Monthly Archives: December 2022

Does God Want You to Be Happy?

Posted on December 31, 2022 by salooper57

In his classic story, The Last Battle, C. S. Lewis has the great Lion, the Christ figure Aslan, say to the story’s protagonists, “You do not yet look so happy as I mean you to be.” Perhaps Lewis put these words in the Christ figure’s mouth because he realized that this was the kind of thing the true Christ was saying to him. Continue reading →

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Grinched! (Spiritual Experiences Are Not Enough)

Posted on December 28, 2022 by salooper57

(Viewing Time: 21:14.) On Christmas Eve we put on an original (and fun) skit that featured the Grinch of Dr. Seuss fame who was being interviewed on The Jenny Carson Show. In the highlight of the interview, the Grinch says, … Continue reading →

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The With-Us God

Posted on December 25, 2022 by salooper57

In this 26-minute message, we examine Matthew 1:18-25 – the angel’s message to Joseph about Mary’s child. Joseph has just been trying to decide what to do about Mary his fiancé, who had returned home from a trip pregnant! God … Continue reading →

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Redeem the Time in 2023

Posted on December 24, 2022 by salooper57

In a matter of days, it will be 2023 and I have still not got used to writing “2022” on checks and papers. What has happened to the time? People talk about timesaving hacks and timesaving gadgets – we even … Continue reading →

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God Keeps His Promises (A Minute of Advent Hope)

Posted on December 22, 2022 by salooper57

God promised to send the Immanuel – the “with-us-God” – and his word never fails. This week we rejoice in the fact that God always keeps his word. The Jesus of Bethlehem is proof!

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Roadbuilders (3rd Sunday in Advent)

Posted on December 18, 2022 by salooper57

For the third week of Advent, we look at John the Baptist, the great roadbuilder for God. But the great roadbuilder was imprisoned and beginning to question what he had once believed: that Jesus was the Messiah. How did he … Continue reading →

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Violent Night: When Evil Came for Christmas

Posted on December 17, 2022 by salooper57

Our future historian would present a compelling case that violence entered the holiday season in the latter part of the twentieth century, but he would be mistaken. Violence surrounding Christ’s birth dates back to the very first century – a violence that was more gruesome than anything the writers of Violent Night included. Continue reading →

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Hope that Sustains

Posted on December 15, 2022 by salooper57

Hope is more than a feeling, more than a wish. It is more than “the thing with feathers that perches in the soul” (Emily Dickinson). Hope is an objective reality outside the soul which protects the soul. It is an … Continue reading →

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A Minute of Hope for Advent: Then You’ll See Him

Posted on December 13, 2022 by salooper57

Our hope includes seeing our loved ones again when Christ returns. They will astound us with their glory. It includes being glorified ourselves in the Great Revealing (Colossians 3:3-4). But our greatest hope is in the glory of God (Romans … Continue reading →

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“Everyone’s Insane Now” – and Then

Posted on December 10, 2022 by salooper57

(Reading time: 4 minutes) Peggy Noonan’s lede in her Wall Street Journal column from October 15, 2020 read: “Everyone’s insane now. I mean everyone in Washington.” It is not uncommon for people, even columnists for respected newspapers, to speak of … Continue reading →

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