The Locker Room

We sit down with Charlie Gretzinger (Crossroads Tech Director) as we step into the world of the early church and follow Paul into the cultural pressure cooker of Thessalonica and Athens. We explore the twin “tsunamis” that confronted the gospel: religious nationalism that turned faith inward and proud, and Hellenism that exalted success, self, and material glory. These forces shaped the opposition...

The Kingdom of Heaven is Like... Lily and Karl's Story. Lilly was raised in a genuine Christian home who walked through childhood trauma, years of anxiety, spiritual torment, and ultimately, profound freedom in Christ. From sexual abuse and the suicide of a close friend to a decade-long battle with fear and spiritual oppression, Lily shares how she learned that being a child of God doesn’t mak...

Acts 16 places three people in the same story who should never be in the same room: a wealthy entrepreneur, a demonized slave girl, and a Roman jailer. Different status. Different wounds. Different levels of power. Yet each one carries the same desperate need for rescue. In this episode, we explore how all three answer the Macedonian cry, “Come help us,” and how God still pursues the achiever who...

Was Paul or the early church really arguing against Judaism itself—or against a regression that threatened the unity of Jew and Gentile in Christ? Was the New Perspective right about Second Temple Judaism, and was the Radical New Perspective right to insist that real differences between Jewish and Gentile believers continued after conversion? Galatians Reconsidered  is a compelling and practical e...

Preacher: Brent Becker Text: Mark 8:22-30 Sermon Link: ⁠⁠ HERE

This episode is the first in a new series titled  “The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like…” , where we celebrate organic stories of God’s Kingdom breaking out through the ordinary and mundane parts of life. This story is about how an Advent Bible study started with a simple nudge from God—and turned into something way bigger than expected. Back in 2024, Maddy felt prompted to gather a few people to walk th...

In this series of 3 special year-end episodes, we celebrate the stories of God’s faithfulness across three ministries that embody our core values. Worship:  Visible Church, a new church plant led by former Young Adults Pastor Gabe Hartfield, pursuing a community wholeheartedly centered on Jesus. Community:  Living Waters Ministry, walking intentionally with men coming out of incarceration through...

In this series of 3 special year-end episodes, we celebrate the stories of God’s faithfulness across three ministries that embody our core values. Worship:  Visible Church, a new church plant led by former Young Adults Pastor Gabe Hartfield, pursuing a community wholeheartedly centered on Jesus. Community:  Living Waters Ministry, walking intentionally with men coming out of incarceration through...

In this episode, we look at Acts 12 and the two essential dispositions that make prayer powerful: “I have need, and I am dependent,” and “God, You are powerful and the only One who can change this reality.” As Peter sits chained in a prison cell and the church gathers to pray through the night, we see a picture of prayer that is both deeply humble and boldly expectant—people admitting their helple...

In this series of 3 special year-end episodes, we celebrate the stories of God’s faithfulness across three ministries that embody our core values. Worship:  Visible Church, a new church plant led by former Young Adults Pastor Gabe Hartfield, pursuing a community wholeheartedly centered on Jesus. Community:  Living Waters Ministry, walking intentionally with men coming out of incarceration through...

In this Advent episode, we sit down with pastor and author A.J. Sherrill to explore his reflections on Zechariah from  Rediscovering Christmas . Together we talk about how Zechariah’s long season of waiting, disappointment, and unexpected silence reveals the often hidden ways God forms us. A.J. shares why God’s delays aren’t denials, how silence can become a gift rather than a punishment, and what...

In this episode, we sit down with a local Calvin College football coach Lamar Bell whose journey—from discipling athletes on campus to serving kids at Crossroads —embodies the very heart of ongoing conversion. Using Acts 10 as our backdrop, we explore how true conversion is more than moral improvement or theological precision; it is spiritual rebirth where God’s kingdom breaks into everyday life....

In Acts 9, Saul’s encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus marks one of the most dramatic transformations in all of Scripture — but it’s more than a story of conversion; it’s a story of being undone and remade. We explore how true conversion always begins with a personal encounter with God that shatters pride, exposes sin, and births new life. We’ll trace Saul’s journey from zealous...

