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.
I spent the weekend with 400+ senior high teens at Trout Lake Camp’s fall “Break-away” retreat. The weekend featured energetic worship led by the talented and fun Bensonwells and animated speaker Ketric Newell. Most excitingly, I saw students ministered to and challenged to be a generation that rises up and takes the baton and lives all … More Fusion Fall Retreat
“The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup.” Who can forget this classic coffee jingle? Before there was a Starbucks on every corner, there was Folgers. I can still picture the fake smiles of the actors in the ads as they enjoy their first sip of the morning. For many, coffee is the best part of waking up. For … More ALARM CLOCK 8: The Smell of Coffee in the Morning
STRESS: We all experience it. Here is an easy test to determine your current stress level. I am not sure exactly how this works, but this is amazingly accurate. The picture below has two identical dolphins in it. It was used in a case study on stress levels at the Mayo Clinic and later … More Are you stressed out?
I love this kind of thing. Check out this moving story on VIDEO. Who’s hanging out in your church parking lot? And a bonus video below that I found beautiful — even though I’ve never stepped foot on a skateboard. God bless the skateboarders! If Jesus came back today, I think he might be found hanging … More Skateboarding with Jesus
Once we awaken to face God’s glorious New Day, another question naturally arises: How should Christ-followers approach the all-important task of waking others? What kind of alarm clocks should we be? Most morning people I have met take great pride in this particular quality. They even have signature phrases to promote this special trait. … More ALARM CLOCK 7: Ugh! Morning People!
Many families have been blessed by the common sense, biblical approach to money management taught by Dave Ramsey. Financial Peace University is bringing hope to those drowning in financial debt and providing a way forward toward a debt-free lifestyle and wise stewardship of our money. But what if we could help young people avoid the … More Teenagers & Money
The following post is featured at Jesus Creed today. Join the lively conversation THERE. “And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat? Here’s what I want you … More Does God Have Season Tickets? (Jesus Creed)
In Sunday school we used to sing a song that went, “I’m alive, alert, awake, and enthusiastic <clap-clap>.” Even if we were half asleep, or didn’t like singing, we would move our lips along to the song just to avoid drawing attention to ourselves. Similarly, many churchgoers are spiritually lip-sinking to the right tune, looking … More ALARM CLOCK 6: Half Awake Is No Way to Live
One of the strangest memories I have from my summers at church camp as a kid involves a certain sleepwalker. At an early age Kristin had fallen in love with the television series The Little House on the Prairie. She owned the entire collection and had watched them probably two dozen times each. She knew … More ALARM CLOCK 5: Spiritual Sleepwalkers
I am not a morning person. I both envy and secretly resent those early bird types. A typical Sunday morning not long ago about sums it up. I had stayed up late the night before getting some late night reading in. When Sunday morning arrived more quickly than expected, my wife had already showered, dressed … More ALARM CLOCK 4: Rude Awakenings
A former student (now in college) asked the following question a while back. How would you answer this fascinating theological question about the nature of Satan, forgiveness, judgment, heaven and hell? Q: I was discussing Lucifer and his fall from heaven with a roommate, and she wondered if Lucifer ever had a desire to return … More Q&A: Can Satan repent, be forgiven and saved from Hell?
But an alarm is still an alarm. And sleep is still so alluring and peaceful. The covers are snug and the coolness of the morning breeze keeps us wrapped tightly in the sheets. And even the most dazzling sunrise hurts eyes so accustomed to the dark. So we often linger in our comatose state, … More ALARM CLOCK 3: Heavy Sleepers Are Hard to Wake
The Internet Monk had an article on the Role of the Sermon in Evangelical Worship. I have been doing a lot of thinking and having a lot of conversations about Bible teaching and sermon crafting. The role of the sermon in evangelical church life can hardly be overstated. What other human institution or organization banks everything … More The iMonk on the Role of the Sermon
Every fall youth pastors must decide which direction we’re going to take our students in our Bible teaching. And, in my experience, this is not always a clear-cut decision and there are a thousand different topics I’d love to tackle. So, we all must go through some discernment process, prayerful consideration and preparation. Here are … More Youth Pastors & Message Topic Selection
This week our study in Romans (“The God Report”) takes us to what one pastor titled his sermon “The Dark Exchange.” Paul addresses the pagan metropolis of ancient Rome with the following critique — which is relevant today as 2,000 years ago: “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave … More Mark Driscoll, Nightline & American Idolatry
The entire Christian life is, at its core, a wake up call. Here is the scene: The world was lost in the darkness of night, living in the shadow of death and anxiously awaiting a promised new day when God’s light would finally shine forth (Isa. 59:9). Isaiah’s watchman asked, “What of the night? How … More ALARM CLOCK 2: The God Who Raises the Shade
We begin a devotional series today reflecting on some spiritual lessons and biblical insights from the all-too-familiar process of waking up every morning. Enjoy! Six-o-clock. The alarm has sounded. The sun is peeking through the half-raised shade, piercing your squinting eyes as you roll over to hit the snooze bar for a third time. It … More ALARM CLOCK 1: Christmas Gifts & Final Exams
How does the Bible exercise authority and guide our lives as people living in a post-modern age? N.T. Wright, bishop in the Church of England, addresses this issue in his must-read essay/lecture How Can The Bible Be Authoritative? Please check out the entire essay HERE. Below is an excerpt giving a taste of his narrative … More Narrative Theology: N.T. Wright’s Five-Act Hermeneutic
I was blogging this morning in my study when a little furry visitor scurried in to say hi. Yes, we have a chipmunk in our house! He tried sneaking up on me in my study. This was a huge violation of my sacred space. I jumped up and said, “Hey, stop right there Mister!” and … More The Undercover Chipmunk Spy & Book Thief
An inquisitive high school freshman from our youth group emailed me the following question today: Q:“What do you think the Bible means by the Kingdom of God?” This is such a central theme of the NT and yet it is so dynamic and varied in its uses and references that one does not blame someone … More Q & A – The Kingdom of God in a Nutshell
“A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, ‘darkness’ on the walls of his cell.” – C. S. Lewis
I’m a podcast addict. I haven’t listened to my car stereo forever. My CDs are collecting dust and the songs on my iPod are far outnumbered by all of the podcast sermons, lectures, radio programs I subscribe to. While I listen to my staple sermons each week by my favorite pastors (Greg Boyd, David Johnson, … More My Top 3: Cultural Commentators
As I prepare my Romans “The God Report” messages for our senior high group each week I will be posting some reflections and insights along the way. Let’s begin with the way Paul introduces himself to the Roman church. One of the small group “mixer” activities we like to do is called “Myself in 10 … More ROMANS: Meet Paul (1:1-7)
Jesus Creed recently alerted me to a post by Jen Bradbury on “Outcome Based Education” for our youth groups. She asks youth ministers what they hope their students will take away from our ministry before they graduate on to college. Read her full POST here. Otherwise, I thought she nailed all of the “biggies” I certainly … More Desired Outcomes for Youth Ministry
Kingdom Harbor 