Category Archives: Bible

Don’t Overlook The Importance of Desire in the Spiritual Life

Posted on July 10, 2021 by salooper57

Desire plays a critical and often overlooked role in life, including the spiritual life. Desire forges a person’s future and chooses the path they follow. Humans cannot live without desire. Were a drug to be disseminated in our atmosphere that … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Spiritual life | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

It Is Time for an Insurrection

Posted on July 5, 2021 by salooper57

controversial University of Chicago philosophy professor Mortimer Adler was once part of a discussion group and the conversation was not going well. Opinions were expressed with which he disagreed. Things got heated, Adler got upset, left the room, and slammed the door behind him. Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Faith, Spiritual life | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

“I Have Sinned”: A Study in Repentance

Posted on June 29, 2021 by salooper57

I used to think of repentance as a thing to be avoided. I thought it was all about feeling so bad about what I had done that I would never do it again. Now I think of repentance as a gift and a blessing.

What changed my mind? The Bible.

St. Paul regards repentance as something that God “gives” – it is a gift and it is priceless! That gift impacts the whole person: emotions, mind, and body—or you could say, feelings, thoughts, and actions.
Continue reading →

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

Don’t Give Your Kids a God-on-the-Box

Posted on June 23, 2021 by salooper57

Don’t give your children a God-in-the-Box. When our kids were small, we had a Jack-in-the-Box. We would turn the crank, the melody would play on and on until, suddenly, the jester popped out of the box. Our kids wanted us … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Family, Sermons | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

God-in-the-Box

Posted on June 20, 2021 by salooper57
Posted in Bible, Faith, Theology | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Lesson My Dad Taught Me

Posted on June 19, 2021 by salooper57

My dad was a tough guy. He served as a Marine in the 1940s. He married while he was still in the Corps and was divorced not long after. I know almost nothing of his first marriage and only learned … Continue reading →

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

Can You Hear Me Now? (1 Samuel 2-3)

Posted on June 13, 2021 by salooper57

Listening time: Approximately 25 minutes.

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

What Does the Author of Hebrews Mean by “Made Perfect”?

Posted on June 10, 2021 by salooper57

I was reading Scot McKnight’s book, Embracing Grace, and was surprised to see how he correlates the author of Hebrews use of the term “made perfect” (τελειωθεὶς) with the resurrection. In Hebrews 5:8-9, we read that the Son “learned obedience … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Theology | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Convergence

Posted on June 7, 2021 by salooper57

God is working in our lives and world, but we are liable to miss it because we are expecting something else: something obvious, something “religious,” something extraordinary. But in Samuel we learn that God works through the mundane events of life, its pleasures and its pains. Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Spiritual life, Worldview and Culture | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Nothing Fails Like Success

Posted on June 4, 2021 by salooper57

Failure sometimes follows close on the heels of success. The person who gets the dream job (success) allows that job to take the place of their spouse (failure). He or she gets promotions but ends up with a divorce.

The child of an alcoholic vows never to be like his dad. He doesn’t drink (success). But the resentment he carries around with him damages his own kids (failure), and they choose to get back at their dad by – what else? – drinking. Continue reading →

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