Author Archives: salooper57

Unknown's avatar

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.

Forgiveness: Doing What Cannot Be Done

Posted on May 21, 2023 by salooper57

Jesus said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, relationships, Sermons, Spiritual life | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nurturing Faith in Times of Uncertainty

Posted on May 20, 2023 by salooper57

Ordinary people hate uncertainty. In a Dutch study, volunteers were separated into two groups. One group was told that they would receive twenty sharp electrical shocks. The other was told they would receive three strong and seventeen mild shocks, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Faith, Spiritual life | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

How to Do What Can’t Be Done (Philippians 4)

Posted on May 14, 2023 by salooper57

Some of the things that need to be done to make our relationships healthy are things we cannot do. But they are things we could do if we learned how to live “in the Lord.” The New Testament uses that … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Church, Encouragement, Marriage and Family, relationships, Sermons, Spiritual life | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Great Story: Plotlines, Character Development, and Story Submissions

Posted on May 13, 2023 by salooper57

I would like to write a novel. This is not something new. It has been in the back of my mind since I graduated from college. Really, the desire was present even before that. In third grade I wrote my … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Here Comes the Bride: The Church as the Bride of Christ

Posted on May 7, 2023 by salooper57

Many of us (I suspect this is especially true of men) have trouble connecting with the image of the church as a bride. But this is, perhaps, the richest of all biblical metaphors of the church. It is full of … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Church, Sermons, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Living Apart Together: Is Less Commitment Really the Key to Longevity?

Posted on May 6, 2023 by salooper57

Thirty years ago, a teacher in a small town near us was scrutinized and nearly fired when it was discovered that he was living with a partner to whom he was not married. The school board considered their living arrangement … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Lifestyle, Marriage and Family, Worldview and Culture | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

When Greed Becomes a Virtue

Posted on May 2, 2023 by salooper57

Another session from the class, What the Bible Has to Say to American Culture.

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Lifestyle, What the Bible Has to Say to American Culture, Worldview and Culture | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Church as Temple and Priesthood (1 Peter 2:4-10)

Posted on April 30, 2023 by salooper57

Melissa Highsmith was kidnapped by a babysitter when she was just 22 months old. Her kidnapper changed her name and raised her as her own in the city where she was born, but Melissa never had an inkling about her … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Church, Church Life, Sermons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Next Great Awakening: From a “Me Society” to an “Us Community”

Posted on April 29, 2023 by salooper57

In 1976, Tom Wolfe published, “The Me Decade and the Third Great Awakening,” in New York Magazine. I find Wolfe’s style painful to read (there are 103 exclamation points in this article) but his cultural analysis was impressive. He detected … Continue reading →

Posted in Lifestyle, Marriage and Family, relationships, Worldview and Culture | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Me Generation (What the Bible Has to Say to American Culture)

Posted on April 25, 2023 by salooper57

Tom Wolfe coined the phrase “The Me Decade.” That quickly evolved into “the Me Generation.” Time Magazine referred to millennials as “The Me, Me Generation.” Let’s face it: we are now a “Me Society.” In this class, we think about … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, relationships, What the Bible Has to Say to American Culture, Worldview and Culture | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment