Under the Hood

Pastor Joe & Kirsten recap a nail-biter of a Super Bowl! They discuss the snacks, a surprise visit, and the controversial moment between Andy Reid & Travis Kelce. Pastor Joe has a word of advice for Taylor Swift (and he's sure she's listening!). We reveal the results of our "perfect sermon length" poll and someone's not happy with it! Then, they launch into an in-depth conversation about t...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten are back at full strength this week and engage in a lively debate about the perfect sermon length. They invite the listeners to weigh in and will reveal the verdict in an upcoming episode! Then, they discuss the restart of the Courageous series with the book of Judges. It hit a collective nerve at NewLife this weekend and the feedback has been plentiful. We also get a sour...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten had a doozy of a week last week! Surgery, storms, and sickness - it was rough, to say the least. But a beautiful moment of clarity emerged from it: no organization in the world is better suited to meet the needs of its members than the church family. Pastor Joe & Kirsten express their gratitude for the blessings provided by so many during their moment of need, and they...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten talk sleeping habits, new drivers, and preacher jokes in today's episode. Then they dig into a lively discussion about Christians and money. Pastor Joe asks the question, "What does it mean to be rich towards God?" and Kirsten wants to know if it's okay to be a prepper. We'll hear the latest in the sourdough saga, too. Let's pop the hood! Email: underthehood@newlifenwa.com...

It's been a while, but we're excited to be back! Pastor Joe & Kirsten fill us in on their Christmas break. We hear about a new tradition Pastor Joe and his sons have started, Kirsten's foray into the subculture of sourdough, and we kick of NewLife's 50th year! The Year of Jubilee! Let's pop the hood! Email: underthehood@newlifenwa.com Show Notes: https://www.newlifenwa.com/underthehood/

Pastor Joe & Kirsten talk about their most embarrassing Christmas moments, and we learn that they definitely do not have the same love languages. Kirsten confesses some of her covert gift-buying strategies and Joe confesses his worst gift-giving debacles. Then they discuss the greatest gift of all: the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. He's the entire reason for the season, and we pray you kno...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten are back on the mics with hearts full of gratitude! Their Thanksgiving break was a little longer than they intended but a sweet, memorable time with their family. Pastor Joe recounts the healing of the 10 lepers from Luke chapter 17 and shares a remarkable story of healing his father shared with him. Let's pop the hood! Email: underthehood@newlifenwa.com Show Notes: https:...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten journey to Joplin to chat with CIY President, Jayson French. Jayson shares his lifelong passion for calling youth to Christ and into a life of kingdom work through the local church. Fun fact: Jayson was Pastor Joe's youth pastor! Christ in Youth (CIY) is one of NewLife's long-time mission partners and every year our NewLife students participate in CIY Move, a week-long sum...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten kick off the podcast with a review of NewLife's Trunk or Treat events and a lively debate about the thermostat! Then, they talk to NewLife attender, Jenny Ellis, who, along with her husband Jarred, has walked an unimaginably difficult path these last few years. Their 9-year-old son, Sawyer, has fought and won his battle with cancer, but they're not out of the woods yet. Je...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten rehash their family's whirlwind of a week. From the Arkansas Ministers Retreat to the U.S. Naval Academy, and a Dallas orchestra trip to the NewLife Men's Retreat, it was a sweet reunion when 3 of the 4 made it home. Then, they dive into a lively discussion of Joshua chapter 5. Pastor Joe shares how he has learned so much preaching through this trilogy in the Old Testament...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten talk to special guest, Patty Fancher, board member of NewLife Mission Partner, Rapha International. Rapha International provides aftercare for survivors of human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and abuse and family preservation programs in vulnerable communities. Patty shares her firsthand experiences providing aftercare for children who have survived sex trafficking in...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten pray over the atrocities happening in Israel and then jump into a discussion about memorial stones from Joshua chapter 4. They bring up several memorial stones from their own lives that remind them of God's faithfulness, how He brought them through difficult times, how He has blessed their family's legacy, and how the Lord can use your memorial stones to encourage others,...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten talk about Kirsten's birthday celebration and the silliness that ensued. Then, Pastor Joe expands on a question he often gets asked: How did you become a minister? The trip down memory lane brings back many fond memories (and even some embarrassing ones!). He highlights the moment he fell in love with God's word, his most influential professors, and defines the best thing...

