Sermon Podcast

Mark Revell, EFCA Director of Training and Development for ReachGlobal, returns stateside from his missionary work in Hungary and brings us this sermon on Psalm 46: “Water Scene #1” (vv. 1-3); “Water Scene #2” (vv. 4-7); and “The Choice: Be Still” (vv. 10-11). As a member of New Life who has preached several times but is living overseas, Mark included updates on his and Jodi’s work in Hungary; the...

Glenn Olson rounds out June where all four elders took turns preaching during Pastor Brent sabbatical. In addition to being a long-time elder, Glenn was New Life’s youth pastor for 23 years and now serves as Director of Student Ministries through the EFCA’s North Central District. In emphasizing the need for believers to truly dwell in God’s presence, Glenn preaches through Psalm 91: “The Believer...

Scott McCall is a long-time elder at New Life EFC and has made this his family’s church home for 25 years. Along with Glenn Olson and James Galland, Scott helped New Life to survive as a church for several years before Pastor Brent Kompelien and his family were called here in 2018. In this sermon, Scott teaches on God’s Word from Psalm 130: “Our Need for God” (vv. 1-4); “Waiting on the Lord” (vv....

Paul Arneberg brings a Father’s Day message by first honoring his own 91-year-old dad, Ron Arneberg, and tying together God’s design for fatherhood with Psalm 23. Using illustrations from the film “Cinderella Man” (2005) and the books “Durable Trades” (2020) and “Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table” (2021), Paul outlines this beloved psalm (perhaps the most well-known passage in all of Scrip...

Ernest Stellingwerff of our Elder Team makes his New Life preaching debut in Psalm 22. Ernest sets the tone for this thoroughly Messianic psalm with an opening illustration of a woman who suffered from debilitating migraines for many years. As her suffering intensified, she described her prayer through pain as “not a worshipful whisper but a cry of desperation.” That reflects Psalm 22 as written b...

Terry Szymanski of our Elder Team at New Life returns with this message on Psalm 19. Terry shares his fascination with the universe through his degree in Aerospace Engineering and his ongoing interest in solar eclipses and the vastness of the universe. After quoting Charles Spurgeon (“He is wisest who reads both the Word book and the world book”), Terry walks us through Psalm 19 as “God Revealed T...

Paul Arneberg continues our Summer in the Psalms with this sermon on Psalm 8. Paul began by acknowledging Memorial Day and the price paid for our earthly liberties, adding that Jesus paid the ultimate price for our debt of sin in order to restore us both spiritually and physically. Tying in his challenge to read all 150 psalms over summer 2025, Paul outlined Psalm 8 as “GOD’S NAME: Magnify Yahweh,...

Pastor Dan Ford of Faribault EFC brings this message from God’s Word on Pastor Brent’s first Sunday of sabbatical. After sharing examples of his personal encouragement from our congregation (notably Glenn Olson, Director of Student Ministries for our North Central District of the EFCA), Pastor Dan outlines four voices in Psalm 2: “1st Voice—The World Speaks” (vv. 1-3); “2nd Voice—God Speaks” (vv....

Pastor Brent launches into our 17-week sermon series, Summer In The Psalms, just before his three-month sabbatical. Psalm 1 kicks off our series while serving as a introduction to the entire book of Psalms. With bookended illustrations from legendary Olympic track star Eric Liddle, Pastor Brent outlines Psalm 1 with “Two Paths” (vv. 1-3) and “Two Outcomes” (vv. 4-6). A key admonishment from Pastor...

This final sermon in our 11-week series on James coincided with Vision Sunday, a combined worship service with the second half focusing on staffing changes, budget adjustments, and renewal of our building campaign. Pastor Brent tied together the history of New Life (and the centrality that prayer has always had in our church family) with this last passage by the half-brother of Jesus with “Call to...

Terry Szymanski serves on our Elder Team here at New Life, and this is his first time preaching! After sharing a bit about his family and background, Terry reviews some keys to the Book of James, including God’s definition of patience in James 1:2-4. Terry outlines this short but powerful passage as “A Call to Action,” “Enduring Patiently,” “You too…Stand Firm,” “Don’t Grumble,” and “Examples—Look...

In this Resurrection Day message, Pastor Brent challenges us how to respond to Jesus’ resurrection through the invitation , command , and promise of Matt. 28:1-10. “ Come and see…go and tell…you will see Him.” The proper response to the resurrection of Jesus Christ is to humbly come to Him, fall at His feet, and worship Him with one’s whole self and whole life. Jesus was raised to life so that you...

Pastor Brent takes a break from our James series for Holy Week. In his Palm Sunday sermon on Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (Matt. 21:1-11), Pastor Brent outlines “Specific Instructions” (vv. 1-3), “Prophetic Fulfillment” (vv. 4-5), and “What Kind of King?” (vv. 6-11). Jesus alone will stir one’s heart to the things that matter. We must ask ourselves: “Am I deeply moved by the revelation of...

