Presidential Candidates: Interview Part 3
President Paul Larson President Paul Larson was raised in the faith at Elim Lutheran Brethren Church in Clearbrook, MN. He has served CLB congregations in MT, CO, CA, and WI in youth ministry, church planting, and as pastor. He is blessed to be husband to Bee; and...
Turn Back the Clock
Several years ago, my wife and I were having a morning cup of coffee on our porch, discussing a future landscape project. I was standing near the edge of the porch and hardly noticed the five-year-old pushing against me with all his might. He was trying to test his...
We Have a Death Problem
What is the common theme in the news today? No matter the day, time, or channel, the news is always about some problem(s) or issue(s). This causes me to wonder, is there any earthly thing that can’t be corrupted because of sin? Take a moment to think about that. The...
How Much More…
Call me crazy, but I get a little excited when my ten-year-old daughter approaches me with a necklace she has found hiding in her coat pocket for the past month. More than once this has happened over the years. She gives me a sheepish look and hands over the long,...
Fruit of the Spirit
On our farm in Wisconsin, we had apple trees, and a variety of other fruit. Each produced fruit according to its kind. Each had its own flavor. Each variety was fruit that we as a family enjoyed. In John 15 Jesus shares a parable. He says, “I am the vine; you are the...
LBS Student Trip: Chad, Africa
Over the years, I have seen many Glimpse Project videos detailing Lutheran Brethren International Mission (LBIM) work in Chad. But it was an entirely different experience to stay with and get to know our missionaries and missionary partners by visiting with them in...
Growing Smaller
It’s late November 2021. Nick Olson (Youth Director with Word of Life Church, Le Sueur, MN) calls me while he and his family are driving around their town of New Prague looking at Christmas lights. The sounds of joy fill his car in the background, as Nick says, “Hey!...
Trying to Save the World
I was visited by a Christian, who was a politician. He was seeking my support—and I suppose, by proxy, my church’s support—in a non-partisan election. As we got acquainted, he steered the conversation toward other issues, both moral and social, of great concern to him...
Tempted by the Devil
On a small mountain, just west of the Jordan River, even forty days of fasting could not weaken the resolve of Jesus. He had been led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. As Jesus prayed, the words of John the Baptist played on repeat in his mind,...
Man Does Not Live on Bread Alone
I stared out the window at the falling snow and felt the chill of January surround me. I felt angry at the cold. I felt angry that the current tides of life had picked me up, swept me along, and then dumped me off abruptly to sit in the emptiness of grief. Grief feels...
It is Written…
The devil took Jesus to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that...
All This I will Give to You
I’m a true crime junkie. Whether I’m on a road trip or working in the yard, there’s a good chance that I’m listening to the latest episode of a podcast, soaking in all the grisly details. And one theme that surfaces often in the true crime genre is the delusion of...
Presidential Candidates: Interview Part 2
President Paul Larson President Paul Larson was raised in the faith at Elim Lutheran Brethren Church in Clearbrook, MN. He has served CLB congregations in MT, CO, CA, and WI in youth ministry, church planting, and as pastor. He is blessed to be husband to Bee; and...
Making Disciples for Christ
Jesus mentions proselytism only once, and it’s not nice. In Matthew 23:15 (ESV), he says, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child...
Fear and Love of God
Jesus really loves kids! In fact, he tells us to be like them. What a blessing it is to see the “simple” faith of a child! God’s plan is for us to share our faith with them and then learn from them as we see that faith take hold. God’s design is for the family to be...