Pastor Joe dodged a major, proverbial bullet last weekend, and Kirsten grills him on how he would have handled it if he hadn't caught his mistake in time. They also discuss dodging online bullets by reviewing an article outlining 15 things Christians should stop doing on social media. They encourage themselves and the audience to always self-evaluate, remembering that we are Christ's ambassadors,...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten recap the incredible weekend that God made possible with the launch of NewLife Christian Church's Highlands Campus! All glory goes to God! Pastor Joe continues his altruistic work of screening heretical podcasts and sermons so we don't have to. He warns us of some false teaching that is making its rounds in Progressive Christianity and encourages us to be in God's word dai...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten are giddy with excitement in today's episode! It's just days before the Highlands Campus launches and the whole NewLife family has pulled together faithfully to bring it to fruition. Pastor Joe & Kirsten walk us through the journey to multi-site that has been years in the making. They reminisce about the early days and praise God for what He has done and will do throug...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten are back on the mics for Season 2! They had a jam-packed summer and the whole NewLife family is about to embark on a brand new adventure this fall. Listen in as they discuss the highs and lows of the last several months. Let's pop the hood! Email: underthehood@newlifenwa.com Show Notes: https://www.newlifenwa.com/underthehood/

Pastor Joe & Kirsten took a group of 68 people to Israel on a life-changing trip through the Holy Land! This bonus episode was recorded in their Jerusalem hotel room late on the final day of the trip. You'll hear the highlights of walking (or running!) where Jesus walked. Let's pop the hood! Email: underthehood@newlifenwa.com Show Notes: https://www.newlifenwa.com/underthehood/

Pastor Joe & Kirsten's children, Neil & Brock, are on the mics to share what it's like growing up a preacher's kid. They dish on the pros and cons of having parents in ministry and give us a good dose of brotherly love (or sibling rivalry!). It's UTH's 30th episode and the last in Season 1. We'll be back in the Fall for Season 2. Thank you to all our faithful UTH listeners! Let's pop the h...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten discuss the new NewLife merch (hats!) and consider the future of UTH merch. Then, they launch into a very funny but sad story that came out of a local church that's lost its way. Pastor Joe laments about the "stain" on the church and reviews the book, The Biblical Case for Progressive Christianity. Let's pop the hood! Email: underthehood@newlifenwa.com Show Notes: https://...

Pastor Joe received an interesting letter in the mail this week which led to an even more interesting (or morbid!) discussion. Then, he & Kirsten sat down with NewLife's Executive Pastor David Brown to talk about taking the leap from the corporate world to the church world. "Welcome to ministry" is a phrase that was coined to describe just how different the two worlds are! Let's pop the hood!...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten talk about their unbelievably busy weekends. Kirsten's in Chicago and Pastor Joe's at Creation Weekend at NewLife. Orchestras, riverboats, hot dogs, and Stan the T-rex are all on the table in today's discussion. Let's pop the hood! Email: underthehood@newlifenwa.com Show Notes: https://www.newlifenwa.com/underthehood/

Pastor Joe & Kirsten review Easter weekend at NewLife, and Kirsten claims she knows how to solve the parking problem. They were hit hard with the fact that this may be the last Easter they'll celebrate together as a family of four. As their oldest prepares to head to the Naval Academy, they dive into thoughts on legacy. Let's pop the hood! Email: underthehood@newlifenwa.com Show Notes: https:/...

Pastor Joe & Kirsten kick off today's conversation with a review of Sight & Sound Theatre's production of Queen Esther before welcoming NewLife staff member, Missy Yerxa, to the podcast. Missy leads Celebrate Recovery at NewLife and has a powerful testimony that only God could have woven together in such a beautiful way. You're in for a treat! Let's pop the hood! Email: underthehood@newlif...

Overall, this episode deals with life-and-death experiences (both real and imagined). We learn why overalls are Pastor Joe's preferred work attire - you just won't see him preaching in them! Pastor Joe & Kirsten invite us under the hood to hear how he's planning NewLife's upcoming sermon series. Plus, Under the Hood is now on Instagram @uthpodcast! Let's pop the hood! Email: underthehood@newli...