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.

Weeping When You Should Rejoice

Posted on November 15, 2025 by salooper57

I suspect that trying to figure out the Book of Revelation (what every image stands for, every biblical citation connotes—what the number 666 is all about!) is not the way to go about it. Continue reading →

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Become Your True Self (Part 2 of 3)

Posted on November 13, 2025 by salooper57

We think of conversion as a point-in-time event – “I got converted in 1973” – because we think of ourselves as point-in-time beings. But it is not and neither are we. Conversion is not an event but a process, and it does not conclude in a moment. It is much bigger than that. Continue reading →

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The 3-D Marriage

Posted on November 8, 2025 by salooper57

Finding Mr. or Ms. Right does not guarantee a successful marriage, but when each member of the couple becomes the person God intends them to be, it does. Continue reading →

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Become Your True Self

Posted on November 5, 2025 by salooper57

The fulfilled you, the forever you, beckons you on. People mistake that beckoning for hunger, boredom, sexual desire, ambition, but it is more enduring than any of these. To use the theological term, your soul’s deep longing is to be glorified. Continue reading →

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Become Your True Self

Posted on November 4, 2025 by salooper57

Last week, we talked about moving closer to Christ. That takes faith. It can be scary moving closer to him, because it means we’re moving further away from something else – maybe something we enjoy, something our identity is wrapped … Continue reading →

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Should We Drop the Confession of Sin (and Buy a Hazer)?

Posted on November 1, 2025 by salooper57

From within my own body, looking out of my own eyes, I can appear spotless—or at least “good enough.” But I do not see myself as I really am. For that, I need your eyes, and especially God’s eyes. Continue reading →

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Every Christian Experience Spiritually Dry Times

Posted on October 25, 2025 by salooper57

They trust God when they feel trusting. They are kind when they feel kind. They are grateful for God’s salvation when they feel saved. But this is not enough: God will have us trust him, and not just our feelings about him. Continue reading →

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Get Closer to Jesus

Posted on October 22, 2025 by salooper57

If you’re being mugged, a policeman is good news and a great relief, but if you’re the mugger, a policeman is bad news and a serious threat. If you are living your life as if you were god, the real God is bound to be bad news. Continue reading →

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Why Can’t I Forgive?

Posted on October 18, 2025 by salooper57

If I am going to forgive you, I must not only forgive you for what you did, but for what you caused. This is often the missing link in forgiveness, and the reason for our seeming inability to forgive. Continue reading →

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Covenant: What It Is, How It Works

Posted on October 15, 2025 by salooper57

We are taking two weeks to try to understand what it means to be in covenant with God. Covenant plays an important role in the story of the Bible because God is conducting his rescue operation for creation in partnership … Continue reading →

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