Sermon Podcast

In this Resurrection Sunday message, Pastor Brent unfolds Luke 24 and the initial events occurring after Jesus rose from the dead—“Seeing is Believing: Part 1” (vv. 1-12) and “Seeing is Believing: Part 2” (vv. 13-35). A key to both parts of this long account is that the words of Jesus brought clarity to the confusion of the tomb visitors and the Emmaus road walkers. Their physical sight became spiritual sight! Kevin Vanhoozer puts it this way: “The word of God is not simply the content of the Bible, but the voice of God speaking to us through it.” And Pastor Brent offers this summary: “True seeing is seeing Jesus Christ in all His glory, and then responding in repentance and faith.”

After services were cancelled on 3/15/26 due to a March blizzard, Pastor Brent kicks off Holy Week with Rom. 8 and a glimpse into the life of the late Herb Brooks, legendary coach of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Gold Medal Hockey Team. Underlying Brooks’ coaching success was a desire to prove something and pay a debt. By contrast, Romans 8 teaches us about our “Debt Paid” (vv. 1-11) yet we still have a “Debt Owed” (vv. 12-17). We who are in Christ have no condemnation, but we do have an obligation to live according to the Spirit. Pastor Brent quotes from modern-day authors Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Blake Glosson, Ed Welch and James Montgomery Boice and from church history figures Martin Luther, John Owen, George Whitfield, and Jonathan Edwards.

Pastor Brent continues our year-long series in Romans with an opening illustration from the late Christian apologist G.K. Chesterton. When asked to write an editorial answering the age-old question, “What is wrong with the world?”, Chesterton answered the conundrum with two words: “I am.” With the premise that the questions raised in Rom. 7 have plagued all world religions, Pastor Brent addressed two of those questions: “What is the Purpose of the Law?” (vv. 7-13) and “What Does the Law Reveal in Me?” (vv. 14-25). God uses the Law to reveal what is in our hearts. The Law forces us to ask ourselves, “What is our functional savior?” Dying to self leads to deeper transformation in God. We need a deep, heart-level renovation through Christ alone, His atoning work on our behalf, and His imputed righteousness. Christianity is NOT a religion of willpower. We are justified AND sanctified by God’s grace!

Pastor Brent opens his sermon with a rare supplementary announcement sharing the good news of our Building Project’s recent approval by the Cottage Grove City Council! Our architect even witnessed to the assembly, saying that approving a restaurant is good, but approving a church project helps to bring the Bread from Heaven to our area! (The audience warmly laughed.) Pastor Brent then shares wisdom from C.S. Lewis and applies it to Rom. 7: “Look along the Law rather than at the Law.” In this chapter, we see that Christians are “Released from the Law” (vv. 1-3) and “Bound to Christ” (vv. 4-6). One key is that Jesus obeyed the law but took on the curse of the law; He then gave the blessing of obedience to us! After sharing insights from Kevin DeYoung and Kevin Vanhoozer, Pastor Brent contrasts the equally dangerous ditches of unrighteousness (licentiousness) and self-righteousness (legalism). In the gospel, Jesus Christ offers His righteousness to all who admit our desperate need for a Savior!

Pastor Brent continues in Romans 6 culminating in one of the most well-known gospel verses in all of Scripture. He outlines “Two Masters” (vv. 15-18); “Two Trajectories” (vv. 19-22); and “Two Approaches” (v. 23). Outside of Christ, we are all captive to sin; in Christ, we obey from the heart. Christianity is not a behavioral change that results in a new status; faith in Christ is a new status that results in behavioral change! Pastor Brent quotes from theologians Augustine, Thomas Oden, and Kevin Vanhoozer. He also employs illustrations from our nation’s founding (the purpose of our freedom); the bishop showing undeserved mercy to Valjean in Les Miserables; and the Parable of the Lost Sons in Luke 15.

Pastor Brent begins by reviewing where we’ve been and previewing where we’re going in the book of Romans. We need a power from the outside to save us, and Christianity is about following the Person of Christ, not a set of ideas. This passage shows us the “True Function of the Law” (5:20-21); “Good News of Union with Christ” (6:1-7); and “Living for a New Master” (6:8-14). The gospel redeems us from the penalty of sin and frees us from the power of sin, but we still live with the presence of sin. Pastor Brent explains the symbolism of baptism as highlighted in this text and invites some from our church family to be baptized on Resurrection Sunday this year! He ends with a thorough explanation of how the gospel is the only answer to the two extremes of legalism (e.g., “God is holy. Beware!”) and license (e.g., “God is love. Be free!”). In the gospel, God is holy and loving. REJOICE!

As a gift to our church amidst his first year of retirement after four decades of ministry as a local church pastor, Reach Global director, and president of the EFCA and then TEDS, Kevin Kompelien brings us this message from Rom. 5:12-19. With affection for New Life EFC for loving his son and his family for more than seven years, Kevin reminds us that the Holy Spirit is our ultimate teacher, bringing clarity to the truths of Scripture far better than any blurred lines of doubt such as in a standard eye exam. Kevin offers three “major ideas” in this text: 1) We are born with a fallen sin nature, not a blank moral slate; 2) the evil and brokenness of the world and our own hearts cannot negate the effectiveness of Christ’s work on our behalf; and 3) Christ’s power as the Second Adam more than reverses the consequences of the First Adam’s sin so that all in Christ experience forgiveness and eternal life. We have SECURITY and HOPE in JESUS!

“The gospel is received, not achieved.” After an opening illustration from the great Reformer Martin Luther and his desperate need for the assurance of his salvation in Christ, Pastor Brent presents a “3-2-1” outline for his sermon on Rom. 5:6-11: “Three Types of People” (vv. 6-8); “Two Reasons for Assurance” (vv. 9-10); and “One Person Gets the Glory” (v. 11). Using further illustrations from American history, European literature, and film, Pastor Brent asserts that we are recipients of God’s love while we were powerless, ungodly, sinners, and enemies. Assurance is both backward-looking to Christ and forward-looking to Christ. “Christ didn’t die for you because you were worthy; He died for you to make you worthy.”

Pastor Brent brings us many encouraging truths from this precious passage in God’s holy Word in the beloved book of Romans. In addition to the rarity of him sharing two film illustrations (“Apollo 13” and “It’s a Wonderful Life”), Pastor Brent shares three reasons why the gospel is good news: status through peace with God; relationship through access to God; and certainty of the hope of the glory of God. He also shares the foundation of a Christian’s hope through the three “tenses” of the gospel: past, present and future. One key in this powerful passage: “Because our hope is rooted in the objective reality of the gospel, our hope can endure any subjective reality in this life.” Other illustrations are taken from a biography of Abraham Lincoln and “Suffering: Gospel Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense” by Paul David Tripp.

The Book of Romans continues as our primary sermon series in 2026, and Pastor Brent finishes ch. 4 today. After an opening illustration from the ministry of 20th century British preacher Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Pastor Brent preaches “Trust in God’s Promise” (vv. 13-17) and “Hope in God’s Power” (vv 18-25). Salvation by works is dependent on the enduring validity of one’s own goodness; salvation by grace is dependent on the enduring validity of God’s goodness. Saving faith can only endure if it’s rooted in who God is and what He has promised!