This episode (the second of four) covers the same material that Pastor Brent presented at New Life EFC on 2/18/25. Session 2 is entitled “Biblical Solution: God Forms His People in Particular Places.” Pastor Brent begins with “The Importance of ‘Place’ in the Bible” (from Eden through the New Earth) and goes on to discuss “Places vs. Non-Places,” “Distortions in Western Culture,” and “Recovering God’s Good Design.”
Episode 97 - Elective Class - Reimagining Discipleship - Session 1
Whereas Episodes 94 & 95 previewed the four-week elective class taught by Pastor Brent Kompelien, this episode (the first of four) covers the same material that Pastor Brent presented at New Life EFC on 2/11/25. Incentives to attend in person include fellowship and ample time for Q&A (remaining sessions are 2/18, 2/25, and 3/4), but this is the next best thing! Session 1 is entitled “Identifying the Problem: Conforming to the Late-Modern World”. Using Romans 12:1-2 and Daniel 1 as key texts, Pastor Brent contrasts the world’s efforts to conform us into its image with the Lord’s will to transform us from within through the gospel. Several illustrations are used to encourage deeper discipleship through living out God’s truth in everyday life.
Episode 96 - EFCA Theology Conference '25 Recap
Paul and Pastor Brent were recently among 550 church staff, missionaries, and denominational leaders in Chicago. Their recap ranges from ancient church history to contemporary issues in the overall conference theme: “Theological Anthropology” (Gen. 1:27). Special attention is given to the teachings of Dr. Donald Fairbairn (1700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed); Dr. Hans Madueme (Original Sin and Concupiscence); and Dr. John Kilner (Creaturely Limitations and Disability). To watch videos of the conference plenary and breakout sessions, go to efca.org and search “2025 EFCA Theology Conference” (posted by mid-February). You may also or instead listen to the EFCA Theology Podcast on iTunes.
Episode 95 - Reimagining Discipleship in the Local Church - Part 2
This second part continues overviewing Pastor Brent’s DMin dissertation and previewing his upcoming elective class (Tuesdays, Feb. 11-Mar. 4). His four sessions will cover “Identifying the Problem,” “Biblical Solution,” “Capturing the Imagination,” and “Staging Parables of the Kingdom.” The point of discipleship is the Greatest Commandment (Mark 12:28-31), and our call as believers being sanctified in Jesus is to learn to love the local church! This episode ends with brief plugs for our half-time Kids Coordinator opening and hope for our building project to move forward soon.
Episode 94 - Reimagining Discipleship in the Local Church - Part 1
As a fitting follow-up to Episode 93 and a complementary commentary to our winter-spring sermon series on the book of James, this two-parter overviews Pastor Brent’s DMin dissertation, Reimagining Catechesis: Embodied and Embedded Discipleship Through Placemaking. After swapping stories of how the year 1994 was pivotal in each of their lives, Pastor Brent and Paul go over the outline of Pastor Brent’s elective class offered at New Life EFC on four Tuesday nights—Feb. 11-Mar. 4—from 6:30-8 pm. In our post-Christian (and often anti-Christian) culture, disciple-by-doing goes beyond doctrine, theory and catechesis by using hands-on, whole-life discipleship for deeper formation of all ages in the local church body.
Episode 93 - Living Faith in Community - Overview of James Series
Paul and Pastor Brent co-host their first shared episode of 2025 with a preview of the book of James, Pastor Brent’s winter-spring sermon series. In addition to the many well-known themes of James (e.g.: trials and suffering; wisdom; faith and works; careful use of words; humility; interactions with fellow believers; prayer), the theme of disciple-by-doing / whole-life discipleship is also seen throughout this letter and reflects our unique ministry strategy at New Life EFC. Living lives of godly actions rooted in God’s grace are essential for the Christ-follower, and the Lord calls us to be sanctified in community through the local church.
Episode 92 - Goal Setting - Part 3
Paul Arneberg offers an annual refresher following up Episodes 34 & 35, “Goal Setting Parts 1 & 2.” Part 3 reviews and offers specifics on four basic categories of goal setting: physical (nutrition and exercise); spiritual (Bible reading and prayer journaling); financial (budgeting and saving); and skillful (vocation and hobbies). Healthy relationships should be the overarching end-result of all goal setting, so Paul ends by discussing a fifth category: relational goals (e.g., names, hospitality, gratitude). Whatever age, personality, or areas of gifting, each one of us can improve at setting and pursuing mini- (realistic) goals, medium- (reasonable) goals, and mega- (ridiculous) goals. Such intentionality better equips us to love others and to grow in Jesus’ grace and knowledge (2 Pet. 3:18).
