Category Archives: Spiritual life

Believing in Jesus: Not “For Once and for All,” but “For Once and for Always”

Posted on March 19, 2024 by salooper57

I preached this as a candidate for the pastoral ministry at California Road Missionary Church – my first time preaching a candidate’s sermon in 35 years! You can read the sermon below, or you can watch it on Cal Road’s … Continue reading →

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Whether Science or Theology, the Proof Is in the Pudding

Posted on March 9, 2024 by salooper57

Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr, two of the greatest minds of the twentieth century, engaged in a decades-long disagreement over the nature of physical reality, and particularly over quantum mechanics. Einstein rejected Bohr’s idea of quantum entanglement as “spooky action … Continue reading →

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Faith, Politics, and the Problem of Selective Sight

Posted on February 24, 2024 by salooper57

Another election year, and it’s going to get ugly. As the citizen of a liberal democracy, I know we must have elections, but as the pastor of a church I came to dread them. People I have known to be … Continue reading →

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The Love of Knowledge and the Knowledge of Love

Posted on January 13, 2024 by salooper57

In one of his best known passages, the Apostle Paul wrote, “For now we know in part.” Human knowledge is always partial. The greatest theologian has only partial knowledge, as does the greatest scientist and the greatest philosopher. Of course, … Continue reading →

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Live Meaningfully in the Present by Learning from the Past

Posted on January 6, 2024 by salooper57

The biblical stories of saints and sinners are endlessly instructive for people wanting to live meaningful lives in the present, but there is a risk that we will miss what they have to teach us. The danger is that we … Continue reading →

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Magnificent Obsession or Academic Religion: The Wise Men’s Story

Posted on December 23, 2023 by salooper57

The Feast of Epiphany, held on January 6th, celebrates the revelation of Christ to the world. It commemorates the visit of the Magi, traditionally known as the “wise men,” to the Child Christ. The origin of the Magi has been … Continue reading →

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He Has a Certain Way About Him

Posted on November 25, 2023 by salooper57

In both the Old and New Testaments, the Bible speaks about “the way of the Lord.” The biblical writers frequently urge people to walk in God’s ways. What does it mean that God has a way? The “way of the … Continue reading →

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Life’s Detours: What You Need to Know

Posted on November 18, 2023 by salooper57

A reasoned defense of God’s goodness and love in the face of suffering and evil is known as a theodicy. Examples of theodicy can be found in the works of philosophers like Leibniz, Hick, and Plantinga. I cannot hope to … Continue reading →

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Do Not Grow Weary (Galatians 6)

Posted on November 8, 2023 by salooper57

This 29-minute sermon from Galatians 6:1-10 encourages us not to give up when things get tough. Click the link Do Not Grow Weary to listen or read the manuscript below. Emmet Smith, the great running back for the Dallas Cowboys, … Continue reading →

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The Vacant House: A Horror Story Jesus Told

Posted on November 4, 2023 by salooper57

Jesus once told a story about an “impure spirit” that “comes out of a person” and “goes through arid places seeking rest” but does not find it. The spirit then says to itself, “I will return to the house I … Continue reading →

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