New Life Church Kalamazoo with Pastor Dan Smith

Ten years. Thousands of lives changed. And God isn’t finished yet. In this special 10-Year Anniversary message, Pastors Dan and Kelsey look back on a decade of God’s faithfulness at New Life Church and ask what it means to carry that faith into the future. In Joshua 4, God tells His people to take stones from the Jordan River and build a memorial so that future generations would ask, “What do thes...

In this message from SWAT: Spiritual Warfare and Tactics, Pastor Dan continues through Acts 4:32–37 and Acts 5:1–11, contrasting the generosity of Barnabas with the deception of Ananias and Sapphira. The early church was united in heart and mind. They viewed what they had as resources God had entrusted to them, and generosity became a tangible expression of God’s love and care for one another. Bar...

In this message from SWAT: Spiritual Warfare and Tactics, Pastor Dan continues through Acts 4:1–20, where Peter and John face opposition after healing a man in the name of Jesus. Only weeks earlier, Peter was afraid to admit he even knew Jesus. Now he stands before the same religious authorities who helped send Jesus to the cross and boldly declares that the miracle happened through the name of Je...

In this message from Acts 3:1–16, Pastor Dan continues the SWAT: Spiritual Warfare and Tactics series by looking at Peter and John’s encounter with the man who had been lame from birth. Every day, this man was carried to the temple gate to beg. Every day, people walked past him. But on this day, Peter and John stopped, looked at him, and saw more than a need to be temporarily helped. They saw a di...

In this message from Acts 2:42–47, Pastor Dan continues the SWAT: Spiritual Warfare and Tactics series by showing that New Life’s vision — Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, and Make a Difference — is not just a church slogan. It is God’s vision for every person’s life. The early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, prayer, generosity, worship,...

In Week 4 of SWAT: Spiritual Warfare and Tactics, Pastor Kelsey continues through Acts 2:36–41, focusing on what happens when the gospel takes root in one generation and is carried to the next. After Peter preaches at Pentecost, the crowd is cut to the heart and asks, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter calls them to repent, be baptized, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. But the promise do...

In Week 3 of SWAT: Spiritual Warfare and Tactics, Pastor Dan continues through Acts 2:14–28. After the Holy Spirit falls at Pentecost, Peter stands up and boldly proclaims Jesus to the crowd. This is the same Peter who denied Jesus, spoke too quickly, sank after stepping out of the boat, and failed in fear. But when the Holy Spirit filled him, Peter became a bold witness for the gospel. This messa...

In Week 2 of SWAT: Spiritual Warfare and Tactics, Pastor Dan continues through the book of Acts. Preaching from Acts 2:1–13, Pastor Dan teaches on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came like a violent wind and tongues of fire rested on every believer. This was not just a spiritual moment for the apostles — it was the beginning of Spirit-empowered witness for the Church. The message connec...

Pastor Dan is back and launching a brand new series called SWAT: Spiritual Warfare and Tactics. In this first message, Baptized in the Holy Spirit, we begin in the book of Acts and see that Jesus has given His Church a mission — and He has also given us the power to fulfill it. Through Acts 1, Pastor Dan teaches that the book of Acts is not merely the acts of the apostles, but the acts of the Holy...

This week, New Life Church welcomed guest pastor Pastor Robby Emery. Preaching from Acts 27–28, Pastor Robby reminds us that life does not always take us where we planned to go. Paul was shipwrecked on Malta, bitten by a poisonous snake, and surrounded by people waiting to see if he would fall. But instead of living like a castaway, Paul kept serving, shook off what tried to attach itself to him,...

This week, New Life Church welcomed guest pastor Pastor Evan Hoekzema, who is planting Tribes Church in northwest Grand Rapids, launching September 13, 2026. In this message from Daniel 6, Pastor Evan asks a simple but weighty question: what is required for a life to leave a mark? Through Daniel’s faithfulness in a foreign land, we see that a life of lasting impact is built through an excellent sp...

