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 make you immune to spiritual attack—it puts you on the front lines of it.

Through Scripture, community, and Freedom in Faith Ministries she grew in her understanding of the authority she had in Christ. Lily discovered what it means to “take back ground” the enemy had stolen and to reclaim her identity, no longer defined by fear but by Christ.

The episode also features Karl, a filmmaker with a decades-long calling to tell “Kingdom Stories,” who shares how God orchestrated the timing, relationships, and vision that led to Lily’s story being told through film and podcast. In a beautiful picture of divine alignment, Karl and Lily both attended Crossroads, sitting only about ten feet from each other—yet they didn’t know one another. All the while, God was preparing both of them: Lily to be set free and to share her story, and Karl to be ready to tell it.

Rooahk Films: Rooahk is a digital platform using visual storytelling to showcase the movement of God, working with the Holy Spirit to speak into people’s lives. On our YouTube channel you'll find short films, podcast conversations and more, where we observe people's real life experiences, exploring how their lives have been transformed.

Freedom in Faith Ministries: Serving the Greater Grand Rapids community and beyond by bringing the hope of Jesus Christ to those who are hurting through biblical counseling.

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 is empty, the broken who are bound, and the comfortable who are spiritually asleep — bringing them not only to Christ, but into one family through the cross.

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 exploration of these questions through the writings of the Apostle Paul. Drawing from Neil Martin’s work, this podcast re-examines justification, the tension between faith and works, and the ways Paul envisioned Jews and Gentiles relating differently—and faithfully—to the Law.

By re-situating the text in its original Jewish and pagan context, Martin exposes the pressures facing the Galatian churches and the church in Acts 15 and shows why Paul’s letter remains urgent for the church today. Each episode not only deepens our understanding of justification, but presses listeners to wrestle with how theology shapes communal life, belonging, and faithfulness.

Preacher: Tryg Veker

Text: Acts 15

Sermon Link: ⁠⁠⁠HERE

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 through Advent together. It was meaningful, life-giving, and didn’t feel finished. Then, months later on a summer run, the idea came back. Melinda would write a new Advent study, and Maddy would handle the logistics—sign-ups, groups, meeting spots, and making the whole thing actually happen.

Now there are 56 people, five small groups, a kickoff night, weeks of shared Scripture, a caroling and worship night, and one final gathering to close it all out.

This conversation is about small beginnings, shared leadership, and how God builds community through ordinary obedience. The Kingdom of Heaven is like… people saying yes and showing up together.

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 housing, employment support, discipleship, and true belonging.

Mission: Amiina Ministries in Uganda, where Kevin and Marcy Smith are restoring hope, rebuilding lives, and raising up a generation to break cycles of poverty and strengthen families.

As we reflect on how God has worked this year, we invite you to prayerfully consider partnering through year-end giving so these ministries can continue to flourish.

⁠⁠GIVE HERE

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 housing, employment support, discipleship, and true belonging.

Mission: Amiina Ministries in Uganda, where Kevin and Marcy Smith are restoring hope, rebuilding lives, and raising up a generation to break cycles of poverty and strengthen families.

As we reflect on how God has worked this year, we invite you to prayerfully consider partnering through year-end giving so these ministries can continue to flourish.

⁠GIVE HERE

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 helplessness while trusting completely in God’s ability to break chains, open doors, and rewrite what seems impossible. But even when God answers, they're response is refreshingly human. This story invites us to recover a posture of prayer that is desperate, confident, and alive to God’s surprising interventions.

Preacher: Rod VanSolkema

Text: Acts 13

Sermon Link: ⁠HERE