Under the Hood

Pastor Joe & Kirsten recount a weekend full of loss - all sports-related disappointments! Then they dive into the sermon and Kirsten confesses that she learned something new in last week's sermon. Next, Pastor Joe shares a stomach-turning clip in the "It's Getting Strange Out There" segment. Finally, Kirsten offers a brief but triumphant sourdough update, and they both share the latest in thei...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten have a big sports week lined up! They discuss the Chief's last-minute block, this week's upcoming game and even a few boxing matches they're looking forward to. Then, they unpack Pastor Joe's sermon series, His Words, in a little more depth and even drop some hints about where we're headed. The finale this week is loaded with sourdough, kittens, and social justice - it's a...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten launch into a discussion about their late night watching the polls come in. Kirsten recounts a hilarious election night tradition that started when their boys were younger. Next, they talk about the astounding turnout for the disciple-making workshop, and Pastor Joe shares his excitement for the start of the "His Words" sermon series all about Jesus. Finally, in this week'...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten jump in today with a discussion of the NewLife Men's Retreat, Trunk-or-Treat, and the final sermon in the GO Series. Pastor Joe shares that he's praying for 10% of the NewLife family to answer the call to become disciple-makers. Next, they open the can of worms that is the 2024 Election. Pastor Joe shares his heart in regard to politics and challenges Christ-followers to w...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten recap their recent trip to Annapolis to see their son, Neil, at the Naval Academy. On their way back they swung by the Museum of the Bible to take in the recent archaeological find from 230 AD - The Megiddo Mosaic, a decorative floor of the oldest Christian prayer hall. In it is found the first archaeological instance of the phrase, ‘God Jesus Christ.’ Then, they discuss P...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten recap their 10-year surprise celebration, and Pastor Joe reiterates that NewLife is, and has always been, a Hebrews 13 church; one that makes his work a joy. Kirsten gives some insider info that takes us 'under the hood' on multiple levels! Then, they discuss last weekend's sermon on making disciples, and something Kirsten says brings a fond memory of Pastor Joe's dad and...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten receive some sad news in today's podcast, and it spurs a discussion about what really matters in life. Then, they talk about the busy weekend at NewLife, and Pastor Joe remarks that God has been bringing one particular people group to his attention a lot lately. Our Christian brothers and sisters in India are being subjected to major persecution, and he calls us to pray fo...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten reflect on the 'Praise God' moment that was the 50th Celebration! Sure, there were things they'd change if they were to do it all again, but the overwhelming sentiment was "Look what the Lord has done!" It was wonderful to have the entire NewLife family in one place at one time! Then, Pastor Joe brings a new spin to the It's Getting Strange Out There segment, and he wants...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten launch into a bizarre discussion right out of the gates! And in Joe's opinion, they could not have chosen a less important and less spiritual topic! Soon after, they drop some insider info about the 50th Celebration. Then they expand on last weekend's sermon with an in-depth conversation about discipleship. Finally, in this week's "It's Getting Strange Out There" segment,...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten do not agree about his choice of baptism attire! We'll let the listeners be the judge! Then, they launch into a discussion of the transactional gospel. Pastor Joe shares some alarming stats that were shared with him. He encourages all of us to take an intentional approach to discipleship and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to become more like Jesus every day. Finally, P...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten chase a rabbit trail so far they end up discussing rizz and whether or not Pastor Joe had it in high school. Kirsten reveals she had never heard one of Pastor Joe's illustrations from last week's sermon, which is shocking after 25 years of marriage! They also talk about intentionality in disciple-making, specifically inside our own homes. And finally, Pastor Joe introduces...

Welcome back UTH fans! Pastor Joe & Kirsten are excited to be back on the mics after a whirlwind summer. They fill us in on their summer Sabbatical and describe how you can learn anything from YouTube! Pastor Joe lets it slip that Sam's Club may be one of his favorite places on earth and he leaks some insider info about NewLife's upcoming 50th Celebration Service that even Kirsten didn't know!...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten tell us about their recent brush with celebrity! It brings up fond memories for them both. Then, they discuss last weekend's sermon on Judges 17 & 18. Pastor Joe equated what Micah was doing in Judges with what Progressive Christianity is attempting to do today. Finally, they wrap up Season 2 of the Under the Hood podcast with a big, heartfelt THANK YOU to our faithful...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten are back from a week-long, East Coast vacation! They watched their oldest son Neil complete his Plebe year at the Naval Academy and it was an action-packed trip. Then, they discuss the end of the Courageous series, and Kirsten asks the question we all want to know...what's next? Finally, they reveal the movie line Pastor Joe opened his sermon with when he brought the paper...

