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.

Example, Savior, Shepherd: 1 Peter 2:21-25

Posted on February 7, 2022 by salooper57

e that I discovered that not all Christians think alike. The larger church is divided into smaller camps. At college, I began to learn more about these camps. There were of course the Catholics. From the snatches I heard said about Catholics, I concluded that few (if any) were really Christians at all. There were the liberals, who were only humanists (that was the derision de jour at the time) in Chrisitan’s clothing. And then there was “us,” the real Christians.

But even among us, there were camps. There were the Calvinists (who weren’t any fun at all), the fundamentalists (who didn’t want anyone to have any fun at all), and the Pentecostals (who were having all the fun, speaking in tongues and getting slain in the Spirit).

Somehow, I learned these things without ever talking to a Catholic, a liberal, or a Pentecostal. In the years since, I’ve spoken to all these folks and many at length. I’ve learned that talking about people reinforces stereotypes while talking to people tears them down. Continue reading →

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

Passover and Exodus (Biblical Theology Class #5 )

Posted on February 6, 2022 by salooper57

As Christians look at the death of Christ on the cross and his subsequent resurrection as the event that sealed their redemption, first century Jews looked at Passover and the subsequent Exodus as the event that sealed their redemption. A … Continue reading →

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

The Key to Ending the Culture Wars

Posted on February 5, 2022 by salooper57

Ukraine is and has been a divided nation. Each of its major regions has a unique history and a character shaped by long interaction with neighbors. There are language differences between east and west. In fact, while most Ukrainians can understand and speak Russian, most cannot speak Ukrainian. Such a conflict, rooted in differences in language, history, and values, might well be called a “culture war.” Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, In the News, Worldview and Culture | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Wide Angle: The Cross Divides

Posted on February 2, 2022 by salooper57

(Reading time: Approximately 7 minutes) Have you ever noticed that as soon as Jesus’s Cross was dropped into place it began dividing people? St. Paul speaks of this in 1 Corinthians 1. The message of the cross is foolishness to … Continue reading →

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

One Woman’s Journey to Faith

Posted on January 31, 2022 by salooper57

I am excited to share Jenny Wickey’s story with you. She told our church family about the journey she has been on from her atheist upbringing to faith in Jesus Christ. It’s a great story that you will want to … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Church, Church Life, Faith, Truthfulness, Worldview and Culture | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Biblical Theology Class 4: The LORD versus the Gods of Egypt (Exodus 3-11)

Posted on January 30, 2022 by salooper57

In this class, we look at one of the highest peaks of biblical revelation: When God the Creator reveals his name. What follows – the War on the Egyptian Front – shows the LORD to be the great God, without … Continue reading →

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

Pulling the Idols from Their Pedestals

Posted on January 29, 2022 by salooper57

At a friend’s urging, I once read a dystopian novel set in a post-apocalyptic era in which the civilized world, or, more precisely, the things about the world that made it civilized, had disappeared. History, philosophy, technology, and the knowledge … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Worldview and Culture | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Wide Angle: The Place of the Skull

Posted on January 26, 2022 by salooper57

(For the background to this post, please read Mark 15 and click back to this post.) Sometime later, probably around eight in the morning, Jesus and two other prisoners were marched through the narrow streets of the city out to … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Holy Week, Wide Angle | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

1 Peter 2:9-25: Your Mission If You Decide to Accept It (or not)

Posted on January 24, 2022 by salooper57
Posted in Bible, Christianity, Lifestyle, Mission, Sermons | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Bible Theology Class #3: Abraham’s Call (and its Consequences)

Posted on January 23, 2022 by salooper57

This class will help students understand what the Bible is about and how its parts – Old Testament and New, Gospels and epistles – fit together. Such an understanding will better prepare Christians to express their faith to others and … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment