Messiah will hold its weekly Divine Service on Sunday, February 1st at 10:00 am; the service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page. Messiah’s Preschool children will join us to serve as our choir, wrapping up National Lutheran Schools Week! Adult Bible Class will be held beforehand at 9:00 am, and children’s Sunday School will be held following the Divine Service, beginning about 11:15 am.

While the wisdom of this world promotes prosperity, Jesus teaches humility. Those characteristics that the world might look down on, God calls blessed. While we might be persecuted for these things, God reminds us that our reward is in heaven. For what may seem wise to the world is truly foolish, and what seems foolish to the world - Christ crucified - is wise. Just as He redeemed the Israelites & calls them His own people, so also has He rescued us from our sin. (Micah 6:1-8; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; Matthew 5:1-12)

Messiah will hold its weekly Divine Service on Sunday, January 25th at 10:00 am; the service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page. Adult Bible Class will be held beforehand at 9:00 am, and children’s Sunday School will be held following the Divine Service, beginning about 11:15 am.

God’s great mercy & love are clearly evident in the life-changing experience of Paul on the road to Damascus. There Jesus confronted him & changed his heart, making Paul the great missionary of the early church. The persecution that he once inflicted on others would ultimately be his own lot, but all for final gain, as in his conversion he also received the precious gift of life. (Psalm 89:1, 5, 15-16 & Psalm 119:46; Acts 9:1-22; Galatians 1:11-24; Matthew 19:27-30)

Messiah will hold its weekly Divine Service on Sunday, January 18th at 10:00 am; the service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page. Bible Class will be held beforehand at 9:00 am, and children’s Sunday School will be held following the Divine Service, beginning about 11:15 am. There will also be a dessert reception following worship, to honor Parish Assistant Rick Krueger for his 35 years of service at Messiah.

Who is Jesus? “You are the Christ,” Peter confessed. Together with him the entire church, of whom Jesus is the cornerstone, also confesses that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God. We give thanks to God for Peter & the other apostles who have instructed Christ’s holy church in the divine & saving truth. (Psalm 89:1, 5, 15-16 & Psalm 119:46; Acts 4:8-13; 2 Peter 1:1-15; Mark 8:27-35)

Messiah will hold its weekly Divine Service on Sunday, January 11th at 10:00 am; the service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page. Adult Bible Class will be held beforehand at 9:00 am, and children’s Sunday School will be held following the Divine Service, beginning about 11:15 am.

The triune God - Father, Son & Holy Spirit - converges on this day of Jesus’ own Baptism - confirming the revelation of the prophet Isaiah. Behold Jesus, the servant, claimed by the Father as beloved, will now unleash uncommon justice to the earth, its nations & all its inhabitants. His light will obliterate darkness. His Word will exonerate guilt. Resurrection will trump death. The mortal will claim immortality! All this because Jesus died once for all! (Psalm 2:7–11, 12c & Isaiah 42:1a; Isaiah 42:1-9; Romans 6:1-11; Matthew 3:13-17)

For this joint service Pastor Eric Black of Messiah will preach, Pastor Jason Peterson of St. Peter’s will preside, and the choirs of St. Peter’s and Messiah will offer joint anthems. Like our annual Ascension service, a meal will be held beforehand at 6:00 pm (Chili & soup will be provided; side dishes and desserts to share are welcome!) Epiphany is the season of the Church Year where the light of Christ is revealed to the nations; join us to begin it with God’s Word and the Lord’s Supper!

Light eradicates darkness, illuminates creation’s glory & strips away the shroud of mystery. Christ is the Light to which all kings & authorities bow down. He makes known the mysteries & salvation of God through the apostles & prophets. The Word & will of the Lord is no longer possessed by a singular people, nor is it cloaked in any kind of ambiguity. All are summoned & blessed to worship Christ. He is our exceeding joy in which our hearts thrilll & exult. (Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12)

Messiah will hold its weekly Divine Service on Sunday, January 4th at 10:00 am; the service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page. Adult Bible Class will be held beforehand at 9:00 am, and children’s Sunday School will be held following the Divine Service, beginning about 11:15 am.

