Sermon Podcast

For January 2025, Pastor Brent returns to conclude his 2024 sermon series on The Book of Acts, “To the Ends of the Earth.” Acts 24 consists of two sections: 1) The Trial (vv. 1-9); and 2) Integrity, Hope, Opportunity (vv. 10-27). Like the Apostle Paul in Caesarea around A.D. 57 and Martin Luther before the Diet of Worms in 1521, every generation of Christians will be put on trial for our faith in...

As calendar years change, Director of Discipleship Paul Arneberg marks the milestone by reflecting on the brevity of life and the need for the Lord’s mercy and eternal work in and through our lives. Before launching into Psalm 90, he opens with illustrations of numbering the days of his beloved cat and the devastating experience of losing a parent to death in childhood. Paul outlines this sobering...

Pastor Brent wraps up our 15-week sermon series “The Promises of God” by examining the awesome text of Revelation 5: History Has a Problem (vv. 1-4); History Has a Savior! (vv. 5-10); and History Has One Object of Worship (vv. 11-14). Everything points to Jesus! The only proper response is worship. Christ has conquered; sin is defeated; our future is secure in Christ!

In his penultimate sermon in his fall series “The Promises of God,” Pastor Brent turns to Romans 4 in a study of faith vs. works and gospel transformation. We learn that faith wasn’t invented in the New Testament! Case in point: Abraham. Pastor Brent cautions against a reductionist view of either the OT or the NT. Receiving God’s promise means we can only be made righteous by grace through faith....

Pastor Brent shifts to the New Testament in “The Promises of God" sermon series through the inaugural N.T. chapter, Matthew 1. This genealogy-dominant passage covers the 42 generations from Abraham to Jesus, including several negative, sinful, and shameful aspects of Israel’s history. The problem? We are NOT able to save ourselves! The solution? “Jesus, because he will save his people from their s...

Pastor Brent helps to usher in Advent 2024 through “The Promises of God" as seen in Ezekiel 34. This passage is an invitation to know God in a deeper way—a window into the very heart of God. With examples from Joseph in Genesis 46, David in Psalm 23, and Jesus in John 10, Pastor Brent covers “Why Shepherding?” (Ezek. 34:1-6) and “Judgment and Fulfillment in Christ” (Ezek. 34:7-16). Shepherding hel...

Pastor Brent is back for this pre-Advent message from Daniel 7 in our fall sermon series “The Promises of God.” The theme of the Book of Daniel could be summarized as follows: “Despite present appearances, God is in control.” In this apocalyptic chapter, Pastor Brent outlines the Churning of Nations (vv. 1-7); Sovereign Authority and Saving Power of God (vv. 8-14); and Hope in the Son of Man (vv....

Mark Revell is back stateside from his missions work in Hungary to train new missionaries through his role as EFCA ReachGlobal Director of Training and Development. Mark prefaces his sermon with an overview of major prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. In this beloved passage from Ezekiel 36, Mark outlines “WHAT will God do?” (vv. 23-30); “WHY will God do it?” (vv. 22-23, 31); and “For WHOSE SAK...

Director of Discipleship Paul Arneberg continues our Promises of God sermon series with a key passage given through the Prophet Jeremiah. The Mosaic Covenant (handed down through Moses at Mount Sinai) was only temporary; it was fulfilled in Christ when he inaugurated the New Covenant in His blood through His life, death, and resurrection. Paul opens with the example of Martin Luther rediscovering...

Having laid the foundation for the Promises of God series from the curse through King David, Pastor Brent shifts to God’s promises through the prophets. Taking a messianic chapter from his favorite book of the Bible, Isaiah, Pastor Brent lays out Jesus’ upward and outward qualities in “Who is the King?” (vv. 1-5); the reversal of the curse in “What Does This King Achieve?” (vv. 6-9); and the New E...

By way of background, Pastor Brent walks us through King David’s character, virtues and accomplishments as outlined in 1 Samuel, culminating with his concern for right worship in 2 Samuel 6-7. David proposed to build a house (temple) for God, but God revealed that He would make a house (dynasty) out of David! In 2 Sam. 7:8-11, God used the word “I” six times, indicating that the kingdom will be un...

As we read the Bible, we need to keep in mind the concentric circles of context: 1) the biblical text/passage; 2) the Bible book in which it is written; 3) the whole canon of Scripture; and 4) the entirety of redemptive history. God’s people have to live under His rule in an actual kingdom. This sermon in Pastor Brent’s “Promises of God” series features land and rest for Israel under Joshua (which...

