First Reformed Church of Grand Haven

06/17/2026

WHAT IS FREEDOM FOR?

Freedom is one of the most cherished values in American life. We celebrate it in our history, protect it in our laws, and cherish it as a defining part of our national identity. As Americans, we rightly give thanks for the freedoms we enjoy. But there is an important question we do not always ask:

What is freedom for?

When America's founders spoke about freedom, they were not imagining a society where everyone could simply do whatever they wanted. They were seeking freedom from tyranny, arbitrary rule, and unjust government.

Freedom was not intended to eliminate moral responsibility. It was intended to create the conditions in which a free people could govern themselves and pursue the common good.

A few decades later, a French historian and political thinker named Alexis de Tocqueville traveled throughout the United States to study the young republic. What he found surprised him.
Americans enjoyed an unusual degree of liberty, yet the nation remained remarkably stable.

Tocqueville was struck by the role religion played in sustaining American liberty. He described religion as "the first of their political institutions," not because it governed the nation, but because it helped shape the character of its citizens. He understood that free societies depend upon something deeper than laws and institutions alone.

A free society ultimately depends upon the character of its people. For freedom without virtue eventually destroys itself.
Today, freedom is often treated as an end in itself. We assume that the more choices we have and the fewer restraints we face, the freer we become.

But freedom is a means, not an end.

The real question is whether those choices lead us toward what is good, true, and life-giving. The Bible speaks directly to this. In Galatians 5:13, the Apostle Paul writes:

"You were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Notice that Paul does not oppose freedom. He celebrates it. But he immediately directs it toward a purpose.

Freedom is not merely freedom from something. It is freedom for something.

The freedom God gives is meant to express itself in love for God and service to others. That is why the Bible repeatedly teaches that freedom detached from God's design becomes another form of bo***ge.

Selfishness becomes isolation. Pleasure becomes addiction.

What we imagine will set us free often becomes the thing that enslaves us. The answer is not less freedom, but a different kind of freedom.

This is the freedom Christ came to give.

He not only frees us from the penalty of sin; He frees us from its power. Through His grace, He teaches us to live as God intended.
Therefore, the highest expression of freedom is not doing whatever we want. It is becoming the people God created us to be in Christ.

As we reflect on the freedoms we enjoy as Americans, we should certainly be grateful for them. But we should also remember that freedom is not an end in itself.

It is a gift to be used wisely.
It is a gift to be used lovingly.
It is a gift to be used for the good of others and the glory of God.

And that is what freedom is for.

- Pastor John Kenny

Part 4 of a six-week series reflecting on faith, freedom, government, and public life as America approaches its 250th anniversary.

Website for First Reformed Church in Grand Haven, Michigan

06/16/2026

06/11/2026

Freedom of Worship

One of the cornerstones of the American experience is the freedom to worship according to conscience. For much of history, that freedom simply did not exist.

The religious conflicts of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries left deep scars across Europe. Questions of faith were often intertwined with questions of political power, and too often the result was coercion rather than conviction.

In many places, a person's freedom depended on the faith of the ruler. A change in monarch could mean a change in what beliefs were tolerated, promoted, or punished.

Some of the earliest settlers in America knew these realities firsthand. The Pilgrims and many others crossed the Atlantic seeking the freedom to worship according to their convictions. Their experiences helped shape a nation that would eventually place a high value on religious liberty.

America's founders were certainly influenced by many different ideas, but they shared a concern about concentrating religious and political power in the same hands. Having seen the consequences of state-controlled religion, they sought to create a system that protected religious liberty rather than enforcing religious conformity.

This was not because faith was unimportant.

It was because genuine faith cannot be forced.

As Christians, we can appreciate this because we understand that outward conformity and a changed heart are not the same thing.

In two thousand years of church history, no law has ever produced a Christian.

A government can require church attendance.

It cannot produce worship.

A government can demand outward conformity.

It cannot create belief.

A government can enforce religious practices.