Only twelve years old, Jesus, the boy in the temple, is already full of the wisdom of God. As Solomon prayed for wisdom as God’s greatest gift, today we are given a glimpse into God’s wisdom. His wisdom is the greatest & highest wisdom: that a person is not & cannot be saved by his own works or actions, but solely by faith in the gift of Jesus Christ. We become God’s children & His own family by God’s action of adopting us. (Psalm 147:1, 5, 11–12 & John 1:14; 1 Kings 3:4-15; Ephesians 1:3-14; Luke 2:40-52)

Celebrate the eighth day of Christmas & the beginning of 2026 at Messiah’s Divine Service on New Year’s Day, Thursday, January 1st at 10:00 am. . The service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page.

The Lord’s benediction needs to be articulated constantly in our life’s journey, which oscillates back & forth between sin, guilt & confession and mercy, life & grace. The Divine Service unwraps the promises of God in Word & Sacrament, concluding with the comforting words “The Lord bless you & keep you.” And He does! Christ alone justifies us through faith, granting believing Jews & Gentiles an edict of equality - all the faithful are baptized, forgiven heirs of heaven. (Psalm 40:6-8, 16; Numbers 6:22-27; Galatians 3:23-29; Luke 2:21)

Messiah will hold its weekly Divine Service on Sunday, December 28th at 10:00 am; the service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page. Adult Bible Class will be held beforehand at 9:00 am, and children’s Sunday School will be held following the Divine Service, beginning about 11:15 am.

The baby boys of Bethlehem, murdered by Herod & commemorated just three days after the celebration of Jesus’ birth, remind us not only of the terrible brutality of which human beings are capable, but more significantly of the persecution Jesus endured from the beginning of His earthly life. Although Jesus’ life was spared in infancy, many years later, another ruler - Pontius Pilate - would sentence the innocent Messiah to death. Thanks be to God that His Son willingly paid the price for our sins and reconciled us with our heavenly Father! (Psalm 31:1, 3, 5 & Revelation 7:14b; Jeremiah 31:15-17; Revelation 14:1-5; Matthew 2:13-18)

Celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ at Messiah’s Divine Service on Christmas Day, Thursday, December 25th at 10:00 am. The service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page.

The Word of God publishes the good news of our beautiful Savior Jesus Christ, whose radiant light disperses the darkness of sin & illuminates the life of men. No other published word conveys such cataclysmic change. The power of sin is disarmed. The reign of God is unleashed in the song of joy, the radiance of God the Father, and the speaking of Jesus - for in Him the Word becomes flesh & dwells among us. (Psalm 98:1-4; Isaiah 52:7-10; Hebrews 1:1-12; John 1:1-18)

Join us to celebrate the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ on Wednesday, December 24th at 7:00 pm. The service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page.

Deep darkness shrouds us in burden, oppression, tumult, ungodliness & worldly passion. Sin seeps into our lives in overt & deceptive ways. But God triumphs over every evil in the explicit confession of the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, who is Jesus Christ. His name resonates in the courts of Caesar, the streets of Bethlehem, the skies of angels, the fields of shepherds, the feeding trough of animals, and on this night in the proclamation of His holy Church. (Isaiah 9:2-7; Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-20)

Messiah will hold its weekly Divine Service on Sunday, December 21st at 10:00 am; the service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page. Adult Bible Class will be held beforehand at 9:00 am, and children’s Sunday School will be held following the Divine Service, beginning about 11:15 am.

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive & bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). A stunning truth, unthinkable circumstances for a child, expectant mother & pensive father. All are faithful, yet all would be shunned. And yet no one well intentioned, unnerved or suspect would redirect God’s plan of salvation. Mary bore Jesus, Joseph named Him Jesus, and Jesus is the very Son of God - in the flesh, for the salvation of sinners. (Psalm 130:5-8 & Isaiah 64:1; Isaiah 7:10-17; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25)

Caught up in your pre-Christmas rush? Need some time, space and peace to focus on the essentials of the season? Join us for a meditative service of Scripture lessons and Christmas carols, played and sung, on Wednesday, December 17th at 7:00 pm. It’s our prayer that you will be blessed by the opportunity to reflect on the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ!

