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.
“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
I have almost finished the long journey toward ordination in the Evangelical Covenant Church. It will become official at our national gathering in Kansas City this June. But I was recognized this week along with other ordinands at our Northwest Conference Annual Meeting at Salem Covenant Church in New Brighton. On Friday morning all of … More Ordination: A Milestone in the Making
From Kevin DeYoung’s blog: Thom Rainer, President and CEO of Lifeway, argues that the secret to being an evangelistic church “is really no secret at all. Ultimately evangelistic churches see more persons become Christians through the passionate efforts of highly evangelistic Christians.” And what characterizes these highly evangelistic Christians? Read on (bold type added for … More Habits of Evangelistic Christians
Originally posted on Kingdom Harbor:
“I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people and I will be their God” (Ezek 11:19-20). Many still view youth ministry as a second-class calling, a…
Here’s a repost from 2009. Enjoy! -JB “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself.” -Jesus As fall stares tired youth pastors in the face, weary from summer trips and fun-in-the-sun adventures, we try to take a deep breath, grab a mini vacation before ramping up for another year of bringing the good … More Worship at the Altar of Self
The human ego is a sly and persistent bugger. Our bent toward self-centeredness is an ever-present menace in times of well-intended Christian living. You never know when and where the individual ego, under the strong influence of the Enemy, will take and distort an otherwise good, God made gift. The Enemy will often lead our … More When ‘Togetherness’ Isn’t Enough
Question: What about the people who were born in the deepest jungles or in some rural African village? They never heard of Jesus, and no one has ever shared with them the “way to salvation” through Jesus Christ. Will they spend eternity in Hell for not believing in something they never heard about? Answer: There … More Q&A – What about those who’ve never heard the gospel?
Enjoy a book review of Christian Spirituality: Five Views of Sanctification edited by Donald Alexander. The 5 representative views include the Lutheran, Wesleyan, Reformed, Pentecostal and Contemplative traditions. SUMMARY OF VIEWS I. Lutheran View. Gerhard O. Forde emphasizes the centrality of Christ’s righteousness as imputed to the believer for their justification. Sanctification is not something … More BOOK REVIEW: Christian Spirituality: Five Views of Sanctification
As a Bible geek, I’m also a Bible movie geek. Movies have the power to bring written story to life in living color. In a visual culture this is an especially important medium for introducing people to the story and claims of the Bible. So, I’m definitely hoping Mark Burnett and Roma Downey’s latest work A.D. The … More Why the A.D. Series is ‘Must See TV’
Here’s a parable I wrote for a wedding homily. -JB Once there was a newly wed couple who only weeks after their wedding day inherited their grandfather’s beautiful old house in the country. Overflowing joy filled the old house on the day they moved in to begin their new life together. To their great surprise, … More Wedding Parable of the Grandfather Clock
The naming of a child is a big deal for us. We put quite a bit of thought into the namesakes of our children. We are following a rich biblical practice of giving our children names that speak to the character and legacies we hope our children rise to live out in their lives. We just … More A Girl Named Abigail – Part 2
It’s a girl!!! Before we had kids I wanted a daughter most. I’m not sure entirely why. Everyone is quick to joke about the “teenage terror” years of a girl and dad’s are universally portrayed as either aloof or completely terrified by the thought of their baby girl becoming a woman and all the hormonal … More A Girl Named Abigail – Part 1
A few years ago I spent many months researching and creating a website in honor of the life and ministry of Erik August Skogsbergh, one of my spiritual heroes. I drive past his old summer home on my way to church each day — where hundreds of people used to flock on summer days to hear him preach … More Tributes to a Spiritual Hero
One of the most enjoyable and humbling aspects of ministry is premarital counseling with young couples. In a relationally, maritally challenged and sexually confused culture, I get to spend many precious hours with couples looking at God’s design for love and sex, and probing his wisdom and insight for a healthy marriage. One thing I often do with couples is … More The Narrow Way to a Healthy Marriage
This is powerful.
“Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live … More EPHESIANS 10: A Terminal Diagnosis
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