Pastor Jonathan Eckberg concludes our study through Matthew 11-13 with a final message titled, "Picking Sides." Over the past several weeks, we have heard Jesus establishing a choice of how every person will respond to Him. As we close out this section of the gospel of Matthew we find Jesus addressing His disciples and showing them the value of cho…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg teaches the next passage in our study through the Gospel of Matthew. When we look at the world around us, it can be difficult to see beyond the darkness and confusion. But it often takes only a slight shift in perspective to see this life flipped on it's head, bringing us back into alignment with God's good and perfect autho…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg leads us into Matthew 13 in the middle of our series, "Polar Exploration". In Matthew 11-12, Jesus has shown us varying responses to His identity as our Savior. By doing so, we are reminded that we all must respond to the call of the gospel. Why is our response so important? Jesus tells us in Matthew 13:1-23.…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg dives back into our study of the book of Matthew. Doubt is a common experience in the Christian faith. But in our moments of doubt, how do we remain steadfast in our adoption into God's family? Matthew 12:38-50 shows us three ways to build a foundation of trust in Jesus' power, authority, and grace.…

Associate Pastor Ron Eckberg brings a special message to EEFC on Sunday, October 6th. It is far too easy to turn a blind eye to catastrophe—especially if it doesn’t directly affect us—but in doing so we miss out on something very special. But Matthew 9 shows us the blessings of giving our hearts to the opportunities God puts before us.…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg continues to lead us through our study of the Gospel of Matthew 11-13. Jesus is Lord of all. He revealed His authority in Matthew 12:1-14. But what does this mean to us? What hope does this massive truth bring to our day-to-day lives? We find the answer as Jesus addresses the polar responses of the Pharisees and those who ar…

Jon Brands (EEFC Elder) shares a special message with us on the call to servanthood. Scripture is abundantly clear that part of our calling as followers of Jesus is to serve others. No reasonable believer would argue otherwise. But why is this so important, how do we do this, and what is the purpose of being a servant? These are questions we find a…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg continues to lead us through our study of Matthew 11-13 in our current series, "Polar Exploration". Last Sunday we heard Jesus offer peace in the midst of spiritual chaos. It is no wonder that those who opposed Jesus would next challenge that peace in the physical realm. As Jesus is confronted regarding the Sabbath, He shows…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg teaches the second week in our study of Matthew 11-13. Is Jesus who He says He is? Our answer to that question changes not only the stability of our faith, but our peace in living out that faith. Either we are left with a hefty burden of our own achievement or we find the peace of security in our Savior. What will we choose?…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg leads us unto a brand new series called, "Polar Exploration," as part our study through the gospel of Matthew. The ministry of Jesus drew a myriad of responses. Some people whole-heartedly accepted Him, others followed with reservations or in search of entertainment, still others violently opposed Him. In the end, as is the …

Josh Green offers a special message on living for Christ. The moment of our salvation is an eternity shaping event. Whether we feel the magnitude of it or not, it is the single most important instant of our lives. But... what then? How does the immensity of that powerful moment shape our everyday lives? Paul explains in Romans 6:1-14.…

Pastor Ron Eckberg brings us a special message from Micah 6:8. It’s amazing how hard we humans work at turning the simple into something complicated. For example, “Love your neighbor” means “Love your neighbor”, right? In the Old Testament we find God giving us a simple formula to fulfill what he requires of us.…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg concludes our 2024 Back-to-School series. It's easy to accept that no one is perfect. What's hard is dealing with the imperfections that hurt you. The cultural approach to such infractions is to seek personal retribution so that failure is immediately punished to our own satisfaction. That may sound fair, but it's unhelpful,…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg leads us through the second week of our Back-to-School series, "School Colors." The idea of "love" is central to our culture. It is needed, sought, and sometimes even weaponized. This is because the word gets used with varying meanings behind it. So, for the Kingdom-centered life, how is love understood and employed differen…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg launches us into this year's Back-to-School series called, "School Colors". Nearly everyone wants to be a good person, to leave a good legacy, to feel good about who we are. And yet, in the kingdom of this world, with all the striving for good, we see an abundance of misery, bitterness, and anything but "good" all around us.…

Pastor Ron Eckberg brings a special message from 1 Peter 2:9-10.By Erie Evangelical Free Church

