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.
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 Peter was wide awake as … More “Don’t Look at Me! I’m Just Your Dad!”
From CT: On 9/11 I thought, For the most powerful, militarized nation in the world also to think of itself as an innocent victim is deadly. It was a rare prophetic moment for me, considering Presidents Bush and Obama have spent billions asking the military to rectify the crime of a small band of lawless individuals, destroying a … More Will Willimon on 9/11
The price was right in Mound as MainStreet Covenant Church held it’s second annual Free Garage Sale at Stonegate Plaza on August 27. Donated goods were collected all week from friends in the community and given away on Saturday — everything free. Hundreds of shoppers turned out and went home with smiles on their faces … More Outrageous Generosity at MainStreet
I found this post at Michael Hyatt’s Intentional Leadership site very fun and insightful. Enjoy! -JB As a book mentor, I’ve read plenty of passionless prose. And as a fellow pilgrim, I’ve listened to many people who shyly look away when I ask them what their passion is. Why is that? I have a hunch that … More Find Your Passion in 3 Steps (by Mary DeMuth)
Some passions of MainStreet Covenant Church…. We believe it is unacceptable that…. Mound hasn’t had a new church in over 60 years until this year. Westonka teenagers and young families are not currently being engaged or reached effectively. God’s people leave Mound in droves on Sunday to attend church elsewhere. Many people view church as … More The Heart of MainStreet Church for Mound
“I find an increasing number of young Christians are willing to say “enough is enough” when it comes to militarism, to military budgets, and to embracing a peace orientation toward how Christians are to live in a world of international conflicts. Ronald Sider (Christ and Violence) and John Howard Yoder (The Politics of Jesus ) have … More QUOTABLES: Scot McKnight on Non-Violence
As I was reading scripture the other day I made 2 observations – 1) strong, emotional words are often used in scripture and 2) that I have almost completely removed strong emotions from my practice of Christianity and made it an intellectual pursuit. For as long as I can remember, certainly back to HS, I’ve … More Emotional Faith (by Mike Fox)
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me! Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught … More His Name is Peter 7 – Life Outside the Boat
Now for some borderline inappropriate humor with some profound truth underneath. :) Friends are like panties…Some crawl up your butt. Some snap under pressure. Some don’t have the strength to hold you up. Some get a little twisted. Some are your favorite. Some are holy. Some are cheap. Some are naughty. And some actually cover … More Worth a Chuckle
The Enemy did his best to drown me in doubt last week. In that darkness, I received a text message from a friend with a Bible verse with the perfect message at the perfect time: “Let us not grow weary in doing good. For at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we … More Through the Fog
In my home state of Minnesota there are only two seasons: winter and road construction. Road construction season coincides however with another seasonal Minnesota pastime—cabin fever! Every Friday afternoon during the warm months you’ll find a mass exodus of cars heading north for the weekend. The irony of it all is that in order to … More STUDENT DRIVER 9: The Road Less Travelled
Slideshow of Peter Bjorn. A special thanks to Emily Hammar for her beautiful photography! Music by Storyhill.
This is singlehandedly one of the best essays I’ve read on a Biblical Understanding of Sexuality, Marriage, Singleness, Dating and more by Timothy Keller. Though quite long, well worth plowing through to the end. Essay: The Gospel & Sex by Timothy Keller
I’ve been facing some serious spiritual oppression this past week. I’ve been fighting off doubt and discouragement, and trying to hear the Voice of God amidst the distorted cacophony of messages from the Evil One. Seeking a Word from God on how best to lead our MainStreet team forward this fall, I set out on … More A Frog at Midnight
1 Sam 3:1-10 1 The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions. 2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God … More Pursued by Grace (by Mike Fox)
The gate is wide and the road is smooth that leads to destruction, and there are many who travel it. But the gate is narrow and the road is rugged that leads to life, and there are few who take it (Matt 7:13-14). Turn around. Change direction. Make a U-turn. These are all accurate … More STUDENT DRIVER 8: U-Turns Allowed
When he had finished speaking, [Jesus] said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of … More His Name Is Peter 6 – ‘I’m a Sinful Man’
Boy, did we have fun going to see Burlap to Cashmere live in concert back in 1998 as freshman in college. They played, believe it or not, at the old New Union (before it moved downtown and became Club 3 Degrees). After their award winning full album release in 1998, which was warmly received and … More MUSIC: ‘Burlap to Cashmere’ is Back – 13 years later!!
A very well-balanced, must read article on Evangelical Christianity and the influence of the late Rev. John Stott by New York Times by Nicholas Kristof. He begins: IN these polarized times, few words conjure as much distaste in liberal circles as “evangelical Christian.” That’s partly because evangelicals came to be associated over the last 25 … More Giving Evangelicals A Fair Shake (NY Times)
“Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas”(which, when translated, is Peter)” (John 1:42). Dear Peter Bjorn, There were many names popular in Jesus’ day. Simon was on the top of the boy list for sure. Likewise, there were the popular names of 2011 when you were … More His Name Is Peter 5 – Nickname
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 STUDENT DRIVER 7: Asking for Directions
Kingdom Harbor 