Full disclosure! You may want to skip past the first 15 minutes of today's podcast! One strange dream leads to many more stories like it...and it gets rough! But Pastor Joe & Kirsten get back on track with their discussion of Samson. Pastor Joe asks, "How can God use such a flawed guy?" In short, God is not limited. We hope and trust in the "in all things" God from Romans 8:28, and in Samson's...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten launch into a discussion of in-laws, and they're not quite sure how they got there! Kirsten shares what her mom said the first time she met Joe. Then, in preparation for a prayer for the National Day of Prayer, Pastor Joe shares that our nation is on the brink of a massive preacher shortage. Kirsten asks the pertinent question, "Is God calling you to be a pastor?" If so, P...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten record from the road in this week's podcast! They were invited by Pioneer Bible Translators (PBT), along with 32 other Lead Pastors and their wives, to tour the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C. They tell us all about the exciting work PBT is doing to get God's Word into the hands of all language groups, and they share the President of PBT's prayer challenge. They pas...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten recap the Student Ministry Pasta & Pie Auction in today's episode. The sold-out fundraiser was so much fun and the crowd-pleasing pie in the face was the best part! Then they discuss Judges 10 & 11 and Jephthah's desensitization to violence. Desensitization is something Pastor Joe sees in our culture, especially after spending last week with someone who offered a f...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten kick off the podcast with a controversial topic...spiders! Then, they introduce Pastor Samuel Joshua Geddam from Hope Ministries in India. Samuel shares some astonishing statistics, like how many people are hearing Pastor Joe's messages in India, how many people are attending their crusades, and how many villages, in their two states alone, still do not know Christ. Today'...

Pastor Joe kicks off today's episode by declaring it Kirsten's half-birthday! They recap Easter at NewLife, which was incredible, and we hear if Pastor Joe called his sermon time correctly! Pastor Joe reiterates his main question from the weekend sermon: What do you believe about Jesus? He invites everyone to come back and explore the answer together. Then, they discuss fun upcoming events like th...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten fill us in on their Spring Break adventures. Pastor Joe took a father/son cruise with Brock, and Kirsten and her mom spent the week giving their kitchen a makeover. Then, they launch into a Judges chapter 8 discussion. Gideon was a drastically different man than he was in chapters 6 & 7. They also research the history of The Gideons, the bible donating group that's bee...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten are joined by their Navy Plebe in today's episode! Neil, Pastor Joe & Kirsten's oldest son, is back from the US Naval Academy and hops on the mic to give us a glimpse at a day in the life of a freshman, aka plebe, midshipman. They also discuss Gideon's story from Judges. Pastor Joe reminds us that we, like Gideon, sometimes talk ourselves out of serving the Lord, but,...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten dig into Judges chapter 4 on today's episode, but first, Kirsten confesses to pulling a 'Joe Williams' at the Women's Gathering. They discuss tent pegs, middle-of-the-night brawls, and the brutal content to come in the book of Judges. Pastor Joe also mentions some great resources that bring the Holy Land to life if you've never been! Let's pop the hood! Email: underthehood...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten kick off their 50th episode with, of all things, a debate about Christmas trees! That leads them down memory lane to their days living in church parsonages. Then, Pastor Joe reviews last weekend's surprising reaction to his sermon about the second judge in the book of Judges. They wrap up with a heartfelt 'thank you' to all the listeners who have, as Kirsten put it, 'endur...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten tackle the topic of spiritual warfare in the book of Judges. It's as prevalent today as it was then, and the parallels between the Israelite nation then and our nation today are numerous. Pastor Joe admonishes Christians to avoid the ways of the world and live holy lives, especially when it comes to sexual ethics. There's plenty of fun in today's episode, too! Trader Joe's...