Cookies & beverages will be served in our church foyer afterwards. The service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page.

We conclude our midweek observance of Advent on Wednesday, December 17th with a service of Prayer & Preaching at 11:00 am. (Our annual service of Lessons and Carols, Christmas Reflections, will be held the same evening at 7:00 pm.)

For 2025 our midweek focus is "The Saints of Advent” - meditating on how God worked in those the Church commemorates during this season of waiting and preparation. This week, we look at our Lord’s faithful mercy to Saint Thomas, Apostle!

By God’s grace, He nourishes & strengthens faith & upholds the Church, even in times of doubt. God assured Gideon of His providence over Israel through a series of tests. Jesus showed Thomas the proof of His resurrection in His hands & side. He builds up the Church to work as a unit in standing firm, equipped against the assaults of Satan. (Psalm 136:1-4; Judges 6:36-40; Ephesians 4:7, 11-16; John 20:24-29)

Messiah will hold its weekly Divine Service on Sunday, December 14th at 10:00 am; the service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page. Adult Bible Class will be held beforehand at 9:00 am, and children’s Sunday School will be held following the Divine Service, beginning about 11:15 am.

People lament the arduous task of waiting in the midst of grief, illness, despair & injury. To remain steadfast in faith like Job seems unattainable. Hearts are anxious, tongues muted, ears deafened & bodies crippled. Anguish thrives in the hearts, minds & bodies of men & women. Yet followers of Jesus confess & believe the truth — the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear & the maimed are healed. In Jesus, compassion & mercy prevail, as we wait! (Psalm 71:15-18 & Philippians 4:4; Isaiah 35:1-10; James 5:7-11; Matthew 11:2-15)

We invite you to observe the Advent season & prepare for the feast of Christmas with reflection and anticipation. Please join us for an opportunity to share a meal, connect with others, and participate in prayer.

Messiah’s annual Advent Prayer Breakfast will be held Saturday, December 13th, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Please RSVP in advance by calling us at 616-363-2553.

Join our preschool children for a service of Bible stories, poems, songs and carols on Wednesday, December 10th at the special time of 6:30 pm. The service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page. We will hold a supper before the evening service in our Fellowship Hall; check our weekly online announcements for details as they become available.

Pastor Eric and the children will show and tell how God sent His Son Jesus at Christmas to be our Savior, as they spell out The ABCs of Christmas!

This service has been cancelled due to weather & road conditions.

We continue our midweek observance of Advent on Wednesday, December 10th with a service of Prayer & Preaching at 11:00 am. (Our preschool Christmas service will be held at 6:30 pm this evening, with a meal in our Fellowship Hall beforehand; check our weekly online announcements for details as they become available.)

For 2025 our midweek focus is "The Saints of Advent” - meditating on how God worked in those the Church commemorates during this season of waiting and preparation. This week, we look at our Lord’s faithful mercy to Saint Lucia, Martyr! She was a native of Syracuse, Italy, who died for the faith in 304 AD and is especially remembered in the Scandinavian Lutheran tradition.

Lucia, like so many forgotten saints throughout the centuries, was a model to others of faith in Christ and love for the neighbor. Through faith in Christ, we, too, are saints, holy ones of God. Though our names may be forgotten by most, they are written in the book of life. For those who do know and remember us, our prayer is that God would use us to be witnesses to remind others of the grace and mercy of God. May we reflect the light of Christ into the darkness of sin and unbelief that others may see Jesus. (Psalm 131; Esther 3:16-21; Revelation 19:5-8; John 1:9-14)

Messiah will hold its weekly Divine Service on Sunday, December 7th at 10:00 am; the service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page. Adult Bible Class will be held beforehand at 9:00 am, and children’s Sunday School will be held following the Divine Service, beginning about 11:15 am.