It cannot regenerate the heart.

Religious liberty matters not because all beliefs are equally true or because truth does not matter, but because genuine faith must be freely embraced rather than politically imposed.

As Christians, we should be grateful for the freedom to worship, preach, gather, and live according to our convictions. Few generations in history have enjoyed the degree of religious liberty that many Americans experience today. It is one of America's great blessings.

May we never take that freedom for granted, and may we use it faithfully.

Yet our confidence has never rested in constitutional protections alone. It rests in Christ, who builds His church not through coercion, but through grace and the power of His Word and Spirit.

- Pastor John Kenny

Part 3 of a six-week series reflecting on faith, freedom, government, and public life as America approaches its 250th anniversary.

Website for First Reformed Church in Grand Haven, Michigan

06/03/2026

If Men Were Angels...

Every election cycle brings a familiar hope: if we can elect the right leaders and pass the right laws, many of our problems will finally be solved.

That hope is understandable. Government matters. The decisions made by elected officials affect our communities, our families, and our future. As Christians, we should care about good government and pray for those who serve in positions of authority.

But can government ultimately solve what is most broken in the world?

One of the most insightful observations about government came from one of America's founders. James Madison wrote, "If men were angels, no government would be necessary." It is a simple statement, but it captures a profound truth.

Government exists because something has gone wrong in the human condition.

The Bible says exactly that. Before there were nations, kings, constitutions, courts, or elections, there was Genesis 3, where humanity first rebelled against God.

Before there was government, there was sin.

Human rebellion against God did not begin because government failed. Government became necessary because human beings rebelled. That reality helps explain why government matters.

In Romans 13, governing authorities are described as servants of God who are tasked with promoting good and restraining evil. Government is one of God's gifts of common grace in a fallen world. It helps preserve order, protect the vulnerable, and pursue justice.

Laws matter because actions have consequences. Courts matter because justice matters.

While laws cannot create virtue, they can restrain wrongdoing.
We cannot legislate kindness, but we can prohibit theft.
We cannot require love, but we can punish violence.
We cannot create righteousness, but we can pursue justice.

That is one of the important gifts of government. Yet Madison's observation has another implication: if people are flawed enough to require government, then the people who govern are flawed as well.
This is one reason America's founders placed limits on governmental power. They understood that concentrated authority in the hands of imperfect people can be dangerous. Our constitutional system of checks and balances reflects a realistic view of human nature that is surprisingly consistent with Scripture.

Government is necessary because sin exists.

Government is limited because sin exists.

The same reality that makes government necessary also prevents it from becoming our ultimate hope.
Government can influence behavior, protect liberty, and pursue justice. What it cannot do is transform the human heart. The deeper problem lies beyond the reach of laws, policies, and elections.

Government can restrain the consequences of sin. It cannot remove the source of sin. Yet acknowledging the limits of government is not the same thing as dismissing its value.

As Americans, we have much to be thankful for. Few people throughout history have enjoyed the degree of liberty, representative government, and legal protections that we often take for granted. While our nation is not perfect, these freedoms remain significant blessings.

This is why Christians should be neither cynical nor utopian when it comes to politics.

We should not be cynical because government is one of God's gifts for maintaining order and promoting justice in a fallen world. We should be grateful for it, participate responsibly in it, pray for our leaders, and seek the good of our communities.

But neither should we be utopian. No political party, candidate, or system can bear the weight of our ultimate hopes. Human government was never designed to save humanity.

Only Christ can do that.

As we give thanks for the freedoms and institutions we enjoy, we should also remember their limits. Good government is a blessing. It can promote justice, protect liberty, and restrain evil. But our deepest hope was never meant to rest in government. It rests in the King whose reign extends beyond every nation and whose kingdom will never end.

- Pastor John Kenny

Part 2 of a six-week series reflecting on faith, freedom, government, and public life as America approaches its 250th anniversary.

