The Locker Room

Join us as we sit down to explore Isaiah chapter 9, the relational dysfunction between God and his people, and the divine hope in the titles applied to the Messiah in this stunning prophecy. What do they mean, and how do they apply to today?

Book Referenced:

Ken Boa Handbook to Prayer: Praying Scripture Back to God

Peacher: Tim Bassett

Text: Isaiah 9

Sermon Link: CLICK HERE

We sit down with Hunter Rowher to talk about Isaiah 6. What happens when we truly see God? Isaiah's vision of God's holiness leads to a deeper understanding of both God and himself. In this episode, we explore why the knowledge of God and the knowledge of self are inseparable—and how God's grace transforms those who encounter His glory.

Preacher: Rod VanSolkema

Text: Isaiah 6

Sermon Link: CLICK HERE

We unpack Isaiah 5 and the powerful parable of the Lord's vineyard: a picture of God's faithful care for His people and His disappointment at the fruit they produced. We explore the six woes Isaiah pronounces against Judah, examining how greed, self-indulgence, pride, injustice, moral confusion, and self-righteousness reveal hearts that have drifted from God. Together, we discuss what these warnings teach us about God's holiness and justice, why judgment is ultimately an act of revelation, and how Isaiah's message still exposes the idols of our own hearts today while pointing us to the hope found in Christ, the true and faithful Vine.

Preacher: Rod VanSolkema

Text: Isaiah 5

Sermon Link: CLICK HERE

We sit down with Shannon Popkin and Noah French to discuss Isaiah 2. Here Isaiah, gives us a vision that is both breathtaking and unsettling. On one hand, it pulls back the curtain on a future where the nations stream to God, where swords become plowshares, and peace finally reigns. On the other, it confronts us with the sobering reality of judgment, the humbling of human pride and the exposure of everything we’ve tried to hide.

In this episode, we unpack the tension at the heart of judgment: it is not just God dealing with sin, it is God revealing Himself. Judgment exposes what’s in us, but it also reveals who He truly is: holy, weighty, unmatched, and utterly glorious.

Preacher : Tryg Veker

Text: Isaiah 2

Sermon Link: CLICK HERE

Back by popular demand, Coach Mike Swider joins us to talk about what it really takes to endure when life gets hard. This conversation gets into resilience that isn’t hype, but forged over time, how faith anchors you in pressure, and why quitting quietly is often the biggest battle. We also talk fatherhood, responsibility, and becoming the kind of man who stays when things get difficult.

Coach Swider is a respected figure in college football, having spent over two decades as the head coach at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. Serving from 1997 to 2021, he became known not only for his success on the field but for his unwavering commitment to character, faith, and leadership beyond the game.

During his 35 years at Wheaton, including 24 as head coach, he amassed 209 career wins with a win percentage over 80%. But what truly set his coaching apart was his dedication to building a program rooted in integrity, humility, accountability, and servant leadership. These weren’t just ideals—they defined the culture, shaping a program as committed to spiritual growth as it was to athletic excellence.

His vision extended far beyond winning games. His goal was to develop young men into leaders—men prepared to make a lasting impact in their families, communities, and the world. His legacy stands as a powerful example of what a Christ-centered life and leadership can produce over time.

Isaiah doesn’t pull punches. He names the sin, unmasks the hypocrisy, and reveals a people far from God while still going through the motions of worship. But right in the middle of the darkness comes one of the most hope-filled promises in all of Scripture: though your sins are like scarlet, they can be made white as snow. Explore Isaiah 1 with us in this podcast!

Preacher: Rod VanSolkema

Text: Isaiah 1

Sermon Link: CLICK HERE

What does it actually look like to meet God in chaos? In this episode, we sit down with Annie VanDyke and wrestle with Philippians 4 in the middle of real battles: OCD, anxiety, and postpartum depression. How do we learn, like Paul, the secret of contentment when our minds won’t slow down and our emotions won’t cooperate?

We explore what it means to cling to Christ when peace feels distant; and how the presence of God can guard your heart and mind even when nothing else makes sense.

Plus, as a bonus, we preview our new sermon Series in Isaiah.

We sit down with David and Sherri VanderVelde to discuss their gritty life lived in reckless pursuit of the Kingdom of God as well as Philippians 4 and the call not to be anxious about anything. What does that mean? How can we apply it?

Preacher: Tryg Veker

Text: Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon Link: CLICK HERE

In this episode, we sit down with Crossroads member Phil Sims to unpack Philippians 3:12-21 and what it really means to mature in Christ. Paul reminds us that the Christian life isn’t about having already arrived, but about pressing on toward Jesus.

So what does spiritual maturity actually look like? What does it feel like to grow, to struggle, to keep moving forward when you’re not where you want to be yet? Together, we explore the tension between grace and effort, the call to perseverance, and how keeping our eyes fixed on Christ reshapes everything.

Preacher: Erik Veker

Text: Philippians 3:12-21

Sermon Link: CLICK HERE

What makes someone right in the eyes of God? We tend to look to our performance and our résumé to justify ourselves, but does that actually work? In this episode, we unpack how Paul dismantles that way of thinking, drawing from Rod’s sermon on Philippians 3:1–11.

Preacher: Rod VanSolkema

Text: Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon Link: CLICK HERE