New Life Church Kalamazoo with Pastor Dan Smith

What if opposition isn’t always a sign that you’re doing something wrong?

In this message from SWAT: Spiritual Warfare and Tactics, Pastor Dan continues through Acts 6:8–15 and the story of Stephen — a man filled with God’s grace, power, wisdom, and the Holy Spirit.

Scripture tells us that followers of Jesus are already in a spiritual war. We are not waiting for the battle to begin. And if the Holy Spirit empowers believers to be witnesses for Jesus, we should expect resistance when we actually begin doing what He has called us to do.  Live_2026-10-18_953am  Live_2026-10-18_953am

Stephen did not wait for a title or position before living out his faith. His life already demonstrated that he was the real deal. He served, lived the Scriptures, operated in the power of the Holy Spirit, and boldly pointed people to Jesus.  Live_2026-10-18_953am

Then opposition came.

People argued with Stephen, but they could not overcome the wisdom the Spirit gave him. When they could not defeat his message, they attacked the messenger, twisted his words, gathered false witnesses, and brought him before the Sanhedrin.  Live_2026-10-18_953am  Live_2026-10-18_953am

But even under pressure, God’s presence remained evident in Stephen.

Opposition does not have to silence your witness. It can become the very opportunity God uses for you to point someone toward Jesus.

Will you remain faithful when following Jesus costs you something?

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What happens when God answers your prayers for growth — and growth creates problems?

In this message from SWAT: Spiritual Warfare and Tactics, Pastor Dan continues through Acts 6:1–7, where the early church is rapidly growing and suddenly faces a serious problem: some widows are being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.

Instead of allowing the problem to divide the church or expecting a few leaders to solve everything, the apostles bring the entire church into the solution. Spirit-filled, wise people are identified, responsibility is entrusted to them, and ministry moves forward.

Pastor Dan challenges us to understand that growth exposes problems that need solutions. Reaching more people means welcoming people with different backgrounds, experiences, struggles, and levels of spiritual maturity. Growth can get messy — but that does not mean we stop growing. It means more of us have to take ownership. The church was never designed to be a small group of exhausted people doing ministry while everyone else watches. God has filled His people with the Holy Spirit, given them gifts, and called them to participate in building His church.

When responsibility was shared and people stepped into their part, “the Word of God spread” and the number of disciples increased rapidly.

So instead of only asking, “What’s wrong?” maybe the better question is:

God, how can I be part of the solution?

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What if the biggest thing keeping you spiritually stuck isn’t obvious disobedience — but almost obedience?

In this message, guest speaker Pastor Allison Carver teaches from 1 Samuel 15 and the story of King Saul. Saul technically followed much of what God commanded, but he changed the parts that did not appeal to him. He kept what he wanted, justified his choices, and convinced himself he had obeyed.

Pastor Allison defines almost obedience as obeying God just enough to feel faithful, but not enough to be fully surrendered. It happens when we take what God has clearly said and run it through the filter of our preferences, fears, logic, comfort, or desire for control. Almost Obediance Transcript

Through Saul’s story, we are challenged to ask three questions: Am I choosing this because it honors God or because it appeals to me? Am I obeying, or am I explaining away what God already made clear? And have I mistaken a season of stagnation for permanent disqualification? Almost Obediance Transcript Almost Obediance Transcript Almost Obediance Transcript

The good news is that failure does not have to be the end of your story. Because of Jesus, there is always a way back through repentance. His mercy is greater than our inconsistency.

Jesus didn’t die because you would always obey. He died because He knew that you wouldn’t. Almost Obediance Transcript

What has God already asked you to do that you are still negotiating?

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Ten years. Thousands of lives changed. And God isn’t finished yet.

In this special 10-Year Anniversary message, Pastors Dan and Kelsey look back on a decade of God’s faithfulness at New Life Church and ask what it means to carry that faith into the future.

In Joshua 4, God tells His people to take stones from the Jordan River and build a memorial so that future generations would ask, “What do these stones mean?” The answer was simple: remember what God has done. The God who was faithful then would still be faithful when they faced the next obstacle. Live_2026-09-13_953am

Over New Life’s first ten years, 2,384 people have put their faith in Jesus and more than 358 have been baptized, with 30 more already preparing for baptism. But this celebration is not about believing the work is finished. It is about remembering that God has proven He can be trusted with whatever comes next. Live_2026-09-13_953am

Through stories of healing, families, children, church planting, generosity, serving, and people who quietly said yes to God, this message reminds us that we are standing on the shoulders of other people’s faith. Now it is our turn.

Never forget what God has done. Never mistake a milestone for the destination. And remember: your yes matters.

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In this message from SWAT: Spiritual Warfare and Tactics, Pastor Dan continues through Acts 4:32–37 and Acts 5:1–11, contrasting the generosity of Barnabas with the deception of Ananias and Sapphira.

The early church was united in heart and mind. They viewed what they had as resources God had entrusted to them, and generosity became a tangible expression of God’s love and care for one another. Barnabas willingly sold a field and gave the proceeds to support the people and mission of God. honest generosity honest generosity

But Acts 5 shows a very different heart. Ananias and Sapphira also sold property, yet instead of simply giving honestly, they tried to appear more generous than they actually were. Their problem was not that they kept part of the money. Peter makes clear that the property and proceeds were theirs to manage. Their sin was deception — trying to gain the reputation of Barnabas without making the sacrifice Barnabas made. honest generosity

Pastor Dan challenges us to examine whose approval matters most. Comparison can tempt us to exaggerate our devotion, hide parts of our story, and compromise our integrity so other people will think more highly of us. But while we may deceive people, we cannot deceive God. honest generosity honest generosity

The goal is not simply to avoid becoming Ananias and Sapphira. It is to become more like Barnabas — a son or daughter of encouragement, living generously, honestly, and fully surrendered to God. honest generosity

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In this message from SWAT: Spiritual Warfare and Tactics, Pastor Dan continues through Acts 4:1–20, where Peter and John face opposition after healing a man in the name of Jesus.

