Category Archives: Church Life

Closer to those Outside the Church

Posted on November 30, 2025 by salooper57

Watch a TV sitcom and see if that is how married couples are portrayed. My guess is that you will find just the opposite: the women treat their husbands like fools and the men don’t know their wives at all, and don’t want to. But that’s not just TV; it’s real life – your neighbors’ and coworkers’ lives. Continue reading →

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Closer to Each Other (Ephesians 4:25-32)

Posted on November 26, 2025 by salooper57

In the Bible, the Holy Spirit is especially concerned with/connected to/impacted by how a person speaks. If a Christian is unaware of the Holy Spirit in her life, the first thing she should do is check on what kind of speech is coming out of her mouth. Continue reading →

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Is the Church Even Necessary?

Posted on October 4, 2025 by salooper57

A church that is united in love will dislodge the devil, conduct itself with assurance, convince doubters, know Christ by experience, and change the world. Continue reading →

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Baptism: Is it Really Necessary?

Posted on August 23, 2025 by salooper57

Both the emu and the kangaroo can only move forward, not back. The emu’s three-toed foot causes it to fall if it tries to go backwards, and the kangaroo is prevented from moving backwards by its large tail.
People who are baptized have chosen the emu and the kangaroo for their coat of arms. Continue reading →

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The Ascension and Spiritual Gifts (Eph. 4:7-16)

Posted on June 4, 2025 by salooper57

Who would have guessed? Those little pieces were important. And so are the gifts that God gave to each of us. You can say, “My gift is probably not important,” but Jesus gave that gift to you for a reason, and gave you to us for a reason. Continue reading →

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Should Church Sanctuaries Be Coffee Shops?

Posted on May 17, 2025 by salooper57

It may have taken 50 years, but the worship industry now tracks their biggest hits with the CCLI Top 100, and woe to the church that does not include enough of the Top 100 in its worship services. Continue reading →

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Generational Challenges and the Unity of the Spirit

Posted on May 10, 2025 by salooper57

I thought all this in a flash. I spoke it more cautiously. “You know, by the time you’re a grandma, it’s possible that people won’t be wearing nose rings anymore. They might not be cool by then.” Continue reading →

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The End of All Things: It’s Near

Posted on April 2, 2025 by salooper57

When Peter tells us to love each other, he knows it will be a stretch for us. It will take us out of our comfort zone, but that is where people usually meet God. Continue reading →

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Your Mission, Should You Decide to Accept It

Posted on February 20, 2025 by salooper57

But our mission is more complicated than just bringing news about God to people who have never heard it. We are bringing news about God to people who have misheard it. They think they already know about “God and those Christians.” Continue reading →

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Holy Communion: What Is All It About?

Posted on December 12, 2024 by salooper57

“For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself” (1 Cor. 11:29, KJV). If that verse has ever scared you (or some pastor has scared you with that verse), you might want to read this sermon. Continue reading →

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