Pastor Brent began by repeating the theme of this sermon series on The Promises of God: “God’s people in God’s place under God’s rule in God’s holy and loving presence.” After an opening illustration about President George Washington’s Farewell Address in 1796, Pastor Brent used Moses’ Farewell Address in Deut. 6 to reveal the purpose of the law. The law was both functional and redemptive, designe...

Pastor Brent’s opening illustration is that the Bible is like a historical, theological musical: God used particular people, places and events in order to show us what it means to be saved. God is both a promise-maker and a promise-keeper. In this passage centered on Moses, God reveals His name (Ex. 5:22-6:5) and His role as our Redeemer (Ex. 6:6-6:8). God cares more about our character and our gr...

Part 3 in Pastor Brent’s sermon series “The Promises of God,” today’s featured historical person is Abraham, the man of faith (Gal. 3:9). After opening quotes from theologians Dr. Kevin Vanhoozer (b. 1957) and Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), Pastor Brent contrasts the sinful striving for security, blessing and identity at the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:4) with the LORD’s promise of security, blessin...

In his second sermon in our fall series on “The Promises of God,” Pastor Brent Kompelien focuses on Noah. Tying together God’s first promise in Genesis 3:15, Pastor Brent highlights aspects of “Un-Creation” in Gen. 3-7 leading to “Re-Creation” in Gen. 8-9. He also focuses on three complementary authorities ordained by God: Government (the power of the sword and bearer of the rule of law), Family (...

Pastor Brent launches our fall sermon series, “The Promises of God.” After outlining The Pattern of the Kingdom (Gen. 1-2) and The Fall (Gen. 3), he focuses on The First Promise (Gen. 3:15). Redemption is not God’s “Plan B,” it is His “Plan A.” According to Dr. Graeme Goldsworthy, God’s promise and fulfillment can be summarized as “God’s people in God’s place under God’s rule in God’s holy and lov...

Pastor Brent continues his two-part mini-series in Hebrews to set up our longer fall series, “The Promises of God.” Challenging times should draw us nearer to God’s presence, deeper trust in Him, and closer to our church family, putting Satan on notice that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Hebrews 11:1-12:3 highlights an amazing list of people walking by faith throughout history. Past...

By the Lord’s leading, Pastor Brent postpones finishing our Acts series until after the new calendar year. Instead, he pauses and addresses the multifaceted spiritual attacks currently being experienced by many throughout our church family. It seems that Satan is on offense right now, so Pastor Brent sets up our fall upcoming series, “The Promises of God,” by preaching a two-part series on faith i...

Through this passage, Pastor Brent challenges us to have a fresh vision of the grace of God! When God shows His kindness to sinners, how do you react? Using biblical examples from the Prophet Jonah and the older brother in the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), Pastor Brent asserts that self-righteousness shows ignorance to the heart of God. This long passage in Acts focuses on Paul’s re...

Pastor Brent opens by recalling the tumultuous yet perspective-shifting year of 1968. He challenges us through this passage in Acts to reshape our perspective and re-ground our priorities, setting a Kingdom-focus, centered in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and inspired to move toward God’s plans for us. This long passage reveals some of Paul’s priorities for gospel fruitfulness: 1) Paul invested in o...

Pastor Brent tackles Acts 19 in two parts: 1) the advance of the gospel in vv. 1-22; 2) the opposition to the gospel in vv. 23-41. Through this account, we get a sense of the spiritual battle that happens when the light of the gospel comes into a dark place. An excellent example of this is missionary Amy Carmichael, who first ministered to impoverished girls and young women in late-19th century Ir...

Pastor Brent takes us on a city-to-city journey with the Apostle Paul around the Mediterranean, teaching three important lessons about the mission of the church in Acts 18: 1) God advances the gospel in all kinds of ways; 2) God vindicates the gospel in the face of all kinds of opposition; and 3) God spreads the gospel through all kinds of people. Notable “tentmaker” missionary William Carey is am...

Pastor Brent poses a challenge: How well do you know your Bible? Does it shape your view of the world? Does your life depend upon it? Acts 17 highlights three stops by the Apostle Paul on his second missionary journey: Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens. Paul’s strategy varied based on the people groups he visited, but he was always grounded in his love of the Scriptures, whether building on others'...

Pastor Brent opens with the inspirational story of Adoniram Judson, the influential missionary to Burma/Myanmar in the 19th century. Judson faced deep-seated opposition from spiritual darkness and a hostile government. We see the same things experienced by Paul and Silas in Philippi as recorded in today’s passage from Acts 16. All three of these pioneering missionaries placed their trust in God as...