Episode 91 - Teach Us To Number Our Days
Happy New Year, Roots & Branches church family and friends! Pastor Brent is on vacation, so Paul rings in 2025 with a solo episode as a follow-up and further commentary on his 12/29/24 sermon on Psalm 90. After overviewing this heavy psalm written by Moses, Paul highlights the grief and the hope represented by three family deaths: Wendy’s dad, Conrad DeGroot in 1970; Paul’s mom, Audrey Arneberg in 1985; and Paul’s nephew, E. Andre Larrea in 2002. Paul also addresses the death of his dream of fatherhood due to infertility—and how the Lord broke his depression on 11/24/02 using 1 Thess. 5:18. In addition to reading a poem of 15.5 couplets that he wrote for Andre’s funeral, Paul mentions “Teach Us to Number Our Days” by Marty Goetz, “All Glory Be to Christ” as sung by The Petersens, and “On Eagle’s Wings” by Michael Joncas. (Note: Charlie Seifert is the name of the Christian firefighter on the scene of Andre’s death.)
Episode 90 - Advent Promises Part 4 - Fulfilled in Christ
Paul Arneberg and Pastor Brent Kompelien conclude Advent 2024 with one of the most awesome chapters in the Bible, Revelation 5. Ever influenced by the arts to supplement his love for God’s Word, Paul opens and closes with samples of a great oratorio that he experienced in college, The Revelation of St. John the Divine by the late Dominick Argento. Pastor Brent reflects on his final sermon on “The Promises of God” by delving into the breathtaking nature of the Christ-exulting worship in Rev. 5. This final Roots & Branches episode for 2024 wraps up with a discussion of the “already” and “not yet” nature of Christ’s kingdom, admonishing the listeners to prioritize reading the whole counsel of God in order to grow in Christ and cling to the Lord’s promises for ultimate fulfillment at the end of the age, especially amidst trials. Keep Christ at the center, and keep in Christian community as a comfort and foretaste of the coming fullness of the Kingdom of God!
Episode 89 - Advent Promises Part 3 - Received By Faith
Paul Arneberg and Pastor Brent Kompelien continue their mini-series celebrating Advent 2024. After Paul recounts the four-fold life-changing nature of the year 1989 in his life, Pastor Brent returns to his sermon from 12/15/24 and offers bonus material on Abraham, the exemplar of faith and “the father of us all” (Rom. 4:16). He and Paul discuss atonement (meaning to “cover over”) as a human longing and NEED, but only fulfilled in receiving salvation in Christ through faith. Cross references abound, including Deuteronomy, Matthew, Mark, Ephesians, Galatians, and comparing the Mercy Seat in the Temple to our need to be covered by the mercy of Christ.
Episode 88 - Advent Promises Part 2 - The Anointed One
Paul Arneberg and Pastor Brent Kompelien return to their mini-series celebrating Advent 2024. As Pastor Brent wraps up his 15-week sermon series on “The Promises of God” this month, he and Paul discuss Matthew 1 and the arrival of the Promise in Christ (aka the Messiah, or Anointed One). After Paul connects his recent arctic distance run with the journey depicted in The Nativity Story (2006), Pastor Brent recaps the genealogy of Jesus in Matt. 1 and how both Judaism and Christianity are unique in world history by demanding that we hold up a mirror to ourselves and our need for salvation from our sins (Matt. 1:21). Paul ends with an admonishment to renew personal Bible reading in 2025 and he gives a plug to our New Life EFC sermon podcast (available on our website or search iTunes for “New Life EFC Hastings sermons”).
Episode 87 - The Necessity of Margin - Part 2
This two-part episode by Director of Discipleship Paul Arneberg focuses on the concept of margin inspired by the book Margin by Dr. Richard A. Swenson. In the 2019-2020 school year, the Lord led Paul to write a nine-part column series on margin. Using Scripture, personal examples and movies, Part 2 features four more key words related to margin: Contentment, Rest (incl. seven sub-category “S” words: Sleep, Stress, Schedule, Space, Sovereignty, Satisfaction, and Sabbath), Balance vs. Excellence (+ Negative Excellence), and Time.
Episode 86 - The Necessity of Margin - Part 1
This two-part episode by Director of Discipleship Paul Arneberg focuses on the concept of margin inspired by the book Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives by Dr. Richard A. Swenson. In the school year leading up to and including the COVID lockdowns (2019-2020), the Lord led Paul to write a nine-part column series on margin (https://jugheads.com/category/themarginseries/). Using Scripture, personal examples and movie references, Part 1 features Paul discussing four key words related to the concept of margin: Boundaries, Gratitude, Peace, and Simplicity.
