“Midwinter Lullabye” for Keri & Baby
January 23, 2011
Author: Jeremy Berg
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.
Pastor 2 – More than a Manager
January 22, 2011
From William Willimon’s definitive book on ordained ministry entitled Pastor. “The history of pastoral care in America is a history of the adoption of inappropriate models of leadership by the clergy. This stands as a warning to us of the perils of uncritical adoption of secular techniques and models of leadership…..” “The pastor as manager … More Pastor 2 – More than a Manager
John Piper on Sexual Sin
January 21, 2011
Pastor 1 – More Than Meeting Needs
January 20, 2011
I’m reading through William Willimon’s definitive book on ministry called “Pastor.” Allow me to share some highlights as I go. “We live in a capitalist, consumptive culture where there is no purpose to our society other than “meeting our needs.” The culture gives us the maximum amount of room and encouragement to “meet our needs” … More Pastor 1 – More Than Meeting Needs
A More Elderly R.E.M.
January 19, 2011
QUOTABLES: John Piper on Turning 65 Years Old
January 19, 2011
“Soon I turn 65. One could look at this two ways: 1) it’s the age most people retire, or 2) it’s the age Winston Churchill became Prime Minister and led England and the Western World to victory over Hitler’s aggression. I find Churchill much more inspiring than retirement.” -John Piper, Pastor
Francis Chan on ‘Celebrity Preachers’
January 17, 2011
This post comes from a question and answer series with Francis Chan. I found this at http://www.desiringgod.org. Q: Jesus has always blessed his Church with gifted teachers. Unique to our day is the increased accessibility of these teachers. How should we make the most out of these resources while at the same time being committed to … More Francis Chan on ‘Celebrity Preachers’
Books I’m reading these days
January 14, 2011
Hi friends, December and January are always peak reading months for me. Something about snowy weather, hot chocolate, fireplaces, and new books and Amazon Gift cards for Christmas seem to factor in. So, if you’re curious, here are the books I’m reading or have recently read. I especially enjoyed One.Life by McKnight. Peace. After You … More Books I’m reading these days
Church Planting Wisdom (by Tim Morey)
January 5, 2011
A friend who is planting a new church emailed the other day and asked me about some of the best things I did as Life Covenant Church was starting. I started to write down the first few things that came to mind, and what came out are some small practices that looking back have had … More Church Planting Wisdom (by Tim Morey)
QUOTABLES: God Is In The Manger
January 2, 2011
One last Christmas quote from Bonhoeffer — a bit late. (Though we’d do well to celebrate the scandal of the incarnation all year long.) “For the great and powerful of this world, there are only two places in which their courage fails them, of which they are afraid deep down in their souls, from which … More QUOTABLES: God Is In The Manger
10 Significant Trends of Last Decade
January 1, 2011
Qideas.org is tracking the Ten Most Significant Trends of the past decade. Interesting stuff, for example: At the Q gathering in 2010, urbanologist Richard Florida observed that young adults meeting one another no longer ask, “What do you do?” They ask, “Where do you live?” More and more people will change careers in order to stay … More 10 Significant Trends of Last Decade
QUOTABLES: The Cost of Following Jesus
December 31, 2010
“The basis for the ethics of the Sermon on the Mount is not what works but rather the way God is. Cheek-turning is not advocated as what works (it usually does not), but advocated because this is the way God is — God is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. This is not a … More QUOTABLES: The Cost of Following Jesus
VIDEO: Following Jesus in College
December 30, 2010
This is a good glimpse into the mind of a typical university student trying to follow Jesus:
2010 Barna Report – “Megathemes”
December 28, 2010
From Barna: Do you agree with these six themes? What do you think? What can we do? Change usually happens slowly in the Church. But a review of the past year’s research conducted by the Barna Group provides a time-lapse portrayal of how the religious environment in the U.S. is morphing into something new. Analyzing … More 2010 Barna Report – “Megathemes”
Personal Update: We have BIG NEWS!!
December 27, 2010
Yep, it’s true! Keri and I have a lil’ Berg baby on the way!! We’ve been keeping our little secret for several weeks so we could surprise our parents and families on Christmas! So, surprise!! With God’s help we hope to give birth to both a new church and a new baby in 2011. Keri … More Personal Update: We have BIG NEWS!!
Aunt & Uncle Duty is Fun!
December 24, 2010
Keri and I decided to play “Pirates” with our niece Hailey this week. Aren’t we scary?!
Christmas Fun Facts
December 20, 2010
Some fun facts to ponder from Allan Bevere: -In 1836, Alabama became the first state in the USA to declare Christmas a legal holiday. In 1907, Oklahoma became the last USA state to declare Christmas a legal holiday. -Oliver Cromwell, in England banned Christmas Carols between 1649 and 1660. Cromwell thought that Christmas should be … More Christmas Fun Facts
Does this T-shirt help or hinder the gospel?
December 16, 2010
“Losers Who Win” (Dunn)
December 16, 2010
Jeff Dunn has a nice piece at iMonk today on the scandal of those shepherds being in our nativity displays. He begins: If I were to be in a Christmas play, I would want to play a shepherd. I mean, they get to wear cool robes and carry a stick. I like carrying sticks. I … More “Losers Who Win” (Dunn)
A Snowy Night of Local Teen Talent
December 15, 2010
There was more in the air than just oversized snowflakes on December 10 in Mound, MN. The MainStreet Revolution hosted the “Christmas Cafe” open mic event at the Threshold, and filled the air with sweet songs and melodies by some of the best local teen talent. Nearly 70 people turned out — mostly teenagers and … More A Snowy Night of Local Teen Talent
MUSIC VIDEO: Where’s the Line to See Jesus? (Becky Kelley)
December 13, 2010
Share Your Writing at Daily Illumination
December 12, 2010
Wanna write for Daily Illumination? Do you have something you’ve already written elsewhere and want to share with the DI audience? Consider becoming a Luminary today! What’s that? Webster defines it this way: lu•mi•nar•y |ˈloōməˌnerē noun ( pl. -naries) 1 a person who inspires or influences others Daily Illumination welcomes guest contributors, or luminaries, to submit writings to be featured at DI on occasion. We welcome a … More Share Your Writing at Daily Illumination
Taking a Long View (Oscar Romero)
December 11, 2010
These are some of the most profound words I’ve received in a very long time. Very good reminder for us as we are chasing a Kingdom vision and building something for the LORD. Thanks Will and Joe for passing it along to me. Enjoy! It helps, now and then, to step back and take a … More Taking a Long View (Oscar Romero)
It’s Not Rocket Science, Just Faith
December 10, 2010
Being a Christian today means many things to many people. Going to church. Praying. Reading your Bible. Serving others. Giving generously. But it’s all boiled down to one thing: Walking by faith. I was reading Heb 11:8-12,19 today about Abraham and taking some notes. The DNA for being a radical Jesus follower today can be summed … More It’s Not Rocket Science, Just Faith
What’s your favorite Narnia book?
December 10, 2010
Kingdom Harbor 