Livestream kerkdienst | Zondagavond 18 oktober 2026 | Evangeliegemeente De Deur Groningen

Service

The Sunday evening service opens with worship songs celebrating Jesus’ sacrifice, following God, spiritual strength in life’s battles, and asking for God’s peace.

After welcoming the congregation, the pastor leads prayers for family members who do not yet believe, visitors, preparations for a Christmas musical, a hospitalized relative of Thomas, and several churches in the Netherlands and abroad.

Announcements

Announcements include:

• A need for more church cleaners
• A documentary and Q&A about the 45th anniversary of the Zwolle church
• An upcoming discipleship event
• Baptism and marriage classes

The pastor also asks single volunteers to babysit during the marriage class, explaining that married people will be busy attending it.

Sermon: Seeing the Kingdom of God

Continuing a series on the Kingdom of God, the pastor urges listeners to look beyond the worries and limitations of their immediate circumstances.

He tells the story of retailer J.C. Penney, who, overwhelmed by financial losses and illness, found renewed hope after hearing a hymn in a hospital chapel. The story illustrates how faith can redirect attention from personal troubles toward God’s presence.

Drawing on Jesus’ miracles, the sermon argues that Jesus lived as a human being dependent on the Father and the Holy Spirit, setting an example for believers to follow. The pastor says that being “born again” enables people to see God’s kingdom and what God can do, even before it becomes visible.

He offers three questions for reflection:

1. Who am I in Christ?
2. What is my assurance?
3. Why has God called me?

Rather than becoming stuck on personal faults, listeners are encouraged to focus on their identity in Christ and God’s purpose for them.

A few lighter moments break up the message: the pastor jokes that people probably do not walk on water every day, pokes fun at spouses who repeatedly point out each other’s flaws, and notes that although he lives in Leek, he is also “a resident of heaven.”

Closing

The pastor concludes by urging the congregation to renew their thinking, depend on Jesus, and learn to recognize God’s will. During the closing response, one person raises a hand to return to Jesus, and the congregation is invited to pray at the altar. The service ends with worship, prayer, and a farewell.

People Mentioned

• An unnamed pastor/preacher
• The worship team and singers
• Hilke, who is asked to pray over the offering
• Thomas and his hospitalized brother-in-law
• Pastors Umani, Nies, Cox, and Maurit, along with their wives