Roots and Branches Podcast

Pastor Paul offers his first solo episode since New Year’s Day with a focus on various venues of formal prayer among the people of New Life EFC. Annual prayer priorities include big crowds (such as April’s District Blitz youth conference in Duluth) and cities (such as the Hastings Prayer Breakfast on the National Day of Prayer). Weekly and daily prayer priorities including among our church ministries (Sunday mornings, leadership meetings, affinity groups) and personal cloisters (alone, with a spouse or prayer partner, with one’s family, with closest accountability circle). Pastor Paul encourages using tools such as a prayer calendar and prayer journal, recording answers as well as re-reading past entries to see the Lord’s hand in and through a lifestyle of prayer in Jesus’ name. Scriptures cited include Ps. 145:18-20 and Jude 24-25 (in the double-benediction) plus other direct and indirect references. Remember to prioritize prayer with and for fellow Christ-followers (and public officials) in huge assemblies, civic settings, church events and teams, with dearest loved ones, and alone with the Lord.

As a follow up to his recent elective class, Pastor Brent along with Pastor Paul discuss the Bible’s geography, particularly the land of Israel as a stark contrast to the land of Egypt as experienced by the people of Yahweh during and after the Exodus. Geographically comparable to the state of California, Israel was (and is) a land of topographical extremes, and the Israelites learned that they needed to trust God for His provision (e.g., rains, as seen in 1 Kings 18, which in some ways was a fulfillment of Deut. 11:8-17). The pastors also talk about the geographical centrality of the land of Israel which made it a hub of trade routes (e.g., “The Great Trunk Road”). Pastor Paul ends with a benediction from Ps. 84:10-12 and our longing to be with the Lord Himself as our dwelling place.

After an opening ditty and a few comments about the late missionary to television, ordained minister Mr. Fred Rogers, Pastors Paul and Brent offer “preachers’ commentary” amidst our four weeks preaching through Romans 8. Beloved by believers and lauded by theologians, Romans 8 exudes eternal truths and deeply comforting verses as both a culmination of Paul’s writing in chapters 1-7 and a set up for the rest of the letter. For those wanting to go back and watch or listen to past sermons, our video archive is available on Vimeo and we have a separate podcast (on iTunes and nlefc.org) with the sermon audio for each weekly sermon.

Pastors Brent and Paul drop a Holy Week episode focused on reading Colossians five times to prepare our hearts for Redemption Weekend. Whether reading quickly or slowly; taking notes or just taking it in; or looking for grand theological themes or nitty-gritty words and names, there are countless blessings to be had in reading God’s Word and seeking to understand and apply His whole counsel. Jesus purchased our peace through His blood (1:20) so that we can purchase the time and answer each person (4:5-6) all the while putting off the old self and putting on the new self (see all of ch. 3!), “renewed in knowledge after the image of (our) creator” (3:10, ESV).

With two weeks remaining in Lent 2026, Pastors Paul and Brent dedicate this episode to the wisdom and blessing for Christ-followers to prepare our hearts for Holy Week. The pastoral pair guide their discussion using four broad categories as we approach Palm Sunday through Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday: 1) Scripture and Prayer; 2) Music and Worship; 3) Fellowship and Corporate Gathering; and 4) Service and Outreach. With several citations and personal anecdotes in each category, Brent and Paul banter about the categorical flow from the Lord to the lost including our own growth, joy and sanctification. Recommendations include reading Colossians five times during Holy Week; listening to the music of Michael Card and Seeds Family Worship; considering watching the biblically rich animated film The Miracle Maker (1999); and growing in bold efforts in prayer and outreach.

In early February, Pastors Brent and Paul again attended the Theology Conference offered by the EFCA National Office. This year’s theme was God Will Raise the Dead Bodily and Judge the World: Evangelical Convictions of Eternal Realities. Based on Article 10 of the EFCA Statement of Faith, the seven plenary sessions and five breakouts all focused on the Bible’s teaching on eternal salvation (Heaven) for those in Christ and eternal damnation (Hell) for those outside of Christ. The structure of the conference covered Biblical and Systematic Theology: God’s Revealed Truth; Historical Theology: Historical Consensus of the Church; and Pastoral Theology: Perspective and Practice. Our podcasting pastors share their personal highlights from speakers across the entire conference, including Greg Strand, Executive Director of Theology and Credentialing. All conference speakers, breakout sessions, and the booklet are available free of charge on the EFCA.org as well as in audio-only form on Apple Podcasts and on Spotify.

In Part 2 of this topic on the spiritual realm, Pastor Brent continues walking us through his recent elective class describing the good news of Jesus’ triumph over all demonic forces through both His first coming and His future Second Coming; biblical tactics for spiritual warfare; patterns, cautions, and encouragements; and how to pray. Two fictitious but helpful books recommended by the pastors include This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti and The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. In addition to an opening quote from Gimil the Dwarf in The Lord of the Rings and a closing prayer and benediction from Jude 24-25, this episode includes several personal anecdotes and experiences in the lives of the pastors and our church.

After an unintentional month-long hiatus, Pastors Paul and Brent eagerly return to this all-purpose podcast as a unique aspect of our local church’s ministry. This two-part topic is based on a recent elective class taught by Pastor Brent. With many Scripture references (as always!), Part 1 defines the spiritual realm, angels, and demons. From the opener (Ps. 138:1-3) to the benediction (Rom. 16:20) and everything in between, listeners are encouraged to know the Bible’s teaching on the spiritual realm and then to live wisely, prayerfully, and fruitfully as Christ-followers in light of the unseen forces of good and evil all around us.

The pastoral team is back together for the first time in 2026 with an exciting update regarding the dream (now five years in development) to expand our facilities at New Life EFC. Pastor Brent reviews the vision undergirding our collaborative efforts to build a new classroom wing, lobby, and bathrooms, and he and Pastor Paul once again touch on the creative ministry strategy of disciple-by-doing. Several areas of confirmation indicate that 2026 is the year that things will begin to take physical manifestation. Thriving affinity ministries; recent donations; and strong teams of volunteers all support this exciting confluence of circumstances! Phil. 2:12-13 and 4:19 end the episode, drawing a parallel between our personal sanctification and God working in the process of this building project while providing for every need of ours in Christ. God has done great things; He is working; and He will continue working for our joy, others’ good, and His glory!

Pastor Paul ushers in the New Year with a traditional goal setting refresher, building on Episodes 34, 35 and 92. After recapping five basic categories of goal setting (Spiritual, Physical, Financial, Skillful, Relational) and three types of measurable goals (Mini-Goals, Medium Goals, Mega Goals), Paul expounds on the theme of HOPE for why we should live intentionally through goal setting. Key supporting Scriptures include Deut. 6:5; Prov. 6:6-8; Eccl. 11:1-2; Mark 8:34-35; 12:30; Rom. 5:1-5; 8:22-25; Eph. 5:16; Phil. 2:12-13; 3:14; and Heb. 11:1; 12:8-11. He also includes a few film references; reviews selected met and unmet goals from 2025; and updates a few goals for 2026. Psalm 136:1 bookends this episode with a benediction from Heb. 13:20-21, admonishing listeners to consider ways to be “faithful over a little” in order to be commended by our Lord Jesus (Matt. 25:21, 23, LSB).