Wisdom, understanding, counsel & might are unveiled in Jesus of Nazareth. In his letter to the Romans, Paul unwraps the complete truth — Jesus embraces even Gentile nations with divine hope, joy & peace. John the Baptist, with his abrasive appearance & unexpected rhetoric, forcefully proclaims both judgment against arrogant Pharisees & the need for repentance. Ultimately, Jesus alone casts final judgment on the fate of unbelievers & eternally claims salvation for repentant sinners. (Psalm 105:4-8 & Isaiah 40:3b; Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12)

We begin our midweek observance of Advent on Wednesday, December 3rd with services of Prayer & Preaching at 11:00 am and 7:00 pm. The 7:00 pm service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page. We will hold a supper before the evening service at 6:00 pm in our Fellowship Hall

For 2025 our midweek focus will be "The Saints of Advent” - meditating on how God worked in those the Church commemorates during this season of waiting and preparation. This week, we look at our Lord’s faithful mercy to Saint Andrew, Apostle!

Filled with faith given by the Holy Spirit, Andrew brings his brother Peter to Jesus, saying, “We have found the Messiah.” As the first of Jesus’ disciples, Andrew was in a real sense the first home missionary. Faith comes from hearing the Word of Christ, delivered by these messengers of the Gospel. Thus, their work is essential, heralding the Good News that delivers souls from death. (Psalm 139:1-12; Ezekiel 3:16-21; Romans 10:8b-18; John 1:35-42a)

Messiah will hold its weekly Divine Service on Sunday, November 30th at 10:00 am; the service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page. Adult Bible Class will be held beforehand at 9:00 am, and children’s Sunday School will be held following the Divine Service, beginning about 11:15 am.

Behold, the Messiah comes to fulfill the Law & the Prophets, and it shall be proclaimed throughout the world when He returns! From Mount Sinai to Calvary, the Lord reveals His edicts, His decrees, and that Jesus is the very fulfillment of them all. Christ is faithful in the midst of faithlessness, humble in the midst of arrogance. He alone is the rightful Prophet, Priest & King. Hosanna in the highest! (Psalm 118:25–28 & Zechariah 9:9b; Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 24:36-44)

Held at Messiah, this will be a joint Thanksgiving Eve service with our brothers & sisters of St. Peter Lutheran Church in Rockford, set for Wednesday, November 26th at 7:00 pm. Pastor Jason Peterson of St. Peter will preach; the choirs of Messiah and St Peter will provide anthems. This service is also scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page.

Good land produces generous fruits to nourish & preserve life. This goodness proceeds from the generosity, bounty & grace of God. Therefore, in prayer & supplication we offer thanksgiving to Him, content in all circumstances, grateful for sustenance needed for our body, soul & spirit. So also, when God eradicates disease through His Word, we rejoice in His omnipotent grace & power. (Deuteronomy 8:1-10; Philippians 4:6-20; Luke 17:11-19)

Messiah will hold its weekly Divine Service on Sunday, November 23rd at 10:00 am; the service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page. Adult Bible Class will be held beforehand at 9:00 am, and children’s Sunday School will be held following the Divine Service, beginning about 11:15 am.

Christ is everything - making peace between God & humanity by the blood of His cross. This is the most valuable proclamation for the end of the Church Year. Jesus holds in balance all things: the visible & the invisible; the heavens & the earth; the dead & the living; the wicked & the redeemed. Upon the cross, Jesus utters words that forgive & reserve for repentant sinners eternal paradise. Through Christ alone, we are declared to be His treasured possessions forever. (Psalm 33:8 & 134; Malachi 3:13-18; Colossians 1:13-20; Luke 23:27-43)

Messiah will hold its weekly Divine Service on Sunday, November 16th at 10:00 am; the service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page. Adult Bible Class will be held beforehand at 9:00 am, and children’s Sunday School will be held following the Divine Service, beginning about 11:15 am. A potluck meal & our Annual Meeting for voting members will follow today’s service.

