The last in a series of 11 different preachers spanning 14 weeks through Pastor Brent’s sabbatical, New Life welcomes Carlton Harris, acting president of the EFCA. Drawing on his 46 years as a husband, father, grandfather, and church leader, Carlton offers fatherly wisdom from a shepherd’s heart through Psalm 51. After a personal introduction, Carlton welcomes back Pastor Brent and admonishes the congregation to give the Kompeliens space to ramp back up into the inevitable stresses of church ministry. As he opens Psalm 51, Carlton asks a very personal question: “What is the most terrible thing you have ever done?” He then encourages listeners to read 2 Sam. 11-12 for historical background on this psalm. Written in four stanzas, Ps. 51 features multiple words for sin; multiple pleas for mercy; and a reminder that all sin is ultimately rebellion against God. The end result of all repentance is restoration, and Carlton offers a key statement: “No one is so holy that he or she can’t fall, nor so fallen that he or she can’t be forgiven.” God’s heart is for the repentant believer, and Carlton ends by leading a responsive reading with excerpts from Ps. 32.
My Help Comes from God Alone (Psalm 121)
Psalm 121 is precious to many people who love the Lord and love Psalms, which preacher Paul Arneberg prays applies to all who are listening. Paul shares personal stories from his recent and distant past of how the Lord has powerfully used Psalm 121 in his own life and through three women who died in faith in Christ. The second in a series of 15 “songs of ascent” sang by ancient Jewish pilgrims journeying up to Jerusalem for three annual feasts, Psalm 121 features include “The LORD is our Helper” (vv. 1-2); “The LORD is our Protector” (vv. 3-8); and “The LORD is our Preserver” (vv. 7-8). Rather than looking to creation, worthless idols, or even our loved ones for our ultimate help, protection and preservation, we are challenged to more and more to the Lord our God both now and forevermore.
Loving the Word of God (Psalm 119:33-48)
Frank Lanier is the Director of Leadership Development for the North Central District of the EFCA. In this message, Frank begins with his family background and a personal announcement that he and his family are soon leaving the NCD for a church planting call in his home state of North Carolina. After overviewing Psalm 119 as an acrostic of the entire Hebrew alphabet and highlighting several terms representing God’s Word, Frank preaches on “The Blessing of Hunger” (vv. 33-35); “The Blessing of Perspective” (vv. 36-37); “The Blessing of Fear” (vv. 38-40); “The Blessing of Promise” (vv. 41-43); “The Blessing of Perseverance” (vv. 44-45); and “The Blessing of Joy and Worship” (vv. 46-48). Frank concludes by extolling Jesus, the Word of God (John 1:1-5, 14-18). “The hinge point of all reality is Jesus Christ.”
Resting In God Alone (Psalm 62)
Just three weeks into his retirement from four decades of service through and to the EFCA as pastor, president, and TEDS president, Kevin Kompelien preaches God’s Word in Psalm 62. While Kevin purposefully avoided any “Brent stories,” he offered heartfelt appreciation to New Life EFC for loving Brent and his family these past seven years (and counting) and sending him on his current sabbatical. Kevin also transparently shared how Psalm 62 has been deeply impactful in his life, most notably in the last lap of his career with restless nights over difficult decisions in Fall 2024. Kevin emphasized the “drumbeat” of Psalm 62 (NIV): “truly…surely…yes.” Kevin concluded with a powerful exegesis of vv. 11-12: “We Can Trust God Because He Is: 1) Powerful. 2) Loving. 3) Just.” His closing illustration came from Jesus calming the storm in Mark 4 and presenting the gospel through 2 Cor. 5:21.
Sing a New Song! (Psalm 96)
Halfway between Memorial Day and Labor Day 2025, Paul Arneberg reminds New Life to keep reading Psalms as we continue our summer sermon series. After exploring the phenomenon of singing (by angels, birds, people, and in films), Paul highlights three themes from Psalm 96: “Sing to the LORD” (vv. 1-6); “Ascribe to the LORD Worship and Reverence” (vv. 7-9); and “Share the LORD by Declaring His Glory, Rule, and Judgment” (vv. 10-13). Supporting texts and quotes are taken from Romans, Acts, Isaiah, Revelation, C.S. Lewis, John Piper, Ralph Winter, and both old and new songs. Some Christ-followers are called to missions (here, near or far), but ALL who bear His name are called to testify of the marvelous works of the Lord God to all the peoples!
The Fortress of God's Presence (Psalm 46)
Mark Revell, EFCA Director of Training and Development for ReachGlobal, returns stateside from his missionary work in Hungary and brings us this sermon on Psalm 46: “Water Scene #1” (vv. 1-3); “Water Scene #2” (vv. 4-7); and “The Choice: Be Still” (vv. 10-11). As a member of New Life who has preached several times but is living overseas, Mark included updates on his and Jodi’s work in Hungary; the challenges of stepping up for ReachGlobal during a leadership transition; and transparent illustrations about being still and trusting the Lord amidst the real chaos right now surrounding the heavy lift of many responsibilities.
