Produced and Delivered Web-TV Programming
LaGrave Live
LIVE Morning Worship Service 06-21-2026
Small Things with Great Love
About The Service:
June 21 is SERVE Sunday! Pastor Jonker will be leading us in worship, and his sermon will be based on Job 5:9.
Order of Worship:
https://lagrave.org/wp-content/uploads/2026-6-21-AM-Order-of-Worship.pdf
About the Church:
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/Giving/lagr107178
The June special offering is for Pine Rest Patient Assistance Fund: Part of Pine Rest Foundation Fund offering financial assistance for individuals, families and children who need care.
Listen on the go:
Amazon Music: https://bit.ly/LGPodAmazonMusic
Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3tuOdwQ
Google Podcast: https://bit.ly/LGPodGoogle
Soundcloud: / lagravecrc https://soundcloud.com/lagravecrc
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3yXDFaT
Follow us!
Facebook: / lagravecrc https://www.facebook.com/lagravecrc
Instagram: / lagravecrc https://www.instagram.com/lagravecrc
Website: https://www.lagrave.org
#LaGrave #LaGraveCRC
Faith, Service, and the Hidden Strength of Love
A Service Shaped by Surprise and Surrender
The service opens with a welcome to LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church and a special greeting to the Serve Week participants from Wisconsin, Iowa, and Michigan. The worship leader introduces the theme "Surprised by God," inviting the congregation to consider whether God's unexpected leading brings joy, anxiety, or both. The opening reflection calls worshipers to confess the ways they rely on their own understanding instead of listening to the Spirit's guidance.
Confession, Grace, and the Spirit's Guidance
The congregation joins in a prayer of confession, acknowledging sin in thought, word, and deed and asking God to correct their lives. The assurance of pardon is drawn from Ephesians 2, emphasizing grace as God's gift and reminding the congregation that they are created in Christ Jesus for good works. The pastoral prayer continues this theme by asking God to consecrate the congregation's lives, hands, and wills for service.
Prayers for Service, Healing, and Trust
The prayer section lifts up the Serve team as young people and leaders prepare to serve the local community. It also remembers missionaries Daniel and Priscilla Cummings and prays for health-care work in Angola. Several members and loved ones are named in prayer for recovery, surgery, deep brain stimulation treatment, and strength for a premature baby named Oliver in the NICU, with the worship leader framing these concerns as acts of trust placed into God's hands.
Encouragement for Children and Serve Participants
Ms. Rachel leads the children's message by explaining encouragement as saying or doing something that helps someone feel supported, joyful, or happy. She connects encouragement to the Serve participants, who will be pulling weeds, building, cleaning, and serving food during the week. The children practice encouragement by waving and saying, "You can do it," and the congregation reminds the children that they are loved by Jesus.
Naaman, the Servant Girl, and Two Kinds of Power
The sermon centers on 2 Kings 5:1-6, focusing not on Naaman's public power but on the unnamed Israelite servant girl who points him toward the prophet in Samaria. The speaker describes Naaman as a man of military influence, wealth, and status, then contrasts him with a young captive girl who has endured trauma, displacement, and servitude. Despite her suffering, she holds onto faith and speaks with compassion toward the very household connected to her pain.
Small Acts of Love as the Strongest Gift
The sermon argues that the servant girl's faith and love reveal a deeper power than status, money, or military strength. Her words lead Naaman toward healing and a changed heart, showing that small acts done in love can carry the power of God's kingdom. The message closes by applying this lesson to the Serve participants and the broader congregation, urging everyone to serve with hope, love, and the strength of the risen Lord.
LIVE Morning Worship Service 06-21-2026
Small Things with Great Love
About The Service:
June 21 is SERVE Sunday! Pastor Jonker will be leading us in worship, and his sermon will be based on Job 5:9.
