LaGrave Live, March 1, 2026

LaGrave Live LIVE Evening Worship Service - Don’t Run On Ahead - 2026-03-01 About The Service: We will meditate on Exodus 2: 11-22 with the message: “Don’t Run On Ahead.” Chad Boorsma will preach. Order of Worship: https://lagrave.org/wp-content/upload... About Us: We are a traditional CRC church in the middle of Downtown Grand Rapids, MI, worshipping at 8:40am, 11:00am, and 6:00pm. (10:00am and 6:00pm during the summer months) We'd love to hear from you: Connection: https://www.lagrave.org/contact Let us pray for you: Prayer: https://www.lagrave.org/prayerrequest/ Giving: https://www.elexiogiving.com/App/Givi... The March special offering is for Mel Trotter Ministries. Mel Trotter Ministries provides shelter for individuals and families with services including: meals, emergency shelter, transitional housing assistance, case management. Listen on the go: Amazon Music: https://bit.ly/LGPodAmazonMusic Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3tuOdwQ Google Podcast: https://bit.ly/LGPodGoogle Soundcloud: / lagravecrc Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3yXDFaT Follow us! Facebook: / lagravecrc Instagram: / lagravecrc Website: https://www.lagrave.org #LaGrave #LaGraveCRC This worship service at LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church explores the intersection of God's eternal providence and the human struggle to follow His timing. Through the lens of Psalm 90 and the early life of Moses, the message challenges believers to move from self-driven ambition to a life of surrendered servanthood. Foundations of Providence and Human Fragility The service opened with a prayer based on the Belgic Confession, Article 13, acknowledging that God governs all things according to His holy will and that nothing happens by chance. This theme of divine sovereignty was further explored through a responsive reading of Psalm 90, often considered the oldest psalm in the Psalter. The congregation reflected on God's eternal nature—existing before the mountains were born—contrasted with the brevity of human life, which is described as grass that withers by evening. These reflections served as a call to recognize human limitations and the necessity of finding a "dwelling place" in God throughout all generations. The Contrast of the "Cinematic" vs. Biblical Moses The sermon addressed the popular cultural depictions of Moses, such as those in The Ten Commandments or The Prince of Egypt, which often portray him as a consistently confident, "debonair" hero. However, the biblical narrative reveals a much harsher reality. Moses was born into a period of intense persecution and infanticide under a threatened Pharaoh. His survival was not a matter of cinematic luck but the result of his mother Jochebed’s clever planning and the direct providence of God, who placed him in the heart of the Egyptian palace to be nurtured in the wisdom of the empire. The Danger of Running Ahead of God A pivotal moment in Moses' life occurred when he attempted to take justice into his own hands by killing an Egyptian taskmaster. While his intentions to help his people were sincere, he acted "deliberately and according to a plan he concocted" without consulting God. This "self-driven life" led to a sinking heart and forced exile. The sermon illustrated this through a modern example of a pastor who attempted to force a neighborhood evangelism program too quickly, resulting in an empty event because he had not earned the congregation's trust or waited for God's timing. The School of Servanthood in Midian Moses' 40-year exile in Midian is portrayed as a period of divine reorientation. At a well in a barren land, God began to mold Moses' character through small, seemingly insignificant tasks, such as protecting seven women from shepherds. This stage of life taught Moses that a servant's duty is simply to do the "next task" available. This principle was echoed in the story of a modern-day church member who served as a helper to her husband with MS for 46 years, illustrating that true servanthood is found in daily faithfulness rather than personal glory. The Ultimate Example: Christ’s Surrender The sermon concluded by pointing to Jesus Christ as the "far greater example" of servanthood. Unlike Moses' early impulsive actions, Jesus demonstrated complete surrender in the Garden of Gethsemane, praying, "Yet not my will, but yours be done." While Moses served faithfully in God’s house, Jesus is the faithful Son whose journey to the cross provides the ultimate model for believers to follow God's ways and timing through the power of the Holy Spirit. The life of Moses serves as a profound reminder that God’s servants are not born in palaces but molded in the wilderness. By surrendering personal agendas and waiting on divine timing, believers can move from the "disrepair and turmoil" of self-driven lives into the "holy rest" of God's eternal purposes.