Category Archives: Mission

Was Paul Really “Compelled by the Spirit”? Questions for Acts 20–21

Posted on October 10, 2026 by salooper57

As I have already written, I am not criticizing the great apostle, but I am questioning whether the NIV is right to translate “compelled by the Spirit,” implying it was God’s will that Paul be beaten, arrested, and imprisoned. Continue reading →

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The Ascension: Christ Really Is King (Acts 1:1-11)

Posted on April 29, 2026 by salooper57

Jesus did not say, “You will be my salespeople,” but you will be my witnesses. Witnesses relate what they have seen, heard, or otherwise experienced. Jesus’s witnesses are people who tell what they have seen, heard, and experienced regarding Jesus. Continue reading →

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He Is Risen from the Dead and Is Going Ahead of You: A Sermon on the Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8)

Posted on April 22, 2026 by salooper57

Nothing is secure that is kept from God, including the dreams we cherish, the children we love, and the sins we hide. And nothing is insecure that is placed in his hands. Continue reading →

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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 →

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Is This How Christians Can Reach the World?

Posted on March 21, 2026 by salooper57

We want to keep our dignity in place and our options open—and dignity and options are not characteristic of slaves and servants. (Or so people think who have never been slaves and servants.) Continue reading →

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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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Covenant Flyover

Posted on October 8, 2025 by salooper57

God kicked them out of “The Perfect Earth” program and exiled them from the Garden training center, but – and this is important – he did not give up on the plan. He still intends to have a perfect world stewarded by perfect people, ruling in his name with wisdom and love. Continue reading →

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Divided We Fall: Paul, Romans, and a Fractured Faith

Posted on September 20, 2025 by salooper57

Do we feel about the divisions in today’s church (between black and white, old and young, female and male, left and right) the way Paul would, or do we regard division as something we’ll just have to live with? Continue reading →

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The Family Business: A Sermon from John 5

Posted on September 18, 2025 by salooper57

When bad things happen in our lives, we might think about God the way my parents thought about the police: Why isn’t he doing something? Someday, we’ll discover that he was. But, unlike the police, he wanted us to join him in his work. Continue reading →

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The Ascension and Spiritual Gifts (Eph. 4:7-16)

Posted on June 4, 2025 by salooper57

Who would have guessed? Those little pieces were important. And so are the gifts that God gave to each of us. You can say, “My gift is probably not important,” but Jesus gave that gift to you for a reason, and gave you to us for a reason. Continue reading →

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