Order of Worship:
https://lagrave.org/wp-content/uploads/2026-6-21-AM-Order-of-Worship.pdf
About the Church:
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/Giving/lagr107178
The June special offering is for Pine Rest Patient Assistance Fund: Part of Pine Rest Foundation Fund offering financial assistance for individuals, families and children who need care.
Listen on the go:
Amazon Music: https://bit.ly/LGPodAmazonMusic
Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3tuOdwQ
Google Podcast: https://bit.ly/LGPodGoogle
Soundcloud: / lagravecrc https://soundcloud.com/lagravecrc
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3yXDFaT
Follow us!
Facebook: / lagravecrc https://www.facebook.com/lagravecrc
Instagram: / lagravecrc https://www.instagram.com/lagravecrc
Website: https://www.lagrave.org
#LaGrave #LaGraveCRC
Faith, Service, and the Hidden Strength of Love
A Service Shaped by Surprise and Surrender
The service opens with a welcome to LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church and a special greeting to the Serve Week participants from Wisconsin, Iowa, and Michigan. The worship leader introduces the theme "Surprised by God," inviting the congregation to consider whether God's unexpected leading brings joy, anxiety, or both. The opening reflection calls worshipers to confess the ways they rely on their own understanding instead of listening to the Spirit's guidance.
Confession, Grace, and the Spirit's Guidance
The congregation joins in a prayer of confession, acknowledging sin in thought, word, and deed and asking God to correct their lives. The assurance of pardon is drawn from Ephesians 2, emphasizing grace as God's gift and reminding the congregation that they are created in Christ Jesus for good works. The pastoral prayer continues this theme by asking God to consecrate the congregation's lives, hands, and wills for service.
Prayers for Service, Healing, and Trust
The prayer section lifts up the Serve team as young people and leaders prepare to serve the local community. It also remembers missionaries Daniel and Priscilla Cummings and prays for health-care work in Angola. Several members and loved ones are named in prayer for recovery, surgery, deep brain stimulation treatment, and strength for a premature baby named Oliver in the NICU, with the worship leader framing these concerns as acts of trust placed into God's hands.
Encouragement for Children and Serve Participants
Ms. Rachel leads the children's message by explaining encouragement as saying or doing something that helps someone feel supported, joyful, or happy. She connects encouragement to the Serve participants, who will be pulling weeds, building, cleaning, and serving food during the week. The children practice encouragement by waving and saying, "You can do it," and the congregation reminds the children that they are loved by Jesus.
Naaman, the Servant Girl, and Two Kinds of Power
The sermon centers on 2 Kings 5:1-6, focusing not on Naaman's public power but on the unnamed Israelite servant girl who points him toward the prophet in Samaria. The speaker describes Naaman as a man of military influence, wealth, and status, then contrasts him with a young captive girl who has endured trauma, displacement, and servitude. Despite her suffering, she holds onto faith and speaks with compassion toward the very household connected to her pain.
Small Acts of Love as the Strongest Gift
The sermon argues that the servant girl's faith and love reveal a deeper power than status, money, or military strength. Her words lead Naaman toward healing and a changed heart, showing that small acts done in love can carry the power of God's kingdom. The message closes by applying this lesson to the Serve participants and the broader congregation, urging everyone to serve with hope, love, and the strength of the risen Lord.
Raising Expectations with Pastor Joe Schofield, Melba Schofield, Stefanie Thayer, Dr. Craig Thayer, Dr. Paul Hall, and Ron Greer
Comedy, Courage, and the Cost of Discipleship in America Today
Guest, Conservative Comedian: Brad Stine!
Friends,,
Tonight we have special guest, Brad Stine, God's Comic!
Brad Stine pulls no punches as he takes on cancel culture, political correctness, and the upside-down logic of modern America. With his signature blend of righteous outrage and razor-sharp wit, Stine challenges the cultural gatekeepers, defends free speech, and dares audiences to laugh at what we're all thinking but too afraid to say.