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg closes out our study in the book of Joel. Last week we saw God revealing His faithfulness through Joel. But what now? As we close this short prophetic book, God challenges HIs people (that us!) to trust in the faithfulness Joel revealed. How do we do this? We find the keys in Joel 3:1-21.…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg leads us through the second week of a three-week series covering the book of Joel. Last week we saw how God confronts our sin with fitting consequences and discipline. This week our attention is turned to God's response to His people's repentance and we celebrate how God's faithfulness is revealed through His goodness, promi…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg launches into a three-week study of the book of Joel in series called, "Detour." It is an easy thing to find ourselves a little off track in our lives and in our faith. In the opening sections of the book of Joel, God's intervenes to call his wayward children to change direction and come back to Him. In doing so, we learn ho…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg offers a special Father's Day message. On this Father's Day we honor all the men who have taken seriously the biblical call to leadership. An overview of King David's imperfect, but God-honoring leadership (as a father and king), shows us how to think about and implement such a calling into our own lives.…

Pastor Ron Eckberg brings a special message from the Gospel of John. Wine is mentioned well over 200 times in the Bible and its usage reveals several aspects of God’s revelation to us and his calling upon us. No passage is more profound on both counts than Jesus words recorded in John 15.By Erie Evangelical Free Church

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg concludes our series, "Passport." Knowing who we are is important, but it only matters if we know how that identity shapes what we do. As we close this section of Matthew, we find Jesus sending out the disciples and are reminded about the boundless nature of our own calling through our identity in Jesus Christ.…

Pastor Ron Eckberg teaches the next message in our current series in Matthew 8-10. Good. Better. Best. We want to enjoy the “good” life but that will never be enough so we move on up the ladder. Sadly, we fail to realize that the best life has to offer will still never be enough. What we really need is “new” life, the life Jesus offers. This week w…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg continues to lead us through the book of Over the past few weeks we've observed Jesus' display of His authority and God's grace. Why are these so important in our day-to-day lives? Matthew answers this question in the next story of healing. In Matthew 9:1-8 we find the boundless hope of the Messiah's identity and mission.…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg teaches week #2 in our study, "Passport". It's a very "Christian" thing to say that Jesus has all authority in our lives? But does He? Matthew 8:18-34 shows the magnificent power and boundless reach of the authority of Jesus as it challenges us to decide whether or not we are willing to submit fully to that authority.…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg launches us into our new series, "Passport." Understanding who you are is vital to knowing your purpose and mission. When it comes to our faith, our identity as disciples of Christ shapes our everyday actions. In Matthew 8:1-17 Jesus' identity as an expression of God's boundless grace leads us forward in our own identity and…

Ron Huisman preaches a special sermon at Erie Evangelical Free Church. As we open to Acts 1:1-8, we focus on how God wants to use every one of us for the mission and purpose of His kingdom.By Erie Evangelical Free Church

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg teaches the conclusion of our current series, "The King and His Kingdom," on the first book in the Gospel of Matthew. In the final teachings of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew relays how Jesus leaves His followers with a choice and it's the same choice we face today: How will I respond to Jesus' call to follow Him in His Ki…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg teaches the next message in our series in the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5-7. Sometimes we have a goal or a purpose in mind and, while it takes great effort, we can work our way to achieving that goal. But then what? It's easy to let down our guard and slip back into old habits. When it comes to hearts that pursue the …

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg launches us back into our study of the book of Matthew. Information is important, but it doesn't do us much good unless we figure out what to do with it. In the second half of the sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us what it looks like to live as citizens of the Kingdom he described in Matthew 5. In Matthew 6 he tells us th…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg preaches on Easter morning. The faithful disciple of Jesus Christ knows that Easter is an important day for our faith. It is the reminder and celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. Why is Jesus' sinless life and sacrificial death not enough? Why is it so crucial for us that Jesus rose from the dead? In this Easter message…

Pastor Ron Eckberg brings a special Palm Sunday message to EEFC. We celebrate as Palm Sunday when Jesus entered Jerusalem and was met by a multitude of adoring fans. A few days later he faced the cross—mostly alone, abandoned, and denied. Will we be those adoring, fickle fans that run when the story doesn’t go our way or will we be faithful followe…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg continues our study of Matthew as we look at the next section of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount by reminding his disciples of their calling to and blessing in His alternate kingdom. But how, then, does this change His disciples lives? In the next section of His teaching, Jesus raises the bar on…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg preaches the second week of series, "The King and His Kingdom." Last week, Matthew introduced the call to the Kingdom of Heaven through Jesus' ministry. But what does it look like for us to live in and for such a kingdom? We see Jesus begin to clearly define the life of a Kingdom disciple in the opening verses of the Sermon …

