The Locker Room

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

Bitterness can quietly take root in any marriage—and Tim and Shayla Bassett know this firsthand. In this episode, they share how it distorted their view of each other and, with Stephanie TeSlaa, discuss how the stories we tell ourselves can fuel conflict and how to reset those narratives. They remind us that even painful struggles can become a pathway to a stronger, Christ-centered marriage.DQ1: When have you noticed bitterness or resentment creeping into your marriage? How did it show up in your words, actions, or thoughts?DQ2: What stories or assumptions do you catch yourself telling about your spouse that might not be true? How could challenging those narratives change your perspective?DQ3: How do you usually respond when conflict arises—do you lean toward avoidance, arguing, or something else? How could you try a different approach next time?DQ4: When you reflect on your own heart, what is one area where pride or selfishness might be fueling tension? How could you invite God to work there?DQ5: Can you think of a time when you and your spouse were able to restore connection after conflict? What helped most in that moment?DQ6: What’s one small step you could take this week to address bitterness in your heart or in your marriage?

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

If you know Nate and Jana English, you know laughter and good food aren’t far behind. In this episode, these parents of five share how joy, humility, and fun rooted in the Lord have shaped their marriage—from mealtime hospitality to adventures on the road. They talk honestly about staying connected through seasons of disconnection, seeing their table as a place of mission, and even reclaiming sex as a joyful, holy gift within marriage. With humor and heart, Nate and Jana remind us that a thriving marriage begins with serving each other in love.Resources: The 4 Habits of Joy-Filled Marriages: How 15 Minutes a Day Will Help You Stay in Love by Marcus Warner and Chris M. CourseyDQ1: What’s one new thing you could try that your spouse enjoys? How can you intentionally weave both of your ideas of fun into future dates or time together?DQ2: Do you find it easier to be playful or practical in your marriage? Why do you think that is?DQ3: How have shared meals or time around the table drawn you closer as a couple?DQ4: What’s one new way you might like to bring food into your marriage rhythm—cooking together, trying a new recipe, or hosting others in your home?DQ5: What’s one “escape valve” (emotional, mental, or physical) that may be creating distance or disunity in your marriage?DQ6: How does viewing sex as a gift to be given, rather than something to get, reshape how you love and serve your spouse?DQ7: What is one thing God might be stirring in your heart from today’s conversation? How could you put that into practice this week?

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

In our first “Our Marriage, Our Mission” conversation, Stephanie TeSlaa sits down with Mike & Jamie Bartlett to talk about their journey with foster care and adoption. After planting Redemption City Church in Grand Rapids, the Bartletts—parents of four boys—felt called to open their home to teenage girls through foster care. In this episode, they share their story, the lessons they’ve learned, and how God has used their marriage as both a source of strength and provision for one another.DQ1: If you’re in a season of discouragement, what might God be calling you to release? (For Mike it was control; for Jamie it was her timeline.)DQ2: How does remembering that God is in control of every story—and that no one is beyond His redemption—challenge your current way of thinking?DQ3: What “rough edges” has God smoothed in your marriage through different seasons?DQ4: In what ways is your marriage already on mission together? How else might God be calling you to live missionally in your marriage?If you are a foster and adoption family, here are some additional discussion questions. DQ5: Where have you seen God’s faithfulness in your own journey with foster care or adoption?DQ6: How does Mike & Jamie’s story encourage you? What questions does it raise for you?DQ7: How might trying respite care help you discern God’s calling in foster care and discover what works best for your family?

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.

From pornography and isolation to redemption and togetherness, Tony and Jen Schmid share how God rewrote the playbook of their marriage. In conversation with Stephanie TeSlaa, they unpack the burden of addiction, the gift of authentic community, and the miraculous healing that comes through confession.DQ1: Where might God be inviting you to pursue wholeness and restoration in your vertical relationship with Him? How could that impact your horizontal relationship with your spouse?DQ2: In what ways are you looking to your spouse as a functional savior—for security or safety? How might you release that expectation and instead hold on to Christ, the one true Savior?DQ3: What things in your life give you a sense of identity outside of Christ (titles, roles, appearance, accomplishments, etc.)? Share them with your spouse.DQ4: How might God be using a current struggle to bring you to the end of yourself, so He can bring light and redemption?DQ5: Confession is hard, but its benefits far outweigh the risks of exposure. What is one thing—big or small—that may need to be confessed in your marriage?DQ6: Who do you walk with? If you were in a crisis, who would you call? If no one comes to mind, how might fear of vulnerability be holding you back?

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.