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.

Christmas Is Really Act 2

Posted on December 17, 2018 by salooper57

Can’t get enough of Christmas? You’ll love the prequels and sequels. It is the season for prequels and sequels. Mary Poppins is the big sequel this year. It’s the first year since 2012 that there hasn’t been a hobbit or … Continue reading →

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Is the World Getting Crazier? (Probably Not)

Posted on December 15, 2018 by salooper57

Is the country headed down the tubes? It sure seems that way. The sanity quotient is going down and the spitefulness quotient is going up. The anecdotal evidence is overwhelming. Consider, for example, the U.S. diplomat who mentioned D-Day as … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

God and Judgment in the #Me Too Era

Posted on December 8, 2018 by salooper57

Oprah Winfrey once explained that a sermon was the immediate cause of her departure from the orthodox Christian faith. In his Sunday message,her pastor Jeremiah Wright read and then exposited an Old Testament text in which God portrays himself as … Continue reading →

Posted in In the News, Theology, Uncategorized, Worldview and Culture | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Tolerance: Rediscovering the Lost Virtue

Posted on December 1, 2018 by salooper57

“In many ways tolerance is a lost virtue, and often, where it does exist, it exists from the wrong cause.” Those are the words of the Scottish scholar William Barclay, first published in 1953. Though there has been a great … Continue reading →

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Thankfulness Is a Predictor of Spiritual Vitality

Posted on November 24, 2018 by salooper57

The holidays are the season for giving, for getting together with family, and for watching movie sequels and prequels. This will be the first Christmas since 2011 that there has not been a hobbit or a stormtrooper in the movie … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Spiritual life | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

The Danger of Idolizing Technology

Posted on November 17, 2018 by salooper57

Every era has its gods – the powerful entities that people routinely turn to for protection, provision, and personal fulfillment. In our era that god is technology. Technology has achieved ascendancy in this generation, at least in the West, but … Continue reading →

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The Story We’re In Isn’t About Ease and Security

Posted on November 10, 2018 by salooper57

Until Christians understand why they’re here, they will not understand what they should be doing. Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Uncategorized, Worldview and Culture | 1 Comment

Snake-Handling: The Christian’s Relationship to Money

Posted on November 1, 2018 by salooper57

Christians think differently about money – or at least they should. You can listen to the recent message titled Snake-Handling (on Christians and money) here: http://lockwoodchurch.org/media/131783-505499-1579583/snake-handling-luke-16-9-14

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A God Veiled in Time and Space

Posted on October 30, 2018 by salooper57

Read my recent article, which first appeared on 10/23/2018 on Christianity Today. Here’s the link, if you’d prefer to go to the C.T. site: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2018/october-web-only/atheism-where-is-god-physics-revealed-in-christ.html When I read that songwriter Michael Gungor told his wife, Lisa, “I don’t believe in God … Continue reading →

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Why Church Is Indispensable

Posted on October 27, 2018 by salooper57

When people came to our church building this past Sunday, I sent them away. In fact, I sent them to other churches. I told them, “Go and bless another church with your presence.” We didn’t meet for worship this week … Continue reading →

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