Episode 85 - Advent Promises Part 1 - The Good Shepherd
Paul Arneberg and Pastor Brent Kompelien kick off a mini-series celebrating Advent 2024. As Pastor Brent wraps up his 14-week sermon series on “The Promises of God” this December, he and Paul discuss Ezekiel 34 and the Lord’s promise to shepherd His sheep and seek the lost. Cultural references include the classic “Rudolph” Christmas program; Aslan of Narnia; Aragorn of Middle-earth; and a special mention of an Advent song by the late Christian musician Jeremy Erickson. Supportive Scriptures include passages from Luke, John, Romans, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, and Revelation.
Episode 84 - The Wisdom and Challenge of Solitude
Paul Arneberg and Pastor Brent Kompelien explore the biblical grounds of the imperative of solitude. Carving out regular time in one’s schedule to be alone with the Lord (and simply to process life) brings both wisdom and challenge to our lives in whatever stage. In addition to examples from Scripture (e.g., Psalms 39 and 131), Paul reads from a blog by Sharon Glasgow about the prayer life of Susanna Wesley (1669-1742), mother of 19 children, including John Wesley and Charles Wesley. Whether our lives are overly busy or prone to loneliness, whether full of extraordinary trials or mundane normalcy, the discipline of quiet time with the Lord in His Word and in prayer brings peace in the present and untold fruit in the future.
Episode 83 - A Brief History of the EFCA
Happy Reformation Day! October 31, 1517 was a pivotal day in church history, when German monk Martin Luther publicly launched a movement to rediscover the Word of God and salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone. Just as it’s important to know our Bibles and redemptive history, it’s also important to know the history of our local churches and even entire denominations. Our special guest this episode is Dr. Tom Cairns, retired missionary and the archivist for the EFCA National Office in Bloomington, MN. Paul Arneberg and Pastor Brent Kompelien ask Tom about his personal testimony, his calling as a medical missionary, and his passion for remembering and celebrating the wonders God has done at the local and national levels.
Episode 82 - God Shapes Our Faith Through Places and Circumstances
Paul opens with his recent front-row experience seeing The Petersens, a top-notch Christian bluegrass band. Pastor Brent then leads a discussion of God shaping our faith though specific places and circumstances: family, neighborhood, workplace, hobbies, world events, illnesses, life stages, and the local church. Based on his recent sermon, Pastor Brent uses the biblical example of Joshua as one who experienced God’s presence and God’s rule. The Lord comforts, provides, leads/guides, and gives wisdom, strength and protection to His people. The co-hosts highlight the local church family as a primary place used by God for our refining, serving, and faith-building. The local church is designed to display the light of Christ to the world through an actual location in a specific time in history.
Episode 81 - Decades of Mentorship - Part 2
For Part 2 on mentorship, Paul Arneberg interviews Glenn Olson, long-time Christ-follower, husband, father, elder, and vocational minister. Glenn and his wife, Anne, have been at New Life EFC for their entire 37-year marriage, raising all six of their children in this small (now medium) local church. Glenn highlights his personal testimony, his experience mentoring young people through MN Teens for Christ and New Life EFC, and his current role as Director of Student Ministries for the NCD of the EFCA. Glenn’s life was radically changed by the Lord in college through Eph. 2:8-9, and he was radically changed as a young father through prayer. His motto of mentorship and discipleship could be leading people “One Step Closer to Jesus.”
Episode 80 - Decades of Mentorship - Part 1
Director of Discipleship Paul Arneberg offers a solo episode on mentorship. He keys off of four main categories: mentorship in the Bible; mentorship themes within Paul’s Top 100 Movies List; examples of people who have mentored him throughout his 5.5 decades of life; and broad categories of people whom Paul has endeavored to mentor, including two specific twenty-somethings who are rooted with him and Wendy for the long haul in the family of God through Christ.
Episode 79 - How Should Christians Read the OT?
To accompany this fall’s sermon series, “The Promises of God,” Pastor Brent Kompelien and Discipleship Director Paul Arneberg discuss the importance of reading the Old Testament. Christianity neither works nor makes sense apart from understanding and even loving the whole counsel of God as laid out in the OT and fulfilled through Christ in the NT. We should neither “unhitch” from the OT nor elevate it above the NT. Rather, let’s approach the Bible as one redemptive story with God’s precious promises made, fulfilled, and yet to be fulfilled for those who are in Christ Jesus.