Recorded live in Nashville, Tennessee and produced by Honest Fox Media, this unapologetically honest performance hits hot-button topics like identity politics, free speech, race, gender, COVID mandates, and America's spiritual crisis—all rooted in Stine’s deep convictions as a conservative Christian.
Whether he's dissecting the absurdity of word policing or poking fun at generational fragility, Brad reminds us that comedy is meant to provoke, unite, and most of all—set us free.
This is more than a comedy show. It’s a call to courage. It’s truth wrapped in laughter. It’s a reminder that freedom isn’t free—and sometimes the most rebellious thing you can do is laugh.
Laugh hard. Speak truth. And above all—laugh while it’s still legal!
Don’t Miss Brad Stine- God has a message just for you…
Check out more of Brad Stine's work on his website:
https://bradstine.com/
Don't forget to follow Brad Stine's Podcast: Brad Stine Has Issues on Youtube!
https://www.youtube.com/c/bradstinehasissues
Faith, Family, and a Night of Bold Conversation
In this episode of Raising Expectations, Pastor Joe Schofield opens the program by welcoming listeners and reminding them that the show is rooted in faith in Jesus Christ, the belief that Christ answers the deepest questions of life, and the desire to help people raise their expectations from “good to better to best together.” He introduces the full team: Melba Schofield, Stefanie Thayer, Dr. Craig Thayer, Dr. Paul Hall, and Ron Greer, each presented as part of a faith-centered family of believers committed to truth, grace, encouragement, and Christian witness.
Introducing Brad Stine, “God’s Comic”
The guest for the hour is conservative comedian Brad Stine, described as a nationally known performer whose comedy takes on cancel culture, political correctness, free speech, identity, gender, COVID mandates, race, politics, and America’s spiritual crisis. Pastor Joe notes that Brad has been called “God’s Comic” and recalls meeting him personally in church settings where his humor and ministry made a strong impression. The show then plays an extended clip of Brad’s stand-up, giving listeners a sense of his rapid-fire style, cultural commentary, sarcasm, and willingness to confront controversial subjects directly.
Laughing at the Language of Cultural Confusion
In the comedy clip, Brad takes on modern identity politics, pronouns, cancel culture, and the way language is used to redefine reality. He jokes about being a man “the old-fashioned way,” being Christian, being white, and being conservative, while arguing that people are often manipulated through changing definitions. He uses examples such as “super spreader,” “peaceful protest,” “insurrection,” “domestic terrorist,” and “safe for democracy” to make the point that whoever controls language can control public perception. His larger message is that people must learn to “laugh while it’s legal” and call out what he sees as cultural absurdity.
Conserving Common Sense
Brad explains in the clip that being conservative does not necessarily mean being loyal to a political party. He says he wants to conserve the original intent of the Constitution, history, wisdom, and common sense. He criticizes elites and billionaires who, in his view, tell ordinary people how to live while promoting climate policies that he finds hypocritical or impractical. His jokes about cows, flatulence, windmills, fossil fuels, and miniature cow-powered turbines use absurdity to make a broader point about energy, environmental policy, and what he sees as the loss of practical reasoning.
From Stand-Up Comedy to Ministry
After the clip, Brad joins the conversation and explains how he began as a stand-up comic in nightclubs while maintaining his Christian convictions. He says he avoided profanity and sexual material because he wanted to compete at the highest level without compromising his faith. Over time, he felt drawn beyond entertainment into ministry. Comedy, he says, became the “flavor” or delivery system for a deeper message about culture, freedom, faith, discipleship, and America’s need to remember what made it free and spiritually grounded.
A Missionary to America
Brad describes himself as a “missionary to America.” He says he loves the country without worshiping it, believes America is historically significant and uniquely free, and feels responsible for defending both religious liberty and the Christian foundations that shaped the nation. He argues that cultural Marxism, progressive ideology, secular religion, and spiritual deception are working to weaken the West from within. For Brad, comedy is not merely entertainment; it is a way to confront what he sees as lies, hypocrisy, and spiritual compromise.
