Author Archives: salooper57

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About salooper57

Husband, father, pastor, follower. I am a disciple of Jesus, learning how to do life from him. I read, write, walk, play a little guitar, enjoy my family.

How to Get Caught Up (1 Thess. 4:13-18)

Posted on August 6, 2023 by salooper57

Writers have used lots of ink and preachers have spoken millions of words to talk about “the rapture.” This is the passage behind all that teaching. Paul did not write this to satisfy people’s curiosity about what will happen in the future, but to encourage people in the present. Continue reading →

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Why Have 40 Million Americans Stopped Attending Church?

Posted on August 5, 2023 by salooper57

A former youth pastor once said to me: “I’ve seen kids do well” – in terms of faith – “whose parents were genuine Jesus-followers. I’ve seen kids do well with addicted, abusive parents who don’t know God. But I’ve never seen kids do well whose parents talk like they’re Christians but live like they’re not.” Continue reading →

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Mind Your Own Business (1 Thessalonians 4:9-12)

Posted on July 30, 2023 by salooper57

A recent survey found that only 21% of non-Christians have a positive attitude about the church. We won’t win those people unless we win their respect, and we won’t win their respect by mocking them on the one hand or mimicking them on the other. Continue reading →

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The Power of Selective Hearing: Timeless Advice from Jesus

Posted on July 29, 2023 by salooper57

People who listen to gossip will hear more and more of it. Those who refuse to listen will hear less and less. It is almost as if a search engine algorithm is at work. “Whoever has will be given more…” Continue reading →

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God on the Shelf (1 Thessalonians 4:1-8)

Posted on July 23, 2023 by salooper57

…we can do this without judging, belittling, or looking down on others, but that does not mean we can do this without being judged, belittled, and looked down on. Continue reading →

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Teen Mental Health: A National Emergency that Requires Local Action

Posted on July 22, 2023 by salooper57

… this national emergency will require local action. Individuals and individual families must change their praxis. Continue reading →

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The Good News Church (1 Thessalonians 3:6-13)

Posted on July 16, 2023 by salooper57

This leads to a question that each of us must answer for ourselves: Does my faith have holes in it? I think the answer is almost certainly, “Yes, it does.” But then we must discover where those holes are and what is causing them. Continue reading →

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Chatbots: Coming to a Pulpit Near You?

Posted on July 15, 2023 by salooper57

In June, hundreds of people attended a service at St. Paul’s Church in Fuerth, Germany. Curiosity was high as people joined in a worship time planned almost entirely by artificial intelligence. Four young-looking avatars, two females and two males, directed … Continue reading →

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The Working Word (1 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5)

Posted on July 9, 2023 by salooper57

In this part of 1 Thessalonians, Paul thanks God for how the Thessalonians received the word of God and how that word has gone to work in them. How does God’s word “work”? We’ll explore that in this message. Our … Continue reading →

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A Life-Changing Principle for a Better World

Posted on July 8, 2023 by salooper57

The Golden Rule is not a moral instruction that can be followed thoughtlessly or, in most cases, acted on spontaneously. To follow the Rule, I need to put myself in someone else’s shoes and this requires thought, intelligence, and imagination. Continue reading →

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