LBC Class of 2018
Moriah Juhl Moriah grew up on the mission field in Kenya with her parents, Rev. John and Tammy Juhl. She graduated from Juhl International Academy in 2011 and received a Bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Jamestown, North Dakota in 2014. Prior to...
BC18: King Me
The expression “King me!” is as worn as middle-aged memories of earlier days spent round a checker board. Yet, it is arresting and explosively current. Because, said this way, it is not the typical way in which we commonly use and hear the noun “king.” Here, “King...
I Need a Sign
I was raised in a Christian home, but somewhere along the way I left the Christian faith. I wanted proof of God’s existence. I can remember asking him for a sign. I wanted him to rip open the sky, or at least give me a burning bush. Moses got a burning bush. He was in...
Deserving Judgment
Flashing red light in the rear-view mirror. Speeding. Ticket. Twenty-one years old. Frontal lobe not fully developed. “I won’t pay the fine; I’ll talk my way out of it before the judge.” Intimidating court room, judge towering, “How do you plead?” Knees shaking, what...
Righteous in Christ
The prisoners stand with their hands bound behind their backs in the center of the only light, from an unseen source, in an otherwise dark room. The prosecutor paces back and forth listing off the charges, “Evil, thoughtless violence, wonton destruction, hatred,...
Focus: Stewardship
Pentecost is the day we celebrate the sending of the Holy Spirit to indwell believers. He came on the fiftieth day following the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The eternal Spirit of God has been present in the world since creation. In Genesis, we read that “the...
WMCLB: Thy Kingdom Come…
Emperors, dictators, kings and heads of state have ruled over powerful nations, rising and falling throughout time. God’s Kingdom is not of this world, Jesus said, and yet he profoundly impacted every life he touched. His Kingdom still stands! Through many centuries,...
Arrow Corps: A Disciple-Making Movement
The concept of Arrow Corps started a couple years ago. As the CLB Mission Team worked through a strategic planning process, we recognized two significant needs in our denomination: 1) We have many churches that are in plateau or decline and 2) we do not have any...
Take an Interest
I invite you to consider the following hypothetical stories: Picture Cory: a 14-year-old freshman in high school. He seems to be your typical suburbanite student, he plays on the JV football team, has solid grades, goes to church most Sundays and regularly goes to...
Closest Thing to Jesus?
Last year in June, a group of former NFL stars traveled to Rome for a meeting with the Pope. Former New York Jets running back Curtis Martin summed up the experience: “This was a wonderful day. Just to have an opportunity to shake his hand and to feel his presence in...
The Servant and the Master
I buckled my son into his seat and set him up with a video game that I hoped would hold his attention for most of the flight. With the boy thoroughly distracted I pulled the Bible from my carry-on bag and thought to myself, “If the video game does its job, I’ll have...
Daddy, Why a Lamb?
When I was ten years old, our Sunday School leader told us a story about a lamb. Harold had just learned of his mother’s death and he wanted to tell us of a very important experience he had with her. He began, “How many of you have a puppy or a kitty?” We raised our...
King of the Jews
If you were asked to name your favorite novel, song, movie, or TV show, you would probably respond with the title of each one. My own answers, for example, would be: Unbroken, “Gesù Bambino,” The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and ESPN Films’ 30 for 30. I doubt many of us...
Jesus: A Friend to Thieves
There are moments in Christian ministry when we are the recipients of our Lord’s special ministry to us. I preface my own such encounter with the Lord by referencing Matthew 25:39, “Lord, when did I see you in prison?” God’s call to ministry came to me in an unusual...
Pivot Point
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV). The death and resurrection of Jesus is not a story told to teach us something. It is not a fable or wishful thinking. It is not...