Category Archives: Encouragement

The Cross – Luke 23

Posted on April 15, 2026 by salooper57

God has plunged [the cross] into the earth, like Excalibur into the stone, and no power can remove it. From the moment it was driven into the ground, it began splitting the earth, dividing people. Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Encouragement, Faith, Sermons, Theology, Wide Angle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Resurrection: Waking Up Into the Real World

Posted on April 11, 2026 by salooper57

An evolutionary biologist might think that Paul is talking about a type of theological saltation – a sudden, large mutational change occurring in a single generation. Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Encouragement, Faith, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Resurrection: More Than Heaven When You Die

Posted on April 8, 2026 by salooper57

(…the phrase, “think outside the box” originated with the nine-dot puzzle.) Once you go outside the box, there is more than one way to solve the problem. That is what Jesus does with Martha. He takes her outside the box, beyond the confines of the tomb. Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Encouragement, Faith, Sermons, Theology, Wide Angle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Ministry of Jacks and Queens

Posted on April 4, 2026 by salooper57

Ancient Greeks thought that serving others was demeaning, which is why the Sophist asked, “How can a man be happy when he has to serve someone?” But Christians believed that serving others was a mark of greatness. Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Church, Church Life, Encouragement, Faith, Mission, Spiritual life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

If Only (John 11)

Posted on April 1, 2026 by salooper57

His mom said, “I’ll have to vacuum it up.” Phin asked, “How does it get up there?” His mom, thinking he was talking about the bug, said, “They fly.” Phin looked at her in amazement and said, “Vacuums fly?” Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Encouragement, Faith, Sermons, Spiritual life, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Don’t Give Up on God (2 Samuel 7)

Posted on March 4, 2026 by salooper57

God hardly ever does things the way we think he should. What kind of kingdom is ruled by a crucified King? Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Encouragement, Faith, Sermons, Theology, Wide Angle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

All Things Are Yours: A Compelling Vision of the Christian Life

Posted on February 28, 2026 by salooper57

In Paul’s glorious vision of the Christian life, Jesus’s people have the power to force the world, life, death, things present, and things to come to serve their purpose. But Christians can only do this if they know their purpose and where they fit in the divine scheme of things. Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Encouragement, Faith, Spiritual life, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The God of Second Chances (Joshua 3-4)

Posted on February 25, 2026 by salooper57

When another chance – second chance or hundredth chance – will be helpful, it will be given. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the God of Second chances. Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Encouragement, Faith, Sermons, Spiritual life, Theology, Wide Angle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Christians: Navigating the Approval Process

Posted on February 14, 2026 by salooper57

That symbol gives merchants and consumers confidence in the product they are selling and buying. God wants his people to have confidence in him and in his work in them. And he wants their friends, neighbors, and co-workers to be able to trust them. Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Encouragement, Faith, Spiritual life, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Call of Abraham (Genesis 12)

Posted on January 27, 2026 by salooper57

Abram is the beginning of the cure because he is the beginning of a line … The long line runs through a young woman – hardly more than a child – named Mary. Then the line becomes a point: a point of contention for some; a point of no return for others; but the point of it all for us who believe. Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Encouragement, Faith, Sermons, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment