Category Archives: Encouragement

Every Christian Experience Spiritually Dry Times

Posted on October 25, 2025 by salooper57

They trust God when they feel trusting. They are kind when they feel kind. They are grateful for God’s salvation when they feel saved. But this is not enough: God will have us trust him, and not just our feelings about him. Continue reading →

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Get Closer to Jesus

Posted on October 22, 2025 by salooper57

If you’re being mugged, a policeman is good news and a great relief, but if you’re the mugger, a policeman is bad news and a serious threat. If you are living your life as if you were god, the real God is bound to be bad news. Continue reading →

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Why Can’t I Forgive?

Posted on October 18, 2025 by salooper57

If I am going to forgive you, I must not only forgive you for what you did, but for what you caused. This is often the missing link in forgiveness, and the reason for our seeming inability to forgive. Continue reading →

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Covenant: What It Is, How It Works

Posted on October 15, 2025 by salooper57

The God who would become a man – a descendant of Abraham – represented both parties on the perilous walk. God called the curse down on himself should the covenant be broken. And the One who sees the end from the beginning knew exactly where that would lead. Continue reading →

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Now You See Me

Posted on October 5, 2025 by salooper57

You see, it is not that Jesus emptied himself even though he was in very nature God. He emptied himself because he was in very nature God. This is what God is like. This is what he has always been like. 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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Can Erika Kirk Really Forgive Charlie’s Killer?

Posted on September 27, 2025 by salooper57

Forgiveness never happens by accident. It is always a choice—usually a choice that goes against the grain of our feelings. If we put off forgiveness until we feel like it, we will never forgive. We must make a choice to forgive, and we must act on it. Continue reading →

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The Family Business: A Sermon from John 5

Posted on September 18, 2025 by salooper57

When bad things happen in our lives, we might think about God the way my parents thought about the police: Why isn’t he doing something? Someday, we’ll discover that he was. But, unlike the police, he wanted us to join him in his work. Continue reading →

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Going Out of Business: St. Paul and “the Body of Sin”

Posted on September 13, 2025 by salooper57

The new owner has given each of us the responsibility of closing down the business of sin that has been operating in our bodies. Continue reading →

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Pulling Out: Separationist Movements and the Bible

Posted on September 6, 2025 by salooper57

Wearing unfashionable clothing (without a smartphone in any pocket) might readily distinguish us in other people’s eyes, but maybe the point is not to distinguish ourselves in others people’s eyes. Continue reading →

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