Rest in the Shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91)
Glenn Olson rounds out June where all four elders took turns preaching during Pastor Brent sabbatical. In addition to being a long-time elder, Glenn was New Life’s youth pastor for 23 years and now serves as Director of Student Ministries through the EFCA’s North Central District. In emphasizing the need for believers to truly dwell in God’s presence, Glenn preaches through Psalm 91: “The Believer Declaring Trust” (vv. 1-2); “God’s Protection Described” (vv. 3-8); “Conditions of Protection” (vv. 9-13); and “God’s Promise” (vv. 14-16). In addition to heartfelt stories from his 38 years of marriage to Anne and their top priority to keep encouraging their six kids (and 14 grandkids) to continually “take one step closer to Jesus,” Glenn reminds us of the gift of the gospel; to fear God and nothing else; and to persist in a vibrant prayer life with the Father through Jesus.
Waiting On The Lord (Psalm 130)
Scott McCall is a long-time elder at New Life EFC and has made this his family’s church home for 25 years. Along with Glenn Olson and James Galland, Scott helped New Life to survive as a church for several years before Pastor Brent Kompelien and his family were called here in 2018. In this sermon, Scott teaches on God’s Word from Psalm 130: “Our Need for God” (vv. 1-4); “Waiting on the Lord” (vv. 5-6); and “God is Our Only Hope and Redeemer” (vv. 7-8). Scott interweaves his personal testimony with church history and challenging questions: "What is our first reaction when we are in a desperate situation? What is our posture when waiting on God? What or who do we put our hope in? Do we fully understand God’s love?” His call to action: “Don’t trust in ourselves. Trust in God alone.” Scott ended by encouraging groups of three to pray for the lost in our lives.
The Good Shepherd (Psalm 23)
Paul Arneberg brings a Father’s Day message by first honoring his own 91-year-old dad, Ron Arneberg, and tying together God’s design for fatherhood with Psalm 23. Using illustrations from the film “Cinderella Man” (2005) and the books “Durable Trades” (2020) and “Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table” (2021), Paul outlines this beloved psalm (perhaps the most well-known passage in all of Scripture) as follows: “Yahweh as Shepherd: He Provides, Leads, Protects” (vv. 1-3); “Yahweh as Host: He Prepares, Anoints, Fills” (vv. 4-5); and “Jesus is the Good Shepherd-Host: He Pursues, Sacrifices, Dwells” (v. 6; John 10). Paul ends with an illustration of how the Lord applied Ps. 23:3 to restore, direct and correct his life and marriage for His Name’s sake in 2007.
Lament and Deliverance (Psalm 22)
Ernest Stellingwerff of our Elder Team makes his New Life preaching debut in Psalm 22. Ernest sets the tone for this thoroughly Messianic psalm with an opening illustration of a woman who suffered from debilitating migraines for many years. As her suffering intensified, she described her prayer through pain as “not a worshipful whisper but a cry of desperation.” That reflects Psalm 22 as written by King David and ultimately fulfilled by Jesus Christ in His passion on the cross. Ernest highlighted the structure of this psalm: alternating laments (vv. 1-2, 6-8, 12-18) and praises (vv. 3-5, 9-11, 22-31) with a plea for help in the middle (vv. 19-21). Ernest began and ended his sermon with this application: “Hope and encouragement for the forsaken is founded in the sovereignty of God.” The OT looks forward to the cross; the NT looks back to the cross. Jesus quoted/ fulfilled the very first and very last phrases of Ps. 22 while on the cross. By faith, we can agree with David about what Jesus accomplished for us: “HE HAS DONE IT!” (v. 31). And Jesus is coming again for us!
God's Glory Revealed (Psalm 19)
Terry Szymanski of our Elder Team at New Life returns with this message on Psalm 19. Terry shares his fascination with the universe through his degree in Aerospace Engineering and his ongoing interest in solar eclipses and the vastness of the universe. After quoting Charles Spurgeon (“He is wisest who reads both the Word book and the world book”), Terry walks us through Psalm 19 as “God Revealed Through Creation: General Revelation” (vv. 1-6); “God Revealed Through His Word: Special Revelation” (vv. 7-11); and “David’s Response: Repentance and Prayer for Grace” (vv. 12-14). Our response? We are small and sinful, but we trust in God through Jesus Christ, our strength and Redeemer!
God's Design for Humanity (Psalm 8)
Paul Arneberg continues our Summer in the Psalms with this sermon on Psalm 8. Paul began by acknowledging Memorial Day and the price paid for our earthly liberties, adding that Jesus paid the ultimate price for our debt of sin in order to restore us both spiritually and physically. Tying in his challenge to read all 150 psalms over summer 2025, Paul outlined Psalm 8 as “GOD’S NAME: Magnify Yahweh, Our Lord God” (vv. 1a, 9); “GOD’S GLORY: Infinite and Intimate” (vv. 1b-4); and “GOD’S WILL: Design, Deliverance, Dominion” (vv. 5-8). God establishes His strength in our weaknesses (Ps. 8:2), backed up by precious passages from Matt. 11:25-30; 21:16; Phil. 2:5-11; 4:13; 2 Cor. 12:9-10; and key parallel passages in Heb. 2:5-9; 4:14-16.