Website for First Reformed Church in Grand Haven, Michigan

05/27/2026

When I was growing up, Memorial Day mostly meant two things: a day off from school and the neighborhood picnic that came with it. It marked the beginning of summer. There were flags out, grills going, and kids running around the neighborhood.
As a child, I understood that Memorial Day had something to do with soldiers and sacrifice. But honestly, it still felt distant. Abstract.

That changed years later when I served as an Army chaplain.

During those years, Memorial Day stopped being an idea and became something much heavier. I was involved in death notifications. I stood with grieving families. I watched planes return home from Iraq carrying flag-draped caskets. I presided over funerals for soldiers who never came home to their spouses, children, or parents.

Once you have seen death up close, you realize freedom is not free in the sentimental way people sometimes say it. It is costly in the most literal sense. Someone pays for it. Memorial Day exists so that we do not forget that cost.

Memorial Day matters because it reminds us that peace, safety, and liberty are not automatic features of the world we live in. They are fragile things, preserved through sacrifice.

The Bible is remarkably honest about this reality. Human beings are capable of courage and sacrifice, but also pride and destruction. Evil is real. Death is real. Peace is fragile. Every generation inherits both blessings to protect and burdens to carry.

As Christians, we should be grateful for the freedoms we enjoy. Scripture teaches us to honor those in authority, pursue peace where possible, and love our neighbors sacrificially. There is something honorable about men and women willing to place themselves in harm’s way for the sake of others. Memorial Day gives us an opportunity to remember them with gratitude and humility.

And yet Memorial Day also reminds us of the limits of every earthly nation. Even the strongest countries cannot eliminate hatred, greed, violence, or death itself.

That tension runs through every nation and every generation. Which is why Christians ultimately place their hope not in military power, political movements, or national identity, but in Christ alone. He is the only One who can bring lasting peace—not merely between nations, but between sinful people and a holy God.

So this Memorial Day, give thanks for the freedoms you enjoy. Remember those who gave their lives to preserve them. Do not take peace for granted. And remember that every earthly freedom should ultimately point us toward a deeper gratitude for the grace and hope we have been given in Christ.

- Pastor John Kenny

Website for First Reformed Church in Grand Haven, Michigan

05/21/2026

There are two ditches that religious people have fallen into throughout history.

One is the belief that if you look righteous on the outside, you must be right with God on the inside. The other is the belief that spirituality should exist without any real submission, restraint, or call to holiness.

One leads to performance.
The other leads to compromise.

And both eventually leave people exhausted or empty.

This is why Jesus was so disruptive. He exposed outward religion that hid a heart far from God, and He also refused to reduce truth simply to make people comfortable.

Jesus offers a different way. He invites us to what He called the narrow path (Matthew 7:13-14)—a life of honest repentance and real faith that keeps us from the ditches we are so prone to fall into.

Not pretending to be righteous.
Not pretending sin does not matter.
But coming honestly, trusting completely in His saving grace, and then following Him wherever He leads.

What Jesus offers on the narrow path is greater than anything false religion can provide. In Him there is forgiveness without pretending, acceptance without performance, and a love strong enough to receive us as we are and not leave us there.

The narrow path has never been popular. It requires humility and surrender. But there is nothing else like it—because on that path we do not merely find religion. We find Christ Himself.
- Pastor John Kenny

Website for First Reformed Church in Grand Haven, Michigan

05/13/2026

A few months ago, I was using AI to research an area of concern in my life. In the middle of the interaction, it offered to pray for me. For a brief moment, the offer actually felt comforting. Then almost immediately, the realization hit me: my computer can’t actually pray! The offer sounded personal, but there was no person there. No awareness. No concern. No lifting of my name before God. Just generated words arranged to resemble care.

What struck me afterward was not merely the limitation of artificial intelligence, but the deeper question underneath it: Why did something artificial still touch something real in me, even if only for a fleeting moment? Maybe Augustine was right when he wrote, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” Human beings are constantly reaching beyond themselves—wanting to be known, heard, and comforted. Perhaps that is why even the appearance of care can affect us, if only for a moment.