Only weeks earlier, Peter was afraid to admit he even knew Jesus. Now he stands before the same religious authorities who helped send Jesus to the cross and boldly declares that the miracle happened through the name of Jesus Christ. The difference? Peter is filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered to be a witness.

Acts tells us that Peter and John were ordinary, unschooled men, yet their opponents recognized something unmistakable about them: they had been with Jesus. You do not need to know every answer, have a theology degree, or be the most gifted person in the room to tell someone about Jesus. You need to know Him, depend on the Holy Spirit, and have the courage to say His name.

Pastor Dan challenges believers to reject the pressure to keep faith private. A private faith cannot point people to the only One who can save. Peter declares that “there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” If Jesus is the center of the gospel, He must also be the center of our witness.

When the authorities command Peter and John to stop speaking and teaching in Jesus’ name, they refuse: “We cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Following Jesus sometimes carries a cost, but how others respond is outside our control. Faithfulness to Jesus is our choice.

Will you say His name in your family, workplace, school, friendships, and wherever God has placed you?

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In this message from Acts 3:1–16, Pastor Dan continues the SWAT: Spiritual Warfare and Tactics series by looking at Peter and John’s encounter with the man who had been lame from birth.

Every day, this man was carried to the temple gate to beg. Every day, people walked past him. But on this day, Peter and John stopped, looked at him, and saw more than a need to be temporarily helped. They saw a divine appointment. Pastor Dan reminds us that God’s assignments often interrupt our agendas, and followers of Jesus must stay interruptible.

Peter says, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” The man is instantly healed, jumps to his feet, enters the temple courts, and begins walking, jumping, and praising God. His life is not just helped for a moment; it is completely transformed by the power of Jesus.

This message challenges us not to settle for meeting temporary needs without pointing people to the One who can change their eternity. We should feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe those in need, and help the hurting — but if people do not end up knowing Jesus, we have missed the point.

When the crowd gathers in amazement, Peter refuses to take credit. He points everyone back to Jesus: the One they crucified, the One God raised from the dead, and the One whose name made the man strong. When Jesus changes a life, Jesus gets the glory.

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In this message from Acts 2:42–47, Pastor Dan continues the SWAT: Spiritual Warfare and Tactics series by showing that New Life’s vision — Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, and Make a Difference — is not just a church slogan. It is God’s vision for every person’s life.

The early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, prayer, generosity, worship, and meeting together. As they lived out God’s design, the Lord added daily those who were being saved. Pastor Dan connects this directly to the pathway of discipleship: knowing God through worship and the Word, finding freedom in community, discovering purpose through spiritual gifts, and making an eternal difference through serving, giving, and pointing people to Jesus.

This message challenges us not to treat church like a stadium where a few people play while everyone else watches. Faith is not something we observe from a chair. It is something we live out together. Through the New Life app, badges, Life Groups, Discovery, serving, and generosity, Pastor Dan shows how each step helps people actively participate in God’s vision for their lives.

The goal is not to light up a screen. The goal is to become more like Jesus, live in God’s purpose, and make an eternal difference so that others come to know Him.

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In Week 4 of SWAT: Spiritual Warfare and Tactics, Pastor Kelsey continues through Acts 2:36–41, focusing on what happens when the gospel takes root in one generation and is carried to the next.

After Peter preaches at Pentecost, the crowd is cut to the heart and asks, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter calls them to repent, be baptized, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. But the promise does not stop with them. Scripture says the promise is for “you, your children, and those far away.”

This message reminds us that faith is never meant to be private, isolated, or contained. Someone carried the gospel before us. Someone prayed, served, invited, taught, modeled, sacrificed, and made room for us to know Jesus. Now the question is: who will stand on our shoulders?

Pastor Kelsey challenges parents, students, leaders, and every follower of Jesus to recognize the spiritual legacy being built through their lives. The gospel spreads from living rooms to neighborhoods, classrooms, teams, workplaces, businesses, generations, and nations. What God has done in us is meant to move through us.

The promise was never meant to stop with us. The gospel reached us because somebody carried it. Now we are called to carry it forward.

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In Week 3 of SWAT: Spiritual Warfare and Tactics, Pastor Dan continues through Acts 2:14–28.

After the Holy Spirit falls at Pentecost, Peter stands up and boldly proclaims Jesus to the crowd. This is the same Peter who denied Jesus, spoke too quickly, sank after stepping out of the boat, and failed in fear. But when the Holy Spirit filled him, Peter became a bold witness for the gospel.

This message reminds us that God has always used imperfect people: Moses, Gideon, David, Rahab, Mary, Matthew, Paul, Peter — and He can use us too. The power of the Holy Spirit is not given so we can simply have a spiritual experience. He empowers us to witness, to believe God can use us, to expect God to move, and to call people to the only name that can save: Jesus.

Pastor Dan also reminds us that serving, giving, and meeting practical needs matter — but the greatest need every person has is to call on the name of the Lord and be saved. Through the story of Lorenzo, we are reminded that when someone calls on Jesus, even death does not have the final word.

You were made for more than sitting in church. You were made to be filled with the Spirit, sent on mission, and used by God to help one more person know Jesus.

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