Christianity Versus Discipleship
One of the strongest themes of the conversation is Brad’s distinction between being a “Christian” in name and being a true disciple. He says many American churchgoers treat Christianity as a label rather than a costly calling. Salvation, he explains, is free because of Christ’s work, but discipleship costs everything. Brad argues that believers in America often have not had to suffer for their faith in the way believers do in places such as Nigeria, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, Myanmar, India, North Korea, China, and other countries where persecution is real and visible.
The Cost of Truth
The team discusses suffering, boldness, and the willingness to speak truth even when it causes offense. Brad says truth is supposed to offend when it exposes what is false, because conviction is meant to lead people toward repentance and freedom. Dr. Paul Hall connects this to Scripture, especially the idea that Christ’s suffering was central to salvation and that believers should not be surprised when following Christ also involves suffering. Brad and the hosts agree that American churches often avoid this message because it is uncomfortable, but they see it as essential to authentic faith.
Comedy as a Gift Given Back to God
Dr. Craig Thayer comments on Brad’s ability to take cultural untruths and expose them through humor. Brad responds by reflecting on the meaning of a spiritual gift. A gift, he says, is not something a person earned or created; it is something given. Because of that, no one should brag about it or treat it as a personal trophy. The only faithful response is to give the gift back to God so it can be used for His purposes. Brad says his comedy, communication style, and boldness are not superior to anyone else’s gifts, but they are the specific tools God entrusted to him.
Inspiring Others to Speak
Brad says people often thank him for being brave or for saying what they were thinking but were afraid to say. While he appreciates that encouragement, he also tells listeners that inspiration should lead to action. If his boldness inspires someone, then that person should “go forth and do likewise” in the territory God has assigned them. He stresses that every believer has a “Nineveh,” a specific area of responsibility where they are called to speak, serve, and obey.
The Church as a Place of Refreshing and Sending
Brad also challenges the idea that church is mainly where nonbelievers should be brought to get saved. He says the church is where believers should be strengthened, refreshed, and equipped so they can go into the marketplace and share the gospel. This leads to a broader critique of what he sees as shallow American Christianity, where church attendance can replace actual discipleship, courage, and public witness. For Brad, the church must train believers to carry truth into the world, not merely gather comfortably inside church walls.
Speaking Truth With Love and Boldness
Stefanie Thayer shares a recent personal experience about having a difficult conversation with someone who was unchurched and surprisingly open to spiritual truth. She reflects that people outside the church may sometimes be more receptive than those shaped by denominational comfort or religious assumptions. Brad agrees that love without truth is not truly love. The conversation emphasizes that Christians are called to speak boldly, but with purpose, conviction, and obedience, not with cruelty or arrogance.
Dangerous Times and a Willingness to Keep Going
Brad acknowledges that his kind of comedy and ministry can come with real risk. He speaks about opposition, threats, and the possibility that the cultural climate may become more hostile toward Christians and conservatives. Still, he says he intends to keep speaking. The hosts respond by affirming their prayers for Brad, his family, and his ministry. Brad says he has seen growing interest from churches, conservative groups, GOP events, and ministries that now recognize the importance of the warnings he has been giving for decades.
Closing With Prayer, Gratitude, and Raised Expectations
The episode closes with Pastor Joe thanking Brad for his time, courage, and ministry. Brad directs listeners to BradStine.com, mentions his podcast Brad Stine Has Issues, and says he is available for comedy events, church services, men’s events, apologetics, marriage conferences, and other ministry settings. Pastor Joe and the team promise to keep him in prayer and close the program by reminding listeners to keep raising expectations in their homes, hearts, faith, families, and future.
Comedy, Courage, and the Cost of Discipleship in America Today
Guest, Conservative Comedian: Brad Stine!
Friends,,
Tonight we have special guest, Brad Stine, God's Comic!
