The Rev. Dr. Jeremy Berg is the founding and lead pastor of MainStreet Covenant Church in Minnetonka Beach, MN, where he has served since 2010. He is an adjunct professor of Biblical and Theological Studies who has taught classes at Bethel University, University of Northwestern—St. Paul, North Central University, Crown College, and Solid Rock Discipleship School. Jeremy earned a doctorate in New Testament Context under Scot McKnight at Northern Seminary (Chicago). He and his wife, Kjerstin, have three kids, Peter, Isaak and Abigail.
Once we have found ourselves traveling down God’s Holy Highway, with the wind of the spirit at our backs and the bright morning Son lighting the road ahead, there are still some basic driving tips we can follow to make the trip safer, more enjoyable and problem-free. One of the many jobs I have had … More RUSH HOUR 6: Eyes on the Road!
We are currently adjusting from being a homeowner to now being a landowner. We now know the difference between having a house in town and owning some acres in the country. For one thing, there’s much more to maintain! Trees, leaves, lawn, landscaping, driveway, and more. We are LOVING it. Especially these first days of spring … More Planting for the Future
“That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake” (Matt. 13:1). The Christian life is largely about imitating the spiritual habits and behaviors of Jesus. Now, many of Jesus’ teachings and practices are rigorous and demanding. E.g., “If you want to be my disciple you must first deny yourself and take … More WWJD: Go Sit by a Lake!
The decision to make a U-turn in life is much more difficult when everyone else seems to be headed in the same direction. I mean, come on! Can all this traffic possibly be going the wrong way? I mean, isn’t it safest to just go with the flow if you’re not sure what direction you should be headed? … More RUSH HOUR 5: Going Against the Flow
It’s sunrise. The day after Fishing Opener. Location: Sea of Galilee. Date: A.D. 28. The schools of fish have gathered for an emergency all school assembly at Rock Pile Point. There is great unrest in the school. The fish of Galilee are extra fidgety this year. There are strange rumors afloat. You see, every year around … More Fishing Opener Mystery on the Sea of Galilee
Turn around. Change direction. Make a U-turn. These are all accurate renderings of the Greek word metanoia, which is translated “repent” in most Bibles. The word ‘repent’ is loaded with religious baggage, notions of gloom and doom, judgment and wrath, hellfire and brimstone. But the word literally means “change” (meta) of “mind” (noia). Why even … More RUSH HOUR 4: Time to Make a U-Turn
Repost from 2010. Something has changed since I went to school. Like all cultural changes it came slowly, subtly, under the radar and is now boiling many teens like frogs trapped in kettle of pressure and busyness. Today’s teens are experiencing an enormous amount of pressure to “produce, produce, produce” and out-perform their peers to … More ‘Race to Nowhere’: Performance Pressure on Today’s Teens
You have heard it said, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” But I’m more convinced it is paved with bad directions. If Eve’s grave sin in the garden was a failure to follow God’s directions, her punishment has been putting up with Adam the rest of the way who refuses to … More RUSH HOUR 3: Asking for Directions
The Christian life should be a life on the road. It should be viewed as a long, exciting road trip. We are like “Christian” in John Bunyan’s classic allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress, who is “a man on an adventurous journey across rough terrain, over sunlit hills, and through dark valleys… From the City of Destruction … More RUSH HOUR 2: On the Road Again
“The gate is wide and the road easy that leads off a cliff, and there are many who drive it. But the gate is narrow and the road is bumpy that leads to life, and there are few who take it.” Matthew 7:13-14 “There will be a highway called the Holy Road… It’s for … More RUSH HOUR 1: Buckle Up
Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?” Jesus answered, “The knowledge about the secrets of the Kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them… The reason I use parables in talking to them is that they look, but … More The Secrets of the Kingdom
The average American has a 21 minute commute and spends 175 hours per year in the car—and that’s just for work! Over a 40-year career, one will spend approximately 291 full days behind the wheel! That’s a lot of time to think about all the spiritual lessons one can glean from their time behind the wheel. Join Jeremy … More NEW SERIES: Rush Hour
