Greg & Natalie

Such a joy, to officiate at the wedding of my nephew Greg Geerlinks and Natalie Renkema. The wedding took place on August 8, 2015. How beautiful, to see this couple begin their married life together. How beautiful to welcome God, their family, and their friends into this marriage.  Congratulations, Greg & Natalie!

Greed is good. Not.

“Greed is good.” That line was made famous in the movie, Wall Street.  But greed is not good.  It is one of the seven deadly sins, the seven capital vices. The vice of greed needs to be pried open a little bit at a time.  And once you've slipped from its jaws, you will know what it means to be free indeed.  Genesis 13.  Join us, on Sunday, August 9 at 10 a.m. as we continue our sermon series on the 7 deadly sins.

Sloth- it's not about being lazy

Contrary to what we typically assume, sloth is not the synonym of laziness.  Sloth involves taking the path of least resistance, avoiding change and confrontation, even when it is necessary. Too often, non-action seems like a wise course of action.  But when we fail to act, to move forward, to step out, we are failing in our ministry; we are failing God who expects so much more from us.  We need God’s divine power to beat this one.  Our sermon text is II Peter 1:3-11.  Sunday, August 2, 2015, 10 a.m.

Vainglory- Image is Everything

Everywhere we turn, we find an "excessive and disordered desire for recognition and approval from others" (Glittering Vices, by Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung).  We work hard to project an image that is often little more than a mask or a charade.  Image really is everything, but only when we seek our approval in the right places.  Each of us bears the image of our Creator. That image is truly worth boasting about.
We will hear about this vice, vainglory, in our second message of our series on the Seven Deadly Sins.  Sunday, July 26, 10 a.m.

Envy is the ulcer of the soul

"Envy is the ulcer of the soul," said Socrates.  
The 7 deadly sins:  quaint relic from the pat? A ball and chain (also known as "the law") from which we post Reformation types have been liberated? An intriguing topic for filmakers?  This Sunday we begin a sermon series on the 7 deadly sins.  We begin with that green monster:  envy.  July 19, 2015, 10 a.m.

What were they thinking?

What were they thinking?  Well, here is a bit of what they were thinking:

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not shouting "I'm clean living.'"

I'm whispering "I was lost,

Now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I don't speak of this with pride.

I'm confessing that I stumble

and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not trying to be strong.

I'm professing that I'm weak

And need His strength to carry on.

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not bragging of success...

I'm admitting I have failed

And need God to clean my mess.

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not claiming to be perfect,

My flaws are far too visible

But, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I still feel the sting of pain.

I have my share of heartaches

So I call upon His name.

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not holier than thou,

I'm just a simple sinner

Who received God's good grace, somehow!

And...

My only comfort, both in life and in death, is that

That I am not my own,

But that I belong

To my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ.

He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,

And has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.

He also watches over me in such a way

That not a hair can fall from my head

Without the will of my Father in heaven;:

In fact, all things must work together for my salvation.

Because I belong to him,

Christ, by his Holy Spirit,

Assures me of eternal life

And makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready

From now on to live for him.

And...

That God has used so many people in my life to draw me closer to him. 

My parents raising me in a Christian home and teaching me how to pray, the importance of attending church, going to youth group, and doing personal devotions.

My grandparents, a Christian family, my friends--all have helped my faith to grow.

Those are some of the things that Derek DeGelder, Philip Zuidema, Sierra Bassie, Jacob Wonder and Summer Bassie were thinking when they made public profession of their faith yesterday.  May God  bless each of you richly, as you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).

What was I thinking?

The recent shark attacks may cause us to reconsider going for a swim in the ocean.  It's safer to just stay home.  Following Jesus also comes with risks; we head into dangerous territory when we commit our lives to him.  And yet, this Sunday, five young people are going to do just that: they are going to publicly profess their faith in Jesus and their desire to live for him.  In Matthew 4 we read about how Jesus called his first disciples.  They "immediately" left what they were doing to follow him.  There would have been plenty of times when they may have wondered "what was I thinking."
The call from Jesus is not to be resisted.  And he will equip us for any dangers or risks we may encounter.  Join us this Sunday, July 5, at 10 am for a service of praise.  We will also be celebrating the sacrament of the Lord's Supper.