Brad Stine pulls no punches as he takes on cancel culture, political correctness, and the upside-down logic of modern America. With his signature blend of righteous outrage and razor-sharp wit, Stine challenges the cultural gatekeepers, defends free speech, and dares audiences to laugh at what we're all thinking but too afraid to say.
Recorded live in Nashville, Tennessee and produced by Honest Fox Media, this unapologetically honest performance hits hot-button topics like identity politics, free speech, race, gender, COVID mandates, and America's spiritual crisis—all rooted in Stine’s deep convictions as a conservative Christian.
Whether he's dissecting the absurdity of word policing or poking fun at generational fragility, Brad reminds us that comedy is meant to provoke, unite, and most of all—set us free.
This is more than a comedy show. It’s a call to courage. It’s truth wrapped in laughter. It’s a reminder that freedom isn’t free—and sometimes the most rebellious thing you can do is laugh.
Laugh hard. Speak truth. And above all—laugh while it’s still legal!
Don’t Miss Brad Stine- God has a message just for you…
Check out more of Brad Stine's work on his website:
https://bradstine.com/
Don't forget to follow Brad Stine's Podcast: Brad Stine Has Issues on Youtube!
https://www.youtube.com/c/bradstinehasissues
Faith, Family, and a Night of Bold Conversation
In this episode of Raising Expectations, Pastor Joe Schofield opens the program by welcoming listeners and reminding them that the show is rooted in faith in Jesus Christ, the belief that Christ answers the deepest questions of life, and the desire to help people raise their expectations from “good to better to best together.” He introduces the full team: Melba Schofield, Stefanie Thayer, Dr. Craig Thayer, Dr. Paul Hall, and Ron Greer, each presented as part of a faith-centered family of believers committed to truth, grace, encouragement, and Christian witness.
Introducing Brad Stine, “God’s Comic”
The guest for the hour is conservative comedian Brad Stine, described as a nationally known performer whose comedy takes on cancel culture, political correctness, free speech, identity, gender, COVID mandates, race, politics, and America’s spiritual crisis. Pastor Joe notes that Brad has been called “God’s Comic” and recalls meeting him personally in church settings where his humor and ministry made a strong impression. The show then plays an extended clip of Brad’s stand-up, giving listeners a sense of his rapid-fire style, cultural commentary, sarcasm, and willingness to confront controversial subjects directly.
Laughing at the Language of Cultural Confusion
In the comedy clip, Brad takes on modern identity politics, pronouns, cancel culture, and the way language is used to redefine reality. He jokes about being a man “the old-fashioned way,” being Christian, being white, and being conservative, while arguing that people are often manipulated through changing definitions. He uses examples such as “super spreader,” “peaceful protest,” “insurrection,” “domestic terrorist,” and “safe for democracy” to make the point that whoever controls language can control public perception. His larger message is that people must learn to “laugh while it’s legal” and call out what he sees as cultural absurdity.
Conserving Common Sense
Brad explains in the clip that being conservative does not necessarily mean being loyal to a political party. He says he wants to conserve the original intent of the Constitution, history, wisdom, and common sense. He criticizes elites and billionaires who, in his view, tell ordinary people how to live while promoting climate policies that he finds hypocritical or impractical. His jokes about cows, flatulence, windmills, fossil fuels, and miniature cow-powered turbines use absurdity to make a broader point about energy, environmental policy, and what he sees as the loss of practical reasoning.
From Stand-Up Comedy to Ministry
After the clip, Brad joins the conversation and explains how he began as a stand-up comic in nightclubs while maintaining his Christian convictions. He says he avoided profanity and sexual material because he wanted to compete at the highest level without compromising his faith. Over time, he felt drawn beyond entertainment into ministry. Comedy, he says, became the “flavor” or delivery system for a deeper message about culture, freedom, faith, discipleship, and America’s need to remember what made it free and spiritually grounded.