One dynamic that Jesus films help bring out that often gets missed in common Christian teaching is how real and popular the “zealot” movement was in Jesus’ day. These were religious “freedom fighters” who wanted to take up arms against Rome and try to incite insurrection and political unrest in the Holy Land. Jesus rejected … More A.D. Miniseries Commentary – Resisting the Way of Violence
Last night millions of viewers watched part 4 of the A.D. miniseries on NBC. We are seeing the tumultuous beginnings of the Jesus movement following his resurrection. Cowardly followers have become bold witnesses. The Holy Spirit inspires boldness in the face of opposition. The miracles that Jesus once wrought are now happening through his followers, and … More The Demise of Ananias & Sapphira (A.D. Miniseries)
Here’s a repost from 2010. -JB If you get cranky when rush-hour turns your drive home into a 40-minute commute, imagine being stuck on the Sinai Expressway for 40-years — and on a bus filled with hundreds of other cranky passengers! Perhaps, “road rage” is not as new a phenomenon as we might think. When … More Gridlock on the Sinai Expressway
In this series we’re picking apart this episode in Luke 10 piece by piece, exploring what it looks like on the road to discipleship in the company of Jesus. “The Lord now chose seventy (-two) other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. These were his … More Two by Two 4: The Places He Planned to Visit
“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it” (Eph. 2:8-9). Church planting has taught me many faith lessons. One unexpected (yet delicious) … More EPHESIANS 13: No Such Thing as a Free Lunch?
A new pastor was visiting in the homes of his parishioners.. At one house it seemed obvious that someone was at home, but no answer came to his repeated knocks at the door.Therefore, he took out a business card and wrote ‘Revelation 3:20‘ on the back of it and stuck it in the door.When the offering was processed the … More Bible Humor – New Pastor House Visits
I was raised Lutheran, educated Baptist, attended a non-denominational megachurch for 10 years, served in a small Methodist church, organized a missional (emerging style) youth movement that met in my living room, served a moderate sized Evangelical Covenant before planting a MainStreet Covenant Church that feels like a mix of all of these most days. I have … More Traditional Worship: Do I miss it?
Originally posted on Kingdom Harbor:
My new favorite daddy-Peter time activity these days is stroller walks around town while listening to the Daily Audio Bible podcast. Now, 95% of the time Peter is fast asleep from the motion, soothing wind and outdoor noises. Strollers are the baby-equivalent to a sleeping pill. Well, the other day…
“The church exists today as resident aliens, an adventurous colony in a society of unbelief. As a society of unbelief, Western culture is devoid of a sense of journey, of adventure, because it lacks belief in much more than the cultivation of an ever-shrinking horizon of self-preservation and self-expression . . . . When we … More QUOTABLES: Adventurous Colony in a Society of Unbelief
In this series (originally posted in 2009) we’re picking apart this episode in Luke 10 piece by piece, exploring what it looks like on the road to discipleship in the company of Jesus. “The Lord now chose seventy (-two) other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned … More Two by Two 3: In Pairs
“But God…made us alive with Christ….and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:5-7). Ephesians can be broken into two parts where the first 3 … More EPHESIANS 12: Solidarity with Christ is Everything (2:5-7)
Repost from 2010.-JB In this series we’ll be picking apart this episode in Luke 10 piece by piece, exploring what it looks like on the road to discipleship in the company of Jesus. “The Lord now chose seventy (-two) other disciples and sent them ahead of himself in pairs to all the towns and places … More Two by Two 2: Ahead of Himself
In this series we’ll be picking apart this episode in Luke 10 piece by piece, exploring what it looks like on the road to discipleship in the company of Jesus. “The Lord now chose seventy (-two) other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. These … More Two by Two 1: He Sent Them
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