The Refuge Church

09/04/2026

Around the age of 2, children enter what is called the Mine Stage, named after every toddler's favorite word: "Mine!"

Toddlers spend much of their waking hours holding out their pudgy little hands demanding you give them what is rightfully theirs (or what they think should be theirs) and protesting loudly if they do not receive it.

This is a perfectly normal stage of child development, but no one would ever expect a child to stay stuck there forever. In time, a healthy child grows in their awareness that the world is bigger than them, and that there are other needs than their own.

The same kind of growth and maturity should happen with our prayers. If the only prayers you ever pray are just asking God to give you what you want, that pattern reveals a lack of spiritual maturity.

Part of what it means to mature as a Christian is to imitate Christ in self-denial, and to grow in your perspective that God is building a bigger and better kingdom than the ones we often demand.

This is why Christ has taught us to pray: "YOUR kingdom come, YOUR will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

Join us this Sunday as we learn how to take hold of our heavenly Father's heart in prayer.

SUNDAYS @ 10:00AM
CADILLAC HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM
500 CHESTNUT STREET, CADILLAC
www.refugecadillac.com

09/02/2026

08/31/2026

"Every time we pray, 'Our Father in heaven,' we are reminded that God loves us not because of our performance, but because we are his children. And in Christ, we can be sure that there is nothing that could ever separate us from our heavenly Father’s love."

Title: "The Lord's Prayer: Our Father"
Text: Mathew 6:5-13
Speaker: Pastor Eric Freeman
Date: August 30, 2026
Listen: www.refugecadillac.com/sermons

08/26/2026

This Sunday we will begin a new five-week study on the Lord's Prayer from Matthew 6:9-13.

Our interest in prayer tends to focus on the how-to's: When should I pray? How long should I pray? Should I use a prayer book to guide me? Should I write down my prayers in a journal? Is it okay do yoga while I pray?

These are fine questions to ask. But when Jesus taught us to pray, he began not with the how-to's but with the relationship. He taught us to pray to God as "our Father."

In this way, prayer is not so much about us trying to convince God to do what we want him to do. In prayer we take hold of our Father's heart and ask him to give what he already loves to give his children -- his kingdom, provision, forgiveness, and deliverance.

So, join us this Sunday and discover the security of knowing that your prayers are heard and answered by our loving Father in heaven.

SUNDAYS @ 10:00AM
CADILLAC HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM
500 CHESTNUT STREET, CADILLAC
www.refugecadillac.com

08/24/2026

"Live today for what will last for eternity."

Title: "To the Ends of the Earth, Pt. 28"
Text: August 19:23-32
Speaker: Pastor Eric Freeman
Date: August 23, 2026
Listen: www.refugecadillac.com/sermons

08/21/2026

In his book Counterfeit Gods, the pastor Tim Keller shares about a time where he did a seven-part series of talks on the Seven Deadly Sins at a men's breakfast. His wife Kathy told him to expect a low attendance on the week he addressed greed. She was right. People packed it out for Lust and Wrath and even for Pride. But hardly anyone showed up for the talk on Greed.

Keller writes: "Nobody thinks they are greedy. As a pastor, I've had people come to me to confess that they struggle with almost every kind of sin. Almost. I cannot recall anyone ever coming to me saying, 'I spend too much money on myself. I think my greed for money is harming my family, my soul, and people around me.' Greed hides itself form the victim. The money god's modus operandi includes blindness to your own heart."

We see that truth on display in Acts 19. Thus far, the gospel has victoriously broken through the obstacles of disunity, cultural hostility, even spiritual powers of darkness and evil.

What could possibly be left to stand in the way? The love of money, which (as you may have heard) is the root of all kinds of evil. The sin that no one thinks we struggle with actually has the tightest grip on our hearts.

So, resist the temptation to skip out on this one and join us Sunday to discover the gospel antidote to our love for money.

SUNDAYS @ 10:00AM
CADILLAC HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM
500 CHESTNUT STREET, CADILLAC
www.refugecadillac.com

08/19/2026

Pastor Eric Freeman was invited to speak at Lucas Christian Reformed Church this past Sunday evening on the subject of God's "very good" design for work and rest. You can listen to that message here, beginning at the 34:48 mark: https://www.youtube.com/live/jWWQjifRY3A?t=2088s

08/17/2026

"The enemy is more powerful than us, but he is not more powerful than God. 'The devil is God’s devil,' as Martin Luther said. He is subordinate to the almighty, preeminent God. The enemy may still attack and threaten you, but you can face it knowing he is nothing more than an already defeated foe."

Title: "To the Ends of the Earth, Pt. 27"
Text: August 19:11-20
Speaker: Pastor Eric Freeman
Date: August 16, 2026
Listen: www.refugecadillac.com/sermons

08/14/2026

The Bible contains stories of miraculous events, prophetic signs, spiritual gifts, angels, demons, and the resurrection of the dead -- all of which are presented as historical fact.

However, our modern persuasions have dulled our sense of the supernatural. We read things like these and object, "Come on! You don't really believe this stuff, do you?"

Oh, but I do. And you believe it too, though you may not want to admit it yet.

There is more to this world than what we can see or explain. We live in a spiritual world that is in the midst of a spiritual battle, and pretending like it doesn't exist won't protect us from it any more than hiding behind a curtain in a lion's den.

We need not only to recognize the spiritual battle we live in, but to find refuge in the strength that can give us victory over it:

Though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God has willed
His truth to triumph through us.
("A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" by Martin Luther)

Join us this Sunday and find rest for your soul.

SUNDAYS @ 10:00AM
CADILLAC HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM
500 CHESTNUT STREET, CADILLAC
www.refugecadillac.com

08/12/2026

Wake up, go to work, sleep, wake up, do it all over again. It's easy to go through the motions without giving much thought or intentionality to our rhythms of work and rest.

But have you ever wondered: What is my work and rest ultimately for?

If you have, we'd like to invite you to join us at Lucas Christian Reformed Church this Sunday evening, August 16 at 5:00PM for a special talk by our very own Pastor Eric Freeman entitled "Very Good: Rediscovering God's Very Good Design for Work & Rest."

We hope to see you there!

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16 @ 5:00PM
LUCAS CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH
10479 S LUCAS RD, MCBAIN