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© Crossroads Bible Church
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Breaking down sermons, stories, and Scripture to prepare Crossroads and beyond for the race of our faith.
139 Episodes
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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 it means to rediscover hope when prayers seem unanswered. Many of us have lived in the tension between faith and frustration, and this conversation will invite you to slow down, listen deeply, and receive Advent as a season of quiet transformation.Preacher: AJ SherrillText: Luke 1Sermon Link: HERE
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. Through the stories of Saul, Cornelius, and Peter, we see how God transforms the religious, the powerful, and even seasoned leaders with lingering blind spots. Our conversation with the coach shows how this same transforming work continues today—in locker rooms, in children’s ministry, and across diverse communities.Preacher: Rod VanSolekmaText: Acts 10-11Sermon Link: HERE
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 persecutor to humbled apostle, unpacking how his blindness became a symbol of spiritual death and resurrection, and how God’s grace pursued him even in rebellion. This conversation invites you to reflect on your own story of transformation — to ask where God may be confronting, humbling, or restoring you.Preacher: Rod VanSolkemaPassage: Acts 9Sermon Link: CLICK HERE
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 and consistent care, so our souls grow stronger through surrender, discipline, and grace.We talk about how empathy opens the door to deeper relationships, how behavioral patterns can either hold us back or propel us toward transformation, and why sometimes the best thing you can do for your soul is retreat — to step out of the white noise of daily life and let God realign your story with His.For more information about Men's Retreats, click HERE
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 VanSolkemaPassage: Acts 6-7Sermon 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 VekerPassage: Acts 5:17-42Sermon Link: CLICK HERE
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 integrity rather than pretense. When the Spirit fills the church, there’s no room for fake devotion—only the freedom of truth and holiness in Christ.Preacher: Nathan EnglishPassage: Acts 5:1-16Sermon Link: CLICK HERE
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. Preacher: Rod VanSolkemaPassage: Acts 2 & 4Sermon Link: CLICK HERE
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 from personality or credentials but from being with Jesus. We’ll explore how the gospel both offends and transforms, why conviction outweighs credentials, and why the Spirit still calls ordinary people to extraordinary courage today.Preacher: Tryg VekerPassage: Acts 4:1-22Sermon Link: CLICK HERE
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 reluctant trip to a retreat in the mountains of North Carolina disrupted everything, God met him in a way he never expected. This is a story of exposure, surrender, and the kind of freedom only found when the masks come off.Kurt now supports the community in which he lives and most specifically Hudsonville athletics. His proudest contribution is to serve on the board of Grace Adventures, volunteer with Eastern Ottawa Young Life, and participate in and serve on The Road Ministry and Warriors Set Free.
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 the restoration of God’s people to His presence.
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 reflect on what it means for our lives today.Preacher: Rod VanSolkemaPassage: Acts 2Sermon Link: CLICK HERE
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. Acts 1 reminds us that the Kingdom of Heaven is not a distant escape but God’s reign breaking into our world through His people. As Christ commissions His followers to witness “to the ends of the earth,” we face the same challenge today: Will we submit to Jesus as King and live in the power of His Spirit?Preacher: Rod VanSolkemaPassage: Acts 1Sermon Link: CLICK HERE
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 through sports?• What story do your words and reactions tell your kids about their worth?• Can we help them play like it matters—precisely because it doesn’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 season.Preacher: Rod VanSolkemaPassage: 2 Kings 6Sermon Link: CLICK HERE
We sit down with Shannon Popkin again as we dive into the story of Naaman from 2 Kings 5—a powerful commander whose greatness couldn’t hide his deeper sickness of pride. Though Naaman wore the garments of success, his leprosy exposed his weakness and need. Redemption came not through his strength, but through the faith of a powerless slave girl and God’s simple call to humility. Behind it all, God’s sovereign hand used suffering to bring healing and salvation. This story ultimately points us to Christ, the true suffering servant, who entered the ultimate Jordan of death to make us whole. Preacher: Rod VanSolkemaPassage: 2 Kings 5Sermon Link: CLICK HERE
We sit down with Ryan and Bri Conners as we journey through the story of the Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4 — a story that moves from the heartbreak of hope, to the distress of death, to the relentless fight for life. We sat down with Ryan and Bri to talk about the wrestle of their faith through Ryan’s brain cancer journey, and how their story echoes the defiant hope we see in Scripture. Along the way, we wrestle with the reality that God doesn’t always resurrect now — and discover why that’s not a cause for despair, but a call to deeper faith.Preacher: Tryg VekerPassage: 2 Kings 4Sermon Link: CLICK HERE
In this episode, we sit down with Isaac Teslaa, the newest addition to the Detroit Lions wide receiver room. Born and raised in Grand Rapid's Michigan, Isaac’s journey from local standout to NFL athlete is one marked by faith, family, and relentless perseverance. He shares about growing up in a Christ-centered home to being shaped by the community at Crossroads Bible Church, where his parents have faithfully served for years, and how his spiritual foundation shaped his mindset through college football and the leap to the professional stage with all of its pressures and potential to glorify Christ.
2 Kings 2:1–15 invites us into a powerful handoff moment. Elijah’s mantle—the symbol of prophetic authority—doesn’t just fall randomly; it falls on Elisha, who has counted the cost, surrendered comfort, and asked for a double portion of responsibility, not privilege. What does that mean for us today?Through places like Bethel, Jericho, and the Jordan, we uncover deeper layers of spiritual inheritance and identity, and we wrestle with this question: “Where is the God of Elijah?”—a cry of both desperate need and bold expectation.Link to the Study: HEREPreacher: Tim Bassett Passage: 2 Kings 2Sermon Link: CLICK HERE
We sit down with former Crossroads Pastor and church planter Gabe Hartfield (Visible Church) to discuss this Sunday's sermon. Is it possible that God's voice more often leads us into mystery than into safety? In this episode, we unpack Elisha’s radical response to God’s call—leaving behind wealth, family, and stability in a dramatic act of irreversible obedience. We reflect on Elijah’s fear in 1 Kings 19 and how God gently redirected him rather than rebuking him. Elisha doesn’t just recognize God’s call—he runs after it, burns his plows, and refuses to leave a path back. Gabe shares his own journey from ministry success to depression, and the costly decision to follow God forward instead of clinging to the past. Preacher: Gabriel HartfieldPassage: 1 Kings 19:15-21Sermon Link: CLICK HERE
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