keeps relationships stuck. In "Hold Hands, Not Grudges," Pastor Fred invites us to pursue the freedom we were made for by releasing resentment and choosing forgiveness as God has forgiven us, opening the door to healing and reconciliation. Message Texts: Matthew 18:21–35; Colossians 3:12–13

Avoiding hard conversations may keep the peace, but it rarely builds trust. In Speak Honestly, Pastor Fred challenges us to pursue the “more” we were made for by choosing truth spoken in love over silence or half-truths. This message invites us to see how honesty, guided by the Spirit, creates deeper intimacy and lasting trust. Scripture texts: Ephesians 4:25-27; Psalm 15:1-2; Jeremiah 9:4-6; John...

Respect does not fade because relationships grow older. It fades when honor is no longer practiced. In this message, Revive Respect, Pastor Fred invites us to see how Christ restores honor in our relationships, turning familiarity into renewed care, admiration, and grace. Message Texts: Romans 12:9–10; Ephesians 5:33; 6:1–3; 1 Peter 2:17; Leviticus 19:32