Category Archives: Family

Closer to those Outside the Church

Posted on November 30, 2025 by salooper57

Watch a TV sitcom and see if that is how married couples are portrayed. My guess is that you will find just the opposite: the women treat their husbands like fools and the men don’t know their wives at all, and don’t want to. But that’s not just TV; it’s real life – your neighbors’ and coworkers’ lives. Continue reading →

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Submission Is for the Mission

Posted on March 20, 2025 by salooper57

The biblical context makes it clear that wives are not the only ones instructed to submit. This submission cannot be about male superiority since three of the four times Peter instructs people to submit, men are the ones submitting. Continue reading →

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How to Be Content in Your Marriage

Posted on July 13, 2024 by salooper57

One out of five Americans in a romantic relationship admits to cheating on a partner. Over half of cheating men claim to be happy in their marriage. Only a third of cheating women do. Happy or not, marriages rarely survive … Continue reading →

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A Life That Means Something

Posted on October 1, 2023 by salooper57

This sermon was preached on May 10, 2020, at Lockwood Community Church.

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Why Have 40 Million Americans Stopped Attending Church?

Posted on August 5, 2023 by salooper57

A former youth pastor once said to me: “I’ve seen kids do well” – in terms of faith – “whose parents were genuine Jesus-followers. I’ve seen kids do well with addicted, abusive parents who don’t know God. But I’ve never seen kids do well whose parents talk like they’re Christians but live like they’re not.” Continue reading →

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Things My Dad Didn’t Mean to Teach Me: A Tribute (of Sorts)

Posted on June 10, 2023 by salooper57

My dad taught me a lot of things, some intentionally, but most inadvertently. In the intentional column were things like how to tie an improved cinch knot, how to change a tire, and how to bowl. He taught me how … Continue reading →

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Living Apart Together: Is Less Commitment Really the Key to Longevity?

Posted on May 6, 2023 by salooper57

Thirty years ago, a teacher in a small town near us was scrutinized and nearly fired when it was discovered that he was living with a partner to whom he was not married. The school board considered their living arrangement … Continue reading →

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The Importance of Belonging: Repairing the Foundational Rupture in Relationships

Posted on February 25, 2023 by salooper57

Picture eight or so sixth-grade boys, playing football on a narrow strip of grass between two houses. A laundry pole marks one end zone and the sidewalk marks the other. The football has gone into the busy street repeatedly, worrying … Continue reading →

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Forgive Him (#2): Following Christ Today

Posted on January 24, 2023 by salooper57

The church of Jesus Christ was intended to be a society of forgiveness, modelling God’s forgiven in its relationships with others. This is a chief way the gospel is conveyed. Yet, we are not very good at forgiving. One reason … Continue reading →

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Why Abortion Is So Intractable

Posted on November 5, 2022 by salooper57

Thirty years ago, Bill Clinton stated that “Abortion should be safe, legal, and rare.” The issue of its legality is still up in the air, but abortion has never been safe – especially for the developing fetus – and no … Continue reading →

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