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LaGrave Live, February 15, 2026
LaGrave Live
LIVE Evening Worship - For You Died... - 2026-02-15
About The Service:
Pastor Jonker will preach on Colossians 3:1-4.
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 February special offering is for The Bridge. The Bridge is part of Arbor Circle, which offers emergency shelter for youths, and additional counseling for youths and their families.
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
This Vesper service at La Grave Avenue Christian Reformed Church explores the profound theological paradox found in Colossians: the declaration that believers have already died. Through scripture, the imagery of C.S. Lewis, and real-world reflections, the service examines the tension between our "ghostly" old selves and the "substantial" new life found in baptism.
The Theology of Rootedness and Righteousness
The service opens with a call to worship from Psalm 84, emphasizing the blessing of those whose strength is in God as they pass through the "Valley of Baca" or suffering. Drawing from Jeremiah 17 and 2 Corinthians 5, the message contrasts two ways of living: the "tumbleweed" life of one rooted in self versus the "tree by the water" rooted in the Lord. This rootedness is further defined by the Heidelberg Catechism, which clarifies that righteousness before God comes not through the worthiness of one's faith, but through the "perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ" credited to the believer by grace alone.
The Paradox of the "Dead" Self
A central challenge of the sermon is Paul’s assertion in Colossians 3:3: "For you died." While this refers to the "death" of the old self in baptism, the reality of daily life often suggests otherwise. The speaker acknowledges the "strange gap" between the theological declaration of death to sin and the persistent experience of temptation, guilt, and hypocrisy. This gap is illustrated through the tragic history of baptized individuals participating in the Holocaust, highlighting that baptism does not magically end the struggle against the old self, which remains "alive and kicking".
Ghostly Wraiths vs. Substantial Souls
Using C.S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce as a framework, the sermon describes the "great interior drama" of life as a choice between becoming a "ghostly" wraith or a "substantial" soul. Sin—such as deceit, rage, or the violence depicted in a seven-year-old’s drawing—makes a person "insubstantial" and "smudgy," like a stain in the air. Conversely, acts of compassion, kindness, and the joy of the Holy Spirit make a person "weighty" and "fully alive." The "true self" is not something believers must manufacture; it is already resurrected and "hidden with Christ in God," waiting to be lived out through the power of the Spirit.
The service concludes with a call to live out the "shining reality" of baptism. While the struggle between the old and new selves defines the human experience, the congregation is encouraged by the fact that their true, resurrected life is already secure in Christ. By the breathing of the Holy Spirit, believers are empowered to turn away from the "ghostly" and embrace the substantial life of grace
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By BBS Radio, BBS Network Inc.LaGrave Live
LIVE Evening Worship - For You Died... - 2026-02-15
About The Service:
Pastor Jonker will preach on Colossians 3:1-4.
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 February special offering is for The Bridge. The Bridge is part of Arbor Circle, which offers emergency shelter for youths, and additional counseling for youths and their families.
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
This Vesper service at La Grave Avenue Christian Reformed Church explores the profound theological paradox found in Colossians: the declaration that believers have already died. Through scripture, the imagery of C.S. Lewis, and real-world reflections, the service examines the tension between our "ghostly" old selves and the "substantial" new life found in baptism.
The Theology of Rootedness and Righteousness
The service opens with a call to worship from Psalm 84, emphasizing the blessing of those whose strength is in God as they pass through the "Valley of Baca" or suffering. Drawing from Jeremiah 17 and 2 Corinthians 5, the message contrasts two ways of living: the "tumbleweed" life of one rooted in self versus the "tree by the water" rooted in the Lord. This rootedness is further defined by the Heidelberg Catechism, which clarifies that righteousness before God comes not through the worthiness of one's faith, but through the "perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ" credited to the believer by grace alone.
The Paradox of the "Dead" Self
A central challenge of the sermon is Paul’s assertion in Colossians 3:3: "For you died." While this refers to the "death" of the old self in baptism, the reality of daily life often suggests otherwise. The speaker acknowledges the "strange gap" between the theological declaration of death to sin and the persistent experience of temptation, guilt, and hypocrisy. This gap is illustrated through the tragic history of baptized individuals participating in the Holocaust, highlighting that baptism does not magically end the struggle against the old self, which remains "alive and kicking".
Ghostly Wraiths vs. Substantial Souls
Using C.S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce as a framework, the sermon describes the "great interior drama" of life as a choice between becoming a "ghostly" wraith or a "substantial" soul. Sin—such as deceit, rage, or the violence depicted in a seven-year-old’s drawing—makes a person "insubstantial" and "smudgy," like a stain in the air. Conversely, acts of compassion, kindness, and the joy of the Holy Spirit make a person "weighty" and "fully alive." The "true self" is not something believers must manufacture; it is already resurrected and "hidden with Christ in God," waiting to be lived out through the power of the Spirit.
The service concludes with a call to live out the "shining reality" of baptism. While the struggle between the old and new selves defines the human experience, the congregation is encouraged by the fact that their true, resurrected life is already secure in Christ. By the breathing of the Holy Spirit, believers are empowered to turn away from the "ghostly" and embrace the substantial life of grace