It’s Holy Saturday…the day Jesus rested in the tomb in some traditions, or the day Jesus raided Hell and proclaimed victory over the powers in others. Either way, Sunday’s a-coming! It is fitting this Easter to share a famous sermon clip from the late, great Tony Campolo who is celebrating his first Easter in glory. … More Sunday’s Coming! (Tony Campolo)
It’s the anniversary we never wanted, nor will ever forget. One year ago we rushed Isaak (11) to the ER with abdominal pain, and ended up in the ICU at Children’s for 31 agonizing days. To mark the anniversary, I’m instead sharing a podcast episode celebrating his baptism this summer and the sermon I gave on that occasion. Listen as Sarah and Doug do a Deep Dive into my message. … More Podcast #176 – Let’s Get Ready to Rumble (Deep Dive)
Sitting at my 9-year old daughter’s softball tournament recently, I was bookended by two other dad’s talking about life, family, and business. I often feel out of place with “successful” business men talking about their big boat, lake home, and country club lifestyle. I was caught off guard when the conversation suddenly turned toward my work and the question one of them asked me. … More The Hungry Preacher
God’s angels congregate in the “empty places” bringing comfort to people with empty emotional tanks and empty hopes. But they also redirect our attention away from what’s empty to focus instead on what’s now being filled! … More Angels in Empty Places (Easter ’22)
Like Jesus, every preacher should have a story of being pressed into a corner and seeing fire in the eyes of an offended congregant after a sermon, unless they are in the ear-tickling business. … More How A Preacher Gets Thrown Off a Cliff Then & Now
My thesis flows out of the sobering realization that sermon-centric pastoral ministry is inadequate to the task of bandaging hearts, healing wounds, and forming souls at the deeper levels. Dynamic preaching may grow a church, but alone it will not grow disciples. … More Leader, Preacher, or Curate of Souls?
Sometimes Jesus needs to invade our personal space, even spitting in our face and poking us in the eye, in order to get our attention and help us see more clearly. In this Sunday sermon, Jeremy explores Mark 8. … More WATCH: Holy Spit!
While 2020 has been declared the “lost year,” the worst thing of all is to feel like you’ve lost sight of God or that God has lost touch with you. Pastor Mike has good news for us from Psalm 139. … More WATCH: The Inescapable God
This week we observe Epiphany and commemorate the Baptism of the Lord with a message on the song God placed in our heart at our own baptism, and the need for “godparent” figures in our lives (friends, mentors, pastors, parents) who will remind us of the song when we forget or lose our way. … More WATCH: God’s Song in Your Heart
Psalm 147:12-20 invites us to sing a new song in 2021 celebrating God’s protection, God’s peace, God’s provision, God’s presence and God’s promises to pave our paths in the New Year. … More WATCH: Sermon: New Year, New Song
Pop culture’s films and music give you the impression that love and romance is a young person’s game; but the truth is this: Love is like wine, and gets better with time. … More Better Than Wine: A Wedding Sermon
Part 5 of our Revelation series looks at the church’s call to resist the seduction of Empire and worldly power, avoiding the mark(s) of the Beast and bearing the marks of Christlike character. We should fix our eyes on the New City that will someday come down to Earth, and become a here-and-now colony of Heaven in the middle of this groaning creation. … More Apocalypse Now 5: Garden City
A Memorial Weekend service with a message focusing on the meaning and significance of the Ascension of Christ … More Sunday Service – May 24 – Ascension of Christ
Here’s a sermon to consider for this Sunday, March 28, as we don’t have a MainStreet service this Sunday. We are planning to put out some kind of pre-recorded service and sermon for the next couple Sundays (Palm Sunday & Easter Sunday) alongside our live and interactive Wednesday night gathering. This message spoke to me … More Sunday Sermon by Tony Evans
Standing there by the shore, the ancient breeze tickling the back of my neck, I pointed to the other side. Seven words got them into the boat and seven miles got them across the sea to the heart of Jesus’ mission to save a life hanging in the balance. … More When Pigs Fly: 7 Words & 7 Miles
Here’s a great and urgent message by Skye Jethani filled with Scriptural wisdom touching on the key themes of the smartphones and the rise of mental illness and suicide rates, the role of fathers in our search for identity, and our proneness toward placing our security and significance in things other than God. … More Urgent Message for a Smartphone Generation
“Man’s maker was made man that He, Ruler of the stars, might nurse at His mother’s breast; that the Bread might hunger, the Fountain thirst, the Light sleep, the Way be tired on its journey; that Truth might be accused of false witnesses, the Teacher be beaten with whips, the Foundation be suspended on wood; that Strength might grow weak; that the Healer might be wounded; that Life might die.” … More WOW – Augustine on the Incarnation
Someone has said that the door of the stable where Jesus was born was very low to the ground, so people had to bow down humbly on their hands and knees in order to approach the manger to worship the savior. And did you ever notice that we find the same kind of folks surrounding the manger as we find at the foot of the cross? … More Sermon: The Greatest Gift
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” Andy Williams sings in the background while we scrap and scramble about, trying to hold ourselves together and not lose our minds in all the wonderful-ness. While many are weighed down by the external busyness of the season, I want to speak to those of us who … More Why ‘God-with-Us’ Seems Far Away
A sermon I gave at a beachside service this summer as we prepared to receive holy communion. “Cast your bread upon the waters and you will get it back in a few days. Divide your means seven ways, or even eight, for you do not know what disaster may happen on earth.” (Ecclesiastes 11:1-2) The traditional … More Bread on the Waters
“We’re running out of kabobs already!” someone (probably the mother of the bride or groom) informed the wedding party in a bit of a panic. “Everyone hasn’t even been through the buffet yet!” The night was still young and they had spent good money on grilled salmon-kabobs to fed 400 guests. What was going on? … More Wedding Crashers (John 2:1-11)
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not … More Sermon: Christmas Hide & Seek
We’re celebrating that annual family tradition where I lie on the couch and watch cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies while Keri addresses and stamps Christmas cards to get in the mail. I’m embarrassed to admit how many of the Christmas letters people send never make it into my hands. (Keri reads them all and throws a … More Sermon: Paul’s Xmas Letter
“When a preacher opens the Bible and interprets the Word of God, a mystery takes place, a miracle: the grace of God, who comes down from heaven into our midst and speaks to us, knocks on our door, asks questions, warns us, puts pressure on us, alarms us, and makes us joyful again and free … More QUOTABLES: Bonhoeffer on Preaching
Here’s the sermon Mike prepared for last Sunday when we cancelled due to 20 inches of snow! The main thing I’m DOUBTING these days is if Spring is ever going to come to Minnesota! Thanks for this thoughtful message, Mike! The gospel lesson from the common lectionary for the 3rd week of Easter invites us … More Sermon: “I Doubt It” (Mike Fox)
Jeremy L. Berg 