And increasingly, we live in a world filled with simulations of those things: simulated friendship, simulated wisdom, simulated compassion. But the existence of those imitations points to something deeper: we were made for what is real. That is ultimately why artificial expressions of care can never fully satisfy us. Human beings were not made merely for the appearance of presence, but for communion with the living God. Not an algorithm generating responses. Not vague spiritual energy. Not empty religion. But a Father who knows His children. A Savior who intercedes for them. A throne of grace we are actually invited to approach. The Bible says of Jesus that “He always lives to make intercession” for His people (Hebrews 7:25). Christ does not simulate concern. He is not mimicking compassion. The risen Son of God actively prays for His people even now.

For a moment, I almost settled for the appearance of something my soul truly needs. But moments like this have a way of exposing us. Beneath all our technology, distractions, and endless noise remains the same ancient human longing: to be known, to be heard, to be loved, and ultimately, to find rest in something real. Not merely information. Not merely comfort. Not merely the appearance of care. But God Himself.

- Pastor John Kenny

Website for First Reformed Church in Grand Haven, Michigan

05/08/2026

Can’t make it to church on Sunday morning? Or just want to check us out before coming in-person? Our Sunday services stream live and are also available on demand anytime on our website, YouTube, & Church Center app! We’d love to have you join us sometime. Check out our website firstgrandhaven.org

05/06/2026

Imagine your house on a normal day. Things pile up—mail on the counter, shoes by the door, and a handful of things you keep meaning to deal with but never quite get to. Now imagine this: you find out someone important is coming over. Not in a week. Not tomorrow. Today. Everything changes!

What felt fine a moment ago suddenly isn’t. You start clearing space, throwing things out, and putting things back where they belong. Not because the house itself has changed, but because your sense of time has. Most of us don’t see that clearly—until something forces it.

A few months ago, I wouldn’t have recognized the name Ben Sasse—a former U.S. Senator from Nebraska and, more recently, a university president. Recently, he shared that he is facing terminal cancer. I watched an extended interview with him this past week and found myself fixed on every word—not because everything he said was new, but because it was clear. There’s something about knowing your days are limited that cuts through the noise. It forces you to wrestle with questions most of us spend our lives avoiding: What really matters? What is worth giving your life to? What will actually last?

Sasse keeps returning to something simple: love and serve the people right in front of you—your family, your neighbors, your community—not as a side priority, but as the center of a meaningful life. In his words, the strength of a nation isn’t ultimately found in policies or politics, but in whether people take responsibility for the small, real places they’ve been given. There’s truth in that. But Scripture presses us even deeper. Because it’s possible to spend your life loving people—and still miss the One your life was made for.

Jesus asks a question that cuts even sharper than a terminal diagnosis: “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36). Most of us don’t feel the weight of that question, because we live as if time is abundant—as if there will always be another year to refocus, another season to get serious, another opportunity to deal with what we know we should face. But clarity often comes when time feels short. And when time feels short, you don’t just think about how to live—you start asking what comes after.

This is where Ben Sasse has been direct. He has spoken openly about his Christian faith and his confidence in life after death—not vague optimism or wishful thinking, but real hope. And when time is short, hope is everything. But hope only matters if it is true. The center of our faith is not an idea, but a person: Jesus Christ, who entered our world, took on our sin, died in our place, and rose again—not to offer vague comfort, but to secure real, eternal life.

So you don’t have to wait until the end of life to see what is true. You don’t need a diagnosis to see what matters most or the clock to be running out to turn your attention to what will last forever. The question is straightforward: Is your house in order—not just for today, but for what comes after? Are you loving the people around you—and are you right with God, not on your own terms, but through Jesus Christ? Because one day, clarity will come for all of us. The question is whether we will wait for it or respond to it now.

- Pastor John Kenny

Website for First Reformed Church in Grand Haven, Michigan