Imagine with me a neighborhood where 3 out of 4 families live near or below the poverty line. Half of the homes are single-parent homes. Only 24% of students are reading on their grade level or above. Crime and violence are an everyday reality. Imagine driving each day past the boys and girls lined up quietly READ MORE
New Hope Church
Reflections on the Authenticity of the Book of Jonah
The Book of Jonah is one of those pieces of biblical literature accustomed to taking a beating from skeptics conditioned to not only dismiss it but to regularly mock those willing to uphold the idea of its historicity and authenticity. Indeed, it is a common phenomenon for students to find within the classrooms of even supposedly READ MORE
The Power of a Small Group
It may well have been King David’s darkest hour. The security of his kingdom was unraveling around him. His own son, Absalom, was essentially taking over the empire through a bloody coup. People were deserting the king left and right, cursing him everywhere he went. It appeared all was lost, and that David had nothing left. Until READ MORE
A Primer for Those Who Listen
This Sunday has me stepping onto the platform at New Hope Church in the Minneapolis area for the first time as the church’s new senior pastor. To say I am excited is a profound understatement! And though the word “honored” may seem cliché, it is exactly how I feel. But I am also a bit READ MORE
Dear New Hope Friends . . . .
Dear New Hope Church Friends: My dear Christa and I could not be more excited about joining with you in these days ahead! We have been determined to finish well with our beloved Bethel Church family, but that has not in any way muted our enthusiasm for what lies ahead. As we step through these READ MORE
Five Rocks for Everyone’s Bag
Being just days away from stepping into my new responsibilities with the New Hope Church family in the greater Minneapolis area, it seems reasonable to offer one final, loving word to our beloved Bethel Church community—words put forward in my last sermon on July 12, and which will be meaningfully helpful for Bethel Church in READ MORE