With a recurring challenge for our stated values to match our lived values, Pastor Brent preaches on the prophetic warning of James 5:1-6. We need to change our perspective and remember that God is on the throne. My money doesn’t exist to build my kingdom; it exists to build God’s kingdom. Helpful resource: Redeeming Money: How God Reveals and Reorients Our Hearts by Paul David Tripp.

Pastor Brent opens with an illustration from science fiction author H.G. Wells, a humanistic optimist at the turn of the 20th century who became a cynical pessimist about the depravity of man by the mid-20th century. Pastor Brent outlines James 4:13-17 with “Misunderstanding” (vv. 13-14) and “Missed Opportunity” (vv. 15-17). Just as the Puritans signed their plans with “D.V.” (Deo Volente, or “God...

We’re more than halfway through our sermon series in the book of James, and God’s Word continues to convict and compel His followers in 2025. In James 4, Pastor Brent challenges us to “Search Your Heart” (vv. 1-3), “Check Your Heart” (vv. 4-6); “Soften Your Heart” (vv. 7-10); and “Show Your Heart” (vv. 11-12). There is power in humility. There is corruption in pride. The remedy to thwart Satan’s a...

Director of Discipleship Paul Arneberg continues our series in James by contrasting two kinds of wisdom: demonic and divine. These six verses in the middle of James’ letter represent the heart of his message to us as he wrote God’s inspired words. Paul outlines his sermon as “Call to Wisdom: Humility” (v. 13); “Wisdom From Below: Pride” (vv. 14-16); and “Wisdom From Above: Purity” (vv. 17-18). He...

Pastor Brent’s outline of this convicting passage from James 3 consists of “Teaching in the Church” (vv. 1-2); “Dangers of the Tongue” (vv. 3-8); and “Integrity and Purity” (vv. 9-12). Illustrations include The Boxer Rebellion of 1900 in China; the characters Talkative and Faithful in Pilgrim’s Progress ; Mister Fred Rogers; and the tragically low percentage of America’s pastors (senior, associate...

Pastor Brent continues his sermon series in James with a self-examination challenge: Why do I claim to be a Christian? Moral values? Going to Heaven? The benefits only? He asserts, “Legalism makes Christ useful to me; the gospel makes Christ beautiful to me.” Pastor Brent outlines this passage as “Identifying the Problem” (vv. 14-17); “Faith and Deeds” (vv. 18-19); and “Living Faith” (vv. 20-26)....

In this third sermon in our series in the book of James, Pastor Brent outlines “The Problem of Favoritism” (2:1-4); “The Heart of the Gospel” (2:5-7); and “Consequences of Favoritism” (2:8-13). Two key takeaways: 1) a primary way to live out the gospel is in the way you publicly and privately treat others; 2) you can’t love some people and not love other people, remembering that in the gospel, you...

Pastor Brent continues our 11-week series in the book of James through this highly practical passage. In addition to insightful quotes from theologians Dr. Kevin Vanhoozer and Dr. Douglas Moo, Pastor Brent shared his recent conversation with Dr. Mimi Larson, Executive Director of the Center for Faith and Children and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS). Schools like TEDS and churches like N...

Pastor Brent Kompelien launches a new series for winter-spring 2025 on the book of James. The central theme is “God has ordained the local church to be the context in which He forges faith in you and displays the gospel in living reality.” In outlining James 1:1-18, Pastor Brent addresses “What Do Trials Produce?” (vv. 1-4, 12); “What Do Trials Reveal?” (vv. 5-11); and “How Do Trials Change Our Pe...

We’ve made it “To the Ends of the Earth,” aka Rome, in the book of Acts! Pastor Brent Kompelien outlines his final sermon on this critical historical narrative by outlining Why Rome? (vv. 11-16); Why Did Many Reject? (vv. 17-28); and What’s Next? (vv. 30-31). In addition to commentary on the achievements and atrocities of the Roman Empire, Pastor Brent touches on The Rise of Christianity by Rodney...

In this penultimate sermon in his series on Acts, Pastor Brent opens by comparing the acronyms FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and FOBO (Fear Of Better Options). The counter-cultural Christian calling is to make a commitment and follow through! “When we have chosen Christ, there is no better option.” This passage follows the remarkable historian Luke’s eyewitness account of Ancient Sailing (27:1-12) an...

Pastor Brent continues concluding his Acts series, “To the Ends of the Earth.” In this sermon covering two full chapters, Pastor Brent outlines Festus and Agrippa II (ch. 25) and Paul’s Speech (ch. 26). We find a vast contrast between the holy and humble Apostle Paul and the prideful power of the worldly magistrates. Pastor Brent pays particular attention to the history of the Herods in Israel and...