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg kicks off our brand new series, "The King and His Kingdom". Last week, Matthew introduced the call to the Kingdom of Heaven through Jesus' ministry. But what does it look like for us to live in and for such a kingdom? We see Jesus begin to clearly define the life of a Kingdom disciple in the opening verses of the Sermon on t…

Lay preacher Aaron Thede brings us a special message on the challenges and value of worship. The Christian life is very simple, but it's not easy. The challenges of walking faithfully with Jesus through our day-to-day lives requires that we live in constant recognition of our opposition so that we might overcome them by the power of God's Word, Chr…

Pastor Ron Eckberg concludes our current series in the opening chapters of the Gospel of Matthew. Have you ever been tempted? Of course you have. Have you ever given in to temptation? A double “of course you have”. Fighting the battle with the myriad of temptations that come our way is the most common of our human experiences. Even Jesus was tempte…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg leads us through the next passage in our study of the Gospel of Matthew. After John the Baptist has called God's people to repent, Jesus immediately shows up to begin His ministry. The interaction between John and Jesus is one of common practice conducted with unique purpose. As we read the scene we see the unique joy and me…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg continues our series in the opening chapters of Matthew. Before Matthew begins the story of Jesus' life and ministry, we meet John the Baptist. John is a man on a mission. He is announcing the serious need to prepare for the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah. And what do we learn from this bold proclamation from an unusual…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg continues our study in the Gospel of Matthew. After Jesus is born, God continues to move through obedient, curious, and even wicked men. The events that follow the Messiah's arrival give us some amazing reminders of how faithful and powerful God is as we rejoice in the blessing of being called to serve Him and His glory thro…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg teaches the second week of our introduction to the book of Matthew. Jesus is the fulfillment of God's promised Messiah. But how did he come to be a part of OUR story? And what do we learn about faithful surrender from that moment when he burst into His creation? Our answers come as we celebrate Christmas in January and study…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg begins our new series, "Hello!" This series is the first part of our study through the Gospel of Matthew. Sometimes introductions are not necessary. At least not in order to identity a person. But even when we know a person's identity, to really know them we need an introduction. In the opening verses of the book of Matthew …

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg delivers the final message in our 2023 Christmas series, "Simple Christmas." This Christmas Eve morning message sets our sights on why the simplicity of our perspective of this season is so crucial to enjoying the fullness of the celebration of the birth of the Messiah.By Erie Evangelical Free Church

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg leads us through the 4th message in our 2023 Christmas series, "Simple Christmas". In the past three weeks we have discussed simplifying our minds, hands, and hearts around Christmas. But even so, how do we reject these as just another course of action and, instead, allow the truth and beauty of Christmas to transform us? Th…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg teaches the third message in our 2023 Christmas series, "Simple Christmas." As we approach Christmas day, the seasonal celebrations begin to pick up steam. As they do, the question remains: In the flurry of activity, how do we avoid falling into mindless participation and tradition? This week we discuss how we can walk throu…

Pastor Ron Eckberg teaches the second week of our 2023 Christmas series, "Simple Christmas". With Jesus as our central focus of our season we have peace in the busyness of the weeks ahead. But, how does this help us move from walking through mere tradition or mindless activities to a purposeful service to the Kingdom and to those around us? We disc…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg kicks off our 2023 Christmas series as we look to regain the majesty of Christmas story in a series titled, "Simple Christmas." In this first week we discuss slowing down to grasp the peace of Christ in the midst of the chaos of the season.By Erie Evangelical Free Church

Pastor Ron Eckberg preaches a special Thanksgiving message. Thanksgiving is a day we set apart to express our gratitude for all we have been blessed with. But why should we need to be reminded? Why must we set aside a day to encourage us to give thanks, especially when we have so much to be thankful for? This week we see how God calls us to a life …

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg concludes our series in the book of 2 Timothy, called "Keep the Fire Burning." As we come to the end of this letter, we find in Paul's farewell a last call to the task at hand. In building a hot, bright fire of faith we are not presented with a picture of how we put this fire to work in the context of the body of Christ.…

Pastor Jonathan Eckberg continues to lead us through our study of the book of 2 Timothy. Building, working, and maintaining the fire of our faith if hard work. Over time it can become easier and easier to lose focus or become overwhelmed by fatigue and opposition. In 2 Timothy 4:1-8 Paul gives us instructions on how to constantly keep the fire burn…