Understanding the Times and What to Do

Greetings to you, friends and supporters of L.E.M. I want to thank you for the invitation to write to you—namely to thank you for your support of the ministry of evangelism within the Lutheran family of churches. Since the beginning L.E.M. has attempted to introduce people both within and outside of the church to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that results in the assurance of one’s salvation. Those of you my age (76 years old) realize how our Lutheran church has changed. In fact, the whole world has drastically changed. I grew up in a church in Jackson, Minnesota where the gospel was preached clearly. People were ...

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Making Disciples Through Media

LEM is committed to making disciples in the 21st century, and assisting churches to do so also. Today, we approach this task through four primary tools: Church planting, Preaching, Retreats and Creative Media. It is this last tool that I want to talk about this month. In our Western culture we are very fond of what might be called “propositional truth.” We like facts and logic. The following statement is an example of it: “Jesus Christ came to earth to save us from our sins.” This is true. It is clear. But it is also a way of expressing truth that is relatively emotionless. It appeals primarily to the head, ...

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Living Beyond Membership

God created human nature with a desire to belong—to be a part of something larger than ourselves. This desire is good because it connects us to a greater purpose and vision for our lives and helps us to understand that we belong to Him. He uses this desire to draw us into His presence.  We live in a culture where joining groups either on paper, in cyberspace or as a volunteer, is familiar. We unite around causes that mean something to us, like ending hunger or helping children who are victims of war. We join clubs centered on our interests, we connect with others who are like minded. We also join for financial benefits such as ...

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The Friendship and the Fear

Recording artist Matt Redman's 1997 album was entitled The Friendship and the Fear. The phrase is a profound one and contains within it one of the keys to living the Christian life. The concept of friendship with God is central to us as believers. In 1 John 3:1 we read, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!." Jesus said to his disciples, "I have called you friends, for everything I learned from my Father I have made known to you" (John 15:15). And Paul prays, "...that love may be the ground into which you sink your roots and on which you have ...

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Living For the One

With the New Year holiday just behind us, we are still in a season where it is common for people to spend a little time reflecting on the year that was, with all its joys and sorrows, as well as looking to the year that lies ahead. It is a time where many establish goals, review their priorities and maybe even make a few New Years resolutions. Like many of you I have a variety of responsibilities and pressures that I face on a weekly, even daily, basis and I often long for a simpler, less complicated existence. I’d like to know that in the many tasks and events that come my way I’m accomplishing those things that are ...

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After the But

Leah is one of the most unappreciated heroines in the Bible. Her husband Jacob never intended to marry her—he was tricked into it by her scheming father. Jacob wanted Leah's sister, Rachel, and he married her just one week later. Leah is a great example of coming to terms with God in the midst of our struggles. For years she tried to get Jacob to love her. That was the focus of her life, and she named her first three children accordingly (see Genesis 29:31-35).  But then something changed. After eight long years in a loveless marriage, her fourth son, Judah, was born and she said, “This time I will praise the ...

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The LEM - Past, Present and Future

Back in 1936 something remarkable happened. God began to stir in the hearts of a small group of Lutheran pastors about the need for renewed focus and energy around evangelism within the Lutheran family of churches. Thus was born the LEM (Lutheran Evangelistic Movement). It quickly grew into a movement with scores of Area Conferences each year, thousands attending Deeper Life Camps, hundreds of Evangelistic Meetings each year, and wonderful leaders—Pastors Conrad, Gisselquist and Klawitter, to name a few. There was a clear sense in those early days that God had planted something that could not be uprooted. Pastor Conrad, ...

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