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.

Bible Theology Class 7: The Tabernacle (Temple Theology)

Posted on February 20, 2022 by salooper57

When Kevin and I were laying out the syllabus for this class, we talked about what should come after the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai. Kevin thought that the next class should be on Exodus 25-31, the building … Continue reading →

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What it Means to Say, “God Bless You”

Posted on February 19, 2022 by salooper57

Whenever some alarming thing happens that affects us as a nation – the attacks on 9-11, or when our troops are engaged in battle – leaders from across the political spectrum feel it necessary to end their speeches by saying, … Continue reading →

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Wide Angle: A Case of Hypocrisy

Posted on February 16, 2022 by salooper57

(Reading time: 3 minutes.) According to Matthew 27, Joseph of Arimethea, along with Nicodemus (another secret disciple positioned among the nation’s most prominent officials), gave Jesus a proper burial in Joseph’s own tomb. Verses 59 says, “Joseph took the body, … Continue reading →

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The Submission Is for the Mission (1 Peter 3:1-7)

Posted on February 14, 2022 by salooper57

Christian marriage as part of God’s Big Plan. A few years ago, a cartoon was published that showed a pastor behind a pulpit that had been armored so that it was like a fortress. There was something like a gun … Continue reading →

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Sinai (Bible Theology Class)

Posted on February 13, 2022 by salooper57

What was Sinai and the giving of the law all about? Was it just rules that people must follow, can’t follow, and set people up to fail? Or is the law more like covenant promises – like marriage vows? How … Continue reading →

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The Power of Always Trying Again

Posted on February 12, 2022 by salooper57

(Reading time: 3 to 4 minutes) The title of a recent Christianity Today article caught my attention. It read, “I’ve Reached My Breaking Point as a Pastor.” The article cited a new Barna study that “discovered that 38 percent of … Continue reading →

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Joseph of Arimethea: The Secret Disciple (Wide Angle)

Posted on February 10, 2022 by salooper57

It is difficult enough to move on after each of the earlier posts in this series, but it is even more difficult to move on after such an inadequate treatment of the crucifixion of Jesus. Saying that we have gazed … Continue reading →

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Passover and Exodus (Video Embedded)

Posted on February 8, 2022 by salooper57

On Sunday, I was only able to post a link to the church’s website for this Biblical Theology class on Exodus12-15. The video for the class is embedded below.

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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 →

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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 →

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