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.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds … More PHILIPPIANS 31: Don’t Worry, Be Happy (4:4-7)
Where were you when the news broke on that tragic morning in America September 11, 2001? That’s the question we all ask years later. And we all remember. For what it’s worth, I was in my car on the way to Bethel University to lift weights with some buddies on campus. We didn’t lift any … More Remembering 9/11
“Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends! I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at … More PHILIPPIANS 30: I Plead with You Whom I Love (4:1-3)
What did Jesus mean when he told his fellow Jews to “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s”? Greg Boyd brings another strong critique of American tendencies toward a nationalized version of Christianity. In a recent sermon entitled “Handing Jesus Over to Caesar” Boyd argues that Jesus’ answer “undermined … More Boyd Waxes Bold on Jesus & Politics (Again)
“Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their … More PHILIPPIANS 29: Follow My Example (3:17-21)
As we mentioned earlier, the humanistic optimism that drives the prominent secular theories of government acts as if human beings control the course of history. This is a responsibility too large for any human being and inevitably stirs up within them an overbearing anxiety, fear and despair. Many have therefore painted themselves into a Darwinian … More Cruciform Justice 9: Living Out of Control
Keri and I have spent some time this summer watching some movie series. We started the summer with the X-Men movies and are now working our way through the Harry Potter movie series. NPR’s All Things Considered recently ran a story that caught my attention. The piece focused on the mixed receptivity of Harry Potter … More Harry Potter Resurrected
What does a narrative approach to Scripture say about the authority of Scripture? 5. Narrative Understanding of Scriptural Authority. Most foundationally, we must treat Scripture as more than a static repository of abstract truths that reveal true propositions about God, history and the human condition (though these too are important, have their special place and can be … More A Powerful Collision: God, Bible, Authority & Narrative 4
“Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.” (Phil 3:16). There is a lot going on in this single verse. Paul is summing up a long, sustained … More PHILIPPIANS 28: Growing into Spiritual Adulthood (3:16)
“I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my … More PHILIPPIANS 27: No Turning Back Now (3:12-15)
“The Christian way of life is no fairytale; in the power of the Spirit it can be lived. Countless Christians through the ages have shown us how. The fruit of worship and Bible study and prayer and obedience to the Word, is a joy, a peace, an unshakeable hope that the world cannot give or … More QUOTABLES: Elizabeth Achtemeier
“I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead. I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have … More PHILIPPIANS 26: My Interview with Apostle Paul (3:10-12)
“Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be … More PHILIPPIANS 25: Basketball and Dog Dung (3:8-9)
The Cross calls us to a justice that moves us beyond the law of retribution: “An eye for an eye.” As Moltmann observes, “If evil is recompensed with evil, then the one evil is always oriented on the other evil, because only in that way is it justified.” While scoffed at by many, there is … More Cruciform Justice 8: Getting Beyond Retribution
How does this narrative approach then change the way Christians understand and relate to God and the Bible? Let’s look briefly at a narrative understanding of God, the fall, saving faith and evangelism. 1. A Narrative Understanding of God. The particular plot line reveals a lot about the heart and character of the Author. Therefore, in our … More A Powerful Collision: God, Bible, Authority & Narrative 3
“We couldn’t carry this off by our own efforts, and we know it—even though we can list what many might think are impressive credentials. You know my pedigree: a legitimate birth, circumcised on the eighth day; an Israelite from the elite tribe of Benjamin; a strict and devout adherent to God’s law; a fiery defender … More PHILIPPIANS 24: Religious Badges for Boasting (3:5-7)
“Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith. Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. For we who worship by the Spirit of God are … More PHILIPPIANS 23: Rely on Christ, Not Human Effort (3:1-4)
Nobody likes being told what to do and what not to do. To some degree or another, everybody is suspicious and wary of “authority” and those we call “authority figures.” We think of relentless bosses, overbearing parents, slave-driving teachers, stern-eyed judges and intimidating police officers. Yet, the Authority that stands above the rest is God. … More A Powerful Collision: God, Bible, Authority & Narrative 2
Jurgen Moltmann is the foremost proponent for approaching the world’s suffering through the lenses of the cross. For Moltmann, “Christian theology must look at the question of Christ’s suffering before looking at the suffering of the world. It can only form a critical theology of its contemporary environment only in as far as it has … More Cruciform Justice 7: The Critique of the Cross
Now for something completely random and off topic… Coulrophobia is abnormal or exaggerated fear of clowns. Why are so many people scared of clowns? Do you find them creepy? Check out this video. Here’s some other strange phobias: Aulophobia- Fear of flutes. Barophobia- Fear of gravity Chronomentrophobia- Fear of clocks Homilophobia- Fear of sermons Geniophobia- Fear … More Are you afraid of clowns?
Keri made me watch it. I didn’t want to. I watched it when it first came out in the mid 80s when I was about 8 years old. It was creepy. Do you remember The Neverending Story? Bastian is a boy bossed around by his dad and bullied by schoolmates, all the while grieving the death … More MOVIE REVIEW: The Neverending Story (1984)
BRINGING GOD INTO THE MIX As indispensable as justice and peace are to a world of suffering and injustice, are these the highest goods worth striving for or dedicating our lives to? A biblically minded Christian must answer ‘No.’ For those who find their lives within the redemptive narrative of the creator and redeemer God … More Cruciform Justice 6: Between ‘The Rock’ & A Hard Place
In light of the recent John Piper interpretation of the Minneapolis tornado, Greg Boyd hosted a Q&A centered around the debated concept that God might be behind the natural disasters in the world…as well as other related questions from the congregation. Well worth checking out links below! LISTEN TO AUDIO WATCH VIDEO
“Above all things guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” (Prov. 4:23) Her hands shook and her eyes roamed restlessly about the bus. I could tell she was agitated about something. I walked up the aisle of the bus and met the eager eyes of many teens as we turned the corner just … More Guard Your Treasure: Teens, Sex & Cellphones
Kingdom Harbor 