Mel Lawrenz

This day forty years ago was my first day “on the job” at Elmbrook Church. Forty years—is that possible? I never would have imagined that I’d have the blessing of doing ministry in the same church for my entire adult life. Today my head spins with memories. I’ve been involved in so many different forms […]

Mel Lawrenz is Teaching Pastor at Elmbrook Church. His most recent book is about dealing with loss, A Chronicle of Grief: Finding Life After Traumatic Loss. It is good to work, good to get tired, and good to rest. Work is an important principle of life, but it is not the only principle. God allows rest,

Mel Lawrenz is Teaching Pastor at Elmbrook Church. His most recent book is about dealing with loss, A Chronicle of Grief: Finding Life After Traumatic Loss. Imbalance can be the result of too much of a good thing. At least on one day that we know of Jesus told his disciples to knock off work. Throngs

[Mel Lawrenz is a pastor at Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin. His newest book, A Chronicle of Grief: Finding Life After Traumatic Loss, was released this week.] ___________________________ What is conviction? How can we have valid convictions that will give us stability, but also have a proper attitude of tolerance? “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to

[Mel Lawrenz is Teaching Pastor at Elmbrook Church and the author of numerous books, including the upcoming A Chronicle of Grief: Finding Life After Traumatic Loss (IVP, July 2020).] _______________ There are a few common things we can do today to make sure we open our eyes to God’s presence: moments of prayer scattered throughout the day,

[Mel Lawrenz is Teaching Pastor at Elmbrook Church and the author of numerous books including A Chronicle of Grief: Finding Life After Traumatic Loss.] _______________ The promise of spiritual transformation, and with it, the restoration of human dignity, is powerfully at work in the world. Writing to the believers in worldly Corinth, the apostle Paul described

[Mel Lawrenz is Teaching Pastor at Elmbrook Church. His newest book is A Chronicle of Grief: Finding Life After Traumatic Loss (IVP).] One valid way of describing the gospel of Jesus Christ is that it is the promise of the restoration of dignity. God created humanity according to his image and his likeness, and thus invested humanity

The global health crisis has been disruptive and disturbing. Most people have experienced a sense of loss of one thing or another. We miss handshakes and hugs, gatherings and congregational worship, spontaneity and simplicity. One would think that solitude would come easy, but for many of us in the modern world it is as difficult

In this challenging time when so many things about our normal lives seem to be radically altered, we can look to those qualities of life that never change. The things that remain. Like faith, hope, and love. This message, based on 1 Corinthians 13:13, unpacks those unchangeable realities. 5.17.20 Sermon Edit from Elmbrook Church on

[Mel Lawrenz is Teaching Pastor at Elmbrook Church and the author of the upcoming A Chronicle of Grief: Finding Life After Traumatic Loss.] ______________________ We are living a new and unexpected lifestyle right now. We are dealing with an unwelcome and difficult exile from the normal functions of our lives because of the global health crisis.

[Mel Lawrenz is Teaching Pastor at Elmbrook Church and the author of numerous books including Spiritual Leadership Today.] What do you do when life is suddenly terribly disrupted? When you have to change your pattern of life? When your relationships become disjointed? This is where we live now. The global pandemic has imposed this on us.

There is a story of a shepherd named Gyges who found a magic gold ring which had the power to turn him invisible. He discovered its power quite by accident when he was sitting with some fellow shepherds and twisted the ring so that its bezel was to the inside of his hand. Twisting it