These final days are mingled with destruction & redemption. Intense fire will reduce the evil & arrogant to ash. Christ’s righteousness will delight & heal those who fear God’s name. As we live out these final days, we dare not be idle, but rather labor diligently, imitating the very nature of Christ. Wars will rage; calamities will increase; disease will plague manking. In the midst of all this, we proclaim truth: the day of redemption draws near! (Psalm 98; Malachi 4:1-6; 2 Thessalonians 3:1-13; Luke 21:5-28)

Messiah will hold its weekly Divine Service on Sunday, November 9th at 10:00 am; the service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page. Adult Bible Class will be held beforehand at 9:00 am, and children’s Sunday School will be held following the Divine Service, beginning about 11:15 am.

The Lord makes His presence known to every generation! Abraham, Isaac, Jacob & Moses received God’s decisive commands. The Lord’s Word to them was not vague. So also God is not vague concerning the second coming of Christ. Against all lawlessness, Christ will assert judgment. For the faithful, God will assert comfort, hope & eternal salvation. As we wait for the Lord’s return, the urgency to repent remains, and yet we remain anxious to obtain the glory of Christ. (Psalm 115:2–4, 8, 11, 17–18; Exodus 3:1-15; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, 13-17; Luke 20:27-40)

Messiah will hold its weekly Divine Service on Sunday, November 2nd at 10:00 am; the service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page. Adult Bible Class will be held beforehand at 9:00 am, and children’s Sunday School will be held following the Divine Service, beginning about 11:15 am.

The confession resounds in every time & place by all believing peoples, tribes & churches: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” These words emanate from faith-filled saints who belong to Jesus. In His eternal presence, the beloved saints are utterly content in endless service & worship. Saints are the ones forever blessed, comforted, satisfied & rewarded, because their inheritance is the kingdom of God. (Psalm 31: 1, 3, 5; Revelation 7:9-17; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12)

Messiah will hold its weekly Divine Service on Sunday, October 26th at 10:00 am; the service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page. Adult Bible Class will be held beforehand at 9:00 am, and children’s Sunday School will be held following the Divine Service, beginning about 11:15 am.

The Law leaves us speechless, for it condemns us & holds us accountable to God. By the Law, every sin is unmasked, every sinner declared guilty. In Christ, by His blood, we receive faith. This faith justifies us apart from the works of the Law. Thanks be to God that Christ gives us this Gospel. By it, sin is forgiven & sinners declared innocent. This is our freedom in Christ proclaimed throughout every nation, tribe, language & people (Revelation 14:6-7; Psalm 46; Romans 3:19-28; John 8:31-36)

Messiah will hold its weekly Divine Service on Sunday, October 19th at 10:00 am; the service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page. Adult Bible Class will be held beforehand at 9:00 am, and children’s Sunday School will be held following the Divine Service, beginning about 11:15 am.

Before God, men, women & children plead incessantly for justice in the face of rebellion & adversity. Those who know & confess Jesus bear the weight of guilt & need His Word of undeserved acquittal. God’s Word is the solitary source of that promise. It teaches, corrects, declares righteousness & equips us for every good work. Scripture, in its entirety, is that living, breathing, vibrant acount of God continually striving by the side of His chosen people — delivering them from sin. (Psalm 74:2a, 18–19, 21, 20a, 22a; Genesis 32:22-30; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:4; Luke 18:1-8)

Messiah will hold its weekly Divine Service on Sunday, October 12th at 10:00 am; the service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page. Adult Bible Class will be held beforehand at 9:00 am, and children’s Sunday School will be held following the Divine Service, beginning about 11:15 am. Our Parish Service Guild’s annual Harvest Dinner will also be held after the service, beginning at 11:30 am in our Fellowship Hall.

Witnesses in the presence of Christ are unequivocally blessed! Christians are heartened by Jesus’ words to persevere in suffering and labor. Even in Jesus’ own earthly ministry, chains could not bind Him; the tomb could not contain Him. So also His word is not bound, but commands all things in living, suffering & dying. Even lepers plead for mercy, and Jesus’ word heals. Yet only one leper dares to return, ardently believing & confessing Jesus’ profound act of divine mercy. (Psalm 111; Ruth 1:1-19a; 2 Timothy 2:1-13; Luke 17:11-19)