Know God. Find Freedom. Discover Purpose. Make a Difference. This is the vision of New Life Church, led by Pastor Dan Smith and based in Kalamazoo, MI.

Subscribe to our channel for weekday updates from Pastors Dan and Kelsey Smith and the NLC team!

NEW LIFE CHURCH SERVICE TIMES:

• In-person: 8:30am | 10:00am | 11:30am | 5115 Portage Rd

• Online: 10:00a

To support this ministry and help us continue to reach people all around the world click here: https://newlifekzoo.com/giving

We would love for you to be a part of worship, hear an encouraging message from Pastor Dan and connect with our community that is welcoming and friendly. 

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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.

Stay connected with New Life Church:

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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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#SWATSeries #SpiritualWarfare #MadeForMore #Acts2 #HolySpirit #OneMore #NewLifeChurch #NewLifeKzoo #ChristianSermon #PowerToWitness #JesusSaves #Faith #Calling #ChurchOnline #KalamazooChurch

In Week 2 of SWAT: Spiritual Warfare and Tactics, Pastor Dan continues through the book of Acts.

Preaching from Acts 2:1–13, Pastor Dan teaches on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came like a violent wind and tongues of fire rested on every believer. This was not just a spiritual moment for the apostles — it was the beginning of Spirit-empowered witness for the Church.

The message connects Pentecost to Mount Sinai, showing how the law was once written on tablets of stone, but now the Holy Spirit writes God’s law on human hearts. At Sinai, 3,000 died after rebellion. At Pentecost, about 3,000 were saved.

This message reminds us that the Holy Spirit gives believers power to be witnesses, not merely to have a spiritual experience. But Pastor Dan also warns that we can quench the fire of the Spirit through cynicism, wrong fire, unforgiveness, resisting bold preaching, and despising prophecy.

If we want to live on mission for Jesus, reach one more, and carry the fire of God into our homes, workplaces, schools, and city, we must receive the Spirit’s power and refuse to put out what God wants to ignite.

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#SWATSeries #SpiritualWarfare #PowerToWitness #HolySpirit #Pentecost #Acts2 #NewLifeChurch #NewLifeKzoo #ChristianSermon #OneMore #SpiritFilled #Faith #Obedience #ChurchOnline #KalamazooChurch

Pastor Dan is back and launching a brand new series called SWAT: Spiritual Warfare and Tactics. In this first message, Baptized in the Holy Spirit, we begin in the book of Acts and see that Jesus has given His Church a mission — and He has also given us the power to fulfill it.

Through Acts 1, Pastor Dan teaches that the book of Acts is not merely the acts of the apostles, but the acts of the Holy Spirit through surrendered followers of Jesus. Before the disciples were sent out, Jesus commanded them to wait for the gift of the Father: to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.

This message reminds us that salvation brings us into the family of God, water baptism publicly identifies us with Jesus, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit empowers us to be witnesses. The Holy Spirit is not given so we can simply have a spiritual experience; He is given so we can live on mission, reach one more, and carry the life of Jesus to people who are spiritually flailing without Him.

As New Life enters 21 Days of Prayer, this message challenges every follower of Jesus to ask: Who is my one more? Who is the person God has placed in my life to pray for, invite, and reach with the hope of Jesus?

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This week, New Life Church welcomed guest pastor Pastor Robby Emery.

Preaching from Acts 27–28, Pastor Robby reminds us that life does not always take us where we planned to go. Paul was shipwrecked on Malta, bitten by a poisonous snake, and surrounded by people waiting to see if he would fall. But instead of living like a castaway, Paul kept serving, shook off what tried to attach itself to him, and allowed God to use his wounded hand to bring healing to others.

This message is a call to stop letting circumstances define us and start walking out our calling wherever God has placed us. Even when we are hurting, we can still bring hope. Even when the ship breaks apart, we can still hold on to faith. And even when the enemy tries to use pain to paralyze us, God can use those same wounds to reveal His glory.

If you feel far from God, discouraged by disappointment, or stuck in a season you did not choose, this message will encourage you to draw close to the Father, shake off what does not belong, keep serving, and trust that God can turn your shipwreck into purpose.

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#CastawayOrCalling #Acts27 #Acts28 #PaulShipwreck #NewLifeChurch #NewLifeKzoo #ChristianSermon #Faith #Calling #TrustGod #PurposeInPain #GodCanUseYourStory #JesusSaves #ChristianEncouragement #KalamazooChurch

This week, New Life Church welcomed guest pastor Pastor Evan Hoekzema, who is planting Tribes Church in northwest Grand Rapids, launching September 13, 2026.

In this message from Daniel 6, Pastor Evan asks a simple but weighty question: what is required for a life to leave a mark? Through Daniel’s faithfulness in a foreign land, we see that a life of lasting impact is built through an excellent spirit, a clean slate, a steady swing, and sweet surrender.

Daniel’s life reminds us that faithfulness is not just about one big moment. It is built through daily obedience, integrity when no one is watching, rhythms that keep us close to God, and trust that refuses to compromise even when the outcome is uncertain.

Whether you feel like you are in a palace, a workplace, a season of waiting, or your own version of a lion’s den, God is able to meet you there. This message is a call to bring your best, right some wrongs, stay the course, and trust God with the mark your life will leave.

Support Pastor Evan and Tribes Church:

Prayer Support: https://tribes-church-515208.churchcenter.com/people/forms/1096402

Financial Support: https://www.tribeschurch.co/give

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In this special Names of God message, four New Life leaders reveal four powerful ways God meets us personally: Jehovah Sabaoth, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies; Jehovah Tsuri, the Lord our Rock; Jehovah Rohi, the Lord our Shepherd; and El Roi, the God who sees us.

Pastor Isaac shares that the King of Glory commands heaven’s armies while personally calling each believer to say yes and help build His Church. Barry reminds us that we were never meant to carry the pressure of being everyone’s rock—Jesus alone is the firm foundation who keeps us steady through every storm. Wade shares how our sovereign Shepherd knows us by name, provides what we need, and walks beside us through life’s darkest valleys. Leah closes by showing how God met Hagar in the wilderness and continues to see, pursue, and speak into the pain of those who feel forgotten.

Whatever you are facing, God is not distant. He commands with authority, grounds you in every storm, shepherds you with faithful care, and sees every part of your story.

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#NamesOfGod #JehovahSabaoth #JehovahTsuri #JehovahRohi #ElRoi #GodWhoSees #TheLordIsMyShepherd #JesusOurRock #ChristianSermon #Faith #Calling #TrustGod #NewLifeChurch #NewLifeKzoo #KalamazooChurch