Category Archives: Faith

Soul Work: It’s an Inside Job

Posted on March 26, 2022 by salooper57

Once, when all my tinkering failed to restore the boiler to working order, we hired a repairman. I took him to the boiler room, showed him the control module, and waited around to learn what I could. He examined the controls for a short time, then turned to me and said: “Don’t ever touch that again.” Later, when I was coiling his extension cord for him, he took it away from me and did it himself. The look on his face said everything: “You’re an idiot.” Continue reading →

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Don’t Let the Little Devils Sneak In: Staying Close to Christ

Posted on March 19, 2022 by salooper57

Reading time: 3-4 minutes We lived in an old farmhouse for twenty-five years. It was built in the I-Style of architecture that was common for country homes in the late 19th century and was around a hundred years old when … Continue reading →

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The Ascension: A Post-Resurrection Disappearance

Posted on March 16, 2022 by salooper57

Reading time: 4-5 minutes. (This Wide Angle look comes from Acts 1. Verses not otherwise identified by book and chapter are taken from there.) When Jesus was crucified, and his followers had despaired.  When he was raised, they were astounded.  … Continue reading →

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A Virtual Fingerprint for Identifying Christians

Posted on March 12, 2022 by salooper57

(Reading time: 3-4 minutes.) I worked for the Ford Motor Company during my college years. One afternoon, I climbed the steps to the paint department, walked through the door into the smoldering heat, and was almost immediately met by another … Continue reading →

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Is Prophecy Being Fulfilled Before Our Eyes?

Posted on March 5, 2022 by salooper57

(Reading time: 3-4 minutes.) The famous televangelist Pat Robertson came out of retirement this week to warn that the end times are upon us. According to Robertson, Vladimir Putin’s real intention in going into Ukraine is to secure a base … Continue reading →

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The Resurrection: “He Is Going Ahead of You” (Wide Angle)

Posted on March 2, 2022 by salooper57

(Reading time: 3-4 minutes.) We’ve been looking at the resurrection of Jesus over the past few weeks and it is now I time to put on our wide-angle lenses. Survey the big picture. Eve’s son would crush the serpent’s head … Continue reading →

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Eveready (A sermon from 1 Peter 3:14-4:6)

Posted on February 28, 2022 by salooper57

What does it look like to be ready for Christ? How do we get ready? Peter shares 3 areas in which Jesus’s followers need to be prepared.

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The Bible’s Commands Ranked?

Posted on February 26, 2022 by salooper57

People seem to have an innate desire to rank things. What was the best Star Wars movie? Who has New York’s best pizza? What was the worst television show of all time? What are America’s 25 best beaches? This penchant … Continue reading →

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Sinai (Bible Theology Class)

Posted on February 13, 2022 by salooper57

What was Sinai and the giving of the law all about? Was it just rules that people must follow, can’t follow, and set people up to fail? Or is the law more like covenant promises – like marriage vows? How … Continue reading →

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Example, Savior, Shepherd: 1 Peter 2:21-25

Posted on February 7, 2022 by salooper57

e that I discovered that not all Christians think alike. The larger church is divided into smaller camps. At college, I began to learn more about these camps. There were of course the Catholics. From the snatches I heard said about Catholics, I concluded that few (if any) were really Christians at all. There were the liberals, who were only humanists (that was the derision de jour at the time) in Chrisitan’s clothing. And then there was “us,” the real Christians.

But even among us, there were camps. There were the Calvinists (who weren’t any fun at all), the fundamentalists (who didn’t want anyone to have any fun at all), and the Pentecostals (who were having all the fun, speaking in tongues and getting slain in the Spirit).

Somehow, I learned these things without ever talking to a Catholic, a liberal, or a Pentecostal. In the years since, I’ve spoken to all these folks and many at length. I’ve learned that talking about people reinforces stereotypes while talking to people tears them down. Continue reading →

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