A Missionary to America
Brad describes himself as a “missionary to America.” He says he loves the country without worshiping it, believes America is historically significant and uniquely free, and feels responsible for defending both religious liberty and the Christian foundations that shaped the nation. He argues that cultural Marxism, progressive ideology, secular religion, and spiritual deception are working to weaken the West from within. For Brad, comedy is not merely entertainment; it is a way to confront what he sees as lies, hypocrisy, and spiritual compromise.
Christianity Versus Discipleship
One of the strongest themes of the conversation is Brad’s distinction between being a “Christian” in name and being a true disciple. He says many American churchgoers treat Christianity as a label rather than a costly calling. Salvation, he explains, is free because of Christ’s work, but discipleship costs everything. Brad argues that believers in America often have not had to suffer for their faith in the way believers do in places such as Nigeria, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, Myanmar, India, North Korea, China, and other countries where persecution is real and visible.
The Cost of Truth
The team discusses suffering, boldness, and the willingness to speak truth even when it causes offense. Brad says truth is supposed to offend when it exposes what is false, because conviction is meant to lead people toward repentance and freedom. Dr. Paul Hall connects this to Scripture, especially the idea that Christ’s suffering was central to salvation and that believers should not be surprised when following Christ also involves suffering. Brad and the hosts agree that American churches often avoid this message because it is uncomfortable, but they see it as essential to authentic faith.
Comedy as a Gift Given Back to God
Dr. Craig Thayer comments on Brad’s ability to take cultural untruths and expose them through humor. Brad responds by reflecting on the meaning of a spiritual gift. A gift, he says, is not something a person earned or created; it is something given. Because of that, no one should brag about it or treat it as a personal trophy. The only faithful response is to give the gift back to God so it can be used for His purposes. Brad says his comedy, communication style, and boldness are not superior to anyone else’s gifts, but they are the specific tools God entrusted to him.
Inspiring Others to Speak
Brad says people often thank him for being brave or for saying what they were thinking but were afraid to say. While he appreciates that encouragement, he also tells listeners that inspiration should lead to action. If his boldness inspires someone, then that person should “go forth and do likewise” in the territory God has assigned them. He stresses that every believer has a “Nineveh,” a specific area of responsibility where they are called to speak, serve, and obey.
The Church as a Place of Refreshing and Sending
Brad also challenges the idea that church is mainly where nonbelievers should be brought to get saved. He says the church is where believers should be strengthened, refreshed, and equipped so they can go into the marketplace and share the gospel. This leads to a broader critique of what he sees as shallow American Christianity, where church attendance can replace actual discipleship, courage, and public witness. For Brad, the church must train believers to carry truth into the world, not merely gather comfortably inside church walls.
Speaking Truth With Love and Boldness
Stefanie Thayer shares a recent personal experience about having a difficult conversation with someone who was unchurched and surprisingly open to spiritual truth. She reflects that people outside the church may sometimes be more receptive than those shaped by denominational comfort or religious assumptions. Brad agrees that love without truth is not truly love. The conversation emphasizes that Christians are called to speak boldly, but with purpose, conviction, and obedience, not with cruelty or arrogance.
Dangerous Times and a Willingness to Keep Going
Brad acknowledges that his kind of comedy and ministry can come with real risk. He speaks about opposition, threats, and the possibility that the cultural climate may become more hostile toward Christians and conservatives. Still, he says he intends to keep speaking. The hosts respond by affirming their prayers for Brad, his family, and his ministry. Brad says he has seen growing interest from churches, conservative groups, GOP events, and ministries that now recognize the importance of the warnings he has been giving for decades.
Closing With Prayer, Gratitude, and Raised Expectations
The episode closes with Pastor Joe thanking Brad for his time, courage, and ministry. Brad directs listeners to BradStine.com, mentions his podcast Brad Stine Has Issues, and says he is available for comedy events, church services, men’s events, apologetics, marriage conferences, and other ministry settings. Pastor Joe and the team promise to keep him in prayer and close the program by reminding listeners to keep raising expectations in their homes, hearts, faith, families, and future.
