Category Archives: Church Life

The Baptism of the Spirit (Wide Angle)

Posted on May 11, 2022 by salooper57

Reading time: Approximately two minutes. There are some things in Acts 2, regarding the coming of the Spirit, which we would do well to note. The first is the meaning of the word baptism as it is applied to what … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Church, Church Life, Theology, Wide Angle | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The Holy Spirit and the Church (Wide Angle)

Posted on May 5, 2022 by salooper57

The Catholic Church has created a great deal of controversy, but is surely right, when it says, “Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus – “Outside the Church there is no salvation.” That is because no one outside the church is inside Christ. Continue reading →

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The End of All Things Is Near (a sermon on 1 Peter 4:7-11)

Posted on March 7, 2022 by salooper57

“The end of all things is near. Therefore, be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.” Peter does not say, “Be alert and of sober mind so that you” can outsmart the bad guys and save yourselves. … Continue reading →

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How Do We Get There from Here? (1 Peter 3:8-15)

Posted on February 21, 2022 by salooper57

Do you know how some TV shows begin with a scene that is full of peril and you don’t even know how you got there? The hero is covered with blood, he’s holding a knife, and a woman lies dead … 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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One Woman’s Journey to Faith

Posted on January 31, 2022 by salooper57

I am excited to share Jenny Wickey’s story with you. She told our church family about the journey she has been on from her atheist upbringing to faith in Jesus Christ. It’s a great story that you will want to … Continue reading →

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Build an Altar: Worshiping Well

Posted on December 5, 2021 by salooper57

We cannot thrive when we do not worship God, but when we do, other things start falling into place. Decisions we once agonized over almost make themselves. Trials become easier to endure with faith. Relationships are set in order. We are nearer, or more continually near, to joy than ever before.

But when we are not worshiping God, decisions paralyze us, trials defeat us, relationships get crazy, and discouragement dogs our every step. Continue reading →

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The Church: Deconstructing or Deteriorating?

Posted on July 3, 2021 by salooper57

Today, many Christians, especially those under 40, are asking tough questions about the faith. They are questioning assumptions taught by, or caught from, their parents. This is particularly true of assumptions regarding sexuality and racial justice. The process is known … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Church Life, Faith, Spiritual life, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

How to Pray High-Impact Prayers

Posted on May 1, 2021 by salooper57

If someone universally acknowledged as a modern-day saint prayed regularly for you, what would he or she pray? We know what we would want them to pray: that our children would fare well, that we would have enough money to … Continue reading →

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A Three-Point Sermon (in Nine Words)

Posted on March 24, 2021 by salooper57

In Romans 12:12, the Apostle Paul writes: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” There is a wonderful three-point sermon in those nine words.[1] Point one: there is a great future ahead of us, so be joyful in hope. Point two: there are great difficulties surrounding us, so be patient in affliction. And point three: there is a great God above us, so be faithful in prayer. Continue reading →

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