Category Archives: Church

Church as Temple and Priesthood (1 Peter 2:4-10)

Posted on April 30, 2023 by salooper57

Melissa Highsmith was kidnapped by a babysitter when she was just 22 months old. Her kidnapper changed her name and raised her as her own in the city where she was born, but Melissa never had an inkling about her … Continue reading →

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Alien Residents (1 Peter 2:11-12)

Posted on April 23, 2023 by salooper57

In 1 Peter 2:11, Peter calls the people of Jesus “foreigners and exiles.” They have green cards. They’re here on work and student visas. It is not their ambition to settle down, though if they can make this a better … Continue reading →

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Finding the Right Pastor: Insights from the Bible

Posted on April 22, 2023 by salooper57

In 2023, I will finish my work at the church I have served for decades. My wife and I love our church and want it to flourish after we move on. So, of course, we want the next pastor to … Continue reading →

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Why the Church is Essential to God’s Plan for Humanity

Posted on April 15, 2023 by salooper57

The church is more important than is generally understood, even by church members. It is crucial to the future, for it lies at the center of God’s plan for humanity. Without the church, the world could never be right, and … Continue reading →

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The Family of God (Series on the Church)

Posted on April 9, 2023 by salooper57

You are a young man in first century Israel (though what I am about to say would have been true of men almost anywhere in the first century). You got married on Sunday. Your family, your bride’s family, your friends, … Continue reading →

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Leaving Home (not knowing where we are going)

Posted on April 7, 2023 by salooper57

I will be finishing up the work that God gave me to do at Lockwood Community Church over the next few months. It has be a long, fruitful, and (for the most part) happy time. My wife and I have … Continue reading →

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The Day You Came Into the Church (1 Corinthians 12:1-13)

Posted on April 2, 2023 by salooper57

Last week, we looked at the day the church was born into the world. This week, we will look at the day you were born into the church. But first, we need to think a little further about what the … Continue reading →

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The Day the Church Was Born (Acts 2)

Posted on March 26, 2023 by salooper57

We are looking today at Acts 2, which recounts the origins of the Church. When God poured out his Spirit on the 120 Jesus-followers who had gathered in Jerusalem, they went from being friends and associates with a shared history … Continue reading →

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Built on a Promise (Matthew 16:13-20)

Posted on March 19, 2023 by salooper57

When I was a boy and would put more food on my plate than I was able to eat, my mother would say, “Your eyes are bigger than your belly.” When a pastor puts Matthew 16:13-20 on his preaching plate – at least this pastor – his desire to preach might be bigger than his exegetical ability. Continue reading →

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We Are the Temple of the Living God (with Kevin Looper)

Posted on March 12, 2023 by salooper57

How can Christians be in the world but not of it? What does it mean to be unequally yoked? Does this only happen in marriage, or can we be unequally yoked in other relationships? We explore the questions as we … Continue reading →

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