Refuge In The Sovereign King (Psalm 2)
Pastor Dan Ford of Faribault EFC brings this message from God’s Word on Pastor Brent’s first Sunday of sabbatical. After sharing examples of his personal encouragement from our congregation (notably Glenn Olson, Director of Student Ministries for our North Central District of the EFCA), Pastor Dan outlines four voices in Psalm 2: “1st Voice—The World Speaks” (vv. 1-3); “2nd Voice—God Speaks” (vv. 4-6); “3rd Voice—The Anointed Speaks” (vv. 7-9); and “4th Voice—The Psalmist Speaks” (vv. 10-12). Pastor Dan also shares his “B.L.E.S.S.” acronym in bringing the gospel to the nations: Be in prayer; Listen well; Eat together; Serve and be served; Share a story.
Delight In God's Ways (Psalm 1)
Pastor Brent launches into our 17-week sermon series, Summer In The Psalms, just before his three-month sabbatical. Psalm 1 kicks off our series while serving as a introduction to the entire book of Psalms. With bookended illustrations from legendary Olympic track star Eric Liddle, Pastor Brent outlines Psalm 1 with “Two Paths” (vv. 1-3) and “Two Outcomes” (vv. 4-6). A key admonishment from Pastor Brent on the brink of his 14-week absence from the pulpit: “Delight in the Word of God so that we can relate to the God and Christ of the Word!” We are to seek Him, delight in Him, and LOVE Him with all our hearts.
Prayer Offered In Faith (James 5:13-20)
This final sermon in our 11-week series on James coincided with Vision Sunday, a combined worship service with the second half focusing on staffing changes, budget adjustments, and renewal of our building campaign. Pastor Brent tied together the history of New Life (and the centrality that prayer has always had in our church family) with this last passage by the half-brother of Jesus with “Call to Prayer” (vv. 13-16); “Example of Prayer” (vv. 17-18); and “Purpose of Prayer” (vv. 19-20).
Patiently Waiting For Fruit (James 5:7-12)
Terry Szymanski serves on our Elder Team here at New Life, and this is his first time preaching! After sharing a bit about his family and background, Terry reviews some keys to the Book of James, including God’s definition of patience in James 1:2-4. Terry outlines this short but powerful passage as “A Call to Action,” “Enduring Patiently,” “You too…Stand Firm,” “Don’t Grumble,” and “Examples—Look to the Prophets.” In addition to Terry’s use of humor and personal experiences, he ends with an illustration of the faith and patient endurance of Corrie ten Boom, author of The Hiding Place.
You Will See Him (Matthew 28:1-10)
In this Resurrection Day message, Pastor Brent challenges us how to respond to Jesus’ resurrection through the invitation, command, and promise of Matt. 28:1-10. “Come and see…go and tell…you will see Him.” The proper response to the resurrection of Jesus Christ is to humbly come to Him, fall at His feet, and worship Him with one’s whole self and whole life. Jesus was raised to life so that you could become a new creation. You will see Him. He is the risen King, and He deserves our total devotion!
The Whole City Was Stirred (Matthew 21:1-11)
Pastor Brent takes a break from our James series for Holy Week. In his Palm Sunday sermon on Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (Matt. 21:1-11), Pastor Brent outlines “Specific Instructions” (vv. 1-3), “Prophetic Fulfillment” (vv. 4-5), and “What Kind of King?” (vv. 6-11). Jesus alone will stir one’s heart to the things that matter. We must ask ourselves: “Am I deeply moved by the revelation of Who Jesus is?” The Lord Himself is here to save His people, His flock. Our only proper response is worship and praise of King Jesus!
Warning to the Rich (James 5:1-6)
With a recurring challenge for our stated values to match our lived values, Pastor Brent preaches on the prophetic warning of James 5:1-6. We need to change our perspective and remember that God is on the throne. My money doesn’t exist to build my kingdom; it exists to build God’s kingdom. Helpful resource: Redeeming Money: How God Reveals and Reorients Our Hearts by Paul David Tripp.
Boasting In Our Plans (James 4:13-17)
Pastor Brent opens with an illustration from science fiction author H.G. Wells, a humanistic optimist at the turn of the 20th century who became a cynical pessimist about the depravity of man by the mid-20th century. Pastor Brent outlines James 4:13-17 with “Misunderstanding” (vv. 13-14) and “Missed Opportunity” (vv. 15-17). Just as the Puritans signed their plans with “D.V.” (Deo Volente, or “God willing”), a key to this passage is that worldly boasting is an exercise in pride, but biblical boasting is an exercise in humility. Supporting texts: Deut. 8:11-14, 17-19; Matt. 6:33; Ps. 90:12; Dan. 4:29-32; and Jer. 9:23-24. Quoted theologians: Kent Hughes, Os Guinness, John Piper, and Mark Sayers.