In this episode, we explore what it means to pursue healing — body, mind, and spirit. Like physical therapy for the soul, spiritual growth often requires intentional work, patience, and the courage to face what’s been broken. Brett Cain, a Doctor of Physical Therapy, joins us to share how the body’s journey of recovery mirrors our spiritual walk with God. Just as muscles rebuild through resistance...

Why was the witness of Stephen in the face of the power brokers in Jerusalem so inspiring, and what does it mean for us today? Preacher: Rod VanSolkema Passage: Acts 6-7 Sermon Link:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CLICK HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Gamaliel’s words in Acts 5 cut to the heart of every generation:  “If their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail; but if it is from God, you will not be able to stop it.”  This episode unpacks that dividing line—how human-driven religion leads to jealousy, fear, and burnout, while Spirit-born faith produces courage, joy, and resilience even through suffering. Preacher: Tryg Veker P...

In Acts 5, the early church witnesses both explosive growth and a sobering act of divine judgment. Ananias and Sapphira’s deception isn’t just a story of greed—it’s a warning about hypocrisy and the holiness of God’s presence among His people. In this episode, we explore why God dealt so seriously with their sin, what it reveals about His desire to keep His church pure, and how grace calls us to i...

We sit down with Nate English and Shannon Popkin to explore the radical vision of community found at the end of Acts 2 and 4—a people formed by the Spirit and devoted to the apostles’ teaching, to prayer, to fellowship, and to the breaking of bread. This wasn’t just a new social club; it was the birth of a people bound together by the gospel and empowered by the Spirit to embody heaven on earth. P...

Acts 4 marks a turning point in the story of the early church—the moment when the honeymoon ends and reality sets in. As Peter and John stand before the power brokers of their day, we see two ordinary men, once fearful and unsure, now proclaiming with unshakable boldness that salvation is found in Jesus alone. We unpack why opposition comes, what true power looks like, and how boldness is born not...

Kurt Suidinski was respected, successful, and deeply embedded in the Grand Rapids community. To everyone else, he was living the American Dream — a suburban life of achievement, influence, and security. But underneath it all, he was living a double life. And in West Michigan, that’s not as uncommon as it seems. In this episode, we uncover the story of a man who had it all — except peace. When a re...

In Acts 3, Peter and John encounter a man lame from birth, sitting at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. With a word and the name of Jesus, Peter commands him to walk—and he leaps up, walking, praising God, and entering the temple for the first time. This powerful miracle wasn’t just a display of apostolic power; it was a living sign of the deeper healing Jesus offers: the forgiveness of sins and t...

We sit down to unpack the relevance of Acts 2 and Pentecost. We dig into how the Holy Spirit moves with power — convicting hearts of sin, awakening repentance, and opening the way for people to receive God’s grace. We discuss how Pentecost isn’t just an event in history but a revelation of God’s deepest desire: to dwell personally with His people and we trace this theme through Scripture, and refl...

In this opening episode of our series  A Church That Changed the World , we set the stage for the book of Acts and the explosive growth of the early church—from 120 believers in Jerusalem to over 35 million within the Roman Empire by the 4th century. We explore the historical and cultural backdrop of the Roman world, Jesus’ ascension from the Mount of Olives, and the angelic promise of His return....

Sports can be a powerful tool for shaping character, not just chasing trophies. In this episode, we sit down with Mark and Steph TeSlaa to explore how Christian parents can think more deeply about their kids' participation in sports—not just what happens on the field, but who our kids are becoming because of it. We wrestle with big questions like: • What kind of humans are we trying to raise t...

This week we sit down with Ben, an area coordinator with FCA, to talk about what it means to see spiritually in a world clouded by fear and distraction. Looking at Elisha’s prayer in 2 Kings 6—“Open his eyes, Lord”—we explore how God moves us from blindness to sight, from anxiety to trust. Together we reflect on how faith opens our eyes to God’s greater reality, giving courage and clarity in every...