Category Archives: Faith

Is the Holy Spirit Optional? (Wide Angle)

Posted on April 27, 2022 by salooper57

(Reading Time: Approximately 3 minutes) Sometimes Christians get the idea that the presence of the Spirit of God in our lives is an option, something we can take or leave, like heated leather seats and dual zone climate control. It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Spiritual life, Theology, Wide Angle | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Storms of Doubt (Sermon: John 20:19-31)

Posted on April 25, 2022 by salooper57

A hopeful sermon to share with doubters, deconstructors, and those who care about them.

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20 Years Later: Peter and John Reminisce About Jesus’s Resurrection

Posted on April 24, 2022 by salooper57

Enjoy this skit that takes us back to that first Easter Sunday!

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Celebrating Hope at Easter

Posted on April 16, 2022 by salooper57

(Reading time: approximately 4 minutes.) The first time I heard the quote (attributed to Dr. Johnson), “Men live in hope, die in despair,” I was not in English class but in the Student Union. I was playing ping-pong with my … Continue reading →

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Behold You King (Palm Sunday 2022)

Posted on April 11, 2022 by salooper57

Today, we remember and celebrate what has come to be known as “The Triumphal Entry,” Jesus’s highly symbolic entrance into Jerusalem just days before he was betrayed and executed. We know the broad outlines of the story. Jesus rode into … Continue reading →

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Death: Its Denial and Defeat

Posted on April 9, 2022 by salooper57

In 2013, Google launched “Calico,” a company headed by Arthur Levinson, whose goal is “to solve death.” The biotech company hopes to use technology to combat aging and, in Time Magazine’s words, “defeat death itself.” Google is not the only … Continue reading →

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The Coming of the Spirit: An Essential Part of Salvation (Wide Angle)

Posted on April 7, 2022 by salooper57

(Reading time: 4-5 minutes) Today we’ll use our wide-angle lens to focus on the strange events that took place on the Jewish Feast of Pentecost during the same year that Jesus was crucified and resurrected.  The word Pentecost is a … Continue reading →

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A Different Way to Read the Bible

Posted on April 2, 2022 by salooper57

(Reading time: approximately 3-4 minutes) My family started reading the Bible together when I was in middle school. Hearing my dad read the Bible was a new and unexpected experience, one that left a lasting mark on me. We started … Continue reading →

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The Continuing Presence of Jesus (Wide Angle: Acts 1)

Posted on March 31, 2022 by salooper57

How must they have felt as they walked back to the city? What did they talk about? There was something final about Jesus’s departure. They probably understood that they had entered a new phase of life, but how were they to live it? “Witnesses to the ends of the earth”—how were they to do that? What would it look like?

As they walked back to their accommodations in Jerusalem, they had no clue about how to answer those questions. The future was a blank. They didn’t know what their lives were going to look like. All they had was Jesus’ instruction. Continue reading →

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Resistance Is Not Futile: How to Resist the Devil (1 Peter 5:5-11)

Posted on March 28, 2022 by salooper57

Both Saints James and Peter tell us to resist the devil. How does one do that? 1 Peter 5:5-11 gives us a quick-start guide. This sermon is for those who have joined the Resistance.

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