Category Archives: Faith

Understanding the Decline of Religion in America

Posted on May 27, 2023 by salooper57

According to the Public Religion Research Institute (PPRI), only 16 percent of Americans surveyed say that religion is the most important thing in their lives. This marks a 4 percent drop in one decade. Melissa Deckman of PPRI says that … Continue reading →

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Nurturing Faith in Times of Uncertainty

Posted on May 20, 2023 by salooper57

Ordinary people hate uncertainty. In a Dutch study, volunteers were separated into two groups. One group was told that they would receive twenty sharp electrical shocks. The other was told they would receive three strong and seventeen mild shocks, but … Continue reading →

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The Great Story: Plotlines, Character Development, and Story Submissions

Posted on May 13, 2023 by salooper57

I would like to write a novel. This is not something new. It has been in the back of my mind since I graduated from college. Really, the desire was present even before that. In third grade I wrote my … Continue reading →

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Here Comes the Bride: The Church as the Bride of Christ

Posted on May 7, 2023 by salooper57

Many of us (I suspect this is especially true of men) have trouble connecting with the image of the church as a bride. But this is, perhaps, the richest of all biblical metaphors of the church. It is full of … Continue reading →

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When Greed Becomes a Virtue

Posted on May 2, 2023 by salooper57

Another session from the class, What the Bible Has to Say to American Culture.

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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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The Me Generation (What the Bible Has to Say to American Culture)

Posted on April 25, 2023 by salooper57

Tom Wolfe coined the phrase “The Me Decade.” That quickly evolved into “the Me Generation.” Time Magazine referred to millennials as “The Me, Me Generation.” Let’s face it: we are now a “Me Society.” In this class, we think about … Continue reading →

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The Sexual Rip Current (What the Bible Has to Say to American Culture

Posted on April 18, 2023 by salooper57
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The Crossing (John 5:19-30)

Posted on April 16, 2023 by salooper57

Why would anybody not want this kind of life, the kind that goes on forever? I’ll be candid: they don’t want it because there is no way to postpone its onset. Eternal life doesn’t start at the grave. You cannot purchase it on the layaway plan. Some people wish they could. But when you accept the eternal kind of life, it begins immediately. Not everyone wants that. 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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