In this special Names of God message, four New Life leaders reveal four powerful ways God meets us personally: Jehovah Sabaoth, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies; Jehovah Tsuri, the Lord our Rock; Jehovah Rohi, the Lord our Shepherd; and El Roi, the God who sees us. Pastor Isaac shares that the King of Glory commands heaven’s armies while personally calling each believer to say yes and help build His Ch...

In this special Names of God message, four New Life speakers share powerful seven-minute messages on who God is: Jehovah Tsidkenu, the Lord our righteousness; Jehovah Mekoddishkem, the Lord who sanctifies and makes us holy; Jehovah Shalom, the Lord our peace; and Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who provides. Through Scripture and personal testimony, this message reminds us that God does not just call us t...

In this special Names of God message, four New Life students share powerful mini-messages on who God is: Jehovah Rapha, the Lord who heals; Jehovah Raah, the Lord our Shepherd; Jehovah Nissi, the Lord our Banner of Victory; and Jehovah Shammah, the Lord who is there. Through Scripture, testimony, and bold faith, this message reminds us that God is not distant from our pain, confusion, battles, or...

In this message, Pastor Dan continues the Names of God series by teaching on YHWH / Yahweh, the personal covenant name of God — the great I AM. Yahweh is the God who always was, always is, and always will be. He is not dependent on us, defined by us, or limited by us. He is the Creator of all things, and He made humanity in His image on purpose and for a purpose. Through Exodus 3, Genesis 2, and D...

In this message, Pastor Dan continues the Names of God series by teaching on El Qanna, meaning Jealous God or Zealous God. God’s jealousy is not insecurity — it is covenant love. He loves His people so deeply that He will not stand by while idols, rivals, or divided worship destroy what belongs to Him. Through Exodus 20, Exodus 34, and Deuteronomy 5, we are reminded that good things can become ido...

In this message, Pastor Dan continues the Names of God series by teaching on El Olam, meaning The Everlasting God. Through Abraham digging a well, planting a tamarisk tree, and calling on the name of the eternal God, we are reminded that faith is not just about what God does in our lifetime — it is about what God carries through generations. When we trust El Olam, we can plant seeds we may never s...

In this message, Pastor Dan continues the Names of God series by teaching on El Elyon, meaning God Most High. El Elyon is above all, over all, and yet near enough to cover those who draw close to Him. Through Psalm 91, the story of Jesus calming the storm, David crying out from the cave, Abram’s encounter with Melchizedek, and the lordship of Jesus, this sermon challenges us to ask a simple but li...

In this message, Chris Rand continues the Names of God series by teaching on Adonai, meaning Lord, Master, Owner, and Ruler. Through the lives of Abram and Moses, we are reminded that God is sovereign over our story, His call does not depend on our credentials, and following Jesus means surrendering every part of our lives under His lordship. When Abram had questions, Adonai met him with patience...

What do you do when the dream God gave you feels too big, your strength feels too small, and the promise seems impossible? In this message, Pastor Dan teaches on the name El Shaddai, which means God Almighty — the all-sufficient, all-powerful God who meets us in our weakness and reminds us that He is more than enough. Through the story of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob, we see that God is faithf...

In this Mothers Day message and the start of our Names of God series, Pastor Kelsey teaches on Elohim, the Creator God revealed in Genesis 1:1. Through creation, identity, worship, and community, we see that God is not distantHe is powerful, personal, and purposeful. This message reminds us that God brings order out of chaos, that we are made in His image, and that our lives are meant to become a...

What does real faith actually look like? In this powerful conclusion to the Confident Faith series through 1 John, we walk through how genuine faith moves beyond belief into a transformed life. From knowing God personally to finding freedom, discovering your purpose, and making an eternal differencethis message is a clear call to stop sitting on the sidelines and step fully into what God created y...

How do you know your faith is real? In this message from our Confident Faith series through 1 John, Pastor Dan unpacks what it means to abide in Jesus, test the voices shaping your life, and live with confidence in a confusing and deceptive culture. Real faith is more than believing the right thingsit produces real fruit, real obedience, real love, and real surrender. Main themes include abiding i...